"All this time, he was just the wolf who wore the sheep's wool and he would've swallowed us whole."
-Baccus Obryn
II. Gift
Pandora sat upright on her bed that was dressed with several black sheets, although she still appeared malnourished and drained of vitality. She had been lying in the dingy room which felt more like a containment to her for nearly two days now, though she did not know how long she had been in there for. The concept of time was something she could not discern. There was just the darkness, so it felt to her as the nighttime all the time. She could not tell whether it was day or night, nor did she contemplate it. There was only the monotonous black of the room that she kept in mind.
But for hours, all she had was the silence and the darkness of the room to take solace with.
There was a sudden knock at the door followed by the sliding of the door at the entrance of the room. She slowly reared her neck to meet the figure at the door. The figure was not very tall but what it lacked in height it compensated in girth. It was heavy, every footstep forming a low echo which reverberated across the quiet space. It did not have irises. Its eyes were thoroughly imbued with one, unvaried stretch of black. This was Pandora's first time seeing anyone since that night.
With the door still ajar, the light from outside the room illuminated its appearance, allowing Pandora to look upon its countenance with less difficulty. Her eyes were strained by the sudden presence of light but she soon became accustomed again as she fixed her eyes on the approaching figure. Its wrinkled and placid appearance gave off the impression that it was wise and knowledgeable.
Unsure whether to be worried or blithe, her dainty heart pounded the closer it got. Suddenly, now just before her bed, it stopped. It studied her unclothed body after scrutinizing the details of her face. It poured over her. It was difficult for her to gaze back at the its black eyes. It lifted up its head, its right hand following that same upward motion. He pressed the palm of its hand on her forehead. The cold and slimy texture of its hand caused her weakly jerk her head backward.
Although she was unnerved, she did not struggle. The figure left its hand on her forehead for some time with its eyes locked directly on her. She could feel a kind of warmth flushing about her innards. She could not begin to understand what it was that it was doing to her body. She convulsed lightly, her veins pressing against the skin of her arms and forehead. It was only soon after did she feel the hunger that had been troubling her soon begin to subside. Her belly was no longer growling as it had been doing for several hours.
She began to tremble and quiver in an involuntary manner to which she had no ability to compress. With its sable black eyes, it finally lifted its hand from her, a cold white mist following its hand.
Without speaking, it directed her out of the bed. After some seconds of ogling it, she recognized that she again had strength in her body to move far. She grabbed the fabric and it from around her waist. The elder figure escorted her outside of the dismal room. She was cautious but she still allowed herself to walk alongside the wide individual who acted as a guide. It never spoke, it did not even attempt to communicate.
As she motioned past the doorway, she realized how cooperative her body had been. She could feel vivacity in her tired limbs where strength had long since been omitted. Her breathing was strikingly improved as did the rhythm of her heart. Her flesh did not cover her bones like a thin sheet as it had some seconds prior. Her muscles and flesh were fuller and stronger. But there was still a slightly tense sensation interweaving throughout her head. She did not understand it, but never did she ask the wide, fat being.
All she could do was allow this old escort led her to a destination she did not know. After seconds of drifting slowly through the castle, Pandora was taken to a room. This room had no door to its entrance. But it did have windows, unlike the one she had been placed in. The brilliance of the room deeply opposed the gloom that had haunted thus castle-like construct. The room was artistic and circular, several colorful glass panels made up the windows. She felt a warmth overtake her as she stepped beyond the entrance. She stood there watching the fat being walk further into the room.
Before her stood a medley of ominous figures who collectively produced one daunting presence. She slowed to a crawl. They were the same little gray creatures, most of them. There was more this time, however. Each had its unique physical attribute but they all seemed to be coalesced by their achromatic shade, besides two specific figures: the large gray man and oddly enough the prelate of Sindirin who was standing right beside the large individual.
They were assembled like a courtroom with the large gray man in the center. Their tense stares were only alleviated partly by the majestic and tranquil nature of the bright room, slightly. She scanned each of their faces as her eyes were still adjusting to the light which she could not identify the source of. She looked outside but she saw that it was not morning, there was still that ever-present dusk of the forest. She pondered on it for a bit longer until the sudden rough voice of the large gray man snatched her attention. She grew more apprehensive.
