The Core

Tyrion was cuddled into his mother skirt as she rubbed his head. “I’ll be back by noon, love. I’m just running to town to sell all the extra meat we have. Stay with Rhiana and keep her safe. You’re my big man, right?” Helena said, patting the blonde headed boy.

“Yes’em,” Tyrion said, walking over to Rhiana and cuddling into her skirt. Helena pulled her hood up, exchanged a small smile with her youngest son. She glanced at Rhiana and they exchanged a knowing glance and then Helena left without another word.

“Come Tyrion, would you like to hear a story?” She asked, sitting on the couch. Tyrion sat down next to her, snuggling up close to the woman and popping his thumb in his mouth. Taylon slipped out of the room at that moment and kissed his mother’s forehead. “We’re telling stories, Taylon. Would you like to stay for it?”

Taylon hadn’t heard his mother tell a story in a long time. The adult part of him knew there was work around the house and hunting that needed to be accomplished, but something compelled him to sit and listen. The fire was still warm and he poked around till it was lit again. Then, he settled onto the floor for story time.

“What do you wanna hear?” Rhiana asked, looking down at Tyrion. “Would you like to hear story about a brave knight and a princess? Or maybe you’d prefer a story about magic?” She asked him. He carefully considered his options, but it was Taylon that answered.

“I want to hear about the creation of Palimea,” he said. Rhiana looked at him with disdain before turning to Tyrion, who was nodding his head. She heaved a sigh and that was when Lark entered the room. “Good morning, Lark.” Taylon.

“Morning,” she replied. “What’s going on here?” She felt as if she was interrupting a precious family moment. She felt extremely out of place and turned to move back to the bedroom. She wasn’t a part of their family, she didn’t belong there.

“Oh no, sweetie, please stay. We’re just having story time,” Rhiana said. Lark sighed before turning and walking over to them. Taylon patted the ground beside him and she plopped down promptly. The fire was hot on her back, but she was curious enough to ignore the heat and sweat accumulating. “Okay, ready?” Rhiana asked. They all nodded with pure excitement; there was nothing like story time to bring out the child in anyone.

“Once upon a time, Palimea was nothing more than a frozen wasteland of ice and snow. It was lonely, cold and it seemed like nothing would ever live there. But, there was one who believed that this frozen land would harbor something great. This one knew all the secrets of the world; she knew that this was not a wasteland, but place to prosper.”

Tyrion smiled, “Like Lark, Rhi-rhi?” He questioned, joyfully clapping his hands together. Lark felt her cheeks get hot because it wasn’t her that had helped create Palimea. Her mother was the one who created Palimea, along with the other Advisors. This was before Zorac was even born, when The Core was about the creation of new beings, not the extinction of life.

Rhiana chuckled, “Yes, someone similar to Lark. Anyway, Secrets met with The Core and told them of her news. That was when the idea to make Palimea emerged. There was only one who could actually create Palimea, though. She was the only child allowed in The Core, she was the Imagination.”

Rhiana cleared her throat and looked down at Lark, whose eyes were wide and receptive. Lark hung onto Rhiana’s every word, longing to hear more. She had never heard the history of Palimea for she was taught to take what was there, accept it and then bend it to her will. There were to be no questions asked in The Core, only answers.

“The Imagination began with the silver trees that busted throw the snow and soared high into the sky. The forest she created expanded outward and left land in the middle for Palimea to be made on. She had created the confines of the country. Then, she brought real life to Palimea, the birds. She made the gray Winter Quail, the Singer Bird of spring, the Fire Bird of Summer and the Leaf Cruncher of Fall. The birds were just the beginning though! Then came the wolves with large shiny teeth,” Rhiana said, holding her index fingers at her mouth. “That they used to eat with!”

With that, she dived onto Tyrion’s stomach with her ‘teeth’ and made noise as if she was eating him. Taylon looked at Lark and she caught his eye. “And the wolves always hunted in packs!” Rhiana cried before continuing to tickle Tyrion. With that, Taylon released a loud howl and tackled Lark.

Lark’s intial response was to fight back and panic, but she soon couldn’t contain her laughter. “Stop! Taylon! Get off of me!” She hollered, gasping for air in between. Both Tyrion and Lark squirmed in the hands of the Darritus family. When Taylon finally released Lark, she laid on the floor, giggling and catching her breath.

“You may continue, mother.” Taylon said, smirking.

Rhiana chuckled slightly as Tyrion fled from her side and climbed onto Lark’s lap. Lark’s eyes grew wide as the weight was added to her lap. She awkwardly placed her hands on the floor and glanced at Taylon. She hadn’t had much contact with children, aside from Imagination. Tyrion slid down so that his head was resting against Lark’s chest. Obviously, he wasn’t moving anytime soon.

