¤¤¤ Legendary Fantasies: Cloud 9 ¤¤¤

Diangela ¤ Waking up in Kasthar

      A sharp sting made me come to. I opened my eyelids and although I saw quite blurry, I manage to see an old lady laying beside me. “Nana…” I called out to her and she looked up at me with a smile on her face. She turned around to her side, “She woke up, wonderful news eh?” she asked a man. I looked at him, “Alex?” I asked and sat up from my bed (with some difficulty), “Alex what are you doing here? I thought you went home!”

“Alex?” I heard him say, but I turned my attention to Nana, “Nana, what is he doing here? Please escort him out!”

“Dear…” Nana began to say, “lay down, you are not well”

“What?” I asked beginning to stand up, but again that sharp pain filled my body and I immediately laid back down.

“Sir Doran be so kind to bring me more water” I heard Nana say or at least who I thought was Nana. I immediately opened my eyes again when I heard he name ‘Sir Doran’. I tried my hardest to concentrate around my surroundings. I was lying down on a bed, not my bed, but in a bed and I saw a wooden table not too far away from me, but that was all. I couldn’t see any farther beyond my own feet. The old woman that I presumed was Nana wasn’t her at all. Although she was, very old and white hair filled her head she wasn’t Nana. Her face was rather different.

I arched my eyebrow as she smiled at me and I gave a little gasp when I saw the man that I had called Alex come back into the room with a bucket full of water. He was still in his armor and his helmet was still on.

“No, no, no…” I whispered, “I want to go home”

Nana nodded and let the smooth wet rag touch the side of my stomach and I jump lightly. “I know dear, I know, but you must hold still while I try to heal your wound,” she said gently.

“This is a dream, a dream, a dream…” I kept telling myself, but Sir Doran interrupted me, “You keep saying that”

“Only because I know that this is a dream! It has to be” I stated.

Sir Doran just shook his head once, “Well, I’m quite sorry to disappoint you, but this is no dream.”

I stood there looking at him for a long while and I grinded my teeth, “How can you be so sure?” as soon as I spoke those words, my scream filled the room. I looked at the old lady whom was treating my cut, “That hurt! What are you doing? Are you trying to kill me instead of helping me?”

“There you go” I heard the masculine voice fill my ears, “if this was just a dream that wound wouldn’t hurt you, would it?”

I was about to protest, but I couldn’t help it, but feel as if a cold gust of air was encircling me. I looked down quickly to see me only in my blue slacks and white bra! Oh yeah, that was just PEACHY! “Oh my God! Would you turn around? Thank you very much!” I yelled at the knight and he looked down quickly before he turned around.

“Oh, it is not the first time Sir Doran saw a young woman before…” The old woman gave a laugh that sounded like a cackle.

“I really don’t care if it was or wasn’t the first, but hell why did he have to see me?” I felt my cheeks grow red and I scolded myself mentally for this.

I heard Sir Doran clear his throat, “Sorry Lady Diangela,” he whispered in a low voice, “I was only trying to help…”

I lifted my eyebrow, “What? Help? How could you possibly help me when I’m half naked!?”

“Calm down dear,” the old woman pushed my shoulders back so I was lying on the bed again. She then began to wipe the cloth once more.

“It was partially my fault that you got hurt so” I heard the knight’s voice and I looked at him (well, his back really. He knows better than to turn back around. Hmph!). Suddenly I recalled what had happened at the forest. With the Felanas trying to get me, well they did get me. He gave me a sword to protect myself with, but I couldn’t hold that sword even if my life depended on it. So, you can see.

The old woman started to defend him, her eyes still at the side of my abdomen, “He brought you in here. Even though he was the one that had saved you from those Felanas, he said he felt as if he needed to help you even more now…”

I stood quiet. So I guess that knight did help me. Okay, in a way I felt guilty I screamed at him, I mean he could’ve let me die. WAIT! If he left me there on the floor maybe I would be in my room at MY house!

I grinded my teeth, but stood quiet, Sir Doran was still my savior… in some weird way. Though I knew I really didn’t need saving. I could take of myself just fine. “Ow…” I whined quietly as I felt the sharp pain once more.

“Hush, hush now, I finished. I had just put a drop of Verae into your wound. It will heal in a matter of hours now.” The old lady said and I looked at a small bottle that was placed only inches away from me. The content was neon green and it looked rather disgusting. “Is that the Verae?” I asked pointing.

“Yes, it is” the woman said nodding.

“What is that? I never heard of it before”

The old woman began to wrap waist with a bandage, “Verae is an ointment to treat wounds. It does wonders it does”

“Oh, I see” I said quietly.

After she wrapped my wound I was becoming rather cold just sitting there with no top. Yes, this was a wonderful dream! JUST WONDERFUL! “May I get my sweatshirt back?”

