In Search of Auria (5 page)

The frame creaked up until it revealed a
small balcony. The outward frame functioned as an awning. Erik
walked towards the balcony, unsheathing his sword just a bit.

Something had to have opened it
, he
thought. The balcony was decorated with a beautiful oak railing. On
it were wooden pots, each one holding the most beautiful orchids.
Their petals were blue with thin yellow lines. The sun behind them
made them look like if they were small fairies.

Erik took another step, when out of the blue
a woman descended from above. Her back was towards Erik, so she
didn’t notice him. But Erik wasn’t looking at
her
, either.
He was staring at the four radiant wings that sprouted from her
back. She wasn’t just a woman; she was what the orchids looked
like, a fairy. Her wings were long, thin, and reflected the light
of the sun as if they were made of glass. Each one had segments of
lines and shapes, like dragonfly wings. But unlike the dragonfly’s,
each segment shone in different colors. One second they were
shining red, then the color would flow into yellow, and then blue.
She also had lines that ran from her back to her extremities. They
too flowed with colors.

Erik was dumbfounded. He had merely seen a
couple of fairies in his lifetime; all common, the size of a
finger. But never had he seen a fairy as big as a human. She was
the kind of fairy he had only heard in legends. The colorful wings
and lines confirmed it. She was a Daystar, a fairy of the Sun.
Legend said that they lived hidden atop the Forest of Agony,
collecting the overabundant rays of the sun. If not, the star would
burn the world to a crisp.

Erik sheathed his sword with a tap. The
sound made the fairy face him. She was incredibly beautiful. Her
tan skin matched perfectly with her blue eyes. Her attire was
completely made from the trees: a sleeveless leafy top, a fluttery
skirt and bark greaves. Her body was strong, but feminine.

“Are you a daystar?” Erik asked. She
remained still, surprised to see him there. Erik wanted to let her
know that he meant no harm. He gently raised his arms and stepped
backwards, but the fairy did not accept his gesture. She blasted
through the room and slammed him to the opposite wall. Before he
could even react, she had already grabbed him by the throat and
lifted him. She was strong enough that she kept him up with one
hand.

“I-I mean no harm,” Erik babbled out, but
she kept squeezing his neck. He immediately felt a sweltering
sensation on his throat. It was like if he had swallowed a hot
piece of coal. He couldn’t explain it. Then, the other hand of the
fairy burst with sparks. Erik was starting to panic. He kicked his
feet and couldn’t breathe. He moved and twisted, but her hands just
squeezed and scorched and blinded…

*

I woke up by slamming my foot against the
inner wall of the stump. I couldn’t believe I had just dreamed
that. I was sweating and my hands were shaky. I could hear the
songs of the morning birds. I rubbed my eyes and shook my head
clean of thoughts. The sun was out, it was time to move.

I had dreamed of the first time I saw her.
Her beauty and strength overwhelmed me. I wish I had dreamed a bit
more, but it was morning now and I had to get moving. I removed the
shield from the hole and crawled out of my stump shelter. The sky
was cloudless and the air fresh. It was a brand new day and I had
to continue my journey.

I was happy to find a red gooseberry bush as
I carried on northwest. I had only eaten gooseberries once before
and they were too sour for my liking. To my surprise, these ones
were sweet and juicy! A big handful made a good breakfast. After
filling my stomach and a half-hour walk, the woods ended and opened
to green plains. Curiously enough, I also heard water. I checked my
map and it was the series of streams I was counting to come
across.

Called the Riverways, the streams
crisscrossed among the plains, forming patches of land that looked
like islands. All the water came from a far mountain and ultimately
merged with the Crude River. The streams were not that wide and
could easily be crossed by horse, or even on foot. Fortunately,
small, arched bridges of stone were made available for travelers
and carriages. I looked around the area to see if there were people
wandering. News of my troubles at Vieris might have reached around
these parts. But after a careful assessment, it was safe to
continue.

