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Post by biali on Aug 8, 2010 6:42:28 GMT -5
thank you whisperer. It really sucks for them... I would never want to be in their situation! And it was quite good for me, that you were soo far off Amaya... it only shows me that this story is unpredictable!! YAY!
Okay, sorry for the long wait, but I got a little side tracked with other things like vacation and stuff. I hope you still stay tuned ^^
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Chapter 25 - Certainty
Perplexed, she scraped at the strange white material that blocked her way in all directions. It felt smooth and seemed quite stable. In addition, it smelled kind of funny of something that she had never smelled. Again and again she looked up and saw through her matted hair, that these walls were too high to overcome them. Yet she could not cease to run along to the boundaries of this strange place and to examine for vulnerabilities. Again and again she had made a frustrated growl, as she simply could not find a way out. She did not know to what a place it was. All her life she and three other children lived behind those familiar shiny bars. She had never met anyone else. Even less did she understand what these strange huge beings were, who had taken her away from her home and gave her this unusual foodwhich she actually liked quite much. These noises that those giant creatures made, were known to her. She had heard them her home often, but had never thought that they were of any importance.
When she heard that the big creature who put her in this place before, came near, she quickly hid under the big, soft piece of cloth that was lying on the floor and peered out cautiously to see what would happen.
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Rina had set little Tinka in one of the large white plastic boxes in which she usually kept her leftover fabric. The box was fairly large, but it was only a temporary solution, because she did not plan to have the Twimp locked up constantly. But as long as she was not sure if Tinka would put herself in danger, the first would be the safest. After she had left the little one in peace for an hour, so that she had the chance to calm down, she just wanted to look after her shortly. Carefully, she knelt down beside the box and looked into it. She realized quickly that Tinka had sought protection under the fabric, which she had given her, and looked up out of it rather suspiciously. "How are you, little darling?" She asked, as gently as possible. Tinka showed no real reaction, but only blinked a little more often. "I really wonder how you have been raised in this station. Hasn't anyone ever talked with you?" ,she said softly and sighed a little.
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From her secure position she carefully looked out to the head of the great creature. Just now she realized that the big one did not look much different than the children with whom she had lived to this day, it was only much bigger and had black hair. Maybe it was not really different from her and posed no danger. But first she wanted to wait and watch. Maybe then she would understand at some point what those strange sounds meant, that the creature made.
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Peter just left the baths of the monastery. Never before had he felt dirtier after a ritual cleaning than before. His long brown hair was still wet and stuck him in the neck uncomfortably. His dark robe felt, despite the many years he had worn it, unpleasant. He could not stand it any more. Everything in him struggled to complete the ritual, but he could not refuse. If he acted against the agreement he had made with the community years ago, not only his life but also that of his family was in danger. With weary steps he crossed the high stone arches of the monastery, where he met some of his spiritual brothers and greeted them with a friendly nod. None of them knew that they saw him at the last time. The climb up the narrow stairway that would lead him to his cell, had never been so hard for him. The creaking of the old metal door of his room seemed much more tortured than usual today. As an ordinary monk, he had almost no personal possessions, except for an old book that his mother had given him and a small plush dog, which gave him company, like his little sister wanted it. Both he put in a jute bag, which had the same color as his robe. Once more he looked around the sparsely furnished room that contained nothing more than a bed and a small bedside table with a lamp. He would miss this place despite its sparseness, because after all he had spent the past seven years here. Shaking his head, he closed the door behind him and was on the way to the main gate, where the car would arrive soon, which will bring him to the main temple. -
Orphus was more than pleased with his new-found influence on the government. Now only the new candidates had to be more effective for the ritual. It would be more than harmful, if not enough seals could be affixed. All that he and his predecessors had built up over the last hundred years, depended on the success rate of the priests. But Orphus was more than confident that the yield would be much higher very quickly. After all, he had put a lot of money and effort into the training of the priests in the monasteries. Satisfied, he stroked his beard and looked out the window of his study on the city Runburg, which was immersed in the peaceful gold of the sunset. His faithful followers would probably expect from him as chief priest, that he thanked the divine couple Gerna and Herus for his success. But he was more aware than anyone else that the only ones he has to thank were himself or his predecessors. Gods had nothing to do with it, at least not those of the community of salvation.
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When Sophie came back into the living room, she was a bit nervous. Except when she had attempted to escape, she had never been in the floor of a giant house. It was a little scary to know that at least three beings that could crush her easily were running around here, whether intentionally or not. But to her relief, no one was in the room. Patricio was walking beside her and looked much more relaxed. "Is it really safe, just running around here?" She asked cautiously. "I had some concerns at the beginning,too, but it is not so bad. It's not as if the big ones are as light as feathers. Usually you hear and feel their footsteps from afar, so you can quickly get out of the way . But of course, Sven and Lena had to get used to it, too. The best is when you don't walk in the middle of an open space, but along the walls or furniture,then you're rarely in the way. ",he said, and led them past the coffee table. "They certainly are all in the dining room." He remarked. Sophie followed him, but still marvelled at the surroundings, which looked absolutely bizarre and unreal from this perspective,. Simple Shelves looked more like buildings and not like storage areas; and the ceiling was so high that she was almost giddy when she looked up. So she rather looked to the front and tried to think of something else. Only now it was really clear, what she had just learned from Patricio. If she wanted to talk to Tom, to make him realize that he should treat her like a human, she had to acknowledge him as her owner. She had to see herself as an animal. How would somethin like that work out? Even if Sven had previously acted very much imperious, this would not be enough to bring Patricio to abandon his humanity, right? Perhaps there had happened a lot more. After all, he had said that he had previously fled from another giant... "We're here." He interrupted her thoughts, but he whispered, so that the giants could not hear it in any way.
