《A Sacrifice to the Water God》


 The Little Girl with a Prophecy

    I was standing amidst a field of corpses. The innocence I once had gone. Hacked away piece by piece as I was forced to become stronger. Heartless. Blood dripping down from my clothes. My black hair, dyed red. I was covered in it. Even the water I wielded by my side was completely red. I remembered my childhood. I was a happy child. Some would say I was too spoiled for my own good. I came from a family filled with rich and influential people. Some were politicians, others were CEO''s while some became famous actors. It was a powerful family, and I was their most prized possession. I loved the attention. I needed it. And I had it.


    What would I have become if I had stayed? Would I have been an actress just like my mother? Or would I become an author like my dad? Maybe I would become neither and instead have pursued my own dreams. But I would never know because those were simply dreams. A world far out of my reach with a road I could never cross. No matter how far I stretched my hand to reach it, I would never grasp it. But I wanted to get back. It was my home and I would slaughter every being standing in my way to reach it! I looked at the bloody path before me and smiled.


    "I am going home."


    It was my birthday. It was the day I became 10 years old. My family had invited all of the rich and famous to celebrate this big day with me. 10 was a turning point. It was the age where I could begin to learn the robes of business. All their hopes and dreams laid with me. I had long asked them why I was so important to them since it made little sense to me. I was only a little girl and it wasn''t like our family was declining. In fact, we were rising to the top and ranked to be one of the most influential families in the world. Grandfather was the one who gave me the answer. It was all because of a prophecy. I was never told the details, only that I was a very special girl. A girl who only appeared in the family once every thousand years and that it was the reason for our prosperity. I was a family legacy. So today they celebrated the birthday of an insignificant girl like me with one of the biggest parties ever seen. I was their centre of attention. None of the adults dared to ignore me. One word from me and their lives could end. People admired me. People feared me. People adored me. It was my heaven.


    I had lost count of how many families I had ruined. Some were on purpose and others completely unintentional. The smallest little thing happening to me was like a disaster happening to someone else. It was to the point where no nanny or maid wanted to be near me in fear of the consequences. Only one person was capable of hurting me without ever suffering the repercussions. My aunt. The one person whom I hated most of all. Aunt Anne was the one person in our family who despised me. No one knew because she was always very careful and no one ever believed me if I told them. She was the angel of the family. The one whom they had placed their hopes on before I was born.


    I had long given up in getting rid of her and instead avoided her like the plague. Because in the eyes of the family, I was a precious brat who couldn''t be hurt while aunt Anne was the angel guiding their path. She was a powerful woman whom everyone respected. But underneath it all was a hateful woman filled with ugly schemes. She never laid a hand on me, but the things she said and did had driven me to a shrivelling mess. I had been conditioned to fear her. The very sight of her would leave me running in another direction and that was what I did today.


    Aunt Anne was standing at the other end of the room when our eyes met. I stiffened.


    "What''s wrong Rana?" someone asked.


    Aunt Anne made her way towards me with a smile on her face. Everywhere she passed, people became spellbound. To them, her smile was the most beautiful thing in the world and almost no woman could ever get close to her beauty. Only my mother had her beat, being ranked as the number one beauty in the whole world. But I saw what everyone else didn''t. An aura of death. Just the mere feel of her presence would have my breath caught. My breathing became faster as she neared. I bolted. In my escape, I bumped into my grandfather but it didn''t matter to me. I kept running.


    "Rana?" he said before noticing aunt Anne.


    "That girl is being unreasonable again. Always running away from Anne. We have spoiled her too much," he said loud enough for me to hear.


    The bathroom became my hiding spot. I was sitting on the toilet seat with my arms around my knees and stared at the door. The sound of knocking appeared. I flinched.


    "Rana, would you please get out? You can''t continue hiding from me every time you see me. You make it look like I''m abusing you," aunt Annes voice sounded from the other side.


    I took a deep breath and closed my eyes before once again looking at the door.


    "No! This is my birthday! I don''t want you here! Go away!"


    "Rana, darling. What have I done to make you hate me so much? Can''t we please talk about it?"


    "No!"


    It became quiet.


    "Fine. I''ll leave," she said.


    I couldn''t believe my ears. Did I win? Would she really leave? I heard the sound of her heels clicking against the floor getting further away before completely disappearing. She was gone. I stayed put for a while, making sure she wouldn''t come back before I finally left the bathroom in a sprint. But suddenly I felt someone grabbing me from behind lifting me up from the floor.


