"Why are you an Ent?" I asked.
"An Ent?" The tree said.
"Why are you still tree-ish?" I asked. "The other tree spirits I've met have wings and look…human-ish."
His leaves rustled. "Do you think it's easy for a tree my age to present myself as a fleshie?"
I was sitting on top of the wall with Skye and Snap. The others had vamoosed to their classes and I decided to question the Ent.
"Do you know what was up with the vein stuff?"
"The elements of darkness and light differ from that of the vampyre's five basic ones." The Ent said. "Surely you have realized that the elements do not depart as your friend's elements do."
I had noticed. Even today the elements had curled up inside of me rather than disappearing. It was weird.
"Are you saying that…I'm made of the elements?" I asked.
"Every being is made from all seven of the elements. Earth for body, water for blood, air for breath, fire for heart, and spirit for thought."
"What about light and darkness?" I asked.
"They fill us with purpose. Combining both knowledge and change." The Ent said.
"So I'm throwing around my purpose?" I asked.
"In a way." He sighed.
I scratched Snap's ears. I felt like I missing something important. But I honestly couldn't think what it was.
"You are digging into the deepest part of your being. Digging into the elements that make up your very being to protect yourself and those you deem worthy of your protection. That is why your darkness is more powerful than the Tsi Sgili."
I felt like I really shouldn't be throwing my elements around anymore. It was just…I mean, it just sounded really dangerous. What if I ran out of purpose because I tried to kill Damascus?
"What about that multi and magnified voice I used?" I asked. "Were like the other spirits of them mediators speaking through me?" The mediator sorta sounded like the Avatar from the Last Airbender and that voice thing reminded me of when Aang got pissed and went into the Avatar sight. Great, I'm the frickin' Avatar of this world. I just hope there's not a fire nation who wants me dead really badly.
Oh and hey, we've got an Airbender, Firebender, Earthbender, and Waterbender! Cool! I love that frickin' show.
"The forces of Nature spoke through you." The Ent said. "You are our voice and Champion."
I huffed. I was starting to feel a bit like a pawn.
"If we're going to speak in terms of chess, you are not a pawn, but a queen." Snap said. "Your king, the one you protect, is the balance."
"I always hated chess."
I hugged my knees to my chest and stared up at the sky. The star twinkled in an infinite dance and the moon shone brightly. It made me feel so insignificant. It was all so vast and I was just one person, mediator or not I was indeed very small in the grand scale of things.
"What's your name?" I asked the tree.
He was quiet and looked at me with glowing green eyes. "We Fae do not give one another names. It is a mortal thing." He sighed. "We have not been given names since we all retreated into hiding."
"Why did you all hide?" I asked.
He sighed again. "Too much war, cruelty, and suffering." His eyes held depths of sadness and infinite years.
"Mortals are selfish and a bit stupid." I said.
"It was not mortals alone." The tree said. "The Immortals that came here long ago placed a great seed of distrust in vampyres and humans with old magic. For the very first time I believe they realized the depth of the power we ancients ones held."
"So they banished the immortals and you all went into hiding."
"The mortals may not remember, but they did as much harm and cruelty to us as the Immortals did to them." He turned to me. "Do you know why the mediators are no longer around?"
"I thought it was because the Immortals were banished and we were no longer needed." I said.
"The mediators were a part of the balance of this world long before the Immortals learned to travel between realms." He said. There was even more sadness in his eyes. "The mortals killed all the mediators. Burned them."
I shivered. I don't care what you say burning to death is a horrible way to go.
"It deeply hurt us. Not the deaths of other Fae or innocent Immortal younglings. But hurting the one creature who above all only wants to promote peace and tolerance between races, the one creature filled with our magic and spirit as well as many other kinds of strength and magic. It hurt all Fae and many others to our core."
I chewed my tongue. I guess I should really try and make sure not to die and send the trees and water back into hiding.
"Nettlebrit." He said. "I was once called Nettlebrit."
"I'm glad you're on my side Nettlebrit." I said honestly.
He turned his head away. "I must take my leave of you, young mediator. I'm afraid it's been so long since I've been like this I have exhausted myself."
"See you Nettlebrit." I said waving.
He gave me a nod with his big, barky head and began walking back to where he was before.
I sighed again. I fell back onto the wall.
Skye chirped and climbed onto my chest. She nuzzled my hands and I stroked her head.
"I just don't understand, Skye." I mumbled. "How can they put so much faith in me? I haven't done anything to prove that I'm the right choice to for mediatorship." I sighed again. "How can they be so sure that I can stand up to Damascus? To stand up to any Immortal who threatens this world?"
Skye nipped at my fingers. I tickled her chin.
"Don't have such little faith about yourself, Raven. I've seen your strength and your courage: Damascus does not stand a chance nor anyone one else who threatens your love ones."
I bolted straight up with Skye screeching and clinging to my shirt. My heart pounded and I looked around for him.
He wouldn't dare. Why would he show up?
I felt a gentle caress up my arm and across my shoulders. I whipped my head around, but only saw a shadow thing that lazily curled away.
