Btw The Carvings In The Stones Were Runes - Tumblr Posts
Day 3: Overgrown
================================ Hi so due to personal reasons (ie: flying to a different city), this is very late & I will not be doing day 4-6 in order to catch up. Other than that, I will try to continue to do inktober. :]
Another thank you to my beta Soldier Blade for helping me edit this & to @aaytaro-gt for making the prompt list this month. :D
(TW: Some derealization (kinda, I don’t know if it counts but just in case))
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Long Forgotten
The wooded landscape of Yarrow Springs wasn’t explored very much. It was common knowledge in fact, that nobody really went in. It’s not really a law or rule that's broken, but the members of the town just never chose to explore them. So what did Melina & Jasmine decide to do? Melina & Jasmine have made it their mission to explore & document the forests to “connect with nature”, or just to scout the area for other potential fairies.
Yet as they both walked, Jasmine couldn’t help but feel as though she was walking through something she wasn’t supposed to. Like breaking some forbidden unspoken rule that went far deeper than a town superstition. Melina however, did not seem to feel the same sentiment, & was happily flying back & forth between the trees.
“Mels… are you sure that it's safe to be here?” Jasmine asked timidly, stumbling over a large rock that looked a little too oddly shaped. Melina huffed & turned to her girlfriend with a look of exasperation.
“Jaz, for the fifth time, you're safe with me. If anything were to attack us, I could protect you.” She replied, voice confident & strong. Despite her reassurances, Jasmine still felt like she was out of place among the trees & creeping vines of the forest. Melina softened at her worried expression, & fluttered up to her girlfriends face, resting her arms on her nose. “Hey, look at me,” She said softly. The human in question flicked her eyes to her lover, a small yet timid smile growing on her face. “Don't you worry, alright? The worst thing we’ll find in these parts is some exiled or wild fairies. We’ll be safe from them.” She reassured, a warm grin blooming on her face. Jasmine returned the expression, though the smile didn’t reach her eyes. Despite her disliking for seeing the worry, Melina let it go for now.
They both continued down the path, though the fairy stayed close to Jasmine, sitting on her shoulder instead of flying about. She was happy for the change, the small feeling of warmth on her shoulder seemed to ground her, even as the atmosphere felt as though it would swallow her up if Melina flew away. The birds around them silenced, & only the rustling of leaves filled the silence.
The wind seemed to grow louder & louder as they went, & the teal-haired human couldn’t help but feel as though they were in the presence of something otherworldly. It was unnerving, but they both relented, both from curiosity & spite. The ghostly vines around them moved like spirits, & they looked as though they were parting for them. The land felt foreign, & it only made Jasmine feel even more out of place in the almost alien-like forest.
Melina suddenly stood up, her dragonfly-like wings spread out behind her. She scanned the area, her leafy-green eyes narrowed in concentration.
“Do you feel that?” she asked, staring off into the distance. Jasmine hummed in response, looking at her lover questioningly. Without warning, Melina leaped off her shoulder, speeding away like a sparrow. The human yelped, sprinting after her. Yet the fairy didn’t stop her racing, but followed the strange tugging she felt in her chest instead. She flew, & the feeling only grew stronger the closer to whatever was pulling her along. Melina could sense her magic growing in response as well, rushing through her veins like a river.
But the tugging stopped, & she was still, landing on the moss-covered ground with a small thud. Sound was silenced, with only the sound of her footsteps reaching her ears. She stood still, turning to stare at the large flowers that towered over her, more so than usual. With a small huff of annoyance, she spread her wings & flew high above the grasses, & landed on one of the strange, crumbling pillars around her.
She stood at the edge of, well, something. Fog guarded the area around it, yet refused to seep through the overgrown monoliths. Melina couldn’t even begin to understand why she felt drawn to this place, but curiosity burned alongside the adrenaline she felt in her veins. Hesitantly, she fluttered off the pillar, & landed between them all.
Melina felt her hesitation morph into a stronger sense of interest as she studied them. In each pillar were carved lines that were surrounded by moss & overgrown vines that she couldn’t pinpoint the name of. The carvings glowed with an eerie, multicolored glow, & hummed with an ancient magic. It felt mysterious, forbidden, yet the magic called to her own.
Slowly, the ravenette stepped forward to the crumbling stones, her arm outstretched ahead of her. Whatever it was, it seemed excited to see her. She ran her hands over the stones, the feeling of moss & lichen grounding her. With a tentative hand, she touched the bottom of the massive carving. The atmosphere changed instantly, & she felt herself transfer from the cool, damp forest floor to a warm, sunny soil filled with sprouting plants. The magic now melded with her own, leaving her overwhelmed with the feeling. Melina whipped around in fear, & gasped at the sight of the monoliths now.
They were no longer the crumbling ruins of a magic long gone, but clean, strong, working pillars that radiated power. The lands were not the overgrown forest, but a large field filled with wildflowers that would have towered over her had she not been on the stone. Yet in an instant, she was back in the forests, with ruins of something long forgotten.
“What…?” She whispered, taking a shaking step away from the column. A new sense of horror dawned on her as she stared at them, the magic thick enough to suffocate her. Without as much of a word, Melina jumped & flew away, fear driving her every move. She became lost in her thoughts as she weaved through the trees, yet the picture of what once lived here still burned in her brain. The fairy couldn’t place what she saw, let alone explain what the hell those carvings even meant.
Though, her musings were interrupted by the distant sound of Jasmine's voice, calling her name over & over again. With only instinct guiding her, Melina flew to the calling, eager to go back to some semblance of normality. She slowed down her pace, exhaustion beginning to make its way into her bones.
“Melina, there you are! I was looking-” Jasmine began, but paused at the sight of her clearly shaken up girlfriend. She outstretched a pale hand, & the ravenette happily allowed herself to collapse inside, her body aching with exertion. “You alright Meli?” She asked worriedly. Melina nodded wordlessly, the ordeal leaving her too fatigued to speak. All she wanted now was curl up in Jasmine's teal hair & fall asleep.
“Can we just go home? I don’t know if I want to be here anymore…” she whispered softly. Jasmine nodded, placing her purple-tinted sunglasses on once more. Slowly, she was placed in the front pocket of Jasmine's hoodie, & Melina tiredly nuzzled herself inside the fibers. Yet as she felt unconsciousness claim her, she heard an unfamiliar whisper coming from the forest she knew so little about .
Thank you.
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I know that it’s not exactly g/t centric, but I feel like this was important to the storyline itself & will later come in handy when writing the main series. Also magic is fun to write about :]
That’s all for now, have a great day/night! <3