Something of Nothing; Ch3 Completed

Into the Void; Chapter One

The colossus stood at least several hundred-feet in height, engulfed in flame and smoke it roared at the intruder, "Pathetic soul.. to enter my realm means certain death!"
The target of the creature's wrath stood no more than six-feet in height, wearing a dark shawl over his entire face but one hollow eye, he stared neutrally into what he assumed was the beast's face.
"Shall I come back another time?"
The living inferno bellowed, and raised its gnarled, clawed, and flaming hand to strike down this ignorant mortal.
The man just sighed, and clenched his left wrist with his right hand. A bright rune glowing between his clenched fingers.
With a smirk he replied, "I'll give you sometime to cooldown."
The five-fingered meteor fell upon him as he finished his sentence.
As the smoke and rubble cleared, the mortal was no where to be seen. Muttering out loud the colossal voice echoed, "None shall stand against the demon Nam'xrius."

~ ~ ~

Regaining consciousness, the man awoke where he always did when he used the Recalling rune. The place was similar to that of a bustling metropolis.. except he was the only one there. Skyscrapers and numberless buildings loomed like giants above him.
Standing himself up, he began to walk down a nearby street. Shops and hotels lined the sides of the street, a newspaper caught in the wind blew past him as he continued to his destination. Glancing at the newspaper, knowing nothing was different, the pages remained blank.
Descending the stairs into the tunnels below, he found the usual bench he sat on and waited for the train to arrive. Stretching his arms over either side of the bench he crossed his legs lazily, he made himself comfortable for the unknown amount of time for Bartholemew to arrive.

Echoing down the tunnel he could hear the train gradually getting closer, closing his eyes he thought about how much he had missed Holly during the time he was gone. She was destined to be the Tenth Plane Walker, his successor, his fondest friend. But how could he ever be a true friend when his artificial life was predetermined? After all, he was only a temporary replacement for when the next Plane Walker was as of yet unprepared.
Reaching beneath his clothing he retrieved an hourglass from around his neck, staring disappointedly at the sand remaining he sighed.

Screeching to a halt in front of him the train came to an abrupt stop. A pair of double doors slid open, and standing there was an elderly man wearing a deep-blue ticket-master's suit with a matching hat to cover his gray hair.
"Staying or boarding?" the old man barked.
"Boarding," the cloaked man returned, "Empty as usual, Bart?"
"Besides the usual inconveniences," Bart snapped, beaming at him.
Reaching into a small pocket inside his coat, the young man produced a short paper stub which Bart casually prodded with his hole-punch.

The doors behind them slid shut and a female automated voice chimed from a speaker, "All passengers please be seated. Our next stop will be the Central Square; arrival time in approximately fifteen minutes."
As the voice finished the train rumbled and began to move.

* * * * * * * * *
The fifteen minutes passed idly as Bart read a small black book with no title, and the cloaked man sat and evaluated his findings from the realm he hastily withdrew from.
As the train meandered to a stop, the man gave Bart a curt nod and stepped out of the train car and onto the platform.

Echoing down the tunnel the train left the man alone on the platform, renewed by the thought that he would be seing Holly again he bounded up the stairs leading to the streets above.
The man barely noticed the huge elaborate fountain in the middle of Central Court, or the statues built to honor the Plane Walkers who lost their lives doing the things they loved or quite possibly loathed.
Closeby was the large building he was looking for, it resembled a cathedral or a temple but in reality it was much more. Statues of angels, and demons littered the rooftop of the building, glimpsing at the stone demons their eyes seemed to promise calamity.

* * * * * * * * *
Gingerly the little girl skipped across the room over to a shelf of dusty books, her silvery blond hair bouncing as she went. Replacing the book in her hands she grabbed a larger book with the title, 'Dimensional Traveling and Things to Avoid'. With the book in hand she wandered back to a huge soft chair which she promptly plopped herself onto, folding her legs beneath her she sat herself cross-legged.
Opening to the first page of the book she skimmed past the author's memos and looked for her father's loving message, 'To Holly, my little piece of heaven'.
The wooden door entering the room opened and a familiar cloaked figure stood in the doorway.
"Hozarus!" Holly shouted, "You're home!"
Leaping from the chair the book fell to the floor with a dull thunk as Holly raced towards Hozarus. With each arm around his abdomen, which was as high as she could reach, she gave him a caring hug.
"Good to see you, Holly." Hozarus smiled beneath his shawl.
Her responding smile sent a wave of warmth through his core, he felt guilt soon after knowing that he would have to leave again soon. His only purpose was to continue being a replacement until Holly came of age when she could do the job on her own.
After being released Hozarus walked over to the book on the floor and set it down on the seat of Holly's chair.
"You've been studying like instructed?" He inquired.
The little girl's lips formed a small pout, "Yes."
"Have you been practicing your abilities?"
Closing her eyes for a brief moment and holding out her hand a orb of mist formed in her palm.
"And what of your illusionism?"
As he finished his question a second and third Holly appeared from nowhere and all three smiled in unison.
He couldn't help but feel proud that she was the next in line for the title of Plane Walker.

