13 Chapter 13 - Fireflies (1)
Fairy
Trait: Ethereal aura.
Physical: Otherworldly appearance that cannot be described.
If Encountered: Best plead for life. It is safe to beg and ask countless times. There's a chance they would grant it. A chance.
-Excerpt from 'The Essential Book of Human Survival'.
Jonathan Lorth.
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One night, long ago.
The Queen raises her head, eyes staring into the dark night, sky has slowly turned dark and bitter cold wind emitted through the winter air. Her body is still hard to cope with this season, though it has turned bearable for her. Her pupil flash with a tinge of gold colour before it vanishes, she closed her eyes as her eyebrow furrowed in confusion before she turned around.
"Tell the gatekeeper. He is about to meet a barefoot woman, trembling lips and dazzling green eyes, she will ask to be let inside."
"Should I chase her away?"
At first, there was no reply, the maid had indicated that the Queen didn't want the woman inside the castle.
However, the following command she heard surprised her.
"No. Let her in."
• • ⊱∘────·☽༓☾·────∘⊰ • •
The sky above plastered with blue emitting comfort and calm, birds chirping around the lake, as if mocking the sight they behold.
A sight of Raiene examining the grey wolf, assessing with concern and keen eyes of its paw, the wound isn't deep but would likely leave a scar. She shakes her head in disbelief, glaring at the wolf as if reprimanding a child for its naughty behaviour.
Artha stills.
This girl, does she want to die?
Raiene takes out the bag she retrieved and pulls out a bottle with clear liquid inside. A familiar scent of sea and honey flowed through the bottle once she opened it, she was about to pour the liquid when the wolf suddenly growled at her, showing his sharp vicious canine.
However, she doesn't look intimidated the least bit. Strangely, she glares at him, this time scolding him for having the audacity to growl, her other hand quickly reaches out and pulls its ear lightly, as if to command him to stop growling.
Artha is speechless.
No one had touched his ear before.
No one.
He glared at her, anger surging deep within his stomach, he was about to pounce on the girl and show her authority. However, he felt a burning sensation on his left paw, sizzling and slowly tightening his skin.
He snarls close at her, eyes still bloodshot from the searing pain and anger, when the sensation suddenly disappears into thin air. Blinking in disbelief, he takes a look at his wound, expecting an open bloody wound only to find grey fur in sight instead.
"It's called Murys. An efficient potion for wounds, my aunt invented this back at my place."
Raiene smiles from ear to ear, this time rubbing the wolf head gently, feeling the soft grey fur within her fingers, silky and warm. As if complimenting him for enduring the pain.
Back inside Tirren Forest, the wolf would close its eyes and sometimes licking her face, showing imminent pleasure. This was the first time a wolf just turned into stills while its eyes staring straight into hers, clearly confused.
Artha turns into stone. His eyes slowly turn dark purplish, although the red blood element still linger around.
Noticing the change of colour inside the wolf orbs, Raiene finds it fascinating. Back at Arrenquile, the eye colour of wolves around the Tirren Forest are only grey and black, some were even green. It was the first time she found a mauve colour.
Her finger instinctively strokes the wolf cheek, right below the eyes, finding it mesmerising, as a smile once again shows on her face.
"You're beautiful."
Giggles erupted from her soft lips, a little dimple appeared on her cheeks, as her eyes exuded a certain happiness.
Artha couldn't understand.
Why does she behave like this?
Hearing the word beautiful only made him growl at her once again, he wasn't aware that this time the growl was lighter and soft.
Raiene giggled and chose to pull her hand from the wolf cheek, she took the empty bottle and put it inside the bag, before she stood up and eventually glared down at the wolf
"I lost my prey because of you, now I have to find another one. Only that way will Alin approve of me," she said, smiling down at the grey wolf.
Raiene raises her head and stares up at the sky, it will take about another three hours before the sun descends. She will have to hurry if she wants to bring a big enough prey. Her eyes stare directly at the wolf's eyes, smiling as she waves her hand as a gesture of farewell, the wolf stands there apprehensively watching her.
Raiene turns around and starts to walk ahead, passing through numerous red coloured trees, she tries to hear clearly, wanting to catch a single sound of an animal. Anything that could be a clue for her to find a tiny trace the escaped deer left behind, she walked countless steps until she found a familiar lake ahead.
Wait a minute. Isn't this place...?
Raiene immediately realised, she went in circles and found herself at the same spot where she left the wolf behind. Feeling like a fool, she giggled at herself and was about to turn around when her eyes caught something at the side of the lake.
There stood the grey wolf, below the wolf a lifeless animal, two times bigger than the size of the deer that she couldn't get just now, on its neck there's a trace of dried blood and tear of flesh from a sharp canine.
Raiene finds the calm mauve orbs of the wolf, staring right at her amber eyes. As if telling her to come and retrieve her payment for the potion he received.
Raiene never felt this confused before.
A wolf stands with pride and raises its chin.
Proud and Mighty.
Like a... Royal?
She is probably imagining it, but she could clearly see the wolf raising its eyebrow in expectation, wanting her to come and kneel down before it.
One thing Artha wasn't expecting though, the girl would laugh like a child. Smiling at him with disbelief plastered on her face. She takes further steps towards him and hugs the wolf, a strange grey wolf who owns those odd purplish eyes.
"Thank you," she whispered close to his ears, before letting go.
"But I can't accept this. I need to achieve my own victory! That way Alin will truly acknowledge me," she explained, eyes furrowed in regret. "If I accept this, guilt will wrap my heart until I tell her the truth," her eyes were fascinated by this wolf nature, she found it weird that this wolf didn't say a single word inside her mind.
Perhaps because it is a different breed?
Is the wolf inside the Land of Qye shy?
The sky slowly turns darker by minute, the horizon turns a glorious speckle of red, grazing the sky with beautiful paintings of nature. From the ground, slowly ascend little dots of light filling the vicinity around the lake, showing a magical performance of lights.
Raiene's eyes turn wide open upon the sight.
It's fireflies!
Because of the temperature and different types of land inside Arrenquile, Raiene never encountered this tiny creature, she could only imagine from books and drawn pictures of the animal. Her eyes did not blink for a second, as she stared around the lake, filled with joy.
She tugged at the wolf paw, smiling at him while pointing towards the fireflies, wanting him to witness the same thing with her, as she repeated the words countless times.
"Isn't that beautiful?"
Raiene's heart shaped face was glowing from the lights, tiny dots reflected inside her light brown orbs, sparkling with thousand wonders, a beaming smile appeared as giggles emitted from her. Black hair that whip around repeatedly, tugging him to see it and admiring the creature with her.
'It's strange. This feeling.'
"Don't you think it's beautiful?" Raiene once again said.
Eyes staring at the fireflies with amazement, as little lights reflect inside her orbs.
'Indeed. It is beautiful.'
That day, that hand, that girl.
Artha truly doesn't know.
What exactly was running through his mind.
When those words easily filled his thoughts.
One thing for sure, he wasn't thinking about the fireflies.
