Glimpsing at the sky’s expanse, blades of the sward brushing against her cheek, Rae stirred, finding herself laying in the underbrush of an evergreen.
The damp smell of dirt and the sensation of warm peaking sunrays against her pale porcelain skin made her momentarily question the reality of this being some dream…but… it had to be.
How else would one end up in a foreign place when they had simply been napping in a bookstore mere moments before?
No, this was a foregone conclusion; There was no doubt in her mind that she was in a dream.
However, the vividness of her maladaptive daydreaming had entered a whole new level; Even she questioned how she could dream up such a scenario.
Deciding that simply staying in a prone position on the floor was not ideal, Rae pulled herself up; Wilted flower petals of remarkable sizes crinkled as she shifted her weight in her rise. Strangely, the ground beneath her was slightly sticky, as if the sap of the tree above had spilled upon the floor in generous amounts.
Despite the unknown substance covering the ground of her makeshift burrow, astonishingly, none remained on her clothing or skin.
It was a bizarre observation, however, such trivialities were in the back of her mind at this moment.
She gazed at the small opening of the enclosure from whence she came, then began to shuffle on her knees upward, towards the exit.
The light of the midday sun startled her unprepared eyes, which had previously been shielded by the shade of the underground, but once they adjusted, she was left aghast for what lay before her.
As far as the eye could see were rolling fields of golden-orange grains; The gentle breezes upon this golden sea sent out undulating ripples, the collections of stocks bowing in solemn procession one after the other.
In the blue sky, sat a single lone cloud, which slightly lessened the harshness of the sun’s rays. However, it appeared as if its body was soon to peter out; fraught with only enough water for a somber shower, its destiny was simply to pay its condolences to the mourning fields then dispel silently within the stratosphere.
Rotating herself with slight panic, her eyes set upon a gargantuan tree, which stood squarely in the center of the picturesque field; Though she stood a fair distance from it, its obstinate grandeur from its sheer size was unmistakable. One would not be foolish to surmise that the root she had been planted beneath was from this tree.
Sequoia trees were the only comparison apt in this scenario, though this tree resembled more of an oak rather than a coniferous tree.
The tree had branches which fanned more outward, creating an umbrella of leaves that offered comforting shade to the weary underneath its arms; all the while its leaves sang a keen tune as the winds shifted to a pianissimo in accompaniment.
A strange illusion was afoot, however, as the tree leaves had a strange hue from where Rae stood; It would appear that the leaves closer to the center of the tree were of a dark blue color, but as the eye traveled outward, their color transitioned to an orange-yellow one. From afar, one could see the resemblance to a flame which burned with deep intensity.
It was as if the tree kindled with anguish and rage against the changing winds, its yellow embers reaching for the wind to spread its passion, desiring to be unfettered by elemental constraints.
This tree was indeed strange, as she had never seen such a specimen in any of the books she had read. However, given its beauty, one could reasonably conclude that there would be some sort of tourism spot dedicated to observing it.
Now with this in mind, she decided to head towards the base of the tree, in the hopes of finding someone willing to offer her guidance for where she was.
Before she could wander, however, a snag at her hems planted her in place. Thinking they had caught on some brushes, when she took a glance back she found her assumption to be quite wrong.
A golden retriever had stealthily grabbed her by her fleece, and was now gently tugging at her, ushering her in the opposite direction.
“Now now, there is no need for that.” She gently placed a hand on its snout, lowering herself so she could get it to let her go. However, it remained steadfast in its conviction to hold her in place.
Under normal circumstances, Rae would have been concerned with the animal's feral tendencies, however, the slight whimpers it let out as it gently pulled at her made her conclude there may be some meaning to its actions.
“Do you wish for me to follow?” Testing this hypothesis, she walked in the opposite direction of the tree, and the pup followed, wagging its tail at her understanding.
How strange…perhaps it is leading me to a hostel or to where there are others….
The dog had not released her, and for some reason, every time she tried to straighten herself, it would whimper and pull her downward once again. This resulted in Rae having to walk with a shambling gait, which was rather uncomfortable. What was more, the grains, which had been unkempt for quite some time, now towered over her, making it so that she could nary see a meter in front of her.
They walked for a fair amount of time, with the tree shrinking slightly in the distance. Their destination was unknown, however, Rae hoped that wherever they went, she could return home. Her sister was likely worried sick, so finding her way back to her was Rae’s top priority.
How she had been taken to this place was a question that did plague her; Had she been kidnapped or maybe she had entered some sort of fugue state? Whatever the reason, her purpose now was to find her way back home.
