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The forest was quiet, calm, as those who called it home went about their day like they usually did. Birds flew about, to and from the nests they’d built high up in the trees, chirping and calling out to each other. Squirrels raced from tree to tree across their interwoven branches and chittered angrily as they fought over nuts. Deer grazed from the grass covering the ground and stood up on their hind legs to reach the leaves from the lower branches. The ground was just as active, as rabbits, mice, and moles popped out of their burrows and hurried back into them just as fast. And in other parts of the forest, other creatures called it their home, Satyrs and nymphs mostly, but others could be found as well, harpies, sirens, and even a couple centaurs. All lived their lives alongside and with each other, and despite that, the forest was peaceful.
That peace was shattered when someone literally fell from the air and hit the ground. Everyone scattered, deer disappeared into the trees, smaller creatures hid immediately, and the birds took flight or let out frightened warnings. The pale figure landed on her knees, hunched over so her long black hair hid her face. She raised her head slightly and her hair parted, revealing shining silver eyes, a thin, slightly upturned nose, and full, black lips. On either side of her head, a pointed ear stuck out from the soft strands, their pale color seemed to shine when surrounded by her dark hair. She looked all around without moving her head and quickly inspected her surroundings, an action that took less than a second. And then without any warning, she was on her feet and moving.
With her enhanced speed, she weaved through the trees in a black blur. She couldn't take the chance someone had somehow managed to follow her. She wasn't ready to return home yet but her guards this time around weren’t as lenient as her other ones. They were determined to follow her father’s orders to the letter and bring her back as soon as they could. She couldn’t blame them for it as Erebus was intimidating and those who angered him tended to suffer in horrible ways. But despite her understanding of their situation, she wasn’t going to sacrifice what little freedom she had just to spare them.
She kept that pace for several minutes, changing directions randomly and just barely dodging trees, bushes, and rocks in her haste. Branches caught her loose clothes and long hair and scratched her face and body. When she inevitably began to tire and had to slow down, she looked like a mess with her clothes torn in some places and her exposed skin marred by dirt and blood. Her mind was screaming at her to keep going, that she couldn’t slow down and give them a chance to catch up, but she knew if she ran herself ragged, she would just be easier to catch. Slowing down to a steady jog, she settled for running in one direction and finally started looking at her surroundings.
It was a forest, that much was clear, but it wasn’t one she recognized. It was an old one she thought, judging by how big many of the trees were. She didn't see more than a few that she could wrap her arms around, and most of them she couldn't even reach halfway. She came to a complete stop after several minutes of jogging and found herself standing next to a particularly large tree, an old oak that towered over the others nearby. Panting, she cautiously placed her palm against the trunk. You never knew when a tree was really a tree, or something else entirely. When nothing happened, she carefully rubbed up and down it a few times, relishing the feeling of the rough bark against her smooth skin. It had been decades since she first ventured out of the Underworld, and while there were trees down there, there were only a few different species that could survive the environment, with Persephone’s help, and none of them were like their Earthly counterparts. She still hadn't lost her fascination with the trees on the mortal realm.
She put her other hand on the tree as well and moved closer to it, close enough that she could breathe in the scent of the bark. She had never been able to explain why she was drawn to things of nature, she supposed it was just her wanderlust and curiosity, and maybe it was just the appeal of the stark contrast from the environment she’d grown up in. She didn't talk about it to many others, not even her family, because they didn't understand. Her friends, who she trusted enough to confide in, barely understood. She was a nymph of the Underworld, daughter of Nyx and Erebus, literally born from the night and raised in the shadows. Nature and sunlight shouldn't call out to her. But it did, and that was why she still visited Earth. She couldn't stay away, no matter what her family wanted.
She leaned her forehead against the trunk and moved her head slightly just to feel the grooves in the bark scraping across her skin. She stayed like that as she caught her breath, taking comfort in the scents surrounding her. The trees, the fresh air, even the dirt. She breathed it all in until her heart had calmed. Then, she lifted her head and looked up the tree. The lowest branch hung just a few feet above her head. Looking up at it, she had a random idea pop into her head. She looked between the ground and the branch as she backed up from the tree, mentally calculating the distance. It only took her thirty seconds for the decision to be made in her mind.
She tied her loose skirt up around her waist, so it was out of the way, and rolled her long sleeves up her arms. Then, she inhaled and exhaled slowly, took a few running steps, and launched herself at the tree. She caught the branch with both hands and then with that momentum she swung her legs up to the closest one next to it. Releasing the first one, she let herself hang upside down for a moment before she pulled herself up, until she was sitting upright. She let out a triumphant, “Yes!” and a proud grin spread across her face. She looked down at the ground and swung her legs a few times. She laughed softly as the air swooshed around her bare legs. Then she looked up for the next available branch, eager to keep climbing.
