Page 89 of Eluvonia
Tura gives me a watery smile. “It’s okay,” she says. “It’s time to move on. I’ll be okay. You have a different path than me.”
I walk over and hug her, and for a moment, she freezes. But then, just as quickly, she hugs me back.
“I’ll be fine, child,” she whispers, pulling back and looking at me with a sadness that cuts deep. “Go with your Dragons.”
I sniff, nodding, and take a few steps back. Declan grabs my arm, his grip steady and sure. I look up at him, offering him a smile, though it feels strained.
The three of us step toward the green cloud, and with one last glance at Tura, we walk through it, into whatever comes next.
Chapter 37
AERIS
We step out of the portal, and for a moment, everything feels surreal. It’s like stepping through a doorway with my eyes closed—one minute we’re in one place, and the next… Well, we’re somewhere else entirely. I blink, trying to process the shift, but I can’t help but stare in awe at the dense forest around us. Towering trees stretch up towards the sky, their bark a rich, almost unnatural shade of brown, while vibrant green moss covers the ground like a soft carpet. Glowing yellow orbs float lazily in the air, casting an ethereal light that dances around us. The faint sound of a child’s laughter echoes through the trees, a soft, melodic giggle that seems to bounce off the trees, teasing the edges of our senses. It’s magical here, no doubt about it. There’s an energy in the air, like the whole place is alive, breathing, waiting.
“Where the hell are we?” I murmur, my voice almost drowned by the surreal beauty of the scene.
Before anyone can answer, a sound breaks through the silence. It’s a soft rustle in the underbrush, followed by a heavy, steady footfall. We all whip around, instinctively drawing into a defensive stance, eyes darting to the source.
Emerging from the shadows of the trees is the Earth Ymiral. She is tall, though not towering, her skin a deep, lush green, like the life force of the forest itself. Her hair flows in dark green waves around her face, falling like cascading vines. Her gown, shimmering with the hues of the earth, clings to her slender form, almost as if made from the very essence of nature—like something that grew rather than was woven. Her eyes glow with a soft green light, bright and knowing, and though she looks ethereal and powerful, there is something distinctly solemn in the way she holds herself. She is not what I expected. I figured the Ymirals would all have this commanding presence, but there’s something gentle about her. She smiles at us, a slow, sad curve of her lips.
“Blessed ones,” she says, her voice deep and resonant, like the earth’s whisper.
Kaida raises an eyebrow, his posture shifting, ever wary. “Why do you want to meet us?”
The earth Ymiral pauses, her glowing gaze sweeping over us before she answers, the words hanging in the air like the weight of the forest itself. “Eluvonia is dying, and we need your help.”
The air shifts, a sudden tension rising between us. Declan’s gaze sharpens. “How? What do you need?”
Her eyes linger on him, and there’s a flicker of something in her expression, like she’s measuring us, considering whether we’re truly ready to understand. Then she sighs, a soft exhale that ruffles the leaves around us. “We need to seekone from before the Rift of Ages.”
“Who is that?” I ask, but my voice sounds distant even to me.
The Earth Ymiral’s gaze shifts to the horizon, her eyes narrowing as if the very air is speaking to her. “His name is Julien. He is a Fae.”
I blink at her, confusion flooding my mind. “How are we supposed to find someone from over three thousand years ago?”
As if to answer my question, a small, high-pitched giggle cuts through the air, followed by a sudden whoosh of movement. From thin air, a small figure materializes in front of us, floating just above the ground.
The child is tiny—no taller than a few feet—yet her presence demands attention, like something born from the very magic of the land itself. Her skin, the same rich green as the earth Ymiral’s, seems to glow faintly, and her cherubic face is framed by wild, twisting strands of deep green hair that resemble curling vines. They shimmer like fresh leaves in the sunlight, almost appearing to grow and shift as she moves. Her wide, mischievous eyes gleam with an ancient, knowing brightness far too vast for someone so small.
A high-pitched squeal of delight bursts from her lips as she twirls in the air, her tiny feet kicking playfully. “Ah! You see me now! You see me now!” she giggles, clapping her small hands together, her excitement radiating like sunlight after a storm.
Declan stares, his brows furrowed. “Wait… I thought there was onlyoneYmiral per element?”
The child freezes mid-twirl, gasping dramatically as if he’d just uttered the most ridiculous thing imaginable. “Thereis! Thereis!” she squeals, spinning back toward him, her grin impossibly wide. “I am a sapling!”
“A sapling?” Kaida echoes, his voice skeptical, his sharp gaze fixed on the tiny being.
“Yes, yes!” she nods eagerly, her body bouncing in the air like she can barely contain herself. “Earth Ymirals are like trees! We are not immortal, no no, but wedolive for centuries! When we grow old and our life nears its end, a sapling is born in our place!” She gestures to herself with an exaggerated wave of her hands. “And then the old Ymiral teaches the sapling everything! So when they are gone…” she pauses, her grin dimming only slightly, “the sapling will take their place and become the new Ymiral!”
Kaida’s eyes narrow slightly. “So… you’re a replacement?”
The child gasps again, offended. “Nooo! Not a replacement! Asuccessor! Like a baby tree growing from the roots of an ancient one!” She beams, flinging her arms out wide. “I am still connected toher,” she motions toward the older Ymiral, who watches with a fond smile, “but I must learn and grow until I am strong enough to take her place!”
“Thanks to this little one, Julien is still alive to this day,” the earth Ymiral explains with a soft chuckle. “He was blessed.”
The child Ymiral twirls in the air again, her eyes sparkling. “I love Julien! He gave me treaties! I didn’t want to lose my friend, so I blessed him so he can stay forever!” She squeals, clearly proud of her actions, her tiny form fluttering around us like a butterfly.
