Compared to mystical creatures, humans were considered to be the lowest of the low. They possessed no physical prowess and no magical technique. Simply put, they were born to be fodder for different species, with their only benefit being power in numbers.
Though not all mystical creatures desired domination and power, humans did not see things in the same manner. To mere mortals, the thought of a supernatural being capable of bending the rules of reality was something that required correcting, controlling, and managing through a system of democracy.
In many ways, a lot of fae understood this to simply be human nature, and despite that, they held no grudges against those who hunted them. Though many preached distance and abstinence towards any contact with humans, it was against their big-hearted nature to reject someone in need.
Emi was no different. When a foolish child was lost in the forest after recklessly disobeying their parents, they stumbled upon a hill, scraping their knees and crying as loudly as they could. Even if humans couldn’t hear their cries amidst the wall of trees, the soil and winds caught their presence all so easily. Presenting herself as a human, she gave the young child an easy mind, allowing them to freely allow the fae to heal the human.
Thanking the strange lady, and after receiving proper directions out of the forest, the child happily returned back home.
However, while the child was kind, the adults were not. Hearing tales about a fae, a witchhunt immediately formed, groups of angry mobs rushing towards the forest with flames and sharp blades to find what they thought was a power-hungry monster that only sought out to fool naive children.
As the fae tried to run in its human form, an arrow pierced her back, immobilizing her temporarily. Crawling on the ground, the men clad in armor and carrying bows sneered at their secured target.
Their luck worked against them, as a sudden, strong storm disoriented the haphazardly put-together group, leaving many of the men and women scattered throughout the forest. Tired and injured, one man took his rest inside a small tree trunk, his arm bleeding from nature’s blunt attacks.
Scanning his surroundings, it seemed like the man was beneath a mystical tree. Its roots spread outward, giving the impression that it stood on dozens of legs. Thinner roots circled around him, forming a cage-like structure. Was he imprisoned, or was this simply a sick coincidence?
As if repaying for his misguided hatred and the cruel way his kind had treated the fae, one appeared before him. It had the form of a small, plump yellow bunny. If seen by a child, it would certainly seem like a normal animal. But its eyes told the man everything it needed to.
From appearance alone, it was clear that this particular spirit was none other than the one they were hunting in the first place before they were split apart by the storm.
Wriggling in fear, the man backed away until he couldn’t, crying until he had no tears left. Was the fae out to get revenge on him? It was only natural to expect so. In human society, it was rather common for the hunter to become the hunted, so why not expect the same in this particular instance?
The only thing humans had going for them was strength in numbers, and even then, not raw strength. Faced in a one-on-one situation, no single human would ever be able to hold a candle against the fae. He screamed for the fae to get away, but it didn’t listen in the slightest.
Light glowed from the bunny, transforming into a human-like appearance in the blink of an eye.
She had beautiful golden hair that once matched the bunny’s fur. With a single glance, he felt the warmth of its light seeping into his heart, making him feel at ease, as if he were at the home of a relative. A sensation he had not felt in what seemed like eternity.
Her eyes gleamed like the ocean’s horizon, with a tinge of green in the center. Currently, he was stuck in a forest, but with one glance from her eyes, he could practically hear the sea’s waves and the nostalgic breeze that came with it. Most people argued for either beaches or mountains, but this creature before him possessed the beauty of both.
The white dress that this human-like fae wore gave a sense of elegance, but it troubled the man, as he didn’t know whether to bow or remain at ease. It was something one would wear when welcoming a friend, but the jewels adorning her body screamed nobility.
Bending her knees, the fae reached out toward a clear puddle of magical water that he hadn’t even noticed the first time. A few minutes ago, he had been screaming for his life, sweating to the point where every bit of his clothing felt damp. But with this fae’s presence, his heartbeat steadied, and the anxiety that clouded his mind had all but dissipated completely.
This was home. This was peace.
And yet, all the man felt was guilt and conflict. How could he have misunderstood what the fae were? All his life, he had been told the mystical creatures were fearsome creatures capable of ending humanity, but the kindness this particular fae showed after he had nearly killed her was something not even the humans he knew were capable of.
Was she just buttering him up? Or perhaps there were ill intentions behind her actions. It was a constant mental clash of resentment and self-loathing. Unable to face the truth, he shut his eyes, hoping that the next time he opened them, the fae would be gone.
What snapped him out of his trance was the fae pouring the magical water she had cupped in her hand onto his head. Contrary to his original plan, his eyes gently slid open, only to be met with the girl’s face awfully close to his.
The scent that she emitted was something indescribable. It was as if nature had somehow produced flowers made of passion and love, then turning it into a perfume. Each whiff was enough to soothe, but not strong enough to entrance.
After checking the man’s condition, the fae walked away. Her silhouette grew more and more distant, leaving the man conflicted about what he should do next. Far near the edge of the tree, his bow was still there. If he really wanted to, he could end the life of the “monster” he had been hunting all along.
And yet… he simply stood up and followed closely behind her. His steps were light, almost as if they ignored the armor he was wearing.
The skies were bright and sunny, making her already golden hair shine even brighter. As the two of them crossed a bridge, fish splashed out from the water. Perhaps it was simply his delirious imagination, but it seemed like the aquatic creatures had actually smiled at the fae. Whether it was real or not was up for debate, but one thing remained clear.
This particular fae emitted an aura that one couldn’t resist. It wasn’t like a succubus, where it entranced people through its malicious magic. No, this was something else, something far more natural.
With each step he took behind her, he could feel his life brighten ever so slightly, filling his heart and mind with hope he had never even imagined. Hope for the future, hope for himself, and hope for his village.
Then, he noticed the arrow he shot into the fae’s back had all but vanished, with no traces of a wound. Such trivial human weapons never had and never would hurt a supernatural being such as this, which begged the question. Why would they run and never fight back?
After a few more minutes of walking, the fae stopped completely in her tracks. Gulping, the man braced himself for rejection. He was following a young maiden, a spirit no less, to an unknown location. It would only be natural that she would want him to leave. No matter how big one’s heart was, survival always came first.
However, what graced the man’s eyes was a small, quaint building labeled “bakery.” The structure and placement of pastries seemed all too familiar to him. Only after a few seconds did his mind snap into place like a clock. It had a similar appearance to his mother’s bakery, where he once used to help out.
Tears streamed down the man’s face as grief and nostalgia quickly overtook him. Was this spirit, this fae, really watching him for this long? Was this an illusion? Did she actually have a secret connection with his long-deceased mother?
So many questions, too few answers. All he cared about right now, though, was taking a bite of his favorite pastry, one that his mother used to bake for him. The girl then presented him with the cupcake that he had been imagining, as if she were able to read his mind.
He didn’t know whether or not he hated the fae, or what he would do once he returned to the village he lived in. But right now, all he cared about was taking a bite of this delicious-looking pastry. One bite was all it took for him to break down.
Emi watched the man with a gentle smile. She recalled the joy of a boy who once loved his mother, the comfort that he no longer knew due to living such a dedicated life. Yes, he had hurt her with arrows, but she couldn’t in good conscience let someone so broken be left behind on their own.
No matter how many people hunted her down, no matter how many times this cycle repeated itself, she would never raise a hand against humans. After all, she loved them with all her heart. All she wanted was to produce and spread love through her pastries. The same love that most had lost over time.
That was her mission, not as a fae, but as Emi.