"!"

 

  I felt frigid cold air washing over my body as my right arm was lashed with somehow even colder whip. My hand instantly plunged into my shoe but I felt my body being flung backwards as something grabbed my arms and pinned them to the ground.

 

[Mana light]

 

  The pale light flared into existence, illuminating and torching whatever was holding my arms. I quickly turn around and stepped away from where I slept. Fumbling to dig my other knife from under my jacket.

 

"Where is it? Where is it?!" 

 

*Thump*

 

  I suddenly bumped into something causing both me and the thing to fall over. I quickly roll onto my stomach and grab the vague silhouette of my attacker and pin it to the ground.

 

"Siri?!" I raise my voice in surprise as I spot the golden and blue glow of her eyes in the semi-twilight. "Was that you?"

 

  The girl's eyes shifted nervously away from mine before her smooth forehead warped into a frown as she tried get me off her. I felt butterflies inside my stomach shadowed quickly with cold shivers appearing down my spine.

 

"Sorry." I apologised as I quickly took my knee from the girl's stomach and sat on my knees between the exit and her. Instead of responding, Siri gave me a nod before she tried to slip passed me. "Wait, why are you here?"

 

  As an answer to my question, I received a cold stare from the petite girl who searched for a gap to escape through before she began to contemplate something as she scratched her chin like an old person would. After an uncomfortable amount of time spent in silence, the girl pointed at my arm.

 

"I don't understand, could you explain?" The mute girl's starry eyes rolled in frustration as she stood up and lifted the roof from inside and began to make her escape.

 

"Wait!" I reached for Siri's collar and shut my eyes closed as I instantly felt a wave of regret washing over my body.

 

"Shhhhh." I hear a hum inside my mind and as I open my eyes, I could see the small girl standing over me with her pointing finger pressed against her lips.

 

"I won't ask any more stupid questions," I carefully let go of the green mantle trying to judge the emotionless girl's reaction to my words. "Does the elf know you are though?" I whispered.

 

Siri's stone mask cracked as her eyes dropped to the floor with a guilty look. 

"Do you need help with something?" I carefully choose my words not wanting to cause the skittish girl to run away from me. "I know you are here for something, you might as well get it now."

 

  The girl's head turned away from me, lifting the fabric a small amount and stayed motionless, I think Siri had forgotten how to breathe as she stared into the night. The wood creaked loudly as she stepped away from the wall and walked further inside before pointing her pale finger at me.

 

"I?" I too point at myself unsure of what the beautiful mute was planning.

 

"Arm?" The girl shook her head. "Tattoo? Do you want to learn about my tattoos?" Siri gave me a big nod before covering her eyes with her hands. "And I am not allowed to look at you?" Another nod.

 

  I hesitantly covered my eyes and waited in the darkness for the girl to do whatever she wanted to do. 

Wait, what if she is still controlled by the elf? I haven't found my knife... "Eek!" My brain stopped as I felt Siri's cold fingers touch my neck. 

What is she doing?! I don't swing that way, what is she thinking?

 

  I felt the air ripple as the sound of leather tickled my ear followed by the scent of something burning. Fearing of what I agreed to, I tortured myself in darkness as my body reacted to the girl's fingers. Even though she wanted to look at the tattoos on my arms she was peeling more of my clothing from my body before I was only left with my pants and bra. 

 

I am not Bauha I only have them on my arms! "!" My throat ached as my voice refused to exit my body. Why is my face so hot?

 

"C-can I open my eyes?" I struggle to say as I felt Siri stepping away from me. "W-what did you d-do?"

 

  Siri was standing in front of me with her right arm severed at the elbow. Under the green mantle I spotted a luxurious dress made from the darkest silk I ever saw which fitted tightly around Siri's neck before widening into a loose wedding-like dress, explaining the girl's cold hand, the unsuitable garment lacked any sleeves leaving the poor girl freezing to the touch.

 

"Are you married?" I heard my voice. "Wait, I didn't mean to say that." I try to retract my stupid question but to my surprise, the girl's mouth silently mimicked my words. "Wait, are you married actually!?" She is at most nineteen, when did she have to marry and then become the elf's slave? Is this how she learned... no, nobody would dare spoil such a pure girl.

