A couple days later, I accompany a slightly confused Torril Mayarna back to Golden Arcs. “I still don’t understand how you live like that so easily. You seem so natural in the woods, but I felt like a bumbling idiot. Couldn’t you have warned me there were wasps in that tree?! Though I must thank you for healing the stings afterwards.”
I just roll my eye. “I did warn you, you just didn’t read it. It’s not my fault you were in too much of a hurry.”
The Headmaster looks rather bemused as he watches Mr. Mayarna argue with his completely silent companion. “Are you alright, Torril? Did I hear you say wasp stings?”
“Oh, yeah, I’m fine, Damarian,” Mr. Mayarna responds breezily. “Apparently Eva is quite good with plants; she healed me rather easily. Although she refused to heal the rash I gave myself after I tried to use poison ivy to pull myself out of the lake.” He winces in memory. “I guess I deserve it, though.”
Headmaster Lee stares. “I was afraid for a moment that you’d tried to use it as toilet paper, but you seem to be in a fine condition. Evangeliqua, I believe Alekai is waiting for you; I have a meeting with his father any moment now.”
Both men start slightly when my eye lights up at the mention of Lex. “Where should I go?”
Headmaster Lee stares, but responds absently, “I’ve arranged to hold the meeting out here, in the garden and the sunlight. Unless you would prefer otherwise?”
These men are far too perceptive. “That’s wonderful, especially if you don’t mind us running off into the trees.”
I can tell I’ve caught him off guard again, but he recovers quickly this time. “Of course not. Running will probably do Alekai some good; that boy doesn’t move nearly enough.”
Just then Lex and his dad come around the corner. “Eva!” Alekai calls, running to me. He stops about two steps away and lifts his arms. I stare confusedly at the gesture until something in my brain goes click and I realize he’s asking for a hug. Thankfully he doesn’t seem offended by my delayed response. I step forward and lift my arms in return, trying to figure out how people’s bodies are supposed to fit together. He chuckles and presses his hands to the back of my shoulders, pulling me against him.
It’s a short hug, but warm and gentle; he isn’t holding me there, and I’m not trying to escape. We pull apart and try not to smirk at the bewildered expressions of the surrounding adults, all of whom appear to be in shock. I can sort of understand it - I’m not a touchy-feely person, and he’s generally feared, but we understand each other. He opens his mouth, but I shake my head and grab his hand, tugging him toward the forest.
To his credit, he doesn’t hesitate, just follows me in silence as I lead him to my waterfall. “Whoa,” I hear quietly from behind me. “This… it’s beautiful, Eva,” he says in awe.
I smile at him and reach up a hand, waiting as if for permission before touching his temple. He ducks his head until it touches my hand, then gasps in shock as I reach out mentally and touch his mind. How is she… this is amazing, I hear inside my head. I smirk in return. Isn’t it though? I murmur telepathically.
He grins, a beautiful, blinding expression of joy. Now we can talk without disturbing the wildlife!
Speaking of, I say dryly, you move almost as silently through the forest as I do. You sure you were raised in a city?
It’s a rhetorical question, but he answers it anyway. Yeah, he says, about as sure as I can be. I don’t think I’d forget it if I hadn’t been. My mom’s never lived anywhere but a city, and I grew up with her, so I must’ve been raised in one.
I roll my eye. You didn’t actually have to answer, doofus, I grumble. I was being sarcastic.
He smiles. I know.
We sit in silence for a few minutes, but I get a sudden urge to play with my magic. I hear a gasp from my partner as I lift my hand and a bubble of water in the center of the pond follows. I shoot him a mischievous grin and flick my wrist at him. He gasps again as he gets thoroughly soaked, but then his eyebrows furrow together and he focuses. He lifts a shaky hand and all of the water slowly lifts out of his clothes. He glances at me as if expecting me to recoil in fear, but I just smirk at him. He sends the water flying toward me.
That’s how we spend the next couple hours. When we tire of playing with water, we begin experimenting with other magics - air, fire, earth, nature, lightning, sound, light, energy, force, etc. We’re still messing around when the adults decide to follow the sound of Alekai’s laughter. They step into our clearing and just stare in shock at the sight.
