Seasons Unending Ch. 03: Angela
"You know," Puck said with a grin, "People used to say 'the great trickster fae, Puck! He's one of the children of Oberon!' And here we are in the 21st century, with just 'Hello, Puck.'"
Angela looked at the boy, trying to gauge his actual mood. "Sorry. It's just been a rough century so far."
"That's fair," he replied, looking over to Benji who was now attempting to dip his toes in the creek, "You uh...may want to reel that one in."
She laughed, materializing the dog's food and water bowl, and placed both on the ground beneath her, then summoned food and water in each. Benji, now clearly more focused on that, trotted back to her and quickly began to engulf the food.
That taken care of, she looked back to her friend. "So, what brings you here?" she asked.
"Oh! Actually, you'll like this. I was summoned, get this...by someone finding Titania's Mirror!"
"Wait, really? I thought that had disappeared centuries ago? What's it doing here in America?" she asked, curious now.
"Not sure, but I did have quite a bit of fun. If there's one thing I've come to appreciate about mortals over the years, it's that they've become quite creative... and very vague about their wishes." He laughed.
"You and your monkey's paw wishes." She laughed. "What happened this time?"
"Nothing too bad, thankfully. I gave the usual 'three wish' deal with the warnings. He didn't try to pull any fast ones on me, so I kept the fun relatively low. He does have a talking statue now, though."
"I...talking statue?" she asked.
"Oh yes, you see, the man's third wish was to understand his own art. So, I brought it to life. He's very thankful for it- the statue, I mean. Not sure how the human feels." Puck said with a laugh.
Angela laughed at the absurdity of it. "And the mirror?"
"I gave it to a pawn shop owner. Figure I'll give it a month or so and poke in on the next owner."
She smiled at him, thinking to herself again. As she did so, Puck walked over to Benji, who was now back at the creek. He materialized a large strip of bacon in his hand, and Benji immediately went into hysterics. Puck then licked his own finger, and then ran it down the center of the strip. Where his finger touched it, peanut butter appeared. At this, Benji went from hysterics to full lunacy until Puck gave it to him.
Finally, she asked: "Do you mind if I ask you something about my powers?"
"Go right ahead." He replied, sitting back down.
"The thing is," she began, "I don't feel like I have the powers of a succubus. For example," she stretched her wings, "Shouldn't these be...demonic? Less 'soft and fluffy' and more 'leathery?''
He thought for a moment before responding, "Well, for one, you're not actually one of the succubae, Lillith's Daughters. So, you don't have an in with them."
She knelt to give Benji a small pat as she thought about what to say to that. "I still don't fully know the difference between what I am and what they are." She spoke.
"Do you remember when you were transformed?" he asked.
"I remember it happening, but I don't recall the specifics of the spell. I was a little busy, as you might recall." She replied.
"Alright. Perhaps just a peek into the past."
Puck stood up, looked around, and seemingly finding what he was looking for, walked over to a large tree. Placing his hand on it, he closed his eyes for a moment before saying, "This old one will do!"
She looked at him quizzically, "Do for what?"
"His roots run quite deep, and his memory is long. I can trace his roots to the lea lines in the area, and from them to...well, it's better if I show you. Here." He offered his left hand to her while his right hand stayed on the tree.
She looked back at Benji, still sitting in front of his bowl, looking back at her contentedly. She whispered a quick spell of warding to keep him from wandering off, then looked back at Puck and took his hand. Immediately her eyes glowed blue and she saw the tree's spirit, its essence. It was beautifully green, the green of leaves after a wonderful rain, deep and vibrant. She sensed this tree was old. That's an understatement, she thought, this one is ancient.
"Indeed, I am," came a soft voice.
This startled her, which in turn made Puck laugh. "Everything alright?" he asked with a smirk.
"Fine." She grumbled in response, before turning her attention to the tree. "Ancient one, who are you?" she asked.
A faint shimmer of green emanated from the tree as it began to speak. As it did so, Angela felt a warmth, a feeling of contentment and peace.
"I am the elder wood of this forest, seedling." It said. "We trees have our own language, one that does not use words such as you do. But the humans who have traveled upon my roots have called this place Amen Park- and so you may know me as Amen. For in this wood, as I will it, so it is."
Her curiosity overcoming her trepidation, Angela let go of Puck's hand and instead placed her left hand directly on the tree itself. When she did so, she felt the tree's magic gently reach out to her, like a vine. As it did so, she felt her own magics respond in kind, the green intermingling with the blue. Where they connected, on her arm just below the elbow, their blending created a beautiful teal. The great tree sent a series of memories to Angela's mind, and as she struggled to fully take in just how old this one was, she began to understand. Incredible, she thought, I feel like a piece of sand in an ocean of memory.
