Consuming Shadows

 

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Introduction

“More than a century ago, a curse was unleashed by an ancient magician. The magician’s curse transformed the creatures in the forest of Nadoon. The traits of animals, humans, and mystics were merged together to create shape shifters, ethnics, and creatures beyond your imagining. It is said that the humans all died off, but many of the others remain. Even to this day the forest is inhabited with strange creatures and there are many cryptic things that go on under the cover of the trees. Once you go in, if you return, you never return the same.” Nanny Irrey cackled as she finished her tale.

“But Nanny Irrey, those are just stories aren’t they. They can’t be real! ...can they?” The young girl looked up at her nanny with huge brown eyes, her strawberry blonde hair curling adorably around her face.

“That tale is for another night my dear.”

The four year old furrowed her brows and scowled making her face a tight, cross, crumple of lines.

“but I wanna know NOW!”

“Learlah, you must learn to be patient, no one likes a cross little girl.”

The little girl sighed and let her lip pout out as she apologized for her attitude. However the nanny could still tell she was upset over not knowing, and was concerned for her. Taking her into her arms the nanny faced her and gently spoke.

“Arlah, your innocence is a purity that doesn't last forever, don’t be in a hurry to destroy it.”

The little girl bobbed her head up and down throwing her blonde curls into a mess. The nanny laughed at the sight, and shook her head.

“Alright, off to bed now!”

Again the young girl nodded, planted a kiss on the nanny’s cheek, and went off to bed.

A short time later nanny Irrey was settled in her rocking chair with a cup of tea and a stack of letters to read.

“Oh dear, I must have left my specs by the couch, I’d best get them. Oh look at that, you’re talking to yourself again.” Irrey chuckled, a nice warm chuckle. However, she did not find her spectacles. In fact she never even made it to the living room. All that was left of her was the unopened letters, her tea, and the small creak of the kitchen door. 

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Chapter 1: Torn Away

Fifteen years later found Learlah in the same house with her room-mate Devin. Devin was a tall, thin, tan young woman with brown eyes, short, black hair, and a wide smile. The two had been best friends since child hood. When Nanny disappeared, Learlah stayed with Devin and her family while her parents traveled. They played together, laughed together, cried together, they even died their hair with food coloring together, which they only did once. Learlah's parents were gone for at least a month at a time and only home for two weeks in between, so Learlah and Devin quickly adopted each other as sisters.

This routine lasted fourteen years, but it did come to an end. Learlah's parents had come home for her eighteenth birthday and had left two weeks after graduation. Only ten days since they'd left, Learlah saw it in the news; the plane her parents were supposed to take from France to Alaska had crashed, there were no survivors. Learlah immediately called the airline, then the police, only to come up with the same answer, her parents were on the plane, and they wouldn't ever come home again. Learlah stayed with Devin's parents for two months after the funeral. Then she decided to move into her own home permanently. Her parents owned the house, as well as the seven acres of flowery fields that surrounded it and went right up to the edge of the mile long countryside that led to the woods. It wasn't long until Devin moved in with her to keep her company and make her eat regular meals. But even when Learlah started eating meals on her own, it never even occurred to them for Devin to move out. So now, both women at twenty two, have lived together for five years. Devin now has a boyfriend, named Gannon, and Learlah generally avoids boys. Her long blonde hair, blue eyes, and slender figure had always gotten her unwanted attention and she had written off most of the male “race” as chauvinistic pigs. However, she genuinely liked Gannon and approved of his relationship with Decin. In fact Gannon was supposed to be at their house in just a few minutes.

Learlah turned to find Devin.

“Is Gannon on his way?”

“Yep!” Devin exclaimed happily. “He should be here in a few minutes”

Learlah grinned at her friend, happy to see the excitement gushing from Devin's eyes. Gannon had just turned twenty four, two weeks prior to this, and Devin's' present for him had finally arrived, a whole two months after she'd ordered it, and it was now sitting, just washed, on the front drive with a big bow on it. She had also hidden a video camera so she could see Gannon's reaction later.

