Fantasy Bitty. [Armageddon / Imaginiaria]

[Armageddon]

The day had been slower than usual. Koda had been doing his weekly chores; he always cleaned on Saturdays, before the start of another week. He'd worked for half of the morning before he decided to take a break, a well-earned one, at that. Many of his duties were finished by the time he stopped. Sometimes, it was nice to cram all of his work into a swift time to have the rest of his day be without obligations. Relaxing in his home was tempting, but when he saw the sky outside of the window, he couldn't resist the pull of a walk instead. His boots were pulled on, and he traversed outside, following a dirt path down into the trees.

For a few minutes, the pebbles and dirt was all that crunched underneath Koda's feet. His eyes wandered everywhere -- from high into the leaves, down to the grass and weeds sprouting from the ground. Though there was a serenity along the path, Koda was not heading all the way down it; when he crossed by a tree with a diagonal scratch through the bark, he veered right, heading off towards a pretty spot that he knew.

It took some time to step through the foliage, under branches, around bushels, but he eventually made it to the break in the trees. A fallen tree stood before him, having crashed through a clearing what looked like some time ago. Moss had grown along the bark, patchy and thick. Light filtered green through a canopy of leaves stretching over the ground. Sometimes he laid against the tree to relax and think; sometimes, he accidentally fell asleep on it and ended up getting scolded by his mother for coming home late. either way, it was a peaceful spot to be.

As he approached the fallen log, his gaze hooked onto something .. unusual in the grass. He stopped walking suddenly. If it were just a rock or a tree root, he would have kept going -- but this wasn't either. He turned towards it and stared for a moment, processing it. It looked like an animal from the distance he was at .. Now slightly concerned, his brow furrowed and he approached it quietly, trying not to startle it away. It was a small creature -- very small, he realized, as he got closer. What the .. ?
​

Imaginiaria

 

[Imaginiaria]

Harmonia laid on the ground in pain. Her wings were torn along with her dress, she was bleeding and was breathing heavily. She could barely keep her eyes open, making it difficult to see. Was she going to die here? As unpleasant as it was to think about, she couldn't help it. The worst of any situation was always the first thing on her mind. She recalled how she'd gotten here in the first.

She sat alone, staring at the bland wood used to build the cabin she was in behind bars. She was locked in a birdcage, taken from the lush green forest outside and forced to sing for a crowd of people just so the man who captured her could make some fast money. He didn't care for her in the slightest and throughout the time she was stuck here, she no longer wanted to sing, but he would hurt her again if she refused and today was no exception.

"Hey! Time to get up! You got work to do," A low, deep voice yelled out, waking Harmonia from the few minutes of sleep she could have. A big and tall man with musclely arms, rancid breath and clothes made from animal fur stood in front of her cage. Harmonia shivered and shrank away, but he scoffed, unlocked the door and grabbed her, pulling her out. Next thing she knew, they were headed to the nearby village.

Standing in their usual spot, the center of town, the man called out his usual speech. "Come one, come all. The world's best musical sensation is back for yet another session! I assure you, you will not want to miss this!" He'd say. Cliche yes, but that was all he got. Once again, people came over. The man whispered a threat to Harmonia too get her to sing. Harmonia just stared at the crowd in silence. The crowd waited. After a moment she sighed and sang. But unlike the calming voice she once had, it was loud, croaky and grating. It was horrible. The people covered their ears, yelling at her to stop. Harmonia immediately obliged. Some began walking over and others were already gone.

"W-Wait! Where are you going?!" The man called out. In frustration, she grabbed Harmonia once again and made his way out of town, despite her protests. As they were soon in the forest, he yelled at her. "This is the last straw! Got it?" He said. "First you refuse to do what I say, then you think you can just make a joke out me by doing whatever that was!?" "I-I'm sorry. I r-r-r-reall-" Harmonia yelpped as he began to crush her in his hand. He stopped after a moment, leaving the fairy in pain and dropped her to the ground. He walked off in anger, possibly back to his house.

 

[Armageddon]

It was difficult to believe his eyes when he grew close enough to see it in detail. What he beheld was not just any little animal or rodent; no, this was far different. He squinted, as if it would change what he saw, but it did not. On the ground, curled up and in visible pain, was a tiny, palm-sized person. A girl. If that wasn't strange enough, connected to her back was a pair of pretty, delicate wings .. or what were once pretty and delicate. They'd been mangled by something, bent at awkward angles, and he could see her trembling, terrified. Her silvery hair was a mess, and a pair of mismatched eyes were what connected with his blue ones. One was lilac, and the other shone pink.

