Forbidden (EyesoffirexOfelia)

The rumors have spread throughout France faster than wildfires about "The Monster in the Forest." Depending on what region one occupied, The Monster had a wide variety of wickedness and general physical assumption. In the southern tip of France, they swear the "beast" is all black with glowing red eyes that lures travelers from the darkness of the forests to gobble them up and use their bones as treats for her animals. Travel more East and she is envisioned as an innocent child that gains the trusts of its saviors then in turn it kills them, using their bodies as "puppets" to lure in fresh victims. On the opposite side, they were more benign about their stories, claiming the "Monster" was merely a elderly witch who practiced her dark arts deep in the forest, resorting to killing only when people instigate her. It wasn't as nice but it was the closest to humane she has heard.

Delilah laid in the middle of the grassy forest while watching the puff of clouds drifting on by in between the patches of sky shown through the thick tree tops. She closed her eyes momentarily, running a hand through the cool grass as she felt the humming beneath her, an invisible vibration that pulsated along her spine. Delilah was a gypsy, yet she was separated from her clan when the local villagers pillaged their camp. The girl was in training by the local Witch to harbor her birthright, a power that was in tune with Mother Earth herself. She was meant to protect her part of the Earth and its creatures only, so when she heard the stories people fabricated she was only confused. No one even saw her.

Standing up from her place of rest, the five-four girl wandered over to the stream in which she drank, she cupped her hands and sipped some of the cool liquid before opening pale gray eyes and glancing next to her where a deer took comfort in the refreshing water. Reaching out and petting its soft pelt, Delilah tucked her legs under her as she calmly listened to the gurgling stream and the other noises naturally inhabiting the forest. It was only when she heard consistent ruffling and twigs snapping did she rise from her spot and watch the spot that it came from. The wind that seemed to pick up carried her thick raven curls along the wind, along with the hem of the dress that hugged her curves graciously. At that moment, the girl did look a little wild as if she were in position to attack but Delilah had been taught to use her gift to protect her responsibilities and never to cause true harm. Which once again made her wonder where these rumors stemmed from.

Gideon, who lived in the South of France, just outside of Cannes, he had heard of the 'Monster,' and the way it killed everyone, men, women and children. Some had said that the weather in the region had been bad because of it. That the rains had come to wash it away, to cleanse the Earth of its taint. There were many interpretations of these stories, some of which Gideon chose to believe, others which he didn't. His choices were heavily influenced by his father, Aldric. A man who had incredible influence and social standing in town, a man who was also dying quickly.

It was a day when Aldric had gotten fed up with all of this story nonsense that Gideon had decided to step out and see for himself what was going on. Aldric had gotten so stressed that he was bed-ridden for days due to an argument with a commoner. Gideon was told that Nobles need not go chasing rumors but Gideon had to lay the people's fears to rest. His mother smiled fondly upon him for that. On a cloudy, warm afternoon Gideon, a man of decent height, standing at 5 feet 11 inches, mounted his horse. His Athletic, tones body and slightly tanned skin covered with leather armor though he had no helm, which revealed a handsome face with a little stubble with dark brown eyes and short black hair. A one-handed sword lay in its scabbard upon his left side.

Gideon gave his mother one last farewell before riding out, spurring his horse into action, the grey steed neighed and shot off through the city gates. The woods were to the North and soon enough Gideon was forced to ride slowly, he was weary already, unknown as to why that was. Nevertheless he continued to move. The woods were cut by a road, not too wide, that cut right through the center of the forest. He looked around for some time, seeing nothing. Until a movement to his right caught his eye. He stared at it for a while and decided to follow. Bringing his horse off the road he tired it to a tree and entered the forest on foot. He could hear the sounds of running water and pushed his way through some dense undergrowth, moving closer to the sound of the running stream. He past a grassy patch of forest, one that had clearly been laid in, before continuing closer to the stream.

Delilah guided the deer in the opposite direction of the noise, making sure it ran far in case the noises were hunters. She walked a few feet from the stream and focused on where she knew someone was coming. The thought made her heart skip a beat since it had been so long since she had any human interaction, the girl wondered if the wanderer was her by accident or had harmful intentions due to the rumors that made its way around. The only way she had even learned of the stories made up about her was the animals who picked them up by being around the other humans. Do not be afraid my child. This one harvests no harm. She heard that ancient voice whisper into her mind, her Mother guiding her like she had done all these years. Delilah had called back the animals, the "dangers" that inhabited the forest that helped protect its home. Her bare feet touched the cool grass once more and she felt stronger when Earths natural elements surrounded her, touching her and letting her know she wasn't alone.