Devin's uncle sold Harley Davidson motorcycles, so she had worked over-time at her job for six months, gotten the bike half off, courtesy of her uncle, and had it fully paid for, with Gannon's name on the title. The girls heard a car drive up and stop. They heard nothing after that, no car door, no squeal of delight, just silence for several minutes. Learlah grinned at Devin “maybe he fainted from such a perfect surprise!”

Devin rolled her eyes and chuckled “ why don't we go find out?”

Just then Gannon reached around Devin's waist, picked her up and spun her around setting her down in a huge bear hug. “Devin! Thank you so much! I can't believe you would do that for me! You. Are wonderful.”

Devin gleefully took in the joy in his face as Learlah quietly left the kitchen to order their favorite Chinese food from Sao's Wok and Grill.

~

Gannon is a broadly built, slender, man of 25 with brown curly hair and twinkling green eyes. He works as a receptionist at the local hospital and is a junior at NorthWood University of Law, studying to become a lawyer. He and Devin have been together for two years, and friends for three. They met at the hospital, where they both work. Devin had just started working there as a CNA. She had taken a training class of 75 hours and passed the certification test at 19, and immediately found a job at the local hospital. She and Gannon literally ran into each other on their lunch break. Devin's macaroni salad was in his hair, and even in his shoes, while his meatloaf went all over the front of her scrubs. Some angry words were exchanged and then both burst into laughter. Fortunately they both had a change of clothes close by, and once they had changed, they met back up in the cafeteria and bought the other lunch and parted ways.

After that they ended up seeing each other at lunch everyday. Devin always sat alone, and Gannon always sat by the soda machine, they'd smile and wave and go on with their day. This went on for several weeks until Devin didn't come for two weeks. After the first couple of days Gannon looked carefully for her each day, and after a week, he almost went to the head of nursing to ask about her, but realized he didn't even know her last name. Everyday he would look for her, then on the Monday of the third week he saw her. She came in, got her lunch, and sat down, staring at her food. Gannon got up, and held his hand out to her. “Hi. I'm Gannon Lee Parisi, also known as pasta hair.”

Devin smirked, a smile escaping, shaking his hand “Hi, I'm Devin Rochelle Adcock, the meatloaf lady. Do you always introduce yourself that way?”
Gannon pulled out a chair and sat. “Not always. But while you were gone I couldn't ask anyone if you were okay because I didn't know your last name! So I figured I'd cover all the bases and give a full introduction. . . I never did get to ask anyone if you were okay. Are you? Are you okay?”

Devin smiled and looked down at her food pretending to eat. “yes. I'm alright.”

“How come you were gone for so long? That's a lot of leave to use at one time.”

“I didn't have to use my sick leave. I used the family leave”

“oh. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have pried.”

Devin smiled. “It's alright.”

“So what do you do here? Like what department do you work in?”
Devin smiled, relieved that he had so kindly changed the subject for her as she began to explain. After that, the two spent every lunch time together, talking and laughing. After a few months they became excellent friends, and they began to hang out with each other outside of work. Devin met his best friend Kyle, and he met Learlah. One year and approximately five weeks after their lunch conversation, Gannon asked Devin on their first official date, and they've been together since.

Now, two years later, Learlah, Kyle, Devin, and Gannon were sitting in the girls' home playing nertz, laughing, and eating Chinese food.

“NERTZ!” Learlah shouted. Kyle threw his cards down in mock fury. “AGAIN?! UGH! I was so close! I had two left in my nertz pile!”

Devin cracked up “that's okay Kyle, I had 1 left! I would've beaten you anyway!”

Gannon chuckled “well! I would've beaten you all. I had 5 cards in my nertz pile! That's more than any of you!”

The room filled with laughter as they continued tallying points, and reshuffling for the next round.

 

~

 

The next morning Learlah and Devin were getting ready for work conversing back and forth. Devin was in her room down the hall from the kitchen where Learlah was making breakfast.

“Hey Dev do you want sausage in the eggs?”

“No thanks I'll just have some eggs and toast.”

“You and your toast obsession, every morning its..” Learlahs voice stopped mid-sentence

“...Hey you okay? Arlah?”
Devin looked around the corner into the kitchen where Learlah was suddenly disappearing “Learlah what's going on?”