The old woman stood up, “Well, of course, if you don’t mind that it got savagely ripped apart”

“Oh yeah…” I said softly. I totally forgot that it would be ripped, since that is how I got my cut. “Well, I can’t go around wearing nothing” I stated.

“Oh of course, dear. I’ll lend you something” the old woman went up these small wooden stairs and I was left with knight, whom was still turned around. I began looking around the room, I could see more clearly now, but it wasn’t something really great to look at. It seemed that the whole house was made out of wood. I look to my right and I saw an opening that I’m guessing would be the door. I was sitting on a bed that was pushed to the side of the room and I’m guessing that this would be some sort of bedroom as weird as it sounds. I turned to my left and I saw a suit of armor. It was so… so shiny. I just had to look at it. I mean Sir Doran’s was nice too, but you could tell that he went through numerous of battles. The suit of armor that was placed next to me seemed to brand new. I just had to look at it from close up!

I stood up quietly and walked over to the display. A beautiful jeweled sword that it held tightly accompanied the suit of armor. “So, beautiful…” I whispered to myself. I just had to touch it! It was so pretty and it sparkled with radiance! I extended my hand out to it and touched the jeweled sword. All of a sudden, I saw the suit of armor falling! Oh my god! What was I suppose to do!? The armor was so much taller than me and it was going to flatten me out like a pancake if I didn’t do anything!

“Oh my God! AH~” I ran away and by instinct I ran to Sir Doran, he WAS the only person there and I freaked out! What was I suppose to do? And he WAS a knight… and … actually I really don’t know what that has to do with anything, but anyways…

I started to wave my arms around frantically, “What am I going to do Doran? Oh no, no, no, I am going to get in trouble for being so stupid!” I then put my hand in my hands and shook it. “You’re just one of many that fell into one of Lady Enda’s traps…” Sir Doran said to me in a plain dull voice as if it was just everyday people were going to be killed by a suit of armor!

“Whose?” I asked him, “Lady… End…a?”

“Yes, me” I heard that same old voice and I turned immediately.

“Oh, I am SO sorry, I didn’t mean to, I really am sorry, oh please---“ I started, but the old woman (Lady…um, Enda…) handed me a white blouse and headed straight to the armor that was standing on it’s stand as if it never fell! Weird…

I stood quiet for a minute, hugging the piece of cloth that Lady Enda gave me (I had seemed to forget that I was in my bra for a brief moment). I glance at the stern night whose light blue eyes were placed on the woman and her suit of armor. “Um, is she mad?” I asked him. Okay that was a stupid question, but I felt so horrible and now there was this sudden silence. I couldn’t take it! I had to say something!

“Who knows? Lady Enda is a very unpredictable woman,” he said still not looking at me.

Suddenly what the old woman did totally proved the knight’s point. She began to laugh happily, “Oh, you’re a curious one too, aren’t you?” she started to walk up to me.

“…” I was so lost you have no idea.

“What made you touch that?” she asked me her aged- eyes were filled with amusement.

I glanced at Sir Doran, I guess looking for answers, but he had given me none. “Uh, well, I suppose it was pretty and sparkly…” I told her and suddenly her amused expression faded. Enda turned around and sighed, “Oh… is that all?”

What did she want from me? Why was she even asking me this? It made no sense! So I just stood quiet in confusion.

“That’s what everyone else said in Alzar,” she began again, “they all said it was shiny and pretty …” she sighed in frustration.

“Well, it is true you know” I said.

The old woman smiled, “Oh yes, I know, but sometimes the things that you can’t see directly are more truthful than the ones that are. You try to remember that. It might become useful one day…”

“Mm,” I smiled, “but I am dreadfully sorry that I touched that, I didn’t mean to cause so much trouble and distraught.”

“Oh, no it’s quite fine. That was there for a reason as everything else” she then pointed to the shirt, “You better hurry and put that on, it gets rather chilly over here at night. Don’t want you to catch a cold of some sort”

I quickly put the shirt over my head and without telling him, Sir Doran bowed his head down. The shirt had fit me perfectly and was so comfortable to, but the feeling of the material against my skin didn’t make me forget my question that I have been dying to ask. “Where is ‘here’?”

Everything grew quiet as if I had committed a crime. Suddenly Lady Enda gave a light laugh, “Oh dear, how silly of me really, you’re in Kasthar”

“OH~” I exclaimed and she smiled, “where is Kasthar?”

The woman’s smile then vanished, “Oh dear, dear, dear, Sir Doran, do you think she fell too hard?”

The knight had the same expression as always, serious. “I think more than you know. I had encountered her when she fell from the heavens. That is how she was able to kill the Felana as I told you”

The woman turned to me, “Oh dear… you fell from the heavens, did you?”

