Immortal Longing Ultion Vale Umbra

By Melissa Jerrell

Ultion Vale is the city of eternal night, a place loathed by Rome, the city of Pure Light. However, a battle has never been faught between the two great cities, until now. Why though, after an eternity does Rome seek to destroy Ultion Vale and all those who live there? Lord Ruairi, leader of House Umbra in Ultion Vale seeks to ensure safety for those in his house, most of all Melcia. Melcia discovers there is a danger looming and seeks a way to protect all from it. What lies beneath Ultion Vale that makes it so powerful and dangerous? An ancient secret worth killing millions over?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jul 20, 2017
• ISBN: 9781387114290

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Immortal Longing Ultion Vale Umbra

Immortal Longing Ultion Vale Umbra

Book I

Written and Illustrated

By

Melissa Jerrell

Pictures and artwork property of Melissa Jerrell.

Characters and fictional locations created by Melissa Jerrell, rights to characters and fictional locations property of Melissa Jerrell.

© 2013 Melissa Jerrell. All rights reserved.

ISBN 978-1-387-11429-0

In loving remembrance of stories written in ink, on paper that filled books . . . may your magic never vanish, may your memory never fade.

-I-

Visions

I had always found escape in my dreams not knowing at that time, the places I escaped to It seemed the folly of a child. Sweet serine childish ambition led me along and I loved it. Worlds upon worlds waiting for me every night, becoming very familiar with everyone there, knowing every place by memory. I came to know many of those in my dreams as friends that would be forever held so dearly in my heart.

I dreamt once of a large cave. The room was damp, puddles of water standing on the floor as drops fell from the ceiling. There was a musty smell in the dense air, likely from the moisture upon the rocks. I looked and saw on the wall an image appear through the water. Moving closer as it captivated me the image slowly became clearer, there was a woman guiding a child.

Wondering who the woman was, thinking the child was me, I smiled and felt that it was important to be there and see this. The woman pointed at objects far away, the child would look at them and then they would be pulled closer, or hover in the air. I was not alone in the cave, I felt his gaze fall on me, rather than the image in the water.

His presence was felt many times after this, as the dreams continued there was darkness, creatures that waited within it, people that were not from my waking life. Most of all though, I dreamt of him. As I grew he did, yet he always seemed older than me.

He had hair black as the night sky, eyes like a forest bathed in moonlight and a gaze that seemed to see only me. He never told me his name, so I decided to give him one, Marcus. Being so young, it did not occur to me to guard myself against these dreams or the things that dwelt within them. Seeing only adventure, mystery, and friends.

Later in my life, I began dreaming of cities, vast and abandoned. I saw the past and present at the same time. Cities not made of stone and wood, but crystals. Shinning even in the deepest of darkness with a brilliant aurora, like a rainbow. Now it seemed as if it all stopped, frozen forever in time. The largest city had a building at its center which stretched high into the clouds. I thought it looked like it was made of emerald. I saw him there, waiting for me in that now dark city. So many buildings that contained relics, books, scrolls, what greatness awaited. I recall wandering the deserted streets as a woman whispered to me,

They sleep, we all . . . sleep . . . awaken . . . As more time passed, the dreams became more violent, unsafe and even I knew that. With all my pureness of mind and utter lack of knowledge of the world beyond my father, aunt, and a very few friends my father approved of. Something was happening, my simple plain life was about to change.

One night while dreaming I saw a woman standing in a dark field,

This has happened before . . . the woman mumbled falling to her knees, her hands shaking. A man touched her shoulder lightly as if to comfort her, she shuddered at his touch and he spoke,

Calm yourself Mel. she looked up at him and saw him with wings, dressed in armor, the sun shining over him as if to seek him out. She stood upright staring at him and spoke,

You sent me the letter. he ignored her completely, turning away, she then saw a massive gathering of men wearing similar armor all having large white wings. She saw a young child standing in the field, the child had very curly brown hair and was wearing a blue dress. The child bowed to the woman,

Melcia leave! You must leave this place at once! The child pointed at something behind Melcia, who turned slowly to see a great black cut in the sky. Melcia gasped, tears forming in her eyes, a man then spoke,

This is bad. Melcia looked for the source of the man’s voice and saw a man in the distance, in a flash of light she saw his eyes and knew, it was him.