Early next morning Hozarus knocked on the door of Holly's room, with no response he entered the room seeing the girl-sized lump underneath the violet sheets and scarlet blanket. He prodded the lump with a bony finger.
A resulting groan could be heard from inside the jumbled mess of her bed.
"Happy Birthday Holly." He replied.
The lump on the bed stopped moving, and then a face appeared out from under the covers.
"Am I ten now?"
"Yes, Holly." Hozarus assured her, "Get ready, I'll meet you in the Dark Room."

For her tenth birthday Hozarus had promised Holly's mother, the eigth Plane Walker, that he would take her for an hour to another Realm for her to experience what it was like. Obligated he accepted the task and promised to protect her at all costs.
Leaning against the door leading into the Dark Room, he waited for Holly to get ready.

Stepping around the corner into view was Holly, her hair tied into a neat pony-tail carrying a bag that looked far too big for her.
"You planning on staying for a year?" Hozarus asked sarcastically.
Holly blushed and retorted, "I just wanted to have everything I thought I would need."
He smiled beneath his shawl, and took the overflowing bag from her and set it down beside the door. "We wont be gone long enough for you to use any of it."
Reaching into his pocket he produced two identical bracelets, putting one on his own wrist and handing the other to Holly.
"What are these for?" She asked curiously.
"These will insure that we stay together when we're in The Void, and when we get to our destination."
"Oh," She nodded, intrigued she put the bracelet onto her own wrist and they glowed emerald green simultaneously for a few seconds and then returned to their dull copper colour.

Hozarus turned around and dragged his finger along the indentations on the handleless stone door, upon doing so the door faded and allowed the two to enter the room.
Holding Hozarus' free hand Holly nervously followed him into the foreboding place, the name was well earned because the room really was dark. As the stone door reappered the room became even more dark. If she wasn't standing on the floor already she could swear that she would have been falling already, it appeared to go on for infinite.
Looking at Hozarus she could tell that he was comfortable with this room, or at least she could sense he was. She couldn't see any facial expressions behind his shawl.
Upon looking further up she noticed that the ceiling engrossed eight glowing orbs, each one a different colour.
"What are those for?" Holly asked fascinated by the beautiful lights and colours.
Without so much as a glance Hozarus replied, "Those are the suns and moons born when a Plane Walker dies."
She looked like she was struck by a newspaper, "What?"
The man just laughed and pulled the awe-struck child closer to the center of the room, in the center there was what looked like a television set but the glass was currently blank.
As the two drew closer the glass screen came to life and grew to a size where it could encompass them both with ease.
"The Door to The Void," Hozarus said, sensing Holly's curiousity rising again. "Are you ready?"
With a renewed sense of courage and excitement Holly returned to her normal self, "The Void should be ready for me!" she said haughtily.

The Void was definitely an understatement when the place was named, almost nothing was there except for a grey mist as far as the eye can see. It was the most boring place Holly had ever encountered.
But much to her own dismay her guardian insisted that she stay close, they had been walking for what felt like four hours before there was a slight change in scenery.
The newest thing to come into sight was what looked like a large mirror, but it did not reflect the traveler's images, instead it showed them a view of a flat plateau and beyond that a bare sandy beach.
"How's this?" Hozarus asked Holly. Looking at her small face, he could tell she was unimpressed.
He led her to another mirror and in it they saw an infinite desert, they could see people wrapped in white garments riding four-legged animals atop the sand dunes. Glancing again at her cute face he could sense she was uninterested.
Sighing he relented and said, "I'll let you choose."
"Really?" Holly asked surprised, she gave him another hug around the waist and ran to another mirror.
Following her from mirror to mirror he followed, until she at last stopped at one that showed lush grasslands with green hills and a cascading waterfall in the distance. Grazing on the grass were what looked like small mammals with hooves on three-pairs of legs and a set of small bird's wings on their shoulders. The heads on each of these animals was different, one had what looked like a horse's head, another had a goat's, pig's head, and what must have interested her was one with a lion's.
"How about this one?" She begged, obviously excited.
Nodding he answered, "Yes, it looks like your kind of place."
Holding out his hand she put hers in his, with his other he touched the glass which promptly melted away revealing a passageway to this eccentric realm.