I guess from their perspective it is funny - a girl and a boy both entirely soaked, with the lake suspended over our heads as a ceiling, arches of fire and swirling columns of air as alternating supports, earth magic forming a table, chairs made of energy, rainbows as chandeliers, sound magic creating beautiful music, a force field as a net, throwing a ball of solidified lightning magic back and forth in a game of makeshift volleyball. When the adults shift to their magic sight, it’s plain to see that we’re both supporting all of these things, with our magic wrapped around each other, working together in tandem to keep our little world from falling apart.
“Alekai?” We know they’re there, we’re simply ignoring them. We glance toward them at the sound of his name, but we’re having too much fun to stop. I smirk. Hey Lex! I think they’re in shock.
His grin only gets wider. I know. I don’t think they knew we could wield this much magic. I usually suppress mine, and you haven’t used any around them before; they’re used to us being shy and reserved, but now we’re just running free.
He throws the ball at me again. This time, I execute a perfect pirouette, finishing with a high kick to send the ball careening back at him. He lifts an amazed eyebrow. I didn’t know ballet could be used for sports.
I shrug and bounce his next toss off my elbow. While this is fun, the sun is nearly down. I’m aware that our magic will continue to provide us light, but it also acts as a beacon. We should probably wind down; your family will be wanting to go home soon.
He looks toward the edge of the forest, where his mother and siblings have joined his father, the Headmaster, and the teachers. I guess. He looks sad for a moment before lighting up with an idea. “Would you like to come home with me? I would love to continue practicing.” Sensing my reticence, he adds, “Mom’s cooking is excellent. Yes, I know you can cook for yourself, but she’s planning meatloaf tonight, and I wouldn’t want you to miss that.”
I pause. Did you realize that you spoke out loud just now instead of telepathically? And yes, I’ll come with you.
He gives a start. “Did I? Oh, I guess I did. Wait, you’ll come? Awesome!” He turns and calls to his mom. “Did you make enough meatloaf to share with Eva, too?” His distraction almost earns him a lightning ball to the head, but his magic catches it in time, and he turns back to me. “If she didn’t, then you can have my share and I’ll find something else to eat. By the way, did you know that it’s unsportsmanlike - or I guess in your case unsportswomanlike - to throw something at someone who isn’t looking?”
I roll my eye. Slow down, I mutter. I know you’re excited, but talking 300 words per minute just confuses whoever you’re talking to. Even I’m having trouble keeping up with you, and I’m not exactly slow.
He grins. Come on, we should start dismantling this place so it doesn’t collapse when we leave.
I smirk. Or we could just tie off the magic and leave it all up.
He stares at me in shock, the lightning ball forgotten in his hands. That’s possible?
Of course, I say, a bit confused. Why didn’t he know that? Then I remember. I forgot how much you don’t know yet. It doesn’t matter anyway; leaving it floating will only deprive the animals of their water source.
He lifts an eyebrow. I have an idea, but to do it right, it’ll take our combined strength - your control and my imagination. Will you lend me your control for a moment, and your trust?
I know he understands the weight of his request - I don’t offer trust easily, and now he’s asking for a lot of it, but I somehow feel comfortable with him, and something inside of me urges me to trust him, to let him borrow my control. It’s like my subconscious can sense that he’ll create something of beauty instead of destruction. I hesitate only a moment longer, my instincts warring with years of trained distrust, before saying quietly, Whatever you’re going to do, be quick.
His eyes widen - I guess he hadn’t expected me to agree - and he nods. We must be a strange sight to the adults; as far as they can see, we’re standing silently, staring at each other across a force field net, unmoving. He reaches out mentally, and I hand him my control. I close my eye and follow the magic, deciding to watch his actions through the strands of the spell he’s weaving.
I watch in wonder as he manipulates our combined magic into a rather impressive spell. The columns collapse and re-form with staircases and ramps winding up to the floating lake. Our pavilion solidifies - well, as much as rainbows, energy, fire, and air can solidify - and I can tell that the magic will remain unless we dismantle it. I can also tell that neither of us could undo this spell alone because our magic is intertwined throughout. I think quietly for a moment, and he asks, What are you considering so carefully?
