Elda woke from her nap feeling groggy but satisfied. Her belly was full. She wished her parents were here with her. She felt guilty that she didn't wait for them longer. She stretched and yawned. She felt delighted at the gown they had given her. It was bright yellow like a flower and soft like summer. It made her brown skin glow. They allowed her to continue barefoot. The floor felt smooth and alive. She could feel the life of the tree. It was like a slight hum under her skin.
"Good you are up," Jelen said to her as he smiled, "It was a good nap?"
Elda nodded her head in agreement. She stood and swirled around to make the gown open like a Lily around her. She didn't think she would ever get tired of feeling this way. Her parents would be happy she was so well cared for. She frowned again.
"Come Little Hatyri, the others wait," Jelen said and then took her hand as she twirled up to his side.
She held his hand tight, as he directed her through a doorway and into a room with chairs and couches. She picked a pretty red chair. She sat down and looked around her. She saw the man who took her from the city, and the queen, and Jelen. Jelen was her favorite. She felt akin to him. She could not explain the closeness she felt. It seemed natural.
"What do you know of your History?" The Queen, Ravenna, asked her.
Elda thought for a moment, "The Gods made Kalestra, at the center of all the universe's crossroads, and then could not agree on how to populate it."
She saw The queen nod in encouragement.
"Then the dragons ripped open space and time to enter the world. Causing the first storm," Elda started reciting from memory what she had learned, "Then came storm travelers of all kinds, and bred with the dragons, making the Dragonborn and later the Draconi who rule the lands."
"They did not teach you the Fae history?" The Queen sounded a bit upset.
"Fae?" Elda asked scrunching her forehead.
"We came through the same rip. We have a truce with the Dragons," The Queen said.
"Truce?" Elda was confused.
"Our world was torn by war. We helped each other through the rip. We were content to live far from them, and not start the old rivalries." Jelen said.
"So you used to be at war with the dragons?" Elda was fascinated.
"That was well over a thousand years ago and on a different world," The Queen replied.
"Oh," Elda swung her legs back and forth trying to remember other things, "Did you fight in the Necromancy War?"
"No, we did not," Jelen answered, "By that time we had already built our place between realms."
"Between Realms?" Elda was not sure she understood, "Am I between realms?"
"Yes," The Queen said as she looked at Elda amused.
"There are 6 realms. The realm that the dragons and mortals share, The Realm of Earth, The Realm of Fire, The Realm of Water, The Realm of Air, and The Realm of the Gods of Kalestra." This time, the man with the pipe spoke. Elda squinted at him.
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"Yes, Saido, A Realm or Plane for every mark given to a traveler," Jelen said nodding his head but sounded annoyed, "We chose not to stay with the dragons or Gods."
"So we are between the mortal lands and the elemental realms?" Elda wanted to be sure she understood.
"Yes!" The Queen sounded pleased, "She will be a quick study."
"I have to study?" Elda was worried.
"You will have to learn many things, Little Hatyri," Jelen said warmly.
"What kinds of things?" Elda was curious. She was beginning to like being called Hatyri. Especially by Jelen.
"How to use all the magic in your blood and how to become a warrior," Jelen said.
"Are you going to teach me?" Elda was hopeful.
"When you become what you are meant to be, you may come back for me to teach." Jelen smiled at her.
"And when is that?" Elda prodded.
"Soon Dear One, soon." The Queen interjected. Elda frowned and swung her legs in agitation.
"I need to take my leave," Saido said as he stood up, "King Jelen, could you show me to the mortal realm?"
"Of course," Jelen said as he stood, and kissed Queen Ravena's hand then turned and smiled at Elda, and she beamed her pleasure.
They both watched as the men left the room. Elda did not want Jelen to go.
"That feeling you have around Jelen," The queen said interrupting Elda's thoughts, "Is blood calling to blood."
"Blood?" Elda was confused.
"You are a descendant of his sister," The queen responded, "She always held an unhealthy fascination for mortals."
"I am part Fae?" Elda was interested now.
"Yes. And Dragon," The queen smiled at her.
"Dragon?" Elda questioned, "So I am Draconi?"
"You are more, you are the merging of bloodlines," The queen said.
"What am I supposed to do?" Elda was curious about her so called destiny.
"For now, learn and grow, Little One," The Queen smiled at her.
"And later?" Elda pushed.
"Later, you will be Hatyri," The queen said.
"What is a Hatyri?" Elda was nervous.
"You will be the whisper on every God's lips," The Queen responded eerily and Elda shivered.