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Don't I Know You?
Nick stopped for a moment, perched on a fallen log that was at least three times larger than the oaks at the outskirts of this forest. No doubt it had lived for hundreds of years before finally giving in to death. They were so far in now that the very concept of a city or town was almost laughable, and Nick smiled a bit, unwilling to break the silent chaos of birds, small animals, insects, and water nearby all melding into one mass noise. One was forced to really focus if they wanted to pick out each individual sound. Nick raised his camera and focused its lens on a black bird with yellow flourishes on its head and tail. “Nick!” He gasped, startling, and losing his focus. The high voice of his sister also startled the bird, and it flitted through the treetops. He hadn’t even seen what type it was... Still, Kira didn’t seem to notice his annoyed look. She went on: “We found a campsite. Over this way, come on.” She pulled him off the log and went forward, as though the prospect of a campsite were more fascinating than the history of this forest and its massively unexplored area. They didn’t have far to walk, through the low brush that was stunted in the lack of sunlight through the majority of the day. Moving across a few more fallen trees and rounding a very large boulder, they came to the campsite that was mostly set up. Nick approached the others, standing a good head taller than the tallest one, who maxed out at six feet. Being the tallest of the group he often went ahead to scope out certain areas, but he was also largely the leader of the gang, helped by his acute sense of direction even when dropped into the very depths of the unknown. Nick was still pining for his lost bird. He’d never seen anything like it before, and now he’d never get that perfect picture. But he didn’t blame Kira---she didn’t know it was there. He set down his backpack and camera, wandering off to the side of the camp to begin collecting dry branches for the ring of small stones that would hold the fire for evening. |
A short way past the campsite, a small stream flowed, pouring from deep underground and running down a pile of mossy rocks until landing in a clear spring below. The water was cold and pure, used as drinking water for many of the people stopping on their way through the campsite. A small sign stood near the bank, warning of the depth of the body of water, though no one ever dared to swim in such a fresh supply. There was an old legend of a human that had drowned in the spring after falling in love with a God, a legend that had been retold through the generations. Anyone staying at the camp knew about this old tale, and the spring was thought to be haunted by the spirit of the human.
A few mossy boulders stood guard around the spring, their purpose unknown to the majority of people who passed by. Many thought that they were just there, not knowing that they had been placed there centuries ago by the Forest Ancients. A set of people who were not human, but not Gods either. The spring had been the Spring of Creation, and the boulders placed about were part of the temple that once stood there. The area had a real mystical quality about it, and many swore they had witnessed a spirit or even heard the Ancients themselves. Deep below the surface of the spring, the ground was covered in a soft moss, the type that had once been used for healing. After the Forest Ancients had died out, the magical qualities of this moss had died with them. The bed was littered with shiny rocks, which reflected the broken light from the surface and glittered like gemstones. There were no animals in this spring, no fish or water bugs. The water was sacred, and still was to this day. Under the moss and rocks, something flickered into life. A small heartbeat pounded in the dead silence of the spring. Icy blue eyes flickered open, staring up at the dancing lights of the surface. He lifted his hand and stared at the fingers, moss had grown on them, covering his skin. He sat up slowly, blinking and gazing about the world. He had no idea what had woken him from his slumber. He, the last of the Ancients' creations, had felt them die a long time ago and slept, awaiting their return. Perhaps...? He smiled softly, making his way to the surface of the spring in await for his Master. |
Nick deposited his earnings in the ring that made up the temporary fire pit, and dusted off his shirt before rolling up the slightly oversized sleeves. One look at him might indicate he didn’t know what he was even doing out in the middle of a massive forest with an expensive camera, but Nick had a signature style. All his shirts were somewhat too large for him, buttondown long-sleeved shirts ranging from brown to beige, as were his pants. However, he’d traded out his somewhat-casual business shoes for hiking boots, though nothing could be done about his horrible eyesight, which relied on his glasses rather than easily-lost contacts. Brushing back his hair, which had put the orange-toned air of early evening in a pale yellow haze, one of the others approached. Andy was his name, a young, mousy man that didn’t seem to have been in the right group when they trekked into the