Themist was coming down in the early morning. It was quiet and thehumidity hollowed out the sounds of the twigs crunching under Jade'sfeet. She moved aimlessly through the meadow, trailing her fingersalong the vegetation. Her feet stopped. She drew a long and deepbreath, filling her lungs with the cold spring air. Suddenly, aglimmer flickered in the corner of her eye. She turned her head tolook at her new distraction.
Itshone brighter this time. It called to her. Confused, she hesitatedin place for a while. Regardless, it only took her some time beforeshe placed a foot before the last. She moved forward, towards thetreasure that seemingly called her name. The beating in her chestgrew harder. She looked around her, wondering if anybody waswitnessing the same thing she was. The image was getting clearer, butstill it lured her in. It was a mushroom.
Butit wasn't normal. It was huge, and it had a massive spore cloudsurrounding it. The particles entered her nose, and as morecirculated into her body, the mushroom glared brighter. Her headbegan to spin. Maybe she should turn back now. Her vision blurred.She stopped in her tracks. Her body was on high alert and stressedabout the new conditions of her environment.
"Help!"She wheezed, knowing it was just not loud enough for anybody to hearher. The panic settled in the pit of her stomach. Slowly, a whiteburst of energy entered her vision, surrounding her entire figure,blinding her.
Shebreathed softly. The white light that surrounded her was welcoming.It was warm. It touched her skin softly, but it was moving her.Sucking her into the unknown.
"Help,"she gasped softly. But no one could hear anymore.
Herheavy eyes opened slowly. With a heavy gasp, her body jolted upwards.Her wide eyes took in her surroundings.
"Hello?"Panic rose within her once again. Her head whipped around, her legstoo weak to move up onto her feet. Something was off. She wasn'twhere she was before. The mushroom was gone. The mist, the meadow,her home. Gone. She stood up, but her body's pressure betrayed her,and she came crashing down onto the floor once again.
"Woahthere, are you okay?" Gentle hands wrapped around her waist,supporting her body. Jade looked up to the stranger. Her silver haircascaded down the sides of her face softly. Her dark skin...it wasn'tlike anything she had seen before. Her skin was dark gray...and hereyes...an icy blue.
"Ah!"Jade jolted forward, clenching her eyes in disbelief. "Where am I?"she scurried away.
"What'swrong with you?" Her voice had changed. The accent that she usedwas no longer gentle but had a clang when she hit the consonants inher words. It was...a different language?
"Nothingis wrong with me...I got lost." Silence.
"Wh-what?"The stranger's face froze in disbelief. "You understood what Isaid?"
"ShouldI not be able to?"
"Well,it's not rare, per say, but you are a girl, right?"
"Yea...""And do you...by any chance like girls?"
"Well,yea, but what does that have anything to do with anything?" Jadewas growing impatient.
"It'sa lesbian dialect. Girls who like girls, can understand it and cancommunicate secretly with other lesbians outside the common tongue,"she explained.
"Whatare you?"
"What?"
"Whydo you look like that?" She looked annoyed, but her kindnesspreceded her. "I'm a dark elf." She said bluntly. She moved herhair aside, exposing her pointed ears. "But..." "Look...I thinkits best you just come with me. I'm not sure where you come from,because I've never seen you, but I can't just leave you hereeither." She extended a hand towards Jade. Jade accepted. Theywalked silently for a while, moving into a less remote area.
"What'syour name?" Jade asked. "Tila," she said gently.
"I'mJade," Tila smiled at her. Soon creatures unlike Jade had ever seenbefore appeared from every corner, minding their business, movingabout the streets of a city that resembled her own. A conversationbetween two male-presenting figures close by was loud enough for herto hear. She giggled. Tila turned to look at her.
"What?"
"Youdidn't hear what they said?"
"Who?Them? No, they're straight men talking in their own dialect. Surelythey said something stupid," she paused, "Jade did you understandwhat they said?" She stood still. Tila observed her intently.
"Yes..."
"Ithought you were a girl," Tila stammered.
"Iam," Jade grew defensive.
"Thenhow can you understand them?! It's impossible for you to understandthem!" Tila spoke in her lesbian dialect, the harsh tones ringinglouder as the clang in her throat pushed the words out toward Jade. Atriplet of straight girls passed by, commenting on the men that wereonly a couple feet from them. "And you understand them?!"
"Yes,"Jade was still very confused.
"Jade,stop lying," she said seriously, obviously thinking beyond thepresent situation, and into reasons why this might be happening.
"Tila!I don't know!" Jade spoke in the common tongue, still unsure ofhow to switch between dialects.
"Comewith me," Tila grabbed her arm, rushing down the streets. As theypassed more and more individuals, she was still able to understandevery single conversation clearly. Despite the obvious difference indialects.
"Tilawhat is going on?" Tila pulled her into a lonely alleyway beforepressing her against the exposed brick wall.
"Jadeyou have to be honest with me, okay? Because if you're saying thetruth...," she trailed off. "You're a girl?"
"Yes."
"Andyou like women?"
"Yes."
"Andmen?" She nodded.
"Fuck,Jade. You might be...dare I say...the pantalker this village thoughtwas a mere myth," she laughed, still in shock at the possibility.
"Whatis that?" Tila pulled a book from the dark satchel that hung aroundher body. She flipped through the pages. The scribbles on the pagewere incoherent to Jade as she tried peeking into the book. Butsuddenly, Tila stopped, and shut the book close. She pondered,staring at Jade with restless eyes.
"I'mnot completely sure, but we need to go find out why you were broughthere," she said, "because if we don't, I fear you might getstuck here forever." Jade's heart froze. "And one more thing,you can't tell anybody. We can't risk any adverse effects. Forall we know you could ruin civilization." She smiled. "I doubtthat would happen, but still, the less people know, the better. Nowcome with me, I think I know someone that could help."
CZYTASZ
Pantalker Chronicles
Fantasystory set in a world where every sexuality has a language the person that can speak them all is awesome, story that I didn't write but am proud of. is a commissioned work that was commissioned by me.
