The Forest Nymph Pt. 01

At that moment, he could not imagine anything outside of Serenity's embrace. Was there anything in the world that could bring him more peace than a commune with this divine figure? Was there anything in this world that could make him happy, other than Serenity's tender care? Besides, he was still alive when he believed he should have died. Through he eyes, he possessed a life that should no longer belong to him.

'What right do I have to selfishly do what would make me happy when I don't deserve to be happy? If I am going to continue living, I will not live for myself; I will live to make others happy. And if staying alive and staying with Serenity will make her happy, then that is my new reason to live. I will live, solely for her.' "Serenity, I will stay. You returned my life to me, so now my life belongs to you. So that you will be happy and won't have to be alone, I will stay."

The nymph lit up and kissed him again on the forehead. "In these woods, your only worry is healing so that you will have the strength to dance with me. Thank you, Felix. I know the life we will live together will be a beautiful one."

Felix and Serenity were lying on the bed of moss, enjoying the cool shade of the interwoven canopy above them while everything else cooked under the midday sun. Felix had his arm around Serenity and the nymph was leaning her head on his shoulder with her arm across his chest. According to the nymph, such proximity would allow her to share her life energy with him and speed up his recovery. Felix wondered if that was what was causing the blissful feeling that filled every fiber of his being when they touched.

"Who are you, Serenity? I know only your name and that you are a forest nymph, nothing else. Please tell me more, I want to learn more about you," he asked, breaking the dozing silence.

Serenity hummed in reply and pressed herself against him tighter. "I was born in these woods as the daughter of Helios and his human bride, a woman that he loved more than any other in the worlds of the mortals and gods. I was conceived and brought into this world in secret, for my parents loved each other and loved me so much that they wanted to keep me safe from the dangers of the world. Wherever a nymph is born, they can never leave, so my parents searched the world for the most beautiful place for me to live. They came here and I was born under this tree. Out of love, my father and his sister, Selene, granted me a great gift: the Light of Outsight. Everything that the sunlight and moonlight shines upon is in my sight, letting me see the world from this forest. I've been here ever since, waiting for company.

What about you? Tell me about your life."

Felix looked up at the branches and shuddered as the memories came back. "I was a warrior of Troy during our struggle with the forces of Greece, having joined the army at fifteen when the war started. Originally I had wanted to be a poet and knew nothing of fighting, but with the skills I gained in training and the thought of protecting my family and home, I had the strength and resolve to slay my enemies and survive every battle. Over the course of ten years, I rose through the ranks and became well respected by the royal family for my achievements in battle. I was one of the most celebrated soldiers in Troy, having slain more enemies than anyone else.

I had a younger brother, four years my junior and a fellow soldier. We would spend hours dueling and sparring, making sure our skills never dulled. I also had twin sisters, both barely in adolescence. They loved to sing, and the house was always filled with the sound of their beautiful voices. My parents loved us all and were proud of my accomplishments in the war, all brought on by my will to fight and protect what was important to me.

When the news finally came that the war was over and our enemies had left our shores, I was so happy. I was happy that I would no longer have to fear for my family and have to kill to keep them safe. Maybe now I could retire as a soldier and do something with my life that would let me use my heart instead of my sword. On the night that we retrieved the wooden horse left for us by the Greeks, everyone in Troy celebrated the end of the war. For ten years, the city had been oppressed by the fear of death, with families praying every night for the safety of their members and love failing to bloom as people strayed away from each other, either afraid to get married one day and become a widow the next, or too busy training and honing skills for survival.

Late into the night, everyone sang and drank as we celebrated the veil that had been lifted from Troy, freeing us from fear. That night, I was awoken by the sound of our front door being kicked down and soldiers streaming in. Before I could get to my feet, I was stabbed through the side by an enemy spear and left to bleed out. In a pool of my own blood and in too much pain to move, I could do nothing as the troops beheaded my father and stabbed my brother to death.

