Chapter Text
Through the thicket of Thorelian woods, Aros’alei ran as fast as her legs would take her. Each step tore up the earth beneath her, fast, rough, and with no caution. Close to her chest, hugged tight in its preciousness, the blossom’s glow threatened any attempt at camouflage. She couldn’t let her have it. The Sorceress. She wouldn’t let her have it. Not with her mother, and their people depending on her. The vines of the blossom clung to her chest, and wrists that wrapped around it in tender security.
‘Run! RUN, Aros’alei and don’t stop!’ Her mother had cried, shoving the blossom into her arms. Her feet lagged, refusing to move until she’d caught a glimpse of the Sorceress in the distance, getting closer.
Sweat beaded down her forehead, and it was only once she felt herself slowing down that she realized she’d never ventured this far out. Past the field, the creek, and the winding oak. The ground was foreign, and the trees thinned. Her jogging slowed to quiet, careful footsteps. The sky above her was speckled with stars, and the moon hanging proudly. Would she make it through the night? A thought she didn’t want to confront at this moment. It was quiet, and as she walked further she realized she heard the sound of water, pushing past the last thick brush she emerged onto a cliff’s edge. Narrow, and hanging over a long drop into the rapid river below. Her stomach churned at the sight. She hated heights.
“Aros’alei.” A silky, haunting voice chided. Her grave was dug, though it would be unmarked, her fate sealed by the Sorceress of Malheida. “It’s just you and I.”
Aros’alei turned around, slow and reluctant. The Sorceress stood tall, floating feet above her in the sky. Her long, dark garb flowed in the night breeze. Her face was hidden in shadow, only a slight grin to be seen. Her thin arms extended, her greedy palms face up expectantly.
“Well, go on,” She nodded smoothly, grabbing the air. “You have something I want.”
The demand sent shivers down her spine. She couldn’t, but had to refuse it. She held the blossom that squeezed her so tight now, its grip begging for mercy.
She shook her head timidly, before squeezing her eyes shut and pushing off her heel into a sprint. She leapt from the cliff's edge with a bottled scream, feeling a thousand butterflies in her stomach. Wind slashed at her face before she was met with the cold submerge of the river. It carried her fast. She gasped for air, once she got her head above water- but it was short lived relief once she got pulled under again. Her throat burned, choking down the water of the river. She didn’t have much fight left in her, the candle was burning out. In her final desperate attempt, she swam to the top and swallowed as much air as her lungs could take. The scenery around her was blurry and changing, the only thing she was able to make out was the boulder in the water that was fast approaching. A dart to the right to try and avoid it was futile when her head cracked against it hard and fast.
The blossom ached under her pain, and in that moment it flowered, blooming beautiful before dissolving into her chest. A glow lingered, green and bright. They were one. Before her lifeless body could thrash around in the river any longer, vines that snake-ishly curled up her wrists shot out of the water and latched onto a flared root. With little struggle, she was hoisted out of the water, and gently onto the soft grass. The trees bent, hiding the glow of the now blossomed Aros’alei. Smoothly, her body carried deeper into the forest, before the power of the blossom wore thin. The glow faded and she slept now, curled on the forest ground, in her own bed of clovers and fern. Her snowy white hair stained a wine red, thick, sticky and wet with her blood.
—
As a treat, chocolate seemed in order Varian thought to himself. It was a big day! He’d just made a huge breakthrough, and he’d been saving some chocolate from Monty’s for a special occasion. He crept to the kitchen with caution for the noise, as it was getting later. 9 PM already, he hardly realized how fast the days went by anymore. He’d missed the sunset. Setting his gloves down on the table, he looked through the cupboard, grabbing the small baggie of chocolate, and starting the furnace once he’d grabbed a pot. Hot chocolate, maybe dad would want some too, he figured. Two cups form the cupboard then. They clinked against the table, but the clinking didn't stop, he noticed. At the kitchen window, a tip tapping noise refused to cease. He raised a brow, looking to the window inquisitively. His curiosity turned to annoyance in no time when he saw that same chubby bandit at the window, eyeing up his chocolate from outside. He swatted away at him. “Shoo! Get outta here, you.” He scolded a little too loud.
