“A story for the teller of tales. I am no weaver of words, mind you, but for you I shall try”.
He was an enchanter. A creator of worlds conjured into existence with words touched by wonder. It was a colorful language mastered by few, and though she doubted her ability to string together words that could replicate a sense of wonderment, Terra would not deny him this simple request. There was very little she would deny him if he dared ask; a thought that required careful consideration at a later time should she remember to delve into the quietude of her conscious, for one learned a lot about their true selves in silence and solitude.
Terra sat with her legs crossed as slender fingers reached for the long strands of hair loosened from the knot that typically kept them bound, tucking them behind her ear so that they didn’t obstruct her vision. The gesture revealed a stray lock of green hair among blonde ones which caressed the high curve of her left cheek. It is then that the halfling looked to Dongwoo, her glossy gaze suggesting that the very essence of her was finally beginning to spill through the seams of her being. She was overflowing.
“In days of yore, people once believed in the existence of magic”. Her voice lowered as if invoking forgotten power buried in the annals of time, the unearthing of a truth that man once knew but had willed themselves to abandon. “They worshipped the primal gods responsible for bestowing unto the mortal world their gift: Sophia the Goddess, Zurvan the Demon, and Sephirot the Fiend”. Evoking the names of the divine held no sway in this world yet to speak of their sacredness in such a way weighed upon her heart. Many refused to speak of their name out of fear it might awaken a great and terrible power slumbering beneath the earth. Others regarded the legend as an exaggeration of the truth - if gods existed, then surely it is Man who conquered and felled them.
Following a brief pause, the woman continued her telling of this particular tale. “As Man came into contact with Magic and the Divine, mythical beings known as espers came into existence. Neither human or god, they were revered as descendants of the three gods of magic - a connection to the heavens made flesh and bone. For centuries the two races coexisted in peace with humans acquiring the knowledge to wield magic. The potential for greatness seemed boundless…” She closed her eyes slowly in the midst of retelling the events of an old legend. All stories stem from truth, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem. But this was not a simple truth; it was the legacy she inherited through the blood of her father. It coursed through her veins and gave her purpose. It gave her power.
”Though there is good in the hearts of men, there is also a darkness that lurks within them. Man sought to claim the power of the espers for themselves at the risk of waging a great and terrible war. In their hubris, they destroyed themselves. Once the flames of war at last receded, all that remained was the charred husk of a world that once held such beauty and magnificence, for the espers had fled to a realm of their own making at the height of the battle…So it is that magic became a thing of myth as it faded from the collective memory of mankind. They allowed themselves to forget the secrets of magic, no longer understanding the whispers of the wind of the language of the earth”.
Terra opened her eyes. With arms wrapped around her legs, she hugged them closer to her chest as her gaze found Dongwoo’s once again, expression unreadable. Mystifying. Her aim was not to enchant, rather to show a glimpse of the being that slept underneath the barrier of her skin, hidden behind the hazel hues of her eyes. “But life finds a way, Monsieur Jang. That which is lost may one day return with hope of a brighter future. The winds have gained the courage to whisper again, reaching out to those who are willing to listen…The say there is an awakening. Change will inevitably come”.
A smile graced the softness of the young woman’s features. It is a smile that finds her often in the presence of the storyteller. “There is a little magic in all of us. It is there, waiting to be discovered”.
O' tale of tales! Did the man adore such things, for he adored them as many man or woman should adore the taste of tea. He twitched his nose, brushing the end of his nail along the bridge of his nose, before he settled himself upon his seat. The grass was soft beneath his ringed digits; both palms now resumed flat upon the surface. Was this a picnic? No, he was not quite sure as he had taken her here, to this open and grassy space. The tree’s shadow a familiar friend, as he listened to his peer’s tall tale. But he knew she never lied, and if she did, she would truly need to try. As lies came so difficult, between the two -- or so he would assume.
Espers, she said? For what were these beings were, are, sounded ever so mystical. So fascinating that they appeared to be soft pieces of fabric that weaved in the air as the clouds had before them in the sky.
Dongwoo found himself closing his eyes as he continued to listen. Shoulder relaxing before he laid on the surface of the grass. One would question a man constantly dressed in uncomfortable layers that associated with his suits, looked ever so comfortable on the grass at that moment in time. “That was beautiful.” Said the man, as he opened one eye to reveal a violet orb that now stayed stationary on the newly green hair that grasped his attention at that moment. “Would you say that life only found a way due to those who ushered them into their homes? It seems quite sad that such beings had to be taken away. Put so far away that they were feared. These beings...“ Dongwoo paused for a moment. “They sound beautiful.”
Wonderland was a peaceful land except during the era of the Red Queen’s rule. Her pet the Jabberwocky was one that many feared. What man or creature be not afraid of such a foul beast of that nature? The man shivered slightly before he sat up once more; loose shreds of grass lost in ebony strands. “They were not fearsome beings, were they Madame E? For they sound as if they were the clouds in the sky.” He raised his ringed digits to gesture to one -- he knew it was rude to point in front of a lady, so he pointed with all four fingers. “Clouds appear gentle in the day sky, but they turn most angry when they are full of water. To this they must rain... to create life.”
Hand now placed upon his lap once more. Trying to understand another world which was as difficult as his own as a conflict that raged in his mind as did his excitement in his bones. Curiouser and curiouser, this poor man was. How she was so filled with knowledge; and he with so few in understanding.
