Parabol

[Violet]

Within a blink of an eye, black gave way to a pure, snowy white. Everything around her was just a void of light, with the exception of a single massive fountain. Water flowed down the sculpted centerpiece in smooth, velvety waves, making just the barest of burbling sound as it intermixed with the rest of the pool. The material was also as white as everything else, so overwhelmingly white. She was sure the only thing that gave this place color was her.

She walked anxiously towards that singular fountain, wondering if there was a purpose to all of it. Why was she here? Where was she supposed to go? As far as she could see, there were no exits, just a vast emptiness that expanded forever.

At the very least, she was thankful that it was brightly lit. Darkness she could deal with for so long, but it would have eventually drove her insane not knowing what was right in front of her. This was the opposite problem, and yet, she still found herself not knowing what was out there, or if there was any chance to get out.

“Hey there, stranger,” a voice called out. As she turned towards it, she was surprised to find a soldier in full metal armoring approaching her. He was without a helm, his hair short and dark, and his eyes were a crystalline blue so bright and clear, they seemed to be a reflection of the water in the fountain. At his hips dangled two very sharp looking daggers. Being so unprepared herself, his weapons could do enough damage for the lack of protection not to matter. She was completely vulnerable in that moment, and it made her uncomfortable as hell. Although he didn’t seem to pose much of a threat, he was just as likely to kill her if given a reason.

Not that death mattered, anyway. Didn’t that thing tell her she would be reborn? Was she…immortal? Maybe that was the wrong word, but in this moment, she couldn’t think of a better term. “Hello,” she replied, only slightly surprised her voice had finally worked. “Who are you?”

“Who I am is not important right now,” he replied. “I am here to show you the way out of here.”

She sighed heavily in relief. “Oh, thank Kami,” she laughed a tad shakily. “I was beginning to think this was pretty much it.”

“Well,” he chuckled. “That would have been quite dull, wouldn’t you say, m’lady?”

“If that isn’t the understatement of the year.”

He gave her a warm smile, and bowed slightly. “Come, let me show you where you can stay. The Fountain of Infinity can be a dangerous place at times, so it is best we leave before someone else who is less than courteous decides to show up.”

Violet was apprehensive as he stretched his hand towards her. She knew nothing of him, of here, or of their destination; for all she knew, he was some crazy psycho luring pretty ladies to their doom. In the back of her mind, she knew that would be bad. There were so many things – so many people – who needed her, but life before here was foggy at best, and she struggled to remember anything. What other choice did she have, though?

“Are you just going to stand there and look at it?” He said, the slightest edge of impatience coloring his words. “I’m on a schedule, and I need to bring you to our king. He is eager to meet you.”

“King?”

“His majesty, King Aragorn.”

She didn’t like the air of authority that phrase held. She wasn’t keen on authority at all, much less being at the mercy of a complete stranger. “Hold up, before we go any further, I have a question, and don’t bullshit me.” Violet paused, her hand stopping just short of touching his. “I don’t know you, and I definitely do not know who Aragorn is. How do I know I can trust you?”

The dark haired man pursed his lips as he tried to think of something. “I haven’t killed you yet; isn’t that enough?”

“You don’t have to kill me to be dangerous,” she replied.

“Very true, m’lady, but even if I did kill you, you would only come back here. It would be pointless.”

“Yeah, I guess so.” Violet stiffened, not at all comfortable with the conversation. “What else is there to do other than meet your king? Are there other places? You mentioned that this area was dangerous, so I am assuming there are other people who come here. Are they all from where you are from? Why doesn’t your king prevent them from doing malicious things here?”

“There are other verses, but the one we are going to go is a friendly one. You will be safe there.” He offered his hand once more, and she took it, reluctantly.

“I am free to leave as I wish, got it?”

“As you like,” the man nodded, and led her towards a pair of horses. These creatures were strange to her, their backs adorned by a set of wings tipped in gold. “We have a long way to go. Without Tiffin and Loch, it would be quite a while before we reached the portal.”

“Portal?”

“In here, there are portals at the very edges of this realm, each situated in the eight directions you would find on a compass. I would not recommend visiting of them without accompaniment.”

“I’m a big girl, I think I could handle it if I wanted to.” It was good to know there were other options than wherever this guy was taking her. If things didn’t work out, it was worth knowing she could just go somewhere else.

“You’re so naïve, m’lady,” he admonished with a shake of his head. “I’ve got a lot to teach you about this place.”

“You’re being fancy as fuck with that ‘m’lady’ nonsense,” Violet huffed as she climbed onto the back of one of the mounts. “So, you’re gonna be my teacher, hmm? Do I just call you ‘Teach’ or do you have a name, Sir Mysterious Pants?”

They trotted onward without comment, he seemingly unaffected by her brashness. “I am Wyatt.”

“Well, Wyatt, my name is Violet.” She kicked the sides of her mount into a faster trot to catch up.
“Tell me more about this Aragon guy. I like to be prepared.”

“Aragorn,” he corrected. “He resides in Minas Tirith and does not have company very often. It might be a short while before you get to meet him. There is much to do before we venture to the capital, a lot of preparation and planning is necessary in order to schedule a conference with our King.”

“Wait, you mean he’s not ready to meet me yet?” Violet wheeled her horse around in front of Wyatt, her face shadowed with anger. “What the hell’s the point of coming here and carting me off if he’s not ready to meet me yet? Maybe I’ve got shit to do!” She couldn’t think of what else she could have been doing, but still. Her point stood.

He was unfazed by her anger. “He knows of you, and of your power. You have a lot to bring to our alliance, and that is what he is most interested in. However, he is king, and has many other obligations to attend to before he can meet you. Just the same, you have a lot to learn before you meet him.”

“So that’s it. I’m essentially going to be a tool to some…tool. Got it.” The scorn was thick in her voice.

“Everybody has a job, Violet. We use the skillsets of the primes to achieve the goals that benefit the whole rather than the individual. I suppose it is logical to think of yourself as a ‘tool’, but in the end, isn’t that what we all are?”

Silence hung between them for several moments. What he said made sense, but she didn’t like it one bit. Being the pawn of another was just not something she agreed with. However, she could use this opportunity to explore her options and make a decision as to what to do next. She needed to just shut the fuck up for once and see where it took her. What could it hurt, but her pride?

“Fine,” she said dryly. “Let’s just get it over with.”