Greatlings were a myth in Brendenbor, just adding to the consensus that she didn't fit in here. The dripping dirty water didn't help her look as if she belonged here either. Now Lilly was wet and cold, the fever that came with a vision would be welcome. She sat back down roughly, shivering for hours, finally her right eye began to throb, stars sparking across her sight as a vision slammed into her mind.
When these visions had first woken her up on a storm torn night she hadn't understood what they were about. Lilly saw no muddy streets, or log homes. Everything was stone or well beaten paths, all hidden in the depths of a green forest somewhere.
The girl wasn't human, Lilly knew that much. The lines of her face were too refined to be human, and she carried herself with too much power and certainty. Her entire being seemed to sing of ancient magic, and her soul pulsed with destiny. Her hair was red as the sunset and her skin glowed deep and umber like the bark of the trees she darted between giggling with abandon. Sometimes though she was older, and built like a warrior, all hard muscles and quick reflexes, and not one dress that Lilly had seen yet.
This girl was an Elderald; even though Lilly had never seen one herself, there was no mistaking the mythical beauty of her features. Lilly had visions of her that seemed to spread out well over two decades. It was hard to piece them all together, they jumped around without a proper time line, on the same day a vision of her childhood could come followed by one of her teenage years. Only once had Lilly ever seen the girl as a grown woman. From what Lilly could gather, this girl was a Princess, an Elderaldan Princess. Human books told fanciful stories about them ruling the world of magic and prophecy. They were who controlled fate and destiny, and their swords brought mercy and justice. Which was absurd, Lilly had never understood how anything could bring both mercy and justice. They usually did not belong together.
This Princess was not bonded to another Elderald as was custom amongst the race, all the best love stories were about Elderalds and their fated mates, a love that couldn't be denied, or broken. The woman's late bonding to the black panther Greatling, Lilly had seen almost every time she saw into their lives, but no mate or children. It had taken talking to the oldest trader who came through Brendenbor to discover that bit of information, and had cost Lilly a fortune. The panther showing up had caused immense confusion, because in her culture animals were not friends, they had a strictly food status.
Lilly sat down in the slimy mud without caring as more visions assaulted her. This wasn't any panther Greatling, he was to be King of his kind. This princess was the one from all the prophecies, not just Elderaldan prophecies, it had been made clear on many occasions. Lilly's eyes snapped open; those prophecies were important to humans but holy to the Elderalds.
Lilly was also vaguely aware of what they said, she had seen mostof the next decade of the princess's life, and it seemed that those holy Elderaldan prophecies foretold heart ache and betrayal for the beautiful girl. Not to mention loves lost and won, and a bloody war.
Lilly stretched her dirty legs out in front of her and frowned. It was clear that she was about to travel a very long distance, since she had seen herself speaking to an Elderald in the not so distant future, and none had been seen in human lands for written history. Lilly tried to notice details that would give some hint about where she needed to travel, but other than being incredibly uptight, racially partial, and in the forest someplace, she had discovered nothing.. After enough visions, Lilly had begun to decipher who the other Elderalds she saw were. Some were royalty, others seemed like friends, and still others were clearly enemies. Based on who she saw surrounding the Princess, Lilly just how far in the prophecy they were, which would determine the speed of her journey.
The Man of War, The King of the Greatlings, The Glass Woman, and the girl's parents. Lilly sighed relieved, she ticked the names off her fingers after a vision cleared and she could see again. The Man with Many Lives had not yet arrived; she could take her time on the long journey at least. There wasn't much to pack, but a lot to plan, she lived almost completely on the other side of the world from where she knew the last rumors of the Elderalds Empire lay. Not much remained of their great cities, and only one palace of the ruling Kings still stood, in a great forest far to the west. Lilly lived on the salty marshes for at least a two years hard ride on a fast horse from that forest. She had other stops that had to be made, and could not miss the timing.
So when night fell Lilly dug her few coins and possessions from under a rock near the woods and took one last quick look at Brendenbor, she would not miss it, in any corner of her soul. As she made her way through the woods she had a vision that seemed to be current of the Princess and her panther resting peacefully for what would probably be the very last time in their lives. Lilly smiled as her decade long journey to Imerald and Princess Ahriana began.