The boy in his eyes certainly looks like a younger version of the man in front of me. Same white blonde hair, shorter for sure. Not as much furrow in his brow. But definitely the same person. I feel his hand on my lower back as my knees start to grow weak. I can't break his gaze, even to swat off his hand as I normally would when a man touched me without the greenlight. I'm completely locked onto him, unable and unwilling to look away.I can see him as a young child, sitting in a tree, watching the sunset on the horizon while he chews on a bushel of mint leaves. I can see him as a teenager, getting scolded by an older man with a red beard. I can feel the shame and embarrassment flowing through my chest as the man's mouth moves, but I can't quite tell what he's saying."What is this?" I choke, still staring into what I assume are his memories. Him learning to fight with a sword, him having his first kiss with a small framed blonde girl, him learning to read and write."Only two people
"I told you, I'm Erik." I roll my eyes at his somewhat flippant response to my question of who he was."Who are you to me? You're acting like I'm supposed to know you." I sass. I bite my tongue at the satisfied look he shoots me. "What was that before? How were we seeing each other's memories?"He rolls his head to look down at me and smirks a little. "I can answer all your questions, but I don't know if you'll believe me. You don't seem to trust me very much." That reminds me of something very abruptly."Why should I? I haven't forgotten, you've got that boy locked up." I glare at him as I lean forward a little and point an accusing finger towards him, scoffing enterally and falling back at the chuckle that comes from his lips. How patronizing."I let him go, six hours ago." My brows shoot up. "You were out for a while. Twelve whole hours. It seems you are not accustomed to using magic, because you also fainted when coming through the portal in the pond.""Why would I be accustomed t
"Why can't I feel this pull you talk about?" I actually feel a little guilty when he physically flinches at my words. "I mean I still feel very attracted to you... I mean not very attracted." I cross my arms across my chest and look away from where Erik is watching me ramble with a curious look on his face. "I just meant, why haven't I felt this... longing for you my entire life like you say you've felt for me? And if I was fated to be with you, why was I dreaming about that other boy?""Maybe it has something to do with you living in the human world, why you couldn't feel our connection, that is. As to why you were visiting that bear of a man, I have no idea. He was already four or five when you two crossed paths, so there's no way he could be your fated, even if I hadn't been there. Luckily for you." He sneers a little."You don't seem to like him." I say, crossing my legs and watching him. He was very expressive, and it was easy to tell how he was feeling. Why did I care what each
As I climb out of the bed, I can see the actual room we were in was quite large. It had tall walls made of the same salt material I had seen before, with a large entryway covered by more curtains. I could see a giant white and gold wardrobe with a matching platform beside it, with tall mirrors acting as the border for said platform. I assume that's where Erik admires himself from all angles.My eyes shoot back to him as he holds the curtain open for me, and I swear I see him smirking again."What's so funny?" I ask as leads me down a hallway. There are more high places with holes with glowing light coming from within here, and giant vases filled with fresh flowers lining the edges of the hallway. I resist the urge to gasp at the huge twinkling chandelier dangling from the ceiling. "How is that lite?" I ask after he ignores my first question. There's not a lightbulb, and the floating orb of pale-yellow light doesn't look like a flame either.I jump when his voice whispers in my ear fro
I shrug a little at Erik's question about if I'd come here for that other boy, picking up one of the orbs from my plate. I pop it in my mouth and am so happy I trusted him enough to try it. It popped like a grape, with a firm skin and a juicy middle, but it tasted like... cotton candy? Like cotton candy but fresher, not quite as artificially sweet. It filled my mouth and made my tongue water for more once it was gone."Why?" I examine his face as he asks me to explain myself. It looks pinched, uncomfortable. He seemed genuinely upset that I hadn't been pining after him all these years. But it honestly wasn't like a, "got rejected by a girl so I broke into her therapist's office and stole her session notes to post on social media." It was more like I had hurt his feelings. LIke he was... sad. Why does that make me feel guilty? It's not my fault I felt nothing for him. I'm quiet for a moment while I eat another orb. "I wanted to know who he was at first, and then it was about saving hi
I start towards the edge of the gathered crowd, my heart in my throat. I had been told not to leave, and I was so much smaller than all these people. If they wanted to pick me up and put me in time out for disobeying them, they very well could. Even the women stood at no shorter than five nine. I felt like a child.Nonetheless, I was nosey, so I pushed my insecurities down as far as they would go."Excuse me." I say with as much confidence as I can muster once I reach the group. The woman closest to me, probably five eleven, with short black hair and sharp brows, glares down at me. At first. We meet eyes however, and she sort of goes, "oh!" and quickly moves aside, slapping the arms of the people around her, who all pretty much have the same reaction.Interesting.I begin tiptoeing forward, at first glancing wearily at the tall wall of people on either side of me, but eventually moving my eyes towards where the group was originally looking. I gasp and stop for a moment at the sight.T
A few moments after everyone else left, the man who had run away before comes back with more leather clothes in his hands now. Finally, I look back at the bear, who is already looking at Erik."Come." I jump a little at the sudden touch of Erik's hand on my shoulder. "He needs room." I comply, standing beside and a bit behind Erik while the bear does what he needs to do.It lays down, closes its eyes, and seemingly starts to shrink. It's a bit creepy looking for a moment, not gonna lie, as its black beady eyes disappear and are replaced with very human-like blue ones. Its limbs start to shrink and almost look freeze dried for a second. It's fur kind of... dissolves into the air.In just a few moments, the bear has become the boy from my dreams, and I felt a surge of satisfaction at finally getting to lay eyes on him for real, face to face, in person.The man tosses him the clothes from behind me, and I huff a little as Erik blocks my view with half of his body as the boy gets changed.
