Flash Fiction: Home (Pan)

For anyone who doesn't know, I am currently writing little flash fiction/short stories based off songs from Nightwish's new album, Human. :||: Nature. This is the short story loosely based on the song Pan which you can listen to here.

Just a note, the picture accompanying this work is of Garret Silverkeep and was created using Artbreeder.

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Year 6498 AC
Paham, Kingdom of Krogia
Fyni’s Temple

Garret had a problem. Normally when he had a problem, he'd go pray at the temple of Fyni, Goddess of Revenge, and the issue went away. It didn't seem to matter that the God-Mark curling around his right bicep depicted actors upon a stage, marking him as a follower of Naimi, the Goddess of Art and Music.

He wasn't sure why Naimi didn't seem to care that when he was in trouble he prayed to a different god. Or rather, he prayed to the unseen figure that could only hear him when he prayed to Fyni.

He knew it wasn't the Goddess speaking to him. The voice was decidedly male, low and smooth. He'd heard it more than once call him a mortal, which told him it was probably one of Fyni's servants, a caeles.

Of course, that was also odd. Few caeles had been seen in the last 60 years. No one seemed to know what had happened, but where at least one at all times had occupied each God's temple, now they were silent.

Yet, this caeles was always there to speak with him, every time he prayed. He'd been there the first time Garret's father brought him to the temple of Fyni in Heartfair. He'd only been around 5, but hearing the low voice chat with his father and give a bit of advice about an upcoming performance had been surreal.

Garret wasn't sure the caeles could fix this problem though. His new play, Home, was almost finished. It was already being talked about. People all across the Western Kingdoms were getting ready to see it performed. He was being hailed as a genius, a playwright to put all others to shame. It would have been wonderful if only he could figure out how the play was supposed to end.

Garret had taken every normal step for being inspired but nothing had worked. He’d spent time in Naimi’s temple, he’d talked about the ending to every person who would listen, he’d even tried all the meditating one of his actresses had suggested, but still nothing worked.

He’d decided four days ago that maybe something more drastic was in order. So he had left the Rose Pavillion, where his troop was currently performing, to venture out into the woods surrounding Paham. He’d spent three nights lying under the stars, desperately trying to dream of how such a tale could end. He’d barely eaten or drank. Someone, he assumed one of his troop, had dropped off food and water for those three days. It hadn’t worked.

He sat down, legs crossed, on the stone floor of Fyni’s temple. It was a small space, as she had few worshipers in Paham, but it was clean and always had candles ready for use. That said, other than a rough statue of Fyni at the front of the temple, there were no other pieces of furniture or decorations.

"You seem agitated." A voice came from the statue, it was rare he spoke first.

Garret dropped his shoulders and breathed out a sigh, “I’m unsure of how to write this ending.”

“I would think that’d be something a little more suited to your god.”

“She never answers me, it seemed like a waste,” Garret said, ignoring the sardonic tone. Apparently, the caeles wasn’t in a good mood today.

A bitter laugh sounded, “No one answers much these days.”

“You do.”

“Ah, but I am not a god,” the caeles responded.

Garret shrugged, this caeles had done more for him over the course of his life than any god. “Are you able to help me, at least?”

“End your play? I don’t have knowledge of such things.” He paused, “Nor do I particularly care.”

Garret grinned, this caeles was always so quick to say he had no interest in the arts but he always had something to say about every performance Garret put on. He paused for a moment. “Then, answer this question for me. Where is home for you?”

The caeles was silent and Garret feared he’d pushed too far. They didn’t speak about the caeles’ personal life, ever.

Just as he was standing to leave, the voice spoke, “I haven’t had such a thing in a long time. I thought I did once, but time takes everything away.”

Garret sat back down on the floor, the cold seeping into his bones. “I haven’t either, not in a long while.”

“Maybe that’s the answer to your question then,” the caeles sounded unsure, “What would you like home to be?”

Garret thought for a moment, what would he want his home to be? He imagined starlight, warmth, family. What would it be like to share his triumphs with people who cared about him as a person? What would it be like to go back to a house with people waiting for him? Going back to a home instead of a house?

A wave of calm washed over him and he stood up straight, “I’ve got it!”

He could almost hear the smile in the caeles’ voice as he spoke, “Good. Then go finish that play.”

Garret nodded and turned to leave.

“Oh,” the caeles said, stopping him in his tracks, “Next time you want to run off into the woods, take someone with you. I won’t always be around to keep you safe.”