The Immortal One

Epilogue - That Which Never Was...

Säyä finally returned home from the market after selling pelts in the city. Her last hunt had gone exceptionally well. Despite being but a girl of fifteen years, she was already making a name for herself as someone of integrity and quality. Her mother-figure Riizä had died a few years earlier in a rockslide and she had been left to fend for herself. She never stayed in Ätäluviiä long, there was no reason to. She knew no one besides those who bought her goods and she tended to keep to herself. She was hungry for knowledge, and often times she would spend what she earned on books. Her topics of interest were vast: history, myth, legend, majik, herbalism and alchemy...she was a voracious student without a teacher. Many of the masters in the Kingdom had turned her away. They saw little use in taking on a student with nothing to offer but an eager spirit and hunting skills. She did not let it get to her however. She would do whatever it took to learn and grow...so that she could one day go on a grand adventure of her own.

She was relieved when she finally arrived at her modest cabin. She tore into her reserves of dried meats and root vegetables that she was careful to always keep on hand and well-stocked. Something felt different than usual. It was a feeling that she could not place - like a presence that hung in the air. The sound of a branch breaking startled her and caused her reflexes to kick in. She jumped from her seat and drew a knife expecting to see one of the forest's predators stalking her from behind one of the nearby trees. Instead she saw a woman wearing a gray cloak. The fabric was incredibly rare, made of Buukuu spider-silk and judging by the glimmer it was enchanted with some kind of majikal spell. Her visitor was wearing a crimson scarf wrapped around the lower half of her face and a hood that concealed the rest from her view. Hanging from her hip was a beautiful sword that seemed to emanate a presence all its own.
"Who are you? Why are you here?" Säyä asked warily. The villagers left her alone, and her cabin was nowhere near the popular routes of travel.
"I am Nox. As for why I am here..." She cast a Bound spell and pulled a large satchel from thin air. Nox tossed the bag at the girl's feet. "Consider this a gift."
Säyä lowered her knife but did not sheathe it. She approached the bag with caution. Opening it, she found numerous tomes and scrolls, hunting equipment and rare enchanted artifacts.
"The tomes are mostly histories and old legends. The scrolls are filled with instructions on how to hone your skills in the arts of majik. The equipment is far better than whatever you have scrounged up or made for yourself. The artifacts come with detailed instructions on how to use them. They will serve you well."
Säyä was stunned speechless for a long while. The value of the contents was beyond her ability to calculate. She was staring at a vast fortune.
"I...I do not understand. Why would you do this?"
Nox did not bother to answer her question. "There is a war coming. The Väräk will begin raiding this region with much greater frequency in the coming seasons. If you are smart you will either move to the city or book passage to Lekäriiä. There is enough gold in there to set you up comfortably wherever you so choose."
"I-I cannot repay this. I have never even met you before, how can I accept this?"
Nox waved her hand dismissively. "You can accept it by accepting it. It is that simple."
Säyä was not a complete stranger to generosity, but never had anything so fortunate ever happened to her, especially without cause. There had to be a catch, something that the mysterious woman wanted in return.
"What is it that you want from me in exchange for such treasures?"
Nox took a moment to consider her reply. "What I want is for you to follow a simple command, commit it to heart, carry it with you always, and dedicate yourself to its fulfillment."
The red haired huntress swallowed hard at the sound of her words. "And what is this command?"
"Simple." Nox turned her back on the girl and began to walk away. "Follow your Dreams."
"Wait!" Säyä called out. "Who are you? Will I ever see you again?"
Stopping for a brief moment, Nox replied. "I am a remnant of a world that never was - and this is our first and final meeting."
"But why?! At least tell me why. Do not leave me to wonder."
Nox chuckled. "Your curiosity will serve you well, young Säyä. Be careful however that it does not lead you down a path that you will later regret. You have great potential. Develop it. That is your duty as a human being...and as for why...well...it is because I was like you, once. A long time ago. Fare thee well child. May you find what you seek."
Nox headed off into the forest. Säyä looked down at the satchel and pulled the drawstring tight so that nothing spilled out and prepared to chase after her, but when she looked up - Nox had vanished.
Amazed and filled with profound gratitude and a burning curiosity, she took the bag and brought it back to her cabin. She half expected its contents to have been switched out with common supplies when she opened it again. She was perhaps more surprised when the rare and invaluable items were still there. She cast her gaze to the place where Nox had been standing and bowed in respect.
"Thank you. I promise to always remember you, and I will give my all to follow your command and develop my potential."

She kept her promise.