"Who is there?" The girl called out, her voice shocking her as there had never really been reasons to use it. She held her hand out, feeling it warm and tingle as it called for power to keep on reserve, just in case the man was malicious then she would have to save what she was born to do. In all reality, what Delilah could do was not as equally impressive as what her teacher had been able to manage. Gena could easily call on Mother to influence the weather or completely disguise themselves. The reason she couldn't do so was because the villagers caught her first, binding her powers so she couldn't help fight and protect her camp. When she finally came face to face with the intruder, she saw it was a man around her age probably and who didn't look so intent on doing anything horrible. She hoped he was just lost and she prayed he was someone who didn't hear those rumors. The other man would catch her wide eyed, watching carefully as she tilted her head in concentration as if studying him.

Gideon stared back at the girl who watched him. He took a moment, taking her in, then his eyes darted around the area. Silently observing his surroundings. "hello." He finally said, and gave her a small smile. She was nothing similar to what he expected the witch in the rumors would have been. So, the naive, young man greeted her all the same. "Are...are you lost?" he asked, not unkindly. The only assumption he could make about this girl was that she was on her way home and had chosen the wrong path to take, ultimately getting her lost. The rain, which fell sparsely in this part of France, due to the thick forest, hit his leather vest with dull plops. Each drop counted for something as few made their way past the thick canopy overhead.


Gideon turned and looked back through the bush he'd come through. He stared off into the distance, the warm wind ruffling his black hair. He couldn't find the way back, he couldn't even hear any sound of his horse. Gideon frowned slightly and turned back to the girl. A perfect way to get things started on this, so called 'hunt.' "Well...unfortunately I can't show you the way back to the road...I don't know the way back myself." His smile turned into a stupid grin. Th girl's silence made him uncomfortable. He wanted her to say something, the forest seemed so still around her. He looked down to see the edge of the stream, yes, something was certainly not normal here. Truly, there was a power in these woods.

Delilah laughed slightly when he asked her the question. Mainly because she could never be lost in the forest and partly because he looked lost himself. The forest had a way of playing tricks with its inhabitants and reaching branches to cover a trail they might have taken, or growing fruit to distract their horses from the path. The forest was always alive but humans never took the time to stop and watch its wonders. She smiled and told her Mother to stop playing tricks, parting the leaves that gathered and hid his trail when he wasn't looking.

"You mean, you came from there? I'm not lost, but thank you." Delilah said, offering her own small smile in return. She looked up to the sky as the rain fall, reaching her hand out and letting the cool drops fall to her hand. It seemed at that moment the sky opened and poured just a little more. Delilah loved the rain and relished when it would do so.

"There?" Gideon said with skepticism. He furrowed his brow. "You mean the city? I came from Cannes. I was...well I was looking for someone. She's supposed to be around here somewhere but I honestly have no idea where she is or what she looks like." He watched her catch the raindrops. They always fell right into the middle of her hand. Why was this place so strange? Gideon took a small step closer, intrigued by the oddness of the environment and how this girl interacted with it.

"You're...well you...haven't exactly been stuck here a while have you?" Gideon only wondered that because of the way she moved and how the forest seemed to take note of everything she did. He didn't exactly see this, he just had a feeling that it was true. That this girl was not just normal...not like him.

Delilah nodded, only looking at the other man when he mentioned he was looking for someone. A female, but everything in her hoped he was talking about someone completely different.

"I.. L-live here." Delilah said, looking away and around her, avoiding the question of who exactly he was looking for. Eventually he would learn given the way the forest and the elements responded to her. The girl turned around, the gust of wind picking up and shaking the trees so that they danced in around them. Walking to the middle of her field, she knelt at the same a beautiful Black Panther padded from its hiding spot and towards her. Its yellow eyes watched Gideon with caution as he walked towards Delilah, rubbing its head against her outstretched palm like it was merely a house cat and not a giant beast that could simply kill without warning.

Gideon didn't know how to respond, first the surprise of the girl's statement regarding where she lived threw him off his game, making him question everything about her. Then the arrival of the cat stunned him. He'd never seen or heard of such cats living in France. Gideon swallowed, his hand straying close to his sword...but he didn't touch the hilt, not did he move backwards. The girl intrigued him too much to him to just suddenly retreat. He stood his ground and watched the cat. "You live here...?" he said slowly. "After you said that...naturally I'd assume that you're...well...I don't mean to offend, you might just be someone else. I...might be mistaken but...for a moment I thought you were the Gypsy Witch." His eyes rose from the cat to the girl's.

