* * *
I return with Aio to the center of her sanctuary. She holds my hand. Evening is approaching. I have no idea how to describe what I just experienced. The wildness. The passion. The absolute union. A feeling I had never known. I can't gather my thoughts. I don't know what to say. We walk in silence, but my companion doesn't seem to mind. I can feel her happiness. Our fingers are intertwined, and a smile plays on her lips. I have finally calmed down. Ever since I arrived here, everything has been so new.
Darkness envelops the forest, but the moon breaking through the clouds illuminates our path. We reach the massive tree where I first woke up. At its base, on my bed of moss, Keira and Reika are waiting. Their bodies gleam in the moonlight.
Right, they are water Rusalkas.
Their skin is coated in a thin, shimmering layer of water, causing that radiant glow. They slowly rise from the moss, looking our way with a mix of anger and resentment. Before I can utter a word, they are upon us. They tear me away from Aio without speaking and drag me toward the pond.
Aio merely giggles and lies down on the now-empty moss.
Seeing me look back at Aio, the Rusalkas freeze. Something must have snapped inside them, because without a word, they shove me into the pond. I don't understand this at all. The pond turns out to be incredibly deep.
I can't see the bottom!
Panic sets in as I try to swim, but I only sink faster. The air escapes my lungs at a terrifying rate.
Just as I hit the bottom in total darkness, I feel a touch on my lips. It's Keira and Reika, kissing me one after the other.
Our lips part, and I realize I can breathe freely. The darkness yields to a light emanating from the sides of the pond. I now see it's some kind of stones permanently affixed to the walls, scattering the gloom of the abyss. The Rusalkas begin to swim around me, kissing and tracing my body. Keira and Reika's underwater dance grows more tempestuous and sensual.
They don't speak a single word, yet I know exactly what they want to tell me. I lose my senses in this underwater rapture. We unite senselessly in the illuminated depths.
* * *
A new day breaks. I wake up beneath the largest tree, right by the pond, on the same patch of soft moss. Although no one is lying next to me, I can feel with my fingers that the spots beside me are still warm.
I hear the splash of water. Keira emerges from the pond, followed closely by Reika. In their arms, they carry a multitude of multicolored stones. They smile at me and place the items before me. Both begin to sing softly. Aio, as if waiting for this cue, steps out from between the trees.
"You are our protector. You must have the proper weapons."
The dryad joins her sisters' song, and a moment later, I feel the massive tree behind me creak violently.
I jolt and stand up quickly. Something resembling a branch detaches from the massive trunk. Patterns looking like veins form on its surface. From the piece that separated from the tree, two objects take shape.
The first is an intricately carved spear. It's about two meters long and incredibly hard, as if condensed from a vast amount of material.
The second is a bow. Short, sturdy, and heavy. I can feel it will pack significant power and force.
There is no bowstring.
Without stopping their song, I watch the Rusalkas tear out each other's hair. The strands begin to braid themselves into a string, and the magical song binds it to the bow.
The stones they brought earlier shift their shapes, now resembling arrows. I don't know how long this took, but every moment felt magical. The women cease their singing.
"The tree growing here is the heart of this forest. It is also my heart. My life."
Aio approaches me and touches the weapons.
"This spear and this bow are the only tools you may use. I forbid you from bringing metal into this sanctuary."
Her voice is cold and commanding. I assume it's due to the gravity of the situation. I don't question anything.
"The arrows possess paralyzing properties. They should serve you well in combat. Try not to lose them."
The dryad smiles at me.
"If you pierce someone with this spear, their vital life force will be absorbed and transferred to my heart within this tree. That's why the arrows are meant to immobilize the target. You will finish the rest with the spear. When you kill your first victims, I will show you where we will bury them. The more, the better."
I approach Aio, Keira, and Reika one by one, placing a kiss on their lips in gratitude. I gather the weapons and immediately set out on my first patrol.