wilderness, but was resilient all the same. His black hair was hidden under a ballcap. He had a few bottles tied to a thick string in one hand. “Hey Nick, mind filling these up? We’ll need them tomorrow morning.” “Sure thing.” Nick took the string, plastic bottles clacking together as they moved, and wandered through the brush. From their location it was easy to hear the trickle of water into its reservoir, and when he came into view, was surprised at the sight. A clear spring, stretching out left and right, free of any debris or standing scum that came with being a natural water source more often than not. The slight waterfall, flowing from an obvious crevice that seemed more like a cave, brushed over the mossy stones, and Nick had to go between several large ones that almost seemed to stand guard over the place. Carefully, he knelt and dipped a hand into the water, marveling at how cold it was before filling each water bottle, capping them, and setting them on the grass nearby. The spring was beautiful. No doubt an amazing photo it would make. Bending down, Nick scooped up a handful of it and rubbed the heat of the day off his face, breathing a little easier and refreshed by the eerily clear water. |
He gazed up at the surface, blinking his eyes to the colours that swirled about him as the dappled light from the forest above mixed into the water around him. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, who he saw standing above him at the spring's edge. He moved quicker, the blues, greens and silvers swirling around him as if he was a whirlpool. Soon he broke the surface of the spring and gazed down at the startled face of the man he once loved. Through the distortion of the water, he could have sworn that it had been the very same Master that had created him. But now, as he floated above the surface with water trickling down his skin and clinging to his hair, his heart stopped in slight disappointment.
Even though this man was similar to his Creator, there were slight differences between the two. This was a human, a creature created just after he had been. He didn't know much about humans, as he had slept for a long time in the bottom of the spring. This one seemed afraid, having fallen backwards and was now sprawled on the ground. He tilted his head, like a dog listening to a sound, and moved closer. His feet didn't touch the surface, and all that disturbed it was the slight trickle of the water now running from his body. As he reached the bank, he landed softly, his bare feet stepping lightly on the moss. He walked towards the fallen human, his heart pounding in his ears. Maybe if he could get close enough... He lent down, his face inches closed to the shocked human's. He stared into the wide eyes and saw a familiar sparkle hidden deep within. "I've been waiting..." he spoke softly, his voice sounding sad, like a lonely stream running over rocks. He closed his eyes and his lips found the man's, his cold skin touching the warm. As they broke apart, he stood back and watched his beloved, waiting to see what would happen next. |
Running was out of the question when Nick had fallen back. The water had been so still, defying natural phenomena even as it flowed freely from the large hill behind it. And he had an active imagination, of course, but he’d never expected to see something of fantasy exist in reality. The surreality almost had him convinced that somehow, he’d gone entirely crazy, or somehow had snapped out of reality. Until the shock of cold lips meeting his opened his eyes again, he hadn’t been sure he could trust himself to come to a conclusion. His hands tingled, and brought Nick back to whatever reality he was in. Breathing in slowly, he shook his head. “D-do... I know you?” He asked weakly. It sounded stupid---of course he didn’t know this... creature. But he couldn’t think of anything else to say. ”Nick!” The high voice of Kira met his ears, startling him and managing to take his focus away from the nonhuman being that had risen from the spring. His group nearly crashed through the trees behind him, disturbing the natural sound, and when Nick looked back, only the spring was there. “Nick.” Kira studied him almost worriedly. “You okay? Were gone for a while, we got scared.” “I...” Nick looked at the spring one more time. “I... guess. I just... thought I saw something.” He didn’t dare tell them about what had happened. He could hardly believe it himself. “It was nothing. A bird, I guess.” “Okay...” The second tallest of the group, Michael, went to retrieve the water bottles. “Well, we got everything set up. You sure you okay?” He reached down for Nick. “Yeah, I’m fine.” Shaking away the surprise still clinging to his conscious, Nick accepted Michael’s hand and was pulled up. As they turned to go back to the camp, Nick looked back, and paused. Would that... man... return soon? |
The calls of other humans had startled him so bad he sunk back into the spring. He watched as the group approached his loved one and pulled him away, sighing to himself. The man's words echoed about his head. The shocked way he had reacted, the confused words... "Do I know you...?" He felt his heart ache as his sorrowful eyes watched the man disappear. It just... Couldn't be true...
