“So, peculiarly-dressed stranger of peculiarly-sounding phrases, simply who’re you precisely?” 

I used to be by no means ever going to recover from it. You may’t critically count on me to. You set probably the most detached, dispassionate particular person in my sneakers, you may discover that even they’ve their limits that may be damaged, and make no errors, they are going to be damaged.

As a result of every part, the air I breathe, the sights I see, the sounds I hear – I am certain there are various on the market that love studying their fantasy tales, and envisioning themselves dwelling of their favourite fantasy worlds.

Ain’t no disgrace in it, I do my justifiable share of daydreaming too. However that was all there was to it. Simply daydreams to flee the grueling, relentless tedium of actuality. In my thoughts, dwelling that ‘otherworld’ fantasy. 

And now right here I used to be, the ‘otherworld’ earlier than me, actually dwelling it… fabricated in a dream, no much less. 

Irony does not even start to explain the extent of irony we have simply exceeded. Merriam’s gonna must give you a brand new phrase to suit this example for his or her newest version.

“Helloooo? Are you continue to with me?”  There was a sound of fingers being snapped, producing vivid yellow sparks that just about blinded me. “Or has the stranger merely been taken confused by the illustrious, fascinating magnificence earlier than his mere mortal eyes?”

Then there’s… this. The place the hell do I even start with… this?

Ria was a conniving conniver with a crafty cheeky aspect. She virtually lived and breathed these things. I would not in any respect put it previous her to give you a sensible joke that is similar to this.

However was it a joke, although? Can I actually name her bluff proper now? It is a dream, something can occur in a dream…

“Her daughter…” The phrases left me quieter than a whisper. “She… she by no means talked about…”

She by no means talked about something anyway. By no means advised me something.

“Talked about, hmm?” She cocked her head, the identical means Ria does when one thing intrigued her. “You speak about my mom as if you recognize her.”

“I do know her.”

She narrowed her eyes, staring me down throughout. “Know her how?”

“She’s a buddy.”

“Buddies? With a human?” Her tone of voice made it sound so absurd. “I do not assume so, expensive stranger.”

“It is true!”

“True or not, I’ve no inclinations to consider you in any way,” She mentioned with a blunt smile. “In actual fact, I even have a much more cheap rationalization in thoughts. Care to listen to it?”

What else was I gonna do? Say no, then lose my solely lead? I am a stranger in a wierd land, misplaced within the deep murky sea of confusion being swept away by raging tides.

She’s the buoy preserving me afloat, barely clinging on with slipping fingers… and I am unable to let my grip on her slip.

Gotta must indulge her. Gotta get on her good aspect.

“Clarify away,” I advised her, arms up signaling the go-ahead.

There was that smile once more, a lot like hers.

“Communicate up if this story sounds in any respect acquainted to you, alright?” She mentioned, clearing her throat. “A younger man… a curious, bold man, would possibly I add, has heard unusual whispers being shared amongst his fellow countrymen. Unusual glowing lights within the sky each night time close to the summit of Excessive Hilindurs. Quick gentle, vivid lights, disappearing nearly as fast as they arrive, and nobody to elucidate why that was…”

She paused to gauge my response – do not know what she hoped to seek out… however clear confused furrowed-brow little ol’ me wasn’t it.

Regardless, hopping and skipping small circles round me, the phoenix continued, “Now curious, bold man, braved the perilous climb as much as the summit, reaching the height to unravel the thriller for himself… and after an extended whereas, maybe after days and nights of fruitless scouring, stumbles upon unusual being by no means earlier than seen… beings enshrouded in gentle, glowing vivid however by no means burning… and one of the best most fascinating half? These unusual magnificent beings are capable of flip at will into even stranger creatures able to flight.

“Witnessing this, however by no means actually believing, the bold, curious younger man stored an in depth eye on these new fascinating creatures that roamed, cautious as to not give himself away, till at some point… when his ever-burning curiosity may now not be sated, he determined to threat approaching one in all these creatures on their each day romp by means of the forest…  maybe to get a good nearer look, or perhaps to try to have a chat with one in all them. Who actually is aware of, although, proper?”

She took another step, coming full circle again in the direction of me, with a haughty grin, and a flourishing spin, the smoldering gentle in her eyes regarded again up at me ever so smug.

