The purple-eyed girl remained still, looking at the fairy king's extended hand but showing no signs of taking it. Instead, she softly but resolutely stated her reason, saying, "I can't touch you." Her statement brought a confused expression upon the royalty, his head slightly tilted in a mixture of shock and intrigue.
"Hm? Why—" The fairy king's words were cut off when the blue pixie suddenly raced in and intercepted his extended hand by tackling onto it with her tiny body in a feeble attempt to prevent any sort of physical contact between the king and the girl.
"Hey! You could've hurt yourself!" The fairy king's scolding of the pixie, pointing out the danger of her actions, was quickly interrupted and undermined when the small sprite scolded him in return. Her hands were placed upon her hips and her eyebrows were furrowed in anger as an intense ringing and jangling noise quickly arose from the spirit.
It appears she turned the tables around on him instead...
The fairy king remained calm and nonchalant, despite the aggressive and rather insulting gestures of the blue pixie before him.
She's even more scarier than him.
Though he calmly and silently listened to the chiming of the bells ringing about him, giving brief nods at her gestures towards the unconscious girl and the state of their surroundings.
"It would seem that I have overlooked dear Yzen's imperative reminder of you." His eyes shifted back towards the girl he had given a name to, this time with much more focus and intensity. A gentle smile was plastered onto his face, yet it was clear in his eyes that there was a subtle layer of coldness underlying that gesture.
It's almost as if he's staring at me with contempt...
Sensing this sudden shift in mood and attitude, the girl felt the unmistakable presence of disdain and disfavour being pointed towards her by the fairy king. A subtle sign of fear emerged in her as she quickly replied back with an attempt to avoid any further inquiry or questions, "Ah... yes. Then I don't have to explain why I can't shake your hand."
Clearly sensing the sudden change in mood and attitude brought about by him, the king swiftly retracted his hand, trying to break away from the heavy air hanging in the room.
"My mistake. I would like you to follow me," he then said, sounding slightly more friendly and cordial again, perhaps trying to brush off the heavy atmosphere and put the girl at ease.
"To where?" The girl replied after a few moments, having slowly and gingerly stood up from her crouched position.
"Meet the Highland Councils," the king stated in a firm and resolute tone, leaving no room for argument or negotiation.
Argastal felt a mixture of emotions and feelings stirring within him as he led the girl whom he had named Iris to their destination, the magical inhabitants of the ethereal highland's substratum.
Her presence already attracts a lot of attention, it is wise to bring her to the elders. Though this will surely cause.. interesting reactions.
The fairy king's attention was partially drawn to the gloomy figure behind him, whose appearance and facial expression closely resembled the withering life surrounding them.
She's trying hard not to feel guilty. The aura of gloom and melancholy emanating from her seemed to perfectly complement the dark trail she was leaving with every step.
Iris's focused expression and large steps, each performed by placing her toes down first, displayed her efforts to not allow her tainted touch to cause the decay of everything around her. The sight of her determined yet forlorn expression was enough to elicit an amused grin from the fairy king.
Argastal's amusement quickly subsided once he further observed the girl, as the ability granted to him by being an elder of the forest provided him with a heightened perception of the energy surrounding people or beings. The mauve-coloured energy surrounding Iris was a menacing haze that enshrouded her body, a vile aura that was aggressive towards everything but gentle towards herself.
Because of that, Iris stood out amidst the vibrant and colourful forest that surrounded them. Her mere presence seeming to clash with the atmosphere and natural aura of the environment. It was as if she should not exist in such a lively and thriving ecosystem, her very essence appearing to be out of place or incompatible with the rest of the surroundings.
She is an oddity. Her energy possesses a dark and malevolent tint to it, almost akin to dark magic in nature. Not only that, she also speaks an archaic jargon.
The fairy king observed the trail of withering life being left in the girl's wake. It was a stark contrast between the harm it caused to the surrounding nature and life and the way it treated her, as a soft-hearted mist that shielded her and cradled her in a gentle embrace rather than harming her like everything else around her.
Could it possibly be a warding shield? A look of pondering and contemplation briefly flashed across his eyes as the fairy king abruptly halted in his tracks, the girl behind him reacted in alarm and took a step back to distance herself and avoid any potential contact.
"Woah!" The sudden and unexpected stop caught her off guard, and she let out a few startled exclamations as she almost stumbled back. "Oh, h-have we arrived already?" Iris asked in a flustered manner.
I must gain a better understanding of this strange phenomenon.
"Not quite," the male spirit replied with an all-too-well-known and familiar smile, indicating that he had a sudden idea that perhaps he could act upon. "We are still far from our destination, I advise that taking a break and resting would be of much benefit," the fairy king then offered in a firm and slightly agitated tone as he pointed to the shaded area under a large oak tree.
The girl's heart began to seize up at the mere thought of approaching the large and lively tree. "I'm quite alright with just sitting here," she responded with a faint smile, crouching down to where she was standing.
