Wyvern Tails and Phoenix Feathers

The Contract, Chapter 3 - Eloise

The ocean was once a source of great joy. As a young woman, she would stare out into its depths listening to the gentle lapping of the tide. Endless, vast, and eternal, the ocean had a way of making her feel small. But Seela was no longer a young woman.

She examined her wrinkled hands. She had grown old. Her skin was so thin she could make out details in her bones. She shook from a frequent chill. Her heart still burned for him, though. The god of death was the object of her deepest desire.

At sunset, Seela stood on a beach of smooth stones across from him. He was a handsome man, hair the color of night, eyes like stars, his skin smooth as silk. He was always cold. She struggled to understand what he was thinking. She was addicted to the mystery. Helpless and pathetic was her love.

"You haven't been around to see me," she said. Her voice cracked. "It's been seasons. You weren't here to share autumn with me."

"How many times do I have to tell you, Seela? I am everywhere." His words were like jagged ice. "Death is beneath your feet. A field mouse just exhaled its last breath on the other side of this isle. I am there just as I am here."

"But this- your avatar," she argued, desperation evident. "Your face. This is different. This is special."

"For you, perhaps."

He turned away from her. He had no interest in her suffering. He told her once that he loved her. It must have been a lie. For what reason, then, had he cursed her with immortality? Was it cruelty for the sake of cruelty? She couldn't imagine the horror of her ceaseless aging.

"What will happen to me?" she asked.

"You will live," Ralak replied as though the answer were obvious. "You will continue forever."

There was no sympathy when he met her gaze. He cocked his head. At last, he understood; she was ungrateful for his incomplete affliction. Immortality without eternal youth was a curse.

"Life eternal is a precious gift," he said. "I would not see it undervalued. I will not speak with you again in this form."

"Wait-" said Seela.

But Ralak was gone, a cloud of black smoke on the wind. Tears blurred Seela's vision. There was no space for grief in her heart anymore. Only rage.

Neither Eloise nor Seela knew their connection meant they could share the visual of memories. Eloise had seen Ralak's face and felt the sting of his abandonment. She frowned.

"Apologies," said Seela. "This moment- it reminded me."

Eloise understood. The moment in question was Cirrus meeting with Bryn for the first time since the revelation of his origin. However, neither had spoken a word thus far. Cirrus stood in the doorway. Bryn sat beside Eloise on a bench. The hearh had provided an elegant chamber for their discussion, but there was nothing elegant about the situation. Much like Seela's memory, this was the story of a child angered at their parent for creating them. Where one saw an act of love, the other saw iniquity.

"My wish for you was to have a normal life," Cirrus said, breaking the silence.

Eloise watched Bryn's face. His resting anger became shock, followed by incredulous laughter.

"Are you joking?" he asked.

"I'm being honest," said Cirrus. He found no humor in the circumstance. "You were created for a purpose, it's true. But it's such a small part of who you are. You've become so much more."

Bryn's scowl returned.

"What was the point then of false memories? I was given memories of a childhood. I remembered a mother and a father. I remembered the cobbled streets of Golsane." Bryn paused. He searched for the images and drew a blank. "When the memories started to fade, I thought I was losing my mind. When I couldn't see my mother's face, it was like she died. You attempted to shape me like a block of marble into your perfect second chance, and I feel every strike of your chisel."