Scared Union

Prompt 1: Air, Water, Fire, Earth, and a little Magic

Standing near the edge of the cliff to her cherished homeland, Michelina looked out over the Atlantic, watching, waiting, praying that he would return, that his ship would appear on the horizon again, and her world would be set right. The wind whipped around her, sending her long, dark tresses tumbling from its perch atop the crown of her head. How long she stood there, she couldn’t say, but day had turned to night and back again at least twice. He was late, and with each passing of the sun, worry filtered into the depths of her soul, shaking the foundation of all that she believed. Reaching for her bag of crystals, she plunged her hand inside, her fingers skimming from one stone to the next until she felt the familiar rugged edges of the amethyst, with its one smooth surface where her thumb liked to linger. A sense of relief washed over her as she pulled it out, a slight smile forming on her mouth. Kicking off her shoes, planting her bare feet into the mist ridden earth, she cleared her mind, preparing to work her magic once again.

She held the crystal in her left hand and raised it to her forehead, seeking balance and mental clarity, pushing her fears away to focus and locate him, find his energy signature and guide the man she loved back to her. Dropping to her knees, she began to chant, her whispers carried on the winds and taken across the vast ocean to her beloved. Michelina closed her brown eyes, her concentration solely on him, while she clasped the stone tighter, her thumb rubbing across its only smooth surface. Caught up in her chanting, in her calls to the universe to find him, she hadn’t realized that her body rocked back and forth. When the knowledge of that sensation hit, she gasped, her eyes snapping open as she looked ahead towards the water.

“He feels me,” she said, relief flooding her senses, giving her just the hope she needed to continue and cast her spell. “Come back to me,” she whispered, her eyes transfixed across the vast ocean.

Wave upon wave crashed against the rocky shore below, the cool air swirling, encompassing her frame, making her shiver, and breaking her concentration. Taking the purple velvet bag, she dumped the rest of the crystals onto the ground and began placing them in a circle around her. Her three favorites she placed on her lap—emerald, amethyst and white. They held the most power, could be the most help to her now as she reached out with her mind over the incalculable distance between her and the man that possessed her soul. Taking a deep breath, Michelina held the three crystals in her left hand, palm raised and at the height of her heart.

She stared at them until her eyes began to blur, and the energy grew around her, in swirls of purple, green and white, complimenting one another, working together in harmonious unison to aid her in the quest to find her beloved. One by one she called upon the energy of each crystal, pulling more power as she chanted, each crystal's colors joining into the mix, turning into a rainbow effect. Calling upon the last stone, her whispers disappeared and her voice broke through, strong, loud and clear.

“Show me my beloved, Cooper,” she commanded, raising up to stand.

The kaleidoscope of twirling colors rose up into the sky like a giant tidal wave, before streaming across the ocean and leading Michelina to catch a bird’s eye view of Cooper’s ship. As the vision appeared before her she gasped in horror, her eyes growing large, taking in the scene of the fire, the enormous holes from battle in the sides of the half sunken wooden boat, the smell of burning wood and flesh assaulting her senses. Brought down to her knees, Michelina pushed back the instinct to break the connection and cry, desperate for one glimpse of her husband, to know his fate. Her eyes burned, tears welling and interfering with the dreadful apparition before her. The energy from the crystals began to dissipate, the window to find him evaporating right before her eyes.

She scanned the scene from one end to the other, and like a goliath rising up from the depths of the water she saw him, his body slug over a plank of wood, his head rising as if he knew she were there. She didn’t have time to lose, realizing he’d been floating out there for at least a day and night, the brilliant sun scorching his skin and depleting his strength. Others were alive as well and in need of rescue. She clawed at the grass, collecting as many crystals as she could and thrust them into her bag.

“I’m coming, my love, hold on.” She took one more glance at the distance, the vision completely gone now, before turning and rushing off to round up a search party.

It took her an hour to convince a few fishermen of the urgency of the situation, with the help of her trusted guard, who nobody could deny a direct request. Claudius always got things done, and protected her since childhood. Next to Cooper, he was the only other man she trusted with her life. Dawn would be upon them soon, and with the blistering sun rising again, Cooper and his few remaining men were in dire need of saving. She had to get to him, or die trying. Her sack now contained a mixture of concoctions to salve onto his sunburned skin once she found him. She prayed to The Gods that she reached him in time, determination flooding her mind and steeling her spine.

