If it wasn't so dark already, Blake was sure she would have missed it. But there it was, a glowing, flickering red light inside a dirty jar on the other side of the river. Was it magical? Yes. Dangerous? Possibly so.
She chose to retrieve it anyway. But with the rushing waters in front of her, there was no way for her to ford it on her own. Thankfully, though, it was not necessary.
She closed her eyes, the world becoming even darker than before. Letting her mind wander, she thought back to the joys of her past. Her first act of sorcery - a tuning spell from animal bones. The joy that came from greeting one of the few clanmates she somehow managed to form a friendship with. Grilled fish over a fire with the company of the ones that helped put it there. The comfort of familiar, warm, protecting arms.
All magic was driven by feeling.
"Father, please retrieve that for me."
The gravel in front of her began to shake. A low rumble rose above the din of water, and soon a large hand rose from the ground. Reaching out, she grasped the flesh and with a low grunt she began to pull. One arm followed the other to push up against the ground, and soon a barrel-chested man stood in front of her.
Her father was still as pristine as the day her parents consigned their bodies to her - skin untouched by rot, eyes bright, hair neat and combed. The only thing that betrayed his death was the pale and cold skin from the lack of warm blood in him. But a shred of his soul still remained - he smiled as a gentle hand fell upon her shoulder in greeting. Even if he couldn't speak anymore, this was enough.
Without another moment to waste, however, he began his steady trek through the deep waters and his head sunk below the top as he walked the river bottom. A moment later he rose up again as he approached the far shore. As he drew close to the jar, the light gently flashed and for a moment Blake felt a spurt of concern. But then the light resumed its normal glow and she set aside her worries for now.
If it was dangerous, it would have reacted the moment her father's hands gently fell upon the glass. In a smooth step, he began to make his way back through the waters. But as he entered them, the light blinked rapidly, perhaps out of brief terror. He paused, though, as if recognizing something. In a careful and slow movement, he raised the jar above his head and continued to walk. And while the river crashed above his hair and feline ears to brush at his hands, the vessel itself remained relatively dry.
And even though they were closer now, it was still difficult to see what exactly the jar contained. Caked in a thin layer of dried mud, the only thing that seemed to escape was the soft red light beneath it.
"Thank you, father. That is all for now," she looked up at his warm smile. That was, until he flicked the water at her face, and she gave a scoff. "Even in death you haven't changed."
But as she watched his smile grow, his chuckling dancing in the air as the gravel opened up to swallow his form again, Blake knew that she wouldn't have it any other way. With a sigh, she walked up to the river banks to kneel by the waters, gently washing the dirt from the jar. Only when she was satisfied that it was clean enough did she stop and begin to eye the insides.
It was the smallest fairy she had ever seen. With a short bob of dark hair that turned red at the tips, she was adorned in red flower petals. And to perfectly match them was a beautiful set of red wings. They were two pairs of translucent, shimmering, sparkling, mesmerizing appendages, wider towards the base and narrower at the tips. Like butterflies, if their wings were akin to stained glass.
So this is what the glow was. "No doubt you've an interesting story to tell me, but I think you would appreciate it more if I let you out first." The fairy inside said nothing. If anything, her legs only drew closer to her chest. But it didn't seem to be out of fear or dejection. Her tired gaze bored into hers through the glass, as if scared of the hope Blake offered her.
And the moment she went to unscrew the top, she knew why. As much as she tried to turn the metal, it remained shut. But as her fingertips took a rest from the twisting, she let her mind mull over the imprint it left upon her hands. In spite of its circular top, she recalled its deeper features. Hard edges. Strength in unity of form, of triangles forming parallelograms forming trapezoids and then finally hexagons. Unbreakable. The work of a metal weaver.
But there were a few grooves, tiny imperfections. When Blake's hands fell to the top again, it was simply a matter of her fingers occupying the right spots to match the uneven divots and a gentle touch of force.
All magic was driven by feeling - both emotional and physical.
Click
She peered into the jar from the side. The fairy was still looking up, as if spellbound by the open top. But it was not for long. Rising to her feet, she gave a mighty leap and her wings began to move, carrying her out of the jar and into the crisp evening air.
Yet even that was short-lived. As her body glowed that bright red that very first attracted her eyes, she slowed down. Perhaps she had hoped to try and fly away, and to that Blake was pliant - a fairy was nothing unusual, and for however long she walked this plane it would not be the last one for her to see. But the fairy returned, light growing dimmer, body traveling slower, height plummeting lower. It was a miracle that she all but crash unto her outstretched palm.
