Fantasy Unlikely Partners

[Tharivle]

Chris nodded and smiled. If he was upset he didn't let it show. "Ok, then we will leave after dinner. Just know that while the tattoo will fade the effect will not, so if you ever want to come back or need a safe place, you can fly back yourself." Chris looked back down at his food and started eating some more.
Rex was enjoying himself up in the rafters. In addition to there being places to hang out there was also meat scraps up there as well as grassy places so all the companions had some form of food.
A couple people stopped by to say hi to Chris and ask about the pretty girl next to him, but they were all short conversations and after about a half an hour they were both done eating.
"Ready to go?" He asked as he put his vest and belt back on.

 

[Flutterby]

Ilaria looked at Chris silently for a moment, clearly considering saying something. But, as he returned to eating, she eventually decided against it, and did the same. She smiled when people approached to greet Chris, and spoke when it seemed proper, but for the most part people let them be.
About a half hour later, she was comfortably full, and the buzzing in her head had subsided slightly. She looked up, across the room, and watched Rex as he socialized with the other companions, deep in thought. She was brought back to reality as Chris stood and started putting his gear back on, and she nodded.
"Uh.. yup, ready when you are." She said, pulling her one-strap bag back on. The weight of the book rested against her back, and she felt better knowing it was still there.

 

[Tharivle]

"Then if you will indulge me for just a few more minutes there is one last thing I want to show you before we go." Chris didn't really wait for her to answer. He held a hand over his head and snapped his fingers then pointed towards the door. Every companion glanced down in his direction at the same time, but Rex was the only to change what he was doing. Rex trotted down the ramps and vines and reached the door as Chris and Ilaria did.

Chris led them outside and he started off towards the first willow that they came to when they first entered the grove. But instead of going back to the clearing that they had landed in he turned toward the center of the grove. There was a thick cluster of trees that almost looked like a wall, but one could still see in between them. Through the cracks in between the trees a golden light was flickering. Chris walked along the tree line for about 15 yards before coming to a break in the trees that formed an arch that lead into the clearing.
As they entered the clearing it was apparent that the wall of trees went all the way around the clearing and there was only one other break in the wall for another doorway on the opposite side of the clearing. The clearing was a perfect circle and directly in the middle was a tree.

The tree was unlike any ever seen. The trunk was smooth and it appeared to be three trees woven into one as they spiraled upwards before joining into one single trunk before breaking off into branches with leaves. The branches looked soft and pliable, almost like tentacles that were being held up or like how a snake would hold its body up. Small golden flames danced around the branches, flowing from the top of the trunk to the tips of the branches. There were 5 such branches and each had 3 smaller ones that acted in the same way, but they draped down instead of standing up. But the most noticeable feature was the middle of the trunk. The three spirals broke apart so one could see directly through the tree itself, and in the center of the tree hovering there was an amber shard. It pulsed with power sending little flames up the trunk.

Chris stood next to Ilaria for a few seconds looking at the tree, then he glanced down at her and started walking closer. "This is the Sun Spirit...." He whispered. "This tree has not once changed in the few thousand years that it has been here. And it was from the fact that the He chose a tree as his earthly form that we created the grove."
They were about halfway from the door to the tree when Chris stopped and stood gazing at the tree, Rex sat down next to him and was perfectly still and silent. With the canopy covering the evening sun, it was now rather dark, still light enouph to see, but dark enouph to make the flames mesmerizing as they danced up the branches then fell back down along the small ones.

The tree sifted without the wind blowing, its branches moving slowly like the tentacles of an anemone in an ocean current. "Come closer child of the moon...." The voice sounded different but was heard in the same fashion as the willows voice was heard earlier that day. It was a male voice, one would picture a man in his 50s. "I can see my sisters mischievous spark within you... But there is also a noble and kind heart, one worthy of the title you hold amongst the Golden Flame... I know it is difficult for you to be in this grove let alone in my presents... My sister showed me how to shield the light of the sun from those who dwell in the night... Come closer child, let me ease your pain..."
Both Chris and Ilaria heard the voice and Chris stayed where he was and nodded to Ilaria, encouraging her to walk up to the tree.

