The Journey from Tuonela
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The Realm of Tuonela was dark and foggy like night. Tuonela was the Realm of the dead.

The Gods and Goddesses in the Realm lived among the graveyards, for the living people visiting the graves they were invisible, but the living whispered in the darkness that they felt a cold thrill and someone observing them.

The Gods and Goddesses were not evil to the living only against animals which they ate feeding on their essence.

In this Realm, Tuoni and Tuonetar lived. They were rulers of Tuonela and highly respected.

Tuoni was God of the Death and Tuonetar Goddess of War. She was with child, not their first born, but her children had left to live in other Realms.

A foggy morning Kalma was born, a beautiful dark haired child who Tuoni appointed as The Goddess of Death. The name Kalma meant “The Stench of Corpses”

Kalma lived with her mother and father in a bog nearby a graveyard, her childhood was short which was normal in the Realm.

Her father often traveled to participate in wars against other Gods. Loneliness embossed her mother and the relationship between the parents became difficult. Tuoni loved Tuonetar unconditionally and said he would vanish if she ever left him. Kalma had deep respect for her father and promised herself that she would follow him.

Years passed, her father was often needed elsewhere and one day when he returned Tuonetar had left him to live with another man. Kalma had experienced in his absence that the mother often sought company with that man. Kalma disliked him and told him, evilness appeared on his face yelling at her *You are too much like your father*

She begged her mother to come back to their home, but she denied. Kalma knew her father would complete the threat he had mentioned years before and she prepared herself to follow him to darkness. 

Furious Tuoni pulled his sword and pointed the tip against Tuonetar`s chest *My love* He said with a hoarse voice licking his fangs *I can choose to kill your new man, but I have no wish to live with a miserable woman who only want me gone.  Or I could kill you, but I refuse to hit the woman I love, the mother of my children. You two are lovers, so be it my dear*

Anger rose on Tuonetar`s face *Husband! You never invited me to the battles, I am Goddess of War and know how to fight, but perhaps it was only for males. You have left me many times and I stayed even I was lonely longing for you. How dare you pointing that sword against me and you know damn well that Kalma needs you and Tuonela does* Tuoni lowered the sword *Woman! Forgive me, but I cannot stay nothing will be like before, may happiness fill your soul*

Kalma was standing close by and heard every word, she knew her father would leave.

A huge fire flash surrounded his body and upwards from his head to the sky, Tuoni screamed. Horrified by the sight the people of Tuonela ran aside hiding behind the gravestones and Tuonetar kneeled and lowered her face hiding the tears falling from her eyes.

*FATHER….FATHER* Kalma shouted loudly reaching out a hand towards him *TAKE ME WITH YOU * Tuoni grabbed her hand and both flew into the fire, the last word Kalma heard from her mother was *NOOOO*

Darkness ... Darkness

Suddenly she opened her eyes and stretched, her arms felt heavy as she slowly lifted them looking at her hands. Her nails were long and razor-sharp. Nothing was changed she thought and licked her fangs.

Her body seemed intact as she moved her legs. “Vanishing is not bad” She laughed expecting to see her father next to her, she turned her face “Father” No sight of him and not on the other side either “FATHER WHERE ARE YOU?” Desperate she rose standing on her feet and looked at the surroundings “Father! Where are you?” No answer. Weeping Kalma kneeled realizing she was alone and he was gone forever “Father why could you not stay” Kalma knew the answer to that, he could never stay in the same place as her mother living with another man, nor could she be happy living with that man who only hated her sight.

Sighing she cleaned her eyes wondering where she was.    

Small houses lay in a row, apparently a village, nothing like Tuonela. Kalma had never seen houses before or streets only heard from the living in Tuonela telling about their homes.

 Where was she?

Kalma stood up and began walking. She was wearing a long black dress and had leather boots on her feet. In Tuonela she was dressed as a warrior and how she had found the skirt and the boots, she had no idea of.

The candle lights seen in the windows flickered in her eyes, it felt like fire. Kalma lowered her face however abruptly a man and a woman opened a door and stepped out on the street. Immediately Kalma turned her face looking at them. She thought she was invisible to them, but suddenly the woman screamed aloud pointing at her *DIANTHA!! RUNNN* They both hurried away and ran along the street to a small house and closed the door.

