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Rainbow Colored Eyes by mlgscribe (critique requested)

Rainbow Colored Eyes

She was known as Aegistra's Bride. Not because she was truly married or even had a relation to the creature that had appeared in her world. No, she was his bride because she was the first to see him, to speak and supposedly, the first to touch him. For that, she had been revered and even feared. For such a thing, her life was never normal again.

The first sighting of the being was during the festival for Changing the Season. The sun had long set and children were fast asleep in bed while many of her fellow villagers were cleaning up the fields. Streamers and other assortments of trash littered the ground and she had wandered off a ways, picking up the spare bits that were carried off in the wind. Though she had little light to guide her, the moon illuminated enough for her work.

When her slender frame had bent to tug a particularly stubborn bit of fabric from a prickle bush- the sky seemed to brighten with an intense heat. The sudden change brought her to stand, leaving the streamer forgotten as she spun to look up into the starlit sky. She moved just in time for a burst of color and temperature to engulf the area in a massive impact that caused her to scream in terror. It pierced the air, but the array of sounds and debris that buffeted her swallowed it up so that none could hear. No one could save her from this sudden attack.

Then- it ended, as soon as it began. With her throat raw and hair clinging to her face, she hardly registered that she was unharmed or the villagers rushing towards her location only to stop in alarm. The torches in their hands illuminated a crater between her and them. It looked expansive and the heat of impact caused it's very dirt to sizzle into the air. that would not have mattered though as she didn't hear any of it or see a thing.

She was preoccupied by the warm fingers that were pressed against her lips, silencing her scream.

What she saw was the strangest man she had ever seen. With eyes that held all the colors of the rainbow and hair as wild and long as the forest itself, he silenced. Power reverberated through his whole being and a tired, serene smile graced his lips- revealing sharp canines he hid in his mouth. She barely registered when he spoke; his voice was so quiet and laced with exhaustion that it barely seemed he spoke at all.

"Please don't scream, Miss." He entreated in a rasp with eyes glittering in a secretive triumph, even as he slowly slid to his knees a heap of hair and singed clothes. "My ears hurt enough and I meant you no harm." With that, he fell unconscious inside the crater he created. Those who watched, stared in stunned silence. It was then that she realized his ears were as long as his head and pointed wickedly into the sky. The hushed word for a cursed being passed through her mind like a dying whisper and she shivered.

Wonum.

It was later that her village learned that no man could move the creature from his spot. Like a weighted stone, he was immoveable. He slept like the dead and she only found the courage to speak with him a fortnight later. After her remote village had learned he could not be moved and that no weapons could touch him. His body so resilient that they left him in its crater. They built a wooden cage around the outskirts in hopes to hold some semblance of control. They wanted to ensure that he could not get too close.

Something told her that if the being had truly wanted to escape- he would have, but when he woke up, he made no move to do so. After weeks of fear and paranoid whispers amidst her village, she went out to see him,

There was something to said of curiosity and she felt that it was best to satisfy it than be afraid. She had a feeling he wouldn't talk. at least, not until she came to see him herself. She wasn't sure what gave her this idea, but she was certain her instincts were right. The feel of his fingers still tingled upon her lips when he had first silenced her and the serene smile on his face seemed unsurprised.

He had been expecting her. She could tell by the way his body stiffened as he sniffed the air at her approach. His eyes slide her way before she was even close to the bars of his cage and the guards almost wouldn't let her get any nearer. The swift growl that shuddered the ground and trembled the air quickly changed their minds. She almost turned and fled at such power flexes, but something still told her that it was more show than threat. He was posturing like an animal and for that she felt strangely at ease.

Standing by the high gate, she realized just how tall he was. Impossibly so with broad shoulders and a sleek frame. He exuded the aura of the land itself. She almost stepped back when he grinned at her, showing his teeth much as he did the night he had appeared there.

"I wondered when you would show up, Miss." His voice, lacking the exhaustion from that night, twisted and curled around her like a rope. She had to hold back a shudder. "You are the one I almost landed on, are you not? I apologize for that."

Not sure why, but curious to his reaction she immediately lied. "No- I was... merely curious to see if what everyone is saying was true."

His chuckle made her heart clench. "And what are they saying? That I will eat your children and skin your bones?"

