Oh no no no.
I'm dissolving into the wind mid-flight, letting the physical world slip away as I cross into the spiritual realm. How could I forget? The annual gathering started today!
The transition is instantaneous. One moment I'm drifting through the forest, the next I'm standing in the Convergence.
The ground beneath my feet is impossible to describe. It's solid, yet it ripples like water. Crystalline and earthy at the same time. Above, there's no sky, just an endless expanse of swirling colors that dance between light and shadow, fire and ice, day and night. Streams of elemental energy flow through the air like lazy rivers, weaving between floating islands of stone that hover at various heights. Some islands bloom with impossible gardens, others burn with eternal flames, and still others are cloaked in perpetual twilight.
At the center of it all is the Table.
It's a massive circular platform made of something that's simultaneously all elements and none of them. The surface gleams like polished obsidian, reflects like water, burns with inner fire, and somehow feels as solid as bedrock. Around it are six seats. Thrones, really. Each one crafted to suit its occupant.
And everyone is already here.
Aethra, a towering figure of molten bronze and crackling embers, has her feet propped up on the Table. Her body constantly shifts between solid metal and flowing lava, her hair a cascade of liquid fire in orange, red, and white-hot yellow. Her eyes glow like forge coals as she gestures animatedly.
[Aethra] "So I told him, 'If you want my dragonkin to stop setting things on fire, maybe don't build your village on top of a volcanic vent!' Can you believe it?"
Thalassia, elegant and serene, her body composed of clear flowing water, laughs like a bubbling stream. Her skin shimmers like the surface of a calm ocean, her hair a cascade of deep blue and aquamarine that moves like gentle waves. She's reclining in her throne of polished coral and pearl, swirling a goblet of liquid moonlight.
[Thalassia] "Mortals do have a talent for poor city planning. I had a coastal town try to dam one of my sacred rivers last month."
[Aethra] "What did you do?"
[Thalassia] "Gave them a very educational demonstration on why you don't anger the tides."
Gaiaros, a massive being of living stone and rich earth, rumbles with what might be laughter. His body is composed of granite, clay, and soil, with moss growing in the cracks between his stone plates and crystals jutting from his shoulders. His hair is thick strands of root and mineral, shot through with veins of copper and gold.
[Gaiaros] "Mm. Educational."
Luminor, pure golden light in humanoid form, is weaving intricate patterns of sunbeams between his fingers while leaning against his throne of crystallized light. His features shift between perfectly clear and too bright to look at directly, his hair flowing like captured sunbeams. The light dances and bends at his command, forming delicate shapes before dissipating.
[Luminor] "I'm more concerned about that oracle the Goddess sent out. Did you hear the full text? She was furious."
Nocturna materializes from the shadows of her obsidian throne, her form composed of billowing darkness and twilight. Her skin is the deep purple-black of the space between stars, her hair flowing midnight shot through with pinpoints of distant starlight.
[Nocturna] "The vampires in my territory were quite pleased. They've been wanting to feed on Aldencrest nobles for decades."
That's when they notice me.
All eyes turn in my direction.
[Sylphaeris] "Hi everyone! Sorry I'm late, I was—"
Aethra's flames flare dramatically.
[Aethra] "LATE?! Sylph, we started hours ago! We're already on the second round of drinks!"
[Thalassia] "We thought you weren't coming."
I laugh nervously, settling into my throne of living vines.
[Sylphaeris] "Not coming? To our gathering? Never! I just got caught up with something important in the forest."
Luminor stops weaving light patterns, letting them fade as the beams orbit his head lazily.
[Luminor] "More important than catching up with us?"
[Gaiaros] "Mm. Suspicious."
[Sylphaeris] "It's not suspicious! I just had the busiest day. Clearing land, organizing high elves, setting up infrastructure..."
Nocturna tilts her head, her silver-white eyes gleaming with curiosity.
[Nocturna] "That does sound exhausting. What's the occasion?"
I try to play it cool.
[Sylphaeris] "Oh, you know. Just helping someone set up a massive farm."
I pause, then add casually because I absolutely want to brag.
[Sylphaeris] "Someone the Goddess deeply respects, actually."
The entire Convergence goes absolutely silent.
Thalassia's water form stops moving entirely, frozen mid-swirl.
Luminor's light patterns collapse and wink out of existence.