“Varian.” His father, Quirin, warned from upstairs.
“Oh, Sorry, Dad!” He called back.
The raccoon scampered off with a huff, and Varian returned to his process. Peaceful hot chocolate making, back on track. It seemed like it was only a few minutes before a new noise began, loud insistent knocking on the door. He let out an exasperated sigh. “I’ll get it!”
Opening the door, he was greeted by loud wails. Two girls, sisters, Louise and Edith. No older than 7. They had frantic, fearful energy. “Where’s Quirin?!” Edith quickly before Varian could greet them.
“Uh, yeah- he’s here, what’s going on?” Varian asks, stepping aside when the girls pushed into the house right past him. “Oh uh-”
“Quirin!” Edith called.
Quirin came down the stairs, tired, but more so confused. “What is happening?” His eyes narrowed on the girls now in his house, wet from the rain outside. “It’s late, your parents must be worried.”
“They wouldn’t believe us.” Louise sniffled.
“Believe what?”
“Theres a dead girl in the forest!” They cried together.
Varian and Quirin exchanged a concerned glance.
“Show me.” Said Quirin.
The four trudged through the forest, the ground slick and wet with rain and fallen leaves. Varian walked alongside his father. His chest fluttered with unease. Louise and Edith lead ahead of them, lantern guiding their way back to the scene. “Dad,” Varian began. “Do you think they are telling the truth?” He asked. A part of him wished they were lying, he’d never seen a dead body before and didn’t know what would be awaiting them.
“We have to trust them. We can’t lose one of our own.” Quirin responded in his usual stoic manner.
Varian hummed, nodding. His father knew how to lead a village, he should just trust it. “Right.”
Edith piped up. “Up ahead here, I see her!” They hadn’t lied after all, a girl who seemed not any older than Varian laid face down, unmoving. She ran forward standing a foot away from the girls body. “What do we do, Quirin?”
Varian followed close behind Quirin who kneeled down beside the body. His stomach flipped when he saw the blood in the girl's hair, looking away in hopes to save his dinner. His hand shielded his eyes. He hummed. Ungloving his hand, he put two fingers to her neck just below her jaw. “There’s a pulse. She isn’t dead.” Quirin asserted. He slid his hands under the crease of her knees and her back, picking the girl up and getting to his feet. “We’re going to patch her up and see if we can find her family.”
The walk back was mostly silent. Varian every now and again would give the unknown girl a small glance. She wore curious clothing, but that was only the beginning of her oddities. Before the blood, her hair was white- he wouldn’t judge unique hair too much, given his own teal stripe. There was plant life coiled around her wrists, up to her forearms. Dark green ivy. When she was awake, and okay, he was curious as to who this person could be. Why she was in the forest? What or maybe who did that to her?
The girls returned home, and Quirin set Varian on preparing a bed in the spare room for their guest. He wanted to help, but even on the walk smelling her blood was enough to have his knees weak. He propped up the door to the attic, allowing himself to shimmy his way through the opening. He grabbed the blankets the moths hadn’t got at. He prepared himself to step down the ladder back into the house, but remembered the state of her clothes. Torn and wet. They had something up here , surely. It took shoving a few boxes and squashing a big spider, but he found the chest he recognized. He opened it, and inside folded neatly were many of his mother’s old dresses. She might have to adjust them, but they would do.
He left the blankets made on the bed, and the dress folded neatly on top for when she’d awake.
Quirin settled her in, head bandaged and hair wet from washing out her blood.
“I don’t think she's from here.” Varian spoke quietly after Quirin shut the door to her room.
Quirin agreed, nodding his head. “I know, but we have to keep this all under wraps.”
Varian tilted his head. “What? Why?”
Quirin takes a seat at the table. “There’s enough commotion in Old Corona as it is, don’t you think?” Varian caught onto his insinuation rather quickly.
“This is a little different, dad. I mean, we don’t know what happened to her- It could’ve been a bear, or a mugger- or-” Varian started his long list of terrifying possibilities, but Quirin interjected.