"No! You wouldn't do that!" The force in which she defended shocked even her and the man's grin widened.

"I am glad you subconsciously realize that." He growled in amusement, stalking closer to the wood that caged him so his colored eyes could bore into her own. "Sadly, you are a terrible liar. I can see my energy on your lips still from when I silenced you."

She gaped at him and struggled to deny his claim, but the knowing look in his eyes kept her quiet. How could he know and see such things? He was truly powerful and dangerous. She could see it in how he moved with grace, with careful gentleness. Instead of denying, she found herself asking a silly question instead. "A-are you hungry?"

His eyes laughed at her. "Not for awhile yet."

Eying his tall frame, she struggled to digest this. "But they haven't fed you."

"They don't have to." His reply was quick and she suddenly felt like a scolded child. She looked down and nibbled her bottom lip.

"Wh-what are you?" She finally decided to ask. He grinned once more, glad she dared to do so.

"I am lost." He said, "But hopefully I am finding a home soon. What is your name, Miss?"

For some reason, she almost felt as if he already knew the answer to her question despite the fact he hadn't really answered her own. Clutching the hem of her tunic, she fidgeted and tried to sift through the strange emotion this creature evoked in her. Glancing at him through her lashes, she saw him waiting patiently, not rushing, but confident she would answer him. The truthfulness of this fact eased her and she smiled shyly.

"Brina." She answered, "My name is Brina."

The return smile sent her instincts into a flutter of feeling like she had done something right and hunted all at the same time. Perhaps that was because of his teeth. Or the fact his eyes glinted the sunlight like fire burned.

"You may call me Aegistra, Brina." The creature said, sending a chill up her spine at the knowledge he even had a name. "Sadly, I think it is time you go. Your husband should be getting worried by now."

The simpleness of his statement was like ice cold water. It washed over her like a slap and she nodded numbly. Turning quickly she muttered her farewell and began the trek back to her home. She was left to her thoughts as she walked even though they were muddled. She was even more curious now than she had been. No one felt the need to bother her as she walked leaving her time to think. It was only when her small hut came into view that she stopped and stared into the sky in amazement.

She hadn't told him she was married. How had he known?

It was that night while having dinner with her husband that Brina decided she would make it a habit to visit the creature. His power alone brought chills across her skin like an animal being watched, but his eyes spoke of a gentle longing. It was need for something that called to her. A need that Brina felt was her job to fulfill. She could tell her needed friendship- a companion.

So she visited Aegistra once a day or whenever she found the time to do so. He never seemed to eat and sometimes she wondered if he even slept, but he always was ready to see her when she came. Always expecting her and never surprised. There were times that she thought he could read her mind and though it was an unsettling discovery, it was hardly enough to deter her from her new goal.

"Your husband came to see me this morning." Aegistra told her one day without preamble or even a simple hello. "He was curious to see what bewitching powers I have over you." The amusement in his grin was not in his eyes. They only seemed to swirl in annoyance.

Brina stared at him in surprise before primly replying with a shrug, "Was he shocked to see nothing?" His answering chuckle made her muscles relax.

"No," he told her chuckling without a shred of humor. "Not quite. He saw what he wanted to see- but it surprisingly made him feel better to a degree."

She tilted her head in confusion, "What do you mean?"

The teeth that gleamed in his expression was almost dangerous. "You should see tonight I wager." Brina still didn't understand, but his countenance spoke of his refusal to say more. Instead, he changed the subject. "Do you often walk into the forest nearby? I am curious about the animals here," He was leading her to a different path of thought, but Brina found she did not mind so much.

Brina did not come back the next day.

Or the day after.

In fact, it was another few weeks before Aegistra saw her again at all. It was the twenty-second night since Brina had not returned when the creature in the cage decided to venture forth to see her instead. As she had expected, the lock was child's play for him to break and despite his never leaving the crater, he walked as if the land bowed before him. It did not take long for him to find her in the dead of night. He had heard her enough to know where to go.

While her husband enjoyed a night at the local pub- singing and making merry with his neighbors- Aegistra came upon her home.

The door was barred from the outside. Brina knew, but could do nothing as the door to her room had also been locked. For three weeks she had been locked inside her home with no way to escape or to even see the sun. She felt guilt for not visiting her friend, but what else was she to do when she could hardly be allowed to leave her own room?

