Destiny Dreams And Demons 23 Laylan 23

She left her hut and found Luca.s.sius sitting just outside his. He stood as she stepped toward him, "Good morning, M'lady."

"Good morning, Luke."
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They hiked up the cliff together and stood in silence, Luca.s.sius slightly behind Laylan to allow her full view of her father. She remained still, watching her father say good morning to her for the last time for who knew how long. Her posture was tall and proud, looking as a G.o.ddess should. After she had said good morning, she and Luca.s.sius joined the village in their morning ch.o.r.es.

Everyone spoke with them, wishing them a safe trip to the Mortal World and telling them not to stay too long, to come back soon. The barrages of farewells were very articulate, logical and calculated from the elves.

Luca.s.sius watched Laylan keep her poise and hold her emotions back. He was proud of her graceful appearance and posture in their farewells.

When they went through the forest on their way to the ocean, he noticed her break down slightly. But before he was able to say anything to comfort her, she had already regained her composure. She stood tall the rest of the way.

The farewells from the mermaids were too much for her though. They were sad and full of tears. Unlike the logical elves, mermaids felt much more human emotions like Laylan. Laylan was trying to be a graceful G.o.ddess in her farewells but the mermaids got the best of her and she turned into an emotional human herself. They walked away from the water into the wood as Luca.s.sius watched her tears run like rivers down her cheeks.

He began to say something to comfort her as he was always able to do but Laylan suddenly fell to her knees with her hands covering her face as she cried even harder. He knelt next to her not knowing what to say. He placed a gentle hand on her bare shoulder while her white hair bounced as her body shook with sobs.

"I'm scared, Luke," Laylan whispered almost inaudibly. She continued to sob as he tried to find the words, but before he could, she spoke again, "Luke, I don't want to go. I'm scared of leaving. This fear was tolerable before, it was almost a fuel to my drive. But THIS fear is overwhelming! It's immobilizing! I can't breathe, it's like the weight of the universe is lying upon my chest." She tried to breathe in but was wracked again by sobs.

"Laylan, I understand that you don't want to go. I will have to admit that I don't want to go either, but we must."

"No…" Laylan nearly screamed in panic, jumping to her feet. "No, you don't have to either. And if you had made the choice to come then that means you were written to. But if you chose not to go now and so did I, then maybe that was written, too. Why couldn't we just..." Luca.s.sius grabbed Laylan's arms to silence her. She looked up into his eyes and found peace in them. She found security, calm in those eyes and before either of them knew it their lips were there, together.

Luca.s.sius brought his hands up and cradled Laylan's face as he kissed her soft lips. She kissed him back and found her arms around his shoulders. It was magickal and surreal. The kiss deepened and Luca.s.sius pulled her closer. For a few moments they were lost in emotion and pa.s.sion; emotion and pa.s.sion that neither of them had ever experienced. They pulled back but only far enough that their lips parted and their foreheads rested against each other as they both breathed hard trying to catch their breathes.

"Laylan, you must stop panicking."

"What?" She asked as she pulled back to look into his cool blue eyes. "What is panicking?"

"Panic is what you were doing. You were trying to find any way to stay and not go to the Mortal World. It is a human emotion, now, breathe, Laylan. Deep breathes and stop thinking about it." Luca.s.sius instructed as he ran his thumb across her chin.

"And the kiss?"

"I…" he began but had no idea what to say to explain it. "I…Don't…Know. I just…"

"Luke, it's okay."

"No, it's…It's not. I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry, M'lady. I never should have kissed you."

"No, I apologize for panicking, Luke. I apologize for you having to see that. But do not apologize for..." Her voice was calm and steady but unsure, "Let's just pretend it never happened. Alright?"

"Yes, it never happened but there is no need to apologize, M'lady. It is understandable. Most humans would have done the same thing. I already knew that it would happen at some point of this day." He smiled a warm smile at Laylan.

"Good, but I am NOT human!" She exclaimed as she began to walk again, almost an angry strut to it.

"I didn't say that you were human, Laylan," Luca.s.sius corrected as he caught up to her.

"I know but I am not as weak as humans are. I shouldn't have broken down like a mere human would," she stated angrily, more at herself than at Luca.s.sius.

"But it was to be expected. You are supposed to experience human emotion. That is how your heart shall grow," Luca.s.sius explained as gently as he could. At that Laylan stopped and looked down at the ground.

"I don't like it. I don't like being…" she paused then finished after a sigh, "so human." She finished obviously pouting. She looked up at him; he stood slightly taller than she. Her eyes glowed now standing out magnificently on her tan face.

"I can understand not wanting to be so human. I wouldn't want to be either. But you have to experience emotions in order to understand them." He looked into her brilliant eyes and smiled. "Besides, who else would make me laugh?"

