All that Talk

Erebus had been lying on the grass again while I fumbled with some dry twigs, snapping them in two to toss into the bonfire.

He was surrounded by a sea of red flowers that had bloomed in unison and taken over the entire forest's borders near the boulder's passage. Their strong fragrance hung in the air, calling out for bees and other insects that responded promptly, even in the middle of the night.

I had learned from the village's healer that these wildflowers – which I often found by the edge of the forest – were called Red Drops.

Apparently, they only bloomed under the shade of the trees of Redwood. When properly distilled and rightfully processed, they produced a potent hallucinogen that could be harmful if used in high dosages. The flowers in their raw state were supposed to be fairly safe, but they were still a rare commodity, a very expensive product that was hard to acquire.

I had no idea that those tiny red flowers could be worth so much and be so potent, even deadly if abused.

Unfortunately, you could only harvest them if you dared to cross over the forest's borders, and the price for them turned out to be all too much in the end. There was no use for me to become a rich corpse, is all I'm saying.

I lit up the bonfire while Erebus watched me with interest like an observer of wildlife would do to a strange creature moving around in such close proximity. He could easily step forward and had me in his grasp in a heartbeat, if he wasn't bound to the forest's limits, that is.

I think he saw me as some sort of pet, something soft, silly, and funny to interact with… but I couldn't help but wonder what he'd do once I stopped being entertaining. I needed to constantly remind myself that despite the pleasant disguise and the beautiful, attractive cover, he was also a very dangerous and deadly creature.

But I still kept coming back to talk to him, back to the dark that was waiting at the forest's edge, a disregard for caution and self-preservation leading my steps.

I knew I was careless and a fool for wanting this, but seeing him was the best part of my day. The sense of danger stopped bothering me after a while and pretty soon, it was completely gone from my mind.

Fast deliveries were scheduled almost daily now that people in the region began to trust me with their packages. Even though I was taking the Redwood trail, everyone knew that their orders would arrive safely and quickly in Chalkbarrel.

A few rumors were still weaved by gossipers in the village. I'd caught fractions and half sentences of tales about me consorting with the devil in the damned Red Forest and speculations of the things I had to do to get all those packages safely across the cursed trail. They came in quiet conversations and in hushed whispers filled with distrust and suspicion after I would leave a room.

I didn't care about these gossips, though, they were mostly fabrications made by bored people with too much imagination and free time on their hands. They were the ones paying me, and in vast amounts I may add, to go to that old trail after all.

Sometimes I'd pass through that trail even when there was nothing to deliver. I would go there just so I could see Erebus again. The truth is, I started looking forward to our chats at the boulder's passage. Those few hours of the night that I got to spend with him were of immeasurable value to me now.

I don't know why he kept coming back to see me, though.

"You must be so bored living in this forest…" I commented with a light chuckle after putting some herbs in the water that had been set to boil over the bonfire. He turned his head to me, a quizzical expression flashing on his face.

"What else would explain you wanting to waste so much of your time listening to me talk endlessly about my lonely life?" I explained.

His lips quirked up a notch, dark eyes twinkling in amusement. "I do enjoy listening to you talk." He told me while brushing a lock of hair from his eyes, something I quite enjoyed seeing him doing. "I really like the tales of your travels with Wooly. He has a quirky sense of humor. If only you could hear half the things he thinks of your adventures…" He chuckled to himself. "I do not care much about the people in your village, though. They sound quite… common."

"Oh. You are right about that, my friend." I nodded in agreement, because people in my village were indeed not the most interesting, but then I thought about what I had just heard and frowned. "Wait, hold on. Did I just hear you say you know what Wolly is thinking? You can read animals' minds too?"

He gave me a wolfish smile, like a kid who's showing off a neat toy to a friend. "Of course. It's easier on animals, they have fewer barriers in their minds. It's a shame humans can't do this too, it can be mighty useful sometimes."

"You certainly have a lot of tricks up your sleeve," I commented, stirring up the tea in my cup. I took a peek in his direction but quickly averted my eyes, forcing myself to focus on the cup in my hands.