“Varian, enough. Once she’s well enough I’ll travel to see king Frederic and we’ll assess our options then, and only then.” Quirin said as if it was final , walking past Varian up the stairs.
Varian sighed, standing in his thoughts for a moment. “Alright then.” He sighed.
—
Bright and early, Varian pulled himself out of his bed. Sluggish at first til he remembered the rest of his project that awaited him in the lab. Tussling his new shirt over his head, and into a warmer pair of pants he skipped down the stairs.
The house was quiet, and that was usual when Quirin was out tending to the land. Not hungry yet, he decided to skip breakfast today.
Opening the doors to his lab, he closed himself off from any of the fresh air he’d get today. He carefully stepped over the trip wire, and grabbed his apron from the desk.
It was cluttered and to some would be an unworkable environment, but Varian found routine in his chaos. He got to his tip toes, reaching for a clean beaker- his last clean beaker- on the highest shelf. All week he’d heard his father complaining about the weeds in the garden, and how Old Corona was run rampant with overgrowth. In his latest break through, he’d hopefully cracked the code to their problem. A compound made to kill the weeds, but leave the produce untouched.
A finished product felt close, it just needed a few tweaks, he thought. The last handful of times Varian tried to make his alchemy helpful it didn’t end well. Always with a disapproving shake of his fathers head. It didn’t help the rumours that circled Old Corona , either. He’d make a change. He convinced himself he was just unappreciated in his time.
With the squeeze dropper, Varian carefully dipped it into his previous formula, pinching to extract. He lifted it out, slowly walking across the lab to drop it into the beaker he’d been heating up.
In his stride, the door to the lab opened slowly and quietly. He hadn’t noticed his new company until there was a creak in the floorboard.
The girl from the other night, who he’d somehow completely forgotten, stood in the lab- a lost and dazed expression on her face. With a shriek he jumped at the surprise, losing his sample that smashed onto the floor.
As if mirroring him, she flinched at the commotion, and quickly ran to leave the lab.
“No, wait!” Varian called after, stepping to avoid the glass.
Unaware of the trap, her foot caught onto the wire she’d missed on her journey in. He watched her collide hard with the ground, and the trap set in motion. Along a railing that ran down the wall, a pink round ball rolled onto the group where she sat dormant.
It exploded into a gooey, sludgy prison that held her feet to the floor.
Oh this was bad. His dad was going to kill him.
She immediately struggled to break free, pulling at her legs desperately. Varian made his way over fast as he could, slowing down to kneel in front of her.
As he approached, her eyes grew fearful- and not only that, but he’d noticed their colour. Brown on the left, blue on the right. Fascinating. “Hey, no, no, no, no, it’s okay! You’re okay!” He frantically chirped, pulling a shaker from his aprons pocket. A salt sprinkled onto the substance, and in seconds it evaporated.
He stood up, hand outstretched. He’d hope she’d take it.
The girl looked up at him through concerned brows.
He nodded, in any attempt to assure her.
It looked like she contemplated it for a moment, before she took the help up.
“ I am SO sorry.” He pointed to the wire that was strung between the walls. “You see that? It’s to keep critters out, that wasn’t meant for you.”
She took a step back, looking apprehensively between him and where she’d taken her fall.
“Are you okay?” He asked in concern.
She nodded, and then for a second it was awkward. “Im glad to see you’re up and better, I’m Varian.” He offered, trying to fill the silence. “Do you have a name?” He asked, but felt stupid for that kind of question. Of course she does. Who doesn’t have a name?
“My name is Aros’alei.” She spoke for the first time. It was timid, and it sounded like a name that he didn’t recognize from around Corona.
“Aro…” He trailed off, embarrassed to mess up.
“Aros’alei.” She repeate, a slight smile rising from her amusement of his pronunciation.
“Well, uh, Aros’alei.. My dad will be done his work soon and we can get you home! Do you live far from here?”
Aros’alei opened her mouth to answer, but no words came out. Her brows knit together in confusion, and what looked like frustration. “..I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” He repeated, tilting his head back curiously.
