Of The Fountain

Chapter One: The Beginning of the End

She didn't understand at first. Everything was hazy. Like she was looking at things from underwater. The only thing she knew for certain was that before her new parents had named her Ecthelien, she'd been somebody else. The name was fuzzy, but over time other memories resurfaced from the depths of her mind, and she knew her new life was different to that of her old one. For one, she aged far more slowly. By her count, she was ten years-old, and yet she looked as old as she had at five in her last life. Nobody else seemed to find it strange though, so she figured reincarnation wasn't all that common – if it was indeed an actual thing and not something she'd made up. But she couldn't have made it up. The world from her old memories was far too detailed for that, even if some of the details were a little hazy at times.

Yawning, she flopped back on her bed, mindlessly picking up the nearest book. Her love of reading had seemingly travelled through death and back with her, and Ecthelien couldn't have been more grateful for that. It would've been a lot more boring if she hadn't had the patience to read. The only probably was that there wasn't that great a variety of books, most of them being factual and long in nature. Her new world was really lacking in fantasy books, though from the looks of things, she mused, staring at herself in the mirror, she seemed to have ended up in a rather fantastical land. She had pointed ears, hair of the blackest night, clear grey eyes. When coupled with her chubby childish cheeks and button nose, she thought herself rather adorable, dare she think so herself. She hadn't been a particularly ugly baby the first time around, but her first body really didn't have anything on her second.

"Tell me a story, mother," she begged, staring at her mother as she was tucked in for the weird-not-quite sleep her new kind fell into. Her bed was wonderfully soft, and her childish body was having trouble not succumbing to rest. She wanted a story first. "Tell me something interesting at least, else I shan't be able to sleep."

"Hmm," Incië tapped her chin thoughtfully, a smile on her face as she stared fondly down at her. "Let me think... I could always tell you how me and your father met..."

Ecthelien made a face. "Ewww. None of that yucky drama," she grumbled, folding her arms with a huff. She wanted a good honest to god fantasy story. Something about dragons and elves or something of the like. She didn't need any tales of romance or the like. She was scared of falling in love with another, especially after all the drama in her last life. There was a reason she'd preferred burying her head in books and reading the occasional fanfiction too. Ah, she missed Lord of the Rings... Sadly there was no Tolkien in her world. She only hoped one would appear eventually so she could read interesting books yet again to escape the dreary slog of life.

"Well," Incië began, and Ecthelien perked up. "Were you aware you were meant to be born a boy?" she asked, tilting her head as though expecting an answer. Ecthelien shook her head in response. "Everyone thought you would be, and we had thought out the perfect name for you – a unique name..." She pinched her cheek gently. "You would have been Ecthelion, so rather than search for a different name, we decided we must simply change it to the female version. You surprised us, little one," she said, kissing her forehead, looking down at her with loving eyes. "But it was a nice surprise... though I think your father sorely wished for a boy to train up... but he received a daughter to spoil instead... Now, my little quendi, I think it time you got some much needed sleep."

She puffed out her cheeks, pulling her covers up to her chin. "Fine. Night," she mumbled curtly, eyes glazing over as she went to her happy place. Her little library of book knowledge from her last life. All those tales of fire, blood, and ash. Silently, she wondered what she'd do when she grew up. Neither her mother or her father seemed to have full-time jobs, though her father did occasionally go out hunting, and her mother could sometimes be found making dresses. She was confused as to what her role would be this time around. There didn't seem to be any office jobs, nor had her parents done much in the way of her education aside from teaching her to read and write. And what a beautiful flowing script it was...