She was taken by surprise and angered by her destiny and was avoiding them since they had told her about it. Suddenly, she felt eyes upon her and heard a quiet, 'pst' from below. She peered down and could see the bright blond hair and light blue eyes of Luca.s.sius gazing up at her. He began to quickly scale the tree, when he saw her red lips curl up in a smile at him. Luca.s.sius was the one person in all of Cion that Laylan could never stay mad at or avoid.

Without him she felt alone and isolated. "You know, Father is looking for you again," he announced as he joined her on her branch.

"Yeah, I know but I really didn't want to speak with him or Gomorrah right now. I just feel conflicted in all of this talk about my destiny," she explained.

"Why is that?"

"Well, part of me, the logical G.o.ddess, knows that if a plan is in motion, then it is destiny and I will fall in love with the man that I am supposed to, whether I know it or not. That's how destiny works. It takes its course without you even realizing that that is the path you were supposed to be on." She paused.

"And the other part?" he questioned still not completely understanding what she was trying to explain.

"The other part is angry at the fact that, even though you don't realize that destiny is working, you don't have that freedom to choose." She stated matter-of-factly. She looked into Luca.s.sius' eyes looking for answers, for the comfort she always found in them. Unlike many of the other elves, which were driven by pure logic, not emotion, Luca.s.sius was different. He was balanced. He was driven by logic, but also factored in emotional considerations.

"You know what you sound like right now, Laylan?" He paused, waiting for her to ask. Instead, she gave him a look that had always threatened him in ways. "You sound like a human. Freedom of choice is a human delusion. If it is written that you fall in love with one man, even if you don't know of the fate that runs its course, you will choose to fall in love with that one man. If it is written that you will choose a lifestyle, whether you know it or not you are going to choose that lifestyle. See, it is all an illusion that the humans believe. Those few of them that do realize that there is a grand plan written for us all, they know that they will choose what they are going to choose because it is fate. They know that there is NO freedom of choice. You just have to have faith in what is written. Remember, the choices we choose are the choices we are meant to choose. It keeps us on our path." He looked deep into her blue and green eyes and watched as the realization of what he was saying sank in.

Luca.s.sius had lived among humans for his first twenty-seven years before he and the others had come here, to Cion, and he was the only elf that would speak of their good qualities.

"And how am I acting human? How is that possible? I haven't ever seen or spoke to a human besides that one time with Artimous," Laylan blurted.

"Because, Perithian made it so, remember how my parents told you that only half of your heart was that of a deity and said the other half was to develop into a human heart as you better understood them? Well, that human side was what Perithian contributed to you, as your father shall contribute part of his heart to Kai.

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"Though your human side hasn't yet developed completely, you still have the capacity to feel the basic of irrational human emotion. Anger with the realization of the lack of your freedom of choice is only one example of that capacity of human emotion. Another is your feelings of joy in playing these little hiding games with Father. Has it ever occurred to you that you are the only person here in Cion that takes joy in such an illogical game?" He finished and looked at her to see a disdainful look on her face.

"No, I never realized that, Greagan," she teased playfully, still with frustration in her voice. He realized then that he had sounded much like his father just then.

Suddenly, they heard Greagan call out. They sat there quietly watching him near the tree in which they were hiding. He stopped just under them, but he never looked up. Laylan and Luca.s.sius glanced at each other. His eyes were telling her to quit playing games, yet understanding why she hadn't. Her eyes laughed at the fact that Greagan was just under them and didn't see them.

A flash of white caught their vision out of the corner of their eyes. Artimous was strolling toward Greagan. His pure, flawless white coat reflected small beams of light that cut through the trees. "Is Laylan playing games again, Greagan?" Artimous asked as he neared him.

"Of course, though she has been avoiding Gomorrah and me since we discussed her destiny with her. She did not accept it rationally. She began to rant like a human!" Greagan answered solemnly.

"Well, naturally, she would. She does have the basic of human emotions. She does have a half human heart. It might still have much growing to do but it is still capable of human emotions, no matter how illogical or irrational," Artimous pointed out. Just then, Laylan looked at Luca.s.sius waiting for some kind of, 'I told you so', on his face but found no such thing. She gazed back down at Artimous as he began to speak again. "Are you going to tell her about Ath.e.l.lo?"

"After her reaction to us telling her of her destiny, the G.o.ddess has instructed us not to. She said that if Laylan knew that her first love, with him, would end as such, she might try to fight it. By then she will be half human and the illogical decisions she might make cause us concern. We do not understand the irrational thoughts that drive humans," Greagan stated with confusion in his eyes, as he always did when speaking of human emotions.

"Let her follow her path blindly as a human would?" Artimous asked. He never questioned the G.o.d's decisions, but this was his first. "Hmm… Well, I presume if the G.o.ddess thinks it best then that is how it shall be. I may not agree but I don't have the wisdom and insight of the G.o.ds." He finished as he turned away.

"Well, I suppose Laylan has found a superb hiding spot, again. I will go get on with my tasks for the day," Greagan announced as he glanced around but still oblivious of Laylan's presence just above him.

"Would you like some company on your way back to the village?" Artimous asked.

"Sure would, Old Friend. Let us be off." The two walked away from the tree toward Beskal. Soon they were out of sight in the thick forest. Laylan and Luca.s.sius sat on their branch in silence wondering what the two had meant about Ath.e.l.lo.