I open my eye. Can I borrow your trust in return? For this to work, we have to do it together.
He appears startled. Is there something wrong with my spellwork? He looks rather frightened by the very idea of doing his magic incorrectly. I kind of understand - he’s been told for so long now that he’s dangerous that he automatically assumes someone will get hurt if he uses even the slightest bit of magic. I find myself saddening at the thought.
No, I say, but if you want it to last after our deaths and without our support, this is very nearly the only way. Your spellwork is fine, I’m just improving upon the idea a little.
He relaxes. Eva, you’ve always had my trust. Do whatever you’re planning - I know you won’t hurt me.
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I offer him a slight smile. Closing my eye, I reach out to everything around us: plants, animals, Madira (our planet) itself, the magic the floats around and encompasses everything. I feel the slow-moving, ancient and powerful being that is the planet. I don’t particularly want to wake it up, just give it the spell, but I worry that the former will happen in the process of attempting the latter.
I feel more than hear Lex’s gasp. “Eva, what is that?” He asks out loud, as if fearing his telepathic voice would wake the sleeping ground. I smile, a bigger one this time. That, dear friend, is Madira. She slumbers, but two small, telepathic voices will not wake her. That’s not our goal anyway. Come back. In his fear, he has withdrawn himself from the connection. He hesitantly reaches back toward me and feels the web that connects me to every living thing in the forest except the humans. He wonders briefly why I didn’t include them before understanding. Only nature knows what to do with something of beauty. Humans mostly know destruction and plundering and would be trying to take it for themselves somehow - which, by the way, is impossible.
Using my mental connection, I ask the creatures and plants, We wish to create a thing of beauty. Will you support us?
I wait. I can tell Alekai doesn’t fully believe that we’ll receive a response until he hears a soft voice say, What are you creating? Will it benefit us at all? How will it benefit the humans? Apparently the creatures have chosen an ancient and wise tree as their spokesperson, something which awes Lex greatly. I don’t think he ever imagined he’d be holding negotiations with a Guardian of the Forest.
Greetings, Ancient One. I did not expect one so wise as yourself to communicate with a small being like me. I can hear the Guardian chuckle deeply in my mind at the flattery, but he holds his peace and waits for me to continue. This is what we are attempting to create. I show him an image of the magical pavilion. We would complete this spell on our own, but we are relatively short-lived compared to the forest itself, and we wish this spell to outlast us. We wish for the forest to support it freestanding as a reflection of the beauty of the forest and its creatures. We have prepared methods for the creatures to continue accessing water despite being high in the air, and the spell is sturdy enough to support swimming animals so long as they do not fall out the bottom. I do not have an answer as to how this may benefit you, and I regret to admit that I may not have fully considered the consequences. I can feel his surprise at my confession; most humans refuse to admit their own wrongdoings. I can however say with certainty that the spell itself in no way benefits any humans… though my friend and I do enjoy using the pavilion as a meeting place. I cannot say for absolutely certain that no one will find a way to profit off its presence, but they will not benefit from the spell itself.
There is a long pause in which I’m certain the Ancient One communicates all that I have said to the other creatures and plants that are listening. I can almost sense them having a conference just outside of my hearing, but I make no effort to listen in. Alekai says quietly, That was one heck of a speech. I didn’t know you knew fancy dictum like that. He pauses. I also hadn’t realized you’d considered all of the possibilities. By the way, how are you communicating with the forest creatures themselves? I wasn’t aware that was possible.
I smile at him mentally. I consider the forest and everyone or everything in it my friends, so when I was very little, I learned how to speak with them. They are very important to me and I was happy to forge the connection, even as a toddler. Speaking with the beings in the forest is a wonderful experience, though I must say I’m rather surprised - I’ve never had the privilege of speaking with a Forest Guardian before.
I’m sorry, Forest Guardian? I haven’t heard that term before. Alekai sounds confused. Is that another name for the Ancient Ones?