Then they made their way through the house, knocking over all the furniture and walking over me as if I were a carpet. I could hear the screams as they found my mother and sisters and the soldier's laughs as they dragged them into the den. My sisters... they were so young and so innocent... they screamed the loudest as the soldiers ripped off their clothes and violated them. I struggled to move, but one of the soldiers was standing on me with his full weight and my blood loss was making me delirious, pouring from my side a torn wineskin. Once the soldiers had their way with my family, they killed them and left, leaving me for dead. A torch was thrown through the window, landing next to a rack of scrolls. It seemed like the whole house was burning in a matter of seconds, with me lying among my butchered family.

With the smallest spark of strength in my bleeding body, I got to my feet and staggered out of my home. I was supposed to be a legendary warrior and a war hero, but I just ran like a pathetic coward. Everything after that point became a blur of pain as I ran out of the city, past hundreds of people being raped and killed by Greek soldiers. I remember the sun searing my back as I ran during the day and the cool air giving me some relief as I ran at night. I don't remember the changing scenery, but I remember leaving behind red footprints as my feet deteriorated and gripping my side to stop the bleeding of my wound. Finally, I remember being found by you.

I shouldn't be alive like this, I should have fought through the pain to protect my family, and either gotten them out of the city or died with them. I didn't do anything except lie on the floor and then run. I'm a weakling and a coward, and it's my fault that my family is dead."

As his tears began to fall, Serenity raised her head and looked at him with an expression of deep sadness on her face. "Do not say that, Felix. It is not your fault. What happened to your family was out of your hands. Mourn the loss of your loved ones, but don't blame yourself for their deaths. Don't try to heal your wounded heart by stabbing it with the blade of self-loathing and misery. Do not doom yourself to a life of self-pity and suffering. Work and hope for a future where you can be happy."

"All hope of happiness died with my family and was burned with my home."

"Then let that hope grow anew, with me as your family and this forest as your home. You have to let your wounds heal or else you will never be well and you will be poisoned by your own hatred forever."

She then placed her hands on his cheeks and her own voice began to tremble. "You have to stay alive and be happy. I need you with me. I don't want to be alone again," she whispered as liquid pearls rose up from her eyes.

The sight of her sadness extinguished Felix's own pain and filled him with hers as he realized she thought he might kill himself. He reached out and cupped her cheek. "I'm sorry, I did not man to make you sad. My pain is my own and you do not have to worry about me. I live for you now, and will not let my past get in the way of you being happy. I will be with you and you will not be alone. By all that I am, I swear to you that you will not be alone."

Serenity regained her smile and moved up, kissing him on the cheek.

The next several days blurred together into a torrent of relaxation. All day and all night, Serenity and Felix would lie in the moss bed, snuggled up and holding each other. The shifts between the moon and the sun were filled with napping, talking, and eating the sweet fruits that hung from the trees. With Serenity in his arms, Felix could feel his body being rejuvenated far faster than it would be normally.

Serenity was the most incredible woman he had ever met. While she had the youth and beauty of a woman his age, she had lived the lifespan of a human many times over, and with the gift of Outsight, she had watched the goings on of the world for hundreds of years. Many of their conversations were about history and the past; he would tell her about his childhood memories and she would recant the incredible things she had seen in the world.

Serenity was also very complicated, with several attributes within her mind. On one hand, she was the sweetest and most gentle spirit he had ever met, but in her heart, he could feel the flames of passion and the resolve to fight for what she cared about and sacrifice herself without hesitation, much like himself. She was also patient and caring, nursing him back to health and always at his side, rarely separating from him for more than a few minutes.