"If you insist," the spirit agreed, with a playful and welcoming tone in his voice rather than one that was demanding or insistent. Following that, the fairy king proceeded to head towards the oak tree and sit under its shadows, his body giving off a soft glow under the shaded spot where the tree provided protection from the harsh sun rays.
After he took his seat under the tree's shady area, the fairy king gave a subtle nod towards the blue pixie that was following them at a distance, signalling for her to be mindful of the girl and to keep an eye on her.
The fairy king's blue eyes swiftly darted towards the crouching position of the girl, taking in the harsh sunlight shining upon her.
She may remain calm, or she may lash out. He observed calmly, his tone and demeanour giving off a sense of caution.
Even as the time passed, the girl continued to remain quiet and uncomplaining, which prompted a certain level of intrigue and interest from the fairy king.
Perhaps she really is cursed? He thought to himself. The spirit began to wonder about his previous assumptions about the unknown girl.
The fairy king continued to observe with interest as the blue-flamed pixie named Yzen interacted with Iris. The scene was quite intriguing and interesting, and the interactions between the two beings captured the attention and observation of the fairy king himself.
"Iris... is a flower?" The girl asked rhetorically, her tone a mixture of puzzlement and interest. The blue-flamed pixie nodded as an answer, confirming the floral origins of the young girl's name.
"Really?" the girl exclaimed softly as she conversed with Yzen, seemingly interested in the information she was given. Her eyes darted towards one of the wildflowers that was still lively and not yet withered by her tainted energy, the sight prompting her to point towards it and ask, "Is this an Iris?"
"What? No!" came the outraged reply of the blue pixie, who seemed to be offended at the thought of her king naming a mortal after a simple flower. However, the spirit's words became inaudible to the girl as the sound of her voices morphed into a strange mix of bells. The fairy king, upon witnessing the interaction, gave a slight shake of his head in amusement at Yzen's response and attitude.
"O-oh? It's not?" The girl asked, her tone curious and puzzled as she attempted to understand why her assumption had been wrong. Before she could finish her question, however, the pixie shook her head and left in a huff.
Yzen is highly energetic and passionate in her interactions with this girl, which may prove to be problematic given the language barrier. The fairy king mused internally, having observed the interaction between the pixie and the girl. His thoughts were proven true when it was the blue pixie herself that requested his guidance in leading the young girl in the first place.
The pixie swiftly returned in a blink of an eye, her translucent wings fluttering and leaving behind a glimmering trail of silver dust from their flapping motion. In the pixie's hand was a plucked iris flower, the sight eliciting a faint smile and expression of interest from the girl who watched her approach.
Oh? It seems Yzen has an interest in befriending the girl now.
The blue pixie gracefully placed the plucked iris flower on the ground with a proud and self-satisfied smirk on her face, eliciting a delighted and cheerful reaction from the girl named Iris. The young girl clapped her hands in response, expressing her positive thoughts and feelings towards the blue pixie's quick search and effort in obtaining the flower and presenting it to her.
"Is that an iris? It's so pretty!" the girl exclaimed, a smile spreading across her face as a sense of warmth and satisfaction filled her heart.
In her blissful state, the girl absentmindedly raised her hand towards the flower, seeking to experience a greater sensation upon touching it. Her joy would quickly turn to horror, however, as the flower rapidly started to wither down to a rotten state before her very eyes after she touched the stem.
All the colour seemingly drained from her face, a stark contrast to the expression of joy and belonging that had initially appeared on her face. "Ah... Oh no..." the girl suddenly exclaimed, her voice and demeanour shifting into an emotional state close to tears. "I-I killed it..." she whimpered, her purple eyes beginning to water from the intense emotion she was experiencing.
"And y-you... were so kind enough to get the flower for me, and I just touched it like that," she continued to explain, her voice still shakily as she teetered on the verge of breaking down in a flood of tears.
"H-Hey! It's okay! Don't cry!" The blue pixie attempted to try and console the girl, but her language barrier made her attempts pointless. Argastal struggled to prevent himself from laughing at the situation, even though he was aware that doing so made him appear quite harsh and cruel in his behaviour.
Yzen's attempts to comfort the girl only provided more opportunity for amusement than aid, as the language barrier made her words only sound like a series of bells rather than sentences.
Goodness, the fairy king thought in amusement, if Neris was here, she would have undoubtedly added to the girl's woes rather than comforting her.
It is widely known that the fairy king's wife is the one who enjoys being amusing and playful in their relationship. His stone-like facial expression bore a radiant smile as he recalled his beloved wife.
Hm?
Argastal's mind swiftly shifted when he sensed the subtle shift in the girl's energy.
The pixie's attempt at comforting the girl had the opposite effect, her aggressive movements had unintentionally amplified the girl's sense of distress and despair, causing her fear and unease to further strengthen, despite the original intent of the pixie's reassuring words.
Her seemingly docile nature and the calm atmosphere around her were rapidly shifting and becoming more volatile and malicious. It seemed like her tainted and malevolent energy was responding to her strong emotions towards the blue pixie's interaction, and it was getting ready to lash out in an uncontrolled burst of anger.