Sophie looked at the giants who were sitting around the table and talked. From down here, they all still looked much larger and their voices echoed over her head. They were so absorbed in their conversation that they did not notice Pato and her. Her eyes wandered to Thomas, whose face she could see even from this distance. It was the first time she saw him talking to people while not putting his attention on her. He seemed like a normal person at that moment and not, as if he regarded as his opposite as an animal. And then a certainty formed in Sophie's head: He would never treat her like Sven and Lena. She would always remain a animal for him, even if she would manage to talk to him sometime. These golden rules would ensure that. This thought made her terribly hopeless. She would never again be treated as what she was. Neither by Thomas nor by any other giant ... she could not stay here. She quickly pulled on Pato's arm and shoved him behind the doorway, out of sight of the three giants. "Is there a way out of here?" She whispered. Her friend looked at her with wide eyes. "What do you mean?" "I ... I need to get out of here." "You mean ... you want to go outside? Alone? Forget it, it is much too dangerous." He said, also whispering, but still strict. "Maybe you have not noticed, but this big idiot treated me as if I am hamster. And I am not going to accept that." She said sourly. "I understand you, yes, but it is the only way ..." "The only way to remain stuck here. I do not want to offend you, but I can not reconcile myself to live as an animal. And even if you can talk with this Sven, you will never be able to live as in our World: As a human being. And that is what I want the most at the moment. " Patricio looked at her seriously. He probably would be pretty upset. But instead he gave a sigh of himself and said: "I can understand you, yes. Maybe I'll make myself a little too easy, as I remain here and hope that Sven and Lena help me. But I can tell you that it is almost impossible, to survive out there. I tried it and after two weeks I was as good as dead. I do not want that something like this happen to you ... " Sophie could hear his concerns clearly, and probably he was right, that it was too dangerous. She also thought about what Thomas had said in the office: he would try to help her return home. But could she really rely on it? After all, they knew him only a few days and most of the time he had not even perceived her as an intelligent being. No! She had to try it on her own, otherwise she would certainly be stuck here forever. "I know that it can be hard. But I just will not stay with him. Please, if there is a way out here, show it to me," she pleaded. Patricio looked at her thoughtfully, and then sighed deeply. "All right. Come with me." He took her hand and led her along the wall until they came to another huge door that stood open. It led to a smaller room where a washing machine and a large basket full of laundry was. At the other end of the room was a door, which was indeed locked, but had a huge dog door. "The two previously had a dog. This door leads into the garden. It is only surrounded by hedges, so you could come out easily. Oh man,Sophie I really don't have a good feeling about this. Are you really sure? Don't you want to wait and prepare yourself better? " "I do not think that I get such a chance to escape so soon. Since my first attempt to break out, Thomas is much more cautious ..." Pato nodded wisely and pulled her into a hug. "Good luck, little one and please be careful." Sophie returned the embrace. "I'll make it. And if I find a way, I try to let you know." ,she said, and then dissolved the hug. She walked over to the door and pressed hard to open a crack. Pato helped a little, and soon after there was enough room to climb out. "A thousand thanks." She said before she slipped out.
Her feet touched the gray stone floor of the terrace, which spread before her. The garden here was a little more unkempt as that of Thomas. The grass was not mowed and some wild flowers grew on the lawn in front of her, which was bigger than any football field. Perhaps that was an advantage because she would not be seen in the tall grass. She lost no time and ran across the stone until she reached the protection of the lawn. The stalks towered above her significantly, and the blossom of a cornflower swung a few meters above her head. Sophie breathed deeply and looked into the sky. It was still light blue, although it was already after six o'clock. Presumably it was summer here, so she still had about three hours of daylight, and that she wanted to use. Sophie began to struggle through the grass towards freedom.
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Post by giantblackcat on Aug 8, 2010 7:58:36 GMT -5
I WANT MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOREEE D8!!
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Post by Amayasama on Aug 8, 2010 17:46:16 GMT -5
o.o Oh my new characters and another attempt at escaping? D: I'm worried for her...x3 Though I am excited to find out what will happen next~
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Post by whisperer on Aug 10, 2010 15:36:16 GMT -5
Gaaah, this story is so interesting! I'm practically going crazy over how much mystery is packed into it. Great, great update.
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Post by biali on Aug 10, 2010 18:45:17 GMT -5
Amaya: actually Peter is not new character... he appeared some chapters ago... but it is hard to remember him, since it was so long ago and only a short chapter ^^
anmd thanks again, whisperer. I'm really glad you like it ^w^
So here is the next update. Mostly dialouge to make some things clear ^^
Hope you like it ^^
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Chapter 26 – Before you go
Sophie had already made a few meters, but then she stopped abruptly and looked back to the house. She had been so full of frustration and drive that she had not thought about Patricio being in danger now. Tom would certainly blame him for the fact that she was gone. And if Sven could not calm him down, what would happen then? She wanted nothing more than freedom, but could she really put an old friend into that much danger? For about a few minutes she stood there and struggled with herself. It was one of the most difficult decisions she would have to make..
