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The girl opened her eyes.
She felt light headed, the sun light was glowing through the forest roof, creating a dreamy glow.
She was laying on her back and after managing to get a grasp of reality decided to sit up. The girl was sitting on solid ground, an even rock with several spirals carved into it. The spirals where arranged along the outer perimeter of the circular rock she was sitting on. In the center of said rock the sprirals met underneath her.
As her vision cleared she observed the forests surrounding her. Thick, impossible to make out anything behind those leaves. The only other thing she managed to make out was the sound of a flowing river somewhere behind her.
She tried to remember how she got here, where she came from and for that matter, who she even was.
She knew that she had a name, it's just that she couldn't remember it. At first she didn't think much of it but when time progressed, and mind became clearer and she still couldn't think of it she started to panic.
Her knees felt weak and she knew that she was way to weak to stand up but under the lack of motion combined with her absence of memory her flight mode got the better of her. She felt exposed here out in the sun. Her only desire was to get into the safety of the shady forest.
Half walking, half tripping she managed to do three whole steps before collapsing, falling to the ground right above one of the spirals.
She stayed there, fallen over on the hot stone, Baskin In the sun for the rest of the day.
She regained consciousness right after the sun had set.
She had hit her head and was holding it in an attempt to ease the pain.
Although her head wasn't completely clear it was a million times better than it had been a few hours ago.
The girl decided to close her eyes for a minute and try to calm herself. Close eyed she sat up facing the middle of the circular stone, her back towards the forest.
She still didn't rember her name.
She still didn't know where she was, how she got here, where she came from.
She didn't knew what her next step would be but decided opening her eyes would be a good start.
One last deep breath.
And she opened her eyes.
The girl had never been this frightened in her entire life. On each of the sprirals stood a human wearing an animal mask.
Some of those masks looked a bit to life like for her liking. And each and every single one of those masks were staring into her soul.
Not even one meter next to her stood a tiger to her right and a ram to her left. Out of all the masks these two looked the most realistic.
The girl stumbled back in an attempt to make an escape but she was to weak to move fast, the day had drained her.
,,Don't fear us" said the tigress. That was not a mask, the head was speaking. That was a hybrid. The girl had heard of these hybrids, they where spirits, God like.
The girl was still looking at the tiger when the ram started to speak, surprised she looked at him and was met with horror. Upon closer inspection it became obvious that his horns had grown trough his eye sockets. It looked beautiful and horrifying all at the same time.
,,You are safe here. We are the nature spirits and the last ones to hurt you, young woman."
After a short pause the girl finally found the courage to speak.
,,Where am I"
The tiger replied.
,,You are in the spirits holy circle. A place of devotion and beliefs."
,,The holy circle? Mortals can't come here. This is not possible."
,,well... There is one way to make it possible."
The Tigress crouched down and grabbed the girls hand, helping her rise up from the ground
,,I... I don't understand."
,,Well maybe... You are not a mortal anymore."
The girls eyes widened. This can't be real. Yes spritits were real and yes they picked people to replace them but there was no way they had picked her.
,,Me?"
,,Yes you" the tiger gave her a soft smile
The girl needed a second to process all of this and looked around the circle. Next to her the tiger and ram. Next to them a fox, a fawn, a seal, a snake, a bearded vulture and a hare.
All of them dressed in priest like robes in white, with ornate embroidery details in the colours of whatever animal they where representing. While the tiger and the ram where hybrids, the other spirits where visibly wearing masks.
,,I... I think I still don't understand."
,,Don't worry" now the ram was speaking.
,, I'll all make sense eventually. But now we have to address the main thing on the agenda, do you accept the gift of the spirit?"
The tiger interrupted ,,Amaril, don't rush her. You are always too fast paced with the new ones."
She turned back to the girl
,,He is always like this, don't worry. But he is correct, we must know If you accept the gift of the spirit. If you don't you will return home and shall have your memories back, with the exception of what happened today. If you stay, all the memories of your past life will be gone but you will become one of the spirits, carry on our honour."
The girl knew all of this, this was teached in school from very early on, in order to be prepared if one was ever gifted the honour of becoming a spirit.
She had thought about this before, this was every kids dream but now that she actually had to make the decision it seemed unbearable.
She tried to say something, tried to agree but she couldn't. She had parents at home. She didn't remember their names or faces but she probably had them. Two. A mom and a dad. Or a mom and a mom? She didn't remember. And In her helplessness, her lack of memory she couldn't resist and started to cry.
,,I want to go home" she sobbed
,,I understand that my dear, we have all been there. Take your time"
And so the girl cried and cried, sobbed and sobbed for several minutes. The moon stood straight above them when she stopped and managed to regulate her breathing.
,,You are the spirits? The real spirits?"
,,Yes my dear. We are the nature spirits. Founders and destroyers of life."
,,Then my answer is yes. I will take the gift of the spirits."
The Tigress smiled. ,,I'm glad. But in order to join us you will need a name. Is it okay for you if I name you or do you want to name yourself?"
The girl thought about it for a second. Her other name was given to her by her parents. She wanted her new name to be given instead of chosen as well.
,,You can choose a name for me"
The tiger thought for a second and then took the girls Face into her hands, or rather paws. The soft fuzzy sensation made the girl flinch but she stayed where she was.
,,Calista. The most beautiful one."
Calista looked at the tiger one last time before losing consciousness once again.