The liquid glass reformed and sealed them in the passageway, all they had was to go forward. Shortly after entering the view in the mirror appeared in sight, this time the image was surrounded in mist. Holly was almost literally pulling Hozarus along until he stopped her.
"Something is not right."
"What's not? The way is right there." She questioned.
The image in front of them solidified and fell to the floor, shattering into thousands of pieces of blank glass. The passageway shook and trembled, there was no way out.
"The Void is just shifting, theres nothing to worry about Holly." He assured her.
Nevertheless her hand held itself tighter to his.
The room they were in darkened and shook more violently, a crack appeared in the floor that shone light into the room. The crack grew as the shaking became more erratic, Hozarus held Holly behind him as they were forced to back up lest they fall into this unknown abyss.
Holly screamed, "The way behind us is falling!"
Glancing behind his shoulder her words were true, their choices became be crushed in the passage or jump into the crack and hope it wasn't too far to the bottom.
"We're going to have to jump, Holly!" Hozarus yelled above the noise of The Void shifting.
As a large slab of the passage fell upon them they both jumped into this mysterious breach in The Void. She held onto Hozarus for dear life, and prayed they would survive.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Intriguing start !
I am curious to see where it will go ^_^

I'll be typing and editing my story as often as I can, it was about 3 in the morning when I typed that out..
Anyone can feel free to post, just please don't spam.. and give me suggestions

This really looks like it's going to be a great story, can't wait to see the rest of it

Well.. I finished the first chapter. I hope everyone enjoys it, I'll be working on the second fairly soon.
Again, feel free to post your opinions and any suggestions you might have.

Very suspenseful story you have. I am eager to see more.

Not much to suggest, except please post the next chapter soon.

Superb story !
the universe is *very* intriguing and I just loved your descriptions !
Wow you got me quite hooked here, I can't wait to see what will happens next XD

Thanks Karbo
See if you can get Cypress and any other admins to read this, oh.. and you forgot to post a suggestion
*cringes in fear*
I want to ask a question so I'll PM you about it

Welcome to the Jungle; Chapter Two

Prey and predator alike gazed up at the sky at the anomaly plummeting to the ground, not often did things decide to fall from the sky. One such human stared at the sight, oblivious of the naga behind him, he was safe for the moment because she too was looking up at the falling star. Was that what it was she thought? A star? Flicking a strand of her teal hair behind her ear, she dismissed the thought and slowly slithered closer to her captivated meal.
When a bird chirped from a tree somewhere above the man he turned around discovering it was far too late for him to escape the hungry maw of this alluring predator.
The bulge descended down her front ending its journey at her stomach. 'Not bad' She thought, 'Dinner and a show.'

* * * * * * * * *

Multiple things raced through his head as the ground came closer and closer. What was he going to do? How could he ensure Holly would survive? How did this happen?
As the tree line came into view he turned his back to the ground and held Holly's unconscious body close to his chest. If anyone of the two was going to survive it was going to be her, this was the time he told himself.
Gripping the bottom of his shawl with his free hand he removed it, exposing the rest of his head.
He knew it would hinder him from being able to see clearly. The smoke began from his feet and made it's way up his legs and past his chest, successfully enveloping himself and Holly.
It was the only way.

The smoldering form crashed through the tree tops, breaking branches and disturbing birds and other tree dwelling creatures. Each branch that broke beneath him was another step closer to the ground, Holly groaned underneath his arm. He held her tighter.
Another limb of the tree clipped his side sending him and Holly into a somersault, extending his will the smoke wrapped around himself expanded forming a sphere.
He hoped this would be enough to save them.

* * * * * * * * *

Patrol duty was boring and tedious, but at least he had Janea to talk to and walk with. She was always a thrill to be around, she always had a joke or a new place that she found that was quiet and exotic.
"Fimni," She stopped, "Did you hear something?"
Stopping beside Janea, he strained his ears and tried to hear what she was hearing.
"No, I can't hear..."
SNAP...
CRASH..
Fimni and Janea both looked at each other and ran in the direction of the noise, Janea with her spear in hand, and Fimni with a hatchet and shield.
Jumping over vines and fallen logs scattered on the ground the two erupted through a tall bush and found the disturbance.

The humanoid creature was surrounded in a dark haze and had its hands and knees on the ground, with what looked like a little girl slumped behind it. From the rhythemed rising and falling of her chest, she was alive but in bad shape.
Did this shadowy creature attempt to kill one of the village youth? No, they would have known if someone was harmed inside the Bowl. They were outsiders.
Knowing they needed to help this small girl, they needed to take her back to the village quickly.
But the creature obviously had other plans.
It raised its head and spotted Fimni and Janea, with eyes composed of green flame it stared at them both unsure of what to do.
Slowly standing up it flicked its wrists, and as it did so a blade composed of green flames wrapped itself around the fingers of its right hand.
Staggering forward it swung the blade in vain as it lost consciousness it landed face first at the feet of the two villagers.