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Pato watched Sophie disappearing into the tall grass and then made his way back to the kitchen. He was already aware that he had to think up something to buy her some time and also get himself off the hook. Presumably it was pretty easy, to lead this Thomas up the garden path, but lying to Sven and Lena would be far more difficult.
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Tom was getting a little impatient. It had been really hard not to think constantly about what Maya did with that other Twimp. Lena and Sven did their best to distract him with interesting topics from his concern. But the longer he looked at the couple, the more he felt an uncomfortable pain. He wanted so much that Melissa would be back with him and he could enjoy the same happiness as the two before him. Suddenly Sven turned to the side to see the door and said: "Ah, there you are, Pato. Where's the Soph ... I mean Maya?" Tom also saw the door and he could see no one other than Pato. "What have you done to her?" He asked, looking down at him suspiciously. "Tom, take it easy. Surely she is in the living room, or still back in the hall. I'll take a look" Said Sven somewhat harsh and went up to the Twimp to pick him up.
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Sven had seen from afar, that something was wrong with his little friend. He picked him up carefully and went back in the hallway with him, where he set him down beside the curtain. "What is it?" He asked, somewhat impatiently. Pato pulled his sweater straight again and then looked up at him. "I don't know where she is. I wanted to go to the bathroom and told her, she should go ahead so that you do not have to wait so long, and Thomas does not get too upset. But I could not see her all the way to the kitchen. "he said, and looked very desperate. Sven looked at him a little incredulously. "You've sent her out alone? She is not used to it yet ..." "I have known Sophie since she was one year old, and I had the impression that she would be able to do it. She is a pathfinder and has often found her way through the wilderness.So a clear, large living room should not pose a problem. "Pato said a little annoyed. "What?" You've known her for so long? ",asked Sven somewhat perplexed. "Yes, in my world, I was very close friends with her big brother Timo. I've almost seen her grow up until I moved two years ago." He said. "Well, if you know her so well, do you have an idea where they might be gone then? Did she mention anything?" "No, she did not say anything ... but can't you imagine?" Said Pato. "What should I imagine?." "Well, maybe you did not notice, since your head is a few meters above ours, but maybe it occurred to you,that Thomas does not hold much sympathies for Twimps ." ,replied Patricio and looked at him a bit precocious. Sven said nothing for a moment. He had noticed very well that Tom had not behaved very careful or considerate. Apparently he had dismissed that fact too easily because he himself was much worse only a few month ago. "You mean she is trying to escape?" He asked finally. Pato turned away his glance now and looked at the ground. "I could certainly understand very well if she did.", e murmured, so Sven could hardly understand it. He looked s down on his friend for a few seconds and knew that there was more behind it. "You've helped her, right?" The little one looked at him with wide eyes. And then Sven knew that his conjecture was correct. "Oh Pat, you know exactly how dangerous it is out there ..." "Yes, I know, but I also know that the world out there can be, despite all the dangers, much more pleasant than being the prisoner of a giant. even though she does not experience the same physical pain, as I from my first 'owner', it is just as painful for a freedom-loving character like her to be locked up all the time. You can not you imagine how humiliating it is, not being able to speak and to be treated like a dumb animal the whole time,. "It gushed out of him and he seemed suddenly very angry. Sven knew that Pato was also referring to him in some parts and now felt very uncomfortable and guilty. "I understand, yes. But you must also understand that I'm worried about her. Tom often was very thoughtless with her, but I think he can improve." He objected. "And how long they should wait for his improvement? Until he comes to the conclusion that she should not be treated like a pet, she will be an emotional wreck, like any Twimp that lands here." Pato snarled back. "I would like to change something in it, but the golden rules ...", admitted Sven. Pato sighed and held his head. "I know, I know. Thus, a fundamental discussion brings us nowhere now. I only ask you not to tell Thomas about it." "But ... maybe we can keep Sophie here. You know that we would treat her with respect." Pato shook his head. "No, that would not work. She would, like me, still be living as Twimp rather than what we really are. She can only be treated rightly, if she returns to our world. And that is what she is doing. Looking for a way back. " Sven nodded. He really wished that he could give his little friend just that. But this strange, latent humming in his head, kept him from fulfilling this wish. If he just could finally find out who or what had created these golden rules... "Well, I'll try. But I don't have a good feeling about just leaving her alone out there. She does not even have anything to eat with her." Pato looked at him for a moment and then suddenly disappeared behind the curtain, by a few seconds later he returned with some food and some clothing. "Perhaps she did not make it out of the garden yet and we could still give her this." He said and looked at him pleadingly. "Well, we will try." Agreed Sven and gently lifted him up along with the things. He opened the door to the living room and could hear Tom and Lena talking to the kitchen. Tom sounded quite angry, and his wife tried everything to calm him down. Fortunately, the two were so distracted that they did not see him disappear in the laundry room and opening the door to the garden. He looked down at Pato, who was still in his hand and said: "Maybe it's better if you call her." Pato nodded and formed a funnel to his mouth. "Sophie! Do not worry, we only want to give you food! Thomas won't know about it! Give a brief sign to show where you are!" Both watched the grass before them carefully, hoping for any hint of Sophie. None of them could see anything. Presumably, she had already disappeared through the hedge, or did not trust the thing. But then he could see into the far corner of the garden, that a poppy striking tottered back and forth, though no wind was blowing. "Back there." Sven said shortly and walked a few steps toward the flower. When he was only three feet away, he could see Sophie's red hair and knelt down to set down Pato. "It's probably better if I do not get closer." He said quietly.
