Meeting (3)
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“My defeat was regrettable, to say the least, but it wasn’t final.” Fiona's affirmation was strong enough for me to feel it through her grip.
“Gabriel didn’t come out of our little scuffle unscathed either. Before that scoundrel could try anything else though, his victory was rendered completely meaningless because another deity had descended down to Rakia. I’m not sure why, but as soon as his competition appeared, his forces began withdrawing from my domain to strengthen their position, resulting in the separation of this country.”
“You lost to Gabriel, the bad guy? Then; how are you still...” the words trailed off on their own. A part of me wasn’t sure I was capable of finishing that sentence with enough weight.
The words felt too heavy.
“Well, I suppose its what you would call a miracle my dear.” she told me confidently, loosening her grip for a moment. “The thing is Liam, for a deity, dying works in a completely different way than it does for normal people. So long as the right conditions are met, we will come back to life eventually.”
“Isn’t that what they call immortality?” I quizzed, sitting up curiously.
“Well yes, its something like that but there was still a problem. My life is intrinsically linked to the forest itself, so even if I were to ‘die’ temporarily, the state of the forest would reflect that and its overall hospitality would gradually begin to decline. That would cause nothing but trouble for the elves since it would spell the end of our pact and ultimately, their migration. If I was out of commission then this place would be a lot less secure, people would invade and the elves would have to flee and run the risk of capture. That’s when one of your late ancestor’s made quite the daring proposal.”
“....What happened?”
I was eager to learn more. These deities apparently possessed a variety of methods to cheat death, and I was determined to uncover them all.
With another light chuckle, she patted my head gracefully.
“You kind of remind me of her, you know. Your bloodline seems to share that latent curiosity for some reason.”
“.....”
Amused by my drooping jaws, she lifted her smile a little and continued with more melody to her tone.
“Well, you remember how I told you that us Nymphs are born of nature? It basically means that we are large amalgamations of life force and mana, both of which are things even regular people can harness. Under normal circumstances, anyone who tried such a thing would of course perish instantly, but this time was different. After my defeat, my physical form could no longer sustain that power and it was slowly beginning to seep out, leaking into the land.”
This time her hands stopped completely.
“Since my demise would cause problems, some silly girl ran up to me on the battlefield. She was covered in sweat and scrapes, looking like a lost child and streaming a river of tears. I wasn’t particularly upset about it but then—the silly girl—made an even sillier suggestion. “Use my body!” she said, loud and clear. Even though she was supposed to be wed after all the fighting was done, even though she was about to start a family....”
She killed the slight croak in her voice with a pause, then resumed speaking with a faint hint of remorse lurking behind that wistful tone.
“Elves live long lives—far longer than humans. They naturally possess a potent well of life force that keeps them from ageing the same way humans do. Since I was weakened dramatically, it created the opportunity for a miracle to happen. I could inhabit the body of a suitable host to harness some of that life force and recover faster so that the state of the forest could, at the very least, remain the same. It was the perfect chance, one that wouldn’t come without repercussions. Whoever made the decision to act as my host would have their life span shortened considerably...and despite knowing that she agreed.”
An ultimatum. I figured that's what it would come to in the end.
Escaping one’s fate would always come with a price, not even a literal deity could work around that. Fiona—for all her magnanimity—must have her qualms about that thousand-year-old sacrifice.
“She was successfully able to merge with my soul, however the price was steep. Her life that should have normally spanned centuries was cut down to a measly few decades; however, her legacy would inevitably go on to leave a much larger ripple in this world. Unbeknownst to us at the time, she was actually carrying a child who ended up being born while our souls were still merged.”
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
I recognized the pattern long before she could even finish speaking. Though this time, my reaction was a lot less tame compared to before.
