Soul Thief
Despond was simple to find because he left a trail of fire in his wake.
Irene found him striking stars in space and turning them red with his touch.
"Despond," called Irene.
He did not look at her, turned to a small planet and set it afire.
She drifted towards him, put a hand on his shoulder.
He was hot to the touch.
But he trembled, and when he looked over his shoulder at Irene, there were tears dripping from his eyes. His face was so hot they immediately evaporated.
"My love," Irene said.
Despond was silent, allowed Irene to hold his head and shoulders close to her.
"I fell in love with a human, Irene. I loved a human, Irene. But now he's dead, Irene."
Irene had never known such a thing. And if Oberon knew, he never told her.
"Despond, oh Despond. I'm sorry. It's terrible. It's miserable. I know. I watch my creations die every year."
"Why would Edol create these humans when they simply die?" Despond pleaded.
He held Irene close to him, wept into her hair.
With every tear, peppers would bloom, fall away and drift through the endless space.
Irene did not know the answer to that.
At that moment, Irene felt as if she did not know anything.
Why was Edol so merciless like this?
She ushered Despond at least back to his domain.
Irene planted prickly cactus and bloomed them all around Despond's Domain.
Despond sat and watched her. He admired her gentle touch of life.
"I feel like I can only destroy," he said to her.
She formed something in her palms, opened them to Despond.
It was a baby bird. A yellow-eyed hawk.
Despond took it as gently as he could. It chirped softly in his hands.
"What does this mean?" he asked.
"I think you have powers unknown to even yourself, Despond," Irene told him. "I have faith you can raise this little bird into something strong and powerful, just like you."
Irene smiled at Despond, who was rather taken by this twittering creature.
"Thank you, Irene."
"Always, my love."
Irene found him striking stars in space and turning them red with his touch.
"Despond," called Irene.
He did not look at her, turned to a small planet and set it afire.
She drifted towards him, put a hand on his shoulder.
He was hot to the touch.
But he trembled, and when he looked over his shoulder at Irene, there were tears dripping from his eyes. His face was so hot they immediately evaporated.
"My love," Irene said.
Despond was silent, allowed Irene to hold his head and shoulders close to her.
"I fell in love with a human, Irene. I loved a human, Irene. But now he's dead, Irene."
Irene had never known such a thing. And if Oberon knew, he never told her.
"Despond, oh Despond. I'm sorry. It's terrible. It's miserable. I know. I watch my creations die every year."
"Why would Edol create these humans when they simply die?" Despond pleaded.
He held Irene close to him, wept into her hair.
With every tear, peppers would bloom, fall away and drift through the endless space.
Irene did not know the answer to that.
At that moment, Irene felt as if she did not know anything.
Why was Edol so merciless like this?
She ushered Despond at least back to his domain.
Irene planted prickly cactus and bloomed them all around Despond's Domain.
Despond sat and watched her. He admired her gentle touch of life.
"I feel like I can only destroy," he said to her.
She formed something in her palms, opened them to Despond.
It was a baby bird. A yellow-eyed hawk.
Despond took it as gently as he could. It chirped softly in his hands.
"What does this mean?" he asked.
"I think you have powers unknown to even yourself, Despond," Irene told him. "I have faith you can raise this little bird into something strong and powerful, just like you."
Irene smiled at Despond, who was rather taken by this twittering creature.
"Thank you, Irene."
"Always, my love."