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Pato nodded to Sven and fought his way through the grass until he reached his old friend, who was still under the poppy and waited. "Thank God you're still there." He panted. "I was actually almost on the other side, but then I heard you. I went back and when I saw Sven, I almost not wanted to give the sign ... he is really not saying anything?" She asked, looking past him to look at the giant who continued kneeling in the grass. "He won't, I promise. He was only concerned about you because you have nothing to eat with you." ,he said, handing her some of his T-shirts, trousers and a large piece of salami. "Certainly most of them would be too big for you, but when it gets cold, you can cover yourself with it." Sophie took the bundle with a smile. "Thank you. And tell Sven that I thank him, too. I hope you don't get into trouble with Thomas because of me." She said anxiously. "Do not worry, I'm already a big boy. I can deal with him. And now go at last." He said quickly and grabbed her by the shoulders to push her back towards the hedge. "Before all that gets too obvious here." Sophie struggled against the push first, but was finally took a few steps toward the bushes. "Se you, Patricio." She said, and disappeared among the leaves.
Now they had to deal with Thomas.
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Post by Neon on Aug 10, 2010 19:22:58 GMT -5
Wooo, go Sophie! She's so spunky. I hope she can get Pato out of there someday, as well.
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Post by Amayasama on Aug 10, 2010 21:07:11 GMT -5
XD Oh dear...I feel like Tom is going to be a spoiled child when he realizes that Sophie is gone and throw a fit x3 This is my prediction!
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Post by MoonStarNinja4 on Aug 11, 2010 8:34:01 GMT -5
Yeah, go Sophie! Another great update!
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Post by biali on Aug 15, 2010 17:08:35 GMT -5
Aaaand next chapter. Oh my, it was not even planned that she runs away... but sometimes this story has a life of its own... and I like the way it goes now ^^
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Chapter 27 - The best friend of the Twimp
Tom slowly lost his patience. Lena tried to calm him down. She suspected that Maya had just got lost, or was simply too shy to come to the kitchen on her own. But Sven needed much to long to find out what was wrong. Finally he got up to see personally what was going on. He met his friend and the Twimp who was in his hand in the living room. "What is it? Where is she?" He asked, already very upset. "She was not back in the hallway and let Pato look around in the living room, to see if she is hiding somewhere. But until now we have not found her." ,said Sven. But Tom was not entirely convinced that he was telling the truth. "I have not brought Maya here, so that this little philanderer hides her somewhere. I said before that they should not be alone with each other." He said, sending a disparaging glance to Pato, who looked at him with a certain anxiety. Tom took one step closer to him and looked small guy a little more angrily. "What have you done to her? Tell me! If I will find that you've done anything to her, then ... " Sven pulled his hand back in order to get him more out of Tom's reach. "Now calm down and stop blaming Pat. Just listen to yourself!" ,returned his friend and the Twimp seemed much more anxious. He was almost certain that something was fishy. What were these two thinking. They took Maya away from him? She belonged to him, he was responsible for her! Visibly angry, he went up to Sven, and pressed him to the wall behind him. "Now tell me where she is. I know well that you have hidden her somewhere," he growled, and grabbed Sven's wrist with his free hand, the wrist that was attached to the hand, in which he still held Pato. "Are you insane? What's gotten into you?!" ,exclaimed Sven, trying to free his hand, without putting to his little friend in danger. The pressure on his wrist soon became so strong that he could hardly could keep up his grip. Suddenly a hand came from the other side and took the Twimp lovingly away. Lena stood beside the two and looked anything but friendly. "You are really stressing our hospitality, Thomas. If you always behave like this, then it really is no big surprise that the small Maya tries to bite the dust, or at least to hide. If I were so small as her, I surely would not want to be in the hands of an angry and impetuous giant. " ,she said icily. Tom looked at her with big eyes and was stunned. He looked back to Sven, whom he still pressed against the wall and whose wrist was still in his grip. Only now he realized that he had exaggerated. He hastily let go of his old friend and took a few steps back. "I ...", he searched for the right words, but found none. "I'm pretty sure that Maya is still here. After all, there is no way out of the house for her. Perhaps we first should give her some time, until she dares to come out again. If she comes, and when you came back to your senses, we can bring her back to you. But I do not think that she shows up again, after seeing this drama here. "Lena said with a grave voice. Tom let these words sink in and then said: "Maybe you're right ... I ... oh man, I'm sorry. I think I'm pretty beside myself lately. "He stammered and rubbed his forehead in embarrassment . "Well, I can understand that the last few weeks were hard for you." ,commented Sven. "They had been, but that is no reason to act like this. Especially because you are not to blame for it. I'm sorry, really sorry." He said, visibly affected, and looked back and forth between the couple, but ignored Pato. He was still suspicious of the Twimp. Although Maya mainly was hiding because he was so even-tempered, the little fellow certainly has also had something to do with it. "She sure will come out soon. We let you know when she is back." ,assured Lena, who was still a bit upset about the whole insurgency. And this remark Tom showed very clearly that he should go now. Even if he had a bad feeling about leaving Maya behind, he did not want to stress his friendship with Sven even more. "Thanks, and I beg your pardon. That will not happen again. I think I better go then." He said. "Yes, this would be best now." , said Sven and bid him goodbye.
