Discovery

That day passed without anything notable. Elyrielle went to her room to sleep. Her husband was already fast asleep on his bed, which was bigger and more expensive. She changed her clothes and went to her bed. She spent half an hour just... thinking. As every night, she fell asleep just because she needed to.

She woke up with the first rays of light of the rising sun. She woke up, changed her clothes into a silk long white dress with long leaves and went to make breakfast. Flour, milk, salt, and eggs on a bowl. After a few minutes, the mass was ready to be cooked in the oven. She casted fire and the cooking process began.

She went to the garden and watered all the plants. Grabbed some red dragon leaves for the tea and went inside. Now, when she tried to cast fire for the tea... it took her trhee attempts. Strange, that never happens.

She tried to forget about it and just sat there, waiting for her husband usual angry aptitude. And, right on time, he came to the room stomping like a toddler.

- Daydreaming again huh?

- Maybe. -Said Elyrielle, not in the mood today.

- What kind of answer is that? So rude. - Said Lirienor and gave her a dirty look.

- I will make us some tea.

- Tea? I'm already drinking the tea Elyrielle. Do you want to make more or what?

Elyrielle froze. She remembered boiling the water, not making the tea or putting it on the table.

- What? Are you daydreaming again? Are you sick or something?

- I... I'm just tired. I will go to the market. -Said suddenly Elyrielle and gave her husband her back.

- Hey! What are you doing? and Elthar?

- He must be tired too. -And simply left her home.

It was two things in one day, her magic failed her as well as her memory. This didn't look good. So, she decided to by some groceries to make up her mind.

She had to walk for half an hour but she was fine with that, after all, she could enjoy the beautiful views of the everlasting forest. She could see some young dragons flying away, some faries floating around flower bushes, some unicorns running through the forest, and many other magical creatures.

The cold wind made her long almost white hair float like a silver flag behind her head. Her golden eyes looked just as bright as the sun. Her porcelain-like skin had only a few wrinkles behind her eyes that showed that she passed the one thousand barrier. Her hair, that used to be golden as her eyes, is now a beautiful silver with few golden strings of hair that refuse to change its color.

Elyrielle, the daughter of the King of the Elf's empire, master of magic, the welder of the title "the eternal" because he was the elder that lived the most without losing himself to the elders fog. She had a huge weight on her shoulders. She had to marry and had a son as quickly as she could to preserve the purity and honor of her royal family. But, did she really chose that life for herself? Did she have any choice in the matter?

Lost again in her thoughts, almost fell because she tripped with a little kid that was playing with her little brother. Before she knew it, she was already on the market.

- Sorry about that little ones. -Said Elyrielle with a sweet smile.

The kids smiled when they saw her. Their eyes widened and she could have sworn that they sparkled a little.

- Zack! It's an elder! Can you believe it?

- Woah! Ms Elder, could you please do a magic trick for us?

- Sure! and my name is Elyrielle by the way.

The two little kiddos looked at her exited. Not every day you get to see an elder perform magic. Not every day you see an elder at all. Once elder elfs reach the so feared one thousand mark, most of them hide at their homes or simply remain at the Elf's kingdom, avoiding any interaction with other races.

Elyrielle, with a quick hand gesture, materialized her staff to do her little trick. Her staff, gifted by her professor at the magic academy, was one of the most precious objects that she had. It meant that she was good at something, it was the symbol thar represented that.

Her staff looked like a few branches that intertwined to create a hand-like shape at the top, where, a crystal that had the function to work as a catalyst for the magic, now started shining with a beautiful golden shimmer. Elyrielle said "Linquë lisseo calima"

Three lights floated out of her staff and shape-shifted into three birds. A sparrow, a robin and a finch. Their shapes were translucent and shiny. Their little shapes floated gracefully in a little circle around the kid's heads. The birds chirped and smiled happily to their exited audience. Once Elyrielle thought that it was enough, she snapped her fingers, and the three birds became three light balls and returned to her staff.

- I must go children. Take care.

- We will Ms Elder! Take care as well!

It was funny to Elyrielle, children were never easy to her, not even her own. But today, she felt great with those kids.

She kind of forgot what she came for to began with, luckily for her, one shop owner recognized her and called her attention.

- Elyrielle, darling! Did you come to buy some groceries from you old friend Mr Rockspike?

Elyrielle smiled relieved.