He looked at her, all of a sudden feeling very calm. He didn't want to run away, he actually wanted to talk to her and try to understand why someone who seemed to innocent was out here by herself.

Delilah rubbed her cheek along the cats fur, in greeting to it coming out here. The Black Panther often hid to avoid poachers and hunters alike, those who were generally scared to spot it and killed it out of paranoia. But with Delilah it made its exception as it sort of protected her as she did so in return, laying on all fours and resting its head on her lap it turned those eyes to watch the man whose hand floated over his own weapon. Delilah winced when she heard who he was looking for, knowing all along that eventually someone would stumble upon here trying to satisfy their curiosity. She made no effort to hide who she was though, tired from all the rumors labeling her a monster she showed that her place here was meant to be a protector not a destroyer. Raising her hand up slightly, the trees seemed to vibrate harmoniously as vines wrapped around them, exotic flowers blooming before their very eyes. The rain fell everywhere but her and Gideon and the wind calmed a bit and Delilah outstretched her other palm towards the river, calling forth just enough to fill her palm so that she lowered it to the Panther to drink.

"I am." Was all she answered, turning those gray eyes to Gideon, and upon further inspection they seemed to swirl just like the clouds above them.

Gideon winced. He wasn't as shocked at the moment, partly because he didn't believe the rumors to be true and partly because he had already gotten so comfortable with the girl. As a young child he had always been curious and this moment was no exception. Gideon moved back a little, just in case. The changes in the trees and the things she did with the water were unnerving to him. He never even knew magic had existed, yet he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Those eyes, they captivated him, held him so still as if he was turning to stone. He saw the flowers bloom when he eventually managed to look away and noticed that the rain had stopped falling upon them. "You're...you're nothing like they say." he chuckled, a sure sign that he was alright with the way she was, however he kept his distance, he didn't want to approach the panther. "it's actually quite...reassuring, to be honest." He laced a hand against a vine as it moved, feeling the texture against his skin.

"The people in Cannes they...well they're stressed out regarding you." He was careful with that last word, he meant no offense but he still wanted to understand what she was doing out here and felt that revealing the truth was the best choice he could make.

The girl stopped the vines growth and let the rain fall, letting the cool drops touch her skin. Running a hand under the Panthers skin, she politely asked if it could step away for a second to show that the girl wasn't harmful. It watched Gideon for a few seconds before slowly getting up and sprinting into the forest, its growl an echoing warning. The girl noted his expression, his curiosity but more so his inner fear with coming to grasps with magic. Delilah tucked her legs under her and leaned her weight on her left hand, allowing the grass to grow yet bend under her so the blades were flat and plenty, building a sort of bed comforting her.

"They do not know of what I do. I am the protector of the Earth, one of her Daughters. I have been taught to guard these lands that your people have taken advantage of. They say many things about me because they do not know me." Delilah explained, no hurt in her tone, just calm reasoning. She was then fascinated with his clothes, in which the girl never really studied. It was a leather with his weapon being formed of metal, elements from her animals and Mother. All the while, she was garbed in a dress that was thin and upon further inspection had the appearance of the plants it was formed from. The difference was also quite interesting, being that she had never been into a town to see the new things people have created.

"Protector of the Earth?" Gideon mumbled, more to herself than her. He stood silent, watching the grass grow and the girl before him. He felt the urge to sit down, and so he did. He moved into a crouch at first, still unsure if any sudden movements would startle the girl. She seemed more like the forest with every passing moment, he assumed that she was very much in tune with its animals and might dart off at the least provocation. Perhaps he assumed too much. Nevertheless he moved from his crouch into a sitting position and watched the young girl. "I had not idea magic existed." He admitted, it was a hard thing for a nobleman's son to do, but he couldn't do magic so he might as well have admitted it anyway.

"My name is Gideon." He said slowly, he felt stupid for not making proper introductions first, he failed as the son of an influential man. However this girl seemed like she had no care for human customs at all. He held out a hand for her to shake, perhaps a gentle introduction to one of his customs would be positively accepted by her. It was worth a shot.

"Many people don't.." Delilah said, in regards to his magic statement. It was a sad fact that most people don't realize the wonders of hers and others magic, the one that kept many things alive and running. It seemed that the only belief was in fact only in children, which is why only they could see the magical things the world had to offer. When he stuck his hand out, she looked at it for a second furrowing her brows before she remembered from her old camp that they were supposed to shake. Gently placing her hand in his, she shook it softly before smiling gently.

