The Fountain of Life

"Virgil? Are you awake?", the stag heard a familiar voice speak to him. He opened his eyes and saw Dag sitting there, staring back at him. The night was clear and a slight breeze brushed their fur.

"What is it, Dag?", Virgil questioned. "Have you ever heard of the Fountain of Life?", Dag asked him.

The brown stag tilted his head, "What are you talking about?", he replied. "Well, the Twin Gods said there was a fountain in the Endless Forest...not De Drinkplaats, but another...that grants youth to those who bathe in its waters.", Dag answered.

The subject surprised the half-asleep Virgil, he had never heard of this fountain, and knowing that Dag wouldn't lie to him that the Twin Gods told him of it, he was curious now. "Where did they say this fountain was at?", Virgil asked.

Dag shook his head, "Well, it's a legend, so no one knows where it's at, but...I keep thinking about it."

Virgil yawned, "It's late, Dag. We'll chat about it later.", he said. The two lowered their heads and tried to go back to sleep.

----------------------------------------------

An hour passed. Dag was snoring nearby, but Virgil could not sleep. His mind wandered about the Fountain that his friend talked about. The stag stood, walking away from his sleeping spot and keeping quiet so he wouldn't wake Dag. The Twin Gods would know where the Fountain is. They've got to know!, Virgil thought.

He made it to the Twin Gods' hill. "Michael? Auriea? Are you awake?", Virgil asked. Almost immediately, an orb of light appeared before him, manifesting into Auriea. Virgil bowed to the deer-god, who bowed back and then asked, "So, you want to know about the Fountain of Life?"

"Yes! I'm so intrigued about it, I must know where it is located!", Virgil responded. Auriea nodded, "I will tell you, but be warned, bathing in the Fountain can cause serious consequences if abused."

It didn't matter to Virgil. He had to know where to find the Fountain. It was so captivating to him, he didn't know what came over him about it. "Very well, the Fountain of Life can be found in the area you may know as the Blue Bowl. Just sit in the center of the bowl and the Fountain will appear.", Auriea said. Virgil couldn't believe his ears - he knew the location, and before running off to find it, he bowed to Auriea. The god bowed back, and watched the stag dart off toward the Birch Forest. "Virgil, you'll regret looking for that fountain.", Auriea said to herself.

The stag finally made it to the Blue Bowl. He walked through the blue flowers, finding an indention in the center where he sat and waited. The breeze made the flowers sway, and the sweet fragrance made Virgil woozy. He soon could not keep himself from falling asleep.

At once, he sat up and found herself somewhere she had never seen before. The trees were tall and red, and the thick sunlight pierced the canopy and illuminated the area. He found a trail leading deeper into the redwood forest. Taking the first few steps on the trail, his heart raced more and more. He'll finally see this fountain, finally...

After a few minutes of walking, he walked into an open area, where he saw a great pool of water in the center. "The Fountain!!", Virgil exclaimed, and running toward it, he skidded to a halt before the side of the fountain. The water was glowing a strange hue, and looking into the water, he saw a reflection looking back at him - himself, but younger. The young Virgil stared back at him with wide eyes and a kind smile.

Without really contemplating what Auriea said about the consequences, he stepped into the fountain. Sitting in the pool, he waited, and soon felt himself become dizzy. He rested his head on the edge of the fountain, and slowly closed his eyes.

----------------------------------------------

"Are you awake?", he heard a voice say. Virgil opened his eyes and saw a fawn look back at him. "Who...who are you?", he asked the fawn. "Dad, I'm your son!", the fawn exclaimed.

To be finished soon... (Bonus points to whoever can guess what my inspiration for this story was )