When Tom stepped out of the house he took a deep breath. Why did he just freaked out like that? Such a thing had never happened to him. Earlier he had been so balanced. Melissa's death had brought him so much out of balance that he barely knew himself any more. Maybe he was not in a position to care for someone at the moment. First he had to get himself back under control. Perhaps a visit in the temple would help. He had long refused to go there out of fear of being confronted with something he wanted to forget..
He buttoned his jacket and went on his way to the nearest bus stop.
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Lena was happy that Thomas was finally gone and put Pato down on the coffee table. Now she was no longer afraid that he could get hurt. Then she turned to Sven and looked at him a little sourly. "What is going on here? Both of you look like you have something on your mind." Sven sighed a little and sat on the sofa. "Sophie is not here any more." ,he said shortly. "Sophie?" Who is ... is that her real name? What do you mean by 'she is not here any more? ", she asked confused. "Yes, that's her name ... and she is outside. She ran away." "What? Out there? All alone? But ... " "Pat thinks it would be best for her. He knew her very long. She looks for a way back into their world." ,he said. "But that is the same thing we do for Pato. Why can't she stay here? It's much too dangerous for her. Not even he has managed to live alone for long. ",she said angrily, pointing with her hand on the Twimp, who was still on the table. Sven looked at her a long time before he said: "Maybe this is just the reason why we can not bring back Pato. Maybe it's because of us that he can not find a way into his world. It may be possible that only a Twimp alone can find a door." Lena's eyes became sad when she heard this. "Do you really think so?" "I don't know, it's just a guess. It may also be due to something completely different." Sven looked at Pato, who looked at the two confused and sad. Lena sat down on the chouch too, and picked her small friend up carefully. "I really hope that we are not the reason why you can not go back. I would be lying if I said that I would like to let you go. But I also do not want to see you unhappy, Pato.", she said gently. He placed his hands reassuringly on her fingers and shook his head. "Looks as if he were not of my opinion." Sven said, putting his arm lovingly around his wife. The Twimp nodded. "Who knows, maybe Sophie finds out something. Pat said she was accustomed to walk around in the wild. Maybe she has more luck than Pato. However, he was already in very poor condition after his outbreak and Sophie looked very fit. ",Sven was considered. "Let's hope so." ,sighed Lena.
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Sophie had just passed through the hedge that enclosed Sven's garden. Fortunately for her, there was no other garden behind it, and no road, only a broad, beaten path that led past some large bushes. There, she could walk along easily and when someone came, she could always hide in the bushes. She tied the clothes that she had received from Pato to a sack in which she stowed away the food. With the bag over her shoulder, she walked east. For the choice of direction, there was no particular reason, she only had a good feeling about this path. Luckily she still had the most important things with her. It was a good decision to stow knife and other important utensils always in their pockets.
The road was quite long, and made some minor bends. On the right side she could see towering high fences and hedges, which were the limits to the other gardens. Sophie now almost walked two hours on that road and the sunlight slowly faded. She wondered if she should put up camp somewhere, or rather should use the cover of darkness. Without light, it was not so easy to be discovered by some giant, but she was not sure whether or not any dangerous animals were out here. With her size, she surely fit into the scheme of some small predators.
She pushed aside her thoughts, as the road ended in front of her after the next bend. Ti led to a wide sidewalk, and several houses were on each side of it. This was not a very safe way, because if she walked along there, there would not be a place to hide. A little perplexed, she looked to the right, were the bushes were. Although the terrain was a whole lot harder to overcome, it would be safer. She pushed a few thin branches to the side and fought her way through the foliage. Only after fifteen minutes she had brought the monster of a plant behind her and stood before a group of young trees. At least Sophie suspected that they were young, because they looked much thinner than the other trees the girl had seen in the city. Between the still quite far apart tree trunks some leaves had gathered, which would hinder the progress somewhat. But still, it seemed safer than walking on the sidewalk. The dry leaves under her feet were extremely soft, so she felt as if she would run over a vast sea of pillows. When it was completely dark, Sophie barely managed to walk five hundred meters. It was extremely exhausting to walk like this, so she leaned panting against the trunk of a birch. When Sophie was staring into the darkness of the wood, and slowly felt the cold night air, she was aware of the gravity of her decision. She was now completely on her own and could no longer rely on the help of others. But she did not regret this decision. This was a thousand times better than being a pet for a giant.
From some branches and a few large pieces of bark, the girl made herself a makeshift shelter. The clothing and some leaves were used to build a reasonably comfortable bed. When Sophie made herself comfortable in her camp next to a blueberry bush, she took a bite of salami and listened into the forest. Until now she had not seen a lot of animals here. Only a couple of blackbirds and a squirrel had been crossing her path. However, they were not in the least interested in her and only cared about their food. Apparently one could not expect many predators in a small forest like this. Nevertheless, Sophie still lay awake some time, until she finally found some restless sleep.
