The Gates of Losten, E. C. Zimmerman. [the kiss of deception read online TXT] 📗

Livarian sat upon her throne of vines and tree roots, and the light of the sun glinted off of the natural stone that had gathered to make a very open throne room. Twenty feet from Livarian, the stone molded themselves into steps, and she watched the forest in front of those steps with supressed eagerness. Her golden hair swirling into braids as the wind played with it. And silkworms sewed her white dress into intricate, lacey patters.


Livarian is the queen of the Island Embama. Embama is in the realm of Losten, just beside the human sea. The portal to this realm, however, is forbidden to be seen by human eyes. No one on Embama knew where Livarian came from, or what she was, all she was able to tell them, was that she was sent to heal, and protect this land. The creatures of Embama had no reason not to refuse her. What Livarian offered was desperately needed then.

Embama used to be a wasteland, full of death and plague. The trees were dead, the sun was grey and lifeless, and the soil was nothing but ash. The creatures that had no choice but to live there were quickly dying off when Livarian, in a ray of golden sunlight, appeared. The creatures hadn’t seen living sunlight in so long, that they were afraid of it, at first, but as Livarian explained to them why she had come to them, their desperation to feel healthy and alive again won out over caution.


Soon, she healed every creature that she found, and as she set her hand on the trees, a pulse of light shot through her hand, and into them, healing them almost immediately. The thing that amazed the creatures most of all, though, was when she found the clearing in which her throne sits now. She walked to the center of the clearing, leaned down, and pressed her hand to the ashy dirt. Her eyes closed, and her entire body began to glow like the sun. The glow seemed to concentrate on her hand, getting brighter, and brighter, before releasing from it into the ground with what felt like a shockwave, knocking a few of the creatures back.


When Livarian opened her eyes, the entire forest was green again, with flowers sprouting around her, and trees leaning toward her.


So that was the day they made her their ruler, almost a millennia ago.


So as Livarian sat on her throne, on the anniversary of the very day she appeared to them, what most would call a birthday, you could imagine that she was excited. She was watching so closely and straining her ears to hear the approach of Jujesto, a snow white wolf, Alpha of his pack, and her friend and guardian, that there would be no chance that she wouldn’t see or hear him. The trees ruffled in the wind, whispering to her.


“Oh, shush.” She admonished them with a smile. “I am not bouncing in my seat.”


“I beg to differ.” Jujesto said with a gruff chuckle.


Livarian felt excitement speed her heart as her black eyes looked back to where she had been staring for the past two hours. Jujesto emerged from the forest, trotting up the stairs just as she imagined he would. “Jujesto, My dear friend,” She greeted, standing.


He lowered his head in a bow and she pressed her hand to the top, letting her light flow down the length of his body in lovely, swirling patterns. He looked up with a rather feral grin, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “The Circle-Of-Sun is ready for you, my lady. Shall we go?” He asked her, taking a step back in the direction of which he came.


She pressed her hands together and smiled. “Yes. I suppose it is time to celebrate, isn’t it? An anniversary like this only happens once every decade.” She said, yet again suppressing her eagerness.


Jujesto bowed his head once again, and they set off, Livarian letting her hands touch each tree that they passed, making them shiver in the wind and unfurl their leaves, caressing her hair in their soft tendrils.


Creatures of every size, shape and color emerged from trees, dens in the ground, and wooden huts, very small wooden huts. They were tiny villages that housed fairies. The fairies rushed from their homes, flying up to Livarian where they curtsied and bowed in midair, their excitement showing in the way their lights flickered to a different color each time they moved. Their delicate, lace wings fluttered faster than a humming bird, keeping them in the air.


“Hello My Lady, Can you believe you are only two Millennia old? It seems like yesterday that you came to us.” The leader of the village, Vilonia rambled.


Ten years for Losten, the equivalent to a year for the realm of humans, so a thousand years is more like a hundred for these creatures. And since Livarian only ages every two Millennia, it was like she was a year old. And this brings us back to humans. The last human ever to set foot in Losten, created havoc upon the realm. His name was Lucius, he’d realized that he was immortal, and decided to use it to his advantage. He robbed villages, hunted sacred creatures, and as decades turned to Millennia, no one was able to catch him. Finally, they decided to lure the human in with promises of gold, food, and power. They trapped him, sending him back to the human world where he lived on the Island forever, until the day he died…or so everyone was told. There have been rumors for decades that the human still lives, because they didn’t know that he had a rabbit leg from one of the creatures that he’d killed, and its magic kept him alive. For reasons no one was really sure, thousands of years later, the lords of this land used their magic, setting a spell that ensured humans could not look at the portal, lest they go blind.


Livarian smiled whispered conspiratorially to the Fairy children, “I’ve got something for you.”


They squealed, excited as she pulled tiny dresses and tunics that you could hardly see in the palm of her hand, but fit the children perfectly. They bowed gratefully. The fairies knee length hair swished over their shoulders and into their faces. Usually the females, after marriage, would put their hair up into tightly wound buns, and the male fairies usually cropped their hair short after marriage, giving it to the spouse. It signified that they were giving their life to them, and no other.


“Jujesto, it is so nice to see you out and about. I am sure, after the untimely death of your mother, it must be hard for you.” Beladon, the bear leader said, emerging from the woods with his sister, Niana.


Jujesto bowed his head in agreement. His mother, almost eighty Millenia old, a mere eight years old in Losten years, died giving birth to her pup. Livarian tried to heal her, but it was too late by the time she got there. Jujesto mourned for three years, this was one of the first days he was out of his den. The pup is alive and well, learning from the memories passed on to her by her mother, just as every wolf learns.


Beladon and Niana bowed their heads in greeting to Livarian, and she nodded back with a kind smile. “We should go, the creatures are gathering.” Jujesto said to Livarian.


Livarian felt an eager smile tug at her lips. “Yes, we don’t want to keep them waiting.”


Niana gave Livarian a knowing smile. “We’ll come with you, if that’s alright.” Beladon said, looking at Livarian with respectful, kind eyes.


“Not at all, dear friend. Please, join us.” Livarian said, absently stroking her finger along a tree leaf that had rested on her shoulder.


The trees rustled in the wind, whispering their excitement to her as they walked along the path to the Circle of Sun. This excitement was not for the Celebration itself, but for who was attending.


“Jujesto. I’m afraid my friends have given away the surprise.” Livarian said, letting forth a tinkling giggle.


“It’s a shame. Our lords and ladies wanted to see your expression when you arrived.” He inclined his head in her direction as the light broke through the trees nearby.


The Circle of Sun was the place where Livarian was born. The ray of sunlight she appeared from left a circle of glowing crystals that no one could explain, not even the lords of the realm. When Livarian was born, she had a necklace around her neck, which had a matching crystal as the centerpiece. She later explained to the creatures that this necklace was her life, literally. She was connected to the crystal, as it was connected to her. As her heart pumped, it pulsated light along with it. Should it be damaged, she would feel the effects. Should it be broken…the life would drain from it, as it would from her. When the human began his rein of terror, the creatures were terrified for Livarian; they implored her to hide the necklace away, lest he see it, and think it a wonderful prize. So they built it a temple, hidden away by trees and protected fiercely by guardians. And that is where it stays today.


Finally, they reached the clearing, stepping through the break in the forest, and into another world.

Text: Emily Zimmerman.
Images: Emily Zimmerman.
Editing: Me.
Translation: Me.
Publication Date: 02-19-2013

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