《The Divine Majika》


 Chapter 1: In Principio [Part 1]

    <u>Maleki:</u>


    ¡°Miko, wake up,¡± I said aloud. The words didn¡¯t even cause him to stir.


    I spoke louder, with more emphasis on each word. Still, no response.


    ¡°All right, you don¡¯t leave me with any choice. I¡¯ll have to use Father¡¯s special move on you.¡± I said as I brought my outstretched thumb high above my head.


    This was a regular routine for us at this point; at least on some days, he was better than others. Sometimes, I have to slap him around a little, punch him on the arm, or even flick his nose, but this move does the trick when all else fails. This was Father¡¯s self-titled ¡°special move¡± that could supposedly conquer any beast. It works well on sleeping ones, especially, I¡¯ve discovered.


    I brought my hand down swiftly and dug it into his side, trying my hardest to tickle him awake. This wasn¡¯t any ordinary tickle like Grandmother does with her fingertips to chastise us; this is a painful tickle; it makes you writhe in a laughing fit.


    ¡°Ahhh!¡± He yelled in a shifting panic. ¡°I¡¯m awake. I was already awake, you jerk!¡±


    ¡°Should¡¯ve gotten up then. I did give you several warnings.¡±


    ¡°I hate when you wake me up. Grandmother is much nicer.¡± He said in a whiny tone as he smushed his eyes together several times to adjust to the light.


    ¡°Well, Grandmother is busy with the yield from yesterday¡¯s pickings, and you¡¯re supposed to help her before we go to the healer¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, what¡¯s the point.¡± He said dramatically while sliding his legs out to the side awkwardly to position himself upright. ¡°I hate going there; his puns are terrible, and his healing is even less effective.¡±


    ¡°Hey, show some respect! He does these appointments for free because of Grandfather!¡±


    ¡°You know why they¡¯re free?¡± He asked me while starting to stand. ¡°Because¡­they suck eggs.¡±


    I pushed him lightly back onto his bed. Not because his comment offended me, just because it¡¯s funny to watch him get back up.


    He shifted his shoulders and positioned his weight with a quick maneuver so that his feet could touch the ground and he could stand again.


    ¡°I hate when my legs work.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s surprising. I figured you would love it since you can escape from your chores.¡± I said slyly as I put my gloves and boots on.


    ¡°No, you moron. I do my chores faster than you do, even without my arms. I hate it ¡®cause I have to walk everywhere ¡ª having you cart me around is far more enjoyable.¡±


    I tussled his dark brown, unkempt hair with my gloved hand. ¡°Of course you do. Since I have to carry you around everywhere, today you¡¯re going to carry the pack.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± He grumbled.


    Miko found his way to our Grandmother, and I headed out to the fields to pull in as much crop before we left. I grabbed the field scythe and looked up to the sun to judge how much time I had. A field of bristly orange stalks rose above my head and extended a few hundred feet. Only part of it was ready to bring in since we planted in cycles so that the growth matched our demand. The excess we did grow went to the livestock or the shelves for long-term storage. Even if we had a bad harvest, it wouldn¡¯t affect us too much since we only grew food to eat and not to sell.


    Grandfather used to cut the fields with me, but his age has slowed him, so he spends most of his free time in the workshop tinkering with small metals. He was never much good at this anyway, so he willfully gave this chore to me ¡ª a little too excitedly, now that I think about it. Our father used to help with this kind of work, but I have taken it up since he and Mother left. It¡¯s almost like I was raised for this work. I had spent so much time with this tool that it felt like an extension of myself. I knew exactly how it would bend to my swing and the precise angle to cut the stalk without scraping the ground. The blade of my scythe glides gently across the lowest part of the stem in a swift cutting motion. The work is hard and tiring, but years and years of constantly swinging this thing has levitated the tension from the work. At this point, it¡¯s pretty satisfying. The work clears my head, and I can always look at my progress after and feel accomplished.


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    After two hours of work, I let the last swing of the scythe carry over to my opposite shoulder in an exaggerated motion. I held myself upright against the shaft of the scythe and felt the sweat in my palms that held the bottom grip of the wooden shaft. I looked down at my body, with arms and legs that were swollen from the constant burst of effort. This really was hard work; the movement of the swing and the balance it takes to keep the cuts clean forces you to use every muscle in your body over and over. Throughout the years of doing this, I started to see the gradual change it had on my appearance and the shape of my body. I was a good foot taller than Miko, which I constantly reminded him of, of course, but my hair made me look slightly taller than I actually was. Grandfather doesn¡¯t let it touch my neck or go below my forehead because he doesn¡¯t want it to affect my work, which makes sense for the forehead part but not the neck part. I asked him about it once, but he told me, ¡°Only heathens wear their hair that long.¡± My forehead is one long cowlick, so my hair stands tall like a wave, but Miko didn¡¯t get that unlucky trait, so he gets to wear his hair on his forehead. It¡¯s not fair on both counts, but Grandmother Kecila protects him from Grandfather¡¯s teasing since he spends all his time with her.


    I looked up to the sky and inhaled a long breath. Far away into the distance, a long wall of gloomy gray clouds extended as far as the eye could see. Lucky for us, the storms aren¡¯t as brutal out here, but these plains are ideal for funnels, so I try to keep an eye out for anything odd before Miko and I set out.


    I found Miko next to Grandmother Kecila in the food shed and placed the loops of the pack over his shoulder before reaching around him to loop the tie over the button.


    ¡°Already!¡± He sighed.


    ¡°Come on, loser. This time might be the one!¡± I said with a smile as I hugged Grandmother. ¡°We¡¯ll be back before first dark. However, Miko has to walk, so it might go slower, especially if he doesn¡¯t hurry up.¡± I prodded loudly without looking at him directly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just get this over with.¡± He muttered reluctantly.


    Grandmother smiled sweetly at us before softly patting Miko on the head and pushing his hair to the side with a palm to the back of his head as he walked away. ¡°Good luck, boys. Say hello to the good doctor for me.¡± Her voice was a loud whisper, but she spoke only with love.


    ¡°Good doctor.¡± Miko mocked as we descended the dirt path to the woods. ¡°He¡¯s a fraud.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to get better?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, which is why I think spending our time here is useless.¡±


    ¡°Well, this is something.¡± I voiced optimistically. ¡°He¡¯s at least trying things. Maybe he has some new concoctions from the items the parents sent a while ago.¡±


    ¡°Doubt it.¡± He said glumly while looking up to the sky.


    I let him drop the conversation. Our difficult conversations tend to escalate to arguments, and our arguments quickly turn to hands being thrown. Fortunately for me, there¡¯s never much of a fight to be had, though it is pretty fun to watch him crawl over to me so he can punch me in the shins or, depending on the day, watch him run after me to try and get a headbutt in. He doesn¡¯t quit, even with that stupid sickness of his.


    It started when he was four. One morning, he was difficult to wake, and when he finally did get up, his fingers in his left hand wouldn¡¯t move at all. The next day, it was his right hand, and for a couple of months, it continued on a normal schedule. We thought it was some odd sickness that would disappear after a little while. Our parents told us not to worry and that it was just taking a little longer to heal, and we believed them. We carried on playing mostly like normal, but even losing just one hand had messed with his muscle memory. We thought it to be like a cough that lingered for too long, but that idea ended along with our parent¡¯s optimism when he lost access to one of his legs.


    He¡¯s ten now, and the disease has progressed much further. We tried everything to make him get better. Different healers visited us. We tried a hundred other medicines and homemade remedies, but eventually, we exhausted all of our options. Our parents left to find a cure, but they¡¯ve never been back since. Occasionally, they¡¯ll send us items to give to the healer so he can make different medicines, but Miko is right that they have all been ineffective.


    I think he¡¯s starting to give up on getting better. Or maybe he already has. I looked over at him as we walked together and saw that he was lost in thought. The colour and curl of his hair reminded me of our fathers ¡ª a deep dark brown with roots of black. I guess I take more after our mother since my hair is more silky and lighter brown. It always felt like the opposite when they were here, though. I spent time with my father, and our mother babied Miko.

 Chapter 1: In Principio [Part 2]

    <u>Maleki:</u>


    The doctor, an older man named William Sekund, lived a two-hour walk away in a small home that was still a few hours away from a small village. We had never been farther than his hut, but that¡¯s how it is in the outer quadrants, apparently. Everything is free and open here, and we never see anyone other than the healer. We¡¯ve never even seen anyone in passing. The only people that ever visited were when Miko first started getting sick, but we weren¡¯t allowed to talk to them. I just want him to get better, to be normal again. Hopefully, Dr. Sekund can brew something with all the items he has collected from our parents.


    The walks there are always uneventful, but the forest is beautiful, at least. We¡¯ve made this path so many times now over the years that the grass has diverted around our path; our previous trips echoed into the ground. Every two weeks for multiple years, we have come to see the great doctor, and every day I¡¯ve spent in trepidation of the next. Fearing that Miko might give up and the sickness will take over. We just have to keep holding on until we can find a way to make him better.


    We reached the bottom of the hill where the doctor lived and worked. His house had an angled roof that was created by a thick green moss that sat on barely visible dark brown beams of wood. The doctor, whose first name was William based on the way our grandfather spoke of him, sat in an oversized chair in front of his house and wielded a cinder orange cigar in the fingers of his right hand. The man had grayish blond hair that ran thin like strands of wheat stalk in a field and parted from the middle of his balding head. His appearance was younger than our grandfather¡¯s, but he also had a ruggedness that made him look just as old.


    As we neared closer to the man, he placed the cigar in a glass tube, which clearly did not appear to be the intentional use of the device, and approached us with a booming voice that never quite matched the level of the environment he was in. ¡°My favourite patients, the Mortica boys!¡± His arms were held out wide as he stood in his loose brown koht with long sleeves that looked a little too big, even for a man of his size.


    ¡°We¡¯re your only patients, you geezer,¡± Miko muttered under his breath before passing under the man¡¯s embrace.


    ¡°Sorry we¡¯re late, Dr. Sekund,¡± I said with a forced smile.


    Miko slouched on the open doorway of the house and stared at me with an expression that screamed, ¡®Faker!¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem. I look forward to these visits these days. They¡¯re about the only times I see people unless I go to a village for supplies.¡± The doctor spoke loudly and almost always ended with a laugh, even if the statement wasn¡¯t very funny.


    Miko stepped further into the house and out of the way as the wideset man stepped into his home and gestured for us to sit at his table. My brother sat himself into a chair that I lightly pushed forward before taking the seat next to him.


    ¡°Would you like any tea? It¡¯s my special blend that helps even these old bones feel good for a little while.¡± The doctor asked aloud to us both.


    ¡°Will it cure me? If not, then I¡¯ll pass.¡± Miko said in a monotone voice with his chin dug into the wooden table, his arms tight at his side from the pack¡¯s straps, which helped to prevent his arms from dangling and getting in his way.


    After accepting the offer, I made a face at Miko to show my disapproval, but his eyes passed over me without care as they wandered around the room, inspecting the equipment and items the doctor had stored on the shelves. All of the doctor¡¯s tables and shelves had charred spots that formed circles from vials overflowing during the mixing progress, and a myriad of different smells and colours emanated from the areas where potions once sat.


    Dr. Sekund placed a steaming cup of tea in front of me, and Miko visibly strained his teeth back and forth in a grinding motion.


    ¡°I did tell you, you gotta smile more if you want to get healthy, but that can¡¯t be good for your teeth!¡±The older man said as he sat back into one of the chairs, which he seemed to leak into unfavorably.


    He lurched forward out of his chair. ¡°You boys know why they call these Gatcha leaves?¡± He paused, realizing we had no intention of answering, ¡°The little critters that guard these trees ¡ª if they catch you picking the leaves or fruit, they yell ¡®Gotcha.¡¯¡± He reached his hand out in front of Miko¡¯s face in a grabbing motion and let out a deep-hearted, bellowing laugh. ¡°You boys sure aren¡¯t in a good mood today. What¡¯s gotten into you?¡± The old doctor spoke.


    ¡°Miko¡¯s not getting better, sir; this isn¡¯t working. Gatcha leaves, Fyrem Rocks, Nectar Baths, it all ends in the same result. Miko is worse off than when we started. I¡¯m trying to be hopeful, but it feels like time is not on our side here¡­.¡±


    After a moment, the healer looked down at the ground and back up at us. The face of the old jester that spoke was gone, and in its place was one filled with sadness. ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying, what you¡¯re feeling too. My wife was spurned with sickness as well. It was not the same as Miko; it took her slowly, and my potions only reduced the effects of the dreariness and made life more manageable. I hoped they would eventually have some effect on you as well. Alas, this old geezer has run out of options; that bit is true.¡±


    I looked at Miko with his arms hanging at his side and his chin buried into the wooden desk. He was looking around the room at old artifacts and hung up creature bones on the walls.


    His statement was sincere, and I certainly didn¡¯t blame him directly for Miko¡¯s condition worsening, ¡°I know you are doing everything you can, and we appreciate what you have attempted so far, but you have to know of something, somebody, or somewhere that can take us further than this.¡±


    The man thought for a moment as he paced back and forth, likely racking his brain to pull an old memory or a new idea. He then walked over to a drawer, pulled out a single brown parchment, and unrolled it about as wide as his chest. He looked it over with his arms up high, and the light hit it just right so that it was more easily visible.


    He walked over and sat down in front of Miko. ¡°There might be a place that can help.¡±


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    I started to interrupt, but he stopped me. ¡°However, I need to assess Miko once more. That will decide if I pass this along to you.¡±


    There was no protesting from Miko, so I nodded my head, and Dr. Sekund asked Miko to stand up so he could begin his assessment.


    The old healer grabbed his left and right arms near the elbow and asked, ¡°Do you feel pressure on your arms?¡±


    Miko nodded, so the doctor moved his hands to a different position and applied pressure in one spot.


    ¡°Now, which one?¡± Dr. Sekund asked.


    He pointed with his neck to his right arm.


    The old doctor mumbled in frustration, ¡°Agh! It would make some sense if you lost just mobility, but to have feeling in your limbs still? Stupid curse.¡± He brought his fingers to his temples as he continued to speak aloud. ¡°To be cursed to touch but not to move, there is no greater fear of mine, indeed. I¡¯ll give you the parchment.¡± His eyes locked with mine, and he handed it over to me.


    I looked the paper over, ¡°Is it a map?¡±


    The old man nodded, ¡°Of sorts.¡±


    ¡°A map to where?¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes lit up like fire as if he was looking through me. ¡°To a myth. I know not what fruit it bears, only that the journey is treacherous and long. I found the map while searching for a cure, but my wife wanted to pass in peace, not spend the rest of her life sleeping in the woods, moving through cold nights and steep hills. She¡¯d had sooner succumb to the sickness than travel away from our home.¡±


    ¡°Why? Why give this to us now?¡±


    He turned his back, walked over to one of his shelves, and rearranged a few potions in tubes. ¡°I found out not long ago, but the map is to be a ticket of some sort. I was experimenting one night with a concoction that was supposed to emit a healing smoke. I was cleaning up the room and saw something new on the back.¡± He turned back around to us after saying this and handed me a glass tube with a cork on the top. ¡°Break the seal,¡± he said.


    I pulled the top off the tube, and the air reacted with the mixture inside. Smoke leaked out, and I held it underneath the blank side of the page. The smoke pulled out around the edges of the paper and rose to the top of the high wooden ceiling. I put the paper out in front of me with my arms stretched far enough so that Miko could read it as well.


    Runes began appearing individually, but I couldn¡¯t read them. Instead, I started to hear the words that they represented through an unfamiliar voice. I turned my head to both sides to check where it was coming from, but there was no direction, almost as if it was inside my head.


    ¡®Often, I am found in the town between the kings and sound. Listen for the hum and carry with a krown. Judgment of earthen mound and fiery crust around. To the garden, we are bound, with fruit of cursed ground. Cure the pain abound, a cost worse than death profound.¡¯


    The runes faded as quickly as they appeared, and we were left with silence.


    The older man interjected into our quiet. ¡°I didn¡¯t understand it, but maybe it needs a younger set of eyes and ears.¡±


    I looked over at Miko, and his eyes were shut. He was likely attempting to process everything, much like I was. My memory was hazy at best, and I could barely remember how it went even after just hearing it, but he was repeating the words over and over, imprinting them into memory.


    Miko¡¯s eyes popped open after a moment and immediately jolted to me in excitement. ¡°I¡¯ve got it. Most of the riddle pertains to the destination after we find the ticket holder, so we only have to focus on the first two lines.¡± From what I could remember, he was right. There was a reference to a garden, so maybe that¡¯s where Miko can be healed. We¡¯ll need a guide to get there, though, as there was no mention of how to get there or where the garden is.


    ¡°The first line referenced ¡®kings and sound,¡¯ right?¡± I asked while attempting to analyze what I had heard. My brother nodded to affirm me, but I thought about it further before making sure I had heard the voice in my head right. ¡°So, the guide should be between a place where kings are and where a significant sound can be heard?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not confident that ¡®kings¡¯ is meant as directly as it is said.¡± My brother responded decidedly. ¡°It was said in a plural tense, which doesn¡¯t sit right with me. It¡¯s a riddle, so it¡¯s meant to redirect us and make us think one thing when it intends another.¡±


    He was right. He usually is, unfortunately. ¡°So, what else could it mean? This map looks pretty old.¡±


    Miko responded quickly, ¡°The riddle would have to make sense in the time period it was made in. The only thing that lines up based on that is Quavoris.¡±


    Quavoris isn¡¯t far compared to the capital, but it¡¯s a two-day journey at the least, presuming we can travel at full speed. ¡°Why Quavoris?¡± I asked aloud.


    The map showed our whole kingdom and more, but Miko was mainly focused on the bottom right side of the paper as he began speaking. ¡°Near Quavoris is an area called Brigan Sound. It¡¯s on the map, so it¡¯s not too much of a stretch. The stretch is the ¡®kings¡¯ part¡­.¡±


    I eyed him with a straight face as if annoyed. ¡°Out with it!¡±


    ¡°Well, the only thing I can think of are the King Deer. I read about them in one of Grandpa¡¯s books, and they tend to roam near the deeper woods of Quavoris. So, it¡¯s either literal, and it means between the capital Korvast and Brigan Sound, or it means between Brigan Sound and Quavoris. One of those is a much smaller distance to cover.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s decided. We¡¯ll head to Quavoris.¡± I nodded assuredly and smiled at Miko and the older man.


    Dr. Sekund¡¯s face had returned somewhat to the healer we were used to. ¡°You boys seem to have a plan ¡ª which is good ¡ª but know that this journey will not be easy. Finding the ticket¡¯s holder is already a journey some may not be able to solve, but surely what comes after will not be any easier.¡±


    He paused for a second, and I could almost see a tear well up. ¡°I care for you boys. Your grandfather looked after me when this kingdom was much different than it is now. I¡¯m sorry for not saying anything sooner, but I didn¡¯t want you wasting time on what could well be a dead end.¡±


    My eyes met Miko¡¯s, and we both got up to hug the man. ¡°We appreciate everything you¡¯ve done for us, but we have to try this,¡± I said assuredly.


    Even Miko let out a reluctant ¡°thank you.¡±


    The doctor embraced our hug and pulled us in tight.


    We headed for the door, and I tied Miko¡¯s bag to his back before departing.


    ¡°Take these extra potions just in case, gentlemen!¡±


    I stuffed them in Miko¡¯s bag. ¡°Here you go, pack mule!¡±


    We turned to give Dr. Sekund a wave goodbye. Well, I turned to wave goodbye. Miko just turned, but the effort was there.


    ¡°See you soon, boys!¡± He said with a wide smile.


    ¡°See you soon,¡± we both returned.


    I said that, but I knew ¡ª I think Miko and I both knew we wouldn¡¯t return anytime soon.

 Chapter 2: Gratus Vales [Part 1]

    <u>Miko:</u>


    I had given up on getting better. A version of my life where my body operated the same as my brother¡¯s, as a normal person should, had been eviscerated for a couple of years. Hope is dangerous; even a sliver of it can destroy a person, but today, today it feels different. Something in this map and in those formless words is calling me. They feel peculiar. Everything we have tried has had different levels of reason or logic in how it could affect me positively, but this isn¡¯t logical; it involves things that defy natural reason. There¡¯s an unknown variable that makes it hard to predict and understand, which simultaneously scares me and excites me at the same time.


    Even still, it¡¯s hard to determine if how I feel is for Maleki, or for me. Of course, I want to get better, but I only want to do so because Maleki serves as a constant reminder of what I am capable of. I¡¯ve started to be comfortable with my limitations. I don¡¯t think I could keep up with my older brother even if my limbs worked right; I mean, He¡¯s been taller than me at every age. How am I supposed to even try to keep up? I hate being weak, but what I hate more is keeping Maleki restricted. He shouldn¡¯t have to chase these dead ends with me; I¡¯m just holding him back.


    But my stupid brother won¡¯t give up, won¡¯t let me give up, that is. He always has to be the older brother, and he says it¡¯s his ¡°duty,¡± as if he owes me. I can¡¯t understand it. I don¡¯t deserve this, but I also don¡¯t not deserve this. Life is random; someone has to draw the short straws, and I know someone somewhere has it worse off than me.


    I have a place to sleep, food, and family. I have this damned illness, but I don¡¯t need for much, nor want for that matter. Everything I¡¯ve wanted has been given to me, minus the use of my limbs occasionally. I can still move, and some days are worse than others, but it¡¯s usually one or the other. That¡¯s what Maleki, the incredulous optimist, wants me to focus on ¡ª just the positives.


    We didn¡¯t talk much on the way back to the house. Maleki is always on high alert when we walk through the woods like this, but I didn¡¯t need to hear his thoughts to know their contents. He was thinking about everything to come, preparing himself mentally so he could have the upper hand. His brain was probably calculating every intersection of the upcoming conversation with our grandparents and how he would explain why a twelve-year-old and ten-year-old need to venture off into the world. He does this often, just drifting off into space with his thoughts as if no one is around him. I used to think he wasn¡¯t aware in that state of thought, but any movement in the trees or in front of him will catch his eyes. I think our father is largely responsible for embedding that alertness in him, but I guess it doesn¡¯t hurt to have a healthy sense of paranoia.


    First dark started to consume the green-orange sky as we approached the house. Our grandparents were likely taking their nap, so Maleki and I would need to wait until after dinner, which would be a couple of hours after second light. Despite my desire to sleep as long as possible, I¡¯ve never been able to sleep during the five-hour span between first dark and second light. I prefer to spend the time alone in Grandpa¡¯s study, where his mounds of books sit collecting dust. I don¡¯t usually have a goal in mind when looking for something to read; I just grab the first interesting thing that I can find. Today, however, is different. Unlike Maleki, I don¡¯t want to imagine what comes next. I want to see it ¡ª and luckily for me, I remember seeing a map of Quavoris in one of these old books that might be able to help us understand what we are getting into.


    Flipping through books is quite frustrating when you have fingers that are about as useful as gluing sausage links to yourself, but years of practice and the determination not to be reliant on others have forced me to find new ways to operate things on my own. In this case, I¡¯ve actually become proficient in using my toes and feet to flip the pages and open the spine. Of course, it feels about as stupid as it looks, but it¡¯s better than bothering Maleki to open every page for me. Thankfully, the parchment paper on most of these books is super thick, making it easier to manipulate, though it would be much easier to do if my toes had joints like my fingers. Why couldn¡¯t I have been born with some kind of weird but useful illness like that ¡ª instead, I¡¯m stuck with this stupid one.


    The piles of books were large and covered an extensive amount of topics and fields of interest, but a majority of them had to do with the family trade, such as ¡®Arms and Armours¡¯ and ¡®Metallic Craftsmanship.¡¯ Most of these were pretty in-depth and useless since we weren¡¯t interested in smithing like Grandpa. Some books talked about weather patterns, kingdoms, and livestock. I had read most of them already, but I was sure I had read a few that mentioned Quavoris specifically.


    The bookshelves beside the piles were crudely sorted, so I had to pick through them until I found the correct title. After searching for a few minutes, I found a few interesting diagrams before getting to what I was looking for. One chart was in a book about weather, showing the torrential patterns that bombarded the coasts, and theorized that the Astral Ring above our world might affect it. Another book had a map of the claimed land and showed the six kingdoms and their territories. After this, I found what I was looking for ¡ª Quavoris in all its glory. Quavoris isn¡¯t the most minor kingdom, but its land is the most significant economic factor. The book showed trade routes in and out of the kingdom, but we were looking for the path that intersected with the inner territory.


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    Grandpa was a landholder in the outer zone of the innermost kingdom, presumably gained from his efforts during the war. Maleki and I like to theorize if this was the case or what he did, but it¡¯s not uncommon around here. According to our parents, most of the families around us had relatives or parents who retired from service to the king and his armies.


    The trade route closest to us that would take us right to Quavoris was around a two-day journey. The path would take us through the southwest side of Quavoris¡¯ land, so the trip should be smooth south of their famous woods.


    Their standings were always neutral with the other kingdoms, even during war, so their borders were always open for travelers. The book showed some of their important exports, but most of it was strong hide and materials only found in their woods.


    Surprisingly, Quavoris was inset from the sea by a much more considerable distance than I had expected. After reading some of the entries further, it appeared that the storms that come in from the sea are much more dangerous than the other coasts and restrict most travel by sea.


    By the time I had finished reading through most of the descriptions in the book, I began to hear movement throughout the house as everyone started to prepare for the second sun. Our grandparents had retired before we were born to farm this plot of land, so most of the harvest was small and only intended to be food on their plates, but there was still a small amount of upkeep required to make sure the harvests were healthy and consistent.


    Maleki returned to the fields to finish where he left off, and I followed Grandmother Kecila to her garden, where she would prune the leaves and stems of her flowers and perform a light plucking of the fruit and vegetables for our meal tonight. Her garden was a small plot next to the house that was easy to maneuver through, and only a few taller vines grew on arched trellis throughout, so everything was within reach for us. With my arms being limp today, I was fairly useless, though I had learned to pick the weeds from the garden using my big toe and curling with a tensed twist of my foot. More than that, I enjoyed talking to our grandmother and listening to her stories. Today, I sat next to her on blackened soil that was equal parts ash and mulch. Her grayish-brown hair was cut low and didn¡¯t even reach her shoulders. Every movement seemed slow at first glance, but I knew that wasn¡¯t the case. She moved with precision and steadiness. Her nimble hands moved between the leaves of her favourite rose bush, trimming away the weight that formed as it grew.


    ¡°Grandmother, why do you have to prune these obsidian roses? None of these other plants need this level of care, and they actually bear fruit.¡±


    Her hands returned out of the bush, and she answered me with the same care and precision that she had with her favoured roses. ¡°You see, Miko, the obsidian roses do not grow properly without my intervention. They do not bloom this way in the wild. The intervention of our species with theirs has caused these plants to require us in order to grow properly, else they will be crushed under their own weight and will block the very light they need for the flowers to bloom.¡±


    ¡°So, we changed this plant to suit our needs?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is rather selfish, I suppose. They do not grow so beautifully without us, nor do they require it. They possess no awareness to know any better, and these petals are not required to bloom in order for the plant to produce seedlings. In fact, it¡¯s quite the opposite; now that I¡¯ve let the buds flower, the plant will no longer grow properly or produce new additional buds.¡±


    ¡°So, how did you get this one? Was it wild?¡±


    ¡°No, this one was from my home in the capital. I brought it here and regrew it by plucking all the blooms and retrieving their seeds. This is common for women to do when they marry. These obsidian roses were a gift from my mother. When I was your age, I helped her prune the leaves and stems. Many families pick a plant when they first marry and see the health of the plant as a mirror for the health of the family. Taking care of these obsidian roses is my duty to your grandfather and represents my commitment to the nurturing of our family as a whole. My role is to guide the flowers in the right direction so that they may bloom brightly and beautifully. You boys are my obsidian roses.¡±


    She pinched my cheeks with both hands and gave me a kiss on the forehead. Her fingertips muddied my cheeks slightly, but I didn¡¯t have the arms to sweep away the flecks of dirt or her gristly attack. Her soft footsteps left the edge of the garden, and I sat digesting her words. All of her obsidian roses¡¯ buds bloomed so beautifully, except one. The petals grew misshapen and off-coloured, as if the plant¡¯s stem was infected. I had seen her cut away at it before, hoping it would regrow properly, but it never did. I¡¯ve tried telling her it¡¯s not her fault and that the corrupted bud is just a coincidence, but my comfort never soothes her sadness. Instead, my words seem to have the opposite effect. She sees my comfort as a burden that a child should not bear and our maturity as a failure of her own. I don¡¯t understand why she fears us becoming too adult-like, as if we sacrificed our childhood and she was personally responsible for it. Are there any children more coddled and loved than my brother and me? Surely not.

 Chapter 2: Gratus Vales [Part 2]

    <u>Miko:</u>


    I sat outside and enjoyed the garden and watched Maleki work up a sweat while he worked the fields. A thought intruded into my head that I tried to push away, but it had already rooted itself too deep. ¡°Why wasn¡¯t it Maleki that was sick? Why was it just me? Why are you sitting here, unable to move in any significant way, while your brother walks so freely?¡± They were selfish thoughts devoid of logic or reason, but they still broke through my stoic outlook on life all the same. In my heart, I was glad it was me and not him, but part of me, the part without a voice, did wonder why it was me who was born with the illness and not him.


    Those thoughts fleeted away as dinner was called for. I raced Maleki inside, not that he knew it was a race and I had a huge head start, but a win every now and made me feel better.


    Grandmother was still setting the table when I walked into the room. The table sat six, with Grandpa on the short side, Grandmother at his right, and Maleki¡¯s seat at his left. I found my seat next to Grandmother and swung the heel of my foot behind one of the chair¡¯s back legs so I could sit down and use my shoulder to even it out. When the last plate was set at the table, Grandmother Kecila sat beside me and spoke softly with a warm smile, ¡°I tried to pick items that would be easier for you to eat today.¡±


    Maleki joked across the table slyly, ¡°I could feed you if you¡¯d like.¡±


    ¡°Let me have some dignity,¡± I responded with the attitude of a royal.


    I then dropped my head onto my plate and ate much like a pig. It was not at all proper and was probably even more of a loss of dignity, but everyone already does so much for me. I can at least feed myself. My plate was covered in slices of meat and smaller fruits from the bushes in the garden, so they were easier to grab and eat without having to manage smaller pieces.


    In our family, it is uncommon to carry on a conversation at dinner. The house¡¯s unspoken rule is to finish your food before talking. It¡¯s always been this way, which I guess we continued by watching our parents and grandparents interact. Maleki and I followed this impatiently until everyone¡¯s plates were mostly cleaned, as conversation often carried over cleaning the table and our dinnerware.


    I couldn¡¯t partake in the cleaning since, you know, my arms were utterly useless, but Maleki took my plate and joined himself near the tub where Grandma was cleaning the cookware. She smiled at his attempt to help. ¡°I can handle these, or are you ready to tell us what¡¯s on your minds?¡±


    Maleki¡¯s eyes met mine with a face of betrayal. He must¡¯ve thought I told her something already. I shook my head to deny his visual accusation before speaking to her, ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you mean.¡±


    She laughed and set one of her dishes down so she could turn around and look us both in the eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve been doing this much longer than you both, and I know when something¡¯s amiss.¡± She looked over at Grandpa Thaumus, who had one leg crossed high above the other with a cup of tea and a book from his collection. He had his thin pair of glasses that sat low on his cheekbone while his head was raised high to read the words that filled the pages of a book he never let me read named ¡°Geo-Farming.¡±


    He looked up from his book, feeling the looming eyes of his wife.


    Grandmother continued to speak, ¡°You both know we are here for you and support whatever it is you need. So, what is it you two have planned?¡±


    Maleki looked at me and smiled. They really did understand us and cared for us more than anyone had been able to. Their love had been more than enough to keep us going. I kept it straightforward to avoid the assumptions we had made. ¡°We need to go to Quavoris.¡±


    Grandpa Thaumas raised a long-haired eyebrow and spoke with confusion, ¡°What¡¯s there?¡±


    ¡°A person,¡± Maleki responded.


    ¡°A guide,¡± I added unsurely. We think there is someone in Quavoris who can lead us to a place capable of healing me.¡±


    Our Grandparents¡¯ eyes met and lingered as if they were having a conversation of their own that did not require words. Grandmother spoke apprehensively, ¡°I presume your Grandfather¡¯s old friend gave you this brave idea?¡±


    I responded quickly with a prepared response, ¡°Yes, he gave us an old parchment that had a map and a riddle. We believe we can solve it, and I have a plan.¡±


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Maleki looked at me dissapointedly with his arms crossed, and I corrected myself. ¡°We. We have a plan.¡±


    Grandpa spoke with even more apprehension, ¡°William is a great man, but he¡¯s always been very imaginative. Boys, I don¡¯t want you chasing a hopeful story. I remember what happened with dear Theresa, and our hearts poured out for them¡­.¡± He paused before finishing and looked to our grandmother for confidence, ¡°¡­but not everything can be fixed. Blades can be reforged, and amour can be bent back into shape, but people ¡ª we aren¡¯t as malleable ¡ª aren¡¯t as fixable. It takes courage to know what we can and can¡¯t change.¡±


    Maleki responded first after the silence. ¡°All we have left are our hopes. Potions, medicine, and healers. We tried it all¡­


    The tension had risen considerably and was noticeable by Grandmother Kecila¡¯s expression. She responded after the silence that was left between Grandpa and Maleki. ¡°We do care about you both, but we do worry. There¡¯s so much out there that you have yet to experience; reading in a book is one thing, but you haven¡¯t had the exposure other kids have, and Quavoris is a different, far-away place for two boys who haven¡¯t ever left their family homestead.


    Maleki was less abrupt this time but still held firm to his beliefs, ¡°The luxury of hoping this will pass or be cured by chance has long since passed. We have to do this¡­.¡± He rubbed his forearm against his eyes to wipe away the tears before they started. ¡°I can¡¯t continue to watch him wither away.¡±


    Grandma pulled him in close. His light brown hair that peaked up was all that was visible as he stopped himself from crying into her arms.


    A tear fell from her eyes, ¡°I know, son, but this isn¡¯t your journey alone.¡± She looked at me and spoke again, ¡°Miko, there are always risks, and we won¡¯t be there to help you. Are you sure this is what you want?¡±


    I thought for a moment and considered what she was saying. I remembered what it was like to be able to play with Maleki like a normal kid, but I was getting left behind, and I couldn¡¯t keep up much longer with this pace. I wanted to get better. I needed to. ¡°I need this. Whether we find a cure or not, I need to know we tried.¡±


    ¡°Well, then, we trust and believe in you both, but it¡¯s only natural for us to worry. The world out there, there aren¡¯t many prepared for it, but I had hoped we could change that for you. Selfish desires, I suppose.¡± She snapped her fingers in a moment of realization, ¡°Thaumy, I think it¡¯s about time you give the boys their heirlooms.¡± Her wink traveled into Grandpa¡¯s expression as if he, too, had the realization.


    ¡°We can¡¯t be there with you, but we can give you something to help ease the journey,¡± Grandpa said as his expression lightened up.


    We followed Grandpa Thaumus outside and headed to his shop. The sun was setting, which shone onto the Astral Rings with a brilliant hue and provided enough light to see around without a torch.


    Grandpa led us to the back of the shop in a room where he stored his materials and tools. He flipped open a wooden box and pulled out two bags fitted as packs to be carried for travel. ¡°There¡¯s one for each of you. These used to belong to Kecila and me, but we don¡¯t travel too far anymore, so they¡¯re not of much use to us at this point.¡±


    Grandpa continued after pulling out a brown leather cloth wrapped around a circular shape. ¡°Be careful with this one; these aren¡¯t like your wooden toys.¡± He moved as if to hand it to me before realizing that my arms weren¡¯t working, and then laced them on the bench next to us. Then, he reached into a second chest and grabbed a pole from the middle of its length, which then extended from the bottom. It was now easily as tall as him, and he had an entire foot above our shoulders.


    He spun it downwards so that the object was horizontal with his body and Maleki¡¯s. My older brother just stared intently.


    ¡°It¡¯s yours,¡± Grandpa said.


    Maleki¡¯s hand reached out and grabbed between Grandpa¡¯s, and the weight of it shifted downwards, allowing the leather cloth on the top to slide off, revealing a semi-crescent blade that glimmered a beautiful white.


    ¡°A scythe?¡± Maleki asked.


    Grandpa smiled and let out a short laugh. ¡°Yes, but none like the ones we use for the harvest and upkeep.¡±


    He was right. The shape was slightly askew rather than perfectly straight, and no grip protruded down the middle of the shaft like an ordinary one. There was also another small shape on the other side of the crescent that looked more like the blade of an axe.


    ¡°I never planned to give you these so early, but I would feel better if you had them with you out there.¡± He looked at us both once before continuing, ¡°I can¡¯t tell you how to wield them, but if you respect them as you would a steed, they will protect you.¡±


    I let Maleki inspect his gift, and then he sat his to the side to help me with mine. I waited for him to set the pack near my feet, and watched as he pulled the cloth away from the disc. Two circular disks appeared that were hanging from a thick black thread. The thread was attached to the fabric and then to a black brace that gripped around the disk. I presumed this was a safety mechanism since the disc appeared to be very sharp. You wouldn¡¯t want to slice open your hand or foot just trying to get it out. I had never seen anything like this before, even in drawings from books on combat. This weapon was unique, but I had no idea what to do with it.


    I spoke out loud for the first time, ¡°Grandpa Thaumus, I thought you made armour for the King¡¯s armies.¡±


    His eyes focused away from us as if he was seeing something we couldn¡¯t. ¡°I did. I made armour for kings and weapons to destroy them.¡±

 Chapter 3: Adventus Incipit [Part 1]

    <u>Maleki:</u>


    We decided to leave at sunrise the next day since we would have to walk for around three hours to get a cart to Quavoris. The upsides of being away from civilization are also the downsides. On one hand, you are far away from everything, and on the other, you are far away from everything.


    Unfortunately, Miko can¡¯t walk today, so I bring a cart for days like these and drag him behind me. Thankfully, he¡¯s not too heavy, even with that big ugly brain of his weighing down the rest of his body.


    ¡°Can we go any faster?¡± Miko asked.


    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for your big head, yeah,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°D¡¯you say something?¡± Miko said as he eyed me suspiciously. He had the packs placed up against his back so he could sit back comfortably and still be able to read a book on the road.


    ¡°Nope. What are you reading? I haven¡¯t seen you with that one before.¡± I responded.


    ¡°You can¡¯t tell the difference ¡®cause you can¡¯t read.¡±


    ¡°Can too!¡± I exclaimed loudly. ¡°I just don¡¯t need to. And I probably read better than you, little rat.¡±


    Miko rolled his eyes. ¡°We both know that¡¯s not true. This is about the only thing I¡¯ve got you beat at. Anyway, it¡¯s just one of Grandpa¡¯s books he had in the pack. It has a bunch of details about animals and foraging for food.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I said emphatically. ¡°Read it well since apparently I can¡¯t, so you can hold up your end of this when your legs free up.¡±


    Miko was the smart one, which I didn¡¯t openly admit around him ¡ª his ego was big enough as it was. I was better at the more physical tasks, mainly by default, though. This was the first time we had gotten to leave the farm in a long time besides seeing the healer, but we had never gone much farther than we already were.


    I left Miko with his book. I didn¡¯t mind the silence anyway; it was peaceful in Outer Korvast. The winds blow against the trees, and the birds sing in the distance, which gives me a sound to focus on as we walk. There are hardly any clouds this far into the continent, so the whole sky lights up perfectly. I could walk like this forever.


    The walk went by quickly, and I brought the cart to a stop a hundred steps away from a group of carriages waiting to give rides to Inner Korvast. This little outer village wasn¡¯t bustling by any means, and all it had going for it was that it was a decent central location for the farmers to trade and sell livestock.


    We hadn¡¯t ever been this far, much less by ourselves. All the other healers who assessed Miko traveled to our home, so we haven¡¯t even been to the capital. We might¡¯ve wandered into Inner Korvast once or twice technically, but it¡¯s just connecting farmland and not the cities Miko reads about in his books.


    I approached one of the carriage drivers, who wore a brown cloak that fell loosely over his tan shirt and trousers. He had leather braces over his arms that matched his boots and belt. His face was blocked by a cloth connected to his hood that blocked everything from the eyes down. All the carriage drivers wore these to block their faces from sun exposure.


    ¡°Where to?¡± The carriage driver muttered in a deeper voice after clearing their throat.


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    I left Miko in the cart just a short distance away and pointed to him when answering the man. ¡°Quavoris. Me and the kid over there.¡±


    ¡°Great.¡± He scoffed, ¡°I always get the odd jobs¡­.¡±


    I walked over to Miko¡¯s cart and pulled him closer to prepare for the trip.


    The man climbed up on the front of the carriage, checked a rolled-up parchment that contained a detailed route to our destination, and then looked down at me. ¡°I¡¯ll need the entire payment upfront.¡±


    Miko locked his dead eyes with the gentleman and began to speak before I got the chance, ¡°You¡¯ll get half now.¡±


    The driver let out a contained laugh that left his nose with an exhale, ¡°You¡¯re quite the bargainer, you short little cretin. No passage if you don¡¯t pay in full now.¡±


    Miko searched with his eyes and then spoke slyly. ¡°This cart is new. No scratches, no wear, tear, or age. So, this is either your first job or you just returned from an unsuccessful one. Half now, or we go talk to the other drivers.¡± Miko looked up and gave a broad, lifeless smile. I¡¯ve only ever seen him act this sinister when he was planning some elaborate prank.


    The carriage driver looked annoyed, as if Miko¡¯s words struck a sore spot. ¡°Damn brats¡­Get in and show me half.¡±


    I picked up Miko and tossed him over my shoulder like a sack of feed we would give to the livestock. The cart wasn¡¯t elaborately carved and painted, but it did have a top and a decent set of benches. I placed my foot on the first step and grabbed one of the side poles to hold us up as I placed him down on the bench to the back of the driver. I stepped back out and threw our bags up, Miko caught his, and mine landed on the bench across from him. I folded the lead to the cart and put it in the storage compartment on the back of the carriage. Two doors folded open with plenty of space for the cart and some existing firewood, tools, and gear to set up a camp for longer trips. I found my spot in the carriage and announced that we were ready to leave.


    After ten hours in the cart, we were almost through Outer Korvast. The roads were flat, but the constant rolling in the cart made me sick. The driver said our first stop would be around this time when the road started to become less maintained, and weaved around a lake where we could stop for water and rest our legs.


    This was many times over, the farthest we had both been from our home in our entire lives. Grandfather used to travel often when I was little, but when our parents left, he decided it would be better to stay near the house.


    The lake came into view, and I could see the expanse of the forest ahead of us that we would need to travel through. The trees were tall and had dark brown trunks with light green and yellow tops that blocked most of the sun and moons¡¯ light.


    ¡°Those are Moonglow Pines!¡± Miko snapped as he closed his book.


    ¡°You¡¯re well-read for a brat,¡± The carriage driver responded.


    ¡°You got a big mouth for someone we¡¯re paying. Middle-aged men ought to be nicer!¡±


    ¡°Just ¡®cause I¡¯m driving you two kids doesn¡¯t mean I gotta be nice to you. You have to pay me either way!¡±


    He repositioned his wide circular hat to sit further back on his head. Black hair fell behind his ears that would have been long enough to block his eyes but were tucked away.


    ¡°I¡¯m not that much older than you all, anyways!¡± His face was discernible for the first time as he pulled down the cloth around his face, and he was right ¡ª he looked young, maybe thirteen. I wanted to ask him more questions, but the carriage came to a stop. We were positioned a couple hundred feet from the lake, and the driver himself even seemed happy to break away from the drive and cool off in the pond.


    ¡°Our ponds back at the house are nothing compared to this lake! I can barely see the other side.¡± Miko sounded happy for the first time in a while. He grabbed his hands to the top rails on the roof of the carriage and then swung himself over closer to me. I grabbed the back of his calves and locked my hands underneath his knees so that I could hold his weight on my back while he was free to point and move.


    I thought about getting the cart out, but we wouldn¡¯t need it for too long, and then I¡¯d have to pack it back in. It¡¯s only a short walk, anyway.


    The driver never did say his name, so I decided to avoid calling out and find our own path down to the lake instead. Our water cans rattled against each other while hanging next to my leg, but otherwise, this place was peaceful, even more so than the farm.

 Chapter 3: Adventus Incipit [Part 2]

    <u>Maleki:</u>


    I think Miko and I were lucky. We grew up like this, in nature, away from politics and conflicts. Of course, we understood those things and how they affected us, but we watched them on a smaller scale in our day-to-day lives. The carving-beatles that pushed too close to the war ant¡¯s mound. Grave Hawks that swoop down upon rodents in the fields. The animals have their own battles; they speak the language of strength and order, but they, too, watch their borders.


    Miko says we were lucky to be raised in Outer Korvast, and I suppose I couldn¡¯t disagree. I feel that there¡¯s more to that, though. We have seen only one perspective, so what is life like inside those bustling walls? Do they see us as simpletons, or do they envy our freedom amongst nature¡¯s lakes and trees?


    I knew this journey was bound to answer those questions, but I just wanted to enjoy this freedom for a moment longer.


    I set Miko down on a patch of grass and walked to the front of the rippling water ¡ª the surface being so clear that two of the moons could be seen perfectly off the top. A bright glimmering appeared throughout the ripples in the water from the light of the Astral Ring in the sky, which was always over our heads no matter where we traveled.


    I took a few steps into the shallow end of the water and brought the water up to my forearms by cupping my hands. I washed the sweat from my face and wet my hair to help cool down from all those hours sitting.


    ¡°This water isn¡¯t as cold as the pond back home,¡± I said aloud.


    Miko reached forward a little to where his hands could touch the water. ¡°We¡¯re getting closer to the eastern ocean. I¡¯ve read that the currents there are warmer!¡±


    ¡°Speaking of that. How many books do you think you¡¯ve read?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Whatever I can steal from Grandpa¡¯s study. He doesn¡¯t have a lot, mostly stuff about nature, cities, and farming. If I had to guess, maybe forty or so.¡± Miko glanced up toward the sky with his palms to the ground and his elbows locked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how many I¡¯ve really read. Father read some story books to me when we were little, and I read a few of his combat training books he carried when he wasn¡¯t around.¡± I responded.


    ¡°Speaking of father¡­¡± Miko said with a dry laugh as if to help ease the cut away to his next question. ¡°Remind me again. What was he like?¡± Miko was still looking away from me.


    ¡°Who? Dad?¡± I asked.


    He didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°Hmmm. That hard to remember for you?¡± I walked up the shore and laid back in the grass. I crossed my arms behind my neck and looked up to the sky as well.


    ¡°He was tall¡ªshort dark hair with a thick beard, but he kept that short, too. Probably grandfathers doing.¡± I started.


    ¡°I remember what he looked like, Maleki. What was he like?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± I laughed awkwardly. ¡°Father had a temper¡­.he and mom argued a lot.¡± I reluctantly sighed.


