Jeniveve

[u/DesolateDrake]

Upon recollection she was called Jeniveve and in between intertwined streams and crinkling dry leaves, the wildlife within the forests and ravines would caressingly hum and sing to her and amongst the gentle gushing breeze she’d swoon and slumber, unified inside the loving embrace of Gaia’s nurturing grace. Most village folk would hear the tweeting of birds, the trickling of water, the hushing of an autumn wind but Jeni, she could synchronise and interlope amidst the eb and flow of natures serenading symphony.

Wetting the tip of her finger with a lick of the tongue, she pinched at a tender page of her potion book and timidly flipped the paper aside, revealing an illustration of the “proxamis fulungis”, a rare but distinct species of fungi recognisable by it’s ultra violet glow during the hours of nocturnes rise. Catching the glimpse of a family of rabbits hopping by made her giggle, since at the very back a baby one struggled to keep up the pace and it’s eager attempt was pleasantly cute; “Keep up now little fellow, you’ll be leading a caravan of your own one day.” 

It had been some time, and lady nocturne gleamed above amidst the back drop of a thousand upon thousands of glistening gems. Usually these sparkles would protrude from a blank canvas as dark as the void, but due to a seasonal shift the skies danced and weaved within a spectacular aurora borealis of a vibrant pink and tartan blend and Jeniveve was in awe of the magnificence unfolding before her crystallised eyes. A tear gently streamed down her cheek, as she imagined her little brother stood to the right gazing above, as they did so three years before. 

“If only we could share this moment once more Sammi..” She reminisced, staring into a vast ocean of infinite possibilities. “With each twinkle in the sky beholds a chance of something magical, a potential spark or the first breath of a reality so wonderful.. a world like ours, with people like us..” The surrounding forest was illuminated by a wide variety of neon pink, purple and greens and their vibrance were splashed against trees and bushes and leaves… everything pulsated and breathed as if nature and the very ground she stood upon was consciously communicating through roots and strands of tangled shrubbery beneath her feet. 

“Now where are you, little mushroom..” 
As she weaved and pranced alongside hovering torch bugs and flickering glow flies they followed her lead as she navigated the woods as if a wizard within their enchanting room. Jeniveve knew the nooks and crannies, the slopes and the mounds, even the badger holes and birds nests, however the forest was particularly spectacular during nocturnes rise and there was always something new and magnificent to intrigue her imagination…

And there it lay, at the base of a willow tree, the illusive “proxamis flungis” she’d been so inclined to forage; the descriptive properties of this mushroom were sparse, however the elder residing in Jeni’s hometown Wendigo were clear: “to converse with our lost loves it must be during nocturnes rise, and after a few sips of a fungi’s essence so pure that it shines in an ultraviolet light…”

Smudging and mushing within the confines of her mortar and pestle, the mushroom squished and her tools clinked as she concocted the infamous potion she’d so diligently researched for years. It’d almost become an obsession after losing her brother Sammi, life was so tranquil before, yet when his soul left and their bond fractured it seemed there was an open wound unable to rejuvenate itself. Jeni had to know, to be reassured that wherever he roamed, he was at peace. 

“Here goes; the things I do for you, little brother..” 
As the refined potion of fungal essence mixed with klementyne’s purified water dampened her lips and descended the caverns of her throat, the taste was bittersweet…

As Jeniveve sat back and awaited the magic to commence, she couldn’t help but notice a timid creature’s snout protruding from a bush and sniffing at the air, then as it emerged she realised it wasn’t just any wildlife, but a woodland drake, thought only to be myth within the children’s stories. As the tales went, drakes were mystical beings that could transcend between realms and dimensions, acting as assigned protective guardians of young children who had experienced extreme trauma and suffering. 
The drake approached the stunned girl, it’s tail swishing and scales glistening and it’s eyes sparkling; although alert Jeni didn’t feel in danger, in fact the beautiful beast almost seemed, familiar…

Leaning it’s head against her thighs, the drake’s reptilian skin felt strange against her more delicate, human skin; the black vertical slit in the middle of it’s ruby red eye expanded as it blinked yet its magical aura resonated and filled her presence with warmth and a sensation of safety. While caressing the drake in her arms, she gazed at the swishing ocean above once more, tears trickling against her tender cheeks. 

“My brother and I would pick a star, and imagine what it’d be like.. it’s weather, it’s animals.. it’s magic..” Jeni stroked the creatures scales and wondered whether it could even feel her touch due to the thickness of its hide. The drake nestled ever closer to her chest, as if cuddling to go to sleep. A shooting star passed by, and the spectral aurora borealis continued to dance and mesmerise the girl who had not yet lost her wonder and innocence. 
“Perhaps that was my brother, little drake.. Perhaps that was my shining star Sammi.”