'Thou shouldn't have done that. If thine mother finds out, she will severely reprimand thee.'
"Are you seriously still bringing this up? It's already been two days!" Adeleine exclaimed as she threw her arms in the air. The pages of the book in her hand flailed at her exaggerated movement. "Besides, it's an IF scenario anyway. She won't find out. You think too much." She huffed dismissively at the voice's worry and shrugged, continuing to read the book.
'Still reading another affinity book?'
"Ugh, Moon, can you please shut up for a moment? Why do you talk when I'm trying to read while you remained quiet when I ask you something?" She glared at the empty space in her bedroom. Of course, Moon couldn't see her expression, the voice was inside her head after all, but she still can't help but show annoyance.
Hearing no reply, she leaned back on the headboard. "There. That's more like it."
~~
Adeleine released a long heavy groan. "Whyyyy?" Her back slid down the headboard and she threw her arms out as she stared at the ceiling blankly. She closed the book and bonked her head with it, accidentally hitting herself hard. "Ow!"
'Imbecile.'
"What did you call me, you cot?" she snarled.
'Apologies, I didn't realize that the word is too advance for thee. Alright. Idiot.'
She balled her fists. "Why you—!"
"Is everything alright there, dear?" Desha yelled from downstairs.
"Nothing, mother! It's alright!"
A moment of silence before she could hear Moon's hushed snickering at the back of her mind. "I'm not done with you," she warned in a whisper. "But first… auuugh."
'What art thee whining for, child?'
"I just don't get it." She let her head hung from the edge of the bedside and stare at the upside-down window. "There's nothing recorded here about our case or anything that could help. By now, I should have been able to summon you and use affinity."
'And?'
She let out another groan and banged the book softly this time on her head. "I could only talk to you. And again, I can barely understand you with the oldie talk."
Moon paused. 'Perhaps, you're in search of different questions, hence why you weren't able to find the answers you seek.'
"Moon, what do you meaaan?" Adeleine complained. She pointed at the book. "What else do I have to read other than this?! It doesn't make sense at all! How come I still don't have any affinity?"
'It may be due to your impatience.' Moon's thick accent of the ancient times echoed inside her mind. Adeleine could tell from her deep voice that she's female. It held a regal air in the way she spoke.
"You appeared years ago and I could talk to you since then on! But all recorded spirit beasts are said to only be able to talk with their contractors once the contractor had their awakening." She groaned as she wiped her face exasperatedly. She had been reading for hours. "Maybe something's wrong…"
Moon stayed quiet for a while. 'Something like you're just talentless.'
"I swear, Moon—!"
"Adel, dear?" She perked up upon hearing her name as her mother peaked from the door's small opening.
"What is it, mother?"
'Food?' Moon chirped but Adeleine ignored her.
Her mother held out a basket. "Please be a dear and get us some mushrooms, will you? I'll be making your favorite~" She winked.
Adeleine whined. She wasn't done figuring out her dilemma. "Hold on!"
"What do you mean wait?" She smacked the girl's head. "Your wait will turn to hours again. Go now."
'Hurry! Hurry, child! She'll be making creamy mushroom soup!'
Adeleine rubbed her head, soothing the spot where she got hit. Grabbing the basket in her hand and grumbling incoherent words, she stepped out of her room. Desha laughed at the girl's fit.
"You couldn't even eat, Moon," she pointed out, whispering.
"I brought another book from the library." Desha leaned on against the wall and shot the girl a wink. "It's on the table downstairs."
The girl bounced on her heels as she ran down the stairs, almost tripping, too excited to lay her fingers on an old yet again crusty set of bind papers. Hopefully, it's one of those mythical stories. Childish as it may seem, but she enjoyed reading them. Without waiting, she opened the book. Her thumb grazed the edges of the book as they flipped past her eyes at a fast pace.
'You're so easy to please.'
"Oh shut it," she quietly snarled. She turned to Desha who got down from the stairs, watching her with a smile. "Mother, do you recall the book I told you? Cinder and roses."
Her mother hummed. "You mean that series?"
She nodded. "Yes, the fifth book."
"I'm sorry, honey. I couldn't find it. I already asked the librarian five times this week." She shook her head. "They said it's a limited item."
Adeleine strained a smile, grateful for her mother's persistent effort but still disappointed.