It was when she was in the midst of thinking to herself, when she tripped over something. A small hole had appeared, obscured by the tall stalks which had rested upon the floor, resulting in her tripping over quite extravagantly. What was more, several stones which were nearby caught her during her tumble. The aftermath was her knee being injured rather painfully.
Now, as much as she wanted to carry on as if nothing had happened, the bleeding had begun and pain had set in so, of course, she let out a cry.
And likely because of the confusing nature of this whole situation, once the first tear had fallen, the floodgates wrenched themselves open. Afterward, they simply would not stop.
She sobbed and sniffled helplessly on the floor, the dog watching her with a frantic helplessness. It circled around her, trying to comfort her with its wet nose and gentle kisses, however it was all useless. Her emotions overtook her as she trembled and wept, “E-Emma! Where are you?!”
The dog whimpered as she called out, as if begging her not to raise her voice, but she could not help it; She was frustrated. Tucking her head into her knees, she held herself for a good minute, trying to calm herself down.
Once she looked up again, she noticed, besides her vision having fogged a tad, she no longer saw the dog circling her; After clearing her eyes and looking around somewhat, she observed that it had vanished.
Had it abandoned her? Or perhaps it had gone to bring help to her? Either way, Rae felt it best to stay put until she was able to rise once again.
Now that the blood had stopped, her tears had slowed to a degree, but the pain was still very much present. As much as it pained her to do so, she used the sleeve of her favorite sweater to dab her wound. Unfortunately, the tumble from before had also torn her leggings, causing her wounded knee to be exposed.
Using one sleeve to clean her wound and the other to wipe her tears, she sat silently in the field, wondering what was to become of her.
She cast her eyes skyward, lamenting her situation.
Almost on que, a figure obscured the sun, casting their shadow upon Rae while she was bemoaning.
“Are you lost, child? Or perhaps…” The mysterious man began. His eyes scrutinized her for a second, as if scanning her; There was almost a neon hue to his iris, and he moved rather robotically as he cocked his head slightly to the side. “Did you awaken from this tree?”
“From the tree?..” Almost on instinct she parroted his words, lingering on the statement which confused her. How could one come from a tree?
The phrasing of his questioning was rather strange, but before she could ask him something else, his eyes shifted to her wounded knee. Without wasting a moment, he knelt beside her, then placed a hand over her wound. No words of comfort were offered, however, the man looked to concentrate as he fixated on his hand.
A few seconds passed and she could feel her skin pinch and prick, as if a scab was being scrapped off. Once this feeling subsided, the man moved his hand, revealing that the wound had closed.
No, not just closed, but somehow, the wound had healed itself within seconds. A gasp escaped her as she looked in amazement. Still, the man offered no explanation.
He stood up, then outstretched his hand to her. It would seem that he wished for her to rise, so Rae took his hand. In one swift motion, he pulled her upward with little effort. Within her mind, she likened his hand strength to a tree, as not a single sweat had formed in his effortless motion.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Rae took one cursory glance backward, hoping to see the pup once again. However, it no longer emerged from the shelter of the grain.
“Are you searching for something?” The mysterious man questioned, his eyes almost seemed to shift hue, but such an outlandish observation made Rae question if this was just an illusion of her own vision.
It would be rather embarrassing for her to admit that she had been following a strange dog mere moments before, in hopes of it leading her to civilization, so she believed it prudent to hide this fact. Especially since the pup had been leading her in the complete opposite direction. “No…just seeing if I left something behind. “
The man said nothing, simply nodding after giving a curt smile. “I see. We must leave this area for now. Please stay near me. All will be explained soon.
The magisterial tone of this statement at first brought relief, however, unsurety still rested in the back of Rae’s mind. Was it alright for her to trust this man?
The man offered no time for her to contemplate as he held out a hand again. “Please, hold onto my hand for just a moment. I need to materialize our transport.”
Rae did as prompted, however, the peculiarity of the statement did not strike her until a few moments later.
Materialize? What is this man on about?
Internally, she was silently judging his theatrical way of speaking. But, something strange soon began to occur.
Humidity and moisture collected near her ankles, then a small draft could be felt beneath her feet. A current, then a breeze, and finally a gust; White condensation became tangible, lifting her and the man from the ground beneath. Now, a cloud carried her through the air.
“Zephyr! Forward!” The man commanded, and onward they flew.
Though it is a common fantasy to imagine what a ride upon a cloud would be like, the fruition of such yearnings was jarring, even if this were a dream. Rae could not withhold her juvenile jubilance as she let out an astonished yelp and giggle.
