How does one introduce themselves if they do not even know who they are? The girl asked hopelessly, feeling lost and alone under the creature's unwavering stare. She felt overwhelmed by the sense of confusion and uncertainty, a feeling of defeat creeping up on her.
"My.. given name is Iris." She spoke timidly, her voice little more than a whisper in the presence of these ancient spirits. Their expressions shifted for a brief moment before becoming genuinely awed, the air growing thick with surprise and disbelief.
"It spoke!" came the exclamation from Petros, his tone filled with utter surprise and disbelief. "Yes, we all heard her," Neris sighed in return, her tone one of mild annoyance.
"You said given," Petros repeated, his tone suddenly softening as a curious expression emerged. He asked the questions relentlessly, as if he were trying to unravel some mysterious enigma. "Given by who?" he added, his disdain and mistrust now gone, replaced by genuine curiosity. "What is your real name?" he further questioned, his eyes suddenly gleaming with an appetite for knowledge.
The girl's expression was shifting from uncertainty to a look of sadness as she tried to gather her thoughts. The tension between the three of them seemed to melt away a little, as all eyes were now on Iris, waiting for her to say more.
I might as well just tell them the truth.
"I apologise, but I do not have any memories of my past, so I cannot answer any of your questions," the girl replied, her tone apologetic as she clenched her fists tight to contain her frustration and emotions. Hearing herself repeat herself was a constant reminder that she was utterly lost in this world, with nowhere to go.
"Well, that's disappointing." The serpent replied snidely, his tone dismissive and his expression a grimace of contempt. His response was followed by a snort as he leaned back on his throne.
"Oh, Inanis, I didn't even notice you were here." Petros smirked mockingly towards the snake, who ignored his attempt at humor. The snake creature, remaining calm and stoic as ever, did not reply or acknowledge the earth creature’s comment, its presence still carrying a heavy air of silence and tension.
I don't like this.
Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Iris immediately tried to defuse the tension, speaking quickly in a fluster to avoid any conflict. "B-but... Argastal had given me the name!"
Her words were met with a stern glare from Petros as he slammed his bulky hand on his throne, the sound piercing the air and causing a sudden silence. His expression was stoney and intense, and the edge of his words was sharp and cutting like a blade. "The stench you emit already enrages me," he continued, the anger in his voice evident as he looked down on her. "—Do not let your lack of manners make me resent you even more," he finished, his words an implicit threat of some sort.
W-What is with this spirit? I answered his question.
Her hands clenched into shaky fists, the feeling of fear rising up within her and overtaking her senses.
"Calm yourself. The girl is a unique case, it's understandable she lacks knowledge and etiquette," Argastal interjected, his voice as calm and authoritative as ever, his right hand lifted to stop the enraged earth creature from getting further irate.
Were his words meant to comfort me? Iris wondered, a tinge of bitterness in her heart. The fairy king's words, although not said in a particularly unfriendly way, felt rather derisive to her. She was unsure if he was being sincere or simply mocking her in his own way, but the way his expression shifted from a look of apathy to a small glimmer of sympathy before returning to his stoic demeanour left her feeling confused and uncertain.
"I... I apologise for my rudeness." The girl tilted her head downward, unable to meet the eyes of the ancient beings, her gaze settling on her trembling feet instead.
"Lift your head up, girl." The soft, calming voice of the doe spirit, Neris, made Iris slowly lift her head up from its previous position. The girl's expression still contained a slight hint of sorrow, but the woman's voice managed to soothe her just enough to prevent her from falling further into her despair.
"Ignore the rock statue," Neris's soothing and calming voice continued, with a gentle smile to match.
Out of the corner of the girl's eyes, she caught a glimpse of the earth creature's expression shifting from one of anger to slight offence, as evidenced by the shift in his body language. He looked away from the water spirit with a roll of his nonexistent eyes, obviously upset at the comment but too arrogant to say anything about it.
"Would you mind removing that ward of yours? It's.. a bit vexatious." she asked kindly and politely. The tone was comforting and compassionate, giving Iris a feeling of warmth and reassurance instead of the hostility she had previously felt.