At that, Laylan elbowed Luca.s.sius in his rib and laughed. He quietly chuckled to himself as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders pulling her close into a comforting embrace. Luca.s.sius was the only person in Cion who knew or had even seen the emotional, human side of their G.o.ddess. He knew what calmed her, too. A warm embrace always made her happy and lightened her mood.

Now they walked quietly, laughing to themselves, his arm around her shoulders. She leaned her head against his shoulder in acceptance of his comfort. She stopped, turned and kissed Luca.s.sius quickly on his lips; she smiled at him as she chimed, "Race ya!" She took off running through the trees toward the village. Luca.s.sius chuckled to himself at her irrational little games and began to jog after her.

The sun was beginning to fade into the horizon and everyone from the village was now in the fields between Beskal and the forest. They all stood in a circle around Laylan and Luca.s.sius. They all said prayers and chants individually as they gave their final farewells. As the two travelers exited the crowd into the open field, what seemed like thousands of fairies took flight, all at once. They flew around Laylan forming a moving wall between her and the others in the field.

Laylan instantly filled with emotion; love for her children. They had come to say farewell, also. They flurried around her producing wind that blew through her hair. Ivy came to Laylan and landed in her hand as she brought it up for her to stand.

"We are going with you?" Ivy chimed. "We can hide and still be able to watch over you."

"No," Laylan whispered. "You have to stay here. I don't want you in the Mortal World. It is no place for my children."

"But, M'lady, we hide very well. n.o.body will ever know but us." Ivy answered with a laugh. "Please, let us do that for you. Let us help."

Laylan stood a moment thinking about the request of her tiny fairy. She looked around at all of the fluttering fairies around her, all asking the same request. She looked back at Ivy and quietly said, "Okay, under one condition." Laylan's gentle smile now stretched across her face. "You have to find a place that no one could hear your song. Someplace that chimes as loudly as you." Laylan finished smiling again with Ivy.

Ivy twisted a circle in Laylan's hand looking at the other fairies then turned back to face Laylan and bowed her eyes and face in agreement. A slight smile crossed her tiny face. "We will, M'lady, not to worry."

"Good then, you may come along. But stay hid at all times." Laylan replied knowing the danger that her tiny children were going into. She felt pride well up inside of her.

All at once the tornado of fairies around Laylan dispersed as quickly as they all had arrived into the forest that lay in front of her. She looked over at Luca.s.sius, who stood anxiously awaiting the dissolution of the wall that had surrounded Laylan taking her from his view. "What happened, M'lady?" he asked concerned.

"Stop calling me, M'lady!" Laylan turned quickly to look him in the eyes. In a softer voice she spoke, "Don't you think that would be a bit strange to hear someone say in the Mortal World? Laylan, just call me, Laylan. Alright?"

Luca.s.sius looked at her in astonishment at her sudden outburst. He understood the logic of her statement but the manner in which she expressed it was beyond him. He bowed his face to acknowledge his agreement to her request. "Yes, Laylan."

"Thank you," Laylan relaxed her face and continued, "What happened was that they all wanted my blessing and approval."

"Blessing and approval, for what?" Luca.s.sius asked.

"To go to the Mortal World with us," Laylan began to walk toward the forest again.

"What?" Luca.s.sius nearly screamed as he leapt to catch up to Laylan.

"Yes, they all want to go so that they can help keep an eye on me. They promised to hide well and not be seen."

"And you told them what?"

"Yes," Laylan looked over at her partner. "I told them, yes."

Suddenly, Laylan stopped dead in her tracks. She stood looking at the sun setting into the forest. Her eyes glimmered with tears and Luca.s.sius could see what had halted her. She was saying goodbye to her father and watching the time set on her time here in Cion.

When they were to see the sun again it would be in the Mortal World. Luca.s.sius stood motionless and joined in her train of thought. He was saying his farewell to the sun G.o.d and to Cion. He blinked and a single warm tear escaped his eye and ran down his narrow cheekbone. He brought his hand to his face and knew what was happening. He was genuinely sad about leaving and now had begun crying.

He wiped his tear quickly away so that she wouldn't see his emotions. That way she wouldn't demand him to stay just so that he wouldn't be unhappy and regret his decision to go, even if he could.

As the sun finished setting into the trees, Laylan looked over at Luca.s.sius. He could see the tears in her eyes and wrapped his arms around her. She let out a small sniffle and pulled back from Luca.s.sius.

Laylan looked up into his eyes and smiled. "I'm so glad you are coming with me. I always feel so calm and safe when you're with me."

He smiled knowing that his decision to not let her see his true emotion about going was correct. He could never abandon her when she obviously needed him so. He looked at the woman who had become such a best friend to him and he had grown so fond of. They turned and walked in silence to a small clearing in the tree line that formed a semicircle around a cliff.

