Two Worlds: Clash of the Guardians (Completed)

XVIII - His Lovely Wives - Part I

Elli

October 8, in the year of 8845, Reminis Calendar (RC) 

Elli jolted out of her dream. She thought she would never wake up. She thought she was dead. Or was she? Her fingers moved to her lips. She could recall the scent of juniper coming out of Vadiraj's mouth. Her limbs tensed at the thought of him, as if she had a strong electricity current streaming through her veins. Her heartbeat picked up the rhythms and it pounded harder against her ribcage. How could I ever dream of him? Him kissing me? Urgh. She brushed the imagined venom on her lips away. He doesn't look vicious at all in my dream. No, no. He is manipulating my mind. Stop thinking about him, Elli. 

Calming herself, she found herself staring at a wooden ceiling with purple morning glories encircling the roof thatches. She had an idea she was in a nursery home. The room had no furniture except the piece of thing she sat on. Stretching her arms, she sat up on a — not a bed, more like a layer of dried wheat. A window was mounted on top of the so-called bed’s headboard. She heard birds chirping and boisterous feminine cheers. Sunrays shone through the window, casting light on the earthy wall. The autumn air breathed in from the window gaps, cooling the scorched marks on her skin.

Where am I? she asked herself, while grasping her head. Looking down, she studied her hands and fingers. They were red and blistered, like she had overdone with tanning.

The only things that seemed to connect to the outside world were the window and a door. She crawled up, pushed the window open, and shrieked. She was in a tree house fifty feet above the ground. Next to hers, hundreds of tree houses appeared, with green flickering ghosts waving at her. She thought, this must be our Underworld. But since when did the Underworld have blooming plants and shining sun?

Has my soul fallen into the splendour garden? Does our Underworld has a splendour garden too? Right, I can look for father now. He owes me lots of explanations. He's hiding something from me.

She prepared to dash to the door, when a woman appeared by the doorstep, a green beautiful ghost. She looked barely older than Elli.

"Oh, you’re awake.” Her voice was as warm as the rising sun. She had long green hair and leafy eyes. Her dress was also green, tinted with yellow lines like pigment of chlorophylls. She was akin to a tree with legs as she walked. “How are you feeling, dearie?” she asked, while sitting on the bed.

“I’m fine. Who are you? Where am I? Am I dead?”

"Oh no, no, no. You were almost dead."

For a moment, Elli felt depressed for being alive.

The woman looked at her, perplexed. "You don't like me being here? Am I disturbing your rest?"

"Oh no, don't take me wrong. I just thought you were a ghost and you said—"

“My name is Tiffany. I am a tree nymph. You’re now in the Forest of Fauns." She sat next to Elli and grabbed her hand. "You and your friends dropped from the sky two days ago, all dried up like wilted plants. It was lucky for you to have the Siren’s fire-immune cloaks shrouding you. We’ve been dabbing your scarred skin with an ancient ointment made of our tears and neetle herbs.”   

“So, I’m not dead. You saved us, thank — Wait a minute, what did you say? Two days ago?”

Tiffany looked at her as if two days were merely two seconds. “Well, it’s not a big deal. Two days doesn’t have much difference, isn’t it? It’s still autumn, and snow is yet to fall.”

Of course, two days make lots of difference. The Vampists… Quickly, Elli brought out her jukebox. “Dorris, I want to speak to Sam.” Before it could protest, Elli pressed the number five button and whispered the password. Tiffany watched her with tilted head.