Ugh... thats all I can say at this point..
I can only guess how many errors there are in that.
Yet again I'll be adding more as I work on Chapter 2, but thats the beginning for those reading.
I had to quake my creative thirst before I ended my weekend.. now its time for sleep

Post any suggestions and comments that come to mind, don't spam, and enjoy

I'm gonna be completely honest with you.

After the first piece of the first chapter, I was admittedly unimpressed. Not a whole lot grabbed me at first. But after a bit more was added, I'm happy to say I was pulled into the story rather well. The characters have my attention, as does the buildup here.

You officially have me eager for the next installments.

GREGOLE wrote:

I'm gonna be completely honest with you.

After the first piece of the first chapter, I was admittedly unimpressed. Not a whole lot grabbed me at first. But after a bit more was added, I'm happy to say I was pulled into the story rather well. The characters have my attention, as does the buildup here.

You officially have me eager for the next installments.

Honesty is nice, thanks for that.. I can say myself that when I had typed up the first part of chapter one I wasn't into it that much either.

Nice chapter ^_^

You really describe nicely situations, they are easy to visualize
I am curious to see what will happens next ^^

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Interesting..." A melodic voice rung in his head.
"What is?", he asked curiously.
"Your creation," the voice replied. "You're real, and yet you're not."
"I don't understand.", he replied genuinely confused.
"I guess we'll just have to find out together wont we?", the voice mused.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hozarus' eyes opened slowly, where was he? He asked himself. Last thing he remembered he was falling.
Thats right.. I was in The Void, and.. something happened. And now he was here. Where was here?
What was with that dream. Was it a dream?
Staring up at the ceiling he could see rings circling the center of the roof, like... a tree? No, he thought, trees aren't hollow... are they?
Sitting himself up he felt a sharp stab of pain in his skull. 'Better not try that again.' After a minute of letting his head settle he looked down at his... fur? He moved his legs beneath the fur covering and put them on the warm wooden floor. 'Good', he thought 'I can still walk at least'.
Staring down at the floor he figured he was inside some sort of Oak tree, possibly Pine... maybe even..
"Holly!" He shouted furious with himself.
'Where was she?' 'Was she allright?'
"She's ok if you're wondering." A hoarse male voice said.
By the wooden door to the room was a tall muscular man with greying-hair and a long beard to match, wearing respectable robes of a Druid or some sort of Sage. A staff in his hand stood at least another foot talller than he was, the top of it craning into an ornate circular pattern.
Surprised at the quietness in which this new target entered the room Hozarus was unsure of whether to judge this person as friendly or hostile. 'How fast could he possibly be?' Regardless Hozarus made the appropriate prerequisite gestures with his hand in order to conjure his Mindblade if he needed it.
"Theres no need for violence, Hozarus." The old man guessed accurately, "We've been informed of everything thats happened to you in your travel here." He smiled, "Frankly its quite a story, but I can guarantee you we have definately heard more far-fetched."
"Where's Holly?" Hozarus asked threateningly.
The old man smiled, "She's outside playing with my son and the other children." Grabbing something from inside his robes he tossed a dark piece of cloth towards Hozarus who caught it with his enhanced reflexes.
"I believe that's yours," the old man said as if talking to one of his elder sons, "You'll want it you don't want to scare anyone else in the village."
With that the old man turned, opened the door and left Hozarus in the cozy room alone. Without so much as a second thought he draped the shawl over his face except for one hollow eye.

* * * * * * * * *

Watching Holly run with the other children of this peculiar village, she seemed to fit right in. They jumped onto large bulbous flowers that would deflate beneath their weight and soon inflate quickly lobbing the child into the air. From what he could tell the game consisted of who could get highest and stay in the air longer, as one of the children being lobbed fell back into the cushion of the flower the others would chorus in laughter and take turns on the multiple other flowers that lined the small pond.

