An Ember Kindled

Written entirely by Taylor Provencher September 2023

Impossible, she’s dead. Oak pondered internally. Yet, surely as he smelled the mouse droppings in Faerrin’s shirt, could he hear the voice of his mother in the wind. A warm breeze swept through the frigid surroundings. “Come, little Oak. Come to the shrine. I’ve heard what you have had to say.”
What is happening? What did you hear? Oak thought, confused. Oak distanced himself from the group 30 paces and said in a small voice, barely above a whisper “Hello, who’s there? How do you know me?”
No reply. Does someone in the party know telepathy? Possibly. But no one would know his mothers voice. She died more than 20 years ago.
“If this some .. trick… you won’t be happy to get to know the angry Okaanen.” Oak took a deep breath and observed his surroundings. Hmm, no sounds, other than the snow crunching under his feet. The landscape nearby was mostly white, with bits of brown and green speckled in. Plants struggling in the cold winterscape those beings had turned this area into. No smells.. wait! There was a smell, something intoxicating yet familiar. The smell of his mothers stew!
Oak took off running in the direction of the smell. He ran and ran, barely taking a breath. Something inside him spurring him onward. He quickly got out of the cold zone, arriving in the temperate forest. He kept running, for a few hours at least, until he reached a clearing. A simple building made of stone bricks stood at the center of the meadow. The scent was strong here. Oak rushed to the door, opened it, and…
What devilry is this? Oak found himself in a jungle. Hot, humid, just like home. His senses all agreed. Have I been teleported somehow? This doesn’t make any sense.
Oak kept walking. The smell had vanished. No more voices. What else to do but keep going? His leg muscles burned from the exertion, but he kept going. Suddenly, a small clearing in the dense jungle foliage. A beam of light, descending from the sky, lit up the otherwise dim surroundings. On the jungle floor, a.. doll? No, a totem. His mothers totem!
“A mother never abandons her child.” A voice, soft and matronly, emanated from all directions at once. “Do you remember my name, Okaanen Mistveil?”
Oak wasn’t known for his razor sharp recall. “Uhh, you sound like a god. Natural surroundings.. hmm Sylvanus?”
“No child. If Sylvanus is the father of forests, then you may think of me as the mother of the earth. Chauntea is my name. No god is more forgiving, more nurturing, or more essential than I. Your mother worshipped and gave thanks to me.”
“My ..apologies for not knowing. I didn’t pay much attention to my mothers religion as a child, honestly I assumed she was just praying to nature itself. But her druid totem was that of a feminine figure. So this makes sense. What do you want? Why lure me here with the voice and scents of my mother? Can you even take on her form?”
“I could indeed take your mother’s form. But I have a form I prefer.”
A form coalesced out of the sunlight, humanoid. Oak observed long white hair, gathered in a long braid. She had beautiful features and tanned brown skin. Her body was lean but toned, muscled similarly to a farmer's body, shaped by hard work. She embodied both strength and femininity. She looked a lot like Silver to be honest.
“Did you know much power comes from swearing an oath, little Oak? That’s what your mother called you, yes? Fitting, the natural connection between you two. The one you swore to protect?”
Oak stared at the goddess in front of him. “You heard me? My oath of protection.. I … I thought I felt something. But.. I am not worthy of being in your presence. If you are indeed a goddess, you’ll know I have done terrible things. My scale doesn’t balance.”
“Wayward souls can make the best servants. I can sense the change in your heart. You want to protect the beautiful and life-giving things of the world. Do you wish to join with the side of the light in the cosmic struggle against darkness?”
“That’s uh, quite the question. If you’re asking if I want to kill the bad stuff, I guess the answer is yes. I’ll try my best to erase the red from my ledger.”
“Then know you have already started your journey. I will be there if you need guidance. You are forever at home in the wilderness.”
Oak felt a warm beam of sunlight flow into his body.
“Goodbye, for now?”
“Indeed. I will see you again, Okaanen the Bold. Oh, one more thing. You may think life hasn’t been quite fair to you so far. Family taken too soon. The curse of Malar brought into your blood. Riches slipped through your hands. But you didn’t lose gold. You won Silver.”