Ward? What is she talking about? Iris wondered to herself in a state of confusion, her expression shifting to one of uncertainty as she tilted her head to the side.
"Finally! Something we agree on, droplet." The rock creature replied with an exasperated tone, raising his muscular hand in what looked to be a gesture of victory. The creature's expression shifted from one of anger to a self-satisfied grin; it seemed as if he finally felt like he had an ally in the circle.
Argastal shot a brief glare in Petros's direction at the nickname, his almond eyes contorting in a mixture of irritation, anger, and slight apprehension.
"It's pressuring enough to hear the wailings of life on a constant basis," Petros ignored the look, rubbing his mossy, tree-like eyebrows with his fingers. The earth creature seemed genuinely irritated as he spoke, his voice filled with discontent and annoyance. "But having to deal with that awful stench of rot is aggravating!" he continued, his tone shifting from frustration to outright anger.
Apparently the smell of decay or death was particularly bothersome for him—as would be expected of someone whose element is earth.
The water spirit gave no comment or attention to the earth creature; her perpetual smile continued to be her staple expression, as though her emotions were just barely concealed beneath the surface.
"I apologise but what 'ward' are you talking about?" the girl questioned, her expression becoming slightly puzzled. "I don't think I have that," she explained, the comment prompting a confused look on the water spirit.
The serpent named Inanis scoffed in disbelief, his expression filled with scorn and disapproval, his tail flicking sharply as he looked over her. The water's spirit's expression also moved from one of politeness to disappointment.
"You dare lie directly to our faces?" Petros's voice boomed, reverberating throughout the courtyard.
Why do they keep accusing me of things? Why are they so upset with me? The silence was deafening, the weight of everyone's gaze bearing down on her as she tried to think through a way to respond without upsetting anyone or making the situation worse.
"I-I'm not lying!" The girl managed to speak, her words trembling and shaky as she attempted to defend herself. "I don't even know how to cast magic!" she continued, her eyes darting from the earth creature to the water spirit and then back again in an attempt to appeal to their sense of reason.
Their eyes only hold doubt. How am I supposed to make them believe me?
Her eyes shifted to the fairy king next, as if expecting some sort of support or intervention of some sort. Argastal's calm and neutral response filled Iris with a spark of hope as he spoke on her behalf. "I can vouch for the honesty of her words," the male spirit said, his tone steady and confident.
"You said that she has a peculiar ability?" The snake spirit named Inanis asked calmly, his eyes never straying from the girl, his predator-like gaze fixed on her no matter where she moved.
Argastal nodded in response, confirming the snake's question. "The pixies had forewarned me that everything that comes under the touch of her powerful essence will inevitably perish in an instant—without any intent on her part, of course," he explained, the fairy king's words receiving a shock look from the other three spirits.
"And you thought it would be wise to bring her here? To the heart of the Highland?" Neris whispered under her breath with the same forced smile still plastered on her face and that same unnervingly calm demeanor. Though her words carried the same soft tone, the venom that underlay them was more than clear, even to those not paying close attention.
Neris was not happy. The girl could also sense the underlying fury coming from the water spirit next to the fairy king.
But Argastal did not want to fan the flames of his wife’s wrath, and so he responded instead with a sigh of defeat. "To allow her to roam freely through these woods with her destructive capabilities would be to bring forth far greater risk and danger."
The girl could feel the tension between the two spirits growing and felt as though she was caught in the vortex of their conflict. Her face remained downcast, unable to look anyone in the eyes.
The tense atmosphere was broken with a small snort from the left, specifically from Inanis. The fairy king sighed, looking towards his fellow spirits as he spoke—"It is clear to me that she is unable to tame or control the power that she possesses,” he began to justify to the others.
The other spirits all glared at the young girl, their expressions shifting from anger to curiosity. Iris's body was trembling, and her stomach began twisting into knots. They seemed to think on his words, weighing the likelihood of the fairy king’s claim against their own assumptions.
"How are you certain about that?" came the question from the serpent, the creature's tone sounding almost accusatory. Petros had maintained his silence this time around, although he remained staring at the girl with what seemed like a newfound disgust.