“Once the trees and many animals existed, Imagination placed humans. She gifted Palimea, the prosperous wasteland, with The Elders. Although The Core did control everything, they were a secret so The Elders began governing Palimea. She created the people to work and live. She created the factory, our sole purpose. She created the vicious animals for sport. She painted the sky and crafted the rivers. She opened the ground and brought life. And thus, Palimea was created. It’s simple really,” Rhiana concluded, smiling.

“I’ve never heard the story like that,” Lark said with a small smile on her face. “I’ve never heard the story at all. I was under the impression everyone here was war driven and cruel,” she said, laughing slightly. The carefree and joyous moment was broken when Andor made his presence known.

“Yes, we’re the malicious ones. Tyrion, come here,” Andor ordered. Reluctantly, the child left Lark’s lap and padded over to his brother. Protectively, Andor placed a hand on his shoulder. “We’re meeting Helena in town.” Andor grabbed Tyrion’s hand and pulled the small boy to the door. “Enjoy your hunt,” he spat to Taylon and Lark before leaving.

The silence settled awkwardly over the three left in the home. “I’m sorry about him,” Rhiana said, offering Lark an apologetic smile. Lark shrugged although she was really disturbed by Andor’s meaning. Perhaps it was simply because she often read too much into things, but she no longer wanted to go hunting today.

“Speaking of hunting, I’m short a partner,” Taylon said, standing and offering Lark a hand.
“And we need dinner for tonight, you in?” He asked Lark, his hand waited patiently for her to take it. She bit her lip lightly, wondering what was in store for them in the forest. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep you safe,” he whispered for only her to hear. With that, she took his hand.

“Will you be okay here, Rhiana?” Lark asked, walking to the bedroom. Rhiana laughed and nodded, mumbling something about managing the house alone before. Lark and Taylon made their way to bedroom and to their individual trunks. Lark pulled out more hunting clothes, clothes provided by Rhiana’s younger days, and turned to Taylon. “Can you turn around, please?” She asked, quietly.

Taylon smirked, “As if I haven’t seen a girl naked before.” Lark glared at him, but Taylon didn’t wipe the smirk off his face. Sure, he had been in relationships with girls around the town, but they were mainly physical. He locked eyes with Lark, challenging her. Taylon was indeed a gentlemen and believed treating women with respect, but each relationship never felt right. The ended promptly for he could never really figure out what felt so wrong.

The idea of Taylon being naked made Lark extremely nervous especially because sex was not something Lark knew anything about. It was one secret she was fine with not knowing. She wasn’t stupid, she knew how it was done and what it accomplished, but she never experienced it. In fact, she wasn’t allowed to do it unless she was creating an heir.

Then, Lark mulled over Taylon’s comment about seeing a girl naked. Obviously, Taylon was not what one would consider pure. He was human, after all, and she knew humans fell easily to desire. That’s something the Advisor of Sin invented, lust. Was he attempting to plague her with it now? No, she shook her head. She was an Advisor, not a human. She would not, could not, fall to lust. She was much better than that.

“Well you haven’t seen me so turn around ,” she hissed. Taylon raised his hands and turned slowly around as he began changing into his hunting clothes. Taylon couldn’t help but smirk to himself. He felt triumphant knowing he made Lark nervous. Lark carefully peeled her clothes away and slipped into the undergarments. Before she put a jacket on that covered her markings, Taylon had turned around.

“You’re descent!” He hollered, before she could say anything. He walked slowly over to her lightly grabbed Lark’s arm. He traced the red pattern on her skin and smiled. “Do you know you’re beautiful?” He asked her. He longed to touch her soft skin for sometime now. There was something about her that was so interesting.

She tugged her arm away, pulled on her jacket and walked to the door. “We have food to catch,” she said to him, brushing his compliment off. She slipped into her borrowed boots and waited patiently by the door for Taylon to join her. “Can we go now?” She asked and he nodded.

He grabbed their gear and they both exited to the snow ridden world. Their shoes crunched against the snow as they walked and they finally reached the edge of the forest. Taylon handed Lark her bag and she slung it over her shoulder. Taylon organized his arrows and bow while Lark strategically placed knives in her clothing.

Lark looked forward to hunting because it was nice to be out in the wilderness. She wasn’t really allowed outside at The Core and she was barely allowed outside here. She breathed the air in and couldn’t help but smile. There was something about the outside world that was so incredibly calming to her.

However, the forest itself made Lark nervous. Sure, she and Taylon could handle the quails and foxes, but Lark knew what lurked in this forest better than the people here. After all, she assisted in the creation of the animals. She knew exactly what qualities the animals had to have to contain the people of Palimea from expanding, she and Imagination had been assigned to make sure Palimea stayed in.

She cringed at the thought because now, the things she created were looking to destroy her. Lark and Taylon didn’t travel far enough into the forest to meet the animals, but she knew that Taylon did travel that far. After all, he found her mangled in the middle of the forest and that was not a fox.

“Ready?” He asked her with a smile.

“Ready,” she answered, nervously staring at the forest.