„Their destiny was so tragic,” Samaya said, barely heard, while sitting on the white rock, right next to the Waterfall of Fireflies.

  Being with her back to the forest, Samaya didn’t see Nathaniel coming, but he saw her. However, he decided not to approach her, seeing her so thoughtful because he believed that she needed some time to organize her ideas, which she would share later with others too.

  Eventually, seeing that the girl continued stunned, similar to a stone statue about to dissipate, the young man approached her and touched her shoulder: „whose destiny you say was tragic?”

  „Of the two Masters of the daggers of Soul.”

  „The daggers of Soul? How do you know this?” Nathaniel insisted on his interrogation while sitting down next to her.

  Yet, Samaya preferred to watch the water surface gloss, as if it was telling her stories at that moment, instead of looking into the man’s glance. „I keep seeing this in front of my eyes, like a painting, since I came back from the Desert of Oblivion. I don’t know the reason, but I think that their fate was sent to me too, and not only their memories.”

  „Why do you think so? Do you feel something different now?”

  „Yes. I feel how my soul burns inside me, even if there isn't any arson, any pain, any disappointment there. Yet, this weird feeling is so alive, so difficult to carry inside.”

  Eventually, Samaya looked at him: „tell me, Nathaniel, what will you do if one day you have the possibility to change your past? Would you interfere in it?”

  Nathaniel sighed and he was who stared at the lake this time. „I don’t know. I'll probably cry a lot because there's nothing else I can do. The past can’t be changed. Just as the hatred and the complaints don’t help us in anything. People can only have memories and remorse about their past life and that it wasn’t different from what they lived, as they wished it to be. But even so, there’s nothing there that they can change.”

  „And yet, let’s say you have the power to change the past, will you do this?”

  The man stared into her eyes, which were full of melancholy and questions. „No, Samaya. I won’t ever change something from what I’ve lived till today.”

  „Why not? It can be a chance to live better.”

  „Or worse. Don’t forget that we have only one fate, but we are so many. What I want might not coincide with what others want. Thus, I’m nobody to interfere and change Fate. I’m nobody to decide someone’s future. Anyway, who guarantees me that if I change something it will be better than todays?”

  „Your heart?!”

  „No, Samaya. People’s hearts, as the heart of each creature of Earth or of Cosmos, changes with every passing second. The same happens to their souls: fear sneaks in and then everything is lost. Better not to change anything or at least not to interfere because it’s enough that Fate itself is fickle.”

  The two young people kept silent and stared into each other’s eyes, in which a kind of sympathy or love was awakening because what their lips couldn’t tell loudly, it was better felt in their heart, which knew better people’s fickle destiny and their future.

***

  Fenrir’s group kept spying on King Goyan’s camp, which was completely asleep at that late hour of the night, but which still had a kind of weird aura floating around it as if something evil was approaching the forest on tiptoe - an evil that nobody was able to feel.

  Thus, laying with his back against the thick trunk of a tree, which was slowly shivering its leaves in the warm gust of wind, Fenrir closed his eyes and waited because even if he was so preoccupied with Samaya, not knowing if she returned or not from Chaos’s world already, he preferred to keep that concern for himself only and not to share it with anybody.

  Yet, he suddenly opened his eyes feeling that someone was laying his head on his chest. But he quickly calmed down, seeing Sephir next to him. „What a release,” he thought and hugged her.

  „I can feel anxiety in your chest, young wolf,” Sephir whispered, who loved to call him like this, as a kind of whisper of love between the two, because she found it strange to call him „Fenrir” when they were alone. „Something happens?”

  „No. I’m just preoccupied with Samaya. The fact that I don’t know anything about her makes me feel that I want to go back or reach the sky only to be sure that she’s fine. But such power I don’t have, I can only hope that she’ll be back soon. More than that, we’ve never been that long far from each other and this makes me worry even more.”

  „Why so? Don’t you trust Samaya or aren’t you that sure she’ll make it?”

  „It’s not because I don’t trust her. I don’t trust the world in fact because this world made a perfect copy of her that lurks to find her alone and hurt her.”

