Fine Lines

Chapter 20

Astril

I wake up feeling groggy and incredibly heavy. My eyes open but I can hardly see anything around me due to a heavy mist. Mist? Where am I? The ground beneath me is cold and hard, the grass sticking to my skin. I thought we all went to bed at the pack house last night...

I try to stand but my limbs struggle to move their own weight. What is going on?

"Marxian?" I call out, my voice raspy, falling short against the mist that surrounds me. A deep growl answers me, rumbling through the air and sinking into my bones, sending a chill up my spine. That's not Marxian. Fear sets in and my flight response gets my body finally moving. I stumble to my feet and begin making my way through the fog. The growl gets closer no matter how far I try to move away from it.

"Who's there?" I call out again. Tears begin pooling in my eyes as the fear overwhelms me. I don't know where I am, who else is with me, or how I even got here in the first place. I stop moving and turn in a circle, trying to take in my surroundings but it's so dark, I can hardly see past my own nose. A hot breath glides across the back of my neck and I freeze. I'm not alone. My whole body trembles with fear but again, I can't move.

"You shouldn't have strayed from home, little elf." A voice echoes in my ear. "It's a scary world."

"Who's there? What do you want?" I try to hide the shakiness in my voice, to hide my fear.

"You." The voice answers, this time sounding more clear and closer. I turn to run but instead, run into something large and fall backwards. Landing on my back, the air rushes out of my lungs and I struggle to get it back. The head of a wolf breaks through the mist and lingers over me, yellow eyes burning into mine. I try to scream but nothing comes out. "I'm coming for you, Astril." Tobias

Finally, a scream cuts through the air, causing the wolf to dissipate into the fog, swirling around me to reveal a dark forest. The full moon hangs in the sky, illuminating the forest through the trees and casting an eerie glow. It's quiet, too quiet. This place can't be real.

"Astrilabek." A female voice sings out. Unlike the wolf, this voice is soft and melodic, giving me a sense of calm instead of fear. "It's okay, my child. You are safe here."

"Where am I?" I ask, looking around to find the owner of the voice.

"Our people call it the Forest of Spirits, the place between your world and mine." The voice explains. My mind begins rummaging through all the things the elders told me as a child, the lessons taught about our ancestors, the Gods and Goddesses, and about magic. The Gods live in their own realm that overlooks ours, where they can observe and send guidance when necessary. The Forest of Spirits is the meeting place between the two and where spirits to go before moving on.

"I didn't die. I shouldn't be here." I panic slightly.

"Relax child, I called you here." The voice soothes my fear and a light glow appears in front of me. The figure of a woman forms within the glow and comes to be in front of me. A woman stands before me, larger than life. Her long dark hair flows around her, the tendrils swirling in a breeze that only affects her. Her face is beyond any beauty I have ever seen, her eyes a brilliant violet that bares into my very soul, soothing but intimidating. Pointed ears stick out from under her hair and she wears a dress similar to what the woman of my clan wore for ceremonies, except hers is lined with gold so bright it looks like it was woven from the sun itself. She's The Goddess....

Immediately, I fall to my knees and bow my head. "My Goddess, I am honored to be in your presence."

"You don't have to kneel to me." She almost chuckles, "Please rise."