I'd been avoiding looking at him, ever since he started showing up to our talks by the bonfire shirtless. The weather had become quite hot, bringing insects buzzing around and turning the air sticky from the heat of Summer. Even though we only met at night, it still felt too damn hot, and I couldn't blame him for abandoning the heavy mantle along with his shirt.

I'd never seen a more perfect body like his. Sculpted like a marble statue and smooth and pale like porcelain, every line of every muscle was in perfect shape and form, stunningly beautiful and flawless in every angle you looked.

If I thought he was attractive before, when he was only wrapped in that dark mantle without a single inch of skin in sight, I was up for a revelation now with so much of him out in the open and free to gaze over.

I cleared my throat, shifting uncomfortably on the dry log I'd been sitting on. That line of thought was never good to follow without getting all worked up and I forced myself to get my head back to the conversation. "Well, it's a good thing you like listening to me, because I do like talking. As you must have noticed since I don't ever shut up here." I gave him a cheeky grin. "I wish you'd talk back a little bit more, though," I added. "I like the sound of your voice too, you know."

He tilted his head to the side, a thing he used to do when he was intrigued about something. "What would you wish me to talk about?"

"I don't know… maybe about your days? Or nights? I don't even know if you can go out during the day. I've only ever seen you at night." I mumbled, scratching at my head.

"I can go out during the day if needed. But I prefer nighttime." He replied, resting on both elbows before gazing up at the sky. The muscles on his chest and flat stomach contracted in ways that made butterflies sputter in mine.

"I'm the strongest at night. It's easier to hide within the shadows at night, easier to shift shapes and play tricks in the dark too." He continued saying, oblivious to my eyes on him. "I can cause a bit of trouble during the day too… But we all know which one beckons for more fun, right?" He glanced at me, a devilish smile playing on his lips when he caught me staring. I snapped my eyes back to my tea, heat creeping up my ears from the embarrassment of being caught ogling him.

"Is there a problem, Aydan?" He asked, sounding concerned all of a sudden. "Sometimes… the way you look at me… it seems like there's something wrong."

I let out an embarrassed laugh, still avoiding looking at his half naked form lying lazily on the grass only a few feet away from me. "What are you talking about? There's no problem. Nothing's wrong." I denied fervently, my voice coming out a few octaves higher.

"You often seem uncomfortable when you are looking at me. I know that I once gave reason for you to fear me… Do I still make you feel that way?" He asked, turning on his side while leaning on one elbow. More fit muscles contracting and on display.

He was not making this easier for me.

"No, Erebus. I'm not afraid of you… as much." I added the last part in a hushed breath. "But if you're going to ask me to prove it and cross over to your side, I'm not doing that. I'm not scared, but I ain't stupid either."

He smiled quietly to himself, before insisting on his interrogation. "Why does looking at me make you uncomfortable then? Is it because of this form I've chosen? Does it upset you? I can change my appearance, if you like." He was quick to propose.

"You can change your appearance? Your real form?" I asked, turning to him. "I thought you used illusions, played tricks in my eyes and my mind, but it wasn't really real. That woman and that little boy, they were all actually you? Can you really change your body as you please?"

"I can." He replied.

"Well… Can I… can I see you, then?" I risked asking. "I mean, the real you? Your true form. Surely, you must have one."

He paused, looking hesitant for a moment. "I don't think you would enjoy it much… I don't think you would even understand what you are seeing." He said in earnest. "Do you not like the form I am in now? Is it not pleasing to you?"

"Oh, no, no, it's not that, hm… your 'form' is quite… fine," I said, shifting uncomfortably under his gaze. "Very pleasing, no doubt."

He grinned, seeming happy to hear that. "I molded it to your liking and your preferences. I saw it in your mind, that first time we met, the type of body you like. But I only did a quick brush, I might have gotten a poorly formed image… I can try to look again, if you want. Push in harder, deeper into what you truly desire." He sat up straight, excitement flashing brightly in his eyes for a moment. "I can get a better look at what pleases you the most. And change into something that will make you eager to see."

