Cecil smiled kindly. "I believe 'what was I' would be a more appropriate question." with a bemused look, he said. "I have been dead for nearly two hundred years."
"So you are a ghost then?" curious, I asked. Cecil nodded. "Then how did you..."
Cecil chuckled. "I didn't; Mark did." smiling sadly, he replied. "He sensed that you were special somehow and brought you here to be treated." he gave another sigh. "If he had not, you would have died where you had landed." pausing, he asked, "May I now have your name?"
"I- I'm Jon, Jon Que." shivering slightly, I said. "Is Mark here? I think I should at least thank him for saving my life."
"You're welcome." came a soft voice.
I turned and gasped, seeing a tall and slender boy step up behind Cecil. At least he resembled a boy. His skin was a dark, almost tree bark color. His ears were misshapen, looking more like dark leaves, with blood red lips, deep green eyes, and short dirt blond hair. His right arm seemed normal but his left arm looked like it had been replaced with a long thorny vine with large spike like thorns for fingers on his hand.
"Good gracious!" my eyes wide with shock, I exclaimed. "What happened to you!?"
Mark smiled, his blood red lips not opening as he stifled a soft laugh. "I was born this way." simply, he replied. "It is something not of my choosing but I like who I am."
Cecil cleared his throat, catching my attention. "Mark here is a Mandrake; a human/plant hybrid." to my shock, he explained. "Only, unlike the inaccurate legends of old, Mark is quite powerful as he is wields the power of an ecomancer, the ability to control plant life."
"I- I'll take you- your word for it." frightened, I said. "Um... Cecil said you sensed I was... special?"
Mark nodded. "You are special but, I fear, not in the way you might think." almost sadly, he replied.
"How exactly do you believe I am special?" curious, I asked. I then winced and quickly added, "Not that I'm ungrateful or anything like that..."
Mark chuckled. "Relax, it's fine." calmly, he said. "I do not know exactly what makes you special, its a just a feeling and I have learned not to ignore such feelings when I get them."
"I see...." gulping, I said. "Well, as soon as I am able to travel, I should get myself home."
"That won't be for a while, my dear boy." firmly but kindly, Cecil said. "We can not, in good conscious, let you walk away from here in the condition you are in."
"It's a long climb to the surface." wincing, Mark said. "It's difficult for a healthy person, impossible for one as injured as you are."
"My mother is going to be worried sick." groaning, I said. "If I make it out of here, she'll 'kill' me for taking a shortcut through the woods."
"Is that all you were doing up there?" came a soft feminine voice.
Surprised, I strained my head to look passed Cecil and Mark to see a young girl, no older than ten or twelve standing by the door. She had light, almost stone colored skin with long brown hair that had curious green highlights and deep set blue eyes. She wore a long, loose fitting black dress with heavy black boots. She was very cute and seemed rather shy. "I thought you were running from someone." blushing, the girl said. she rose a dainty hand to her mouth, quivering with a certain sadness. "My bad, sorry."
"You made the ground give way under me?" stunned, I asked.
The girl teared up, stifling a sob. "I said I was sorry." looking hurt, she said.
Jon, this Viva." motioning to the small girl, Cecil said. "She is a young..."
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