-------------------------ACT 7 -------------------------------------
SACRIFICE
I sat in front of La mesphritania. On a wooden, antique chair. The smell of wood and tea caught my attention.
"So? What interests you here?" she asked, with graceful movements, she filled up my cup of tea.
"I was desperate to read the collection of books you have. I heard some of them are the most tragic stories ever written, defining the true meaning of altruism." she chuckled at my words, false tic in my hand was left unnoticed.
She walked around the place, near her bookshelves.
"Indeed, the forbidden love of two from different society, beliefs, goals, fantasy based races. I have all of them. Some shows the sacrifices and some show the true meaning of love, what is that I can bring to the table?" She started to collect some books of yellow, green, blue colour.
"I want the one that is true to its readers, the one which can make me cry." My words amused her, she took out an old lame looking book which was quarter the size of these giant stories.
"I think, nearly every book here is enough to make a grown adult cry!" I ran my finger over the covers of distinct books. They were captivating, but didn't strike my interest from the cover.
"Covers...I did hear that don't judge a book by it's cover. But I at least take an idea about what theme of a book is. And none of these have rung the bell!" I took a sip from my tea.
She sat down in front of me and asked, "Then narrate to me a short story, which in your opinion might make me gaze into your soul. I should be able to get an idea of what the foundation of your interest is." I picked the sugar cube, dipped it and dissolved it in the tea.
.....
Rasalas gazed at the night sky filled with infinite stars, realms, possibilities. His eyes illuminated in the whispers of darkness. Greenery filled the empty place.
He heard a voice, "Agh...Can you hear me?" He didn't move, but rested on the soft fur of the wolf.
"Who are you?" He whispered in the abyss.
"Rasel, I am someone who knows you from heart!" The whisper settled deep in his eyes.
"How do you know my name?" Rasalas left out a sigh and cracked his knuckles.
"How can I not know? I named you.." The soft whisper, widened Rasalas's eyes.
"How? Who are you to me?" His heart throbbed, he could hear his blood flowing through his ears in the silence.
"I am your mother.., the one who gave you birth." She proclaimed.
"Where are you? Why di..These questions are meaningless. Why are you here?" He showed a hint of frown and bittersweetness.
"I am here, with you." His heart raced faster, he looked here and there. In the moon's light the shattered pieces of gem shone bright.
"Where? Where are you?" A unknown emotion formed on his face, what his lips coupdn't describe his eyes manifested as jewel.
"Behind you." The wolf's fur flowed in the air. Still unconsious, most likely dead. But through something beyond life and death, it was talking with him.
"Why? How? A wolf? But I am a human! Why I can't understand anything? Why am I always in the situations where..I am the most dumb person? Why?" His words spiraled, his eyes shivered. But a will of a knight held him tight.
"I had to sacrific- no. They were blessings, given to you by your five siblings. They forgave their lives for your living. We were hunted by many, so I had to save someone, and you were the smallest, the weakest. No one could bring themselves to use you as a sacrifice. So live on, live with this blessing."
The fangs dug in his gauntlet were slowly withering. His eyes shone bright.
"But.." he didn't knew what to say.
"There's no need, no need to force yourself into believing you have to ask everything, you need to know everything. You are beautiful in what life you are leading." The whisper was slowly dimming, like a chandler's fire giving it's last spark.
"Why didn't you ran away from me? Why? I had to kill my own..mother?" He mustered up his courage to ask one last thing.
"Because I was cursed, that only you, could kill me. Free from this blissful life I enjoyed. It was brighter than eternity, I was happy. Thank you.."
The stars were slowly dispersing in the sky as the twilight was about to shine, the dawn was on the edge.
"Run away, from everything. Please, and live your life in happiness!" The whispers pleaded.
"What about that cub? Is he my brother?" He curiously asked.
"He was you, your last shadow I carried. He will also perish." The words cut deeper through his armour, through his flesh and bones.
"And lastly..." The whisper uttered its final words before dissolving into the void.
.....
.....
Athyna, the moment she touched the invisible wall between them, her fingers bloomed into long glowing petals.
Caesar's faint voice was reaching her through the wall, "Why...did you?..."
He paused. She took the guilt, her voice didn't came out to clear his confusion because her lips were sealed by glowing veins and leaves.
As soon as his sentence was completed, her ears took form of petals, soft and delicate.
"Why did you come?" He said, 'You betrayed me' She interpreted from his words. She was in agony. He wanted her to leave him.
She slowly fell on the invisible wall between them, fading consciousness . He punched the wall with his fragile hands. But he could only see her falling.
His hands slowly soaked in the wall.
He walked in it, for a last push. The sun had to rise.
....
...
La mes~ was deeply immersed in the story, her hand holding her head. Her eyes, deep in mine. Looking into my soul, like the story was happening in front of her.
"What happened then?" She asked. "Only they know, the pages were torn after that. The tip of the pen broke. And spilled over the last page where ending was supposed to be.
So, I think it's up to us to think what happened next." I stood up, La mes~ and I, together arranged some books and searched for other stories similar to this one.
There were none.
So we sat down, and wrote one. Together.