It was the most unreal thing he'd ever laid eyes on. When he was a step away, he stopped, freezing as he registered the presence of the tiny thing. She looked as though someone, or something, had captured her, and they'd left her to die out in the middle of nowhere. For a moment, he stepped back, his eyes wide with shock. Every inch of him hesitated. What in the name of the gods was this? He'd heard legends and stories of tiny people before, told to children and portrayed with wonder and merriment .. and tiny people with wings, too. Fairies, that was their name. But the stories had just been myths; adults often didn't believe in children's stories and magical beings, writing them off as folk tales and nothing more.

And yet, here one was, right before his eyes, just feet away. The sun overhead made his body cast a shadow over her, and as he observed her, he felt .. uncomfortable. He must have looked like a mountain from her perspective .. and there was certainly enough fear in her expression to prove it. But she was hurt. What on earth could he do? Should he just leave her there in her suffering? Immediately, his heart fought against his judgement. If it were an injured bird, or any little animal, he wouldn't have the heart to leave them out to suffer. Sure, this was no animal, but how was she any different?

He blinked. He'd been standing there like an idiot for a solid twenty seconds before he finally moved again. Now far more aware of his stature than he'd ever been before, his actions had slowed to become careful and unsure. He leaned down, his knees bending and resting one by one onto the grassy soil. His mouth opened a bit, as if he wanted to say something, anything to relieve the tension. But nothing came out of it. His hands traveled down towards her, trembling a little in his nervousness. Could he even touch her? Or was she just some hallucination, some mirage to his brain?

When his fingers pressed against one of her arms, it became very apparent that no, this was as real as it was going to get. His breath hitched at this physical contact. Quickly, his hands moved away from her, as if she was a flame threatening to burn him if he lingered too long. In the tense silence, he couldn't help but huff an exhale in complete disbelief. " .. How .. " The word was gentle on his tongue, but surprised all the same. He didn't know what to do -- pick her up or leave her be. Something was telling him to leave, to get out of there and never think about this again, but he'd feel more like a monster if he just left her outside to endure this pain. He swallowed hard, unable to look away from this mystical being.

 

[Imaginiaria]

Harmonia couldn't tell what it was for her vision was blurry, but something was standing over her. It was tall. Very tall. But then again, everything was to her. It scared her. What if it was that man again? He must've came back to finish her off. Harmonia tried to get away, but the moment she moved any part of her body, pain erupted throughout her. She coughed. She had no choice but to lay there, her body trembling with fear.

"I-I...Said I w-was...Sorry..." She chocked out. "Please...don't hurt me..."

 

[Armageddon]

He watched the tiny girl try to pick herself up, move away from him, but fail miserably in doing so. It gripped at his heart like a cold hand. When she had resigned herself to her exhaustion, she coughed -- and then, she spoke to him. Her voice was like wind chimes, except it shook violently and was meek with fear. "I - I .. said I w-was .. sorry .. " She spoke up to him as if they'd spoken only moments before. "Please .. don't hurt me .. " Despite the humanness of her visage, the last thing Koda had expected was for her to speak to him. His eyes were wide with a certain wonderment, and a horror. Who would do such evil to a creature so sentient? He must have found her soon after she'd been left. There was no way he could willfully ignore this, not now. He had to take her home, do something to try and save her from this. If some creature didn't come along and kill her -- or whoever left her there -- she would surely perish to the elements.

He was speechless for a solid few seconds before he finally managed to talk. " .. I -- " He paused, but struggled on. "H-hey, I'm -- I'm not .. I'm not gonna hurt you." He was trying his very best to sound consoling, but it was hard to do with a voice so deep -- and a voice that trembled with nervousness. "I promise, okay?" Slowly, his hands drifted back down towards her. He didn't want to seem threatening, but he had to pick her up somehow to bring her back to his cottage. His fingers slid behind the girl, cupping her against his palm as he scooped her up off of the grass. His other hand hovered beneath, just in case. Somehow, he expected her to be heavier than she actually was, but she was lighter than even a mouse.

 

[Imaginiaria]

Harmonia had no choice but to be still as the man picked her up. But she able to get a closer look at him. He looked nothing like the one who left her here. She could hear his heart too. It had a soft, calming and pleasant melody. It made her feel safe with this person. Her eyes felt heavy, but she couldn't tell if it was from the melody or her injures effecting her. Possibly both. Before she knew it, Harmonia fainted in his hands.