- The group had put up their tents in the clearing, the fire was burning merrily with the firewood Nick had collected and Michael was fiddling around with the dinner they were about to cook up. The small group of close friends had decided a week ago to go camping in the virtually uncharted forest in the middle of nowhere. The last town had been a day's drive away and their hike to this camping grounds had taken almost another day. They were entirely secluded from the outside world, except for an emergency cellphone on of them carried. The hike had been tiring, so the normally rowdy group were quiet and reserved, sitting about the campsite and gazing up at the tree branches and darkening night sky. |
Nick had gone camping plenty of times. It was his favorite thing to do, in fact. During the evenings, after tents were set up, food was stored away from animals, and a fire was built, Nick was often wandering the edge of the firelight, staring into the night, squinting to see, then marking his way with glowsticks so he didn’t completely lose his bearings until he figured out the entire place. One couldn’t exactly find landmarks when they had nothing more than trees, brush, and various similar rocks littered about. And his friends, and his sister, had wanted to know why he had chosen this place specifically. He simply enjoyed the mystery surrounding this forest. This massive, officially unexplored, uncharted place was ripe with interesting things, untouched by humanity, and especially safe from demolition in any way. But Nick couldn’t focus now. He laid away from the fire, on the bed of soft grass that had grown in limited amounts around the area, staring at the sky through a break in the canopy of trees. Such a beautiful sky---he could see millions of stars through that single bare area, so perfectly. The night wasn’t quite as dark as it was near a city or town, where glaring artificial lights blot out the real glow of the sky. Here, in the clear nighttimes, the darkness wasn’t so incredibly complete. His normally focused gaze was distracted behind his glasses, staring but not taking in anything. What he saw---what he experienced---had been real. He couldn’t ignore it. The watery chill of the stranger’s lips was too real, impossible to forget. Nick shuddered as he thought about it again. Those odd eyes, like slightly frozen water, hair longer than his body, as fluid as the medium he had emerged from. He sighed shakily, sitting up as Kira’s voice called his name over to the fire. They would know something was up if he couldn’t keep a conversation going... The firelight and warmth kept the flashbacks at bay, though. |
Michael had concocted a strange stew that composed of canned beans and sausages he had brought along with them. It was salty, but warming and extremely filling. As the group chatted about the area, Andy watched his friend closely. He had known Nick for a very long time and knew when something was up with him. How quiet the young man was being, as well as the fact he wasn't running about exploring were large clues that something was wrong.
