Chapter 1

Felix collapsed to the ground, exhausted and racked with pain. For three days and three nights, he had been running without pause. On the horizon behind him, a pillar of smoke wafted up into the heavens, letting the world know that the city of Troy had been razed. On that fateful night, the armies of Greece had broken through their mighty walls and set the city ablaze. The persistent flames were now the closest thing to life behind the blood-splattered ramparts. While his body was as dry as sand from thirst and blood loss, the half-dead wanderer couldn't help but cry in misery and agony. It was only last season that his family celebrated his twenty-fifth birthday. He had long since reached the league of manhood, was unable to protect his parents or his siblings when the Greeks stormed the city.

Felix remembered waking up to the sound of his front door being smashed in as the soldiers broke into the city. His father and brother were killed without mercy and he was stabbed in the side, a near fatal blow. He remembered falling to the floor, unable to stand or move as blood poured from his wound. Like savages, the soldiers took turns violating his sisters and mother in front of him, before killing them all and leaving him for dead.

With the fires of the burning buildings illuminating the dark night and smoke tearing at his throat, Felix staggered out of his home and fled the city, running past the horrors of the soldiers slaughtering his fellow Trojans. He was supposed to be a soldier of Troy, a valiant warrior that ignored all injuries and fought to the death for his city and its citizens. Not once had Felix thought to put on his armor or even lift up a sword. Not once did he think to go into battle to fight for Troy and all the people within its crumbling walls. He just ran, ran like a coward. He didn't even know why he had ran, as his heart and soul had lost the will to live.

Ignoring his burning thirst, the blood oozing from his side, and the rough ground tearing his feet like broken glass, Felix ran beneath the searing heat of the sun during the day and the pearled scythe-like moon at night, unaware of his surroundings and lacking the knowledge of why he was running at all. Now he was here, sprawled out on the ground of a forest and unable to take another step, with his only relief coming from the cool night air and soil beneath him leaching away the intense heat smoldering within his shredded body. He was more tired and in more pain than ever in his life, but the only relief he desired was the relief of death. His family was dead and his home was destroyed, what was the point of living? Now Felix only hoped the ferryman Charon would pity his poor soul and bring him across the river Styx without payment.

As Felix prayed to the gods for a quick death, the sound of footsteps reached his ears. They were so soft on the forest floor that he wasn't sure if it was truly a person or an animal. All Felix knew was that he was not alone.

"Please don't help me. Please, just leave me here to die," he murmured with his voice raspy.

The stranger crouched down and placed their hand on his cheek, and from just that small touch, he knew it was a woman. She had the softest skin he had ever felt and the tender care that seemed to radiate from her palm and fingers eased his pain and calmed his shaking muscles in ways nothing else could. The woman leaned forward and her long soft hair brushed against his skin, making him shiver. As her face approached his, Felix desperately wished he had the strength to open his eyes and see her face before his death.

"It is not time for you to leave this world. You still have a life to live," she whispered softly, speaking with the most beautiful voice that had ever blessed his ears.

She wrapped her arms around Felix and gently rolled him over with his head on her lap. He strained to open his eyes, just to get the slightest glimpse of her. All he saw was a green and blue glow and the silhouette of her long hair, but he also caught the scent of her breath, and the sweet fruity aroma smelled more tantalizing than the masterpiece of an apothecary. She pressed her fingers against his lips and poured water into his mouth from her cupped palm, quenching his stinging thirst. Cold as the sea in winter, the liquid crystal cooled his travel-worn body and calming the fires of agony within him.

She brushed her soft hands against his face as his mind fell into warm darkness. "Sleep, sweet soul. Let your mind and body rest and heal so that you may continue to enjoy the bliss of life."