Felix stepped out of the tree chamber, wincing with each step. Every day he would walk around and test his limits, and each day brought far less soreness than the day before. With how well he was feeling, he knew that he would regain his full health within a few days. He had woken up by himself and was looking for Serenity. Having to lean on every tree for support and putting what little strength he had into each step, Felix staggered through the woods. He finally heard the soft coo of her voice and stopped dead in his tracks, leaning against a large tree. He looked out at the shallow brook and saw Serenity, lying in the water amidst the smooth zones. His heart skipped a beat when he realized that she wasn't wearing any clothes. Serenity had nothing on her body but a thin sheen of water, making her turquoise skin glisten in the sunlight. She was writhing and stretching in the water as she worked her fingers between her legs, massaging the soft lips of her slit. She had her long smooth thighs clamped around her hand and every movement she made caused her round, full breasts to bounce and shake. She was giving a very soft but high-pitched moan as she touched herself, rolling her head from side to side while she ran her fingers through her long silky hair.

It was in all honesty the most gorgeous thing Felix had ever seen in his life. No god or goddess could ever hope to create a piece of art as awe-inspiring as the scene before him. The sight would forever be imprinted in his memory, but to him, that wasn't good enough. He wanted to have the image of Serenity in this state tattooed on his eyelids so that he could always see her this way. He stared, all the while hating himself for betraying the trust of the angel who had saved him and showed him unparalleled kindness, but he could not deny his roaring lust.

Serenity began to pick up speed, rubbing her slit with more energy and enthusiasm. Her moan increased in volume as her whole body trembled. At last, she released a scream of ecstasy and arched her back as she achieved an orgasm. In that few moments of bliss, her body was wrapped in a glowing aura, her long hair seemed to merge with the water and become like liquid, her skin shimmered like light through glass, and her voice seemed to carry a hypnotic chime that made Felix shake in euphoria. All of the plants on either side of the brook began to sway and bend as they were vitalized by the energy Serenity was emitting.

The forest nymph became still and silent, lying in the shallow water with her chest heaving. Her body was so beautiful that Felix just wanted to run his tongue along every square inch. Reluctantly, he decided he should go back. The sensations she had been giving herself had hopefully distracted her from her ability of Outsight, but now that she had calmed down, the world would again be under her view. He had to get back to the tree chamber before Serenity found out that he had been watching her. As Felix made his way back through the forest, he could have sworn that he heard Serenity whisper his name.

Felix tried to remain calm as Serenity approached, having finished "bathing" in the stream. From the warm smile on her face, he could only assume that she had not sensed his presence, something that he was grateful for, as he did not know how to endure the knowledge of any grudge or disdain the beautiful angel would hold if she were to find out.

"Good morning," Serenity said as she reached him, providing Felix with the reassurance that she had no knowledge of him moving about before.

"Good morning," he replied as she kissed him on the forehead.

"How did you sleep?"

Felix gave a lazy smile. "Babies don't sleep as well as I do. How about you?"

The nymph just smiled and pressed herself against him. "Amazingly as usual, now that I have someone with me."

Felix was lying by the creek in the shade of a tree, listening to the sweet melody of water on rock. Having recovered enough to move around for at least short distances, he decided he wanted a small change of view and moved out of the tree chamber and out to the river. He was glad he did, for the world around him was exceptionally gorgeous. It was such a beautiful day in the forest; the clouds were moving across the sky like colossal whales, the birds were fluttering through the air in endless loops while they chirped out sweet symphonies, the trees were rustling with the bobbing balls of fur that were the squirrels, the air was thick with the aroma of delectable fruits and millions of flowers of all colors and sizes that blanketed the forest floor, and the ground itself seemed almost to rise and fall as if all the soil was covering a great slumbering behemoth that was taking slow gentle breaths in its eternal relaxation.

Hearing a soft tune being hummed, Felix looked over and grinned as Serenity approached. As usual, she was crowned with halo of birds and butterflies and the flowers around her all glowed and leaned forward with each gentle step, but this time, two young deer also followed her. The adolescent hinds walked beside her, playfully and affectionately rubbing up against her and licking her hands.

"How is that all the animals here are so drawn to you?" Felix asked while laughing at the behavior of the two creatures.

