Millennia ago, when I was very, very young, I decided to visit Su’invib Arsvek — The Haunted Garden. At the time, no one knew it was haunted. It was simply the prettiest field of flowers in all of Sekharu, and one could smell its delicate blooms’ sweet scents from miles and miles away. It even had its own viya, a peculiar individual named Vetch, who planted himself at the center of the field and hardly moved from that serene spot, save for when he detected disturbances to the peace.
I did not know this at the time either.
I hadn't much interest in the flowers, to be frank, except to use as food. I dislike bright colors, but on my first day upon on this earth I plucked a bloom from the edge of the field and set it alight, and discovered that the flames it produced tasted quite sweet.
In any case, Vetch was who had captured my attention. He and I were created on the same day, and introduced to humans at the same time, but we had not spoken properly yet. I had been alive for only a week at this point, and I endeavored to speak with each enMahyeta after the announcement of our creation, to learn about how they planned to live and therefore how I should live. It is a strange thing, to be a full-grown adult at one week old! All of the human adults knew who they were and what they wanted to do with their lives, and I had not even chosen a place to live yet.
But I ramble too much. Vetch and Varik (damn his thieving soul!) made themselves scarce almost immediately after creation, and it took me a while to locate them. Vetch was the last enMahyeta I would meet. Hide in plain sight, he did. Well, I finally learned where he lived and, as the sun sunk below the horizon, set foot into his haunted garden. I did not teleport directly to him, because I wanted to familiarize myself with the environment. I did walk slightly above the flowers, stepping on small platforms of shadow that materialized beneath my feet, because I did not want to crush the delicate things.
I looked ahead, rather than down at the flowers, in the hopes of spotting Vetch more quickly. Su’inveb Arsvek is very large, and it would be a while yet before I would be close enough to see him. I walked at my usual slow pace, because there is no need for expediency when one has no profession, few physical needs to satisfy, and is looking for someone who seemingly does not move.
Well, Vetch did move, about ten minutes into my adventure. He did not show himself, not yet, but I heard a sound like something bursting from the earth and felt a pair of rope-like objects fasten around my ankles. I finally looked down and saw two thick stems had rooted me in place. Each one had a single golden blossom that was abnormally wide, nearly oval-shaped, and possessed ragged, uneven petals, as if two flowers had been awkwardly merged together.
I decided that now would be a fine time as any to call out, “Vetch, are you there? I would like to make your acquaintance.” I am sure he heard me, but he did not respond. He was the quiet sort, it seemed, although I was not entirely sure what to make of the stems wrapped around my ankles. They were not tight enough to feel threatening, but I knew not what distorted flowers could mean. I carefully raised one leg, then the other, to see what would happen. Almost immediately two more stalks emerged from nearby plants, wrapped around my wrists, and yanked me down onto my knees. A pair of red star-shaped flowers turned to face me and panned up and down, as if they were eyes taking my appearance in. Then they stilled as if they had never been animated, and the stems trapping me loosened and slunk away. Vetch was finally making his presence known, but to what end?
I felt the only way to learn would be to go forward, so I raised my shadowy platforms a few inches higher with a flourish, and continued my adventure. From this higher angle I could see that the proportion of misshapen blossoms was slowly increasing, as well as their overall size. The field began to look less like a well-maintained garden and more like a fantastical dreamscape, where life was not bound by the rules of nature as it is here. The sun had fully set and my surroundings had a gray-blue tinge to them, thanks to the moon’s light and my powerful ability to see in the dark. I got the sense that the flowers behind me grew taller with each step, slowly but surely obstructing my way out of the garden. I distinctly recall seeing an eight-petaled black flower the size of my head and being pleased by its color, yet confused by how unnatural it seemed. It grew from a stalk that was about my height, and roughly my width. I paused to observe it more closely, and gently rubbed a round petal between my thumb and index finger. It felt soft and alive, and full of magic like the heka that coursed through me. As I did so, the flowerhead drooped unnaturally, assuming a shape not unlike a deep frown. I suppose it would have scared a human, but viya are generally not perturbed by such things.
An idea struck me then. “Excuse me, Vetch?” Again he did not answer me directly, but I knew he must be watching me, so I continued, “Would you be so kind as to allow me to pluck a petal from the flower in front of me?”
