Of Silver Rays and Raven Fur | ONC24

15. Abditory.

The forest sprawled out before them like a verdant tapestry, its canopy of emerald hues stretching as far as the eye could see. Towering trees stood like sentinels, protectors of the woods and its secrets. Moonlight filtered through the dense foliage, dappling the forest floor with patches of holy silver.

Shadows danced among the branches as a gentle breeze blew, creating a sense of movement and life in the stillness of the night. The air was alive with the sounds of nocturnal creatures, adding to the orphic ambiance surrounding them.

In the distance, the cliff loomed like a silent guardian, its rugged precipice jutting out into the open expanse below. Viewed from above, its grandeur was even more pronounced. It was a breathtaking sight, one that never failed to stir his soul.

His abditory. 

It was the same, left untouched by everything but time.

As soon as his feet touched the ground, however, Alarick was hunched over, retching his meal. Accalia dropped to her knees, immediately fussing over him. With a subtle wave of her hand, she produced a towel from thin air, swiftly using it to clean up his face when he fell back.

"Blast," he croaked between heaves, muttering about his distaste for flying.

"Heavens," Accalia began, her voice quivering with suppressed laughter. "You scared me for a moment there."

Quietude enveloped them as they settled facing each other. Alarick crossed his legs, leaning back on his arms to stare at the sky.

"You ought to experience a run through these woods, Accalia. Exhilarating. Addictive."  Distant memories of labored breaths and the sounds of his paws striking the ground filled his head. A sigh tumbled out. "Pure ecstasy."

"Take me."

"I shall." He grew quiet for a moment. "I have been meaning to ask...where does your castle reside? Is it the moon?"

She shook her head. "It is in another dimension high up in the heavens, one reserved solely for me. It flows with magic and there is neither a moon nor a sun but night and day are the same as here."

"So, not the moon. I see."

When she wouldn't stop fidgeting, he glanced at her, silently urging her to speak. Flustered, she huffed, covering her face. "You have become quite adept at reading me."

He shrugged, shooting her a smirk. 'I have also gotten better at this mind medium between us.'

Accalia grinned. 'You are my most hard-working student.'

'Well, I am your only student,'  he retorted.

'For now,' she added cryptically, a hint of mystery in her tone that caught his attention.

"What do you mean?" he asked aloud, preferring to see her lips move as she spoke.

Accalia rose to her feet, gesturing for him to follow her as she headed toward the treeline. "I was wondering."

"About?" Alarick prodded, choosing to ignore her change of topic.

"Why did you not ask me to bring you here sooner?"

His steps faltered before picking up speed to match hers. Chewing on the inside of his cheek, he pondered her question. "The truth?" She nodded. "Returning here was something I wished not to think about, worried you might read my mind and know. I did not want you to assume that I was not enjoying my time with you or that I wanted to leave. But, most importantly, I was afraid you would leave me behind."

Accalia stopped to frown at him. "I would never."

"I realize that now. It was silly to hide such obvious facts from someone, and a Goddess nonetheless."