They were real. Not a figment. It wouldn’t stop.
The pain. The suffering. The taunts.
Not until they got what they wanted.
And what they wanted was her.
The color drained from her face. Elara twitched, her body shivering despite the warmth swirling in her belly.
“Do not fear them. For only you have the power to tame them.”
As the woman moved closer, the scent of jasmine cut through the lingering aroma of pine and wet earth. Something rumbled behind Elara’s sternum, thudding in time with the pulsing in her ears.
Elegant, ringed fingers danced along the edge of Elara’s shadow, manipulating it.
Something roused within the nothingness, a ripple dancing across the inky surface. Air whistled through Elara’s clenched jaw as a massive black paw stepped out of the shadow, the earth shuddering under its weight.
A pair of eyes glittering beneath midnight fur met hers. Claws dug into the moist dirt, kneading and tilling the earth as the creature circled.
Slowly, the blood rushing in her ears receded and the tingling in her fingers ebbed. Elara’s body rose in steady, even breaths, curiously following the path of the enormous cat-like shadow,watching over her.
Panic never came. A creature that should have terrified her, soothed her.
“Alruna is the light of Fólkvangr made visible. A shield. While your sorrow has opened the gates for the draugar, she is the lock. Her presence is a barrier, thickening the veil. Those eyes see what mortal ones cannot. She is the embodiment of you.”
With a steady hand, Elara reached toward Alruna, expecting to encounter only air. Instead, the tips of her fingers glided across luxurious fur, twinkling like constellations across the night sky.
A low, rumbling purr left the creature, sending a shock straight into Elara’s veins.
“Why?” she mumbled, transfixed by the being that was neither real nor imaginary.
“You are both hope and devastation.”
“I don’t understand,” Elara said, unwilling to pull away from the silken coat of her companion.
“Let the burden fall for now. The gift I have given you lies dormant; the threads will only tighten when love replaces sorrow. Only then can you truly wield my blessing.”
Before Elara could ask another question, the fog rolled out with the breeze, taking the visage of the golden woman with it.
The quiet chirping of birds returned. Followed by the ambient sound of animals skittering in the leaf litter.
One noise that did not return, however, was the chilling voices.
A tired smile pushed against Elara’s cheeks as she stood.
She lightly ran her fingers along the coat of her companion, tracing the length of the creature’s back, not certain any of this was real.
Only when she lay down in her bed and felt the comforting weight of Alruna curled up beside her did she accept the truth.
The beautiful panther purring next to her was real.
The soft rumble lulled her into her first night of dreamless sleep in years.
Two
Elara
In the weeks since the mysterious woman visited Elara, an eerie calm settled around her.
