Phoenix doesn't appear to be captured with astonishment as Rin. His face binds with solemness, shadow wisps in those eyes he holds, scarlet flames, with unseen depths escape their icy cage. Hip length earthy brown hair swishes with a seeming wind of curled emotions. However, he returns to setting up the tent in a cloud of tensioned silence.
Rin's mouth drops a sliver, a leap of horror and dread whizz across her face, sadness and helplessness turn her eyebrows down and sheath a stained window over her eyes. A statue of bronze she becomes. Fair and kind, troubled with sorrow and loyalty.
"Claire...I'm. I'm sorry." She speaks as though having made a final decision in a clear coated tone, absent of emotion.
"That was more than two years ago, I'm fine. It's fine." I sigh with a rock solid voice, despising the newfound pity. Dripping pools of it sit in their faces, washing over their eyes. And thus I've become a mere creature defined by an evil coated past. "Don't look at me with such insulting pity. It's horrible, the exact reason I refused to reveal it." My voice rings out, soaking into them.
Trees sway at peace with closed eyes and open hearts of life partnered with immense power, collectively comforting me, opening , showing me the many sides there are to lonely death and creeping horror. Branches sway and lean lightly, leaves murmur softly, birds sing long drawn tunes, joyous and light on one side, yet sinking deep and truly meaningful on the other. Nature gathers in my pure sorrow and blank denial, accepting all my knotted conflict. Its arms embrace me warmly, giving me all the plentiful time and space I require.
It understands. They understand. Their roots reach beneath me, exploring and mapping the Earth, touching rivers and lakes, relieving hunger and death to peace and calm. Leaves arise to a blossoming royal glow, straight smooth trunks, or gnarled knotted ones fill stringed with gold, as viens between all the ravines engraved in bark.
I understand it all now. Yet, I find myself unable to even explain it.
A pulsing pure and defined life force emits from Phoenix of total light and silent peace, carrying out through Earth.
Nature has beauty unmatched, beauty a painter or photographer cannot capture, a feeling of joy of death, for the decay brings grasses for others to survive on. Death does not declare finality. Beauty can still arise.
Rejoicing the returning of a soul, the new growth it allows.
This is the essence of life. This nature, Earth.
My tears scale away to silver and gold as the tree accepts them gladly, turning my pitted stabbing anguish to a beautiful thing instantly. And I know, they will always be here for me, I can count on them, they'll never leave me.
I feel unable to leave the tree, so I turn to Phoenix with a hand remaining on its surface.
"Phoenix..." but it seems I need say no more, he smiles and nods, closing his eyes and looking down, glowing golden with life still.
The entire thing ebbs away gradually until night returns its cloak and stars are revealed again. I somehow do not lose the sense of it all, the feelings and all seem to remain, to keep continuing, yet I can no longer see it; nor do the leaves still glow, or the golden veins.
Rin appears entirely, innocently confounded, but tries to shrug it off, perhaps thinking it a strange dream or illusion. Was it really so short? Did he prevent her from fully feeling or seeing it all? Why though?
My staring at Phoenix goes unnoticed by the tangled Rin, he has gone back to the tent, completing the last few touches of the man made shelter. The gaze of mine becomes magnetically attached to him, curiosity and awe mixing as paint in my mind, too many questions fly into view.
However, it appears I'm supposed to just ignore recent events and move on; for now anyways, I do have able intentions to speak with him about it. This is not something you can just shoulder away and remember with only joy.
I dare imagine Rin thinking we saw nothing, and it was just her vision.
Soon I lay with my eyes mounted to a grey clouded navy sky, where few and fair sized gaps reveal windowed stars, leagues away from Earth and its might unknown to man. Like Earth's shield has been waged with wars and earned unfixable damage, wielding its raw power and strength.
Far, too far I might add, into the night my thoughts dwell in the cave of wonder. It takes the westering moon to put me into dream. Dew forms happily on the fabric, sparkling a belighted silver, like raindrops from a star above, a wind brings the coolness of fall upon us, though I'd say we've got a few weeks prior threat of snow.
+*+*+*+
"Hello." A wisend voice ripples across black air, the floor is a sheek red, flat and endless.
"You're the man from my dreams of the red cloak, aren't you?" My voice is thin and smooth.
"Correct you are, how perceptive of you, a good choice you were." The mans silky tones wash through me.
"A good choice?" I ask in bewilderment.
"Yes, yes, of course."
"What does that mean? Who 'choose' me? And for what?" Confusion becomes a ringing bell in my head.
"Why, you must know, you just must!" His voice is kind and patient.
"Clearly I do not. Enlighten me please."
"Alright then, well, first off, I am Oswald, a wizard I might add. I am the soul that locked away Siron, yet in return I was forced to take form as this key. First I was handed to a young man, but he was slain, used my soul wrongly. Now I am entrusted to you, a skillful young gal! Though, not exactly entrusted, more like, taken from the boy no? Anywho, I can only communicate with you through dream, thought. Only recently have I been able to talk directly with you. Must take off now with light of dawn! Be good, keep me safe, have fun!" And away he fades, blackness encircles.
Dawn light appears.
My brother misused the key? Why share memories of old, or Siron with me? Why talk to me? It all keeps flooding in. Why couldn't Rin see, was it Phoenix who disallowed it?
*Note: The content of the forest and nature in this book are not linked to my exact feelings or how I see things, I will remind you this is a fantasy.