《Spirits of the Land》


 Birth of a Stargazer

    ¡°The Qualification of spirits is always a topic of much contest. For what qualifies as force? Does the binding of luck and fate have spirits that can be bonded or are they beyond the bounds of the spiritual world? Do the celestial bodies possess spirits or are they beyond reach? Many questions are and will remain unanswered for much longer than my lifetime I''m afraid¡­¡± - Excerpt from a nameless tome in the library of Jance


    Sunlight peeked through the canopy of leaves and landed upon the form of the young man sleeping beneath. He had black hair and broad shoulders with eyes of a stark green like all who lived in the Vivian forest, his eyes were closed and he was drooling fast asleep. He was shirtless with the blanket of animal hide that was supposed to cover him being lost sometime in the night and half of his body being splayed on the wood of the floor having rolled off the fur mat he used as a bed. The beam of light crept up his chest before settling directly on his closed eyes.


    ¡°Fuckin trees¡­¡± He muttered before rolling over out of the sunlight and trailing off back to the realm of dreams. The beam of sunlight then began to travel once more and, almost cheekily, landed directly on his eyes once more.


    ¡°What the¡­¡± He opened his eyes and was promptly flashbanged by the morning sun. ¡°Spirits damn you Melody it''s way too early for this shi-¡±


    ¡°Oh hush Orion you little whiner it''s your big day today! You need to wake up early¡± A lithe form dropped from the treetops and the sunlight that had been trained on Orion''s eyes was released much to his relief. ¡°Don''t tell me you forgot?¡± Melody stood, staring down at Orion with catlike eyes and her hands placed firmly on her hips. Melody stood about a head shorter than Orion and had fiery red hair she kept in a braid. She was a hunter for the village with her secondary duty acting as Orion''s guardian since he was five years old, though she acted more like an annoying older sister than any type of motherly figure. ¡°I swear, why did I have to end up with the sleepiest ward in this spirit forsaken forest.¡± She let out a sharp whistle and pointed to Orion who was still rubbing his eyes and sincerely trying to understand what she was saying through the fog of waking up. At the sound of the whistle a blur of motion swiftly descended from the tree onto the poor bleary Orion. Melody''s bonded animal spirit, a freakishly large spined jaguar named Buttermilk, dragged Orion the rest of the way out of his bed by his trousers as he yelped in protest.


    After much grumbling and a little more ¡®encouragement¡¯ from Buttermilk as Melody laughed in a corner at him. Orion managed to get dressed, which was just putting on his sandals and thicker leather shorts, after which he was finally clear of head enough to both be aware of his surroundings and comprehend Melody¡¯s chastisement.


    ¡°It''s the trial of proving today right?¡± He said deftly dodging another playful tackle from Buttermilk now that the weight of sleep had left him.


    Melody puffed her cheeks into a pout. ¡°I thought the first thing you were gonna do was compliment my outfit,¡± She twirled, her long red braid trailing behind her, ¡°I haven''t worn the ceremonial gear in a while. I''m offended that you thought of the most important day of your life before me.¡± Orion chose to ignore her sarcasm but he had to admit her outfit suited her quite well. The ceremonial hunter gear consisted of a shirt and pants made of the same leather as his own, as well as a green cloak of interwoven leaves and pauldrons of wood with intricate carvings on them. But the real focus point was the intricate wooden mask that she had donned as she spun, the hooded mask with her cat slit pupils peering out was quite the look.


    ¡°Yes yes you look great now are you gonna tell me something about the proving or are you just gonna have me go in blind?¡± He looked at her with a raised eyebrow before getting tackled to the ground by an overgrown feline.


    ¡°Oh wait, do you actually not know what you are doing?¡± she removed the wooden mask and tilted her head ¡°Right! I was supposed to tell you about it! Oops my bad¡­¡±


    ¡° Yeah no worries,¡± his voice came out muffled from under Buttermilk''s paws as the damn cat licked his hair into a style to his liking, ¡°I never wanted to prepare for it anyway¡­ definitely¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh hush you. I prepared you perfectly, it¡¯s just I forgot to tell you what I was preparing you for. And it¡¯s not all that complicated anyway, we simply turn you loose into the forest unarmed and if you come back with a bonded spirit great! If you come back without one, that''s fine. Many people in the village lack spirits. If you don¡¯t come back at all¡­ well¡­¡± she looks up into the treetops before shaking her head as if banishing the thought. ¡°Well that¡¯s where we hunters come in. If we find you injured we take you back to the village and if you''re in danger of death we will intervene!¡± Orion could hear her smile behind the mask ¡°So see there¡¯s nothing to worry about nice and safe. And it¡¯s not like we are sending you into the forest proper just out on the plateau.¡±


    ¡°You say that like the plateau is safer and not tens of miles across,¡± Orion replied, shaking his head, ¡°I would almost rather take my chances in the wider forest.¡±


    ¡°Yeah but this way it''s tens of miles instead of thousands and besides-¡± the pounding of drums cut off what she was about to say. A driving rhythm which seemed to bring the very trees alive with vibrations, the ceremony was beginning. Orion and Melody looked at each other before swiftly climbing down from the treetop platform. The Village, as it was referred to by the people of the Vivian forest because what other village could there be in this place? Mostly consisted of platforms grown out of trees by those bonded to plantlife spirits with vine bridges connecting this network of houses with no walls or ceilings. Orion and Melody made their way along the forest floor towards the swelling sound of the drums. They arrived at the Village center where a growing throng of people gathered. Hunters in ceremonial gear flanked either side of the raised platform where the drums were being played, and in front of the platform were other people of age having ceremonial paints put on them by the nurturers. Melody gave Orion one last pat on the back and a thumbs up before donning her wooden mask and moving to go join the line of hunters. Orion watched her go before turning to the group of his peers and walking into the growing crowd. The nurturers were having them form into lines as they carried small bowls filled with green liquid walking up and down the lines painting the bonding prospects face and arms with swirling patterns of leaf green. Orion waited until one of the older nurturers approached him and Orion braced himself for what he assumed would be cold paint. But instead the liquid was warm and had a granular texture the kind water has when sand is kicked up in it. The old nurturer mumbled prayers to the spirits as he worked and a natural vigor surged through Orion''s body where the paint touched his skin.


