Yla

Chapter 6: Under The Moonlight (Part 2)

A stranger just arrived in Fadia, to him this was not a strange place, it was full of magic but not strange, he had visited this land often, but tonight he would have given anything not to be there. Tonight is a full moon, a night when the nymphs feast in honor of the moon, and no mortal was allowed to enter their lands and those who dare are killed in ways that no one would wish upon their worst enemies. The man shivered at the thought of a very excruciating death, but tonight something else bothered him, he went to Fadia as he was tasked to collect something precious, they were Nymph Tears. It was gems imbued by the magic of the nymphs, it was a precious item that in past mortals had gone mad searching for them. In the laws of the nymphs if a mortal is found in possession of the gems he will suffer torture before death. But it was his master’s request to obtain such Items and he as his apprentice must follow, but he would rather be elsewhere in the world than in Fadia during the night of the full moon. The doom of what might come made him more concerned, that he decided to mask his presence with magic to make him invisible to both mortals and nymphs.

As quietly as he could he walked through the trees, constantly watching his surroundings, not keeping his magic as untraceable as possible, wary that the lords of the land he walked through. Deers and a few birds passed by him and as he trudged deeper he began to hear it... the songs of the nymphs masked by the songs of the nightingales, the sound of a instruments in tune to the whistle of the wind, yes he was close. The melodies were heavenly, it called and enticed those who would hear it,  but not all can hear it, only nymphs, powerful wielders, and those attuned to nature will hear their hailings. If not for his resolution he would have walked into his death, he steeled his nerves and continued on his way. He walked towards the lake, the place where the soothsayer had predicted that he will find the gems, as he got closer to the lake another but sound caught his ear. It was a faint song, it was like a lullaby and a song jubilation, it was nothing that he had heard in his life, it was as if it called to him, without his notice he followed the sound, closer he heard the song, through all the flora that barred his view the voice was so clear, it was eerie, it was sweet, it was different. Curious, he cleared away the branches and vines and found something he never expected.

At the shore of the lake he stood transfixed at the most majestic sight he had ever seen; it was in the middle of the lake, it was dancing so gracefully, no, he thought, SHE was dancing so gracefully, like water. The gentle landing of her foot on water, her quaint dress swayed along with her, she glowed in the moonlight, she was perfect in every way he could think of. He wanted to get close to her, he wanted to know what she is, who she is, the flame of curiosity and burned within him, that he forgot his task, he didn't care if he was caught, she is worth every risk. She didn't look like a nymph, but she wasn’t just a mortal, what is she? She was so caught up in her hailings that she didn't even notice his presence so close to her. She was an arms reach away that he his body moved on his own and took hold of her hand--

SPLASH!

Yla was caught unaware with someone pulling her into the water, she was drenched and the slippery rocks made it impossible for her to stand up on her own, the stranger who was at the water’s edge stared at her motionless, his eyes transfixed at her. He had dark eyes and a silver mane, his face was flushed and all he did was stare.

“Uh...care to help me out of the water please?” Yla said to him putting out her hands, the stranger snapped back to reality and took her outstretched arms, when Yla held back his arms she pulled him with enough strength to fall into the water with her. 

“Now we’re even”, she laughed, splashing him on the face and crawling towards dry land. The stranger seemed to still be in a daze but smiled at her.

“Forgive me”, he said standing up and moving towards the shore, “I just didn't expect to meet a nymph away from her land”, his voice reminded her of Cleon’s as they had the same tone. 

“I’m sorry to disappoint, but I’m no nymph", she laughed, “I’m mortal!”

“No mortal walks on water the way you did”, he responded wringing his sleeves

“I’m wielder, and I just did”, he seemed to be just around her age Yla thought as he watched him trying to get as much water off of him.

“Then what incantation did you use?” He stared at her once more - for crying out loud why she was barefoot, he thought to himself.

Yla stared at him, he seemed to be really serious about asking about how she did it, she sighed, “I...” she paused, how will she explain, “I...didn't conjure a spell, i just removed the heat at the point where my foot will stand, and the water is frozen.”

The stranger looked at her in bewilderment, it was impossible, such a feat is impossible, even he couldn’t do it, the manipulation of the properties of the elements required so much magic and a powerful spell. Yla smiled at him trying to convince him that it was easy, and somehow he felt a small but sudden shift in the magic of the earth.

“Sir, you bother too much with the small details”, she began to laugh at him enjoying his confused expression, it's been years since she laughed like this, she found him interesting and fun. But before he could respond to her Yla heard a voice calling out to her, she looked to it direction and shen she looked back at the stranger he was gone, all that was left was a white lily with a note, 

“Til we meet again dear nymph.”

Yla felt her cheeks warmed up, her heart was beating fast and she was smiling without her notice, it's funny how a stranger made her feel that way.