    "Where are you running off to Rana?" I heard a high pitched voice say in her sweet as candy tone.


    The smell of death invaded my senses. I screamed.


    "Let go! Let me go! Mommy! Help! Witch, witch! Let go!" I yelled while kicking and squirming. My screams filled the whole hall attracting the gazes of everyone present. I did everything I could to get free from her claws


    "Witch, let me go! Witch!"


    People around us were pointing and whispering to each other.


    "Stop it! Who are you calling a witch?!"


    Aunt Anne tightened her grip on me even further as she yelled, making it harder for me to breathe. I had to get away! To escape her grasp, I bit her arm as hard as I could. She screamed and dropped me on the floor. I landed hard and an ugly sound was heard as my head hit the ground. People gasped and ran towards us but I had completely lost all rationality and ran. Everything was a blur after that. My small body escaped through the crowd of people and somehow I escaped outside the compound. Not knowing how I had gotten here I found myself standing in a lake. The water reached all the way up to my waist. My mouth had a foul taste of metal and I had to rinse my mouth with the water. I stood there for a while with my eyes closed. My breathing slowed. The pain began. It was like my head was being split in two. I screamed. My eyes turned to the shore, and I knew I had to reach it. My feet felt heavy. I couldn''t move. Something was sucking me down. My vision blurred. I opened my mouth to scream, but no sound came. Everything darkened.


    I opened my eyes and saw the sky. I felt the wind on my skin. My hands were touching grass. A little boy came into my view as he peeked down on me. I tried to speak, but I couldn''t. I tried to move but my body felt like lead. The boy ran away. I tried to scream. The sound refused to leave my throat. But I kept trying. I passed out.


    When I woke up next all I could hear was people shouting.


    "Why did you bring that strange girl here! Have you seen her clothes? She could bring us all in danger!" a woman''s voice yelled.


    "Calm down Helen. I couldn''t just leave her there. Someone must miss her," another voice sounded.


    "I don''t care about that. If they didn''t want to lose her, then they should have kept a better watch on her. I''m telling you this girl is trouble!"The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    I lost consciousness.


    I woke up several times, but everything was a blur and I couldn''t remember any details. All I could recall was the yelling and the cooling touch against my burning skin. My whole body felt like it was on fire but there was one constant that kept me sane. When the pain became unbearable a slow flow of coldness entered my body and lowered my temperature. There was a warm, yet cold presence by my side at all times, ready to act when I needed. In-between consciousness I would remember a small figure talking in a low tone. That voice would make me fall asleep and for a moment I would feel content and safe.


    One day I woke up, fully alert and the first thing to greet me was a pair of deep blue eyes. They were filled with all the different colours of blue and shone like a beautiful jewel. The eyes belonged to a young boy who looked to be around my age. His mouth broke into a smile when he looked into my eyes for the first time. It was like time had stopped; like we were the only two people in existence. The sound of our heartbeats was in sync, in perfect harmony. What seemed like a whole minute was only but a second. The moment broke.


    "Who are you?" I asked.


    "I''m Alec, what about you?"


    "Rana, my name is Rana. Where am I?"


    "You are in our home. I found you in the Sacred Plains. Didn''t you know you aren''t supposed to go there?"


    "What are you talking about? What are the Sacred Plains? And what is this place? Why does it look like we''re in the Middle Ages?" I asked as I noticed the surroundings.


    The whole house seemed to have been made of wood and there was no technology in sight. The bed I was laying in didn''t have a mattress, instead, I was laying in hay. The blanket on top of me was ugly and worn with several holes and the clothes Alec was wearing looked like what was worn in the movies set in the Middle Ages. Did I somehow get rescued by the Amish? But that would be impossible as I had been in the middle of New York City and there was no way, they lived there. I thought of my father. His imagination had always given me hope and dreams. The stories he told me at bedtime were always filled with all kinds of wonders and made me understand the world differently than others. Where people saw a normal tree, I saw its story. I saw stories in everything. The magic. So for a moment, the thought crossed my mind, was I in the Middle Ages?


    "I don''t know what you are talking about, but you are in a village called Freyo," Alec said.


    "Oh, she is awake," said a man as he entered the room with a smile on his face.


    He had a nice smile. It was the face of a gentle person whom everyone would trust. But I remembered his voice. It was the voice that had been screaming and yelling along with the sound of another person doing the same thing.