    After the old man finished his work he looked up at Orion with a twinkle in his eye and whispered ¡°Good luck, boy¡± before moving on to the next prospect. As Orion stared at the mans retreating back and the rush of life energy he had felt wore off he nearly fell to the ground as a large hand fell onto his shoulder.


    ¡°You ready man? I had trouble getting my sandals on because my hands were shaking so much this morning.¡± The absolute giant of a man muttered as he moved next to Orion, and he didn''t seem the least bit concerned about nearly dislocating Orion''s shoulder. ¡°I think we should stick together. I just don''t want to be alone out there, it''s dangerous man¡­¡± Trunk, as everyone called him because he was as thick around as the giant trees and nearly as heavy, was never the fighting type despite his enormous bulk. He was also Orion''s best friend, kind of de facto as they were both the only orphans in the Village in the same age bracket, but Orion really did appreciate the gentle oaf.


    ¡°Don''t you worry a bit you¡¯ll do great, after all what''s the worst that can happen? The hunters will be there watching us to make sure we don¡¯t die.¡± Orion patted the trunk on his back, reaching up as the giant was head and shoulders taller than him. ¡°Plus it''s not like you''re trying to steal an animal spirit. Just sit and commune with some flowers all night and you will be fine. I''m sure some plant nature spirits will feel bad and bond with you.¡± Trunk smiled at that and Orion''s words of encouragement seemed to be enough to ward off the gentle giant fears at least for now. Orion Turned back to the central platform as the drums once again assumed a driving tempo rising to a near deafening crescendo.


    The ceremony had officially begun. The bulk of the ceremony was a blur of motion, prayer to the spirits, sacrifices, and ceremonial dances. Orion wasn''t even sure if Trunk stayed with him or was separated from him as he was swept away in the driving of the drums and the chant-like singing to the spirits. The feverish tempo never receding and a seemingly unnatural vigor drove the prospects. Orion could feel the lifeblood pumping through his veins swirling and moving faster under the green markings and swelling with the beat of the drums. The tempo of the drums finally slowed and the spark of thought returned to Orion''s mind as the sun began to dip bellow the treetops of the horizon. He looked around, finding himself back in the rows they had been painted in, Trunk was standing next to him looking forward in a daze. Orion elbowed him in the side and with a start Trunk looked around the same way as Orion had just a second earlier. A quiet mumbling overtook the clearing as the sun disappeared under the treetops and dusk settled over the prospects. The markings that had been given to them began to glow with green light causing the clearing to become awash in a ghostly light, leaving long stark shadows on the trees encircling them. After a little while all of the prospects had recovered from their stupor and turned their gazes to the center platform. Walking up onto the stage was the village elder and his great granddaughter. The village elder resembled a gnarled tree. His skin had the texture of tree bark, his stooped form was draped in a cape of leaves and from his brow grew two leafy branches which easily added three feet to his height. His longevity and physical appearance were both the result of his bonding to the spirit of the plateau that they stood upon. He had been elder for three generations so despite his additional lifespan due to the bond, he was still slowly becoming weaker as his age continued to catch up to him. It was predicted by some that he wouldn''t live another twenty years but for being one hundred and fifty three years old he was as spry as a young man. His granddaughter, Calista, on the other hand stood up straight with her chin slightly raised. She was a beautiful girl who stood at about five foot ten, only one inch shorter than Orion, with blonde hair uncommon for the people of the Vivian forest. Like all the other prospects she stood shirtless but unlike them the glowing green paint covered her torso and legs in addition to the arms and forehead that all the other prospects had. Causing her to shine like a green avatar of light.


    ¡°My good soon to be men and women of the village.¡± The elder spoke in a raspy but resonant voice that could be heard clearly anywhere in the clearing. ¡°Tonight''s the night that you take probably the biggest step in your lives¡­¡± Orion stopped listening to the speech as he felt like a pair of eyes were staring a hole through him. He looked around before his eyes landed on Calista staring at him like she was trying to kill him with her look. Calista had always had a problem with Orion, even since childhood, for reasons he could never figure out. She would commonly have him get into fights with people she convinced to beat him for her and even got people to attack Trunk in an attempt to drive them apart. But he never dreamed she would think to try to do something tonight. Didn''t she know that tonight was more important than a petty rivalry that he didn''t even know how had started?


    Trunk also saw her stare and leaned down to whisper ¡°Maybe we shouldn¡¯t stick together.¡± He shook his head slightly ¡°I can''t be caught up with her craziness, not tonight¡­¡±


    Orion nodded, whatever problem she had, it was with him and he''d be damned before he let her delusions ruin Trunks'' future. Her hateful gaze remained trained on him for the rest of the speech. Orion could barely listen to the speech the elder was giving, instead trying and failing to evenly meet the burning gaze of Calista.


