Talia of the Thornlands

03 The Dark Prophecy

"Blessings on sixteen years of life," greeted Mallory.

Talia was deep inside the forest surrounding their village, Little Briar Woods. By some mysterious coincidence, they always managed to meet in the absence of Talia's usual companions.

The sudden appearance of the fae Elder startled Talia.

"Mallory," Talia stopped fidgeting with the scarf in her hands, "Why, thank you,"

The fae Elder flew down from their arboreal resting spot.

"What were you doing?" Mallory tilted their head to the side as Talia scrambled to hide the flaxen cloth behind her.

"N...Nothing," she awkwardly held the scarf, "I was just trying it on,"

"A bit warm for that, wouldn't you agree?" the fairy circled around the Princess, "Is it made of linen?"

Talia's face flushed in embarrassment.

"Were you practising Harmony?" the Elder persisted.

"Maybe," the blush spread to her forehead and ears.

Over the years, Mallory had taught Talia a number of skills.

She had been trained in freehand fighting, archery, and the basics of martial arts but her crowning achievement was her ability to communicate with the Sap of Life.

She was the first human in recorded history to use Harmony.

However, her skills were far inferior to that of the Elder, or even the average fae. Repeated failure discouraged her from honing her skills openly in front of even her teacher.

Over time, she pretended to lose interest in the art. Mallory did not force her to learn.

Oddly enough, Talia's Harmony was very compatible with objects made of flax. She could move, create or grow flaxen objects with ease.

She could do the same with other natural materials, as she had learned lately, but it was best left to theory.

A crease of concern clouded the Elder's brow, "Are you preparing? For the Prophecy, perhaps?"

Talia refuted them, "Prophecies always come true, why would I prepare for that?"

Mallory gazed into her crystal-red eyes, "You're right, sunshine. No matter what you do, the Dark Words will be fulfilled in one way or another,"

"Do you believe something will change if I try?"

"I cannot be certain. But I can tell you from experience, when people are involved, the words of a prophecy can be moulded to suit their actions,"

Talia paused to reflect on the words, "What if I do nothing?"

"That's alright too, Princess. After all, it is you who bears the weight of the words. What you decide to do is up to you,"

*****

Talia awoke in the dark again, this time in a low-roofed, narrow tunnel.

She was still in the ventilation duct.

In her unconscious hours, the Sap of Life had gathered around her forming a protective blanket. It was easier to breathe.

Sleeping inside the constricted ducts had numbed her limbs. Unfortunately there was not enough space for her to stretch or relax her muscles.

As she waited for the numbness to subside, her mind wandered.

The most pressing question in her mind was where was she?