Slowly stepping down the path carved out of the tree he walked down towards the pond spotting Holly talking to a small brown-haired boy wearing a leather tunic and a reddish-brown cloth kilt covering his lower-half.
"Ready to leave, Holly?" Hozarus asked with some regret.
Some of the other children turned around and groaned in protest at the thought of her leaving.
Holly smiled her patented 'Oh please, just this once' smile and said, "Can I have one last jump on the Bouncing Bodania?"
Sighing he relented, "Okay, but we do need to go soon."
Wrapping her arms around his waist she hugged him, and crawled onto the top of the flower with some difficulty. Like all of the children before her the plant deflated and inflated proppelling her into the air, flipping once in the air she screamed in glee and then soon noticed she was going to land on the ground instead of onto the flower.
The other children gasped in shock as Holly dropped towards the ground, unsurprised Hozarus ran forward and caught her in his arms. A sigh of relief issued behind him.
"Why is it you always seem to find trouble among the most mild of things?" He asked bitterly.
She shrugged in response as he put her feet back down on the ground.

Looking up, the old man from earlier stood in front of them, "I have someone who wants to meet you." He smiled waving at the brown-haired boy behind the two who waved over-eagerly back at what Hozarus figured was his father.
"Your son?" He inquired.
"Aye," the old man smiled, "That's Yannorigamn."
An insulted cry insued from behind them, "It's Yanny dad!"
"You are what I name you!" the old man said jokingly. Smiling he looked to Hozarus and Holly, "Shall we?"
They both nodded amused by the spectacle between father and son and followed the bearded man.
Walking between gargantuan trees, over roots, vines, and admiring the fauna of the beautiful area they neared what they guessed was the center of the village.
"My name is Eiilthim by the way," the bearded man absent-mindly said as they walked. "It never occured to me that I hadn't introduced myself!"
Hozarus smirked, and Holly giggled. Was it not custom everywhere to introduce yourself once you met?

As they continued walking a colossal tree came into view that looked like it was carved into a gorgeous form of a woman. Upon getting closer Hozarus noticed that this tree was moving, not moving. Breathing!
Vine-like hair streamed down her head and down her back, a large canvass of the trees surrounding the area all connected to this being in some way. Whether it be the branches inter-locking one another or the roots all connected.
This awe-inspiring Goddess of Nature slept peacefully disregarding the new presence in front of her.
Stepping forward Eiilthim tapped a root that was closeby three times and the lady stirred from her sleep. Her eyes fluttered open revealing ever more enchanting features of the Goddess, stretching her arms above and behind her she yawned sleepily.
"Good afternoon Elder Eiilthim." The colossal beauty smiled lovingly.
"And to you, Lady Cypress." Eiilthim replied respectfully, "I brought the two who crashed into The Bowl the many nights ago."
'Many nights?' Hozarus thought, 'How long was I out for?'
Cypress smiled again, "Oh! So you're this... Hozarus correct?" She asked curiously, "And is that little one there Holly?"
Holly smiled at Cypress, "I am, and I really like your village Miss Cypress!"
Cypress smiled in return, "I'm glad you do. Now then," her mood changing slightly, "What may I ask brought you two to my home?"
"Did Fimni not relay my message to you, Lady?" Eiilthim interrupted.
A disappointed smirk spread across Cypress' face, and she nodded. "I'll get him to tell me then, since you likely don't remember everything after such a painful fall."
A bit of Hozarus' pride was stung, 'I've been around longer than you have Lady' he thought to himself.
"Would you recommend the quickest way out of... The Bowl is it?" He asked, "I'd like to show Holly around a little."
Cypress frowned ever so slightly, "I wish you would stay, the children like Holly.. and it's not safe outside of The Bowl."
Hozarus nodded, trusting her knowledge better than his own on the geography of this realm.
"Oh but I would really like to explore here, Miss Cypress!" Holly peeped, "The safest place to be is with Hozarus."
Cypress just smiled, "I wish you the best of luck then Holly and Hozarus."

* * * * * * * * *

The Bowl was a well-placed name for the area, as they gazed down upon the vastness of the jungle and the shape of the valley it was in. They watched as the appointed escort made their way back towards the center of The Bowl, back to their friendly village.
Hozarus looked up at Holly who was currently riding atop his shoulders with her legs in his hands, "Where do you want to go? I'm gonna give you an hour as promised."
Holly decided not to correct him on the matter that she wanted to go to a different realm altogether and that they had been in this one for over two days. Looking around there were no points of interest so she decided on a random direction and pointed.
"North-East" She decided.
Aiming himself in the opposite direction he took a step, and Holly interrupted. "North-East! North-East!"
"Oh~ ok," Hozarus smirked beneath his shawl.

Hanging from a branch upside-down the silent creature licked its teeth and lips in anticipation. 'Too close to Bowl' it thought caressing black tendrils hanging from its face 'Wait now, eat later. Follow.' Follow it did, with the stealth and speed of an assassin. But its movements were far too inhuman to be such.

