Red Pureblood

Chapter 3

I lay on the bed, letting all my bad thoughts about that night fade away, my palm was burning and I focused on this idea.
After a long moment without closing my eyes, I got out of bed and put the cloak back around my body, I opened the window and hung myself up to climb down the vines.
The strong night wind in the forest whipped the dress and cloak I was wearing, but I continued down until my feet were firmly on the tall grass-covered ground. I covered my head again with the hood and my feet guided me through the garden of the estate, following a familiar path into the forest.
I kept walking until I reached that hollow tree that I had secretly visited since childhood. I opened the bark door that I got as a child and started going through my hidden belongings, I picked up the book that was there. A book of children's tales that I loved.
I flipped through the pages until I touched one of the illustrations, the one depicting the mermaid who fell in love with an elf. The story of how such different creatures found happiness.
A low growl alerted me and I saw an animal, it looked like a wolf, still a puppy. My heart raced as I put the book aside and reached out my hand trying to calm the beast.
I had no magic, a bite from that creature would take weeks to heal, at best.
"Calm down," I whispered. "Let's talk calmly... sit down first," I begged.
I wondered if somehow I had finally gone crazy. My mind was lost talking that way to a wolf. Surprisingly, the animal sat up and watched me cautiously.
"Have you lost your parents?" I asked, stepping closer.
I held out my hand to the wolf who sniffed it, before I could reach the animal to touch its fur and it ran away. I focused on what scared the wolf and saw my father approaching, I closed the makeshift wooden door before he could see it.
The male took his hand to his sword before he recognized me.
"Blaidd?" he called out confused. "What are you doing in the forest at this hour?"
"I just wanted to take a walk."
"Blaidd, the forest is dangerous for you at night. There are goblins who would do anything for a game" he came closer and landed to walk beside me. "Let's go home."
"I'm sorry... I just couldn't sleep," I whispered.
"How is your hand?" he inquired and I reached out to expose his palm.
"Still bruised… it seems that magical healing is another one of the gifts I didn't inherit. Was that really iron? Do you think he hurt me on purpose?"
"No. I don't think the prince would do that on purpose. It wasn't iron anyway, there were no spells or anything that could hurt you, it was just a silver necklace. Like all your sisters received."
"I thought the only metal that hurt us was iron" I mumbled, trying to get more information than he was giving me.
"Blaidd... you are a unique creature. The elders try to understand your existence to this day. Our magic doesn't work as expected on you" he explained in a low voice, our steps were taking us closer to the house and I wanted to ask more.
I stopped and my father stared at me in silence. "Why don't I have magic? Aren't there ancient legends that explain this? Why is the seventh daughter an augury? Please tell me," I pleaded.
My father held my arms and his dark eyes reflected my image, even there I stood out as if my existence didn't belong completely to the forest.
"You are different, Blaidd, I can say no more, because I don't know, the elders only told us to protect you. Forgive me for not being able to answer your questions."
I smiled and pushed the idea of lying to him out of my mind, that was a trick I could not allow to be known, I could lie. And I couldn't lie to him.
"Let's go home," he smiled and wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

XXXX

The next day, I followed my sisters to class. Wammy and Grisinia displayed their necklaces given to us by the prince, while my other sisters talked among themselves about the approaching festivals.
Eredra wrapped her arm around mine, which startled me, my sister smiled and slowed our pace so that we could talk: "That thing you noticed yesterday... please keep it to yourself. I don't want to get their hopes up and hurt their feelings. Our friendship is more important to me than a prince.
"You know that Wammy and Grisinia would shave your hair for this chance, don't you?" I questioned.
Eredra smiled and rubbed my arm in silent comfort. "They care about you too. Even if it doesn't look like it," she added when I opened my mouth to protest. "Can you keep this secret?"
I nodded and my sister kissed my cheek, and I wiped my cheek immediately.
She let go of my arm and ran to Linea. I walked further behind, wondering how all of this could have a tragic ending, but I didn't care about the problems between my sisters that could be caused by a marriage.
As soon as we arrived at the school, I found myself caught in the middle of screaming creatures delighted at the idea of seeing a jewel given to me by a Mermaid prince.
The elder Eloin shouted using a sound magic that pulled the hood away from my head, when everyone was silent, he began to give orders.
"Merabela will gather everyone at the base of the white willow to train healing magic... Miss Blaidd, you come with me" he called out.
Eloin was one of the old generals who fought in the wars of the past, he commands the third cycle of Vana. The cycle where all the warriors trained.
I left the hood down as I followed the elder into the stone building. I dragged my feet across the stone floor, trying not to think too much about what the master elder would say, the day was hot and once again I would be the only one locked inside a room listening to ancient stories.
"Have any of us ever told you about the origin of the world?" he asked, drawing my attention.
"No, sir."
"And have you ever studied it on your own?" he inquired and I said no. "Well... then let's talk about the origin of our world."
I straightened up in my chair and faced the old man with restrained curiosity.
"Long ago, our world was little more than a pocket of darkness and rocks. Then light broke through the darkness and a song was sung at the beginning of it all, the heavens and the earth were divided and from the darkness that permeated our world, the song brought stars to the sky. And the first star was Nyx, she descended to earth and from her essence emerged the waters that flooded our world. From Nyx's radiance were born the sun and the moon, from her own song came the trees and all the plants. When Nyx's rock fell to the surface, a flower appeared. An illuminated flower from whose petals arose a silver river, these waters belonged to Sisao, a world at the heart of ours. When the silvery liquid mixed with the clay, the first races of animals appeared, but the flower, Mysteria, Nyx's daughter, believed that the world could be better, that it could do more. So from its petals emerged the three primordial goddesses" he paused and huffed before continuing:
"The three goddesses were the Mother, the one who gave life to all that exists, the protector of all living creatures. The Doctor, the ancient stories say that the Doctor has two personalities, the one who causes calamities, the bearer of diseases, and the one who cares for the sick and the injured. And finally Death, the one who puts an end to all that is alive. All three are known as the weavers of fate.
Did the faeries arise from these goddesses?" I asked.
"From an emotional part of the mother, men were born. Several races of humans mixed together and sought by all means to achieve power, but the human heart is deceitful, they deceive themselves and seek what they cannot have," he said, ignoring my question. "So Mysteria gave her essence so that the faeries would emerge. Mermen, cat people, harpies... all different and all the same," he whispered.
"So Mysteria didn't die?" I inquired.
The elder tapped his own forehead twice, in the superstitious sign dismissing what I said, and continued
"Mysteria is the light, the life of our world, she is that which keeps us all alive. Some say that it remains at the exact point where it emerged."
"When did they start to divide the world? How did humans take so much of our world? What lives in the dark forests?"
"When the faeries came to the world, the humans were already fighting battles for territories, we stopped the wars and fought against the dark forces of the world to save them, so they respect our laws. And as for your last question... What have you never seen in your life?"
"Humans?" I shrugged, trying to understand what he was saying.
"I think you were raised too sheltered to understand. It's not my place to tell you what's in the dark forests, but believe me, Blaidd, none of your fears can compare to what's there."