I supposed that if I were to burn the petal it would make for a wonderful meal. I never got to learn if this was true, for a mere moment after I asked a thick vine erupted from the ground, rose above me, and slammed me into the ground. For the first time in my short life I felt regret — I managed to upset my fellow viya so quickly! I allowed myself to melt into the shadows hiding under each leaf and blade of grass and reformed next to the vine, but just as quickly it swung itself towards me again. This time I managed to jump high enough to avoid it, and I created a new platform some ways above the ground in the hopes that it would not reach me again. From there I watched as the black flower wilted away in a matter of seconds, its thick stem rotting into mush.
Today those who know me describe me as very wise, but I was not born this way. When I was one week old in Vetch’s garden, I had not yet learned the true value of running away, or of letting things go. I was baffled by his aggression and determined to get to the bottom of it, even if I had to use force. Therefore, instead of teleporting away, I chose to enter my true form. I would be showing aggression in kind, by virtue of that form’s intimidating appearance, but I believed that my gentle demeanor would prove I meant no harm.
I peeled off the thin, black strip covering my eyes, and liquid darkness began to stream from their ducts, pouring down my robes and pooling at my feet. I then took off my mask, and both accessories dissolved into the shadows. A torrent of shadow flowed from my maw, cloaking every inch of my surroundings in an ocean of darkness too thick for anyone but myself to see through. I could feel myself turning inside out, my already-sharp teeth multiplying and growing larger. I do admit, it felt quite relieving to shift to that quadrupedal form, to stalk through the field and swish my tail about as if I owned the place! I enjoy my human form very much, but you must understand, it is not an accurate representation of my true size, and it is physically restricting in some ways.
Vetch seemed to still as I neared him. Planning his next move, I supposed. The once-giant flowers seemed small to me now, and I strode through the garden with ease. Finally, in the distance I spied a humanoid figure sitting cross-legged on the ground, facing me. He rose to his feet and sharply motioned a hand upwards. A giant stalk spiked up from the ground just one pace away from me — even though my total darkness obscured my precise location, he had a strong sense of where I was.
“It is I, Sevokh, one of the viya crafted alongside you,” I pleaded one final time. “Must we fight each other?” At the time I believed myself incapable of being harmed by anyone but the moon herself, and I was mostly correct. Vetch could attack me all he wanted, but he could not make me feel true pain at that point in time. So I felt empowered to prod him just a bit more, if only to learn why he was so hostile.
Finally, finally, Vetch responded with his words. It was the only time I have ever heard his voice, and I recall it quite clearly. It sounded young, and a bit raspy as if he did not speak often. Most importantly it was loud and grating, and he screamed with an intense rage that I had never heard before, “You're in my garden! Leave!”
I recoiled slightly at his words, but I did not turn tail. “Is it truly yours? The humans speak as if it belongs to everyone—”
The viya sunk into the ground before I could finish my thought. I felt a deep rumbling below me, and the flowers seemed to shake with excitement, or perhaps fear. A corner of my mind properly considered turning back, but it was too late. A crocodilian pair of jaws, as large as my true form and composed entirely of verdant leaves and stems, erupted from right under me, catching me by surprise! Vetch’s fangs were impossibly sharp petals with the toughness of iron, and he buried them into my skin with ease. Today, I shudder to think how much they would have hurt if I had known what pain felt like.
I twisted and thrashed in an attempt to escape Vetch’s grasp, but if anything his hold on me grew stronger. Then my panic wore off and I remembered that I did not have to fight so miserably to escape. I teleported away, dissolving myself into the shadows again and reforming many meters above the ground. Vetch's jaws snapped shut, then slowly opened again as he realized he had failed to eat me. They rose higher and higher, followed by eyes made of hydrangea petals and a ridged back dotted with pink flower buds. Vetch’s proper true form was a fearsome, floral crocodile, and he paced back and forth, waiting for me to come closer to the ground so that he could tear into me again.
I did not come closer, of course. I was fascinated by his strength and I daresay his true form is beautiful, but now I had learned my lesson. Despite our shared heritage Vetch saw me as an intruder, and I would never be welcome. I bowed my head in defeat and teleported back to the edge of Su’invib Arsvek so that I could reflect on my experience, and reflect I did. It was my first time thinking so deeply, because I had never made such a big mistake, but I sat down under a nearby tree and thought and thought and thought, until the sun rose and I wanted a darker place to rest.
I have never been back to Su’invib Arsvek, nor do I wish to. Now I do have reason to fear for my life, but more importantly, Vetch has made his wants clear. As a viya and conscientious enSekharu I believe we should respect them. I pray for his well-being, and I do hope he is able to establish camaraderie with another enSekharu someday.