"You alright, Nick?" he questioned, sitting next to his friend and staring into the fire. The others continued to talk among themselves, not noticing Nick's strange behavior. Andy had wanted to explore this forest for awhile, his hobby was learning about the legendary Ancients and the other creatures they had created. He had read about the myth of the human that had fallen in love with his creator, drowning himself in the fabled Spring of Creation. Andy had guessed the spring was located near here and longed to see it for himself. |
Nick startled a bit when Andy seemed to appear out of nowhere beside him. He’d been staring into his bowl, moving the contents but barely eating. He’d thought himself lucky that Kira and Michael were chattering away, and knew Kira wouldn’t quite notice---she didn’t notice a lot, even drastic changes in her siblings. Biting his lip, Nick decidedly concocted a quick, plausible lie--- “I’m... fine. Just thinking about this place.” He gestured around a bit as he spoke. Andy was probably his oldest friend---it was almost impossible to hide a lot from him. Still, Nick shook his head, going on with the story. “It’s so... different than anywhere else. I suppose I’m just lost in the myth that surrounds this place. The lost city that existed here at one time and the temple built to honor the gods that created the inhabitants of the city... It’s obscure, you know?” Andy nodded, and Nick smiled a bit. “I guess... it’s all so much to think about at once.” He studied the fire, absently picking up a small stick beside him and tossing it in. If Nick were to think that, perhaps the myth were true, the lake he had discovered was the Lake of Creation, what gave existence to the first vision of a perfect human, living in tune with their natural surroundings. And the man that had emerged from the lake... Perhaps he was the last of his kind... The last of the Ancients, so they were simply noted as. If he were there, maybe there were more... Or maybe he had survived because he had retreated into the lake... Nick couldn’t decide on an answer that appeased him. |
Andy sighed and left it there, realising that his friend was still hiding something from him. He didn't want to push the matter anymore, so he patted Nick's back and returned to eating his own meal. As darkness fell around the forest, the group were making preparations for sleep. Kira, being the only girl in the group but not wanting to sleep alone, pleaded with her brother to let her sleep in his tent while the other two slept in the other.
The forest was silent as the four tucked themselves into their sleeping bags, the quiet only being broken by the occasional chirp of a cricket or screech of an owl. Giant moths beat their wings loudly, bumping against the tent's fabric, trying to get to the light inside. Michael and Andy were in their smaller tent, snoring and muttering in their sleep. - The moonlight glistened on his wet skin as he slowly made his way through the forest. He hadn't been here for centuries and he was sad to see how much had changed. The temple of his birthplace had long been eroded and claimed by nature, with only the pillars remaining guard over his spring. The trees here were just as old as he, but no longer whispered in their slumber. The magic had died a long time ago. He followed a small deer trail and came across the clearing that the human was camping at. They seemed to be sleeping in large domed fabric, like the huts of old but not made from animal skin. He breathed in and could smell the ashes of a long dead fire. He watched the campsite with glowing icy eyes that seemed to reflect the light straight from the moon. He didn't dare approach the camp, afraid of the other humans that slumbered there. |
Though he had looked forward to having a tent to himself, Nick had given in to Kira’s pleas to share his. He did love his sister, though she was quite clueless when regarding others’ emotions, and was an enormously heavy sleeper, as opposed to him. He was always forced to bring along large noise-cancelling headphones when out in nature, or the sounds of the nighttime activity would keep him hopelessly awake. But now, Nick sat on top of his sleeping bag and stared at the shapeless form of the tent’s zippered door flap without his glasses. Even if he put his headphones on, he’d be unable to sleep. He had to doubt the way he had tried to explain himself to Andy---no doubt he wasn’t fully convinced. He just didn’t want his friends---his sister---to think him crazy. Especially when they were well aware of his extremely overactive imagination. Perhaps they would think his perception of reality had finally been tainted with his versions of fantasy. Puffing out a sigh, Nick pushed his glasses back up his nose and crawled to the tent’s door, unzipping it and stepping out into the cool, still air. His sudden presence made the well-hidden insects silence for a moment, then start up again in their constant chirping and buzzing, calling to be recognized by potential mates. Practically unfolding himself from the small space, Nick stretched and brushed back his hair. It always seemed to be over one eye, a thing his mother had always hated though she could do little to tame it. He looked up, and then around the site, until his eyes fell on a figure among the trees he immediately recognized. It was him again. That man from the pond. Nick hadn’t been able to shake the feel of those eyes, those glowing, otherworldly eyes that seemed to see deeper than others could. That... terribly sorrowful voice, as if he had honestly thought Nick to be the long-lost friend or love from a life he couldn’t even recall. Slowly, Nick reached behind him and pinched himself, the sudden sting reassuring him that he wasn’t, in fact, asleep in some way. Cautiously, and with a bit of difficulty, he forced himself to move toward the figure as quietly as he could. |
He watched silently as the man approached him, not leaving the shelter of the trees, as if afraid that the moonlight would burn him. He smiled sweetly, moving slightly backwards towards the trees. He beckoned with his finger and then ran away, like a pale butterfly fluttering through the trees. He came to a stop near where the ruins were and rested on a boulder, curling himself up to wait for the man to follow him and find him there.
