Devotion: A Tale of Liars and Beasts

1. Enter

Prologue:

She'd always felt drawn to the forest. Thick, lush, and utterly undecipherable. Few who wandered in would find their way back out. She knew she shouldn't yearn for a place like that, but somehow she did. The thrill of something new, an adventure, after all her years spent in the stagnant village...

She made offerings to the old forest gods each and every night. Candles upon the alter, she'd pray, face lowered to the hearth. Sometimes she'd offer only her devotion, other times a lock of hair, a drop of blood. She used to pray to many gods, but none would answer. She couldn't help but lose faith. 

The forest gods were different. She couldn't tell how many there were, but she felt their presence each night after her prayers. They'd come to her in dreams, whisper secrets in tongues she had yet to learn. 

Fill her with an indescribable longing; a heat like nothing she'd ever felt. And so her devotion grew. Her desire to enter those blessed shadows became stronger with each passing winter. Until finally, she could resist no longer.

She entered.

1. Enter

The moss was lush beneath Enara's bare feet as she crept between the trees. They must have been ancient, their girth far exceeding any others she'd ever seen. The further into the forest she crept, the bigger they became. 

Enara wasn't sure what she'd expected upon breaching the tree line, but she hadn't expected the forest to be so bright. From the outside it looked like it was woven of shadows, but as she wandered deeper, everything took on an enchanting glow.

The light glinted delicately off beads of dew. Fern meadows swayed in the light breeze, making the softest, loveliest of sounds. Not a bird nor bee in sight, and yet somehow the forest felt so alive. 

Enara picked the little red berries as she walked, popping each one between her teeth, letting the tart juices drip over her tongue. She felt as though she was walking in a dream. But soon she began to tire. And still no signs from her holy ones.

"Now that I'm here, have you abandoned me?" She murmured absentmindedly, settling down against a massive trunk. 

The moss covered bark seemed to cradle her, and she felt sleep approaching quickly. Still, she would not neglect her duty. Enara closed her eyes, placing her palms face down on the mossy forest floor. She whispered her prayers, stroking the ground beneath her gently.

A light and bubbly feeling came over her as she spoke. She opened her eyes to find the world had grown brighter still. The dew drops no longer glinted, they shone. They twinkled. Each color multiplied, every touch of the moss below her tickled her soft skin.

The berries, the smiled to herself. It must be the berries.

She felt her body warming, a giggle rising in her chest. Had moss always felt this soft? Had the breeze always felt like a lover's touch? She smiled as she closed her eyes once more, heart quickening as the breeze caressed her neck, her ankles.

"Have my prayers pleased you?" She teased, not knowing who she was really talking to. Maybe it was just the berries, but she didn't feel as if she was alone. She shook her head lightly, trying to come to her senses.