Her awakening was clearly uncomfortable. The piece of bark that had served as her roof, fell suddenly upon her and made her squirm. Sophie shoved the piece of wood to the side in a hurry and was faced with a large wet nose, and it sniffed on her excitedly. With a sharp cry she jumped up and took a few steps backward. Before her stood a huge, black dog who looked at her with his big brown eyes. He did not seem aggressive, but his size was enough to make her scared. However, he turned his eyes quickly and continued sniffing around in her camp, until he found what he was looking for: With one bite he swallowed the piece of salami that was her only food out here. Completely outraged, Sophie forgot her fear and made some big steps towards the dog with a raised finger. "No! Bad dog! That was my food!" To their amazement, he put on his ears and made an affected whimpering noise. But this did not bring back her salami. Frustrated, she grabbed her things, while she was closely monitored by the unwanted visitor. Once again she raised her finger and said: "If I'm starving now, it's your fault!" Once again, the animal whined and now seated himself on his hind legs. Sophie looked at him a little sour, and realized he was not wearing a collar. "You seem to have no master, huh?" She asked more gently. The animal had not made a move to harm her. Perhaps it could, in contrast to the giants, see that she was human. As the sound of her voice got friendly, he put his ears back up and the rustle of leaves behind him revealed that he wagged his tail. He was not a pedigree dog, but he looked as if his ancestors had been schnauzers and retrievers. "Well ... I gotta go. Maybe I'll find something else for breakfast." She said with a sigh and continued her way through the foliage. After a few yards Sophie heard a rustle behind, and then the dog stood beside her and looked at the small human, tail wagging. "You want to come with me? I think I'm a little too slow for you." She said with a smile and walked on, permanently guarded by the big brown eyes. "It's funny that both of us are seen as a pet heret." She said, a little panting. It would certainly not hurt to talk to with him a little. That would help her against the loneliness. Like last night she did not come came particularly fast forward on this terrain and was quickly exhausted, so she stopped more often and had a breather. A little breathless, she sat down on a branch that was lying around. The dog looked just a little surprised and laid down directly in front of her. Even in this position, he was still a little bigger than her, but he seemed a bit less imposing. He looked at her somewhat quizzically and whined a little. Sophie soon realized what he wanted. She carefully walked up to him and began to fondle him behind the ear. because his hair was quite thick, it felt not very soft, but with his grateful tail wagging she was pleased nonetheless. "Do you have a name?" She said thoughtfully. Of course the dog gave no answer, but she hesitated to just give him one. Of course, it was customary to give a dog a name, but after the experience she had made, she saw that fact much different now. With a little playful barking, he suddenly pushed her to one side with his head so that she landed on her butt. Fortunately, the leaves softened her fall, but she got a little frightened. "Hey you cheeky monkey! This is not very nice," she said with mock indignation, and jumped on him to pull him a little on the ear. He quickly got up and shook his head in protest. He bent down and gave her a poke with the snout, Sophie again ended up on the foliage. "Okay, okay. I guess you've won." She said, laughing. She did not want to push the game much further, to prevent her new big friend became overconfident. "I really have to walk on now ...", she said, but the dog just lay down across her path. "Hey up! Come on, get up," she said jostling. But he was moving. "Then I just go around." She mumbled and tried to go around the dog. But before she could make it, he crawled a little further forward to block the road again. "This is not funny, big one. I do not have all day to play with you." Sophie again tried to move on, but no matter which way she went, the dog laid in her path. After about ten attempts, she had an idea. It was perhaps odd, but maybe it would work. When he again laid before her, she did not go past him, but was simply trying to climb on his back over him. She just wanted to jump on the other side, as the body moved up under her. For fear of falling, Sophie clutched tightly in his fur. And she did well with that, for immediately after, the dog began to move. Quite surprised by this event, she could do nothing for a few seconds. Then she tried to take a safe seating position. First she wanted to complain, but soon she realized that she progressed much faster now. Since Sophie had no predetermined direction of travel anyway, it was relatively no matter which way the dog would go. It was quite unusual to ride on something that big, but if things went a little faster, she would not complain. Fortunately, her new friend kept away from the side walks for now only made his way through the woods. Without him, she would certainly have needed days to bring this part of the track behind her.
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Post by MoonStarNinja4 on Aug 15, 2010 19:56:18 GMT -5
Aw...! A giant doggy! :3 At least she's not alone anymore. ^_^
Another great update!
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Post by Amayasama on Aug 16, 2010 0:14:40 GMT -5
^0^ EEE puppy! I loves puppies! ^^ I'm happy she's not alone but...;^; I wonder if he will get caught by the dogcatcher or something D: I'm still worried for her!
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Post by whisperer on Aug 16, 2010 20:49:41 GMT -5
I actually laughed out loud a little at the thought of her riding on a giant dog's back XD
At least it's a whole lot less awful than I thought it'd be for her outside. Now find a way back home!
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Post by biali on Aug 22, 2010 7:02:32 GMT -5
My internet connection did not work yesterday... so I had a lot of time on my hand, to write two new chapters!!