She grabbed a branch directly above her head and pulled on it, testing its strength. Once assured it could hold her, she pulled her legs up and under her, so she was crouched on the branch, balanced on the balls of her feet. Then, she slowly stood up, wobbling slightly until she found her balance again. She hopped and pulled herself up on to the branch, and then immediately reached for the next one. She continued up the tree steadily, going from branch to branch all around the trunk. At times her skirt caught a branch, despite being tied up, but she managed to free herself without any mishaps. And then finally, after over five minutes of climbing, she couldn't go any higher.
She sat, crouched, on the thin branch, her feet just barely fitting on it. It creaked under her, and she knew she would likely need to get down soon. But first, she wanted to try something. She stood up slowly, cautiously, pausing every few seconds and holding her breath. She was ready for the branch to give under her, prepared to teleport herself to safety. But then she was standing upright and the branch was holding her. She let out a surprised laugh then a sigh, relaxing slightly. The fear of falling faded away quickly and the reason she had climbed the tree to begin with came back to her. Throwing away caution completely, she reached out and moved the leaves blocking her view aside. She gasped as she got her first real view of the forest.
She hadn't realized how high up she was until then. She was literally in the canopy, only a few feet from the very top of the oak. She could see the forest spread out in front of her, reaching out in all directions. It was much more beautiful and expansive than it had first appeared when she was on the ground. The leaves created a kaleidoscope of colors, from the varying shades of green to some yellows and reds, and each one shone brightly in the sunlight. Birds filled and danced through the air with chirps and squawks, darting in and out of the canopy. Awed and distracted by the forest’s beauty, she forgot that she was on borrowed time. She moved more leaves out of the way to see more and gasped when she uncovered a nest, gently cradling four tiny eggs. She leaned forward, shifting her feet slightly, and the branch creaked dangerously under her feet. She didn’t notice and continued leaning towards the nest. And then there was another creak and a snap.
Phrixia had less than a second to register the sound. Then she was falling. Nymphs were hardy and could withstand injuries humans couldn't, and they healed from things faster. But falling from a great height, hitting several branches and the tree trunk with both her body and head multiple times despite attempts to protect it could still do damage to a nymph. She might have been alright with all that though, might have been able to walk it off, literally, and get back home. She might have, had she not landed awkwardly, body twisted, and limbs trapped under her weight, and hit a large rock, catching the edge just right with her forehead. That was just too much for her and she knew instantly she was in trouble.
She weakly rolled away from the rock and sprawled out on her back. She was still awake, staring up at the branches she had just fallen from, but she could feel herself losing consciousness. Blinking rapidly as her vision dimmed, she fought dizziness and nausea. She had to stay awake. She didn't know where she was, or who else was in this forest. She could be in danger if she passed out. Groaning, she rolled onto her side. But that small move set off the nausea and she had to stop and press her hand to her mouth as she struggled not to vomit. As soon as the moment passed, she rolled again, onto her stomach this time.
Another bout of nausea had to be fought back before she could try to push herself up. She managed it, just barely, but she couldn't see clearly, and she knew she was almost out of time. She had to get home. Head hanging, she closed her eyes and tried to focus. It was pointless though. Less than a minute after she pushed herself up to her hands and knees, her shaky arms gave out. She fell on her stomach, setting off the nausea again. Groaning, she managed to roll back over onto her back and focused solely on staying awake. But that didn't last long.
Just as she was about to pass out finally, she heard steps approaching, heavy steps that made the ground tremble. Her instincts immediately screamed at her that she was in danger, she needed to get up and run. She forced her eyes open and tried to lift her head. She only got it up a couple inches before she had to drop it again. Knowing she only had seconds before the being was right on her, she cracked her eyes open and tried to see who it was. But all she saw before her eyes slipped closed and stayed closed, was a pair of large hooves. But even with them closed, she was still awake to feel hands touching her. Her first instinct was to fight, not that she really could. Until whoever it was leaned down and spoke to her.
"Calm yourself, little one," The voice murmured above her, the English words heavy compared to the smooth, rumbling Greek endearment.
She was sure she had never heard the voice before. But it calmed her immediately. She relaxed slowly as the hands turned her over, ran over her with a gentleness their size contradicted. They never strayed or touched her inappropriately as they checked her for injuries. At least that's what she assumed they were doing, though they did also straighten her clothing and brush her hair out of her face. Once the inspection was over, she felt them slip under her. Then she was slowly, carefully, picked up.