Trudging along Hozarus hopped every once in a while to get a replying giggle from Holly.
"I think I want to walk now, Hoz."
Complying he let go of her feet and she slid nimbly down off his back and onto the ground.
As they walked further along their attention was drawn upon a large hooved creature with brilliant white fur standing upon four-legs. The head of the creature was skeletal and bird-like with a lions tail on the rump of the animal. It bent down drinking from a small pond of water, unaware of the two admiring it.
"What is it?" Holly whispered, so as not to startle the creature.
"I don't know, I haven't been here before." Hozarus responded, "But it seems to lack any offensive attributes that I can see."
Holly looked at him confused slightly, "Offending whats?"
He shook his head, "We'll be ok as long as we leave it be."
She nodded.
The creature must have heard something because it lifted its head up and out of the water, clicked with its tongue once and trotted away from the clearing. Leaving the two observers alone..

Holly screamed as she was pulled by her hair upwards by an unseen hand, reacting with lightning reflexes Hozarus made some gestures with his hand and shot a cone of force just above Holly's head.
Dropping to the ground with a small thump she stood up and ran towards Hozarus hiding herself behind him.
"What was that?" She asked quivering.
He didn't answer her, as the form of the creature came into view.
It's body was genderless but looked humanoid, black tendrils hung from what he assumed was it's chin. He could not tell where the eyes were or if it even had any, but he could tell it was aiming itself in their direction.
It's mouth opened showing them gleaming teeth ready to rip and tear anything that would get too close, that was the last thing Hozarus planned.
It said something that he couldn't understand, it sounded like a mix of hissing and moaning.
"Close your eyes, Holly."
He didn't wait long before he shot another cone of force at the predator, a flash shone from Hozarus' outstretched hand just before the cone hit the target again.
Expecting a second attack the creature dodged it by jumping straight up into the air and into the over-hanging ceiling of the trees.
Without waiting for the predator's retaliation Hozarus scooped Holly into his arms and sprinted in the opposite direction of the area it was in.

The hissing sound echoed behind them, the shrillness began stinging both of their ears.
"I want to go back home!" Holly screamed.
Hozarus stopped and put Holly on her feet, "I couldn't agree more."
Clutching the bracelet on his wrist he took it off and broke it with both hands, almost immediately Holly began to fade.
The thankful smile on her face changed to a look of horror as the rest of Holly disappeared altogether.
As he turned around he felt something in his chest, looking at the predator an extension of its arm was reaching all the way to him. Looking down at his chest he looked at the thing piercing it, blood dripped from the predator's extended arm. How did it go right through me?
He fell to his knees as the predator walked closer, he conjured his Mindblade and cut the spear from his chest.
A painful hiss came from the creature's mouth as the blade slashed through the spear.With the spear no longer hindering his movement he stood up and walked towards the creature. The two paced themselves towards another hunger in the eyes of one anger in the eyes of the other.
In a flash and a flick of the wrist Hozarus made his move and stabbed the creature directly in the chest. Another hiss of pain issued from the creature as it fell to the ground, blood gushing from it's wound.
"I suggest finding a different source of food." Hozarus said dryly, walking calmly away.

After a few minutes of walking he knew he wasn't going to make it back to The Bowl before he bled to death.
Sighing he knew his time was up, reaching beneath his cloak he grabbed the hourglass and tore it from his neck. As he felt the magic leaving his body, he threw the hourglass somewhere ahead of him. He didn't care anymore, Holly was safe, and his time was done.
His eyes began to close, he could feel the last of the magic gradually dissapating from his body.
'Time's up' He thought.

Well... I finished the rest of Chapter Two and I'm psyched to start on Three but I have other things to take care of at the moment.
Again feel free to post suggestions and comments.
Point out any spelling errors that you'll most definately come across, and lastly... Enjoy!

that was a nice chapter
Again great descriptions of the bowl and Cypress and you finished on a pretty big cliffhanger here ^_^

Chapter 3 - Running Blind

She was breathing heavily when her legs slammed onto the solid floor of the Dark Room, collapsing partially she use her hands to keep herself from dropping completely to the floor. After vomiting, she gradually rose to her feet, her head aching like never she felt before.
"Come on Holly," she said aloud, "If Hozzy could do it so can you."
Renewed from her own words she regained her balance and walked towards the door..
Where was the door? There was no way of telling with the little light in the room that the suns and moons provided. Picking a direction she thought was good she walked towards the wall to feel her way to the door.
After circling the room three or four times she found the door and leaned heavily on it to push it open. After entering the hallway and as the door to the Dark Room closed itself, she slumped down against a wall, exhausted from the day's events.
A vision of the monster that attacked her and Hozarus flooded her mind, its terrible shrieking. Was Hozarus ok? She asked herself, what if he got hurt? Tears began to form at the edge of her eyes.
"This is all my fault, we could have just stayed here and we would have been fine."
'Too late for that.' She thought. She began to shudder and more tears streamed down here eyes. 'Mom and Dad would know what to do. But they're gone too.'
Her father hadn't come back from one of his journeys, her mother searched for him but had died in the process.
Before she left she 'activated' Hozarus to take care of her. Holly distinctly remembered her mother's last words.
"I know your dad is alive, I just know it. Don't be afraid Holly, know that me and your dad love you with all of our being. Don't be afraid."
She sobbed as more tears dripped down her face, her last thoughts were 'Don't be afraid.' as she fell asleep.

