Welcome to Gaia! :: View User's Journal | Gaia Journals

It was late into the night, but the sounds still echoed. They had finally made it to his hometown. No one thought it would last this long, so they got lazy. They were not as prepared as they should have been. The thoughts of destruction were etched into the back of his head, much like hieroglyphs in the ancient structures of egypt. He had to find somewhere to go, a solitude for him and his loved one.
He rushed out of his house, fire on his heels. Where to go? Where to hide? The forest! There was forest right outside of town, an ancient, dense ominous forest. Maybe he could find somewhere in there to use as a makeshift haven. He quickly ran to his beloved's house and crashed through the door.
"Sakura" he screamed, "where are you?"
A petite, slender woman rushed down the stairs, her golden hair pulled back into a black silk ribbon, her blue eyes clouded with fear.
"Tiberius" she said, surprised and worried. "What's wrong?" She asked him, as she threw herself into his embrace.
"It isn't safe here anymore. We must leave"
" we can leave tomorrow. My sister is on her way. Her house was destroyed, and her husband killed."
"We have to leave now!" He grabbed her hand and pulled her out the door. "Let's find somewhere safe, and in the morning i'll come back for your sister."
"Ok" she said, reluctantly. She knew Tiberius, and she knew he was determined to leave.
They ran through rubble and ruin, periodically stopping to hide from the demons in their once quiet little town. As they reached the outskirts of their home, their life, they broke into a run. They ran into the forest, never looking back. Twigs and branches snapped under the weight of their heavy footsteps. Without warning, the ground under them collapsed, and they were furiously tumbling down a hill. Branches and rocks slicing at their flesh like murderous weapons. A paralyzing chill stole the breath from their chests, and they splashed about in a frenzied panic. Tiberius grabbed Sakura and started swimming in what direction he thought to be up. Just as the constriction on their lungs became unbearable, they broke to the surface. The couple drew in air, like a starving child food. After they started to recover their senses they realized something was different. It was bright, and the air was filled with a sweetness. They waded out of the water, puzzled and dazed, but grateful. A large tree covered with pink flowers stood in front of them, like a guardian over water. Drawn in by it's strange beauty they slowly walked towards it.
"It's beautiful" Sakura uttered, stunned by the beauty of this strange, yet somehow familiar tree.
"who are you?" An unknown voice boomed from behind them. Tiberius spun around, standing in front of Sakura, defensive and aware. "Answer my question, or you will never speak again." The sound of metal on metal sliced through the air, and a figure became visible. A man holding a strange sword, almost as tall as himself, and half as wide, stood before them. At the end of his sword was a large hook. Just looking at it made Tiberius shiver.
"I am Tiberius, and this is Sakura."
"Why are you here?"
"Leon!" A powerful, yet soft, voice made the man stop. He turned and stood for a brief moment. The source of this voice became visible. A tall, slender woman came into view. She had long dark hair, and an elegant dress draped over her. Upon her head sat a small crown, a diamond hanging from it. The man kneel before her, setting his sword at his side.
"yes, mi'lady?"
"That is no way to treat our guests, now is it?"
"No, mi'lady. My apologies" the man replied, resentment in his voice.
"You'll have to excuse his rudeness. He isn't fond of outsiders. Tell me stranger, how did you get here?"
"I'm not sure, we were running and fell. The next thing i knew, we were staring at this tree."
"well, you must be cold. Come, let us get you some dry clothes." The woman turned and walked out of their view. They quickly followed, afraid to be alone with with the man. They passed many trees, all of which looked like sticks compared to the tree at the ponds edge. soon they arrived to a large village. There were children running about the streets simple clothing draped about them. A large group chasing a ball, laughing without a care. Dogs barked,and large booth filled with people and various items. The air was filled with an aroma of multitudes of foods being cooked. The houses stood tall and slender. Sakura noticed the woman standing outside one of these building. Her and Tiberius quickly shuffled over to her, a small dust cloud following.
"Follow me" she said, stepping into the building. They looked around in awe. Small pads, much like pillows, covered the floor instead of furniture, and the tables were much shorter than those that they had. Simple, yet beautiful decorations adorned the subtle home.
"It's beautiful" Sakura whispered. "Who's home is this?"
"mine.who else would it belong to?" A smile graced the womans face as she said this.
"Surely, someone of your stature must live in a larger home. A palace perhaps?" Tiberius spoke his words with distrust.
"W e are a humble people. I find it pointless to show my stature over others when we all live together, as a family. All that would do is create envy and greed. You'll find some dry clothes in this room." she slid a door open, that seemed to be made of paper, with beautiful paintings of warriors, dragons and a bird of fire. The two walked into the room, returning minutes later dressed in the odd clothes of these people.
"Are you tired?" As the woman asked, Tiberius realized he was exhausted, and his muscled burned with fatigue. He had been so distracted by this strange place, he had not noticed how tired he was. He still did not trust this woman enough to sleep in her presence, but before he could speak Sakura did.
"Very" she said simply, with a shaken, broken voice, filled with fear and sorrow. The woman lead them to another room, with a strange bed.
"If you don't mind, i must go back. There is another who is close to us that i must also bring here." The woman nodded her approval and turned, quietly uttering the words "welcome home my daughter." She lead Tiberius back to the entrance of the house.
"Leon,please escort Tiberius back to the pond."
"If i may ask, what is your name? I must know who to thank for watching over Sakura and giving us such hospitality."
"My name is Islandi."
"Thank you for all you have done Islandi" Tiberius said, with a slight bow before leaving. As he stepped into the street, Leon stood waiting for him.
"Come" he said simply, disgust still in his voice. Tiberius quickly followed, keeping his distance, until they arrived to the pond.
"I'll be back" Tiberius assured him before jumping into the pond. He swam down, and soon returned to the chaotic sounds of his world. After his eyes adjusted to the darkness that surrounded him, he swam to the edge of the water and pulled himself out. He ran with all the strength he had left. He would wait in Sakura's house for her sister to arrive, then take her to the strange world were Sakura was waiting for him. Before he could make it to his destination, a horrendously loud explosion knocked him to the ground. His ears buzzed, and his vision blurred. When he could see again, he stood, and put a hand to his head. He pulled his hand away to see it stained crimson with blood. Then the realization hit him.
He turned to see the forest ablaze. A bomb must have landed there. He ran, faster than he thought possible. Ahead of him lay the hill he had stumbled down not too long ago, and that he was now once again falling down. Instead of the paralyzing cold there was a hard wall, that he was sure had broken some bones. There was no longer a pool of water, but a large chaotic mass of broken, destroyed trees. He searched for a small opening that he could get through. He only found a mangled, bloodied torn body. He slowly approached it, and as he loomed over it he could see that it was one of the invaders. He let out a blood curling scream as he kicked at its face. The face caved in, crimson liquid covering his foot. He kneeled, picking up a small handgun out form the dead man's hand. As he stood he knew what must be done. He let out another scream, a challenge to all that could hear. Moments later more of these demons emerged from within the trees, rushing towards him with shouts of a foreign language. Tiberius pointed the gun, and without hesitation, pulled the trigger. He could see his target's head fly back, blood rushing from the new hole between its eyes. He swiftly shifted his aim to the next target, then the next, his targets falling to the ground. The last of them fell to the ground, limp with multiple holes in his chest, blood staining the ground below him. No one was left to challenge him, and it was now time to eliminate the final target. He put the end of the gun into the mouth of the final target. Tears stained his dirt covered face as he pulled the trigger, his finger hugging it as he longed for the embrace of Sakura. For a brief second he could taste the gun powder, feel his tongue burning, and the small savior emerge through the back of his throat.