The Meeting

In the woods.

"Your father is on a search for me."

Tahni let aside what she was doing and peered at Ayla who was seated on the long lawn of green pasture. They were inside a tree again, and since the new duty of Aynea, which was only known to Ayla, there had been no one to disturb them.

"How did you know? Why is he looking for you?"

She walked over to the spot Ayla was occupying which was opposite a long but pleasant lake, which hummed rhythm to the verses of the whooshing winds.

"A Nymph is not only tied to her mistress by oath but my magic and sacred codes of the supernals. Of course there are things Athena knows that I do not, why wouldn't there be, it's natural for their to be a gap between a master and the mastered, but then, if thoughts are conceived for long, I perceive it."

Tahni was already getting distracted as she shot,

"Does that mean you hear every of her thoughts and know what she's thinking at this moment?"

"No!"

"What then are you talking about?"

Tahni was impatient. She wasn't so gifted to know how to hide it. She doesn't really make an effort to.

"To us Nymph, there are three layers of thoughts. One, the stage of birth, when thoughts are conceived and delivered. Second, the state of Ponder, when the thinker ruminates and sieves his or her options, determining whether or not to nurture and groom the birthed. And the final stage, the barn, where well-thought thoughts are stored, which dictates actions and to the mortals is known as Memory."

Tahni shook her and flipped her eyelids as though something had entered through.

"I don't quite agree with some of the things."

Ayla stood up,

"It's not that you don't agree. You can't make meaning of it. It's not meant for the mortal wits, brains, intelligence, which deceives them... Seeming it knows all and has every answer but lacks the very essence of its being. Acknowledgement."

Tahni rolled her eyes and stood up too. She shot,

"Whatever."

Ayla smiled and left her standing there, walking towards the portal of the tree which looked like a stroke of n-shaped light woven from lightening.

"Where are you going to?"

Tahni hurried to catch up with her. Ayla stopped, waiting for her to catch up,

"Your father is near. Let's give him a view."

She wounded her harm around Tahni's waist and walked with her to the portal.

"I'm sure you won't hurt him because of what happened."

She let go of Tahni at the question. They had both gotten to the portal. She looked back at the castle in which they had been living.

"Come. I never stopped loving him, and wouldn't."

Ayla affirmed as she grabbed Tahni's arm. At the rays of the gleaming circular light in the heart of the door,

"We are taking new forms!"

Ayla warned.

"What f--"

Even before Tahni could edify her remonstrations, Ayla had pulled her through the door. There was a great course of illumination capable of blinding sight, then suddenly, gloom!

The gentle breeze wandered about, carrying with it unguarded fallen leaves and broken twigs. The earth was damp at some part, hard at some other.

There was the continuous warbling of birds and calls of Jays. The offsprings of the orangutans were making sequence of rhythm. Several other natural calls doing the phenomenal aid.

The thick shrubs at sequence would swell to the verse of the tuning wind which occasionally would strangle the peace of the still breeze. The undergrowth at pace and jumpy insects seeking refuge at every creepy movement in the woods.

Under a large oak tree was a deer, with fawny brown coat. Thick but beautiful. Its straight face complemented by the slow but alluring movement of its long neck. Its keen deep black eyes, swaying to the tune of its neck. Its left hoof tapping the eerie earth at sequence.

Opposite this oak tree was another tree. Whose bark was pale and seemed torn from the inside, judging by the track of cut from its stem to the root. But under this ill-nurtured tree with many branches but scanty leaves was a big hare. Such non-typically big hare. Standing whitish brown ear, round and agile, cute with somewhat long legs.

And coming out of a turn, a path which locked up two other tracks, was a man on a horse. He halted at the sight of the deer. He noticed that the deer was looking in another direction. That was unusual. He traced its eyes to the direction it was looking at. He caught a sight of the hare.

"What's this?"

Vulcan muttered. Twas more of a personal query than a statement.

"This hare doesn't seem like a natural one. Or could it be an account of Athena's magic?"

He hesitated for a while then urged the horse to continue, which grunted. The horse continued walking slowly but then he had a change of mind.

He climbed off the horse and walked towards the two creatures. He stood in a place where he could hold the both of them in his gaze.

"Why do I feel like I know these creatures. Especially this deer."

He thought out loud. He took two steps forward but the creatures didn't move. They were now looking at him.

He halted and stared at the deer for a while. He made sure to lock his eyes with its deep black eyes. After a few seconds of staring curiously, he began to feel something course through his spine. It seemed as though he would explode, like a current was shooting from the deer's eyes and messing with his system.

"My..."

He exclaimed and exhaled. He quit looking at the deer, then tried the same thing with the hare. He didn't get such reaction. He didn't feel no change even though he stared for minutes at the hare.

He continued with the test, trying out the deer and hare at sequence as well as making a juxtaposition. At a point, he got exhausted and grunted.

Then he walked towards the deer and stood before it,

"It's you, Ayla."

And suddenly, a shade of darkness fell on the deer and it began to disperse into the apt atmosphere like a black, thick smoke. And in no time, Ayla was revealed, smiling at him.

"I knew."

He hurried to her and hugged her. Then he let go and asked,

"Where is my daughter?"

Ayla pointed past him and he turned. Standing under the ill-nurtured tree was Tahni. But the hare was no longer there. He didn't need no explanation.

"Come with us."

Ayla urged him, walking towards Tahni. Vulcan didn't hesitate. He followed.

They both got to Tahni and she hugged her father. He held unto her for a while and kissed her hair. Who could believe that such young and hot guy fathered such beautiful lady?

"Let's enjoy what we used to."

Ayla walked towards the ill-nurtured tree and the portal opened as soon as she chanted and placed one of her hands on it.

With his arm around Tahni's waist, Vulcan followed Ayla into another world.