The Herbalist

Disturbing findings

- Kaelith -

“Iaraelyn, you have summoned me?”

“Kaelith, you must come at once. Yaraqui had a vision. He spoke to Elowen Valdis, and her warning… it’s dire, to say the least.”

“I shall never fathom these dreamwalkers and their cryptic ways. It would be far simpler to visit in person and converse as folk ought.”

“Kaelith, you know better than to speak ill of them. Visions can reveal truths hidden even from you.”

“Ha! Spare me your lectures. What of the forest? Had it not whispered its secrets to me here now? I have no need of dreamwalking to know where I am needed.”

“Your arrogance will be your downfall,” Iaraelyn snapped, crossing her arms. “Black magic is at play, Kaelith. It might trick your vaunted powers, O so wise and ancient one. But of course, the long-lost Elf knows better than all of us, doesn’t he?”

I narrowed my eyes, my voice dropping to a growl. “Watch your tongue, child. You do not speak for me nor command my path. Bring your cripple and be done with it.”

“Indeed,” she replied, a smug edge to her tone.

Iaraelyn—insufferable as always. Young, by at least a century and a half, and yet she strutted about with the airs of one twice her age. She was the leader of one of the three Fae communities dwelling within the Amazonian forest, and her self-importance grated upon my patience. I needed not her precious dreamwalker to tell me that something was amiss. The very air reeked of darkness, of black magic. Still, mayhap speaking with the old mute could spare me from wandering into peril blind.

Yaraqui approached us then, his steps hesitant yet deliberate. His gaunt face bore the weariness of one who had walked the dream paths too often. I beckoned him forth with a flick of my hand. “Come, old one. Let us be done with this.”

He hesitated, glancing at Iaraelyn as if seeking permission. Foolishness. Did he truly believe I would strike him down? I scoffed under my breath.

When he sat before me, I offered my hands, palms upward. Slowly, Yaraqui placed his own atop mine, his touch trembling. He closed his eyes and began humming the incantation to enter his trance. I followed suit, allowing the connection to form.

The vision came in flashes, fleeting and disjointed. I saw a young woman—human, or mayhap something else—fleeing from others of her kind. Her face was blurred, as though obscured by some enchantment. I almost dismissed it as trivial human nonsense until the image shifted. A wolf appeared, his stance protective, his aura screaming Alpha. Beside him loomed a bear—massive, far larger than any mere shifter. Magic radiated from the creature, ancient and potent. My memory stirred; the bear’s kind was one I had known of long ago, but its name eluded me.

The vision grew darker, revealing humans armed with silver bullets. A chill coursed through me—these were no ordinary men. Their weapons were laced with poison, black magic woven into their steel. Silver was poison to shifters.

And then I saw it—the wolf’s frenzy, his desperate defense of the human woman. I understood. She was his mate. Pity welled within me for a brief moment, for such a powerful creature to be shackled to one so weak. But my disdain for shifters quickly smothered any sympathy.

Just as I was about to withdraw from the vision, the forest itself quivered. Impossible. The forest was protective of the human. Why? Forests despised humankind. Something was terribly amiss.

Abruptly, Yaraqui’s grip tightened on my hands, his strength startling. My eyes snapped open, and I saw his glowing gaze as he was about to speak - a sight that should have been impossible for a mute. When he spoke, it was not his voice, but that of Elowen Valdis.

"Kaelith, hear the whispers of fate,

For forces awaken, and time grows late.

A shadow stirs, an evil reborn,

From ancient dark, a new dawn is sworn.

Your soulmate, though veiled in disdain,

Will rise as your foe, yet bind you in chains.

The vision, clear, cannot be denied,

For Artemis guides you through the tide.

Patience has earned the goddess' grace,

Through trials, growth, and a destined race.

The path will twist, the journey long,

But through the pain, you’ll emerge strong.

Fear not the hardship, for in the end,

The reward will be more than you comprehend.”