I awoke from this dream and wondered who Melcia was. From what I saw in the dream she was very beautiful and confident. I wanted to document these dreams, as I had seen my father document things before. Using a quill and ink on large sheets of paper, he would then fold the pages together forming a book, or journal. I even thought for a time that I could try drawing the people and places I had seen, but did not want anyone else to see the drawings or writings and think I had gone mad.

One night I dreamt of a very large black house, with many windows and a large front door that had stairs leading up to it, all the plants and trees around it were barren, as the sun never shined there. I walked towards the house and found myself now inside the house, on one of the top floors. I looked out the window and saw another large house in the distance. That one was white and had a building next to it that looked similar to the greenhouse my aunt had. There were a few trees around the house, but were bare and had no sign of life. The darkness stretched as far as one could see making the stars even more bright and vibrant. I smiled as I looked upon them. I turned and saw a book of some kind sitting on a table I picked it up and flipped open the latch that had been keeping the book closed, I began to read it:

Journal of War,

I sometimes yearn for the past greatly . . . or at least I did. As I sit here thinking back on all of it I realize it all happened for a reason, a strategic plan that none could foresee and none could prevent despite some very noble and valiant efforts . . . some even made by me. However wonderful or wasteful my story may seem, know this much at least, it was never my story, but theirs . . .

We shall live here in this house, surrounded by a darkness quite equal to its own. Perhaps this will be home, if only temporary.

I set the journal down and saw a box nearby, I tried to open the box but could not, it had strange writing on it that I could not understand. I looked around the room but could not see through the darkness. Whoever wrote in that journal was accurate in that at least, the place seemed to encompass the darkest darkness.

This dream eluded me entirely; I could not understand what it meant, what was war? How could any place be without the blessed light of day? Surely such a place would be a horrible place to live in.

I do not remember when my father and I moved to Rome. He said we always lived there, that I was born there, as was he, yet I could never recall a single memory from my childhood in that place.

Rome was a very beautiful place, and though I knew very little people, I found my time there greatly enjoyable. There was a large building in the center or Rome, which the sun seemed to seek out, for each day the main city shone with such pure bright light, never seeing nor knowing darkness. The smaller villages, which surrounded the city, had very little night, but I remember the moon there, it seemed so faint and faded in the distance, I wished I could see it more clearly.

The few people I did know were close (in some way) to my father, there was a man named Vasile, he had straight shoulder length blond hair and dark eyes, he was much older than me, but never assumed an influence over me, and I admired him for that. Vasile’s mother and father had died long ago, Vasile’s uncle on his father’s side raised Vasile since he was a young boy. Vasile’s uncle and my father were very close to each other, talked frequently, and for that reason, my father allowed me to visit Vasile. My father told me that Vasile had taken his vows during his ordination into the temple as a soldier of the Roman Army.

When I was a child, my father sent me to the temples Seminary. The Seminary was created by those in the temple and children were required to participate as it was there that we were taught all that was expected of them, including the laws that enveloped Rome. My father decided to relocate closer to my aunt who lived on the outskirts of Rome, one of the many small villages that basked in the eternal Pure Light of Rome. The smaller villages around Rome, however, experienced the darkness, the night.

Many years passed and I did not see Vasile. I discovered that Marcus was part of a very large family, he wouldn’t say how many brothers and sisters he had but told me that one brother was Matthew (and to use caution around him) and one sister was Bethanie, she was special.

Having gone blind at a very early age, many thought Bethanie to be one of the weakest among Marcus’s family but she soon proved her merit. Marcus never spoke much of his mother or father, but then . . . he never really spoke much at all. His words echoed in my mind as thoughts frequently do, I knew though that these were not my thoughts. Once again, I began to feel the constraints of not being at the liberty to communicate these dreams to anyone. Having been educated in the Seminary about sin, I now feared that sin had begun to take its hold on me.