"That child was born with a strange symbol on his forehead and grew up to wield immense power. He was unlike any other being on this continent and couldn’t logically be compared to something as familiar as an elf or a human. Over time, he became known as a ‘druid’—a bearer of divine power. He forged his own legacy, and within a few generations, a significant split emerged within Sylvan’s population. To be precise, the bloodline diverged. Though small in number, the druids eventually established themselves as their own race. And that, my dear, is how your people came to be."
“....”
“Your reaction is a little lackluster. Given all it took for use to get to this point I was honestly expecting something a little more dramatic from a child.” Fiona remarked flippantly. Her intuition wasn’t exactly correct since I was struggling to stop my jaws from malfunctioning. I was even more surprised this time, though my lack of reaction stemmed from struggling to find the words to express that surprise.
She leaned into view and stole a glance at my frantic face, smiling pleasantly at the sight.
“Mhm that’s more like it~” she said, slapping me on the back to convey her approval.
“Oww-Huh? Wait, it doesn’t hurt anymore!?”
The striking pain I was expecting to erupt from her flippant gesture barely registered even with all the moisture sticking to my skin.
“I told you I would be done soon, didn’t I? You had quite a few internal injuries and bone fractures that required a more precise approach to things than just simply leaving you to wash in that well for days. People often think healing magic can work miracles but it's really nothing more than just using someone's stamina as the fuel to accelerate their recovery, and even then, it still requires a certain amount of precision to treat certain wounds.”
That explanation kind of sounded like a lecture, though I didn’t particularly mind at the moment. I was far too engrossed in the process of examining myself from head to toe as soon as the vines released me from their tender grip.
Thankfully, everything felt normal again.
“Lady Fiona, thank you for all you’ve done for me. I really appreciate it!” grinning with the affirmation, I meant to gesture of a bow but she stopped me rather casually. Her index finger wouldn’t allow me to dip my head, rather than doing that she lifted my chin and surprisingly...pulled me in for a hug.
“There’s no need for that my child. Seeing as you’ve already awakened the signum it serves as living proof of our connection. I mean we’re practically related in a roundabout sort of way. I’m like your second grandma.”
Her embrace felt different from Julia’s. If I had to put a word to it, the sensation felt more soothing.
“...and on that note Liam, welcome home. If my guess is right, your grandfather has already set his mind on his own little scheme so I recommend you start getting used to this place.”
“I’ll remember that.” I answered, smiling wryly.
“Oh, by the way I have a question. Since you said that we’re related does that mean I’m related to everyone else here too?”
Fiona shook her head, them patted mine.
“No, my dear. At first, elves were the only ones living in this forest, but after the first crusade, their bloodline diverged when I merged with an elf. Druids are a blend of divine spirit and elf, which is why some of them can access the Signum. Over the generations, distinct bloodlines have formed, so no, you’re not literally related to everyone here.”
The implication that I might have shared familial ties with hundreds, if not thousands of elves and druids had me mentally preparing myself to memorize a number of important names and faces. Alas, it seems that my concerns were mostly unwarranted—at least not to an extreme extent.
“Well, you certainly look jolly all of a sudden. I appreciate your ability to remain optimistic inside this dark and gloomy place.”
“I’m just glad I'm not stuck with all that pain anymore.” I said, replying contently. “The darkness is fine too, I can still see everything around us but I would like to go outside soon. Can we?”
Though I had no problem with it, that didn’t mean I wanted to stay in this place. It was still far too soon for me to go back to that kind of lifestyle.
“Of course, that won’t be a problem. Your parents arrived a little while ago too so its about time we go see them.”
“Wait they’re here? They came that quickly?”
“Liam, it’s been days since they found you washed up by the ravine. I took it upon myself to heal you personally, but you've been out for quite some time. And while Sylvan may be large, there are faster ways to get around the settlements here, you know.”
My perception of things must still need work. Even now I could vividly recall being swept away by the Brimwell’s current as if the entire thing had just happened a few hours ago.
“Okay then I’d like to go see them, my parents.”
With a reserved nod, Fiona reached for my hand and pulled me along.
“Alright, lets have you get a proper look at your homeland then.”