There before them stood the forbidden waterfall running off the center of the cliff. Greagan and Gomorrah had told everyone in Cion that this waterfall was forbidden to everyone including themselves. There they all stood; Greagan, Gomorrah and Artimous at the base of the cliff awaiting Laylan and Luca.s.sius' arrival.

Greagan and Gomorrah smiled at their approach. Artimous looked saddened at the fact that the time had come. Gomorrah opened her arms and welcomed Laylan and Luca.s.sius into a hug. "Take care and may the G.o.d and G.o.ddess guide you home soon," she whispered into their ears.

Laylan smiled into Gomorrah's hair. Her eyes betrayed her again as a flood of tears let out and down her cheeks. She suddenly felt Gomorrah's body slightly wrack from a sniffle of a cry. She pulled back and looked into Gomorrah's eyes and could see the pain in them. She was apparently feeling sadness for Laylan's departure, too.

Greagan on the other hand was still as ever, looking more like a sculpture than a living being. His eyes were stern and narrowed as Laylan wrapped her arms around him in a warm embrace. At first he struggled at the contact then he gave into his emotions and wrapped his arms around her. She squeezed tighter at his reaction. They stood there, holding each other for a few moments before either of them would release the other. They pulled away from each other and looked into one another's eyes. Greagan glanced over to Luca.s.sius, who now had tears in his eyes after saying farewell to his mother, Gomorrah.

Their eyes locked and Greagan seemed to be telling Luca.s.sius something through them. Luca.s.sius nodded in response to whatever it was that his father had told him. They didn't hug each other; just spoke to each other through their eyes.

Laylan had turned away from them and looked at Artimous standing near the tree line. His deep green eyes glimmered at her and she began to stride to him. He lowered his face as she approached, "I don't want to say goodbye, Laylan. I don't want to even think about the fact of where you are going. I know that you will return to us safely, as it is written so, and that is how it shall be. But that doesn't stop me from worrying about what will happen to you there. What you may experience or see." He stopped at Laylan's touch as she reached down to gently lift his face to her eyes.

"Artimous, my friend, we all know why I must go. We all know that I shall return someday. What happens there in the…" she paused forcing her next words out, "The Mortal World, shall happen for a reason to make me more… human." Laylan looked deep into Artimous' eyes and smiled a genuine smile. It glimmered in her eyes at him.

"I know, Princess, but I still don't like to think about it." He said now with tears in his eyes. "I understand why and that you must, but I don't want you to go."

"Don't worry, Artimous. I will be sure that nothing happens to Laylan. I will protect her myself." Luca.s.sius cut in to a.s.sure Artimous of Laylan's safety.

In response, Artimous bowed his head to Luca.s.sius, "Be sure of that." He turned back to Laylan and repeated himself in saying, "I don't want to say goodbye." His voice cracked as he finished.

"Then don't," she answered and smiled at him again. Her eyes and smile were gentle and sweet as she continued, "Say 'Until next we meet' or 'Take care of you'. I personally like 'Safe trip, take care until the next time we meet.'" She let out a cute little laugh at herself and Artimous couldn't resist a responsive smile and laugh.

"Then safe trip, take care and be careful until next we meet." He looked up at her with a smile in his eyes. Artimous suddenly dropped his head and allowed his necklace to fall to the ground. It was the necklace that Laylan had made him when she was still child minded and a young G.o.ddess. He grabbed it with his teeth and brought it up to her. She took it and looked at him, "Why?"

"Because it is a part of whom I am here. Use it as a reminder of what is here waiting for you. Never forget who you are." Artimous explained with urgency in his voice.

"I won't, Artimous, I promise." Laylan promised her dear friend as she placed the necklace around her own neck. It draped down to her stomach so she doubled it quickly as she heard a soft voice sing in her ear.

"It's time, my dear daughter." She looked up at the moon that now stood high in the night sky. She turned and looked at Luca.s.sius who was waiting.

"It's time, Luke," she felt a twinge of regret inside of herself and asked, "Are you sure you want to go? You don't have to if you have the slightest bit of doubt. You can stay."

He brought up his hand to stop her, "I am going with you. I was always meant to, that is why I decided to." A slight smile touched his face and eyes.

She simply nodded and stepped toward him. She took his hand in hers, looked up into his eyes feeling that calm stir inside her then turned toward the waterfall. "Are you ready?"

Luca.s.sius took a deep breath and opened his eyes wide to take in as much of Cion as he could. "Yes," he answered. "It is time we go."

They both took a step forward and walked in beat with each other. As they stepped through the waterfall, they both held in their last breath of Cion. Their eyes were closed holding their last vision of their beloved home.