The blistering heat licked at my cheeks, I could feel the constriction of anxiety tighten the breath in my breast. Two years, it had been two entire years that I had sentenced myself to solitary confinement. The loneliness had gripped me so tightly that at one point in time I thought I would have surely gone mad. The whisper of the trees are the only things that seem to speak to me now. Here I sat upon me knees at the same pile of dirt that blanketed my familiar, my companion, my Nymeria. The darkness stirred inside me as it had all those many days ago, it ripped and tore at my insides, begging to be released. An animalistic cry parted my lips, the sadness clawing its way up my throat squeezing the air from my lungs.
Through my tear blurred vision I stood, knees wobbling under my own weight. I wasn't sure how long I had been in that same position, maybe a few hours or even days. Someone cleared their throat behind me, turning I looked towards the person disturbing my grieving. A timid girl stared back at me, I couldn't seem to remember her name. She came from time to time having stumbled upon my cabin as I wept holding my slain dire wolf.
"Miss McKinley..." Her voice was soft, the freckles that were peppered across her face shown in the sun light. "Did you have another one of your episodes?" Quickly her gaze danced to the gaping holes between the trees of the forest that surrounded my cabin.
Episodes, I forgot that is what the natives were calling my outburst these days. I thought bitterly to myself before shrugging.
"I am a skaeth, a being born from the depths of the darkness," I mumbled my same answer as I always did.
"The town folk are talking, they say they hear uncontrollable weeping and cries of pain before the sound of destruction echos through the forest... It's okay miss McKinley, you can tell me- I am Brielle remember, my brother and I helped you." She held out her hand as she always did as if holding it would make all my pain disappear. "I came to check on you because well- the people are scared of you, your abilities are unstable."
"You should go," I muttered.
"I am still looking to find you help, someone must know something... You shouldn't always have to be alone..." She said softly
I turned my back from and listened to her leave, the back of my hand ran across my cheeks. I hadn't realized that I had started to cry at some point in the brief conversation. Making my way to the cabin I shook my head. They are scared of you. Her words dug a sharp pain into my chest, twisting it. "I am afraid of myself," I whispered.
I moved to the desk that was riddled with papers, books and scrolls each only mentioning briefly on skaeths, the origin of my people and some of the known abilities. Much as I had done before I reread the paragraph that mention my cursed ability called
Transfiguration.
Special Skaeths are able to morph into a form of pure energy, a black ball. They doesn’t hold any human resemblance in this form. They are not tissue, joints, bones or organs they are just a black abyss of energy. The ball is about the size of a large horse. In this state they are able to be harmed by magic or another blast of energy. In layman's terms this means that any weapon that harnesses magic is able to harm them, not only in this form but their regular human form as well. So for example but not limited to, they is able to be taken down by a spear that is the vessel of magic, a shield that has magic coursing through it.
When the rare Skaeths are in their transfiguration form they are able to destroy things. They are able to break through flesh and bone, stone buildings. As the Skaeth is energy in its purest form they are able to be stopped by other things such as more energy or magic. This power takes a lot out of them so once their energy is spent it renders them mostly unconscious.
I stared at the pages until the words seemed to be burned into my mind. Anger burned deep in my belly as I slammed my fist down against the table. I was alone, I had entirely no one that could save me from myself or this curse that was now my life. Nymeria, Joshua, Stare and Avin, they had all but been gone from my life, some taken some disappearing and never to be heard or seen from. I could feel the sting of emotions in my nose as I cleared my throat. "Time for a drink," I made my way towards the all but empty cupboards that held mostly ale or summer brandy.
I am still looking to find you help, someone must know something... You shouldn't always have to be alone... Brielle's words held such hope that they haunted me as I took my first drink.
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