Rubyix - The Rise of Nevadora

Ch4: The Initiation - part 3

'She's coming to.' was the first thing I heard after realizing the platform was fading. I must've lost consciousness at any point between then and the next thing I remember, for when light struck my vision again, I was already on the ground.

I took an effort to blink away the sunlight until it became acceptable to my eyes, and as my sight adjusted to the sudden burst of colour, I noticed someone was looking at me.

As the blur faded, the image of a fairy presented itself in front of me. It was truly a magical sight to behold- how the sun graced her skin in a way that held me reminiscent of beams of light behind an oaken tree, while at the same time shining through her glittering wings.

While I imagine I must've been oddly gaping at her, I was met with a graceful smile and an outreaching hand. 'Are you still in one piece?'

I checked to see if I could move. I was feeling a bit sore, but other than that...? 'Y-yes- At least, I think so.'

Her hand enveloped mine almost gracefully, her touch feeling gentle even though her hands were thin and slightly bony. 'Thank goodness you're all right, sugar, I was worried for a good moment.' She said as she helped me up.

I brushed the dirt off my skirt. 'Thanks for catching me.'

'Yer welcome.'

I looked over to the sound of the second voice. It sounded familiar- and when I saw whom it belonged to, I knew why. I had seen her before, when headmistress Faewood was giving a speech, just for a second- right before the platforms had appeared.

The girl had been distractedly looking up at the sky up until then, facing away from me, but now she came over and stretched her hand. I took hers, she shook mine firmly, pulling me closer in the process.

'The name's Ra,' she continued, 'whadda we call you?'

'Oh- uh...' I looked over at the taller girl. I opened my mouth, ready to answer, but words seemed stuck- and before long, they escaped me.

'Ra, you're startling her.' The fairy said in a slightly muted tone. She put a hand on her companion's shoulder. 'My name is Abena Abrish- and this is Rama Iklím.' She gestured to the girl who had just introduced herself as Ra and who now crossed her arms impatiently, before she reverted her attention back to me. 'What do you go by, sweetie?'

I eased up a little. 'Pleased to meet you- Abrish, Iklím-'

'Ra's fine.'

'Uhm- Abrish, Rama.' I gave both of them a small nod. 'I'm Ehrynn Frostthorn.'

Iklím uncrossed her arms, suddenly more than eager to hear me out. 'Frostthorn, ye say? Sounds like yer from E'ergreen.' I could hear a hint of excitement in her voice, and while I was wondering what that was all about, I took note of her speech. The way she pronounced Evergreen exposed an accent to me I couldn't exactly pinpoint. I'd noticed it before, but it hadn't been clear to me up until then.

'I am,' I began, delighted by her recognition, yet I couldn't help but pull back right after, 'I mean, well, I'm Silvean, sort of... It's... hard to explain.'

Well, it wasn't, really. But trying to explain my situation would undoubtedly lead to questions- questions I did not have answers to. And I wasn't sure I was ready to talk about it again, most certainly not to these girls I'd just met.

Maybe I couldn't answer, shouldn't- or that was the lie I told myself. But I didn't have to, as the conversation took a different turn.

'Rama and I are from Aetherius.'

I gave her a confused look, trying to recall whether I'd ever heard of that place before.

'-That's in the opposing direction of the Realm of Magic. Say, is this your first time visiting-?' She was interrupted by Iklím.

'I'd love to hear all 'bout that later, but I suggest we get out of this cursed forest first.'

'Language, Ra.'

'Yeah yeah.'

'Don't you "yeah yeah" me, I'm quite serious-'

The two broke into a little "argument", if you could even call it that. Iklím did raise her voice, something I normally would have flinched at, but the way Abrish adjusted her posture and let her head down sideways with a silly grin on her face had me convinced there was no ill will to it, rather a- what was the word- friendliness? Perhaps something close to that?-

While they were bickering, I let my gaze flow from one to the other and then to the forest around me, trailing off into thoughts long postponed by the journey here.

The sight of the seemingly endless rows of trees took its hold upon me. I felt my mind getting pulled deep into the forest as my gaze got caught by a single leaf dangling from the tiniest branch slightly above me- sunlight engulfing it through the layers of branches up above.

In a way, it brought me back to Silvea, to Evergreen- and I could not again shake off the thoughts I had just brushed off. As I believe I've mentioned before, the nature of my origins was yet unbeknownst to me. I had been told I came from Earth- or rather, as we call it here, Terra- a planet so far from the Realm of Magic it is nearly impossible for any magical creatures to reside there- let alone originate there. See my dilemma?

I'd intended to be straight up and honest about my unusual origins upon meeting my fairy partner, but just now the words seemed stuck, something that tended to happen every time the subject was brought up. And now my inability to talk about it was something I could not let go and it somehow left me staring blankly at this one barely notable leaf- completely missing out on the conversation.

'...-thorn? Frostthorn? Are you all right?'

Abrish' voice pulled me back to the present moment. I stared at her hazily, unaware of what had passed while I was in thought. 'Uh- yeah? Just in- thought... that's all.'

Iklím furrowed her eyebrow. 'Ah, yer still with us at least. Ye seemed far gone...? But ne'ermind that. Ey, eh, ye said ye were from Silvea?'

'Would we be right in presuming you are a nature fairy?'

I chuckled slightly. 'That wouldn't be too weird an assumption. I wish I could help you out here, but I don't exactly...'- a silent break followed while I was looking for the right word- 'know.'

This only made Iklím furrow more. 'Why, yer a mysterious one. Can't save yerself from falling, don't have a clue 'bout yer source apparently, there anything you do know?'

Before I could respond, Abrish came in between: 'Well, well, I say we take a different approach. How about we help this youngling out a bit until we can find her a fairy partner of her own and see if we can figure it out together in the meantime.' Despite her phrasing, her words towards Iklím didn't even vaguely sound like a question. She just proceeded to turn to me. 'What do you say?'

I nodded blankly. 'Su-sure.'

'All right, sugar, hold that thought for a bit while I go take a look up above.' She said as her wings started fluttering and instantly took her up into the air.

What was left was silence- apart from a slight breeze that made the leaves rustle- until it was broken.

'So, eh- Frostthorn, was it?' Iklím looked straight at me.

'Yeah... uh...' I tried to look back but averted my eyes when hers met mine. Should I say something?

To ease myself down a little, I fingered my necklace and fidgeted by quietly circling the foot I wasn't standing on.

And so silence returned.

~✿~