CARWYNN
“Padraig save our souls,”Breena whispered, near-prayer. “It’s true then. What they’ve been saying.” Her face crumbled, searching Aine’s face for answers.
A hollow ache bloomed deep in my gut, twisting and churning.
“What do you mean? Who’s saying what?” I asked.
“There’ve been rumors,” Breena murmured, her hands raising instinctively, as if readying for a fight. “The elders warned about our land’s power waning. Speculating that the snakes—dark forces long-gone—are returning again.”
“Old doesn’t mean wise,” Aine snipped, shifting on her feet. “The elders have been gossiping about myths and ancient prophecies for centuries. Darkness rising, lands falling—the same old tales spewed over and over again.” Her tone faltered slightly. “Still—this isn’t normal. I don’t believe in ancient beasts resurrecting, crawling back for revenge. But Idobelieve in power-hungry pricks who’d tear the realm apart.”
She looked at me then. Something flashed over her expression. Concern, maybe?
“Allright.” Breena’s shoulders quivered, releasing a chill. “Best not to dwell on it. We’re here to unwind, remember?”
“And just ignore the flickering omen of impending doom?” I shot out, arching a surprised eyebrow.
Aine tossed a chocolate-dipped muffin at me.The exact one I’d been eying earlier in the day.I caught it right before it hit its mark.
“Don’t worry, this glade is the safest place in the land right now,” Aine said, satisfied I caught the baked good in time. “Breena warded it years ago. Nothing of ill will can enter. We’ll tackle doomsday another night.” A crunch sounded as she bit into a flaky pastry with glassy berries on top.
We sprawled out on the stone benches, munching our troubles away like pills to an ailment. The silence filled with the sounds of trickling water and delicious buttery crunching.
I laid my back on the rock, gazing up at the glittering dots above. One shone brightest among the rest. The North Star, maybe? Would that even be possible? It looked as if it were winking at me, trying to draw my attention. My mind wandered, thinking about the mystical, magical world I was now part of.
“I know each land has their own stories and whatnot,” I said, words bounding through the quiet air. “But I’m only familiar with the basics of them. Is there a universal one? Like one story each land agrees on?”
It seemed inevitable there’d be some common ground amongst them all.
“Hmm,” Breena mumbled pensively, sitting up on the stone. “Ya know, that’s a good point. If the lands came together to share all of their versions of the stories, I’m sure a foundation could be built off of the similarities. But, sadly, we’ve all remained pretty isolated from each other. At least, until recent times.” She twirled a lock of dark hair around a finger. “I suppose the story of the Lightbringer would be the closest to a universal belief.”
Aine narrowed her eyes at us while chewing. I could almost hear her internal monologue saying:Nerds.
I sat up, back straightening. I was always down for a good campfire story.
“Story time! Do tell,” I said, staring at Breena expectantly.
Breena giddily scooted forward on her rock before clearing her throat.
“As the humans would say,” she began with a wink, “once upon a time, long ago, an ancient God—the Lightbringer—pulled embers from the stars and shaped the Ferie Realm, a world born of flame and starlight. First, he created a vast sea, the Calendia Ocean. Then, he coaxed the ground to rise.”
Breena lifted her arms, replicating the motion. Her eyes shone, gold freckles dancing in the firelight. “Five islands surfaced, forming a ring. He gifted one to each of his five beloved children, to be shaped as they pleased.”
Aine hopped off her rock, wiping crumbs from her lap. She looked bored by Breena’s tale.
I, on the other hand, felt like a kid again, hearing about rainbows, castles, and fairies for the first time.
“Amora, a daughter warm of heart, was gifted the first. Her tears of joy carved crystal shores, and her laughter bloomed fields of wildflowers beneath pink cherry blossoms. When her soft body caressed the earth, Mount Lovelorn stirred with fiery passion, but the sway of her gentle curves lulled it back to sleep. Her land blossomed into a haven of love and beauty.Loveland.
“To Alaric, a son grim of soul, he gave the second. Wherever he stepped, decay and rot spread. Twisting yews grew tall, their bark scarred, weeping with memory. His own shadowwhispered secrets, and Death itself walked beside him. There,Hallow Landwas born.
“Eostre, his bright-eyed and cunning daughter, received the third. She hid pieces of herself across the land. Wherever they hatched, rebirth flourished. Forests of towering sycamores became the land’s nest of fertility, curiosity, and trial.Eostre Land.”
The pads of my fingers dug into the spongy moss on the rock as my focus piqued. An image of the grove, the portal trees, flashed to the forefront of my mind.
“To Felan, his luck-touched son, he gave the fourth. With a gamblers grin, he spun the fates like dice. And when he walked, oak trees rooted deep and cities bloomed in ivy-riddled stone. His will was as strong as the dense caves of gold hidden beneath.Luckland.
“To Vinter, his solemn and silent son, he gifted the last. He stood in awe beneath the stars, and the land grew cold. He flung a piece of himself across the sky as a gift, birthing Polaris, his radiant star. Snow draped across the ground, endless evergreen forests grew tall, and frost-kissed mountains rose like gods. His very breath warmed the wind and his quiet grace penetrated all he touched. Through his generosity,Vinterlandwas born.”
