Knocking on Wood

Gaia hated the Dyrwood.

It hadn't always been like that. Once, she'd loved the forest that covered the entirety of the Free Palatinate. Once, she'd felt at home at Eina's Rest. Once, she'd been a normal girl. A normal child. A normal human being. It was a period of "once" that had lasted the first ten years of her life. Until her tenth birthday. Until puberty. Until it was revealed that the daughter of Philidor and Miller had been blessed by the gods. Or cursed. It depended on who you talked to.

After a year of all that, Gaia had realized that "cursed" was the more common assertion. Her hair turning from brown to green. Horns growing through that hair. Her ears now drooping down like that of an orlan down on his luck. Earth was her element, the priests said. She had been blessed by the gods, her parents said. Everyone else said she was an abomination and that the sooner she was old enough to leave Eina's Rest, the better.

So she came to the Dyrwood. She hated it. Hated it because it reminded her of the element that she'd been 'blessed' with. But as much as she hated the abode of trees and beasts that covered the palatinate, she hated Eina's Rest even more. The trees mocked her. The birds sniggered at her. But at least here she was free from-

"Gaia? You here?"

Shit.

The girl kept seated on the log. Still snapping twigs. Still making a pile of them at her feet. She couldn't run. Not without him seeing her.

"Gaia?"

Which he inevitably would anyway. But after a year, the godlike had learned that running wasn't a good solution to one's problems. If you ran, people would follow you. If you stood your ground, sooner or later, they'd go away.

"Eothas's breath Gaia, are you alone out here?"

I was, jackass.

The godlike remained seated. Standing her ground usually worked well when the children of the schoolhouse teased her, or poked her, or whispered behind their backs. Provided they were able to find her in the first place.

"You okay?"

No. Now go away.

But Kimber fell outside the parameters of those yelling "cleanse it with fire!" So as the human sat beside her on the log, she was beginning to think it might have been better to just get up and walk, or if it came to it, run. As much as she hated the Dyrwood, it was the closest thing she had to a home right now. Running from predators might be good training for the future.

But the future was a long way off. So she sat. So did Kimber. And as she met her friend's gaze, Gaia wished the future would come sooner rather than later.

"Have you been crying?"

"No."

It wasn't a lie, Gaia reflected. Provided that the question only applied to the last two or three hours. Crying came to her sometimes, but sooner or later, the tears always ran out.

"That's, er, a nice pile of twigs you've got there."

Gaia snapped another twig in response. Sooner or later, he'd go, she told herself. Sooner or later, he'd-

"So, how life's treating you?"

"Oh for the gods' sake!"

The twig pieces dropped to the ground. Gaia met her former friend's gaze for the first time. In the trees above, a bird fell silent.

"Why are you here?!" she asked. "You think this changes anything?! You think I don't know?!"

"I just thought-"

"Don't think!" the godlike yelled, pushing the boy off the log. "Don't suppose, don't pretend you know me, don't pretend you can make it better, and don't pretend you understand!"

Kimber didn't have an answer to that. Gaia almost wished he did. It would have given her an excuse to let the rest of her emotions come bubbling out. But he just sat there. Looked at her. Gave her the silent treatment.

"Go away," she murmured, averting her gaze, knowing that she wouldn't hear anything worthwhile from him. "I've got nothing to say to you."

"Then can you listen?"

Gaia snorted. "Fine. I'll listen. I've heard it all." She glanced back at him. "Well, go on. Are you going to say I'm meant for great things? That I'm some demonspawn that shouldn't exist? Are you going to play the father or mother role and say that I'm still their precious little darling? Well, go on Kimber. Tell it to me."

"I could start by saying that I'm still your friend."

Gaia opened her mouth. The rage didn't come out.

"I guess I could say those things too," he murmured. He began pacing around. "I guess you have heard it all before."

Gaia closed her mouth.

"But, well…I…"

"Go on."

"Well, what?" the boy asked. "What can I say? I guess I could go on and say that you're meant for great things, that the gods blessed you for a reason. I could say that not every part of the world is as bigoted as the people in this village. I could say that…um…"

"Go on."

"Well, the horns, your hair…it's kind of cute?"

The godlike stared at him.

"Yeah…" the human said, brushing a hand through his brown, hornless hair. "Maybe I shouldn't have said that.

Gaia didn't know. Kimber was a year older than her. In the same age range and stage of life as her. That time where girls started noticing boys, boys started noticing girls but tried to hide it, and where there was a lot of giggling involved in the meantime. It was that stage of life. Only in her case, instead of being in this forest for a giggling session and spinning bottles, she was in the Dyrwood because her own 'stage of life' involved the gods doing a number on her.

But "cute?"

"Look, I'll go," Kimber said. "Really. I'll go. Just…promise you'll come back, alright?"

"Or you could stay."

The human, in the midst of turning around, glanced back at her.

"Gaia?"

"Well, you know…" She brushed a hand through her own hair. Feeling the horns. Wondering how high they'd grow. "You opened the bottle. You said the c-word."

"Cuties are the c-word."

"Kimber, sit down, or by whatever god that blessed me, I'll cast you back to the nether!" Her visage softened. "As in, you know, when…um…well, you know!"

"Yeah. I think I do."

Gaia sat down. Kimber sat down. A bird started singing.

And snapping twigs alone didn't seem as bleak anymore.

A/N

So, Obsidian finally got round to showing us some godlike concept art for Project Eternity. It's...okay, the name's still stupid, but after seeing said concept art, I'm willing to forgive them. Anyway, the image itself and the associated lore for the godlike (gah, still hate that name) inspired this oneshot.