The knight began again, “She fell from the heavens and having no memory of Alzar. She claims that this is merely a dream”

“It is!” I said nodding, “and what is ‘Alzar’? I’ve been hearing that a lot and still I don’t know what it is!”

“Oh I see… I see, no memories and in denial” Enda commented nodding in awe.

“What?” I couldn’t believe what she was saying! “What do you mean, ‘in denial’? I’m not in no denial! I’m just telling the simple fact called, truth!”

“Yes, well truth comes in many forms, just have to know which one” she paused and she seemed to be in  deep thought, but before I could say anything she began again, but in a new topic, “you really must look at yourself in the mirror, you look adorable!”

I grunted, yeah, if there was one thing I ever wanted, it was to look adorable, sickly adorable. Enda pointed to the mirror and I walked over and saw myself. Okay, I didn’t see anything different, I was wearing a long sleeve white shirt that was laced up in front. I mean it was nice and all, but it wasn’t that nice. I didn’t even look adorable so I didn’t understand what she was talking about. I mean my necklace didn’t even match the---…

“NO! BLOODY HELL!” I yelled aloud and the old woman came running by my side, “What happened? I don’t you look that horrible”

“My necklace!” I kept running my hands over my neck as if it miraculously would be put back on.

“Did you loose it?” she asked me and I nodded.

“Oh, well, maybe it fell on the bed” Enda then began to search for it. The knight was next to me and he leaned on the wall, “I’m pretty sure if you lost it, you lost it in the Kasthar Forest. After all you did run around and fell from the heavens. That’s were it would most likely be…”

“Would you stop saying I fell from the heavens?”

“Only if you stop implying that this is a dream”

I glared at him, I know he saved my life or whatever and I’m thankful really, but he had this stern, stubborn personality about him. Therefore, two stubborn people never make a right.

“Fine, yeah whatever. Deal” I said coldly and I was mid-way through the “door” of the house until Sir Doran stopped me. “Exactly where do you think you’re going Lady Diangela? It is rather dark out…”

“Yeah I know, but if that’s the only way to get my necklace back then so be it”

“No, no, no, child!” I saw Enda walk towards me, “are you insane? Have you forgotten that those are Felanas that gave you this?” she then touched my wound and I shrieked in pain. “That hurts!”

“Well, if you go into that forest then you will have much more than a wound. Are you willing to take that risk?” Enda asked me.

“Yes” I said plainly.

“It’s just a necklace, just leave it” the old woman said.

“My mother gave that to me, before she died. I love that necklace”

Sir Doran looked down, “Sorry…”

“Yeah me too,” I said quietly.

Enda’s eyes widened, “I’ll be right back, please do not leave” she ran to the table that was at the end of the bed and took out a book from a drawer. She began to flip through the pages and when she finally stopped, she gave a delighted laugh. “Is it this one? Does it look like this?” she began to walk fast paced, well at least for a little old woman. She handed me the book and I looked at it. The pages were torn and had that light tint onto them that indicated it was extremely old.

I looked up at Lady Enda questioningly, “I don’t understand? What do you want me to do?”

She then pointed to a picture, “Take a good look, is this it? Your necklace?”

I looked hard at the picture. It displayed four islands (at the corners of the page) and in the middle of the page, there was a small heart with wings. “Yes… my necklace is very similar,” I said still looking at the book.

I heard a loud squeal, “Oh, glorious day! I KNEW it! I knew it!” Enda took Sir Doran’s hand and started to swing him as if she was trying very hard to learn how to dance. “Now, Lady Enda, let us not jump to conclusions, we are not sure that that is the necklace” the knight said.

“Oh, nonsense Doran, nonsense, plain nonsense. Doesn’t her story sound a little bit farfetched? How she ‘fell’, from the heavens and doesn’t know anything about where she is? Suddenly she mentions she has a heart shaped necklace! Be optimistic for once!”

“Well… I suppose…” he looked at me and back at Enda, “but don’t you think she is a bit young though?”

Enda shrugged, “What is, is.”

“Exactly” I said, popping into there conversation, “I’ll have you know I’m sixteen, I think I’m at a rather good age” I crossed my arm, still holding the book.

Enda nodded, “She’s right Sir Doran, you known woman whom had gotten married already at that age or even earlier”

I groaned at those words, because the sudden memory of Alex filled my mind and I suddenly felt comforted that I wasn’t in my house listening to Nana talk about him constantly or see Alex’s face. I mean Alex’s face isn’t hideous, not even a tiny inch of it, believe me I looked. It was just that I hate people telling me what to do. It makes him have more authority than myself and I simply detest that!

The knight clutched the handle of his sword, “If you’re going I’m coming with you” he said and I rolled my eyes. He reminded me of those types of heroes who always want to save as many people as they possibly can. Always trying to be tough and macho, that’s so unappealing to me.