Experiencing now the life of the tree, she felt the cold of winters so bitter it seemed every other tree was dead. But wait, for in the blink of an eye the forest was so hot and humid she could scarcely breathe. She watched as the indigenous peoples first arrived here, those whose feet created the small pathways through the forest that she and Benji loved to travel. They worshiped this tree without even knowing fully why- they seemed to intrinsically recognize its importance. She saw and felt a storm so strong every other tree in the forest rattled, but not the elder. His roots were too deep, and bark was too strong. At one point she saw a flash of lightning and a branch about to fall onto a small child- but Amen would not have it so, and it protected the child with branches of its own. All this she took in seemingly in a matter of moments before letting go of the ancient tree's bark.
Angela shook as she continued to experience the residual effects of the visions the great tree had chosen to share. Finally, she took a deep breath and began to compose herself.
"Amen." She began, her breathing deep and somewhat labored. "I am humbled that you chose to show me your life. You have lived many lives of my kind, have endured storms that broke others of your kind. Yet still you are a kind guardian of this wood, aiding even the smallest ones."
"I thank you for your kind words, seedling." Amen responded. "All life is precious to me, and so I would see it flourish. You are no different."
It showed her further images, this time of herself when she first came to the wood. Angela watched as her younger self flew down onto a stump and cried. She felt a sense of confusion coming from the great tree, for it had not seen her kind before.
She herself remembered that night well- she had just moved to the area and had fallen in love with a young furniture maker. But he had only fallen in love with her wealth, and so it wasn't long before he had broken her heart. In return, she had used her powers to seduce him one last time and taken his soul. Now her younger self was there, crying for all the hurt she had endured- and what she had done in revenge. And so now the elder wood set aside its own confusion, for here was one in need of nurturing. It sent from itself a feeling of peace, of serenity, and her younger self felt calm coming over her.
Back now in the present, Angela held back tears. "I never knew. All this time I came here and fell in love with this wood, and I never knew that you were here."
"No child, you did not. Nor, seemingly, did the little animal you bring with you now." Amen said, now expressing a feeling of slight humor within the calming presence.
Another vision came her way- this time of Benji using the trunk of Amen as his own personal toilet. Angela felt mortified, but the only feeling the ancient tree seemed to give off was that of merriment.
Puck took this moment to interrupt. "Forgive me, elder wood, but we actually came to ask for your aid in seeing an image from the past."
The tree turned it's attention to Puck for the first time. "Greetings, Puck, Trickster of the Fae and child of Oberon." It said with a chuckle.
Rolling his eyes, Puck said under his breath, "Ok, I deserved that one."
Speaking clearly now, he responded, "We wish to use your roots to connect to the lea lines of this world, and in doing so reach back to the day Angela was transformed into what she is now. We would do this to help her better understand her condition."
The great tree seemed to think on their request for a few moments. Angela took this time to look back at Benji and make sure he was still fine. Sure enough, he was laying next to the creek, occasionally lifting his head up whenever something happened in it.
Amen began to speak again. "Looking beyond my border and into the past is no easy feat, seedlings. But if it would help you grow straight and tall, I will do what I can."
"Thank you, Elder Wood." Angela replied. "Puck, how do we do this?"
"Amen will act as our base in the present, and we will send out our spiritual selves into Amen's roots, and from there connect to the lea lines. Once we've done that, we'll trace the line back to the location we seek in both time and space."
"I will encircle you in a sphere of my own protection to ensure you do not lose your way, seedlings. Even for a god such as yourself, this will be a dangerous journey, Puck." said Amen. "But have a care- once you are inside the lea system, wild magic will tempt you to stray off the path. Under no circumstances must you leave my sphere, or I will not be able to retrieve your spiritual essence."
"I- we- understand, ancient one. Thank you again. Will Benji be alright here?"
She again felt the warmth of the tree. "He will be as safe as an acorn in my branches."
"Ok," Angela said, "Let's go!"
Angela once again placed her left hand on Amen's bark next to Puck's. This time, rather than his magic connecting to hers, she sent hers into him, providing a pathway for her soul to travel. She felt her soul leaving her body, drawn into the tree. Once inside, her manifested itself next to Puck, who, being a god, simply appeared in full form next to her. Then she noticed that the two of them were being encased in what looked like a hardened sap or resin. Once the bubble was fully formed around them, Puck looked at her and said: "This next part is on you, Angela. Focus on what you wish to see, and our little train will respond accordingly."
She nodded and closed her eyes, focusing on the last time she saw her family together, the night she was transformed. Take me there, she whispered like a prayer, help me understand.