I walked calmly over the bridges and crossed
over. The streams were loud with the current of the waters, and the
grass on the islands flowed with the breeze. The place was so fresh
and serene, I was mesmerized by it. But that feeling quickly
disappeared when I started to see plants torn apart, and flowers
crudely stepped upon. I guess someone had a grudge against
nature.

It was then that I heard a hoarse yell from
ahead. It made me crouch beside the bridge’s parapet. I peeked over
and past the next bridge I saw two balorian soldiers running
around. They were chasing some kind of glittering butterfly. They
were in the last of the small islands, and the final bridge to
clear the Riverways was right on its other side. If I stealthily
walked past them while they were distracted, I could avoid a
confrontation.

I walked to the next bridge and spied from
there. They were arguing and shouting.

"We need to catch it!" said one of the
soldiers. He wore a brown leather coif.

"Let's corner it on the other side," said
the other, a chubby man carrying an axe on his waist. Both of them
chased the butterfly to the far corner, away from the connecting
bridges. I didn't know what they wanted with a butterfly, but it
was the diversion I needed to pass unnoticed. I got low and walked
fast.

I almost reached the final bridge when I
heard a tiny cry. I looked towards the soldiers and got a better
look at what they were chasing. The butterfly wasn’t a butterfly at
all, it was a small fairy! It had golden wings, two white swirled
antennas, and six arms with silver bracelets on each one. One of
its wings was dripping with blood, making her flying difficult. The
soldiers had a small canary cage. While the coif soldier scared
her, the other managed to slap her to the ground.

"Haha," laughed the chubby soldier. He
picked up the fairy and put her inside the cage.

I wanted to keep going, but something was
holding me back. The soldiers started to laugh and taunt the fairy.
She cried helplessly inside the cage. Is thas how Auria felt? Was
she crying and sobbing at this very moment. I couldn’t do nothing,
I had to intervene!

“Release her!” I shouted. The soldiers
turned around stunned.

"Who the hell are you?" asked the coif
soldier.

"Leave her alone," I replied as I took out
my weapons, "Anything you have to say to her you can say to my
sword and shield."

"Ho ho," wheezed the chubby one. "What do we
have here? Feeling a bit warrior-like, peasant? Go back to the farm
and tend to the pigs."

"Funny, I thought I was talking to one.”

"What did you say?"

I stepped forward and pointed them with my
blade, "Release her or die at the hands of Miaflore's finest." The
pig pushed the cage to the other, almost knocking him back.

"Y-you are a miaflorian?" he babbled.

"With pride!"

The soldier’s face turned red with rage, "A
'florian roaming freely on Balora? Over my dead body!" He took out
his axe and charged towards me. I was impressed by his agility,
being fat and all. He took a swing to my head that I blocked. The
hit was strong enough that it pushed me to the side.

“My axe will cut you to pieces,” he said. He
continued knocking me around as I defended and resisted.

“Bust his head open!” yelled the other
soldier, holding the cage.

The chubby man was indeed strong, but I knew
he couldn’t keep up his rally. His exhaustion was beginning to
show. As a last attempt to kill me before his strength ran out, he
raised his axe high and tried to pummel me down. But unlike him and
his weariness, I was just warming up. I opened my shield to the
side and blocked the axe outward. He was left open and defenseless.
I thrust my sword forward and pierced him through the chest. He
squealed as the bloody tip carved through his back. His body lost
its prominence and fell back. As I walked over the dead body, the
remaining balorian shook with fear.

"How could you beat him? He was
stronger!”

He was going to be next and he knew it, so
he did something I did not expect. He threw the fairy into the
stream.

"You save her and let me escape or you fight
me and let her drown," he said anxiously, "Your choice.”

My temper urged me to kill him, but I had to
save the fairy. I put away my weapons and quickly ran to the
stream. The soldier dashed to the bridge and escaped.

The current was not strong and it reached
beneath my chest. It was of no danger to me, but for the hand-sized
fairy, it was. I went under and saw her in the cage, the current
pressing her against the bars. I grabbed the cage’s top handle and
pulled her out.