Felix's eyes slowly opened and he gave a soft sigh. His whole body felt like it was bathing in warm wine, and while he was so exhausted that he couldn't move, he did feel more rested than before he fell asleep. He looked around, having only the strength to move his eyes. He was lying at the base of a tree on a bed of moss, as soft as a pillow and covered in a sheet of some mysterious material that was as smooth and flexible as water, but did not feel like it was made of animal skin or a natural fabric. It actually looked like it was made of woven straw, but it was softer than braided wool. He was covered with a blanket of the same material, and while it was quite thin, it held in more warmth than a thick quilt. Up above, the branches of the tree were bent down towards the ground and interlaced, forming a tightly knit canopy of wood and leaves, thorough enough to keep even the most persistent rain from leaking through. The canopy was so extensive that it formed two walls with the tree trunk as the third, creating a small egg-shaped bedchamber, almost like an animal den.

It was still night, but the forest seemed different from any forest Felix had ever seen before. Every tree and leaf appeared to have the faintest of auras, while the stars and moon glowed brighter than ever before. The air was filled with fireflies, further illuminating the forest and constantly moving around the lush fruit that hung from every tree. About twenty paces away was a babbling brook, giving off the soothing sound of water on rock. Every spot of exposed ground was laden with short lush grass and thousands of flowers, all with different sizes, hues, and characteristics, but all equal in beauty. Rustling around in the trees were countless squirrels and birds, all more energetic and full of life than young children.

The former soldier wasn't so much exhausted now as he was peacefully tired, and every ounce of pain that had tormented him before was now gone. While the night air was cool, it was in no way chilly and uncomfortable. The mattress of moss he was lying on was incredibly warm and soft, and with the blanket over him, it felt like he was wrapped up in his own bed.

Felix's eyes widened as a figure of light came into view, walking through the shallow brook towards him. The figure approached and the light became dimmer and more focused, letting their features be distinguished. It was the woman from before, the woman who had saved him, and she was far more beautiful than he would have dared dream. Her skin was a light greenish-turquoise shade, while her long hair was of a much deeper and more bluish hue. Her eyes glowed like the stars that were sprinkled across the sky above and the smile upon her soft lips was more beautiful than a sunrise in Troy. She had the face of a goddess, with features that were illuminated seemingly by the light of the heavens. She was wearing a dress of the same fabric as the sheet he was laying on, but it was covering her just enough so that Felix could see the tribal-style tattoos on her body.

She stepped out of the creek and walked towards him, with the plants glowing brightly around her with each step of her bare feet. Perched on her shoulders were several tiny birds, all chirping softly, and rings of squirrels and field mice could be seen running laps around her feet, all desperate for her attention. As she approached, all the animals moved away from her and she fixed her gem-like eyes on Felix. Completely hypnotized by her beauty, the young wanderer held his breath as she crouched down beside him with a tender smile. She placed her soft hand on his cheek and he couldn't help but shiver from her touch.

"You are safe, weary traveler. I am Serenity, the forest nymph, and this is my paradise. Rest and recover without worry or fear."

Felix's eyes widened as the words were spoken by her angelic voice. Was it possible? A real nymph in the flesh? Everyone knew the legends, the myth of the nymphs and their genesis. The Olympians had a long history of intermingling with mortals and bearing many children, meeting someone with an Olympian parent was unusual, but not rare. But from time to time, a child would be born with special powers, inherited from their divine parent.

On the rare times when a god bedded a woman and a child of mysticism would be conceived, the gender would dictate the result. A son would be born a demigod and a daughter would be born a nymph. Demigods carried the strength and powers of their father into battle, but had the vulnerabilities of their human mother and were not immune to sword, disease, or the slow decay of time. While nymphs did not have any offensive abilities, they were blessed with eternal youth and carried the life-giving properties that allowed the gods to create and shape the world and their human mothers to give birth. According to legend, areas of nature that surpassed all others in their beauty or fertility were the homes of nymphs.

