The Lies of the Immortal Queen

An old tale

The forest was quiet in the morning.

The eerie silence that followed the arrival of a new day was simply breathtaking. One could lie down on the wet grass imbued with the morning dew, stare at the dim light that barely managed to filtrate through the thick vegetation, and just breathe. Become one with nature. Cease to exist as a living being, and become one with the forest.

Some people claim that, with this method, if you are patient enough, you might even be lucky enough to encounter a fairy. Of course, these are all rumors, tales told in old pubs and passed down mouth to mouth through the generations, hence it's more than plausible that, throughout the centuries, the true "method" has slightly changed from its original form, and therefore wouldn't work anymore.

To these days, very few people claim to have been blessed with the fleeting sight of one of those elusive magical beings. They are said to bring great fortune and fertility, so many youngsters often seek their elder's aid in this, for they are the ones who know the tale better than anyone.

"You must venture into the forest. You must venture deep, but not too deep, or you will lose yourself in the process, and end up being swallowed by it. Seek for an old tree, one who bears the marks of time, but still has the spark of life within. Lay between its roots gaze upon these old but bountiful branches filled with leaves and fruits, where many birds built their homes, and many more shall continue doing. Let yourself be free, feel the wind erode your being, and the flow of life climb from the cold ground, all the way up to those strong branches. Control your breathing, and follow the rhythm of the forest, not faster nor slower. Close your eyes and, once you have lost all feeling in your body, once your mind has begun wandering, once you've become free from your worldly attachment, then and only then, you shall open your eyes, and gaze upon a whole new world" the old man narrated while he sat at the small village tavern, sipping on a small mug filled with warm wine.

"Are you sure this is the correct way to find a fairy?" the man sitting in front of him asked, his face covered by a tattered coat "Because I've been hearing a very similar story from all the old fucks around here, and none of them seems to work" he leaned back on his chair, visibly annoyed. The old man just shook his head.

"You are in the wrong, young man. A fairy is a pure being, one made from the clearest morning dew and brought to life by the will of the forest, it does not show up easily, let alone to disrespectful children like yourself" there were very few people in the tavern, but they all fell quiet at the old man's statement, yet none dared to turn.

"Care to elaborate on that, old fart?" the stranger reached out for something in his coat, pulling it out just enough to show the handle of a knife. But the old man didn't even bat an eye at the sight, instead, he just placed down the mug and, with his walking cane, pointed at the symbol the man had tattooed on his right shoulder, two pair of teeth that formed an eerie jaw, few of the teeth were red, while the majority was black.

"You can search all you want, but a fairy will never show their presence in front of someone who murders magical beasts for fun, Hunter" the old man spoke in a grave tone, but his gaze did not waver in the slightest "It is because of you that these beautiful beings have been growing warier and warier by the day" people around started whispering as the stranger clicked his tongue, standing up and heading for the door.

"Say what you want old man, but just as some of you chop down pigs and sheep for a living, I do the same for those beasts. In my eyes, they are just animals that have to be slaughtered to allow me to put some bread on my table" and with that, he left, violently slamming the door shut, letting in a cold gust of wind, which made the old man shudder.

"What has the world come to" he mumbled under his breath, shaking his head. He let out a sigh of disappointment upon noticing that his mug was almost empty, but that feeling was cut short, as a new mug filled with warm wine immediately took its place, getting swapped out with the old one. The old man chuckled at the sight, he didn't need to raise his head to know who gave it to him, those worn-out hands filled with scars were a dead giveaway.