Devin watched as Learlah was enveloped in a mist and vanished before her eyes.

“LEARLAH?!!” The mist went through the door and outside. “LEARLAH NO!!!” Devin screamed. She raced out the door after it, following it off the property and into the countryside. When she could run no more she dropped to her knees and cried.

“Arlah...” her whisper was horse as she reached out towards the disappearing mist. She fell, completely unconscious to the ground.

“Devin!!!” A voice screamed.

“Dev, can you hear me?” Gannon picked her up, tears streaming down his face.

“It’s gonna be okay Dev, I got you. I got you.” The man continued to whisper to her as he quickly carried her away.

 

 

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Chapter 2: A Strange New World

The world was fuzzy, and there was a figure standing above her. Was it smiling?

“Nanny? Nanny Irrey? what are you doing here? Learlah asked as she awoke, still in a haze.

“Oh child, you've grown so big.” The old nanny crooned. “I’m here because you asked me to come.”

“What? You've been dead since I was eight! You tucked me in bed and vanished! How could I have asked you to come?”

“Why do you call me nanny Learlah?”

“Well you're my nanny.”

“Yes, I am. Do you know what a nanny is?”

“It's someone who watches over you.”

“Some of us are more like a fairy God mother, but yes. I suppose you could say that. When you know of no one else to call on for help, I am the one you call on. You are afraid, and you wished for me to be here, and so. . . here I am.”

Learlah was still confused over the presence of her long dead nanny, but she was glad for her none-the-less. Then she saw the dark figure.

“Nanny Irrey, who is that?” her voice shivered as she asked.

Irrey looked back at the figure then quickly back at Learlah.

“I must leave now, but you must remember the story. Don't be afraid. He's here to help! It's going to be alright.”

“No! Nanny Irrey! Wait! NO! DON'T LEAVE ME!”

Learlah screamed after the fleeting vision of her old nanny, then fully realized that she was not alone. The dark figure had stayed. Her eyes grew wide as it took a step towards her.

“No! Get back! GET AWAY FROM ME!” She kicked and cowered but could not escape. It was if she was boxed in with no door. She realized she must confront the figure, and she began to calm her breathing and attempted to take control.

“What is it that you want from me?” Her teeth were clenched tight as tears ran down her expressionless face.

“Nothing as of yet.”

“Why do you hide in the shadows?”

“Are you really willing to find out?” The figure asked, seeming to cock its’ head to one side.

“Are you. . . a changling from my nanny’s story?”

“I suppose that tittle fits.” The figure smiled in the shadows showing its gleaming white teeth. Learlah started at the keen points on those teeth, but she held her ground.

“Yes. I am willing and prepared to see you. Now step into the light!... if you please.”

Arlah's eyes grew wide as the creature stepped directly into the light.

“You're a wolf, or a human, or a... what are you?”

Her question was whispered but easily heard by the creature.

“I am a wolf. However I have been merged with some human traits. I can change my claws into a human hand at desire, and I can speak in any language I hear, although it takes some time to learn it.”

“Oh.” Lea said, as if it should have been obvious. The wolf gave a half smile.

“Come, we must go, they are expecting you at the zodiac.”

“They? The zodiac? where?”

“Come along I'll show you.” Learlah began to stand, but then sat down abruptly.

“No. I'm not coming with you until I get some answers for my questions. The first being,is Devin safe.”

Something resembling eyebrows rose on the changelings’ face.

“Are you really concerned about her well-being more than your own?”

Learlahs' chin raised.

“I already know my situation. I know it could change at any moment. My safety is in your hands and therefore beyond anything I can do. However, I might be able to do something for Devin, because wishing, or dreaming, or something, seams to have a powerful effect here.”

“Hmm, you have taken in much more than I would have expected within this short time, you’ve rather surprised me, which does not happen often I'll have you know. However I am not amused by your stalling. Come. I do not wish to force you, but I will if you delay our departure much further.

Learlah's chin jutted out as her head raised again in defiance. She was about to say something when she heard a whisper in her ear. Her teeth clenched and she stood quietly, her face becoming void, and white. The wolf-creature smirked and signaled her to follow him, which she did, without a single word.

