Changeling

Chapter 21

The restorative effects of the water from the Moon's Well were miraculous and revealed an Ariton I had never seen. In full health, he glowed, his skin was more radiant, his hair sleeker and softer and begging for my hand to run through it. His posture was straighter, his muscles had more definition and his eyes shined like polished amethysts. If he were as breathtakingly beautiful to behold in his state of illness as he was, now he could only be described as heart stoppingly gorgeous.

"Good," said Cason as Ariton dropped the empty bottle of moon water to the ground. "Take this." He pushed one of the satchels and the bow with quiver and arrows into Ariton's arms. Ariton promptly swung the pack and quiver over opposite shoulders making the straps form an x across his chest which punctuated the excess of strength that was now visibly present in his upper torso. He hooked the bow onto the pack and stood there looking like the hero of some fantasy movie or video game.

"Princess..." Cason gave me a satchel as well and then presented me with the daggers. He held one in each palm by the blades, hilts out, urging me to take them up. I eyed them cautiously not entirely sure how I would wield such weapons... then recalled the part of me that had once held a knife to my foster mother's throat. It's how all of this started in the first place wasn't it? A knife. It was all because of a knife. It's how I ended up in juvenile detention, it's what led me to decide jail was viable option. It was a weapon, not unlike these, that resulted in the series of events that left me broken and hospitalized and vulnerable, allowing Ariton to whisk me away to this strange, dangerous land.

Perhaps I was being over analytical that one instant and one item could be responsible for the trajectory my life had taken, yet I couldn't shake the feeling that these daggers were a crossroads, like the knife at that table setting had been, and that once I took them up I was on a path I couldn't escape. These wouldn't leave me vulnerable though, if I were going to carry them, at some point I would have to use them and I knew I could and would do it. "Take them," he urged.

I reached out slowly and stroked the handles admiring that in addition to their tactical purposes, they were also pieces of artwork.

"They're too beautiful for me. I can't take these." I didn't deserve such extravagant gifts.

"Yes, you can, and you will," Cason advised and with a solid stare gave me a nod of encouragement.

"Alright then."

I gripped them snugly and he relinquished them to me. I held one upward to the light to inspect it further and awed at the polished metal blade gleaming silver, etched with intricate knotwork designs. The cross guards were embellished with brilliant blue gemstones that reminded me of the glacier eyes of the Hellion who stalked our cave. They fit in my hands perfectly as if they were forged just for me. As I held them, a gentle vibration emanated from the handles and coursed into my palms, then up my arms and into my bones. My face must have shown some surprise.

"Do you feel them?" Questioned Ariton.

"I..., yes!" I rolled my wrists gazing at every angle of each dagger as the gentle vibrations became stronger and stronger generating an energetic buzz over my entire body. The feeling wasn't unpleasant but it was strange as it moved up my arms down through my core and out to the bottoms of my feet then back up to my arms again in circular pattern on each side of my body. A moment later I became overwhelmed with a burst of emotion. It was coming from the blades. Feelings flowed through me riding the energy originating from my palms. Joy, love, happiness, optimism, amusement, comfort...it all hit me at once...pleasure, peace, relaxation. It was a wonder. I felt lighthearted, tears welled in my eyes. The good kind. The ones that arose when seeing an old friend for the first time in years, or when witnessing a wedding or the birth of a baby... then something changed...nostalgia, frustration, jealousy, anger, rage. Heat welled in me. I needed to scream and throw these blades as far away from me as I could get them. And then suddenly it all stopped. The feelings were gone but my cheeks were left wet and warm. "What...what was that?"