“Fine,” I sighed and was about to leave, but again someone stood in my way. Nana grabbed my arm, “Come here child, for one moment before you take your leave” she walked toward the suit of armor and Sir Doran and I followed.

“Sir Doran, would you please pull that sword out, my old hands are much too weak,” Enda said as she held her hands.

The knight went forward and he had his hands clutched on the jeweled handle. He suddenly pulled all with his might and his face grew bright red. I was just standing there watching the many ways he tried to take that bloody sword out. All I needed was some popcorn now…

After what seemed like an eternity, Sir Doran had given up and he panted heavily. I kind of felt bad for him, I don’t know why, but for some reason I did. “Are you okay?” I asked him and he looked at me and nodded.

“Oh well,” Enda laughed, “your turn dear”

I blinked and looked behind me, was she talking to me? I pointed to myself and Lady Enda nodded. “How can I lift that? If Sir Doran can’t do it then how in God’s name am I?”

“I do not know, you tell me, you are going to lift it though” Enda replied.

“What? Why so sure?” I asked, but Enda just pointed at the sword. I sighed, “I’m going to look so freakin’ stupid… watch, I’m going to look so stupid” I mumbled to myself while I clutched my hands on the handle. I pulled so hard and I heard the small noise of the metal sliding out of the suit of armor, but it was just too hard to pull out entirely.

“Oh, I knew it! Keep pulling you’re doing marvelous!” Enda yelled and I did, I pulled and finally the sword was free from the grasp of the suit and I held the sword up high above my head, before its weight took over and I fell to the ground almost immediately!

“Ow…” I groaned loudly and Sir Doran pulled me up.  I left the sword on the floor because it was just too heavy. “That was brilliant dear! I knew it! I knew it was more than just curiosity that loomed you to the sword of Aldris!” the old lady then took my hands, “oh, I have been waiting for this day for over thirty years!”

“Eh…?”  I looked at Sir Doran and he shrugged and began to inspect the sword that laid on the floor. He then grabbed hold of the handle and pulled it, but the sword only lifted a few centimeters off the ground.

“I knew you could lift it!” I heard Enda’s voice again and shifted my attention to her. “But I can’t even use it! It’s too heavy! Look at Sir Doran!” I gestured to the determined knight as he kept trying to perfect the ways on how the sword is to be pulled.

“Oh, it would take some time you know. Soon you will use it properly with no problems” she then gasped, “or you could try to use it in Kasthar Forest! That would be great training. After all the Felanas are still there…”

“That’s going to slow me down. I need to look for my necklace now and fast” I replied annoyed.

Enda shook her head, “If you’re the one that could take hold of that sword then believe me child, you will need it…”

I grunted and Sir Doran put his hand on my shoulder, “Let’s take our leave”

I followed Sir Doran outside of the small hut and was leaving the sword behind deliberately. It was too heavy and it was useless to me at that state, but of course, Lady Enda came running after me, yelling: “You forgot your sword!” so as much as I tried to be stubborn, I thought I would just take it along with me so I can make that old woman happy.

Not that it was going to help me in any way. I was dragging it on the floor, moving a few centimeters every now and then. Nope, no use to me at all, but that’s where I would be wrong…again.

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Author’s note: I want to say ‘thank you’ to my reviewers!

~ Andiavas: :::hugs:::: THANK YOU~ I’m glad you think that Dia seems real enough too ^^ you make me so happy. Oh, and what do you think of Sir Doran? I mean… he is really nice and all, so, how could he be bad? :::shrugs::: I’m glad you asked that though, he’s not all that great and heroic, even though he puts on that: “I’m a great ideal hero” type of persona. But anyways, let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks again!

~ Kitami Blu: THANK YOU! You should really put up a fic, I bet it would be so cool and to tell you the truth I thought I was the only one who ever wanted to plan a reference material. ^^ I’m also glad I found someone who wants to do that, talk about that, don’t forget to read the Reference Material after this chapter, I put up a lot of new items explanations. As for Dia’s fiancé, well, she would start talking about him, as a matter of fact in the next chapter she tells Sir Doran about him. She’ll keep the readers reminded of Alex throughout the story, and you’ll even see a change in the way she talks about him. But don’t worry, I got everything handled, I know the ending and what to write and all that drama stuff, so it will keep you entertained, I hope ^^;;; so thanks again!

~ Lady Phoenix Gryffindor: Thanks so much for reviewing! I hope you like this chapter too! It’s really hard to fit all the explanations and such, so it takes time, sorry if you find it a little boring. OH and don’t forget to look at the reference material after you read each chapter! And if any questions, please write it in a review :::hint hint::: my e-mail address doesn’t work T_T

So until next time…Ja!

-:- Enchantress Tsurai -:-