Endless Rain
Untold Stories
Divine Stories 2: Timeless Love
© Acrocat

One day Afrain was making his customary round through the valley when he heard a giggle coming from the woods. As he set out to investigate he saw a woman. She was tall and slender. Her lustrous brown hair flowed over her back to end right above her hips, while her golden eyes shone in the morning sun. Though there was no question about this person being a woman, she had a very girlish expression. Afrain instantly fell in love with this woman and pursued her. She ran away from him, laughing girlishly as she did. She didn’t really try to escape; Afrain was on horseback anyway, while she was on foot. Soon he’d caught up with her, and, while she was still running, he scooped her up and placed her in front of him. The woman continued to laugh and Afrain noticed it sounded like a hundred tiny bells all ringing harmoniously to create that music-like sound. Her golden eyes shone with excitement as she looked at him, while her hair, smelling of a thousand roses, wavered freely in the wind. He did not know how long he rode on like that. It seemed like an eternity as he enjoyed the gentle love he felt for this woman. The edge of the forest was in sight and Afain slowed his white horse from a gallop to an easy step. He halted to look across the plane where everything seemed more beautiful then when he had lastly been there.
The woman slid off the horse to look around and to take a better look at the man who had pursued her. He had black hair and silvery-grey eyes. He had broad shoulders and was even bigger than she was, while she wasn’t short either.
“Who are you?” She asked in a soft, melodious voice.
Afain turned his horse to look at her, curious as to why she didn’t know who he was, “I am Lord Afrain, leader of the Valley of Hope.” He replied.
The woman giggled, “You’ve got some nerves to call yourself Lord of this valley Afrain. I am Kyrlian and I’ve lived in this valley most of my life. It is my creation, and my home.”
Afrain dismounted and walked up to her, “How do you mean ‘my creation’?” He asked.
“Just like I said it. I’ve created this valley. Or actually, the valley was here alright, but I made the forests and the planes.”
“You’re magical?”
“Seems like I am, doesn’t it?”
“But how did you come here?”
Kyrlian sighed, “When I was still a young girl, my family lived out there.” She vaguely pointed at the entrance of the valley, “Our water supply was being poisoned by the dark clouds and we were forced to leave home. Many died during the journey and only my parents and I were left when we reached this valley. It was a desolate place, but we found some clean water and made this our home. When I grew older, I gained access to my powers and it appeared that I could make things grow.” She spread her arms and turned around, “This is the result.”
“Where are your parents?”
Kyrlian sighed again, “Must you ask such painful questions?” She said just a bit harshly, “They died almost a century ago…they were mortal, but died happy.”
“Then come with me.” Afrain said as he held out his hand, “We have villages scattered throughout this valley of yours, and you’ll be more than welcome to join us.”
Kylian looked a bit hesitantly at his outstretched hand. She had been alone for a very long time and was not used to large groups. Afrain saw the hesitation and wondered whether this could be the same girl who had laughed so delightedly only a few moments ago.
“What’s wrong?” He asked.
“I’m not sure whether I would want that.” She replied.
“But you were so open just before.”
“Well of course I was.” She rolled her eyes, “What girl doesn’t want to be pursued and kidnapped by a handsome man on a white horse? It was a spur of the moment.”
Afrain blinked and burst out in a roaring laughter.
“What’s so funny?” Kyrlian growled.
“You.” He replied when he’d regained his composure, “You’ve lived here for so long and even made this place habitable. You’re clearly not used to be around people, yet you couldn’t pass a chance to fulfil the dream of every young girl!”
Kyrlian blushed, “I guess I hadn’t thought about it that way.”
A silence fell while they just looked at each other. Both knew their feelings. They hardly knew each other, but still they both loved each other as well. Beautiful Kyrlian and mighty Afrain.
“I’ll come with you.” She finally consented, “It’s my valley anyway.”
And thus Afrain helped her onto his horse before he mounted in front of her. She placed her arms around him and laid her head against his back, while they rode to the village where Afrain lived. The people looked up in surprise to see this new girl with their leader. Nobody seemed to know her and they all laid down their work to come and watch. Afrain dismounted and helped Kyrlian off his horse.
“This is Kyrlian.” He announced, “She is the one responsible for this beautiful valley which we claimed as ours. I want you all to treat her with the same respect as you’d treat me.”
Carefully the villagers walked up to Kyrlian to greet her. Kyrlian began to sweat. All these people around her made her feel very uncomfortable. Eventually she couldn’t bear it anymore and ran out of the village. The people were dumbfounded by this sudden escape, but Afrain understood. He motioned the villagers to stay and went after her. He found her at the forest near the village. As soon as she realised who it was she ran to him, threw her arms tightly around his neck, buried her head into his shoulder and began to sob. The village had reminded her of the village she had been forced to leave so many years ago. It was too much. Afrain held her close and tried to comfort her the best he could.
“If only we could stay like this for eternity.” She sobbed, “Just you and me, forever locked into an embrace, never to let go, never to lose. I could not bear it, not again.”
Afrain looked Kyrlian in the eyes, “But how? You have your duties to keep this valley alive, and I have mine to guide my people.”
“Perhaps.” Kyrlian mused, “I could try a timestop. Making things grow isn’t the only power I possess. Sometimes ‘encouraging’ plants to grow requires influencing time. You and I can spend time together, while for real no time has passed. We would be able to perform our duties and be together as well.”
And so it happened. Kyrlian froze time and they both locked themselves into an embrace once more. They were content that way, until time slowly began to tick again. Afrain went back to the village while Kyrlian stayed behind. The villagers questioned their leader, and he explained that Kyrlian needed some time to get used to them and preferred to live in the woods.
Every day they would both attend to their tasks, finishing them with haste so that they could enjoy each other’s company as soon as possible. During those timestops they got to know each other, and the more time they spend together, the more they fell in love, with everything with it. Kyrlian changed from being a silly girl trapped in a woman’s body to being a full-grown woman. She’d matured more in those few weeks alone with Afrain than she had in a century of solitary life, though she’d never let an opportunity to pull a childish prank on Afrain go unused.
One day, as the timestop was nearing its end, Kyrlian hugged her beloved and held him tightly close to her.
“Please don’t leave me today Afrain.” She begged, “This day has been more perfect than the others, and I don’t want to leave your side ever again.”
“But dearest, you know I can’t just leave my people.” Afrain replied.
“I know. That’s why I’ve decided to come with you. These last few weeks with you have changed me more than I could’ve ever dreamed of. I’m ready now, if it’ll mean that I can stay with you.”
When the timestop ended they both left the forest and went to the village. Kyrlian was nervous, but one look at her beloved made all the fears and doubts melt like snow before the sun. In time, she slowly got used to living in a village. They performed their duties together, and before long they were married.

To be continued...