Prologue.
My name is Aeries, I grew up in a little town called Shelbourne. It is what every other town looks like and appears to be, basic shop, school and other necessities such as Dentist and local Doctor. I am one of the lucky few whom are looking forward to getting out of this neck of the woods. I am 17 years old and lived what some may call thee most trivial life ever. I have never even went on a trip out of this town with my parents or went on so much as a School trip. Reason being that in Shelbourne our church believes that the Endless forests are adventures to be had during Orienteering. . . . This could not be anymore the case. It is September 18th and I've been given the pleasure of owning this Journal from my Dad as he thinks "it will be memories I will cherish and share with my kids." So I thought ill just do this to make him happy. So as I'm writing I am planning out what exactly I have to do for tomorrow and I realise just now I have homework to do ! History but at least it all about Mythology so ill learn something of merit.
Hydras hmm No. Aztec's, Egyptian Pharaohs or maybe Sphinxes and their origin. No, them seem too dull. I happen to see a a link at the bottom of the Page regarding specific Mythologies and I began to read the list to myself, Norse, Greek, Egyptian, Common, Alternative Mythologies. I click on Alternative Mythologies and begin to scroll through the page and see something which are Fascinating such as Centaurs, Elves and Tree Creatures who can become alive and protect their forests whenever called upon. I click and read about them and see that there is a conspiracy theory regarding these creatures and do they actually exist on Earth as we know it. I begin to read it and realise that this will be my Mythology Essay of choice. 1000 words to do, have tons of information so it shouldn't take that long . . . I hope.
I wake up on the 19th of September and them Monday morning school blues hit me hard. I get up, get dressed for school and then go downstairs and see that my Essay printed. I go over and look at it to see that all the pages read "YOU ARE KILLING US, HELP US!" all throughout the page and I blink my eyes to see if I'm dreaming and once I open my eyes again, my Essay has returned.
I just think it must have been my subconscious acting out. That essay last night was truly astounding to read. There is so many beliefs that certain people come from all different backgrounds all relating to different mythologies. That most people in our lifetime have no idea who they truly are and that the link between Earth and this Spiritual Earth is disappearing and inevitably we will have 2 separate worlds that will never be same. Furthermore, I seen that some of the names are people I've meet from my little town and I can not wait to see if any of my friends will entertain my Essays notions.
I get to school somehow on time and get to the front entrance to see my friend Mendy and starting to tell her about my Essay. We both laugh but I couldn't help but feel I had to entertain this notion and why not sooner rather than later, my birthday is less than a Month away and I was planning to celebrate it relatively similar to all my other birthdays but I think this year I will indulge my curiosity. I am going to go out for a Night in the Forest to see what it feels like to be as far away from Shelbourne as I can get and see if these notions are in anyway true. If unsuccessful then I will relish being in the tranquillity and serenity within the forest and being away from Shelbourne for 1 night. I begin to walk home from school and Mendy starts to go her separate way home as she lives on the other side of Shelbourne than I do. So I start to walk home and I see the sun breaking and I take minute to witness this moment. I take a drink of water and then at the corner of my eye an Old man walks around the corner with his small pet and says to me "Hey, you ok ?" as i'm lying against the tree. I look around to fully see this man and he looks like he lives in the forest, all his clothes brown maybe that is the colour he wears or dirts consumes his clothes either way i'm cautious. I reply "Yes, just taking a moment to see that beautiful Sun." and the man says "You get a better view from around the corner." so I wave and walk around that way shouting behind me "Thanks Old man." and then as I enter the corner I look around and see the sun has become so much more brighter, the canopies are greener and all of the flowers are in total bloom, perfectly flowered and as I look behind me, I do not see my Satchel where I left it. I start to search around and I see this huge broad man come around the corner and say "Welcome Aeries, you have much to learn."