    ¡°I remember that too. I guess¡­I mean, what were they like before?¡±


    I stayed alert to the sky. ¡°Before? Was there a before? It wasn¡¯t all bad, you know? I guess I just struggle to recall the good memories. Sometimes, they feel fabricated, or I can barely remember them at all, but they do exist, I know that. They just drift away easier than the bad memories. On other days, I can¡¯t tell if the worst ones even happened, as if I imagined them up to torture myself. I know I didn¡¯t really answer your question ¡ª you should ask Grandmother instead ¡ª she always tells the truth.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°She won¡¯t lie. There¡¯s a difference.¡± Miko said with emphasis as if he was repeating something I already knew. ¡°Grandmother refuses to tell me things she thinks might harm me, and Grandfather avoids complex conversations altogether. So, you can imagine how helpful they are when I ask them questions about the parents. They avoid talking about them in general, as if even saying their names will bring a plague.¡±


    It had been years since we last saw them. They left a little longer after Miko got sick but well before it got this bad. They blamed each other a lot, so they did what they thought was best and left us here to find answers. Miko probably subconsciously blocks out everything; I don¡¯t blame him; I sort of do the same intentionally. ¡°Do you miss them?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± He said bluntly before correcting himself. ¡°I mean, not really. A little. I don¡¯t miss them; I just wish I knew them more. They only knew me when I was little ¡ª before I could read ¡ª when all I cared about was playing. They don¡¯t really know me, and I don¡¯t really know much about them, I guess. Their interests, the way they think and talk, those weren¡¯t important to me. I know it¡¯s only natural since I was so little, but I wish I knew ¡ª really knew them, ya know?¡± His last words drifted, and through my peripheral, I saw him turn his head to me to try and read my face. ¡°Do you miss them?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said as I turned towards him. ¡°I miss Mother¡¯s competitiveness. I miss how Father would show me plants and animals and teach me things about them. They were great alone; it was like, at that moment, you were the only person that existed. We knew them as parents, Miko ¡ª as we should have.


    ¡°Where do you think they are?¡± Miko asked.


    I crossed my arms and smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s been a while since they sent anything. They probably gave up on the known stuff. Resorting to searching for the unknown, like us.¡± Miko looked away from me as other thoughts bubbled at the surface of his mind, revealing themselves in his eyes and frown. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault they left. You know that, right? I don¡¯t blame you for them leaving. I miss them, but it¡¯s been better with them not here. We¡¯re here, brother ¡ª that¡¯s all that matters to me.¡± There was a loud silence as I waited for him to acknowledge me, but he never did.


    ¡°We should probably go find the driver.¡± Miko asserted.


    Iagreed and then cupped one last splash of water onto my face and rubbed my eyes before picking up Miko to return to the cart. I climbed back up the slope around the trees and saw the driver leaning against the side of the carriage. It looked like he had just finished hooking one of the horses back up to the line after taking them to drink some water.


    ¡°Enjoy frolicking in the water?¡± the driver mockingly gestured. His voice didn¡¯t seem as deep as it was earlier.


    ¡°Yes, actually. It¡¯s beautiful out here.¡± Miko jabbed back.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t even wet.¡± The driver said.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m pretty sure I would drown in that water, seeing as to the fact that I can¡¯t move my legs,¡± Miko said as he crossed his arms and stuck out his tongue.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you enjoyed it, brat.¡± He pulled out a yellowish map with some red markings of our route. ¡°This is the last real break before your destination. We have a long trek through the forest, but the only stop is for the night and a second stop where we can get water for the horses and us. I would rest when you can,¡±


    I climbed the steps with Miko on my back and then took him to his spot in the carriage. I sat back in my seat and eyed the driver as he climbed back onto his area at the front of the carriage. Something was off about him. He knew a lot about this, but his demeanor was still amateurish, like he had the info but not the execution.


    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± I asked a little louder so he could hear from my position at the back.


    ¡°That¡¯s an odd question, you think?¡± He responded.


    ¡°True. I mean, is this normal? I don¡¯t imagine there are many people close to our age driving carriages this far away from home or even working alone at all.¡±


    ¡°We all have our reasons. I don¡¯t think there are too many kids traveling on their own to a Kingdom they barely know anything about, on roads they know even less of.¡± The driver¡¯s tone wasn¡¯t rude, but it seemed like he was also curious about our opposing situations.


    I wanted to ask the driver more questions, like where his home was or where his parents were, but it didn¡¯t feel right. I didn¡¯t even know where my own parents were or why they really left. What could I share with a person when I have nothing to offer in return other than myseries?

 Chapter 4: Silvae Obscurae [Part 1]

    <u>Miko:</u>


    ¡°Maleki?¡± I murmured aloud.


    ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s up?¡± He responded.


    I had fallen asleep and slumped over on the bench in an uncomfortable position, so I grabbed the back of the bench with my left hand to pull myself back upright. I knew the forest would be dark with those dense treetops, but this was even darker than I could have imagined.


    ¡°I can¡¯t even see in front of me. How is the driver able to see where he¡¯s going?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Miko, what are you talking about? You said these are Moonglow pines; this forest is lit up more than any other.¡± My older brother seemed confused.


    ¡°What?...I¡­I don¡¯t understand. I can¡¯t see anything at all.¡± It wasn¡¯t that the forest was dark. Everything is dark. I can¡¯t even see my arms.


    ¡°I¡¯m blind¡­This has never happened before.¡± I slammed my fists into the bench and clenched my skull with my hands to hide my eyes and fight the tears.


    ¡°I¡­. can¡¯t even read anymore. What if this is permanent? Maleki, what if I won¡¯t be able to read ever again? Is this permanent?¡± I said in a panic.


    ¡°Miko, calm down. We¡¯ll figure this out. It always changes once you sleep. I¡¯m sure this will follow the cycle.¡±


    ¡°Calm. Calm. Calm. Maleki, I can¡¯t see. My eyes are everything. I don¡¯t know how to live without my sight.¡± I was furious but didn¡¯t know where else to direct my rage.


    ¡°Miko, breathe. This doesn¡¯t accomplish anything!¡± Maleki was calm, but I still wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°Breathe!¡± I yelled. ¡°How long until my lungs fail? Or, or my heart, for that matter? What if this is just the beginning? What am I to do without sight? Crawl? To where? I would gladly lose taste, smell, and even touch, but not my eyes.¡± I blurted out.


    He wasn¡¯t responding, but I could feel his eyes. I could just sense their grip.


    I grabbed him by the sides of his shirt that sat around his neck. ¡°Are you going to read every page to me, brother?¡± I yelled in a crazed manner whilst tears festered at the base of my eyelids.


    I slumped over as something swift and solid connected with me. My breath was taken from me as quickly as it was there with one swift punch to the sternum.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miko, but you wouldn¡¯t listen.¡± He said in a low tone. ¡°If that¡¯s what it takes, I will read to you when the sun rises and until it sets.¡±


    I gasped for air. I was crouched over with one palm on the floor, attempting to recalibrate myself. ¡°I deserved that, sorry¡­.¡±


    ¡°I promise you. We will figure this out. I need you to focus and be calm for a little longer.¡± My brother said as he placed a hand on my shoulder.


    I know. I knew it would get worse. I just wasn¡¯t ready, I guess. ¡°What do I do now? Wait?¡± I asked him.


    Maleki lowered his chest, ¡°Unfortunately¡­yes. Try and go back to sleep. Perhaps your body will swap the unusable part again.¡±


    I thought about what he was saying. Your muscles relax when you fall asleep, so it¡¯s possible that when entering the state of sleep, my body is unable to recover certain parts. Although, that doesn¡¯t explain the cycle. I have never lost access to the same body part two days in a row. It has always switched from day to day.


    ¡°Why does it never repeat?¡± I asked him.


    I could hear him shuffle his hand to his chin while he crossed his arms. ¡°Hmmm¡­¡±


    A few moments went by, and he still hadn¡¯t responded.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too hard, or you might pass out genius,¡± I said aloud.


    ¡°What if. What if, well ¡ª why? Why do we sleep?¡± Maleki asked.


    ¡°Why do we sleep?¡± I responded.


    ¡°Yeah. What¡¯s the purpose? Our bodies do it naturally, so what¡¯s to gain?¡± He said.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s our body¡¯s way of recovering and growing. Our muscles can grow and rest. As Grandpa says, ¡®A weapon must be heated and then cooled to be tempered and sharpened.¡¯¡± I added.


    Maleki thought for a brief second. ¡°Okay, so you go to sleep without function in your arms, for example, but when you wake up the next morning, it¡¯s back. By entering back into the sleep state, your whole body relaxes, and your heartbeat slows. Exiting the state means you cannot reproduce the same state as the previous night. Yet, you still feel pain in those areas?¡±


    I responded immediately, ¡°Yes, but the same could be said about someone asleep. You could cut their arm, and they would feel the pain and wake up.¡±


    ¡°True, but you don¡¯t regain control when you feel pain in the targeted area, so it doesn¡¯t have the same conditions as sleep.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re implying there are two things occurring?¡±


    ¡°That could be the case. Or, it could just be worsening. I wonder if it¡¯s possible to force a specific limb to sleep, like when you cross your legs or sit weird, and your leg starts feeling numb.¡±


    ¡°That happens regularly. I can¡¯t move my legs, so they are usually in a weird position. I can feel that same numbness, but it¡¯s never woken that area up.¡±


    ¡°All right, well¡­.¡± My brother drifted off into thought.


    I decided to stop engaging in the conversation after this. Maleki went back to incoherently mumbling questions to himself as if he was propping up questions and then immediately prodding them to see if they stayed whole.


    We had been here before in different scenarios, trying to figure out our own ways of deciphering a problem that somehow a hundred people have been unable to figure out. It¡¯s always the same at the end of the day. The cycle continues, and I am left to wonder, ¡®What will I lose next?¡¯


    I tried to fall asleep as Maleki suggested, but my mind was racing, trying to anticipate which days I would be able to see and which I wouldn¡¯t. Once those thoughts settled, I found myself listening to the dense forest we were traveling through.


    The cart would vibrate and tumble as the wheels spun against the uneven ground and crunched against fallen leaves and limbs. Although light, the traffic through this forest still kept the road relatively clean from large branches or road bumps. Once those noises became more consistent and quieter, I started hearing animals swooping through the trees, and even the branches brushing against the winds near the top of the treetop.


    This wasn¡¯t anything new; it just found my ears easier. These were all noises I had heard before and could even hear with my eyes open, yet without them, they found my ears much quicker and vibrantly than ever before.


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine you were unable to hear our conversation,¡± I asked the driver.


    ¡°Hmph. Not my business.¡± He barked.


    ¡°You¡¯re not even curious? You must overhear a lot of interesting stories, like an innkeeper.¡± I asked.


    ¡°Sure, but you don¡¯t pay me to delve into your personal life. That costs extra!¡±


    ¡°You have no moral compass.¡±


    ¡°Lookey here, I got my own problems. I don¡¯t need you brats adding on to em!¡±


    ¡°Who you calling a brat?¡±


    ¡°You. Brat.¡±


    Maleki leaned forward and asked aloud. ¡°Miko, did you just pick up a rock and throw it at him?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, it was way off,¡± My brother snickered.


    The driver turned around and mocked me. ¡°See, only a brat would throw a rock.¡±


    ¡°When I get my sight back, I¡¯m pelting you with a rock.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s assuming you have use of your arms, dear brother, but let¡¯s settle down. We¡¯ll be coming up on the spot where we¡¯ll camp for the night, so we¡¯ll need to set up when we get there. Save your energy for that.¡±


    ¡°At least one of you has some sense.¡± The carriage driver laughed to himself.


    I threw another rock, but he dodged out of the way, and I heard it tumble away into the trees. I was closer this time, though!

 Chapter 4: Silvae Obscurae [Part 2]

<u>Miko:</u>

 Chapter 5: Amplectere Lunas

    <u>Maleki:</u>


    The fire burned as we waited for the driver to return. He had been gone longer than I expected but displayed himself as more than comfortable in these environments.


    Bright open fields and trees were something I was familiar with, but had this forest been dense and dark, there might have been more tension in the air. Miko would certainly not be wandering alone and blind in the woods if these pines were less visible. Fortunately for us both, I could see as far as he had walked, awkward waddle and all. As awkward as Miko is, he is undoubtedly brilliant, but like many of his genius, they struggle with the basics. They spend so much time thinking that they forget how to act. Across the campfire, my brother had finally fallen asleep; he must¡¯ve worked himself up too much today. He tried to sleep earlier on the ride, but I could tell that he wasn¡¯t by the way he was breathing ¡ª Too focused, too forced. Dissecting his growing and changing illness has taken a toll on him, so I¡¯m surprised he can sleep at all with what he¡¯s had on his mind lately.


    I blew on the fire and added a new log to keep the fire going before I took a walk. Miko, being so close to the flames, didn¡¯t sit right with me, so I picked him up and carried him over to the sleeping area I had set up earlier. Our backpacks both had a strong cloth woven sleeping bag with a leather bottom that came in handy when sleeping on these rough grounds created from fallen pine needles and hardened dirt.


    He sleeps so peacefully. Grandma was right when she said, ¡°The ground could open up and swallow the boy whole, and he would still be asleep.¡± I even tried smacking him awake once, but his desire to sleep is too strong, so he wakes up when he wants to. It might be easier to wake a hibernating Rim Bear¡­


    I started to walk towards the side of the woods that was more dense with these tall Moonglow pines. Thinking of the Rim Bear reminded me of the difference between Miko and me. He had his books, and I had my stories. Father and Grandfather would tell me all kinds of extraordinary stories from their lives and when they were our age. They made the world seem more interesting than what I¡¯ve seen. The stories, though, I always felt like they were leaving something out. Not all of the stories were personal experiences; some told of great heroes and big battles, probably long ago and long since changed by the span of time. Even Grandfather had a bad habit of retelling the same stories once or thrice and then making them sound more grand and epic with each retelling.


    The creek I watched Miko walk to earlier sat before me. I cleaned off all the dirt and sweat I had built up from setting up camp and chopping wood and then relaxed alone in the warm waters of the stream. Through the quiet of the flowing water, a horse whinnied further up the stream, so I dried off and climbed up the elevated rocks of a small waterfall. Further up the creek, there was an opening in the treeline into a small lake and the silhouettes of two large animals and a smaller figure.


    After a few minutes of walking, I had worked my way up within twenty feet from what, at this distance, was clearly our dear driver. He was facing away from me and looking out at the reflective lake, so to avoid startling him, I loudly asked, ¡°Is this the private section?¡±


    There was a laugh and then a sniffle. ¡°If it was, you and I both couldn¡¯t afford it.¡±


    I looked down while approaching and brushed off some of the water on my arms. ¡°True. This is probably better than any private land within those big castles anyway.¡±


    ¡°How many castles have you ever been in?¡± He coughed up a laugh.


    ¡°Castles? I¡¯ve been in a few barns.¡± I said as I sat down facing away from him with one side of his face still in my peripheral. I looked over at him, but his eyes were deadset forward. He had been crying. This was the first person I¡¯d really ever spoken to who wasn¡¯t family, so I didn¡¯t want to let the conversation drift away, but before I thought about interrupting, he sniffled again and spoke, ¡°I¡¯ve been inside those big gates. A few of them. It doesn¡¯t take long to want back out, but at least in there, it¡¯s safe.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow. ¡°Safe?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s order in there, or at least everyone pretends there is. Maybe that¡¯s all the same, I don¡¯t know, but out here, there¡¯s no laws or anyone to enforce them.¡±


    ¡°I see your point,¡± I said with an acknowledging assurance. ¡°My family has always lived in the quiet outer kingdom of Korvast. I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ve ever seen, but a few lost carriages drift through those lands. So, this may be coming from a place of ignorance, but what happened out here for you to think that way? Why are you out here alone if it¡¯s not safe?¡±


    ¡°Alone?¡± the boy grumbled. ¡°I¡¯m with you lot.¡±


    ¡°You know what I meant.¡± I laughed with a scold.


    He closed his eyes with a deep breath and then responded. ¡°I wasn¡¯t always alone out here. I didn¡¯t even want to do this in the first place, but it¡¯s the only way I know to make money.¡± He looked down at his hands, and a chained necklace loosely dangled from the edge of his palm. I could barely make it out, but there was a pendant with what looked like a sort of family crest. ¡°I learned how to do this by watching my dad. You probably didn¡¯t notice when you picked your carriage, but almost all drivers are a duo. One to manage the horses, and one to protect the passengers.¡± His hand gripped tighter on the pendant.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t notice. Honestly, I just walked up to the closest person if that makes any difference¡­.¡±


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°Most people do, but my dad was a famed adventurer. He was strong enough to protect his horses and his passengers all by himself. People knew him all across the central kingdom and always chose his carriage first.¡±


    ¡°He sounds like a great man,¡± I said as I locked eyes with the driver. His eyes were almost entirely black but splintered red from crying. ¡°Did your father retire?¡±


    ¡°In a way,¡± he muttered with a grim face and eyes that tore into the sky. ¡°He was starting to take me on these trips with him to learn the trade, but I was just happy I could spend more time with him.¡± Our eyes drifted apart, and his hands fell behind him to support his head so he could look up to the sky. ¡°One morning, a man hired my father to make this same trip. He had white hair and appeared to be from a royal family or of some wealth from the armour he wore and the decency of his cloth and crest. He seemed like a kind man, with a white smile that matched his hair. We sat at that same campsite and shared tea until the man turned to my father and commanded him to wield his blade and prepare his battle stance. I¡¯ll never forget the words he said after and the peace that appeared within the man who had just beaten my father until he could no longer speak or move.¡±


    He was still looking up at the sky, but I wasn¡¯t sure how to interject or what to say in response. I was stunned. Tears slid slowly down both his cheeks as he continued. ¡°That man had solace in his heart from what he had done. He stood over my father like a man who had just successfully hunted a beautiful animal, ¡®I thank you for the battle we shared and for the strength you showed.¡¯¡± He laughed to himself as he mocked the man¡¯s voice. ¡°Thanks? How can you thank someone you just beat into a bloody pulp? What sadistic nature does that require? After all that was said and done, the man walked over to me and made a single request. Nay, a single command. ¡®I left your father alive today. In return, you will bring me someone strong just as you did today, or I¡¯ll dull my blade in your family¡¯s flesh.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t even comprehend the amount of pain he had experienced, even with the little context he had shared with me, but I did know what misused strength looked like. ¡°That¡¯s¡­terrifying. I can¡¯t even imagine having to witness that. If I may ask, how is your father now?¡±


    His head dropped down, and he placed the pendant back onto his neck. ¡°Recovering, still. I¡¯ve only been doing this for a few months, getting as much money as possible to care for my family and pay for his healing treatments, but no one wants to take a one-person carriage out of the kingdom, so I only get the short rides. My father¡¯s wounds will heal, but his pride has been broken. I haven¡¯t told him what the man said last. I fear he will try to fight him again and lose his life in the attempt.¡±


    I looked at the sky as well, looking for words to comfort him. ¡°You should be proud of your father; he defended his values and his son valiantly. My father was ¡ª I mean, I know what misused strength looks like.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps you are right.¡± He said, wiping at his eyes. ¡°Let us hope we can both be stronger than our fathers.¡±


    I searched the sky for the four major moons my father taught me about. In order of size, the smallest was Mimas, and then Enceladus, Titan, and Sanguis. Mimas was always easy to find because of the odd spot on it. Enceladus was bright and often hid around the Ring. Sanguis had spidery cracks throughout it, which always made me curious. Titan is my favourite, though; it has the most mystique. An almost blue tint separated it from the rest. ¡°I always look to the moons whenever I feel alone. They¡¯re probably unfathomably far away, but they feel so close. They make my problems feel small, like seeing a mountain puts everything into perspective, but what¡¯s a mountain to a moon?¡±


    I stood and helped the driver up by grasping his forearms with an eye of respect. ¡°Thank you for sharing your burden with me and listening to my own.¡± I puffed out a deep breath from my chest with a smile. ¡°Maleki, ¡± I said as I extended my hand


    ¡°Kallen ¡ª Kallen Phortix¡­I needed this, Maleki; thank you.¡± He exhaled in relief. ¡°This trip brings back unwanted memories, and I have no one to share with. I don¡¯t want to scare my family, so I hold it in and keep pushing forward as best as possible.¡±


    ¡°I know what you mean. Our family is small, and we all share the same burdens, each person with their own guilt. It¡¯s difficult to share things with Miko. I don¡¯t want him to think his older brother is weak when he already has it so rough. He needs someone strong to keep him moving.¡±


    ¡°About that. What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± Kallen questioned. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard or seen an illness like his.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s partially paralyzed, but it¡¯s entirely random and getting worse. We don¡¯t have long before it becomes unmanageable, or at least I fear that to be the case. Miko and I are trying to find a cure or some kind of treatment, but there¡¯s not a healer on this entire forsaken continent that can do a damn thing to help him.¡±


    ¡°You hope to find this treatment in Quavoris? I know my way around there. It¡¯s a big place, but it¡¯s smaller than other Kingdoms comparatively. Let me give you a tour. It¡¯s the least I can do.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Kallen. You don¡¯t owe me, but I¡¯ll take you up on that. I¡¯ll use any advantage to get him healthy again.¡±


    We took the horses back to the camp, but that was the end of our conversation. Both of us had found quiet respect for the other and in each other¡¯s journeys. I laid down for the night having made a friend, or at the very least, a knowledgeable ally.


    I woke up to the campfire crackling. Miko was still asleep, but Kallen had already begun preparing for the final trek to the city. I cleaned the camp as quietly as possible and watered down the remaining embers that breathed a red-orange in the ash. Miko¡¯s sleeping bag was the last thing remaining to pack.


    ¡°We¡¯ll need to get on the road if you want to make it to the city in the sunlight,¡± Kallen spoke aloud while brushing the horses off.


    ¡°I could just toss him in the carriage if you¡¯d like, Kallen. Kicking him while he¡¯s asleep has worked once or twice¡­.¡±


    Miko stirred in his sleeping bag. ¡°Ughh... I¡¯m already awake, idiots.¡± He popped upright with his chest and his arms in the air. ¡°...and I can see!¡±


    I walked over to Miko and slung him and his sleeping bag over my shoulder. Sight and arms mean he can¡¯t walk, so I¡¯ll have to prepare the cart when we get to the city. His sleeping bag coiled back into his backpack, which we tossed into the carriage. Miko grabbed ahold of the top bar and was rejuvenated enough to carry himself over to his seat by holding his weight up and gripping the bars along the top of the roof.


    Kallen even seemed in a better mood today. They hadn¡¯t argued yet, but being in good spirits might actually cause them to bicker more.


    Miko yelled aloud, ¡°Quavoris, here we come!¡±


    Kallen yelled back, ¡°That was my ear, you heathen!¡±


    Yep, everything¡¯s back to normal.

 Chapter 6: Templum Deorum Novisimorum [Part 1]

    <u>Miko:</u>


    It was another four to five hours in the cart before we reached Quavoris, but the time flew by as I overindulged myself in the books I brought. I¡¯ll run out of new reading material at this rate. When we get into the city, I should find more books or expedition journals for future reading. I had read a lot, but only a lot of just a few areas. There was surely more to the world than heat, hammers, metal, new animal discoveries, and species census¡¯. Grandma and Grandpa were always very careful about what I was allowed to read. Still, even the books Grandpa didn¡¯t outright display, the ones hidden in his study, that is, did not strike me as adult or mysterious. The stories sometimes had words blotted out or pages ripped out. It never struck me as nefarious, though; the spines of the books were always well used, often held together by the pages¡¯ will to keep being read.


    Maleki and I didn¡¯t have a plan once we got inside the city. Our only thought was to wander around until something became familiar. Since we were participating in a hidden journey of sorts, we figured even knowledge of the city itself wouldn¡¯t inherently give us a clue as to where to start. This path would have to be hidden in plain sight so even the city¡¯s people couldn¡¯t discover it.


    It seems that our driver, Kallen, will be giving us a more enhanced tour, thanks to my brother¡¯s new ability to make friends. I certainly don¡¯t expect a tour from anyone that will speed up our journey, but I can¡¯t see the harm in being shown around a place we¡¯ve never been to, even if they¡¯re annoying.


    ¡°What¡¯s Quavoris like? I¡¯ve heard from Miko what the books say, but what does it actually feel like? What are the people like?¡± Maleki said aloud.


    The driver shifted his weight around and then popped his head to the side to catch us in his peripheral vision but kept his eyes on the road. ¡°Normal, for the most part. They have stayed neutral due to their terrain. Thick forests and mountains on the south side tend to isolate folk in that way. Most people come here to arrange trade routes and establish connections with local shops and inns. The shops need the basic goods from the other Kingdoms, and the tradesmen want to buy exotic materials from their forests.¡±


    I jumped into the conversation out of curiosity. ¡°Isn¡¯t the weather supposed to be harsh here? I was under the impression this was a coastal kingdom.¡±


    He responded quickly. ¡°Well, you can see the coast from the city, but its high elevation keeps it decently safe from harsh weather. It¡¯s in a sweet spot of not being too high to deal with the mountains but just high enough to avoid a lot of the flooding. Storms are all the same, though. At least we¡¯ll be high enough to avoid the waterspouts¡­.¡±


    ¡°Water Spouts? What kind of beast is that?¡± Maleki questioned.


    ¡°Hah, no beast. A water devil maybe¡­.¡±


    He didn¡¯t intend to answer the question, so I added in. ¡°It¡¯s like a tornado but with water. Apparently, they happen closer to large bodies of water, and the high speeds can be dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Be thankful you¡¯ve never seen one in person.¡± Kallen prodded.


    ¡°¡­and you have?¡± Maleki asked.


    ¡°From a distance. Let us hope it remains that way.¡± I could see a smirk form on a small part of his face. ¡°I¡¯ve had too many close calls with tornadoes to be swallowed up by the sea.¡±


    We arrived at the edge of the city with the sun above us. The city¡¯s walls looked old, built with sandy limestone, but faded from the sun¡¯s damaging rays. An enormous mountain lay to the south of the town, offering a natural form of defense from the winds and opposing forces. Even if I turned my head one hundred and eighty degrees, the mountain¡¯s hills and crests were still visible.


    As we neared the entrance to the Kingdom, the trees had become less dense and the road more structured. This made the cart less shaky and allowed me to look around better without wanting to puke. We had passed one carriage on the way in, but it seemed like the city only had one internal opening that dispersed into three external routes that each led to another kingdom, which meant they had to maintain more roads but could isolate traffic and prevent blockades. From the maps I have seen, there is the route for the kingdom we are from, which lies in the center. Another route leads to the kingdom below ours. The last route goes down the mountain, closer to the coast, and leads to the kingdom in the northeast.


    ¡°How many of the kingdoms have you been to?¡± I asked the driver.


    He was intently looking at the road so he could steer the horses properly, as we were now seeing more people outside the city gates. ¡°I¡¯ve been to six of the seven.¡±


    ¡°Seven?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± He answered quickly. ¡°Most books are too old to cover it, and the seventh kingdom is fairly quiet about its affairs. From what I¡¯ve heard, their imports are almost nonexistent and are pretty independent since they¡¯re just a big island in the northeast.¡±


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    I had thought coastal life was impossible due to the intense weather. ¡°How do you get there? Isn¡¯t it dangerous?¡±


    ¡°Sure, everywhere is dangerous, though.¡± He responded.


    I lost my curious smile. ¡°You know what I meant.¡±


    He laughed and then continued on. ¡±My father drove some bureaucrat once that said the place is only safely accessible for a short time every year, but I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s true.¡±


    A guard shouted from the right as we cleared a smaller preliminary gate, ¡°All travelers proceed to the main gate for entry.¡±


    Kallen swiveled his head around before communicating the plan to us. ¡°I¡¯m gonna find a spot for the carriage and a tie down for the horses, so grab your packs and wait for me before the entrance to the gate.¡±


    We did as he asked and pulled our packs behind us. Maleki got out first and opened the back to pull out the cart as I slowly pulled myself down the steps to the last available one. I then grabbed the edges of the cart and lifted myself over with my hands, and then Maleki moved my bag where it fits better against my back so that I could sit more upright. I was at the back of the cart, so I could see Maleki as he pulled the cart to the gate. Once we were situated, Kallen yanked the ropes on the horses and went off to find a spot, and we were left in the middle of a circular opening plated in an off-white limestone. Both sides of the walls next to the city¡¯s gates had places to store horses, as well as a guard¡¯s barracks and a few carriages set up to give rides to the other kingdoms.


    The city¡¯s gate was a large portcullis that was pulled up, with six guards doing preliminary checks. There were two lines, one for carts and carriages for imports and one for travelers just entering the city. A stone wall separated people who were exiting and entering the city.


    ¡°Maleki, this place is massive! The wall alone is five times the size of our house! And that gate is almost twenty people wide.¡±


    ¡°How many people do you think it took to build this? How many years? It took Grandfather and me a couple of months just to make that new fence for the livestock, but this wall looks like it wraps all around the city!¡± Maleki¡¯s face was full of awe and excitement like my own.


    ¡°I figured the big kingdoms would be incredible, but I didn¡¯t expect one of the smallest ones to be this large.¡±


    ¡°I always thought Father was lying, and they were made to be more grand for his stories.¡±


    After waiting a few minutes and marveling at the architecture, Kallen arrived with a light pack slung across one of his shoulders and signaled us to follow behind him. ¡°If you¡¯re this amazed by a minor kingdom, you should see Korvast next. It¡¯s three times as wide and three times as tall.¡±


    He guided us to the front gate, and we entered a line of fifteen to twenty people.  When we reached the front of the line, our driver turned guide, stepped forward, and the guards did a visual check. A guard on the left wielding a short sword and a bright orange uniform spoke loudly, ¡°Family Name. Occupation. Purpose.¡±


    Kallen responded quickly and with little emotion as if this was usual for him. ¡°Kallen de Phortix, carriage driver on visitation.¡± They waved him through after the opposing guard wrote some short form details on a parchment.


    Maleki spun the cart around and pulled the handle and its length closer to the ground so that he could push the cart up to them, keeping the single file line intact.


    ¡°Family Name. Occupation. Purpose.¡± The guard stated clearly again.


    ¡°Miko Mortica. Child? Visitation.¡± I answered promptly.


    The guard lowered his head, addressing me with his eyes for the first time, almost as if he had just realized I was bound to this little cart. ¡°Next,¡± he announced to Maleki.


    My brother looked at me with an eyebrow raised, speaking through his teeth. ¡°Your occupation is ¡®child¡¯?¡±


    I squinted my eyes a little, ¡°¡­yes?¡­.¡±


    Maleki looked to the guard and stated the requested information. ¡°Maleki Mortica. Traveler on visitation.¡±


    They waved us both through, and Maleki pushed the cart forward, swung it back around into a pulling formation, and dragged us over to where Kallen was standing.


    I muffled under my breath with my arms crossed, ¡°Traveler isn¡¯t much better.¡±


    Kallen must have been within earshot because he and Maleki both looked at me with concern.


    Our self-appointed guide looked over me to my brother and laughed in a low-pitched, mimicked voice, ¡°Occupation.¡±


    Maleki responded with a higher pitch and tone, ¡°Child,¡± and they both laughed while I crossed my arms tighter in disapproval.


    Kallen guided us further into the town and suggested finding an inn for the night so we could get an early start in the morning before the city livened up with the night folk. We took his advice and found an inn closer to the city¡¯s center that would allow us to be closer to everything in general.


    The tavern was lit with soft lantern light but otherwise empty except for a few patrons keeping to themselves. Surprisingly, no one turned around to investigate the child dragging another child in a wooden cart inside the tavern. We gave Kallen the necessary coin, and he paid for the room.


    Other than some random yells from people walking the streets, the tavern was reasonably quiet. The muffled conversations through the door weren¡¯t too distracting, but the light was too low from the lanterns in the room to try and read from any of my books. I crawled to my bed, feeling in awe of how far we had traveled and ready for a normal night of sleep, whether it be in a bed of my own or not.


    Kallen and Maleki found their spots and situated their bags. I fell asleep as they talked to each other from their beds, with their arms crossed behind their head, serving as a form of pillow.a

 Chapter 6: Templum Deorum Novisorum [Part 2]

    <u>Miko:</u>


    <u> </u>


    <div>


    I awoke the following day as Maleki cleaned the room and repacked our bags. The same steps I performed every morning were the first thoughts in my mind: What is wrong with my body today?


    Legs. Check!


    Eyes. Check!


    Arms¡­


    So, the cycle continues. At least Maleki doesn¡¯t have to drag me around in a cart like the farm animals we already look like.


    We left the cart and reserved our room again so that we could leave it behind. Maleki tightened my pack for me, using the hook and circlular metal pieces hanging off the bag¡¯s upper and lower sides. This was specially retrofitted for me before the journey, as a pack is pretty hard to keep ahold of when your hands and arms can¡¯t adjust it occasionally.


    We walked out of the tavern and took in the light from the sun as it peaked over the Eastern Sea.


    Kallen adjusted his boots and looked over to me, ¡°Where are we starting, genius?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be the guide, Kal?¡± I asked, putting emphasis on his name.


    ¡°Sure, I guided you here. And you better use my full name, you little rat!¡±


    I looked around me in a circle. ¡°We could¡¯ve made it this far on our own! Isn¡¯t it your job to take people around to places, Kallen Phortix?¡±


    ¡°Well, they usually have a destination in mind,¡± Kallen said sarcastically. ¡°And you knew what I meant; just call me Kallen.¡±


    ¡°Fine, ¡®Kal-Len,¡¯¡± I gave each syllable of his name some extra emphasis. "Take us to the oldest part of the city. Anything hidden for a long time would have been built when the Quavoris was much younger.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easy enough. The further south you go, the buildings are taller and more intricate.¡± Kallen replied.


    ¡°Well, you have the compass,¡± Maleki said to me.


    I stared back with a blank face. He knew I couldn¡¯t grab it out of my pockets.


    Kallen picked up on our silence, pointing with his hand, ¡°South is this way.¡±


    We followed Kallen to the city¡¯s southern district, which was filled with more grandiose buildings, shining with a silver glimmer and marble texture that isn¡¯t noticeable in any other section of the kingdom thus far. Temples, government buildings, and even fountains and trees played a more integral role in the architecture and structure of the landscape against the mountain.


    I followed at the back of the group, taking in as much information from the buildings as possible.


    ¡°What¡¯s the oldest building you know of?¡± I asked to the front of the group, led by Kallen.


    ¡°I don¡¯t live here. You know that, right?¡± It was rhetorical, as he quickly followed up with, ¡°If I had to guess though, The Temple of the Last Gods. It¡¯s a huge building on the very southern wall. It serves as a museum at this point, but the tour guides always say it¡¯s the first place of worship on the continent.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s start there.¡± I thought aloud.


    We walked to the southern section, and the buildings were taller and even more intricate than the previous. Cracks filled certain sections of the stones, and the statues had been worn by time and fierce weather. Despite this, the area still had beauty to it. Where the manufactured look of a shined stone building would impress most, the moss, leaves, and grass that filled the blanks in the lost stone and fallen pieces from the structures and solid ground created a more mystical atmosphere around the several blocks that this part of the city took up. The people of the city started to change as well. Clothes became less colorful but more distinct, with symbols and folded edges that were sown together around the edges to create a more intricate design. We were clearly in a wealthier district of the city, and by the looks of the three of us, we were standing out tremendously.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    We took a left down the street, and the building Kallen spoke of became clear in our eyes. It was multiple tall stories with transparent windows on the front. Black lines filled the edges of each stone that fitted together during its creation. This effect protected it from looking like the rough vine and grassy-filled buildings all around it. The temple was so noticeably different and maintained compared to anything we passed by during our path through the city. There were around thirty steps leading to the bottom floor, each crafted with the same black lines filled between each stone. People were walking in and out of the temple, but there weren¡¯t lines to wait outside that you would expect for such a grand and important-looking building.


    We arrived at the bottom of the steps, and our gracious guide begrudgingly said, ¡°Well, this is the Temple of the Last Gods. Is this what you¡¯re looking for?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know what we are looking for, but it¡¯s not going to be on the outside of the building,¡± I responded sourly.


    Kallen folded his arms. ¡°You are so needy. I brought you here; it¡¯s not like I work here. If you want a guide inside, I am the wrong person. Couldn¡¯t care less about old artifacts and buildings.¡±


    Maleki stepped in to ease the playful jesting, ¡°We appreciate your help thus far. You are still more than welcome to come with, of course, but we will take the lead from here.¡±


    Kallen seemed happier with this statement. ¡°I don¡¯t have anywhere better to be, and I¡¯m also curious where this leads, so I¡¯ll stick around.¡±


    I took the hint and ascended the steps so we could start to get a better look at what was inside. The bottom of the building appeared in view as we crossed the final step. Stark-white pillars with black engravings supported the structure. The inside of the building was masked in shadow and still a few hundred feet away from our position, but the door, or lack thereof, was around thirty feet tall and twenty feet wide.


    We continued walking to the entrance, but the mountain and the top of the temple became of interest to me from this angle. The mountain was steep, almost indescribably huge from our point of reference, which was already well above sea level. The mountain¡¯s peak was not visible from our frame of reference and was obscured by a light blue and gray set of clouds. I wondered if Kallen knew how tall it was, so I swiveled my head and asked aloud, ¡°Kallen, how tall is th-¡±


    ¡°Miko, watch your-¡± my brother yelped.


    Before I could react, I had closed in on a taller figure waiting in front of the enormous empty doorway and collided into their back. My arms were useless and restricted by the pack, so I had no choice but to fall shoulder-first after sliding off from the impact. I rolled over to my back and sat up to where I could push off my heels back to a standing position. The figure was armour-clad with white chainmail and a gray cloak that mixed well with a more travel-worn gray leather to protect the bendy parts of their body.


    The figure was a boy, a few years older than Maleki. He slowly turned around, clearly less impacted by the bump in. His eyes traced over me quickly, and then a violent expression grew.


    In my excitement getting to the building, I had created a decent gap between Maleki and me, preventing him from reaching me before I callously crashed into another person. Maleki jogged forward to apologize for my mistake. ¡°My apologies, sir. We didn¡¯t intend-¡±


    The armoured figure was clearly out of place like us, compared to other citizens we had seen entering the temple, but he didn¡¯t look like any guard for the kingdom or the temple. His tone was layered with disgust, ¡°You know what the crime is for assaulting a noble, ri-?¡±


    ¡°I..I¡­I¡¯m terribly sorry, sir.¡± I lowered my head to show my acknowledgment of my mistake.


    ¡°What filth. You violate my presence and interrupt me.¡± He swung his hand backward at my face. I was in no place to block and not nearly fast enough to turn.


    I could feel the air separate from my skull as the back of his hand nearly met its¡¯ destination. Maleki interrupted his swing before its impact by meeting the man¡¯s wrist with his hand. Maleki¡¯s tone changed, and his voice flattened. ¡°Please forgive our interruption, but we meant no disrespect.¡±


    ¡°You have already disrespected me. You prevent my deserved justice, and another one of you filth lays their hands upon me? Unhand me so I can deal out my punishment, lest I become less merciful.¡±


    Maleki¡¯s grip tightened, but due to the older boy¡¯s armoured gauntlets, it evened the difference in their power. The boy resisted and tried to raise his arm higher, causing the sleeve on Maleki¡¯s arm that was holding the man¡¯s wrist to fall closer to his shoulder, revealing most of his forearm. ¡°Mercy? My brother and I apologize. It was a simple bump in.¡±


    The boy¡¯s eyes tightened with even further disgust after he saw Maleki¡¯s unsleeved arm. ¡°How unfortunate am I? A peasant dares to challenge my lawful authority, and at that, a majikless one? You and your brother are less than Lowmaj¡¯s. At least their blood allows them to serve their Kingdom. Yours is hardly worth spilling.¡± The air retreated around us as the older boy swung around with his other hand, and what looked like a condensed blast of air shot right through his palm as a grayish-white energy filled to each of his fingers.


    Maleki was launched several feet away, and I was still left surprised, standing, and unaffected by the blast.


    Before I could settle with what was happening, the man¡¯s eyes found me, and deja vu overwhelmed my brain as I found myself in the same position as a few moments ago. His hand pushed through the air even lighter than the previous time, but the edge of his hand was pulled from behind his opposite shoulder. The air manifested again, with his palm as the origin point, and quickly found the target as it pushed to my face at dangerous speeds.


    Maleki lurched forward with an underhanded pull, and his scythe dissipated the energy, turning its blur into non-existence.

 Chapter 7: Primum Proelium

    <u>Maleki:</u>


    <u> </u>


    <div>


    The boy¡¯s silvery hair dipped to the side, and his hand moved impossibly fast towards my chest. I braced my shoulder forward and tensed my body, knowing I couldn¡¯t avoid the imminent blow. White energy moved with the boy¡¯s hand, and a blurry spherical shape collided with my chest. My eyes could only see the sky as I was sent flying and then landed six feet away from the boy. I knew what he was really after, which meant I had no time to lay on my back and recover. I angled my eyes as I began to stand and saw the boy¡¯s white iris¡¯ flick over to Miko.


    I had to block the next attack somehow; I needed something sharp, something ¡ª something like my scythe. I worked in the fields with Grandfather, so I was familiar with the shape and feel of the blade. Distance and depth of field were second nature when pulling it from the holster tied into my bag. The only thing I didn¡¯t have on my side was strength and timing. Years on the farm doing all my work by hand strengthened my physique, but I had never used this tool as a weapon.


    I didn¡¯t understand what he did that first time, but it looked like the air rippled between his fist and its destination impossibly. Never in my entire life have I ever seen anything like that. Is it possible for someone to shoot air out of their hands, or is it some sort of trick?I was sure his hand hadn¡¯t actually moved since he had transitioned from a fist to an open palm with his fingers extended, but that would be the only explanation for what I just saw.


    I wasn¡¯t confident I could even block this next attack as I saw it begin to ball into a transparent blur, but I wasn¡¯t physically fast enough to block with my body. I was closer to Miko than the boy, and the scythe would give me another five to six feet of range. I decided the best option, probably the only one depending on the speed of the attack, would be to dash forward with one giant step and throw all my power into one swing in front of Miko¡¯s chest. I lurched forward and saw the temple wall blur behind the blast of energy, indicating its precise location.


    The air reverberated around the blast at a much weaker level, but I could still feel it reaching my body, which told me it was approaching fast.


    There wasn¡¯t much time, so I started my swing from my left shoulder, arcing the blade at an angle so I could peer the swing directly over Miko¡¯s shoulder without injuring him in the process. I dropped my hips to increase power at the crux of the scythe¡¯s maximum height and pulled my shoulder downward with as much strength as I could muster. The curved blade impacted the condensed air like I had hit a malleable clay ball. The air escaped around the blade, fleeting around the edges in a whistling dissipation and white flecks of energy sizzled away into the air.


    My eyes met the white iris¡¯ of the boy, his bright gray armor glistening off the sun in peak day. His face was that of shock; perhaps no one had ever retaliated against him before.


    ¡°An Osmium blade ¡ª in the hands of a peasant.¡± The older boy spoke grimly.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how many more of those I could block, but it didn¡¯t feel like my own strength would have been enough. I¡¯ll have to ask Miko what Osmium is after this. He read all of Grandpa¡¯s old smithy books, so maybe he has an idea.


    ¡°Where did you steal that blade from? I will accept it as payment for your transgression.¡±


    ¡°Trade this blade someone of your status so eagerly desires over a simple accident? I think I¡¯d rather take my chances with the wind.¡±


    ¡°That blade doesn¡¯t belong to someone like you.¡± He looked at my scythe as if it was a tasty rabbit and he was a starved wolf. ¡°I could finally even the odds between us.¡± He muttered under his breath.


    I didn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°So be it, fool. I¡¯ll pry it away from you.¡± He slid his front leg quickly behind him in a straight line, building up force in his heels, preparing himself to launch forward at an assumingly alarming speed with the amount of blur built up behind him. His left hand rose higher to his right shoulder, and his right palm flattened out to meet his left hand¡¯s fingers that were arced into a circle with his thumb. A bright luminosity grew in his palm, and I knew what was coming next, even if I didn¡¯t know what exactly it was.


    I twirled the long, flat side of the scythe around Miko and angled it up at his lower stomach, carrying him backward toward Kallen. Kallen and I briefly glanced at each other, and I could see the words in his eyes. He knew I needed him to keep Miko out of the way, but I could sense from him that this person was more dangerous than I even understood. How had we already gotten into a fight after only a week of being away from the house? Our grandparents would be ashamed. Be that as it may, I was already in this predicament, and there was no turning back. I took Kallen¡¯s non-verbal advice and stored it internally for a better occasion.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    My body was still facing forward, so I gripped the lower snath of the scythe and placed the heel against the ground with the toe angled toward my opponent.


    I barely had enough time to react before white air burst out of the boy¡¯s palm, condensing into a more potent blast through his left hand. I couldn¡¯t see the blur, as it was heading straight towards me with no background to track and moving even faster than the last time. With my scythe aimed at the sky, I pulled hard upwards and hoped I hit whatever was coming my way.


    Nothing landed against me, and I felt the same dissipation as before. However, during the movement, I had failed to remember his heels being pressed against the ground with blurry aggression. In the time that the air traveled towards me, he had launched himself, moving his right hand into a balled-up fist aimed right at me.


    There wasn¡¯t enough time to react; the blade of my weapon was already pointed high and away from its target. The most I could do was prepare a defensive posture and brace for the impending impact. I let the scythe¡¯s top shaft fall to my right shoulder, pulled forward with my left hand, and braced hard with the right.


    I turned my head slightly, squinting my eyes to prepare for the crashing force against me. I waited longer than I should have for such a quick movement. Unsquinting my eyes, I saw the armourer boy a foot away from me in an extended attack posture, as if he was frozen mid-attack.


    Another voice, confident but much softer with his hands extended in a vast, empty hug, filled the temple¡¯s front steps. ¡°Kaelum, my brother in arms! You always have such an insatiable lust for justice. I apologize for keeping you waiting, but there¡¯s no time to waste.¡±


    My eyes glanced forward at the person who was supposed to have just sent me flying. The ground itself lurched forward to grab his ankles, solidifying him in place. His eyes were locked onto me with great displeasure. I had now seen someone manipulate air, and another the stone beneath us. What did our family not tell us?


    ¡°Can you not wait a single moment, Valour?¡± Kaelum spoke with a tired voice.


    ¡°No time to waste, dear friend! Our prophecy requires us.¡± Valour spoke passionately. This new figure wore armour that reached just before his elbows. His chest plate held his family insignia, which was a ¡°V¡± slightly overlapping an upside-down pyramid. The armour itself was brownish gold with black accents. He looked younger than Kaelum, but not by much, and still several years older than me. They both seemed battle-hardened, yet I was unaware of any significant conflict in the last ten years.


    Kaelum dropped his hands down to each of his ankles, blasting a small burst of air at them to break the rock that held them in place. Despite my predictions, he didn¡¯t pursue Miko or me further. He dusted off his shoulder plates and swiveled on his heels to follow Valour, who was already walking into the temple.


    I decided not to press the issue further, accepting the result as the best-case scenario considering all parties were not injured, except maybe Kaelum¡¯s pride.


    With Kallen¡¯s visual advice coming back through the fray, I decided it was best to create some distance between the two gentlemen and ourselves in hopes of not reigniting the conflict again. Despite having faired well during the interaction, I was still quite startled by someone shooting air out of their hands and another manipulating the ground to their every command. Hopefully, Kallen could explain what I just witnessed.


    There was only silence as we walked away from the temple. We walked to a different section of the city closer to the eastern edge, near the cliff side. As we got further from the temple, the buildings lost their sizes, but they were still more prominent than those in the kingdom¡¯s center.


    We found ourselves in a marketplace with shops, stands for food, and a few taverns for travelers like us. I was hungry and thought our following conversation was best made over a table and in chairs.


    A building in the middle of the square, the tallest amongst them and with its back to the ocean, caught my eye. There were seats available outside, and from this distance, their specialty appeared to be cooked meats. A sign above the building listed it as ¡°King¡¯s Folley.¡±


    I pointed to the building, and Miko and Kallen were right behind me. The smell of the meat filled the air as we got closer, making me realize how hungry I had been. We chose the first table we walked up to and slumped down into the chairs after an exhausting morning.


