Chapter 4: Leading to the Same Place
“Awake, Pilgrim, and tell me what you have learned,” the voice said, echoing in Draco’s mind as it tore him from the dark sleep he had finally drifted into. He’d been haunted by many horrible dreams – the last impressions of Narcissus’ struggle with the reflection and his body’s pain as he slowly starved to death, causing him to wake up, gasping suddenly before he would dive towards the pond, desperately cupping the cold water to his mouth with his eyes shut as tightly as possible. His body had finally passed the point of exhaustion and he’d been able to sleep without the dreams plaguing him.
“What I’ve learned? What I’ve learned? Other than the fact that you’re messing around with quite a bit of magic to be able to make me hallucinate like that, not much,” he groaned, shielding his eyes from the intense blue light shrouding her form as he sat up.
“Have you not taken any wisdom from your journey?” she asked, obviously perplexed.
“Don’t fall in love with yourself so much that you starve to death. It’s a rather nasty way to die,” he grunted as he pushed himself up to his feet.
“You have not learned,” she said, her voice mournful. Draco sighed heavily, before he gingerly set himself back down on the ground, lying back in the grass, gazing up at the dark and empty sky above him. A faint memory – not his memory, but it was burned into his subconscious nonetheless – flashed before his eyes, a glimpse of the warm, golden eyes and the shy smile that seemed to illuminate them.
“Who was she? What happened to her after Narcissus died?” he asked, his voice heavy with concern that he tried to hide. She was a memory – someone else’s memory, at that – what consequence did her fate have to him?
“She watched her love die, unable to make him hear her words after he lost the power to speak. His unrequited love of himself led to his death, as did her unrequited love have the same affect upon her. For a wood nymph, a race of creatures who are loath to give their love to any man, it was a serious blow from which she did not recover. She died soon after he did,” she explained, her voice sounding strange and ethereal from across the pond where she stood.
“He was a bloody idiot – how could you let something as wonderful as her go because of your reflection?” Draco muttered, mostly to himself. He felt his burned palm tingle slightly at his words.
“Did you learn the meaning of the necklace?”
“There wasn’t much to learn. I – well, Narcissus – told her what it meant when he gave it to her. Omnia vincit amor. Love conquers all. Doesn’t explain what the ‘A’ stands for, though,” he said heavily, closing his eyes and trying to block out the memory of the glow in her eyes as he’d said that to her. The hope and the light that had glimmered in the golden depths, as she stood shining in the sun…
“Do you believe this lesson? Is this a truth?” the voice asked. Draco, surprised, sat up and stared at the hooded woman.
“I don’t think I’ve ever thought of it. But now that you mention it, it does seem rather silly, doesn’t it? Love can’t obviously conquer everything – what happens if you fall in love with someone and she falls off her broomstick and dies? Love can’t conquer death – as far as I know, there’s no way to come back from the dead.”
“Do you believe that love ends with death?” she asked. Draco stared at her, contemplating his answer.
“If I answer this wrong, you’re going to make me experience some other tragic hallucination, involving gruesome death, aren’t you?” he asked, a touch of the spoiled child his parents had made him entering his voice.
“You have lessons to learn, Pilgrim. The trials of others are a valuable lesson for one seeking to change the ripples in the water,” she said, pointing back again to the pond. “Do you believe that love can exist, even through death?”
“No,” he said, bitterly. The glowing light from the pendant around her necklace intensified, as did the throbbing in his palm, to an almost unbearable point.
“Choose a path,” she said, before disappearing once again. Draco sighed as the clearing grew dark as the light from the glowing pendant faded away. He stood up slowly, and surveyed the two paths once again. He had chosen the right path the last time; it seemed only logical to take the one to the left.
“Unless that’s what she wants me to think,” Draco thought aloud to himself. Glancing at them again, he wanted to scream. They were completely identical, there was nothing to distinguish them from each other.
“They probably both lead to the same damn place anyway,” he grumbled. His palm throbbing, his throat still parched from his experiences with Narcissus, he wearily set down the right path, figuring that it was worse to face the unknown than the path he’d already taken.
**************************************************************
Author's Note: I know, it was just a quickie chapter. Another one to come.
Just a note, since a few people have been asking about Ginny - she won't make another appearance until quite a bit later. Draco's on a bit ofa journey right now, and it's something he's got to do alone. About four or five more chapters, and then she'll be back, so stick with me and trust me to get you there.
Thanks for reading!