    ¡°-and so I am honored to once again usher in a new generation of adults.¡± Orion started listening just in time to catch the tail end of the elders speech. The old man then threw up his hands and a horde of stumps emerged from the forest, skittering across the ground on spider-like roots. ¡°These noble steeds will carry you to your starting positions in the forest, the rest is up to you, and remember, the hunters will not interfere with the Proving unless you are near death. So go and find your spirits. I wish you good luck.¡±


    Orion and the other prospects each stepped onto the stump that stopped in front of them. The stumps then lurched forward before careening into the forest, he nearly fell off from the sudden acceleration but managed to keep his balance and stay on top as the stump darted between the trees. After about five minutes of running the stump stopped and lowered itself to the ground. He took that as his cue to get down and hopped off the stump before turning and bowing to it in appreciation. The stump tipped slightly and seemed to bow back before taking root and rapidly growing into a fully grown tree standing where the stump had been. Orion was now completely alone, well not completely. He could hear the movement and calls of animals moving through the forest. In the distance he heard a low whistle echo across the forest, a few moments later a response came from nearby. Other prospects must be joining up with each other to improve their chances. He and Trunk had already decided to not team up so Orion turned his attention to the more pressing problem. He was glowing. He tried to scratch off the bright paint but it had long since dried and he failed to peel it even a little. This was certainly a problem as he was basically a glowing sign saying ¡®eat me i''m delicious¡¯ to anything even remotely carnivorous. After failing to remove the glowing health hazard he shrugged before scaling the tree that the stump had grown into. He sat into a meditative position and almost immediately fell into a trance. This trancelike state was a skill that all people of the village were required to learn at a young age. It allowed those who were not bonded to sense spirits, like a blind man using his other senses to detect the world around them. Orion settled down and attempted to sense the location of an animal spirit young enough to bond too.


    There. After about forty minutes he sensed a young spirit animal about a hundred yards away. He also sensed a much much larger spirit animal somewhere nearby but that one was fully grown and better at disguising its presence from direct detection. The fact that he could sense its presence at all meant it was a prey animal, which depending on the type could be a good or bad thing. He emerged from the trance in time to hear the rustle of leaves in the tree behind him. Springing from his sitting position Orion used his lower starting position to rise into a handstand before launching himself backwards feet first. He connected with something solid and heard a pained grunt as his momentum knocked both him and his would-be ambusher clear of the tree''s branches. He tucked and rolled to absorb the impact from hitting the ground and quickly recovered to see what had attempted to surprise him. Lying on the ground was another prospect who had had the wind knocked out of him from Orion''s double kick and the fall from the tree. Orion didn''t feel bad in the slightest about attacking the other man unprovoked as it was simply good courtesy to not approach someone meditating from behind and doing so on a night like tonight was a symbol of bad intentions. He quickly scanned the trees seeing three more dull glows and a brighter green light from a treetop deeper in the woods.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°You know you''re glowing right? Even a bad hunter like you has to know that glowing makes sneaking for an ambush difficult. Right Calista?


    After hearing his taunt two other men and one woman emerged from the woods while behind them Orion could see the bright glow descending from the treetops but still hanging back. One of the men was large and while not as big as Trunk he looked damn near as wide, while the other was skinny and had a mean looking scar down his nose. The woman seemed to be the most competent as she sized up Orion similarly to how he was them and had an athletic build with lean muscle.


    ¡°Still hiding behind your lackeys? Come on Calista, this is supposed to be the time we become adults.¡± He smiled though there was no joy in his eyes ¡°Don''t you think you should start handling your own problems like one!¡±


    The other three fighters charged as Orion heard the one behind him groan and begin to rise. He retreated backward toward the recovering one behind him, still facing the three fanning out to approach him from multiple angles. Once he was close enough he quickly turned around throwing a jab to the guys kidney. As he doubled over from pain and retched onto the ground Orion brought his knee up to the poor dude''s chin with a sickening crack. The man fell like a bag of sticks and while Orion was sure his jaw was broken he was just unconscious and would be fine. He heard the sound of running behind him and dropped to a crouch, sweeping his leg behind him. He successfully caught the large man knocking him off balance before delivering a follow up handstand kick directly into his gut. Sending the large man staggering and bending over retching into the grass. Before Orion could recover the skinny man reached out grabbing his leg and elbowing his shin. Orion grunted in pain from the blow before using his core to twist his body midair, whipping his uncaptured leg into the side of the skinny man''s head. They both fell to the ground and Orion used the daze from the blow to the head to lock both his legs around the man''s neck. They both lay on the ground with Orion choking the skinny man in an attempt to knock him unconscious and the man struggling weakly, when he took a solid kick to the side of his head.


    Damn, he thought as his vision began to swim, I forgot to keep track of the girl. While was concussed the woman quickly put him in a rear naked chokehold. The lame resistance he attempted to mount not doing anything as he felt himself becoming light headed from the sudden lack of air. Before he fell unconscious the woman released him and he felt his arms and legs immobilized. He took deep slow breaths to recover his normal oxygen levels before picking up his head to assess the situation. The large man had his legs pinned and Orion could see a nasty bruise forming on the man''s stomach while the skinny man, whose face was still red from the choking making the scar across his nose nearly invisible, held his arms above his head. The woman had moved to inspect their unconscious friend, feeling his jaw to confirm it was indeed broken and using the light from the paint to inspect his injuries. At the edge of his vision he saw a bright green light emerging from the forest into the clearing.


    ¡°Congratulations Calista! You have bested me in single combat!¡± He said sarcastically ¡°As a reward for beating me in honorable combat I give you permission to release me from your lackey''s hold.¡±


    She looked down at him cooly ¡°I''m so glad to get your permission. It''s exactly what I wanted.¡± You know despite being a bitch at least she knew what a joke was.


    ¡°Happy to help.¡± Orion tried to spit at her but missed terribly. ¡°You know aiming that properly is more difficult than I thought.¡± She didn''t grace him with a response. Instead she decided to dig the wooden bottom of her sandal into the inside of his elbow. Making him wince in pain as she scraped at the tendons.


    ¡°Do you know why I dislike you, Orion?¡± She asked not breaking eye contact as she twisted her heel more into his arm.


    ¡°No actually.¡± Orion said with pain in his voice ¡°You''re really just a cruel bitch who decided to ruin my future tonight.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because you actually matter.¡± She continued without missing a beat. ¡°You''re supposed to be a random orphan who will never amount to anything significant. But instead your guardian happens to be the most promising young hunter this village has seen in years. And you''re obviously better for it.¡± She gestured to the lackeys she had brought to subdue him. ¡°You can take down three of what are supposed to be your peers without breaking a sweat.¡± Large and skinny both winced at this,while the woman, who was tearing off strips of the unconscious man''s shorts to tie his jaw, shook her head.