There’s a sudden panic in her face. He connects the dots in that moment. Her hair was clean now, but the blood from last night- her head- the injury. “Hey, hey, it’s alright- let’s uh-“ He looks around sharply. Varian dragged a chair over. “Just take a seat.”
Shakily, she sits down. “I don’t know where-“ Her voice catches in her throat. “Where am I right now?”
“You’re in Old Corona.” He hoped the name would ring a bell, and her worry would be no more- but she wasn’t put at ease. The more the scene played out in front of him, the more his confusion and dread stirred.
“Let’s not dwell on that! Can you tell me what you do know? Let’s jog your memory!” He nodded, grabbing a spare sheet of paper- it was messy with notes, but he flipped it over. “You know your name, so there’s that. What else can you tell me?”
She pondered, eyes wandering around the room totally lost.
The time they sat there in silence was undetermined, though Varian could’ve sworn it was an eternity. Eventually admitting their defeat, and in the interest of sparing her sanity, they agreed to let the memory test pause- just for now.
What they know now is that besides her name, Aros’alei is a mystery. No family, no home, no idea how she wound up in the forest- or about the vines coiling up her arms.
After fixing a small meal for the two of them, Varian sat opposite to Aros’alei. “So.. Aro- Aros’al-“
She found it in herself to smile, lips stretching with a silent giggle. “Is it really so difficult?” She asked, and somehow her tease came across innocent.
“Sorry.” His cheeks warmed with embarrassment, scratching at the nape of his neck.
“No, no, don’t be.” She shook her head and winced once she remembered the searing pain that came with it. “If you’d like, you can shorten it.”
Varian hummed. “Might be a long shot, but do you remember what your name means?”
She lit up for a moment. “Oh! Yeah, actually! Aros’alei means ‘the rising of the sun’.” She affirmed.
As if a lightbulb went off, Varian spoke. “Like the dawn?”
She shrugged her shoulders, thinking about it. “Yes, I suppose.”
“What would you think of calling you Aurora? Sounds alike, and it’s pretty- At least ya’know I think so!”
“Pretty.” Aros’alei smiled. “I’d like that.”
Varian returned the smile. She’d calmed down a lot, and he was glad. However long she’d be staying with him and his father was unknown, but if he were honest he didn’t mind the company. Her attitude, despite the situation, had turned around completely.
He and his father would help her, Aurora. That he made sure to himself.
—-
Aurora’s slumber was disturbed with continuous poking. At her arm, her forehead, her shoulder. ‘Ra….. ake.. up.’ She yawned, swatting at the pest. Mornings, as far as she knew now, were not her thing. Aurora sat up, rubbing her two toned eyes sluggishly. When she finally came to, she saw Varian already dressed for the day, goggles and all. It had only been a handful of days since Aurora’s arrival- but Varian quickly found himself comfortable enough to request her company- even when she was asleep.
“Varian? What time is it?” She asked, clearing her throat through her morning voice.
“Oh, well, I mean- only like Five in the morning. But genius never sleeps and I am in need of your assistance!” He beamed theatrically.
Aurora titled her head. Varian took her hand, pulling her out of her bed. “Wh! Varian!” She exclaimed.
“Shhh! Shh! Dad is asleep!” He whispered hastily, quietly but speedily dragging her through the house and into the lab.
Once the door closed, Aurora gave a confused brow to her friend. “What on earth is the rush? Also, why do you need me- I don’t know anything about alchemy.”
Varian lit the lantern in the lab. “No, of course not. Tonight we’ll be conducting some experiments.”
“On what?”
“Well, I was hoping… on you.” He asked sheepishly, a hopeful grin on his face.
“Me?” Her confusion only grew.
“Yes! I was thinking about you-“
“Me?” She asked again.
“Precisely, but more specifically the vines on your arms.” Varian explained.
Aurora looked at her arms. Thin, green vines curled up her forearms. They were undying, and healthy as it seemed. She hadn’t tried to remove them, unsure if it would do harm. It boggled her mind, all of this mystery she had to swallow.