The woods here are very beautiful.The forest is composed of what look like Ghost Gum trees, a fact I only know because my dad was always taking me camping. I'm not saying we ever came across any of these, because we lived in North America, but he talked a lot when we'd go out together. He'd tell me all sort of random facts, different uses for plants we'd walk by. I always felt like he knew everything. We'd fish, we'd catch frogs, we'd pick berries and he'd tell me what was safe to eat and wasn't. I grew up around nature, always running and playing with him. He was my best friend.I ran a hand across a tree as I walked, my thoughts heavy on my dad.You're so close child...I jump at the words that float through my mind when I touch the tree. I pull my hand away quickly. I pause for a moment, then place is back. Nothing this time. Am I for real losing my mind right now? I shake my head, and keep walking, occasionally touching a tree or a hanging leaf. Each time I heard that little voi
Erik was going to ask me to marry him. And if I said no, that was it for us. I'd have to watch him marry another woman. I'd be his side hoe if I ever wanted anything to do with him again. And I couldn't deny, I wanted "something" to do with him. I wish we had time to do things a little... slower. That much was for sure. I knew my mom would be pissed that I was even considering marrying this man, but the thought of him with someone else made a ball of furious rage form in my chest. I swallow as we stop in front of a high entry way covered by hanging flowers."Have fun, Lady Delilah." I smile at Chepi and walk through the flowers.Here we go.The greenhouse was probably twenty feet by twenty feet, with rounded edges rather than squared like the rest of the rooms. The ceiling was replaced with a crisscrossing wood pattern, no glass though, just vines and flowers and moss climbing over the wood. I wondered if it'd form a natural roof one day. The sides of the room have rows of seedlings
"What are we doing today, Lady Delilah?"It was rhe next day. I spent the night alone, and in my own head luckily. I'm sitting in the tub currently, my favorite spot in the house."Will I get to see Erik tonight?" I whine. I was bored without him. I had hung out in the kitchen and helped make and clean up dinner yesterday and hadn't finished until it was dark out. I had enjoyed talking to the cooks, including Pur who was baking bread as she said she always did."Yes, Lady Delilah. And don't forget what else is happening tonight?" She leans towards me in the tub, handing me a small tub of scrubby looking stuff. I nod, holding a smile back."What if you're wrong though and I'm getting excited for nothing?" I scoop out the rough paste and bring my leg up out of the water. Chepi said she was going to shave my legs, which was fine, because they needed it. So, I was exfoliating first."I am not wrong. He told me. I wasn't really supposed to tell you, but my loyalty lies with you, not Erik.
"You saw, yes?" I nod, walking closer to the men. "Would you like to try?" I flick my eyes up to him quickly then, laughing a little. "I'm serious." He certainly looks it. I squat down in front of the balancing men without answering him, looking at the streams of light connecting their fingers to the earth below them. This man's light was green colored, this one was light blue."It goes with the elements they can control." Erik has squatted down with me. "Tye here," he pokes the man with the blue light coming from his finger, "can manipulate ice. He channels it from the core of the world, and therefore, levitates." I tilt my head a little at the floating man. "Want to try?" He asks again."I can't do that." I point to the men. Erik laughs."Don't be silly. I don't want you to do that." He stands, and I follow suit. "Men." Erik booms. Their eyes open, and they listen, still floating. "If any of you drop my goddess, you will be fed to the boars for dinner." he grins then, crossing his a
As we come close to the main building, I can hear voices and yelling. Thudding, and oofing."They're training." Chepi tells me as we round the corner into the empty grassy area in front of the huge building.The first thing that catches my attention, is a group of twenty or so Alva paired off, sparring against each other. Reni is walking in-between the pairs, making comments too quiet for me to hear, correcting foot placement and suggesting moves as she does. They're in the front of building, out in the open. Looking between them, I can see a large entry way leading into another training area."Erik is in there." I look away from where I'd been trying to see into the building, and meet eyes with Reni, who is looking at me now and pointing behind her. I nod a little, giving her an awkward thumbs up. She tilts her head to the side a little, and then returns to telling her men how to better beat each other up. Chepi and I make our way around the men, finally slipping into the building.