    Calista continued her spiel ¡°And yet you never joined up with us. Ever since we were young it was you and that giant one. Thinking you were above the hierarchy, thinking you were better than us, better than me!¡± She dug her heel deeper as she said this, drawing a yell out of Orion and causing him to squirm in pain. She took a deep breath before continuing ¡°So I sent people to harass you. So you would crawl to me begging me to stop. But you never did, did you. You didn''t have the good sense to ever ask me to stop, to beg instead you fought.¡± She grabbed his arm lifting it and leaned down to whisper in his ear. ¡°Hell this is the first time we''ve ever spoken, and I don''t need competent people not under my control¡±


    Without warning she brought her elbow down on his forearm and with a crack broke it in two. The impact left his hand and wrist hanging by the muscle as bone broke and tried to pierce his skin sticking out at an odd angle. Orion began to yell and struggle, delirious from pain as skinny and large both let him go as he rolled on the ground. While this injury was serious he would be fine in two weeks with treatment, four without, the people of the Vivian forest were especially resilient. But while she hadn''t crippled him, Orion knew she had broken more than his arm. He couldn''t get a hold of a young animal spirit or enter a meditative state to bond with a nature spirit with a broken arm. She had broken his chance at a bright future. Instead he would fade into the background with the rest of the bondless, inconsequential. After the initial pain and surprise wore off he got to his feet. Staring with hatred at Calista as she just looked at him coolly, not regretting her actions in the slightest. He reached down and pulled his hand forward, screaming in pain as he pushed the exposed bone back under the skin and muscle. After he had managed to align the two halves of bone and shambled to the larger prospect. The man didn''t protest instead looking on in horror as Orion tore off a piece of his shorts with his working hand. Wrapping it around his shattered forearm to keep it in place before tightening the knot with his teeth. He turned and began walking toward the forest. Then he caught a glimpse of a small plume of white through the trees. He turned on his heels and burst into a dead sprint at Calista tackling her to the side as she yelped in surprise.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing!? Elizabeth get him off-¡± She was cut on by an unholy creaking as the huge silent form that would have mauled her crashed into a tree on the other end of the clearing. They both blinked at each other before looking toward the noise to see a massive steam boar struggling to get its tusks unstuck from the tree it had uprooted with its charge. The massive beast was five feet tall from hoof to shoulder and easily weighted over two thousand pounds. It was struggling to pull its three foot tusks from the tree. Blowing white steam out its nose and a low whistle coming from superheated water vapor and air blowing out of the holes that pockmarked its tusks, burning away the bark of the tree as it tried to free itself.


    ¡°I¡¯ll distract it, you run back into the forest and try to stifle that bright glow of yours.¡± Orion then got off of Calista and began running in the direction of the smaller animal spirit he had detected earlier. ¡°Hey ugly! I know where your baby is!¡± He waved his good arm while running, his broken one flapping limply. He quickly looked over to where the unconscious prospect had been, he saw a figure in a leaf cloak with a wooden mask crouched over their body. The cat-like eyes behind the mask looked at him with concern. He flashed a quick thumbs up and the figure nodded before disappearing with the prospect in a blur of motion. The steam boar began more and more furious as he ran in the direction of its young. As Orion reached the edge of the clearing the boar managed to free itself tearing the tree asunder and began charging toward him. As it did so white steam seemed to emanate from its hooves making its charge eerily silent with the only noise being the low whistle from its tusks. Orion realized that he probably hadn''t thought this plan through well as he ran through the trees. The whistle of the boar sounded right on his tail and he cut between the trees. His bruised leg yelling and his broken arm screaming at him that he needed to stop moving. But he couldn''t stop moving. If he slowed or stumbled for even a second he would be gored and cooked from the inside on one of those viscous tusks. He didn''t even have time to take to the treetops as it would take him too long to scale one with only one arm. So he just kept running. Eventually he spotted a break in the trees up ahead. This was exactly what he had been looking for. He beelined for the tree line emerging from the forest to find himself face to face with a sheer drop of the plateaus cliff face. A sole tree hanging for dear life from the edge being the only feature besides the shear rock until the treetops below. The whistling began louder and he turned to face it as the boar burst from the treeline. Its eyes rolling and white steam billowed from its snout and the air around it blurred from the heat. Orion stood his ground until the massive beast was only a few feet from him before he fell backwards over the edge of the cliff. Both Orion and the boar began a freefall, the boar''s momentum carrying it far from the cliff face. Orion on the other hand reached out toward the cliff face and managed to catch exactly what he was aiming for, a root of the tree that was clinging to the edge of the cliff. His shoulder felt like it nearly dislocated but with a last surge of adrenaline he heaved himself upwards to sit on the root. Below he heard a thunderous thud as the boar impacted the ground, its pained cries being cut short as he heard the call of some predator echoed from below. Orion just sat his heart still beating out of his chest as he looked out over the wider expanse of the true Vivian forest. The trees stretched out to the horizon before meeting the field of stars. Orion turned his gaze from the forest before looking up toward the sky. A lone Yur flew high above him its long snake like body twisting and dancing through the air against the backdrop of stars. The nebula of the cosmos shone with purple, blue and the white pinpricks of the stars themselves. A streak of light flew across the sky before being followed by another and another, and soon the entire night sky was alight as streaks of meteors flashed in a beautiful shower of light. Orion would have normally been filled with awe and wonder but currently he was barely maintaining consciousness as he fought against the pain. His whole body ached and the sharp jabs of pain from the fractured bone in his broken arm left him groaning softly in pain. He felt his eyelids grow heavy and despite his best efforts he leaned back against the cliff face feeling himself drift into whether sleep or unconsciousness he did not know.