She must have made some sound, likely a groan, because the voice murmured to her again. She turned towards it as she was raised into the air, then held against a large body. Not fully aware of what she was doing, she nuzzled the chest her head was resting on. The one holding her went still for a moment. And then she felt a beard brush against her hair. Right before lips kissed her forehead, right on the bump quickly forming. The touch was warm and soft, and surprisingly didn’t cause any pain. She leaned into the touch, right before she finally gave in and lost consciousness completely.
When she awoke, she found herself staring at a cave ceiling. Confused, she blinked a few times to clear her eyes, but the ceiling remained. That was weird. The last thing she remembered was.... She frowned. She was in a forest. After running away from the guards chasing her, trying to catch her and bring her home, she had somehow teleported to a forest she’d never been to before. Had they managed to follow and catch up to her, and brought her back home?
As her mind raced with questions and she tried to remember what had happened after she landed in the forest, she slowly moved her body to see if she was injured anywhere. Everything moved alright, nothing was broken, and she didn't smell any blood, old or fresh. It wasn't until she moved her head that she realized she likely had a concussion. She turned it to the side and groaned, her eyes shutting tight. That didn't feel good.
She stayed still and waited for the pain to pass. Then, moving much slower, she turned onto her side. Now that she was waking up, she could feel the pain clearly. It was a constant pain, pounding through her head and originating from one spot in particular. But if she didn't move too fast, it wouldn't explode through her head again. She raised her hand and felt along her head, until she found a bump, right by her temple. She sighed, seeing it was just a bump and nothing else. She still didn't remember yet what had caused it, but she was slowly getting her memory back. She could remember running through the forest at least. She cautiously pushed herself up further until she was sitting up. Groaning softly, she leaned over and put her head in her hands, elbows planted on her thighs. After a moment, she wondered aloud, "What happened to me?"
"You fell out of a tree."
Phrixia, shocked by the response, jumped. An instant later she was moving, ignoring the pain and dizziness as she scrambled to her feet. She turned to see who had spoken and froze. Whatever she had been expecting, it wasn't what she was facing.
A tall satyr stood in front of her. At least, she thought it was a satyr. The curved, ridged horns that sat on either side of his head said satyr, but the unbuttoned shirt and jean clad human legs said otherwise. Likewise, his face was fully human and conventionally attractive, with strong, masculine features that were framed by the thick fall of his light blonde hair that fell past his shoulders in waves. A half breed then, or he was using part of a glamour. Putting that aside, she finished inspecting him and finally met his gaze. Bright green eyes locked with silvery grey ones. And they simultaneously froze, sucking in their breaths. Neither spoke or moved, too confused and overwhelmed by their sudden breathlessness to do anything.
The moment only lasted a few seconds, before she broke free first. Phrixia tore her gaze away and looked around, clearing her throat. She raised her hand to her head again and asked, "Where am I?"
"You're safe," The satyr replied in a soft, rumbling voice. He had his hands raised towards her and was watching her closely, clearly ready to catch her. "I tended your wounds and cleaned you up and brought you back to the Underworld."
Unease settled in Phrixia at the thought of someone touching her, even innocently, while she was unconscious. But then the last part of his sentence registered in her mind. "The Underworld?" She repeated. She dropped her hand slowly as she turned in place. The cave wasn't big, just big enough for them to stand up straight and with enough space for her to lay on the floor comfortably. But now that she was awake and aware, she could sense that she was home, despite the pain in her head. She spun back to face the satyr, grey eyes glaring, and stepped towards him. "If I wanted to come back here, I would've come back myself! Why did you bring me here?”
The satyr stepped back, looking shocked by her outburst. He dropped his hands and scoffed. "Excuse me? I was saving your life!”
"From what, I was just fine!" She shot back, anger overriding the pain in her head and the fact that she knew she was lying. She remembered it now, as his words had sparked something within her and brought her memory back to her instantly. She’d fallen out of the tree, and she’d been unable to get home. He was right, he most likely had saved her life, she’d been completely vulnerable and defenseless. Anything could have happened to her. But that only made her angrier, at herself instead of at him, but he was an easy target in the moment.
"You fell out of a tree and passed out!" He said, stepping back towards her. He crossed his arms over his chest and straightened up, putting him a few extra inches over her five feet and ten inches. "You could have been found by anyone! You're lucky you were in my forest where it's safe!"
Phrixia started to snap out a response, but paused as his words broke through her angry fog. "Your forest?"
Glaring down at her, the satyr nodded. "My forest. My home. And the home of my people."