The large individual stood with his hands behind his back, a calm demeanor rooted in his stolid expression. But, alongside him was the prelate whose hideous stares unstabilized her more. Those nauseating eyes of his were so cold and unfeeling; worsened by his offputtingly ivory flesh as if his skin, too, were drained of any ardor and love. Nothing in his appearance was forced, there was just an obscenity that resided within him, Pandora felt.
Her shaking became noticeable and only slightly once he turned away. There was a look of disappointment, shadowed by a low scoff.
She finally gathered the strength to look away from him, escaping from that monstrous mien of his. The large one began what would become a very interminable conversation between himself and Pandora. Only he spoke to her and she responded only to him. The subject of her past was often times the matter of their colloquy, never once sharing information regarding himself and other several individuals in the room or why she was here. He asked a myriad of questions, most were intimate questions, to which she answered to the best of her ability. Towards the ending of the conversation, he finally spoke on her current condition.
"I see you are feeling well, Pandora. I sent our healer to restore your body, however, you will still feel weak for some days," he spoke calmly, his eyes careful in not breaking away from hers. She, with her eyes fallen solely on him, nodded sadly.
"Tell us. Now that you are in this world again, what do plan?" All the spectators waited patiently and eagerly for her response, allowing the prolonged quietude to permeate the room.
"What do I plan to do?" She queried nervously. This question asked to her completely startled her, and it was even apparent in her befuddled expression.
He continued, this time asking a different question.
"And what of your deities? What are your plans for them?"
Her response was much quicker this time, "I hope for them to live in harmony with myself."
"Why is that?" He asked.
"You spoke earlier and you told me they are precious to you. I ask again why that is."
She hesitated but found her words, "I love them. They are all beautiful, each one has a life that is worth the same as any other living being." She spoke passionately about.
"Why do you feel that way towards them?"
Wondering what this man's intentions were with his series of questions, she again hesitated, "We share a bond. One we've shared for a very long time."
"Those individuals can feel?" He asked.
"We all feel just like any other being would."
"This bond you shared—did it occur within the confines of that box? Was there a level of sentience you could still achieve while confined in that construct?" He reached out to one of the gray humanoids and retrieved the small cube that had once contained her and those things.
"In this cube within the palm my hand, do you remember anything of it? Does there exist a separate plane with it that allowed you to survive in it? That allowed them to exist within it?"
"How is it that you survived for so long?"
She was beginning to feel irritated and by his constant questions regarding the deities but she was much too fearful to express that.
"Yes—I remember some things. We are one in the same. I felt their raw emotions as I do now and they feel mine. All of it," she said calmly, her eyes falling upon the closed cube that he held out in front of her.
"Is that so," he said with a look that seemed to cast doubt on that which she said.
"Would it then be correct if I were to say that inside, you were broken down into a form of intangible energy but still managed to maintain consciousness?"
She after trying to comprehend what he said, shrugged while after taking a brief glance at the others standing quietly around the walls of the room.
"We are the ones who released you from it, Pandora. We are the ones who have returned you back into this world after so many long epochs. You can again walk, you can again feel, and you can again experience life beyond the confines of this contraption. What are your feelings regarding our decision to set you free?"
"I—I am very grateful for your kindness," she said, a hint of uncertainty in her voice.
"Why do you think we have done so?"
"I am sorry but I cannot begin to think of why you released me. It is all so blurry."
"Your memories? Pandora, who do you think we are? Do you remember us?"
"I cannot say I do. I am sorry," She apologized. She had long become incensed by all of the obscure and seemingly ceaseless questions.
"I had not fully expected so. We are not actually the same individuals whom you met in your time. We are, in truth, their descendants. Do you remember the name of the Dakini?
She, with a face of dubiety, remained silent. She maintained eye contact during her silence.
Do you remember the name of Caushitiis?"
She stumbled, unable to recall them fully although there were a few semblances of memory that had felt familiar to her once she heard that name. She fought herself on the subject. It was familiar but she did not completely understand why those two words had her fixated. She wanted to know why.
He sighed, his voice growing courser, much to her discomfort. "I believe soon you will remember us in full. We can see it clear upon your face now."
"We know you will remember the kindness you had done us in the past, eventually. For that reason, we have freed you and have sworn to serve you as if you were a goddess."