As the two traveled to the zodiac the creature began to explain.

“I cannot tell you everything at present, but I will fill you in with some of the basics. The Doyen will inform you of your purpose here and assign you a mentor who will guide you through your training and duties.

However, for now you must be content with the basic information I can give you. You will hear a different language when you enter the zodiac. It will be very strange at first, but you will learn in time to attune your ear to understand. Everyone will understand you and can speak your language. However I doubt if they often will. You must understand something about our language; pay very close attention to names. Names are very important, they represent our status. Each name will have a special ending my daughters name is Etzu, meaning little blessed one. The zu is the important part which you must remember. When she grows up it will change into Zanu, Zou, or Zelou. Which ever it is it will represent part of who she is. You must not dishonor any of us by calling a Zu, Zelou, or a Zou, Zu. These names are very important to us. I would advise that you avoid using any names if you can, so you won't make that error.”

Learlah spoke for the first time since she stood. “What is your name?”

The changeling sighed.

“my name means warrior in your world, however it does not have an honorary title in it. My name is a different set of rules.”

Learlah scoffed. “I didn't ask for the set of rules that comes with your name, I asked for your name.”

This retort brought a small, small, chortle from the changeling.

“my name is Xlaiyer. Thank you for asking Learlah.”

Learlah stopped and stared at Xlaiyer, who turned to look at her, a gleam in his eyes.

“I know many things about you Learlah, your name is only one of them.”

The girl continued to stare at him in disbelief until he stood, developing the hands, and a few other features of a human.

“Come along, we're almost there, and stop worrying.” Xlaiyer smiled and took her arm to guide her the rest of the way to the zodiac.

 

~

 

Devin woke up to the smell of lavender. “Where am I” She wondered. Then she remembered the loss of Learlah, and her eyes flew open to find herself wrapped in a blanket and staring straight into the concerned face of Gannon, her best friend and fiance.
“Hey Dev, how you feeling?” He asked gently.

“I don't know, do you know where Arlah is? Did she come back?” Devin sat up and began to worry the edge of her blanket.

“Shh, it's OK, just relax.” Gannon gently laid her back down and took her hand. “No, I don't know where Arlah is. Did something happen to her?”

A sob caught in Devin's throat. “Gannon it was awful! We were getting ready for work and she was making breakfast, and she just stopped talking and then this mist came out of nowhere and … and ... it … surrounded her and then she started to fade and then …. she disappeared and then the mist left and I chased it down the road and I didn't know what to do and”

“Shhhhhhhhhh” Gannon stopped her. “You're going to work yourself into your death bed this way, and I am not going to let that happen. Now do you want to rest some more or can you think clearly enough to explain what happened while resting?”

Devin had calmed down some but she was still in a state of panic and deep grief. However, her faituge told her she needed to rest some more before she was ready to face what had happened. She began to close her eyes, but felt Gannon's hand start to slip. Immediately her eyes flew open and saw a mist seeping in the door. She screamed and threw her arms around Gannon and held on with everything she had. Then she heard Gannon's worried voice in the distance.

“Devin! Devin, wake up it's ok. It's only a dream, I've got you, you're safe. Nothing is going to hurt you. I've got you!”

Devin opened her eyes.

“Gannon...”

“I'm right here Dev, I'm not going any where.”

“Gannon are you real this time?”

“I'm real Dev, as real as you are.”

Devin reached over and pinched herself. “Ok, I'm awake this time.” She thought after a few moments, but still reached over to pinch herself again. Gannon shook his head and took her hands in his.

“You need to rest Dev. You're in the hospital right now, in Cermic, a couple miles from my house. Do you want me to stay here, or would you be okay with me gong home and getting a few things?”

Devin's eyes filled with tears and terror as her grip tightened on his hand.

“Please, please don't let me out of your sight for one minute Gannon. Please don't leave me. Please don't let go!” She was in panic and her heart rate had skyrocketed sending off an alarm. A nurse raced in.