They boarded the fishing vessel, her long gown soaking up the salt of the ocean as she climbed aboard, eager for them to be on their way. Time needed to be her friend today, needed to be on her side just one more time. If her sensations of foresight, and visual perception were truly a gift, then she needed to see that now more than ever. She sat down on a crate, clasping the satchel to her breast, the purple from her soaked gown dripping all over the deck, linking together and growing, looking more like a pool of blood a few feet from her. She shook the thought out of her head, refusing to see it as a sign of what’s to come. Raising her chin, she sat up straight, taking a deep, calming breath to prepare for the journey ahead, not knowing what state Cooper would be in once they located him.

“Mi’ Lady,” Claudius began, standing before her in his heavy armor, sword at his side. “Why don’t you rest. It will be hours before we spot the debris from the ship.”

Michelina shook her head. “I cannot do that. He hasn’t slept, therefore I will not sleep.” He crouched down before her, his burly frame still making her have to look up to see his face.

“You’re exhausted. How much help to him will you be if we locate him?”

Finding her strength, she stood, the word if echoing in her ears and leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. “You know how this works,” she began, her jaw clenched painfully, her voice a harsh whisper. “If he dies, I die right along with him. I have no control over that, it’s the terms of our union that our parents agreed to decades ago.”

Claudius nodded. “Aye, the The Gods kept his promise, merged your souls, and given you both gifts to aid you in your life’s path, but do you honestly believe if Cooper dies out there on the seas, that your life will end as well? Could your maker be so cruel?”

Sighing, she sat back down, her bones ached, her head pounded and the sense of urgency remained with her. “It’s not cruel, it’s what was promised.”

“Yes, yes, child, it’s what was promised,” he admonished. “Your parents were fools. If only they had opened their eyes and looked at the pair of you. Everyone saw it, even before they called upon The Gods. You and Cooper were inseparable from birth, your union was destiny from day one, but they were too hungry for power to let things happen naturally.”

Bile burned its way up her parched throat, as she fought hard to suppress it. “I know,” she whispered. Even consciously aware that she loved Cooper when they were children didn’t lessen the agony in her heart and soul, or the hurt that her parents caused by trampling over the King to take away his throne so they could rule with Cooper’s family’s army at their side. It wasn’t enough to just take what they wanted, they sacrificed their children to ensure it.

The conversation died, the vessel rocking with every crash of the waves as she stared off in the distance, praying to the Gods that they be spared more time together. It wasn’t just their lives at stake now. She rested a hand on her belly, excitement dancing at the thought of looking at their firstborn, or being able to look into his wonderful eyes and tell him that fatherhood would be upon him soon. She longed for that, had kept this secret for months while he’d been away, not willing to risk telling a soul until he heard the words first. With each blast against the hull, she was sent swaying, churning the nausea easily. She reached into her cloak pocket and held onto the clear crystal, chanting for herself this time, just enough to settle her stomach to keep her from retching over the side of the ship and giving away her secret.

Minutes turned to hours, the sunlight reaching down and sweeping away the darkness and chill of the night. She had no idea how long it would take, how long she would be out here searching, and as each minute passed by bringing her closer to him, the more sensations assaulted her body as their connection intensified. When she closed her eyes and thought of him, her body mimicked every pain he felt no matter how minute, every range of emotion he experienced ripped through her mind in an unfiltered and unending loop. Her hands and face burned and ached, the burns on his hands blistering and infected. She shivered from the cold in his chest and torso, while her left leg throbbed painfully each time she moved, and if she ventured a guess, she would find him with a broken leg, gashes to his head and chest, and sunburned past the point that scarring would be the least of their worries.

Claudius stayed near, watching, suspecting what was happening to her, but saying nothing to the others aboard the ship. As the boat hit the open water, no land in sight, just ahead on the horizon they spotted a debris field that seemed to go on for miles. She stood then, scanning their surroundings until she spotted his form floating in the distance.

“There!” Michelina said, pointing toward the survivors.

Sails were moved to catch the winds and steer them closer, the distance closing now, her heart fluttering in anticipation. Unable to wait a second longer, she removed her cloak, hiked the skirt of her dress and dove into the crisp water, swimming toward him on a rush of pure adrenaline. When she reached him, her heart soared, though her heart plummeted seeing the shape he was in and all he suffered.

With great effort he raised his head, a half smile forming on his cracked lips. “I knew you would come,” he whispered.

Word Count: 1961