“How is this possible?!”
The man did not immediately answer, rather focusing on weaving through the air, allowing the grain to gently brush at their ankles.
It was likely that he had not heard her voice considering the volume of the wind, but, right when she was considering repeating herself, the man appeared to jolt slightly upright.
A strange ping was heard and he blinked as if awoken from a stupor. “Resuming normal autonomic functions. Returning to standard energy usage. Mithril protective sheathing removed. Reprocessing.”
Admittedly, this man’s sudden schizophrenic ravings made Rae consider jumping, but she quickly reconsidered after accounting for their current velocity.
After his small spiel was over, he turned to Rae, slightly more animated than before. He gave a smile, then answered the question she had previously inquired upon prior. “Forgive me for my previous impertinence. In this area, I have to reduce my processing power quite considerably to prevent degradation. To answer your question, I was able to conjure this nimbus using a magic circle inscribed upon my palm.” Then, he flipped his right palm to show the engraving in question.
Quite a bit had to be digested before she could even process the answer given for her question. Her bemusement was likely obvious as the man readily answered further questions she was already formulating in her mind. “I am an android, whose primary purpose is observing this historical tree. It had been displaying strange signs as of late, so I was sent to record data. That is when I came upon you. I see that you are not quite familiar with magic inscriptions. Might I assume that you are not from here?”
Rae nodded, eagerly absorbing his explanation. “I am not familiar with magic, no. Where I am from, it does not exist!”
The droid smiled with understanding, nodding as if he expected as much. “I suspected as much. It was telling that you were able to stay within the area without being afflicted by magical saturation. Though it was a bit of a leap of logic, I pieced together that you may be the child of legend.”
“The child of legend?”
“Yes. Many years ago, a prophecy was received by sages of this land, speaking of a child of legend from a world not like our own. This person would save the world from peril and would be unmatched in force of will and perseverance. Forgive me for assuming, but I believe you are that child of legend.”
A child of legend?
Such a jarring declaration, but considering her current situation, it was the best explanation. Why else would she be called to such a place? Though it strange to be forced to claim this title, the thought did stir a slight restless embarrassment within her.
Rae fidgeted in place, trying not to linger on novelistic platitudes; Refocusing on the task at hand, she questioned the man again. “Where are you taking me now? And is there a way for me to get back home? Does the legend say anything?” There was a way for her to enter this world, that meant that there would be a way for her to return home.
The android turned to her, stalling for a second, likely processing the questions she had asked in quick succession. Finally, he smiled again then answered in his usual tone, “I am taking you to the Sage branch, so they can test the validity of the legend. They will conduct a few tests to confirm my suspicion. As for a way back…It may be best to discuss that after the tests are finished. There were parts of the legend which were redacted, so it is likely that the sages can divulge the entirety of the legend once your status is confirmed.”
Satisfied with this explanation, Rae ceased her questioning for the moment.
With her attention now diverted to the surroundings, she was able to scrutinize the dreamscape of her mind a little better.
Once the cloud peaked over the hill, passing the surrounding fields, the scenery changed immensely; Instead of greenery and nature, were buildings of sleek modernity.
A culmination of architecture and scientific advancements, the cityscape was dotted by fantastical shapes and designs. Buildings twisted as if molded by candymakers, houses and dwellings floated above as if they occupied their own unique airspace, and Dome-like greenhouses and vibrant terraces added color deep within the city; a mix of tasteful urban planning and natural environmental factors, made the city appear green and eco-conscious.
Infrastructure weaved elegantly throughout the city, as if the laws of physics no longer applied to the material they were comprised of. Though she was not close to the ground, from where she could spectate, many advancements in technology were present all throughout, such as hovering cars and robotic companions.
The building they approached had a lattice outer structure, as if to decorate the top of a pastry, scrumptious to the eye, the top of the tower fanned to a disk like structure. Other airborne vehicles made their way to this entrypoint, and they, likewise, followed suit.
It was an open entryway, however, as they passed the threshold, a pull of static could be felt on her hairs, as if there was an invisible wall electricity that could be passed through. The android who escorted her weaved a bit through the catogorized entryways, bringing Rae to a relatively empty desk before dispelling his manifested cloud.
The woman at the desk gave a similar smile, then spoke uncannily the same as the android escorting Rae. “May I ask the reason for your visit? Direct contact with sages must be requested prior and take 3-5 business days for confirmation. Please fill out applications indicated -”
The mandroid interrupted her scripted speech by stating a sequence of numbers. Immediately, she blinked, then processed the order. She gave a smile again, the rose from her seat. “Please come this way, I will have a sage within the room shortly.”