    I broke the tension in the air, attempting to quell the discomfort that could be smelled alongside the meat. ¡°So, what was that back there?¡± I asked aloud.


    Kallen grunted. ¡°I don¡¯t know. You tell me. I¡¯m not the one who just played fisticuffs with the ¡®heir of air¡¯ himself, A child of prophecy, I might add.¡±


    Miko and I looked at each other and then back to Kallen, but I responded first. ¡°So¡­I have two questions. Maybe three!¡± Kallen exhaled the air out of his lungs and blinked twice in response. ¡°First question: How in the world did someone shoot air out of their open palm? Second question: How did someone mold the ground around another person?¡±

 Chapter 8: Majika Explicata [Part 1]

    <u>Maleki:</u>


    Kallen didn¡¯t seem to understand my question and responded with disbelief. ¡°Come on, be serious now. You just tussled with a kaliber two maji like it was a normal day¡¯s work. There¡¯s no way you don¡¯t know about majik.¡± He laughed at himself and took a drink of water that was brought over to us. ¡°I could believe you didn¡¯t know who that was; living under a rock would be enough to explain that. There¡¯s not a rock you could live under that would be enough of a reason to have never seen or heard of majik.¡±


    Miko and I had dead expressions with lifeless eyes. My brother spoke this time, ¡°I have two questions as well. What¡¯s a kaliber, and who and what is this prophecy about?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me¡­¡± Kallen laughed, waiting for a reply. ¡°Wait¡­.You¡¯re both completely serious, aren¡¯t you?¡± Kallen said with an exhausted tone.


    ¡°Completely serious,¡± We said simultaneously. We were raised on a farm with only four consistent people in our lives, so it¡¯s possible something well-known could have been hidden from us. I had seen other people, but our interactions were always limited.


    ¡°Fine, but you better not be playing with me, though! I don¡¯t mind fighting a no-armed little brat.¡±


    ¡°Try it, Kal,¡± Miko said with squinted eyes.


    ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll try and keep it simple and leave the more complex stuff out. There are two types of blood in the body; the red kind you see after a cut and the majikal kind. Majikal blood allows you to manipulate elements, but only if you have an affinity towards them.¡± Kallen placed his forearm on the table, then took his left hand and pulled his sleeve to above his elbow; one thick black line wrapped around his arm right below the wrist and at the start of his forearm.


    Miko noticed this and babbled, ¡°You have the same marking as our family!¡±


    Kallen laughed. ¡°No, this marking denotes the Kaliber of the individual. I am an upper first Kaliber, and my father is a lower third. The thickness of the line shows how capable you are at materializing your majik.¡±


    This new information aggravated me. Miko was right about our Grandparents ignoring the difficult conversations. ¡°Why didn¡¯t our family explain this to us?¡± I demanded in frustration.


    ¡°The real question is, why did they hide all of this from us?¡± Miko said.


    Kallen¡¯s tone lost its humour. ¡°Neither of you have the kaliber lines, right?¡±


    We both shook our heads and looked down at our wrists.


    ¡°Then ¡ª if I had to guess ¡ª your parents are most likely unnatural majis.¡±


    ¡°Unnatural? What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± My brother asked before correcting himself. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s not your fault; this is all just a little confusing.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to continue?¡± Kallen said as he scratched his head.


    Miko nodded his head eagerly like he was diving into a new book.


    ¡°Well, there are four natural elements; Areos, Aerth, Aqua, and Agni. Those represent physical elements, Agni being fire, Aqua ¡ª water, Aerth or the ground, and Aeros ¡ª the air.¡±


    ¡°So, how many elements are there? You mentioned unnatural ones as well.¡± Miko asked, his eyes wide.


    ¡°Six base elements. Four natural and two unnatural. The unnatural elements are called end and life. Your parents were most likely majis of one of both of these elements.¡±


    Miko seemed to be taking the information much quicker than I was, as he was already prepped with a response. ¡°You¡¯re saying our parents had elements that opposed each other, and that¡¯s why we don¡¯t have the black lines?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult to know for sure, but that has always been the consensus. End and life majis are rare as it is, so them having a kid, especially two, is incredibly rare. However, you two don¡¯t have the black lines because you don¡¯t have any majikal blood.¡± Kallen responded.


    I¡¯m pretty sure I understood what he was saying, but I still need time to process all this. We surely had lived long enough to witness some use of majik, but nothing immediately caught my mind before today. ¡°You¡¯re saying they cancel each other out? Wouldn¡¯t that be the case for any opposing element?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that would be the expected outcome, but the natural elements seem to enhance each other. On rare occasions, the opposite happens when a child is born with an aberrant element. You two are rare! Just on the unlucky side of rare¡­.¡±


    ¡°Tell us more about the prophecy!¡± Miko demanded eagerly.


    ¡°Ah, that. Most people are aware of it to some extent. Some story passed down by our grandparent¡¯s generation, maybe well before that, but I don¡¯t know it off the top of my head. Something about untold power and the prevention of another war. You know ¡ª the usual. I can tell you that if there was a prophecy, though, it was meant for those two you saw earlier; if you believe in that stuff, that is.¡±


    ¡°Two?¡± Miko asked.


    ¡°The dude your brother squared off against was Kaelum, a renowned child of a royal family in Korvast who has a direct connection to the throne. He is hot-headed apparently, or well, I guess not apparently, since we witnessed it firsthand. Based on his heritage, he¡¯s next in line to be one of strongest aeros maji on this whole continent.¡± He paused and took another sip of water, clearly not used to this much discussion. ¡°However, the other one you saw, his name is Valour. No royalty ties. Not even an ancestor to cling to for recognition. There¡¯s no doubt there, in a few years, he¡¯ll be able to give even the strongest Aerth maji alive a run for their money. Kaelum and Valour are from two separate kingdoms who have opposed each other for who knows how long, but for some reason, they¡¯re always spotted together. Pursuing the prophecy or on a new quest altogether. Who knows? Count yourself lucky you didn¡¯t piss off Valour and that he didn¡¯t seem interested in participating for the fun of it.¡±


    I laughed a little after taking a drink of my water, ¡°To be fair, it was Miko who bumped into him.¡±


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Miko¡¯s eyes darted to the side, almost nonchalant in fashion. ¡°Thanks for stepping in¡­¡± he muttered.


    Kallen laughed to himself before speaking again. ¡°Have either of you heard about the castle of Glimfell?¡±


    We both shook our heads again.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t, huh? There¡¯s a castle there, or a door, rather. I¡¯ve never seen it, but apparently, they opened it for the first time in hundreds of years. Anyway! Story for another time; you¡¯ve got enough to digest already, and for now, I only want to open my jaw again if food is going in it.¡±


    We didn¡¯t want to waste much more daylight after our discussion, so we returned to our journey through the city. This place is so big it feels like it would take days to walk across. Visiting the museum was still on our list, but we decided to go to the northern part of the city so we could safely browse around, and Miko promised to watch where he was going. Plus, causing a ruckus near an important area and sticking around is an excellent way to catch unwanted eyes, like those of the guards we saw at the front of the city.


    We walked against the edge of the city so that we could see the coastline for the entire duration of our walk. It was blurry from here, but the water out there carried dark blue tints underneath the smokey gray clouds that stormed amid the seas. Even though I had felt what happened when those storms traveled inward, there was still beauty to it all, at least from this safe vantage point.


    Our walk around this side of the city was pretty uneventful. We passed many people who didn¡¯t second-guess three boys walking around aimlessly. I¡¯m surprised we didn¡¯t look more out of place than we did since we were gawking at every building as if we were discovering a new animal every time.


    Miko was in charge of pointing out anything that caught his eye, but I was trying my best to keep my eye out as well. I didn¡¯t even know where to start, to be honest, and it was a little discouraging since the first thing you think isn¡¯t going to be correct, considering this should be hidden and not accidentally discovered. I wanted to point out interesting buildings that could be important, but what would we be looking for even if we decided to look in them? We didn¡¯t even know majik existed until today, so there¡¯s a good chance we are operating without a lot of valuable info. This is like playing hide and seek, except you don¡¯t set the bounds of play. Although, I guess the riddle did say ¡°between the kings and sound,¡± so there¡¯s kind of a boundary. That¡¯s assuming we are even in the right place. I trust Miko, though; he is much better at thinking and figuring things out.


    Up ahead was a statue of a man holding a large bowl three or four times my height. As we got closer to it, I could see the bowl was holding a small fire that blazed a soft bronze colour that was a similar hue to the bowl. A boy sat at the foot of the pedestal, playing softly and slowly on a bent-up instrument. He looked around our age, older than Miko but younger than me. Dirty and torn clothes covered him, although he did not look thin in the face. It was to be expected in big cities like this; those with and those without is how Father always split it up. After watching a few people pass by him without noticing, someone tossed a coin at the ground before him and walked away without much more consideration. Feeling sorry for the boy, I followed in their stead and placed a coin at his feet. He took no notice of my action and continued to pluck away at his instrument. Blindness did not seem to affect him, but he could be deaf, mute, or just without energy from not eating, so I didn¡¯t take offense to his lack of observation.


    We walked to the north corner of the wall and found some buildings that Miko inspected while Kallen and I rested on a bench.


    ¡°Where do you think this journey will take you?¡± He asked while fiddling with a small but multicolored rock.


    ¡°That¡¯s up to Miko; if he can figure out the path, I¡¯ll forge ahead.¡±


    ¡°Forgive me for prying, but what will you do if he can¡¯t get better?¡± Kallen asked with concern.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know ¡ªI try not to think like that, Kallen. You¡¯re a son, and I¡¯m a brother. Your father needs you, and Miko needs me. We play the roles given to us.¡±


    There was barely a second before he responded, ¡°¡­and when my father passes? Maybe not today, but on some solemn afternoon years from now. Will I still be just a son? Or, can I change ¡ª become something more.¡±


    I watched Miko as he read strange runes on buildings and paced around, talking to himself out loud. ¡°Our roles don¡¯t change so easily. Just because a fruit withers doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s any less a fruit.¡±


    ¡°You misunderstand my point, Maleki. What about a farmer who doesn¡¯t yield a single crop for several seasons? When does he reconsider his role or decide his role is no longer that of a farmer?¡±


    ¡°Then he will die a farmer. What are you getting at?¡± What he was attempting was more than I was ready to dissect today; I¡¯m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that majik exists.


    ¡°What do you want? Have you ever thought of that?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Well, I want Miko to get better.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s what you want for Miko. What do you want for you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Kallen. If I think like that, for even a second, I¡¯m afraid of what it will do to me.¡±


    ¡°Well, what if he does get better? Then what?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never thought that far ahead, Kallen. This thing with Miko, his sickness, it¡¯s been affecting him for so long that I¡¯m not sure I can even imagine what it would be like if it was gone.¡±


    ¡°If you want to keep up the facade of being an optimist, you should at least have some optimistic goals for your future.¡± He punched me in the side of the bicep and walked a laugh off with his hands behind his head, and elbows pointed to the sky. I was left to think of what he wanted out of this conversation. Not an answer, since I didn¡¯t provide one, but he seemed content with his questions ¡ª signaling to me his true intentions were for me to dissolve this information all on my own.


    Miko muttered the riddle repeatedly in different tones, pronouncing certain parts with more emphasis to meet his theories. He tossed a book on the ground with some intricate mechanism of movements in his limited state and then flipped through the pages with his boot. My brother can be quite innovative in this state; I guess he has to be to make living more livable. After watching him for a little while, Kallen went over and closed the book and kept pulling it further and further away to knock him out of his trance.


    ¡°Come on, Kallen! I lost my train of thought. I was this close to figuring it out!¡± Miko groaned.


    ¡°The only thing you were close to was a stroke. Even geniuses need to rest like us thin brains.¡± Kallen winked with a soft smile.


    Miko grumbled, leaning forward as if to put his hands on his stomach. ¡°Fine, you¡¯re right. I am getting pretty hungry, too.¡±


    We returned to the tavern and bought some apples and pears from a fruit stand run by a family who looked like they needed the coin. When we got back, I fell asleep almost immediately, but Miko and Kallen sat on the inside of our door frames, listening to the chatter of the lively folk enjoying their drink a little too much. I needed to rest after all of today¡¯s walking, life-shattering realizations, and altercations with random strangers, so I left them to their own devices.


    We returned to the tavern and bought some apples and pears from a fruit stand run by a family who looked like they needed the coin. When we got back, I fell asleep almost immediately, but Miko and Kallen sat on the inside of our door frames, listening to the chatter of the lively folk enjoying their drink a little too much. I needed to rest after all of today¡¯s walking, life-shattering realizations, and altercations with random strangers, so I left them to their own devices.


    When we awoke, we brought the wagon, and I tugged Miko to the northwest part of the city to inspect more architecture and spots of interest that Kallen thought might be worth visiting. We would be looking at these objects and places through the lens of mystery that most people wouldn¡¯t, so there might be something that others had missed out on when just enjoying the visual aspect. Writing and statues could have more meaning than the base layer of what they appear if there is some grand design to point us in the right direction. I was leaving all that to Miko, of course, but I can pull a wagon pretty well, so I just let him point and inspect, and then I would drag him over to his intended destination. Maybe that is why Kallen and I get along; we are both chauffeurs ¡ª at least he gets paid.

 Chapter 8: Majika Explicata [Part 2]

    <u>Maleki:</u>


    <div>


    Amid a busy plaza, a creak flowed through the purposefully set stone, and through the loud murmuring of the crowd, I could again hear that familiar sound of the boy plucking the strings of his harp. He was in a daze, his head bobbing with a slight movement of his shoulder as if he was hypnotized by his playing. Miko pointed out the boy and asked if we should give him some food. Despite the busy crowd, almost no one paid attention to him or his playing. For a moment, I was frustrated. When Miko and I arrived here, we were in awe at the depth and height of the city and the walls. There were buildings that rose much higher than our house and barn, even taller than the tree¡¯s on our property. All these people lived here with so much to their name and possession, but here sat a boy who looked unwanted and ill-treated by his kingdom. What is the purpose of excess wealth and property if not to share it with those who need more than you want? You can have walls to protect your borders, cities, or castles, but why do people shield themselves from their fellows? City life confuses me; maybe my parents were right to keep Miko and me out in the countryside.


    We waited a minute for the traffic to clear up, and then I rolled Miko over to the boy, and he leaned over the cart to place some of the leftover fruit we had from last night. Again, not even a crack of a smile or facial expression could be recognized on the boy. We did not take offense and simply left him to his music since the leftover daylight was so slim after walking all this way to the corner. Miko, Kallen and I explored till even the sun had departed, and then we walked to the tavern in the dark. The light in the city from the torches and braziers was much different than we were used to out in the quiet of the fields and forests where the only light to guide you was that of the moons and the astral ring. Unfortunately, we hadn¡¯t found much of anything yet that connected to the riddle or could even confirm that we were going in the right direction.


    After some more days in the city and deliberation, we woke up, and Miko decided it would be in our best interest to finally go back to the museum and see if there was any information we could gather there. We had visited almost every pocket of the city from the corners inward to the center and had very little to go on. Every day, we would give out food to some of the people we passed by on our walks around the city and ask if they had any information that might help us. No one was very helpful.


    Despite the previous incident, we arrived at the museum and entered without any fights or gates preventing our access. The whole place was as beautiful on the inside as on the outside. I was surprised people could even assemble a building of this size and keep it from crumbling down. We put everything together by hand on the farm, and even with tools, I couldn¡¯t imagine this was possible. As we walked around the museum, paintings of armour-clad men and women surrounded in bold colours and textures were placed along the walls and exhibits. There were tools and weapons that had aged or rusted with time and were no longer useable in combat but had some historical or archaeological significance. Miko read every plaque and inspected all the museum¡¯s artifacts while Kallen and I pretended to understand the importance of what we were looking at so we didn¡¯t look out of place. This place also seemed to serve as a place of worship for these ¡°Last Gods¡± that the temple had on display. I was hoping there would be a lot more information handed out or someone here to explain everything to us, but I guess that would be too easy, and we aren¡¯t even sure this temple is where we need to be.


    We spent three hours in the museum and repeatedly passed every painting, item, and statue until our brains could no longer process what we saw. Miko seemed in good spirits, but even he had concluded that although this place was important, it wasn¡¯t to us. Kallen tried to settle the matter by stating, ¡°This temple might be more important to Kaelum and Valor¡¯s prophecy than yours.¡±


    ¡°Our prophecy?¡± Miko questioned.


    ¡°Well, yeah, all prophecies are riddles. Usually, prophecies are specific to a person or a couple of people.¡± Kallen responded.


    ¡°This riddle seems more like a call to action with a reward than a prophetic proclamation of events.¡±


    ¡°Well, where¡¯d you find the riddle?¡±


    ¡°It was hidden on the back of a parchment that could only be exposed with a certain chemical.¡±


    ¡°Not exactly the typical mystical prophecy you hear of, but it is still mysterious. If it is a specific prophecy like all the ones I have heard in the stories from well before us, then there¡¯s a good chance that it is generational. Sometimes, the prophecy calls to someone specifically, but they aren¡¯t able to fill it, or they choose not to. In that case, the prophecy¡¯s contents warp a little to fit the generation and time period of the next available person. There¡¯s a good chance that none of the stuff in this building is useful to you.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re wrong, but I agree that this place doesn¡¯t have anything that can help us right now. This riddle doesn¡¯t feel specific; the contents seem so general and infer some specific path that has to be made. I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve run through every word of the riddle, and without a hammer and fewer people around, I don¡¯t think I can get much farther.¡± Miko slumped down against the wall with his arms limp and contained by his backpack.


    ¡°Not like a hammer would do you much good anyways.¡± I joked.


    Kallen tried not to laugh, but his expression broke the seal of the moment and ended our frustrating day in the museum. This trip today meant we had exhausted every exterior and publically available interior that was available to us. If something were here in Quavoris, it would be much harder to find. We decided to leave the Temple of the Last Gods and get some much-needed food after the exhausting last couple of days. All this thinking and walking made me hungry for something more filling and meaty, so I suggested we return to the tavern we ate at after the first trip to the temple, and the others agreed. After the walk there, we found our table from the first visit and reviewed all the details that Miko had decided weren¡¯t likely, and then Kallen labeled points of interest on our map that we could visit next. A woman approached our table asking what we would like to eat after explaining their available options. They were all meat-related foods, different sections of the same animal but with overly complex names. Kallen ordered very light, some sort of sausage from a mole pig. What intrigued me more was the King-Deer Miko spoke of before our journey here. I asked if they were on the menu and was assured that although they were rare, sharing them for first-time visitors was culturally significant.


    The woman was middle-aged, with black hair tied behind her and an apron in front. I watched her eyes, and they seemed to show more care than a stranger would show. Perhaps it was Miko¡¯s condition or our age, but she took extra care where otherwise we would not have seen it. After some explanation, she promised to return with a traditional and far less accessible part of the King Deer.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Some time passed as we continued our conversation, and the lady returned with a large plate. Her voice was soft, and she explained the process and importance of the particular food we had received. On the plate was a set of antlers that were unlike the antlers I had seen on the deer of our kingdom and instead were denser and more prominent. They didn¡¯t poke out the side of the top of the head like usual but instead arose from the top of the head like a fan with alternating spikes at the top. The shape resembled a king¡¯s crown, like in my father¡¯s stories.


    The base layer of the crown is a hardened bone that then leads to a thick layer of condensed keratin. The meat we would be eating was from the thin layer of marrow between the bone of the crown.


    Miko and I had already ordered with Kallen, so we were full to begin with, but we didn¡¯t want to be rude and decline. We both tried a bit of the tough meat, which was very different texturally from the sausage we had earlier. The lady spoke of the healing properties that the ground-up keratin is used for and that their ancestors used this meat for bedridden warriors. Miko had tried every family remedy, unique concoction, and animal byproduct that our family could find or had heard of, so we didn¡¯t particularly have any high hopes for this.


    There was enough leftover food on the table to feel wrong for wasting, which was the fault of the large serving sizes and our smaller stomachs. We weren¡¯t exactly warriors or even adults, for that matter, but I did eat more than Kallen or Miko due to my expulsion of energy a few days earlier. Miko had been watching the boy across the street play on a tattered harp, which matched his light-colored clothes. Although the harp was not beautiful, the worn strings were plucked with an enchanting passion, filling the fountain and the courtyard. No one else seemed to notice the boy or his playing, which surprised me, considering the level of skill someone our age was showing.


    I tapped Kallen on the side of his arm and pointed to the harp player. ¡°Our traveling musical entertainment is back. I haven¡¯t seen him do much of anything other than play the harp, not even get up or look up any of the days we have passed him.¡±


    Miko felt terrible for not eating all of his share, and we still had a fair amount of the King-Deer meat left over. ¡°Maybe he hasn¡¯t liked any of the food we have brought him. Should I bring him our food from today? It¡¯s special, so he¡¯s bound to like it, right?¡± Miko asked as his eyes tracked from his plate to his arms.


    He¡¯s not exactly going to be bringing anything with his arms like that. I grabbed the plate, and we slid out of our chairs together. ¡°I don¡¯t think you get to be picky if all your food is given to you for free, but we aren¡¯t going to eat anymore anyways, and it shouldn¡¯t go to waste.¡± We walked towards the boy, his harp passionately being strummed, but with no recognition other than from us. Neither of us intended to interrupt his playing, so we waited for the right opportunity or for the player to hopefully recognize our position on his own. Yet, he continued to play; our presence was not even in his mind. Now that we were up close, I could see that his eyes were closed again. He was plucking the strings in a pattern but with no rhythm detectable to the ear.


    Miko also noticed this and asked aloud, ¡°Eh, excuse me¡­Would you like this plate of food? We¡¯ve had all we can eat.¡±


    I handed the plate to the boy, who immediately ate the King-Deer marrow whole. There was silence for a moment. After opening his eyes, the harp player spoke for the first time, with a venerable tone, soft but with each word picked carefully. ¡°Finally, a decent meal.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡± I asked.


    Miko was as stunned as I was. ¡°What do you mean? Have you eaten any of the stuff we gave you this last week!¡±


    His voice was still soft, but more enthused now, ¡°Ahh, would you like to depart now?¡±


    Miko laughed, ¡°Depart?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you have the map?¡±


    Maybe he was sick or mentally ill. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re talking about, but we¡¯ll be on our way now.¡± I put my hand on the crest of Miko¡¯s back to nudge him the other way, but as I pressed, he resisted against me, dropping his shoulder to avoid it.


    ¡°The map? Yeah, yes! We do have it.¡± He looked over at me with wider eyes. ¡°We, wait¡­how did you know?¡±


    ¡°Let me see the map. When would you like to leave?¡±


    ¡°Grab the map, Maleki! It¡¯s in the big pocket.¡±


    I grabbed the back of his pack, spinning him a little to the left. In his bag was the rolled-up parchment from the old healer¡¯s house. Miko spun back around as the pack¡¯s top flap fell back over. I handed the parchment to the boy, and he unrolled and inspected it intently. I¡¯m unsure what he was looking for, as the letters were entirely invisible to the human eye.


    ¡°Do you wish to depart now or at a later date?¡± He asked firmly this time.


    ¡°Where are we going? How do you know what we need? We haven¡¯t even told you what is wrong with him.¡± I asked.


    ¡°Your brother here is sick, isn¡¯t he? Elsewise, you wouldn¡¯t be here. Worry not though, The Garden provides.¡±


    ¡°The Garden?¡± Miko questioned.


    ¡°Yes, you heard the poem, didn¡¯t you? ¡®To The Garden, we are bound,¡¯ The journey is quite enlightening as well. Although I must warn you, I can count on one of my hands the number of people who have attempted to travel there and met their destination. The conditions are unfair, the journey is rigorous, and who and what you find at the end may not be what you desire. Does this agreement suit you?¡±


    ¡°Suit us? What kind of pitch is that? Will this heal Miko or not?¡± I demanded.


    The boy said in a monotone voice as if he was reading from a long text. ¡°I make no promises of what The Garden provides. However, what it holds is otherworldly and incomparable to anything anyone could imagine or create. Does this explanation provide any solace?¡±


    Miko nodded to signal his approval, which was enough for me. ¡°Yes. We accept the terms, but isn¡¯t this a little lucky? You weren¡¯t difficult to find, and it all kind of happened by accident.¡±


    ¡°Oh, luck. Yes! You are quite lucky. You¡¯re the only boy in this whole kingdom who can¡¯t move his arms.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not luck; it¡¯s misfortune,¡± Miko said stiffly. ¡°We just gave you some food, and coincidentally, you¡¯re the guide, so it¡¯s not like we solved the riddle. I just expected this would have been harder.


    ¡°Luck. Coincidence. Expectations. They¡¯re all irrelevant to her.¡± The boy smiled and raised his white eyebrows; I had never seen a colour like that before on a person. Even Kaelum¡¯s hair was only silvery, almost like smoke.


    ¡°I don¡¯t underst-¡°


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t. Just know individual perception is different from others¡¯ perspectives. You may not feel like you earned it, but you have more than you know.There is no such thing as luck ¡ª all things flow together ¡ª inevitably. You just have to be in the right place, at the right time.¡±


    ¡°Wait I-¡°


    I interrupted, unable to listen to this madness any longer. ¡°Do you want to keep arguing with the boy, or do you want to get healed?¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± He muttered as I patted his head to signal my appreciation of his restraint.


    ¡°Great.¡± The white-haired boy said without enthusiasm. ¡°We shall leave tomorrow, fifteen minutes after the first sunrise, outside of the city gates.¡± He closed his eyes, ignoring us again, and began plucking away at his harp, leaving Miko and me confused for the second time today.

 Chapter 9: Iudicium Incipe [Part 1]

    <u>Miko:</u>


    The inn we returned to felt the same. Same noises, same voices, all the same smells. Yet, there was a subtle difference compared to the previous night. The same exhaustion filled our bones, and the quiet tension remained all the same. A faint drop of hope filled my mind for the first time in a long time. Hope that I can get better, or at the very least, hope that someone like myself can find something or someplace that very few others ever have. The mystery of it all throbbed in my mind as I prodded away at all the information I received in two short spans.


    Majik and Kalibers, prophecies and poems, and a journey to a garden that has yet to unfold. The riddle had little emphasis vocally on ¡®the garden,¡¯ whilst the boy said ¡®The Garden¡¯ with so much more precision. What kind of place could even make a boy like him have reverence? What does this garden grow? Every garden has to produce something. On our farm, we grew all kinds of extraordinary things, and most of it was edible, but some things, like Grandma¡¯s obsidian roses, didn¡¯t actually provide anything for us. What will this garden grow?


    Maleki filled Kallen in on what happened with the harp player despite him being right there with us. Apparently, he didn¡¯t remember or couldn¡¯t hear what the boy was saying at that moment. Everything he recounted was pretty fuzzy and sparse compared to what we had to share.


    Kallen seemed to hold the information better since one of us detailed it with him. He was happy for us and glad we found what we were looking for so quickly, but he seemed apprehensive nonetheless. I wasn¡¯t sure what he was in for on this layman¡¯s quest of ours, but as of right now, he seemed to want to carry forward with us for as long as he could. Maleki and I hadn¡¯t had a chance to discuss our new friend Kallen and share information, but I got the feeling he was just interested in where this was going and where we would end up. I didn¡¯t mind having him around, honestly; he disguised a large amount of knowledge in that head of his in favor of appearing more disinterested. However, I could see through the guise, one that I often held up myself.


    Each of us stirred in our beds, finding no luck falling asleep, yet we stayed to our own thoughts. I hadn¡¯t much time to process the day as a whole, and now seemed like a good time to do so, but I knew a good night¡¯s rest would go a long way. I dissected Kallen¡¯s answers from our earlier discussion this morning and searched through my memories to find moments that would help add some context to what was said. It¡¯s interesting the amount that people can get away with with one simple lie or by withholding a relatively small but critical piece of information.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Now that we knew the truth that majikal blood existed, I can see why our family hid this from us. Perhaps they were hopeful that I would improve, and then they could explain things to us adequately. It must have been difficult to hide such a grand thing from us, but perhaps our ignorance of it altogether allowed us not to see the signs of it. Maleki has always been exceptionally aware, but maybe in the comfort of our farm, a lack of contact with other people allowed him to be fooled.


    It¡¯s exciting that there¡¯s majik in the world, even though we can¡¯t participate directly with it. Although, that boy Kaelum despised us simply for our position in this world as if we had any control over our lack of majikal blood. It was my fault for not being aware of my surroundings; I could¡¯ve put Maleki in a dangerous situation, possibly even deadly. This damned body of mine has made it so difficult for both of us. As long as I¡¯m like this, Maleki will have to look after me. Hopefully, tomorrow brings better horizons.


    It¡¯s odd, however. Our family exhausted every expense to try and find a cure for me, so they would have certainly consulted with a healing expert in the magical world. Although, according to Kallen¡¯s theory, our mother was supposedly a life maji. I don¡¯t know what that really means, but some simple math would tell me if she could control life, she would have tried to heal me with her majik as well. I¡¯m more curious about how I never witnessed something so exceptional.


    I guess there¡¯s no sense in thinking so hard about the past. It¡¯s already happened, so I can¡¯t change it. Grandpa always thinks like that. ¡°Worry about what you can change, and don¡¯t worry about the rest.¡± Simple-minded but effective for a man of his lifestyle. It¡¯s a good thought process for when in difficult times, but I can¡¯t simply not think about my state of being. I¡¯m hopeful I can find a way to change it, but if I ignore it I¡¯m afraid it will swallow me whole.


    My body was tired now, and as much as my mind was not ready to settle, it needed the rest even more.

 Chapter 9: Iudicium Incipe [Part 2]

    <u>Miko:</u>


    <u> </u>


    <div>


    Xhorae, what most people call the first sun, filled the room and took my eyes a few blinks to adjust to. It was a silly name, really. The sun is the same on one day as it is on another, yet for some reason, we have an entirely different name for the second sun, Vhorae.


    I awoke more peacefully than usual. Maleki had just rolled out of bed and packed our belongings. To my own surprise, my eyesight was not taken this morning, but it was my legs again instead. Perhaps the pattern was not set or not as predictable as we had reasoned. I had surmised that it would rotate on a routine of legs, arms, and eyes, but clearly, it was not perfect. Maybe it was random but never sequential. This might fall into the category of not being able to control it and thus not worrying about it. Perhaps Grandpa¡¯s advice was not useless¡­


    We traveled back through Quavoris, having only spent a few days there. I would have enjoyed much more time in the kingdom before abandoning it for another lonesome journey. Maleki would surely always be there, but we hadn¡¯t met many people, and part of me was hoping I might get to meet some other ordinary people my age. Our new unnamed friend seemed around my age, but I didn¡¯t see our upcoming conversations as being very fun.


    I was able to grab a few assortments of books from a street vendor who had a small collection of popular books. Fortunately for me, there was now a wide array of topics I had just gained access to. Turns out, Grandpa was holding back, or perhaps his collection was just older than what was popular ¡ª a few books on Majik and several others about fighting and the previous war.


    Hopefully, these should hold me over, but I didn¡¯t have enough room for more anyway. One day, I hope I can afford to buy a whole library and live in it. All the world¡¯s books to myself sounds like a wish come true. I guess there¡¯s no harm in it, but I try to avoid wishing, considering everything that¡¯s happened. I should just focus on the day-to-day goals and our upcoming task to reach The Garden ¡ª that¡¯s what Maleki would do.


    Exiting the gates was less embarrassing than entering them, and our trip was relatively uneventful compared to yesterday. Kallen walked us to the middle of an un-trafficked area where we had found ourselves two days prior and waited for something noticeable. Our expectations were high based on our last interaction with the boy, as he didn¡¯t seem the type to be late. We presumed he would be waiting for us again, but it might be a mistake to become reliant on unexpected things. Our new normal has devolved quite quickly, and I was left feeling adapted to our environment and accustomed to change.


    A few minutes went by, and a voice appeared behind us. Without turning around, I knew it was the voice of the strange boy. After twisting around to see the boy from my wagon, I laid eyes on him, and something seemed different about him. His clothes were similar to before, although less tattered and worn. There was no instrument in his hands, and the hood of his cloak looked more extensive than it needed to be. The boy¡¯s hair was long and white, tucked behind his ears, and bushed out behind his head at the ends. His robes had hints of purples and greens, though their color was clearly faded by time and travel.


    ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± I jested.


    He looked to the sky and found the sun, then laughed, ¡°Yes, burdened am I by perspective. You will have to forgive my selfishness.¡±


    I awkwardly laughed to clear the air, then responded while scratching my head. ¡°I¡¯m sure we can trade apologies, as I will inevitably slow our journey to the garden.¡±


    ¡°The garden has time, but you cannot rush to your destination. You must leave space for the stamina this journey will siphon from you. Have you come prepared?¡±


    Maleki answered the boys¡¯ questions about what we were bringing. The books I just purchased, rations, tools, and all the items our grandparents packed for us. Everything seemed to be up to the boy¡¯s standards, as he didn¡¯t second-guess our choices.


    ¡°Where are we headed? Maleki asked.


    ¡°South, a couple hour¡¯s walk to the path up the mountain.¡±


    ¡°Our friend is collecting his carriage. He has offered us a ride as far as he can take us.


    ¡°That is wise. Let us not waste energy on the walk to the first steps.¡±Kallen had fetched the horses and the carriage and returned to us after a short while. The horses had curly gray hair along their bodies and eyes pitch black. They trotted over to us with Kallen back in the comfort of the reins, and he greeted us in a cheerful tone.


    Maleki loaded me and the wagon into the cart and found a spot next to me to allow the boy access to his own bench.


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    ¡°Where to?¡± Kallen shouted.


    The boy turned around and pointed to a spot on a map that Kallen was holding.


    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be too difficult. I¡¯ll follow the edge of the mountain with the southern road, and we can cut into the thin part of the forest when we get closer.¡±


    I was curious about the boy and was already sick of calling him by such a simple word. He didn¡¯t seem to be one to overshare, but I decided to ask anyway. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Nomen?¡± the boy questioned with a slight accent.


    ¡°That¡¯s a weird name for a little boy.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not my¡­Truthfully¡­Yes, Nomen will do. I suppose that is easier than the alternative.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Miko. This is my brother Maleki. Oh, and the flat-headed driver is Kallen.¡± I could feel heavy eyes from Kallen, but he didn¡¯t protest my remark.


    ¡°Those are good names. I have not heard them before today. Perhaps they will live on in a great story if you succeed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to ask. This journey is tough, right? What¡¯s the point in having a physically taxing journey for someone who is sickly and wants to be healed?¡±


    ¡°That is a great question, although I¡¯m not sure there is an answer that satisfies. If I was forced to answer, I might be inclined to say that proof of character is the ability to surpass the odds despite one¡¯s shortcomings.¡±


    ¡°Ya know, you don¡¯t speak like a kid; I read a lot of books, and even I don¡¯t sound like that. Where are you from?¡±


    ¡°You are full of questions, but I do not shy from an answer. It may surprise you, but The Garden is my birthplace and, at times, my home. To answer your first question, though, I believe that language is a tool or a blade when intended. Please forgive my formality.¡±


    ¡°How long will it take us to get there, anyways?¡±


    ¡°Well, that depends. The journey is different for each person, and each trial can vary depending on many circumstances. If I could give any warning prior, it would be to spend your energy wisely.¡±


    ¡°How long has it taken other people?¡±


    ¡°The quickest procession was one hundred and ten Xhoraes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s like three months!?¡± I exclaimed. ¡°You¡¯re telling us we will have to be out there for that long?¡±


    ¡°No, I said that¡¯s how long it took another person.¡± He seemed to be confused by my response. ¡°Your journey is independent of anyone else¡¯s. If it consoles you any, the longest successful journey was two hundred and twenty Xhoraes-¡±


    ¡°-No, it does not make me any feel better. Six months! That¡¯s even worse!¡±


    The boy laughed for the first time, the veil cracking for a split second before returning to normal. ¡°Hm. I will remain quiet until we arrive at the base of the mountain. Please wake me if you have any questions.¡± He closed one eye and gave us a moment to respond, and after nothing was said, he closed the other.


    Hours passed, and Kallen finally whistled for the horses to slow their trot. There was a soft sound in the wind as the branches moved back and forth peacefully and almost intentionally. The mountain¡¯s slope was more prevalent in our current location, which made it feel more climbable compared to Quavoris¡¯s view. I¡¯m not confident you could even slide down Quavoris¡¯ slope. Although it was steep here as well, this seemed more approachable, even though I could not see the snowy tops of the mountain range from this angle.


    The silence was finally broken as Kallen announced we had arrived at the approximate destination the boy had marked on the map. Nomen opened his eyes without any hesitation or intervention and asked us to gather our things. Maleki did as he usually does and prepared the cart and packs before grabbing me as well. After a few minutes of tying up the horses to a tree without undoing their ties to the carriage, everyone had found their place between two trees and a flattened path that followed towards the bottom of the mountain.


    Nomen asked aloud, ¡°Have you double-checked your belongings? This is a long and arduous journey, and you would be remiss not to have everything you need.¡±


    Maleki nodded his head. ¡°Checked, rechecked, and then triple-checked.¡±


    ¡°Great, are you ready to depart and say goodbye then?¡± the boy questioned flatly.


    ¡°Say goodbye?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Ah, you did not think our dear driver would be taking us all the way to The Garden, did you?¡±


    Kallen scratched his head awkwardly and tried to laugh off the tension in the air. ¡°Sorry guys, I...uh...My family is still at home, and I, well, they don¡¯t know I¡¯m here or that I was doing this. They still need me to provide for them, but I wish I could see this through with you.¡±


    Maleki interrupted, ¡°We never expected someone to take us this far, so don¡¯t feel bad. Thank you. You¡¯ve already done far more than we expected.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll walk you all to the base of the mountain. I can do that at the very least!¡± Kallen replied with a chirpier tone. He had clearly been pondering the idea of going with us on the way here or thinking about how he would tell us he wouldn¡¯t be, but his mood improved after the relief of telling us.


    The walk to the mountain¡¯s base was beautiful, and as the trees became more sparse, the view of the cliffs ahead of us became visible. Rocky and jagged in certain areas but sloped with a walking path in other spots. This would be a challenging climb from what we could see from here, but there is no telling what the descent would look like. I¡¯m not exactly in climbing condition, or really walking condition for that matter. We made our way to the forest¡¯s edge, and the cart wobbled back and forth every time the grass hit a stony spot, which was becoming more frequent. The trees were behind us at this point, and it seemed as good a time as any to officially start the journey, so we all stopped for a moment and took a fresh breath of air before it would likely become more difficult in more ways than one.


    Kallen took this as his moment to depart and announced his goodbyes aloud to both of us. Maleki pulled the cart as he walked backward and spoke to Kallen from across the clearing, ¡°I¡¯ll find you when we get back. There will be a lot we have to catch up on after this!¡±


    Maleki was right. If this journey goes as planned, we will have much to discuss. For now, we have a mountain to climb.

 Chapter 10: Iudicum Aerth [Part 1]

    Maleki:


    I¡¯m not upset that Kallen left, although the company was welcomed. This journey is mine and Miko¡¯s alone, and I never expected anyone to take us this far. My poor brother, with no social skills, seemed to be finally warming up to him. A shame, I guess. Maybe Nomen can provide some decent conversation on the way, but he doesn¡¯t necessarily strike me as the talkative type.


    The mountain¡¯s foot would be the easiest part, requiring more sloped walking than actual climbing. I hadn¡¯t spent the time to figure out how we would even be getting around. I just knew I would figure it out when the time arose, and at the very least, I¡¯d carry him and pull the cart for later use.


    ¡°So, is this mountain a volcano?¡± I asked in Nomen¡¯s direction.


    Miko spoke behind me, cutting Nomen off, ¡°This volcano is extinct.¡±


    ¡°Not exactly; magma still flows through Mons Interitus. However, the mountain has lied in dormancy for a very long time.¡±


    ¡°The book I read didn¡¯t say that. How do you know?¡±


    Nomen laughed. ¡°I would be careful what you read in those books. I have seen the magma with my own eyes, and I doubt many others alive have ever made it far enough in and back to write a book about their findings.¡±


    Miko didn¡¯t respond. He returned to the books he picked up from the stall in the outer city of Quavoris. Probably to find the sentence he read about the mountain.


    The path up was rocky, but the grass hadn¡¯t abandoned us yet and allowed us something less solid to walk comfortably on. I could tell that further up the ridge, this would go away, but I was trying to enjoy it while it lasted. I had a feeling that we wouldn¡¯t see a lot of green very soon unless we turned around to reflect on how far we had come. The cart would bump back and forth here and there, but it was otherwise easier to get around than I had expected. I did find it challenging to look around me and pull out of fear of being too focused on pulling to see in front of me. Miko wasn¡¯t too heavy, so I was able to lurch my shoulders forward and pull with my arms behind me. There weren¡¯t gnarly roots or fallen trees in the way, so I could confidently move forward without fearing the cart might hit something my foot didn¡¯t first. At least in this phase, Miko can protect himself from the impact of being jolted out of the cart, but I¡¯m more scared of the cart slipping on a loose rock with the weight and him plummeting back toward where we were started. He¡¯s about as strong as an egg, so I can just imagine what I would find at the bottom. Well, I guess I better be cautious then.


    We hiked up the trail for a couple of hours until the whistle of the wind became more apparent. The sun was setting, and we wouldn¡¯t want to be climbing in the dark. There¡¯s still quite a lot of light to see around, but the path ahead would start to get more challenging to predict from the looks of it. I had to pay attention towards the end of the thirty minutes of walking since the trail was tightening around the cliff face. The darkness would constrict how far I could predict ahead of us, and much of my attention was directed to taking the path most traveled for safety and spinning my head around now and then to check in on Miko. He stuck to his books pretty much the whole time. Pulling for so long had exhausted me, but the air wasn¡¯t getting too tight yet. I only had to stop for a couple of breaks, but Nomen never really seemed to get tired. He must do this a lot. I guess kids like him have to stay resourceful. In fairness, I guess I¡¯m doing twice the work, so I should be tired twice as fast. I¡¯m not sure if that calculation is fair to me, but it is what it is.


    I set up our spots for the night, and Nomen started the fire. Fairly quick, too, as the air on the mountain was a bit more chilly than when the woods protected us. I smothered myself in blankets and looked to the moons. Miko fell asleep quickly, claiming to be sick from the shakiness of the cart. However, I did warn him of trying to look at the tiny letters so intently while in motion like that. He insisted he was ¡®immune¡¯ to such effects after being drug in the cart through the hilly farmland and woodlands for so long, so I let him figure it out himself.


    I love sleeping outside. It¡¯s a reminder of how insignificant we all are. The struggles of everyday life, Miko¡¯s sickness, missing Mum and Da, and being exhausted from the extra weight all seem irrelevant when I look up there. I like to pretend I¡¯m on the surface of one of those moons. What it¡¯s like and what I¡¯d see are all up to the imagination. Miko says there¡¯s no air up there to breathe, so I would die pretty quick, but to me, each of the moons are a different story. A different life I can live in my head whenever I feel alone. All the stories I¡¯ve heard can be real up there. On one of those moons, maybe Miko and I got to run around and play together when we were little, exploring like there was no tomorrow. Maybe on another, our parents were with us again, and we got to go on a trip with them to see all the kingdoms. On all the moons, Miko and I are brothers; I know that for sure. There¡¯s nothing wrong with pretending for a while, but I don¡¯t ever voice that stuff out loud. It would be worthless anyways. It¡¯s not my life right now, but there¡¯s power in being able to escape your circumstances, and if we make it to the end of this trip, I might not need to pretend anymore. We can find our parents and run around together. We deserve a happy ending after all we¡¯ve been through.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Nomen¡¯s voice carried over from the campfire as if my thoughts were floating up towards the sky, and he could read them from his flat spot a few feet away. ¡°You should cherish these moments while you have them.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean? Pretty ominous to say out of the blue.¡±


    ¡°It is easy to become so concerned with the destination that you sacrifice the journey. There is much to learn ahead, and rushing blindly to the finish line will only embed the lessons you should have seen rather than felt.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate the advice, but I¡¯ll do whatever I have to, to cure him.¡±


    He let out a laugh that he contained in his chest for the most part, ¡°You and your brother both act so rashly. There is a lot you share in common.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny? Why do you speak in circles like that?¡±


    ¡°It will be some time before you realize. If it¡¯s any consolation, I know what it¡¯s like ¡ª to have siblings and the weight you shoulder.¡±


    Everything he says confuses me; Miko¡¯s better at deciphering nonsense. He seemed like the only child type, so that at least intrigued me. ¡°Oh, really? When do you see them? This job seems like it preoccupies you for a long time. Actually, is this even a job? How do you get paid for this?¡±


    ¡°This is not a job. I simply serve The Garden, and it provides all I need. You are correct, though; this is very time-consuming. However, I haven¡¯t seen my siblings in a very long time.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you have multiple? What¡¯s that like?¡±


    ¡°I cannot say my love was divided. Even in our differences or disagreements, I loved each of them as if they were the only sibling I had. The burden of family is not a weight I am unfamiliar with, but if you want to succeed, you must undertake the cost of the actions you take on this journey.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re quite the fountain of cryptic knowledge. Thank you, though, I know what you¡¯re sharing is with good intentions, but my heart is on the right track.¡± I think he¡¯s trying to help me in his own mysterious way.


    ¡°I would not persuade, but do know that your brother is more than capable of understanding the pain your heart possesses.¡±


    ¡°You gotta be strong for your family, right? That¡¯s what I was taught, at least.¡±


    ¡°Of course, but I know well the burden of responsibility, and it wears the soul so very much if unattended.¡±


    We didn¡¯t talk after that. I just let the words air out into silence. I wasn¡¯t sure how to respond, and I didn¡¯t start the conversation in the first place. To be honest, it was kind of random. I was just minding my own business, looking up at the stars.


    We slept till the sun peaked over Quavoris¡¯ side of the ocean and started climbing further up the mountain. After three hours of walking or sitting for some, I decided to take a break and analyze our surroundings. ¡°Nomen, how long is the walk around this mountain?¡±


    ¡°Xhorae will rise fourteen times.¡±


    Miko exasperated, ¡°That¡¯s what ¡ª thirty suns of walking?¡±


    I retaliated back. It¡¯s not like you are doing most of the walking! Actually, can¡¯t you walk today? Why am I pulling you in the cart?¡±


    "Well, what if I trip again? Not like I can really stop my fall, can I? Probably safer in here.¡±


    ¡°Convenient excuse.¡±


    ¡°Why go around the mountain?¡±


    ¡°Nomen¡¯s the one guiding us. Why don¡¯t you ask him?¡±


    ¡°We are not bound to this path if you are able to find another. There are many paths that all lead to the same intersections. This is simply the path most traveled, making it the most viable for me to guide you through.¡±


    ¡°Maleki, what if we climbed to that ridge up there? It¡¯s a couple more hours¡¯ walk, but it looks like there¡¯s a path with the mountain range rather than up and around the whole thing.¡±


    He was right. A couple of hours¡¯ walk and there was a slope that disappeared out of view and could save us a lot of time. However, climbing that would be really difficult, and we weren¡¯t well equipped for climbing at all. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Miko. That¡¯s a difficult climb for me alone, and you wouldn¡¯t be able to. The only way it would be possible in your current predicament is if you were blind and had full access to everything else. Even that is too risky, though, because there¡¯s no way you¡¯re going to be able to climb in your current shape. Er ¡ª not to be negative ¡ª I mean, you haven¡¯t built the strength necessary to climb. You haven¡¯t even climbed a tree since you were four, much less a mountain. I haven¡¯t climbed a mountain either, to be fair¡­.¡±


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right. Maybe there¡¯s another path further ahead that we can try.¡±


    We walked for the rest of the daylight and slept along a ridge with a single small tree to cover us. It crept over us like a hunched old man with small green branches. It wouldn¡¯t be blocking much wind, but it is the thought that counts. I looked to the stars again and recounted my conversation with Kallen about the moons. I wonder where he is right now. Probably on his carriage heading back to where we were started, or maybe he will post up in Quavoris and take the first traveler heading back to Korvast to make it more convenient. I¡¯m glad he didn¡¯t go with us, even if the company would have been nice.