Aethra's flames freeze in place, which should be physically impossible.
Even Gaiaros, who moves like continental drift, jerks to attention.
[Gaiaros] "...What."
[Aethra] "I'm sorry, WHAT?!"
Aethra's flames explode upward so violently that I have to throw up a wind barrier. Thalassia sits bolt upright, water splashing everywhere. Luminor manifests directly in front of me, his glow almost blinding.
[Luminor] "The Goddess respects someone?!"
[Thalassia] "Our Goddess? The one who created this entire world?"
[Nocturna] "She respects someone enough that you're personally helping them?"
Aethra is pacing now, leaving scorch marks everywhere.
[Aethra] "No no no, back up. Start from the beginning. Who is this person?"
I can't help but grin.
[Sylphaeris] "His name is Wright. He's human, well, mostly, and he moved into my forest to live quietly. The Goddess not only respects him, she defers to him."
Another silence.
Then Gaiaros speaks, his voice resonating like an earthquake.
[Gaiaros] "Defers."
[Sylphaeris] "Defers."
[Aethra] "The Goddess. Who created this entire world. DEFERS."
[Sylphaeris] "Yep!"
Luminor sinks back into his throne, looking genuinely shaken.
[Luminor] "In all our existence, I have never heard of such a thing."
Thalassia refills her goblet and drinks the entire thing in one go.
[Thalassia] "I need more details. Immediately."
So I tell them everything. About Wright and his cabin in the woods, about the Goddess's visit, about the oracle and the relief plan. How he wants to help feed people, how he plans to grow crops overnight with magic. I even mention his cooking, which is unlike anything I've tasted in all my existence.
By the end, they're all staring at me like I've grown a second head.
[Nocturna] "And he's in your forest."
[Sylphaeris] "And he's in my forest."
[Aethra] "Right now."
[Sylphaeris] "Right now."
[Gaiaros] "Not. Fair."
Aethra slams her hands on the Table, creating a small explosion of sparks.
[Aethra] "We should send help! My dragonkin are incredible at land clearing and controlled burns!"
[Thalassia] "My merfolk could establish irrigation systems. Perfect water distribution."
Luminor nods eagerly.
[Luminor] "The angels excel at organization and logistics. They could coordinate everything."
Nocturna's voice is soft but insistent.
[Nocturna] "Vampires are excellent at night work. They could handle harvesting and transport after dark."
[Gaiaros] "Elder dwarves. Build warehouses. Storage facilities."
I hold up my hands frantically.
[Sylphaeris] "Absolutely not! No! Bad idea!"
They all turn to stare at me.
[Sylphaeris] "Think about this for one second. Wright chose to live alone in the forest to get away from everything. He's quiet, he's peaceful, he grows vegetables. If we suddenly flood the place with all our followers, we'll completely disrupt the life he's built!"
Aethra opens her mouth to argue, then closes it.
[Aethra] "...That's fair."
Thalassia sighs, setting down her goblet.
[Thalassia] "She's right. Too much attention could drive him away."
Luminor's glow dims as he settles back.
[Luminor] "And the Goddess would be quite upset if we overwhelmed someone she respects."
Nocturna nods quietly.
[Nocturna] "We must be patient."
Gaiaros crosses his massive arms with a sound like grinding boulders.
[Gaiaros] "Mm. Don't like it."
The mood shifts to disappointed acceptance. Aethra slumps back into her throne with a theatrical groan, her flames flickering sullenly.
[Aethra] "This is the most interesting thing to happen in decades and we can't even participate."
[Thalassia] "Life is cruel."
[Luminor] "Perhaps in time, when he's more settled..."
[Sylphaeris] "Maybe! But for now, he's got my high elves helping him. That's more than enough."
Nocturna refills everyone's goblets with a wave of her hand.
[Nocturna] "Then let us toast to Sylph's good fortune."
They raise their cups, though some more grudgingly than others.
[All] "To Sylph's good fortune."
We drink, and the conversation shifts to other topics. Gaiaros complains about a group of miners who keep trying to dig where they shouldn't. Nocturna shares a story about a vampire who dramatically proclaimed he'd "fly around the world in 80 days" only to miss the deadline due to time zones. Thalassia gossips about a sea serpent love triangle that's been disrupting shipping lanes.
