Chapter 12 - Bright Light

He did not see Folia instead what he saw was a memory of his past. "Why would I think of this all of a sudden?" His mind was flooded with snippets of happy memories. Moments with his family, with his friends, playing in the schoolyard, or meeting the dog at the park. His entire life was flashing before his eyes.

"Is this what it means to die?" he thought as he wandered in the memories. One stood out above them all though. A girl and a boy swinging at a park. It was sunset and the mood was thick with a feeling of remorse. He could not see the faces he was looking at but for some reason it was familiar. 

"We would be together forever right? No matter what?" the girl spoke with a hint of removal from her voice. 

"Yea…no matter what." the boy responded but his voice betrayed his confidence. There was something missing in this scene but what was it? He drew closer to the two trying to make out any other discerning features. Before he could look he awoke. 

Not sure where he was the room was unfamiliar but it smelled like flowers and fruit. Looking down he saw that the bed he was placed on was less of bed and more of a dog pillow. Slowly floating up he kept looking around. The room was made of wood. Covered in weird lights and flowers. The door was decorated with dark wood engravings.

He admired the work it was like something out of a fantasy game he used to play. He was half expecting an elf to come walking in. Floating to the door he tried to use his powers to open it but it would not budge. Looking through the window of the door. He saw more lights moving around the complex. It was mesmerizing to see the display. It seemed like they moved with purpose. 

Flickering and bolting around from room to room. He stopped for a moment and remembered what last happened.

"Nyssa, Skia where are you!" He called out as he tried harder to open the door. Not only would it not budge but it actively repelled him pushing him back.

"You are not to leave this room monster." came a small but booming voice. From behind him. Quickly spinning to see who it was he did not see anyone in the room. 

"Where are my friends!" 

The voice responded from another section of the room. A feminine voice.

"Monsters do not have friends, first stealing and now lying."

Doric was confused by the response. "What do you mean stealing, I am no monster I just happen to look like one right now…"

"What do you want with this village, bringing two dusk walkers into our midst, Are you a scouting party?" The voices seemed to mix and respond in unison. It was deafening and Doric was feeling sick. His mind grew dizzy.

"I…just want my friends to be safe. Please don't hurt them." His mind faded once again from the echoing mixture of voices. When he woke up again he saw he was in a different room this was very bright. There seemed to be lights all over the room in the center was a brighter light that blinded him just to look near it. One loud booming voice called out to him.

"Who are you, small, flicker of unholy light." the voice was deafening but this time it did not make him feel dizzy it did make him feel like confessing everything right then and there.

"My name i Doric, I was a human who died and was sent to this world by someone. I don't know why I am here or what I am supposed to do but I don't mean any harm to you or your people!" He seemed to continue talking as if he could not stop.

"You speak from the heart and for that, I learned that you hold no malice towards my people. If you are what you say you are then that means you were not fully developed. Your form is due to an inexperienced summoner."

Doric sighed a breath of relief but quickly changed to questions of his own. "My friends, are they safe?" It was the only thing on his mind right now.

"Fear not human, they are resting from the paralytic poison of my stun vine guardians. They should wake up any day now. It is the price thieves pay for stealing from our trees." The light began to dim a bit and what Doric saw was a figure. Similar to what he had seen earlier. This was an imposing figure distinguished by muscle and dark hair. What surprised Doric the most were the butterfly wings on his back.

A beautiful shimmer of gold, black, and purple glitter in the light. As if on cue all the lights in the room dimmed to something more tolerable. Figures were seen as well all of them had different butterfly wings on their backs. 

"Are you guys fey of some sort?" Doric asked before he realized he was talking.

"Do you know of our kind, human?" the large man asked.

"I learned about them only through games in my world. You are all people of the land, meant to protect it and nurture it. Guardians of the forest and to some tricksters who use wild magic to cause a little mischief." 

The large man let out a laugh that echoed in the chamber. "Well, then it would seem your world thinks highly of us." He stopped laughing and wiped a tear away. "We are no guardians of the forest just caretakers. We only seek to keep ourselves safe and see that the forests we love so much don't perish in the future wars to come."

Doric nodded and asked another question. "My friends, can I see them?"

The man nodded back to him. "In due time. For now, I would like to know more about you, will you indulge me for a bit?"