My father insisted that I be removed from the Seminary, and we moved to a large house outside Rome where he would personally take on the task of furthering my education. I liked that we did not live in Rome anymore, for now I could see the stars, though the darkness only lasted for a few hours, I would frequently stare out my window and cling to the image of the night sky.

I arose from my bed and walked to the window pulling back the curtains gazing almost solemnly out at the sun, imagining what it might be like if I never saw it again. The cascading colors that spread across the sky and through the clouds, the warmth of the sun beating down on my skin, what if all I ever knew anymore was the cold dark stillness of night, I let the curtain fall and I turned away.

It was then I really began to hear her, almost at that moment, a whisper turned into a voice. A beautiful, captivating alluring voice, it spoke to my heart, to my dreams, and to my soul. I had felt a sensation before that would occur when I was preparing to walk across the road, and something inside said Stop. At that moment, a carriage would go by. This was different though, as if a voice from my dreams was calling out to my waking mind, like him. Even when I did not actual see him, I came to know how he felt . . . or rather how I felt when he was near me, I felt safe, wanted, home . . .

As I removed my nightgown and cap I pulled a dress from my wardrobe and put it on, my room growing brighter as night became day. I heard her speak to me once more,

Goodbye sweet light that I once held dear. Hello sweet night that I once held dear. This voice seemed to come from within me, yet from afar. I fastened my dress and heard her again,

I will always be here. I looked around but saw no one. Fearful it was sin, I ignored it. I tied my long black hair up into a bun and left my room shutting the door quietly. I walked down the hall to the stairs and saw the light seep in from the windows, lighting the hall slowly.

My father did not keep any servants, as I did the cleaning and cooking myself. I never despised my chores I enjoyed them, as it gave me much to do and pleased my father. Making my way downstairs I smelt; from the kitchen, the tea my father liked to drink in the morning. I bit my lip nervously, worried that my father had already awoke, meaning I had overslept. I entered the kitchen and heard the shuffling of papers in the dining room. I worked to make breakfast and began removing the dishes I would need from the cupboards.

That will not be necessary child. My father spoke and I returned the dishes to their previous place.

More tea. He told me and I grabbed the pot of tea from the stove, walking into the dining room. He was sitting at the head of the table reading over some documents. I saw his cup and poured tea into it, but looked up quickly seeing he was staring at me oddly. I looked down and saw that I had been holding the very hot teapot with bare hands.

I stopped pouring his tea. Bowing to him, I left the room quickly going to the kitchen. I set the pot on the stove and moved to the sink. I put my hands in the water to calm what should have been my burning aching hands. I recalled seeing my aunt serving tea and placed her hand under the pot, she screamed out, dropping the pot, she ran to kitchen and put her hands into water. Yet I felt no pain, looking at my hands I saw no redness, no burned skin. I was thinking to myself that it might be best to keep it to myself, what if the sin had begun to change me, was I becoming a demon?

I had learned of demons from the Seminary, creatures that were filled with sin and roamed our world in search of those with weakness. If you let your guard down, if only for a moment, the sin would infect you. This is why many sought my father’s guidance. He would speak to the masses about sin and how to protect family, friends and yourself from it. He would never allow me to go to the big building at the top of the mountain the town circled. All could see it, even from a great distance, the sun seemed to shine of it at all times of the day and at night it shone brightly still. Many asked how it did so, and my father would reply,

It shines with the power to repel sin. They would then ask for such power, yet he replied, Many are not capable of possessing such power, for sin seeks power almost as greatly as it seeks those who are week. Those who have been blessed with the power to repel sin, guide the week through the dark, like that building guides us all.