    I woke up before sunset to eat some of the provisions we had with us and offered to share some with Nomen as I prepared Miko¡¯s, but he declined and said he had his own and that we would ¡°need all we brought.¡± Miko was sleeping heavier than normal, and his normal is pretty abnormal. I prodded him several times to wake him up but with no success, then resorted to screaming his name several times. He was asleep pretty hard, but Grandma could always wake him with a more soft and silent approach. I laid my hand on his chest as she did and said his name softly, ¡°Miko, you have to wake up.¡± His eyes started to flutter, but several moments passed before his eyes fully opened. ¡°Miko, are you okay?¡± He tried to sit up but made it only to his shoulder blades before resting his neck back.

 Chapter 10: Iudicium Aerth [Part 2]

    <u>Maleki:</u>


    <u> </u>


    <div>


    ¡°I can¡¯t move my arms or legs,¡± Miko said solemnly.


    ¡°You can¡¯t move both? It¡¯s usually just one pair. Are you sure?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Pretty sure. I can feel everything like usual, but I can¡¯t move my legs if I try.¡±


    ¡°Damn! It¡¯s getting worse, faster than we thought. We have to find a way to get to The Garden sooner.¡±


    ¡°Brother, is it going to be like this from now on? Usually, it trades off, but what now if both are being affected?¡±


    I propped him up where he could sit up against this cart. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Miko. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Miko seemed to not be holding it together anymore and was shutting down. I needed to console him, but there was nothing to say or do. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go scout ahead and see if there¡¯s a shortcut we can use.¡±


    Nomen was quiet as usual.


    ¡°The cliffs ahead. If we climb one and follow the ridge, will it save us time?¡± I asked aloud.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say. There are many possibilities, so I cannot give a confident answer.¡± Nomen replied.


    ¡°Nomen, if we climb the cliff, will it decrease the time it takes to get wherever we are going compared to our current route based on walking speed alone? Yes or no?¡±


    ¡°Hypothetically, yes. You could speed up the journey, but..¡±


    ¡°Thanks, that¡¯s all I need to hear.¡± I interrupted. I turned around without looking anyone in the eyes, unwilling to let the moment settle in. ¡°I¡¯ll be back, Miko.¡± Just hold on a little longer.


    As I walked away, I could piece together words. ¡°Can you hand me one of my books, Nomen?¡± Miko said in a depressed tone.


    ¡°Of course; I will flip the pages when you are ready.¡±


    Good, Miko needed someone to keep him floating for now. Perhaps they will end up in conversation, and the time will fly till I return. I walked for around thirty minutes to see if there were any shorter cliff faces ahead that I could climb more easily. There was a flat cliff near our current campsite that was almost out of eyesight with the way the ridge hilled up and down. I took a big bite from some of the dried meat we brought to give me some energy and started feeling the rocks to find some good holds for my hands. I took two small stones and crushed them against each other to form a pile of rock powder, which I then rubbed into my hands to help with gripping the stone.


    Just like climbing trees, Maleki.


    All right, here we go. One hand and foot at a time. I pushed off the ground for the first move with the top bridge of my foot, giving me the most height available, and then shot up for a hold with both my hands. One of my hands made it, but the stone wasn¡¯t sloped enough to hold both, so I slipped a little and held all my weight with one hand for a short time until I could bring my left foot up to a different spot. Bringing my right foot to a jagged area below me, I found my footing and shifted my weight. This process continued for around twenty feet until I approached a sloped portion that seemed impossible to climb unless I climbed back down and moved over right. A crack in the stone vertically rose up the side of the mountain about ten feet, and after that, there were twenty feet of easy-looking climbing to go. I wasn¡¯t exactly sure how to do it, but I leveraged all my weight on my heels and then swept my palms and the bottoms of my fingers aggressively against a rock next to me, protecting my hands from the sharper rocks that had been tempered by time.


    I squeezed my fingers against each other and grabbed the slit in the stone, pulling as hard as possible against the rock. In my mind, I pictured trying to rip open a shirt, but without being able to close your fingers into your palm. Using this strategy, I pulled my weight slightly and had almost all my body weight between my fingers and outstretched foot. My fingers ached, so I pressed my palms harshly against the stone to alleviate some of the pressure. The hard part now was finding juts in the rock to stick my feet and push higher. After much deliberation, I found a comfortable spot in the crack where my feet held a good angle and rested my fingers to push through to the ridge above me. After I rested, I found the top of the crack and continued the climb fairly easily using the fundamentals I had established initially. My hand grabbed the top of the ridge, and I pulled all my weight above my arms until l had dragged myself unto my belly. My lungs let out a strained but much-needed fresh breath of air, and I decided to lie flat for a while until I felt like sitting on my butt again.


    During the walk up the foot of the mountain, I hadn¡¯t spent much time looking out from where we had come from, but now I could see everything. Even from here, Quavoris¡¯ walls could be seen, and the forest we traveled through shrouded into a large mass of bumpy shades of green. It was beautiful, but I would need to practice this route a few more times to feel confident. I climbed as much as possible until the sun started to set, making passes on the more difficult parts and preparing the shift in my footing and finger holds so that I had them down to muscle memory. I had prepped as much as possible with the time I had and felt confident overall, but there was nothing to predict how it would be climbing with my weight and Miko¡¯s. Still ¡ª as much as I thought about it ¡ª this was the only way. To speed up this journey, I would need to be able to climb this entire ridge with Miko on my back. If we don¡¯t get there sooner, I fear whatever is happening to him cannot be reversed.


    I walked back in the dark, wishing our planet didn¡¯t spin so damn fast, so we could enjoy the sunlight. When I returned to the campsite, Nomen had prepared tea, which I devoured after assisting Miko to sip his.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan?¡± Miko asked.


    ¡°We¡¯ll climb tomorrow. I¡¯ve paced the route and made the ascent three times.¡±


    ¡°You think you can do the climb with my weight too?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t climb up there and throw a rope down?¡±


    ¡°Miko, do you have fifty to sixty feet of rope in your bag?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°Me either. Either way, we¡¯d have to do the make with you.¡±


    He paused to think about what I had planned. ¡°If we wait till the blindness returns ¡ª which should be soon based on the cycle ¡ª I can climb ahead of you, and you can just tell me where to put my hands and feet.¡±


    He knew what I had planned was improbable at best, but it was our best option. ¡°Screw the cycle, Miko. We can¡¯t predict it anymore. You can¡¯t climb ahead of me, and the route is too difficult in your condition.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t climb with that much weight Maleki! What about our bags and the wagon?¡±


    ¡°I left my bag already, so we only have to worry about you, your bag, and the wagon. I¡¯ll have to make multiple trips.¡±


    ¡°I know it was my idea in the first place, but are you sure this will work?¡±


    I smiled to convince him of my assuredness. ¡°Of course. Big Brother is going to make this work! Take a nap. In the morning, we will have to make some decisions and prepare, depending on what is wrong with you.¡±


    With that, Miko fell back onto his side, looking out over the cliff, and I walked over to the fire and joined Nomen for some more tea. I waited for Miko to fall asleep before starting a conversation. ¡°So, what are my odds?¡±


    ¡°They do not favor you. Yet, you exist in that area of defying odds, so your chances may be higher than expected. Nevertheless, you are trying to attempt something experienced climbers would find difficult, and that¡¯s under the presumption that they are adults, which you aren¡¯t.¡± He responded plainly.


    ¡°That¡¯s fair, but I am big for my age, and Miko¡¯s, well, he¡¯s small for his age. Not like he¡¯s building many muscles and adding pounds in his predicament. That has to count for something, plus I am used to carrying him around, so I¡¯m basically adjusted to his weight.


    ¡°You speak so casually of a feat most will not attempt under the premise that it would almost certainly be deadly. One slip is all it takes for your journey to end here.¡±


    A bit plain, but he is right. Just in case, I¡¯ve planned all my steps and a few backups. ¡°Wait, was that first part about me defying the odds already?¡±


    He sipped from his cup before nodding his head in realization of my question. ¡°Ah, you do not know. Almost all life Maji are infertile. The price of unnatural power is indeed great.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying our mum didn¡¯t expect to have us? I¡¯m an accident?¡± I laughed.


    His intelligent way of speaking faltered. ¡°Haha, indeed. Though the process is purposeful¡­.¡±


    ¡°They must¡¯ve known before Miko was born. Why would they have another kid knowing what was waiting for them in the world? Apparently, people like us are pretty despised.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, yes. Majikless children are resented, sometimes even by their own families. Not the noblest of the arguments, but your children are an extension of yourself; of your hopes and dreams, and to think that your child can accomplish little to nothing due to their position in life could be disheartening for some. However, maybe your parents knew that it would be lonely and wanted you to have something to hold onto even when the rest of the world would kick you down.¡±


    ¡°Perfect, they doomed two of us and Miko even more. Poor kid can¡¯t even move anymore.¡±


    ¡°True, but Miko¡¯s sickness is not bound to nomajs. It is a byproduct of the use of majik, a curse for the children of those who stole it.¡±


    ¡°Lucky. He¡¯s born with no majik and a sickness that affects him for majik he doesn¡¯t possess.¡±


    ¡°You should sleep. If you are intent on doing this tomorrow, you will need to rest your body and mind from today¡¯s work.¡±


    He was right. I was pretty tired from all the climbing, but not exhausted. I fell asleep quickly, which told me my body was telling me, not asking this time. Miko shook me awake, and I stretched my arms wide, feeling refreshed despite the previous day¡¯s activities. Wait, Miko woke up? This never happens. ¡°How long did I sleep?¡±


    He didn¡¯t respond and squeezed my wrist tightly, which didn¡¯t indicate whether he could hear me. His eyelids were closed, and he didn¡¯t speak, which told me he was clearly blind and mute at this point. Damn it! This has never happened before. Him being mute is a totally new symptom. ¡°Are you deaf?¡± He shook, which indicated he heard me. So, he can hear me¡­


    ¡°Several new symptoms at this stage means the curse is worsening rapidly. We¡¯ll ascend today, okay?¡± He nodded his head. I can¡¯t imagine what it¡¯s like to start losing your senses, but he¡¯ll have to hold for as long as possible till we can get to The Garden, and if Nomen is right, shortcuts will only save us so little time. I asked in Nomen¡¯s direction, ¡°What the hell is wrong with this mountain? It¡¯s speeding up his illness, and even I feel more tired than usual.¡±


    He sighed, sounding depressed about the answer. ¡°This is accursed ground. Moving forward, Majik is useless here, and you two have none, so it will take what you have left.¡±


    Damn it. Damned mountain! As if this wasn¡¯t hard enough, my stamina will be drained even without acting.


    I started packing up the campsite, told Miko the short version of the plans again, and loaded him into the cart. Didn¡¯t want his blindness guiding him off into the rocky depths.¡°Stretch your arms, legs, and back while you¡¯re in there. We have to use the advantage of you having full mobility when climbing. We¡¯ll tie ourselves together with the belts in our bags without restricting my movement, but if you can hold onto me with your arms and legs, this will lessen the impact on my mobility. I¡¯ll need all I can and more to even get up this, especially since I¡¯ll only get more tired the longer we are here.¡± He gave me a thumbs up, which was enough to move forward with our walk. I checked my head occasionally and saw him stretching his legs and arms, which would be necessary for them not to lock up while I¡¯m climbing the cliff. We would have the belts as a fallback, but those would be a last resort of hoping for the best.


    Nomen didn¡¯t know the route but said he was familiar with climbing and should be able to do it if he watched where I went. He looked a lot like if Miko had all my traits and age at his size, so I trusted he could do it, but I also couldn¡¯t concern myself with him; I needed to dedicate all my energy to Miko and staying moving. I flipped the cart over to prevent it from rolling and then set Miko¡¯s bag on the ground in front of the cliff face. I took our two belts, looped them together, and tied them as tight as possible, right above the middle of our spine, which would hopefully give us a little cushion and stop him from slipping and then falling to his death. In order for this to work, I would essentially be climbing while playing piggyback. Which I had a lot of experience doing, so hopefully, I have an advantage here. However, Miko will be locking his palms right below my chest and his heels together. This will give me maximum range while being obstructed because I will still need to be able to outstretch my legs while having enough power in my heels and arms to pull myself up.


    Looking up, I felt nervous. The cliff seemed more extensive than before, and the weight of my passenger and the consequences added on in a way that stirred my stomach. I swallowed a big gulp of water and closed my eyes to imagine the route one final time. After a minute of preparation, I locked eyes with Nomen, nodded my head in a self-convincing manner, and found the holds as before.

 Chapter 11: Probatio Aerth [Part 1]

    Miko:


    I awake, and even the world does not greet me. Brighter objects reach through my eyelids, but they do not open even at my command. I reach out with my voice, and not even a sound escapes my throat, my sounds trapped underneath my lips. They refuse to part, even at the behest of my screams. Signaling Maleki was like calling the void and hoping for a reply. I did not know the time, nor could I ask for it. The crackling of the fire was not there, so it must be daytime, or we were in a different place. Even when I oversleep, I do not break past the first hour, so hopefully, we are still at the campsite. I know the surroundings near my bag, as it was in my peripheral as I read yesterday. Thankless Nomen cycled my pages for me, and in between my asking, I got a good enough look at where Maleki¡¯s bag previously was. My arms and legs were numb at first, but they moved like anyone else¡¯s, so I crawled like a child, grasping out in front of me in the direction I believed Maleki to be. I could feel the sun on my skin, so it was daytime. Pushing past the ashen campfire, my surroundings were confirmed, and I should only be a few steps from my brother at this point. The softness of his pallet and the depth of his breaths were the final confirmations that I was near Maleki. I was stunned I had woken before him, although I couldn¡¯t imagine how tired he was after yesterday¡¯s assault at the mountain.


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    The first thing I grabbed was his shoulder, squeezing and shaking him awake. After a few }, he jumped forward in a jolt, which immediately released some of my nerves. I could hear his voice but could not respond. If this is my future, and I cannot even speak to my brother, who else will I have? To be robbed of my sight, how much of a stretch is it that I will be without hearing soon? I nodded or shook my head in response before he woke Nomen and cleaned up the campsite.


    There was still something bugging me about last night. I couldn¡¯t sleep, so I focused on my breathing as my mother taught me. I overheard Maleki and Nomen talking last night. My illness or curse, whatever you want to call it, is some sort of catastrophic level of bad luck that converged on me. Great! I don¡¯t even have majik; why must I pay for my parent¡¯s debts?


    I¡¯m worried about Maleki, though; he isn¡¯t acting normal. I¡¯m usually included in everything he does, and even when his thoughts are trapped in his head, they still feel readable. Now is different; everything feels clouded in his head. Especially now since I am blind. I can¡¯t read his emotions through his face. Then he oversleeps, which is probably nothing, but how long can he keep this up? He plans to climb, pulling me as dead weight the whole way. Who in their right mind would even attempt something like that? That¡¯s like climbing in a full suit of armour.

 Chapter 11: Probatio Aerth [Part 2]

    <u>Maleki:</u>


    <u> </u>


    <div>


    Thankfully, I didn¡¯t crumble under the weight as I moved my hands onto the first holds. The stones were rigid but solid underneath my palms, allowing me to hang with all our weight until I was ready to leap forward to the next foothold. Miko¡¯s weight was bearable, but I severely underestimated how difficult it would be to maneuver and readjust with him on my back. My fingers were adjusted to my own weight, but I just added a little more than half my own. Stretching my spine to make the beginning positions possible was much more of an issue now since most of his weight was situated right on my back. I needed to be able to move upwards, so a lot of my muscles would need to be activated quicker so that they don¡¯t tire out as fast. With this in mind, I pushed straight from my heels to the bottom ridge under my toes and grabbed the next hold above me. I couldn¡¯t make as big of movements, so improvising would be necessary moving forward. Doing a one-handed grip would only give me a few seconds before I slipped, so two hands at all times would be required, and even that assumes that my feet are comfortable. Either way, I must do this, so thinking about it won¡¯t help. The longer I am up here, the more tired I will become, which risks the whole trip, and if I fall - all my weight is landing on Miko.


    I was able to get the first fifteen feet or so fairly easily before my fingers ached and needed a pause. The rock was cracked inward for about four feet, so I grabbed into it and rested my shoulders, and let the blood drain back into my arms. My palms and fingers bore the weight during this, which recharged me long enough to continue. Miko shifted around a few times to stay balanced, but his grip stayed tight throughout the initial ascent. He wouldn¡¯t get any time to rest up here, and eventually, he would burn out his arms if he didn¡¯t rest them. ¡°You alright? If you want to rest your arms, you can hold on with just your legs here. It only gets worse from here on out.¡± He let his arms go, and his legs tightened to prevent him from slipping out of the makeshift strap. After about thirty seconds, he pulled his weight back up and locked his arms back into place.


    This much-needed break gave us the recharge to keep moving upward. Grabbing above me, I climbed one step at a time and placed my feet and hands in the juts of the rocks that elevate up the stone section. My steps were slow and methodical, with each new move forcing my body to carefully contort in a usual manner so as to support both my and Miko¡¯s weight. I was able to climb this slowly until we got to the vertical crack in the rock, and the first position made me rethink the entire plan altogether. We had made it this far on improvised climbing and what little strength I had stored up, but we had now reached a critical spot in the climb. This crack was hard enough to climb with only my body; the only saving grace was that I knew the hand holds and pinches. I scanned to my left and right for a new path that we could make, but it was essentially flat and would offer no real leverage compared to my current predicament. We could downclimb and try to find a different route, but even as I scanned the thirty feet below us, nothing could be seen that didn¡¯t end up as flat walls. It might be more dangerous for me to climb down with Miko¡¯s weight at this height since I don¡¯t have the flexibility to see below me and hold us both up. That left me moving forward as the only available option. Deep breaths.


    With my feet horizontal to the fragment of rock in front of me, I leaned forward and collected my weight so that I could dust up my hands. I placed my ankle into the grove and stepped up with the other foot to use the misaligned part of the crack as a foothold. I reached my arm into the crevice and pulled my weight forward, repeating this process several times over until my arm was no longer able to. My fingers, palms, and forearms ached, and my spine felt like it was going to crumble, so If I didn¡¯t find a new position to rest fast, it could mean trouble. This is too much weight to move with, but I was too high up to second guess my actions. I can do that when I either get to the top or hit the bottom.


    The outsides of the crevice had occasional blunt teeth that were separated just enough to fit my feet, but that would require me to pull my legs up higher than I could comfortably move. If I could get this spot, it would give me a chance to relocate and recharge, but it was still a long way to move in terms of my relative safety. Waiting any longer would only harm me, so I told Miko to hold on, and I jumped up and grabbed the inside of the rock while stabbing my feet into the blunt teeth in a quick jolt manner. I made it. I could relax for just a breath of fresh thin mountain air, hopefully enough to let me realign. My knuckles felt stone-like in my right hand, my fingers felt warm in the other, and my toes were cold in my thin leather shoes. It cushioned my sole against the jagged rocks on this cliffside, but one or two of my toes felt broken from the impact. The warmness in my left hand drifted away until I noticed two drops of blood slide from my forearm and into my shoulder. The rocky chalk-like substance I had rubbed into my hand fused with blood from a cut I had gained in that maneuver. I had gained the hold, but at a cost. My hands were now caked in a thin layer of crusted blood that sealed the chalk to the bottom of my palm. The longer this dries, the more restricted my hands and fingers will become.


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    ¡°We have to keep moving, Miko. Rest now for a moment, and then we do the remaining climb.¡±


    He did as before and rested while I leaned into the crack in the mountainside to accommodate his weight shifting, which also allowed me to give my spine and triceps a break. My whole body was sore, and my fingers felt like how Grandpa¡¯s looked. After the break, I kept moving upward at a decent pace. Where I left my bag was only another twenty feet, which gave me a decent boost in energy and confidence. The hardest part was over with. Having only climbed fifty steps or so, Nomen was still visible from this height, but I could only catch a shadowy peripheral glimpse of him sitting down with the angles my neck was capable of at this moment.


    Five feet or so crossed by before I noticed a loose spot ahead of us where a smooth stone hung over. In theory, it would be a great place to step, but I didn¡¯t make it in the last route. However, we would have to be creative for this last bit of climbing since I¡¯m carrying a bag of bricks with me. I stepped up with my right foot a foot or two above and leveraged my sole and ankle against the rock so that I could step out to the left another two feet to the smooth section of the stone. I grabbed the handholds that I planned for, but my previously cut fingers and palm slipped through the grip due to the caked-up material that bonded to my hand. My ankle rolled on the smooth surface of the rock in an attempt to hold all the slack of my mistake. Above me, my hand fumbled around to find the hold again; I then tried to swing my legs to the right, side to side, to get my right ankle back up to a higher point, but Miko¡¯s weight weighed me down at the waist, ultimately restricting my movement. In the sheer effort of the fall and holding myself up with one hand, I accidentally clanked heads with Miko, and the pressure built up in my head behind my eyes. I finally caught an inch of a ledge on my right side, and I was now at a forty-five-degree angle between the ridge of the two makeshift ¡®juts¡¯ in the cliffside if you even call them that, since they were practically as flat as everything else around me. I shimmied up the side of the rock for another five feet until my head pounded.


    A limestone shelf was in front of me, taking up the last five feet. I knocked the shelf with my balled-up fist and listened to its sound, much like testing the branches on a tree by estimating their tension and thickness. It was randomly hollow in certain spots and solid in others. This newly opened shelf was probably broken by a much higher rock hitting this cliff sometime recently. Nonetheless, I climbed forward by bludgeoning the bridge of my toes against the flat, jagged lime shelf instead of using the soles of my feet out of fear of burdening them and slipping again. I stepped out to the left onto a growth of rock that stuck out and then found a pile of the shelf above my right foot to step onto. My hands braced another part of the shelf above me, but I needed to bring my elbows flat above my shoulders for the next move to leverage our weight and climb to the flat section where my bag was. I brought my right foot onto the shelf and bore my weight down onto it to prepare for the next lurch upwards, where I would flatten my elbow onto the limestone shelf at my eye level, push off of it, and then grab the final edge of the cliff. However, as soon as I pushed with all my weight down on it, the shelf I was standing on cracked like a lightning bolt, bringing with it a large piece of the part I had just climbed below. The crack rippled through the rock until it was unlatched from the side and started to tumble down towards Nomen. I didn¡¯t have time to think about that, and simultaneously started the jump and slammed my elbow and forearm against the white yellowy stone. My forearm scraped and cut against the sharpened by time ridges of the lime, and my chin slammed against the flat section I was held against. Thankfully, Miko couldn¡¯t scream or talk as I did all this; it would fill me with more anxiety than I already have. I just pretended to be a courier with a cumbersome set of valuables and that there wasn¡¯t a human being strapped to my back weighing me down, falling distance above a cliff. Warmer air emptied off the edge of where I was climbing to, which gave me a newfound strength to finish what I had started.

 Chapter 12: Iudicium Agni [Part 1]

    <u>Miko:</u>


    That short walk up the ridge to our climbing point yesterday was the first time I¡¯d had full function of my arms and legs since I started getting symptoms of the sickness. I couldn¡¯t see or talk, but I found comfort in what was finally possible for once in a very long time. To be able to walk and move my arms like this has been my wish all along, but the idea of being blind or unable to speak to my brother wasn¡¯t what I had in mind. Maleki¡¯s pushing himself further than should even be humanly possible, but I don¡¯t think I can keep up with him. There were so many times on that climb that I thought we wouldn¡¯t make it or where I was so close to letting go. I¡¯m not as strong as he is, and I¡¯m certainly not used to this level of physical exertion. If the rest of this journey calls for this much work, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯d be dooming us both.


    Seriously, how did Maleki make the climb? I was on his back and couldn¡¯t even believe it when I felt the coldness of the stone on my back. How far will my brother go for my sake? We walked for hours today, and I was too stuck in my head to even speak. I guess hearing their responses is critical to conversation, and seeing as I am currently deaf, I guess I don¡¯t see the point. This ravine makes me feel practically blind as it is, but seeing occasionally is better than not seeing at all.


    Maleki was a few steps ahead of me, his scythe ready to be deployed at a moment¡¯s notice should a creature of the daylight approach us. We had both seen something move through the rays of light in front of the faint orange backdrop. In this restrictive state, my eyes were more sharp than usual. Not like a rim owl or a grim hawk, I couldn¡¯t see in the dark or spot a mouse in a field from up in the sky. Although, just like when I was blind, there was an added depth to my remaining senses. Colours felt sharper, there were depths even in the darkness, and the lighter shades ¡ª when they did appear in this ravine ¡ª felt more vibrant or even blander in some cases than I was used to. Isolation of the senses increases their unique capabilities; too bad I can¡¯t harness their potential simultaneously.


    When we reached the end of the ravine, Maleki inspected the area and spoke something to Nomen before looking at me. It didn¡¯t take any conversation between us when it was my turn for me to understand what he was trying to communicate. Although he masks his emotions and complex thoughts way deep in that brain of his, his immediate intentions can be read through his eyes. A skill only gained by spending significant time together and sharing the same unfortunate and complex blood. Ahead of us lay a cavern, the orange hue cast around by flames. This next section of the mountain was the volcanic tunnels that had hopefully formed a long, long time ago after an eruption event and was now, hopefully, long since dormant. Nomen said this volcano was lying dormant and not extinct, and these fiery tunnels further proved that statement. If we were in an extinct mountain, we would be fumbling around in the dark, so there is a happy middle here, which is that we can see. I just hope this mountain is closer to the very dormant part of the scale, otherwise, it¡¯s going to get very hot.


    Maleki stepped first into the entrance of the cavern¡¯s misshaped tunnel, the long, slightly lit ravine now at our backs. Our journey¡¯s guide, Nomen, walked behind as relaxed as his tone was, which only stirred my mind as to what he¡¯d seen to make him so unperturbed by his environment. Even the word guide is misleading for his actual role. Sure, he got us started on the right path, but he¡¯s claimed to be an impartial entity moving forward. Truthfully, I am not sure why he has stuck around if he can¡¯t help us, and if we get lost or stuck on the way there, is he allowed to point us in the right direction, or does that count as helping us? He has been kind but also quite weird in an intricate way, and although I have had a real conversation with a grand total of only two new people since this journey, he is by far the oddest person I think we could have met.


    The cavern air had a smell to it, sulfuric acids from the rocks that the fire opened up now oxidizing into the form now harassing my nose. Despite that, the yellow clumps of crystals, like a thousand razor blades, formed together by a transparent shell in a beautiful array of colorful patches all along the walls of the tunnels. These didn¡¯t seem to smell, which was confirmed as we pushed past the fiery exits of the cavern walls. The holes and pathways in this cave provided an almost man-made light at oddly shaped random intervals; they were both convenient and deadly in the case of an eruption or even low activity event. So if levels spiked any higher than their natural state, we would now be trapped, melted, and merged with the existing ecosystem. I exhaled through my nose several times, the only form of a laugh I could produce, as the morbidity of the thoughts transgressed me.


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    We walked for as long as I could. My feet hurt not being used to this much travel, especially on hard stone. If I slept, we would lose the ability to cover ground faster, but I needed to get off my feet and rest. ¡°How long have we been walking, Nomen?¡±


    I could not hear him; he made the gesture for the number, and I paid attention to the words he mouthed. ¡°Twenty hours since you woke.¡± was what I could make out.


    ¡°Twenty hours!¡± I exclaimed. ¡°How are you supposed to keep track of time in this place? It all blends together.¡± No wonder my feet hurt; I don¡¯t know if I have ever even stayed awake for this long. Wasted of energy, I flopped back onto my bag near a culvert of crystals, well-lit by a nearby flame that kept the cave¡¯s tunnels warm. The other two followed suit, laying out as comfortably as this cave would allow.


    The darkness and depth of sleep found me, and I was pulled into a new place without colour, or maybe there was, but I couldn¡¯t make sense of it even if it did. The locations changed rapidly, sometimes without reason or timing. Each experience was isolated; sometimes, it was family members interacting with me, or occasionally, it was just me in the woods, alone. I had been having this happen to me since before I could remember. Maleki described the same thing, but no one else in our family understood what we were talking about. The last place I found myself was a foreboding place, dark and desolate, possibly underground. I traced my hands against the walls before approaching a chamber where two figures stood. Shades of an unknown world to me; their faces didn¡¯t form in my mind. They just stared at me in surprise, as if even in this place, they, too, were surprised to see me. There was always a feeling like I was being watched in this state of deep sleep, eyes afar but watching my movements; perhaps they were my own eyes.


    I lurched forward out of sleep, my left shoulder slow behind me and my left leg tensing to sustain the weight. I had seen many variations of this curse, but this one was always odd. Occasionally, instead of just my legs not working or just my arms being useless, there will be variations where one-and-one works. I¡¯ve seen it be just one side of my body ¡ª today, only my right arm and left leg work ¡ª the other two being dead weight. At least I can still use my hands and walk, albeit slowly. The smells of this cave and the phosphorous in the air no longer prodded my nose. This is new; I have lost my sense of smell. I inhaled deeply through my nose, taking in everything around me. Nothing. Of all the senses to lose, this is the most convenient one.


    Again, we walked, or rather, I limped slowly, trying not to slow down the pace of our group. After a few more hours of tunnels, we reached a new room where caverns split off into multiple directions ahead of us, like misshapen spider legs. Three paths in total: the left ramped to a higher elevation, the right curved around in a flat manner, and the middle culvert led us further down. We had a choice to make, and there was no discourse or discussion to be had. I could not speak, not in the conventional sense, at least. The culmination of my decision had led us here; the original idea of a shortcut to bypass the length of the mountain¡¯s barren ridges, or else we might have been walking for who knows how long. Here I was, unable to add to the decision we had to make or help compare the benefits and issues each choice could provide. Although, in this maze of a mountain, what information could I add to help us make the right choice? Anything I say is nothing more than an educated guess at what comes next. Down could lead up, up could lead down, and down could simply lead down for all we know. We might as well leave it up to chance or just go down the tunnel that we can see is at our same elevation. Our goal is to leave this mountain range, and each of these results has the potential to achieve that goal. If there is an opening on the exterior of this mountain through any of these paths, then they are the correct one.


    Maleki asked Nomen which direction he suggested, with the only reply being, ¡°All paths forward lead to The Garden.¡±


    Helpful as usual, but I guess that¡¯s what we deserve for trying to implement a shortcut where it doesn¡¯t exist.


    Nomen replied again, ¡°Besides, this area is unfamiliar to me.¡±


    ¡°So no one has taken this way before that you know of? Maybe we are onto something then.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps I was not forward about the nature of this journey. You two will be tested by the contents of each element with a trial. Each is different in manner and form, but the result is all the same: trials to test your will. It matters not where you go from here. You will be judged on your ability to adapt or on your confidence in your current character.¡±


    Maleki scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m gonna pretend I knew what all that meant. So we¡¯re being tested? For what purpose?¡±


    ¡°I know not the infinite calculations of The Garden nor its intentions.¡±


    Frustrated, Maleki ended the conversation with a rhetorical question, ¡°Well then, what the hell are you here for?¡±


    I almost thought I heard Nomen mutter something under his breath. It sounded like an old word with which I was very familiar, poena ¡ª punishment.

 Chapter 12: Iudicium Agni [Part 2]

    Miko:


    So, no matter which way we go, we are to be tested, but by what? Nomen said the elements, but all I see are rocks and crystals lit up by chemical reactions. If we are continuing in the spirit of getting out of here as soon as possible, we need to complete this trial as fast as possible. This means we either need to bring it to us or experience whatever it is faster. If we want to get out of here quicker, the natural choice would be to go through the left tunnel and hope it takes us higher and out. This should be likely since this is the way magma would flow up through the mountain and eventually towards an exit of some kind. Although this path is more likely to guide us up, there¡¯s a chance that the magma solidified and blocked whatever exit exists if it does it all. In addition, it only takes us higher in elevation, and I don¡¯t think The Garden of Need will be up high.


    I pointed to the right tunnel. Maleki didn¡¯t argue with me, and Nomen wasn¡¯t going to anyways. It was the safest decision with only this information available; going down could be faster, but it could also be more dangerous as the lower we go, the hotter it should get. Hopefully, we stay at this height, and our environment might stay the same.


    Maleki moved through the tunnel at a quick but careful pace. His brown hair was like a wave, littered with ash and rocky dust, only a foot or two off from the ceiling. I had more space to be comfortable since I was at least a foot lower than Maleki in height, but he was tall for his age, so it wasn¡¯t fair. We walked and walked for hours, and the scenery never changed ¡ª smooth, blackened rocks, brown walls, and yellow crystals. The shapes and sizes of the crystal formations were like snowflakes, each different in its own unique way. Like sunflowers, they jutted out from the ground, facing toward the orange luminescence of the fire that streamed through the depths of these mountain-like veins.


    Clinks, clanks, and clacks echoed throughout the tunnel, similar to what we had heard before out in the ravine. Maleki was on guard, his shoulders tense and his grip tight around his scythe. Our father taught us how to fight, but Maleki got most of those lessons. It was always in a playful manner, but that competitive nature was ingrained in us from those early years. Maleki repeated those lessons with me, and when I started to get sick and then sicker, he barely took it easier on me. I guess he didn¡¯t want me to make excuses, and it did work; I found ways to work around my illness. Even if I trained as Maleki did or was the same age, I have this feeling that our instincts are different. I¡¯m not capable of what he is, even outside of my unfortunate predicament. My brother has an innate talent to adapt to his surroundings, and he picks up skills naturally, whereas I have to rack my brain just to understand the implementation of things; they get stuck as ideas while he acts on a moment¡¯s notice. He would disagree, of course, and explain why my previous statement is false, but that fight in Quavoris is living proof. The scythe is not a weapon intended for combat, and he certainly hadn¡¯t ever wielded it in that capacity, only ever swinging it in Grandpa¡¯s fields for the true purpose of simple farming. Despite that, and not being adjusted to the weapons¡¯ individual craftsmanship, he used the scythe as a weapon and sprinted into action with it as if it were an extension of his being. The divide between us is so large that I don¡¯t know how I will ever catch up, even if I get healed somehow.


    The noises grew louder as we walked toward the only direction we had available. We progressed forward, knowing something was ahead waiting for us. The feeling was nerve-wracking, like a grand pause before the punchline of an already long joke. Anticipation mixed with the heat, and I just wanted to run ahead so my eyes could reveal the surprise. Maleki was certainly feeling something similar with his body leading the frontline of our three-man pack. There was a quiet responsibility to those noble enough to walk first into imminent danger. We had no real combat training or practice preparation for it, and I had no use of my arms today, yet we kept stepping forward.


    The tunnel swerved ahead of us a few feet ahead, but as we approached, the heat slowly dissipated, and then the view of the chamber where the noise was coming from came into view. A vast cavern that was perfectly square at its base, with etched floors and walls that displayed symbols and marks unfamiliar to my eyes. The cavern must have been fifty feet high and hundred fifty feet wide, with a ceiling true to its cavelike form, stalactites interrupting the squareness of the room.


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    We walked to the beautifully cut stone doorway. Ridges and columns filled the frame¡¯s shape, creating a purposefully artistic design similar to the museum in Quavoris. I caught up with Maleki in my excitement to see the room, stepping with him simultaneously into the chamber. A crashing sound filled my ears, and the walls shifted, our feet pressing down an inch on some form of a stone plate that matched the rest of the flooring. Behind us, a flat stone panel released from the doorframe blocked our exit and separated us from Nomen.


    I screamed our guide¡¯s name, hoping to hear a response, but none came through the thick stone. Maleki slammed his scythe¡¯s blade against the rock in desperation, with it returning out to the side, the hilt vibrating in his hands from the forceful collision.


    The fire spread slowly up the flat stone, engulfing it. Our previous tunnel was no longer visible through the heat of the flame and was blocked by an impenetrably solid stone. With no other option, we turned to face the room I eagerly entered. The room had nine platforms. The middle was the largest, with a rectangular platform more intricate than the others. The remaining platforms were square twelve feet plates that, like the middle, rose just an inch above the ground. I looked up at the walls. Sections rose above the rest to display images like paintings, but instead, specially carved into the thick stone. Eight of these murals were spread around the room in an obsessively precise fashion, two on each wall to face each other. Crushed, no¡­cratered into two murals was a fist-like hole that cracked through the surrounding rock, masking the sight of what the murals depicted. Parts of the wall not covered by these stone sections were engulfed in flame like the door behind us. I moved closer into the room, but the end of Maleki¡¯s scythe curled around my shoulder, not cutting me but stopping me in my tracks.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± He spoke in a slow, forceful tone.


    A clang could be heard outside the walls, echoing into our large chamber. Maleki¡¯s strike against the wall must have woken something up. The flames on the right flickered, and a shadowy figure shot through quickly. Now, in the center of the room, its frame came into reference ¡ª a mighty horn, sharp and protruding from the front part of the skull. The face of a beast, angled in a lupine manner. The creature¡¯s legs ended in sharp hooves, fit for climbing like a goat but suitable for defense ¡ª or offense, it seems. This place must be its living quarters, and it clearly doesn¡¯t mind the warmth with that tough grey skin. The creature was entirely hairless, but its body was sleek. Antler material formed above the ears cresting down over the neck, forming the shape of an ¡°S¡± Now that I think about it, there was a story told to us when we were younger that this reminds me of. Grandpa, maybe Dad ¡ª I can¡¯t remember ¡ª told us the tale of an army marching through a valley that encountered and fought ¡°goat-wolf beasts, whose sharp horn curved up with a slant.¡± The word ¡ª what was the name they gave the beast, though?


    ¡°Aeternae!¡± I said aloud while peering my head back.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think naming it will piss it off any less.¡± He laughed, eyes locked ahead.


    With a few steps backward, I was behind Maleki. His scythe braced in his hands in a defensive posture. The Aeternae¡¯s eyes were like that of a goat, small rectangular boxes, but red. ¡°From what I have read about goat¡¯s eyes, they can see almost everything around them. There is about an eighty-degree area behind them that they can¡¯t. With a wolf-like body, I don¡¯t think it will take very long to cover any blind spot.¡±


    ¡°Good to know. You read anything about patching up large stab wounds?¡± He said as the creature paced the shape of an eight.


    I laughed. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I can do any type of medical treatment without arms. Unless you want me to apply pressure to your wounds with my feet?¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s hope it¡¯s a herbivore and not the tasty human-eating type¡­.¡±


    During the intense stare-down, a final crash echoed around the room. A sound exactly like when the door closed behind us, which means any other rooms have now been locked, trapping us with the beast.


    ¡°What¡¯s your plan?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Plan? Let¡¯s start with staying alive.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your plan? You¡¯re supposed to be the one who acts quickly!¡±


    ¡°If it rushes us, I¡¯ll hit it as hard as I can for as long as it takes. You don¡¯t need a plan for that.¡±


    ¡°Either way, we¡¯re trapped in a room that¡¯s on fire. Some mechanism locked everything, so there¡¯s bound to be a way to open the doorways again.¡±


    ¡°Seems like we have a plan then. You stay out of the way and figure this room out while I entertain the sharp-horned goat-wolf.¡±


    ¡°Aeternae¡­and if anything, it¡¯s more of a wolf-goat than a goat-wolf since the more prominent¡­.¡± I retorted while Maleki blinked slowly in disapproval.


    ¡°At the very least, you¡¯ll know what to put on my gravestone. ¡®Maleki Mortica, slaughtered by an Aeternae while his brother debates the correct characterization of the creature!¡¯¡±


    ¡°Shut up and stay alive.¡± He nodded, improving his defensive stance by bringing his scythe behind him to generate power in the event of an imminent attack. ¡°Good luck, brother,¡± I said with a more severe look.

 Chapter 13: Probatio Agni [Part 1]

    <u>Miko:</u>


    Shuffling off to the side, I kept the Aeternae in my peripheral, trying not to make any sudden movements to spark the creature into action. Before I could focus on my surroundings, a roaring bleat that evolved into a blood-curdling howl rang out through the room, stopping the breath in my chest. I had seen animals plenty out in our fields and the woods. Animals could be reasoned with and traded with in a way. A horse exchanges its strength for hauling and its speed for travel, for food and protection. Bears will trade space, or your hunt, for your protection. Animals act out of fear or instinct and the most basic of needs; if a person can provide food, water, and cover from the warmth and cold ¡ª an animal can be tamed. However, beasts cannot be reasoned with. They are superior to men and are aware of it. In the calculative eyes of a beast, we are but simple prey who wields weapons instead of fangs or claws. This was a beast, and like the stories of our ancestors, the Aeternae was to be feared as such. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of my face, a feeling I was unfamiliar with. At first, I thought it was out of fear, but my skin itched in an uncomfortably hot manner, and I realized the room was increasing in temperature since there was nowhere for the heat to escape, too. I feared for Maleki¡¯s safety, but this fight would have to happen now so I could start doing my part. Every minute matters, and we aren¡¯t nearly as flame-resistant as our opponent appears, considering it shot out through a wall of flame unburnt and unharmed.


    This will be a test of endurance. Will the room burn us up before this beast chews us up?


    A deep roar, and the beast moved swiftly toward Maleki. Trusting him to take care of his portion ¡ª I rolled out of the way clumsily ¡ª limping back to my feet and going as fast as possible to the other side of the room. There were nine braziers, one for each platform that, like the walls, covered a circular disc cut out into the ground. Another design feature that mirrored the intricacy of the walls and doorways.


    I studied the walls, the floors, and the ceiling as quickly as possible. We needed a way to shut off the fire, and considering it wasn¡¯t there when we first entered the room, a way to return the room to normal must exist unless the room resets naturally after a certain amount of time passes. Hopefully, that¡¯s not the case.


    Starting with the murals, I inspected them closely. The fire along the other sections of the wall prevented me from getting too close or touching anything. Behind me, on opposite sides of our entrance, were two stone frames that covered a landscape cut of a male and a female. They were engraved to look at each other, one sitting comfortably on top of a tree¡¯s branch looking down and the other on the ground looking up. Moving on, the left side of the room had three image sections. Engraved in the stone, an angelic woman with a warm smile stood alone. To the left and right of the depiction of the woman were the two cratered murals. From here, it looked like a fist formed in the center, cracking outwards in the shifted rock. Barely anything was left, but they both appeared to be men, one surrounded by water and the other by air. I hobbled to the front of the room, two more images in pristine condition: a woman with short hair, clothed in mud, and a man standing tall with his hands behind his back.


    Behind me, Maleki had the Aeternae constantly circling him, its tail sneaking behind and dragging across the ground like a snake. The head of the beast bobbed and arced as it circled, lurching its neck occasionally to test my brother¡¯s reactions.


    Focus. The other murals. Two on the other wall, a woman and a man again. The man¡¯s mural was very different; he was a shade with only some details to show his hair and eyes. To the right of him, a depiction of a woman with long, beautifully braided hair and orbs of different sizes hovered around her.


    There weren¡¯t any notches in the stone that could hide a mechanism from what I could see, but then again, I couldn¡¯t get close enough to feel and confirm.


    Maleki intercepted the first strike from the beast, stepping to the side and dragging his blade against its front leg. The Aeternae snarled in response with teeth as long as my fingers. The heat was getting more intense; I blinked my eyes to provide them a moment away from the burning sensation this room caused. Perhaps there is a weighted stone on the opposite side of Maleki? Limping with a quick pace, I found a stone similar to the one we had accidentally stepped on. Pressing hard with my only good leg, I held all my weight over the stone. Immediately, it clicked into place, and shifting could be felt as the whole chamber shook like an earthquake. The fire around the room soared higher, the heat intensifying directly around me. A flicker rose between the floor panels as they shifted, more distance being added between them. Each of the braziers opened up, creating a flat bubble of fire. The Aeternae raised its neck at the change, adapting to the drifting plates. Maleki grabbed the edge of his platform with his scythe to keep himself from falling backward. Well, something changed, although I¡¯m not sure I made it better. This restricted Maleki¡¯s possible combat areas so that if he needed to move to another platform, he would have to jump over a two-foot-tall flame that rose out between each large stone plate. If I got closer to the ground, I could breathe better, and my eyes didn¡¯t sting from the heat, so I stayed as low as possible to the floor while still being able to move.


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    The platforms fully widened, and I leaped over to the closest one in front of the pressure plate. These two platforms mimicked the size of the two directly across the middle platform that Maleki and the Aeternae were fighting on. I¡¯d need to inspect the platforms now to see if there was anything different between each one, but time was not in my favour. When I looked over to the next platform, I got lost in watching Maleki fight for just a moment. His skills were that of our father¡¯s, quick and gliding with precision. He would probably look clumsy with a soldier¡¯s sword, but he has mastered his tool to the point it might as well be an extension of his being. There were no tricks nor confident swings. However, my brother¡¯s skillset was refined by single actions repeated over and over. He was not used to quick, small bursts of movements, and this beast was catching on to the timing of the attacks and the time it took the scythe to reset back to a defensive position.


    A jolt of movement shot out, and Maleki slammed the snath of the scythe downward, blocking the first attack. The second attack came in, and he pulled hard so that the head of the scythe would meet the beast first, blocking the second attack. Before Maleki could reposition, the Aeternae moved around the side, scooping a front paw out near him and clawing his back. ¡°Augh!¡± Maleki yelped out in pain. He grabbed near the middle, above the top grip, to bring himself back to his feet, retaking his defensive stance. If we wanted to survive, Maleki would have to adapt as well¡­


    I have to solve this quickly. Maleki is running out of time and being forced to stay close to the ground to avoid the intense heat. Pivoting my focus, I traced my eyes quickly over the closest platforms. Each was designed to mirror the background style of the mural they were closest to, using shapes and patterns that could distinguish characteristics of the mural¡¯s subject. The key to solving this must lie in what is depicted on the stone walls and reflected in the interaction with the fiery circular sections on the nine stone plates around the room. Think, Miko! Your brother is fighting for both of you while you get to solve riddles. Be useful for once! The braziers. They separated earlier when the room fully closed, and what was left was a disc in a cylindrical hole. Within, there must lie a pressure plate similar to the ones I have stepped on twice now. If I were to design this, I would hide the mechanism in a single spot, requiring some risk to activate. The problem is ¡ª to activate the mechanism ¡ª someone would have to reach and place a heavy object through the flame disc. Deactivating is the whole point of this, so I don¡¯t see a way to turn these fires off, and I didn¡¯t bring enough water to put even one of these out.


    Water! One of the murals had a man surrounded by water, but it was slightly destroyed. Maybe someone before us tried something on the murals themselves? I stood tall and began walking over to the side of the room with the three murals and found the man surrounded by what appeared to be waves. This brazier looked like all the rest, with an inset cut below the start of the hole where the fire shot out and connected into a full circle. My hand hovered above the top to test the heat; it felt the same as any flame I have ever been close to. I lifted my head to my brother¡¯s predicament, looking to see if this next part was necessary. He had now gained another cut, and that horn was getting dangerously close to landing. The fear of pain surged within me, and I tugged deeply at my diaphragm. Three short breaths exhaled through my nose. I slammed all my weight into my good leg and pierced through the flame disc up to my thigh. Everything burned, singeing my skin for the brief second it took to hit the bottom. I waited, then screamed out in pain as the pressure plate activated. Pulling my leg out immediately, I covered the circular burn that formed around my lower thigh in an attempt to hide the pain somehow, as if that would stop it. I huffed and puffed, crying from the pain. The room shook after a slight delay of the pressure plate¡¯s activation, and then the fire roared, soaring higher with a red hue at the base of the flame. My breaths shortened, finding it harder to get air. Damn it. That must have been the wrong choice! The oxygen in this room is getting removed by the fire, and there¡¯s no way for it to enter from outside the room since every crack and seem is either blocked or lit aflame. We would soon pass out if this kept up.

