Althea

Cougars and Tours

Philena: lover of mankind

Origin: Greek

We galloped through the night along the Nadine River. The only thing I remembered was the sound of Cassius's heavy breathing and the pounding of his hooves. I don't recall when we entered the woods again, just the change in the smell of the air. Gradually the rattle of stones turned into the dull thud of grass and moss.

"We've crossed Lorelei Ford, Althea. We'll be there soon." Solomon whispered, squeezing one of my hands. I didn't respond. "You know, the myths say that the Moss Palace marks the place where Nature was born, if you can call it that. She was made by the All Mother as a sort of present for her 'siblings' Aquae and Terra. It's supposed to be the place they made her cradle. Isn't that neat Althea?" When I still gave no indication that I had even heard, he sighed, clucking to Cassius and urging him onward and faster.

We eventually found a laneway made of mossy cobblestones. We followed it for a while until we reached a colossal pair of gates. I almost didn't recognize them as such, they appeared more like long forgotten ruins shrouded in the pale moonlight. What lay behind them didn't stray too far from the appearance of the gates. The Moss Palace was hardly a building, it seemed that it was made out of the forest. The windows had no glass and were framed by various leaves and ivies. I could barely see the walls through the thick canopy of foliage, We dismounted Cassius and he was lead away by a young stable hand who had met us at the entrance. As we walked closer, it seemed more ramshackle than before, like it was held together by sheer willpower. Solomon saw my distrust of the place and took my hand.

"I promise it looks much nicer on the inside." We strode in through the massive front doors and were greeted by a footman.

"We need to see the Empress Philena." Solomon explained. The footman inclined his head.

"Fortunately for you, she is sitting court right now, and will be taking requests."

He lead us down the long hallways, and I had time to take in the scenery. The floor runner was perfectly manicured moss and it added a spring to the step. The granite walls were covered in tapestries of braided and woven plants from every hemisphere on the planet; Alongside the hangings of palm leaves and olive laurels there were pieces made of pine needles and holly boughs. I marveled at all that was around me, drinking in as much as I could. Solomon studied me, an bemused expression on his face.

"Look up." He murmured in my ear. "You'll want to see this." I shifted my eyes up, and my heart skipped several beats. Above me was a massive skylight. The stars gleamed and winked through the glassless window as a lone comet streaked across the brilliant sky. My mouth stretched into a smile, my cheeks splitting from ear to ear.

"The Empress loves the night sky more than anything else nature has to offer. It appears you do too. You smiled at the stars like they were your oldest friends, like they know all your secrets." Solomon said. I looked at him in his eyes that suddenly seemed so wise, unsure how to respond.

"The Empress will see you now." The footman said, interrupting my awkward pause. I turned to him relieved.

"Thank you sir."

With that the guards at the doors pushed them open and we strode into a colossal room, taller than the very sky. The ceilings were carved with intricate portraits and scenes of epic battles and serene nature. In the very centre, in the highest point, was a stunning likeness of a beautiful woman. Her face had an unearthly grace; she commanded such power even through her portrait. Her skin was made of diamonds and sparkled like a thousand stars. Her hair was made of emeralds and her sapphire eyes seemed to pierce my being. Suddenly a loud clear voice resonated throughout the room.

"That is our goddess, our earth mother, Nature."

I turned to face a regal figure perched upon a high throne made of amethyst. She stood and walked down the dozen stairs to the floor, leaving her cloak behind. She took my shoulders in her hands and looked into my eyes, searching them. Her hair was aluminum grey and wavy. She was tall, nearly a giant, and willowy in build. Her eyes were large and doe like, her mouth full and rosy. Most prominent of her features were the butterfly wings tattooed around her eyes, covering nearly her whole cheek. They arched up past her eyebrows, gracing her forehead all the way to her hairline.

Behind her, a cougar slunk out from behind the purple throne, eyeing me with distaste or hunger, I wasn't sure. His neck was heavy with strings of jewels and beads and his tail flicked back and forth. He crept down to the Empress's side, his mysterious black eyes never leaving me, and she scratched his ear affectionately.

"Meet my companion, Aristotle. He is also my most fair judge; he has the ability to discern your heart and whether or not there is truth in your words. So tell me, what are you here for my child?"

"Well, your Majesty, I don't really know. Your knight Solomon brought me here. Listen, I just need to know if my mom is alive. She must be." I stammered, unnerved by Aristotle's appearance. He regarded me for a moment, then sat on his haunches and began absently licking his huge paw. The Empress smiled.

"He seems to believe you. Sir Solomon is it?" He nodded. Aristotle's eyes turned to him, the pupils widening. "A full report if you please." Solomon bowed deeply at the waist, unperturbed by the lithe cat's gaze.

"Empress, this is Althea. My regiment came across a pack of Malignants. We disposed of them and found that their leader had taken her. We saved her and brought her back to our camp with the intention of healing her wounds and returning her home. She is immune to their poison m'lady. She was adamant about returning home right away, but when we arrived we found her home," He hesitated, glancing at me watching for my reaction. "When we arrived at her home we found it in flames. M'lady, the destruction matched methods similar to that of Deirdre."

"Deirdre? Who's that?" I asked, swiveling my head between the two. The Empress briefly looked as if though she had aged centuries in a matter of seconds. She opened her mouth to speak when the doors banged open and a woman in a flowing green dress strode in, her eyes alight with a fiery passion. Behind her, the two guards lay on the floor, bound by cords of creeper vines.

"I will not be ignored! More of my brothers and sisters fall to that sorceresses' Dark Magic. What are you doing, oh mighty Empress?" She mocked.

"Lady Arethusa, there is nothing more to discuss. You know very well that I have dispatched battalions looking for traces of her whereabouts." She paused, rubbing her forehead wearily. "Sir Solomon, please give our guest a full tour of the palace, I will attend to you as soon as I can.  I wish I could myself, but right now, Lady Arethusa requires my full attention." Her tone changed to a mysterious lilt. "Don't stray too far Althea, I may have need of you yet." She paused to study me one more time, contemplating something, mulling it over in her mind.

"Althea? Shall we?" Solomon offered me his arm, and his kindly smile. I took it reluctantly, taking my gaze from the Empress. He led me just out of the throne room, out of the earshot of the Empress. I stopped him before we could move any further.

"I can't stay. I have to find out what happened to my mom, with or without the Empress."

"Althea, you must wait. The Empress believes you're important, I can tell. She doesn't invite just any human to stay at the Moss Palace you know. Also, we wouldn't want you to be kidnapped by Malignants again." He joked, grinning to himself. He nodded his head down the hall and looked down to me.

"C'mon, this way."

Solomon lead me through a maze of corridors until we arrived at a reinforced oak door. He swung it open and ushered me through.

"The barracks?" I said with disbelief. "You're told to show me the wonders of this magnificent, glorious palace and you choose the barracks?" I turned to face him, arms crossed indignantly. He flushed.

"I don't really know much of anything else." He mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"What? Don't you live here?"

"Well, no, not really. I'm new okay? And I've been trooping around the woods for the first few months of my enlistment."

"Well, I guess we'll have to explore together then. How about it, up to a self guided tour?"

"Your desire, my duty."