Have you Fallen for a god?

Dance

    It was enchanting! Everyone in the village had heard rumors of the Tropical Birds Traveling Caravan. Full of exotic women from all over the world that would come to dance for large crowds at festivals and rumored to do the same for nobility's birthdays if they could get a hold of them. That was the catch, they went where they pleased and took request for dances for nobility as just that, requests. These women would perform all over and would only announce themselves the day before a performance. Everyone ran around their schedule and paid them handsomely for it, more then they realize. They were free as birds.

    The head of the caravan though was the most famous or infamous, it's been debated. She was next to come out and perform and the crowd was louder than ever. Her name was Arunya and she was everything the caravan stood for. She could have any man she wanted, be whatever she wanted to be, go anywhere she pleased. She didn't even need to be the sky spirit that she was. The crowd had no idea she was the entity many villages worshipped for to them she was simply the most beautiful women they had ever seen with a talent for dancing. They didn't see the feathers were real. All the crowd could focus on was her appearance and pure talent to complement it.

    Her legs concealed by a long flowing blue skirt with a green edge so you could see how the fabric folded. To the crowd, on the back of the skirt appeared to be a long piece of blue fabric with a green edge that curled just above the ground and two longer skinny pieces of black fabric that extended past the end and curled in the air. Jingling belts held the fabric around her hips sounding off with every movement. With her stomach exposed, her chest was covered by a pink and purple, strapless, and heart-shaped fabric seemingly covered by feathers. Around her arms lied a shimmering blue shawl. Around her neck lay a choker to match the clothing on her chest. To frame her face with naturally black lips and green eyes, long and wavy green hair cascaded down with blue dipped ends, all of it brushed to one side of her head with a headband to match the belts.

    Arunya danced effortlessly as if she was gliding across the stage. She made everyone want her. Married men and women were no exception...no one was. It was only a matter of want. If Arunya wanted someone she would have them, although she left HAPPILY married couples alone. It didn't matter if the stage was solid marble or the dirt of the earth, if she wanted to dance there she would. She and the rest of the caravan would travel all over rich and poor lands and never wanted for anything. Arunya truly was a free spirit and bowed to no one. Well, one certain best friend being the exception.

    The crowd couldn't get enough of her as she danced to the music provided by the calliope behind her accompanied by tambourines. As she twirled her skirt and shawl flew behind her every move utterly mesmerizing the crowd. The shimmering, flowing fabric fell in oceans of color around her. The crowd hypnotized by beautiful movements threw gold and roses at her feet, praising her for talent of which others could only dream.

    The joyful yet slightly haunting tune that Arunya always ended shows with slowly faded signaling the end of the crowd's visual pleasure. However, on her way out Arunya signaled to an enchanted man left of the audience to follow her inside the colorful wagon that was her home on wheels. The man predictably followed her inside, closing the door behind them.

"It's nice to see a familiar face at my shows. I'm surprised that you find me worth following.", Arunya said in a melodic tone. "You remember me?", the man said genuinely surprised. No one ever remembered him because of his average appearance. His brown hair and eyes and average build let him blend in perfectly to any large group of people. He was getting nervous. Palms and brow sweaty, eyes darting all over the small space, and his slightly panicked expression and gave him away. Arunya saw this and took the upper hand. Although the space is usually roomy for the size, Arunya got closer to the man. "Y-you know me? Hard to believe. I've just seen a few of your shows is all.", the man stated nervous to have been caught red handed. Arunya reached out and started rubbing his arm, making her way up to his shoulders, guiding him in front of the door. "I've particularly noticed you moving through the crowd rather often. It's a behavior I know all too well.", she said trying to get him to volunteer the information...and it worked. "Well I needed some way to pay to travel with you."

    Bingo. When he said that he subconsciously made the smallest of gestures towards a small leather pouch on his waist. Target #1 was found. she made a mental note to relive him of that later. "Well I travel an awful lot. Where do you stay when we stop to perform?" "Not to far off in the border of the woods. Inns are often too expensive in towns you travel to." She had him pinned against the door at this point. She was ready to race. Although she liked to take her time and make things easier for her, it had been too long since she had last stretched her wings. She was up for the challenge since he didn't seem to provide any.

    Arunya had the answers in front of her and it was time to start the clock. "Well i would love~ to talk more but I'm afraid i need to finish up here. How about you go to your camp and I'll come find you.", Arunya said with a little more emphasis on love. The man nodded excitedly at a loss for words....this was getting too easy, but she knew better. He was TOO willing with his information. Arunya then silently sent the man out in a fake attempt to hide their encounter. She spied out her window to watch the man go to his camp. After the man was out of sight she laid down her shawl revealing two beautiful blue wings for arms with two talon like fingers at the end of each wing. She smoothed down the feathers attached to her chest and down her long blue feather tail with two longer black feathers on the ends. She traded her shawl for a brown cloak and covered her head with the hood. She kicked out the trap door she put in her wagon and snuck from underneath her home on wheels.

    Arunya knew the crowd would linger as they always did. They would try in vain to wait for another glimpse at her beauty and possibly get an encore. She couldn't leave through the front door or else she'd be swarmed by the crowd. She also couldn't just fly away were she stood or it would give her away as one of the spirits and it was much too fun playing a character. So she snuck through the crowd until she could see the man again.

    He was a long ways away from the town already and was walking to the woods, breathing heavily from running. Arunya looked around and when she saw nobody else, dropped the cloak and launched into the open air. As soon as she reached a hight above the woods she flew in the direction of the man and easily passed him. It was wonderful to be flying again. The town she was now visiting was very closely surrounded by three large cities. Well large couldn't even begin to describe it. Enormous was more like it. The only thing that separated the village from the cities was a large moat that circled the village and ran 3 miles wide all the way around. Although she only performed in the center village, she had been trapped in her wagon and couldn't fly as she pleased. Arunya hated the feeling of being restrained so this was a blessing to her.

    She reached the woods in no time and was only flying a few seconds when she spotted his camp. Thats when, in her peripheral vision, she saw a small flash of light. She twisted her body away from the light inches away from the arrow that shot past her. 'Of course', she thought as she folded her wings in and dived into the forest opening her wings just before she hit the trees smiling the entire way down. She had landed past the camp to hopefully get a look at her attackers that drew her here. This hadn't been the first time. Whenever someone followed her it was either to steal from, kidnap, or kill her. Sometimes, on rare occasions, all three and she welcomed it with open arms.

    This is why she came here. She was so tired of being trapped in that wagon and while testing people's awareness of their wealth was fun she LIVED for these moments to truly exercise her skill. She loved to prove her knowledge and skill that one can only acquire by living as long as she has. Arunya was ecstatic! She couldn't wait to tell Sunitha the story when she saw her again.

(Pictures by the lovely Jayrome_the_Jayraffe)