Neris's smile had also vanished, replaced by a cold expression on her face. She was silent as she stared at the girl, looking as though she were evaluating the situation again with a renewed sense of logic and pragmatism.
It's scary. I can feel their hatred for me in their stares. Iris did not lift her head, remaining completely still, unable to move her gaze away from the ground. The atmosphere had become completely thick, with tension hanging heavily in the air.
"An incident earlier," Argastal said, causing Iris's head to jolt up at the spirit's words.
The girl felt the grip of fear tighten around her heart, as well as a spike of anxiety, as she remained completely uncertain of what the king would say in regard to the pixie incident. Her mouth felt dry and her throat tight as she waited, her expression shifting to one of anticipation.
"—Any extreme or excessive emotions that she may experience will cause her powers to run out of control and lash out in proportion to the extent of her emotions." The king elaborated, his eyes meeting the girl's. Iris felt the relief of his words wash over her when he didn't emphasize the pixie's wellbeing. However, something else had taken its place: a sense of curiosity.
This new sense of curiosity overtook her mind as she remained completely intrigued by the king's explanation and what he meant by "lash out."
"Any emotions?" Inanis followed up, his face lighting up with sudden interest. He stared at Iris with a rather unsettling grin on his face, his elongated features making the expression even more disturbing.
"That... I have not yet come to know." Argastal hesitated, his calm demeanour vanishing for a split second as the realisation that her ability could possibly respond to any emotions hit him like a freight train.
"It could certainly be possible that it is more affected by negative emotions, though that is merely speculation and nothing more," he said, his tone now more confident as he attempted to appeal to the other spirits.
There was a momentary silence before Petros suddenly spoke from his silence. "We need to discuss this with Amorphus," he said, his suggestion triggering only more silence from the others.
Amorphus? Could that be...?
In the centre, an empty throne lay void of its previous occupiers, and the girl's eyes darted in that direction, her expression shifting from one of curiosity to concern.
"I believe we should discuss this amongst ourselves before making such a decision," Neris's voice sounded out, calling the group's attention back to her. The spirits all exchanged nods of agreement before the water spirit raised her hand, warning the girl with a tone that seemed to be the antithesis of her previous disposition.
"Stay still, girl." The water spirit said in a harsh tone devoid of its former friendly and welcoming vibes, her voice cold and ice-like.
"W-Wait! What are you—" Iris's voice was cut off in a moment, a dome of water quickly encircling her from all sides. While she could still see the spirits in front of her, the girl could not hear anything as the water completely muffled any sounds outside of the sphere.
"I honestly thought the barrier wouldn't work." Neris sighed as she stared at the girl trapped within the aqua pura. The water spirit now seemed completely at ease, her expression shifting to one of satisfaction as she watched the girl within the dome.
The barrier did indeed work as intended, and the young girl seemed powerless to stop it.
"What makes you think it's a good idea to bring Amorphus into the meeting?" Argastal asked, seeming frustrated as his hand rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"His wisdom as one of the original nine spirits surpasses all of us! His words could be enlightening and helpful to the current situation," Petros said matter-of-factly. He was confident in his opinion, refusing to concede on this particular matter.
"I daresay that he would not take kindly to the news of a harbinger of death residing within his territory." The earth creature exclaimed further, causing the others to fall silent as they processed the disturbing concept. Iris was essentially a walking catastrophe—she was capable of annihilating life and causing destruction anywhere she went.
"I disagree." The serpent's words caused all of them to turn and look at him, their surprise evident in the fact that he was sounding more interested in the discussion than usual. The serpent began to justify his reasons, saying, "She is an anomaly that possibly came from our time."
Inanis continued to rationalise his position, saying, "Aside from her emotions, her character does not pose a threat, and we can gain more knowledge about her by testing her ourselves."
"That is a huge risk," Argastal countered, this time with the support of Neris. The water spirit nodded along in agreement, her tone serious as she stated, "Her powers are unknown, none of us are able to comprehend their source or affinity."
