The Guardian of The Lake

Through the darkness and void, a warm sensation had crept up her hands, tightening like a rope. It pulled Amphitrite forward, guiding her carefully, making sure she wasn't tripping over anything. Her sense were slowly returning as they stepped further and further away. They suddenly stopped, seemingly to have arrived to wherever they were going. When her sight finally came back, the thing guiding her dissipated as sunlight bled through her eyelids. When she opened her eyes, the sight itself made her completely speechless.

A giant, clear blue lake with green, lush trees surrounding it. Branches from the trees touched up and intertwined with each other, but there was enough gaps for sunlight to shine through. Flowers bloomed underneath where Amphitrite was standing, and the grass swayed with the passing breeze. Tiny faeries sat on branches playing lyres while rabbits and deer wandered around. Yet the most astounding thing was on the island in the middle of the lake.

A sleek, elegant figure rest upon the swaying grass, its head lifted up to the sky. Its wings were rested on the ground while its tail splashed around in the water. Pale, blue scales ran down its body, the horns on its head curved and wrapped around near its eye.

There was no doubt in her mind. It was a dragon.

Amphitrite stood there, dazed and dumbfounded by the dragon's presence. Its jewels of an eye opened and gazed upon her, as if it expected her presence. Awoke, it flapped its wings, wind howling through the forest.

"Come forth, child." It called.

The dragon's voice felt deep and strong, as if it resonated with mother nature herself. The sound of it made everything stop, as if it froze time itself. Animals stopped and stared at the creature, while faeries set down their lyres and flutes.

Hypnotized by the dragon's voice, Amphitrite walked through the lake. The water wasn't very deep, since it was only at her thighs. Ripples of water danced and swayed around with every step Amphitrite took. Her pants were soaking wet and her sleeves were drenched.

As Amphitrite reached the island, her clothes soaking with water, the dragon lifted its wings and sheltered her under it. Amphitrite sat down on the cool grass, dark from the shadow of the beast, and rested her head on her knees, still feeling slightly dazed.

"Who... are you?" Amphitrite asked, gazing up at the towering creature.

"I am a dragon, obviously, and the guardian of this place." The dragon growled, its voice rumbling through the ground.

"Were you the one who guided me here?"

"The faeries were the ones who did it, but It was I who commanded them to."

While then, animals had started to gathered to gawk at the creature's presence. Birds began to sing their songs throughout morning light as faeries continued to play their instruments.

"Do you have a name?" Amphitrite queried, shivering as the wind refused to keep her warm.

"I am Apala, one of the four dragons that roamed this earth." With a flick of its wings, a fire rose from the ground and spread warmth throughout the dirt of the forest.

"Why did you call me here?" Amphitrite whispered, her head buried into her knees.

The dragon looked away in silence. The winds blew hard and tore apart leaves from trees, blowing them up towards the sky.

"Your existence... is interesting to say the least." Apala finally responded, though it didn't answer anything. Confused, Amphitrite wished she could ask for more details, but the tense atmosphere hinted her to not say anything else. They sat in silence, the fire slowly burning out.

That was until a little fairy, estimated about up to 3-4 feet tall, raced up towards her and yelled at the top of its lungs. "Tag!" It shouted, flying away quickly as other fairies mischievously giggled and flew away as well.

Hesitantly, Amphitrite glanced at Apala for an answer, but she only smiled in return. Reluctantly, she started running towards the fairies. Soon, she was having so much fun that her smile reached up towards her eyes. Her hands were stained with mud and dirt while her hair was tangled due to the running, but it was the most entertaining thing she had done in such a long time. One time, she manage to grab a fairy but its leg and pull it down to earth. Shocked, the fairy was silent for a while, but then started laughing hysterically. Amphitrite started to laugh as well, and the other fairies came to join them too. Together, they laid on the grass, laughing till their belly's hurt and their faces were sore. Tired to continue running again, they rested on the grass and started telling stories to each other. While some told myths and horror tales, other talked about fairy tales they heard over the centuries.

But the sun was starting to set into the horizon, and Amphitrite was deemed missing for over a day now.

It was time to go home.

A young fairy, whose wings glowed a beautiful blue, guided her out of the forest. When they finally arrived at the entrance, Amphitrite gratefully thanked the fairy for its assistance. At first, the small being was fidgety and jittery, her cheeks flushed with velvety red. At last, the creature laid its gaze upon Amhitrite and finally open its mouth. "Will you... visit again?" Its whispered, sending Amphitrite into slightly confused state for a while. But once she registered the meaning of the words, she beamed towards the small fairy. They chatted for a long time, laughing at all the silly things they did and what they could've done. When Amphitrite came back into the estate of her father, her smile shone through the dark evening.

Later on, Amphitrite got scolded quite a lot by her nanny, but it didn't stop her from visiting again. Everyday, the same fairy who talked to her would wait for her to arrive and guide her to the lake, where they and the other creatures play and danced to their heart's contents. She visited so much that she knew the path by heart, no longer needing a guide. It was no competition that it was the happiest time of her life.

But like everything in her life, it never lasted.

When Amphitrite was crowned as the official heir to the Blissia household, as she should, the security around her was much tighter. Tens of eyes were on her, watching her every move, desperate for her to make a mistake. As fewer and fewer visits happened, Amphitrite slowly forgot about the lake. Apala, the small fairies, and all the animals were no longer a part of her life.

From then on, Amphitrite had adapted the life of a normal noble daughter.

[ P R E S E N T T I M E ]

That may have been the reason why it was so nostalgic for her...