Chapter 7

Beloved clung to her rescuer, afraid that if she let go, he would disappear back into the darkness; and she would remain alone there forever. The Masked Knight held on to her and Bhagavati tightly, racing through the myriad of trees as fast as her was able, to take them far away from the memories of that awful place from whence they had come. It began to rain, incessantly pouring from the Heavens, drenching the companions so severely that the Masked Knight was forced to stop and find shelter for his wet, shivering charges. Spotting a large weeping willow, he pushed aside the dangling tendrils and carried them inside its dry and concealed canopy. He held Beloved to him as they curled up beneath the trunk of the willow, listening to the constant, pattering drum of the rain outside their shelter. She had succumbed once more to her semi-conscious, fevered mind, and drifted in and out of consciousness; losing the connections holding her securely to the living, breathing world. Occasionally Gauveinn would look down upon her pale, yet tranquil face to see if she had awoken from her dreams, and was surprised to see how somehow she appeared older, curiously; somehow, quite beautiful. It struck him that since her imprisonment she had transformed from an awkward, gangling child into a lovely young woman. Trying to resist the urge, but seemingly powerless against it, Gauveinn felt his head lowering... and then he was touching her lips to his. She reciprocated even though she was lost deep within her semi-conscious state; kissing Gauveinn as if it were the most simple, familiar action in the world.

“Wake up Beloved. Wherever you are, come back to me. Find me.”...

Beloved found herself standing in a great green field, the sunshine radiating blindingly across its great expanse; warming her face and brightening her tired soul. An unfamiliar, nervous fluttering feeling rose within her chest as she waited; waited for something she could not see. Dragonflies hovered upon the breeze, brilliant blues and greens glittering like jewels as they zipped and hummed through the long and luscious grass around Beloved. She chased them through the fields, racing through rolling landscapes that, unbeknownst to Beloved, were shifting, changing; becoming something else. Clouds shaped like wolves... unicorns... foxes... dancers... walking across the azure sky; their illusions kaleidoscopic, recalling dreams of times when dreams were the essence... the source of life itself. The world teetered at the precipice of the end- suspended in time above great, empty plains below- with all its water falling, draining into the basin; the overflowing cistern of a world of fountains. Beloved stood at the very edge, the icy cold water rushing across her feet as it rushed to fall from the earth. The dragonflies danced around her, floating into the water mist that sprayed their bodies; tempting her to let go... to risk all. Gauveinn’s piercing eyes beneath their dark mask flashed into her mind- she was already falling- now all she needed to do was jump. Suddenly, and quite inexplicably, Beloved began to laugh, until tears of joy and universal satisfaction rolled down her face and she could laugh no more. Still laughing, Beloved broke into a sprint, and leapt; diving into the unknown lands below. The sensation of falling overwhelmed her as she plummeted down, down towards another world. After what seemed an eternity of falling through the clouds, Beloved landed with a soft thump on the ground below. She lay there for some time; staring up at the suspended motion of the sky above. It seemed so far from the world which she had jumped from, but these feelings were soon lost to the strange twinges of excitement emitting from these new surroundings. Beloved leisurely began to walk, in no particular direction; just an aimless amble towards the ever- dwindling horizon. She revelled in the delightful sunshine, listening to the rhythmic buzzing of the bees in the long grass, and the rambling bird songs trilling from the trees dotted around the roaming expanse of rolling plains. Beloved found herself feeling unusually elevated; so glad to be alive that she could not help but smile, sing to herself as she walked onwards. Suddenly, the grass petered out, and a rough pebbled path emerged from the scrub. Intrigued, Beloved decided to follow it into the distance. For hours- maybe even days- she walked the twisted path; journeying along its subtle turns and changing direction, thoughts tumbling with anticipation of what lay at the end. Out of nowhere mountains appeared in the distance, their voluptuous and gigantic ice-tipped heights disappearing into the concealment of clouds. The air seemed to have grown colder, and fresher than the sun-warmed fields at the beginning at the path, as Beloved drew closer to the mountains. Rocks littered the path and the ground surrounding it- as if they had been hurled there from the mountain tops- and Beloved found herself having to climb over these obstacles to continue her journey. As she scrambled up the largest of the boulders, she suddenly noticed that she was right at the foot of the mountains themselves; yet the path still continued. Sliding down the boulder, Beloved found herself crouching on a rocky platform wedged between the dwindling rock formations. She approached the side of the next boulder and stared up at it in awe, attention fixed upon the curious carvings etched upon its surface. They appeared to form a grid, filled with letter in some ancient, forgotten language; yet every time Beloved tried to read them, make sense of them; her eyes seemed to slip from them, and her concentration would inexplicably fade.