 

[Flutterby]

Ilaria gave him a look as he stood. He really is a bit of show off, she thought to herself. But she didn't say anything, and followed along behind him with a half smile. As they walked through the grove, she realized that she hadn't paid much attention to the layout of the place, but she didn't care much. It was enough to just look at the trees; the way they grew showed there was some kind of sentience to them. She was amazed and intrigued, and made a mental note to ask Chris about it on the ride home. She thought it must be getting late, there was a golden light flickering through the trees that must be sunset.

They went deeper into the settlement, or at least it gave her the sense of deeper, as the trees became taller and the branches blocked out more of the sun's light. She started to feel a weight in her chest, and the buzzing began in her head again. "Chris.." She whispered, but he had turned into a walkway and didnt seem to hear her. Ilaria turned in behind him, and the feeling increased tenfold.

Before her was the most amazing tree she had ever seen. It looked too supple to be truly wood, but too strong and sturdy to be anything else. Chris looked at her, and started walking closer. She stayed where she was, but if he was listened, she finished his first sentence with him. "The sun spirit." She whispered, her breath becoming a little heavy. Chris approached the tree, going about halfway into the room, but Ilaria didnt go much farther than the entrance. Her feet felt heavy, and if Chris was talking, she couldn't hear him. She wanted to run away, and run and touch it, at the same time. It was pleasureful pain, like the prick of a needle used to shoot up.
She cleared her throat and spoke again, "Chris." It was loud enough for him to hear this time, but it wasn't Chris who answered her. The tree, the spirit, spoke directly to her. Ilaria blinked, several times, as if to clear her head. She glanced at Chris, who nodded, and she walked slowly past him, to stand directly in front of the tree. She could feel the impact of her feet in her temples.
"I dont.." She had to paused and take a deep inhale. "I dont mean disrespect, but I don't think I should even be here, let alone be given a title and granted relief." She meant to speak at a normal level, but all that came out was a whisper.

 

[Tharivle]

"Hm hm hm hm.... And it is for that reason that you are worthy of this gift." He sounded both amused and very pleased at the same time. The trunk leaned closer, the brilliant amber shard now a foot away from her eyes. The closest big branch bent down and the three small branches brushed up against her arms, shoulders and back. The shard flared, and a wave of flame flashed up the trunk then down the branch, then down the small branches then into the soft peddles of leaves, then into Ilaria. As the energy touched Ilaria it both empowered her as if she was using her vampirism ability, and it infused her with a permanent protection spell, blocking the negative effects of sun energy for her.
"There... How do you feel now?" The sun spirit asked.

 

[Flutterby]

Ilaria had to make a true effort to not disagree again, and even more of an effort to not lean away as the tree leaned toward her. This close, every inch made it worse. But she held still, and felt a small chill as the branches brushed her skin. She pushed away the image that popped into her head at the feeling, the tips of her ears glowing pink.
The flame hurt her eyes, and she squeezed them shut. But the next instant, she relaxed. Chris would be able to see her shoulders move downward as she did. The heavy feeling in her chest, the pounding in her temples, the buzzing in her mind, everything instantly went away.
She sighed softly, and her eyes fluttered open.
"Thank you.."

 

[Tharivle]

"Feel free to stay within the grove, and to come and go as you please... And you are most welcome young one......" The voice from the tree drifted off with its last words. The tree straightened back up and the branches returned to their original position. The coils pulled together a bit, mostly blocking the shard from view, but one could still see slivers of gold from within. The fire climbing up the branches also was lessoned. It appeared that the tree had gone to sleep.
Chris walked up to her and asked, "How do you feel?"

 

[Flutterby]

Ilaria stayed where she was, and watched the tree go to sleep. She jumped a little at the sound of Chris's voice.
"Better," She mumbled, and then looked up at him. "A lot better, actually, great." She seemed to look off over his shoulder and lose focus for a moment, and then she shook her head a little, and smiled. "Let's go home."

 

[Tharivle]

"Ok then." Chris replied, then he turned on heel and went out the way they came. He led them back out to the clearing where they first arrived and there was a tree on the side that had an arch in it. It looked like two trees had grown up towards each other and then merged into one trunk. "This is a portal. It will be the same feeling as before but it is activated passively simply by walking under the tree." Rex trotted forward into the arch and disappeared and they could see a gold streak shoot out from the other side off in the direction of the service station. "We don't need a person manning it because we don't care if things leave, it is thing getting in that could be a problem." Chris stepped forward a bit then held his hand out, "After you."

