In a far-off existence, another place in a distant world. Sat a woman. Elegantly seated upon a crystal-like chair. Its legs were rooted upon the ground, and one would be unable to see where the ground ended and where the chair started. The room was deeply colored white every which way one looked, except for a large circular area where it seemed to refuse the pungently bright color. It was mirror-like and it hovered in front of the beautiful woman. Oh, yes, the woman. Fairy-like is what her people would have described her as, so many years ago. Or was it yesterday? It wasn't so simple for her.
Despite the white she was. She was from neck to feet, which were proportioned and covered with a black, which was soft-like, silk-like, cloth-like, skin-like, beautifully enshrouding, yet still it confined. It confined her whole body except her hands and face. The hands were long, slender, and the brown skin was marked with beautiful golden patterns. One a star, another a moon it's crescent form, another a constellation which was indigenous to her forests, its pattern seemed to go on further than where the black began on her wrist, just slightly above the wrist bone. She had deep blue hair that was darker at the ends and lighter when it crowned itself on her head.
Her face was beautiful and comfortable to look at, sometimes too comfortable to look at a friend of hers would argue. She had similar golden markings on her face an upside down crescent on her left cheek with a line across it. Her people called these markings 'alama' she recalled, and it pained her to recall them now.
VSHH! VSHH! VSHH!
From different portals three guests appeared. The first a blonde young woman whose beauty rivaled the seated fairy. She wore a gothic dress that held her tight at her torso to her neck till just below her chin and loosened, patterned with shimmering crystals as it went down. It was yellow like comb honey or the mangoes from Tanzar when they were ripe and left to hang for too long after. Her hands were slender, delicate and generously adorned with bracelets, jewels, rings and bangles. Her face was youthful and welcoming it were a bright bright smile that betrayed a perfectly adorned set of teeth withholding the gums from view. Her eyes, well her eyes were covered by the same clothlike substance that covered the seated beauty.
Her lips split to utter the only words heard in that room for a while. "Aww I wanted to be first," she said showing mock disappointment. "It wasn't a competition Elmeria," a soft voice responded to the pouting in a tone that sounded fatigued by the effort. "You should be one to say. Your never early for anything Sharma." Hmpf!
Elmeria crossed her hands and tilted her head away from the beautiful looking dwarf girl with long thick pigtails that stood suspended in mid-air before arching downwards all the way to her feet. She was not at all disproportionate despite her height. Her face was calm unperturbed by any giving signs of age yet her eyes were wide and telling of a few hundred or thousand yesterdays. Her round face opened as if to make a rebuttal but memory caught her halfway and she decided silence was the proper response. Always the right answer in such altercations.
Silence had become a welcomed companion in recent times. Since the 'taboo' had taken her hearing. Oh her ears! They were also enshrouded by the same manner of substance that covered Elmeria's eyes and Nostrad's mouth. "A chastisement for the greater continuation." The druid seated before them would occasionally exclaim. [Quit the bickering . It's not why were here ] The words were caught by all but not spoken. [It's nearly time. There's more important things to be done. More meaningful words to be exchanged] The tallest individual in the room passed his point across then began to walk towards the seated druid.
Every step was poised, calculated and graceful. His navy blue frock glided across the white plain soundlessly as ripples could be seen flowing down from the ends of the fabric. His head stood motionless through the advance. His face was aged but finely and not any less handsome as it was centuries ago. Shoulder length silver hair ran from his forehead and down his head smoothly. Except for the black that crossed his mouth his features were as pale as snow and eyes as blue and deep as some oceans in Orthin that very few had sailed.
Nearing the druid he extended his right hand and lay it on her shoulder. She more or less saw that hand than felt it, but acknowledged it all the same. [It should have been me. None of you …
His thoughts were incoherent at the end. A testament to his exertion, in this place, so far from home. "We all have our own purpose, at different times, different places. All of them have a need, have a reason. Some more painful than others, some deserving more sacrifice, more resolve, more patience, buy none any less meaningful." The druid spoke. She stretched her hand to touch Nostrad's but he took his off her shoulder swiftly and turned. He walked back faster more certainty in his even strides. Perhaps he had just acquired from her words. A sound of static was heard a portal appeared before him and he was no longer the fourth in the room. There remained three.
The dwarf looked down and shook her head. She marveled at how eloquent the elf was, unable to hide anything. Or was she 'listening' again. She went forward as if sure it was her turn and no one else's. She touched the druid's hands and looked her in the eyes a gift granted by her stature. Little was exchanged in the form of words there was no need.
A lot was shared and understood between the two. Faster than sound could transmit and more richer in value. In Sharma's opinion " sometimes words got in the way". She stood on her tiptoes and kissed the druid's forehead, then turned walked back once she came. Clap-Clap! After the clap a static sound was heard then a doorlike portal appeared and there was one less person in the space.
And then two remained. It was quiet for long but no one complained or did anything to change it. Then tap-tap-tap!
Elmeria moved towards the druid almost as if she now acknowledged it was her turn. She walked until she was just beside the druid. Then said or sang. "Well old friend?" The druid turned to her inquisitively only to see her gesturing for a place to sit beside her. "You don't have to …" the druid was cut off by a determined high toned response. "I want to!"
So a seat emerged from the ground like chair seeds had been planted there. Roots turned to legs and coiled together to create a stool, then stems fashioned themselves into a seat and the backrest grew from the stems like intertwined branches. It was all white and glistening. The seat was a bit behind the druid and allowed a good view of her back and the left side of he face, but that wasn't what they were supposed to be looking at. In front of them a mirror shaped screen showed a man lying on a woman's lap bleeding on a paved ground alien to the two viewers. So was the manner of towers in their vicinity and the clothes worn.
It was raining, it was grim, cloudy and everywhere one looked it was grey and sad. The man whispered something to the woman and she made a desperate yell for aid. Her daughter was beside her and she felt the mother's hurt and desperation and she didn't know what to do so she cried. "I wish I could cry too," said Elmeria. The druid stood from her seat she smiled at her and looked elsewhere and said. " I am needed. Goodbye old friend." Then there was one left.
Slowly all around her it began to darken around her until she was the only light in the space. A golden light emanated from her a contrast to the white that previously lit the room. She sat deathly still gazing at where her friend had stood last. Longing, hoping, mourning but unable to wet her eyes.