Tale from the Deepwater

Chapter 16

Late into the night, only the green slopes near the waterfall were illuminated by hundreds of flowers that left no trace whatsoever in the daylight. They radiated a shimmering kaleidoscope of lit colors from their tips and from the outlines of their petals, running through their lengths in a half-alive and half-fading state, making them look as if they were forever unfolding into tiny spirits of light in the wilderness. When even the sound of the forceful waterfall was haunting and the pale light of the moon cast only enough light to create scary illusions in the dark, these flowers opened up as if to obscurely make the long nights in this wilderness less frightening. Even a gentle breeze often tore the petals apart and sent them afloat in the sky. No matter which color radiated from their tips before, just before they got separated from their body, they momentarily burnt bright yellow and continued to burn fiercely for a few moments in the air like a stubborn flame just before getting extinguished as if trying to remind and return to their source and originality of nature, which was the color of the sun and the fire even if in their form, these tiny petals were the most ephemeral and delicate. The nymph tried to extend her hand to touch them but froze when she heard a voice.

"You will burn your hand if you try to touch them."

The voice was too familiar to her now though she had heard it only a few times because of how often she had heard it replay in her mind. She looked back and saw him standing behind her. She was surprised to see him because this was the first time she could find him without having tried hard to, and also because of her renewed awe.

She couldn't help but try to draw differences and resemblances with the people she had seen in the village. He had a firm and well-built physique and bronze skin which had an ever-subtle dark sheen to it. From his strong and athletic physique, young features, and healthy skin and hair, it was evident that even though older, he could not have been decades older than her. But that was only the superficial externalities of his appearance. His countenance, in essence, had a peculiar bearing which she could not recollect feeling on looking at any of the multitudes of faces she had seen in the crowd. It was as if ages of the world were fossilized and buried deep in his eyes, which were the singular most feature on his symmetrical and stark face. His brown hair swept across much of his forehead whenever the wind passed, and whenever his crimson and highly chromatic haunting eyes became visible suddenly from amidst the hair, it was enough to startle all beings not only in the dark but even in full brightness. When she was lost in contemplation and admiration, she heard him again.

" But if you do touch them still, they will momentarily emit a fragrance you will not smell from anything on all of lands or waters."

She said nothing but only smiled timidly at him in response to which he held a slight frown on his otherwise still face that soon vanished. However, She caught it and said, "This is the first time you approach me. "

"I do not." He scanned the entire region and continued, "You are trespassing again. "

Even though he said so, she noticed that he didn't mention sending her away immediately like he had done previously on each of their encounters. He walked and silently sat a couple of feet away from her.