After returning to land and releasing her,
she laid in my palms, forlorn and barely breathing. I raised her
close to look at her more properly, and that's when she slowly
opened her eyes.

"Brave warrior" she said with an echoing,
shrill tone, "I thank you for my rescue."

"I just couldn't leave you to those
soldiers. Is there anything I can do for you now? Take you
someplace or..."

"No, it is too late. Inside... the damage is
done." A thin line of blood came out of the corner of her right
eye.

"There must be something we can do," I
desperately said.

"You cannot do much more, but I can. Please,
get me closer to you."

I got suspicious. What was she going to
try?

"Do not worry,” she added, “I will not harm
you." She stood up on my hands as I carefully approached her to my
face. She then slowly climbed it, putting four arms on my nose and
two more above my eyes. She then kissed me on the forehead.
Immediately, I felt a warm sensation go from my head to my toes,
like if I were beside a flaming hearth. After the kiss, she
collapsed into my hands, wheezing for air.

"W-what did you do?" I asked.

"I am a Devita Fairy," she huffed with a
smile and weak eyes. "I grant life."

Her head fell back and her eyes closed. She
died right there in my hands; her petit body, motionless. I crossed
the final bridge and buried her under a small purple orchid growing
beside the stream. It was the least I could do.

I looked at my reflection in the water. My
forehead looked and felt normal, and I didn't feel any different.
Maybe she was too frail to work her magic, or maybe she made a
mistake. You cannot give life to what is already alive, right?

I sat beside the grave and went into
thought. The Devita reminded me so much of Auria. I needed to save
her. I did not want to reach her to have the same end.

As I sat beside the Devita grave, I dwelled
my mind on Auria. She was so strong, I didn’t understand how she
was taken. Even me being as tough as I am, she handle me easily.
But other than being strong, she was also so kind. Her gentleness
and smile won me over so many times…

*

“Are you a Daystar?” Erik asked. Before him
stood a woman with four colorful wings, a fairy of the sun. Erik
thought she would answer, but instead received her wrath. She
blasted through the room and slammed him onto the opposing
wall.

“I mean you no harm,” Erik babbled out as
she clutched him by the neck and raised him against the wall. A
sweltering burn formed on his throat. He couldn’t breathe; the only
thing he could do was kick his feet in panic. Then, her other hand
started to shine and spark. He struggled, but there was nothing he
could do. Her hands squeezed and scorched and blinded. He couldn’t
take it anymore and fell unconscious.

#

Erik woke up with a banging headache. He was
lying on the table. His sight was hazy and his throat was burning
up. He tried to get up, but he couldn’t move his hands. They were
tightly bound behind his back. Disoriented, he couldn’t remember
where he was. When he finally managed to sit up, a hand forced his
chest back down. It was the fairy.

“Stay still so I can heal you,” she said.
The moment Erik saw her, he remembered everything; entering the
Forest of Agony, climbing the stairs, entering the house, and
getting attacked by
her
.

“Heal me?” Erik said with disbelief. “My
neck is burning. What did you do to me?”

“I gave you the Sear. I must cool you down
so it does not spread to your head.” She grabbed a knife made of
bone and passed it on top of his throat.

“Oh no, you won’t,” said Erik. He raised his
knee and hit her on the shoulder. He then rolled off the table and
stood up.

“What are you doing?” she glared, “You need
to be still.”

“Why? So you can slit my throat? Being dead
will certainly cool me down.”

Erik wanted to run for the door, but his
head started to spike. He felt like his brain had caught on
fire.

“Ah, my head… it’s boiling!” He couldn’t
take the pain and fell on his knees. The fairy walked to him with
knife in hand.

“No, don’t,” Erik mumbled, but he dozed and
blacked out.

##

Erik woke up… again. This time he didn’t
feel any pain from the so called Sear. His head felt cool and
completely normal. He was no longer bound, so he got up from the
floor and checked his body. He didn’t have any cuts or wounds. He
looked around the room, but the fairy was gone.

“Good, she’s not here. I better get out of
this place.”