Chosen

Chapter 18: Calysta

     Annora and Ash's vision slowly came back to them as they left Rhain's memory. 

     She could say nothing as she looked into Rhain's sad eyes. Shocked and saddened by seeing her long gone mother for the first time, Annora felt no tears welling in her eyes but an empty space where her heart was. The empty space ached and pounded against her chest, barely noticing Ash's arm resting on her shoulder consolingly. 

     Thinking of anything to fill the empty void, Annora asked "Why didn't you tell me the story at your house, why take us trough the woods?"

     "The nymph who saved your life lives in this forest now. I thought you'd like to see her." She said simply, turning  and resuming her trek through the forest. Annora shrugged off Ash's arm and began to follow. 

     "Calysta. That's her name, isn't it?" Ash questioned.

     "Yes. Looks remarkably like Annora, more than any other chosen I've seen."

      They walked a while longer, eventually approaching a line of large willow trees, their thick curtain of leaves obstructing the view ahead. 

     Pushing through the hanging leaves, a clear lake nestled between a small waterfall and many smooth boulders. Flowers and thick grass bloomed everywhere, making the secluded spot look like a forest paradise.

     Rhain's hefty frame walked calmly out of the cover of the leaves. "Calysta, I know you're here. I have something for you to see."

     A nearby tree rustled strangely. It's evergreen leaves swayed as the deep mahogany wood twisted it's slender trunk. Twisting and turning, the leaves shrunk down and the trunk took a skin-like quality. 

     Within a second, the tree had transformed into a beautiful nymph, her timeless exotic beauty glowing. Her eyes and hair were carbon copies of Annora's, the bright layered greens and subtle teals contrasting sharply with the velvety red of her long thick hair. Her face looked like it was carved out of marble, her high cheekbones and thin nose displaying her wild beauty. 

     She looked straight at Annora, her green eyes glittering. Gracefully walking to her, she seemed to slide along the ground as she studied the girl. The nymph stood a couple inches taller, her milky skin noticeably lighter. 

     "I never thought I'd meet the child I would save." She said, her enchanting voice carrying through the air like music. She nodded, staring at Annora up and down.

     "This is Annora, Calysta." Rhain looked in between the two.

    "Er..." Annora began, not knowing what to say to the creature who saved her life. "Thanks?" Was all she could blurt out, immediately regretting her decision.

     The nymph smiled, her carved lips turning up slightly at the corners. "Yes, I remember it well. Rhain needed another magical creature's sacrifice to help create a chosen. Everyone thought she was going mad, chosens were dying out with the rest of us. Didn't see the point anymore. Everyone but me. She took a strand of my hair many years ago, I almost forgot about it."

     although the two looked remarkably alike, Calysta's outlandish demeanor stood out against Annora's awkwardness. Calysta didn't seem to mind, in fact, she seemed to slightly enjoy the strange interaction. 

     Calysta's eyes shifted to Ash. "Another chosen?" Then her eyes traveled to Noctinge, who was so large that he could only stick out his head through the wall of leaves. "Hm. Dragons are rare these days. Who will be your companion, child?" Calysta once more turned her intense stare to Annora.   

     "What? Oh, a dragon." Annora startled, once again distracted and  taken aback by her wild beauty. 

     "Strange combination, a dragon and a chosen nymph. Both are rare nowadays, too. Are you going to the council's meeting, Rhain?" Caylsta asked, turning to the witch.

     "Yes, soon after Annora's egg hatches we'll be there."

     "I would go, but the council's meeting is more for witches and chosens. I doubt they'd want a ditsy nymph like me running around."

     Caylsta seemed anything but ditsy, her intelligent and captivating speech had the power to make anyone stop in their tracks. "Well, they obviously haven't met you then." Rhain replied.

     Annora leaned toward Ash as the two talked more. "What's a council's meeting?"

      "It's basically when all the people protecting the creatures and the chosens get together to make a big decision. They've been having these yearly meetings since things started going bad. they don't do anything, really, but it's mostly an excuse to meet other chosens and train. i didn't think we'd be going this year, since you and your dragon will need to be trained."

     "Trained? I thought you said this would be a chance to meet other chosens."

     Ash grinned, his handsome face lightening up with a mischievous smile. "They play rough."

     Walking back to Rhain's house, Annora reflected on what happened. After Calysta brought up the council's meeting, most of the conversation went to that and awkward questions directed towards Annora. She sighed, wondering when she would be able to take a break from all of these non-stop adventures.

     Maru waved at them when she saw them approach.