After cleaning the house and preparing lunch for my father, I prepared myself to walk to my aunt’s house where I would spend the rest of the day. I went upstairs to my room and changed from my housedress to my walking dress. I returned downstairs and instructed my father I was going to his sister’s house he nodded adding,

Best be back before the sun sets. I bowed to him saying,

Yes sir. I then left the house. Making my way down the street, I saw a few servants and gardeners tending to their masters yards and houses. I kept my eyes to the ground as often as I could, father once said that it is easiest for sin to enter through the eyes, so if you avoid eye contact with those infected you better your chances of remaining pure. Arriving at my aunt’s house I saw her (as well as a few servants) in the front yard, she smiled and I bowed,

Hello dear, was your walk pleasant? she asked

Indeed it was, I always greatly enjoy a walk. It clears the head, and provides beneficial exercise. I responded. She smiled and kissed my head,

You remind me so of your father. She spoke looking at me. She walked back over to the flowers and spoke to me,

It is a blessed day, perhaps we will take tea in the garden. I smiled and she showed me inside where she spoke to one of the servants,

We will take tea in the gardens today. The servant bowed and walked off. We went to the study until tea was ready and she looked at me,

Dear . . . is there anything the matter? You seem ill at ease. She asked and I looked up at her with a fake smile,

No aunt, nothing is the matter. I am simply pondering the grandeur of the day. She nodded and responded,

Such a grand day, as many where that followed, we are the fortunate ones, as we are made to see. A servant came in a moment later and my aunt nodded. We went to the gardens and sat near the shade of a great tree. She drank the same tea as my father and I still recall the strong sweet scent of the fruity tea. The servant had prepared some cakes and sandwiches, my aunt offered some to me and I accepted. We sat and talked as the sun rose high in the sky,

What are your thoughts? my aunt asked me as I stared out at the sky.

I was thinking on how marvelous your garden is . . . it is the closest thing I have yet seen that could compare in wonderment and splendor to Rome itself, a place of true beauty and purity, so untainted and just. One can feel a perfect serene completion in such places . . . as if you are whole, and you need not search any further . . . everything you need, everything you ever longed for is there.

You are so pure my dear. Your father must be very proud. She looked up at the sky as it was beginning to get dark. She then spoke,

Perhaps you should be heading home now. I stood and bowed to her and said my goodbyes heading home.

As I walked home from my aunt’s house, I encountered Vasile he was taller than I was and had brood shoulders, his blond hair like gold in the sunlight, his dark eyes beckoning me like the night sky. He bowed to me and I bowed back, as he bowed a pendant of some kind fell forward, which I did not recall seeing before . . . but it had been several months since I last saw him. He quickly slid it back beneath his vest speaking quickly,

And how are you, as the day nears its end. Seeing that he did not wish to talk about it, I answered his question,

I am quite well Vasile, thank you. To which he responded, his words drifting away as did his thoughts,

I am very glad to hear it. He looked away from me, but glanced back, and I blushed. I had never felt shyness, or attraction, but at that moment, I felt timid, and desired. The sun seemed to seek him ought, as if he were made of gold. He bowed once more and made his way. I watched him as he walked away and I wondered at his avoidance over the pendant. Trying to recall what it looked like I returned home and saw that my father was in his study as usual, the door open a crack so he could see those who entered the house. I gave my greetings to him quietly,

Sir, I have returned. To which he replied,

To your chores then child. I bowed and did as he bided. As I made my way up the back stairs to my room, I caught a glimpse of him studying over what appeared to be very old documents. I knew him to be a man of great importance in the community and in Rome. He was a man of great standing as well, many sought his guidance and knowledge, and upon first glance you would think him a stern man.

Once back at my room I changed into my housedress and put on a clean apron. As I walked out of my room, I saw the door to my father’s room was open and found myself quite unable to shake the curiosity, I walked quietly down the hall and peeked into his room. There was a magnificent mirror in there to which I gazed at myself, for some reason the reflection began to smile at me, but I was not smiling. The reflection then looked at me bowing, I turned around but saw no one in the room but me, looking back at the mirror, the reflection was gone. I moved away quickly, then looked back in the mirror and saw Marcus at the end of a great passageway. Terrified of what might be happening I left the room quickly going down stairs to fix dinner. I stopped halfway down the stairs, bracing myself with my hands against the walls. The house had changed, the wallpaper was now a dark red, and the stairs changed as well, the wall to my right turned into a banister. Two candles within glass spheres suspended upon the walls lit the stairs dimly.

