“CAW!”
“Yes, yes, I know,” I giggled, flicking a tick off of Hugmun’s blood-red plumage. The jungle air was stiflingly humid, which the plants clearly appreciated, evident by the explosively large plant life surrounding us. “Bragid really did go buck wild here. Why, it’s as if the animals here were spewed from her rear end! ”
“I would appreciate it if you did not speak of my creations so,” an aloof yet warm voice said from beside me. “And I did not create every creature. I merely planted the seeds.”
Rolling backwards, I pushed off my hands and sprung to my feet. “BRAGGY!” I laughed wildly. Before me stood the Embodiment of Life, her leaf-green cloak billowing slightly in the gentle breeze. While her body was humanoid, the likeness to the mortal races ended there. Locks of bright red hair flowed over her shoulders, ending just above her hips. Seedlings of every variety sprouted across her skin, nourished by the purest Life energy. Her eyes were her most striking feature, as they changed every time she blinked. One moment she had the slit-like pupils of a cat, the next the pitch black eyes of an owl.
I clapped and danced in a circle. “Oh it’s so good to see youuuu!”
“I wish I could say the same, brother,” she replied, the warmth disappearing from her voice. “Anka is very displeased. Although you are not bound by the Contract, that does not mean you can act with impunity. ”
“You mean the metal one?”
“Yes.”
“No idea what you’re talking about,” I snickered.
Bragid rolls her eyes. “Would you try to at least take this seriously for once? Your interference has altered Anka’s design. The girl was meant to die, along with her comrades.”
“Well maybe she’ll finally shut up about her ‘grand design’ and ‘marionettes’,” I said sarcastically.
“While I am not one inclined to violence, for you, I might make an exception,” a new, monotone voice uttered. Suddenly, I felt something wrap around my windpipe, constricting tightly.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Closing my eyes, I tapped into the law I embodied, and with a pop, I disappeared and reappeared several meters away. A cloud of brightly colored confetti had taken my place, showering the Embodiment of Fate in the pieces of paper. In lieu of clothing, a light cloud of mist shrouded her midsection and lower body. Her exposed skin appeared to be a reflection of the night sky, with tiny dots of light adorning her skin, interconnected by white lines. Looking at her hands, I noticed the strings that hung from her fingers, each one having taken root under her fingernails.
“Tsk tsk tsk,” I tutted, eying the new arrival. “You remind me of a cat whose belly I poked just yesterday while it was sunbathing. Boy, was he grouchy!”
Anka’s featureless face was a stark contrast to my own. A swirling pit of darkness, her voice seemed to echo from all around. “Your antithetical existence irks me, Luan.”
“Aww, I appreciate the compliment! I’ve had a lot of practice!”
Anka ignores my teasing, but the strings hanging from her fingernails whipped through the air, betraying her annoyance. “Your ceaseless meddling stops now. As your sister has told you, the Grand Design is-”
“For goodness sake, when will you shut up about your ‘grand design’? What, did I manage to mess it up beyond recognition?” I complained.
“Of course not.” she answered haughtily. “You merely changed the path, but the destination remains the same.”
“Then what’s the problem with me changing the path a little more?” I asked cheekily.
“This is your final warning, Luan,” Anka replied, a hard edge to her voice. “Next time, I will not be so merciful.”
Anka left the way she arrived, disappearing without a trace. There was no evidence of her having been here, not a footprint in the dirt nor a scent on the wind.
“...Well, I told you,” Bragid said after a moment of silence.
I stared at the spot where Anka had just been before falling back and roaring with laughter. “HAHAAAA…Did you see her face?!? Well, not like she has one, but…hahahahahaha!”
“Would I be correct in assuming that you do not plan to heed her warning then?”
“Abso-fucking-lutely!” I snorted. “Me doing what Anka says? Why, such a suggestion is simply preposterous!”
A smile pulled at the edges of Bragid’s lips. “Well, I’ll do my best to keep her off your back. Do what you must.”
“ ‘Preciate it,” I said, reaching into my back pocket and pulling out a piece of pink chalk. Kneeling down, I drew a quick circle on the ground, and with a loud THWOMP, a portal of swirling colors materialized. Spinning around, I tipped an imaginary hat at my sister, and jumped in.