Board :Tales of the People
Author :Archon Iyagi
Subject :"You're beautiful to me" by Blackk
Date :12/11
                "You're beautiful to me,"

They say the eyes are windows to a persons soul. I remember
when I first caught climpse of her stare; it was hypnotizing,
kind, and a little sad. Her name was Xo, and she thought I was
beautiful.

I've never been considered good looking, comely or otherwise
attractive. Interesting is how people would describe me. But
Xo would cup my face in her two hands, and I would be
perfection through her eyes. I felt like nothing could hurt
us.

I was hers.

Often I would ask her, beg her to tell me why she stayed in
my humble wilderness hut. She could have so much more, another man or woman to love her. Someone with gold and looks and servants to cater to them. It wasn't until after she was taken
from me that I learned the truth.

As a girl, Xo was cursed, or blessed depending on how you
view what was done to her, because of her beauty. A shaman
cast a spell, skewing her eyesight to see not the surface of
a person, but rather their soul.

One day Xo went to get flowers for our table, and she never
came back. I went looking for her; I went to acclaimed Seers
to tell me her future, I went to the most dangerous Rangers
to track her, I even went to the most benevolent Monks to
pray for her. It was all for naught and I went home empty
handed and empty hearted. I lost her.

Then suddenly I got a letter. The parchment was wrinkled and
torn, and I remember looking at it, thinking that it must have resembled was my heart. The writing was scribbled as if
written in a hurry.

<b>               "I have her. She is in my lair,
<b>             And she'll stay here until you come to
<b>                         claim her."

I knew immediately that I would go to the ends of the world
for her, so I packed what little I could and left for the
Sute's lair.

Her labrynth was deceptive and riddled with traps, the
monsters hungry for blood. My fragile body was not meant for
fighting, so I quickly darted past the bare naked trees. The
frightening cave became more and more chilly, and I regretted
not packing a sweater.

The trail ended in a fork, and I saw Xo, her hair obscuring
her bright green eyes. I went to untie the rope that binded
her when a pain shot down my back and I fell to the floor.

Behind me, the evil Shaman loomed over me, and I couldn't
help but shake in fear. But I would die before I left without
Xo, so I quickly rummaged through my pouch and retrieved some
Flash dust, ignited it and threw it at the evil temptress.

The flaring bag hit her in the face, and she screamed and
covered her eyes in agony. Running over to Xo, I grabbed her
hand and smashed a yellow scroll on the ground as hard as I
could.

We both landed in our house, and she looked up in wonder and
confusion. Before I could say a word to her, she put her head
on my shoulder and cried, apologizing for the impossible
predicament. I told her that it was nothing to say sorry for,
I loved her, and she was my girl. My everything.

I noticed that looking into her eyes a few days later, her
bright eyes became a little dulled, and I knew the spell had
been broken. Feeling self-conscious, I mumbled and muttered
everything until she asked me what was wrong.

"Xo, why do you love me? I know you can see me for what I
truely look like now, why didn't you leave me?"

She looked into my eyes, and put her hand across my heart.

"Because you're beautiful to me."

-Blackk