    "Do you have a phone or maybe a computer?" I asked the man, itching to find a way home and to discover if they even knew what technology was.


    "What is that?" Alec asked.


    The man''s face twitched for just a second, but he was quick to hide it, although he wasn''t fast enough. I had caught it. Alec was looking at me with his head tilted to the side waiting for my answer. Something was wrong. Did I really travel back in time or was I maybe in a different world?


    "Do you know about New York?"


    Alec shook his head.


    "What is that?"


    I continued to ask several questions, but every time they didn''t know what I was talking about. I never answered their questions and Alec''s father got more annoyed with every question.


    "You need to explain yourself. We don''t understand what you are talking about. It''s almost like you are from a different world," he said before I could open my mouth to ask the next question.


    I held my breath and observed him. He reminded me of all the bad people I had met in my life. There was one particular person whom I could never forget that was exactly like this man. From a young age, I had been taught the different signs of danger. My mother had been very particular in getting me to understand other people and had taught me everything she knew. As an actress, she knew all the different tells of who a person was. She knew when to push and when to pull. Reading people was her job, and she taught me how. There was a reason why a lot of people liked me. Like my mother I loved attention. I loved being the star of the show and I made sure it stayed like that. So when I looked at the man in front of me I knew almost by instinct that I had to be careful. This place was weird and I had to make up a story.


    "I''m sorry. It''s just that I have never been away from home. I live in a place called New York, which is a place isolated from the rest of the world. My mother took me to see the world, but I seem to have lost her," I explained.


    "I''ve never heard of such a place?" he said.


    "We keep ourselves very isolated from the outside world. I was just confused when I woke up and my head still feels a bit heavy, so I thought I was at home for a moment. I don''t know much about the outside," I said as tears flowed down my cheeks.


    "I''m scared."


    It wasn''t difficult for me to cry because it was the truth. I didn''t know where I was and something strange had happened to me. I hoped it was a dream but no matter what I did, I just didn''t seem to wake up from it. I was clever. The tears were real and so was the fear. My family taught me well, and I knew how to turn everything to my advantage. It worked. The dads face softened as he saw my tears and he went down on his knees, putting his head at my eye level and smiled gently at me.


    "It''s all right. I''m John and this is my son Alec. This village worships the God of Water, Zelorzthas. You can stay with us while we figure out a way to find your mother," he said.


    "Can I really?" I sniffed.


    "Of course!" Alec said enthusiastically with a big grin plastered on his face.


    For about two months I lived and breathed the same air as the villagers of Freyo. Alec''s family comprised his father; John, his mother; Helen and his little sister Tabitha. Helen was the person who held the most authority in the village. I learned from the other kids that she was a Messenger. They were the people who were sensitive to the Gods will and conveyed it to the people. I also learned that almost every village had them. Their roles were not important to the countries and their status was only slightly better than a village chief.


    Priests and Priestesses were another matter entirely. They held the highest authority, even higher than the emperors and kings. These were the people whom the Gods had chosen as their own. They were granted powers similar to the God they served and lived lives of luxury and comfort. Almost every kid I talked to spoke highly of them and wished to be one of them. It wasn''t hard getting them to talk. While I feared the adults, kids were another story. I had won almost every kid in the village over by using my wit and charm. I introduced them to a life of fun and showed them a glimpse of my world. They ate it up and in return, I gained information. I learned that the name of this world was Saighra and that this world relied heavily on their belief in Gods. I gave up on learning their names as all of them were unpronounceable. This was definitely not the world I grew up in.


    Alec was the one person whom I truly liked. He was sweet and protected me from the adults. I always stuck with him. His mother was especially harsh towards me. I didn''t know why she didn''t like me, but she treated me like a nuisance and made sure I knew I was a freeloader. She was almost as bad as Aunt Anne. I stayed clear of her. I had long had enough of people like her. If I had been at home she would never even have been worthy of my presence. But I was far from home. I had no idea how I had stayed so clear-headed in this place. I had pondered for so long why this had happened. Was it punishment? Fate? Was it the prophesy grandfather had mentioned? It didn''t matter. What mattered was that I had to stay alive. This place gave me the creeps. The people were nice and no one was especially mean to me, except for Helen and a few others. But my instincts told me to be careful. Mother had warned me to be wary of other people and to trust my instincts. So I did.