 Chapter 13: Probatio Agni [Part 2]

    Miko:


    The Aeternae shifted out of the way of Maleki¡¯s strike, which he used to reposition so that I was in his peripheral view. ¡°Miko! Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m alive, just burnt. There are pressure plates in the braziers, but I chose the wrong one.¡± I yelled.


    He yelled back in a demanding tone, ¡°No! Don¡¯t hurt yourself. I just need a moment to beat this thing, and then I will find the right one.¡±


    The Aeternae acted while Maleki was distracted, and he was barely able to bring the shaft of his weapon to catch the bite it lunged with. Saliva dripped from its mouth, and Maleki pushed his palms in alternate directions to spin the neck of the beast. It folded onto the ground from the maneuver and unleashed its tight grip on his weapon, shaking off the failed assault in frustration. My brother was getting lucky and starting to look increasingly more tired from the effort.


    I had to try again. What else can put out a fire? Of all the depicted elements left, air was the next best choice. We need air to breathe, and cold or fast winds can extinguish a forest fire on their own. I got to my feet with a grunt, now wielding a non-functional leg and a burnt one. My hand gripped the side of my leg as I pushed through the next platform to get to the one that showed the man surrounded by winds. My eyelids shut, and a tear rolled down my cheek, knowing what was coming next. Again, I gathered what was left in me and isolated all my weight into my previously good leg. The searing began instantly, covering my leg as it traveled down to the pressure plate. When it settled at the bottom, I waited for the click as the same spot in my leg burned even further into a second-degree burn. I laid back on the platform after pulling my leg up and slammed my fists against the stone floor in pain. An inescapable pain, one you could not run from. I instinctually clawed my fingernails into my thigh beneath where I was burned to distract myself from the spot that hurt ¡ª a failed trick.


    Ten seconds passed, and a high-pitched whistle sounded out as the fire intensified again. A new visible blue hue could be seen on the rim of the spikes of flame. I failed again. With all this reading and dedication to knowledge, I couldn¡¯t even figure out this puzzle. I have to earn this! I can¡¯t let Maleki do this alone. Damn! My leg burns ferociously, unlike any pain I have ever felt. I just want to stay down and give up.


    Maleki doesn¡¯t deserve an end like this, though. Think, you damned idiot! What¡¯s different in this forsaken room? All of the murals show people in their natural environment with what seems like elements of some kind. One of the murals didn¡¯t show an element; it was just a man with his hands comfortably behind his back. That mural must purposefully be missing the element because it would be redundant; his element is Agni!


    I just have to get over to his platform, but there¡¯s one between us. The line of flames covering the floor and sectioning off the stone plates had risen higher, almost entirely blocking Maleki and the Aeternae from view, except for their heads. I tackled through the first fire in my way, as whatever hair might have existed on my arm being burnt into black char. I itched at my skin from the searing pain ¡ª one more to go. I hobbled quickly and jumped as high as possible in this lame state, catching the fire mostly with my bum leg. This felt right. Accept the fire. ¡°There is power in expectations.¡± Nomen had given us the hint already. The other elements lie, but fire burns expectedly. Water can boil and drown you, but we need it to drink. The ground shakes, shifts, and crushes, and we comfortably build upon it. Air can be hot and cold or carry you away in a tornado, yet we need it to breathe. But fire ¡ª fire burns. Heat and flames are a constant state, never changing. We cook our food and warm our homes with it because fire is predictable, like the cruelness of the beast.


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    Plunging my leg into the fiery pit, I felt the plate, the heat, and all the sweet things that go with it. Another scream belted out of me as the last bit of air escaped my lungs. The pressure plate clicked, and I dragged myself forward with my good arm, scraping against the grooves in the floor to find a place to pull. My eyes blinked, and the world started to fade. Blackness encompassed me, and I began to pass out.


    ¡°Miko!¡± My brother yelled passionately through the silence of that dark place I was in. ¡°You did it!¡±


    I begged the world to let me back in, and my eyes opened to the room shifting and shaking. The plates collided together, and the fire in the room leveled out to just a level low enough to provide light. The beast hissed, finding the temperature change not suiting. I got to my feet and began to rummage through my bag, my vision still cloudy and my head pounding from fighting the loss of consciousness. Found it!


    The beast was still interested in a meal, or perhaps just the fun of the kill, and pushed Maleki with two swift attacks with its claws and then a strong chomp with its long canines. Maleki stepped back, avoiding the first strike, then met the Aeternae¡¯s left claws with his scythe, cutting the beast firmly. His blade was out to the side, unable to be brought back in with the timing of the beast¡¯s third attack; he instead let his left hand carry the full weight of the scythe, which allowed it to fall when his right hand was removed. His palm and fingers folded into a fist, and he made an unexpected move. His body lunged at the enemy, and his fist came out wide, collapsing into the Aeternae¡¯s eyesocket and stunning the foul creature. The distance had been closed, and despite the shock, the Aeternae was inches away from Maleki and dragged its horn down against his body, cutting his chest and upper bicep.


    I stood tall and pulled my good arm out behind me as far as possible without locking my elbow. With a swift rising movement of my arm, arcing down from a high position, I spun and threw the weapon Grandfather gave to me at the start of this whole journey. Resistance and air ignored this circular disc, and despite my lack of strength, it moved through the air quickly. The disc found a target in the Aeternae¡¯s ribcage. Bellowing out from the pain as blood poured out its side and from the culminated injuries where Maleki¡¯s scythe cut it open. Beastly eyes stared back at me as the neck of the Aeternae swiveled and angled to look at me directly. Before it could move, Maleki stood tall throughout the previous strike against him and pulled with all his might upwards against the Aeternae. A second later, the bulk of the horn slid off the creature and hit the ground with a thud. The beast looked down, recognizing what had been done, and stunned with rage. Before it could act, Maleki¡¯s shoulders had reached their maximum extended height, and the scythe had hit the end of the swing. Maleki¡¯s wrists turned ever so slightly, and then the force of his shoulders and knees buckling brought the snath and scythe right over his opponent¡¯s neck. An unclean cut, proof of his uncertainty and inexperience with the scythe as a weapon. The Aeternae panted and huffed from the mortal wound. It limped back to its chamber, and I watched with sadness. I participated in the beast¡¯s death, but Maleki bore the weight of this earned kill. One he had not walked away from unharmed. I walked over to embrace him, and two thuds could be heard. The first was the beast¡¯s as it fell lifeless, and the second was my brother¡¯s as his knees hit the ground, his hands rested in his lap.


    My pace quickened, ignoring the injuries I had sustained. I fell close to him, pulling his neck into my shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re bleeding badly, Maleki.¡± Warm blood trickled from his chest and back, covering my hands and clothes. Footsteps entered the chamber, and I was too tired to look at their creator. In my heart, I knew they were Nomen¡¯s, which my ears confirmed hearing the unique softness of his steps.


    ¡°I will retrieve the bandages from your bag and do the rest. You may relax.¡± Nomen said in that soothing voice.


    I did not argue, nor did I move. Instead, I listened for my brother¡¯s breaths, feeling them shorten along with his heart rate.

 Chapter 14: Iudicium Aeros [Part 1]

    Maleki:


    I awoke fully bandaged. Sweat rolled down my head, colliding with dried, crusted blood that stuck my clothes to my body. I leaned forward, grunting deep in my chest from the pain. Exhaling, the wounds I had endured from that foul creature became more prevalent. Five gashes through my back, a scar that will start many a story in the future. A deep cut in my right chest, opening up my breast and slicing the top part of my upper right bicep, and a single scratch across my left arm. The worst of it seemed to be in my chest, but thankfully, on the opposite side of my heart. My lungs filled with air, meaning nothing had been punctured, but I placed my hand over the area and instantly recoiled from the pain. Sitting somewhat straight, I had fallen asleep on my knees. They were numb and hurt, but I was too afraid to move and put myself in more pain.


    ¡°Brother?¡± A familiar voice uttered.


    Miko. Last I remember, he had screamed in a way I had never heard before. Everything in me turned inside out when I heard it, but that brute wouldn¡¯t let me out of sight.


    ¡°Miko, what happened? How did you open the room and turn off the fire?¡± I asked, grabbing my side in pain.


    He leaned forward. Bandages covered both his legs and arms, but they were thickest right above his knees in his lower thigh. Miko must have noticed me staring because he pulled his partly burned-up pants to his upper thigh to reveal some of the un-bandaged damage.


    ¡°First-degree burns in the best spots, third-degree in the worst.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miko...I should have beaten the Aeternae faster.¡± My voice let out in despair. ¡°Do you feel better than you look?¡±


    ¡°I look better than you, dummy, and it¡¯ll heal. Not sure I¡¯ll ever get leg hair now, but I didn¡¯t really want it anyways. My arms and legs are mostly just skin-level burns. The worst part is a ring around my left leg right about here.¡± He pointed to the meat of his thigh that was tightly bandaged several times over. ¡°Nomen cleaned the wounds already. That was the worst part. Surprised you didn¡¯t wake from those screams or that I didn¡¯t wake something else up, too.¡±


    ¡°My scars will be way cooler than yours.¡± I joked, grabbing my shoulder to laugh through the pain.


    He laughed, too, until his face settled to a more serious one. ¡°You can¡¯t do everything by yourself, ya know? I¡¯m the sick one, not you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re my brother. Protecting you is my job.¡± I responded.


    ¡°I can do things. That fire hurt so damn bad, but it proved to me that I belong here. That I deserve to make it to the end.¡±


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    ¡°You¡¯re right, and I understand, but I won¡¯t change. So long as I am breathing, I will step first into danger before you. This isn¡¯t the place to prove yourself. There are real consequences.¡±


    ¡°You think I don¡¯t know that? Do you think I want to be carried around? Let me help you when I can.¡±


    ¡°What you did today was enough, Miko. We just have to get you healed, and then you have all the time in the world to catch up to me.¡± That seemed to settle his mind, or perhaps he stayed quiet not to push the conversation further. Even brothers cannot tell sometimes.


    Out of the corner of my eye came walking Nomen. ¡°Enjoy my handiwork? To answer your previous question, that is one of the reasons why I am here.¡±


    ¡°I apologize for the rude comment. This was more than I deserved.¡±


    ¡°You might find a few of your bandages wrapped tighter as payment for your words.¡± He laughed oddly. ¡°I jest. This, among a few other items, is what I am here to assist with. I will not, however, act in your immediate favour during combat or trials. Medical treatment posthaste excluded.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Nomen. We owe you.¡±


    ¡°Null. Do not make such promises. There is naught but a few that ever live to complete them.¡±


    ¡°You might feel inclined to move, to begin your journey even. Might I recommend a single night¡¯s rest before such efforts recommence?¡±


    I looked over to Miko. He looked tired, weary with worry for my sake, and in pain from his burns. My wounds ached down to the bone. ¡°We¡¯ll sleep through tonight or today. Whatever it is. We have to get back at it after that.¡±


    There were no arguments from Nomen as usual, and Miko certainly wasn¡¯t in any shape to do so. We slept uncomfortably. Minus Nomen, we slept without blankets or bedding. The stone was plenty flat, and our bags made quick pillows, but the room was still warm despite the levels returning to normal. I¡¯m not sure how long I was out, but the crick in my neck told me it must have been a while. I scratched my head, wincing in pain as I reached my hand up to the sky. I¡¯m right-handed, so I did it without thinking. Until this heals, that might be difficult to get used to. There wouldn¡¯t be any advanced climbing any time soon.


    Miko was out cold, as usual. My body didn¡¯t have the strength for patience, and we needed to get moving, or else some other creature finds us sleeping. ¡°Wake up, Miko!¡± I said with a soft couple of taps at his ribs. He stirred, fighting my request, but a few less gentle taps to the ribs made the decision to wake up a little easier to make. Nomen practically sleeps with one eye open because as soon as I wake up, he moves along at my speed and swiftly packs up his bag and belongings. ¡°So what is it, legs or arms today?¡±


    ¡°Just the legs today. Are you going to be able to carry me?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have a choice.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t we only move on days when my legs work?¡±


    ¡°Nomen said this place makes us weaker. It drains our stamina so that we get exhausted quicker. Every extra day we stay here doing nothing is a waste. We risk the whole journey if we aren¡¯t moving every waking minute.¡±


    He didn¡¯t argue back, probably didn¡¯t have the energy to, but he certainly didn¡¯t seem happy with the concluding results. What I said must anger him or make him feel useless, but If I rest for too long, I may not get back up.


    I walked over to Miko and situated our bags, then placed one knee on the ground with my other leg bending down to support the rest of my weight over my foot. Miko grabbed my shoulders and pulled with all his strength to drag himself up my back. ¡°Agh.¡± I ground my teeth together to fight the pain as I stood tall, bracing Miko up piggyback style. The weight was bearable, not as much as before, but carrying him was something I was used to, so there was no surprise there.

 Chapter 15: Probatio Aeros [Part 1]

    <u>Maleki:</u>


    Miko brought his hood to the side to block the wind, ¡°The air swells in the middle. It will be strongest there.¡±


    He was right, it wasn¡¯t quite a pit because the field was primarily flat, but water would no doubt pull to the center with the angle and fall into cracks that lead to the caverns below. The sharp winds were slowly cutting into this mountaintop. That explains why the rocks are so smooth and spherical; they¡¯ve been carved away by time and this monstrous storm. The ground was flat, but that wasn¡¯t the odd thing. Five pillars rose out of the ground like the dots on playing dice. They were each separated a hundred feet apart, the center one being at the heart of the storm. Turning my head, I spoke closer to Miko¡¯s ear, ¡°I¡¯ll try going around.¡± He nodded in approval of the choice, so I stuck to the rigid outer wall. This whole peak was circular, so sticking to the outside where the winds weren¡¯t as harsh was safer than heading towards the center point. Our fields back home were as large as this mountain¡¯s flat peak; at least those were covered with soft grass and weeds instead of rough snow-covered ground. After getting halfway to the other side, the dark maw of the storm flashed with lightning, filling the sky with bright searing fire that cracked like a whip. Every part of my body recoiled in a jolt of fear from the sound; thunder soon followed and stung my piercing ears. Falling backward, I recovered just long enough to let my side crash instead of piling my weight on top of Miko. Ears ringing, and in a daze, my back and arm took the brunt of the damage from the short fall. My screams could not have been heard by anyone other than Miko, who was gripping the skin of my shoulders tightly as he attempted to fight the pain that clashed with our eardrums. My palm found the cold mountain ground and pushed up halfway as Miko clung to my back. I stood tall, dazed from the lightning strike, as my body screamed at me to give up as it writhed in pain that I sought to ignore.


    Across the field from where we entered was a tall gate made from the same material as the pillars: black and white stone with silvery metal. These pillars and the gate reminded me of the architecture in the temple back in Quavoris; so did the fiery death trap, now that I think about it, but the sweat in my eyes and eager beast prevented me from ever getting a good look at anything else. My head pounded from the pressure of fighting my body¡¯s pleas, but I continued to the tall, shiny metal gate. It was at least twenty feet tall, connecting with the height of the mountain¡¯s barrier wall. Drawing closer, I turned my back to the storm and gripped the gate, hoping it would open up. My body convulsed, shaking from the shock of touching the metal.


    ¡°Maleki!¡± Miko yelled through a wounded breath. ¡°The metal absorbed the lightning strike¡­We have to find another way.¡±


    Headache was an unfair word. I leaned over myself with my palms gripping my knees from the electrocution. Finding my breath, I looked inward at the pillars. They were made of the same metal, but near the middle of each tall pillar was a black sphere with four symbols.


    ¡°These pylons ¡ª the gate ¡ª spheres ¡ª runes.¡± Miko attempted to explain, but the winds splintered directly at our faces, preventing the words from forming into a fully coherent sentence. Fortunately, I could translate the gist of it, having spoken ¡®Miko¡¯ as a second language for a long time. We need to get out of here and soon; if this storm gets any worse, we might get charred by lightning. The barrier wall was smooth like the rock of a waterfall, so I couldn¡¯t climb it and bypass the gate. We have to figure out this trial without any shortcuts, it seems. Miko seems to think the spheres are the answer, but that means I have to get closer to the eye of the funnel. I still hadn¡¯t shaken off the shock, nor had the pain left my ears or spine, but the sooner I could set Miko down, the better. Every ten steps, the wind speeds seemed to increase. Slight changes, but the increments added up, and by the time we were near the closest pylon, I had to step strategically and position all my weight forward just to stay upright. Using my scythe as a walking stick, I dug the butt of it into the ground and pulled myself forward. These last ten steps would be difficult to cross, so I needed every tool to my advantage. When I carried Miko, I wore my pack in reverse, which allowed the wind to divert along the sides and pass through my arms. Our packs weren¡¯t particularly heavy, but wearing them like this allowed me to lean forward and counterbalance some of Miko¡¯s added weight while the curve of my spine did the rest.


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    I fell to my knees in front of the pylon and allowed Miko to inspect the sphere more closely. The black globe sat on a pedestal within the pillar but was misshapen so that it could not be forced or blown out of its containing metal structure.


    Miko found my ear and cupped his right hand to block the fast winds, which would ordinarily have worked had my ears not been crackling from the thunder and lightning. That feeling still hadn¡¯t left my body, isolating near my chest ¡ª the shock from the fear of the sound and the shocking tendrils of the electric jolt when I touched the metal. ¡°Spin ¡ª sphere ¡ª hold tight.¡± He explained, which I heard in pieces. Miko slid off my back as he released his crossed legs from around the top of my waist.


    Preparing myself, I knew what to do. No reason to fear what must be done. I grabbed the black circle with both hands as the electricity entered through my fingers and spread out quickly through my arms and remaining limbs, shaking my entire body forcefully. The seconds seemed longer, and I found my strength, turning the sphere so that a new rune faced us. Nothing changed, not even the wind.


    Miko grabbed my arm as two beads of sweat slid down both sides of my forehead. My eyes were stuck forward as my body refused to move. His grip tightened, shaking me more un-naturally than the metal did and waking me from my stupor. I looked over to my brother, who was digging in one of his pockets. Miko pulled out a compass, the one I had given to him when he was suffering from his first episode of blindness. His pointer finger found one of the four cardinal directions as he faced it toward me. Then he placed it on his side, now having my full recovered attention. Pointing it from side to side, the arrow found north; Miko pointed towards the directions as well to be sure I understood. I did. The first rune that was already there was wrong, and so was the second since nothing changed within the towing spire of metal and white stone. We had one guess left before the last one would be correct by default. Again, I summoned whatever remaining power was left in me that wasn¡¯t sapped from the previous turning of the sphere and brought my hands out in front of me. Tiny snakes of lightning sparks connected to my hands off the black sphere, binding my hands and the metal together like magnets. Bright lights filled my eyes and clouded my vision, but I focused on the bones in my fingers, imagining the combined force being enough to crush the sphere. The pylon fought back with a creak, but it was already done; the sphere had turned. The rune in the middle lit up a soft blue, the colour of the lightning that crackled earlier in the sky, and then then the pillar thumped a wave of energy that shook across the ground. Though I was more dazed than before, my eyes found Miko¡¯s, containing excitement from the successful turn.


    Now that we know one correct direction, the remaining ones should be easy. I collected myself and then Miko. His weight seemed heavier than ever after two shocks, but I burdened it nonetheless. The bottom of my scythe¡¯s shaft found a crack in the ground, supporting my body as it gained composure. The storm raged above us, twirling in an even more violent fashion. Droplets of water prodded my skin as my scythe dug into the ground to allow a step forward. We made it half the distance to the next pillar as a drizzle turned to rain, soaking us at the top of his chilly mountaintop. Suddenly, the tempest roared, and a downpour of winds collided with my shoulders, forcing me to one knee, only held up by the tight grip on my weapon.


    Miko grunted underneath the strong force, ¡°Microburst.¡±


    Digging my fingers into the cracked rock, I pulled my left side down and swung the blade of my scythe into the ground in front of me. Then I brought both hands to the weapon¡¯s shaft and started dragging us forward like a game of tug of war with the wind itself. The winds cut at my arms, pulling my sleeves back to my shoulders. Thin scratches flicked open at my skin as small pieces of rock were flung at me at high speeds. Miko tucked his neck, but I continued forward to the next pillar. We reached it, falling to the floor and holding on to the chalky white stone for dear life. Bringing myself to my knees, I reached a deep squat and gripped the electrified sphere again, picking it up out of its bind and twisting it so the rune would face west. My head peered to the sky, feeling the tremble of the ground and watching the storm as its black core expanded. Three shocks had worn my body, and now the sky seemed to shift sideways. No, that¡¯s not right. I was falling. My body collapsed, and my eyes crossed back and forth as they focused on the field in front of me. The remaining two exterior pillars were in my view, and I could barely make it out, but the pillar facing the east had blue-lit runes. That meant we only had the north one remaining, but I couldn¡¯t even raise the top of my hands off the ground.


    Miko said something aloud, but the void above us thumped with energy after the second sphere¡¯s adjustment, and all I heard was, ¡°Stay ¡ª be back.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± My screams were lost in the torrent of winds. He can¡¯t even move his legs; he¡¯ll be swept away.

 Chapter 15: Probatio Aeros [Part 2]

    <u>Maleki:</u>


    <u> </u>


    <div>


    Miko sat his pack in his lap and dug through it, pulling out his gift from Grandfather, the twin discs. Without hesitation, he wielded one in each hand and crawled towards the northern pylon. I have to get up and help him, but my body is betraying me. Warm air caressed my skin, replacing the frigid temps that I had felt before. It was like jumping into a hot spring after a cold bath. Miko pulled himself every step of the way using just his arms. As I watched his slow crawl, the warmth on my skin turned to an itch. The air here was thin, but instead of the ice-cold air in my lungs, there instead was an uncomfortable heat. Pressure from the atmosphere collided with the warm air and shot it downwards toward us.


    Those discs cut through the ground as efficiently as my scythe did and got him all the way to the next stone-metal pillar. He couldn¡¯t stand, but he dragged himself up the base of the stone until he was half upright. Like a tight hug that squeezes the air out of your lungs, Miko grabbed ahold of the black sphere with all his might. He had no legs to brace himself nor the strength I had procured from our differing specialties, but he held tightly to the object. What I could do in seconds took him far longer since he was unaccustomed to the effort. His weaker body shook violently as he poured every ounce of effort into his squeeze. Finally, after fifteen long seconds, he endured the hold and positioned the sphere in the correct direction. He fell to the ground, his palms bearing the force of the fall as his arms trembled from the electrostatic shock.


    In anger, I managed to flip my wrists over and claw up the wet snow. My body was weak; my senses were dull from the multiple attacks of static convulsion. Miko looked as bad as I did, but he was younger, smaller, and weakened by his curse. This wasn¡¯t his job. I was supposed to protect him, but I¡¯ve put him in danger. Miko¡¯s words from earlier echoed in my head, ¡®Let me help you when I can.¡¯ Could I escape this need to protect him and let him endure weight of his own? No, that¡¯s not who I was. It¡¯s not what our father tasked me with. ¡°Be strong in his stead. You must be the man I am not.¡± He had told me. What was I supposed to do with those words? They didn¡¯t change anything; I had already embodied those things before they ever abandoned us.


    Now, a hundred steps away, my brother struggled to find consciousness. As the sky cooked us from above, a chill of cold air stroked accessed my pant leg, twitching the muscles in my calves. That was the last calm heartbeat before the dark funnel consumed the remaining light gray clouds. The hair on my arms stood unnaturally, and a taste like metal grew strong under my tongue. A crack of lightning whipped towards the ground before my eyes could even track the motion, colliding with the middle pylon. Had I been of sound mind, that strike would have sent me reeling backward, holding on to my ears for dear life, but my hearing had not fully recovered from the last strike. Heartbeats seemed to quicken in my chest as I lay there frightened. The metal had distracted the lightning from the rest of the peak, keeping Miko and me safe. Another breeze of cold wind pulled through, and I felt simultaneous sensations of hot and cold. No ¡ª I didn¡¯t have to read from a book to know what was coming next.


    We grew up on flat fields safe from most of the large storms, but we were familiar with dangerous clouds and their children, tornadoes. Dark finger-like clouds disconnected from the maw, forming into sharp points that spun at impossible speeds. Five of the dark clouded tornadoes touched down all around the field of stone. The pressure from the winds in the sky lessened as they focused into these shadowy tendrils, and my body regained movement, allowing me to push up off my palms and hold myself up on my knees. Miko was still struggling, but these tornados would close in on us soon enough. I must get to the final pylon in the middle and open the gate. Since the wind speeds condensed into the twirling figures around us, the areas away from them were safe, and there was nothing touched down in the middle. This was my chance. I need to move now and quickly. Although these tornadoes were small, they were still fast enough to pick up a human and send them hurtling towards the stone floor, or worse, into or over the barrier wall.


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    My feet found their footing, and my grip tightened around my scythe. Looking more like Miko on a good day, I limped as quickly as my body would allow.


    One hundred steps¡­please let me get there, I pleaded in my head. Short pants of breath left me as I forfeited the conserves of air in my body to reach my goal quickly.


    Sixty steps, let the sky ignore me, I begged. At forty steps, the winds raged, rocking the ground underneath me until I lost my footing.


    Just give me forty more steps, I begged. My scythe dug into the ground as a shadow cast over from above. The tornado was at my last pylon and sweeping pebbles into the air like arrows. They slid against my skin like the talons of a small bird. I kept moving, digging my scythe¡¯s curved blade into the ground to stay standing.


    Ten feet, my screams were lost in the storm. I stepped forward, and the shiny pylon was only a few steps away ¡ª then the world tilted. Crashing against me, a stone the size of my palm was sent flying, accelerated by the tornado. The piece of rock hit directly into the middle two gashes in my back that I had retrieved from the Aeternae, sending me to my stomach and knocking out the remaining breath in my lungs. If that didn¡¯t break one of my ribs, it definitely bruised a few. My eyes drifted into the blackness. No. I¡¯m so close.


    Fight through the pain; don¡¯t let the dread overwhelm you, I pleaded to myself. I sunk into my mind further into the void as a cool sensation flowed down my back. It was not the wind; my wounds had been reopened, and the cuts were bleeding again. In that darkness, my father¡¯s words coasted like a breeze into my dazed mind. ¡®You must be the man I am not.¡¯ His hand reached into that dark void I was trapped in and found my shoulder. His eyes were blacker than the void. How is that possible? Was this a memory, or was I imagining it? Father¡¯s voice was stern but calm, ¡°Both of you shall be better than I ever was.¡± His fingers rubbed his temple, shading a face that wore its failures. ¡°Be strong together.¡± His frame and arm dissipated into shadows, and a light opened through the void. As my eyelids flickered, my senses returned with renewed vigor. My fingernails took in the dirt as I clawed to my feet, pulling myself forward and gripping the bottom lip of the pillar.


    I stared at the black cube, analyzing it. This one was different; it did not turn. Instead, it looked like it needed to be pushed down to activate. Tiny blips of lightning snickered through the air around the cube, cracking like the wood in a hearth. Lightning had recently struck this tower, so the metal was charged. In my condition, this would be impossible ¡ª this or death. My decision was made, and my palms found the top edge of the cube. This was too much, far more than the spheres. I held through and angled my shoulders above the object. My own strength was not enough, and the electricity flowing through me felt like it was burning my skin and boiling my blood. Then, he appeared.


    An arm extended above the opening in the pillar, and a single palm slammed into the rune that sat at the top of the cube. Miko had crawled all this way. He must have started moving when the stone knocked me out. The cube connected the stored lightning to his body, and I could feel the effects lessen on my body. With two people, the energy transfer was shared. My forearms pulsed, and the bones in my hands clutched the cube with invigorated passion. The scream I let out was guttural, like that of the beast we faced, but it gave me power in a way I had never felt. With enough provided force, the five-sided shape dipped below and clicked into the base of the stone. A circular rune lit up blue, and my body collapsed. After a few moments, the wind calmed, and the storm above fled in all directions. We had surpassed another trial.

 Chapter 16: Inter Procella [Part 1]

    <u>Maleki:</u>


    My ears rang like chimes echoing in the wind, circling around my skull while my body attempted to undo the daze that it had entered. My fingers felt numb, and my legs felt weak ¡ª actually, everything felt numb, and my whole body was weak. The peak was white around me, sterile and desolate. No winds tore at me, and the air was thin. Sluggishly, I blinked my eyes and found my back against the pylon, scraping my fingers against the ground and shaping the brittle snow into the clutch of my hand. Icy remnants woke the feeling in my palms as the gathered snow withered against the warmth of my touch. Long breaths returned me to my senses, but the atmosphere repelled me. This peak was cold, and my lungs didn¡¯t have the strength to withstand this area. The feeling was like drowning very slowly, not quite able to escape, but each breath was less successful than the last.


    Miko¡¯s leg curved into sight around the circular pillar. Crawling forward, I summoned the growing strength in my forearms and inched toward my brother. His body was twitching faintly, reacting to the remnants of the previous shock. I pushed against his shoulder blade, and then pulled towards me a few times to jostle him awake. This was not sleep. It was a continued reaction to the trauma of the physical forces that were contained within him. A fierce battle raged inside his body as it decided the victor. My head throbbed, and my ears still rang, but the shakiness of the earth that existed only in my head began to dissipate. There was little left in my muscles, but I gathered it and found myself standing, though my eyes went black in between. That gate was open now, and the storm no longer swarmed this mountain.


    Every footstep was like those drunks we saw at the tavern, unbalanced and improvised, like a baby learning to walk. Staying here was not an option, so I gathered our bags and my scythe and hobbled to the gate. Then I returned for Miko. His eyes fluttered, and he mumbled nonsense, and the air wasn¡¯t doing us any favours. Squatting down, my eyes went dark again as the pressure travelled to the back of my eyes. I picked him up, sliding one arm underneath the bends of his knees and the other under his back near his neck. His weight was more than I could stand with after the subtraction of the energy this place stole by default and combined with the toll of the trials. I closed my eyes and imagined myself standing like the weight was not there. Then I took the thoughts to practice, rising with his weight in my arms by driving my heels into the ground. Any air I exhaled was as thin as I had gained through strained breaths. Every cut in my body screamed through the motion. First, my sliced bicep and chest, then the gashes in my back, and especially the two that took the force of the thrown stone. The footprints I left in the short layer of snow were deepened by the added weight, so I focused on the details around me to allow the journey to the gate to pass more swiftly. If I took the time to think or spent energy analyzing and worrying, my body would fall as limp as Miko¡¯s currently was. With each precise step, I found the edge of the stone bowl and the shiny metal gate.


    Past the packs and down the slope of stairs was our guide. Only the back of his head was visible as he looked out into the distance. Setting Miko down against his bag, my left hand traced against the ridge mountain wall as a support as I walked towards Nomen. His stance was abnormal and almost relaxed, but the side of his face was dispassionate. Nomen¡¯s right arm and palm supported his sharp chin and pressed against his bulging round cheeks. When I got to his side, he raised an eyebrow but did not seem surprised to have seen me. His lackluster reaction meant he already knew I had surpassed the trial, and he had to walk past me to get over here, so it made sense.


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    ¡°You have come far ¡ª farther than others.¡± He said in a detached tone.


    A subtle displeasure could be heard, but he was careful not to let it continue as I spoke. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how anyone could muster the strength to survive that.¡±


    ¡°Yet, you did.¡± He responded.


    ¡°We did. That storm would have swallowed me whole if it was just me up here.¡±


    ¡°Maleki, I do not wish to be so direct nor appear indifferent to you¡­ ¡°He paused with a sigh before looking ahead. ¡°You are doing twice the work and would not be so fatigued before or during the trial had you gone at this alo-¡°


    ¡°These trials would take me three times to figure out by myself ¡ª IF I ever did.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps you are right, but this is not a game of chance. Every trial takes more from you at increasing difficulty and cost.¡±


    The clouds parted before us, opening the sky so that all below was visible. The long, snaking cliffside of the mountain slanted down for thousands of feet until a wide river coursed through at the bottom. South of that was a massive island that mostly blurred at this distance, but something caught my eye. There was a large feature in the middle of the circular crust of land. Was it a mountain? No, the shape was wrong; it was like a tower and then a blob-like green mountain. ¡°Is that where we are headed? Is The Garden on that mountain there?¡± I pointed weakly with my finger toward the odd shape in the distance.


    ¡°No, that is The Garden. And it is no mountain. ¡°His voice was solemn. ¡°That is the tree that governs ¡ª Arbor Majikae.¡± His pronunciation was reverent, but his eyes told a different story. He stared intently at it. Was that desire or hatred? My body was too tired to decipher. I¡¯ve never seen a tree that large; I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ve seen anything that large, to be fair. From here, I could barely trace any details without straining my eyes, but even from here, I could tell it was beautiful. We just have to make it there. I looked back to Miko, and he showed no signs of waking, still twitching in my absence. How could I not worry for him?


    ¡°Rest. You will need every grain of remaining energy at your disposal when you wake.¡± Nomen said with a more thoughtful voice.


    I acknowledged with my eyes, tracing my fingers back against the rock and slumping near my bag. Reaching into Miko¡¯s bag, I covered him in his blanket and found my own to huddle underneath. The cold had finally embraced me tightly after letting myself unfold, though it had not affected Nomen. He was experienced at this, but in our similar ages, he made me rethink my own strengths and very apparent weaknesses. Shivering in my pouch of the blanket, I tucked the edges of the cloth around me as the air cut into the fabric. My warm breath became visible as it left my mouth and heated the blanket and myself as I attempted to trap the warmth in my collapsed huddle. Deep sleep found me, and I found myself in the void, standing on a gray rock devoid of life. Surrounding me was the depth of space. The void of the storm scared me, but this felt right. Grand emptiness ¡ª a kind of separation between two things that you can only imagine when trapped at the base of a planet¡¯s many levels of atmosphere. Being on the mountain¡¯s peak was the closest I had ever come to understanding the distance that divides us. Lights flickered out in space ¡ª tiny flickers of stars that winked to prove their existence. Where was I? Was this a moon? I often thought of the moons, even during the day. Just looking at them was enough to invigorate me. Turning my head, I saw the shine of the astral ring formed by millions of tiny rocks.

 Chapter 16: Inter Procella [Part 2]

    <u>Nomen:</u>


    So close, but equally as far. My hands can almost reach out and touch The Garden, but the one that currently sits in the palm of my hand is too small; it¡¯s easy to misunderstand it at this distance. None that have made this journey truly grasp the magnitude or reach of this place. How few have even made it across that sea or to the final trial? It is difficult to remember everyone¡¯s stories, but a few of the interesting ones stick around in my mind. Will that be what happens to them? I thought as my eyes peered over to their blanket-covered bodies. Will I forget them like most of the others, or will they make it far enough for me to remember? I do not see Maleki making it past this next trial. Not after the energy he used climbing the mountain, the injuries he gained from the Aeternae, and the added weight he carries. How he even walks after those cuts and gashes he received amazes me, and I was the one who bandaged them, so I know their depth.


    Perhaps, I should¡¯ve told them¡­No, I did not have the heart. It would not change anything, and they would have gone anyway if there was a chance. The result does not matter to me. I am sworn to this place, yet despite its beauty, I resent it. They sense admiration from me for this place, but they are as misguided as I am. Their hearts are not pure, but whose is? Does that make them lesser? They are different than the others, that is true, but that doesn¡¯t change the result. This ends the same; I¡¯ve seen it before. Everyone has been unique, some sicker, some weak, some gods¡­


    Selfless actions might empower you briefly, but this journey drains every last drop from you until you are lesser than when you began. Miko and Maleki are innocent, without majik in a world dominated by it, and yet they proceed with confidence in their talents. Yes, that is a difference they possess. While I and the rest of the world limit themselves with the possession of otherworldly gifts, they have empowered themselves with natural ones, unaffected by the imaginary constraints that societal constructs have imposed on our ability to think beyond ourselves. They have already made it farther than those stronger than them, people who were strong both in majik and in body. Can their minds and bodies endure further than most since they reached the halfway point? No, of course not. I shook my head at that thought. Halfway was a fool¡¯s marker for this journey, and even if they make it past this next trial, no one is prepared for the last two.


    I try to rest as they do, but peace does not find me as easily as Miko and Maleki. I envy them; the way they push so hard for their goal. It gives them purpose. My purpose is The Garden¡¯s purpose. That was the deal I made.


    I watch Maleki as he wakes and gathers their belongings. His resolve is firm, and despite his injuries, he looks as confident as I am, though his burdens are twice mine. They talk and bicker amongst themselves, cuing me in for their conversation as we proceed down the mountain to the sea. Listening to them converse reminded me of my siblings and the way we spoke to each other. There was not much difference between Miko, Maleki, and my brothers and sisters. Oftentimes, I blinked in confusion at them, seeing my brothers in their place, hearing their voices instead. In many ways, they resembled each other, which made me drift out of reality far too far often. I must not be present during these trials. Watching them fail or get too close to doing so might make me act outside of my guiding role.


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    Despite Miko¡¯s condition, he does all that he can to remain himself. On the days down this mountain that he can¡¯t speak, he listens. On the days he can speak and not hear, we mouth our words clearly. He has grown used to the language barrier, and we have adapted to his cyclical disease. None have possessed as conquering a disease that has attempted this journey. To suffer such an illness at a young age is a terrible fate. He reminds me of my youngest brother, even more so.


    Learning quickly is their strong suit. I will give them that. Despite their rumblings about how long it took, Miko advised them to play it safe, and Maleki listened. He was probably too tired to disagree. They initially tried to find ways to skip ahead and speed up their descent, but they soon realized the difficulty of moving down a mountain. A descent made exceptionally more difficult by added weight. Maleki is far too wounded to climb down a flat wall with Miko, so his only option is to walk down the open winding path. Up here, the air is thin ¡ª creating resistance against quick movements. It is best to move methodically, else you step wrong and meet the end of a long drop.


    <hr>


    ¡°Two and a half¡­weeks¡­.¡± Miko said through short breaths as he laid on his back, looking up at his brother, ¡°It took like a week to get up there from the bottom. Why did it take so long to get down? Was the mountain range longer on the back side?¡±


    ¡°Well-¡°Before I could explain, I was cut off by Maleki.


    ¡°Why in the hell are you so tired? You¡¯re not the one who just had to carry someone all this way!¡± Maleki spoke through even shorter breaths while hunched over.


    Miko stuttered to retort. ¡°I-, Hey, that¡¯s not fair! It¡¯s not easy clinging on to your stinky back.¡±


    ¡°Clinging? My stinky back is the thing holding you up, idiot. All you have to do is lock your arms.¡±


    I tried to intervene, ¡°Gentlem-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault I¡¯m like this!¡± Miko yelled.


    ¡°Not my fault, either!¡± Maleki yelled back before purposefully falling back onto his rear and lying exhaustedly beside Miko.


    ¡°You¡¯re the idiot¡­.¡± Miko said through a laugh.


    Maleki grabbed Miko¡¯s raggy hair, stretching his fingers until his palm covered his scalp. ¡°Just a little farther, Miko. I promise we¡¯ll get there.¡±


    That seemed to quell their argument, at least for the moment, so I interjected to answer Miko¡¯s original question. ¡°It is a mixture of the two. The mountain range is one and half times as long on the side facing the sea, but that is made more difficult by Maleki¡¯s waning stamina and injuries gained from the last three trials.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Nomen. I had a feeling that was the case, but I¡¯ve never walked this far in my life, so it was starting to become maddening.¡± Maleki said, wiping sweat from his brow. ¡°At least the temperature is fairer down here than at the top half.¡±


    I turned away from them to disguise any emotions that might give away information. If that was the most Maleki had ever done, he is unprepared for what comes next.

 Chapter 17: Iudicium Aquae

    Maleki:


    Waves crashed against me as I kicked backward and attempted to stay afloat. Salty water stung my eyes, and I coughed to force out the water caught in my throat. I tread through the water, struggling to pull Miko¡¯s weight along with me as I recalled to earlier when we were back on the beach after resting from the long climb down the mountain.


    ¡°We have to swim all the way over there?¡± Miko asked Nomen.


    ¡°We?¡± I yelled. ¡°You can barely walk, much less swim. And what do you mean all the way over there? You can¡¯t even see right now.¡±


    ¡°I saw it yesterday. I remember what it looks like, and it looked far.¡±


    Nomen sliced through the tension, ¡°If I may interject ¡ª Yes, The Garden of Need is beyond this body of water.¡±


    Across the sea was a large island that we had watched grow nearer during our descent. I inspected the distance between the two shores. The other shoreline was far enough away to appear as a single line of sand, with a giant green blob sticking above.


    ¡°We¡¯re supposed to swim over there? Why can¡¯t we just take a boat or go around?¡± I asked aloud.


    ¡°Did you bring a boat?¡± He replied.


    I scratched my head as I looked around us. ¡°Well, no, but I could make one.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re gonna make a boat?¡± Miko asked with doubt and a raised eyebrow.


    I plumped down in defeat onto a stone facing the sea beyond me. ¡°Yeah... you¡¯re right. I don¡¯t know how to do that.¡±


    Miko sat down beside me with his arms limp at the shoulder. ¡°You were on the right track, though. We can use some driftwood or something flat to float me on. It¡¯ll still require extra effort, but it¡¯ll be better than dragging me across.¡±


    He was right, a conclusion I wish I hadn¡¯t come to so often. Fortunately for me, his body fit on a decent price of driftwood near our campsite. The wood was longer than it was wide and floated well enough with Miko¡¯s weight. Neither of us was adept at swimming, and the best my brother could do was kick his legs to push us along. We also had to be careful because he didn¡¯t have any arms to balance out with, which meant that he had to be laid across the driftwood in a very particular position that did not hold easily due to the waves. I swam on my back, backpedaling as far as possible until I ran out of stamina. When I ran out of energy, I would lightly rest on the driftwood, being careful not to topple Miko and send him to sink to the bottom seabed.


    Now that I think about it, the only times we ever swam were when our parents took us to a pond a few miles from our house. We were mainly used to streams that intersected through our farm, but those waters are a foot deep at best, so they weren¡¯t great practice for a beating like this.


    Despite the clear blue waters, I couldn¡¯t even see the bottom when I tried to peer through the water below me. Brown rocked reefs, and all assortments of fish roamed below me, but I couldn¡¯t divert my attention for long enough to get a good look at anything. The way the waves crashed at me, it felt like I was being slowly dragged back to the beach we left an hour ago.


    Nomen said the stretch of water was six miles across, which was an unfathomable number for me to imagine swimming, so I just pretended it would be a short distance. He didn¡¯t leave with us this time, which suggested things were about to get more complicated from here on out. We asked Nomen to stay since he was our guide, and he needed to, well, you know, guide us. But in response, he simply pointed to the blurry green blob of brown and green in the distance. ¡°The Garden is there. This is as far as I go.¡± We tried to argue with him, but he simply wished us well and watched from the shoreline as we tread awkwardly through the water.


    Right now, my thighs burned from continuously pushing us along. This method of movement was the most efficient in combatting the waves, but it made me look like a jellyfish pulsing through the water below me. I had tried different ways of moving, like swimming below the driftwood by mounting it to my back like a turtle, but I couldn¡¯t stay underwater long enough to make it work, and turning my head for air was too hard with swift waves that dragged me in the opposite direction.


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    Had we even made it a mile yet? I paused and rode a wave¡¯s crest so that I could look to both shorelines, but the opposing one hardly seemed closer. We had moved further away from our previous beach, which was a good sign, but if anything went wrong, we were already too far to make it back easily.


    After several hours of periodically resting and slowly drowning, the sky changed rapidly. The clouds weren¡¯t as dark as the storm above the mountain but equally as gray and ominous. The clouds weren¡¯t the issue; the real problem was what followed. Sheets of water poured onto us, pelting us with sharp rain and making an already challenging and confusing predicament even worse. Miko was lying on his side, unable to shield himself from the rainwater and growing wind speeds. I was already struggling to keep the water out of my face, and now it was pouring over me, making it difficult to take deep breaths. With the increasing winds, the waves were being carried farther and higher, rocking us to and fro and almost swallowing me as they collided with us.


    The salty water made my injuries plead for mercy as I strained to keep treading through the water. I was exhausted from the constant upkeep of staying afloat, monitoring Miko, and trying to get a breath in. Before I got used to how terrible this was, it got worse. The driftwood began to tilt from waves crashing over the top of it, sending my brother over the edge of his thin platform. I immediately rushed to him as he began to sink into the water, but the rain pelting the surface of the water made it difficult to see below. I dove under, finding Miko in the madness of the storm and grabbing him underneath both his shoulders. Swimming to the surface with this weight was more challenging than expected. I didn¡¯t take a long enough breath before coming under, so I was fighting for air, but we needed to get to above before we both drowned. Miko was kicking as best he could, helping us rise quicker, as I used one arm to pull us closer to the surface with all I had left in me.


    When we reached the top, I stayed directly behind him and hooked my arm around his neck. With my forearm around his throat, I could swim with my legs and open arm. ¡°Just float!¡± I yelled between waves. He complied and stopped fighting my grip on him despite it being uncomfortable. It was essentially a loose choke hold, but it was effective and let me swim. Our bags assisted as floatation devices, but they made swimming even more awkward. This was also the first occasion that my Scythe made moving more difficult.


    I need to make sure we are going in the right direction now that we are swimming again. ¡°Where¡¯s the compass?¡±


    ¡°In my chest pocket,¡± he said through choked words. My grip must¡¯ve been a little too tight¡­


    Unclipping the pocket while kicking to stay afloat, I reached in and grabbed the compass, bringing it closer to my eyes to see the direction it was pointing. I dipped my shoulders to the left to reposition us so that behind me was south. Continuing my backward swim, I placed the compass back in the pocket and returned to floating in this endless abyss of water.


    Of all the trials, this one filled me with the most dread. We were exhausted and trapped in the middle of a massive body of water with nothing to hold onto to rest for even a moment. I was even less confident we were making progress now that these waves were almost engulfing us. What was the damned point of this trial? Is it actually possible to swim all the way to the island? I wasn¡¯t even sure we could make it before this storm arrived.


    I just have to keep swimming.


    A little further.


    My arms are tired even after switching off. I¡¯ve tried floating to rest, but the storm doesn¡¯t let up for me to break for even a moment.


    Keep swimming, Maleki. This can¡¯t be the end for both of you.


    Just a little farther.


    As rapidly as the storm arrived, it left. After a few minutes of my arms and legs barely holding on, begging for something to change, it did. The waves subsided, and the rain was no longer pouring over us. No wonder no one lives on the coasts; these storms are too random and destructive. We floated uncomfortably on the calm seas, riding short strokes for long enough that his legs and my arms and legs recharged a small amount.


    It was getting dark, which meant we had been at this for about five hours, and I felt like I was going to die any moment and have my final resting place be the bottom seabed of this damned watery ravine. The sky was growing dark, the night sky reflecting on these crystal clear waters. This was as beautiful a sight as being on top of the mountain where we were above the clouds. Not that it was worth the effort to get out here, but it was a brief remission. Too brief; the dread set back in quickly. Even with my head underwater, I couldn¡¯t see anything below. We were trapped in a dark abyss and swimming for dear life. I can¡¯t see the mountain, the island, or the seabed; only the sky above me. It¡¯s the pure opposite of claustrophobia.