“Plant matter shouldn’t last this long, especially not existing without a root. If you’d let me, I’d like to get you some answers with the miracle of science.” He smiled, ever so persuasively.
She was tired, and albeit curious. She trusted Varian, although she was sure she’d heard more explosions in the last few days than ever in her life (though she couldn’t be sure.).
“I’m in.” She agreed.
Varian smiled nearly ear to ear. “Great! Let’s do this!” He wasted no time getting his gear together, and guiding Aurora to sit down on the table in the center of the laboratory.
Once situated, Varian held out his hand. “May I?”
Aurora nodded, extending her arm to rest across his gloved palm.
He got a closer look, blue eyes focusing behind his magnifying glass. “Mhmmm.” He hummed.
“Is that good?”
“Looks pretty much normal.”
Reaching on the table beside her, he grabbed a pair of tweezers. He carefully closed them around a leaf, tilting it to see underneath. Sending the inspection, the vines tightened.
His eyebrows furrowed, knitting together in his inquisitive nature. “Fascinating. Now, I’m gonna pull, you just tell me if anything hurts.” He nods, looking to look in her eyes. She bit her lip, nodding.
Varian pulled, and as if it was a snake being wrangled- the vines tightened again- this time, they changed to a dark green- sharp thorns shooting out. A shooting pain shot up her arm. “Ow, no , no stop!” She winced, and he did immediately, dropping his tweezers.
She pulled her arm close to her chest, where it calmed down slowly. The thorns retracted, and the dark green faded back to its lively colour.
Aurora and Varian’s gaze met. Confused, and slightly disturbed- Aurora spoke up. “That didn’t answer much for me.” She admitted.
Varian nodded. “Uh, well, that’s okay! We now know that you and the vines are inseparable- and they seem to share a nervous system of sorts with you- or, or they are tied to your emotions!”
“I guess that makes sense.” Aurora sighed, though it really didn’t make sense. “I.. But why?”
“That… I don’t have an answer for.” Varian admitted, scratching at the back of his head.
“Is it magic? Maybe a curse-“
Varian scoffed. “Nuhuh. Magic will never be my first guess. We gotta find a scientific explanation for this..” He hummed, stroking his chin in thought.
Varian got on a train of thought, pacing around his lab while he rambled. Aurora’s gaze shifted from her vines, to the window of the lab. Light poured in through the window. The sun was rising. Hopping off the table, she reached up to the window.
Sunlight shimmered against her fingertips, and with it- she felt rejuvenated. She smiled, closing her eyes with content. The refreshing feeling of sunlight trailed down her fingers to her toes.
“What are you…” Varian asked before his voice trailed off when he took in the white blossoms that trailed down her arms, springing to life. Bountiful bouquets bloomed from where she stood.
“Aurora, how are you doing this?” He asked with inquisitive frenzy, immediately jotting down the notes of what was happening. He had to make sure they’d study this later.
Aurora didn’t hear him, and only stepped away after another minute. She sighed, content and warm. “Hmm?” She hummed before a gasp escaped her mouth.
Aurora and Varian’s eyes met.
“How did you-“
“I don’t know!”
“We’ve got our work cut out for us.” Varian laughed breathily, carefully stepping over the flowers that sprouted through the cracks of the concrete flooring. He put a gloved hand on her shoulder, that she accepted with a smile.
“But, hey, we got this!”
Aurora raised a brow. “You say that a lot. Even when things don’t make sense- or- or they explode.” She huffed. “How do you know?”
She stepped away, running a hand through her thick white locks. “None of this makes any sense. We just keep getting more questions and no answers!”
Varian frowned, sensing her growing frustration.
“It’s only been a week.”
“That’s basically been my whole life!” She joked, but there was a stinging truth to it they both felt.
“It’s okay, you’re right, it’ll be okay. Can we just,” she turned around to give him an earnest smile “Maybeee take a break from the gruelling experiments?”
Varian dropped the tool he’d subconsciously picked up while she was talking.
“Oh- oh yeah! Psssh for sure, how about we head into Corona, I hear they’ve got the berry market coming in today.”
A good distraction was what she needed, and he delivered. “I’ll go get ready!”