Between Two Worlds

Chapter Fifteen

Liora

Some truths are unbelievable.

If I was to tell them all of mine, they would have a hard time being convinced by it. Even half of it would make someone scream "Liar!" to my face.

One day, soon, I will have to tell them everything I've been hiding and handle all the judgmental words they will throw at me. That being said if they only throw words. I bet my future will be much more gore than that. I am, indeed, surrounded by a pack of vicious wolves. I don't expect anything that doesn't involve quite a lot of blood.

But for now, let's start with something small...

Small compared with everything else I will tell them in the near future.

Because what I am about to reveal is everything, but a small deed.

In a show of self-control—that I would not have if I was in their position—they didn't shower me with questions but patiently waited for me to mentally prepare myself to explain everything.

I could see that Dominic and Brianna wanted to ask me a million questions, probably related to the prospect of being able to have pups. They badly want this to be true. As do I. To be honest, I have no idea if the water will work or not. Never once have I heard a story about someone who was permitted access to the healing waters and, instead of using it right away, put it inside a flask as I did.

But what truly threw me off balance was Logan's silence. There was no real altercation, voices being raised, or the usual bickering between us. But his eyes convey more than any word could. He doesn't believe me. Worse than that, he doesn't trust me. For some reason, the little tiny amount of trust he gave me since I arrived here is completely gone.

I guess while my story is bringing hope of a new future to Dominic and Brianna, to Logan only arose suspicion.

Letting go of any unwelcome thoughts for now, I take a few deep breaths to ready myself. Sitting in the armchair, trying to keep myself as far away from them as possible, I close my eyes and begin narrating my story.

"What should I call it?" I ask rhetorically, trying to sound funny and dissipate the nervous atmosphere. I guess they know me well by now because nobody answered or interrupted me. "Maybe The Tale of the Siren? It has a nice ring to it..."

I don't need to look to know Logan is probably snickering about my choice of title.

Without waiting, I keep going...

"There are a few things I can't tell you yet, but before coming back here, I was given a mission. A strange and dangerous one at that. I was told that for me to continue, I needed to retrieve something that was unparalleled for me to have in my possession. Obviously, I had many questions, but it wasn't in my position to voice them out or to challenge orders. Even so, what I was asked to do, surprised me to great extent. Without letting myself doubt, I follow through with my mission, in search of a deity's lair. A dangerous place to go and an even more treacherous creature to face. As all supernaturals know, one should not look to face a divinity. No good would come out of this encounter. But there I went—"

It's funny how greedily they were listening to my words. I guess it was a rare sight for me to tell them something about my past. Or anything at all lately, since I was being so secretive.

I couldn't tell them all the details... How I was already inside the Alfayian Forest, or exactly where the river is located, so I was vague whenever I would otherwise reveal a great secret. Secrets I was entrusted to protect.

While I narrated my story, my mind wandered to that day, the memories replaying in my head so vividly, that suddenly I was not at the packhouse, recounting my story for an eager audience, but back in that forest reliving that day once more, like a very vivid dream.

I walked aimlessly for days looking for the entrance of Nature's Lair. A place the Elves knew to be the location of the Fountain of Life.

While reliving the dream, words were coming out of my mouth, like a narrator telling their story as they lived it. My words were subtle in hopes that nobody would hear them. "If forced to look, it will never be found, but if find you must, just one look within, and the purest of hearts will always find its way" I repeated the words that were said to me once. At that moment, it didn't make any sense the words I had been told, and only when the pathway literally appeared in front of me did I realize what the words meant.

My mind wandered back to reality for a few brief seconds, my eyes were still closed, but I knew they wanted badly to ask me questions, but I was not done yet. The tall tale of my adventure was only in the beginning.

Back to the deep corners of my mind, the memories once again passed like a movie in front of my eyes.

Following the newly discovered pathway, I entered a strange-looking cave. The arch of the entryway had a weird oval shape, and inside it, adorning the surrounding walls was a spiderweb of carvings made of some type of glowing ink. The carvings recounted stories of adventurers that came before me, most of them depicting failed attempts to acquire mystical abilities or eternal life. Something the water was not made for.

Those who tried to obtain something they were not supposed to, failed miserably. The carvings also served as a warning. A smart individual would understand the clear message.

The place had some eerie energy, it was mysterious and dangerous. But I kept going further inside the long dark tunnel, going against every fiber of my being that screamed for me to run away from that place. Whereas I was a person with a mission, and so, with determination, I marched until I reached the other side.

What I saw took my breath away.

