Dîva

Chapter one- The veil.

Deep in the forest, where no creature dared to enter stood a veil so tall and wide you couldn't see a sign of it ending.

It only appeared when one tried to walk into it.

On the other side of the veil was another forest but this one was dark and eery. The creatures who lived on this side of the veil didn't dare venture near it for fear that they would die.

These creatures were called the Āsimati. They were humanoid looking creatures with patterns all over their arms. The children only had lines on their arms which would later curve into patterns as they learned magic.

Magic used to be free in the land, Āsimatis could use them freely without the fear of running out of magic but since the sealing, only dark magic, which slowly took away the sentience of the creatures could be accessed without fail.

The Āsimatis are running out of magic and they need someone who can cross the veil. Someone who can enter the forest where the dark magic is the strongest. Someone who won't loose themselves to the pull to unlock the magic that has been locked in the veil and maybe, finally show us what stars look like.

"What are stars Wara?" A child asked, looking up to the girl with dark skin and curly hair that was about to fall out of the scarf she tied it into.

"Beautiful dots in the sky. Like scattered moondust in the sky. Like a large hand had tossed diamond dust into the sky." Wara sighed dreamily.

The children all oohed and Ahhed. Amazed by Wara's stories.

" Stop filling nonsense into these children's heads Wara. There are no such thing as stars." A middle aged woman appeared from behind, dusting on her apron while glaring at Wara.

"Enough with your creative nonsense! Now off you go. " The woman declared, gently ushering Wara out of her backyard.

Wara stood up quickly, packing her up little pictures she drew of the stars to show the children and thanking the gods that the woman hadn't shown up when she had brought them out. Gods knew it would have been the fifth picture she would loose that week.

The children protested loudly, whining for Wara not to leave.

"Hush children! Now run along to your parents, Wara has finished her tale." She said with her finger to her lips.

"But we have not seen the pictures yet!" A child whined, stomping his foot on the ground.

The woman turned around to ask Wara about the pictures her child spoke of when Wara quickly rushed into her little audience and picked a child with curly hair like her and fairer skin.

Wara ran through to the rocky road where several villagers walked by. It was easy to blend in the crowd as she had her scarf tied around her hair and a long sleeved blouse to cover the fact that she did not have the patterns.

She slowed her pace to not seem suspicious and for it to be harder for the woman to find her.

She took in a deep breath with a smile on her face. The child in her hand looked similar to her thanks to their same skin color and she had gotten him a hat too. After all, not every Āsimati could ignore the fact that they had no nik'isati (the patterns on their arms and hairline)

She slung her bag over her neck and looped it through one arm, patting it and happily humming to herself that she escaped a preaching and getting her finest picture ruined.

She turned towards a small hut and entered in without even knocking or calling out to anyone.

"How did today go?" Someone greeted as she entered.

"Zola can tell you" Wara grunted as the child pulled from her grasp and into the waiting arms of a man who looked way too old to be jumped on as Zola did.

His hair had completely thinned out and his beards were turning white from gray. His face had not wrinkled up yet but from his stance, one could tell he was old.

"Where are you going? It is too early." The man asked Wara. Wara tapped her bag and smiled.

"The earlier I collect my herbs, the more time to dream. " Wara replied with a bright smile.

She turned to leave when the man called her back.

" Wara? "

" Yes Senior Frenvìr?" Wara answered without turning back.

"Your scarf" he warned as the piece of clothing had shifted backwards from when Zola had pulled himself away from her to go to Frenvìr.

Wara quickly retied it before leaving. Her hairline was not the only reason why she had to cover it.

Her hair was also a strange thing that would change color at times. Although it was only the roots as she had concocted something to change her hair color, the roots came undone quickly. And her ears were not like the Āsimati either. Hers were round and short unlike them whose were sharp edged and long.

Wara walked through the village, excitement in her steps. She quickly walked into the forest to collect the herbs Frenvìr needed for his concoctions.

Arriving quickly at his hut, she dropped the herbs and rushed back out.

Frenvìr noticed this overly excited behavior but said nothing as he was busy scolding Zola. He had seen Zola messing around with some instruments that could cause serious harm to him.

Wara skipped happily in the forest, swinging her satchel bag with glee. A picture fell out of it and she stopped, picking it up.

The picture showed a barrier of some sort, gleaming brightly with colors and a crack in it. A little black silhouette could be seen at the corner with a cloak. The image drawn on the paper was depicted like you were looking over someone's shoulder.

Wara stared at it with a frown on her face. This was one of the pictures she never showed anyone, not even Frenvìr or the snooping Zola who would blurt it out to Frenvìr and expose her.

"The veil." She whispered to herself.

One of the many strange things she had seen in her dreams.

Wara knew they were not just dreams. She felt like they were visions of some sort. Something the gods wanted to tell her.

She hadn't come out to the forest to just dream. Wara had come here to know what the villagers talked about when they called this part of the forest 'forbidden and vile'.

So far, she hadn't seen the black smoke that seeped out from the trees or the eerie purple trees, making her believe that either the villagers were just insane or the smoke had gotten to her and she was hallucinating.

She thought this was what happened to the others who ventured into this part of the forest and never came back out.

As she walked deeper into the forest, the trees became thicker and the air cooler. Wara shivered as the wind blew the trees together making them create a calming sound.

She took in a deep breath and sighed. "Maybe this forest is not so bad after all."

Suddenly, she noticed a creature lying on the ground and it seemed to be in pain.

She rushed towards it only to stop short.

What is this?

Wara had never seen such a strange creature in her entire life.

It was a huge creature with huge curved horns, reddish-brown colors and it seemed to be in serious pain.

There was a strangely shaped object sticking out of its side.

Wara stared at it curiously, not knowing how to attend to the creature in pain.

She kneeled beside it then ripped the object out. Placing her hands on placing her hands on the creature, she watched as the wound closed itself up.

The creature stood up in surprise and turned to meet a very curious Wara face to snout.

"What are you?" She whispered and the creature immediately turned the other way and ran, only to hit it's head on something invisible.

Wara dropped the strange object she was holding in shock at what she had seen.

She slowly stood up, fear and excitement in her eyes as she stared in completely awe at what stood in her front.

"The veil."