She again did not know what to think to say. She stood staring with a look of ambiguity. She was certainly intrigued. Looking around the room with a pounding heart, she asked, "And what of my compeers?"
"Your compeers," he asked. "Are you referring to the many creatures outside?"
"Yes," she said.
"Is that what you call them? Compeers? Is there a name which they go by."
"They do not need names. I did give it thought once but I say it held no need."
His scoffed lowly, "While the subject is still on those entities in the forest, I must ask a question regarding them. What if they cannot peacefully exist with the other inhabitants of the world? What then?"
Now her already worried emotions heightened. Truly she was taken off guard and had nothing to say, not knowing what answer he was expecting.
He cleared a dismal sigh, "I would like you to walk with me outside, my queen."
After traversing the castle, he and Pandora finally arrived at the only entrance to the building.
As he slid apart the door which blended in with the wall, he spoke softly to her, "There are still people existing today who want to harm you..."
Her heart thumped expeditiously as the large wooden door was slowly opening, revealing to Pandora the sumptuous glitter of scintillating moonlight that penetrated through the dense layers of the perpetual smog. Though majestic, the moonlight revealed to Pandora the illuminated visage of macabre death. The earth around her was severely littered with the lifeless bodies of many of her own creatures.
"We tried to stop the ones who did this," he explained cautiously while assessing her countenance with keen eyes. He analyzed the deep crevices and creases of her disgruntled face. He awaited a response.
"How!" She attempted to sound powerful but the weight of this awful visage nearly suffocated her will and voice. Seeing them, who she loved so deeply, slain so viciously brought about from her a suppressed malevolence. He watched as her face became inflamed with redness and sultry tears. The land was scourged by the awful fetor of death.
"They came the night before and killed off as many as they could. It was humans who came that night-" Before he could finalize his sentence, Pandora crashed down to her knees.
She pressed her hands against her dripping wet eyes woefully. It hurt her to see such a thing, especially to her own.
He perpetuated her fears, fueling it with every word added.
"They attacked without warning during the night. You were much too weak to hear and that room does not allow sound to pass through its walls. We are deeply heartsick by their malevolence, but we are much more dispirited by our own weakness. They have been doing this for hundreds of years. Terrestrial conquest, they will not stop until all of the world is theirs, seizing all the land for their own. Our species has dwindled, now there only remains so few of us. I apologize that you had to suffer our pain. I know this was not something you would ever wish to see. It is surely a sight we would not wish upon our worst enemies. We did not know they would attack again so soon, they usually attempt to conquer this land but we have altered the land so they will not be so eager to overrun us. Still, they have never stopped trying. This dark forest is the last of the free lands, the rest will all be there's soon enough. But at least you can now see for your own eyes what we have been suffering and now you know why it is that we have released you from you."
Pandora looked at him with a look of terror more than vexation. Still, she angrily urged him to continue.
"They do not invade on their own. They have six otherworldly beings that enforce their might upon us. Purple men is what they call them. The world today is not as you knew it. Step from beyond these lands and you will see it for yourself. For centuries we have tried to release you so you could help us defend ourselves from their evil and the evil they have spread about our, your world," he spoke convincingly, with a calm demeanor that conveyed sympathy.
Her appearance mutated and hardened into a visage so unsightly. Yet, there was a look of genuine grief in that now inflamed grimace of hers.
When she turned away to peruse the land of the lifeless deities, his face reverted back into something so expressionless, yet awful. However, there was something chillier about his expression now. He watched her as she looked around the cemetery-like earth around her. He watched as tears involuntarily spilled from her sore red eyes.
"Many of ours died during last night's struggle. We are only so weak. But with you, we can, at last, do away with evil. May you guide us?"
She was quiet almost as if she was contemplating what to do and what to say. However, her mind was blank, an empty vessel of disheartened nothingness. She struggled to lift her arm to wipe away the tears. Noticing this, the large gray man used his own hand to wipe away the tears from her eyes which seemed to run down her face like a continuous waterfall. Though she did not respond to the deep dolor which inundated her psyche, he believed strongly that he had his answer.
She rushed into his embrace, allowing his large arms to wrap around her. She hugged his large torso, squeezing with all forms of aggression and sadness.
With a face unchanging, he whispered softly into her shaky ears, "Thank you, queen Pandora."