"Well, it can't be helped." She shrugged her shoulders as she grabbed her cloak hanging by the door and she hooked the basket on her arm. Turning to her mother as she pulled the hood over her head, she shot her a smile and curtsied. "I'll be going then."
"Be careful," Desha added, watching her with worried eyes as her daughter left.
The forest greeted Adeleine with the chirp of birds hidden in the canopies. Following hidden trails and tracing marks on barks of the tree trunks, her feet sank at the layers of fallen dried leaves. It created a rich crispy sound that she enjoyed hearing. Small critters rustled bushes that live with them in the woods.
"Hey," she called, "Are you still there?"
'Is there something you need?'
Adeleine hummed a tune under her breath while they walk along the stony path down the river. "Can you see what I see?"
It took Moon a while to respond. 'No. Like I said, I can feel what you feel that's why I know what's happening.'
She clicked her tongue and ran her fingers through her hair. "Then we do have some sort of bond, contract, whatever they call it. But why isn't my affinity showing up?!" She looked at her left hand, flexing it open and close with a contorted frown.
'You're too obsessed with this affinity matter,' Moon frowned.
"Well," she started with a matter-of-fact tone, "As you can see, Mother has wind affinity. She can summon her spirit beast. I sometimes see her talking to herself alone." She enumerated them one by one, counting with her fingers. "I'm guessing she's talking to them."
'You weren't allowed to see that. You only witnessed it because you sneaked in when she told you not to.'
"Oh don't be such a killjoy, Moon," she rolled her eyes. "I only wanted to know what she's hiding."
Her path soon turned moisty; green slippery mosses covered the surface of rocks and soil. She crouched down, one knee kissing the dirt as placed her basket on the floor.
'It's because she doesn't want you to become too overly obsessive. Which comes to now.' If only Adeleine could see Moon's figure right now, the voice would have her hands on her waist.
She started harvesting white-colored mushrooms. Her fingers brushed the tip before plucking them by the stem, a faint memory of her younger days resurfacing.
"Hey, I remembered something."
'Don't call me hey! Address me by name!'
"You didn't even have a name, to begin with." Adeleine huffed. She made a face and continued on picking mushrooms. "Remember the time when I brought home red mushrooms with white spots?"
'Yeah, you did get a smack on your bum.' She hummed while trying to recall. 'Ha! You even wanted to plant it back again. You were quite stupid back then.'
Again, with the insults. Adeleine frowned. "Do you ever run out of degradation to say to me?"
'Not when you do them constantly.'
"Unbelievable." She muttered under her breath.
Adeleine hoisted herself up with the support of a nearby tree and trekked the same path she took to return; she passed by a familiar stream. Feeling a bit humid, she knelt down beside the running water and lower her cupped hands, splashing them on her face. The air touched her skin like cool mint.
She let her hood fall and closed her eyes. Her bare straight black tresses blended in with the humble earthy milieu. Birds' whistle drifted to her ears, followed by its dear friend—the canopy's slight sway to the breeze. The soft stir of the stream accompanied them, creating a harmonious spell to lure travelers deeper into the forest's nest and bind them to sleep. She sank into her meditative state.
'How can you be sure the boy won't tell anyone?'
Her voice snapped Adeleine out of trance. She wiped her face out of frustration. "Dammit, Moon. You're bringing this up again?"
'If you get caught, you'll be the one suffering, not me. As someone who experienced it, you should have considered the consequences.'
Adeleine flinched as certain memories flooded back. Her body involuntarily shook while she bit her lip to calm herself down. A deep heavy sigh escaped her lips as she eased her senses.
"Look, Moon, he called me ugly. That is unacceptable," she emphasized.
'Is that more important than safety?'
"Second of all," she continued, ignoring the voice's statement, "People won't believe him. He's just a kid. They'll think he's just having a hyperactive brain. Trust me." She smirked.
Moon kept silent, passing a skeptical judgment.
"Shhh. Did you hear that?" The bush near her rustled and she clumsily whipped out a small knife from her basket as she pulled her hood back in reflex.
Her eyes lingered from side to side. She stayed still for a moment with bated breath, waiting for any sudden movements. They could be a pack of monsters if she wasn't careful.
