The Arcana - Muriel Fanfics!

I - The Magician

*Note: This one is based on my MC, Valeera (she/her). <3

Hm. That's a nice one, I think to myself. I turn the glistening stone over in my hands. Cool and smooth, perfectly round with colours that change when I turn it. Muriel will like it, I'm sure. I pocket it. 

Wading further into the stream, the cool waters rise up to my waist. The riverstones knock under my feet, and the water babbles lazily on the bank. Sunlight filters through the trees, making the water sparkle like silver. My underclothes cling to me as I wade deeper. Dark hair fans out around my shoulders, trailing behind me like a vast veil. Closing my eyes, I inhale the fresh air, imaging the green forest energy filling me, flooding my fingertips. I exhale slowly, letting my magic seep into the water.

Eyes still firmly shut, I raise my arms on both sides and let them hover in the water. Inhale the forest. Exhale magic. I feel the roots of the ancient oaks on the bank, feel the slightest tremor of the smallest fish in the stream. Inhale the forest. Exhale magic. 

                                                                                      *******

Now, to Muriel. 

I turn the leaf over in my palm. Perfectly shaped, perfectly green...except for a smattering of orange spots. A sign of the seasons changing, I guess. Inanna snuffles at the leaf in my hand, yellow eyes bright with question. 

"...Val likes orange," I say to her. Inanna huffs, turning to silently pad into the trees. Carefully slipping the leaf into my pocket, I hurry after her. 

The forest feels different, I realise. It was a gradual change...but...but it feels more alive . The air feels sweeter. Somehow, it feels...familiar. I trudge along, wondering what it could be, when Inanna stops short. Her ears perk up, twitching. I frown, listening intently.

"...What is it? What do you hear?" I whisper. But before Inanna can reply, I hear it. Faint, soft...but there. Singing, drifting through the forest. I'd know that voice anywhere. The trees seem to carry the tune, swaying and creaking. I close my eyes, letting Valeera's voice wash over me. I realise the change in the forest must have come from her.

Slowly, I follow her voice. High and strong...it sounds like...like the way honey tastes. Even Inanna seems mesmerised. Soon, bubbling water adds to Val's chorus. And before I know it, I stumble onto the muddy banks. Val's clothes are spread over a large boulder, and her boots sit neatly by the water's edge. 

But all I can see is her. Her shoulders and face are above water, her soft features serene as she sings. Valeera's hair, thick and dark and longer than even Nadia's billows all around her. But it's glowing. A soft, green light blooms from the tips of her hair, reflecting off the water and onto the tree trunks. I feel my face flush as I stand there, staring at her awkwardly. But her voice soothes the tension in my shoulders...I feel like I could stand here forever.

Valeera's eyes flutter open. She sees me, standing and staring like an idiot. My faces burns, and I close my eyes, suddenly wishing I was anywhere else. Valeera laughs, soft and musical. 

"Did you hear all that?" She asks, a mischievous note in her voice. I open my eyes, still blushing furiously. I stumble over a reply.

"...I...uh...I thought...uh..." I sputter stupidly. Before I know it, she's out of the water, dripping wet and giggling. I flush even harder. She's not wearing...well, not a shirt...or...or proper...pants...

"It's ok, love," she says, winding her arms around my neck. And before I can do anything, she pulls me back into the water, laughing all the way.