    Something changed in the waters around me, or maybe I just hadn¡¯t felt it until now. I was moving even without swimming. It was hard to check my progress since I was moving backward, but the sound hit my ears first. It wasn¡¯t like the waves or the rain hitting the surface; this was different. The sound was in the water as well as above. I could feel the sound of violet swirling with the same force as when water rushes down a waterfall. The tugging motion was growing more substantial, and I was being pulled in a circular motion. At first, the forces against me were light, but when I turned to swim away, they dragged me in further despite my resistance. We seemed to be circling a central point. We weren¡¯t even swimming anymore. No ¡ª we couldn¡¯t swim anymore. Not with both of us together like this. Light from the stars above twinkled off the twiring waves, revealing for the first time what had us in its grasp. We were in the trance of a whirlpool¡­

 Chapter 18: Probatio Aquae [Part 1]

    <u>Maleki:</u>


    The sea itself was swallowing us. The central point was a large circular pit several hundred feet across where the water flowed around it, stopping at the edge of the bowl. There was nothing we could do to escape. There was no skill in this. Nothing could save us from the trapping forces of the swirling waters. We were nearing the edge of the whirlpool now, and I could now see the bottom of the pit below. Its depth was the same as the seabed around it; no telling how far down it went.


    I struggled pointlessly, trying everything in my power to resist the current, but my body was too weak and the waters too powerful as they swept us to the edge of the watery sinkhole. We reached the border, and Miko and I screamed as we felt the water release into the pit. Our screams grew louder as we began to fall through open air down the middle of the whirlpool¡¯s pit.


    After all that walking and climbing, we ended up falling to our death in the water...What a depressing ending to this journey.


    We kept falling; I released my chokehold on Miko¡¯s neck, squeezed him against my chest, and prepared for an impact as I gritted my teeth and squinted my eyes from the fall. Water graced us again as we dove into a stone pool filled with water. The impact stung against the skin of my back as I sunk into the water, my screams dissipating through the barrier of water separating us from the surface. After a moment of sinking through the pool, I collected enough energy to push us to the top. We both gasped for air immediately. Miko must¡¯ve been confused, considering he had no awareness of what was going on, minus the feeling of being swept away by the seas that we were already swimming on and then falling hundreds of feet, only to crash into more water. I was still confused¡­


    We were in some sort of dark, watery dungeon. The sky stretched out above us, providing light to the area we were in below. Even if it were just for a moment, I was desperate to find a spot to actually rest without floating, something flat and reliable. I looked around us, trying to understand what we had just fallen into. How were we even supposed to get out? We had been dropped far enough that I was surprised we even survived the impact. Miko also hates heights, so it was best he didn¡¯t get to peer over the whirlpool¡¯s edge, or he might¡¯ve been too difficult to control.


    After inspecting the slimy stone room, I noticed a faint light shimmering off the chamber walls. Swimming over, I could see that above the water line we were currently at was a corridor with light green torchlight filtering down the hallway. The lip of the hallway was even with this cylindrical stone pit, so I couldn¡¯t swim through it or easily step up. The floor to the next room was three feet higher than the water level, so I would have to get us both up there to continue on. I thought about going up first, but what would I do once I got there, lean over and pick Miko up by his head? I wouldn¡¯t even be able to reach his armpits, not that he can float for that long, anyway.


    ¡°The next area is a couple of feet above us. I¡¯m gonna push you out of the water, and then you have to use everything you can to stay up there until I can get up there, too. I¡¯ll give you another push once I land back in the water.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Miko asked.


    ¡°Just try and stay on top of the thing I¡¯m throwing you onto. Got it?¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Uhh, sure.¡± He said without confidence.


    The first throw was too light. Miko was lighter in the water, but I had nothing to push off of except the underwater section of the wall. My second and third throws got him closer, but he was still not close enough to make it fully onto the next platform. I reconsidered my position and pushed at his ankles and underneath his foot while I began to sink underwater. This gave me enough power to get him all the way up the ledge, where he tucked his neck and held onto the side with one of his ankles. He was great at awkward moves like this since he had grown used to using his limbs effectively in ways most people wouldn¡¯t think of.


    This shot me further under the dark waters, but I found the wall and climbed to the surface. My first attempts cleared the wall of the slimy algae and allowed me to get a better kick-off. After pushing with all the strength left in my legs, I leaped out of the water and got my hand high enough to move Miko more securely into his spot. I fell back into the cold water and got back into place to try again. This time, I was aiming for the edge of the stone. I leaped up again, my hand gripping the wet rock. My ribs hit against the wall from the jump, but I ignored the impact and used my other hand to find an area not wet from throwing Miko. I pushed upwards, straining my bicep and chest to muscle myself above the lip of the stone hallway.


    I laid on my stomach, arms limp at my side like Miko, and exhaled a long breath and groaned as I internally assessed the condition of my body. This was the most depleted I¡¯ve ever felt, almost like I was suffering a heatstroke. I could barely move, and my lungs were too tired to breathe. This stone beneath my head was cold and provided a sensation for me to focus on to stay awake. We had no idea where we were; I know Miko certainly didn¡¯t. Staying here long enough to sleep is risky. This chamber could flood or something worse with our luck. Just a few more minutes to let the pounding headache simmer down, and then we have to keep moving.


    ¡°You all right?¡± I asked Miko, with my cheek smushed against the ground. He looked as tired as I did. All that kicking must¡¯ve been exhausting since that was all he could offer.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t drown, and it¡¯s not like I can complain to you, so I think I¡¯m fine, all things considered.¡± He spoke quietly, but his voice echoed off the hallways loudly.


    I laughed through strained movements, forcing myself to sit up. ¡°I don¡¯t envy you, brother. This is horrendous, don¡¯t get me wrong, but I can¡¯t imagine what it¡¯s like to be in your position. Don¡¯t beat yourself up when you¡¯ve done all you can.¡±


    He sighed softly. ¡°I know. I am just growing tired of not contributing.¡±


    ¡°You ar- ¡°


    ¡°-Really contributing, Maleki, not just paddling my feet. It¡¯s a been trend here lately.¡± His face turned towards me as if to show eyes of contempt, but his eyelids were closed.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what to say to him. He wasn¡¯t wrong for feeling that way, but there wasn¡¯t anything I could do to help him. The way he was feeling was why we were here, to begin with.


    ¡°You just have to stay strong a little bit longer. I¡¯ll get you there, and then when you are healed, we can worry about our teamwork-¡°


    ¡°Teamwork, Maleki? Stay strong? Do you think that¡¯s what this is really about? I can¡¯t see anything, and I can barely move. I just want to be normal, feel normal for once. I don¡¯t have any strength. There¡¯s no team. It¡¯s just you. And I¡¯m withering away even faster¡­.¡±


    His voice was solemn, and I could sense that he was starting to give up. Miko was tired of relying on me for his continued existence. Could I blame him? I mustered enough strength to place my hand on his chest. ¡°I know, Miko. I know. I¡¯m doing everything I can. Just keep fighting your fight, do everything you can while you have the capability, and I¡¯ll take care of the rest. I won¡¯t stand idle and watch you get worse.¡±


    He sobbed through his closed eyes, tears sliding down his cheeks as he lay on his back against the cold black stone in the green fire-lit chamber. There was nothing more I could do to comfort him; his grief was too large. It¡¯s better to give him time to figure the rest out himself. We operate differently in that manner; he needs time to cool down, and I just need space.

 Chapter 18: Probatio Aquae [Part 2]

    <u>Maleki:</u>


    After a few hours of being careful not to nod off and keeping an eye on our surroundings, we proceeded down the long, damp hallway. These lamps scattered evenly against the chamber walls and flickered a bright green without wavering. The path was long, and water splashed away from my footsteps as I walked the hallway, Miko close on my heels. I would have let Miko use it to sweep the path ahead of him, but he couldn¡¯t hold it, so I was doing it for him. It didn¡¯t make sense, but I think the extra sounds and vibrations gave him more information to read his environment. I was glad that the weapon wasn¡¯t a hindrance any longer; it had served me well on this journey so far. We received gifts growing up, but this one was different, something special that I didn¡¯t age out of. This one was different from the tools on the farm. In the stories I heard, swords always had names. Should I give my weapon a name? Isn¡¯t it weird to give inanimate objects names?


    ¡°Did you name your weapons, Miko?¡± I asked aloud.


    ¡°Yeah, the left one is Larry and the right one is Steve.¡±


    ¡°How do you know which one is the left and which is the right?¡±


    ¡°Whichever one is in my left hand is Larry, and the other one is Steve.¡±


    ¡°Wait, for real?¡± I asked, turning my head.


    ¡°Nope.¡± He laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t have names for them. Never thought about it before, just now.¡±


    ¡°You actually had me there for a second,¡± I said, laughing and scratching at the back of my head.


    ¡°Are you thinking about naming your scythe?¡± Miko asked.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯d make it sound cooler, right? All the heroes in the stories named theirs.¡± I said, proceeding down the black-stoned hallway.


    ¡°What name are you thinking about?¡±


    I thought about his question, grabbing at words in my mind. ¡°Sidereos. How¡¯s that sound?¡±


    ¡°Not bad for your first try. That¡¯s a big word for a pea brain, though.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± I retorted back. ¡°I know some words, too. You can learn stuff outside of books, you know?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± He laughed before pausing. ¡°Wait, do you hear that sound?¡±


    ¡°Sound?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°Wait.¡± He said as he stopped moving, which I quickly noticed and mimicked. ¡°It sounds like rushing water¡­.¡±


    I looked down at the ground. The water line was higher than it was just a few seconds ago. My hand was resting against the wall, and I began to feel it too. It was a vibration sound like water pouring down a stream but violent. A few seconds later, water began streaming out of metal gates in the walls behind and ahead of us.


    ¡°Maleki, I have no idea where we are, but I think it¡¯s about to get much wetter.¡±


    ¡°Keep moving. We need to get out of here and quick.¡± I demanded.


    We splashed more harshly through the water as the gates emptied increasingly faster.


    After thirty feet, the splashing turned into trudging as the water line reached below our knees.


    Sixty more feet, I couldn¡¯t even see the end of the tunnel yet, and it was up to our waist.


    Miko was slowing down now. It was tough to move through these waters without using your arms to help you push and pull forward. We have to get out of here fast. The water isn¡¯t just filling up; it¡¯s starting to force us along like a river before a dam.


    The water was up to my chest now, and I was tugging Miko along by his shirt behind me since he was shorter and couldn¡¯t stay above the water while moving. The end of the tunnel was ahead another twenty steps, still well-lit by the torches on the walls, which were somehow unaffected by the water moving through.


    I took several large breaths to prepare myself for what was coming next as the water behind me rushed forward, engulfing both of us. I opened my eyes underwater and was surprised to see everything around me with a bright green glimmer. I pushed my scythe behind me, tugging Miko along with me as I swam forward to get to the end of the tunnel. I felt the air in my lungs slowly dissipate as I let tiny bubbles float around me. The water pushed forward quickly, making it difficult to stay in one place. As we drew near the exit, I realized we were totally blocked in, like during the fire trial. A similar off-white stone locked us in with the water and prevented our path out. I pulled Miko towards me with Sidereos, placing my palm against his chest and repeating a motion like clicking something into place. He understood my gesture and floated off to the opposing wall to find a pressure plate on the floor near us. His current method of swimming was a wiggling motion combined with swift kicks of his feet.


    We searched around us quickly, and my eyes caught a unique shape a few feet down. A rune covered the stone, but I could not interpret its meaning, so I pressed against it as hard as possible. It moved ever so slightly, but I couldn¡¯t generate enough energy while being fully underwater and pushed against by opposing forces. My lungs stung from moving around, and I was running out of stored-up air. I pushed off against the wall and grabbed Miko, aligning his hand to the stone on his opposing side. He ran his shoulder along the rune and pushed at it to a similar result as I had. We both pushed together, and the stone clicked in. Nothing changed in the door at the end of the underwater hallway.


    Damn...I can feel my body fighting for air that doesn¡¯t exist. I swam back to my side, but I watched Miko¡¯s plate unclick as I got over to it. These things are on a timer, and we both have to be together to click them into place. I tried to kick horizontally at the pressure plate by stretching my body toward Miko, but I couldn¡¯t stay upright.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    My body convulsed, demanding air. Miko grabbed the bottom of my scythe with his feet and pulled it between us to his side. I held the other side in my hand as he pushed into it by driving his heels together and slamming his shoulder into the stone. My brother¡¯s a genius¡­


    I jumped into position, mirroring his movement, but instead pushing my feet into the top metal of my scythe¡¯s blade. Since it was only sharp on the inside, I could push on it with everything left in my body. The hallway was too wide to reach each other with our heels alone, but with the scythe, we could create a connection point to push against, similar to using a wall to generate more force. Moving together, we pushed our shoulders and back into the pressure plate, moving them slowly together until they both clicked into place.


    The stone doorway began to let light through from another room as it fell onto the floor, giving the water a new destination to push us through. My vision was going black, and I coughed as water tried to get into my lungs. I moved over to Miko, grabbing him into my side as the water carried us onto a grated metal room. We hit the grated floor hard as the rushing waves fell through the grates and left us in a coughing fit. I looked through the gates that were supporting our weight. Below was a rocky reef that was now being filled with the water from the tunnel. The walls around us weren¡¯t even walls ¡ª they were made of water, but it was shifting around us as if a barrier prevented it from coming through. The room was in the shape of a circle, like a bubble at the bottom of the sea.


    ¡°What is this place?¡± Miko asked aloud.


    I raised my back and analyzed the room. ¡°Looks like it was someone¡¯s home once upon a long time ago.¡±


    In the middle of the floor was a stone flooring with the same dark stone texture as the hallways. Metal poles rose from the grated disc on the floor and held green torchlight at the top that lit up the bubble completely. This place looked lived in at one point, but everything in the center stone disc was archaic and dusty. We walked to the middle of the room, where a few desks and cabinets were strewn about randomly. Any remaining parchments were thin and looked as if they would crumble from the strength of a fingerprint. I was used to my brother searching these places for important objects or information, but fortunately for me, there wasn¡¯t much to go off of. Outside of the stone furniture, all that remained in good condition was a leatherbound book with thick, dark yellow pages. The leather wasn¡¯t made of any material I had seen before; it actually looked more like bark than leather. Picking it up carefully, I opened the book to the first page. The words were not written in a language I couldn¡¯t read, but as I looked at them, they translated into words I did know. Contrary to Miko¡¯s belief, I can read ¡ª I just choose not to.


    Travelled far into waters unknown, a seed of doubt was sown


    All alone, I found another in a tree the shade of bone.


    Explored together did we, only to return with a message unexpectedly


    Beware the divine sea; they harbour an ancient enemy.


    ¡°You¡¯re awfully quiet. Is something wrong?¡± Miko asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I don¡¯t understand what I just read.¡± I repeated the message to him, which he repeated aloud several times.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell if this is relevant to our situation or if it¡¯s a warning of another.¡± He said promptly after inspecting the words in his head.


    I set the book down on the table back where I found it. ¡°Best not to worry about it then.¡±


    ¡°Only worry about what we can control,¡± We both sarcastically said in unison.


    ¡°You know ¡ª we shouldn¡¯t make fun of Grandfather. He is right...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± Miko murmured. ¡°Anything left of value?¡±


    ¡°No, that was the only important thing left. We should probably get a move on.¡± I responded as I moved toward the watery walls of the bubble. Now that I thought about leaving, how were we supposed to get out of here? There aren¡¯t any other doors or traditional exits, and most of the floor is made of metal grates that lead to the seabed below. I don¡¯t see any other pressure plates, which tells me this odd bubble is our only way out. My brother¡¯s feet shuffled softly behind me as he followed me over; he stood there with a blank face and his bag tied around him. ¡°I¡¯m not even going to try and explain what we are in front of, but I think it¡¯s the only way out of here. I¡¯ll hold onto your arm just in case, but it looks like we¡¯ll be swimming again, and the surface looks pretty far away. He nodded his head in acceptance, and I strapped Sidereos back into place on my bag and took a long breath that would hopefully hold me for long enough until we got to the top.


    Here we go.


    I reached our hands together. The water swirled up our forearms with immense strength, pulling us. I resisted the forces against us, attempting to hold onto Miko and rise to the surface, but the vibrating waters were too mighty. From the inside, the bubble looked like a thin transparent layer of water, but it was denser than I had realized. We were now being forced through like there was a vacuum outside the bubble. My grip on Miko¡¯s arm began to weaken as the waters pulled us away from each other.


    ¡°Miko!¡± I screamed out underwater as the words fizzled out into empty bubbles.


    I lost my grip entirely as the forces weighing down on me shifted my vision to black. What the hell is happening to me? I blinked several times as the water shot us through the barrier with immense speed and force.


    ¡°Noooooo!¡± I gargled as my body struggled to resist, watching my brother drift away between blinks. This was a hundred times stronger than a riptide, and I could do nothing to fight it. My last thought before I lost consciousness was a worry for my brother.


    <hr>


    A cough rose in my chest as a cold sensation pushed up my body and crested at my back. Salty water spurted out of my throat in small batches as my lungs expunged the liquid back up and through the sides of my mouth. I didn¡¯t dare open my eyes and acknowledge that I was alive. That was too difficult. Even now, I was tired, yet my body kept moving. My body had begged for rest all throughout this journey, and I ignored it, and now I was pleading with it to let me rest. My eyes tracked red light through my eyelids. Now even the sun would not let me be. I rolled onto my side, and the seawater splashed against me as grains of sand pressed into my face and soaked one side of my head. This water was warmer than other places, but it was like ice to my skin in this sun. I shook in frustration and grabbed the sides of my head with my hands. My eyes fluttered, blinking twice to accept my choice, though I would have preferred to rest.


    Opening my eyes, I embraced my surroundings with an annoyed sigh. My scythe was tightly bound to my bag¡¯s loops, which lay a few feet from me. I pulled the bag to me in a lackluster motion, undoing the straps slowly with a slight aggression. The leather hide bag slapped over my left shoulder while I used the scythe to stand straight. I stood there in a daze. Where was I? The area around me was a stone culvert cut away from a beach line by several hundred feet. Ahead of me was a creek that poured softly into a bulky wall of trees. Moving through the tangled web of tightly wound vines and branches would be difficult, but my blade would surely sharpen a path.


    What was I doing before I woke? We were on some sort of mission to a place. We were doing the trials, I thought. Wait, we? Who is...


    It all collected in my head, and I scrambled around in a realized panic. Peering my head in all directions in quick jolts of confusion, I analyzed my surroundings. How long had it been since I had seen him? How long was I asleep? If we washed ashore together, maybe he went to find food or get a lay of the land. Surely he would have left something for me to find...


    <hr>

 Chapter 19: Iudicium Vitae [Part 1]

    <u>Miko:</u>


    The waves crashed against my legs as I violently coughed up seawater. My fingers dug into the pale sand as I fought to catch my breath. Warm rays of the sun beat against my back as the last spurts of salty spit burnt against my lips. A breeze carried through my wet hair, though my bangs barely moved due to being soaked from the swim. If you could call it a swim, Maleki did most of the work. Where was Maleki, or Nomen, for that matter? I don¡¯t remember how I got here, just that we were swimming that last trek, and then I woke up on the sand in a coughing fit. We got separated, so the best idea is to wait here, and Maleki will come to find me. All he has to do is travel the beach¡¯s rim, and he will find me eventually. Yes, that¡¯s the best idea, one he likely would have arrived at before I had since he always gets to be the more reasonable older brother who always has a plan. ¡°Stay here.¡± I imagined him saying bluntly. ¡°If we get split up, I will find you, but if you go off on your own, it just makes it harder.¡± The shape of a theoretical Maleki getting onto me for being too hasty formed in my mind. This massive island was big, but circling the beach wouldn¡¯t be too difficult, and they couldn¡¯t be too far, so a day of walking at best. If they don¡¯t show up tomorrow, I will just set up a little totem of sticks to show I was here and which direction I headed so that we don¡¯t run around in circles.


    Now, the next thing I need to do is identify my surroundings, assess what I have on me or in my bag, and then gather the necessary supplies. My entire left side is limp, and I can¡¯t hear anything, so doing anything that requires precision will be difficult without my dominant hand. Maleki has the fire strike we use for campfires, and even if I had both of my hands, I was never good at starting a fire the old way. We kept my bag light, so I didn¡¯t have any food either, not that there was much left after the mountain range. We should¡¯ve cut some off the Aeternae; we could have eaten for a year alone on that. There was no way to tug it around since I took up all our extra carry weight.


    I stood shakily, struggling to find my balance. We didn¡¯t get much time on the beach on the other side, and that one was filled more with slippery rock than soft pearlescent sand. The land inward was a dense forest like a wall of trees and brush whose roots curved above the sand as if rejecting its touch. We were surrounded by the woods at home, and we had seen the forests near Quavoris, but this was different. The thick mass of grass and trees merged to prevent anything from being seen inside. I wielded a disc in case I needed to collect anything of interest. I would need to eat sooner or later, so maybe I can forage the treelined or see if something washes up ashore. Walking around, I collected some driftwood, dry grass, sticks, a few shells that interested me, and some flowers that grew along ruby-like vines that curled around the trunk of a tree. The vines were thorny and stone-like, and when cut at, they shifted, recovering from the assault. It¡¯s almost like the vines were alive. Well, all plants are alive to some extent; they aren¡¯t animals, but they are living. These just feel more alive than any other flora I have seen before. Moving past the tree line will be difficult when Maleki finds me. We will need to find the trial area to leave, but I don¡¯t see that being easy. In the meantime, I can study this area and gather materials for the remaining journey.


    High tide arrived with the visibility of all four moons. The lapsing waves took more and more beachfront with every sweep of the sand, and I found myself moving my things farther and farther back. I studied the flower; it looked appealing, but so did anything right now. There was no fire to warm up any food, nor did I possess any food either, so I was contemplating eating the flower. Just a tiny sliver to see if it was not poisonous, and if I didn¡¯t immediately start convulsing, it probably contained some nutrients. The winds on the beach were calmer as the sun disappeared over the ridge of mountains. Night¡¯s shadow had begun to swallow the island, much like the waves did the sand, though their retreat was much swifter.


    With the winds and rising waves, I retreated to the tree line, hopeful a torch would pierce through the vale of darkness, where Maleki and Nomen would discover me. I had already gathered the necessary wood for a campfire so that it could be swiftly lit upon their arrival. In fact, I had already arranged the wood logs in a circular pattern, with starter sticks and grass in the middle. If I sleep through the night, maybe they will find me! I laid my head down underneath the bare roots of the trees, and then something caught my eye. Several lights clung to the sides of the tree as if they were hovering. No, that¡¯s not correct ¡ª they were hanging. I leaped up and got to my tippy toes, stretching to inspect the lights and their source. Without enough light, it was difficult to tell, but once I got a better view of a lower hanging light, it appeared that the flower¡¯s petals were peeled back to reveal a pear-like shape that was a little smaller than my fist. My first jump failed since there wasn¡¯t much to launch me off the ground, but I was able to step on a low branch and reach my hand above to the fruit-like object. The vine hissed at me, recoiling from the retrieval of the fruit, but the luminescent fruit did not resist, nor did its light dim. Bringing it down to my root-covered crevice, I pecked at the fruit with my disc to see if anything would pop out or rather climb out of the thing.


    I had to be sure it was a fruit in the first place. So, with a cut of the object, a sliced-out section fell onto my grass plate. It had light field veins that spread like roots to the center. A stone-like pit was in the middle, but the flesh cut easily like a peach. The meat of the fruit was maroon with an outer lime-colored skin. Without hesitation and with much hunger, I bit into the soft flesh. There was a slight bitterness. Perhaps I had grabbed it too hastily and got a ripe one. However, the aftertaste was sweet and somewhat warm. Every ten minutes, I ate another until I was full. They seemed to grow sweeter with each new one and satiated some of my growing thirst. This wasn¡¯t a perfect system because, eventually, I would need other foods, but sooner than that, I would need actual water. Without a fire, I cannot boil anything, but that won¡¯t be a problem for too long.


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    I rubbed my temples as I awoke. Eleven scratches appeared in front of me with a round drawing of a circle that indicated the sun. Today was the eleventh day without seeing Maleki, or Nomen, or anyone, or anything.


    Had I eaten recently? Water sat in a few shells before me, which I quickly gulped down. I was sitting underneath roots that had collected enough dirt and leaves to form a den that looked out onto the sea. That water wasn¡¯t salty, so it must be rainwater. Had it rained? It must have been while I slept. These coastal storms are supposedly violent, though, so wouldn¡¯t I have awoken? Maleki says I¡¯m a heavy sleeper, so that¡¯s probably why I missed it.


    Maleki...it¡¯s been too long. He should have found me by now. Something¡¯s wrong. I left my den with my pack and disc, which was difficult to operate due to the right side of my body being the only operable area. The wind that carried over from the sea hit my shoulders, but I couldn¡¯t hear it. I let out a sound, but I couldn¡¯t hear that either. That¡¯s odd. The cycle rarely ever gave me alternated limbs. It was usually an all-or-nothing. I left my campsite, passing the wooden totem I had made and the empty campfire the sea had torn apart. Walking the beach, I found no footprints; the waves disposed of those quickly. Maleki was out here somewhere, and if he wasn¡¯t coming to find me, he was probably hurt and needed my help. The mountain stood above me as I walked the beach line, and I couldn¡¯t help but think about everything we had gone through just to get this far. How much further would we need to go to get this damned garden.


    In the distance, I saw an object that stood out from the white sand slopes. The heat from the sun that glared at the sand masked the object, but from here, it almost looked like a person. Was that Maleki? I limped faster with a hurried pace. Finally, I found him. My feet were blistered, and the rough, heated sand burnt at my feet, but I pushed through the pain to get to my brother. As I got closer, my pace slowed, and my heart fought with my wind to ascertain what I was seeing. Laying before me, staked through the sand, was a wooden totem much like the one I had laid out at my campsite. Had Maleki also laid out a totem before he set out to find me? Inspecting further, I found four letters etched messily into the wood that collectively spelled ¡°Miko.¡± No, that doesn¡¯t make sense. Why would he put my name? Had I gone in a circle? No, this was a different beach with no den. What the hell is going on? I looked to the mountain and then to the trees to get some semblance of understanding of what was happening to me. The tree line was tall, but something rose out above it. Dark gray billows of smoke climbed into the sky well above the line of trees, but their source was far into the distance within the trees. I felt in my pocket where my compass still sat and functionally operated. The direction of the smoke was Southwest. With a compass in hand, I walked the beach until the smokestack was a straight line in front of me and now directly south.


    The trees were a tangled mess with no straight paths to follow. If there wasn¡¯t a branch that forced you to duck, then there was one that required a step; sometimes, both were necessary, like an elaborate game of dance. Any normal person could sluggishly move past these brush and branches without much injury, but an ordinary person possessed full function of their limbs, and I did not. The only equalizer was the sharp-bladed disc I had. The metal was bluish-white and reflective at the outside edge, while the interior was dull, allowing me to grip it if needed. Each branch that was cut would fall to the ground, but in its place rose a new wooden spike that grew slightly every few seconds. The healing process was slow enough that I could cut through and move on, but as I looked behind me to where I had entered, the thickness of the forest endured. The area was familiar, and I could see the places that I had cut, but new limbs had already formed and taken over the place of the previous one. Hopefully, I wouldn¡¯t be turning back anytime soon because I would need to put in the same amount of work to get in just to get back out.


    That billow of smoke disappeared into the tall trees above me. Tall branches that were dense with even smaller ones all held a thousand tiny leaves and blocked everything but just enough light to move around. There was no way of telling if I was moving in the right direction, and I couldn¡¯t hear anything, even if I got close enough. Thankfully, my compass stayed true in this mass of dirt, wood, and grass, so I didn¡¯t need to worry about tracking the smoke any further. Moving through these trees reminded me of the trips Maleki and I made through the forest by our home. If we weren¡¯t exploring them, we traveled through them to the home of the old healer. Unlike these woods, those trees grew apart from each other; the ground around them protected the dirt-growing grass due to the fallen piney bits that fell from the bushy tops. As forests go, that one was perfect, but this place was like a cruel opposite that infatuated endless growth, so much so that you cannot tell where one tree begins and the other ends.


    Trees often challenged each other, slowly and bitterly. We do not hear those battles, but they can be seen over the course of many years. One tree grows taller and shades the other, preventing it from getting necessary sunlight, or it hoards water from the other with thicker roots and more mature stems. A battle of resources, not unlike the stories our father would tell of prior wars and disputes. Was this green jungle the product of a removal of that selfish nature that embeds all things? We protect ourselves or our interests, but is that immoral? When a sapling withers because it was never fed in the shadows of a much taller, already-grown tree, is that wrong? People tend to have an innate nature to protect the defenseless, but plants do not share that same concept. To prevent crowding and fighting, the adult trees force out any others that might grow near. As I cut through these branches that sweep across me and cut against my skin, I envy a well-groomed forest that is balanced by selfish ideals. Maybe it is different for humans and trees; their limbs grow forever unless they are not struck by lightning, broken by fierce winds, or infected by parasitic plants. However, people do not grow forever, and we often live shorter lives than trees do. Comparing the two might be unfair, yet we are unlike insects, and their structure of society and roles can draw many similarities. Stonecutter ants and Jellybees all follow a strict system of power that they follow right out of their eggs and until their death. We aren¡¯t engrained with purpose like the insects; we can only mimic to eventual failure.

 Chapter 19: Iudicium Vitae [Part 2]

    <u>Miko:</u>


    <u> </u>


    <div>


    My nose picked up a smell after two days of slicing and stepping; the circular metal device in my pocket aligned with the direction of the scent. Excitedly, I whipped my arm with fervor in a cross-like motion to clear a path. As I broke through the wall of branches, an opening with a stream of water appeared. Had I been able to hear, tracking the stream would have been easier. I had to crouch to get down to the stream, but my arm was tired from the constant swinging motion, so I settled at the tiny bar of stone. The smell was stronger, and I sniffed it out to my right, further up the stream. As I headed upstream, I cupped the water into my hands as it flowed and took several long slurps of the sweet water. There was moisture that built up on the trees, but it was difficult to drink. Several crossed sticks and burnt-up logs stood close by the stream that had been used for a fire in the last day or two. I poked at the ash with my disc to see if any embers still breathed, but all that remained was gray ash. The light was fading, and I hadn¡¯t slept in fifty hours, so I decided to use the previous owner¡¯s den as my own. Nothing here identified my brother as its habitant, but this was the closest I had come to seeing another, so I had to hope it was him. Nomen had never mentioned any others that stayed after the trials, but was it possible to live out here? He had told us that this place stole energy passively, so living out here would be too hard. That¡¯s probably why the kingdoms never tried to inhabit these places. Mountain living was tricky as it is, but if your energy was sapped away too, that would make you too susceptible to sickness and make already hard living too challenging to continue. I let those thoughts fade with my sleep and tucked myself onto the cold stone with only what was left of my blanket covering me. Another campfire lay out before me but provided no warmth or light. A cruel sight¡­


    When I woke, my forearms were under my chest, and my forehead pressed against the not-flat stone. I squeezed the fingers in both hands and stretched my left leg, extending it as far as possible to allow my body to wake up. My fingers rubbed at my eyes and fell towards my chin. Wait, I was moving all my fingers and a leg, I thought with widened eyes. This is new. I¡¯m getting better! It was just my hand that moved on my left arm, but this was progress. As I sat up, the arm limped behind my shoulder with no control, but the fingers moved at my command. The bustling of the stream next to me filled my ears, and the leaves hummed against the wind; I could hear again as well.


    Now that the sun was up, I had two options: follow the stream or see if there was a new cloud of smoke to follow. I decided to do the latter since it would be the more fruitful method, but if there was nothing to see, I could just follow the stream and hope that¡¯s what Maleki was doing. My hand gripped a branch, and then I climbed up the tangled branches that formed a durable but swiveled form of a ladder. Branches and twigs swept across my face and smacked the outside of my arms, opening them up with minor scrapes as I pushed higher and higher. This tree was taller than others around it, but I needed to get up a little higher to see any smoke. Although the web of limbs and vines made climbing easier, they still required some skill to balance with as I got higher into the tree where the thinnest limbs were. Using my newly gained hand, I placed my left arm up higher by grabbing it with the right and allowed my fingers to clutch onto a branch above me. After that, I positioned my right hand and stepped onto the last branch I deemed safe to bear my weight. My heart scrambled as my mind thought about falling, but I threw away those thoughts with a deep breath. My head swiveled around on a ninety-degree angle, and then I spotted dark gray clouds that crept up above the tree line. Several hours of walking would get me there, but I would miss him if he had already started walking. From here, it looks like I can travel up the stream to get to that new campfire, but if I want to catch up to him, I will have to try and move during the night.


    It took me five hours to get to the campsite. He seemed to be stopping at night, which meant I could catch up to him if I kept pushing through this dense forest in the dark. Who am I kidding? I can¡¯t even keep up with him while at full speed during the day because of this stupid limp. He was injured from the mountain and tired from swimming, so maybe he had slowed down. Ugh, I must really be stupid if I think anything could slow my brother down. I can¡¯t let the night slow me right now; that¡¯s the only thing I have against him. While he rests, I¡¯ll advance in the darkness. I had prodded around at his last campsite, but there were still no embers to make a torch with. If I can get there sooner this time, before he or the droplets put out the fire, I¡¯ll have an easier time moving around.


    That was a fool¡¯s desire. I reached Maleki¡¯s campsite two hours after sunrise and decided to take a break. My face, arms, and legs were cut in a hundred different places, with bruises on my forearms and thighs. Cool stream water brushed against my face, wiping away the dirt and skin-layer blood. The feeling woke me up, but it stung everywhere, all at once. On Maleki¡¯s campfire sat the charred bones of some kind of small animal. He had eaten. I plucked away at the luminescent fruits during the night, but that was no meal. He had actually eaten. Picking away at the remnants, I searched for any crumb or piece of flesh that might have been missed, but he was diligent in his hunger. My belly demanded food, real food, but I had none to provide. There were no berries or nuts that grew in my path. Without sustenance, my body pleaded for sleep, but that could not be granted. If I rested now for, but even a moment, I would be losing valuable time that could be used to catch up. Damn it all. Rest tomorrow, Miko ¡ª just one more day and night of travel. With a pant in my chest, I rose to my feet and continued on the trek.


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    There were no fish in these streams; it was too small to house anything big enough to eat anyway, so I wet my feet stomping through on occasion when the branches were too thick to cut with a single strike. Upon further inspection, My body needed energy, or my pace would slow. I had not considered it before, but I was desperate, so I started searching the bank and stream for any creatures that might lurk near the water. There were no tiny crabs or frogs, but there were some shells that stuck firmly to the rock like they were a part of it. As I pulled, the creature within tightened its grip on the stone. Using my disc, I pried the edge of the shell up and then between the shelled creature and the chalky white rock. Inspecting the creature, it appeared to be like a snail but more akin to a mollusk, which didn¡¯t settle my apprehension about eating the thing. A sound rumbled in my belly, and I pulled all my thoughts away and used my teeth to pull out the cold flesh within. Disgusting! I¡¯ll have to eat several more to make it worth it, though...Night fell again, and I felt better after eating something other than these luminescent mango limes. I¡¯d like to say I had eaten worse, but they did do the trick as far as hunger goes. Their individual value was not very high, but there was enough of them to satisfy the bottom levels of my appetite.


    If my basic math was correct, I should get to Maleki¡¯s campsite an hour or so after he had already left. I felt more invigorated than I had before, so it¡¯s possible that I can speed up my process of movement during the night. Cutting away and stepping tired me, but I let my mind wander as the muscle memory took over. I thought about our parents and the day they left. Those thoughts were usually pushed away since I had little want to bring them back, but this time, I had invited them instead. A memory of Maleki and I against a wooden fence took over. We were peering over it and at our parents, who were arguing about the contents of a letter. ¡°This is the second one you have received and my first.¡± Our mother said with her auburn hair streaked with dark brown at the roots. She continued in a disheartened tone, ¡°We cannot evade them forever. If we don¡¯t answer, they will come here ¡ª if we don¡¯t respond or show, there will be consequences.¡±


    My father retorted with a prideful attitude, ¡°Consequences be damned. I¡¯ll not return, and neither will you.¡± His eyes met hers in anger. Even in that memory, I had tried to forget, but those eyes blacker than the night pierced through to me. Maleki often had to explain his stories of our parents, how they were, and what they looked like, but I didn¡¯t have to try to remember those eyes of our father. Even when he wasn¡¯t angry, those ever-dark eyes of his seemed to display the emotion in his voice instead.


    Mother glanced at him without fear of his words. ¡°You¡¯ll risk this? If they find ou-¡±


    ¡°Do not speak to me like I am unaware, woman. Let them come. I can buy us time.¡± He stood off the bale of hay, index finger pointing like a sword at her throat.


    She brought him into her bosom, disarming his anger for a moment and speaking softer to help guide her point, ¡°You can, yes ¡ª for a time. They will be more insistent on the next occasion, and if you fight back too strongly, that invites more attention here.¡± They were two storms, and though our mother had eased his spirit this time, there were too many times she hadn¡¯t. Each of their storms was violent and quick to rise, but she had grown better at preventing his.


    Father sighed, slumping back onto the box of hay and resting his forehead against her belly and hands at her waist, ¡°Resina, please¡­They need us here. I¡¯m not a great man, but I am learning to be. They make me better.¡±


    ¡°I know, but they will be safer here, happier without-¡°Several tears broke through her calm demeanor. ¡°Please, my love. Your parents will care for them better than we can; they already provide much.¡±


    My father¡¯s lanky figure burrowed further as he tried to hide his emotions, dropping his head into his palms. ¡°What if we took them with us?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d separate them? They spend every waking hour together. We could each take one, but taking both is too risky.¡± Maleki and I locked eyes in worry and confusion but clung back to the conversation, hoping they would be dissuaded.


    ¡°It is too early to leave them. I had wished to give them a better life than I had. A fool I was, but more than that, a failure even with my time with them.¡± His grief peaked, and tears of his own wet our mother¡¯s dress. They embraced each other until their emotions subsided. ¡°One more week, Resina. Please. On your second letter, we shall venture.¡±


    His timing was correct. Maleki and I rumored between each other for a week about what their conversation meant for them and us. We didn¡¯t ask, and our parents didn¡¯t tell; they simply enjoyed the week with us like it was a vacation. That was the happiest week we had ever had with them, but on the fourteenth sun, they broke the news directly to us. They decided to do it separately, Mother told me, and Father told Maleki. She had always treated me like a baby, even calling me so, since she was unwilling to relinquish the idea of me growing up. We had talked for a while, but little details of why they were leaving were shared with us. Instead, they tasked us with assisting our grandparents in their stead. When we finished talking, I overheard Father¡¯s conversation with Maleki. He had charged my older brother with being strong for me as if he had already given up on me getting better. Our father had placed his own burdens on a child of only nine years, diving Maleki and further. Anger swelled in me, so I swiped away the memories with a hard cut at a thicker branch. Three more cuts performed in a motion like the letter X opened up the creek in front of me. Thirty feet ahead, with his back turned towards me, stood a figure with clothes torn and held together by loose sections. Two scratches were etched into their back and were visible through the cuts in the shirt. Finally, I had found him.

 Chapter 20: Probatio Vitae [Part 1]

    <u>Miko:</u>


    My right fist buried awkwardly into Maleki¡¯s head. His face carried to the side, but he spun on his heels, intercepting the second strike with a short kick at my right foot, sending me onto my back. His eyes tracked me up and down for several seconds, almost as if he was battling internally. ¡°Where the hell were you!¡± I yelled, red with anger and panting like an animal. ¡°I waited ¡ª for seven days ¡ª you never showed!¡±


    Maleki¡¯s right hand braced his temple in confusion, his voice shaking. ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­The Trials¡­¡±


    ¡°You had all the supplies; I was hungry for days. I needed you!¡± I was trying to hold my emotions in, but they overflowed at the surface.


    ¡°The Garden ¡ª We were going there to get you better.¡± Maleki seemed confused like his brain was struggling to process the information.


    ¡°We were trying to get there, and then we got split up somehow, but that was almost two weeks ago!¡± I wanted to stay mad or punch him some more, but he didn¡¯t seem to understand me.


    Maleki¡¯s eyes widened, looking at me more worriedly, ¡°Miko! Where have you been? I was searching for you. These woods are so dense. I got so lost and didn¡¯t know what direction I was going, but I just kept walking.¡± Exhaustion overtook him. Some of his cuts and earlier wounds had healed, though the major ones from the beast had remained with some improvement. My brother looked more akin to a corpse than alive. No wonder I caught up to him sooner than I had expected, and to his credit, I did have the compass. But why didn¡¯t he search the beach for me?


    ¡°Brother¡­where were you headed?¡± I asked with a questioning tone.


    ¡°I¡­I was going to The Garden to heal you ¡ª then I think I was trying to find the trial or you, but I don¡¯t¡­I don¡¯t remember.¡± He was in worse shape than I realized. No wonder he never sought me out. He was barely able to get a complex thought out in this state.


    I breathed out, accepting the circumstance as a victory, ¡°It¡¯s okay now. Let¡¯s keep heading South with this stream, which should take us deeper into the island and closer to that tree.¡±


    We pushed on through the creek, neither of us speaking to the other. The only acknowledgment we had of each other¡¯s existence was the distance our blades kept when cutting away at the mass of plants and trees that stood in our way. Together, we were able to speed up the process and conserve energy simultaneously. I worried for Maleki; he seemed different somehow. His movements were slower, and the thoughts he did share were jumbled or lacked any context. His scythe was more convenient at cutting than my disc since the blade was longer, but the real benefit was his reach. Without speaking to me, his body seemed to track onto a small animal that resembled a rabbit with a little horn on its nose and hair that was coarse and silvery. Maleki¡¯s hand gripped the middle of the scythe and arced in a shorter area, cutting through the twigs and limbs ahead of him, meeting the rabbit and killing it swiftly. How had he found two rabbits in his time when I couldn¡¯t even spot one? In my desperation, I had resorted to eating river snails that had slimy flesh and a terrible aftertaste. Today, though ¡ª today, I get to eat real food!


    I proposed camping for the night to cook the food. Maleki sloppily cut the thing open; his handiwork was evidence of a lack of experience, yet he had killed it quickly and without hesitation. Although, there wasn¡¯t much hesitation as he opened the rabbit open to get the meat within ¡ª slicing imperfectly at the creature as its innards clung to its hide due to cuts that incorrectly scraped where they should have sliced. Neither of us audibly complained, being careful not to waste any cooked morsel.


    ¡°Here. You should eat.¡± Maleki said.


    ¡°I already have. That¡¯s yours.¡±


    Maleki inspected the thing, almost like he had forgotten that he was the one to cook it. ¡°I have? Yes, of course. Sorry¡­¡±


    When the sun rose, I was first to put out the campfire and gather our things. Maleki seemed to grumble in his sleep, avoiding my waking prods at all costs. He turned over onto his side to resist me, but after shaking at him a few more times, he sat up looking as tired as he was the day prior. Was this what it was like to wake me? My left forearm was now clenched with more power but still stayed limp at the shoulder and bicep. This disease was confusing, even more so now, but more and more of my mobility and senses are slowly returning.


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    My continued existence appeared to be returning Maleki to his previous self. Every day we walked through the woods, I saw more and more of his personality and traits return. His thoughts still weren¡¯t cohesive, and he often repeated himself, but his overall demeanor improved. We moved through the stream for several days, and the branches and grass somehow grew thicker, colliding with each other more often and making the path harder to push through. More and more of the stone vines began to appear as we journeyed deeper into the forest. Neither of our blades put a significant dent in them. They would either regenerate quickly or recoil and twist after the barrage of attacks. Eventually, the stream brought us to a wall of trees tightly connected by the vines, resembling a manmade wall with uneven grooves and grass spouts. The flowing stream continued through an arched opening in the wall which was large enough for us to fit through but small for it to be an unnervingly tight fit. As we squeezed through, a perfectly square field of grass appeared, closed in by the walls around it. This grass was mostly clear with green at the base but did not form into narrow shoots. Instead, the grass was clumped into a mass, feeling almost flat and soft on its bushy top. Only one tree stood in the middle of the closed meadow, sitting alone as it basked in the rays of light that peered through the clouds above. Stone tablets as tall as Maleki rose imperfectly out of the ground across the grassy plane. Small bushes appeared throughout the meadow that bloomed with bright berries. I picked one and rolled the white spherical shape in my hand on my now fully restored left arm. The berry collapsed with the force of my finger and thumb, and a fleshy material that resembled a grape squeezed out. I sniffed the berry, inspecting it carefully to ensure it didn¡¯t smell poisonous. I was quite sure it didn¡¯t work like that; something could surely smell good and still have adverse effects, but this somehow comforted my mind before I tossed it into my mouth and chewed it thoroughly.


    Nomen¡¯s feet dangled from within the tree as he sat across a long branch. He appeared to be asleep with hands clasped together over his chest and neck tucked in. One of his eyes opened slightly to check if we were looking at him. ¡°You have questions?¡±


    ¡°What is this place?¡± I asked curiously.


    He pondered over his wording, ¡°A false garden. An improper imitation of the real one, though it has its quirks.¡± His eyes wandered to the berry bushes along the meadow.


    ¡°The berries are special, aren¡¯t they?¡± I said, looking down at the cuts on my arms as the surrounding healthy skin overtook the slits in my skin. A sweet burning sensation had erupted when I first ate the berries, which stilly lightly lingered as the healing process continued.


    ¡°Yes, they speed up the body¡¯s healing process. Of course, it is only a marginal increase, not a cure-all by any means. They might get you back into action quicker-¡° he paused, eyeing me specifically, ¡°-but they don¡¯t regrow limbs or heal something the body isn¡¯t already capable of if that is what you are thinking.¡±


    ¡°So¡­is this the trial?¡± I asked without confidence.


    ¡°This place?¡± He asked, expecting a confirmation, which I answered with a nod. ¡°Oh, no¡­this place is a checkpoint of sorts.¡±


    I analyzed the walls and contents of everything inside, ¡°This trial isn¡¯t like the ones before, right? It¡¯s all of it. This whole place and everything we experience?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­in some ways, yes. There is no final zone, but don¡¯t obfuscate the details as meaningless.¡±


    ¡°Each of the elements had a trial. We were told there were two others ¡ª the unnatural elements ¡ª life and end. I had suspicions, but these berries told more of the story.¡±


    ¡°Correct. This is the trial of ankh, or life as it is more dully called.¡±


    ¡°Well, what makes it unnatural?¡± I asked inquisitively.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. People build social constructs around many things, and this, I fear, is one of them. What makes summoning a flame at your fingertips more natural than a light that heals? I do not know the answer¡­.¡±


    ¡°Majik is confusing. We weren¡¯t taught about it growing up and only learned about it recently.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am inclined to agree. Learning anything new can be complicated. There is a distinct advantage in being exposed to majik as a child. It is very comparable to learning a language.¡±


    ¡°And you can speak this language?¡±


    ¡°Of majik? He asked. ¡°Yes, I can, but my siblings are much stronger.¡±


    ¡°To be stronger ¡ª What does that really mean?¡±


    ¡°I¡­hmm¡­your brother is better than you with a weapon, yes?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s unfair, but yeah, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Majik can be sharp, blunt, or dull, like a sword. Or, majik can be durable and wide, or weak and thin, like chainmail versus a bronze chest plate.¡±


    ¡°That¡­actually makes sense. Thank you.¡± He acknowledged me, extending backward onto the trunk of the tree, letting the shade of the large leaves carry him back to sleep.