To my surprise, before I can decide how to explain, the ancient tree cuts in and does so for me. We are ancient and powerful, yes; all Ancient Ones are. The Guardians of the Forest, however, are each tied to their own woods. There is only one of us per forest and we are directly intertwined with the creatures, or ‘beings’ as you said it, in our care. We are only as powerful as those who reside within our borders and have been known, in times of great distress, to defend our territory. You could think of us as extremely ancient trees who have over time become the conscious and conscience of the forest as a whole. We are each directly tied to Mother Madira and her life source. We are the only tree in each forest that even elves would find nigh impossible to cut down, though we can uproot ourselves and relocate if need be. Does my explanation satisfy your curiosity, young one?
Alekai appears to be more than satisfied, actually he seems to be in a little bit of shock, so I speak for him. Thank you, Guardian, my mental voice takes on a teasing but respectful tone, though I think you may have overwhelmed him. My friend is unused to communicating with the spirits of the forest. Your explanation was certainly thorough, and I am glad you have explained, for I must confess that though I have known other forests, I was not entirely clear on the difference. I would surely have embarrassed myself had I attempted to explain and done so incorrectly, especially when you who understands was listening. I find myself smiling. May I ask, have you come to a decision?
The Guardian seems to smile, as much as can be conveyed over a telepathic connection, anyway. We have. We will assist you in your spell. I have asked Mother Madira to send a small part of her consciousness and internalize the spell, so that your work of beauty shall last even longer than this forest.
I gasp. Th-thank you, Ancient One. I would not have dared to ask the Mother herself. Please, would you examine the spell to ensure its construction? I wouldn’t want any mistakes.
I hear a low chuckle across the bond, and a low, rolling, feminine voice says gently, I shall inspect your spellwork myself, young one. It is finely crafted. It is the boy-child beside you who created it with the intertwining of your powers, yes? Just as you have mixed your magic together to contact this forest’s Guardian.
My mental self seems to open and close its mouth several times before I find my voice again. Next to me, Lex has allowed the lightning ball to fizzle out in his shock. I sense several other presences that weren’t there before. Reaching, I discover Headmaster Lee and Alekai’s family, all of them concerned for us as we have been standing stock-still for far longer than they believed possible. I hesitate.
Then the Mother says, Let them in. They will not harm me, and though I will not allow them to fuel the spell, they may interfere if they become too worried. So I invite the adults into our shared mind-space and wait for them to recognize the situation.
Alekai speaks first. We were setting up a spell, and we had this brilliant idea for keeping it anchored. I wonder for a moment if he’s trying to take credit away from me by saying ‘we’ had the idea, but then I realize that he’s unsure of their reaction and is preparing to spread the blame away from me if the adults are upset. His defense makes me smile a bit.
And what idea would that be, son? Alekai’s father asks.
We were asking the forest and the beings residing in it to support the spell so that it will last until the forest falls. The Guardian of this forest spoke as their representative, and agreed to help us, but he also went one step further and asked Mother Madira to help us with the spell. She says she’ll -- what was it again? Alekai trails off.
The Mother understands. He doesn’t want it to sound like he’s giving her an order, so he’s asking her to tell them her intentions herself. I didn’t know goddesses read human social cues, but she nails it. I have decided to internalize their spell. The magic has been so carefully woven that it will cause me no harm or discomfort and internalizing it will make it stand for longer than any spell a human could cast alone. She pauses as if sensing all of the potential questions - the most common of which would likely be ‘why’ - and continues, These two are young and powerful. I have chosen to help them because they are attempting to create a thing of beauty, one which will stand as a testament not only to their power and our relationship, but as in their own words a ‘reflection of the beauty of the forest and its creatures’, something I admire and appreciate. Humans so rarely care for their environment anymore. Her voice grows a bit more powerful and intimidating. I wish for it to be known that so long as these two continue to side with light, beauty, and good, they have my complete support. Do not cross me. They are powerful and I know that scares you, but they will not harm an innocent soul. Her voice relaxes. Shall we do magic? She asks me.
