It started as a wheezed breath, her lungs expanded painfully for the first time in a year. Then came the fluttering of long dark lashes that revealed ruby irises. Her gaze focused the slow realization that she was contained. With an aching resistance she lifted her arm, her fingertips met the cool glass above her and the gold runes down the top of the glass pulsed to life. Almost a if they had a heartbeat of their own.
She inhaled another deep breath and bit back the sting of her lungs as she breathed in several slow breathes as she slowly turned her head to the side. Her gaze catching the gold trimming and more glass-the view to the outside limited thanks to the vines that were growing up the side. But she could make out the stone wall. Confusion settled over her as she blink ed at the crystals that seemed to be growing from the stone wall, each illuminating the area- shades of soft jade to the deepest sapphire.
Her heart skipped a breath as the haze over her mind was slowly cleared. Her breathing turned shallow as she glanced to the other side and was met with the same sight. Her warm breath fogging against the glass the faster that she exhaled.
What seemed to go unnoticed the way that the runes hummed and pulsed with the rhythm of her racing heart. Panic slid down her spine as her fingers curled into a fist and she beat against the solid crystallized glass above that was keeping her prisoner. Rational thought was out the window as she let out a blood curdling scream that echoed off the glass surrounding her.
A tremor shook the coffin,undeniable a shattering noise froze her for a moment. She watched the runes glow bright. Her eyes narrowing at the light then the glass cracked spider webbing outward and in one dealing moment the glass shattered, she gasped in shock covering her face with her arms as shards rained down on her body and littered her hair.
The damp air from the cave rushing around her exposed skin and the scent of moss and earth filled her airways. Slowly she moved her arms down and gripped the gold trimming of the coffin and pushed herself into the sitting position. Red curls fell down around her, the length brushed the cushion beneath her.
The last thing that she remembered was going to sleep in her bed-her eyes drifted down and she frowned-she was in what looked like a renaissance dress—the pale green gown covered her feet and the gold embellishments shimmered under the soft glow of the crystals around her. A sharp pain slipped behind her eyes making her squeeze them shut tightly. Her head dropped into her hands as high pitched ringing filled her ears and images flashed of people she had no way of knowing who they were. But she could feel the love that lingered in her chest.
Flashes of a girl with ruby irises and hair the color of a raging fire filled her mind, her laughter, her sadness. Her anger at her own illness and then the ache of leaving her family behind. The echo of a name that wasn't really hers. "Astrid." Her eyes snapped open as she inhaled a strangled breath before she dragged herself from the hollowed out coffin. Her legs trembled as she braced herself to stand on legs that hadn't moved in some time.
Astrid's bare feet shifted in the soft loose soil beneath her and the crystals pulsed around her again. But this time it seemed to be showing her a path that she would need to take to be free of the cave. Two crystal pillars the shade of a vibrant amethyst illuminated a brighter light. Her eyes narrowed at the space in between them. It was large enough that she could fit through it with ease. She groaned softly. Well Astrid let's see what your world looks like. She thought quietly as she took several shaky steps toward the pillars.
Her steps were heavy and almost foreign to her, unsteady and careful as she moved where the crystals led her, her hand grazed the stone wall next to her as she made sure that she would have a way to catch herself if the ground held a dip or incline that she couldn't make out with the soft glow of the crystals. Her heart leapt to her throat as she continued and a light appeared not to far in front of her.
Well this is it. Her mind was still in the process of trying to catch up with the fact that she had woken up in a different body and obviously a different time. The mouth of the cave was slowly coming in to view as the air shifted into something crispier and less moss tinged. Her stomach twisted as she stumbled out the cave landing on her hands and knees. The sun warming her chilled skin. A shiver ran through her.
Slowly Astrid lifted her head tilting it back to allow the sun to touch her face. She closed her eyes and smiled softly at the warmth. But the breeze was cool.
"You have arrived." The masculine voice made her flinch and her eyes snap open. She jerked her head to the left. Her ruby orbs falling to a broadly built man. Her jaw clenched as eyes that matched her own stared back at her. He stood several feet away from. He took one slow step forward like he was approaching at wounded animal.
His own flaming strands had greyed over time,the fine clothes threw her. She had only ever seen clothes like that in the historical shows that she had watched with her grandfather when she was younger. Astrid stiffened as he knelt before her. His broad frame casting a shadow over her. The man seemed to look almost hurt by her actions.
"I understand that you are not my Astrid-that much I can sense. But you are her over two centuries from now. My name is Arynn Evergreen. I am The King of Druids. And you my child are Astrid Evergreen. My only daughter." He offered her a kind smile as he finished but she arched a perplexed eyebrow at him.
Astrid gave a dramatic huff. Her gaze focused outside the carriage window. Her ruby irises shifted to Arynn and sure enough he was already staring at her. She forced herself not to roll her eyes and turn her gaze back to the trees as she propped her arm against the seal and rested her chin in her hand. Arynn snorted softly.
"You act so much like her." Astrid bit her tongue but said nothing,it must have been strange for him too. Another soul ending up in the body of his daughter who had been dead for over a year. I can't just tell him to shove off. I am in his daughter's body. She sighed heavily at the thought and turned her full attention to him. There were things that she needed answers to.
"How did she die?" She finally asked looking down at the long slender fingers that were familiar and foreign all at once. This body—now hers was different,athletic with an hourglass figure. Hands that didn't have scars and weren't calloused with work. Arynn tilted his head at her thoughtfully for a long moment and then exhaled loudly.
"She was poisoned. Not that it will be something that you have to worry about. You should be immune to poisons now." Both her eyebrows shot up in surprise.
"Excuse me? And how would you know if I am immune to poisons or not?" He chuckled softly and shook his head.
"That is-I fed the body different poisons over the course of a year and helped to build up your body's immunity." Her mouth fell open. This guy is nuts! Feeding his daughter's body poisons for over a year?! She cleared her throat and wrapped her arms around herself tightly as she narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously.
"And why exactly would you do that if she was already dead?" Arynn smirked then and shook his head.
"Because my Astrid told me to. She forsaw her own death and what would kill her. But she also saw your arrival her. I trusted my daughter's ability without fail.So I did this for her and here you are. Just as she saw." Astrid rubbed her forehead roughly and tried not to snap at the man.
She didn't fully understand any of this. But somewhere deep down she knew that he wasn't lying to her.
"Why am I here?" She asked squeezing her eyes shut and pinched the bridge of her nose already frustrated with the answer that was yet to be given.
"That my dear is simple. You are here because you are the key to the rise of Avalon."