In response to her thoughts, their encasement began to move. It traveled downwards at first, choosing a root to the far west side of the tree. From there it pushed forwards, and when Angela looked down, she saw a long golden line directly below their bubble.
"It's the lea lines." Puck said in response to her look of confusion. "Think of them like magical train tracks that cross all over the world. Every place on the planet where they intersect is considered a magical 'hotspot,' and trust me, weird shit goes down."
"Like what?" she asked.
"Ever hear of the Bermuda Triangle?" he laughed.
"That makes a disturbing amount of sense." She shook her head.
All around her, Angela began to notice things. She closed her eyes and took in the feeling of traveling the lea lines. In a sense, it actually felt less like she was traveling over them, and more that the lines themselves were traveling over her- her life, the places she had been. She opened her eyes again, and noticed little branches on the lines, branches that seemed to lead to different people and places that were significant to her. Each time they passed a particularly thick line of golden magic, she thought she could hear a voice that was calling out to her.
Eventually, the voice became louder, more defined. Angela felt her essence give form to this voice, and in front of her came an image of a lovely brown-haired woman, wearing rustic clothing. Her eyes were a deep blue, and she had a kind smile on her face- a smile that Angela had always associated with the feeling of love, of home. It was her mother.
"Angela, my sweet angel." She heard her mother say. "Come to me. We can be together again. The magic you've discovered will allow it."
Angela immediately felt drawn to the apparition. There was her mother, as kind and wonderful as she had ever been. She took a step towards her and Amen's magical encasement began to turn.
"Don't do it." said Puck. "Remember what Amen said; we can't stray off the path."
"Angela, come home my child." The image beckoned. "Your father and brothers are waiting. We miss you so!"
Not heeding Puck's voice, Angela took another step, and the amber encasement began to crack.
"Angela, stop!" Puck shouted now. As Amen's shield began to fracture, Puck began to panic. His own powers would surely protect him, he thought, but it was his charge he was most concerned for. He attempted to grab her, to shake her out of her enchantment, but it was of little use- she had fallen sway to the power of the lines, the lure of unrestrained, wild magic.
Just as Angela began to take a final step, to reach out to the apparition, there came a voice, one strong and sure like that of a trumpet, its reverberations like thunder in their bones.
"Begone, wild magic. Our son has an errand that shall not be delayed by the likes of thee," Commanded the voice. The apparition disappeared in whip of smoke, and Angela's mind began to clear.
"Puck, my boy, where have you gone?" called the voice, now less powerful but more resonant.
"I'm literally a Trickster god! You're going to have to do better than that!" sneered Puck.
"It really is you! I sensed your presence in the lines and came to look. Where have you been the last several hundred years, son? Titania, look, we've found him!" the voice said excitedly.
At this, two beings appeared, both fae creatures, one male and the other female. They were tall and regally dressed. The man wore a golden crown with deep brown hair, and a light green shirt with a beautiful green cape that had golden trimmings. The woman wore a long, flowing blue dress that accentuated her beautiful body with hair as golden as the crown on her husband's head. They both had the telltale sign of the fae- long, pointed ears, though his were longer and hers more rounded. It's his parents, Angela thought, There's no doubt- that's the King and Queen of the Fae- Titania and Oberon!
Again, Angela attempted to take a step forward towards them, but Puck grabbed her this time, pulling her back towards the center.
"If you really are my mother and father, you know what I am doing is dangerous for myself and my companion. Do not attempt to interfere." He warned.
The man looked to his wife, and a feeling of sorrow passed between them. Eventually, the man said, "It truly is us, son. But you are right- traversing the lines is dangerous, so we will not attempt to accost you, lest you be lost to us again."
"Though we do not know your mission, child, we know it must be one of importance. We will do what we can to aid you." Titania said with a kind smile.
"Good speed to you, Puck, and to you, traveler." The queen said, holding out her large blue scepter. A soft blue beam shot from it and encircled their bubble. "By our power, you shall make it to your destination and safely home again."
Puck stepped forward and bowed, prompting Angela to do the same.
"I thank you mother and father," he began. "Now that we have found each other again, come seek me out in America."
"That we shall do, Puck. For now, our blessing and love goes with you." Oberon said.
The image of his parents disappeared. Puck stood there, staring in the direction they once were. Angela, unsure of what to say, stood silently behind him. Eventually, they both noticed the orb beginning to slow down. Once it had finally come to a stop, Angela looked around.
She looked down and saw for the first time in several hundred years the true face of her mother and her father. Shedding a tear she said, "I'm back. I'm actually back.""
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