I let out a strangled squawk before I cleared my throat and tried in a graver, less flustered tone. "I mean, there's no need for that. It's… okay the way it is. The way you are." I said, trying to sound cool and neutral, and not as if I was dying inside of mortification. I was sure my ears were flushed red and up in flames by now. "I wish you wouldn't do that again, though. The, you know, 'look into my mind thing'. If you could. Please."

"Oh. Are you sure?" He asked reluctantly.

"I'm pretty sure, yeah."

"I won't be able to cater to your needs. And then you might begin to avoid coming to talk to me," he said, sounding worried.

"You don't have to cater to me, Erebus. Your company is all I require." I said, feeling the heat from my ears creeping up to the tip of my head. "It doesn't matter to me… even though the shape you are is a very lovely one," I hurried to add. "I do enjoy coming here to talk to you, no matter how you look."

"Really? You do?" He asked, a hint of pleased surprise showing on his face.

"I thought it was kind of dangerous at first, I have to confess," I told him, letting out an awkward chuckle. "But it slowly turned into something exciting, something that I looked forward to doing. And now, coming here is just… I don't know, easy. You know? Like I can be really myself around you, and speak of the things I hold in my heart, free of worry. You never judge me, and you actually seem to like listening to what I have to say. All I know is that talking to you…. makes me happy." I blurted out and then, feeling embarrassed for being so bold and so open, I tried to switch up the mood with a joke. "I am mostly glad that you aren't getting bored of me, is all. I have been talking your ears off every night here, I don't know how you stand it."

A light smile showed at the corner of his lips. "You do not bore me, Aydan."

He seemed to mull over something for a moment, and then he finally spoke what was in his mind. "You were the first human to see past my tricks and my illusions, do you know that?" He asked, looking up at me.

"I was?" I said, surprised.

"Yes. You were quick to figure out all my ruses and traps. It was quite vexing. You are all too clever and full of wit." He confessed, returning the gesture of being openly honest. "But you were also very brave. You didn't cower when you first faced me up close. Only two before you had done the same. And none of them were human."

"Really?" I said, still surprised. "Only two?"

"Yes. You are the third."

"Well, you know what they say, third time's the charm," I said, chuckling nervously.

"Yes, it is." He agreed with a cryptic smile. "More than you know. More than I would've imagined." His eyes flickered to mine and he saw the confusion showing on my face. "Charm is such a curious word that humans have chosen to use for magic. You often say that word to describe things like admiration and attraction. But charm is so much more than that… It's a thing born out of magic. Of dark enchantment. It is the power of giving great delight, while also trapping in captivation. And that is what you are, Aydan. A charm. An alluring lovely spell, a treasure out of my reach. Almost near, but not quite as much. So close, but yet, unattainable. How can I ever be bored of you?"

I gawked at him, stunned by all that was said. I guess he wasn't having any more problem finding words to describe me. It was quite a speech he had given there.

"That doesn't sound like me at all." I averted my eyes, feeling out of place and unfit of all those compliments. "If anyone has magical alluring powers in here, it's you."

"Perhaps we both have some sort of charm weaved within ourselves." he proposed, smiling at me. "Maybe the magic in me resonates with the magic that there is in you."

I laughed. "That's silly, there isn't an ounce of magic in me! Perhaps you are just imagining things that aren't really there, my friend."

"It may be." He conceded, still with a smile on the corner of his lips. "All I know is that there is something in you that feels… familiar. A most strange sensation, coming from the most unlikely of places."

"Yeah, I know how you feel," I murmured, poking at the bonfire with a dry stick. "But I think we are just two lonely people that happened to find company in each other. That is all there is to it."

"Perhaps you are right." He muttered in quite a forlorn mood as he stared at the Red Drops that swayed back and forth on the grass, brushed softly by the wind.

He seemed lost in his own thoughts for a moment but he eventually shook himself out of his trance and continued our conversation. "Nevertheless, I am glad I have found your company, Aydan. And happy to know that my company is also all that you require."

I smiled softly and raised my cup of tea to him. "A toast to finding good company in such lonely times."

He smiled back at me, a hint of sorrow and glee mixed all at once in his dark night eyes.