There were huge glowing stones circling a small creek right in the middle of the other side of the tunnel. I couldn't see where the stream of water began, the darkness working like a protective cloak. And the waterfall cascading from the walls into the creek seemed to come from nowhere. And the impact of the water falling onto the stones underneath created a powerful luminance. Even in the dark, the crystalline water showed a myriad of colorful little fishes swimming aimlessly.

Around the waterfall were several types of plants and trees I had never seen before. All emitting the same ethereal glow. As if the plants were happy to be appreciated by my curious gaze, a multitude of different smells assaulted my nose when a ghostly wind moved their leaves around. No words could describe this moment. Not one I could think of.

Looking up, I was unable to get a glimpse of the ceiling, but I saw tiny glowing butterflies and what I could only imagine were dragonflies flying around. Creating an illusion as if the darkness itself was dancing with them.

I could forever stay in that place. It was peaceful, ethereal, and full of exuberance and vibrant energy that made me feel more alive than ever before. Nonetheless, I knew well that all of that was a trap for the weak minds.

Suddenly a voice ripped through the peaceful silence:

“We have been waiting for you… waiting… waiting… “

The whisper-like voice seemed like it was coming from nowhere and everywhere at the same time. I wasn't alone, that I was certain of, but I couldn't see anyone else there or feel another presence.

I felt like the trees were observing me with keen eyes. Every move I made was noted and examined. Judged.

The animals and insects that lived there were alert. Every living creature was painfully aware of my moves.

I was an intruder. A trespasser. But something was still calling me forward. Towards some unknown challenge that was being laid in front of me.

So I did. I kept walking in the direction of the creek, every step was slow and calculated. I was ready to defend myself if needed. Not that I think I could actually do anything.

Me against the Goddess of Nature? Yeah, right! In my dreams.

But I would still try. I would never go down without a good fight. Maybe it is in my nature to be strong... or you could call it me being a stubborn ass.

I felt a sudden wind rustle the leaves underneath my feet and tickle my skin. And the voice sounded again…

“Take what you need and leave what you don’t. For we can take as much as we gave".

The voice was timeless, strong, and ethereal. It was like a melody that could awake even the dead from their eternal slumber. Chills ran down my spine when I finally reached the sparkling transparent water of the creek. The Fountain of Life, that was what the Elven Folks called it.

Commonly known by outsiders as River of Life.

I took out the little flask I carried inside a pouch that was hanging from my waist, and slowly as if waiting for something to come out of the forest shadows and attack me, I immersed the flask into the water until it filled to the brim. The water tingled my hands like it was welcoming me to accept its gift.

When I was done, I didn’t move right away.

No. I waited.

But there was no sound. No more ghostly whispers. No branches being snapped behind me or the sound of leaves rustling and no angry energy around me. No signal of threats.

The Goddess indeed was allowing me to take the healing water with me.

For what? I had yet to discover.

Nothing in my life came easy, that was the only certainty I knew.

With all my senses in full alert mode, I retrieve my steps back to the cave entrance, still expecting something to try—and most probably succeed—to stop me.

Surprisingly, I was left to my own thoughts, to do as I intended. Nothing truly made sense, but I wasn't about to complain about being able to leave unharmed.

When the tip of my foot touched the outside of the cave entrance, I felt a strange presence close by, the angelic voice once again sounding everywhere at once. And I could swear I felt the faint caress of a hand on my face, erupting shivers all over my body, because there was nothing there. I couldn't see anything.

"Blessings... for one, you have no life to save, but a life to create" and for the life out of me, a second later, I felt like the deity was lightly placing a kiss on my right cheek.

This whole situation can't become more creepy, can it?

As if reading my thoughts, the invisible entity let out a faint laugh, and once again the voice entranced me "Safe travel, Siren. Our destiny rests in your hands!". I wanted to scowl hearing those words, but I had no time to react, because a blinding light shone a second later, forcing me to close my eyes shut. When I was finally able to open it again, I was back in a clearing, surrounded everywhere by trees, the cave entrance gone. As sudden as it once appeared.

I looked at my hands to ensure the flask was still there. There was a huge possibility of the Goddess taking it back since acquiring it was too easy, but she didn't.

Now I only had to discover why I was sent here and what her words meant.

What life I am to create?

It never passed through my mind that the answer to all my questions was connected to Logan's pack and the person itself—as it seems most of my future is.

Which takes me back to the present. Once I finished my story, I opened my eyes again. Three pairs of eyes are glaring at me without blinking. Their words, questions, or whatever comment they had in mind, were temporarily forgotten by the outlandish story they just heard.

Seeing the three wolves looking at me with incredulous faces makes me want to laugh my ass out. Hard.

They have no idea that most of the things I have to tell them will shock them to their core.

The funny part? They are the ones who keep asking for it.