CHAPTER I: DUCHESS OF THE FORESTS (1)
Above the Kepler´s Infinity Mountains, a young woman with honey eyes and golden soul, rested in freedom, in faith, gracefully. Glaring, dancing into the rhythm of her learning. Redeeming her past, in the joy of the eternal forests. In the dry meadows of the ancestral mountain range. Among the stream of blessings. Between the single song, for violet birds of the day, and talking villains of the night. The woman of the fireflies; who proclaims a lover, who proclaims a fate. Dwelling in gratitude. Discovering the lessons, unveiling the game, for her beauty relied upon her being awake; chosen by the deity of these lands. The God of Life, the one who blessed her with uniqueness. Whom begot her with abundance; living the silence of the savanna, but from there, moving the masses of the fauna, around the symphony of her sweet voice. Raising the joy of the elevated greens, with her precious gaze. Stroking nature with her convincing hands, towards peace and conversion. She was humble enough to recognize, she was only the voice, for the quiet light. Allowing her spirit to be an instrument of the latter; radiating her calm and grace. Wise and stealthy, brave and determined, until shedding her blood for her mission. Her destiny, although she did not have the clarity to understand it, nor to know for sure, where these unpredictable winds from the south of the mountains would take her.
Perhaps the secret of her greatness was in her conscience of knowing herself as a chosen of her father; in having the greatest liability of these born earthlings, around these strange lands. In being the precursor of a divine message, but impossible to manifest. In being the pretended initiate of the new leaders, bearing as a witness, of a new strengthened spirit, without anyone knowing of her existence, yet. Preparing for an ill-disposed people, in favor of the truth, for after five Rimerians of the terrible fall of the Kingdom of Anaís, the vitality of her name was the only thing that ran as a providence among the extensive bushes of the southern leafy woodland.
In the depths of a lost forest, the woman was found. Not like any other woman. This was the daughter of the rivers; the bearer of the light, and the truth embodied for the salvation of men. For the beatification of women; for the purification of the elderly. For the guidance of all little boys and little girls. And although, her brilliance grew in her steps, the price of her presence represented the imminence of chaos. She knew it very well. She recognized it every day, every night; remembering the unforgettable tragedy that had been unleashed on her past people, by unfortunate decisions. By defined immaturity, and intervening paths. Leading to the excessive decline of her own kingdom, and of her rumored death, among the hills of the surrounding towns. She managed to survived, but with the weight of truth. With the terrible eminence. The irreparable reality. Everything she touched turned into a miracle, but behind it, twisted shapes of destruction pursued her. For the brighter the light, the darker the shadow.
“You´ve reached the highest terrains of the forest” exclaims a nearby floating energy. “These are the tallest trees in Anaís.”
“Boy, are they tall!” the young woman replies. “Wait, Athäir, what is that creature?”
“It´s a Gémluan” responds the energy. “As you can see, they are very large; their bark is rough, and they are very aggressive, so I do not recomm– Leyra, wait! Where do you think you are going?!”
The forest creatures loved Leyra; she was the rebirth of pureness. Animals and plants clung up to her. She was joy and love, shed over the hidden layers of the deep and unknown forest. So the woman wasn´t really concerned about approaching the horrifying creature, although, it was very dangerous.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing, woman?” asks the floating spirit. “This is one of the most dangerous creatures in the forest!”
“Quiet! We must earn his trust first” the woman says, stepping in slowly. “I just want to stroke it. I’ve never seen one.”
“If they tear you apart, I’ll be the first to go with you to heaven!”
“Relax, my friend” the woman says with a laugh. “Surely, he is not expecting this. Look, he already saw us!”
The creature with an amorphous head and infuriating structure turned its head, and ripped one of the branches of the giant tree, from where he was devouring its enormous leaves. The creature quickened its pace and walked toward the woman, abruptly. She moved her hip a little, and the bag around her, turned to her front. And from this bag, she took out a book. She opened the third section of it, quickly, as the onslaught approached at full speed.
“It’s the end!” the floating energy exclaims. “I can´t believe this! So much that I wanted to see!”
“The end, is only the first part the beginning, Athäir.”
The woman memorized a short sentence, closed her eyes, and gently opened the palm of her left hand. From it, brief flashes of green light began to oscillate, and wispy electric currents whirled around her arm. And with a soft and stealthy voice, the young woman began to exclaim a few words in a lost dialect among the currents of the winds.
« Aram idguthar; ’elien mardmam, ’elien. »
The creature slowed its accelerated pace, immediately. Opened his huge dark eyes, surprised, throughout the giant solid wood shell covering his head. He gazed at the little creature emanating the blessed words, which entered like sweet waves of healing under his ears. Calming his troubled mind, relaxing his spirit. He released the giant branch that he was still chewing on the enormous mouth, and by inertia, inclined his head over the hand of the mysterious woman, who had a beautiful smile on her face.
“You see Athäir! Harmless!” The woman exclaims, caressing the beast. “What a precious creature!”
“That was by chance!” responds the floating energy.
Suddenly, other beasts from the forest began to approach the woman. And in the telling of these fables and tales, shadows outlined from within the depths of the trees. Perhaps, for the seek of the softest hands; perhaps, for the love of the kindest heart. As longed as it was; and what was once a forgotten soul, served her missions, above the rambling paths. Above the wandered ways. Resembled, in the beauty of her eyes. In the beauty of her gaze; kindred in awareness, and joyful praise. As she finally let her weight fell; a burden ceasing from her shoulders. For in the instant she core her mind upon serving her father’s purpose, then this purpose, began to serve herself.
Her goodness attracted all kinds of monsters, and beings she had never seen before; with each step she took, more of them arose. Harmony invaded the place, and beings prostrated before her. Giant, amorphous, and frightening creatures, rising from the ground, bowed their heads to be caressed by the duchess of the forest. She was not afraid of them, quite the contrary. She could see the beauty that rely within their physique. She could see the beauty behind the shape, behind the creature. She could see the beauty of the heart. And because their souls craved for love, she quickly won the hearts of all the fantastic creatures.
“The night is near, Leyra,” exclaims Athäir. “I think it’s time to go.”
“You’re right” Leyra exclaims. “See you later my friends, it’s time to leave.”
The two beings left, and began to intertwine between the orange mysticism of a magical sunset. Descending among the uneven meadows; entering the spirit of the forest, where was a small cabin that the woman had built. Here, she spent the nights for her refuge, against the dark mysteries of the shadows of the forest.
“In five years, I´ve never seen such creatures!” Leyra exclaims.
“Neither do I” exclaims Athäir. “And that worries me, we are entering into unknown areas.”
“Do you think?” asks the woman.
“We must be cautious; this forest doesn´t seem to be out of surprises.”
Crossing the fluorescent paths that led to the small hut, suddenly, dozens of small fireflies began to surround and dance upon the steps that the young woman took; around the late afternoon, in the preciousness of the evening. Leyra decided to follow the trails these insects left everywhere, like small flickering bursts of blue and green bright lights.