    An unknown amount of time later he felt a tapping on his shoulder jerking him awake. He opened his eyes and leaned forward without thinking, nearly losing his balance on the root and falling to his death. Thankfully a hand from beside him caught him and helped him to stabilize himself as his heart nearly somersaulted out his throat and off the cliff. Once his heart stopped its impromptu gymnastics routine, earning perfect tens from the judges, he turned to thank whoever had saved him from dying. What met his eyes was a figure like nothing he had ever seen. A woman was standing, no not standing, floating next to him. Her feet didn''t quite touch the root instead hovering as if weightless above it. Her hair was a stark bluish white and hung to her middle back strands of it fanning out behind her as if unaffected by gravity. Her skin was a deep purple and white dots which looked almost like stars, glinted from her ethereal body. Her eyes, oh but her eyes were the part that surprised Orion the most. Her eyes were a deep black which seemingly stretched to infinity and scattered through this deepness was the same nebula of stars and cosmic dust that hung in the night sky above them now.


    She looked down at the sitting Orion, who was staring in wonder at her, before nodding to herself. ¡°I knew I liked him and this is exactly how people should react when they see me¡± she then looked him in the eyes and addressed him directly. ¡°You¡­ I like you. Will you be mine?¡±


    Orion squirmed under the intense gaze of those dark eyes. ¡°Um¡­ I¡­¡±


    ¡°Great! I''m glad you agree!¡± she giggled happily before leaning closer looking at his eyes and broken arm. ¡°Though i''ll have to improve you a bit after the bond.¡± She placed a hand on his forehead with Orion just being confused. ¡°This may hurt a bit.¡±


    ¡°Wait what may hurt¡­ Fucking hell!!¡± He suddenly felt like he was on fire. The burning sensation flowed through his veins and across his skin, the glowing paint disintegrated as the sensation consumed him. Orion screamed writhing in pain and fell from his perch on the root plummeting toward the ground. As he fell his body began changing. First this happened when the bruising on his leg vanished and his broken arm realigned and knit itself together. The feeling of bone moving like worms under his skin was quickly forgotten as the burning sensation moved to the rest of his bone and muscles it strengthened and lengthened them, causing him to grow a total of two inches but the burning still wasn''t done. It crawled across his skin like fire ants biting in rows. He felt like he was being impaled and ran through with a burning blade as seven white dots appeared on his skin with lines connecting them, the dots glowing and twinkling with starlight. The fire moved to his scalpel where it caused all his hair to turn to ash from the roots. From its place like a forest growing from the ashes of a wildfire was black hair but with undertones of purple and streaks of alabaster white that grew out to shoulder length before the burning moved on to its final destination. His eyes. It moved through the stalks before landing on the eyeballs themselves. While the eyes themselves couldn''t feel pain they seemed to flash boil in his skull. He clawed at his eyelids trying to tear his own eyes out his skull in an attempt to remove the source of the burning sensation. But his eyelids were regenerating as fast as he could tear at them leaving a thin trail of blood as he fell closer to the treetops. Below the eyelids unknown to Orion his irises were bursting into a nebula of colors, his pupils enlarging until the whites of his eyes were no longer visible. The outer edges of his irises faded to nothing leaving his eyes pitch black with a ring like sunburst of roiling color where the color of his eyes should have been. And in the very center showed the same symbol that twinkled on his chest and back. Seven starlike pips, five formed into the shape of a rhombus with white lines connecting them with three more lines connecting the last two to the top right corner in the shape of a small triangle. With the transformation process complete the burning sensation left as quickly as it came. Leaving Orion wrecked with flashes of phantom pain as he convulsed in the air.


    ¡°Oh don''t be such a baby, you look much better now.¡± He heard the voice of the purple star lady but still didn''t open his eyes. ¡°Because you stupidly chose to jump off the cliff while you did it I had to end up saving you from splattering on the ground.¡±


    This made Orion open his eyes, he was met with a view of the stars, his new eyes seeing more than he could have imagined. He saw a wind spirit dance on a breeze above him, looking like a collection of gold and white ribbon fluttering through the air. He saw a hazy human figure man of pure energy, its arms and torso fused with the tree it peaked out of looking down at him. But the main point of Orion''s wonder wasn''t the spirits which he had heard about only described by those who could see them and stories. No. it was the collection of white lines that seemed to connect and bring order to the cosmos. The lines connected stars like they were part of a grand picture forming only basic shapes and lines. But behind those seemingly basic lines were patterns that seemed to invoke the shape of much grander imagery. And with his new eyes Orion saw them all.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah look at the sky isn''t it so pretty.¡± a beautiful face blocked his view of the newfound wonder. ¡°Shouldn''t you be thanking me for saving your life?¡± Her cheeks were blown up as she pouted, seemingly jealous of his fascination with his new night sky.


    ¡°Thank you very much. Um. Actually you never told me your name.¡± Orion decided to be polite to the... Spirit? That had just put him through unimaginable pain and currently had him floating weightlessly above the treetops.


    The woman giggled at this and started¡­ kicking her feet? ¡°Teeheehee. I''m flattered you asked before I even mentioned it. You really are such a gentleman. I chose well for my betrothed. Mt names Lyra by the way, Lyra Ast?r.¡±


    ¡°Well Lyra thank you for saving my life. I don''t know how I would have gotten off that cliff or survived that fall without-¡± He cut off his sentence and blinked a few times as his brain, which had only just stopped asking him to kill himself to save it from the pain, flipped back through what she had just said. ¡°Wait what do you mean your betrothed, when did we get engaged?¡±


    ¡°Oh I think your people call it spirit bonding or whatever¡± She flashed him a smile and tucked her hair behind her ear before saying almost meekly. ¡°So when''s the wedding?¡±


    Orion had officially given up, too much had unfolded in too little time and he simply could only think to say one thing. ¡°Wait what!?¡±

 Embers of Change

    ¡°The people of Mt. Vetrock were once renowned for their craftsmanship in pottery and metalworking. But after the rule of the first lord of Brimstone and the creation of the noble houses of Ignis¡­ Let¡¯s just say the whole lot of them ain¡¯t worth one of their pots or swords from back in the day.¡± - Rolf, Head captain of the south wind skytrader caravan


    The clay jug soared past her head, hit the wall behind her, and shattered. Clay shards flew in all directions with one cutting her cheek and honey wine splashing over the warm stone floor. Fay Yun barely blinked as she sat on her knees straight backed and proper. Her father¡¯s drunken ravings had been a constant of meals for as long as she could remember. Since her brother¡¯s death, her mother had grown more detached, and her father¡¯s outbursts more violent.