“Diantha ??” She said confused, who was that? Chaotic feelings swept through her body about the fact that they actually could see her. Nothing was like before, she was far away from home.

Kalma started walking faster, a large castle rose high in front of her eyes laying on a small mountain outside the village. For some reason she knew the way to the castle up up along gravel roads until she reached the building standing in front of a large wooden door. Exhausted she opened the door. Perhaps her father was behind the door waiting for her, but no!

To her an unknown man waved at her *Finally Diantha I am joyful with your presence here after such a long time, where have you been? My dear* He said and bowed deeply at her *I thought you had left me*

Kalma stared at him while reaching for a chair “Do I know you? And you call me Diantha, my name is Kalma”

The man only laughed aloud and licked his lips. His fangs were shown *Oh no my dear, your name is Diantha, you told me long ago that was your new name. Kalma is gone, you said*

 He shook his head and stepped closer at her playing with his long fingers upon her back and up to her neck *You are here now*

Kalma rose quickly from the chair looking straight into his eyes “Take your hands away from me, I am not yours to play with, how dare you”

*Oh no! not again* The stranger said and grabbed a glass of wine *My dear! And yet again it happened, how could I ever imagine that your flashback would disappear*

Kalma snorted and pointed a finger at him “What do you mean stranger, I do not know you or your name, is my father here with you?.......ohhh” She stopped her words and lowered her hand.

Abruptly she remembered the night she awoke in a forest, it was long ago and this man approached her. She remembered that he brought her to this castle and the conversation they had about her past. She herself wanted to be known as Diantha and not Kalma who was gone.

Ashamed she looked at him “Please forgive me, yes I remember. You have been kind to me and invited me to your home, I know your name Alexander Draconess and yes I had dreams of my father and Tuonela….I know he is gone like I was supposed to be, but for some reason I awoke from darkness”

 Alexander Draconess smiled at her *Of course I forgive you, you know that, it has been long since last time, have you been in the village, did you wake up in the street like before? *

Diantha laughed “Yes I did and I thought I was invisible to the people however I quickly found out when a man and a woman saw me, frighten they ran away to hide, I was shocked” Slowly she grabbed a glass into a hand and drank the fresh liquid.

 “I found out one thing when I dreamt this time, I imagined my father standing in front of me, he was nodding at me as if it was time for me to move on, to travel and meet new people”

She placed the glass back at the table and looked straight into his eyes “My dear Alexander you and I are not lovers, you found me and brought me here, I am thankful, but I need to leave you, I want to search for a house I can call home”

Alexander nodded and smiled at her while fetching a chair * I knew this would come one day and I understand, you have a home here, but I have sensed that you needed your own, be well on your journey and you are welcome back anytime* Gently he stroke her hand with a finger *The sun will soon arise, sleep and leave at nightfall*

Diantha left the castle the following evening and found a carriage that stopped when she waved at it. On board were only a few people, Diantha hid her face with a hood.

The carriage was driving at a fast pace, the horses in front snorted loudly and neighed.

Diantha glanced out the window and saw the dark trees they passed, the half full shiny moon, the clouds in the sky and the small stars that glowed in the night darkness. The view was magnificent.

At day break the carriage stopped in a small village. The passengers left in hast and Diantha walked to a nearby forest. Exhausted she reached a group of trees deep inside. Sighing she threw a blanket at the ground and sat. In her small bag she found fresh bloody meat from an animal and started feeding herself drinking the essence.

Soon after she fell asleep covering her body and face with the blanket.

Several days passed, Diantha followed a gravel road deeper into the forest and reached a small village where she found a carriage that brought her far south to what it seemed another country. The people she met looked different, the men was wearing warrior suits carrying weapons and the women had white dresses and long scarfs on their heads. Diantha lowered her face hiding it behind a finely woven black veil.

Outside that village she found an empty house. It was a stone house with small windows, plenty of space for her. A forest lay close and a bog. There were even furniture’s in the house that consisted of a bed, a bench and a table. It seemed like someone had left it in a hurry. Even cups, glasses and plates were stored in a small closet on the wall. A perfect home for her.

Satisfied she loosened her belt in which her dagger was attached and threw it on the bed which even had a pretty soft mattress “Wonder who lived here” She laughed and fetched the piece of deer meat she had in her bag and feed herself before falling into a deep sleep on the bed.

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