Where is she? a man asked, but it was not my father. I stood still as I heard someone coming up the stairs,

Who my lord . . . a woman responded moving in front of him quickly. I had never heard either person’s voice before in my life. I could tell though that they were not from Rome. I inched up the stairs backwards, as I saw the shadow of a woman standing around the corner,

Step aside Sayoko. The man insisted moving around the woman, as he came up the stairs towards me I fell backwards onto the stairs, I looked up and saw a man standing at the top of the stairs, he knelt down reaching out his hand to me. He had no shirt on, but did have a long black riding jacket, his eyes golden brown and beautiful, they seemed to glow in the darkness. I closed my eyes looking away, when I opened my eyes a moment later the house was back to normal. I looked around seeing that it had all been a hallucination.

I tried to focus on the task at hand, I went down the stairs to the kitchen. I could see the light in my father’s study on, and the kitchen was dark. I sighed, relieved that my father had not started dinner in my absence. After cooking dinner and setting the table, I went to my father’s study to inform him dinner was ready. There was another man in the room with him, who I recognized as Vasile’s uncle.

Is the time near? Vasile’s uncle asked, to which my father replied with a nod moving some papers around on his desk, he stood up walking to him,

Yes Ehrenfred, I am afraid so . . . how is Vasile . . . I heard he had an encounter of some kind? my father asked,

He did, and I am proud to say he prevailed. Ehrenfred responded holding himself high. Not wanting dinner to get cold, I spoke,

Sir, I beg your pardon . . . Ehrenfred turned and looked at me, then walked to me opening the study door the rest of the way. My father turned and put the papers on his desk away. Ehrenfred then spoke to me,

Come in please, I wish to have a better look at you. I looked at my father who nodded and I entered the room.  Ehrenfred looked at me for a moment, circling me as he did, I kept my head lowered. He then stopped in front of me and; with his finger, ushered me to lift my head. As I did he looked at me inquisitively, I saw a flash of an image, Ehrenfred was standing in a large field and he seemed to have wings. The image disappeared from my mind, Ehrefried’s expression changed, he then looked at my father who asked,

What was it you wished to say child?

Only that dinner is done sir. I responded lowering my head once more. Ehrenfred walked to my father and began to speak but stopped, looking over at me. My father then spoke,

Very well, we shall be in momentarily. I bowed leaving the room I heard my father say,

You may shut the door, and if you have already eaten, you may go to bed. Knowing this usually meant that I should eat alone and go to bed (that he wished to eat dinner with his guest and talk over important matters) I went to the kitchen getting a plate of food I sat in what would have been the servants eating area (if we had servants which we did not). As I ate, I heard them enter the dining room. They began talking but I could not hear what they were talking about. After eating I washed the dishes and left the kitchen turning off the light. I went up the stairs but stopped for a moment, for I felt someone starring at me. As I turned, I saw the man with the golden brown eyes standing at the end of the hallway. He was tall, built but not huge, his gaze swayed me as I stood there I felt as if he were holding me, all around me, inside me. Suddenly light emerged from the kitchen as my father opened the kitchen door I quietly moved up the stairs. Not stopping to see if my father had seen the man or not, I went straight to my room.

I removed my housedress changing into my nightgown, I then went to my bed turning the covers and lying down, I wondered over the events of the day. What had I done? Did I drop my guard, how would I then raise it again? Was I not strong enough? I then remembered my father’s words about the building at the top of the mountain,

It shines with the power to repel sin. However, I could not return to Rome, my thoughts spun in my mind as I lay there. I then remembered seeing Vasile earlier that day, and how he looked in the sunlight. I smiled, remembering how I felt in his presence. My eyes widened as my thoughts focused on how he shone so bright, and the light seemed to seek him out. As if he were made of sunlight,

It shines with the power to repel sin. I whispered. At that moment, I felt that Vasile could perhaps remove the sin that had come for me. For the remainder of the night I focused my thoughts on Vasile, where could I find him, if he could help. I fell into a deep sleep. Dreaming of Vasile and what