I grin. Absolutely! I can’t restrain my enthusiasm and Lex is excited too. We swirl our magic together even tighter than before. I feel the Guardian helping shape the spell, and Mother Madira anchors it. I sense every being in the forest offering help, combining powers and strength to form a rather impressive piece of spellwork. I don’t open my eye, but I can feel when our spell becomes permanent, the foundations of our pavilion digging themselves into the ground. Madira seems to take a step back, as if to examine our work with a nod, before saying sleepily, I’ll retreat for now. This was a lot of fun; I hope you contact me again soon. Don’t forget, I promised my support!
Alekai and I can tell that her words are for our minds only and that the adults didn’t hear it, so we answer in a roundabout fashion. Thank you for your help, milady, I say quietly and with respect. Alekai continues, We appreciate your assistance, and your support. We can sense her satisfaction and we both smile.
Opening our eyes, we see that the columns and arches do indeed now have stairs and ramps, respectively, and the pavilion is far more grand than we originally built it, but it’s not overdone. The magic - still with fiery arches, columns of air, energy chairs and rainbow chandeliers - is more solid now, and the animals scampering up the fire-clad ramps seem unharmed by the heat. I reach out to touch it and discover with relief that Mother Madira has changed it to a cold fire, though it retains its original color scheme. The entire place now has a flowing elegance, as if it were formed naturally no matter how strange a lake is for a roof. I look up and my eye widens at the sight of small animals already swimming around in it.
I can sense the Mother preparing to leave, and I reach out mentally to catch her, then pull back at my own presumption. She laughs. Young one, you need not fear me; what is it you wish to ask?
I hesitate. Can - can we make this a place of peace, where bloodshed and killing are forbidden and prey can swim alongside predators without fear? I… for some reason, I don’t want this place to be bloodied, even for something as natural as hunting for survival. At the same time, I can understand that many creatures would see this as a sort of shrine, and would want to come to your embrace here, so I would only ask to forbid killing, not death. I pause and blush. Wow, this sounds kinda selfish and particular, doesn’t it?
No, Mother Madira whispers, and I think I hear tears in her voice. No, it’s not selfish at all. It’s selfless, and it shows a kindness and desire for peace that I rarely see in humans. Yes, I will do as you ask; it will not even require anything from you, or me, really.
Another voice breaks in. I will help. I startle at the Ancient One’s voice. Please warn your companions to expect my arrival. I will be planting myself beside your pavilion to help ensure that your peace is maintained.
I almost tear up in gratitude, but I successfully restrain my emotions. I look at Alekai and start to lift my hand, but he’s already nodding and telling the others. There are some benefits to a telepathic connection. Thank you. We are ready for you, Guardian, I state respectfully. Not half an hour later, what must be the largest and grandest tree in the forest comes into the clearing. To the surprise of the adults (Alekai’s siblings are still staring in wonder at the pavilion itself), Alekai and I bow deeply in honor of the Ancient One. The others quickly follow our lead, including the other kids once they notice.
I really have no words to describe how the Guardian moves. It’s like he’s walking, but his legs are somewhere deep underground. The land parts around him like water around a shark fin, though without disturbing the surrounding plant life. He moves until he reaches a position just in front of the entrance to the pavilion before settling with a quiet groan. Then a noise like a trumpet sounds out of one of his branches, and two trees step into the clearing. Everyone gasps.
Two of my friends, Ancient Ones both, have volunteered to stand sentinel with me. The benefit is that if I have to move, such as for defense, the Pavilion - I notice the emphasis he places on the word, almost like he’s verbally capitalizing it - will still be protected.
Two voices sound in harmony in my mind, like bells. We would be honored to protect a shrine of peace and beauty. We shall assist the Mother in casting a second spell, forbidding bloodshed and killing within the Pavilion, and allowing only those without hostile intentions to enter the clearing.
I gulp and stifle a sob. Thank you, I whisper. We did not expect our desire to create a place of beauty would affect so many. We are honored by your presences and your support. Beside me, Alekai is nodding emphatically. The two Ancient Ones take up positions at two corners, completing a triangle with the Guardian. I can sense the moment they cast the spell, because a blissful peace spreads over the clearing.
With a light heart and peace of mind, I bow to the trees and follow Alekai back to his home.