Chapter Text
Twinkling memories in the starry night
I'm wrapped up in the flow of time
Getting bewildered every time I realize the pain
A bud that grows in the depths of my heart
[Omoi Saku Toki — Aoiema]
Ever since she was born, a certain Spirit of Nature had always been surrounded by pure water, lush green and fragrant with heather and daisies. She had always heard sounds from afar, but they never came closer. Even just chatting with anyone was forbidden to her, or so it seemed. Not because she was affected by some curse, but simply because no Spirit came near. Everyone kept her away, spirits and humans alike. It was as if she were invisible to anyone, even to those few humans gifted with the "sight" or with the blessing of Nature.
The Spirit thus remained alone and immobile, wandering as far as possible within the confines of her lake and observing what the surroundings. In silence, alone. One day, however, something happened.
That was the day the Spirit heard the sound of her own voice.
A young man had limped to the foot of the lake, only to collapse to the ground, exhausted and covered in wounds and bruises. When their eyes met, the Spirit immediately hid, caught off guard. The boy tried to call her, apologizing for his sudden presence.
-Are you, by any chance, the spirit that dwells in these waters?-
The spirit reappeared as a tiny light in front of him, overcoming her initial shyness. It was the first time anyone had approached her and it was even a strange human with the blessing of nature.
-How do you know who I am?-. The spirit was surprised by the sound of her own voice, but did not show it, given the form of tiny light in which she presented herself. The young man smiled, making her curious.
-No one else would come near here. They are all afraid of her presence.-
-Then why are you here?-. She just couldn't contain her curiosity. The spirit knew perfectly well why she was avoided: not only was that lake difficult to reach, but her presence kept everyone away.
-Because I think it's the perfect place to die.-
That answer surprised her, also because it was accompanied by a serene and fearless expression.
-Would you like to keep me company, Miss Spirit? You know... I'm afraid of being alone.-
The pool of blood around him spread more and more, until it touched the clear waters of the lake. The spirit didn't know whether out of pity, sadness, or simply out of gratitude for being the first to approach her without showing fear, but she decided to show herself to the young man in her true form. She revealed herself to him as a woman with long blue hair, large eyes of the same color that reflected the water of that same lake, pointy ears, pearly skin wearing a simple white dress with topaz decorations.
Sitting next to him, she placed a hand on his face, where a trickle of blood ran and was absorbed into the crystal on her wrist. The human's entire life flashed through her mind, all his memories up until the moment when a tragic series of events had brought him to that place. Tears rolled down the Spirit's cheeks.
The young man now smiled more sadly, understanding what had happened. -I was told that spirits hated humans, yet you are kind to me.-
The spirit looked confused. -Kind?-.
The other nodded, but didn't elaborate further. -May I know your name?-.
She moved a lock of her hair behind her ear before answering. -Nerthus-.
It was the first time someone wasn't scared of her and she wondered if it was because she was dying. For that reason Nerthus had decided to reveal her name to him. Upon hearing the answer, the young man felt grateful to know it, moving his gaze to note and imprint in mind, in those last moments of his life, the beauty of that unknown landscape.
-It's so charming... it's a shame that I'm only seeing this now. I wish she had seen it too.-
Shortly afterwards the young man breathed his last, cradled by the presence of Nerthus. She was aware of the normal life cycle of every human being — even nature spirits were part of that cycle. Only then, however, did she begin to wonder the reason for her existence, as she made her scepter appear with the three gems set on it that she guarded as a protector.
“What should I protect them from? And why me?”.
Nerthus shook her head. She decided to ignore what nature had assigned to her at birth. She told herself there was a reason for everything.
However, she did not ignore that bold young man. As a token of her respect, she slid her body into the lake, so that it rested next to the shiny minerals that covered every inch of the lakebed, the main source of her power.