 

"Shhh." An elven frown appeared on the pale human's forehead as her arm reappeared from thin air.

 

"Wat marid mean?" I suddenly heard a voice and scanned around to find the source of the adorable voice before returning to the only person present who could make such a noise.

 

"W-when you are married, it means you are in a union with someone you love and care about while the two of you swore an oat to never leave eachother. Do you have anyone like that?" I think that is what Bauha said.

Siri lightly tapped her cheek in thought, her glowing eyes looked at me with an unknowing gaze before she shook her head and headed outside. "One last thing, Siri. If you want me to teach you what I learned you can always come here." I say as the girl slipped into the darkness.

 

"Why did I say it like that? That was awful."

 

 

---

 

 

*Crack*

 

  A sharp vibration rang out, rippling through the darkness, and breaking the silence. 

With a slight rustle, the dry earth shifted with lonely life amongst the endless wastelands. 

 

*Crack* 

 

  The thick lifeless crust splintered once more into a spider web of fractures. No one was there to witness a small white animal with black spots crawling out of the earth. The newborn calf stayed still on the dusty soil under the black sky. After a short moment or perhaps many of long moments a cloud of dust rose from under the calf's nose as it took in its first breath of the still air. 

 

  Its head instinctually looked up before its eyes could even open. Once more the hoofed being stayed still for some time, staring at the darkness while focusing on moving its chest up and down. Eventually, breathing came naturally to the small weak calf at the same time as its dirty green eyes opened.

 

  Hanging far above the spotty newborn a splotch of blackness hovered among the surrounding darkness, it seemed to shift each time the newborn took its eyes off it to look at the bland and lifeless landscape around it. The calf felt the urge to stand up whatever that was and spent many more moments trying to move its body. 

 

  The fine brown dust slid off the calf's soft fur as it managed to plant its feeble hooves onto the ground and stand up in the small crater she was born in. The softly glowing creature trembled as its slim legs could barely support its weight. As the still-trembling calf took its first step, the earth shifted under the calf to cushion its lightly stepping hooves and lifted it above the recess's ridge.

 

  A quiet flutter came to the calf's attention. The white-and-black lifted its head toward the first sound it heard and saw a small red silhouette flying above. The red thing flapped its wings and landed in front of the calf which completely dwarfed it. The red-feathered sparrow with a white crest on top of its head tapped the earth with its thin scally legs in confusion. 

 

  The spotty calf watched the vermilion sparrow which hopped on the ground effortlessly unlike it. The bovine lowered its hornless head and charged the red creature the size of its hoof. 

With a confused tilt of its pitifully small head, the calf stopped right in the front sparrow, feeling something new as the pebble eyes quizzed the calf on its intentions.

 

  The bird marvelled at the soil beneath its claws before giving it an inquisitive peck. Both the sparrow and calf jumped away from where the bird had pecked as green glades of grass began to sprout from the cracked land. Moments passed before the calf shook its head and threw the sparrow off it before approaching the new smidge of colour in the sea of brown. The calf's eyes sneak a glance at the dazed sparrow before taking a curious bite from the green grass.

 

  The white and black creature quickly regretted its decision to eat the smudge of green as it felt the bird pecking its head in anger. 

The punishment lasted a short moment before the small red and white bird jumped off and began to peck the ground causing the calf to feel another new thing as it started to trail the sparrow and consume the grass in its wake. 

 

  The cracked earth began to mend as the calf ate and the sparrow looked to be content to peck at the ground for the calf's enjoyment. This continued for long moments before the dark splotch of darkness looked to descend down far beyond where the calf met the sparrow, once the splotch disappeared behind the half-brown half-green horizon the earth shook causing the calf to feel a feeling of discomfort. Beside where the splotch once hung a speck of earth appeared or perhaps it was always there and the calf never saw it? The speck of earth began to move with long, long, long streaks of pale blue and yellow trailing behind it.

 

  The calf and the sparrow observed the blue and yellow trails for a moment before the calf returned to grazing. 

The white-and-black grazed until the open void above them was shrouded by a veil of blue and moving white...