Ataraxia

∞|Chapter 7: Dusk|∞

The grass tickled my feet between my string sandals. My feet have grown almost 3 sizes up. Of course, supernatural creatures are always larger in size, I wasn't used to my new body yet. Every stride I took, a human would have to take 2. The creatures around me gave me a look, which converted into a stare.

"Why are they looking at me like that?" I whispered, inching closer to Eowin to conversation distance.

"They know you were brought here by The Able, it's almost like they see you as fake; you don't have a pure fantasy body.

I nodded in understanding. I gazed back at the ground zooming past my feet, and looked back up to Eowin.

"How long will it take to arrive at Uden?" I asked, remembering why I was walking.

"Around 2 days," answered Eowin, "less than 1 if you have a dragon."

I sighed and out of curiosity, I asked her,

"Do you have a dragon? I mean, you were one of many in Uden, I'm sure you have one at one point."

"I do," said Eowin, who was gazing at the horizon, "It's back in Alfhiem."

"Why didn't we take the dragon instead?" I asked.

"Dragon's cannot carry passengers other than their owner. The rider and the dragon have a very strong bond which cannot be shared with others," she turned her head to look at me, her white-blonde hair blowing in the wind, "In other words, if you tried to ride on the back of my dragon, it's clear that you would fall off, not given the trust from the dragon."

I laughed at the thought.

"I'll wait until my wings grow, then I can safely fly if the dragon decides to dump me off over a volcano."

We both laughed, and looked at the darkening sky.

"We should camp here tonight, I'm sure you're not used to your feet yet, I bet they're pretty sore." And with that, she went to one of the trees, and pulled out a large, black bag.

"Um, what are you doing?" I asked, giving her the strangest look.

"It's a tent," replied Eowin, "Help me put it up?"

"Yeah, sure, but first. Why do you have a tent.. in a tree?"

"I used to have to travel to Uden all the time, their healer there always got sick, so I had to go over and help him be well again."

"So you kept a tent at the half-way point so you can have somewhere to stay during the night?"

"That's right," she answered, connecting one of the tent poles together, "Since then, I've always kept this tent in the hollow center of the tree over there," she pointed to the dying, copper coloured tree, "I can't believe I used to climb that tree when I was really young, now, it'll break if I just nudged it with my toe." She chuckled at the thought, and went back to putting the poles together.

I gave her a hand, and accidentally stabbed myself with the sharp end of a tent pole, sending a river of blood rushing down my arm and dripping off my elbow.

"Ouch!" I clutched my injured hand, cursing.

"Just give it a minute," said Eowin, completely ignoring my injury.

"Give it a minute?! You kidding me? I just stabbed myself through my entire hand! And-"

I looked back down and my completely healed hand, rubbing the gooey blood off my palm and brushing my fingertips over the light, faded scar that once was a life threatening injury. I gazed at in in confusion and wonder, turning my hand over, and palm faced up again.

"What.. just happened?" I gazed at my hand in shock.

"Angels have supernatural healing abilities," Eowin turned back to setting up the tent.

I crouched down and wiped my bloody hand along the damp grass,

"I must be pretty special then."

Eowin chuckled, and stepped back to examine her work,

"Finished. Now let's give it a night, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow," and with that, she disappeared into the tent.

I looked at the setting sun, casting the sky with yellow, pink and orange streaks, like paintbrushes streaking across a canvas. I took a deep breath of the cold air, and lay down on the grass, and put my arms behind my head. The last thing I felt was the gentle breeze and the droplets of mist resting on my closed eyelids.