  „And yet, the world trusts you, young wolf because you have, in your heart, the power to convince others that things go well and that they must go further,” and, looking at Fenrir’s face, who was with his eyes closed and holding her between his arms, she thought that that mystical connection of them made him look so beautiful in her eyes. „And still, Fenrir, your face reflects peace. This means Samaya is fine.”

  „Do you think so?”

  „I’m sure about this because twins have a special connection, as a kind of energetical, inner channel, through which they are sending their feelings to the other person. Thus, if Samaya was in danger, you had felt that. Instead, there’s only the matter that you think she won’t make it without you. However, she’s strong and she’s not alone: she’s with Father Chaos and Hestia in the Cosmos while, on Earth, Nathaniel will protect her because that young man has beautiful feelings for her and he won’t ever allow her to suffer.”

  Fenrir frowned: „I’m more afraid about the danger that lurks on her while she’s next to Nathaniel than about other kinds of dangers.”

  „Dangers? What kinds of dangers”

  Fenrir opened his eyes and smiled, looking into his wife’s eyes. „Nathaniel and Samaya alone, in a Glade surrounded by darkness. Just like we have been… one night… and a lot of things can happen…,” but a nudge received in his stomach forced him to be silent.

  „Your tongue can say a lot of things, as your mind can also think a lot, but you should trust humans more. Especially, you should trust love more. It can do wonders,” but even if she tried, with all her strength to release herself from her husband’s hug, while she was reflecting anger on her face, Sephir found it impossible because Fenrir was tightly holding her to his chest, bringing her closer to his body, and their in-love hearts started to beat at the same time as if they were two clocks whose rhythmical sound was heard around.

  Nature around was also calm, lurking at the magic floating between the lovers and a magic wave approached the earth, quickly moved onto it, winding through herbs and tents till it reached Goyan’s tent...

***

  The king was still awake, despite the late hour of the night. He was sitting at the table from the center of the tent, with the dagger Eftir Daudann in front of him while Goyan’s eyes were staring at the shine of the dagger's blade, illuminated by the fire of the candle.

  That reflection of the light of the candle on the blade of the dagger had drawn, on the cloth walls of the tent, figures a long time ago forgotten in Goyan’s memories, but which seemed so real, as if those events took place yesterday only, reminding about the War of Beasts, which released the People of the Sun from Nomads’bondage, the war where a lot of innocent souls lost their life.

  „It’s sad in the age of war,” Goyan whispered and, raising his glance from Eftir Daudann, he looked at the painting and a sad smile showed in the corner of his lips when two swords had been noisily crossed, hit by two of the figures of Goyan’s imagination. But still, the noise of the metal, touching another one, resounded throughout the tent.

  Goyan stood up from his beautifully engraved, wooden chair and approached the image on the cloth walls. Stretching his hand, Goyan touched the silhouette of a young woman, who was holding one of the swords, and the king moved his hand onto her figure.

  Eventually, he touched her face, and, in the corner of his eyes, a tear showed up. „Why is this fate so cruel to us, grandma? These people were born from you, but it seems that I’ll bring its end because running after immortality I forgot about your teachings.”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  As if the figure turned its face toward Goyan, changing its position, it hit with the sword and, on the cloth of the tent, a deep cut could be seen, as if it was real, but it soon disappeared as the figures disappeared too.

  But Goyan didn’t get scared of those pink elephants because he had seen them before, but he never understood their meaning.

  After that, he returned to the table and took the dagger in his hand, moving his forefinger on the sharp blade. Then, a thread of red blood slipped on the skin when Goyan pressed on the blade, but he made no sound because namely then he remembered about Marry’s death, who killed herself with the same weapon: „and still women are stupid,” the king whispered. „Some of them die for love, some of them for a cause I don’t even understand. But yet, we can’t live without them as there won’t be any future without them and we are who must make that future better.”

  Goyan’s trusted servant entered in the tent and bent in front of the king, standing like this, with his bowed head, till the king turned toward him and looked at him.

  „Something happens, Briado? Why did you show up in front of me at this late hour in the night?”

  „It seems that we have visitors!”

  „Visitors? Who?” Goyan asked, amazed.

