Ereshkygal has directed Wraithvine to a most unusual place, a vineyard growing plants partially in the human and fae realms. The wine vintage it produces makes those who imbibe translucent for a few hours with no other effects. It's unclear if this is harmful, no one seems to have been so far, but the Goddess must want something of the unusual vintage… -- Deathshead419
In eons past, say the stories, the Great Dragons pulled stars from the Plane of Magic to toss them into the sky. Those stars fell to the surface of Alfarell and became the world's first Elves. There was still a patch of the world called Faefell. Blue grass grew there, along with interesting crops.
One of those was a remarkably ordinary-looking grape. The vines it sprouted from had taken on Escherian tangles, but the grapes themselves were perfectly mundane.
Wraithvine puzzled at the presence of the vinyard. Yes, this land did contain a lot of the essences of Nanogh. It was evident in the fact that no straight lines could exist within its borders. People had long since given up on trying. Even the grass grew up twisted, and Sprites cavorted freely among the leaves.
Ze walked along the crooked path to the winery, where the barrels aged the vintages in jagged near-rows. They glowed when they were ready for the next step, but you get that when you make wine barrels out of Tulgey wood.
Wraithvine got the tour, waiting for the Sign that hir goddess would give, indicating that ze had found what she wanted. Every process seemed mundane. Well, as mundane as one can get in Faerie-touched land. Right up to the Klein bottling.
It was a nice-tasting wine. Sweet in one moment and tart the next. And at a random moment, astonishingly bitter. Just as quixotic as the Fae themselves. Wraithvine appreciated the novelty, but didn't get the Sign until ze looked at hir own hand.
Ze could see hir own bones through hir skin and muscle.
This, was the only message from hir goddess.
Curious, ze peeled up a pant leg to see what had been aching in a calf muscle for four hundred years and found a fragment of an arrowhead that the healers had missed.
"The world is going to need this," said Wraithvine.
"You need it," insisted the vintner. "Get thee to a healing house before it wears off! Then we can discuss orders and shipping."
[Photo by Czesława Grabowska on Unsplash]
If you like my stories, please Check out my blog and Follow me. Or share them with your friends! Or visit my hub site to see what else I'm up to.
Send me a prompt [19 remaining prompts!]