    But apparently, I wasn''t careful enough. I was woken up in the middle of the night. Helen dressed me in a white dress. I asked her what we were doing but only silence greeted me. I gave up on speaking to her. Instead, I tried to run. She would have none of that. I was hit hard on the head, making me dizzy and slow to react. My vision had only blackened for but a moment and yet I found myself standing in front of a crowd.


    "Our God has been angered!" Helen yelled and looked down upon the people. They all gasped and whispered amongst themselves. "Rain has been sparse and we can all barely survive as it is. The stones have spoken. Only a Bride can appease his anger. The girl has been chosen," she said in a grave voice and pointed at me.


    "Our God''s wrath has to be appeased or we will never see rain on our land again. So I ask of you, what is our answer?" Helen yelled these last words at the crowd and only a second passed before they all answered in unison.


    "We shall offer him a Bride!"


    "Let the offering begin!"


    I found myself bound tightly with ropes and unable to move. A group of people began to carry me and the journey to my apparent death began. I struggled but there was nothing I could do with my small body. I couldn''t scream because they had stuffed a piece of cloth in my mouth that tasted sour. Every time I swallowed I felt myself getting weaker and my breathing became shallow. It felt like we were walking for hours and yet only minutes had passed as we reached the destination. It was a lake. Helen chanted in a foreign language I had never heard before and yelled at the sky.


    "Our God Zelorzthas, we as your subjects have found your Bride. Please accept our offerings and let rain once again fall on our lands!"


    Everyone got down on their knees and prayed, but one person did not. Alec was running towards me, only to be stopped by his father.


    "Let me go! I have to save her! Please don''t do this!" he yelled.


    Through the grogginess, I looked up with difficulty and our eyes met. Time stopped. We were in a world of our own. No words were needed to convey our feelings. Without words, we knew what we were saying.


    "I''m sorry. I''m so sorry. I never thought mother hated you this much. I tried to warn you, but they stopped me."


    "It isn''t your fault Alec. You are the first real friend I have had."


    I smiled.


    "Please, please don''t die!"


    I was thrown into the water.

 The World of Gods

    ¡°Nooo!¡±


    That was the last thing I heard before my body was submerged in water. I struggled hard to get back to the surface even though my hands and feet were tied up. I still wanted to live. But the huge stone kept pulling me further down to the bottom of the lake, with no end in sight. I had heard many tales of people drowning. Some felt horrifying pain, others were in such a panic and fought for their lives with all they got, while some simply gave up and drowned peacefully with no pain. I fought for my life and held my breath for as long as I could. I realized I couldn¡¯t allow myself to swallow the water. My vision became cloudy, and all I could see was the light on the surface getting further away until ultimately, I could no longer see. My mind felt fuzzy from the shortage of oxygen and I slipped. I gasped for air. Hearing about drowning and experiencing it are two completely different things. I assumed I had understood just how horrid it would be, but I had now learned the truth. Water came in through my nose and mouth, filling my lungs. The pain was unimaginable. I had felt nothing like it in my entire life. There were no words to describe what it felt like. I had stopped fighting. Everything seemed to slow down and just before I gave up consciousness, something was diving towards me.


    ¡°Aunt Anne, why do you hate me so much?¡±


    ¡°Why do I hate you? You have everything I have ever loved. Everyone worships you. And god forbid if anyone were to hurt you. When you got kidnapped the entire world was in turmoil. Because of you, my sister no longer pays any attention to me. Before you showed up I was the apple of her eye. I was the one the whole family adored and depended on. I wish you would just disappear and never come back!¡±


    Aunt Anne left the room, and the scene shifted.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand. You will never know what it''s like to be me! You have everything. Wealth, friends, family and love. All I have is myself. Don''t you realize why I forsook you? From the start, we were never friends! I wish you would just disappear forever!¡± She yelled with tears in her eyes.


    Once again the scene changed. This time I was in a dark cellar and in front of me stood a man looking down at me.


    ¡°Someone wants you to disappear, and I was hired to do it. You, my dear little girl, have drawn too much attention. Your family is filled with influential people. You became a target the moment their enemies realized how critical you were to them. Certain people would be pleased to have you disappear.¡±


    The surroundings switched anew. This time I was sitting on my mother''s lap.


    ¡°You are a special girl Rana. Remember, that no matter where you are, you will always be treasured. We spoil you too much. One day you will have to stand on your own two feet where we may not be by your side. Be strong. Remember to always love yourself, and be proud of who you are. Because you are exceptional, and you will always be special.¡±


    ¡°All I need is you. As long as we are together, I will be happy.¡±


    She smiled.


