2Thyme and Reason
Worlds of myth and creatures of magic are very real, they exist all around us. The signs are there, but we often ignore them. Even in the present world of technology and advance, when most believe magic to be a fairy tale for children, the supernatural can stare us straight in the face and we won't even see it.
There comes a time in every young fey's life when he or she must venture to the world of humans alone. They may use this time to play tricks on poor mortals, gain knowledge, or just have a good time with the humans. Elrisa Rowanborn was one of these young fey in the spring of the year nineteen hundred and eighty-four. A lady of astounding beauty, even by fey standards, with hair a yellow as pure as the purest gold that shimmered in the sunlight and whose perfect curls rivaled those of the carefully styled elder fey. Her sage eyes seemed to glow with a warm inner light that drew everyone in, as if calling them home. Of course she was dainty and slight with elegant long limbs, small but pert breasts, and skin that matched alabaster. Elrisa had been accustomed to an easy life within the fairy mound and expected no less in the human world. She chose to visit London, England rather than somewhere in Ireland or Scotland as many of her childhood friends did. At the time, the girl was only eighteen years of age, an unbelievably young age for one who could continue to live forever if nothing intervened. She was naive and innocent, believing the world to be at her feet because of her beauty and felt that nothing could spoil her visit to London.
The day came and Elrisa, with no fear or worry on her perfect face, stepped through the veil into the human world. Her eyes closed and she looked perfectly serene stepping through the light, then she opened them and gazed at the human world for the first time. It was nothing like she expected. She had stepped into a busy sidewalk in the middle of London, the mortals pushing around her so blind to fairy magic that they hadn't even seen her appear, and still seemed not to notice the young woman's existence. Elrisa watched the faces of those who passed, commenting to herself on their beauty, for to someone as young as herself, that was all there was to be seen. She took a step and the magic surrounding her seemed to break and the mortals shuffling down the street saw the young fey.
It was blatantly obvious when the first man spotted her. The man froze, eyes locked on the beautiful young woman, probably the most beautiful he had ever seen in his forty-eight years of life. He had stopped walking and it didn't take long for those behind him to collide with the man's back. Then they would look up to investigate, and their eyes fell on the lovely woman. In less than three minutes the entire sidewalk had ceased to move, all but one golden figure that glided through them with ease. Elrisa didn't even notice the stares at first. She moved between the still figures with a dreamy expression, taking in the street, the buildings, and finally, the people.
Elrisa looked into the faces of the people around her in confusion. What were they looking at with such a look in their eyes? For a vain creature such as herself, it didn't take long to realize they were looking at her. This fact filled the girl with pride, but then horrified her, because the look in their faces was shock and surprise. She raised an alabaster hand to her face, terrified that perhaps the journey between worlds had marred her perfection in some way. Her eyes watered and she felt about to weep. Her beauty was all Elrisa had, and if had been lost, what else was there?
It was at this point, amid the stillness on that sunny London street, that a child moved, pushing his way towards the beautiful woman. There is a curious ability that young children possess, and that is the ability to break through walls, barriers, and taboos that adults have set. So as all the adults on the street were frozen in awe, and as the tears began to spill down Elrisa's cheeks, one young human boy reached out and touched her radiant skin. The fey started, staring down into blue eyes, far too young to have been dimmed by the world, amazed at the soft touch of the boy's hand and terrified at his proximity.
"Hey lady," The boy's falsetto voice broke the silence. "You're pretty. Are you an angel?"
Elrisa blinked, looking surprised for a moment, then her eyes softened and she smiled. When she smiled it seemed to break the spell her beauty had cast, or perhaps deepened it. The people around her seemed to wake up and reach for her, wanting to touch her radiance. Suddenly she was being mobbed and Elrisa was terrified. So she did what any beautiful young fey would. She ran. She tore down the street and into an alley, gasping for breath and pressing herself against the wall. Humans were frightening. She carefully covered herself with glamor, diming her beauty a little. The fey peeked into the street before stepping out, slowly moving up the street. She was still stared at, because she was very lovely, but they were normal stares of envy and lust, nothing that Elrisa couldn't handle.