“Awake, Pilgrim, and tell me what you have learned,” the voice said, echoing in Draco’s mind as it tore him from the dark sleep he had finally drifted into. He’d been haunted by many horrible dreams – the last impressions of Narcissus’ struggle with the reflection and his body’s pain as he slowly starved to death, causing him to wake up, gasping suddenly before he would dive towards the pond, desperately cupping the cold water to his mouth with his eyes shut as tightly as possible. His body had finally passed the point of exhaustion and he’d been able to sleep without the dreams plaguing him.
“What I’ve learned? What I’ve learned? Other than the fact that you’re messing around with quite a bit of magic to be able to make me hallucinate like that, not much,” he groaned, shielding his eyes from the intense blue light shrouding her form as he sat up.
“Have you not taken any wisdom from your journey?” she asked, obviously perplexed.
“Don’t fall in love with yourself so much that you starve to death. It’s a rather nasty way to die,” he grunted as he pushed himself up to his feet.
“You have not learned,” she said, her voice mournful. Draco sighed heavily, before he gingerly set himself back down on the ground, lying back in the grass, gazing up at the dark and empty sky above him. A faint memory – not his memory, but it was burned into his subconscious nonetheless – flashed before his eyes, a glimpse of the warm, golden eyes and the shy smile that seemed to illuminate them.
“Who was she? What happened to her after Narcissus died?” he asked, his voice heavy with concern that he tried to hide. She was a memory – someone else’s memory, at that – what consequence did her fate have to him?
“She watched her love die, unable to make him hear her words after he lost the power to speak. His unrequited love of himself led to his death, as did her unrequited love have the same affect upon her. For a wood nymph, a race of creatures who are loath to give their love to any man, it was a serious blow from which she did not recover. She died soon after he did,” she explained, her voice sounding strange and ethereal from across the pond where she stood.
“He was a bloody idiot – how could you let something as wonderful as her go because of your reflection?” Draco muttered, mostly to himself. He felt his burned palm tingle slightly at his words.
“Did you learn the meaning of the necklace?”
“There wasn’t much to learn. I – well, Narcissus – told her what it meant when he gave it to her. Omnia vincit amor. Love conquers all. Doesn’t explain what the ‘A’ stands for, though,” he said heavily, closing his eyes and trying to block out the memory of the glow in her eyes as he’d said that to her. The hope and the light that had glimmered in the golden depths, as she stood shining in the sun…
“Do you believe this lesson? Is this a truth?” the voice asked. Draco, surprised, sat up and stared at the hooded woman.
“I don’t think I’ve ever thought of it. But now that you mention it, it does seem rather silly, doesn’t it? Love can’t obviously conquer everything – what happens if you fall in love with someone and she falls off her broomstick and dies? Love can’t conquer death – as far as I know, there’s no way to come back from the dead.”
“Do you believe that love ends with death?” she asked. Draco stared at her, contemplating his answer.
“If I answer this wrong, you’re going to make me experience some other tragic hallucination, involving gruesome death, aren’t you?” he asked, a touch of the spoiled child his parents had made him entering his voice.
“You have lessons to learn, Pilgrim. The trials of others are a valuable lesson for one seeking to change the ripples in the water,” she said, pointing back again to the pond. “Do you believe that love can exist, even through death?”
“No,” he said, bitterly. The glowing light from the pendant around her necklace intensified, as did the throbbing in his palm, to an almost unbearable point.
“Choose a path,” she said, before disappearing once again. Draco sighed as the clearing grew dark as the light from the glowing pendant faded away. He stood up slowly, and surveyed the two paths once again. He had chosen the right path the last time; it seemed only logical to take the one to the left.
“Unless that’s what she wants me to think,” Draco thought aloud to himself. Glancing at them again, he wanted to scream. They were completely identical, there was nothing to distinguish them from each other.
“They probably both lead to the same damn place anyway,” he grumbled. His palm throbbing, his throat still parched from his experiences with Narcissus, he wearily set down the right path, figuring that it was worse to face the unknown than the path he’d already taken.
**************************************************************
Author's Note: I know, it was just a quickie chapter. Another one to come.
Just a note, since a few people have been asking about Ginny - she won't make another appearance until quite a bit later. Draco's on a bit ofa journey right now, and it's something he's got to do alone. About four or five more chapters, and then she'll be back, so stick with me and trust me to get you there.
Thanks for reading!
To Be Continued.
Emeral_eyes is the author of 5 other stories.
This story is a favorite of 9 members. Members who liked The Pilgrim's Badge also liked 661 other stories.
This story is a favorite of 9 members. Members who liked The Pilgrim's Badge also liked 661 other stories.
Leave a Review