    ¡°You useless little worm!¡± Her father was beating a Cold servant who had curled into a ball cowering from his blows. ¡°You can''t even serve drinks right, what use are you?¡± Heat rose from his shoulders and arms making the air around him wavey and leaving nasty burn marks on the poor fellow. He was always worse at controlling his heating spirit when he was drunk and Fay winced as she heard the sizzle of burning flesh. Those blows had left burns on her more times than once.


    ¡°Don''t you know I should have been a chancellor?¡± The spit flying out of his mouth was evaporating before it could hit the unmoving servant. ¡°If that sickly bastard had not died on me before he could bond a spirit damn him!¡± His anger didn''t even seem to be directed at the servant anymore despite what his fists may tell you. Fay cringed internally at the mention of her brother in such an accusatory manner. Father always acted like it was her brother''s fault his constitution was weak and the acrid air poisoned. The mention of him as simply a missed possibility for the family''s promotion? That was an insult to his memory.


    She looked back to see blood beginning to pool on the stone from the back of the servant''s head. She started to call out for him to stop before catching herself. Becoming the target of his outburst wasn¡¯t worth a dying Cold servant.


    Her mother suddenly stood her silk robes fluttering as she walked slowly towards her father ¡°Come now dear stop beating that dead thing already.¡± Her father stopped and looked down at the now dead servant. A look of bewilderment flitted across his face before he turned angrily to his wife.


    ¡°So what? Am I no longer allowed to beat the Cold in my own home, woman?¡± He looked like he wanted to hit her but Fay knew he would never dare. Mother was far more powerful than Fathers meager heat spirit, and she was the only reason he had any noble status at all.


    ¡°Of course you are¡­¡± she whispered in his ear ¡°But let''s move this away from the table mhm? The smell of burning flesh has thoroughly ruined my appetite.¡± As she ushered her husband out the door past another Cold servant who was standing with a mop and looking at the blood pooling on the floor, her mother turned back to Fay. ¡°You can go girl, and be prepared for tomorrow¡± A threatening glint flashed in her mothers eyes. ¡°I can assure you failure isn''t an option for you.¡± She swept through the door robes fluttering behind her as she followed her drunk husband out of the room. Fay waited a few seconds to be sure they were gone. Before quietly sliding open the fusuma and slipping out the villa.


    Fay was often described as strikingly beautiful. Her jet-black hair cascaded to the middle of her back, framing almond-shaped eyes, their sharpness enhanced by the precise cat-eye liner crafted by one of her mother¡¯s contacts. Her skin was well tanned and her eyes were a gleaming ruby color she had gotten from her father. She strode down the smooth paved road. Passing the multistoried villas, whose innate stonework was lost in the grey and black of the igneous rock and the thick soot that covered everything. Cold slaves swept the street and scurried about like firenewts. Shuffling out of the way and bowing as she passed before retreating toward whatever menial tasks they had been assigned. Fay worked her way up the mountain. Her family''s villa was near the bottom of the mountain peak, on one of the lowest terraces that made up the stages for the grand palaces of the nobles of Ignis. As filthy and grey as they were. She finally reached the final and grandest dwelling of them all. The royal palace of the Lord of Brimstone was carved directly into the side of the Volcano. flowing lava streams that had been redirected to flow around the palace in a mote and unlike the surrounding hovels the stone of the palace was kept clean of ash. From the sinister black metal gates to the spiraling towers it was kept clean by a team of specially trained bonded servants. Fay ignored the magnificent structure and instead walked around the outside edge of the lava river, eyes watering a bit from the smell of sulphur that burned at her nostrils. She approached her destination, a large boulder that sat next to the river.


    <i>Now where could he be?  </i>She wondered as she got closer to the stone. <i>This should be where we agreed to meet. Could he be late? </i>As she neared the large rock a telltale sound came from behind it


    ¡°Hehehehe¡­¡± The sound of boyish giggling was coming from the decidedly un-boyish rock. ¡°Can you take nothing serious Chen?¡± She sighed as she perched herself atop the boulder. ¡°You of all people should know the seriousness of tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Oh come on Fay.¡± A red haired head poked from behind where she was sitting and looked up at her disapprovingly. ¡°You could at least have humored me for a second.¡± He climbed up to sit next to her, both of them staring silently at the bubbling lava, the dull glow illuminating their faces against the growing twilight.  ¡°You aren''t really going to go through with it¡­ right?¡± He turned his head to look at her, his orange eyes seeming to plead with her, making her feel like she was telling off a young child. ¡°Really think about it for a second, are you really gonna leave everything you''ve ever known behind?¡±


    ¡°In a heartbeat.¡± She said with what she hoped sounded like resolution. ¡°I''ve been thinking about this for years.¡±


    ¡°But to leave the mountain? To up and run away? That seems drastic don''t you think?¡±


    This made Fay hesitate while there was no love lost between her and her parents; they were still her parents. And she had never even seen what the world was like away from the lip of the caldera. But the longer she thought about it the more confident she became in her answer. What did she have to stay for? To become a piece in her parents'' game of ascension? To be discarded if she was found useless and forgotten like her brother? No, she was sure she was meant for much greater things.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not drastic. It¡¯s the only choice that makes sense.¡± She locked eyes with Chen, holding his gaze as long as she could¡ªuntil the doubt started to creep in. She turned away first, sweeping her hand toward the sprawling terraces of soot-streaked mansions and the hovels of the Cold people below.