But until now, I only came around to translate one. ^^
A little warning: this chapter will be a bit... confusing. My imagination had gone wild and it is a bit abstract... but also reaveals a lot ^^ Hope you enjoy it anyway ^^
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Chapter 28 - The path of the soul
Peter narrowed his eyes as the priestess painted the last characters with black ink and a soft hair brush on his face. This procedure was not particularly pleasant, but it would certainly be the least evil that day. "Well, now you're ready, brother Peter." ,said the priestess, and washed the brush in a sink. "Now just go the room next door. Master Orphus will be there soon to start the ritual." ,she said, pointing to the door with her hand. "Yes ...", he said, but did not move an inch. "You have to go now. You have to bring honor to the community.", she urged a bit. "No ... I just must serve to a false belief." ,he said sullenly and stood up at last. The priestess looked at him in amazement, as he walked through the door.
He only had to walk two meters on the hallway until he reached the door of the adjoining room. At least two minutes, he stood before it and could not get himself to open it. The probability was high that this was the last door, which he would go through. And this thought paralyzed him. He had never been very much afraid of death. Death was something natural. But what he would do here, was not natural. He would interfere with the laws of the universe, and it would cost him his life and his soul. Suddenly a large hand was out on his shoulder, and gave Peter a fright. "It is an important step, I can understand your nervousness, brother Peter. But now it is time.", said Master Orphus, who has stepped next to him and opened the door with his bony hand. The chief priest pushed him in the room with a gentle pressure. It looked not unlike a simple, white hospital room. On the right wall were two beds, each with an arm chair beside it. Next to the rear bed was already another priest: A skinny boy of perhaps 16 years. His face also was painted with magic symbols. Peter unconsciously clenched fists. How could they let a child carry out the ritual? The Community of Salvation had already long departed from their noble principles of peace, love and honesty.
Orphus urged him to sit in the empty chair, which Peter also followed. He looked at the person lying in the bed next to him. It was a woman, perhaps in her thirties. But she seemed weak and lifeless. Her cheeks were sunken and deep black rings around her eyes almost went down to the cheekbones. If Peter had not seen that her chest moved, he would have taken her for dead. But that soon would be the case, otherwise, she would not be here.
The head priest clapped his hands once, to focus the attention on him. He stood in the middle of the colourless room and his beautiful dark green robe, which was elaborately embroidered with gold, looked terribly out of place. "You two, brother Peter and brother Johann, now will do a great service to the Community of Salvation. Only because of you, it is possible that we can do good works for the people in the future. Just because of you, it is possible that they will not lose their faith. "he spoke with a dark, and more menacing than encouraging voice. "You have many weeks of training behind you, and you are aware of the quirks of the ritual. I am convinced that two such outstanding candidates like you, will fulfil their contract.", he added.
This contract was the only thing which made Peter participate in this and it kept him from ending his life on his own. He did it to make sure, his family was safe ... "Nurse, dim the light now. This makes the transition easier." ,ordered the old man Only now Peter noticed to the young nurse who had been standing in the back corner of the room all the time. She nodded, and shut out the light of the morning sun, with thick curtains. The room was now bathed in an eerie half-light, and it gave him goose bumps. "Very good. Now I recite the magic words to initiate the ritual." ,continued Orphus and closed his eyes. The two young priests did the same and leaned far back in their chairs. Peter took a deep breath and tried to be as relaxed as possible. However, it was everything but easy. He would never get up from this chair again, of this he was sure. No one had ever survived the ritual, and he surely would make no difference. Then the deep voice of the chief priest echoed through the room. He spoke the magic words that were written in an ancient language. Peter did not know their exact meaning, but they were effective. Every twenty seconds, the text repeated, and each time he felt that his consciousness was drawn into a deep blackness. Soon he no longer felt his own body, lost all corporeal desire. This phase was dangerous when you were not trained. Anyone else would have immediately ceased to breathe. But Peter had long trained to keep a weak link to his body in this deep blackness. Although he no longer felt his body, he could still control it. Again and again he sent the command to breathe to his mortal remains. Still it was quite easy, but in the course of the ritual, the connection will get worse, and eventually he will be completely cut off.
Peter was accustomed to the feeling of missing a physical body, as he had been in this state many times before. Therefore, he was no longer as confused, as in his first training sessions. You had just to forget, that there were dimensions such as top and bottom. At least it was not possible to make such references as a disembodied spirit. He stayed a while in this blackness and concentrated on the remaining link with his body. Not until he was sure that he could maintain this without too much effort, he went on to the next step. His mind groped his way through the darkness until he felt that another soul was very close. He felt that this soul was in a weak body. It was about to disappear from this world. It was the spirit of the terminally ill woman who lay beside him in bed. Now he had to do something that put him in danger of losing its connection: He had to follow the spirit. He had to cling to it literally. And Peter soon felt that the spirit of the woman was drifting. Towards the hereafter.
Soon the darkness was replaced by a bright light and soul of the woman slowly changed to a human form. The surrounding area also adopted a different form. The two were in a gigantic hall, whose walls were made of red jelly. That was not the next world, it was the path that existed between the two worlds, and for every person, for each creature, it looked different. Peter himself took no fixed form, it was impossible for him in this place. That is why the dying woman did not recognize him, but took interest in a big stack of boxes that was situated in the middle of the huge hall. With a curious look, she opened the containers and found lime-green, fine writing paper and a pen. At first she looked puzzled at the contents, but then she sat down on the floor and began to write on the paper. Peter did not dare to read it. These were the things that this soul was going to leave in this place. Perhaps it were memories of loved ones, last thoughts, a poem, or perhaps something entirely different. It was private and not intended for his eyes. Even to be here alone was a serious invasion of the privacy of this woman. He had to get focused on something else. He searched the hall with his mind, and finally found what he sought. In the middle of the giant jelly-wall was a door that looked inviting and friendly. It consisted of light wood, which was neatly polished, and the frame was made of colored tiles that were assembled like a mosaic. The handle shone brassy and looked like it just waited to be pressed down. And his job was just to make this impossible. He had no key to lock it, but something much more powerful. Before he performed his work, he had to remind his body to breathe again. He found it a bit harder by now.