"I am Delilah." She said softly, noticing how the contact with the other hand passed her natural energy to him, leaving a buzzing and tingling feeling. The swirling clouds in her eyes suddenly shifted, the soft gray turning to a very light olive green as if it was chameleon and matching the grass beneath them. The realization of their closeness left her feeling a tad bit nervous, having her pull her legs up and towards her chest so she could hug them while still curiously watching Gideon.

When Gideon withdrew his hand he looked at it closely, it felt so odd, why? Somehow it was as if it had become more alive, fresh, he felt a power in it once again, as if it had never been used constantly for 25 years. Gideon furrowed his brow again and looked back at Delilah. He wanted to say something, but what? For a moment he thought she'd done something to him, ticked him somehow, perhaps this was exactly the way the people had seen her. Perhaps he had just fallen into her trap. Gideon watched her draw her legs to his chest. There was a silence between them, nothing happened. He waited for something bad to happen. Nothing, just the calming sounds he'd always heard since he first came here today.

Her name was sweet enough, then he noticed her eyes and Gideon sat up straighter. The surprise must have been evident on his face because he caught it quickly and changed his expression, one that wasn't so blatantly stupid-looking. "I assume there are no end to the surprises with you?" He inquired, regardless of their color, her eyes still held his attention fully.

Delilah knew that when she was among the animals, her touch left them more energized. More prepared for their day and if they were injured, healed so that they could hunt once more. But once again, since she had no contact with humans the girl didn't know how her touch would affect them. Judging by the way he kept looking at his hand, she figured he got a little more intense version of what the animals did. Then he seemed to jerk back in surprise, making her raise her eyebrows as she wondered what made him jump so. Then the girl remembered that according to her mood, or when she used certain powers, the eye color would change to match.

"Well.. If you are not accustomed to what I am accustomed to, then the surprises can be endless." Delilah said, laughing as she rubbed her hands on her legs to relieve some of the tension in them.

"And why did you decide to come into the forest in search of me? Were you hoping to become a hero by killing the monster?" She asked, voice once again empty as she turned to wait for his answer.

Gideon remained silent for a moment, his hands resting on the cool grass in front of him. He wasn't quite sure what to tell Delilah. Of course she'd want to know the truth, but the truth could hurt, he'd grown to like her in their brief relationship and was not looking to hurt her, emotionally or physically. Gideon looked up at Delilah's face, though he couldn't make eye contact with the girl. Chewing on his bottom lip he thought for a little longer.

"No." he lied, "I just wanted to find out the truth for myself." it was a partial lie, one that was based in truth. Gideon had come to put an end to rumors, but he hadn't come to only observe the truth, he'd intended on getting rid of the source, be it benign or malevolent.
He wanted to change the topic fast and so looked into her eyes this time and asked, "How did you come to be alone? Where is your family? Your people?"

She noted how he didn't directly look her in the eye, probably searching for an answer that would be least offensive or hurtful. But she had learned that when people were scared they did very rash things regardless of peoples feelings. At least he took the time to consider her feelings. So even if he was lying, she nodded her head as if understanding what he said. Though when the topic of her family came up, that threw her off a bit. Delilah could hardly remembered how her family looked like, only that her father had an amazing voice and her mother danced beautifully.

"They are gone somewhere. Chased off by people of your town. I was left here because it is my duty to protect this land and they needed to flee. I have been raised by my Mother and the animals have helped." She said, grinning slightly as she saw the curious eyes of the many inhabitants of the forest.

Gideon was slightly taken aback by the fact that his people had drive them away. From his experience with Delilah he figured that her people would have been reasonable enough to talk to, though he did recall a period of vast expansion outside the walls of Cannes, which felled many trees in the process.
Though the forest they were in was large, Gideon knew that if the destruction of this place continued at the same pace then there would be nothing left of this lush forest in less than 10 years. The man got up and looked down at the woman. "I'd like to see some of the things you do, you have shown me quite a bit already but I'd like to know more."

Delilah looked around the forest and smiled as the trees danced excitedly, no longer intimidated by the strange man. That alone comforted her so that she stopped being so defensive. When he stood up, she figured showing him that she took care of the Earth rather the destroy it maybe those rumors would stop flowing. The girl stood up and decided to show him the Dance of Creatures, something that allowed animals to come and rest among her without being frightened.

"Well then, stand here. Let me show you the magic you thought never existed." Delilah said, her smile wide and warm. Raising her hands above her head, the girl began to twirl and then shake her hips to an invisible beat, closing her eyes as something inside her opened. It released a signal, a calling for the creatures to come and rest. Animals began pouring from the sidelines, from lions to squirrels, everything that most didn't know roamed the forests. They took their spots and laid down, all watching the dancing girl. She smiled at each creature and danced in a small circle, softly singing a song of an old language. An old language that only they understood.

