Sing to the Stars

Light (Mell)

**Photo by Banishment on Pixiv**

**The Forest Doctor by Nakanoart on Deviantart**

1 - I said this book had mixed media inspiration and this has pictures. Although...Sunlight Sonata is inspiring enough dammit. Even if I used The Forest Doctor primarily for inspo in this.

2 - Forgive any typos cuz I know I do that a lot. I used to type on my phone and it doesn't have the best screen so it's harder to type. And now, with my computer, I currently have a fricked up spacebar and a few other keys because tea is sticky and underneath them. Yes I spilled tea on my computer on accident.

     The stream flowed by on my right with the gentle sound of running water. It was dusk, and I knew I should've been back home with my friends, but I wanted a break from their jubilant sounds. Just...a short break, I told myself as I ducked under the overhanging branch of a tree.
     I heard the soft flutter of wings and looked up as a bat flew overhead. The high-pitched calls were too loud for a human to hear, but with my mixed genetics and oddly sharp hearing, I could hear them faintly.

     A voice could be heard in the trees, just over the hissing of the stream and the psithurism. I curiously kept an eye out for the source, however if I didn't find out who was speaking and it didn't concern me, I wouldn't really care.

     I walked in the dark for about 10 minutes before I realized the voice was closer. So close I could almost hear the words being said.
     Being the curious sort I was, I continued walking, this time looking for the source of the sound.
     Not too far in I saw a girl. She had long black hair and glowing green eyes, as well as markings that glowed too. She didn't look like she was in any kind of tribe or clan, however the markings were obviously tribal. Albeit ancient. But still tribal.

     "There." She said, stroking the fur of a buck deer. It had a glowing green handprint on it's head, which she was wiping away as if it were nothing but dust stuck to it's fur.
     Another creature came up to her. This time it was an owl, and it landed on her outstretched hand. "What did you see?" She asked, tipping her head to the side to listen. "Mhm...mhm...alright. I'll take care of it." The girl said, nodding. As she straightened up and brushed the dirt off her dress, the owl looked straight at me, it's amber eyes almost accusing me of something.
     Maybe I'd seen something I wasn't supposed to see, and began to back away slowly. The girl seemed to have heard, and quickly turned to look at me. I cursed under my breath. "Who are you?" She asked. The owl lifted off her hand and flew up into the trees.
     "My name is Violet." I said quietly. She gave me a bit of a puzzled look. "Why are you here?" She asked. "I was on a walk, and I could hear you." I said. "Oh, sorry." She said. "Were you helping the animals?" I asked. It was kind of sweet if she was.
     "U-um, yeah." She shifted the way she was standing from one foot to the other. "That's cool." I said. The girl smiled softly, "You really think so?" I nodded, "Yeah."
     "Thanks." She said.
     We lapsed into an awkward silence, and it was then that I realized I still didn't know the girl's name. "So, what's your name?" I asked. "Merlina. Or Mell. Whichever one you really prefer." She sounded almost sad when she'd said her given name instead of her nickname, and it made me wonder why. However, it was not a question that needed to be answered. "Okay, then. Mell. Um, do you live in the forest or just come out here every night?"
     "I live here." Mell shifted her weight from one foot to the other, her glowing eyes seeming to look into my soul. It was a bit unsettling.
     Her eyes widened, and she jumped towards me, pushing me down as a shape leapt over my head. Mell shut her eyes tightly after the impact, and it occurred to me that she might've hurt herself on the rocks that were hidden in the ground.
     It was a surprisingly small dragon. It was dark blue in color, and had red eyes, with a glowing red spider lily shape on it's shoulder. It growled at me. As Mell began to stand up, I began to fearfully crawl backwards. "Don't move." She said softly, walking towards the dragon. I froze, my heart hammering in my chest.
    The dragon looked at her, puzzled, and a bit angry. Then it made a soft trilling noise. "Easy, girl..." Mell said, walking forward. She conjured up a ball of light in her right hand, which made me wonder about her parents. Did she have light magic? Or was it a different kind of magic that mimicked it? And if she had light magic, she would've had to have gotten it from one of her parents.
    Reaching out her illuminated hand toward the dragon, Mell continued walking forward. "Mell, it's dangerous!" I cried. "Relax." She said as the dragon took a small step back. Then she touched her hand to the dragon's snout, and the soft glow emitting from her hand died down.
     At first, the dragon attempted to pull away, but then calmed down. "Easy, Eva. See? That's Violet." The dragon - Eva, Mell called her, focused her gaze on me. "She's not going to hurt me. I promise." There was no way she could've told that about me. But she was right.
     Cautiously, Mell removed her hand from Eva's snout, and there was a glowing green handprint where her hand had been. "Violet? Is it okay if Eva smells you?" She asked, turning to me. I shakily stood up and nodded, although I wasn't really sure the answer to her query.
     Mell nodded, and Eva walked forward, her crimson gaze fixed on me. The human-sized dragon approaching me terrified me, and my hands were sweating, while my heart raced in my chest, but I still held my ground.
     Reaching out with her neck, Eva sniffed me, and I watched with wide eyes, letting her poke my stomach and arms with her snout. In a way, she almost reminded me of a dog. She trilled softly, and Mell came over to my side. "Hold up your hand." She said. Warily, I held my hand in front of me. "Now close your eyes."
     "Is this safe?" I asked. "Just..." She sighed, and rubbed the back of her neck. "Trust me." I slowly closed my eyes, holding my breath. Well, if I'm gonna die, I might as well die by my favorite animal.
     I felt a hand touch my wrist and guide it forward, until my skin came in contact with cold scales. In the darkness behind my eyelids, I saw a glimmer of red, shining like fire, and then like neon lights. It formed the shape of a dragon, for a split second, before bursting apart, and forming a spider lily, similar to the one on Eva's shoulder.
     The shape left my vision, and then the scales under my hand slipped away. I opened my eyes, letting go of my , and Eva looked at me, her head cocked. Mell removed her hand from my wrist, and I lowered my hand softly. The dragon in front of me could've easily attacked and killed either one of us, and she was so close I could see the glint of magic in her eyes.
     Eva chuffed, and Mell smiled, looking down for a moment before looking at me. "It seems she trusts you." She observed. The faint glow of her markings flickered, and she looked at Eva. "So she won't hurt me?" I asked. "She only hurts people who attempt to hurt me. She's like my...guardian."
     "Like animal bonds?" I asked. Mell shook her head. "Like close friends." She said. Eva nosed Mell gently, and she giggled. The sound was carefree; the giggle of a young girl who hadn't gone through as many things as Mell seemed to have. There were lines worn into her face, the lines of a woman who'd been through many things: Sadness, happiness, love, grief, and many things in between. Mell had the look of a woman who'd been through many things. But the laugh of a child, betraying her true age.
     "That's cool." I said. Shyly, Mell looked over at me, and smiled, "I guess it is."
     Something about her smile hinted at something I didn't know. But I didn't pry. This was a druid I just met, not someone I'd known for ages. Just because her companion trusted me didn't mean she fully trusted me.
     "Hey, you said you were on a walk, right?" Mell asked. I nearly face-palmed. "Ugh, I forgot all about that. Can I see you again sometime?" I began to move away, though I looked over my shoulder. "If the fates permit." She said cryptically, waving. I waved back, beginning to run back through the darkened forest to my home. My home, where my friends would be waiting, unaware of anything I'd just seen.