 

[Flutterby]

Ilaria followed with a small chuckle, and waited patiently for Rex to go through the portal. She nodded to Chris, even though she wasn't thrilled at the idea of repeating the feeling. She stepped forward, hesitated, and then went through the arch.
It shot her out on the other side, and when she landed, she had to place her hands on her knees again. This time though, the effect was slightly lessened, thanks to the sun spirit. It occurred to her that if she hadn't been given that gift, she would probably be puking right now.

 

[Tharivle]

Rex was sitting to the side when Ilaria landed, waiting patiently. And Chris chuckled a little when he landed and saw Ilaria again with her hands on her knees. Chris led them around the side and got in the car after opening the door for Rex. It was about 8:45 at night and they were on their way back.

 

[Flutterby]

Ilaria straightened up and followed him to the car, hopping into the passenger seat. Once she was inside and had her seat belt on, she took a deep breath and sighed as she let it out. Even though the sun spirit had given her a good bit of energy, she felt drained. It had been a long day, and a long day in the sun's presence, and there had been so much activity. It felt like ages ago that she had woken up next to Chris.
She looked over at him for a moment, and then said, "You know, I only told you I don't date because I thought you were human." As she said it, she turned her head to look out the window, quietly searching the sky for the moon.

 

[Tharivle]

Chris grinned a little at her commit. and put the car in reverse. "I agreed with you for the same reason." Chris then backed up then pulled out onto the road heading back towards town. There was a little awkwardness between them so he decided to change the subject. "Sorry I didn't mention that the shards were still alive and thinking spirits, I didn't think he would take to you that fast. There are still many mergers that have never heard him speak."

 

[Flutterby]

Ilaria gave a small laugh. "Oh, yeah, that would've been nice to know before I walked in there." She furrowed her brow a little. "I still don't get why the Golden Flame seemed to like me so much. I thought they were.. less accepting of strangers than that." She shook her head a little. "Instead, I feel like I might as well get a pet and move in." Her joke might be a little rude, but she was truly confused about why they had been so friendly. Maybe they just wanted to keep in her good side because of the book.
She finally caught sight of the moon, and her heart thumped a little. She knew that when she got home, she would head down to the beach.

 

[Tharivle]

Chris actually laughed at her joke. "Yeah I didn't paint them as the friendly type, but that is before I decided to make you a secondary. They are friendly with everyone that is a friend, but supper suspicious to those that aren't." Chris let himself smile for a second then added in a little more serious tone, "They are not pets, they are companions and partners. Wile I don't mind much, there are others that get really touchy when using the word 'pet'.".
They drove in silence for a bit then Chris asked, "I'm taking you home correct? You didn't want to go into town right?"

 

[Flutterby]

Ilaria looked over at him, but chose not to comment on him correcting her. He was right, and she had known that before she said it, so it was fair.
She didn't mind the silence, and leaned her head against the cold window. Her mind was elsewhere, but she responded quickly when he spoke. "Yeah, unless you know a better place to look at the moon than the beach." She said casually, watching her breath cloud the glass a little.

 

[Tharivle]

Chris smiled and answered, "No, I don't think I know a better place." They drove the last few minutes in silence, and he pulled down her long driveway then up to the house. "We have arrived."

 

[Flutterby]

Ilaria unbuckled quickly, and climbed out if the car. She smiled at Chris, and jogged around the side of the house. She looked over her shoulder at him as she rounded the corner, but then she disappeared from sight, silver hair bouncing.
In the small backyard, there was a little porch with a hammock strung across it, and a worn oath to a set of stairs. Ilaria's sneakers thumped softly on the wooden stairs as she went down them, followed by the crunching sound of her feet hitting the pebble-covered beach. She slowed to a walk now, and moved to the middle of the tiny stretch of beach. She stopped, and unceremoniously plopped down to lay on her back and look up at the sky.

 

[Tharivle]

Chris looked through the back and asked, "What do you think Rex? Want to go hang out for a bit." Rex gave a soft growl and a little nip of a bark. "Me too."
Chris turned the car off and got out. He took off his vest and police belt, and locked them in the trunk. Then started off around the side of the house where Ilaria went. Rex trotted along in front of him leading the way down to the beach. They both caught view of her as she was sitting down.
The moon was full and bright. Rex ran up to Ilaria and laid down next to her on her left. He nosed her to get her attention. Chris followed at a walk, sitting down next to her on her right. "Moon looks beautiful tonight. Mind if we join you for a few minutes?"