"Your people?" She mumbled, her face twisting up. Confusion was quickly replacing her anger and spreading across her face. "Who the hell are you?"
He snorted softly and then spread his arms and bowed, giving her a smug grin when he straightened up. "My name is Pan. Perhaps you've heard of me."
She stared at him for a long moment, dumbfounded. Before bursting out laughing. Which brought the pain in her head back with a vengeance. Holding her hand over the bump on her forehead, she leaned against the cave wall as she shook with laughter. The satyr, supposedly Pan, scowled at her and crossed his arms again. He stomped the ground, a habit he had when he had satyr legs that didn't have the same impact when he had his human legs.
After a minute, Pan reached the end of his patience with her. But her laughter died before he could tell her to stop. He was still glaring at her when she met his gaze again. Slumped against the wall, she coughed and cleared her throat, then shook her head. "I've heard of Pan. God of the wild, insatiable lust, fertility god, basically king of the satyrs. And you're nothing like him."
"Oh, really?" Pan muttered. "What have you heard of him that makes you so sure I'm not him?"
She snorted and pushed off the wall. "For one thing, he's a god. Not a half breed with an," She looked at his horns for a moment, openly admiring them, before shaking her head. "admittedly impressive set of horns. And for another, the stories say he's big, rough, brutish. And you're, you're not."
He nodded slowly his scowl turned into a look of consideration. Then, he rushed at her, giving her no chance to move aside. She stepped back against the wall with a gasp as his arms caged her in. She stared up at him, breath trembling, but neither of them knew if it was fear or from something else. He looked her up and down, impressed to see she wasn't cowering. Instead, she seemed to be readying herself for a fight, if her raised hands glowing with magic meant anything.
He paused for a second, visibly shocked, before he chuckled. Impressed with her fearless response, he lowered his head to her hair. He slowly moved his head around hers, his nose just brushing her hair. When he got to her ear, he murmured, "Looks can be deceiving, little girl." Ignoring her shiver, he raised his head and backed away from her.
She let out the breath she had been holding and lowered her hands. Swallowing, she ran her hand over her hair where his nose had touched. She didn’t know if she was trying to wipe the feeling away or hold it closer. She cleared her throat and composed herself before replying, "I know that all too well."
"Then perhaps you should choose your words more carefully in the future," He replied, voice soft but the reprimand strong. "You wouldn't want to offend the wrong individual, would you?"
She fought back a glare and nodded twice. Then, because she had been raised right despite her rude behavior, she lowered her head and bowed slightly. "You're right. I'm sorry for my disrespect. Whether you really are Pan or not, it was unnecessary."
He waited for her to straighten up before he bowed his head in return, his face softening. "You're forgiven. I don't really blame you. Anyone would be out of sorts after the knock you had. And I'm not very.... godly in this form, am I? But I didn't want to frighten you when you woke up, hence the human legs earlier.” He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. " How are you feeling, now that you’re awake?"
"My head's pounding. My body is sore, but the bruises are healing already." She touched the bump on her head again. "Did you see me fall?"
"No, one of my satyrs saw you running through the forest and alerted me." He loosely crossed his arms, drawing her attention to his thick arms and chest before she dragged her gaze away. "It took me a bit to track and find you, so I got to you just after you fell. I saw what was left of the branches you broke on the way down, and the rock that you hit your head on. I’m surprised you didn’t suffer more, or worse, injuries. You fell far and landed hard.”
She nodded and lowered her hand. "I heal fast, so I should be fine in a couple more hours." She paused, crossing her arms. "Thank you, for, saving me, I guess."
"You're welcome, beautiful." She flushed at the endearment, bringing a small smile to his face. "Though, nothing would have happened to you. My forest is a safe place, its borders fiercely guarded and all those within are protected."
"Still. Being unconscious in a place I've never been before isn't my idea of a party." She joked, chuckling a bit.
“But climbing trees is?” he joked back, chuckling with her.
“Not usually, no,” She ducked her head to hide her sheepish grin but raised it up seconds later as she excitedly said, “I’m glad I did though! The view from up there is beautiful. I could see so much!” Her face lit up with her joy and her eyes shined as she remembered the forest as she’d seen it, just before she fell.
His gaze softened in response to her obvious excitement and his chest filled with a strange warmth, something other than the pride he took in his forest. Pushing the feeling away, he replied, “Maybe you could see it like that again, from a much safer place.”
“Really?” The grin she gave him in response was so sincere, that it made that feeling in his chest surge forward again. Afraid of what his voice would do should he try, he chose not to speak and instead replied with a nod. Her grin grew for a moment before it slipped away as a thought suddenly occurred to her. His own face fell with hers, but before he could speak, she asked, "How did I find your forest when I've never been there?"