For hours Elrisa just walked down the streets of London, gazing at everything in wonder. Dusk came and went without her notice, because the night brought even more beautiful sights. The city lit up around her and the young fey knew she had never seen anything so beautiful as London at night. She spoke to no one and just walked. She didn't even notice the three men following behind her at a safe distance. If there had been plants, animals, or even earth around her, they might have warned her, but the cement had wiped all living things away. So as she entered a less populated area of town, they were able to creep up on her, one grabbing her from behind, covering her mouth, and dragging her into an alley. She screamed and kicked, calling on anything to help her, but there was nothing. Just as she hadn't been protected, she wouldn't be saved.
"Inflammo!" A man's voice shouted down the alley. One of Elrisa's attacker's sleeves burst into flame. The big man jumped and screamed, trying to put his sleeve out, the second man rushed to meet the attacker, and the third held Elrisa tight.
"Hey, get the fuck outta here boy; this aint no place for kids." By this time the first man had gotten his sleeve put out and joined the second in intimidating the younger man.
"I don't think this is the place for ladies either, but I still see one here. So the kid will also stay."
"She aint none of your business, so you better get lost," The younger man looked at Elrisa with a kind look on his face.
"Dear lady, do you wish to stay with these fine men?" Elisa shook her head franticly, or as much as she could with someone holding her head, and screamed against the man's fingers. "I didn't think so. So you see, if I leave, she's coming with me." The men scowled, and one began popping his knuckles.
"Fine, but you aint gonna be awake for any of it." The two men advanced on Elrisa's rescuer with malicious looks on their faces, but the young man didn't do anything, or didn't seem to. His hands moved slightly in front of him, but nothing else and there was no fear or worry on his face, he just seemed calm.
"Coacto Prosterno," the young man's voice echoed down the alley and one of the advancing men slammed into the concrete at his feet and didn't get up. His partner stared down at him then looked furiously at the young man.
"Bastard, how did you do that?" Then he ran at the man, whose hands again were moving, but still looked calm.
"Supplanto Itaque Percutio," The running man tripped on his own feet and fell, head striking the ground, and like his partner before him, failed to rise again. Now the young man advanced on the one holding Elrisa. The man dragged the girl back and slid a knife from his pocket, taking his hand from her mouth. She instantly began talking.
"Please, oh please help me, don't let him hurt me, please…" her words were cut off when a cold steel blade was pressed to her neck. He eyes went wide and she froze, not daring to move. The young man also stopped moving.
"That's right, don't move or she dies. You get any closer and I slit her throat." The young man slid his hands behind his back and looked down.
"That's a problem, you see, I can't let you hurt her. Silicis Casus!" The man holding Elrisa opened his mouth to threaten the other again, then a brick, falling from the wall above, struck him squarely on the head. He let go of the fey and dropped to the ground, unconscious. Elrisa stared at the man on the ground, then back up at her rescuer, and threw herself at him, arms flying around his neck.
"Thank you so much, thank you, thank you," tears streamed down her cheeks and she held herself tightly against him. The man didn't seem to know what to with his hands, then he laid them softly on her back.
"It's all right, you're safe now. You shouldn't wander by yourself this late you know. Where are you from that you don't know that?" Elrisa looked up at him, her eyes wet and full of gratitude.
"You know magic," she said obscurely, "I'm from the mound." The man didn't quite understand. Of course as a witch he knew of the fairy mound and the fey, but he didn't understand that that was what she meant. He smiled and patted her back anyway.
"Yes, I do. Come on," he led her back onto the street, on hand around her waist as she clung to him. "Do you have someplace to stay in town?" She shook her head and he smiled. "That's all right, you can stay with me. I'm only visiting London, so I'm staying in a hotel, but it will be alright for a night or two." Elrisa didn't respond, just watched the road ahead of them and clung tighter to the man.