What truly happened between Jolie Ruewen and Brant, an unexplored tragedy.
It started with a spark, it grew into a blaze, all that's left is ashes.
"Sing swan, Spring swan then lets fly.
Follow the pretty bird across the sky.
Call swan, Fall swan, t...
A week later, the Havenfield's reception room was filled with dozens of elves. The large chandelier in the center of the room glittered with the dying light of the sunset. The adults milled about, several discussing the celestial festival. Orem Vacker had made a special announcement that day. He was going to perform at an Elvin residence. The winner would be randomly selected at midnight.
Meanwhile, Jolie and Brant were hoarding their stash of mallowmelt under one of the large tables. Maurice snacking on a slice of gooey deliciousness, burped, filling the small space with the smell of rotten lushberries. The mischievous pair gagged and peeked out of the heavy satin tablecloth.
"Maurice!" they gasped in unison. But the tiny gremlin had already fallen asleep. His furry tummy rising and falling, along with his squeaky snores.
"Edaline makes the best mallowmelt ever." Brant sighed contently, he patted his belly.
"You should try her custard bursts, they're my absolute favorite." Jolie told him. "Let's go down to my room! Last one there is a muskog!"
They raced across the grand room, skidding towards the stairway. Brant had made it halfway down the stairs, suddenly Jolie slid by on the handrails and sprinted towards her room. The flash of blonde raced into her room and triumphantly announced, "You're a muskog!"
"You cheated," Brant panted.
"I never said you had to run," She flashed a smirk and then plopped onto the pile of fluff that was her bed. Brant slowly followed and flopped onto the bed as well. All of a sudden, he was on the floor.
"Oomph!" All the air had been knocked out of him. "What was that for?"
"Stinky boys on the floor," Jolie cackled like any six-year-old girl would do.
Brant just laid on the flowery rug for a bit, observing her room. It was a nice pause.
The lilac walls were strewn with fairy lights, each one a crystal constantly flashing different colors of the spectrum. In the center of the room, aking-sized canopy bed sat, covered in a baby pink duvet. A large assortment of pillows and stuffed animals completed the look. His eyes were instantly drawn to a certain corner of the room.
"Wait, YOU HAVE THE PRATTLE'S PHOENIX?!!" He practically screeched. Quickly getting up, he ran over to the tiny golden pin. Careful, as though it were the most valuable thing in the world, he picked it up. Bursts of red and streaks of gold adorned the tiny, majestic wings of the pin. Its slender, feathery neck slightly curved, it looked like it was in mid-song.
"Yep," Jolie sidled up next to him, "There's only 394 of them." She flipped the pin over to a tiny digital screen on the back, it read #372of 394.
"I've always wanted one," Brant's eyes were sparkling at this point, "Would you trade for a Wyvern?"
"Nope. Phoenixes are my favorite animal. When they're old and tired they burst into flames. Then they rise from the ashes, singing their song."
"Wouldn't it be cool to see a real phoenix?" He looked at the pin longingly. One day, he would get one of those.
"Actually, I have seen a real phoenix. It was really amazing."Jolie bragged, "One came to Havenfield and we got to take care of it. It was in the Forbidden cities and humans were trying to catch it. My dad actually helped bring it back."
"Wow, I wish my home had animals."
"Well, you've never had to give the verminion a bath." Jolie grimaced just thinking about it. Verminions plus baths plus Jolie usually equaled an Elwin visit.
"Where do you live?" They had only known each other for a week, so they were still learning things about each other.
"Silverfalls, it's got a really cool waterfall and I like to play in the lake. We're on top of a cliff and it's awesome. "
...
Angry.
Beautiful.
Wild.
Bright.
Hot.
Burning.
Blazing.
Searing.
Overwhelming
Dangerous-
Fear jolted through her and Jolie woke up in a cold sweat.
That dream, what was it about? She had felt hot and very afraid, but she couldn't remember what happened. This had happened one other time, the day she got Maurice. She felt around for the furry friend and her small fingers met nothing but an empty pillow. Jolie forgot that Brant had taken him home a few hours before.
She laid awake in a frozen state of unknown fear. Dread crept up her spine, ice spreading through her veins. But she still didn't know why. Slowly, she gathered all the courage she had and bolted out of bed. Practically flying as she sprinted toward the door across the hall.
"Mommy! Mommy!" She whisper-shouted, nudging an Edaline-sized lump in the bed.
She sleepily rolled over, "What is it, honey, did you have another nightmare?"
"Yeah, I don't know why I'm afraid, though." She told her. Edaline had scooted over and Jolie crawled under the covers next to her.
"Hey, kiddo," Grady murmured and sat up in the bed. "Your mom and I got something for you just in case this happened again. We thought this might help."
He snapped his fingers and then there was light. Dozens of soft, pulsing balls of multi-colored light filled the room. Shadows danced across the walls as Jolie gazed in wonder. Prancing deer, soaring birds, and towering mountains flashed before her eyes. A surge of awe rushed through her body, tingling all the way to the tip of her fingers. She felt a sense of warmth and security as the silhouettes of rushing rivers, swirling wind, and swimming fish materialized all around her.
"It's called a Shadowpainter," Edaline smiled at the little girl, head swiveling in every direction. "We got it to show you that things you are afraid of can be conquered. They can even become powerful and beautiful when you discover how to truly control them."
"The shadows you are afraid of don't have to be so scary." Grady added.
Jolie wasn't really afraid of darkness, it was something else... But she didn't feel like telling him that.
"It's amazing, Mommy and Daddy," She whispered, snuggling closer with Edaline.
She really did feel at peace at that moment. The beautiful shadows, the warmth of the bed, and the love of her family, fear had no place there. Jolie would remember this moment and tuck it away for whenever she needed it.
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WOW 225 Reads! Not much, but it's a lot to me :)
So I'm officially updating on Saturdays now. But I might update earlier or later depending on my schedule. Celestial Festival, coming up...
