Forest of Spirits – S.J. Sanders Page 0,142

share of honor. All adored their ati, the queen and mother of their woods. They sought her blessings in all things, and when she brought forth a new being, a silvanae, the first daughter born in thousands of years among a species dominated by males, the entire forest celebrated.

She lingered at the edge of the garden, watching as the small silvanae, Aeliana, crouched to track a butterfly that fluttered from flower to flower. She chased it over to the fountain, the water catching the sunlight that the trees allowed in with their parted limbs. A serpentine tail coiled in the basin as Dorinda, her dearest daughter, reclined in the water, her eyes trailing after the little one.

Turan’s heart warmed at the familial vision. They were so happy together, even with the merciless way Dorinda and Selvans regularly teased one another. The lucomo was currently ignoring the way his sister splashed water in his direction as he dragged his nose against his mate’s cheek, his body close to hers. He never seemed to stop touching his uxorem, which was exactly how it should be, in her opinion. She silently congratulated herself.

True, she had a few small foul-ups—and really, it should have happened centuries ago—but she had been around in the cosmos long enough to know that everything always happened for a reason when it did. Even her choice to get involved when she did was part of the Fates’ great weave. Not even the gods saw all of their plan, nor could they truly control it. Selvans and his Diana were yet another pair whose lives were woven together as a force within the coming changes.

Although chaos tipped the scales throughout the world, it still made her happy to know that she had a helping hand in the work of fate. She had assisted with Charu and his bride, and now Selvans had his own mate. Idly, she entertained herself imagining what gods might fall next. Her smile widened mischievously. Even the gods were powerless against the influence of the goddess of love.

Aeliana stood, her small tail rising in the air behind her with curiosity as her soft ears tipped toward the forest. Raising her hand, she squealed with laughter.

“Mommy, Daddy, look!”

Diana chuckled and pushed her mate’s greedy hands away as she stood. Walking over to her daughter, she crouched low. “What do you see, sweetie?”

“Over there, in the trees… Look!”

Diana squinted into the trees, but then her eyes widened with a gasp.

“Dorinda, Silvas… Look! I can’t believe it. It is a family of monokerata. A stallion, a mare, and two foals!”

Selvans stepped behind his mate, his hands slipping around her to hold her close as they watched the monokeratas, the unicorns, step among the trees. Turan touched her chest, her own heart brimming with awe at the sight. They had not only restored the forest but had begun to restore the monokerata once again.

Dorinda blinked back her tears. “Our world thrives and is once again full of spirits. The Eternal Forest lives”

In the human world…

Raskyuil clenched his cigar in his teeth as he squinted across the landscape. In the distance, there appeared to be a piecemeal settlement. He would stop in for a few hours. He needed to refuel his motorcycle and pick up some more supplies. In recent years, more and more settlements welcomed a mixture of beings. He appreciated not standing out so much in a homogenous crowd, but he was often bigger than most males and intimidated the larger share of females. He shrugged and lit his cigar.

He had plenty to barter for trade credits. Enough for supplies, and perhaps a bit of company if he could find someone sturdy who could take a rough ride. Fragile females were definitely off the table. A grin split his face as he kicked back his kickstand once more, turning toward the ramshackle town.

The local residents had best prepare themselves. He was no typical male… He was a dangerous monster.

** Spinoff series Dangerous Monsters will be coming February 2021, starting with Raskyuil’s story. **

Glossary of Terms

Aelves: an older spelling of the word “elves.”

Ati: an Etruscan word that means “mother” but was applied to refer to queens. Notably used as a title of the goddesses Uni and Turan.

Aquilo: Roman name for the Greek Boreas, the god of the north wind. He dwells on the Hyperborean Mountains, the northernmost on Earth in Greco-Roman myth, beyond which existed the garden of Apollon, Hyperborea.

Cacus: also called Cacu among the Etruscans. In Roman myth, he was a monstrous being who was said to breathe fire and ate human flesh, who was defeated by cattle. By the time of Dante’s Inferno, he was depicted as a centaur with serpents on his back and a fire-breathing dragon on his shoulder who guarded thieves. There is a classical sculpture with Cacus in the form of a centaur that I took as most direct inspiration for this book.

Crocotta: a mythic beast that was described by Roman explorers who entered Asia. Said to have been inspired by hyenas.

Domus: Roman term applying to a small, single-family home.

Dryads: spirits of the woods.

Eru: the Etruscan name for Eros, or Cupid.

Faun: a goat-legged and horned spirit of the woods and fields.

Freyr: the god who rules the realm of the elves in Nordic and Germanic lore.

Furiae: Roman name for the Erinyes, or Furies. Spirits of punishment for those who violate oaths or create crimes against nature (i.e., slaying of blood kin and spouses).

Goblins: small fey creatures that inhabit wild places who tend to be mischievous that show up in various parts of European lore.

Hamadryad: the spirit or soul of a tree.

Ichor: a fluid that flows like blood, usually a word ascribed to the “blood” of immortal beings and gods.

Lucomo: a Romanized word from the Etruscan word for king, luchume.

Monokerata: or hippos monokereta, as it was called, is the Roman origin of the medieval unicorn. Described as large horses or giant asses, they were another mythical fauna that was said to occupy India. They were entirely white except for the head, and had a tricolor horn of white, black at the center, and a red tip. Their horns when made into cups that gave prevention against health issues such as epilepsy, convulsions, and even poison.

Nymph: a collective term for a spirit (all female in myth) associated with natural bodies of fresh and salt water, trees, and mountains. They are typically benevolent but can be jealous and selfish, not above using trickery. They are often highly sexual spirits who were known for seducing herders and travelers, and lovers of gods. I built on this to give them a lust for the sexual energy they inspire but largely harmless in their nature.

Naiad: a nymph of freshwater. They are protectors of fresh water supplies, guardians of the young, and protectors providing clean water.

Oreads: Roman form of the Greek Oreads. Nymphs of the mountain. Oreads made a significant part of the hunting party of goddess Artemis.

Pegaeae: a type of naiad that is associated with natural springs. They are typically associated with restoring people to health and sometimes with prophetic powers. For the purposes of this book, I have extended it to purification, but this is not uncommon in the ancient world as several sacred springs were associated with purification, notably at Delphi.

Silvanus: the god of the woods. Silvani in plural.

Turan: Etruscan goddess of love, beauty, and passage of souls to the next world. Comparable generally to Aphrodite and Venus.

Twergs: a more ancient spelling for dwarves.

Usil: (Sol roman) Etruscan name for the god of the sun.

Uxorem: An Etruscan word that means “wife,” it is used here interchangeably with mate.

Vinculum marcam: literally Latin for “bond mark.” It is the fragment of the soul through bonding to one’s mate that can be visibly seen on the flesh like a small upraised stone.

Wyrm: a draconic creature that resembles a giant serpent, sometimes depicted with wings.