Unsuspecting of anything, she did not twitch when the latch of the lock was pulled free and she did not tarry a glance when the door opened. She had been a prisoner in her own home for far too long to be pleasant. So Brina refused to greet the man she called husband.

So when the voice as wild and tame as nature spoke she almost fell from her been in shock and spun herself to finally rest her eyes on the door. "I wasn't expecting you to be caged like myself." Aegistra said quietly from her door, amusement lilting in his voice even as a darker anger pulsed in his very stance. "Perhaps it was wise to visit you after all, my dear friend."

If it had not been for the fact she was poorly dressed, Brina would have jumped from her bed to embrace the creature she had come to see as a friend. Instead, she bunched her wool blanket to her shoulders and frowned in concern. "Do the guards know you're gone?" She found herself asking. He shrugged, smirking a malicious grin.

"They are sleeping." He said plainly before asking in return, voice suddenly cold. "Why are you locked in your home, Brina?"

She hadn't been surprised by his escape. She knew he was more than capable of that. She wasn't even surprised that he knew where she lived. Brina always figured he knew things without having to be told. No, what surprised her was the cold tenor in his tone and the barely concealed rage that rippled through his entire body. The air itself seemed to waver at his ire. Looking away, she spoke in remorse.

"I am sorry," She began, "my husband is a good man. He really is, but he has made the mistake of letting his fear and jealousy consume him. He has locked me here to keep me from seeing you."

His response was instant. "That is not all he has done, Miss." She met his gaze and once more saw a look that she could not translate.

What do you mean?" She asked for what felt like the millionth time since she met him. Aegistra merely shook his head, all manner of anger gone.

"It is nothing, Brina." He said firmly. Once again, not explaining himself. He quickly changed the subject. "You will visit tomorrow." It was not a question."

She shook her head. "Will you even be there?"

He grinned. "Of course." Brina knew better than to ask why and sighed instead.

"I'm still locked in here." She reminded him, but his laughter was her answer.

"You wont be in the morning." He said mischievously before turning his back to her. "Sleep well, Brina. Don't make me miss you."

She didn't even have to blink for him to disappear. The only proof he had been there in the first place was her bedroom door swinging open when it had once been locked. That night, she slept with a smile on her face.

As Aegistra had said, she was able to visit the next day. The locks had been removed and her husband was repentant. Though she asked many a time what he had done to get her free, her wild friend would only smile and refuse to answer. Even her husband stayed quiet on the matter and only revealed to her that the had an epiphany from a dream. He could no longer be jealous.

So Brina began her daily visits once again and he kept himself locked away for reasons no one could comprehend. As time went by, the villagers slowly began to see what she saw in the strange man and their fear dwindled. He had power, but never used it to harm them and at some point, he even began to advise them. Soon, the farmers were using new implements to harvest and many others learned from his vast knowledge that no one could explain. His intelligence was far beyond them.

In time, Brina was there to watch as he officially broke down his cage. Only when the rest of the village saw no reason to watch him anymore did he do it. The amusement in his eyes as each broken board splintered to the ground was enough to make her smile. She was happy. Yet, with him officially free and her fellow villagers seeing him as more blessing than curse, Brina could not help but feel a strange hollowness. It was fear. What was she fearful of, she did not know.

It wasn't until she began to grow large with child that she realized the meaning of her fear. Aegistra had grown silent, contemplative. While her husband only grew louder in his pride at her pregnancy, Aegistra became withdrawn. As much as she wanted to be as happy as her husband, her heart pinged with pain each time her friend refused to speak.

The day she confronted him was the day her world changed forever.

It was the morning. An early morning when the mist still glittered on the blades of grass. Skipping breakfast, she went to him in the crater. Her limbs shook with anxiety and though he did not look at her when she came, she knew her felt her presence. "You knew about my baby, didn't you?" She asked him, voice low and rough from waking up so early. "When I was locked away, you had known. Am I correct?"

He still did not look to her when he answered. His voice was resolute, yet she swore she caught a hint of sadness in his tone. "Yes, Brina, I knew the moment I laid eyes on you."

It seemed there was nothing more he was going to say, but Brina gulped and pressed on. She was determined to get a straight answer for once. "Is that why you have grown silent to me? Am I no longer your friend now that I'm with child?"