 

[Armageddon]

She did not scream or move when he'd picked her up. That was a good thing, right? He could only hope it was. When he'd lifted her a ways from the earth, he stayed still, quietly running his eyes over her. She looked calmer .. and calmer still. He didn't realize that she was fading out of consciousness until the entirety of her completely slumped, and barely ten seconds passed before the tiny girl passed out.

For a moment, he panicked, unsure if it was a result of his actions. "Oh crap, no-no -- " He sounded frantic. Quickly, he lowered his ear down to her and pressed it against her tiny torso, praying to the heavens he'd find a heartbeat. The fluttering thu-thump was a swift answer to his wishes, but it was weak and tired. He had to act quickly now. He lifted his head away and stood himself up, his legs shaking. It was hard to stand; he stumbled before he actually straightened himself, and the second he had his bearings again, he tucked the fairy girl close to his chest and made a quick path back to the forest's trail.

--

With the urgency in his actions, the time it took to get back was considerably shorter than it was to get to the forest. He held her out of the sights of the people around him. He shuddered to think what might happen if the village knew of his discovery; surely, some action would be taken, and she'd be in danger all over again. When he'd finally returned home, he sealed himself into his room for a time to set the girl down and go over her injuries. He'd been able to help a bird with an injured wing in the past, but this was a whole new playing field for the boy. Her torso was bruised, her arms were bruised, bloody scrapes were along her limbs, and he didn't even know where to begin on her wings. He felt like he'd break them further if he tried anything with his large hands. It was a challenge, but there was no way she'd recover if he didn't do something about her immediate injuries.

So, he went to work. He scurried through his house finding clean cloth, anything to use for bandages, and a wet washrag. It was the most meticulous, delicate thing he'd ever had to do; one wrong move and he could easily hurt her further. He washed her wounds, tore off pieces of the cloth he'd found, and tied them with small knots over the scrapes and bruises. Eventually, it got down to her wings -- and he decided to leave them alone for the moment. Maybe the fairy would have better knowledge of what to do with them.

After an hour of careful work, he finally concluded that she was safe. Her wounds were cleaned and bandaged, and he picked her up to set her down on a clean, soft rag that he found in his kitchen. He thought it was all that could be done -- until she woke up, at least. In the rush, his brain seemed to clear up from its usual clumsiness, save for forgetting certain supplies when he was fixing her. Adrenaline did things to a person, and in this case, they were good things. All he could do now was .. well, wait for her to wake up. He realized that he didn't even know if her heart was still beating, and again, he pressed his ear against her torso. His anxieties were relieved when he heard it still pumping; it sounded like a hummingbird's heart. He took a deep breath and exhaled, his head shaking. He felt like he had to take a nap himself, after all of this, but he decided against it.

 

[Imaginiaria]

After, about an hour or so, Harmonia's eyes fluttered open slowly. The large trees were gone and so was the lush green grass and the sounds animals. She could see clearly now too She found herself staring at a rather tall man-taller then she's ever seen. He had brown hair, blue eyes, and wore a green shirt and pants. She must be in his house. Despite the gentle look on his face, Harmonia shrieked and tried to run, only to slip and fall.

After that little mishap, she pulled herself back up. "Oww..." She mumbled. She tried to fly next, but her wings still in pain from before. Harmonia gave up on getting over and nervously looked at the man. "Um... excuse me..." She said.

 

[Armageddon]

It took many minutes before, finally, he saw her move. Her eyes opened slowly, blinking quickly, and he watched her make sense of her surroundings. She seemed calm -- at first. It was when she saw him, and sized him up, that she panicked. He heard something akin to a frightened squeak, and before he could do anything, she tried to jump up to run from him. Unfortunately, she was in no shape to attempt to escape, and she stumbled and fell seconds after she got herself up.

The sudden motion made him panic too, and he blinked in surprised. Quickly, he said, "Whoa-whoa-whoa, hold on there -- " As he spoke, his hands moved up and hovered around her, worried she'd hurt something if she tried to move too quickly. When she realized her situation, she seemed embarrassed, and he heard that wind-chime voice say, " .. Um .. excuse me .. " Something about her voice was .. not normal. But it wasn't bad. It wasn't like a human girl's voice; it was softer, easier to listen to.