“Sir you need to leave”

Devin heard this and screamed “NO! NO “YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME. DON'T MAKE HIM LEAVE!!! NO NO! YOU CAN'T” She continued screaming, but her voice kept catching as she struggled to breathe. The attending doctor had arrived in time to hear her start screaming. He grabbed Gannon's arm and put Devin's hand firmly in Gannon's.

“Her heart rate is the same. Nurse get me a sedative. Now.”
Devin had stopped thrashing but was still hysterical.
“Hold her nurse, you too sir.” The doctor began administering the drug. Gannon talked to Devin his voice urgent

“It's ok Dev, I'm not gonna leave you. It's ok Dev. I'm right here, I'm gonna be right here with you. I'm not leaving. It's ok.” even as he spoke, Devin's screams lowered to a slurred plea, then silence. The drug had put her to sleep, and her heart rate was returning to normal.

“She must have been through a great trauma to the mind and emotions for it to effect her physical body so harshly. You need to stay with her as she asked, or it might cause further trauma. If that happens . . . her body could shut down and go into neural stasis.” These words were solemnly issued from the doctor, now standing at the end of the bed.

Gannon smiled. “Don't worry doc, I'm not going anywhere. Not a chance of that happening.” Gannon gently brushed the sleeping patients face with his fingers. “not a chance.” He whispered. The doctor thanked him and left with the nurse. Gannon lifted Devin's hands to his lips and kissed it, tears dropping from his eyes. “I love you Devin Rochelle. I love you...”

 

 

~

“Leave the human at the portal, and enter alone.” The commanding voice echoed in every direction. It seemed to have no point in origin. It just was.

“Xlaiyer, where is that coming from.” Learlah asked in a hoarse whisper.

“It's coming from Zortha.” Xlaiyer's eyes narrowed as the words proceeded dryly from his mouth. Learlah looked at him, her eyes telling of her curiosity, and terror.

“No need to worry. She will do you no harm. Come. Sit here at the entrance. Do not move, or you will find yourself trapped in an unending labyrinth, filled with all your fears.”

Learlah began to laugh at his words but stopped when she saw the honesty in his eyes. All at once she realized her position, and for the first time, she understood how powerless she was. Xlaiyer watched her for a moment, weighing her reaction in his mind, and knowing her thoughts. Then he turned.

“I must go, I will return for you, but you must wait here, no matter how long it takes.”

With that, he moved forward and began to vanish as if he were walking through some sort of portal to another world. Learlah watched as he vanished, and continued to watch with more terror, curiosity, and wonder than she had ever felt before.

Where is this place.?” She wondered after quite some time. “Why am I here?” Learlah began to ponder these things, and examine all that had been said to her. She thought of Nanny Irrey.

Is she really alive, or is this some sort of spirit world and she came to me because I summoned her...or something. Was she real, or just a vision I saw because my mind needed some reassurance?” Learlah sat there pondering these things when she heard a whisper.

“Come with us.” The voice said. “You don't have to wait here, you can find your way out of the forest on your own, Xlaiyer lied to you to frighten you into staying. You can't trust him. He's betraying you right now.” The voice kept speaking, sounding almost desperate. “You must hurry. Hurry before they come back and take you. Leave now while you can! Hurry, leave now!”

“But why wouldn't I trust Xlaiyer, he's been honest so far, I have no reason to distrust him.”

Another voice chimed in. “No reason to distrust him?”more voices clattered into the conversation.

“What about those teeth and claws.”

“How do you even know his real name is Xlaiyer.”

“Look at the way he disappeared.”

“You have no reason to trust him.”

“He deserted you.”

“He left you here for an eternity.”

“Just look at yourself you've aged at least thirty years!”

Learlah looked down at herself, and stood abruptly. She saw the world begin to spin around her going faster and faster, as she got older and older. Then it stopped. When Learlah looked up she saw her reflection. Her back was bent, her hair white and thin, her eyes were crinkled with dark circles underneath them, and her face was pale and wrinkled. She looked down at her hands and saw hideously long, white fingernails, her skin hanging wrinkled on her bones. She looked up again and she was even older. Her clothes were ragged, she was covered in leaves and grime. She looked down and she realized she was so hunched over she could almost touch the ground. But when Learlah looked up again she was transported, and saw clods of dirt hitting glass over her. It was her coffin. In a moment of panic Learlah almost lost consciousness, but she caught herself.