Hello, Child. I sigh in happiness as I finally lay on the roots of my Alder almost an hour later. Chepi had brought her stool and her knitting again and was focused on it.But the conversation I wanted to have with my Alder was extra private today.I have something I want to ask you. I think, feeling a little silly.A secret from this woman you claim to trust. I nod against its roots. Ask away, child.Do you know anything about the Gud species? I turn away from Chepi and curl into a ball, closing my eyes and listening to the tree's words in my head.The Gud species is, as you suspect, descended from the original God, Forradd, who had great powers. He could change forms, manipulate the earth, and even time itself. Now Forradd was desperately in love with Sanju, the original goddess.I laugh a little. It kind of seemed like everyone's problems could be chalked up to loving someone.Pay attention. Sanju was originally a normal Alva, which is why she's depicted as having pointed ears, and
I sit up quickly, inhaling air into my lungs and looking around wildly.I was back in Erik's bed. But it was morning now, sun was streaming in through the window. I could hear wind chimes outside and smell bread baking somewhere. It felt early, but I remember it had been dark in my dream. I had lost a few hours.I rub my eyes, thinking about last night.That was the first time I had traveled through a dream since I came here. And this time no one could see me. The last time I was very much visible and interacted with people and talked. This time it was like I wasn't even there.The Gud species.I needed to find a way to find out about them. They seemed to be important. Honestly, the word kind of sounded like "God," and I wondered if they were the male version of the Gudinna species. Erik had said it was a line of women that descended from the original goddess, so with that in mind, was there a line of men that came from the original god? Was there an original god? I had way too many q
Soft footsteps approach my sleeping form in the window. My head leaned against the frame, the book I had made it halfway through open on my lap. The sun had set hours ago, the moon was but a hunk in the sky now, but still shone brightly on my sleeping figure."Sweet flower..." Erik approaches me, gently wrapping a strand of my hair around his finger when he does.He takes the book, closes it, and sets it on the ground beside the window. He scoops me up gently in his arms and carries me to his bed, where he brushes aside the curtain and crawls in with me in his arms.He sets me down like I'm made of glass and brushes my hair away from my face."Sleep well, my goddess." My heart tugs as he leaves, instead of curling up with me like I wanted him to.Where was he going?I could feel myself following him out of his room, but my body remained in his bed.I was dreaming, I knew that now. This wasn't like before, though. I drifted all through his house and outside, where he turned right and
"It's just over the hill now!" Reni calls from the front of the group of Alva. We had left early that morning, after I evidently fell asleep quite well, and had been walking for several hours now. It had taken a little longer than originally said, but it was still just after midday when Reni announced we were growing close.I slow and watch the other Alva disappearing over the hill, Erik last. I could tell he was anxious to get back to his land, but he was still lingering behind everyone else for my sake. I stood at the top once I reached it for a moment, taking it all in.I hadn't had a good vantage point of the land so far, Vacket, as Erik called it. From up here though, I could see it all.I could see Erik's house to the left, surrounded by tons of trees and mostly separated from the other buildings. Maybe a half mile down from his large estate was what I think was the medical wing. It sat atop a hill, and I could see a grove of weeping willows not far from it. I remember when I f
"Are you tired?" I look away from Reni and the other chatting Alva and to Erik, who is looking me up and down like he's checking for injuries.I shrug. "I guess." He ushers me towards the platform and behind the half wall, and sure enough, there is a large nest of clothes and animal pelts.He kneels down then on one knee and pats his bent one with his hand. "Give me your foot." I comply, watching him curiously as he starts removing my shoe. I can hear his men laughing a few feet away, but I can only focus on his gentle fingers untying the soft leather strings. "The other." He says once he's slid it off and set it aside. This foot is the one that still bears his anklet, and I saw him notice right away. "You still wear it." He says as he unties my shoe. I nod, even though he isn't looking at me. "Has anyone told you of its meaning?" He looks up at me, pulling my shoe off as he does. I shake my head, feigning ignorance. No one did tell me its meaning, I just happened to overhear it. He s