Chapter 2

I took her hand in mine and the connection was made, the arrow tattoo on my hand burned bright for a second before ultimately becoming a muted green color.

I saw a similar tattoo engrave itself on the hand that I touched and instantly I felt closer to her, our souls had touched or at least that was the closest that my brain could come up with.

"Oh… you poor child" With a soft voice, the woman, no, Atalanta picked me up. Her hand gently caressing my hair.

I could not help but close my eyes and lean myself further into her touch, even though I could feel her moving us as she walked to some place, I could not care less, the gentle caresses were something that I had never experienced.

The only love I had known was the occasional kind nurse, though none would give more than a pitiful glance. It was the first time that someone had so gently touched me, someone had made me feel loved.

It seemed as though Atalanta was able to feel the desperation with which I was taking in her touch as she stopped in her pace slowly sitting down.

"Shh… little one sleep, all will be over soon"

With that she placed my head against her chest, her tail wrapping around my waist as it pulled me in. Her arms wrapped around me as she gently caressed my back lulling me into a sleep.

A soft voice, singing a lullaby in some foreign language whispered into my ears and I could no longer resist. My eyes flickered up taking one last look at her, at the warm smile she wore on her sleep as she lulled me to sleep.

Darkness overtook me and within moments my consciousness faded.

…

"A fae, that is rare."

"Rare? I had thought them extinct"

"No, no, not extinct just extremely rare, it's been eons since I had seen one"

"Eons? was I even born then"

…

I awoke to what looked to be the sight of the woman, Atalanta, I reminded myself, her name was Atalanta, holding me close. The night's frigid wind seemed to pass us as if it did not want to hurt me.

It was only then that the panic set in, with a full night of rest to confirm the reality of the situation, my heart pounded in my chest. The anxiety heating my body up in flashes of pain and heat, a feeling of vomit rushing up my throat.

"Shh, shh" A calming voice reached my ears breaking the panic that had set in and although the pain had not gone it was lessened, the woman, Atalanta, holding me had calmed me a tad bit.

Tears formed in my eyes as reality dawned on me, I was dead and nobody would care.

The family that had abandoned me at the hospital, only visiting for occasional check-ups would not care. They would attend the funeral, they would bury me, but no tears would be shed, in fact I bet they would be overjoyed, overjoyed that they no longer had to pay for my bills, no longer would they be burdened by their crippled child.

I cried not for those I lost but for the nothing I had left, for the nothing that did not care for me.

My only solace in a stranger's bosom.

"Are you alright now child?" She asked, some time having passed. My tears had faded, replaced with sniffling.

"Y- yeah" I tried to say, stuttering my answer out through a strained smile.

Although my facade of calm was one that she no doubt picked up there was no scorn, no reaction, only a small smile playing on her face as she picked me from her lap and had me stand.

"Here, hold this for me" Atalanta had crouched down to my level holding out a small dagger.

I looked at it curiously, wondering where it had come from, and from that thought process came another question.

'Where was her bow?'

I saw an arrow kill that green creature that was trying to kill me and it was no doubt an arrow that had killed it. However looking at Atalanta I saw no such thing.

"What is it, little one?" Atalanta asked, she must have noticed my staring.

"Where is your bow?" I asked, curiosity filling me.

In response to my question Atalanta held her hand out a flash of green light and a bow was in her hands, an ethereal arrow knocked on it.

"Right here, it was in astral form." Atalanta responds

"Astral form?" I questioned again, the term being unfamiliar with me.

"Yes, it seems that although my real body is here that I retained some benefits of a servant one of them being my astral form, I can go into astral form where I can not touch physical things but so too can my weapons, meaning that they are essentially invisible."

With that explanation she took my hand into her own and started walking in some direction. It was like she had a place in mind even though I had no idea where we were.

…

At some point the walking just became another task, the wonder and fear of being in an unknown place being replaced by the monotonous action of walking.

Though eventually my feet did get tired and Atalanta had seen that but instead of stopping and resting she had opted to pick me up and carry me.

My eyes dropped, the exhaustion from the walking so far without rest taking a toll on my body. Holding onto Atalanta as she walked, the gentle up and downs as she stepped forwards in stride lulled me into sleep.

…

I saw a palace of green, the trees themselves twisting and turning all to make the palace.

As I grew closer and closer to it I could feel its overwhelming presence, the air grew heavier and my breathing grew harder.

Eventually whatever force was bringing me closer to the palace brought me into the throne room.

Upon the seats that lined the room were faceless beings.

"So the queen returns…"

"It seems so, the court has been restless in the years after her disappearance"

I couldn't make out anything more than that slight conversation.

Soon enough though my awareness faded to black my consciousness gone.

…

When I woke up again I tried to remember the dream that I was having.

It was a strange dream filled with colors and nature. Strange voices were telling me things but I could not remember what they had said.

Soon enough though, even those details faded from my mind as I saw the view in front of us.

A huge city, a tower that seemed to reach the clouds standing tall in the middle of it.

"Almost there little one" Atalanta said with a small smile on her lips.

I pouted, all this time she had been addressing me as little one or child or some variation.

"Inari" I state, "My name is Inari"

An amused smile played on her lips, a glint of mischief in her eyes.

"Ah… good morning then, little Inari"

Again I pouted, all she had done was add Inari to her address of me.

I was broken out of that thought as she ruffled my hair, a small laugh echoing out and into my ears as she reveled in my annoyance.