Spirit of Kells

"I have lived through many ages, through the eyes of salmon, deer, and wolf. I have seen the Northmen invading Ireland, destroying all in search of gold. I've seen suffering in the darkness. Yet I have seen beauty thrive in the most fragile of places. I have seen the book. The book that turned darkness into light."

[supremeoverlordofdarkness]

Secret of Kells

[spiritofkells]

“Well, someone I’m close to will be buried here soon. This spot actually. I don’t think I’ll come very often, because I know he won’t be here but he deserves a nice resting spot.”

“I don’t understand. It’s a place where humans come to visit the dead after they’ve died and feel close to them, but you’re coming before he dies and you don’t want to come after?”

[spiritofkells]

“Is there a reason you don’t like people?”

“Aye. They come into my forest and tramp about and take food and kill animals and leave a mess and care little for the nature that is around them. They are fools.”

[spiritofkells]

“I’m just recently human, I’m not aware of everything they’ve done, just what I’ve read and heard.” Sally was still adjusting to being human. “I see,” she looked up at the blonde and gave a shrug. “All I know is that dead bodies are buried all around here and have been for a while, they never stop.”

“Well that’s weird.” Her nose turned up at the thought. She didn’t know how someone could become human, but they were awfully strange creatures. “So just because the other humans did it, you come and sit with the dead bodies?I’ve seen many human traditions come and go, it will fade.”

[spiritofkells]

Robin laughed as he sat up. “Very well. It will be your forest, little one.”

She offered a prim hand, letting herself smile at the victory. “Good. Now I banish you.”

[jackiehkim-deactivated20210608]

2015

Aisling

[spiritofkells]

He just laughed when she jumped on him, trusting that she wasn’t attempting to hurt him. She hadn’t seemed to dislike him that much, although she was far bigger than him, and he ended up flat on his back.

Once she successfully knocked him over, Aisling backed up and in a wisp of fog, she was a girl again. “I win.” She declared proudly, giving him a smug look. 

[spiritofkells]

“I don’t know, ask the humans that have done this for centuries,” Sally said with a sigh. “Some customs here are odder than others. They turned to..dust? Well that’s certainly something new that I haven’t heard before.”

“I am asking a human.” She did know that her dislike for humans was only growing with every interaction. “That’s because people don’t hear about us. We prefer it that way.” Nevermind the fact that it wasn’t actually ‘we’ anymore.

[spiritofkells]

Sally didn’t understand this girl’s distaste at a cemetery and it made her frown. “Because they feel they can be close to their loved ones that have passed. For some people it’s comforting. It’s a cemetery, that’s what cemeteries are, places that people can bury those that have passed and come back to pay their respects. Did you not have this where you’re from?”

“Why would you want to come back and pay respects to a dead body? It’s not like it’s where their actual spirit is. Just a body that’s empty. Doesn’t mean anything.” Aisling sniffed, putting her nose primly in the air. Humans always had strange ideas about everything, it wasn’t all that surprising that they had strange ideas about death. “When my family died, they turned to dust and became the forest. So, no.”

[spiritofkells]

“A nightmare who used to be a man and now feeds off fear,” she said pointedly.  There was no point in sugarcoating such things.  She knew this child was no child at all, was very nearly as old as she herself was if they ever tried to find a way to compare.  The girl could handle the truth.  “He was here and left at my insistence. I appreciate your help maintaining balance.  The should be a safe place.”  

Emily Jane nodded.  “You are wise to do so and to withhold trust.  There are a few here you may likely trust in time.  This town is not a traditional human settlement.  You will find all manner of storied creatures here.  The majority are no different than anywhere else and do not afford the land the respect it deserves.” 

Aisling nodded in silent reply. She saw no need to converse more on a subject that was obviously dealt with, especially as it was not her own personal demon that she still might possibly have to contend with. Or maybe Emily Jane would deal with Crom too, get rid of him for once and for all. She didn’t know if the god even could die, but if anyone deserved to, it was him. “It’s my purpose to keep balance in nature. Nothing to be thanked.” She replied quietly. 

A little part of her puffed up with pride as the woman called her wise. She listened carefully to every piece of advice, grateful to have someone she could trust the word of, someone to explain to her about the strange place she had found herself in. “I’ll guard the forest with my life. I don’t like this place much, but the forest is good.”

[spiritofkells]

Robin’s face lit up in a grin as he watched the magic, delighted by it. But he quickly schooled it into a serious expression, crossing his arms. “This is why I said it wouldn’t be fair. I am not enough of a fool to fight an ageless being.”

Aisling gave several short yips of triumph. She saw the smile, despite his sorry attempts to cover it. She jumped up on her hind legs, trying to push him over. 

[spiritofkells]

“That hardly seems fair.”

“Don’t worry about me.” Aisling breathed and the fog around her grew thicker, welling up until it covered her completely, then it blew away in a gentle breeze, leaving only a wolf in her stead. She let out a long, low howl, hearing a few in the distance replying to her. 

[spiritofkells]

“I’m a special human who can claim forests, and Sherwood is mine.”

“I’ll fight you for it.”

[spiritofkells]

“Excuse me, it was my forest first, little one.”

“A human can’t claim a forest. I’m the guardian, it’s my forest.”

[spiritofkells]

“I’ll keep that in mind.  And you do actually…”

“Well I’m not. Humans are stupid.”

[spiritofkells]

“It’s very nice to meet you, Aisling. Would I be correct to assume that you’ve been following me of late?”

“I know about everyone in my forest.”

[spiritofkells]

“The dark one?  I can’t say I know him…There was Hades, but he always had “Lord of the Underworld” tagged to his name or something else like that.  And I think people tramp everywhere pretty loudly…kinda what us humans do.  Are you not human?”

“Be glad. Crom destroys all. Everyone around him fears, but he’s the god of fertility and crops.” She shook the dark thoughts away, not wanting to speak his name. “Do I look like I’m a human to you?”