Illuminating the Dark Prince

Illusions of the Orb

My joyous crystalline laughter echoed into the endless nighttide, as I mirthfully pranced and danced among the corpsen trees and melancholic mist. Ghastly transparent phantoms took shape within the swirling fog all around me. There gaunt and twisted souls writhing with ghostly moans. My bare feet slid across the cool ashen soil in a gleeful glissade, while I gracefully twirled with my arms carelessly bowed above my head. My tangled golden locks fanned out around my body, as long silvery grass and withered purple flowers wavered at my feet. 

Ancient weaponry of old gleamed within the ebon bark of one of the trees, as it reached it's ghastly skeletal branch hand out towards my dancing form with an eldritch hiss. I giggled, watching as it's long black claws swiped at me. It caught nothing but the swirling fog, casting the haunts away with spectral wails. I jumped with my legs spread apart in a silly sissonne. Then after one final twirl, I landed in a graceful swan-like arabesque while enthusiastically smiling over at Valarendrik.

Silver leaves mirrored my dancing, fluttering peacefully above his head, while little strands of ebony hair whimsically wisped around his face. He sat leaned up against the twisted trunk of a caedis tree, watching me with a gleam of complete adoration in his crimson eyes, and a tender smile upon his face. A black leather bound sketchpad rested upon his bent knees, as he sketched with some sort of thin black stone.

It had been about three weeks since being swallowed up by this frightful world, and today was finally the first day, if you could even call it that, that my foot was actually healed enough to use. Although, a nasty dark pink scar did remain, decorating the underside of my foot with a jagged insignia of the trauma that once ensued. I didn't mind it though. I was just glad that the damn thing healed without infection, and that I was not only walking, but dancing again.

Thank goodness for Valarendrik's unyielding, and highly annoying, diligence about washing it out and forcing me to rest.

The grass and flowers swished beneath my feet, as I gleefully skipped over through the darkness. I stopped to reach up and pluck a round ruby caedis fruit from over head, watching how the black spindly twigs hissed and writhed in protest. Then I plopped myself down beside Valarendrik's much larger frame. 

With a toothy lighthearted grin, he affectionately wrapped his arm around my shoulders, and delightedly hummed. I happily leaned into his side like a little snuggle bug, resting my cheek against the rough material of his tattered jacket. His peppery rosewood scent filled my nose, as I enjoyed the feeling of sanctuary that his embrace provided. 

"You look very mystical while you dance." He tilted the sketchpad towards me as he spoke, tapping it lightly with the drawing stone to ensure that I'd look.

My eyes grew wide in surprise, just as I was halfway through taking a big ol' bite of the fruit. It crunched within my jaws, filling my mouth with the deliciously sweet and juicy, but highly unique flavor of caedis. "Oh my goodness, Valarendrik! That's incredible!" My muffled voice tried to express with a mouthful of fruit. I quickly covered my lips with my hand as to not be rude. "It's beautiful!" He truly was the most impressive artist I'd ever met.

The highly realistic sketch was of me with one leg out and one arm up in an elegant croise devant. I appeared to glow like a glimmering goddess amongst the extremely detailed corpsen trees and oppressively dismal darkness, with the small flowers strewn about my feet and ghastly ghosts twirling through the mist. It was both fascinating and flattering to see myself from his prospective. I looked like a shinning light in his world.

Does he really see me as being so beautiful?

"Thank you. I'm pleased that you like it." He graciously said, while tucking an unruly strand of hair behind his pointy ear. "How did you learn to dance like that?"