Serenity's voice washed over Felix like warm rain, and as hard as he tried to respond, he was too tired to even use his voice. After running for three days without food or rest, his body was still half-dead from exhaustion. The nymph's smile became even warmer and she stood up, grasping one of the fruits hanging above and plucking it from the branch. She crouched back down and sank her teeth into the fruit. Felix watched her smooth cheeks contract and inflate as she drained the fleshy orb of all liquids. With her mouth full, she relinquished the fruit and crouched over him.

Felix's heart fluttered as she slowly leaned down and pressed her lips against his. This was the first time he had ever kissed a woman, and the experience mocked his wildest fantasies. Her lips were softer than rose petals and were as warm as the first rays of the sun after a chilly night. With their lips connected, she transferred the fruit juice from her mouth and into his. It was the sweetest nectar that he had ever sampled, and the second it touched his tongue, he could feel his body being slowly rejuvenated.

In his mind, Felix smiled as he recognized the flavor. He had first encountered the taste on Serenity's breath when she saved him, but eating the fruits was not the cause of the delectable aroma. Nymphs affected the area they lived in, making the land more fertile and increasing the amount of life. The fruits had their flavor because the forest was basking in the life-giving energy she gave off; the taste was her nymph radiance.

Once Felix had drank it all, she ended the kiss and sucked more juice from the fruit, then resumed transferring it to him. She did this several times with many more fruits, draining them and then giving them to Felix with a soft kiss. Through her efforts, his thirst was quenched, his hunger was removed, his body was resupplied with the nutrients that it had been deprived of, and he gained enough strength to speak.

"As a nymph, I am unable to leave this forest, and I have never had company before. It is so nice to have someone with me. What is your name?"

"Felix."

"Felix, welcome to my garden."

Serenity then moved over to his side and gently lifted the blanket and his bloody tunic to examine his injury. Felix jerked and writhed in pain from the fabric touching the blood-caked gash, which had gone all the way through him and nearly tore his organs. While the twin wounds had clotted and were no longer bleeding, the skin around them and the wounds themselves were dark from infection. He would be lucky to last a week before rotting from the inside out, but right now, living longer was not what he would consider to be a blessing of luck.

"Why do the gods despise me so?" Felix cursed with tears falling from his eyes. "Everything in my life is ripped away in one fell swoop, but the sweet embrace of death will only come in exchange for time and agony. I've been running for three days and three nights, but I cannot escape my pain and I cannot reach the blessing of the afterlife."

"The gods do not despise you, they took pity on you by letting us meet. Do not despair when your life is far from forfeited."

With a sweet smile, Serenity bent down and blew a cold stream of air on his injury. Felix jerked as a mix of relief and pain surged from the wound, partnered by the sound of hot metal being dipped in water. As her breath touched his wound, the blood-caked flesh was cured of all traces of infection and necrosis and his flesh was mended all the way through to the exit wound on his back. The intense sensations that filled his body were slowly snuffed out and he became limp, drained of what little energy he had.

She pressed her fingers on Felix's side to make sure that the stab wound had been fully taken care of. "The injury is now healed. However, your muscles have all sustained heavy damage due to your arduous trek. A lesser man would have died from exhaustion after a single day, especially with such an injury. You should have at least permanently lost the ability the move after two days of such an ordeal."

Felix was silent and his eyes were gray with sadness and exhaustion. With a small smile, Serenity reached up and brushed her fingers against the side of his face, sending a blissful shiver through his body. "Your will to live is strong, Felix, even if you do not know it. No matter how much pain you feel, the fact that you are here now with me means that some part of you wants to stay alive. Whatever piece it is that keeps your heart beating, I will aid it and do whatever I can to help you heal."

"I don't want to heal, I don't want to live ... I just want to die."

Serenity then moved up on top of him, sitting on his lap, and placed her hands on his cheeks. "Do not despair, Felix. Do not try to escape your pain by forsaking your life. Just sleep dear soul, sleep."

She then leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead. "Sleep," she whispered again.

Felix's eyelids slowly lowered, and in the moments before he sank into the realm of dreams, he could feel Serenity lying down beside him with her arm across his chest, holding him in her tight embrace as she pulled the blanket over them.

