Don Livingston's Event Muse Contest Entry

Anika squatted down by the rushing water of the hot springs.  The young warrior female loved this spot in the human world, and she slowly took in the snow and ice caked landscape around her.  Dressed now in her battle robes, she dreaded the communication with her superiors as the sounds of nature tried their best to sooth her troubled soul.

Her emerald green eyes shifted up to view the birds that now flew over her, singing their songs of love and peace.  She chuckled as the thought of peace and harmony with this world crossed her mind.  Her own world had sent her to protect theirs and keep it secret, by destroying the one man who was on the verge of discovering them.

The vision of Mike Ross flooded her mind.  He was nothing like the Council of Light described.  He was not a hideous monster hell bent on the idea of finding another world, to invade it, to control it.  She could have taken his life when she first arrived, her training would have made it easy.  She shuddered slightly at the thought of taking his life now.  “If they could only see him as he truly is.”

The bright ball of light that emerged out of the warm stream of water broke her from her thoughts.  The humming sound that once soothed her with a vision of her own world now caused her a sense of apprehension.  The council saw her as a failed mission, she saw herself now as a hope of light for the doomed human world.

The deep forbidding voice of Kartic caused the supple features of her face to tighten.  “The human is nearing his goal.  You have failed us Anika.”

“I have done what you asked.  I have slowed his progress and our world is not in danger of being discovered.”

“Your goal was not to slow his progress; it was to stop him from finding our world.”

She lowered her head in Kartic’s failure to understand these humans.  Even when she was a young child in the alternate universe that coexists with the human world, his aggressive actions, and lack of compassion caused her anguish.  “I cannot do as you have asked, but I give you my word, he is of no danger to us.”

“Anika, the council decided long ago that his life force be ended.  You were trained as a child to accomplish this task.  Do your duty for your own kind.”

“I can’t.”

There was a small respite from his now annoying voice as she watched one of the gulls land next to her.  Even these creatures had care in their eyes as it looked around for a scrap of food.  Her smile faded as Kartic’s aggravated voice returned to smash the serenity.  “You can’t; or you won’t?”

“It is no longer a simple matter Kartic.  The human world is complex.”

“Kill him.”

“I have tried to convey to you…”

“Take – his – life!”

Anika stood in defiance, as she watched the startled gull fly away.  “I love him and will no longer do as you ask.”

With the pause from Kartic, she thought at first that he might change his mind.  Maybe he would trust her wisdom and not force her to take her lover’s life.  His deep angry voice proved her wrong.  “We will send another to do our bidding; step aside.”

The beautiful woman began to walk away from the shimmering ball of light.  Suddenly, the wave of anger washed over her soul.  “You should know of a saying they have here in the human world, Kartic.”

“Step – aside, Anika!”

“You’re going to have one hell of a fight on your hands – old man.”

Coming Out Party for Ms J C Gordon aka Jaz Cullen