“Properly, effectively then, younger bold curious man,” She folded her arms, tossing her flaming locks again. “Having an attention-grabbing dialog up to now? Do you want what you see?”

This little mini-Ria assume she’s received me all found out. Yeah… in her goals.

“Fascinating story you bought there,” I responded, shaking my head. “It is too unhealthy it is not mine.”

She stored aloof. “Alright so perhaps I’ve taken liberties with a few of the presumptions, I will not deny. However the primary define is at all times the identical. You discover us, you may inform about our existence, individuals will not consider you, then we transfer continents by no means to be seen once more by you – ahh… I’ve grown so weary of being in the identical unoriginal story over and over. Look, you are not the primary to find us, and I extremely doubt you may find yourself being the final.”

So confidently incorrect about being right. It is wonderful really.

“Once more, good story,” I mentioned, nonetheless shaking my head at her. “However I like my one much better.”

That is when she snapped. The regular glow of her blazing brighter as she threw her arms up all flustered.

“And like I mentioned, I actually do not assume so! You may’t be pals with my mom, it is unimaginable!”

“Did not appear that unimaginable to me.”

She groaned. This one’s fast to displease, in contrast to a sure different Phoenix… guess they don’t seem to be as comparable as I initially thought.

“You’re a liar,” She mentioned, fingers on her hips. “That otherwise you’re unhinged. Or maybe a harmful combination of each.”

“Look, is Ria’s social life actually that unhappy or one thing?” I requested, genuinely at a loss. “Is it actually that arduous to consider that your mom has pals?”

‘She has pals, you are simply not one in all them!”

“And the way’d you work?”

“As a result of should you’ve met right here earlier than, then you definitely would not be right here speaking to me proper now, not to mention even respiratory.”

That took… a fairly sudden flip. She’s received me this time… now I actually do wanna hear what she needed to say.

“What do you imply?”

However she did not converse, she walked… brushing previous my shoulder, and again into the slender entrance to the forest.

Once more, no phrases, nonetheless it was clear that I used to be to observe… so observe I did. Each blade of grass she crunched, each log she maneuvered over, I did every part the identical as she did.

It was solely with the fifth log, greater than all of the others, after I was then reminded simply how brief she actually was.

I am no large, however I actually felt like one standing beside her… she’s barely over half Ria’s peak. Simply how previous was this little girl?

I do not know my fantasy creatures effectively sufficient to gauge ages simply by eye-balling but when I’ve to surmise, I am guessing she’s gotta be someplace between seventeen to at least one hundred million.

And that is me narrowing it.

All of the sudden one thing snapped my focus again to the current, and that is precisely what the offender was – a pointy muffled snap… from underneath my foot.

An everyday ol’ small chunk of wooden was my skilled evaluation after lifting my leg up. Was up and able to simply brush it off… however then I discovered myself nonetheless observing it.

Did not know why till I regarded even nearer.

It was charred. Very badly charred.

“Latrissa…?”

I regarded again up, she wasn’t in entrance of me any longer. Should have gone additional into the woods… I solid one final look at it, earlier than I walked myself into that additional.

There have been extra of them. I did not even should step on any to catch them. Scorch marks on the tree trunks, the grass additional forward had misplaced their inexperienced. They had been virtually simply ashes… able to blow with the wind.

Then similar to earlier than… the forest opened up once more, and one other breathtaking view was there earlier than me as soon as extra.

Solely this time… all for the unsuitable causes.

Forest fires… I’ve solely ever seen them on the information. In particular person, by no means.

Not anymore.

Lifeless timber, damaged timber… the scorched earth, it was haunting how far it prolonged. The air right here smelled completely different too.

Pungent, hazy… useless…

I noticed a glow within the nook of my eyes, and after I turned, there she was – the small phoenix, sporting an expression that was simply as foreboding.

She did not reply my query earlier than… I believe she’ll reply me now.

“What… What is that this place?”

She picked up one thing lengthy and slender off the bottom, burnt past the purpose of recognition. It regarded like a stick from afar.

Then I leaned in a bit, and I noticed little patches of white poking by means of the burnt black… she held it nearer, I regarded nearer… and I felt my respiratory stiffen.

That is not a stick…

“The final time bold curious younger males tried to get a more in-depth have a look at us,” Her eyes fell, the sunshine in them regularly dimming. “Mother was the one which met them…”