    ¡°We can¡¯t always be there for you. My little sweetheart, stay strong and live your life.¡±


    She leaned down and pecked my forehead.


    ¡°Wake up.¡±


    ¡°I miss you.¡±


    She shook her head and smiled.


    ¡°Wake up.¡±


    I woke up. Tears were flowing down my face.


    ¡°She¡¯s awake.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s awake.¡±


    ¡°Awake.¡±


    ¡°Awake.¡±


    Several voices entered my ears all at once as if echoing each other.


    ¡°She¡¯s crying.¡±


    ¡°Tears.¡±


    ¡°Crying.¡±


    ¡°Is she sad?¡±


    ¡°Sad?¡±


    I sat up and studied my surroundings. I was sitting on a bed floating in the middle of a vast lake. Everything looked so graceful and tranquil. Everywhere around me were small fairy-like beings. They had a human shape and looked as if their bodies were water. I blinked several times. Why did I wake up in strange places so often? Or maybe this time I was dreaming? I pinched myself. The pain that followed surprised me and I yelped out loud, startling the surrounding creatures. They scattered, and no longer was I surrounded by them and their curiosity. It became quiet. I pinched myself again. It was real. I wasn''t dreaming. I heard voices whispering to each other. The little beings began to slowly appear. I smiled. They reminded me of sparrows. Ever curious and yet cautious. Even if shooed away, they would reappear, and once again sing their tales for everyone to hear.


    One of them was hiding behind the others, but occasionally, it would peak its little head out and stare at me, only to escape back into safety. It was smaller than the others and unlike the others, had purple eyes. I couldn¡¯t help but stare at it.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°So pretty,¡± I said.


    When my voice reached the little creatures they scattered into hiding, leaving the purple-eyed one all alone. It blinked its pretty little eyes several times before letting out a gasp and fled as fast as it could. The poor little creature didn¡¯t know where to go and kept flying around in circles. Whenever it found a hiding spot, the others would push it aside, and it was forced to fly away. I laughed.


    ¡°You¡¯re really funny.¡±


    It froze. I heard whispering voices surrounding us. Our eyes met, and we stared at each other. My green eyes versus it¡¯s purple.


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty. So, shiny,¡± I said.


    It blinked and cocked its head to the side.


    ¡°I like the colour purple. Its pretty. Your eyes shine so beautifully.¡±


    Suddenly it was dancing all around the place. Little drops of water from the lake floated around it, swirling in the air as if dancing. I couldn''t help but gasp from the sight. It ceased dancing and stood floating just before my face. But even though it stopped dancing, the water did not. It flew closer to me and kissed my forehead before darting away. After that, it began its little dance once again. I giggled at its antics but then I asked;


    ¡°Do you know where I am? How did I get here?¡±


    ¡°You are at a place where Gods live. In a different dimension from the world of humans and this is my territory. I was the one who brought you here,¡± a sudden voice sounded behind me.


    I turned towards the voice and before me, was the most exquisite man I had ever encountered. He was even prettier than my dad. He had long silver-white hair, that reached all the way down to his waist. It looked so shiny and soft, making me want to run my fingers through it. He was tall but slender; almost like a woman. His skin was fair without making him seem sick. But his eyes interested me the most. They were ice blue, and unlike Alec, his eyes were not filled with all the different colours of blue; instead, they were the colours of ice. He was too beautiful. If it wasn¡¯t because of his broad shoulders and deep voice, I would have confused him for a woman.


    The little creature had stopped dancing the moment it heard his voice and fled to hide within my clothes. It tickled and I couldn¡¯t help but giggle as it pulled my gaze away from the man.


    The little creature had stopped dancing the moment it heard his voice and fled to hide within my clothes. It tickled and I couldn¡¯t help but laugh as it had pulled my gaze away from the man.


    ¡°She seems to have taken a liking to you. You even formed a contract with her,¡± he said.


    ¡°Eh?¡± I glanced at him and did a double take as I realized he was standing on top of the water. Pointing at him I asked;


    ¡°How are you doing that? And what do you mean contract? Do you know what these creatures are?¡± I kept asking him a bunch of questions without allowing him a chance to speak, ¡°Who are you? What is this place? Are you that god whom the villagers tried to kill me for? Do you know how painful it was? I have never felt such pain in my entire life!¡±


    I remembered it all and felt overwhelmed. I cried before the man could even respond to my barrage of questions.