Gideon stood out of the way and watched, his hands at his side, completely interested in what Delilah was doing. The dance was nothing like he'd ever seen and he found himself trying to make eye contact with her every time she turned his way. He was surprised when he saw the first of the creatures arrive. He had expected the dance to be a tribute to something, to honor the forest. Initially he figured the animal was only passing by, but then more came, large and small, all their attention was focused on Delilah. He tensed when he witnessed the lion, he'd only seen the creature on flags and tunics, never in life, the beast was huge.

Gideon had to duck as the birds flew close to his head. He strained to listen to the words, but couldn't make a single on out. Once again his attention was focused on Delilah, oblivious to the presence of the snake slithering past his foot. A deep yearning to remain in the forest suddenly welled up inside of him, he wanted the creatures to respect him as well, to see him as a man who would help them in need be. But for some reason, and he didn't know why, he wanted to show Delilah that he'd be kind to her and take care of things alongside her. For some reason, which he could not explain, he wanted to stay with her.

The girl finished with a twirl, opening her eyes to see her many old friends gathered around her. The animals were very kind to her and with the dance gave everyone there a chance to rest rather than hunt each other or be fearful for their lives. She sat in the grassy circle, smiling at the snake that slithered up her arm and rested around her shoulders. Small rodents rested by her knee and the magnificent lion laid its head on her lap, lazily looking around at the other inhabitants. She petted its great mane and looked at Gideon once more, surprised that he still stayed where he stood and smiled gladly. Reaching a hand out, she invited him to sit with her and enjoy the animals presence. If so, the animals would crowd around the newcomer eagerly, wondering what he was about and glad he wasn't already trying to hunt one of them down. Delilah was glad that of all the possible people to intrude her forest, this particular one was it.

Gideon hesitated at first, his eyes were on the lion. However Delilah's outstretched arm was too good of an invitation to refuse, especially after everything that went through his mind. He took her hand in his own and moved to her side where he sat, on the other side of the lion. Almost immediately some of the animals came to him, the rodents crawled over his legs, he was unsure of what to do so he stayed still, the grip on Delilah's arm tightening a little. Then the snake came, close to his neck. Gideon turned slowly to look at it, it's eyes seemed to be looking right into his own.

Then they moved to the lion, so far it hadn't moved, but he watched it closely. "I...I don't know what to say." Gideon almost smiled, he did chuckle slightly. "This is...I can't even describe it. I like the attention."

The animals all spoke excitedly among themselves. A new friend possibly, someone who could be trusted in their presence when there was trouble. The snake slithered down her arm and settled in Gideons lap and there was a new presence sitting next to the man. The Black Panther from earlier rested on all fours next to him, watching the excitement go on with its same cautious eyes. A bird landed on Delilahs shoulder, making her giggle as the feathers brushed her nose softly.

"They like to be with humans and learning about them like we like doing to them. Though they have grown more frightened of being hunted, now." Delilah said, patting the head of a baby orangutan as it rolled around like a child. She laughed as it grabbed her hand and laid a kiss on the back, hugging it to its face after.

Gideon was getting increasingly comfortable with every animal. The presence of the panther surprised him because of how quietly such a large creature moved. However he was nearly half as surprised as he would have been if he hadn't interacted with the other creatures. He smiled at the panther and looked at it's velvety fur as it moved close. The beast was massive, strong and intelligent. "This one's different." Gideon told her. "Something about it...I don't know. Something is just different about this beast."

He intertwined his fingers with Delilah's hand, he hadn't let go for some time. Initially is was because he was uncomfortable but now he was touching the animals, even moving his other hand closer to the panther's face. However he still held on to Delilah all the same.

Delilah watched the other guy relax with the animals and smiled. Finally someone was at rest with them.

"Yes, he is quite something else. He has taught me many things actually. How to become one with the forest so that you blended with it. His knowledge is quite amazing." Delilah said, once again petting the lion as it licked her hand playfully. The girl laughed then became aware that her hand was intertwined with his. That fluttery feeling in her stomach frightened her slightly but she ignored it, thinking it was something fairly odd to be discussed aloud. The energy that passed through the two was increasing, the buzzing in their hands feeling like electricity but it didn't hurt. Instead, flowers began sprouting where their hands lay, beautiful purple and red exotic plants springing up and resting where their hands did.