It couldn't have been a normal shadow because there was no one else around especially not a certain purple eyed, dark haired and winged Immortal.
The scars on my heart began festering again. I rubbed my breastbone. How could he cause me so much pain?
"You may not like this, especially now." Snap began. "But, that Immortal's Fate as well as your own are deeply entwined. I can see it very plainly. There is a link of spiritual matter that binds you two together."
"Your right, I don't like it." I hopped down from the wall. Skye chittered angrily. I opened my arms. After a moment of debate, she jumped down.
"You can't fight Fate, Raven. Cruel the Fates may seem, but they never do anything without purpose. There is a reason you two are spiritual bonded. You will see." She hopped down and walked away towards the stables.
"I don't want to be spiritual bond to that…that." I heaved an angry sigh and began stalking off in the opposite direction.
Skye chirped at me and gave me her questioning feeling. She put the image of the shadow and a raven together. There was a strong, brightly shining red-pink-purpish, sorta of like the colors of the sunset mixed as one color, string between them.
"So you can see it too?" I asked sadly.
She cooed. I felt her stomach grumble. She warbled at me.
"Well then, let's hope the kitchen as some meat and milk." I said glad to get off topic of me being spiritually bonded to that jerkface.
I had no idea where the kitchens where. I found the grouchy tabby with the orange spot on her head who had helped me before.
"I'm really sorry to bother you, could you tell me where the kitchen is?" I asked.
She grumbled, but did give me directions. I knocked on the kitchen doors.
A woman opened the door. She had a striking tattoo with some really strange looking symbols. It was sort of distracting because I was sure I had seen them before, but couldn't quite remember.
"Yes."
"I hate to disturb you, but my hatchling is hungry and I was wondering if I could pop in here and fix her something."
She stared at Skye like she couldn't really believe it.
"Yes, yes of course." She said. She opened the door wide.
"Thank you." I said walking in.
There was a lot of shining stuff, which I kinda have assumed with vampyre's liking older things that they might have stone ovens and such, and scary looking kitchen equipment.
The other cooks stared at me in wonder.
"What do you need?" She asked.
"Some meat and milk." I said. Skye slid off my shoulders and sniffed some of the equipment on the counter. "I'll also need a pot and a baby's bottle type of thing."
The staff eagerly got me what I ask. I guess it helps that Skye began whining at me and I'm sure that didn't exactly want to angry hatchling to roaming around. She was starting to sneeze again and sparks were flying from her nose and from in between her teeth. But they were small and wouldn't catch anything on fire unless it really wanted to be caught on fire.
I poured the milk into the pot and began slicing up the meat into small cubes. I tossed the cubes into the pot.
"My I ask why you are doing this?" The head cook asked.
"I don't know. It just sorta came to me." I said. Skye chirped and peered into the pot. "Patience." I tapped her on the nose. She shook her head and looked at me.
"What? You need some patience little one." I told her.
She warbled at me. I tickled under her chin and she snapped playfully at my fingers. I reached out and yanked gently on her tail. She clasped my forearm in her paws and put her teeth around my arm. She didn't bite and draw blood. I tickled her belly while I stirred her meat and milk concoction.
She licked where she had bit me with her purple tongue. It tickled and made me giggle softly.
"She seems very attached to you." The head cook mused.
"Yeah, I know. I mean, I'm probably the best chance she has at surviving." I said. I scooped the meat out and put it onto a plate. I poured the liquid into the bottle they had given me and put the nipple on. The bottle and the nipple looked like one of the bottles I've seen farmers use to feed calves.
I hoped the rubber was strong enough to withstand her teeth.
I took the plate and bottle and sat cross legged on the floor out of the way of the cooks. Skye hopped down and willingly crawled into my lap. She clasped the suckle in her mouth and eagerly drank the meat flavored milk.
That warm motherly feeling enveloped me again and I honestly could care less if the kitchen burst into flames.
Like the first time after she was finished she gave a manly dragon belch. I chuckled and began offering her the cubes of meat. Again, she was so spoiled she wouldn't eat it unless I hand fed it to her.
Her mouth cracked open in a huge yawn and she snuggled up against me purring. I curled my arm around her and put the dishes I used in the sink.
"I'll get that. You go on." The cook said.
"Thank you again." I said waving before slipping out with my napping dragon.
I blew my bangs out of my face. I began walking down the pathway trying not to think too hard about much of anything.
I sorta danced across the sidewalk (I'm dork, sue me) while I was trying not to think and at the same time trying to figure out to do.
I mean, it felt like I got pushed into the hole and now someone was just throwing down things that were trying to bury me. Come on, I found I'm Kalona's daughter and the only kid of his who looks normal-ish, then I found out I have great powers, then I get stuck as a panther because my parents were dead, then I had to help Zoey and found out in the process that an Immortal was after me, then the Fae marked me as the new mediator, then we came back because Jack died because Neferet's a vicious bitch, then I found out that Dominic was Damascus heir, then Damascus wants me to help him find a Key to unleash some pissed off Immortals onto the world, and then I find out that I'm spiritual bonded to that jerkface.
Boy, for not trying to think I did do a lot of thinking or stress ranting.
