Blades of Grass

A Companion

Aesar walks swiftly, I follow. After 10 minutes of continuous walking through the aged trees of the forest, the ground becomes full of vegetation and wildlife, and critters of all sorts crawl around. I even spot some weird creatures that do not look of this world,

"Hey Aesar, uh... what are those?"

As I point to a line of ants that seem to have grown horns and long, hoofed legs.

"Oh, those are a species of ants that this special someone was experimenting on... She, well, dabbles a lot in science... sometimes too much."

I shudder at the idea of what this person has been able to do with her experiments, who knows where she draws the line? And what monstrosities she has created.

We soon arrived at a mountain lake, its serene surface mirroring the jagged, snow-capped peaks surrounding it. As I admired the view, imagining a peaceful life here, Qura's voice interrupted my reverie.

'Alvin, that teleportation wasn't a coincidence. You might want to hone those skills until we understand their origin. Also, someone nearby is trying to control your mind.'

'How do you know that?'

'I'm in your mind, remember? The magic isn't strong enough to penetrate me, so you're safe.'

'Thanks for protecting me.'

I felt a mental thumbs-up from her as I gazed into the lake's reflection. Suddenly, the water rippled, and a powerful presence surged toward me.

"Freyja! Stop it, he's with me!" Aesar's shout echoed.

A giant shark leapt from the water, morphing into a human mid-air. The transformation, while initially unsettling, became fascinating the more I watched. She landed gracefully before me.

'That's the entity trying to control your mind,' Qura said.

'Are you sure?'

'Absolutely.'

"I assume your name is Freyja?" I ventured.

She didn't acknowledge me but glared at Aesar. Her black hair with gray tips and emerald green eyes gave her an imposing presence despite her small stature.

"Who is he?" Freyja demanded of Aesar, her voice laced with disdain.

"He's the prince of this kingdom, son of King Henry. I brought him here for your assistance," Aesar replied.

"I will not help someone like him."

"Why? What do you mean by that?" I asked, confusion and irritation mingling in my tone.

"Yeah, what's 'like that'?" Aesar echoed.

Freyja dragged Aesar aside and whispered urgently.

'Want to know what they're talking about?'

'You can do that?'

'Of course, but I won't use my powers for eavesdropping if you prefer.'

'We'll wait and see.'

When Freyja and Aesar returned, Aesar's frustration was evident, while Freyja eyed me with renewed scrutiny.

"What happened? Why are you both so angry?" I inquired.

"Ahem, you have something to tell us, don't you?" Aesar pressed.

I hesitated. They'd probably figured out about Qura. Should I tell them?

"Who's in your head?" Freyja's voice was sharp. "You resisted my mind control. Care to explain?"

"Why should I answer you when you get angry at people not being controlled by you?" I retorted.