* * * * * * * * *

Her long silk skirt dragged on the ground behind her as she stepped elegantly towards the small relic. Bending over to pick it up she pressed her fingers to the ground, releasing magic from herself into the ground she recalled the events that preceded her arrival.
"Hmm... How I wonder?" She said to herself. That was the question plaguing her, How?
Bringing the artifact to her face she examined it more closely, the little hour-glass nestled neatly in her palm radiated no magic whatsoever. And yet, the item was likely more powerful than some of the fiercest demons she had encountered. But how did it work?
She continued pondering when suddenly her feet left the ground and she had large smooth-skinned fingers wrapped around her waist. Looking upwards she gazed into the eyes of a large naga female, with emerald green scales sky-blue hair and eyes to match. "Prey unaware of its surroundings will be handed to the hands of the predator." The naga said with an eerie melodic voice, "In the hands of the predator the prey will beg to deaf ears."
"O' does the prey cry for freedom, but will the ears of the deaf hear the words that are sweet to the sound?" The woman replied, judging that this naga had some poetic background.
The blue orbs that were the naga's eyes flickered suddenly, interested in the woman as more than a food source.
"Not bad," the naga smiled.
"I can offer you more than poetry of the ages if you help me naga." The woman said, beguiling the creature with more than words.
The naga quirked her eyebrows, giving her a cute poise. "I suppose I'm not that hungry, and your voice is really quite beautiful with a face to match. I would sincerely hate to silence that voice, and deny Felarya of your talent."
The woman's slender face and thin lips formed into a devilish smile.
"So.. do we have an understanding?" the woman's smile grew.
The naga set her down gently and smiled, accepting the offer. She had no idea what she was in for.

* * * * * * * * *

Dirt.. Dirt.. his hands clenched dirt. He opened his eyes slightly, and saw a column of stone a dozen feet away. Rolling from his front onto his back he opened his eyes wider and saw that he was surrounded by these columns of stone. 'Where am I?' he thought. Sitting himself up and eventually standing he took a better look around.
The gravity was definately in disarray, small rocks and chunks of the ground floated upwards in a disorderly fashion. Bumping into eachother as they drifted upwards into the nothingness that was the sky.
The pillars of stone were set in a circle around him, beyond the circle any pillars that he saw were either in a different pattern altogether or set randomly on the landscape.
Pausing his view between two pillars in the distance he could see a significantly large hillock, circling around he again he didn't spot any other large land masses.
'Good as place as any.' he thought.
He began his long walk towards the mountain as rocks and slabs of the wasteland continued to sail upwards into oblivion.

Days passed as he walked, he did not tire. How many times he looked towards the mountain, and always disappointed at the little progress he was making.
Times came and went when he forgot who he was, and how he had gotten there. What had happened before he arrived. As he continued with this train of thought, he thought of Holly and if she was safe. He imagined her smiling face and the promise he had made to her mother.
Staring at his feet while he walked his head bumped into something, he fell backwards onto his backside. He looked up at this unexpected obstacle, wondering how it had gotten there without him noticing it.
The branches of the tree were thin and shriveled, the tree must have stood no more than six feet in height. A single faded and deteriorating leaf sat on the lowest branch of this would-be tree. Tall ugly bush was more like it he mused to himself.
Turning around he realized in surprise that he was on the top of the hill he had been chasing, but how?
He didn't remember walking up any sort of incline, he dismissed anymore thoughts of when where and how and sat down. For once in his entire time here, he was tired.
Slumping himself down against the base of the tree, he almost instantly fell asleep. His last thoughts before he drifted away were 'I think this is the first time I've ever really slept'.

Well.. to say the least..

I'm satisfied with what I've done for the third chapter.
Introducing another main character and a lackey for said character.
I wont be surprised in the least if there are spelling mistakes, however I do need to learn so correct any you may find without /quoting the entire story.