The trance broke, and Yaraqui released me as though my hands burned him. His eyes, now normal, darted between Iaraelyn and me, wide with shock. He gestured helplessly, signing that he did not understand what had just transpired.

I turned to Iaraelyn, my voice sharp. “What madness was that?”

“Looks like you’re in for an interesting time in Switzerland,” she replied with a smirk.

“Wipe that smirk from thy face,” I snarled. “What does this riddle portend?”

“Well,” she said, leaning back with exaggerated ease, “all that talk of soulmates, patience, and Artemis makes me think that you, dear Kaelith, are finally going to meet your one and only. Excited to pop your cherry, Big Man?”

I bristled, my voice cold. “I have no desire for such frivolous pursuits. This talk of... cherries... is beneath me.”

“That’s kind of the point,” she teased. “Finding your soulmate, getting her beneath you—”

“Enough!” I thundered, my patience fraying. “I have waited centuries, and I would know if my soulmate existed. I would feel it.”

“You’re part Elf, Kaelith. Elves don’t feel those urges unless they find their destined. Maybe you’ve never had the urge because you’ve been waiting all this time. Honestly, it’s about time she shows up. It might even soften you up a bit. Don’t you want that?”

I scowled. “I desire no such softening.”

“Sure, sure,” she said, waving me off. “But don’t scare her off, alright? Try to be… open-minded. Now, go to E-V-. She’ll have more answers.”

"E-V-? For Elowen Vadis? You cannot be serious?" I gaped.

"I had some wonderful dreamwalking time with her, so yes, we're on pet names basis. The Swiss, unlike you, are very... friendly if you know what I mean..." She said waggling her eyebrows.

"I certainely did not need to know that." I said turning to leave.

" You'll understand when you'll to meet you mate."

"She'd better be a majestic creature." I threw off my shoulder.

"Right. Now go find E-V and she'll tell you more about that riddle." She tsked and waved goodbye.

"On my way."

Aeden joined when I left the hut. I opened a portal to the Swiss forest and we both went though. The shift in energy was palpable the moment I stepped into the Swiss forest. The magic here was frayed, uneasy. I sought out Elowen Valdis, finding her in her hut. She sat in quiet repose, a brew of whispering meadow tea steaming before her.

“Kaelith,” she greeted, her voice carrying the weight of ages.

“Elowen,” I replied curtly, “I had come for answers.”

She inclined her head. “ I called for your ear, for there is much untold. The very heart of the forest trembles, disturbed by forces woven in shadow. What moves now cannot be undone, and in its wake, darkness stirs once more. Artemis has sent me to guide you, but her words come to me as riddles, for the dream realm is fractured by the taint of black magic. I believe I have found her, Kaelith—the one meant to walk beside you. Your time is upon you, to shield the Earth. This war is no longer a struggle of Supernaturals against men, but of Light against the encroaching dark. You must seek her, mark her with the ancient ways of your kin. Only through this will you sever the cycle and prevent the prophecy from rebirthing itself.

I frowned. “Speak plainly, Elowen. What is this marking thou speak of?”

“To mark is to bind,” she said, her voice a lilting cadence."The Elven marking... it is not a simple gesture, nor a thing of mere words. It is an ancient bond, forged not in time but in essence. To mark, is to surrender to the depths of a shared soul, where two become one, not just in body, but in spirit. It is the union of light and shadow, the crossing of realms. Only through such an act can the soul’s essence be entwined, bound in a way that no force can sever. It is not a path to be taken lightly, Kaelith, for the consequences echo far beyond what you may foresee."

“And you have found my destined and are certain she is the one?”

"I have glimpsed her, though her face is veiled in the mist of time. The threads of fate have led me to her, and I believe she is the one you seek. But the journey, Kaelith, is not one to be rushed. Tomorrow, I shall show you the path—if the winds of destiny allow it to unfold.

“Then show me the path,” I demanded.

“Tomorrow,” she said, her gaze distant, “the winds shall reveal what they will.”