"I'm… I'm sorry to bother you, but," her wings were no longer neatly folded, but instead were drooping from her back. Her shoulders heaved to lift her head up to look over her shoulder, "Can you take me to that flower?"
Blake let her eyes follow her extended arm and sure enough there was a small bush full of thorns. But at the very top of it was a single blooming rose. Summer had ended not too long ago, and she had seen enough seasons to know that flowers normally did not bloom at this time of year.
"Luck behooves you this evening, and perhaps not a moment too soon." She carefully walked over. "This bud opened late."
"I've been eying it across the river," The fairy huffed, exhausted. "Please, bring me to it."
Without another word, Blake brought her hand to the flower, and the fairy crawled her way into its center. "Th-Thank you… I… I don't-"
"Shhh… Have your fill of nectar and rest for now." With one last cast over the river bank, Blake figured that here was as good as any to call it a night. "And if you're still here in the morning, perhaps we can talk more then."
The only thing thing that let Blake know that she was still in there was the soft rustling of petals, and even that came to a standstill. And as much as she wanted to help the fairy, even she was resigned to the fact that there was nothing left to do at this point. Going back to the river bank, she retrieved the jar.
She didn't dare think to use it on any living being after this evening, even temporarily. But perhaps there were a few other things the unbreakable container would be handy for - like a makeshift lamp. A simple rite would have an undying flame going in no time.
Sleeping beneath the stars was a nice way for Blake to say that she didn't have much to make sleeping more comfortable. She was far from her clan territory, and with the days getting colder, it certainly made the evenings a bit of a hassle. Crawling out from beneath her thin blanket, her eyes opened unto the river bank again, and she let out a sigh.
It certainly helped to keep the jar beneath the blanket, but that didn't make the sting of air any less shocking. At least breaking camp was easy - aside from the blanket, there was little else to put away.
Then again, though, being by a river would provide the benefit of a quick wash. And with the possibility of fresh fish, maybe she could take a little longer before she got started on her way again.
But as she turned her head to the side, she spotted the lone red rose again. Thoughts of the fairy came back, and she slowly made her way towards it. "Hello!" she called out, "By chance are you still here?"
No return of voice. But the flower wiggled, and the center of it glowed briefly. Blake's shoulder's fell in relief - so she had made it through the night after all. She didn't look the worst, but she was still worried for her.
Satisfied for now, she turned back to the river, ready to try and start her day. But a little after her wash and a brief dive for fish, the voice came back to surprise her.
"H-Hello!"
It was sudden, and since she was in the middle of cooking the fish she just caught, Blake was embarrassed at how she nearly jumped at it. But she reminded herself that there was no need for fear, and turned to the fairy. She seemed a little brighter, healthier, and most certainly happier.
"It is good to see that you're doing better," she returned to tending her breakfast. "I was worried at your failed flight, but it would appear that it is unneeded now."
The fairy came to settle down a small distance from the flame."Yes, it was a welcome reprieve from my prison. I was always been interested in the magic of humans, but…"
Words didn't have to continue past that point. It was clear to see what had happened. "How long ago did it occur?"
"Maybe a year," she wrung her tiny hands together. "In exchange for my life, I would be an assistant to them, and we never seemed to stay in one place. And on the last travel… well, it's pretty easy to see what happened."
And she was trapped on the river's edge ever since. "I'm sorry to hear." But as she tended to her food, the fairy said nothing, only drawing her knees closer to herself. There was more to be said. "You look like you have a question to ask. Come now, out with it." She cast a small smile at her, "I don't look that scary, do I?"
An uncomfortable smile rose on her own face, and for a moment Blake regretted her directness. But the fairy began to speak again. "Well, you see… I don't know where I am. And though I'm sure I can eventually find my way, winter will be here soon. It will be difficult to traverse these lands. Um… Kindest stranger, would you-"
"Blake."
Her lips thinned momentarily. "Then, Blake, would you be able to assist with returning me to my homelands? To the Everforest? I don't have much to repay you with, but I have no other recourse."
To this she was set to ponder. With her aimless travels, there was never truly a goal. And while she craved to feel the glowing moons of her homeland at times, she felt that her own journey was yet unfinished.
She had lived on this world for two hundred years. What was one more destination to add to the list?
"What is your name, fairy?"
"Ruby."
Heyyo - just a quick oneshot that's been on my mind for a while. Don't think there will be more, but who knows!