    ¡°Mommy, I, I want to go home. I don¡¯t know where I am. I want to go home!¡± I said in-between sobs.


    He stood there dumbfounded for a while but then seemed to ignore my crying.


    ¡°I¡¯m Zelorzthas and I am in control of the water element, which is why I can stand on it. These little creatures are Water Sprites and can serve as familiars. Yours is one of the few that hasn''t become my familiar. It made a contract with you and became yours. As for the mortals'' actions, I had nothing to do with that,¡± he sighed and continued, ¡°I only saved your life on a whim. Those humans always do ridiculous stuff to get my attention even though I don¡¯t care.¡±


    I kept crying and only listened with half an ear. He didn¡¯t seem to like it.


    ¡°Stop crying already. It¡¯s annoying. I answered all of your questions,¡± he said.


    I didn¡¯t stop. I became louder.


    ¡°Stop it.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Zelorzthas, what did you do to make the girl cry?¡± I heard another voice say.


    Another beautiful person had arrived. It was a woman with wings on her back. Zelorzthas face turned sombre.


    ¡°Sheila, what are you doing here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, am I not welcome?¡± she giggled.


    He didn¡¯t say a word and stared at her until her smile fell.


    ¡°I came to check on our little bet. Don¡¯t you remember that I told you, you wouldn¡¯t be able to keep her and you telling me it would be a piece of cake? The way it looks now, it seems I¡¯m winning,¡± she said and laughed.


    His face darkened, and he turned towards me.


    ¡°Stop crying!¡± he commanded.


    I cried even louder than before.


    ¡°I, I, can¡¯t,¡± I said in-between sobs.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t stop, I will make you stop!¡± He threatened in a heavy tone.


    I tried but had trouble breathing. I was crying so hard that I couldn¡¯t breathe, almost like having a panic attack.


    ¡°I, I can¡¯t,¡± I started, ¡°I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t. Home. I, I want,¡± I gasped for air, ¡°want to go, go home.¡±


    ¡°You are being awfully harsh on her. She¡¯s just a little kid,¡± Sheila said.


    Zelorzthas snorted.


    ¡°You make her stop crying then.¡±


    ¡°You sure about that? If I help you out, you lose our bet,¡± she said with a smile.


    Suddenly a drop of floating water entered my mouth and then went back out, floating towards Zelorzthas hand. I found myself unable to make any sounds. Even though I was crying, no sound came. I pulled my hands up to my throat and tried to speak. My breathing became harder, and the air was tight.


    ¡°I¡¯m keeping your voice. This way, you won¡¯t be so noisy,¡± Zelorzthas said and left.


    Sheila hovered in the air for a while looking down at me before turning to catch up with him.


    ¡°Wait for me!¡± she yelled.


    I was left alone. All the Water Sprites had disappeared except for one. The purple-eyed-one came out of hiding from within my clothes and kept flying frantically around me. I was having trouble breathing and just couldn¡¯t calm myself down. My whole body was shaking. Even when I tried to stop, it would only start again. Suddenly, it stopped. A cooling feeling went through my whole body and I could breathe again. The little Water Sprite had put her head against my forehead. Her thoughts and feelings were everywhere. I could feel her very being. It was amazing. We had a deep connection and feeling her like this, so close to my heart and thoughts made me less scared. I felt love. It was such a warm feeling; one I¡¯ve only had with the people I love most. It was like she was talking without the words. I could understand everything about her. It was the most wonderful feeling in the world. I felt my eyes becoming heavy and before I knew it, my body fell into a deep sleep.

 Vaitiare

    I was dreaming. But the dream wasn¡¯t a dream. I was communicating with the Water Sprite. She had tapped into my subconscious mind with our bond as the connection. Her form had changed into an adult and she was no longer the small little Sprite from before. Instead stood a beautiful woman made of water. Her head was fitted with a piece of jewellery almost like a crown and around her neck laid the most exquisite necklace. But the one thing that amazed me the most was her dress. It was no simple dress. It was entirely made of water, like the rest of her body, but was adorned with the colours of gold and silver, mixing in with the colour of blue. The dress did not hide her delicate legs or her curvy frame. It was she who bore the dress and not the dress who wore her.


    ¡°Do you like this form?¡± she asked and swirled around.


