The Eternal Forest

The sound of distant screams howled through the forest; the Ilck were eating another nefarious heart. Ilck's used to be sweet creatures; they looked similar to fauns. In the beginning, Ilck would host tea parties and dance through their gardens, welcoming humans to join them in their eternal eutopia. Ilck would maintain the flora and fauna that gave them eternal life, but this would not last, as humanity became greedy and possessive of the Ilck's paradise.

Humans began to hunt Ilck and steal their magic fruit. The Ilcks grew angry and protective of their forest, using their massive beastly paws to tear out the hearts of evil humans.

It is said that Ilck's bury human remains within the roots of their trees to nourish the soil and give back to the ancient oaks so they can bear their sweetest, most potent healing fruit. The enchanted berries are said to be made of pure magic, able to cure any illness, change DNA structures, and stop aging.

Like many humans, Aubrey was on a mission to acquire Ilck's elixir to save her mother, who had recently fallen into an unexpected coma.

Through the woods, Aubrey could hear the Ilck's roars reverberate through the whistling trees. She searched the forest high and low, scanning across the tangled branches above, trying to spot anything that resembled a cherry-like berry. Crows squawked, and squirrels scurried up trees as dead leaves crunched along the dirt path beneath Aubrey's sneakers. Twigs snapped under each step; Aubrey wondered whether she would find any magical fruit or if she was on a wild goose chase for some mythical berries that no longer existed. After all, the woods were being raided daily by many others who risked their lives in search of health and longevity.

Aubrey stumbled across a little cottage by a sparkling pond as she reached a clearing. A stone path led to the front door; Aubrey brushed her fingers against the floral shrubs as she moseyed to the front porch; the leaves hummed and rustled gently beneath her touch. Aubrey felt pretty safe knowing that Ilck mainly hunted evil, greedy hearts, and she wasn't there out of greed. She was sure the Ilck that lived in this small cottage wouldn't cause her any harm, especially since she was only a teenager.

She took a deep breath and knocked on the deep teal door, straining her ears to hear movement. Aubrey peered towards the bay window; the door creaked open an inch, and the subtle sound of sniffing came from behind it.

Aubrey's hazel eyes narrowed into the darkness, "Anybody home?"

Aubrey gasped as the door flung open. There stood a young Ilck, looking at her in horror. Aubrey's bushy brows furrowed, and she quickly realized this was a mistake.

"A hunter!" The young Ilck let out a siren screech before Aubrey could respond.

Birds took to the sky in a panic, and suddenly, battle horns and an uproar bellowed from the depths of the forest.

"Wait!" Aubrey cried out, but it was too late.

The Ilck army had been alerted, and they were coming for her. Aubrey knew there was no use convincing them she wasn't a hunter; all she could do was run. She jumped from the front step and took off through the garden. She swatted through spiderwebs and over large tree roots that reached out to prevent her escape.

Vines fell from the trees and grappled around her, her arms flailing out of their grip. She dashed between the rows of flora that tried to barricade her as heavy thuds trampled in the distance. Her heart pounded against her chest, and her breath became tight. She slid behind a thick tree trunk and crouched on the forest floor; she slowly peered from behind the tree; everything had become deadly silent.

Snap! Twigs broke from a few feet away; Aubrey held her hand over her mouth; she couldn't help but regret her decision to venture into the Lost Woods. Memories washed over her mind and returned to her like a movie playing out in her conscience: she reminisced about the times her mother told vague stories of her father.

Aubrey longed for the truth about who her father was; the family secret had burned deep in her stomach for years. She reflected on her mother's feelings toward her father; her mother described him as the sweetest being.

Aubrey had wished upon every birthday candle that she would one day meet her father and have a complete family. Still, she knew this would be impossible if her mother didn't wake up. Her mother was the only one who knew about her father, but the last time she went to reach out to him was around the time she slipped into her coma.

Aubrey felt herself snap back into the present moment as she took off again through the forest.

"Gotcha!" a hand engulfed Aubrey's mouth as she felt herself get yanked behind a tree. She tried to squeal, but the massive beastly paw prevented any sound from escaping.

"Shh, shh, shh..." the deep voice repeated as it slowly broke its grip.

Aubrey's body shook as she turned to face a majestic Ilck, his eyes golden and fur the same chestnut brown as her wavy locks. Somehow, Aubrey felt at ease in his presence. The way his eyes mirrored back into hers was the moment they both felt a sense of completion. A white glow radiated from their chest, and at that exact moment, they knew who each other was.