 Chapter 20: Probatio Vitae [Part 2]

    <u>Miko:</u>


    <u> </u>


    <div>


    The place he called a false garden was quite beautiful. Of all the places we have traveled through, it was not dreadful, hot, wet, or cold; it was nice. I removed my shoes and crossed the meadow to enjoy the soft, comforting grass. The stone tablets from earlier were close enough now for me to get a good look at. They were obsidian black with chalk-white letters and had clearly been weathered by time and storms. In a few spots where a tablet would be expected stood only a chipped stump. The others weren¡¯t in great shape either, but the letters were mostly visible on the few that remained standing. I began to read the first tablet aloud.


    Aerth: Of the ground, all rise or connect. We stone our hearts, lest the whole world shake.


    I continued to the next obsidian tablet that stood a head taller than me.


    Agni: Of the fire, warmth and flames secure us. Take care of thy flame, all suffer if it wanes.


    Without me hearing, Maleki had appeared behind and was listening to my deciphering. ¡°These must be in order with the trials.¡±


    Aeros: Of the winds, the breeze that divides.


    A large crack ripped through the last line.


    Aqua: Of the water, the streams that guide. Their rage-¡°


    It cut off short, a small section of the rock entirely missing near the middle.


    Ankh: Of life, the blessed healing light. Be a seer for the blind.


    ¡°What was the purpose of these? Why show them to us now?¡± I turned around, asking. Maleki raised his shoulders without an answer.


    The end tablet was cracked in half, with crumbled bits around the base. The only words that could be made out were ¡°Anhi:¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªshadows¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªcling.¡±


    Several tablet stumps appeared, and then a final one stood at knee height, sliced clean through that looked seared at the top with three words etched into the vibrant black stone. ¡°The Primevil lurk.¡±


    ¡°What do you think that means?¡± Maleki asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. The word is misspelled, so it has a different connotation here.¡±


    ¡°Connuh-what? He questioned.


    ¡°It¡¯s like context, but there¡¯s not enough information since the tablet is incomplete, so it doesn¡¯t matter anyway.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± He stopped momentarily as his face struggled to wear the usual expression of determination. ¡°We¡­.need to continue on.¡±


    ¡°Just one night here! Please? It¡¯s getting dark, and I want to explore some more.¡±


    ¡°I...What about your sickness? ¡°He sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting better!¡± I said convincingly as he eyed me and blinked. ¡°I¡¯m serious. When I first woke up, I could only move one arm and a leg, and I couldn¡¯t hear, but over the last two weeks, my hearing and an arm have come back. You don¡¯t have to worry about me now.¡±


    He glanced at me, taking my words in like I did when inspecting the berries for poison.


    ¡°Brother, come on ¡ª you owe me!¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Maleki grunted with crossed arms.


    I spent the rest of the daylight inspecting the berries and collecting them into a bag to take with us. Despite the tablets and the tree, there wasn¡¯t much besides grass and leaves. Honestly, I hadn¡¯t expected to find anything else important ¡ª I just needed a break after the constant galavanting around the dense brush, sharp twigs, and thick limbs. Now that Maleki is here, I can relax a little. I thought whilst falling asleep in the lush mossy grass.


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    Pain erupted in my side, and I shot up out of my sleep. Maleki stood over me, both pupils in his eyes larger than normal. ¡°Wake up!¡± He yelled as he arched his foot back to kick me.


    ¡°I¡¯m awake,¡± I responded loudly to Maleki, Nomen standing nearby.


    My brother¡¯s breaths were shallow. ¡°I tried waking you up for five minutes!¡± He said in exasperation.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I demanded. ¡°I know I usually fight you a little, but you don¡¯t have to be so-¡°


    ¡°No! I tried everything, Miko. You were limp until I kicked you.¡±


    I felt at my side. So that¡¯s why I¡¯m in pain. ¡°It¡¯s okay! I¡¯m up now. My body was just tired, and then I ate a bunch of those healing berries.


    He eyed me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be more careful¡­sorry¡­.¡± I responded, which was enough to appease him for the time being.


    My shoes slipped back on reluctantly. They had been tattered and worn because of that miserable walk through the jungle, but it was time to leave, and I couldn¡¯t argue for more time after sleeping so hard. Nomen was heading with us this time, though he warned he would be following at the end of the pack, per usual. The opening ahead of us showed that there was still more crowded forest to crawl through. How much farther we had in this trial was a mystery, and Nomen was always careful not to share pertinent information. That didn¡¯t worry me right now for some reason; I felt better than I ever had. If we stayed here longer, maybe the curse would be healed. I started regaining motor function in the left side of my body well before the berries, so there¡¯s something else happening here; Maleki was recovering slowly, too. That almost guarantees that the life trials effects have been on us well before the berries.


    ¡°I really am getting better,¡± I said to my brother as I swept through the limbs, swinging both my discs now and cutting far more efficiently. ¡°You just have to trust me. I¡¯m not gonna let you tow me around forever.¡±


    He kept his eyes forward on the web of trees. ¡°I do trust you, Miko.¡± His thoughts trailed as he attempted to regain them. ¡°¡­it...it is this place I do not trust. While it improves you, I feel weaker than ever. It is¡­difficult to describe because the feeling leaves me so quickly, but my mind slips like feet on wet stone.¡±


    ¡°The end of this forest has to be approaching soon, right?¡± I said to Maleki, with my head turned slightly to Nomen to try and get him to confirm, but he wasn¡¯t paying attention. ¡°To show you how much better I have gotten, I¡¯ll climb this tree and see if the end is in sight.¡±


    With a reluctant nod, he waved me off to let me find a tree, watching to see if I had improved as much as claimed. Climbing trees was too difficult with only two limbs, so we stopped trying when the illness worsened, but now I have the chance to prove to him that I was getting better. Fortunately, this wasn¡¯t the first tree I had climbed since getting better, so I didn¡¯t look awkward or slow. These trees were easy to climb. The only downside was having to squeeze in between branches that wove around one another uncomfortably. Once I reached the top of the tree and stood straight enough to see out, a chill rose down my spine, similar to looking down from a high-up place. Arbor Majikae. We had seen it earlier, but the angle changed everything. A massive tree peered through clouds in the distance, towering above everything around us, much like the mountain had before. We were so close. ¡°The tree line is a day or two journey,¡± I yelled to Nomen and Maleki.


    Maleki patted me on the back with a smile on his face, congratulating me on completing what we thought was impossible not too long ago. That smile; I had not seen it in a while. Now we can do all the things we had planned as kids. For the first time since I found him in the forest, we talked while we moved our weapons with swift cutting motions. His memory wavered a few times, but for the next five hours, our conversation was about what we would do once we reached The Garden of Need and then after. We had come too far to turn around, so we wanted to try and reach it even if I was getting better, but I wasn¡¯t sure what was next. Now that I had most of my movement back, we could travel the continent or find our parents. We hadn¡¯t talked about them in a while, and the idea of searching for them was always second to healing me ¡ª even with my brother¡¯s optimism, which felt unreachable for the both of us, so we always ignored the other problems that scratched away at us. After the walk, we retired next to the stream and prepared our spots next to a fire that Maleki had quickly made. Those days of sleeping alone in the lonesome dark of the forest were over now.


    Sleep whisked me away, and I roamed the world of my mind, slipping between familiar places. Then, the maze of memories ended, and red light covered my closed eyelids. A voice reached out to me, but it felt too far away. No, it was close, but I couldn¡¯t speak back; my mouth felt dry and closed tight at the lips.


    ¡°Miko?¡± The voice muttered.


    ¡°Miko?¡± The faceless voice was my brother, shaking me by the shoulders.


    ¡°Miko!¡± Maleki kicked at me, attempting to wake me. I felt the blow, but I did not recoil. My body refused me.


    Time passed so differently in this state, but the voice rang out once more in the dark shell of my head.


    ¡°Miko, please?¡± My brother sobbed. The weight of his head buried into my chest as tears fell.


    I don¡¯t understand. I¡¯m right here¡­ What¡¯s wrong with me?

 Chapter 21: Iudicium Finis

    Maleki:


    A desolate wasteland burned ahead of me. Dirt and dead trees filled the landscape as Miko¡¯s body lay still in my arms. He was breathing, but he had not moved in three days. The life trial was more difficult with his weight on my shoulders.


    Nomen and I stood at the end of the last trial with the webbed tree line at our backs. He looked over at me as I stared down at my brother. ¡°This trial is not like the others, Maleki.¡± His voice sounded genuine, without the impartial bitterness he usually carried. ¡°The Garden is a straight path from here, but I cannot stay behind with you, for I will be too tempted to assist.¡±


    I didn¡¯t meet his eyes. ¡°What would you do even if you stayed? I don¡¯t expect you to carry him for me.¡±


    There was silence for a brief moment as we looked out at the gray-barked trees devoid of vegetation or leaves.


    ¡°What you¡¯re attempting¡­.You both can¡¯t make it.¡±


    ¡°You know I¡¯ll try either way, so there¡¯s no swaying me. You can keep your hints and riddles.¡±


    ¡°Maleki.¡± He said. I looked directly at him. His voice almost sounded empathetic. ¡°I believe in you, but please know the cost of your decision.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see¡­.¡± My eyes blazed into the distance. ¡°That doesn¡¯t change anything, but I appreciate your honesty.¡± Miko¡¯s bag fell to the floor before Nomen with a light toss. ¡°Accept this as a gift. You can return it if we reach you at The Garden.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Nomen replied. I nodded to accept the grace he was extending. This was surely outside of his jurisdiction as our guide. His head swiveled away from mine with words that came out in a depressing tone. ¡°I shall see you soon then.¡±


    With that, Nomen was gone, and I was left with Miko. With his bag gone, that removes some of the weight and awkwardness of carrying two bags. Our packs were much lighter than when we first set out, but all he had with him that I could keep was a bag of those berries from the false garden. That place made me feel wrong, so I was reluctant to keep them, but who knows how scarce food would be in the trial of end. With a name like that, it surely can¡¯t be satiating; the berries were, however, so they would be a last resort.


    How long had we been on this journey? How long was I alone in the life trial? Miko acted like it was two weeks for him, but it only felt like a few days for me. If his math was correct with what I remember from before, we have already been here for ten weeks. The last trial offered me rejuvenation but at the cost of my memories. It wasn¡¯t until I stepped out of the zone and started walking these dead plains that I realized what was happening to me and what I was missing. The person I am was slipping away with every passing day, with only the most basic of concepts and the strongest pulls of emotion to keep me grounded. Even then, the trial was able to twist and control my mind and memory to prevent me from finding Miko. In exchange, it had healed some of the tissue in my chest, bicep, and back. The side of my lower chest and bicep had healed considerably, but the quick healing had caused scar tissue to form in the place of a scab. The injuries did not restrict movement, but Miko¡¯s weight over my shoulders pinched at the spots, returning the pain that was previously there. However, the scratches on my back had not healed as nicely but had improved. The Aeternae would live on in the memory of those gashing scars.


    To get to The Garden, I must think like Miko and keep my strength. Nomen didn¡¯t seem confident, and the trials have only gotten more challenging with each one we completed. What do I have to expect from this place? What would Miko predict with the information we had gathered from all the others? The last trial healed me, but will this one weaken me? Weren¡¯t all the trials doing that already, or was this one a more potent variant that saps away at me quicker? If life means to heal, what does end mean? Isn¡¯t death the only ending? There isn¡¯t anything more final than that. I had never seen anyone die, but I knew what it meant. To die is to dissipate into nothing. Would I dissipate here, slowly and finally? Anticipating eases me, though it won¡¯t change the result ¡ª I should just focus on the ground in front of me; as long as I am moving, that means progress.


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    After hours of walking, I have come to the grand conclusion that this place is awful ¡ªa genuinely miserable stretch of nothing. The dead trees, shaped like crooked fingers with spiked branches, made me uneasy in an unnatural way. Even when I pushed past them, with the stream¡¯s current, they seemed to follow me with sharp eyes on my back. Anxiety caused my stomach to knot as I walked, rested, and walked some more. Despite all my walking, the edge of the previous compounded forest was still in view, even though I had walked for days. There was no shade, branches, or pits ¡ª only lifeless plains, barren of all resources, creatures, and plants. Everything dies here; no blooms or tiny blades of grass reach through cracks in the ground. No, there were just cracks and uneven tones of brown dirt. There weren¡¯t even tall stones. This flat, infertile biome leveled even the mightiest rocks into uniformity.


    A cold breeze scattered against my sleeves ¡ª a sign of the looming night sky that turned the hottest realm into that akin to the mountain. There was no escape from the changing temps, as there was no place to hide. The sides of the shallow stream were my only dip away from the winds, but they hardly provided any protection. They felt more like a ramp to speed up the chilling breeze. There were no sticks or kindling for a fire, so I would have to make do with the blankets I stuffed into my bag. Just because Miko was permanently asleep didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t get sick or didn¡¯t need or deserve the warmth. We both get a blanket. That¡¯s what¡¯s fair, even if I huddle into a ball to keep my body heat from escaping. Sleeping here was difficult; it was like laying down for a nap to heal a headache, only to wake up with a worse one.


    Every day, the sun rises, and I walk again as far as my body will let me. Without Miko¡¯s conscious effort to use his arms or legs to hold on, it was impossible to get him onto my back and keep him there. Without the cart, there were two ways to carry him. The first was to hold his back and knees in my arms like a parent would hold a baby, but instead of a baby, you¡¯re holding a fifty-ish pound ten-year-old. Carrying him that way tires my arms out quickly, so the second way was to slump him over my shoulders. Alternating shoulders helped prevent me from tiring out so quickly, so when both needed a break, I would carry him over both shoulders like a large log. My thighs burned after a single half-hour walk. The added weight slowed my pace to a crawl, exhausting me until I found myself on my knees and bent over the ground, no energy remaining in my body. These pits of fatigue destroyed any plans of long durational movement, as I could barely move a couple hundred feet before falling to my knees.


    Every night of sleep gave me enough energy to move a hundred feet at the most. The further away from the life trial I got, the more the effects of this one became prevalent. At first, the feeling was like a tingle in all my cuts, scars, and injuries. A week in, the irritating tingle became heat like the sun was beaming down at the spots, but even during the night, the sensation continued. Since I could only move so far during the day before tiring out, resting, and trying again, I would spend my moments of clarity focusing on the pain I was feeling. In the third week, the heat in the cuts and wounds was a burning sear that made even old injuries and slashes feel like they were being torn back open. Today was a month in, and my only motivation was the sensation, as focusing on it reminded me that I was alive. My muscles felt weak, and they tired quickly. I could only move thirty or forty steps before pausing. We might be twenty miles in at this point, but there¡¯s no real way to tell. The large tree in The Garden inches nearer every night I sleep, but it still looks unreachably far. The water in the stream keeps me from dying of thirst, but it never quenches the desire. Even the berries, which act like a complete meal on their own, hardly affect me anymore.


    Miko had not awoken or even stirred in his sleep. There wasn¡¯t a peep or grunt from him, despite multiple times that I had dropped him or fallen from the overbearing weight after a walk I had let go on for too long. If I felt tired, I always gave in five more steps; that meant I was moving faster. Those five steps might save me a day or two by the end of this, possibly more. After the first week or two of his slumber, I had begun to lose hope that he would wake up randomly, but in these moments of weakness where my exhausted body lays on the hot dirt of this barren wasteland, the desire for him to majikally wake up is often at the front of my mind. How much longer could I keep this up? A few more weeks? A month? Miko swung over my shoulders like a dead animal, and I kept walking.

 Chapter 22: Probatio Finis [Part 1]

    <u>Miko:</u>


    Fighting erupts around me in a loud twist of swings and footsteps. What is this place? This feels similar to the worlds I visit in my sleep, but everything is masked in darkness. Sounds hit my ears, but my eyes never opened. I see things occasionally, or at least I think I do. Images pass through my mind on some days; on others, the whole world is a shadow with sounds and sensations occurring randomly. In this state, everything is too difficult to decipher. A voice drifts through the lake of my mind, and I can hear the words ¡ª I try to reach out to them or answer their beckon, but I cannot move. Words without a face are my only attachment to reality as I drift through the lake, floating on shallow water as the temperature changes from warm to cold at a moment¡¯s notice. Time does not flow correctly here. Chains of events happen intermittently, without context or reason.


    It is too difficult to form thoughts here or to digest information that comes through as noise. A sizzling thought appears in my brain and disappears before I can catch it long enough to dissect it. Once I remember, and before I forget, the thought is always about my brother. I hadn¡¯t seen much here, but the voice was his; I knew that for sure. His sentences were brief, and his tone sluggish. The more words he said, the more difficult it was to understand. He spoke to me and about me with reverence and sadness. Maleki begged me to be there with him, but that didn¡¯t make sense. He was the one who was not with me. Where is here and there for either of us? Am I dead? Am I forced to witness the remaining of time and the world¡¯s progression? If that is the case, there are many feelings in death. Witnessing without sight ruins the point, so this surely isn¡¯t a curse in death. Too many senses are activated in this place for my body to be dead.


    What was that thought again? It escaped me swiftly, but it felt so close. I tried to remember; I try hard and often, but memories are too difficult to pull from. Was there something to remember? A sharp sound that started as a shaking bellow and ended in a prolonged high-pitched scream dislodged my attention. Sweeping sounds and collisions occurred in circular directions around me; my back was warmer suddenly than the water. Air crashed around me ¡ª my body felt it first ¡ª then my ears let the sound carry throughout the shallow lake. Only when blades, beasts, or people collided did sounds like these erupt. As far as I have been here, these sounds have been the first of their kind. What were they?


    Without sounds, my mind wandered infinitely, without purpose or destination. My mind was like the thick forest of the life trial: thousands of interlocking thoughts and branches that connected to each other too easily to stay on a single path. Recalling any information past the surface-level feeling of remembering it was too difficult. And yet, I was awake, consciously aware of my state of being and what I am without. This was hell ¡ª my own personal one.


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    Grandmother believed in something greater and lesser than ourselves, but she never pried on my own faith. Instead, she told me stories of other places and people that represented something more than our own personal conflicts. They did sound similar to the stories Grandpa would tell, but he never appeared to really believe them; they were just fables, fantastic tales that may have hints of truth but are meant to be epic rather than truthful. The stories she told were real to her, though, real enough that she based her entire life on their teachings. Part of me thought that was stupid, but she was always good to me, so maybe there was depth to the stories she told. They profoundly impacted how she approached her life, but their importance was mostly lost on me. I had tried to pull at the stories and remember their contents as they were told to me, but when I tried, only wisps of the feelings they invoked washed over me. That was the hollow cruelty I had endured for some time now as memories and time escaped me.


    How long had it been?


    If I can count the seconds as they pass, perhaps my consciousness will not fade, and I can begin to recall that thing that escapes me.


    One ¡ª Two ¡ª Three


    ¡°Please-¡° a voice whispered coldly.


    What was I doing? Why do I keep forgetting? I struggle against the water I am lying both above and within, but nothing happens or changes. My body did not move, but the water rippled around me in a circular motion. Perhaps if I can sing a tune that will return my memories, that worked in the story, Mother told me about the peasant who forgot he was the king after taking a tumble. What was the tune? I began humming until, and the words filled my mind.


    Sirs speak, and soldiers slur.


    ¡°I¡¯m so¡­tired.¡± The voice spoke weakly.


    Is that my brother''s voice? How long has it been since I heard it last?


    One ¡ª Two ¡ª Three ¡ª Four


    ¡°This journey is long and arduous.¡± A different more calm voice echoed softly.


    I have heard those words before. They were Nomen¡¯s so long ago.


    Sirs speak, and soldiers slur. Swords swing and sp-


    ¡°And when your brother can no longer light the path ahead?¡± A voice cut me off.


    I had overheard this before when we were still in Quavoris. Kallen asked the question, but what was Maleki¡¯s response? How long ago was that? A year? Two years?


    What was I doing again?


    One ¡ª Two ¡ª Three ¡ª Four ¡ª Five


    ¡°Miko, before you go to sleep, don¡¯t forget about your appointment with the healer in the morning.¡± A sweet voice trickled above the water.


    Grandmother Kecila¡­She always made me feel normal. Maybe she is right. Sleep, I thought with eyes that blinked together like glue. I just need some sleep.

 Chapter 22: Probatio Finis [Part 2]

    <u>Maleki:</u>


    The creature circled with wings that beat like fierce spring winds. I had not seen it approach, but its home was no mystery. In this wasteland, the only vertical objects were the pale-barked trees that had shadowy openings. This winged monstrosity surely came from one of them that I had passed. There were few trees, and yet there was a lot at the same time. With nothing else in this leveled oblivion to look at, they caught my eye quickly. What stared back felt like a hundred ominous eyes.


    Miko slid off my shoulders with a careful thud. I no longer possessed the energy to lay him gently as I did before. Two painful months, and I was still unsure of how close I was. All my wounds burned and throbbed with a pain unlike any other I have felt. Old wounds opened up from the constant movement, occasionally leaking blood down my arms and back.


    Surviving this creature was not even a contemplation. I did not know what it was capable of, but it would either kill me or I would kill it. If I made an error, my suffering would be over, but I would not welcome it. Any remaining energy I could muster would be used for this fight, and if I didn¡¯t pass out, I would keep moving. The process was both complex and slow, yet simple. No skips, tricks, or mental prowess would dig me out of this situation. All I could do was dig my heels into the rough black dirt and keep moving forward until I woke again to do it all over. A hell dedicated to me. A life around Miko but without him while I slowly wither away.


    The beast made another pass with its mighty wings and thin, stick-like legs. It was fast, but I got a quick glance at the colour of its wings, a pearl white that almost blended in with the trees. With what little energy remained in my body, I stood tall ¡ª as tall as I possibly could. My scythe leveled out my posture and allowed me to form a defensive stance that could prod forward with the bottom or swipe down with the blade. The sound emanated from the creature was a gurgling, scratching hiss that mixed together like a bird and a snake. What landed in front of me was a strangely accurate depiction of what my brain had imagined when I heard the sound. It was equal parts bird and snake, with thin black legs that ended in a forked foot with three talons. The wings had stark white feathers that sat above black tufts of fur. However, the torso and remaining areas of the creature were covered in light brown scales that shone brightly in the sun. Its head was covered in scales that formed over the base of the skull and around the snakelike eyes but came to a pointy beak that you would see on a woodpecker. The winged beast lived in a horrifying middle ground between two creatures I was well aware of, but the creepiest trait was the abnormally long neck that bobbed in a slithery motion as it sized me up. Had I been out here long enough for it to see me as food? I knew I was growing weak, but if these things are getting courageous enough to stand directly in front of me, it must mean they can see how tired I truly am.


    Sharp red eyes analyzed my flesh from six feet away as the thing debated its hunger against my strength. Another bizarre thing was the shape of its wings. The part of the wing that would be compared to the bone between my shoulder and elbow was normal for a bird, but the wing bone after the elbow joint was arched back and much longer than the rest of the body. Father had many stories of beasts that used to frighten me when I was younger, and unfortunately, I remember this one¡¯s warning song. ¡°The Strix ¡ª with legs like sticks ¡ª deadly kicks ¡ª picks flesh from bone with teeth that licks.¡± The story was always exaggerated with clawing gestures before he swooped one of us up like a bird would a mouse, carrying us into the air as we laughed and screamed.


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    Before I could settle on the first good memory I had pulled in a long time, the Strix pulled its head backward and stabbed its wings into the ground to allow it to lurch forward. This move allowed it to generate force and speed quickly without taking off into the air.


    I stepped backward lazily with one leg, providing me with enough room to drop my shoulder and dodge the attack. The slithery neck weaved left and right in an attempt to find a new weak point in my stance. I was being conservative on my stamina, but if I played defense for too long, I could meet the same outcome as being overly offensive. For now, I would wait for a prime opportunity to appear where I could act with little wasted effort, but that would need to be before I got torn to shreds.


    Air sprawled out around the wings of the Strix as it sliced through the distance between us and nearly reached my arm. My scythe fell to the side without moving the bottom snath that connected to the ground and intercepted the attack with only a light graze against my skin. A small line of blood dribbled down my arm. These feathers lining the outside of the wings must be sharp like razor blades to cut through my skin that easily. The beast attempted several more of these swift attacks to overwhelm me and nearly did, but as it lurched forward to deal the finishing bite and throw me off balance, I kicked the bottom of my scythe and slammed the pole side deep into its scaly chest, and sending it flying backward. Miko may be the smart one, but I know some things, too, one being that if you want to fly ¡ª your bones have to be hollow. This doesn¡¯t mean you aren¡¯t dangerous or can¡¯t generate a lot of force, but even with scales, your body is not as resistant to opposing forces. Even knowing that fact, I had to be careful ¡ª beasts didn¡¯t follow the laws of man, so it was equally as dangerous to misjudge my opponent on comparisons to simple animals; the Strix was a lot more than its dividends.


    My attack did nothing in the way of scaring it away or removing my audition as the role of a meal. If I wanted the Strix to go away, it would need to be injured or dead. I have to ensure I don¡¯t die first since ties in nature aren¡¯t a win. I¡¯ll still die if I get too hurt just from fighting this thing. With that in mind, I picked up the pace and started my own onset of blitzing attacks. The metal blade on my scythe glimmered in the sun as it swirled forward at the winged beast with fierce passion. Circling to the side of it, I swung hard using my hips and attempted to damn near tear the thing in half, but it used its wings to push back and avoid the blow. I exhaled three deep breaths in a hunched form while carefully watching my opponent. The tiny cuts it delivered against my arms burned intensely as this trial¡¯s effects dug into the wounds. My head pounded from the waste of energy; I had gone well over my reserves, but my body hadn¡¯t realized that since it was busy fighting to stay alive. Plus, I already tired myself out carrying Miko before the Strix attacked. Wait¡­Miko¡­


    I had circled around to cut the beast off, but now there was distance between Miko and me. The Strix had come to a similar conclusion as it shifted its head and eyes between us. While I was defending myself, Miko was a free meal. Those red slits in the Strix¡¯s eyes turned away from me as they darted to my defenseless brother, who slumbered on the blackish-brown dirt. As far as weapons go, those wings were comparable in speed and sharpness, but at an extended length, they didn¡¯t match my scythe. Knowing that ¡ª I gripped the bottom of my scythe like a spear ¡ª dashed forward with a big step ¡ª set my heels into the ground, and swung the blade over myself. Fangs unhinged above my brother¡¯s arm, but before they could connect, I cut clean through the scaly torso of the Strix. The beast made a clicking sound before accepting its death and falling to the side.


    Before I could double-check our surroundings, my eyes went black.

 Chapter 22: Probatio Finis [Part 3]

    <u>Maleki:</u>


    My head pounded when I woke, but I was alive or somewhere in between. I could barely move these days. Exhaustion filled me daily before I even stood, yet here I was standing again. Before today, I had no materials for a fire, so we both had survived on the berries despite my reluctance to eat them. However, there were only so many, and feeding anything complicated to Miko would be impossible, so any remaining berries would need to go to him. With these feathers, I can make a fire and cook whatever meat lies within. Taste wasn¡¯t a concept anymore, but if there was anything nutritious in this Strix, I might eat it raw. My body desperately needed protein to feed my screaming muscles and hopefully lessen the pain in my wounds.


    The fire only burned for long enough to cook the meat inside the scaly chest, leaving me in an unlit cold field with five or six handfuls of cooked meat. After feeding Miko his daily berry, I ate the dark red meat. I closed my eyes in acceptance of the first real victory I¡¯d had in months; while small, it kept me motivated enough to wake the following day feeling slightly less miserable.


    That brief glimpse of hope dissipated after a week of walking and eating all my food. The burning sensation that cooked up a throbbing headache never disappeared after eating the food and destroyed any hope that the trials¡¯ effects would just be me being hungry for an authentic meal. If I stood in one place for too long to catch my breath or close my eyes from the glaring sun, it was essentially sealing my fate for the day and causing me to fall forward or stumble backward until I woke a few hours later.


    After ten suns passed, another Strix appeared, looking more confident than the last. Unfortunately, that meant I had gotten even weaker since the last time, and the meal was a slight lapse from the harsh world before me. I ignored the pain that lagged my limbs and slowed me despite a long day¡¯s haul and fought the bastardly beast until we both sat across each other with blood swimming down our stomachs. While I had walked away as the victor, the Stix had still landed a decently sized cut that grazed my stomach in a horizontal line with my belly button. Nomen was not here to wrap the wound, and I only had enough gauze to cover my torso twice, so this would only hold the skin together at best. There wouldn¡¯t be enough to replace or wrap any wounds after this since it was our last roll.


    Being too afraid to accept the condition I was in, my eyes averted my body. I forced myself to look, to know what I was capable of. A large gash in my upper right chest was scabbed at the sides but open to the air. Air sliced into the ravine-like cuts in my back ¡ª These were the worst wounds; It was best that I could not see them. My shoulders were bruised, a deep purple-black that spread down my back like mold. My forearms and calves stung from hundreds of small cuts that I had gained from the sharp vine forest of the last trial. I had gained many cuts during that trial, which healed on their own but reappeared due to this trial¡¯s effects that squeezed previous injuries up to the surface. The worst of the tiny cuts were gained from carrying Miko through the outer edge of the dense jungle, which was made more difficult by having less range of movement with my scythe. My soles and palms blistered and ached from the scorching dirt ¡ª they were there, but I could not feel them as strongly as I once did. Dried blood crusted over most of my wounds, caking my skin like mud on a horse¡¯s hooves. I looked away from my body, rejecting the state of it so that, once again, I could pick my brother up and continue.


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    I had walked for twelve suns before the first glimmer of hope caught my eyes. A massive wall stood tall and far into the distance. There was little to make out from this far away, but in my heart, I knew this was The Garden. It had to be. This site was similar to one I had seen before ¡ª a month into the journey of this trial when I turned to look at the previous. If this was an accurate estimation, I still had another month of walking, carrying, and fighting. There was no more of that left in me. I shake and shiver in my sleep from the terrors that face me during the day and the bitter cold that steals my heat during the night. There is no escape from this place.


    One more week, please, I thought to myself.


    A few days later, the third Strix appeared to challenge me. It, too, had failed but left a nasty open cut on the side of my lower leg that showed a white layer of flesh underneath the skin.


    One more day, please, I begged the sky.


    I stopped counting the days after I passed out from dragging Miko as far as I could. Counting the suns was a consistency that reminded me of my progress and that the rest of the world was still moving despite this torturous journey, but my consciousness faded frequently. On several occasions, I had woken up and found myself carrying or dragging Miko by his armpits.


    ¡°Wake up. Just show me a sign that you are still there, Miko,¡± I whimpered.


    Thinking took too much energy, so my body limped along in spite of my weakened mind in order to get Miko to The Garden. The nights were no longer cold. I did not willingly lay down to rest anymore; my body forced that all on its own.


    How much longer can I bear this? I screamed internally as I shook Miko¡¯s shoulders.


    The fourth Strix lay still at my feet. I did not remember killing it. What was I becoming? These brief bits of sanity left me analyzing how much of me I had paid to get this far. I pushed the thoughts away to let my subconscious mind take over in a slow, limping fashion. Whatever remains of me doesn¡¯t matter so long as Miko gets healed. That was my promise; I won¡¯t break it.


    The Garden was so close now, but my pace was significantly lower in this thrall-like state. If I wanted to make it, I had to be awake for the rest of this.


    One more step, I panted with lips too dry to form words.


    I can¡¯t feel my legs. At this point, I¡¯m not sure they are there, and I¡¯m too afraid to look down and check. Miko¡¯s weight over my shoulders had become my own at this point. Every fall, every tumble, and every step we made, we made together. There were no more trees ahead of me, just The Garden¡¯s mighty walls.


    Let tomorrow be my last sun awake, but I will make it there, I demanded inside myself.


    I counted every step as my pain-filled body begged me to stop ¡ª to fail for a moment would be giving up on this whole journey and every miserable step I had made before. That wouldn¡¯t happen. Seven thousand steps brought me close enough to feel The Garden¡¯s atmosphere. Even being outside of it, you could tell. This place was different ¡ª everything Nomen claimed it to be and more.


    Just a few more steps, I thought.


    Miko lay limp over my right shoulder as I fell to one knee, ten steps away from the carved-out section of the wall that looked man-made. Imperfectly cut but with vines and grass that grew into the opening. A painfully slow breath left my lungs as I took the last remaining conscious breaths I could muster.


    One more step.


    One. more. step.


    One¡­more¡­step¡­.


    My hands caught the sides of the walls as I got once a single glancing look into The Garden. Beyond me was a sanctuary filled with trees of every colour, shaded by the mightiest towering tree to which no story could do justice. If any place could heal my brother, it was this one.


    My eyelids rolled back, and I felt myself fall into the vine-covered hill within The Garden¡¯s walls. Good luck, Miko.

 Chapter 23: Paradisus Necessitatis

    Miko:


    I awoke on my back in a field of clovers, thick grass, and large, soft leaves. Behind me, to my left and right, a curved wall made of branches and trees blocked the view of the rest of the area. In front of me lay a massive nest of unimaginably large trees with branches that stretched far and abundantly, with limbs that didn¡¯t even weigh down back to the ground. Every colour of leaf and fruit could be seen from where I was lying, and there was much more to be seen, presuming the wall was a circle. What I was seeing was probably only a sliver of this paradise. However, I couldn¡¯t move any of my limbs. Only my eyes were allowed to wander the beautiful fields that lie before me. ¡°Maleki, are you seeing this? We finally made it. This must be The Garden!¡± I said aloud. There was no response to my call. Only the trees acknowledged my presence as the breeze blew against their mighty limbs. The trees mocked me. ¡°Maleki?¡± I said, louder this time. Again, there was no response. I yelled my brother¡¯s name louder, hoping he had wandered off to inspect the area, but a minute passed, with myself being the only one to observe it. A few footsteps could be heard, so I called out, ¡°Maleki? Nomen?¡± I questioned aloud.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Nomen replied in that same familiar monotone voice of his.


    ¡°Where¡­where is Maleki?¡± I pleaded.


    ¡°It would be easier to show you.¡± He walked over to me and pushed on my back so I could see behind me.


    As my body turned, my heart felt like a fist had grabbed it and squeezed. This isn¡¯t right. That¡¯s not how this is supposed to be. Maleki...My brother¡¯s body lay almost lifeless before me. His chest barely showed any sign of breathing, but my eyes could pick it up after watching desperately. There were no catastrophic injuries I could see. He had cuts and bruises all about his body, some fresh that I had not seen before and others I had witnessed him gain, but there was something else very wrong with him. ¡°Maleki? Wake up.¡± I called out to him. My arms wouldn¡¯t work, but I pushed hard internally at more core, begging it to try and move just a little so that maybe I could nudge him awake. My efforts were to no avail, as my whole body was a coffin for my eyes and soul at this point.


    Nomen found a spot between us, his knee pointing to the sky while his other leg rested nonchalantly on the ground ¡ª a pose not befitting of him. ¡°He is alive,¡± He said assuredly. ¡°Albeit rather immobile. You can relate, yes? I predict this condition will not change.¡±


    ¡°What happened? He was perfectly fine the last time I was awake.¡± Something was clouding my mind; I couldn¡¯t remember much from our last trial, the memories dwelling right below the surface.


    ¡°That was three long months ago, Miko.¡± The way he spoke was unlike him. Melancholy had stolen that unreachable side of him we had seen along this journey. ¡°A lot has happened while you were asleep ¡ª the journey, as I promised before we left ¡ª is difficult even when the self is a priority. Not only did your brother enter The Garden with his own body, but he brought you here as well. His strength and mind were continuously challenged constantly throughout the journey here, and yet here he lies impossibly in front of us. Truly miraculous that despite all odds, his single goal kept him moving forward.¡± He paused as his eyes glanced across mine with commiseration. ¡°Be grateful he granted you this gift with his last step.¡±


    ¡°Grateful? What¡¯s wrong with my brother?¡± I yelled, panicking in my immobile state. ¡°Wake up, Maleki!¡± I yelled desperately.


    ¡°Your brother cannot wake,¡± Nomen said monotone, restricted from emotion. ¡°Maleki¡¯s body has been broken beyond repair ¡ª months of challenging hikes, dreadful swimming, and difficult climbing. An arduous journey before the trials themselves come into play, and to top it off, your limp body had to be carried all this way. Through sheer force of will, Maleki was able to surpass his physical and mental limitations to arrive at your destination. He has reaped the consequences of quickening the journey. He was afraid of what could come if he did not bring you here as fast as possible, and his decision was made at that calculation of risk.¡±


    ¡°I thought The Garden was supposed to heal us, Nomen? Is he going to get better?¡± I demanded in a bewildered state.


    ¡°Possibly, although unlikely. It will be a very long time if he ever wakes up, and he will be in the same position you are in right now. Stationary and in pain for many long years.¡± His voice trailed as his empathy waned, ¡°¡­And who knows what his mental state would be? He sacrificed much to focus on his only goal.¡±


    This can¡¯t be possible. We were supposed to get here and figure everything out together. I¡¯m supposed to be the weak one. I have to fix this somehow¡­Who am I kidding? I can¡¯t even move; I¡¯m barely in better shape than he is. Months of sleep have left my body in pain, and my limbs feel foreign. ¡°What¡¯s even the point of this damned place? I thought this was supposed to be a haven for the sick.¡±


    ¡°This is The Garden of Need.¡± He gestured wide with his hands, apathetic to his surroundings. Nomen¡¯s voice sounded like a city guard repeating the same old lines they have been tasked with, ¡°You will not tire here, nor hunger so long as you obey the rules of The Garden of Need. In exchange for good health and stamina, all that is asked in return is that no creatures are harmed within this oasis and that, above all things, you must never eat the fruit that grows on The Tree of Majik.¡±


    ¡°So it doesn¡¯t heal us? What? We just won¡¯t get worse?¡± I demanded with a shout.


    ¡°Correct. A stasis is shelled around you, preventing your illness from worsening, but it does not cure you. The disease or illness is stopped at its current state, yet if you step a single foot outside the walls of this oasis, your body will take off where it left.¡±


    We traveled all the way here so that I could stay here forever, I thought to myself. ¡°That fruit that grows on the tree we are forbidden from eating; why can¡¯t we eat it?¡±


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    ¡°It corrupts the majikal blood inside you.¡± He replied with confidence, eyes blazing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any majikal blood. Someone¡¯s eaten it before, right? What happened to them?¡± I asked impatiently.


    Nomen picked me up by the armpits with minimal effort and carried me over to a tree where I could view Maleki and the doors to The Garden. He sat a few steps away from me and began to speak, ¡°Let me tell you a story, and I hope it will impart some valuable knowledge of The Garden and its inhabitants.¡±


    The Garden in its¡¯ current form changed in front of me, my brother¡¯s body fading as the new environment overlapped him. This was surely taking place in my mind, as it was similar to the feeling of the riddle when we first started this journey. In an instant, we moved to another position towards the middle of the circular wall, and before us stood the bottom roots of a tree that reached far into the sky, thousands of times taller than the tallest tree I¡¯d ever seen.


    Nomen explained in his normal, unbothered tone, ¡°This is a Leviathan Tree ¡ª the oldest tree in all of Paradisus Necessitatis. From Chaos, the first beings were created here. They were crafted perfectly in balance to enjoy the creator¡¯s many gifts, this world being one of them. They could eat from all but one of the trees: Arbor Majikae ¡ª The Tree of Majik.¡± The tree magnificently stood before us in this old vision. Its branches were healthier and covered a wider area. The biggest difference was the tree¡¯s veins, which held eight distinct colors flowing up the tree¡¯s dark brown bark, far beyond my sight. He continued, ¡°There were nine primordial entities that lived under the shade of the leviathan. They had no concept of hunger, as their bodies did not require food, nor a concept of taste, as they had never eaten. Their bodies did not tire; their stamina was limitless, so they had no concept of sleep. Despite the clear waters that existed, they did not thirst as they had never thought to drink of them. So long as they innocently occupied The Garden, all would be provided. They would need for nothing.¡± He ended his story, plumping down onto a part of the giant root around us.


    ¡°Great story, but what¡¯s the point?¡± I asked brazenly.¡± You wouldn¡¯t waste breath on words without a purpose.¡±


    Nomen sighed, ¡°Impatience leads to negligence, Miko. It would be smart for you to remember this in the future. There is information in the way someone tells a story, as well as in the way they choose to tell it, which details they choose to share, and how they decide to paint them. You can always ask questions afterward to decipher the truth.¡±


    He scolded me with his eyes for my insincere attitude. ¡°You have a point¡­.please continue.¡± I would have raised my arms in acknowledgment of my mistake if it were possible.


    ¡°There was freedom to do as they pleased, but they were offered the same ruleset as you were. Enjoy the gifts of The Garden, but do not eat from the fruit of Arbor Majikae. They were enchanted with that single rule, and their freedom enabled their curiosity. However, the task of eating the fruit seemed difficult, and when even the thought of eating the fruit would be brought up, some of the group would dissent. As time passed, the gifts of The Garden were no longer treated as divinely and were normalized as just a part of their existence. After more time passed, the primordials grew curious about what existed outside of the walls, and one of them questioned why there would be walls if they were free, and the first seed of doubt was sown. To hide their activities from their creator ¡ª they went to the darkest side of The Garden, where the tree¡¯s limbs cast a warm shadow and made a hole in the wall.¡± We shifted back to our original location, but the time was still clearly not our own. ¡°This is where your brother carried you in. Where ¡ª in the thought that what they were doing was mischievous or sinful, they created the butterfly effect that would lead to the true sin: the harvesting of Arbor Majikae.¡±


    My mind was racing with questions, but I delicately prioritized the important ones for Nomen¡¯s sake. ¡°So, why did they eat the fruit, and what happened to them after?¡±


    ¡°When they left The Garden of Need, for the first time, they experienced hunger and thirst and saw their own blood. In the beginning, they were pleased with the feelings since they were new and exotic. However, for the first time in their lives, they felt fear. Fear of what is to come, or fear of the consequences of the hole in this wall they made.¡± Silhouettes of the primordials twisted and turned around me as the space around us followed their perspective. ¡°Perhaps, in preparation for that fear and to protect the things they had begun to covet, they decided to return to The Garden. They believed that if they ate the forbidden fruit, it would permanently give them the gifts that were provided previously. So, they strode back through the hole in the wall they had created and began the ascent up the Leviathan Tree. Climbing up, each for different motives, they collectively broke the only rule provided to them, and they ate the Malum Elementorum. They were granted strength, durability, and healing beyond what they could have ever imagined, permanently.¡± The tree¡¯s colored veins that twisted in and out of the bark started to dissipate slowly, and the vision twisted to our time, but over to the perspective of the tree, where only purple and green colored veins wrapped around the tree. ¡°Our dear Arbor Majikae suffered from their pillaging, and the sanctity of The Garden was disparaged. Not only were they granted the previous gifts, but they also stole the majik that fuels our world. Great calamities formed all over and continue to affect our entire planet due to their theft; hurricanes the size of continents, tornadoes that stretch far into the sky, and Volcanoes that shoot ash far and wide. The primordials were banished from The Garden and cursed by Chaos themself for corrupting their creation.¡±


    I scoffed, ¡°All that just to say it will heal Maleki and me?¡±


    ¡°You are correct in that Malum Elementorum grants healing properties, but I cannot even predict the outcome of removing the last two fruits of the tree. This tree is necessary to the planet¡¯s life cycle ¡ª losing it would cause untold catastrophes.¡±


    ¡°I truly don¡¯t care about what happens to the rest of the world. As long as Maleki is still alive, that¡¯s all that matters.¡±


    His eyes were locked with mine this time as the vision of the past and present faded back to our original location. ¡°The primordials were terribly cursed, Miko. Be careful you do not cast yourself and Maleki into a future that you together cannot share or one that he might not desire.¡±


    I sighed, sliding my eyes away from his, ¡°I¡¯m hearing ya, but it won¡¯t matter. If that fruit will heal Maleki, I¡¯ll do whatever it takes.¡±


    ¡°That is unfortunate to hear, but I serve The Garden of Need and cannot move against it. I hope you make the best choice for you and your brother. I have shared all the information I can with you so that you can make the best decision.¡± Nomen stepped away from me indecisively, disheartened by my choice.


    My body ached, and I couldn¡¯t adjust out of the upright position he had left me in. I tried to move, but not even a finger or toe would shift. ¡°Nomen?¡± I asked aloud. ¡°One last thing. That¡¯s not your name, right? We only called you that cause it sounded funny. What is it really?¡±


    His demeanor lightened, ¡°Correct, that is the name you gave me, but that is not my true name.¡±


    Pain soared through my body, but I spoke through it, ¡°Before you go, then. So I don¡¯t forget when this is all said and done, and I¡¯m cursed to oblivion. What name should I remember?¡±


    He turned his back to me, his harp still sitting gently in his backstrap. ¡°My true name, the first given to me, is Khronos,¡± I swore I didn¡¯t blink, but he had vanished before me ¡ª leaving only wisps of green energy behind to fizzle away.

 Chapter 24: Remedium Ad Deloreum [Part 1]

    <u>Miko:</u>


    My body ached. Every part of my skin, every bone, every muscle, and tendon spiked in flashes of pain. I knew it wasn¡¯t possible, but as I sat there in my shell of a body, I could almost feel the blood moving throughout. My sense of touch was not weakened; if anything, it was strengthened by the lack of movement. With nothing to distract my mind, every part of the ground touching me offered a different temperature and texture that I could individually track. Nomen, or Khronos, left me with much to think about it. Although, I had made my decision already. Even if no one could help me get there, I¡¯ll climb that tree and heal Maleki no matter what it takes. I¡¯ll take all the consequences of whatever happens, but no tale or story will stop me from doing the right thing.


    I just have to figure out how to move, damn it. I have to. Khronos left me against the tree, with my only view being Maleki. Was that on purpose? My brother lay so still, his breaths continuously so shallow that I had to convince myself he was indeed alive. What do I have to do? I know what I will do next; I¡¯ll climb that forsaken tree no matter what it takes. For now, I must find a way to regain some movement in my body.


    The Aerth and Agni trial wore down whatever was left of me mentally and physically, but looking back on it, I can¡¯t imagine what it did to Maleki. He basically had to go through three of the trials alone, without my involvement. I¡¯m lucky to be awake right now. Maleki and I had differing challenges throughout the trial, but he was always better at the more physically demanding things, and I was better at analyzing info and figuring things out. Three months I slumbered when I could have sped up the journey. Instead, I was deadweight. Maleki might be okay right now if he didn¡¯t use everything to get me here. I have to stop thinking like that; it won¡¯t help me here.


    However, something had bothered me since before we took that first step up the mountain. Why would the sick be tasked to travel here? This journey is difficult enough for a person in peak physical health. Intelligence can save you some time which does limit the effort needed compared to taking the straight and narrow path. The riddle didn¡¯t call for a healthy or sick person directly, yet a cure and pain were mentioned. What does The Garden get out of this? Why does it need a person? I¡¯m not sure what happened in the last trial, but the first four each represented the elements, and the next was the unnatural element of life, so it is safe to presume the last was end. The Garden is looking for someone who is strong of mind and will but not necessarily physically strong. Although, even a sick person who is extremely intelligent still has to be physically capable, so maybe two people are needed. Perhaps the bond or connection of two people would be required to complete whatever is being called for. That fills the gaps between what Maleki is and what I am in this scenario. If Maleki was strong enough in body and will, then I must be ¡ª wait, what if my mind was causing all of this in the first place? When my mind started to falter, and we entered into the outer rims of The Garden¡¯s reach, I was weakened even further, and every further progression of the illness forced me to solidify my own fate before it arrived. If it is in my mind, it can be undone; I¡¯ll just have to figure it out. Not like I have anything better to do anyways¡­.