  „I don’t know who they are, but I’m sure that I’ve never seen them before. And, there’s something strange with them - a kind of lighting aura floating around. They stopped not too far from our camp. Yet, they did nothing special, but I’m sure that they are waiting for somebody or for something and, because of this, they are lurking in our camp now. Should I…?”

  „No. Let them wait, as we’ll do! I’m sure that we’ll find out soon why are they here. You can go! I need to be alone and think about this!”

  „Yes, my Lord!” Briado said and, crawling back, he exited the tent because it was something offensive for the king if someone was turning his back to him when leaving a place. That’s why everybody was forced to crawl back till he was out of Goyan’s sight.”

  After his servant's departure, Goyan didn’t turn to the table, even if it has been his intention at first. Instead, he approached the bed, put the dagger under the pillow, and lay down on the bed, covering his body with a white sheet.

  The blood was still dripping from his finger and red beads were coloring the white of the sheet, but it didn’t bother Goyan, who sweetly yawned and closed his eyes. „Interesting times we’re living,” he said and he turned his back to the door of the tent. „I’ll think about it tomorrow. Today I’ll better remember pleasant times.”

  While saying this, his words resounded more and more weakly, till they became only whispers, then murmurs, a sign that Goyan fell asleep.

  Then, the tent then sank in silence and only the light of the candle still fought for a while with the outside night that was so stubborn to enter the tent.

  Eventually, the light faded off at the moment its tallowed body melted, and, instead of a beautiful candle, was nothing left than a pile of memories.

***

  Old Gaea, accompanied by Kaerlleikans and Upprisinn, were slowly advancing on the narrow and twisted streets of the City of the Sun.

  The city was empty at that hour of the day, even if, at Sunset, the life of the city should be back to life.

  Instead, the emptiness was slowly moving its wings above the city and was fully enjoying seeing nobody on the streets, which were having a gray shade at that moment instead of a golden one because Nomads were forbidding locals to leave their houses during the day or gather in groups more than five people and this because they were afraid of a rebellion because even if they were ruling more than four centuries already the danger of being chased away was closer than ever thanks to Obregon’s army which became even fiercely than until that moment while Nomads were weaker as days go by.

  „It’s the changing time,” Gaea whispered and the girls looked in the same direction as the Titanide, and they also saw a dried tree, from top to roots, which was barely standing, but its big, wooden body, slowly rocked by the wind, was threatening to destroy everything around if falling.

  „Why don't they take it down?” Upprisinn asked in a whisper, more approaching the Titanide. „This tree is so old. I’m surprised that it’s still standing. If they take it down…”

  „Nomads won’t do this, even if Earth punishes them for this because this tree was planted here when Nomads had taken over this City and its falling will mean the falling of the Nomads too.”

  „Has this tree four hundred years already?” Kaerlleikans asked Gaea, stunned.

  „I think that this tree is older than four centuries. However, even if it seems so ruined and ready to fall, this tree will last as long as Nomads will be in this realm and if it falls, they'll do this together: tree and people,” the bold Titanide answered.

  „What if Obregon’s army won’t make it and Nomads will continue to rule the City?” Upprisinn said and carefully looked around.

  „Then this tree will be back to life. As Nomads, if it’s so because Cedar is the favorite tree of the Master of the Universe and his boundless love for these wooden creatures is something invaluable,” Gaea answered.

  „Cedar?” Upprisinn asked in amazement. „I thought that Cedar grows up only in the Asian lands, far away from these realms. How’s this possible that this tree is here?”

  Gaea stopped and, stretching her back, she noticed a slow movement not that far from them, a sign that Obregon’s spy was still after them. „It’s a long story the story of this tree. But… I think it’s worthy to tell it to you,” Gaea whispered with tenderness as if she remembered a great period of her life. „Let’s approach the Cedar. Its scent helps me remember better his history.”

  The three women carefully approached the roots of Cedar seen not too far from them. And the closer they were to the Cedar the more ruined looked the tree. But even so, the shivering of its dried branches, the clink of its numb trunk, and the heaviness of the aerial roots were telling their sad story to the world.