"No!" The suddenness of his snarl and glare took her off guard. She took a step back and Aegistra sighed, noticing his blunder. Closing his eyes, he hid the brilliant colors from her. "No, Miss, I am not silent because of that. I am silent.." He wasn't one to hesitate, never one to pause. Now that he was, Brina had to swallow again just to wait for him to finish.

"I am silent because I am preparing to leave, Brina." He finally said after a long pause. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at him in pain and confusion.

"You are leaving.." She repeated, having trouble accepting his words, "Why?"

It took only mere seconds for him to move. Directly in front of her with remorse glittering in his eyes. It was the most she had seen from him in days. The most emotion and the most color.

"I did not come here to stay in one place." He answered, surprising her with his straight forwardness. "I came to this world to find a new life, but there is so much to see and so much to do... As much as I have come to enjoy your company, it is not my place to stay here." He seemed to struggle with his next words. "I must go. I must do what it is that I came here to do."

"And what IS it that you came here for?!" A choked shout, a single tear. That was all she gave him to reveal her sadness and desperation before she let anger fuel her. "Why did you become my friend if you were only going to leave me? Aegistra, tell me why!!"

He did not answer her with a shout or kind word nor even silence her with a finger across her lips as she always loved to do. No, instead, he pulled her into his embrace. Strong arms encircled her and his wild hair covered her small frame like a blanket. Brina gasped, but clung to him in return and allowed his face to bury itself into her hair.

"I did so because I was alone." He whispered, holding tightly and muttering against her ear. "I wanted someone who would not fear me before I decided to stay in this world. You gave that to me. You gave me what I have not had for a very long time. For that, I am thankful."

She stayed silent, unsure of what else she could say that he didn't already know. What didn't he know? She stayed quiet in his arms for minutes, maybe even hours. She didn't pay attention until his arms finally loosened.

"Know this," He told her, hands drifting from her sides and cradling her small, swollen stomach, "though you may never see me again, I will always be with you." Before she could even think to ask a question, his body shown in a golden light as a stream of power struck into her. Like she had been jolted by lightning, Brina cried out, tear stinging her eyes and knees buckling as her stomach burst with the pain of a thousand knives.

Her eyes saw white and she never noticed when he caught, holding her like a child in his arms. She never noticed him lower her to the ground, mourning the pain her put her through. All she could focus on was the nerve-wracking pain, the mind numbing, searing, pain that tore her throat. Somehow she managed to catch the final words he said before she was left alone.

"Live long, Brina and know that I will always be watching."

When she awoke, Aegistra was gone. She was in her own bed and her husband had been hunched over her pale body in tears, terrified that he lost both his wife and his child. She had been found in the crater, three days before and everyone had feared the worst. Surprisingly, she was hale and healthy and no longer felt the pain that had rendered her unconscious to begin with. The shock was enough to keep her silent about her final moments with her friend.

The pain of missing him was not gone and it did not go away. It throbbed within her heart, but it was nothing she couldn't handle. Life returned to the way it had been before the wild wonum had fallen in her village's field and Brina began to smile again. When it came time for the birth of her child, she couldn't have been happier.

She wasn't surprised to find that her son was an exact replica of her husband. Everything down to his hair and facial expressions screamed of him. The dull rainbow hues in his eyes, however, sent confusion through the whole town. The baby was strong, almost too strong and he was fast. Almost too fast. The neighbors began to gossip of an affair.

Whore of the Beast some called her but she knew who the child belonged to. He was the son of her husband and the rumors died down when news of other babes being born with rainbow eyes reached her town. The harsh insults turned to apologies and were rarely uttered to her again. Instead of whore, she was now his bride. The first to ever be touched by Aegistra's power and her child was far quicker and smarter than even the others that came to be much like him. Her friend did not lie to her. In her son, Aegistra was always with her.

Also, as good as his word, she never saw him again.

Rainbow Colored Eyes (critique requested)

mlgscribe

This is a short-story featuring my characters Brina and Aegistra. They're not main characters to my story "The Broken Siren," as they're more "legends" in the main story than anything, but I wanted to have something about them.

This is a "creation" story to creatures in my world called, "Wonums." Known to humans as monsters or demons. The world of Ferum fears them these days, but back in the timeline of this short-story they became a blessing.

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