Cool water laps around my ankles. The liquid is soothing and soft, and the gentle motion sends shivers racing up my spine. I reach down, my fingertips grazing the surface of the water. I don't remember how I got here, but the complete sense of calm that I feel overpowers any concerns that plague my mind.
I observe my surroundings. There's nothing around me but blue skies and clear, slow-moving water for miles and miles. A gentle breeze makes my hijab flutter my head. The noise bothers me, so I undo it, release it into the wind, and take a deep breath. It flies away as quickly as I remove it.
I feel something behind me as I reflect onthe serene feeling inside of me. It has to be something large and powerful, as it radiates strength that I can feel in my bones. My skin is cool to thetouch, almost as if I'm standing in the shade. I glance up, and what was aclear sky before is now a green canopy. I turn around.
A giant tree towers in the water in front of me. It doesn't make any sense that I missed it before, but I'm not alarmed. My instincts tell me that this place is safe; sacred even. The tree is so massive that I can't see where the canopy ends, but I have a feeling that it doesn't ever really end.
The massive plant beckons me like the waves that crash into its trunk. I let it control me. I willingly step in rhythm with the pulse of the waves against the tree, and it's almost as if I'm walking on top of the water. I reach out to touch the bark, and my senses dull. I can't hear the water. I can't feel the sun on my skin. All I know is the tree, and me.
And then I wake up.
The water washes over me, bringing a sweet sense of relief. I may have felt peaceful and calm in my dream, but being awake feels more natural and brings a sense of control that I lacked when I was asleep. My eyes fly open frantically, and I sit up with a gasp. My vision is blurry, but I can make out the woman standing over me, hands on her hips as she glares at me disapprovingly. She's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. I blink wildly, mesmerized with her long, wavy, black hair that flows down to her waist. I scrutinize her flawless physique, and the most shockingly blue eyes of anyone I've ever met.
I'm hit by a wave of nausea, and I lean back onto my elbows, my head spinning. "Who the hell are you?" I gulp back the urge to throw up. I feel a bit embarrassed by my uncouth question, but it's the most eloquent comment I can manage to make through my confusion.
The woman raises her eyebrows as if I should already know. I squint, and she looks less normal the closer I look. Her skin literally glows with some sort of golden aura, her eyes are unnaturally large, and her ears have points on the end like an elf. She's tall, her proportions more long and graceful than that of a normal human being.
"Are you... are you an elf?" I cough out. The woman raises her hands to cover her ears, a hurt expression dominating her stupidly attractive features.
"No!" she cries out defensively.
I rub my eyes. "Are you sure?"
The woman's shoulders slump. "Are they really that noticeable?" she grumbles.
I nod. "I mean, maybe they aren't wherever you're from, but I have never seen anyone with ears like that before."
The woman furrows her bold, well-manicured eyebrows together. "It's just that you fought off that manticore so well that I figured you've been doing this for a while." She turns around, slings a leather backpack off, and starts rummaging around.
"So that thing. It's called a manticore?" The woman nods.
"Yeah. They're nasty, aren't they?" She offers me a canteen. I take it and nod.
"It shot me with one of its spiky things. " I glance to where the manticore's spike entered my shoulder. There's still a gaping hole there, and it doesn't look good. Giant clots of blood adorn the torn skin that has turned a sickly, green color. My stomach turns and my chest begins to heave. The woman senses my panic and holds out a hand.
"Hey, calm down. I shot you up with some pain meds while you were out. You're going to be okay." My labored breathing slows down, and I close my eyes in an attempt to regain focus. My throat is super dry. I take a sip from the canteen and promptly spit the drink out, sending out a spray of green liquid all over the dusty earth. It tastes like every nasty thing I've ever consumed, and my mouth still burns even though I've expelled it.
"Hey!" the woman cries out. "What are you doing?"
I shoot her a nasty scowl. "Pardon me for spitting out the nasty, mystery liquid that a stranger gave me," I protest.
She shakes her head. "That's antivenom! Expensive stuff, antivenom for manticore stings. Cost me my last rial. Don't waste any more."
I tilt my head, confused. "Rial? Isn't that just Iranian currency?" I furrow my brows in confusion. "Where did you get it?"
The woman shrugs. "I don't know, some pharmacy in Iran."
"You can just buy this stuff over the counter?"