I stood there a gasp to myself wondering "This cannot be the Old Man" and then the man spoke "You have many questions i'm sure, but we have only a short while as you must return to your human self." I blinked and surely enough this Huge man was there and then I began to look down and see that was very hairy, and he had 2 arms but 4 legs and this man was in fact a Centaur, am I going mad? Did I get some crazy subconscious head smack off the tree and then he simply said 1 sentence and all my troubles were somehow eased, he offered his arm and said "This is Sylvan Aeries and you were originally born here. You are home." and then I reached out my arm and he grabbed me and threw me onto his Lower spine ? I don't know how to reference it but I was saddling a Centaur, a full bred, half Human, half Horse who was strong, able to talk fluent english and as real as anything can be Centaur! He raced to his Village named Fortune keep, it was a beautiful village almost as if Shelbourne were transformed overnight and then the Centaur spoke "You may ask anything you like, I will take you on a short tour before we head back Aeries." and as I began to dismount the Centaur, still in complete shock as to what I was doing I began to muster whatever I could to him "What is your name ? What age are you ? Did I just see you as an Old Man ?" the centaur chuckled, equivalent to our human laughing its all I can make an example of as its very unique.
He took a breath and then spoke "You may call be Gladius, I am not Old for a Centaur, I am but 125 years old and Yes you did see me as an Old man in your world but not the way you think." he went on to Explain, "You see Aeries, you think me as the man, no I was the Small pet you couldn't really distinguish and forgot about almost instantaneously." I had so many questions but 'Gladius' as he is now named showed me something "Your mother was an amazing Spirite, she bridged the gap between our world and your dimension without even knowing it." I looked up with curiosity "What do you mean my mother was an Amazing WARRIOR ? She has been in a padded room since I was born." and then I knew something was wrong as Gladius looked at me and said "Yes and right now your on Earth smelling grass thinking it is Flowers. Time is up for now." he gestured to jump aboard so I mounted the Centaur and he spoke as we rode to my entrance he spoke "You must keep exploring the forest on your world and meet the other tribes, you are the only person whom can reunite Sylvan Aeries, trust in us." I was baffled and said "I need you to explain my mother, Gladius I will only come back if you accompany me, tell me how!" and with that Gladius and I seen the entrance and its beauty.
It was all these vines peeling back to reveal this shining light that felt Pure to the touch as if you would do anything for something this good and holy but as I was leaning towards it Gladius spoke "Crossroads are the Key Aeries! Get to the nearest one in the forest!" and with that I couldn't hear what Gladius was saying as I felt the embrace of the warm light, as though it was consuming me. I felt an odd sensation and then my shoulders widened and my eyes were blown open, I could speak fluent in any language, my appearance grew slightly different, I was now longer legged and more broad with longer neck and shortened arms. I think I lost about 2 inches making me 5' 5''. Then I became whole and woke to see my school uniform covered in dirt and a man with his hand on my shoulder almost shaking me and then I completely come back and can hear the man but it is weird as I can hear 2 conversations and then I speak "Sir! I am ok, I just love nature and wanted a little pity party as I'm in this god awful place named Shelbourne so if you don't like it and think I'm Insane then section me ! Otherwise BACK OFF me." and with that I shrugged his arm and got up, dusted myself off and proceeded to trace my steps and get home to notice my dad making Dinner and saying "Now Aeries, where have you been all this time ?" I looked over and seen the clock showing "6:38pm" I was stunned, had It really been 2 hours since I left school ? I just looked at dad and said "Ohh I lost track of time when studying my Mythology essay! Sorry for making your worry Dad." with that I excused myself to my room to prepare for Dinner as I was concealing my Dirty as the earth had made it uniform. So I looked up as I changed and then said to the Mirror "You have got to see mum as soon as possible." and with that I proceeded to have Dinner and explain to dad all the Centaurs and mad notions that some people have that they still exist but as I spoke more and more about it, I seen dads expression begin to go from a Smile and laugh to a general interest into what it was I was hinting towards. So I kept going as I didn't percieve it as a bad interest but then I hear my fathers anger in a flash of a second "You will NOT do any more work on this essay do you hear me ?" and I replied cautiously, "Dad you cant be serious ?" and with that I seen true anger come out spontaneously "I forbid you to write nonsense about Fairies and bloody centaurs! Do you hear me Aeries ?" and I replied to him "Dad, what is causing such anger ? I am just doing work that the school assigned me to do for History so calm down? I'll just change the topic to Thor or Aphrodite or someone." and with that I seen my dad still hold Anger but muster "OK." and with that I excused myself again to my room and proceeded to process what the hell just happened and what exactly happened to my mother that sent her Crazy as a Cuckoo clock.