Shining brightly through his eyelids, the sun woke Felix from his deep slumber and he gave a yawning sigh as his body slowly fell back under his control. He was still alive, but had what he'd seen really happened? Finally able to move, Felix sat up and looked around, hoping that his encounter with Serenity had not just been a sweet dream. He was still on the bed of moss beneath the interwoven canopy of branches, and twenty paces away was the babbling brook he had seen from the night before. He looked down and spotted one of the fruits that Serenity had bit into before kissing him. So she did exist...

Felix slowly stepped out of the tree nook, struggling to maintain his balance and wincing in pain from the scars under his feet. After running for three days without even wearing sandals, the skin and muscle within had been badly damaged and would take a long time to heal, not to mention that every sinew and muscle cord in his legs was frayed to the point of snapping. He staggered into the brook and collapsed, breathing heavily. A red streak ran away on the surface of the water as the dried blood from his injuries and clothes were washed off.

Felix rolled onto his back, letting the cool water run over him while he gazed up at the sky. 'What am I supposed to do? Am I just supposed to keep running once my injuries heal? Find a new home or city and try to start a new life? Will I ever see Serenity again?'

Felix thought back to when they had kissed and the euphoria that filled his mind from that blissful touch, the sweet taste, the softness of her lips, and the tender care that seemed to waft from her like the fruity scent on her breath. He opened his eyes as the sound of a soft tune reached his ears. He quickly rolled back over and looked up the river, gasping as he saw her. Serenity was walking down the babbling brook, humming a soft tune and dancing with each step. Fluttering around her head were countless butterflies, honeybees, and humming birds, all orbiting around the gorgeous nymph in reverence. With a smile on her face, she sat down and gently kissed him on the forehead. The sensation of her lips against his skin made it feel like the water around him was as warm as home-cooked stew.

"Good morning," she said sweetly as she moved his head onto her lap.

"Serenity..." he murmured, unable to believe she was real.

"I'm glad to see that you are alright, though you should not be out here. You should be in bed, resting. Your muscles are still far from having fully recovered and you need to take it easy if you are to fully heal."

Felix was still unable to believe this beautiful woman actually existed. Here he was, saved from an agonizing death by a forest nymph, more beautiful than any goddess and as sweet as the fruits that hung in her orchard.

"Did you sleep well? I couldn't keep my eyes shut for the briefest span of time. I was so excited to finally have someone to talk to. It's a beautiful day, and if you stay here with me, you'll experience more than you could possibly count."

Felix still did not respond, as he was completely hypnotized by the smile on her lips.

"Once you are fully healed, will you dance with me? It is the calling of my life, the way in which I express my soul, and I would truly love it even more if you joined me."

He shuddered as a wave of pain coursed through his veins like sludgy poison, finally prompting him to speak as painful memories returned and tears from his eyes. "How can you dance when Troy is nothing but ashes? How can there still be happiness in the world when so many men have been killed, women violated, and children enslaved over the course of one night? How can I go on when the monsters of Greece tainted and destroyed everything that I held dear? There is nothing for me left but pain and misery and nothing in this world but war and loneliness."

"Shhhhhhh" Serenity hushed as she wiped them way.

She held her face over his, with locks of her silky hair sweeping across his skin more gently than a spring breeze. "There is still so much in your life for you to cherish: this beautiful world full of wonder and happiness, your life and the majesty of life itself, and the gift you have of being able to see the years go by and watch the world in its eternal metamorphosis. Your life is not fated to hold only pain is misery; it is a cascade of choices for you to find your own path to happiness.

If there really is nothing in this world other than war and loneliness, then stay here with me. Live with me in this forest so that we can banish each other's loneliness and be together and happy for the rest of our lives. Please, Felix, don't leave me."