He knew the man would follow, he could see the curiosity in his eyes and sense the uncertainty as he had moved towards him. He kept smiling and glanced up at the moonlight shining through the branches, reminding him of his watery home. |
Nick gasped, afraid that he’d lose the pale figure as he turned and ran into the dark. His eyes weren’t quite adjusted to the lack of light among the lands, and he had to keep his hands stretched out in front of him, catching a glimpse of the creature that couldn’t be exactly human until he skidded to a stop over some dry leaves, near where he had first met the man but just out of sight of the pond and its gentle waterfall. His legs were weak as he stepped forward, but kept a bit of distance between himself and the mossy boulder acting as a seat. “Who... or what are you?” Nick asked, feeling his voice break slightly in a combined curiosity, awe, and slight fear for his own sanity. “Are... uhm, are you a... an ancient being that existed here at one time?” He couldn’t help but notice the pale green around the man’s limbs, as though he had remained in one place for such a long time that moss had decided to begin growing on his skin. |
He smiled as he heard the man approach. Humans had always been so... clumsy in the dark, but creatures like him were made to live in the darkness of this forest. Some would call him a siren or a fairy, though he knew he was neither. He dangled a leg off the side of the boulder, hugging the other to his chest as he rested his head on his knee and watched the human carefully. He looked so much like his creator, though there were slight differences in the colour of his hair and his height.
His skin pricked when he heard the man talk, his voice sounding so... afraid and yet calm and commanding, just like his creator's had been. "My name is Solace. It is the name that was given to me by you," he answered the queries. "I have existed here for a very long time, though I cannot tell you how long." He tilted his head again, his cold blue-tinged lips still curved into a small smile. His long hair fell over his body, covering his skin and obscuring half of his face as he continued to survey the human before him with extreme interest. |
Nick couldn’t help but shudder at intervals, and looked toward his right, where he knew the spring to be. He could still hear its water trickling quietly. “Created... That means that body of water is the Spring of Creation. And you’re one of the Ancients that populated a city that existed here well over several thousand years ago. Before humans...” He strained to see the spring, but didn’t feel it quite as important as the being still before him. Curiosity flared again and drove him to take several more steps forward. It was still a bit difficult to see in the dark, but his extremely pale blue eyes were adjusting. “S-Solace... I’m not your creator.” Nick said at last, shaking his head. “I’m... I’m Nick Harris, I live... far away from here. Grew up with siblings. I’m a human! You...” He looked down, trying to find the right words. He’d never been good with... people. The ones he was camping with were the extent of his social circle, and his extreme social phobia came out at the most inopportune time. “I think you have me mistaken.” He sighed at last. If this were the case, perhaps the one who called himself Solace would return to his spring, and he’d be left with questions that had no end. |
Solace chuckled slightly, sounding like a bubbling brook. He shook his head slightly, his hair rippling like water. "I'm not... What you call an 'Ancient'. I am merely a creation, something made before humans... The perfect creation they wanted to complete for years..." He chuckled again, the thought of being called perfect had always been strange for him.