Before he said anything to her, he VERY carefully picked her back up in his hands and set her back onto the soft rag. When she was safely back on it, he moved his hands back quickly, not wanting to scare her anymore than he had to. He was almost afraid of this tiny thing, unsure of how to handle her without feeling .. well, beastly, in a way. His eyes moved aside to glance at his door, and then back to the tabletop in front of her as he cleared his throat nervously. "Sorry, I .. didn't wanna scare you." He took a second to take a deep breath and sigh it out. "Just .. don't move around too much, you -- you gotta rest." His hands wrung each other in his lap. When he looked at her again, he found it hard to look away. It still was hitting him that she even was real, and it made him too unsure for his own good.

 

[Imaginiaria]

Harmonia flinched as the man had cupped her into his hands and picked her. But this closer look at him allowed her to hear the tone of his heart. It had a soft melody, the sounds of a great pianist playing a beloved song. It was slow, but charming. As if the instances as him trying to calm her and seemingly trying to take care of her weren't enough, she was finally able to confirmthat this was a nice man who wasn't out to just use her like last time.

"Sorry, I didn't wanna scare you..." She heard him say. Harmonia wasn't scared anymore -not as much as she was at first at least- and nodded. "I-It's ok, sir...." She said. "I-I just get startled easily. It's partially my fault I freaked out. Sorry..."

 

[Armageddon]

Her little head nodded in understanding. She accepted his apology, and explained about how she was startled easily before apologizing herself. He understood now that she was not only sentient, but of average human intelligence. She was polite towards him, and understood her actions. The only frame of reference he ever had to look off of for this fairy were the tales he'd been told of them, and many of them depicted fairies as playful, mischievous beings. She seemed very much the opposite, being so meek and sweet. It tickled his heart a little, and he couldn't help but grin. It was relieving that he could speak to her and that she could understand him.

"Nothin' to be sorry for." He shrugged, offering some empathy. He'd surely be freaked out in her position, way more than she was acting in the moment. A moment of silence reigned before a question hit him, something he hadn't considered before in his surprise. He blinked once and glanced down to her again, his voice soft at the start of his words. " .. Um, hey .. do -- do you have a name?" It sounded silly to say it like that, but he didn't notice. He was quiet before he realized his mistake and spoke up again. "My name's Koda." He very nearly put out his hand for a handshake of greeting, but .. well, there was some obvious difficulty in that.

 

[Imaginiaria]

Harmonia was still a little shocked that someone was nice to her, but smiled when he asked for her name and told her his. She had been told to avoid humans all her life, for they were evil beings who didn't care for anyone for but themselves. They only cared whether or not the unknown would harm them or not. While she began to think this was true after being kidnapped and forced to sing, this one- Koda, she heard his say- was different. If humans were evil, then why would this one be so nice to her?

Harmonia smiled and looked up at Koda."Uh...Nice to meet you, sir," She said. "My name is Harmonia.

 

[Armageddon]

He saw a grin, and the whole situation just seemed to be uplifted. Rarely could you find a person with an infectious smile, but it seemed he'd found one in the strangest person of them all. She seemed to be getting at least a little more situated, so that was good. If she was really going to be under his care for the next while, it'd be important that he made her feel comfortable, despite the fact that he could hold her squarely in his palm. Handling her was like handling a porcelain doll -- one wrong action and she could crack. It'd be a challenge, but he felt a little more confident in taking it on.

She greeted him with her own name: Harmonia. It sounded like a name fit for royalty, but she didn't look all too royal. Nevertheless, he cracked a shy smile and mumbled back to her, "Nice t'meet you too." His head nodded gently towards her to replace a handshake. For a short few seconds, there was silence, but it didn't last long when it occurred to him that she probably needed something to eat. You could almost see the light-bulb turn on as he said, "Oh! Yeah, um -- " He shifted in his chair a bit, and his hands placed themselves onto the tabletop. " -- a-are you hungry at all? Or thirsty?" He paused for a moment before realizing that he had no idea what she'd even want if she actually was hungry. His eyes flickered aside, then back to her as he softly asked, "Ah .. um, what could I make for you, by the way?"

 

[Imaginiaria]

"Well...A little bit..." Harmonia replied. Just then, her stomach gave a big growl, making her face flush with embarrassment. She smiled nervously and looked up at Koda. "W-What do you to eat?" She asked. "I'm ok with anything."