- Yes my dear, that is why I came indeed.

She proceeded to buy what she needed for the evening and went back home. Still, she couldn't shake that feeling. Her magic failed this morning, her memory as well, twice... could it be?... She would ask for advice from her husband.

- Lirienor darling, I'm home!

Only silence responded. Her husband was at his office, correcting some magic exams from the academy.

- Is the lunch ready yet?

Elyrielle, sadly used to this behavior, just moved on with the cooking in silence.

A few minutes later, Elthar got back from his adventure as well.

- Is the food ready, mother? I'm exhausted! We managed to defeat a two-headed dragon today. Well, I did most of the job!

- The food will be ready in a few minutes, son. Go get into comfortable clothes to eat please.

- AGH, again with that mother. Let me know when the food is ready. -And slammed the door of his room. Sometimes, she thought that her son never quite got over the teenage face at all.

After the three of them ate in silence, as always, her son left and only Elyrielle and Lirienor remained at the table. She decided to take this chance to talk to him.

- Lirienor, darling. I think I will go to the magic health specialist today.

-And why would you do that? - Answered coldly her husband.

- Because my magic failed me today.

Lirienor stopped eating for a second.

-As well as my memory... maybe is-

- Is nothing. You are overthinking.

- Darling, I'm well over one thousand years. The eld-

-WE DO NOT TALK ABOUT THAT HERE! -Said Lirienor as he smashed his plate with his fists. He was shaking, eyes fully open. - And... you are the daughter of "The Eternal" that is why I married you. There is no way that you will get... that.

Still in shock, Elyrielle only got up and started cleaning the mess that his husband left, as always.

Once she was done, she looked through the window again, now feeling the tears accumulate in her eyes. "I will go, either you like it or not" thought to herself.

She washed her face, determined this time and went to look for her horse to go to the specialist faster. There he was, her favorite horse, "Spotty". A big white horse with many brown spots around his body, the animal loved her as much as she loved him. He even started moving his ponytail as he saw her come to him.

- Hello my darling! It's been a while! Let me ride you this afternoon please!

As she tried, she noticed that she didn't have the strength to climb to the horse's back. She tried many positions but she couldn't. The horse ended up helping her his head to ride him. Now, she was honestly scared. The three symptoms were there, clear as water.

- We must hurry Spotty. Mommy thinks she is sick. Can you run as fast as you can?

Spotty nodded and both ran off faster than the wind itself.

Once she got to the specialist's home. A little home inside a cave, with a big wooden sign that read "If you have magic problems, I can fix that! And if you don't... I could probably still fix it!" Dr Aethoniel. He was her teacher that gifted her the staff. Someone she knew she could trust.

After some small talk, she went straight to the point.

- I want the elder's fog test.

Aethoniel looked at her, scared.

- Darling, you know what it means if it is positive?

- I know. I need to know. So please, do it.

The test consisted of taking a little sample of blood of the patient and put it on a petry dish to apply a spell on it. If the blood started shining, everything is fine. But, if the blood turned black, that meant that the elder's fog started.

Both looked inpatient as the sample received the spell and... it turned blank.

Elyrielle's heart sunk. She covered her face with her hands and started crying in silence.

- I'm so sorry Elyrielle... There is only one advice that I can give you... Live your life as YOU want, because you don't know when you are going to wake up unable to be yourself again.

She looked at him, still crying and the realized two things. One, thar he probably was talking from experience. Why else would he leave his work and precious home to live inside a cave? that also explained why she haven't seen him in a while. And two... did SHE live a life that she wanted?

Both hugged, acknowledging their fates and grieving each other's lives.

- I'm scared. - Said Elyrielle.

- I'm too... Erika.

That hurt more than the news itself. Her master, her role model, her professor... was withering away too. It was her turn now.

He was right. Now that everything was coming crashing down. Why can't she just burn all bridges and do a life for her own? Yes! that's it! If she is going to die... might as well die happily. Far away from that putrid routine were people that didn't appreciate her stepped on her boundaries over and over again.

- Good bye Mr Aethoniel. I will take your advice!

He didn't respond. He just stared through the window... he started drooling. He was too far gone. She even thought that it even seemed that he waited to day goodbye to her favorite student, the daughter that he wished he had.

Now, decided more than ever, Elyrielle went home determined. She would leave her old life behind tonight... for ever.

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