As Colias watched the deer move through the hazel forest, she seemed to travel with the instinct of centuries, and he sensed that this beautiful creature was somehow connected to his destiny. It was only when Colias saw the Crystal Kingdom shining from the earth’s core, that he knew the imaginings of his dreams in Sobul were about to be realised.
The
* *
Makaylah's wild waist long hair moved as if floating on water when she turned to see Edana enter the crystals. Edana, the goddess of fire, once through the crystal wall, transformed from a wild cat. Her hair, black like the raven, was surrounded by a garland of large red roses around her forehead. Her skin darker than Makaylah’s, wrapped in a dress of blood red, revealed womanly curves that held the power of all men’s passions. An ice fox was the next to arrive, and just like Makaylah, she turned into a creature so beautiful, that she had no need for any crown. The iced-white of her fox coat, became silky straight hair of purple, her lips the same colour. Kindall may not have had the purity of Makaylah, or the full bodied passion of Edana, but she was indeed a clever independent fox.
‘Ah, Kindall, you are just in time, Makaylah here thinks she might have seen him.’
‘Seen who?’
‘The warning of our forefathers, the creature she must never kiss.’ Edana let out an infectious laugh just as Peigi arrived.
‘Makaylah has seen him?’ the white dove becoming the last of the sisters to transform.
Makaylah looked at Peigi, the youngest of them all with the colour of the oceans in her eyes. Peigi wings turned into a headdress of three circles in white weave, the centre piece laced in crystals, just like her dress.
‘Heavens Makaylah, is this true? You have finally met him?’ Peigi swooned.
‘Do you not get it Peigi, romance, not that I normally resist the absolute divine delight of it, is completely out of the question here.’
‘Edana, maybe the warning is wrong, this creature might be her true love.’
But Peigi conceded defeat when Kindall spoke.
‘She cannot afford to take that chance?’
Makaylah looked at her three sisters and remembered Colias as he stood in the meadow. Each of them could see the vision in her eyes, and feel her deepest emotions, knowing that he was within her being, like the centre stones of the earth's core.
It was Kindall that spoke next.
‘Makaylah you know if you kiss him, you will go to the Valley of Darkness ?’
‘I know. Everything from my creation to now confirms what you say, but even though I understand this, there is something drawing me to him.’
‘That’s the very reason why you should not be tempted. You hardly think the gods would have sent a being of no attraction.’ Kindall looked to Edana to confirm.
‘Absolutely darling, the more passionate and tempting they seem, the more one should be wary. Unless of course you like to live dangerously like me?’
‘I think Makaylah should go to the Forest of Answers ,’ said Peigi.
‘Will you take me there sweet Peigi?’
‘Of course I will, but we must rest now, tomorrow before daylight we will go. In your sleep, the gods might give you answers.’
Before the sun rose outside the Crystal Kingdom, Makaylah's sad eyes told Peigi nothing had changed. Peigi transforming herself into her earthly dove-like form and waited while Makaylah reduced to the size of the most minuscule of fairies. Climbing on her back, they both flew to the Forest of Answers, unaware that in their wake, followed the daring Colias.
The conclusion of this chapter will be posted on Saturday 2nd April 2011