She wrapped her arms around him and holding him tightly, so close that it was as if she were wrapping herself around him like a scarf. In the warmth of her embrace, Felix sensed something, something different about Serenity. There was sadness in her voice, and the way she was holding him ... he sensed desperation. While it was hidden away beneath the warm blankets of light and love of her soul, Felix could feel pain within her. What she had said about being lonely and longing for someone to talk to, it was true, and now that he was this close to her, he could feel it as clearly as he could feel the beats of her heart gently tapping from her body to his.

At that moment, he could not imagine anything outside of Serenity's embrace. Was there honestly anything in the world that could bring him more peace than a commune with this divine figure? Was there anything in this world that could make him happy, other than Serenity's tender care? Besides, he was still alive when he believed he should have died. Through he eyes, he possessed a life that should no longer belong to him.

'What right do I have to selfishly do what would make me happy when I don't deserve to be happy? If I am going to continue living, I will not live for myself; I will live to make others happy. And if staying alive and staying with Serenity will make her happy, then that is my new reason to live. I will live, solely for her.' "Serenity, I will stay. You returned my life to me, so now my life belongs to you. So that you will be happy and won't have to be alone, I will stay."

The nymph lit up and kissed him again on the forehead. "In these woods, your only worry is healing so that you will have the strength to dance with me. Thank you, Felix. I know the life we will live together will be a beautiful one."

Felix and Serenity were lying on the bed of moss, enjoying the cool shade of the interwoven canopy above them while everything else cooked under the midday sun. Felix had his arm around Serenity and the nymph was leaning her head on his shoulder with her arm across his chest. According to the nymph, such proximity would allow her to share her life energy with him and speed up his recovery. Felix wondered if that was what was causing the blissful feeling that filled every fiber of his being when they touched.

"Who are you, Serenity? I know only your name and that you are a forest nymph, nothing else. Please tell me more, I want to learn more about you," he asked, breaking the dozing silence.

Serenity hummed in reply and pressed herself against him tighter before replying. "I was born in these woods as the daughter of Helios and his human bride, a woman that he loved more than any other in the worlds of the mortals and gods. I was conceived and brought into this world in secret, for my parents loved each other and loved me so much that they wanted to keep me safe from the dangers of the world. Wherever a nymph is born, they can never leave, so my parents searched the world for the most beautiful place for me to live. They came here and I was born under this tree. Out of love, my father and his sister Selene granted me a great gift: the Light of Outsight. Everything that the sunlight and moonlight shines upon is in my sight, letting me see the world from this forest. I've been here ever since, waiting for company.

What about you? Tell me about your life."

Felix looked up at the branches and shuddered as the memories came back. "I was a warrior of Troy during our struggle with the forces of Greece, having joined the army at fifteen when the war started. Originally I had wanted to be a poet and knew nothing of fighting, but with the skills I gained in training and the thought of protecting my family and home, I had the strength and resolve to slay my enemies and survive every battle. Over the course of ten years, I rose through the ranks and became well respected by the royal family for my achievements in battle. I was one of the most celebrated soldiers in Troy, having slain more enemies than anyone else.

I had a younger brother, four years my junior and a fellow soldier. We would spend hours dueling and sparring, making sure our skills never dulled. I also had twin sisters, both barely in adolescence. They loved to sing, and the house was always filled with the sound of their beautiful voices. My parents loved us all and were proud of my accomplishments in the war, all brought on by my will to fight and protect what was important to me.

When the news finally came that the war was over and our enemies had left our shores, I was so happy. I was happy that I would no longer have to fear for my family and have to kill to keep them safe. Maybe now I could retire as a soldier and do something with my life that would let me use my heart instead of my sword. On the night that we retrieved the wooden horse left for us by the Greeks, everyone in Troy celebrated the end of the war. For ten years, the city had been oppressed by the fear of death, with families praying every night for the safety of their members and love failing to bloom as people strayed away from each other, either afraid to get married one day and become a widow the next, or too busy training and honing skills for survival.