“No.” Learlah turned around, careful to stay the same place, she stood up straight.

“No.” She spoke with strong conviction.

“I will not be left alone! I will not be left here to wither and die without purpose. I am going to live. I will not be left here as a statue drilled into the ground.” Learlah turned again and saw the place where Xlaiyer had left her. The moment she turned the voices began again.

“Then leave.”

“You've seen what will happen if you stay.”

“Leave now!”

“Come, we will show you the way.”

“Trust us.”

“We can help you”

“ENOUGH!” Learlah screamed at the top of her lungs.

“I have NO reason to trust, or believe you, any more than I do Xlaiyer.” Her head tilted defiantly as she opened her mouth.

“XLAIYER! SHOW YOURSELF! I will NOT be left alone to die, nor will I be led into a wilderness of which I've been warned. Now show yourself and answer me in truth!”

Learlah spoke firmly and resolved not take no for an answer. She waited. A few moments went by and she spoke again.

“Xlaiyer, YOU WILL ANSWER ME!” Again a silence fell, then the ground began to shake and a great wind burst forth from the ground surrounding Learlah. Then it spoke.

“You will silence yourself human. You are safe. The Gainzenen cannot speak to you here, nor can they reach you.”

Learlah continued to weigh the “Wind”, as she was thinking of it in her mind, trying to decide if she was going to trust it or not. She stood in the center of the vortex, skeptical of anything that addressed her.

“I can hear your thoughts young one.” The voice said, giving a small laugh. “They seem very hostile towards me.”

“Yes they are hostile! What else would they be! You know my thoughts, and I don't even know if I can trust you, or if you're going to trick, harm, or turn me into some sort of plant or something!”

This outburst brought a booming laugh from the Wind.

“Oh Learlah, I am not going to harm you, or trick you, and I certainly would not turn you into a plant, even if I could!” The Wind continued to laugh as Learlah stood there dumbstruck, and trembling in an attempt to keep her terror at bay. This wind thing was laughing. Not only that, it was laughing at her concern for her own well-being!

“Oh child! Your thoughts. You must stop them, they betray you, and make me laugh all the harder! Oh please, I can't stop laughing!”

Learlah could see the wind clearly. It seemed to be a white pillar encasing her. However it looked like the pillar was laughing and crying. She could hear its laughter, but it was another thing to see a white pillar of wind laughing and crying at the same time.

“What should I do?” She finally managed to stammer.

“You should refrain from thinking such bold, wondrous thoughts, and engage me in a logical conversation.”

Learlah was once again shocked as she seemed to see this Wind smiling. She stood there gaping, beginning to think about how strange this all was when she stopped.

Silly, this Wind is listening to your every thought as though it was part of a conversation, and here you are rambling on about something pointless and silly.” With that Learlah looked up, then looked straight ahead, for lack of not knowing where the Wind's face was, and began to speak.

“So, um, what's your name?” She asked rather timidly.

“My name? They call me Pharin, I am an Eclyptic.” The wind said kindly.

“Xlaiyer said his name meant warrior, does Pharin have a meaning in my world too?” Learlah asked this in a most child like way that Pharin once again seemed to smile. Learlah was beginning to like seeing, and feeling the smile of this creature who had encased her.

“Yes. It does have an equivalent meaning in your world. It means Protector.”

Learlah sat down after hearing this and began to think out loud, since there was no point in thinking, because her current company could hear her thoughts.

“Do each of you get your names from a personality trait or job or something? Or are you born with it and raised to be like that name?”

“It is neither. Our world here has been merged into many worlds because of a curse put upon us long ago. This curse was intended to merge only humans and animals, but it had it's effect on all the different worlds as well. One of the worlds it effected were the Ethrins. In the Ethrin world there are fairies, nymphs, sprites, and all the other “fairy-tale folk” as you would call them. Anyway, these creatures affect all the worlds except for the Elimental world, at least that's how it used to be.”