"Isn't that all the more reason we should test her?" The snake now seemed slightly irritated and done with the conversation. "I have the capability to manipulate and mould the minds and thoughts of others. It would be fascinating to dive into her mind and observe her memories."
"What you're doing is based on selfish reasoning, not to mention a breach of privacy." Argastal now spoke with an exasperated tone, clearly feeling as though this conversation was going in circles.
"Your ways are forceful and will only hurt her, what if her powers suddenly burst from your tinkering?" The fairy king added to the argument, his words dripped with disdain, as if every syllable was tainted with disgust for the mere use of the word—'tinkering'
"Even after all these years," the serpent smirked, an edge of superiority in his tone. "You seem to have no trust for me, Argus." Inanis looked directly at Argastal when he said this, a slight sense of amusement on his face as he added a flick of his forked tongue at the fairy king.
"One would be a fool to put all their trust in a snake," the fairy king fired back, his tone cold and sarcastic, but the serpent only grinned back at him.
The air now seemed even thicker and heavier with a tense atmosphere, a stark contrast to the atmosphere that prevailed during the mock contest between the earth spirit and the water spirit.
"I propose we seal her off." The deep and loud voice that filled the heavy silence belonged to Petros, his suggestion filling everyone else with more surprise than had previously existed.
"What?" Inanis hissed in annoyance and disbelief.
All the spirits had swivelled their heads towards Petros, and their eyes were fixated on him as they waited for his suggestion to be fleshed out.
It certainly was a rather extreme solution, but the thought of simply leaving the girl as is while they continued to discuss things also seemed a little irresponsible.
"Letting it go would only bring disaster," the earth creature now explained, but his words now came with a slight shrug of his bulky shoulders instead of his sharp and arrogant tone. "But keeping it here is also a risk," he added, but the tone now had even more concern and less arrogance.
"The girl had just woken up." Neris's voice was dripping with a combination of irritation and concern as she put extra emphasis on the word 'girl' with a narrowed look. "You can't possibly be suggesting we put her into another coma!"
"Then what do you propose, droplet?" The earth creature spoke with anger this time, his glare at the water spirit intense and his words cutting like a blade. "You clearly haven't contributed any ideas in this situation," he added.
"I propose we create a restricted chamber for her," Neris replied, a sharp glare fixed on Petros, but she now had a smile of pride and satisfaction on her face with her suggestion. "It will allow us to monitor the girl while also keeping any dangers at bay," Neris continued, her words being met with nothing but an awkward silence from the other spirits.
"How is that any different from what I suggested?" Inanis snapped, and the serpent was now clearly irritated.
"What you suggested was stress-inducing and risky for your own selfishness," Neris snapped back, her smile fixed on her face regardless of the tension and frustration that was building within her. The water spirit was now trying to argue her point rather than just presenting her suggestion.
Her words came with a sharper edge, as if she felt the need to justify her proposal. "If we allow her to feel comfortable and relax with her environment—" she continued, "she will be bound to discover something about herself, and that will help us in return."
"Realising the pivotal role that emotions play in the manifestation of her powers," Argus now chimed in, offering his support of the water spirit's suggestion. "That will certainly make for a suitable and effective plan."
"Well then, any objections?" Argastal questioned, looking to the others around him as he now waited for their final answer.
Petros simply huffed in anger, irritated by his own lack of influence over the situation. Inanis appeared entranced by the girl in the dome—clearly in thought.
"That's the best course of action we'll take," Argus said, breaking the tense silence in the room.
"Inanis, I trust you to utilise your power to induce temporary slumber in her." Argastal now nodded towards the snake, the creature rolling his eyes out in response to the irony.
"Neris, you can lower the barrier now," the fairy king said, turning towards his wife, his smile soft and gentle. The water spirit was now given a chance to implement her plan, and she nodded in response before lifting her hand. The water swirled around and slowly subsided into nothing as the force field went down.
Once the dome dispersed, they could see the girl trembling. Iris had kneeled down to hug herself, seemingly due to instinct and fear. Her eyes were wide and were beginning to glisten as she looked up at the spirits, her expression a mix of panic and confusion.