"I am not mistaken. I have been asleep ever since the last Creator took their last breath, knowing that when they returned I would awaken... And you have returned to me, my Lord," he slipped off the boulder and bowed low, his hair dripping like a waterfall onto the ground below. When he straightened himself up, not a single leaf stuck in his hair. It seemed to be made of silk and water, flowing from the top of the creature's head like a waterfall. |
Nick shook his head. “I... I’m not your lord!” He insisted, putting his hands out defensively. “I... I might look like him, or... sound like him? But Solace, I... I’m just a human. I haven’t been alive for a fraction of the time you have.” He wanted to pause and marvel at the hair atop Solace’s head, which seemed to be made of water, but woven into fine silk. He couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like, should he run a hand through it, but shook the thought away. “What...” He glanced backward. He couldn’t put it past Kira to wake up from dead sleep and wonder where he’d gotten to, but she was usually out for the entire night, and most of the day if one were to let her sleep without the aid of an alarm clock. “What makes you know I’m your creator?” He asked at last. “How can you know for sure?” |
Solace moved towards Nick, standing so close he could feel the warmth radiating from the man's body, even though it had been a cool summer's night. "You are him. I am not mistaken," he said quietly, leaning closer to Nick's face, staring deep into the human's eyes. "I know that you have been reborn as a human, but I can see the light of a Creator in your eyes. You are my Lord Visal, the One who created me. The One I died for," he spoke so softly, his whisper could barely be heard over the crickets chirping in the distance.
He lifted his green stained arm and reached for Nick's face, stroking the soft cheek of his long lost lover. He remembered the night he had tried to be with his creator, being turned away and suffering a heavy, swollen heart. He knew that he had jumped into the spring and drowned, but couldn't understand how he was now somewhat alive. He couldn't remember much about the years between then and now. All he knew was that his creator was standing in front of him, and he didn't want to be turned away again. |
Nick shuddered out a breath, meeting the cool gaze for a moment before struggling to look away. He’d always been terrible at holding eye contact, but this time was... different. He looked back up, and was frozen by a flash within his head, as though he were recalling a memory he’d almost forgotten. A white room, blurred just enough that he couldn’t quite see the colorful paintings and sculpted creatures and objects. The main focus was the set of icy eyes just several inches away from him, so close that when he breathed in, Nick could smell the freshness of water escaping Solace with each exhale. But now he knew he couldn’t simply tell Solace what he thought, felt. Couldn’t speak of it more than to turn him away, as it was forbidden for a spirit to love their creator, and vice versa. Desperation, followed by despair and crippling sadness, filled Nick for an instant, and he didn’t realize tears had started falling from his eyes. Blinking hard, Nick took a step back and took off his glasses to rub his eyes. “Solace... Say I believe you---what do you expect me to do? I’m human now, if I was at one time this ‘Lord Visal’. I age like a human ages, I only know as much as a human does. What do you expect me to do now...?” He couldn’t leave his friends. His sister. He had a life, though it was majorly reclusive and people-avoidant. |
Solace tilted his head to one side, sensing a change in the man that stood before him. He had surely remembered something, felt the strong ties between them. Bonds such as those were rarely ignored, and weren't easily broken. Solace could see Nick's eyes start to water. Tears. Solace hadn't expected that. He moved away now, not bearing to see his loved one cry. Perhaps his Lord and creator had loved him back just as fiercely. He had always dreamed for Visal to kiss him back and hold him tightly. After he drowned himself in the spring, all he could think about was if Lord Visal missed him, regretted turning him away...