The woman smirks. "If you know who and how to ask." I rub my temples, trying to get shake my daze. Should I drink this stuff? I mean, I'm already dying. I guess if it ends up being some sort of poison, it doesn't really matter. Plus, the woman seems sincere enough. I down a mouthful of the vile stuff and gag. My stomach rumbles angrily.
The woman pulls a granola bar out of her bag and passes it to me. I accept it gratefully. "It feels worse on an empty stomach," she explains. The woman dips back into her bag and tosses me a small bottle of rubbing alcohol and a large bandage.
"So, who are you? You never did tell me," I inquire. I wince as I rub some dried blood away, and she glances up.
"Well, I'm not an elf." I feel my cheeks turn red. I should apologize for my misjudgment, but I don't get the opportunity.
"I'm a peri." I give her a blank stare, which she returns. "You really know nothing of Persian mythology, do you?"
I shrug. "Should I?"
The peri laughs. "You are so dense. Kiana, you are Persian mythology."
I chuckle, and the peri glares at me. "What does that even mean?" Unease washes over me. "And how do you even know my name?"
The peri ignores my latter question. "What I mean to ask is, haven't you ever wondered how you got your powers?"
I lean forward excitedly. "Are you saying you know how I got my powers?" The peri leans forward on her toes. She's stacking firewood in a bizarre geometric pattern that I've never seen before. She shrugs from her squatting position.
"I don't know exactly how you came across your abilities, but that manticore came after you. It wouldn't do that if you weren't linked to all of this."
"Persian mythology?"
"Yes." The peri lights the fire. It catches well and crackles merrily, vibrant against the darkening sky. My mind aches with a million questions.
"What is your name?"
The peri smiles. "Nasrin."
"What about your last name?"
Nasrin shakes her head. "Doesn't matter," she says softly, and I decide not to press her.
A silence falls over the two of us, and I lie back in the dirt and stare at the stars, listening to the fire pop. My shoulder aches as the pain meds wear off, and my stomach pangs with hunger, but I remain silent. Nasrin isn't eating, so I doubt she has any other food.
"So, what exactly is a peri?"
Nasrin closes her eyes and sighs. I've clearly touched a nerve. "Peri... well, the way I see it, are damned." I frown. "I lived a long time ago as a regular person, just like you." A million warning bells ring in my head. What could she have done that was bad enough for her to literally be damned?
Nasrin pauses. "I know. It's hard to believe." The peri rubs her chin thoughtfully. "Anyway, I really don't remember much about my past life."
"What I do know is that I led a life of luxury. I had everything. Gold. A big house. Servants and boyfriends. I was so vain. I was self-absorbed up until the day I died." Nasrin casts her eyes to the ground. Her eyes framed with incredibly long lashes. Ugh.
"You? Vain? Really? I never would have guessed."
Nasrin huffs and sends me a dirty look. "Anyway, the gods deemed that I was selfish and wicked when I died. They condemned me to be a peri instead of sending me to paradise. Now I have to do whatever the gods, and the yazats, the lesser gods, tell me to do. I run errands and assist heroes on their quests. I haven't done anything that they deemed good enough for my ticket into paradise though. There's not many heroes these days." Nasrin shakes her head as her face crinkles in an expression of anger. "Ungrateful gods," she spits out.
I don't have the heart to tell Nasrin that maybe the reason she hasn't been granted entrance to paradise is her terrible attitude. I place a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Nasrin. That seems a bit harsh." She glances at my hand and shakes it away.
She shoots me a strange look. "So, you really believe everything that I'm telling you?" I nod.
"I can move dirt with my mind. Nothing you're telling me makes any less sense than that." Nasrin chew her lip thoughtfully.
"You can only move dirt?" Nasrin asks.
I chortle bitterly. "What? Is that not impressive enough for you?"
Nasrin scowls. "That's not what I meant," she says. "You really can't control anything else?"
I shrug and scratch at the dirt with a bit of a dried-up weed. "One time I crushed a can. That was pretty cool. So, anything earth related I guess. Dirt and metal."
Nasrin curses under her breath. She lies back onto her backpack and turns her back to me. "Go to sleep," she tells me. "You'll need all the rest you can get. Tomorrow we're going to see Anahita. She'll know what to do."
"Who's that?" I ask, but Nasrin doesn't reply. I try again. "She'll know what to do about what?" Nasrin disregards me again. I've clearly put her in a bad mood somehow. I close my eyes with a sigh and try to fall asleep. At this point, I don't think I really have any other choice.
...
Author's note674Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJi7h0vplB9
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