 

[Flutterby]

Ilaria had her eyes shut as they approached her, but it was obvious who it was from the way the pebbles moved under their feet. She didn't open her eyes until Rex nosed her, but when he did, she reached over and gently ruffed up his ears. "Hello, baby, how are you? Do you want to see the Moon Mother too?" She spoke softly to the wolf, before turning her head to look at Chris. The moonlight hit his face at an angle, shadowing his jaw in a way that made her heart thump.
She shook her head, and whispered. "You have to be quiet though. It's harder to do this during my death month, but I really want to see her." She then nodded, as if agreeing with herself on his behalf, and turned her head to face the sky again, her eyes drifting shut.
Ilaria's lips moved wordlessly, as she mouthed the words she was saying in her head. After several minutes, she opened her eyes, and sat up. And then, she pointed out over the water, and told Chris, "Look."
About 10 feet offshore, standing on the surface of the water, was the figure of a woman, formed entirely by tiny stars. It was as if the night sky had come down, and formed itself inside of a mold. She had long hair, and appeared to be wearing a shawl draped over her head and down her shoulders. Ilaria stood up slowly, appearing to have lost a little bit of energy, and motioned for Chris to stay where he was.

 

[Tharivle]

Rex picked up his head to watch but stayed laying down, and Chris stayed where he was and watched silently only nodding at her directions.

 

[Flutterby]

Ilaria could feel the warmth at the back of her neck, where her moon mark was glowing softly. She and the star-woman moved entirely in sync, like mirror images, as they approached one another. When Ilaria lifted and placed her foot, so did the figure on the water. They met at the point where the waves couldnt wet the sand anymore, Ilaria standing on the first dry sand and the figure standing on the last wet sand.
They stood and stared at each other for a moment, and then, in unison, laced their fingers together and leaned their foreheads to touch. They stood like that, frozen, for several minutes, even breathing in a reflection of one another. To Chris, it might seem like the other being wasn't sentient, just a projection of Ilaria.
The mirror play was broken after they leaned away; Ilaria took a few steps back, but the star-woman stayed where she was. Her head turned, and she looked at Chris. Even though her eyes held no color, one could almost tell they were once blue. She seemed to nod at him, very slightly. And then her form crumbled, the stars turned into a trail of sparkle, and it spiraled upward before shooting softly into the spot on Ilaria's forehead that had touched the figure's.
That was the length of the Moon Mother's visit.

 

[Tharivle]

Chris waited patiently, saving questions till she returned and seemed ready to talk. "What was that? It couldn't have been the Moon Spirit. All the spirits fell and it would take more power than they have to be able to appear without the presence of their shard?" Chris was confused but in a good way, because this was a beautiful and encouraging thing, but he was still lost as to the how and what he just saw.

 

[Flutterby]

Ilaria sighed, and she turned on her heel and walked back over to him. Her eyes were a little distant, like she wasn't fully out of a trance yet. There was a glowing white star in the center of her forehead, with 8 slender points, but it was already beginning to fade. She held out a hand to him, offering to help him up.
"That was the Moon Spirit," She said, disagreeing with him softly. "Well, the part of her that is connected to me. Its different, than with the Golden Flames, Chris. I don't know how to explain it. Its nice though, she brings peace." Once he was on his feet, her hand lingered, and then she started to lead the way back to the house. "Its like the piece thats in me, connects with the piece thats out there somewhere, and then she's here. We had a good talk. Maybe if we find her shard, you can talk to her too." There was a moment of silence, and then she spoke again. "Youre welcome to stay here tonight, if you don't want to drive back into town now. Time passes funny when I do that." Even though it had felt like only a few minutes on the beach, it had been almost an hour. Her cottage was about 12 minutes away from town, which wasn't long, but it was long enough to fall asleep behind the wheel if one was tired enough.

 

[Tharivle]

Chris let her help him up, and noticed she didn't let go. But he didn't mind. He let her guide him back to the house and wile they were walking he said, "It is rather late. I will stay if you will have me." Chris gave her hand a little squeeze then released it as they got back to the porch. "By the way, sorry about being harsh earlier today, wasn't very nice to jump to conclusions about you."