"Dad?" her heart yearned with desire.

"My sweet girl!" her father threw his arms around her tiny frame.

Aubrey paused momentarily as she realized that her father was, in fact, an Ilck. Confusion and disorder flooded her mind, and she wondered how this was even possible. She looked like an average human, a little hairier than most kids her age, but she didn't resemble an Ilck.

"I'll explain everything once we get you to safety," her father said, throwing her onto his back and charging through the forest.

They arrived back at the cottage she'd just escaped from. Aubrey hesitantly followed her father inside. Candles and photographs of her mother lined the walls. Aubrey smiled in disbelief as she saw a photo of her parents on the fireplace ledge.

"Tea?" her father offered,

Aubrey nodded as she continued gazing around the warm home.

"Mabel, come out and meet your sister."

The tiny Ilck from earlier poked its head out from the hallway and sheepishly sniffed the air. Mabel bounded toward Aubrey. Aubrey couldn't believe it; she had a little sister.

Mabel was rescued by Aubrey's father when she was a baby. He found her alone, crying in a basket hidden beneath the protective shrubs. The bushes had encased her safely after her parents were brutally attacked by humans. Unfortunately, she was left an orphan until their father took her on as his own. Mabel helped to fill the void he felt from losing Aubrey's mother.

They all sat down for the rest of the afternoon and sipped their sweet elixir tea made of the enchanted Ilck Berries that Aubrey had been searching for.

"So, Dad... just wondering, how was I... well... created?" Aubrey's face scrunched; she prayed she wouldn't regret asking the question.

"Well, when a mommy and a daddy love each other very much..." her father chuckled as the girls cringed.

"I'm only joking! Ilck children are born from an emotional exchange rather than a physical one. It is by emotion only; the love between them and their partner creates the miraculous conception of a child without any of that gross physical contact that humans do."

Her father explained how he was forced to stay away from her mother as it was against Ilck laws to have any kind of a relationship with a human, let alone to have a child with one.

Ilck and humans have been at war for years, and the Ilck have created harsh laws to prevent humans from continuing to exploit them and their magic.

Aubrey's father never agreed with the laws as he didn't believe all humans were cruel. He actually saved Aubrey's mother from the Ilck army 17 years ago. Like Aubrey, she was oblivious to the level of danger in the forest. He managed to protect and hide her until the army assumed she'd returned to the Outlands, also known as the home of humans.

"Aubrey, your mother visited me a few weeks ago to give this to me." Her father handed her a photo of herself. "I was quite surprised to find out I had a daughter named Aubrey. Unfortunately, the Ilck army found her and put a curse on her for disobeying the rules; that's why she's in a coma."

Everything suddenly made sense to Aubrey. The circumstances weren't ideal, but her existence finally felt complete. Aubrey's father gave her a handwritten letter to pass on to her mother and a vial of the sweet purple elixir.

"Hey, Mom gave me these vials as a child," Aubrey explained.

"Yes, your mother must have given it to you to prevent you from taking on the form of an Ilck; she was probably trying to protect you from being recognized as a Halfling. I can see it's worked well."

Mabel snickered, "Except for your super hairy arms,"

"Hey! At least I don't look like a failed Bambi experiment," Aubrey huffed.

"Now, girls!" their father interjected, shaking his head with a smirk. "You better be going, my child."

Aubrey's father temporarily disguised her as an Ilck with his magic and sent her on her way. Aubrey gave her father and sister a final hug before returning home.

The magic disguise wore off as she arrived home; she had returned to her usual human form. She opened her mother's mouth slightly, placed several drops of the elixir into her mouth, and watched as she returned to life.

"Mom!" Aubrey embraced her mother, "Why didn't you tell me my father was an Ilck."

"Oh, Aubrey, dear, I didn't want to freak you out... wait, how do you know that?"

Aubrey explained her adventure and how she had met her father. Her mother was so pleased that he'd finally met with their child.

Aubrey handed her mother the note her father wrote: "Though we must remain apart, you'll always have me with you through the love of our daughter's heart." Her mother held the letter to her chest.

A smile grew across both their faces. Though they lived in a divided world, they hoped that things would one day change so that humans and Ilck could return to the peaceful, loving world they once had.