    ¡°Look at it, Chen,¡± she murmured. ¡°This place isn¡¯t a home. It¡¯s a grave with the heat still trapped inside. I know it¡± She then pointed an accusatory finger at Chen. ¡°And you know it too, Mr third prince. This place isn''t worth trying to fix.¡±


    Chen''s eye took on a hard quality at that and his tone was no longer as friendly. ¡°While I agree with the sentiment. I have a duty to this smoldering pit and I''m going to do it by the spirits.¡± His tone was resolute and the set of his jaw brokered no argument.


    ¡°Even if I can''t do anything I at least have to try. If not for them.¡± He pointed at the villas and the royal palace. ¡°Then for them.¡± He gestured toward the slums of Colds before crossing his arms with a huff. Fay looked down at him pouting and sat down next to him bringing her knees to her chest.


    As she sat, Chen''s words awoke a memory hidden in the recess of her mind. Suddenly, she was a little girl again, clinging to her brother¡¯s hand, his fingers like brittle twigs between hers.


    <i>¡°Don¡¯t cry, Fairy. I¡¯m fine.¡±</i>


    His voice had been so steady back then¡ªso sure. And she had believed him. But now, years later, she could see what she had been too young to recognize: the way his breath rattled with every word, the way his veins had turned dark beneath his pale skin.


    <i>¡°I wish we could escape¡­¡±</i>


    <i>A fit of coughing.</i>


    <i>The way he clung to her hand.</i>


    <i>The way he smiled anyway.</i>


    <i>¡°But those with purpose don¡¯t get to be free.¡±</i>


    <i>Another fit of coughing this time with a splatter of blood</i>


    <i>¡°Especially if their purpose is to improve the lives of others.¡±</i>


    The memory slipped away almost as quickly as it had come, leaving behind the weight of his words like a chain wrapped around her chest. Fay exhaled and met Chen¡¯s gaze.


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    ¡°I don''t really get why you would stay just for the Cold ones.¡± She tilted her head back and looked at the sky, the stars blotted out by the heaving smoke and ash from the caldera. ¡°But if you''re going to stay and help I guess it''s up to me to make it bearable huh?¡± She tilted her head toward him grinning. Chen smiled back the tension that had built between them during their conversation melted away as if it never was, leaving them sitting there enjoying eachothers company.


    The day after was Radan, a day when the hours of morning and dusk were in perfect balance. Old legends spoke of how the first spirits were bonded on Radan. And the people of Mt Vetrock believed that you were more likely to bond with powerful spirits if it was done on this day. A small group of young nobles stood on the edge of the caldera. The air shimmered with heat and they would have choked on the smoke were it not for the thick scarves that they wore. There was little pomp or ceremony as that was for those who returned bonded. A feast would be thrown in the royal palace for all the families with newly spirited members. Their group numbered only five with the guard who had escorted them to this point saluting before returning down to the city riding his bonded spirit down the side of the mountain. The other three nobles spoke not a word to either Chen nor Fay as they split off in separate directions dodging pools of lava and sulphur. Leaving Chen and Fay alone on the edge.


    ¡°Well shall we?¡± While she couldn''t see his face Fay could hear the smile in his voice and his eyes shone over the scarf.<i> How can he be so unbothered? </i>She wandered behind Chen who was practically skipping through the acrid air. He seemed to be taking a straight shot right to the middle, directly to the mouth of the volcano.


    ¡°Are you sure we should go directly to the center?¡± It was generally standard practice to spiral your way toward the center. Mainly to scout for animal spirits that lived in vents and caves. But also as the heat at the heart of the caldera rose it became unbearable for long periods of time. You would start to get third degree burns simply from staying next to the mouth too long.


    ¡°Well that''s where the strongest spirits are right?¡± He called to her over his shoulder. His voice was muffled by the scarf. ¡°Unless we are lucky and a flare happens I doubt we will find anything outside the very center.¡± He turned walking backwards to meet her eyes. ¡°After all you have high standards in the company you keep no? I''m certainly proof of your good taste.¡± While his self image seemed a bit inflated¡­ he was right. Neither of them could afford an average spirit bonding with them. The caldera itself was about thirty five miles across and their progress was slow as they had to avoid pools of acid, streams of lava and vents that belted plumes of acrid smog that would burn away their skin something terrible. They were walking around the edge of a pool of water, the water a sickly yellow and the temperature well past boiling, when the ground began to rise and heave beneath their feet. Chen and Fay dived clear as to not be thrown into the sulphuric hot spring. What emerged from the ground resembled a large patch of igneous rock that had grown six legs and four sets of nasty pincers. Rock crabs were ambush predators and this one had successfully surprised its prey. Unfortunately for it, its current quarry was not as helpless as the usual prey that fell for its surprise attack.


    Fay unsheathed her saber, pulling it free from the silk sash around her waist. While Chen unwound the chain of his meteor hammer that had been wrapped around his shoulders and began to swing it in slow circles.


    Chen was the one who made the first move. Launching the six pound ball of steel directly into the head of the crab. Its carapace gave way with a crunch as the hammer impacted between its eye stalks. Chen brought the chain taunt, the hammer snapping back toward him. Using the hammer''s momentum and the chain swinging around his waist it made a large arcing circle around him. His second blow landed before it could recover, hitting its rock shell with booming force, staggering the beast and leaving hairline fractures spreading from the point of impact.


    Fay saw her opening and took the opportunity to close distance. The crab raised its smaller claw in front of its face fearing another crushing hit from the hammer. While simultaneously snapping out at Fay with its larger foreclaws, seeking to bisect the girl. Fay smoothing flipped over its attack hair and loose garments fluttering in the air. Her saber struck down in a flash of cold steel and hit directly on target. The masterfully made blade cut through the joint where the carapace met like hot knife through butter, severing the claw that was formerly attached to the end of it. Fay landed lightly in front of the crab as it shrieked in pain. Dark blood leaking from its crushed face and severed claw. It withdrew into its shell until only its eyes peered out of the stony exterior from the gaping hole left by its missing front claw. Fay turned and strode back to Chen as the thing was no longer a threat and a rumbling behind her signalled the stone crabs rapid burrowing. Looking back at where it had been was nothing but a patch of stone indistinguishable from the surrounding rock.