Late into the night, everyone sang and drank as we celebrated the veil that had been lifted from Troy, freeing us from fear. That night, I was awoken by the sound of our front door being kicked down and soldiers streaming in. Before I could get to my feet, I was stabbed through the side by an enemy spear and left to bleed out. In a pool of my own blood and in too much pain to move, I could do nothing as the troops beheaded my father and stabbed my brother to death.

Then they made their way through the house, knocking over all the furniture and walking over me as if I were a carpet. I could hear the screams as they found my mother and sisters and the soldier's laughs as they dragged them into the den. My sisters ... they were so young and so innocent ... they screamed the loudest as the soldiers ripped off their clothes and violated them. I struggled to move, but one of the soldiers was standing on me with his full weight and my blood loss was making me delirious, pouring from my side a torn wineskin. Once the soldiers had their way with my family, they killed them and left, leaving me for dead. A torch was thrown through the window, landing next to a rack of scrolls. It seemed like the whole house was burning in a matter of seconds, with me lying among my butchered family.

With the smallest spark of strength in my bleeding body, I got to my feet and staggered out of my home. I was supposed to be a legendary warrior and a war hero, but I just ran like a pathetic coward. Everything after that point became a blur of pain as I ran out of the city, past hundreds of people being raped and killed by Greek soldiers. I remember the sun searing my back as I ran during the day and the cool air giving me some relief as I ran at night. I don't remember the changing scenery, but I remember leaving behind red footprints as my feet deteriorated and gripping my side to stop the bleeding of my wound. Finally, I remember being found by you.

I shouldn't be alive like this, I should have fought through the pain to protect my family, and either gotten them out of the city or died with them. I didn't do anything except lie on the floor and then run. I'm a weakling and a coward, and it's my fault that my family is dead."

As his tears began to fall, Serenity raised her head and looked at him with an expression of deep sadness on her face. "Do not say that, Felix. It is not your fault. What happened to your family was out of your hands. Mourn the loss of your loved ones, but don't blame yourself for their deaths. Don't try to heal your wounded heart by stabbing it with the blade of self-loathing and misery. Do not doom yourself to a life of self-pity and suffering. Work and hope for a future where you can be happy."

"All hope of happiness died with my family and was burned with my home."

"Then let that hope grow anew, with me as your family and this forest as your home. You have to let your wounds heal or else you will never be well and you will be poisoned by your own hatred forever."

She then placed her hands on his cheeks and her own voice began to tremble. "You have to stay alive and be happy. I need you with me. I don't want to be alone again," she whispered as liquid pearls rose up from her eyes.

The sight of her sadness extinguished Felix's own pain and filled him with hers as he realized she thought he might kill himself. He slowly reached out and cupped her cheek. "I'm sorry, I did not man to make you sad. My pain is my own and you do not have to worry about me. I live for you now, and will not let my past get in the way of you being happy. I will be with you and you will not be alone. By all that I am, I swear to you that you will not be alone." Serenity regained her smile and moved up, gently kissing him on the cheek.

The next several days blurred together into a torrent of relaxation. All day and all night, Serenity and Felix would lay in the moss bed, snuggled up tightly and holding each other. The shifts between the moon and the sun were filled with napping, talking, and eating the sweet fruits that hung from the trees. With Serenity in his arms, Felix could feel his body being rejuvenated far faster than it would be normally.

Serenity was the most incredible woman he had ever met. While she had the youth and beauty of a woman his age, she had lived the lifespan of a human many times over, and with the gift of Outsight, she had watched the goings on of the world for hundreds of years. Many of their conversations were about history and the past; he would tell her about his childhood memories and she would recant the incredible things she had seen in the world.

Serenity was also very complicated, with several attributes within her mind. On one hand, she was the sweetest and most gentle spirit he had ever met, but in her heart, he could feel the flames of passion and the resolve to fight for what she cared about and sacrifice herself without hesitation, much like himself. She was also incredibly patient and caring, nursing him back to health and always at his side, rarely separating from him for more than a few minutes.