  Getting next to it, Gaea touched the dried trunk and closed her eyes deeply inhaling the Cedar scent in her chest. Then she smiled, slowly rocking her body, and a beautiful melody was heard around.

  Amazed, the girls looked around. „What’s this, Mother Earth? What sweet melody is heard playing?” They asked at the same time.

  „Some people call this music the Song of Aeon. Others call it the Song of the Soul. I prefer to call it the Song of Cedar instead because this is a piece of unique music sung by everyone with his own voice. That’s why I consider it the Music of Everybody.”

  „But… how can a tree sing? It has no voice, no vocal cords,” Kaerlleikans asked and this innocent question of hers made Gaea look at her with wide-open eyes.

  „Doesn’t it have no voice, you say? Doesn’t it have any vocal cords?! You are wrong now, child, for... even if not everybody hears this, and I mean people here, the trees talk. Yes, they talk - in their clumsy and weird manner, but their wise words last for centuries because they are carried in the clothes of the wind, are kept in the body of the time, are whispered by the sun, and are feared by the night because whoever heard this ancient talk knows that trees hate evil, hate axes and everything that damages their home but when they are happy, they sing and their song can be heard all over.”

  „And… this tree, what does it sing about, Mother Earth?” Upprisinn asked, approaching the Titanide and her soft palm touched the dried trunk of Cedar, making it sigh in pleasure and slowly rock its crown as if Cedar wanted to keep the sweet touch of the girl inside it.

  Gaea sat down on an aerial root, which seemed so big that a dwarf could call it without being mistaken „as bigger as the world” and, as if the Titanide was embracing the tree, she touched her wrinkly face from the wrinkled bark. „It sings about the War of the Beasts, a long long time ago forgotten by this world.”

  Both girls approached her: Upprisinn sat down on another root while Kaerlleikans preferred to sit down on the warm ground. „The War of the Beasts? Is this the war that master Dike mentioned in your house?”

  „Yes, you are right, Upprisinn,” Gaea said while looking at the horizon past them. „I remember this War as if it took place yesterday. A lot of blood was shed then. Many tears washed our Earth but still, the City of the Sun gave up in front of the enemy and has been forced to kneel in front of him, in silence.”

  „But… why do they call it the War of the Beasts? As far as I know, only by hearing it, it was a war between humans,” Kaerlleikans asked with curiosity.

  „Good question,” Gaea said this time and looked at the girl. „But there’s still a trace of truth in the history of this name because, in that war, humans transformed themselves into beasts and they tore each other until their body was badly bleeding and the defeated people didn’t kneel in front of the winner.”

  „Then, Nomads had been the beasts in this war, isn’t it?” Upprisinn asked while looking at a running spider onto the gnarly bark of Cedar.

  „Here you are wrong, my child. The People of the City of the Sun had been the Beasts in that war. But, as no beast has a heart, Earth punished them and took the gift of their realm from them. Yet, today it seems that those beasts had been reborn and are looking to drown Earth in tears and blood again.”

  „But, Mother Earth, I can't figure out which side you support," Kaerlleikans asked. „From your words, I’m tempted to think that you’re by Nomads'side, but the meaning of those words is so confused and makes me think that your heart is by the side of the People of the Sun. Eventually, by whose side, are you?”

  Gaea smiled. Even if the girl’s question was confusing, it seemed perfect for her because even if she tried not to be by someone’s side, her heart was still by the side of the locals, who were venerating her Son, Helyos and a mother couldn't be indifferent to those who glorified her son's name.

  „And yet, I’m by nobody’s side,” Gaea answered even if it was a lie. „I prefer to act so because they all are my children and, as their mother, I might love them all.”

  „It cannot be impartiality in this world,” Upprisinn eventually said. „Accepting this or not, we don’t love the same: neither the world nor our family because we love someone for his beauty, another one for his wisdom, and the third for a sense of humor, and even if we love all the three their soul wins or loses something onto the Balance of our Soul. This way, we also differently love.”

  Gaea had no answer to this remark and she said nothing else, not because she had nothing to say but because she decided to be honest to herself and to the world and, this way, to allow the world to decide what is good and what is wrong for itself.