    ¡°Yeah. You are really pretty. You look a lot like the water fairies my father had described in his stories,¡± I said.


    ¡°My name is Vaitiare. This is my true form. Only when I am at my most powerful will I be able to assume this form,¡± she said.


    ¡°Oh. I¡¯m Rana. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±


    ¡°It is an honour for me to meet you, mistress,¡± she said and bowed.


    ¡°You are my master. I chose you because of the peculiar feeling you gave off and how it affected my soul. You and I are eternally bound to each other. Therefore, I know everything that is in your heart and I will show you the answers you seek.¡±


    Suddenly the small pond of water in front of us began to show pictures. It was like viewing a movie and everything was clearly visible. What I saw was the scene of my drowning body. I couldn¡¯t help but move my hands to my throat as I saw myself struggling for air. Coldness seeped into my bones and our surroundings became frosty. Vaitiare moved closer to me and an immediate warmth flowed through my body. I looked up at her, seeing the smile on her face and my racing heart slowed down.


    ¡°Watch. Everything you need to know is there,¡± she said.


    I turned to look at the water again. The scenery had changed. Instead, I saw Zelorzthas and Sheila together with other Gods looking down in a mirror.


    ¡°The humans are at it again. I¡¯m jealous Zelor, you¡¯re so popular,¡± Sheila said.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to quit calling me that,¡± Zelorzthas sneered.


    Sheila chuckled and went closer to the mirror. What I saw in its reflection was myself. They were watching as I drowned. Watching as I was tossed into the water. Watching as the humans ignorance practically cost the life of a child. I was innocent. I had done nothing wrong. Never done anything to make them hate me. I had done everything they asked of me. Treated them with a smile even as they threw insults at my face. I had been trained to always keep my head high, taught how to act in a foreign environment, and learned how to survive so I never had to get into dangerous situations ever again and even if I did, I could handle myself. I had been so careful and watched for signs of danger. But who would have thought it wasn¡¯t enough. I knew I should have listened to mother. Should have learned more about people and how to see the different tells. But I had hated it. There was too much to learn. I had thought I knew enough. How wrong I was.


    ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t you choose her as your Priestess? She seems suitable. Actually, she has quite the potential. Had the humans given her to me, I would make her mine. Hasn''t the old geezers been pressing you to get one lately?¡± Sheila said as if she had gotten the brightest idea.


    Zelorzthas snorted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need one so why should I choose this girl,¡± he said.


    ¡°Because she is one of a kind. Her energy isn¡¯t of this world. She almost reminds me of you.¡±


    That peeked his interest. He looked into the mirror and the disdain on his face turned into surprise.


    ¡°How can it be?!¡± he said with wide eyes.


    A smile blossomed on Sheila¡¯s lips. Her eyes were glittering and the wind around was dancing, dragging the surrounding leaves with it. Her laughter filled the room, all while the Gods watched and whispered to each other. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°The girl is not human, nor is she a God. She is like you, Zelorzthas and yet she is not. But one thing is for sure. That girl is most compatible to become yours. It is only destiny that has landed her in your lap and according to what I can see, she should not die. Go save her. She is yours,¡± one God suddenly said.


    He was the only God that had sat with indifference. He only observed and never once participated in the surrounding gossip.


    ¡°God of Destiny, are you saying he absolutely has to take the girl in?¡± Sheila asked.


    He nodded and said, ¡°there is no way around it. If you do not, we will all end up regretting it.¡±


    That was when the smile on Sheila¡¯s face broadened and this time her laughter became hysterical. Even the other Gods couldn¡¯t stop smirking but none of them dared laugh as boldly as Sheila.


    ¡°What are you laughing at!¡± Zelorzthas said and a heavy pressure befell the room.


    Even I could feel it despite not being there. It was like having a heavy boulder on top of your shoulders, pulling you down. The Gods in the room winced and their smiles disappeared except for Sheila¡¯s. Her laughter still filled the room making Zelorzthas angrier.


    ¡°If you do not stop laughing, I will snap your neck and I don''t care about your boyfriend''s revenge,¡± he said.


    ¡°Oh, why are you always ruining the fun? Whenever you come into the room all laughter stops. Stop being so gloomy all the time. I am laughing because it is funny. Oh, the irony. it''s priceless. I¡¯d bet you could never handle such a young girl. In fact, she would probably die in your care,¡± Sheila said and couldn¡¯t help but laugh again.