Pharin's voice trailed off for a moment and a moment passed when Learlah thought she could see sorrow in the other being, but that didn't last long. It was only a moment more before Pharin began again.

“Each fairy posses a name. When the humans name their child, they are calling on the fairy with their baby's name to bless him. The same thing happens when a couple gets married. Only this time four Ethrins visit. The two fairies from their birth blessing their love, and lives, and two nymph's. Nymphs posses what you call last-names. During the wedding ceremony the woman's nymph honors the mans nymph by giving him her name symbolizing the protection a husband must have for his wife. This still happens, however the Ethrins were merged with the rest of us. In result of this merge, we’re all a host for an Ethrin. Both Xlaiyer and I are hosts to a sprite. A sprite is the one who nurtures certain traits in you.”

“So when you host an Ethrin, you obtain it's name?”

“Yes.” Pharin seemed to be pleased with Lea's understanding.

“Ok. May I ask you another question Pharin?”

“Of course you may!”

“What are Eclyptics and Elimentals?”

“An Elimental is a creature who is an element. Like rocks, water, fire, air, lighting, metal, and gems.”

“So those things are really creatures?”

“Well not really. Water, Fire, Air, and Lighting are, but rocks, earth, metal and gems aren't.”

“So what are they, if they're not creatures?”

“They are just what they are, but they are similar to me in the way that they host a being. Only, that is what they were originally meant for, it did not happen by chance.”

“OH! So they have a creature that inhabits them and can take their shape and everything, and that creature is the Elimental, right?”

A gentle laugh proceeded from Pharin. “Yes, that is exactly right!”

“So what is an Eclyptic?”

“Now that is a more complicated question.” Pharin said. “As I said before I am an Eclyptic, and as you can see I can take the shape of the element wind. However, I am also merged with the moon, human traits, and a Whisp. A Whisp is a creature that can freely change shape, and exists solely to encourage. Whether they encourage a plant to grow, a leaf to change color, a tear to fall, or the wind to run, they exist to encourage. Of course they only encourage the natural course of things. They are the opposites of the Gainzenen.”

“And you're a mix of all of those rolled into one, AND a host of an Ethrin?”

“Yes, I am.”

Learlah wasn't sure if she should be excited or nervous to be in the midst of such a powerful, unique creature.

“So what are you a mix of exactly? I mean I know you’re the host of Pharin, and you're merged with the wind element, and the moon, but what whisp are you merged with and what does she do?”

“I am merged with the Whisp Vera, who encourages the wind to blow, and tears to fall.”

“Are all Eclyptic's merged with the moon?”

“No, some are merged with the sun, and dark Eclyptics are merged with either the blood moon or dark sun.”

“Pharin, that's enough for now. She does not need to know of the dark ones yet. Wait for her time.”

Once again, Learlah heard the strange voice she had heard speak to Xlaiyer, and once again it echoed everywhere seeming to come from nowhere.

“Xlaiyer is coming to take her into the zodiac realm, you are to accompany them there, and see that they arrive at the Calendar safely.”

Pharin flowed into a human form, kneeling, she bowed.

“Yes, I will do so at my own risk. Thank you Zortha.”

Pharin stood and smiled, as Xlaiyer walked in, again in wolf form. Learlah watched as the two reunited, obviously old friends. She observed the way they smiled at each other, and the peace and worry that was held in their eyes. Truly beautiful, was the thought that came to her mind. No sooner had she thought that, than the whispy white hair of Pharin swished as she turned her head to her.

“Come on Learlah. It's time to go, it's quite the journey to the Calendar, and you have a lot to learn before your time here is over.”

Learlah nodded, took Pharin's outstretched hand, and entered the portal into the unknown world.

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Chapter 3: The Beast

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Chapter 4: Shadows

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Chapter 5: The Healing

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Chapter 6: I Do

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Chapter 7: The Renewal

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Chapter 8: Meeting

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Chapter 9: The Encounter

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Chapter 10: Old Scars

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Chapter 11: The Letter

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Chapter 12: A New Comprehension

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Chapter 13: It Begins

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Chapter 14: Endless Battles

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Chapter 15: Undone

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Chapter 16: For Freedom

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~

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