Pan thought for a moment, brows furrowed, before he shrugged. "If you teleported in, it could just be a random thing. Or you were thinking of a place nearby. Teleportation isn't always an exact thing, it's easy to wind up where you shouldn't be if you're in a rush.” He tilted his head to the side as he looked at her, his gaze suddenly intense. “Which, I'm guessing you were, since you were running through the forest like something was chasing you. That's why my satyr ran to get me instead of approaching you himself. He was worried you were leading something dangerous into our forest."
“Oh. Sorry if I worried anyone.” She cringed and ducked her head. Rubbing her arms, she explained, "I was running from something, but not from anything dangerous, you don’t have to worry.”
He narrowed his eyes. Her reluctance and clear embarrassment set off alarms in his head. He’d seen that kind of behavior from people who were in bad, or dangerous, situations. "From what then?"
She didn't answer and instead looked down at the stone floor. She didn't want to tell him about her family issues, even though he had saved her and proven himself to be nothing but trustworthy, he was still a stranger to her. Clearing her throat, she turned completely away from him and changed the subject. "Did I say anything before I passed out?"
Pan studied her for a moment, the alarm bells still ringing. When the silence began to grow awkward, he went with the subject change. He shook his head as he replied, "No, you didn't say anything, before or after you passed out."
"Then, how did you know to bring me here?" She glanced back at him, giving him a glimpse of her relief, before she returned to studying the cave wall.
"It was just a lucky guess, really. There are only three options, here, earth, or Olympus. The Underworld just felt right for you, I guess." Silence settled in the cave after he finished speaking. Phrixia turned around, meeting his gaze. They shared the look for a moment, neither feeling the need to break the silence. But to both their dismay and annoyance, it was broken for them.
A shout came from somewhere far off, echoing through the tunnel connected to the cave. They blinked and turned their heads towards the entrance, coming out of their moment together. The shout came again, louder this time, and she realized whoever it was, they were shouting for her. She gasped and hurried over to the entrance. She leaned through it and shouted back, "I'm here! I'm here, I'm okay!"
The shouting stopped for a moment and then she heard, "You're dead when I get to you, Phrixia!"
"Phrixia?" Pan chuckled behind her. She spun around to see him smiling at her. "Is that your name?" Her cheeks blushed, against her will, as she nodded. His smile grew and he repeated her name softly to himself. He bowed his head to her and sincerely said, "It's been a pleasure to meet you, Phrixia." Then, he raised his head, shot her a wink and disappeared.
Phrixia gasped, staring at the spot he had just been standing in. A few seconds later, someone slammed into her from behind. She stumbled forwards and turned around, finding herself facing one of her best friends, Daiera. The pink haired nymph was glaring at her, her sharp pink eyes glowing, but she could see concern underneath the anger. She gave her an apologetic smile and opened her arms. Daiera continued to glare at her for several seconds. Then she suddenly threw herself into Phrixia's arms.
Phrixia caught her and squeezed her tight, burying her face in Daiera's neck. She felt her friend shake in her arms, felt the tears hit her skin as Daiera cried. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry anyone."
"One of them returned without you, said you'd teleported away. We tried to track you up top, but we couldn't find you anywhere." Daiera said into her hair, her voice shaky with her tears. "We thought the worst."
"How did you find me here?" Phrixia asked, lifting her head. She pulled back from Daiera, squeezing her hands before she raised them up. She cupped her friend’s face and wiped the tears from her cheeks.
"While others searched for you on earth, Ilo and I have been searching down here," Daiera explained, sniffing softly. She put her hands on Phrixia’s. "We figured maybe you were down here cooling off after the failed attempt to bring you back. I’ve been searching these tunnels for you for hours."
Phrixia opened her mouth to correct her, but then stopped. For some reason that she couldn’t explain, the thought of telling someone about Pan, if he really was Pan, felt wrong to her. Instead, she came up with a quick half-truth. "I came here to rest. I teleported away from my guards and landed wrong, tripped. Hit my head on a rock." She pointed to the bump on her head and smiled sheepishly. "I came back here to lay down without being lectured."
Daiera stretched up to study the bump closely and hissed. "If that's how it looks now, it must have been nasty before. Come on, Ilo can heal you fully, so no one has to know. It'll be our little secret that you tripped over your feet." As she teased her, Daiera wrapped her arm around Phrixia's shoulders. Chuckling, Phrixia leaned against her and let her friend lead her out of the cave.