    Zelorzthas frowned.


    ¡°I am not gloomy, I do not care for all of your gossips. And just how difficult would it be to take care of one child?¡± he said.


    ¡°Always so detached from the rest of the world and never caring about anything but yourself. How could such a selfish person like you ever take care of someone else?¡± Sheila asked.


    ¡°Be careful with what you say God of Wind. Others may care for your little antics but I do not!¡± he sneered.


    Sheila laughed.


    ¡°But I speak only the truth. The truth that is on everyone''s mind. None of us thinks you can care for that girl without killing her in the process!¡±


    Zelorzthas¡¯s eyes roamed around the room, looking every God in their eyes.


    ¡°I am the most powerful God among you. There is no way I cannot take care of a simple child,¡± he said and turned to look Sheila in the eyes.


    ¡°I will make sure that child does not die!¡±


    Sheila smiled and said:


    ¡°Then let''s make a bet. If you take care of that girl with no help from any other God and make sure she grows up healthy it will be your win. If I lose, I will prostrate myself to you and apologize for my behaviour, but if you lose, give me part of your Divinity.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    With those words, Zelorzthas left and the next thing I saw was my body being pulled into the Realm of Gods. The mirror in the water went blank for a moment before a different scene played. It showed me the whole Realm and of all its inhabitants. All the Gods and the different creatures were before me; the information of them all being stored in my brain. After it had shown me everything I needed to know about the Realm of Gods, it moved on to showing me everything about Saighra; the world of humans. Everything came to light and all my questions were answered. It was a world different from mine. Here humans did not live off technology. Here they survived with magic and belief. All of their beliefs in Gods where what fueled the powers of the Gods. In return for their pious service power was awarded to the humans. There were several religions sprouting everywhere in the world and each one had powers given to them by Gods. I looked up at Vaitiare.


    ¡°What is this world? How did I get here?¡± I asked.


    ¡°This world is only one of many. There are countless worlds all around us and all are connected to one source. The source of life and creation. A being that is both alive and dead. No one truly knows what it is, but all who knows about it strive to enlightenment. With enlightenment comes power, with power comes strength and with strength, there will no longer be fear,¡± she said and waved her hand at the pond making images appear of a tree with several branches with worlds.


    ¡°All Gods are beings searching for enlightenment. They want to reach the top of the World Tree. The tree that is holding the source of all. I do not know how you came to be, but one thing is for sure. Your world is at the top and yet at the bottom. It is unreachable for any who travels between worlds. Few have done it, but all were women who originated there,¡± she said and pointed at one branch of the tree that seemed unnatural.


    It was broken and yet not broken. Sometimes the world was there and sometimes it wasn''t. I didn''t understand it but I knew it meant I couldn''t return home easily.


    ¡°But then, how am I to return home?¡± I asked.


    ¡°To return home is doing the impossible. Many have tried and yet failed. The women from your world who succeeded had to pay a steep price and all of them had to accept their fate. All of them were sent on a mission and only those who passed could even attempt the journey home. This is all I know,¡± Vaitiare said and sighed.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t know of any mission! And why me? Who decides these things?¡± I exclaimed.


    ¡°No one knows. Only you can discover it all by yourself. I will be with you every step of the way, but the final step has to be taken by you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about all that. My whole life I¡¯ve heard of prophecy, fulfilling a destiny, fated to be the future and that I am the greatest hope of the family. But the truth is; I don¡¯t care!¡± I yelled with tears in my eyes.


    ¡°I want to be together with my mom and dad. I want to be loved! I¡¯m even willing to put up with Aunt Anne. As long as I am home and loved by the people I care about, I don¡¯t care about anything else. If I have to shatter this Source thing into several pieces and crush fate itself, I will!¡±


    Vaitiare smiled.


    ¡°If that is what you want, then I will do it with you. I will only follow your will and if we destroy the whole universe in the process, so be it. Everything will be fine Rana. With me by your side you will never be alone,¡± she said.


    I brushed the tears falling down my cheeks away and nodded.


    ¡°I have to be strong for mother''s sake. I can do it with you by my side. No, I will do it!¡±


    At this point, the dream collapsed. Slowly dissolving. Vaitiare returned to her smaller form and just before everything was gone she smiled and said;


    ¡°The Gods cannot hurt you, but be careful. None of them is to be trusted.¡±


    I opened my eyes to a world of water.