All at once, amidst an inky black night, a girl appeared in a grove. She was drenched in aureate light and punctured the darkness with the shimmer of her skin. Conifers cradled her like a delicate flame. The maiden took her first breath and smelled the earth. She could taste it, could feel its life-giving force permeate her luminous pores. Moonlit flowers turned their faces to her, while mushroom spores sang in great jubilation. 

Her name was Stellar. She knew this inside, but everything else was just out of reach. Her memory was eclipsed by a growing black void. Nothingness eating up all the something. 

Stellar opened her eyes to see blue-green trees limned by lunar-light silhouettes. She felt dew-dappled moss beneath her palms, pushing herself to sit up straight. Somewhere between Taiga and Fledgling, Stellar crept through the forest of berries and beasts. She wobbled at first, like a newborn fawn, finding her footing at last. This body of hers was unfamiliar, with its senses, movements, and needs. The sensation of cold made her yearn for heat; hunger had her seek sustenance. 

It was hard for her to know how long she ambled; her perception of time was not set in stone. She followed the flutters of moon-moth wings, and nocturnal creatures gathered to witness. The dimness across Tirra Nova shifted, slow and subtle like a loving caress. Golden sunlight kissed the mountain peaks and wrangled its way through the dense treetops. Stellar looked about in mesmerized awe as the world unfolded its beauty. Intricate cones hung from their boughs, and emerald-green ferns curled like galaxies. Birdsongs welcomed her, nearly provoking her to remember. She stumbled across the forest floor, her shivering shell soothed by the morning’s warmth. Where was she to go? Were there others like her in this foreign, green place? 

The scent of burning wood urged her forward, seeking shelter from the elements. A small, tired shack puffing chimney smoke appeared like a mirage. It was the first dwelling Stellar had seen, yet intrinsically, she knew what it was. Shoddy shingles and limp garden growth spoke of its keeper’s forlorn resignation. The urge to reanimate this dying home was immediate and overwhelming. Stellar watched with caution from behind a tree when she heard a commotion from within. A latch slid free, and a man wandered out to the woods to relieve himself. She looked away, awaiting his return to the cottage. To observe him without his knowledge felt wrong, and she decided she must reveal herself. 

He was muttering beneath his breath and leaned to retrieve a notch of wood. The snap of twigs beneath Stellar’s feet nearly made him topple forward in alarm. Regaining his balance, he spun around, the aggression in his eyes melting to wonder. He appraised her with a hanging jaw. Stellar was also perplexed by this two-legged creature of flesh and bone. Time had taken his vitality, and the weight of the years sagged the skin beneath his eyes. But there was a twinkle of light still within this man, and as with his dwelling, Stellar sought to stoke it. 

“Who are you?” he uttered. “Where have you come from, girl?” She watched and listened as vibrations of sound whistled through his lips. Stellar opened her mouth, and surprising herself, found that she too possessed such a voice. 

“Hoooo errr yoooo,” she mimicked, a pleasing resonance in her throat. The man’s eyes crinkled in bewilderment, and he rushed back into his dwelling. Stellar stood still, wondering what had spooked him and if she should follow him inside. But he reappeared with a woven blanket in his arms. He approached her with care and wrapped her sparkling form. Stellar felt spontaneous relief.  

He gingerly led her into his home and seated her on a hearthside chair. Heat licked her skin, and Stellar allowed her rigid bones to relax. The man cast befuddled glances her way as he poured liquid from one vessel to another. He handed her the smaller of the two and motioned for her to hold it up to her lips. Stellar dipped her head in understanding, while steamed herbs penetrated her nose. The sensation of drinking was novel, and she felt the tea’s warmth expand through her veins. It satisfied a craving she had not understood and awakened an even more desperate need. 

“She must be hungry,” the man murmured to himself as though reading her mysterious mind. “Hungry?” he asked, turning to her and rubbing his stomach in circles.  

Stellar’s eyes widened in acknowledgement, tracing her pain to the very location. The man fumbled about in a huff and a puff, unearthing a bowl of berries. She took the dish in her glistening hands, adjusting the wool about her shoulders. The man watched with curious anticipation as she examined the bursting, blue-speckled flesh. She popped one into her mouth, and flavors exploded across her tongue, provoking an audible squeal of delight. The man jumped in surprise, and then in a bashful response, his face broke into a grin. A chuckling sound emerged from his throat, and Stellar gaped at the unblemished noise. The corners of her mouth lifted, and the smile she wore felt good. How interesting that a curve of the lips should produce such pleasant emotion. 

While Stellar shoveled her mouth full of berries, the man scoured his cottage for oddly shaped lumps. He chopped them with a sharpened blade, and the sound was the harshest that she had heard yet. There were many sounds. The creak of floorboards, the crackle of the hearth, and the chitters in the trees. Soon the sizzling of lumps joined the symphony and emitted a tantalizing fragrance. Stellar looked at the man and assessed him. She had no frame of reference for comparison. There was the impression he had once been larger and stronger but had since shriveled to his current state. His cheeks were hollow, and his hair was a shock of unruly white wisps. Rough gray tufts spotted his chin. Stellar lifted her hands, curious if her face was also furred, only to find smooth skin across her jaw. 

He focused on his task, and her eyes continued to observe his rustic dwelling. There were metal buckets here and there and vessels of various shapes and sizes. Wooden tables, chairs, and chests. A frame and mattress covered by furs. She felt her first wave of exhaustion. Wandering cold all night had wearied her body. Suddenly, she noticed his black-feathered friend on a perch in a corner of the room. Stellar looked into its beady black eyes, and the bird looked back with curious affection. 

At last, the man placed a steaming dish in the stardust maiden’s lap. He sat across from her with his own helping of soft, brown lumps. There was an odd instrument, and after watching the man, Stellar pierced its prongs into her food. The berries were refreshing and flavorful, but the brown lumps were supremely satisfying. Her belly was full and satiated. Another sound of contentment hummed between her lips. The man tried not to stare, but her appearance in these woods clearly mystified him. 

“Who are you?” he whispered once more.  

This time, she thought she understood. There was only one word encoded in her mind. The maiden looked straight at the man as she spoke. 

“Stellar,” she said, hand on her heart. 

Caught off guard, the man recovered with a nod. “Well, hello Stellar,” he replied in a low, gruff voice. “My name is Ward.”