"It is unfortunate that you have been reborn as a human... With such limited things you can do in such a short time on this Earth... Of course I can't ask you to stay here, but there has to be a reason... For why you came to my spring... To this place, the location of your birth and kingdom... If I must, I will follow you. I can't just let you go my Lord." He was sitting back on the rock, watching Nick with a fiery passion burning in his ice cold eyes. He longed to touch the man, to hold him, to kiss him... But he knew all that would be too much. Nick hadn't realised what this all truly meant yet. |
Nick absently bit his bottom lip again, a nervous habit he had taken up years ago. He had come here just to explore. He had come with his friends and sister because of their combined love of nature, camping, exploration, the sheer mystery that surrounded this place. Nick had wanted mystery---he definitely got it. He’d wanted to know if the Ancients were real. They definitely were. At least, at one point... He shook his head. “I can’t just... I mean, I can’t take you with me. They’ll have questions. Where you came from. What you are. They won’t believe me, or you, people aren’t as open-minded as they might have been at one time. And if you came into town, people would... They’d want to study you, take you and lock you away and...” He shook his head, shakily replacing his glasses on his face. Nick always overthought most things. He didn’t want to scare Solace, but the truth was hard to ignore. “Just... the way you look now. You wouldn’t blend in, not how you look now...” Nick didn’t want to leave him here. Not now. His life had always been so... boring. Nick had always wanted something to happen that was unpredictable, interesting, and now all of that was right in front of him. He breathed in, steadying the lightheadedness that came with being in such a predicament. “If... you do come with me... If I can get an excuse together, maybe convince my friends, and... and get some documents that prove you existed among humanity before this... maybe you can come with me. But we’d have to change your look a little. You definitely stand out. And maybe get some clothes, too.” He looked to the ground as he finished speaking. He was already concocting excuses and stories, going the most plausible route he could. Kira usually accepted things without much comment or deeper thought. Andy liked to question and probe, and Michael usually went along with things just to keep the tangle of information away from him. |
Solace listened to Nick talk, surprised at how much the man was thinking into their problem. To the human, they had only just met and he already wanted Solace to leave his place of creation and death. He smiled and continued to watch, marveling at how interesting humans were. When the creators had made the humans, they had fallen in love with the way they were, even refusing to punish them when they started to start wars and not prey to their 'Gods'. They had died out because of their love of humans. Solace could see now why they had loved them so much.
"So you want me to leave this place and follow you back to your home..." he said softly, glancing over towards where he could see the spring. He wasn't sure what would happen if he left it, as its waters seemed to have kept him alive for all these years. |
Nick glanced back up, breathing out slowly and wandering to a nearby tree to lean against it. “Maybe... for a while?” It was difficult not to squirm under Solace’s intense stare. “I can tell whatever magic-based energy that once existed here isn’t here anymore. The trees probably grew so large because of that. It probably died with the rest of the creators, the ancient beings. You can... come along with us, for a while. We’re staying here for a couple more days, to get more pictures. Then before the others and I leave, you can make your decision then.” What he was offering was difficult to even say. Suddenly he wanted to stay right here, and know more, know everything he once thought was only a story and myth. No one had ever been able to be spoken to by a thing of myth, an ancient being that existed throughout the time of a reign, a rise and fall. |
Solace slowly nodded, again staring up at the night sky that could be seen between the branches of the trees. Of course he would go to the ends of this world to stay with his long lost love. Even if he wasn't exactly the person he had fallen for, and had no memory of their time together. Perhaps he could learn something about these humans and the world they lived in today. He had been asleep for so long, he didn't even know what year it was. What was the world like now? How did the humans get along without magic? What did they believe in? What drove them? All these questions came to mind plus many more.
"I have been asleep for a long time, my Lord. I don't even know if I am alive... But this has to be more than just a coincidence. We must be together again... For a reason..." he sighed, his voice was still its usual sad, watery sound. |
Glancing behind him, Nick couldn’t help but feel someone would wake up at any moment and come looking for him. “I don’t believe in coincidence.” He said at last. “Everything happens for a reason, Solace, and... I... can believe this. I can, it’s just... difficult to wrap my head around. And what I saw... it didn’t make any sense. But I want it to.” He looked up, following Solace’s original gaze and studying the swirl of stars and part of the moon that shone through the hole above them. “I know there’s got to be some bigger picture here. Something that hasn’t shown itself yet. I don’t want to just turn my back on it, either.” He stood up straight, running a hand through his hair and dislodging the leaf that had made its nest there as he leaned against its tree. He and the others had only bought enough supplies for a few more days before things would become difficult, and they had angled their trek to go in a circle. That would get them back to the only human-built structure around the forest---a wooden lodge that acted as a resting point should overzealous adventurers wish to rest before leaving back to their safe homes far from true nature. |
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