    ¡°Damn you didn''t need to bully the poor thing you know?¡± Chen was wrapping the chain of his hammer around his shoulder and wiping the dark blood from the blunt instrument. ¡°It was already gonna run after I hit it. Judging by its size it was just an adolescent. Did you really have to cut one of its claws off?¡±


    She didn''t really like the lecturing tone he had said it with and brushed past him to continue walking toward the heart of the caldera.


    ¡°I was going to compliment you on how cool you looked fighting it.¡± She smiled at him sadistically. ¡°But in light of my barbaric action i''ve decided i need some self reflection instead.¡±


    ¡°Aw come on dont be like that¡­¡± He went from admonishing to crestfallen in the blink of an eye. ¡°Just tell me I looked cool¡­ I did, right?¡± He followed behind her now begging for her to acknowledge his coolness as she ignored him. Filling her with feelings of righteous vindication, as one does when conquering the enemy.


    They approached the heart of the caldera as the sun set. The soft glow of the half hardened lava and the flashes of flame from the ground provide them with illumination. Before them sat the heart of Mt Vetrock itself. She could feel her skin turning red from the heat even beneath the protective clothing they wore. Chen spoke to her as they both looked down into the bubbling maw of the volcano.


    ¡°Hey Fay? You remember what people believe attracts fire spirits right?¡± She was about to answer but a geyser of lava erupted from the mouth. They had to back up as the lava splashed onto the stone they had been standing on. Fay shivered slightly as she watched the fresh lava melt effortlessly through the warm stone where they had been.


    ¡°It¡¯s a flight of passion right?¡± She tilted her head at him wondering why he was asking about such. ¡°Fire spirits love watching someone fall to their inner emotions.¡±


    ¡°Well, how powerful of a spirit would take notice if you jumped into the mouth of the volcano?¡± Before she could even respond to such an inane thought Chen was already sprinting toward the edge. Her legs began carrying her forward before she could think. She reached for his back trying to grab him as he ran whooping and hollering toward the hole in front of them. She failed to reach him as he launched himself over the edge.


    ¡°Woooooooooooooooo¡­.¡± She heard his whoops fade to nothing after he disappeared over the edge. Tears streamed down her face as she kneeled at the edge where he had disappeared over the side. Looking over she could see anything but the bubbling orange with no sign of Chen anywhere. She didn''t know what she expected to see¡­ what she wanted to see. Did she want to see him emerge from the magma, smiling and victorious? Did she want to see his melting skeleton on the surface of the lava, providing at least some closure? She knew either of those were unrealistic and as her tears sizzled on the rock below her she felt an emotion welling up in her heart. Rage. How could he do this to her? Throw himself to his death without a second thought. Leaving behind all the responsibility that he had convinced her of last night. Leaving her behind! She stood her tears drying from the heat and looked down at the softly bubbling molten rock below.


    ¡°Fuck responsibility.¡± She took a half step forward, her toes at the lip of certain death. ¡°Fuck my parents.¡± She took a step out into the open air, tears welling once again at the corners of her eyes but evaporating before they had a chance to fall. ¡°And Fuck you Cheeeeeeennnnnnn.¡± She fell into the open air plummeting like a stone to the hot death that awaited her. She closed her eyes and prepared herself for the inevitable flash of heat and then nothingness.


    But instead she felt herself rising? She opened her eyes to see the maw of Mt Vetrock retreating beneath her as she was dragged into the air. She tried to scream but the air was dragged out of her lungs as she was tossed through the air. Whipping around in circles she was unable to see the lava in the mouth of the volcano roil and thrash before erupting into motion dragged into the air by the hurricane force winds. The small droplets of magma impacted each other in the air, sparking and igniting until the whole tornado seemed alight with flames. Fay was unable to see anything past the flashing of sparks and the bright flames that surrounded her. But strangely she felt cool in the burning vortex that surrounded her. Before she knew it she was experiencing a moment of stillness. She was in the eye of the now one and a half mile wide tornado that tore at the sky above the caldera. Ash and flames were drawn into the sky swirling in a beautiful dance as they ascended toward the sky.


    Fay didn''t know any of this however as she was now withdrawn into a small corner of her mind. There she felt a small presence, it knocked softly on the door of her mind as if asking politely if it can be let in. She decided to let it in and opened her eyes. She could now see that before her floated a small marble. The spirit of this vortex inferno. It seemed so small, so timid as it bobbed softly in her direction. She reached out to it and was pleasantly surprised to find it cold to the touch. It pulsed softly and she felt a wave of cold move from her fingertips across her entire body. Her skin tingled as it passed and turned an ashen gray in its wake. Other than the change to her skin she felt no change as she stared in wonder at the pulsing spirit that floated in front of her. An outside observer thought would notice that her already red eyes now glowed and flickered with captured flames. The tornado''s spirit floated above her palm and as she closed her fist around it she felt the winds begin to die down around her.


    She lowered softly to the ground landing at the ledge of the volcano''s mouth once again. She stared down at the lava expectantly. Suspecting what should not have been possible. And exactly according to her expectations. A hand burst through the surface of the magma, glowing veins forming a lattice across it, as if the same magma it emerged from pumped through it. It proceeded to flash a thumbs up and Fay legs finally gave way underneath her. She was laughing and crying as she rolled to her back and looked up at the sky. The sky had been cleared momentarily leaving a perfect view of the stars above. High above streaking across the sky was a beautiful rain of meteors. Trails of multicolored light seemed like a sign. That maybe¡­ just maybe¡­ everything would be alright.