From the wall behind, the outline of a door was traced, then the material dissipated, clearing the doorway. She beckoned them forward, opting to linger behind has they passed in order to close the passageway and resume her duties.
The room behind was circular, foreign words adorned the walls along with cryptic paintings. Her eyes skimmed the words, but as she was unfamiliar with the language, she was unable to glean their meaning. The android man next to her likely observed her slight bafflement as he spoke.
“I may translate if you so desire.”
“Oh! There is no need for that…I was just looking. Besides, I am more fond of reading things myself.”
The man gave a sad look, but nodding in understanding. “I wish we could offer some way to translate for yourself, but sadly, only personal devices possess such a function. It may take you some time before you can obtain one..”
She shook her head, trying to reassure the bot. “It’s alright, I understand.”
As it stood right now, she had no money, phone, nor identification. She had no means to buy a phone at the moment, so it didn’t bother her if she couldn’t read a few things. All that mattered was getting back home.
In the center of the room was a crystal ball, which internally projected varying degrees of opacity. Like a shifting plume trapped within glass, the orb acted as a centerpeice, diverting her attention to its mystique and opalescence.
Soon, without too much delay, a scholared man was ushered into the room. Wrinkles etched his skin with wisdom and age, and his gentle smile gave Rae the impression of a kind teacher. He hurried to the center, near the orb at the center; Giving a deep bow, he began his introductions.
“My name is Sage Kuznetsov. I am here to determine the validity of the legendary newcomer. “
Prompting Rae to come forward, she looked around, then sheepishly stepped forward. With his instruction, she was told to place her hand on the orb.
Immediately, she felt a cooling sensation through her veins, as if ice dripped from her veins. The crystal ball shone with a prismatic glow, the smaller jewels at its base shining in tandem with the center, each individual jewel a different color.
The man stared intensely, despite the intensity of the light, then, using a device he had holstered at his side, he observed specific readings. A few uncomfortable moments of silence passed as he observed and calculated, finally gasping in awe of the results.
“Amazing! You possess access to all of the elemental attributes! You're energy capacity is the highest I've ever seen! It must be true! You are the child of prophecy!” Clapping his hand, a small figure emerged from the door behind him. A cat standing on its hind legs and wearing butler attire walked up to the man, waiting for his command. “Please, bring these findings to the head! She must hear of this!”
The cat gave a slight bow in understanding, then hurriedly left to fulfill his request.
How quaint!
Rae loved cats, so the sight of such a creature made her recall a movie she had once seen with her sister.
However, this recollection made her remember what she came for. “U-um….excuse me…When might I go home?”
Though they discussed all this nonsense about the child of legend, she still desired to return home. The man looked at her, then scratched his chin in slight contemplation.
“I understand you wish to return home. Though I might not know when you can return, the legend does state that there is a way for you return after the evil has been dealt with. It is understandable that a small girl your age is wishing to return. How old are you? You look to be about twelve…” He trailed off, mumbling a bit to himself in a foreign language.
Twelve?! I don’t look that young!
Rae was a teen; A woman of fourteen years, nearly fifteen! So to be sized as a child left her in distaste. She had to clear this misunderstanding!
“U-uh…I’m actually…fourteen.” Her indignation amounted to pioutous protests, as if she was some small kitten protesting to small proddings.
What was more, the man, well into his years, did not react to her correction, having not heard her. Slightly Deflated, she instead cast her gaze downward, trying to muster the courage to speak again.
The cat returned quickly, with someone tailing closely behind. A small procession of people followed a woman into the room, all donning attire that displayed their unity. All except the woman in front, who wore a lovely floral, flowing dress, which trailed behind her.
Her hair trailed slightly as well, with a wreath of wisteria flowers adding to her overall angelic appearance. The strange woman clasped her hands together, then made an announcement for those around her to hear.
“Rejoice! The hero had descended upon this land!”
The men and women surrounding her burst into cheers, with a few within the back muttering hymns that sung of prophecies fulfilled.
Small flower petals scattered across the air, along with gentle lights of varying colors.
The angelic woman gave a gentle smile, then grasped Rae’s hands, looking at her with her irises of deep purple.
“Welcome to the city of Namtil! Thank you child of prophecy for descending upon this land! As foretold through legend, passed down by generations, you will bring new life into this land and herald peace to our region!” With one hand, she lifted Rae’s head, making sure to make eye contact. “Pribalal, you are truly one of a kind.”