Now he was ready to begin its work. He stretched out his mind at the door and touched it .And with that touch, he transmitted a spell to the surface of the wood. Then he withdrew his mind and looked at the result. The wood was now branded with a symbol: a circle which enclosed an octagon with a magic symbol in the middle. It was an old rune which locked things irreversibly. Through this door, no one could pass now. And the ones who could come through, would provide absolute proof that everything that the Community of Salvation preached, was a lie.
Peters soul felt that the energy flow of this place gave an eerie vibration. He had interrupted the flow of energy, as he had sealed one output. Now he had to hurry to create a new one. Otherwise, everything would collapse. And that would not only destroy this path into the next world, but several hundred others. And probably the worst catastrophe would occur. No souls could go to the next world, they would wander about as restless spirits and the disturbed flow of energy would cause a complete chaos. So he quickly touched a point on the wall, a little further away from the old door. Now it would become difficult. The exit, he now made, could not just go anywhere. He had to establish a way to specific points in Tuskland. His spirit cut a hole in the wall and grasped through it, until he felt he had found the right point to which this new door should lead. He fixed this point on the outer side of the wall with magic, which needed extreme concentration, and he almost lost his lifeline because of this. Finally he made it, and the new route was established. The energies were now in a different, but smooth flow. To create the design of a new door now, was not that hard. With little effort, he created a matte frosted glass door. In the physical world, it was of course not so simple, mostly almost impossible, to use magic. But in a place, where only souls could exist, it was easier to manipulate the environment, because everything here was just made of thoughts and no from fixed forms existed, even though it might look like this.
The most important thing was now done, and Peter turned his attention back to the woman, who not stored her written papers in all boxes, and then carefully closed them. Then she turned and walked straight into a direction where she found a large barn door that led out of the hall, and then led the way towards the next world. She herself would not be influenced by the changes that Peter made. But there are several other lives hat would be destroyed. Now he had to don only one last thing: He had to seal each of those boxes. No one should learn about the last thoughts and words of this soul. Gradually, he burned the sealing rune in each box, checking his lifetime between every seal. If he would loose his connection now, his soul would just vanish into nothingness. When he had finished his work, he looked around. Everyone who came in here now, had to take his newly created door. And that would directly lead them into the hands of a Twimp-catcher.
Peter now searched the room, and found a crack in the ceiling, which would bring him back into the black in-between. Thanks to its formless spirit, he could penetrate it easily.
Now he had to find a new dying soul, and continue his work, as long as he could. If he did not create more than two seals, the life of his family would be forfeited.
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Post by MoonStarNinja4 on Aug 22, 2010 7:37:58 GMT -5
Yay! New Chapter! A bit confusing though. lol ^_^
Hmm... You double posted the same chapter. Just thought I would point that out. ^^
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Post by whisperer on Aug 22, 2010 19:32:38 GMT -5
"And that would directly lead them into the hands of a Twimp-catcher."
Wait, wait, wait-- Aren't Twimps what you call little people in your other story? Is this going to be like a prequel or something to The Time of The Wall? Is he doing this to connect the human world with their world? And if so, why?! Aside from that, JEEZ! Despite how downcast the general mood of this story is, it just gets more and more interesting. Questions get answered with questions, and I end up getting more caught into it. Still loving it, and still looking forward to more :D
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Post by Amayasama on Aug 22, 2010 20:51:48 GMT -5
D: I am confused...but you already warned me of such a thing XD So I was prepared! ;3 I have to say I'm curious how this door leads them into the Twimp world. x3 I'm going out on a limb here and saying my own theory, all dying souls near that area are sent to that door to say their last words and such so once he puts the seal they all head to the other world. Yay I'm smart! XD
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Post by biali on Aug 22, 2010 20:55:54 GMT -5
thank you for the hint MoonstarNinja ^^ I changed it ^^ whisperer: No, the little people in my other story are called Tigo, so this is no prequel to "The Time of The Wall" ^^ But actually a prequel of this exists XD But I is far from being finished. Yes, he connects the two worlds. Why the connection is made, will be revealed later. And there will also be some happier moments soon. At least, there at least 7 chapters left till the end ^^
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Post by whisperer on Aug 22, 2010 21:07:39 GMT -5
Oh, yeah. Duh. Sorry, I've been a little off lately XD
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Post by biali on Aug 23, 2010 13:56:10 GMT -5
No Problem whisperer ^^ by the way... if anyone wants to see how that nice doggie from chapter 27 looks like... I have drawn a little picture of him ^^ biali.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d2x3fff
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Post by MoonStarNinja4 on Aug 23, 2010 17:10:53 GMT -5
Awww....! He's so cute! ^w^
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