One Little Spark: Part 1

Chapter 17

          The images from Álvaro's mind begin to appear in Rachel's. He dives his way into her consciousness purring to her for her comfort and for her cooperation. Rachel tries to restrain herself at the beginning, but this soothing sibilation has mesmerized the girl's imagination enchanting her with his mollifying song. Being a cat owner once herself back in California, she thought the soft purring of her cat sitting on her lap was enough to give in to the point of continuous pettings. Álvaro's purring, however, has taken away her senses effortlessly. As if hypnotized, Rachel's has fallen under Álvaro's droning spell.

          In the midst of her mind, Rachel has found herself at Álvaro's mercy. The atmosphere is a harvest gold mist and streaks of white and coffee colored clouds with no floor, ceiling or wall. The only thing touching her is Álvaro holding onto her arms. He stares are her lightly, yet fondly. But underneath his exterior, his eyes can see through Rachel's. Álvaro can see through Rachel's eyes, her soul, her heart and her expression. And yet, he does not feel the need to do so. Why? He has his reasons.

          Pressing his forehead onto Rachel's forehead, he finally begins to communicate.

"I am Álvaro," he said, "guardian and defender of the people of Iyrilia. For 50,000 years, I have slept under a curse cast upon me by mere mortal with evil in his heart. You have so graciously awoken me from my cursed slumber and now I am free to live in the world of Iyrilia with my people again. For that I am forever grateful and forever at your service."

"...Hey." Rachel smiled awkwardly with her hand raised halfway up.

          Álvaro searches his eyes on Rachel's appearance carefully. Of all the humans he has seen and known, somehow Rachel seems to catch his interest. He notices the way Rachel is dressed: a suit, dress suit and pants. It is unlike anything he's seen a woman of all kinds dress like. The girl's scent reached the winged Katkin's sinuses. He sniffed that scent all over her from her hair, her neck and around her back. Rachel tenses up as Álvaro flies around her trying to keep a straight face from whimpering in a slight fear.

"Hmm...you are mighty peculiar to be one of my children." said Álvaro with an eyebrow raised up. "Are thou Iyrilian?"

"Uh...no. No, I'm not." Rachel replied. "I'm uh...an Earthling."

" 'Earth-ling?' Like of the Seven Realms of the Lios Calbedaea? Or perhaps of the Oria Asteroids?"

"Uh...no, just Earth. Nothing else special about the name other than it being what me and my people walk upon."

Álvaro looks upon the girl again. This time, he firmly takes hold of her chin and turns her head from side to side to get a better look at her.

"Are all the Earthlings of your land as beautiful as you are?" Álvaro said as he felt Rachel's cheek in the process.

          Rachel giggles, turning her head away in her blushing at Álvaro's words and says, "Well, it really depends on where you want to see that beauty. There's physical beauty and emotional beauty. But really, I guess you can say that like your people we are all beautiful in our own way."

"Very well said."

"Thank you."

"What of your people? Are they like mine of both animal and human?"

"A majority of the intelligent life on earth are humans. As far as I'm concerned, the humans here are pretty much living the same kind of atmosphere as my people are. The animals, however...well, I guess the only animal that talks is a parrot."

"Are you their princess? Their queen? Or perhaps their goddess?"

"Neither of them. Just human. Though the Earth doesn't have an absolute ruler, there are some countries that are ruled by kings and queens. Gods and goddesses, well...There is really only one living god according to the religion I praise. All the rest of them are just made up in ancient times to make their rulers look and feel superior than everyone else, which in my defense just sounds silly."

"What is your name?"

"Rachel."

"Rachel. That is a lovely name."

"Again, thank you."

"Are you alone in my realm?"

"No, I'm here with my acquaintances, Dreamfinder and Figment."

"Acquaintances?"

"I just met them not too long ago. About a week, I suppose. It takes a while for people to gain my trust before becoming my friends."

"And I presume they are not Iyrilians either."

"No, they're not. All three of us are Earthlings...from Earth."

"Most peculiar. Fascinating, but peculiar."

"Now uh...Álvaro, is it? Why am I here? What is this place?"

"You stand in the presence of what this land once was in the days of my own lifetime projected into your mind's eye." said Álvaro. "This is where my story had taken place in days so long past. You must listen to everything I shall tell you. In return, you must tell me what you have come to know has happened during my absence. Perhaps, if whatever situation is dire, we may help each other."

"Of course." Rachel agreed.

          Commanded by Rachel's agreement, the atmosphere around the pair begins to change form. Instead of what was at first an abstract concept of Álvaro's mind, a tangible environment takes shape in the form of nature. The colors, however, do not change much. The way this nature scene sprouts out from the newly formed ground appears to come alive in black-lined images with these harvest gold and coffee colors as if they are made of ink and printed in old paper sewn together into classically formed books handed down from the nineteenth to twentieth century libraries and book stores. To Rachel, it is like jumping into the pages of one of those classic stories ready to experience what the story will tell her. For Álvaro, it is exactly just that.

"Good. Let's begin."