The days stretch on. This is what our annual gathering is for. It started as something formal, discussing work and responsibilities, but over the centuries it evolved into something more. A chance to just exist without the weight of managing our domains. Just six ancient beings who've known each other since the world was young, spending time together and blowing off steam.
At some point, Aethra stands and stretches, her flames crackling.
[Aethra] "I need to walk around. All this sitting is making me antsy."
Luminor stands as well.
[Luminor] "I'll join you. I wanted to check on those aurora streams near the northern islands anyway."
They wander off together toward one of the floating islands, their forms shrinking in the distance.
Are they dating?
—
Far from the Table, on a floating island wreathed in both flame and light, Aethra and Luminor stand close together.
[Aethra] "Alright, they can't hear us here. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
Luminor's glow pulses with barely contained excitement.
[Luminor] "That Sylph made excellent points about not overwhelming Wright?"
[Aethra] "Yes."
[Luminor] "And that we should absolutely respect his privacy and space?"
[Aethra] "Obviously."
[Luminor] "And that she just wants to keep it all to herself."
[Aethra] "ABSOLUTELY!"
They look at each other.
[Luminor] "But what if some of our followers just happened to independently discover the forest?"
Aethra grins, her flames crackling with mischief.
[Aethra] "Exactly what I was thinking. I can't control where dragonkin choose to migrate."
[Luminor] "And angels are naturally drawn to places of significance. If they heard rumors about interesting developments..."
[Aethra] "Completely coincidental."
[Luminor] "Entirely organic."
[Aethra] "A few dragonkin from the southern volcanic regions, taking their time traveling north..."
[Luminor] "Some angels curious about what's going on in Aldencrest, stopping to investigate the forest along their route..."
They're both getting increasingly animated.
[Aethra] "Not enough to overwhelm him. Just a trickle."
[Luminor] "A natural migration pattern."
[Aethra] "The Goddess will never suspect a thing."
There's a pause.
[Luminor] "She'll absolutely suspect."
[Aethra] "Oh, she'll know immediately."
[Luminor] "The lecture will be epic."
[Aethra] "She might stop speaking to us."
Another pause.
Then Aethra's grin returns, wider than before.
[Aethra] "Worth it?"
Luminor doesn't hesitate.
[Luminor] "Completely worth it."
[Aethra] "When should we start?"
[Luminor] "Give it a week or two. Can't rush these things."
[Aethra] "My dragonkin can approach from the volcanic ridges. Make it look like they're exploring."
[Luminor] "The angels can come from the eastern mountains. Scholarly interest in the region."
[Aethra] "Perfect. Spaced out enough to look natural."
They clasp hands, fire and light combining in a brilliant flare.
[Aethra] "Operation Coincidental Migration?"
[Luminor] "Operation Coincidental Migration."
They release their grip and head back toward the Table, their expressions perfectly innocent.
—
When Aethra and Luminor return, I'm in the middle of describing Wright's cabin to an increasingly jealous Thalassia.
[Thalassia] "He built it himself? With his own hands?"
[Sylphaeris] "Yep. It's actually really impressive craftsmanship."
[Aethra] "What did we miss?"
[Sylphaeris] "Just telling everyone about Wright's place."
Luminor settles back into his throne, looking completely natural.
[Luminor] "Sounds lovely. I'm sure he appreciates his privacy there."
[Aethra] "Absolutely. We should all respect that."
Something about the way they say it makes me narrow my eyes, but I can't quite put my finger on what's off.
The gathering continues for a few more days. We continue to share stories and drinks, generally enjoying each other's company without the pressure of our responsibilities.
But eventually, all gatherings must end.
[Sylphaeris] "I should get back."
Gaiaros nods slowly.
[Gaiaros] "Mm. Good luck."
[Thalassia] "Do keep us updated on how the relief effort goes."
[Nocturna] "And please give our regards to Wright if the opportunity arises."
Aethra and Luminor exchange the briefest of glances.
[Aethra] "Yes. Our regards."
[Luminor] "We're very interested in how things develop."
Hmm, something's definitely up with those two. I wonder if they'll spill the details about their relationship next time.
[Sylphaeris] "Will do. See you all next year!"
I dissolve into wind and drift back toward the physical world.
Behind me, Aethra and Luminor share a knowing smile.
Somewhere in the divine realm, the Goddess sneezes three times in rapid succession.
[Jyne] "Is someone talking about me?"