Serenity gained the same smile as she petted the two deer and nuzzled the birds on her shoulders against her cheeks. "Since I am a forest nymph, these woods are rich with my ambient energy, causing all the plants and animals to flourish. Without me, the amount of offspring born would be less than half, but because the animals here feed on my life-giving energy, they too are able to give life. Every animal here acknowledges me as its mother and I love each and every one of them as my children."

The warm smile on her face and the happiness in her voice made Felix's whole body melt as she spoke. Upon reaching him, all the animals departed as Serenity lied down beneath the tree beside him.

"I've never met someone so happy and lighthearted as you," Felix hummed as he watched the shallow film of water run across the smooth stones of the creek.

"My heart is filled with love: love for this world, love for its people, and love for all life," she replied, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"How is it that you can love life so much?"

"From these woods, I watch the whole of the world. I see every animal being born, every beautiful flower swaying in the breeze, every tree grow old and nurture the creatures around it, every piece of art being made, every family happy and content, and every pair of lovers opening their hearts and bonding their souls. After centuries of watching the beauty of this world, how can't I love life with all my heart?

What about you, what do you love?"

Felix was silent for a moment. "I loved my family and Troy, but now, I'm not sure what to love. I have not seen the world as you have, my eyes have only seen a small scrap of nature."

He picked up a flower and held it in his hands. The soft seed-sized petals were a deep beautiful purple, and in the center were a bundle of yellow antennae, thick with pollen. Felix spun the flower around between his fingers, noting every detail. Beside him, Serenity rolled over onto her stomach, resting her head on her crossed arms while her feet swayed in the air.

"You do not need to see the whole world to love something. You need only to care about something deeply and love will blossom. It does not need to be something grand. It can be something as simple as the gentle kiss of the breeze, the aroma of the flowers, the sound of a babbling brook, or the taste of sweet fruit. If you seek something to love, then you need look no further than this forest."

Felix turned his head and gazed at Serenity, overpowered by the sheer beauty of her peaceful face. As he gazed at her, he let his mind wander and mull over her words. He focused on the soft touch of the wind against his skin, the dreamy smell of flowers, the massage-like sound of the river, and the taste on his tongue of the delectable fruits he had eaten for breakfast. The nymph was right; the forest was rich in treasures for one to hold close to their heart, and as Felix stared at Serenity's divine visage, he could feel love for something she had not mentioned, something that he now cared about very deeply.

Lightning cracked across the storming sky, casting a cold light down onto the forest while the rain fell. The storm was on an unusually cold night, made only chillier by the wind and water bleeding from the clouds. Immune to the cold, Felix and Serenity were curled up in the tree chamber with the blanket over them, sealing them in warmth. Constantly being disturbed from their slumber by the crashing of thunder, the human and nymph were just content in basking in the warmth of their bed and their embrace, held right between the world of dreams and being fully awake.

"Serenity, what is the most amazing thing you've seen with your gift of Outsight?" he asked, unable to fall asleep and knowing that the nymph could not either.

Serenity gave a soft hum as she considered the question. "What would probably be the most memorable thing would be when I once saw a mother mountain lion adopt an orphaned wolf cub and raise it as her own. I watched their family without pause for a year as the wolf was brought up in a clan of felines, coexisting with them peacefully as one big family. Not only was it a miracle in itself, it showed that even sworn enemies by nature can live together in peace. No matter how much war and strife there is in the world, you need only to wait for people to learn that same lesson, then misery will be replaced with harmony and everyone can live together in bliss."

Felix looked at the dark clouds outside. "That is a beautiful thought."

"Don't you believe it can happen?" Serenity asked, finally opening her eyes and rolling over to face him.

"I believe that all people can live in peace, but it would be more difficult to achieve than with animals. Humans are neither good nor evil, we all make choices that define who we are. There are men who rape and steal and women who lie and cheat, but there are also men who protect what is important and women who work to make the world a better place."