She gripped the handle tighter as it rustled again. A bead of sweat ran down the side of her face as her heartbeat steadily rose.
She jolted when a snout popped out of the bushes. As opposed to her expectations, a white deer sophisticatedly walked out in the open. Their coat, like snow, sparkled under sunlight struggling through the forest's canopy. Teardrop-shaped jewels hung on thin threads from their majestic antlers; it reflected as the deer turned their head slowly sideways to look straight at her, producing clear soft bells. Shiny golden orbs held her gaze.
It was mesmerizing.
She had never seen a deer so beautiful.
Adeleine stood there, staring deep at the deer's eyes in a daze. It was as if pulling her in. The deer trotted to her like a domestic pet and started sniffing.
'-leine. Adeleine!' Adeleime snapped out from her trance.
"Huh?" She blinked twice and rubbed her eyes in disbelief. The deer tugged her pendant between their teeth. "Wait, what?" Realizing what they were doing, she pulled her pendant furiously away and pedaled backward. "What the-" she furrowed her eyebrows at them while the deer tilted their head.
'What is it? Is there something the matter? You suddenly wouldn't respond.' Moon asked.
Adeleine waved her hand to shoo the deer. "Go get your own sparkly thing. This one's mine. Now go away."
Instead, the deer closed their distance and attempted to bite the pendant once more as if the second time was a charm. It was a close call when Adeleine turned away and held it close to her chest, glaring at the thief.
Why would a deer want her necklace? Adeleine glanced at their majestic antlers filled with what-seems-like trinkets. They must have thought that the necklace was theirs. What a weird deer, she thought. But even if the deer likes her pendant, she's not letting them have it.
The deer backed away, blinking. They tilted their head once more. Snorting, they turned to the other direction and merged with the bushes. The sound of their clops faded and Adeleine knew the deer was gone.
"What in SunLake was that?" Adeleine asked, annoyance.
'What is it?'
"Well, a deer just tried to take my pendant!"
After a moment of silence, she straightened out her dress and tucked the silver under her white undershirt. Her eyebrows knitted. She fixed her basket and propped the knife back inside.
"These would be enough mushrooms for-" The ground trembled caused by an ear-piercing roar that she almost lost her balance. Birds flew past above the canopy opposite to the source's direction. She leaned on a nearby trunk and covered her ears as it died down.
Her eyes widened. "Monsters?" Her cause of concern was distant, but whatever creature made that sound—she knows—it wouldn't end well. There were no monsters in Enol forest.
Her legs moved on their own and dashed back to their house. The wind rushed past her face and her cloak fluttered frantically behind. The uneven terrain and plants made it harder to run. Finally, she arrived at a small forest clearing.
She burst through the door, out of breath.
"Mother! Where are you?" She yelled. The house was small, so no matter where her mother is, Desha would hear her. Unless, she's out in the forest. Adeleine paled at the thought.
Before her thoughts go haywire, blond hair poked from the kitchen door and relief washed over her.
"Dear?" Desha creased her brows. "Why are you back so soon? You shouldn't be here."
"Mother, mother!" She rushed to her and held her arms. "There's a roar. I heard it. It was loud. We should hurry and leave. It's not safe here!"
"It's best if you go first. Run as quickly as you can, as far as you can, and never look back. Now." Desha's unusual calm threw her off. Something was odd in her mother's eyes as she looked in them.
Adeleine tugged at her sleeve when she turned to the living room. "But what about you?!"
"I'll follow after you. Now, hurry. Leave!" Desha stopped right in front of the fireplace and looked up while her daughter tailed behind her, pleading.
Her movements were grounded and gaze firm; Adeleine feared that her mother's words were nothing but false assurance.
Desha grabbed the leather sheath they kept as ornament hung on the wall. Her hands securely positioned the hilt and bare its fangs. Their reflection caught light in the blade. Then Adeleine saw it—her mother's eyes filled with resolve.
"Mother, why…" her voice wavered, the words stuck in her throat.
"You will go." Her mother intoned sharply and Adeleine flinched.
"B-but-!"
"NO."
"But why?" Adeleine cried. "Why are you facing them instead of running away?! It doesn't make sense! It's not like the monster is after us! Why would you fight them when we could just run away?!"
"No. They're not." Another roar tore through the air. This time, nearer. "They're after me."