H'Turt

[Note for clarity, since this is taken mid-chapter: "She" discovers the corpse buried below a thick covering of leaves, thus accounting for the green staining of the bones. Also, the tree canopy is almost suffocatingly dense overhead trapping in the heavy air and limiting access to sunlight]

She stared for a long time at the face of the ragged skeleton in the dim light of the forest. At last she glanced down at the hands clasped over the chest. Through the pale green fingers, she saw a glint of something gold. It appeared to be an amulet of sorts, made of interlaced gold surrounding a dim jewel. She gently lifted the wrist bone of the hand, and the amulet slid from the silent fingers into her own hand.

Time and age made it difficult to tell just what it was, but the small jewel that was clasped in the hand of the figure seemed strangely familiar. She had seen it before. She studied it, and turned it in her hand.

On the back was an inscription she could not quite make out. She brushed at the stone to read the strange letters. The thick canopy of trees overhead creaked loudly, as if they were doors that had not been opened for many years. She looked upward to see what was causing the noise. Suddenly, with a loud groan the trees moved aside, and a flood of sunlight poured into the dim forest with such force that she thought she heard the trees gasp, as if they were taking their first breath after many, many years.

In the beam of light she heard a voice, so peaceful, so soft. It was a woman’s voice, and although she did not recognize the language, in her mind she understood. She looked at the amulet again. She’d never seen the letters before, but she heard the words in her head and spoke them aloud.

The Gem in the center of the amulet glowed a brilliant amber, and then came alive with fire, burning from the inside and growing so bright that she could no longer look at it. Startled, she stood and dropped it. She was not sure what happened next. Whether the Jewel dropped on or near the body lying on the ground, she could not tell, it glowed so brightly.

She reached down to take it up again, shielding her eyes from the bright light. Her hand brushed up against the body, and in astonishment she cried out and jumped back. She had not brushed against the cool bones of a skeleton, but rather against a warm body. In the light of the amulet, she could see skin starting to grow on the skeleton. Dark hair covered the head. The shreds of cloth re-wove itself around the frame. The face took shape and the empty holes grew into a nose, eyes, and lips. The arms grew full with muscle under the skin, and the ribs were no longer visible...
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