Fragment of a Symphony: A Tender Moment Alone

Ashtoreth was quite disturbed of what she had heard from Steven earlier, from what had happened the night she arrived to wherever she was. Both of her slender hands were shaking uncontrollably at remembering what Steven said about being in an alleyway, a blood-spattered alleyway of all places. With shaking hands and a unsure mind, she quickly got out one of the most precious things from her own luggage. She sat on the bed and tentatively unwrapped the grass green velvet covering of The Book, gazing at the partially unwrapped dark green book with an embossing of a Chinese dragon with the wings of an angel set in sterling silver lovingly as she continued its unveiling. I feel so lost... The book she held in her hands opened by itself and as expected, wrote her exact thoughts and feelings into its pages, without the aid of a writing implement held by Ashtoreth's own hand. The elegant writing of her troubled heart and mind set in crimson flowed itself like miniature rivers of blood before drying up quickly into a shadowy intensity and nestling itself inside The Book's slightly tea-stained pages. Where am I? I am lost. My hands are stained with the liquid rubies of two; myself and a stranger I do not know. Take my seeking hand and guide me back, to the righteous path that I have unknowingly strayed. "I do not think you will need to--" To her horror, the writing faded away gently before disappearing completely out of the page leaving nothing but an ominous blank. Instead of getting an immediate answer from the deep and unknown depths of The Book, she could feel something enter the room uninvited through the sudden vibration of particles around her, coupled with the sensation of feeling cold all over. The coldness lingeringly reformed into a warmth she was somehow familiar with to her sudden relief. Could it be...? Ashtoreth thought as she watched The Book move from her lap to the floor, still remaining open as it did so. She had never expected an event such as this to happen in a rather short span of time. She had no choice but to follow the tome to the center of the room as it settled on a final destination. The sterling silver dragon embossing on the green cover of The Book started to melt and move about towards the open pages of its residence before turning into a medium sized puddle the color of mercury and manifested into a shape she was very intimate with. "--read your mind to understand your problem? Oh really now?" She bowed deeply and smiled at the caped metallic green figure before her who displayed a look of mild amusement on his normally unruffled countenance. Sadness gradually lurked in his eyes as he moved away from the open book and stood close behind his equally troubled consort and embraced her tenderly. The Master could feel the tears of his dear one touch one of his fingers. He gently brushed them away from her alice-blue eyes. "I do not know where I am." "You're lost?" he liked completing whatever sentence she was trying to finish without her really noticing, running his delightfully cold fingers through her unsecured black tresses. "An acquaintance told me earlier of the night before and how I was in an alleyway not far from here, apparently involved in a fight. But I do not remember anything at all." her voice was tinged with vexation. Oh dear me, I wonder how something such as this could happen so soon? The Master thought at hearing what his highly regarded fledgling had to say. Ashtoreth remained in the comforting shelter that was her Master's arms. His neck started to become more longer and flexible, allowing him to see her face more easily as she stayed in his sights. "What you don't remember the night before will come back to you just like everything else, all you need is time." He said reassuringly, stroking her face. Just like everything else she thought of what her Master had said. The Master felt relieved at the feeling of glumness fading away, for a while. "I have to leave soon; this connection can't last long, you know." "Yes, I know." The Master unhurriedly coaxed Ashtoreth out of his near eternal hold. They both held the hands of one another and looked longingly at each other's eyes before departing. "Farewell, my dear Master." She knelt in front of the closing book after his virtuous figure washed out of her room, the mercury liquid that projected him and made him "real" quickly returned to where it belonged as part of the cover of The Book in the form of a silver Chinese dragon embossing with angel wings. I wish you could stay by my side for a while longer. Even if it were for a few hours, she was happy he came to assist and bring her at ease. How long has it been since the Bond Forging? Two months and a few days ago? Ashtoreth wasn't completely sure. She let all of it go for a while, trying to recollect the vague and grim event of the night before she awoke in her quarters in Carlston University; already, she had already recalled one thing she had once remembered! She gathered up the green book and hugged it tightly before wrapping the precious and invaluable object with the green velvet cover and carefully shoving it back into the depths of her luggage before anyone, friend or stranger, came in the room.

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