Posted this at approximately 5:39 AM

Again, as with every chapter..
Read, Enjoy, and give me Suggestions

Nice to see the stroy continue ^_^
The meeting between the two was interesting

*********

Her fingers caressed the curves of the hourglass, the sand inside glinting silver as rays of light struck the glass. The woman's examination of the artifact was interrupted by a familiar melodic voice.
"Where do we wonder, o' lady of grace?" The naga asked earnestly. "I fear that I do not have the ability to read minds."
The woman adjusted her seat upon the naga's slender shoulder and looked at her surroundings. The sound of rushing water could be heard nearby, as a gentle breeze brushed through the lady's dark hair. Some birds chirped 'hello' from overhanging branches of the local trees.
The woman daintily grabbed the edge of her skirt and dropped off the naga's shoulder, landing nimbly on her feet. Releasing her dress, she breathed deeply, her chest rising softly. The naga trailed her fingers through her sky-blue hair, and stretched her emerald tail.
"I think this will do for the night." The woman declared with a hint of finality.
The naga made no move to lay down and rest, instead staring at the woman hungrily.
Sensing the need, the woman waved her hands in a quick and intricate circle. At her feet a table appeared with assorted exotic fruits and cooked animals.
The naga's eyes widened slightly, "You.. are a mage?"
"Of sorts.", the woman smirked smugly. "Enjoy."
The snake woman hesitated a moment before gorging herself upon the conjured feast. "I believe I've cursed myself by letting you live, o' lady!" The naga mentioned between mouthfuls. As she finished her meal she hiccupped, "Greater than most things I've eaten."
The woman gazed at the naga, "Done?"
The naga nodded slowly, stuffed from the 'magic-meal'. Slithering towards the woman the naga encircled her tail around the woman and laid down to rest.
Viewing the naga in full, the woman felt some admiration towards the she-snake and her raw beauty. The lady sat down near the sleeping naga's belly and laid her head against the she-snake's naval.
The woman continued examining the hourglass before finally deciding to attempt the process the creatures called 'sleep'.

*********

Her eye's fluttered open. 'How long was I asleep for?' she wondered. Then she remembered what happened outside of The Bowl. She remembered Hozzy getting impaled by the creature. She remembered Hozzy got her home safely despite it all. Her eye's grew heavy as despair sunk in. 'No! Shake it off!' She scolded herself. She stood up, her legs shaking. Tracing the indentations on the door to the Dark Room, the large stone slab faded away.
Her footsteps echoed in the dark, looking up at the ceiling, she counted eight glowing orbs. "Does that mean--?", she trailed off. She knew a way to find out.

Skidding across the marble floor trying to regain her footing, she sprinted towards the library.
Entering the large room walled with bookshelves, she began searching for the book that might help her. Grabbing a brownish-red book labeled, 'How to Make First Contact', she threw it aside. The book splaying open when it hit the floor. 'Beneath the Surface' "No..", she muttered. Throwing it atop the previous book.
'George's Guide to Gumbo'
"No.."
'Tourniquet's on the Run!'
"No.."
'Planar Travel: Lost and Found'
"No.."
'Dwarf Stars'
"No.."
'Cat in The Hat'
"No.."
'George's Guide to Gumbo'
"Why is there two of these?!" She cried, throwing it aside.
'Twenty-Six Ways to Dice a Dargol'
"NO!"
Slumping to the floor, she sobbed. 'Get a grip Holly', she told herself. 'You're giving up too easily'. Rubbing her eyes she stood up, and glanced at a different bookshelf. A black book with a silver spine winked at her teasingly. 'Planar Travel: Mental Machinations and Creations'. Her eye's widened, and she leapt towards the bookshelf thinking the book might fly away. Gripping the book in both hands, she opened to the index and skimmed the items. Introduction, Beginner's Guide to Creating, Rules of Creations.. "AHA!" She blurted. Scanning the wording of the page she read aloud;

Although Plane's Walkers creations are incredibly life-like, they are not actually considered to be living organisms and are therefore only subject to some of the laws of the universe. These creations are capable of decision making and can display some emotions accordingly, but ultimately they lack a soul and in some cases a proper mind. The 'substitute' Plane's Walkers are a prime example of soullessness
in that they experience no form of afterlife. Because of this, any 'substitute' is not subject to the regular laws of death as they apply normally. The 'substitute' will experience death by normal decomposition the way normal organisms do, but that is the limit of their 'afterlife' as it were.
In the event of a 'substitute's' demise, and there is no presiding Plane's Walker available, activate another substitute.

Holly blinked as the words sunk in her mind. She closed the book and threw it aside. "NO!"

*********

Its nice to see that after 2 years you are finally gonna finish your story. Im lookin forward to the next chapter.

it's great to see you back
And nice to see the story continue too ! The setting is really intriguing. I chuckled at those different books titles XP