"I really don't think it's health for me to keep getting this stressed out." I muttered. I put an arm behind my head and stretched my arm. Everything was tense. I should probably take up yoga or go back to Pilates. Or maybe I should do something that kicks more butt like kickboxing.
"Excuse me." I jumped.
That Aurox kid was behind me. All the muscles in my body tensed immediately.
"Shouldn't you be in class?" He asked.
I pointed at my forehead. "Not a vampyre." I stroked Skye as she twitched in her sleep. "Never was and never will be." I took a deep breath. "I guess I'm sorta sorry that I attacked you so violently."
He blinked.
"I honestly should have used darkness or light to restrict you rather than digging my claws and teeth into your flesh." I said. "I just got pissed when you were picking on my brothers. Well, actually I got pissed when Neferet told you to destroy them." I shifted Skye around.
"Do you protect them?" He asked.
"They're my brothers. Yeah, they've made some shitty choices, but they're still my family and I'm going to let them live so they have a chance to fix their lives." I admitted. Not sure why I was being so honest with this kid. Maybe I wanted a message sent to Neferet. Who knows.
He blinked slowly again.
"Well," I said after an awkward moment or two. "I've got to check on my mare. Bye."
I turned and began walking towards the stables with my back prickling the whole way. I actually let a relieved breath once I was in the safety of the stables. I inhaled the warm scent of hay and horsey smells.
I walked around the other kids and slipped into Hecate's stall.
"Hey you pretty girl." I set Skye down in a clump of hay in the corner that didn't look used. She didn't stir and let out a small dragon snore.
I rubbed my hands down her spine. Lenobia had checked her out for and told me she hadn't been hurt, but I needed to check her for myself.
She nosed at me. "Stop worrying."
"People keep telling to stop worrying and it hasn't stopped me yet." I said.
She snorted and shook her head.
I put my golden glowing hands on her. She flicked her ears and she honestly sighed.
"Kay, now I can stop worrying." I said.
She snorted and nipped at me in a scolding manner. I shoved her gently. She nipped at me again and tossed her head.
I giggled and rubbed her nose and kissed it.
No matter what happens, animals always make you smile and give you warm fuzzies all over.
"You should go for a ride." Lenobia said scaring the shit outta me.
"Crappies, please don't do that again." I said.
She gave me soft smile. "The mare really cares for you."
"Yeah, she's a burger though. She shouldn't have recklessly charged into that fight."
Hecate snorted. "You have no room to talk."
"I have magical powers and I'm half-immortal, you're just a horse."
She snorted again and flicked her ears.
I stepped out of the stall with the Friesian following me at my heels. I peeked at Skye, but she was deep asleep and probably wouldn't wake until I got back. Or at least, I hope she wouldn't. I'm sure Lenobia could handle her. She was just a baby and only the size of an adult cat. I'm ninety-five percent sure that she can handle Skye.
I scrambled up onto Hecate's broad back and wrapped my fingers around her mane. I nudged her sides with my heels and she broke into a trot.
I felt like I had been transported back in time. I'm not sure if it's just Hecate, her breed, or horses in general, but she was just so elegant and I felt like I should wearing a dress with a twenty feet skirt and super long sleeves. I honestly felt like I should be princess waving to everyone.
I heart horses.
I threw my arms out and soaked up the night. I was honestly content with pretending like I was just a ditzy princess who didn't have to do anything, but marrying some guy my parents picked for me and if I don't like him I'll just…what do real life princesses do if they don't like the guy their parents picked out for them to marry?
There was a loud, sharp wail that literally made me shit my pants. My heart stopped and I whirled around looking for the source even though I'm ninety-five percent who was making that noise. Hecate shielded and her ears swiveled around.
I leapt off her back and began half-gliding half-running back towards the stables. Dragon, Aurox, and some other Warriors were gathering around the door where the almost horrendous noise was coming from.
One of the Warriors opened the door and a silver blur shot out and tackled me to the ground. She warbled at me and rubbed her chin over my face.
"Gods, Skye!" I shouted. "You sounded like you were being skinned alive."
She looked at me cooing softly.
I sighed and thump my head onto the ground. Skye purred and tucked her head under my chin. I rolled my eyes and sat up.
"False alarm." I said standing up. Skye curled up in my arms just as content as can be. "Gods you're annoying."
Lenobia and Zoey stood in the doorway.
"Sorry, she woke-up and had a major melt down because she couldn't find you." Zoey said.
"It's my fault. I really thought she would stay asleep until I got back." I said. "I also didn't expect the massive freak out." I stroked her spine.
Hecate trotted up. Skye stretched out her neck and sniffed the big black mare. Hecate sniffed the little sliver hatchling. Skye sneezed and little sparks flew from her nose. Hecate snorted and flicked her head.
"I'm glad she's your responsibility and not mine." She said walking into the stables.
I blew the bangs out of my face. "Sometimes I'm not." I clutched Skye to my chest though and followed the horse into the stable.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
Sorry it's taken me so long to get this chapter uploaded. It's getting close to the end of the year and I'm having some serious laziness issues. XP only 3 more weeks and then I'm free.