    With that understanding, I spent the entire remaining sunlight focusing on my fingertips. Hours of intent purely on isolated feeling in one of my fingers. The top of my hands lay flat against the ground as I sit slumped against the tree. The green grass and clovers were soft to the touch and gave me a feeling to latch onto. Sleep found me unknowingly at some point and gave me a chance to wake up with a newfound goal and renewed inner strength. My spine ached from not laying flat, but I had to ignore every other sensation or pain in my body in order to accomplish my current goal ¡ª reclaiming movement ¡ª limb by limb.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    I saw the sun rise nineteen times, and on the twentieth day, I awoke to a twitch in my index finger ¡ª twenty days of concentration, twenty moons of sleep. I was very close to giving up before that happened. Thankfully, I do not grow hungry or tired; even sleep is unnecessary, but I gain comfort from the cycle when my body permits it. There are no distractions beyond the beauty of this place. From this angle, with the shade of the tree, I cannot even glimpse at the moons.


    A twitch in my finger means it is possible to regain movement. I can work with that. No matter how long it takes to recover it all, I¡¯ll keep moving forward. I could only move my finger from the joint in my hand and above. I kept focusing on the other fingers now, trying to repeat what had worked before. Another two suns and I could move my other index finger. I kept my focus daily for as long as possible on my fingers until each of them could be moved. I had now been at this a whole month and could show for it movement above both my wrists. I had to keep going ¡ª keep pushing for more. Limited movement in my forearms was necessary to move my wrists, and I quickly regained access to my entire left arm and somewhat of my right.


    I wasn¡¯t plateauing, but a month of focus had drained me mentally, so I needed a day to think. I didn¡¯t need motivation; I had that in front of me. Maleki¡¯s defenseless, unmoving body lay in front of me, unchanging with the passing sun. Today would be spent in relaxation to allow me to recharge and continue the daunting work I had ahead of me. How could I relax? All my belongings were in my bag, a few feet away from me, near where Maleki had fallen through The Garden¡¯s gates. There was nothing to pass the time with, no indulgences to bury my head into, no books or scrolls.


    There were stories in my head that had been told to me, but they were embellished, and that would only worsen if I tried to remember them. Listening was never as vital a tool for learning, but reading was more permanent in my experience. The words leap out of the pages and stay in my mind, and I can pull them out at any moment. Images and voices are the hardest to remember. What did Grandpa sound like, and was Mother¡¯s voice truly that sweet? Their voices danced in my head, unable to find form, only wisps of what I might have thought them to be and likely embellished like the stories. I cannot even remember such simple things, yet a thousand words from books on those old dusty shelves sat in a single file line, catalogued to be pulled at a moment¡¯s notice. That was the only relaxation I was granted. For hours I pulled those books from memory and repeated lines in my head, trying to find a deeper meaning to their text. A month of loneliness had already felt miserable, but Maleki had suffered threefold my depression, so it would be disrespectful of his efforts for me to complain.


    Fixating my focus on the rest of my right arm, a week passed, and I could move both arms again, but my legs and spine were restricting the most significant movements. If I wanted to climb that tree, I would need a lot more than arms. With that in mind, I looked down at my next goal. My legs were flat against the ground, so I grabbed above my knees and pulled my legs into an arch. This forced the soles of my feet to be pressed against the ground and limited the surface area I had to focus on. I repeated the same process as last time and focused on my toes individually. This worked for the big toes, but after two weeks of focusing, that¡¯s all I had managed to regain. The toes are more supportive compared to the individual movements of every finger. I moved on from the toes and dedicated all my attention to the bone of my ankle that jutted out the outer part of my leg. I pried my legs into a crisscross position using my arms, which took a while without the assistance of my spine, and the end result looked more unconventional than normal. Three weeks later, I had everything below my ankles back.

 Chapter 24: Remedium Ad Deloreum [Part 2]

    <u>Miko:</u>


    <u> </u>


    <div>


    I had time to think about what Khronos said earlier, and if the timeline is correct, my eleventh birthday passed during the last trial. The sun¡¯s position in the sky confirms that it has been a year since our journey started, but it only filled me with sadness as I considered how much I had missed. Three months, and all I had to show for it was my arms and ankles. I have to speed this up somehow.


    My pelvis, spine, and knees were inoperable even with this much time passing of pure dedication to repairing my body. This was unfortunate because I had not degraded so quickly, but it was so difficult to get back to where I once was. The joints in my shoulders were stiff, causing the movement to be sluggish and reduced in the range of motion. A tight grip was difficult to form or maintain, though it had gotten steadily better as the use of my wrist and fingers continued. I could feel myself breathing, and it was difficult to control, but that didn¡¯t make restoring the use of my spine any easier. The order of things was odd, but my theory was that my spine was the primary issue seeing as that my neck, back, and hips down to my knees were uncontrollable. A few dozen nights per leg were what it took for me to fully get them back in working order; the process was slow, like descending into the water one millimeter at a time per day. I started with an itch in my legs, it was maddening, but it helped me isolate the skin and dig deeper into the bone and tendons. That took a single month all together, but every time I felt defeat, a single twitch would stride through my calf up into the kneecap. Then I focused on my hips, and as usual, nothing is easy, so I had to use what I learned on regaining the first leg to speed up progress with the other instead of outright gaining access to both. There were days when I rested for a few hours, sick of the strain, of the monotony of the process. That sick reminder, the reason my heart pained itself, lay not ten feet away from me. Six months of this had dulled my senses to my surroundings. The Leviathan tree mocked me with its long branches, casting shade across the valley as the sun set to the west. This tree I was lying against had welcomed me as time passed, roots slowly growing around me as the long grass blades surrounded me in my own green prison. I had been here twice as long as Maleki had been alone, and I would be lying if I said the solitude had not affected me in specific ways. There were times when I mumbled aloud or drifted off into secluded thoughts, times when I had wished to be dead instead. The only thing keeping me lucid was my failure, the one that caused my brother¡¯s slumber. I had to repent for that in some way. That conclusion had arrived to me at some desolate point in this miserable crawl; this punishment was suitable.


    Nine months of hell. I was trapped here, unable to move from this spot, with only the sun and moon¡¯s cycle to count. This Garden was beautiful, but after looking at the same damn thing for so long, I grew tired of it. My progress had slowed to a worse than a crawl in the seventh month, and I found myself sleeping for far too long ¡ª it was only during the visions of my sleep that I felt recovery of the mind and soul. Time withered my creativity, and even the books became difficult to call upon. The parts of me I missed existed in the library of mind that could be unwillingly unfolded in my sleep, granting me comfort when I could not find it in the waking hours. However, today, after a long and arduous process of intense concentration, I woke up with movement in my spine. I slowly adjusted the arch in my back, and the vertebrae cracked individually, loosening as a caterpillar removes itself from its cocoon. The ache intensified as I pushed the limits of my position, but I enjoyed it for once, as it was proof of how far I had come. For the first time since I was four, I had made some progress with this illness that no one else was able to guide me through or force with medicine or majik.


    I brought my knees in and guided all my weight over them in a squatting position. With a few attempts, I had my back straightened against the tree and elevated from where I previously lay. I pushed against the tree, sliding up its soft bark, and the cool morning dew soaked my shirt through the back, which only added to the sensation I was feeling. My lungs rose in my chest, and I felt a sharp pain that sent me forward as all my weight fell flat against the ground. The grass was thick and soft, which protected my fall a little. My spine was still not recovered and needed some time to adjust from the position it had been in for so long.


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    My brother was twelve steps away, so I crawled over at the speed my back would allow until I reached him. He must have fallen into The Garden carrying me in his arms like a bundle of firewood. When I woke so long ago, I was a few feet away from him before Khronos moved me. I likely rolled out of his arms with the fall from the wall, but he fell forward onto his stomach. With all the strength in my body, I pulled one of his arms to me and flipped him over onto his back. It was my brother, but his hair was messy and filled with dirt and ash. He was covered in dry mud with a reddish-brown hue. After further inspection, it was certainly not mud. His hands and forearms were covered in the dark material. It looks like he had sustained some sort of injury from fighting or pulling something a long distance based on the damage to his palms and scratches on his wrists. He had bled during the last trial while I slept. How useless am I? I looked at my brother in this poor condition, and it only cemented my goal further. Sleep well, Maleki. You have earned your rest. Now it is time I earned my keep.


    Pushing through the pain, I balanced my weight over my heels once more and drove my spine straight. I stood tall without the help of the tree and took three sharp breaths as I looked down at my progress. I was standing ¡ª I did it! Nine months of work, and I was standing. Then my whole world went dark, dizziness filled my eyes, and I fell backward flat on my back. I woke up with the sun rising from the sky as Maleki lay in a similar position beside me. I had pressed too hard for too long. I tried to sit up by pushing my hands against the ground, but my left arm was numb, and my weight slipped under the lack of distribution.


    My left arm was not working. All this progress and I was back to square one again.


    No, I could still move and feel my legs, spine, and one of my arms. This wasn¡¯t square one. This is where I started, but now I know how to prevent it from worsening. Losing an arm wasn¡¯t the end of the world. People have done more with less. Even if the cycle goes back, I can make this work. I just have to get Maleki better again.


    Allowing my feet and spine to cover for my arms, I rose to my feet more confidently and much easier this time. After so long, I now had the freedom I hadn¡¯t possessed in many years. I waited a few moments to see if I would pass out, but luckily nothing happened. The Garden around me felt fresher, and I was no longer bound to the picture frame that was locked in my eyes before. The trees were tall and colorful like in the vision Khronos showed me, but their colors and strong branches had been lessened.


    I took one last look at my brother, ¡°I¡¯ll be back, Maleki. I promise. Just hold on a little longer.¡±


    I turned my back and pushed forward to the center of The Garden. Everything down to the separation of each tree seemed to be methodically positioned. This whole place was flat and calculated. The breeze flows perfectly through the winding meadow. The trees were tall, but the symmetry of their branches was not like their positioning. Every tree twisted and turned in different ways, with branches that curved and curled. As I walked through The Garden to Arbor Majikae, I finally felt the magnitude of the whole place. This field of green was protected by a kingdom of mighty trees. Although, the only tree I cared for stood in the very middle. Nothing lied in my way or prevented me from staying on the path. I pushed forward and walked for two hours, looking up at the large tree whose crown spread across to the distant walls. The size of the tree¡¯s limbs could hold small houses, but the more impressive feature was the trunk. It must have been around five hundred feet in diameter. I have no idea how to climb this damn thing. I¡¯ve never even been the physically inclined one, and if Maleki were here, he would do this without any preparation or hesitation.


    He¡¯s not here, though, and It¡¯s my job to figure this out. I owe it to him. The walk here was enjoyable. Every step felt deserving despite my ligaments screaming at me. My body hadn¡¯t formed many muscles throughout the years, so I would need to start conditioning myself for extraneous movements. I had strayed away from doing anything overly active for a long time, so if I tried to climb a regular tree, I¡¯d probably even fail at that. All the leverage you have of using your legs and arms to stretch to a branch and climb the trunk is gone. This will be more akin to climbing a mountain than a tree. However, there is an advantage; every aspect of the tree will be maximized, so I can utilize the breaks in the bark and malformation of the trunk to climb more easily. I say easier, but this tree looks to be larger than a full kilometer. This surely has to be the tallest thing in the world.


    No better place to start than the beginning, I guess.

 Chapter 25: Secundo Ascentitur [Part 1]

    <u>Miko:</u>


    I might be in for more than I bargained. Standing underneath this tree was dizzying. The branches started at the sixty percent mark of the tree¡¯s height, and focusing on them from this distance almost made me lose my balance. The roots of the tree were each like small hills. Everything about a regular tree was exponentially larger with Arbor Majikae. This tree didn¡¯t have any low branches, nor did they arc downward. All the first branches stretched out straight, with the following branches and sub-branches curving and arching upwards, creating a visual effect like looking into an opened ant bed. I moved up the tree-bark-covered hill, using my palm and legs to climb the parts that weren¡¯t walkable when the incline was too steep. The bottom trunk of the tree was so large that the wood chips made of the outside layer of the bark were as big as I was. This would make climbing easier because the rising nature of the bark created an alternating position of each chip with space to move in between and stand on. This was like having thousands of tiny cliffs all along the tree. In my weakened form, every advantage given would be critical to success.


    Grabbing above me several feet, the first piece of bark was like a rough brown shield embedded into the tree. Testing it with my weight, I jumped, pushing hard like a spring against the ground. This was enough to bring me to the separating joint between the bark pieces, but with only one arm, I had to awkwardly hold myself up by pinning my shoulder against the small platform. The position was impractical at best and wouldn¡¯t be effective for climbing. I let the position go, landing off balance on my feet. This won¡¯t work. My body had gained back mobility, but all that was earned was a practical form. Something capable of simple movements like walking.


    I was going from a coma to a high-level athlete in one step. That was too much to handle all at once. I required a more suitable body for extraneous activities for this climb, but it wouldn¡¯t pop out of thin air. Like my current form, this next one had to be earned. If you want to run, you have to walk first. Baby steps. Well, I can walk, so let¡¯s start running.


    Every waking hour in this place, I spent exercising. I felt silly, embarrassed even. No one was here to watch me except for Khronos, maybe, so I let those thoughts fade and continued in my exercise. Rudimentary motions would be perfect for what I was planning to attempt. They worked out the muscle groups uniformly and without prejudice. If I did them wrong, they worked the supporting muscles, which only served me more. In my current shape, any muscle was a positive. I had a long way to go, but even working out was more than I bargained for. Sure, I didn¡¯t get tired, nor did I need to eat or drink, but with only one arm, I couldn¡¯t even work out properly. Something as simple as push-ups became too difficult to perform. Push-ups with one arm were possible, but I was trying to get strong enough to even attempt those. The trees were low enough to do hangs and pull-ups, but the same issues arose with only having one arm to do all the work. Figuring out a way to get both my arms working has to be my next endeavor, but today, while both my legs are working, I¡¯ll do squats and raise my heels repeatedly to work out my calves. Focusing on my body for all those tiresome months gave me a newfound comprehension of the body¡¯s muscle groups and general anatomy. Weeks of just isolating one area in my legs and arms showed me exactly how every part works in tandem. This made working out the muscles easier because I could more accurately identify what was being used and not used. This workout repeated for hours until my calves and thighs screamed for mercy. Of course, they would receive it quickly as the ¡°healing factor¡± this place offered didn¡¯t let you work yourself tired. If I wanted to get stronger, I had to work hard in bursts and rest frequently.


    Day in and day out, I practiced basic motions, increasing my leg strength and supplementing my malfunctioning arm. The moons and suns cycled out overhead while my workouts continued. After two weeks of intense workouts, the number of repetitions needed to feel improvement became too high. A stone half buried in the ground on the lower side of the root hill was loose enough for me to dislodge and just light enough for me to pick up with one arm. Then again, it was still cumbersome. My entire body had to position under it with my shoulder to keep the stone in place. The added weight of the rock removed the diminishing returns I saw with my body weight alone. Almost another two weeks of rigorous workouts and a couple of nights of sleep passed, and the stone was already not enough to satiate the burn my muscles desired.


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    There has to be a way to get both my arms working! It was but a brief moment, but when I first tried to stand, both my arms and legs were working together. That was immediately followed up with me passing out, but let¡¯s ignore that. I found the most progress when I slept, unlike the trials where I seemed to worsen with each passing night. Perhaps sleep was the answer here. If I go to sleep focusing on my currently immobile arm, could it work in the morning? With exactly that notion, I laid into the soft grass-padded fields, devoid of pain and sensing only the tingling of the muscle fibers in my legs.


    A new place slipped beneath my eyes as sleep swept me away. Around me was ice and rock that dragged out into the distance unfathomably. My surroundings were icy teeth, jagged at the base but forged into a point by the freezing temperatures. Maleki was in the distance, but every footstep I made towards him was futile; his body shifted forward into the desolate icy wasteland. The eyes ¡ª the ones that watch me when I get too far in or sleep too long, found me, and I awoke again sweating with my left hand grabbing my temple while I breathed into relaxation.


    Well, that¡¯s odd. The plan had worked, and my left arm was working, but that was at the cost of my right arm being immobile. Was it impossible for me to have two working arms again? This wouldn¡¯t stop me, not now that I¡¯ve gotten this far. If I had to strengthen my legs until they were all I needed to climb, I would make it work. However, this development interested me. I felt like I was at the tip of figuring it out or unlocking some component to this curse that I had yet to realize. When I stood tall for the first time in The Garden, I awoke with both my legs and my right arm working. My right hand was the dominant one, so that would explain why that arm worked, but why weren¡¯t my legs affected? What was my goal? The limbs that worked must have been subconscious to some degree, so hypothetically, if I could control what worked, the problem would be eliminated or rather solved with an intricate workaround. My mind desired to walk at that time. Anywhere, but primarily to my brother and to the tree. What if the curse is meant to limit me, weaken me by only a fraction? If that¡¯s true, one limb must always be immobile, but it doesn¡¯t matter which one.


    This was a plan. I could work with that. I couldn¡¯t sleep right away, so I got back to work. During a run, I found a fallen branch of one of The Garden¡¯s normal-sized trees that were heavier than the stone, so I brought it with me. The branch equalized over my shoulders and made balancing while doing squats much easier. The burn that arrived before my legs could be turned to jelly came quicker with this new method, so I worked out for four straight days until my body allowed me to sleep. Focusing on my mind, I targeted my arms and my right leg in my mind until both of my eyes were enveloped in the pitch-black darkness of sleep. When I woke, my theory had been proven. With the catalyst of sleep, I could adjust at a whim what I was capable of.


    Now, it was time to start working out my arms. They needed to be able to carry all of my weight often and without strain. The end goal was for this to be possible with only a single arm, but that would take some time. My body type and age wouldn¡¯t allow me to get bulky anyway, but that certainly wasn¡¯t the goal. For this climb up the leviathan tree, I had to be limber, flexible, and strong all around. I employed new mechanisms of movement to isolate the muscle groups in my arms, shoulders, chest, and back. Raises, push-ups, planks, hangs, pull-ups, and curls. My starting point was noodle-shaped arms connected to a flat, wimpy chest, so the process of converting my body into an energy-efficient machine was going to be difficult, very difficult. That didn¡¯t stop me, though. I worked through the weight and the pain and let my body heal so the process could be done again. Every day, when even my mind was exhausted from the dull plight, I pushed on and did the work because it had to be done so that I was prepared to make it up this stupidly tall tree.

 Chapter 25: Secundo Ascenditur [Part 2]

    <u>Miko:</u>


    <u> </u>


    <div>


    Sweat rolled down my temple, hitting my shoulders and bouncing off to the ground. The Garden had stolen three hundred and twenty-five days from me thus far. Today, my reflection stared back at me from a small pond of water that built up between the roots and the valley of trees. Rinsing my body clean of the dirt, mud, and stink that had been built up was an acknowledgment of how far I had come. My body had changed significantly in the relatively small amount of time consumed. The progress I had made would have taken four or five years of constant upkeep and nourishment to achieve outside of The Garden¡¯s graces. With infinite stamina and my dedication to improving myself, I gained a more refined and muscular body. The muscle growth was noticeable, but I didn¡¯t look like an elite adult soldier. In his tortured state, Maleki looked even better than I did, but I didn¡¯t let that diminish my accomplishment. Although, that was an oddity of the effects of this place.


    Every few days, I would sprint to the outer wall where we entered to check on him. His body had not worsened since we first got here. He was strong all my early childhood, and as we got older, he only continued that state since he had to carry me so often. During the trials, something dramatic happened with his form. Time had healed the wounds he had gained from the last trials, and now all that remained was his short breaths and bulky figure. What he accomplished in the trials was far more than what I had done here. That¡¯s what kept me motivated ¡ª knowing that my goals were possible after watching him. He was also taller now than when we first arrived, a feeling I was also familiar with. My increase in height might be the only thing I surpassed him in, but even then, he was still taller than I was. We both had time left to grow and mature, and compared to our father, we looked small and feeble. Grandpa was six feet tall, but Father was just a tad taller. His form was blurred in my mind as I reached deep to remember the details. Maleki always reminded me of what he looked like when I had trouble, but all that got through to me now was a slender body and short, rough beard that was thick and full of coarse black hair. I let those thoughts fade; they didn¡¯t matter right now as my mind prepared itself for the heights above me. Arbor Majikae, in all its glory, reached far into the distance, making me feel heavy and insignificant.


    This time, I approached the wooden chip, equivalent to half the size of a wall in a house, and easily climbed its height with my first move. Both my arms easily grabbed at the gap between the thick wooden bark pieces, and fifteen feet had already passed before I knew it. Bypassing each piece of bark required me to pull all my weight up above the edge and then push up with my shoulders and forearms so that my foot could find a hold. If I had two working feet, this climb would be easy, at least compared to what Maleki had done at the foot of the mountain. The difference here is that I would be climbing a lot further. This wasn¡¯t truly a strength or endurance trial because the climb itself would be easy for any experienced climber. The real challenge was the exponential rate of failure. It wasn¡¯t if you made a mistake; it was when. What Khronos said about the trials at the very start would be my focus here. Slow and steady.


    When the outermost layer of the tree was too tall and flat in one section for me to climb, I¡¯d grab onto the ledge, holding myself up with only my hands, and then carry my weight over, positioning my hand over one reach at a time until the area above me was more suitable to climb. I could circle the entirety of the tree, hoping for the perfect spot each time, but hanging over the edge was not ideal, and I did my best not to look down as it was. My eyes stayed fixed on everything above me. Heights made me want to spill my guts out. A new fear I had unlocked during our descent on that stupendously tall mountain. I had gone my whole life without ever being up high, and I certainly wasn¡¯t missing out. Now, here I was, fifty feet above the ground, climbing to what would undoubtedly be my untimely doom. If this tree doesn¡¯t knock me off, something at the top is bound to. If not due to my own negligence.


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    Those fears resided, and I was left to focus on my task. My fingers and palms scraped against the rough bark, becoming quickly calloused by the firm grip that was required to be maintained while holding myself up. There was an odd calmness in the air and my mind while I jumped around the tree. Is this what Maleki felt during his ascent? Oh, what I would give for us to do this together or not to have to do this at all.


    Part of me wishes that I could have figured this curse out back on the farm; I had all the tools necessary to get better. They were all in this head of mine. Although, I¡¯m not sure I could have ever slipped out of that mopey coma without experiencing all of this. Heartache and trauma, are they the only catalysts of change? A true change, I mean. Can a person really change who they are? You can appear different to other people, almost like a lie, but not only do you lie to the other person, you lie to yourself. Mostly, it is subconscious, like when I speak to my brother versus speaking to Khronos. Whether it is intentional or not, that¡¯s just an outward appearance. The type of change I am interested in is the type that happens on the inside, the thoughts the mind and soul are only partial to. Could our father change? Can I prevent myself from becoming like him? His face was difficult to find at times, but his actions were too hard to forget. They embedded into my mind like a parasite, coming to the surface when I almost find peace in my mind¡¯s storm. Our father was both bitter and sweet, but like an animal, he was quick to react. We never were sure what would set him off, but he would rage about until his senses returned, profusely apologizing for actions he committed while conscious. Recently, I found myself thinking more and more about those days with him and our mother before they left. I was too young to remember and too old to forget. They left us behind either for their own selfish guilt, or perhaps they thought they were doing the right thing, protecting us from themselves. I spent four years without my parents before we left the farm, and I¡¯m not sure I miss them. For a time, I had, but Maleki and I were stronger without them. Their lie was that they were going to find a cure for me, but the ingredients and letters slowed after the first year of their being gone. Maybe I will understand their decisions more when I¡¯m older.


    I had let my mind wander again, losing focus, and my foot slipped trying to find a hold suitable on the bark panels as a wooden ridge broke. After the first hundred feet, my climbing tactic changed to fit my surroundings. Instead of skipping over the bark chips and climbing the joints, I could climb the ridges that jutted randomly around each plate. They were like snowflakes or paint that flicked onto a canvas, completely different from the other, and each one offered a route that changed in complexity. Two steps were all that was needed on each of these bark panels to move onto the joint holds. I was weary of the durability of these bark ridges, as climbing on them did not make me as confident as having my full weight over the joints between the plates. Moving quickly so my weight didn¡¯t settle was the best option when climbing this way. This momentum protected me, moving me forward in the event one of these ridges broke. Had I settled on them as they broke, I would have fallen to my death, seeing as there is nothing below me to protect my fall. You can at least tumble down a mountain, but climbing this trunk was different. There was no other angle other than straight above and straight down. Now that I think about it, that might actually be a positive aspect of this style of climbing. The fear and pain would be quick until I splat against The Garden¡¯s floor, whilst tumbling down a mountain was either certain death or it would leave you wishing you had died. I was starting to think like Maleki now, always finding the positive side of things.

 Chapter 26: Primus Ramus [Part 1]

    <u>Miko:</u>


    Climbing for hours, I was several hundred feet above the roots now, only looking down long enough to check my progress, else I be tempted to jump and get this over with. After another hour of climbing, there appeared to be some form of a cut in the trunk¡¯s shape, sloping inward far enough for me to rest. When my hands started to hurt, I found a position to hold my weight up with just my heel in the joint between the bark by leaning forward as far as possible with my forehead resting into the crevice of two ridges. This gave my hands a short rest, returning the strength and flexibility in my grip. If you climbed for too long, your fingers started to ache, retaining the form they held while climbing. When I went to rest them, my fingers uncurled painfully, staying locked, pointing outwards, and unable to move. Eventually, after pressing my fingers and palms against the tree, their strength returned, allowing me to ball them into a fist. Each knuckle cracked with a loud click as their grit returned, prepared again for the climb. Every move added to my confidence, but as I let my neck peer into the sky, I lost every ounce of it. This tree reminded me constantly of how small and insignificant I was. After nearly a year in The Garden of Need, I found myself hating this tree more and more. It had not wronged me directly; I mean, it was a tree, but all it did was stand here and tower over all existence forebodingly.


    Reaching a hand above me onto the ledge and stepping high, I drug myself with my hands until I was lying on my chest in a small crevice that dented into the tree¡¯s perfectly cylindrical frame. The spot was free from the breeze, providing a pleasant warmth after the climb, so I pulled myself a little further in and placed my bag against the back section to offer me a more comfortable place to relax. I was tempted to continue climbing ¡ª to push myself harder for Maleki¡¯s sake. For a brief second, I entertained that thought before something poked against my back through the bag. It wasn¡¯t my discs; I kept those in a sheath to protect the blades and myself. Opening my bag, I fumbled around and readjusted my belongings until the object found my hand. It was a book. When opened, it was roughly the size of my hands and certainly didn¡¯t appear unique; only crafted with a grey spine and black covers. The only writing on the front and back covers was a title, Arms & Armour, by an unmade author. A book I had read many times, though as of late, reading had not been a passion I could enjoy. Firstly, because I wasn¡¯t able to move for so long, but even after my body regained movement capabilities, I found the act to be a distraction from what was necessary. Truthfully, these books from Grandpa¡¯s collection had been engraved into my mind so much so that the contents appeared without having the book in my hands. That helped me for a time, soothing the loneliness I had felt here. Now, something else in the book clung to me. I flipped to the page I had in mind on the first try and began reading a passage that was now starting to make more sense to me. The book itself taught two guiding principles for blacksmiths and apprentices, and the rest of the book detailed the process and equipment needed to create the frames of weapons and armour. The passage I was enthralled with was about one of the principles. Unnaturally, I found myself reading aloud, hearing a voice I was unfamiliar with ¡ª realizing I had not spoken in so long, having no one to talk to. ¡°Among blacksmiths, a moral stone must be laid before you ever seek to temper your first steel. You must make the hard choice of dedicating your life to one of the two forms of metal. You will bend and mold for hours, sweating in the heat of the forge, to craft a fine ligament that a soldier will bear. Will you make weapons whose steel is sharp, heavy, or jagged, serving the sole purpose of harming or killing those it seeks ¡ª for protection? Or, will you make armour whose steel is weighty, sized, and shined to perfection so that it can be bore upon a soldier to protect him and harm those he seeks? For a man to be successful in the art of the smithy and not be consumed by his forge¡¯s flames, he must decide what kind of blacksmith he will be. An Armer, or an Amourer.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure how it applied to me, but every time I read it, I thought about it for too long, forgetting to turn the page and continue the rest of the book. Maleki spent more time in the forge than I did, and there was never particularly an interest in inheriting Grandfather¡¯s profession by either of us, so it always left me confused. What about this passage was so important to me?


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    Without intending to, I had drifted off, waking again in the morning to discover one of my arms not working. That would have worried me, but I prepared for that by training rigorously to strengthen both my legs and my arms in the event this occurred. Climbing would be different, but it would be no more difficult than before. Legs are more robust than arms, allowing more power to be distributed to the movement. However, this predicament did make climbing more interesting as I was forced to be more flexible and creative to move up the tree without hanging as often.


    The leviathan tree and I became familiar with each other as I climbed higher and higher each day. For the first time in a long while, I slept every other night, a routine I had not kept up since I was comatose. Tired and aching were states that I found comfort in as the ground got further and further away. The first few days I climbed were the most interesting, as the patterns were fresh and cultivated thought as I tested the best ways to path and climb. That disappeared on the fourth and fifth days when the climbing began to be performed by me without preparation or thinking. My body acted as if the muscle fibers were shocked and grabbed with a life of their own. The sixth through ninth days were no different, so on the tenth day, I forced myself to become lucid by getting bold and jumping to skip ledges. That worked at first, keeping me occupied until one of my fingers slipped as I lept through the air, forcing myself to crush my feet into one of the bark joints to prevent myself from falling. My heart skipped a beat, and I never tried it again out of fear. That brazen action scared me into lucidity for the next few days of climbing until I rested on a small malformation where the bark cupped the side of the tree. I rested here, looking out into the distance and to the ground. The valley in front of me was an evenly sorted array of trees that spread out into the horizon as far as the eye could see. However, the ground was blurred, so far away now that there were very few details for me to focus on. Instead, everything below became patches and plots of colours with only basic shapes persevering. Laying on my back, I looked up, stunned at what stretched out above me. How had I not noticed it before? Two days of climbing and the bottommost branch of the tree would be within arm¡¯s reach. The limb was colossal, almost insurmountably large. A family of loggers could carve away at one of these branches for three lifetimes without ever making a dent, supplying their kingdom with enough wood to build thousands of homes.

 Chapter 26: Primus Ramus [Part 2]

    <u>Miko:</u>


    <u> </u>


    <div>


    Throughout the climb, the cycle would change every night I slept, rotating between each limb to ensure that one didn¡¯t receive special attention and look unnaturally larger than the other. Climbing was a more intense workout than I had prepared for. Two weeks of this and my forearms grew in size, and my grip tightened up around the bark¡¯s rough, bumpy surface. If I wanted to, I could place an apple in one of my hands and squeeze it tightly, crushing it into tiny apple bits until only the core remained in my grip. That was what the constant climbing had done to my body, changing my posture and power even in the parts of the body we often ignored. Sure, a grown man could lift a heavy boulder if he dedicated many years to growing his shoulders, back, and biceps ¡ª muscle groups that were always defined in books or stories that people like my father would retell, taking time to declare their stock figure and manliness. Most of those men didn¡¯t strengthen their whole bodies, only focusing on the ones that made them look the best or capable of lifting heavy things. Ripping this bark out of the tree would be child¡¯s play for me, but they would have to put more of their body into it to achieve the same result.


    I kept climbing, breaking only when necessary, and quickly returning. I¡¯m so close. This should have been impossible; without the healing grace, it probably would be for most. Interesting that this tree will seal its own fate through the gifts it provides. Without them, I would be on the ground training for another year, only to attempt and still die. Yet here I was, now a single day¡¯s travel to the equivalent of a peek. Not the highest point, but most likely the lowest point where I could get off the trunk, which would be enough for me to complete what I came here for. If I climb for a few more hours, I can rest for the night, scout a good path to the branch, and continue on.


    Both my legs were good today, and from scouting the area, the lay of the land changes drastically as you get to the colossal branch. Instead of poking out of the tree like a straight cylinder, the bark around the branch that connects to the tree thickened and curved around the base of the connection point so that its weight was better held together. This meant that tomorrow, I would no longer be climbing a straight vertical line. The most challenging part of this whole fourteen-day climb would be ascending the lip to get on top of the branch. Incredibly difficult climbing, the kind you need all your limbs to even attempt. That won¡¯t discourage me. Holding myself up with just one hand, I could hang for a minute; with both hands, I could hang for six minutes in total. That would destroy arms for a while, but it was possible. This gave me hope that I was prepared enough to handle this. This was more like the climbing Maleki did, but it would be the first time for either of us to ascend up a slope that angled towards us.


    After sleeping through the night, I woke with both my arms ready and prepared to make the ascent. This was routine now, but I hopped with my single leg, finding a place a few feet above me and grabbing two decent holds to cover my weight. Shifting one hand up into another ridge, I found a new joint to point my toes into and then crossed up with my right. A slow and methodical process, but I had made it this far and wanted to see it until the end. It took me two hours to get close to the branch, resting every fifty feet until the blood rushed back into my arms. The colossal branch was so close, a hundred feet, until I could peer over it. The trunk was beginning to start its slope. At first, it was a light degree of change, like a small ramp. The last fifty feet was the biggest change in the bulk of bark that formed underneath the branch, causing me to angle my body at a forty-five-degree angle just to stay holding on. Jamming my foot into the ridges of bark was the only thing keeping me in place for long enough to grab the next hold.


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    My lame leg dangled over the edge of the abyss, dragging my weight down. My hands ached, and my triceps felt like jelly, but I forced myself to keep moving, grabbing another hold two feet above me. The reason I was up here in the first place flashed before my eyes as I felt my grip slipping. In a deep slumber, Maleki lay at the bottom of this blurry void. Still, even if I do this, he might not get better, but I must try. I forced my foot to the side, extending my body to distribute my weight evenly. My left hand found a ridge as my right gave out, almost slipping entirely had it not been for my conditioning training. Holding myself up with one arm, I struggled, reaching for a new ridge for my right hand to grab onto. My right arm was still weak, but even a few moments were enough for the muscle fibers to repair themselves a small amount. Kicking off the part of the trunk my heel was dug into, I grabbed a new hold with my right hand three feet above my head. There would be no more breaks after this small recovery. I couldn¡¯t entirely relax as I was still perched at an angle, but the tree¡¯s bark cut in a small amount, allowing me to grab into the lip of the crevice and hold my weight with my arm and shoulder. A quick rotation between each arm and I was ready to continue, though wary. Every few feet of progress was made by small bursts of energy in my good leg, as it jolted me high enough to safely grab onto a new ledge with one hand, as I was stretched between the farthest point of both my hands. After that maneuver, I found a safe spot in the middle for the arm below the higher one, brought my heel up to a different ridge, and used the lower arm again to move to a higher position. The angle had started to lessen, but now my foot had nowhere to grab onto since I didn¡¯t have an extra one to leverage with. If I had use of all my limbs, I could make the same motion I was doing with my arms by making a small amount of progress with one leg, then switching to the other for another small move, and finalizing with a larger maneuver. Instead, the only thing I could do was disregard my legs entirely while climbing the next ten feet until the flat side of the limb was all that was left, and then I could crawl my way to victory.


    Holding up all my weight with just my arms, my shoulders creaked. Thankfully, I had a small frame and was light in weight because this gave my triceps somewhat of an advantage, though it didn¡¯t feel like it as the rest of my body dangled like a caterpillar¡¯s cocoon. Second-guessing every move I made was dangerous, so I was quick and careful when choosing new holds and ridges. The handholds weren¡¯t complex. Grabbing the ridges was just like gripping a bark-covered oddly shaped peg. The blood began leaving my arms as they held out high above me, slowly pulling me up with each ascending grab. This process was slow, but my hand had to quickly find a new ridge before gravity did its thing. The end of the arch was about to end as the bark flattened into a ninety-degree angle. Every part of my arms, shoulders, neck, and back screamed for mercy as I pushed through, inching progress. There was almost no energy left in me to continue. Even if I hung with only one arm, I would only be granted a few moments before the other hand would have to take over, and the rate of return would be too low, resulting in failure. Swinging my leg back and forth beneath me, I managed to get enough of a stretch in to touch below to a small bump of the tree¡¯s bark, kicking off with enough effort to get my foot at around my chest level. My foot found a ridge, stepping through and breaking it, but providing enough exerted energy to shoot me up three or four feet to a dent in the shape of the cylindrical limb. Pulling myself up, I stood tall, like when I would hide behind an opened door, hoping to scare Maleki when he walked by. There was only enough room to be uncomfortably on my feet as I stood on a sturdier lip of bark. Deep breaths took my chest as my fingers curled at my side from the aching in my bones. The top of the branch was only twelve feet away.

 Chapter 27: Consultio Fati [Part 1]

    <u>Miko:</u>


    I breached a grand limb, dragging myself up the bark and laying against the limb with my back supported by the trunk. My efforts had brought me this far, and before my eyes was the complex crown of the tree. The bushy part of the tree that can be seen from afar with regular trees ¡ª the part you climb up to with two or more steps and a muscle up. It took me a month to climb. Yet, I wasn¡¯t exhausted or ready to give up. Nothing in my body hurt; I felt rejuvenated both in body and spirit. I had come this far and was proud to see my efforts realized, but this place, The Garden, gave me undying stamina. Of course, I did sleep during the climb, not because I had to; I actually wanted to. The rhythm of sleep keeps me focused, a small goal to look forward to. I kept finding myself desiring that next darkness so that the place that collects me in my sleep would arrive again. Today, I looked out onto the branches and twigs that webbed out in front of me, and a deep breath gave me a surreal feeling. A memory pulsed forward in my brain of where we were when I started this journey, and I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the state of my prior self; a joyful laugh. The laugh that comes when you reflect on how far you have come compared to your previous self. I did not regret who I was, but it did make me laugh for a moment. Then my goal sunk back into my mind, and where I was gained shape again. I fell forward onto my palm and then stood tall. Stillness took over my face as I prepared myself for the next part.


    Ray¡¯s of light found pathways through the branches and bushy treetops guiding my footsteps in this realm high above the ground. I might be as high up now as I was on the mountain, and there won¡¯t be any rolling down, just a swift drop to my certain death. These branches were big enough to fit three carriages comfortably, so I stayed in the middle, away from the edges. I didn¡¯t mix well with heights, so looking down was avoided at all costs. I walked around the branch I was standing on. A huge burl swelled around the trunk, which allowed me to further around the cylindrical shape of the tree. Against the bark of the trunk, juts of malformed material stemmed out a short way, forming a sort of unconventional stairway. Every muscle in my body had been worked tirelessly through the climb, so I didn¡¯t mind a more relaxing way to raise the elevation. A constant full-body workout did provide some much-needed strength and conditioning. A rigorous version that provided with unlimited stamina allowed my body to engage itself to the limit and then build up my muscles when I slept. For the first time in my life, my body was improving rather than regressing. Maleki was leagues ahead of me still. I mean, he¡¯s been doing this forever, but it felt good for once to rely on my own physical strength. The makeshift stairs wound around the tree as I walked around it endlessly, hours of my life staring at the intricacies of shades of brown. I can¡¯t tell if this was made or cut, but the colossal tree¡¯s bark grew around it. Even if you could see into the thick crown from the ground, the distance and texture masked this starlike shape from being seen like camouflage until you were right on top of it. The other branches all split off from the trunk, so occasionally, a divot in the stairs conformed into the thick branch pathways extending far into the edges of the tree¡¯s range. However, I wanted to see where these took me, and my curiosity about what lay at the top kept me moving swiftly. The steps were misshapen, each different from the others, so my steps had no rhythm. Height and depth changed quickly, so I placed my foot carefully each time, resulting in slower progress up the stairwell.


    Finally, the end of the steps arrived in my eye-line, and the scent in the air turned sweet. Not the fruit kind of sweet, more like the nectar of a flower that comes from a flesh bloom. The crown of the colossal tree opened up more here at the top, causing winds to travel through, carrying the scent all around in the breeze. Soft sounds could be heard above, footsteps and a hum combined with a whistle. I stepped lightly, careful not to make a sound so that I didn¡¯t alarm who or whatever awaited me. My back pressed flat against the trunk as I listened for a change on the wood platform above. Crawling up the steps using my available arm to soften the impact of my movements, I got to the last two steps and prepared to peer over. This was the tree¡¯s crest, the last of the trunk before it turned into tall, vertically angled branches to cover the top of the tree with leaves and more sub-branches. Four limbs in total curved off and twisted in different directions, the base of each branch connected to the sides of the tree, leaving this middle area untouched. Although, the circular disc we were standing on was not perfectly round, nor was the area entirely open to the air. The trunk curved up above, forming small walls randomly in certain sections of the platform. In the middle of the disc was a house-shaped out of wood and decorated with leaves and spare materials the colossal tree produced. It¡¯s more of a big hut, actually; I¡¯m not sure what the difference is; you can just tell.


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    In front of the building were a table and two chairs. One of the chairs was occupied by a person with long brown hair twisted together and twirled into two knobs at feminine shoulders. She must have been twenty feet away, but I heard her so clearly, even from here.


    ¡°It is impolite to leave a lady waiting, Miko.¡± She spoke smoothly.


    My body was pressed hard against the top step, shocked she was able to know I was coming, and how did she know my name? I took a deep breath and stood tall, climbing the last step and then standing tall to accept whatever came next. ¡°Forgive me, though, isn¡¯t it rude to lay ambush on guests?¡±


    ¡°I have not moved. Weren¡¯t you the one sneaking up on me?¡± She retorted.


    I approached her right side, circling the outside of the circular wooden platform to get closer to the other seat available. ¡°Fair point. I just expected someone to stop me from achieving my goal by force or convince me with more words.¡± She turned her head as I made it parallel with her body. Wanting to approach her and the chair head-on, I continued my unconventional walk to the other side of her hut.


    ¡°Stop you? I never quite had the touch for violence my siblings possessed.¡±


    ¡°More words to share, then? I¡¯ve grown weary of stories.¡±


    ¡°We have much in common, then. I, too, have grown so tired of the monotony; I much prefer reality to fairytales. They never live up to the expectations we give them.¡±


    When I caught her straight on, she brought her teacup in for a drink, and her face was blocked by her bangs. I grabbed the top of the chair with my right arm and took a seat. Unable to pull my chair up properly with only one good arm, I sat across from her with my chair angled awkwardly. I could have straightened it out, but proper has never been my thing. A tea set elegantly on the table. An odd thing to see in such a natural environment. She looked straight at me, her hair sliding back to the side of her head. She was young; she looked maybe fourteen. This would have surprised me, but after Khronos revealed himself, I somewhat predicted this since he said he had siblings. ¡°You said ¡®siblings.¡¯ Khronos is your brother?¡±


    She sat elegantly, her hands clasped around one of her knees that was crossed over her other leg. ¡°It has been a long time since I called him that. Now, I call him my husband.¡±


    Had I yet taken a sip of the tea laid out for me, I probably would have spat it out. ¡°Husband? Isn¡¯t that frowned upon?¡±


    Whatever I said must have made her laugh because she broke out in loud laughter immediately, having to set her teacup down to protect it from her fit.


    She finally stopped after nearly struggling to get air. ¡°I ¡ª I apologize. You must forgive me. I have only been privileged to meet a few mortals, so I tend to forget how foreign this must all seem.¡± She paused, taking a breath to continue speaking, ¡°There was just us at first. In all the whole world, we knew only each other. However, if it comforts you, primordial genes operate differently than yours.¡±


    ¡°Still weird...We look the same. How are we so different?¡±


    ¡°The same.¡± She laughed audaciously. ¡°I have lived thousands of years, yet to you, I must look but a child. We are the same species, but you are a far descendant. The properties of godhood were lost after three generations of children, our children¡¯s children¡¯s children¡¯s children; the last gods.¡±


    This was the closest I had gotten to real answers since I started this journey. ¡°Is that why I¡¯m sick because godhood wasn¡¯t passed down to us mortal peasants?¡±


    She rolled her eyes at me. ¡°Not exactly, Miko, and do spare from the toils of your reductive speech. Godhood isn¡¯t all it is perceived to be. Immortality leads to inevitable failure and eventual collapse of the values we hold ourselves to. Your disease is linked to two factors.¡± She raised the appropriate amount of fingers in case I was unable to equate words to numbers. ¡°We primordial were created to possess majik; our bodies are more durable and more capable of withstanding the effects. When my siblings ate the forbidden elemental fruits, they were corrupted by the purity, cursed from this place, and sworn to death. The Garden itself is conscious and was aware of the theft, and my siblings knew the price. ¡®Whomever shall eat the fruit from the Tree of Majik shall surely die.¡¯ They were banished from this place and the gifts it possesses, and eventually, they had children whom they passed their blessings and their curses to. After eating the fruit, the pure form of majik bonded to their blood and passed to their children. With each generation, the intended form of our species withered while still possessing majik.¡±


    I raised my wrists above the table, showing my forearms. ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain why I¡¯m sick. I don¡¯t have majik.¡±


    She smiled at me, gesturing in the air, like when grandmother would tap me on the nose. ¡°You catch on so quickly. Perhaps the difficult subjects will be easier for you to understand. Your illness is indeed rare. In fact, it is only supposed to affect those born with majik in their blood, none of which you possess. This is a defect placed by The Garden, which acts twofold: to call and to cull. When a child is born with this defect, they pass it on to their children. Khronos tells me there is an order that lies still, passed through the bloodlines. Any with your condition is to be slaughtered immediately to prevent the spreading of the trait to future generations.¡±

 Chapter 27: Consultio Fati [Part 2]

    <u>Miko:</u>


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    <div>


    My heart felt like it skipped a beat. ¡°So that¡¯s why my parents hid me away. To protect me?¡± That¡¯s why they were limited in their choices of healers and probably supplemented with people they could directly trust. I had been so angry with them for so long, feeling abandoned and unloved. ¡°You mentioned the defect has two reasons. What was the second?¡±


    ¡°You have arrived at the truth of why you are. The Garden has a heart and soul of its own, and it plucks and influences those it finds suitable to test. Like you, this colossal tree is disease-ridden, placed upon it by the actions of my foolish siblings who stole the very life from this place. And so, it beckons those it deems capable of repairing its injury; to untwist the knife in the wound it received very near the beginning of time.¡±


    I locked eyes with her. ¡°Is that what you want then, for me to come all the up here and free this tree from whatever plagues it? Your husband didn¡¯t seem too enthralled when I told him I was going to eat the fruit.¡±


    A snark exhale left her nose. ¡°Did you climb all the way up this colossal tree to ask how I feel?¡± She laughed until it quickly felt bitter on her tongue. ¡°How sweet¡­¡¯What I want?¡¯ I could try to convince you not to eat the fruit, but something tells me those words would be wasted on you?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I didn¡¯t climb all the way up here to be swayed. My mind was made when I was trapped down there in ¡®paradise,¡¯ ¡ª forced to stare at my brother¡¯s limp body.¡± I shook that thought from my mind, preventing myself from getting trapped in that place. I didn¡¯t want to offend her and prevent her from sharing more information, so I asked another question. ¡°You mentioned godhood, so what are you the god of?¡±


    She became excited, rubbing her hands together and taking a deep breath. Oh no, she¡¯s definitely about to tell me a story. I rubbed my hand against my head in preparation for a headache.


    ¡°It was easier for most of my family to understand their powers. Being gods of elements you could find abundantly around you had that effect. Others were not so lucky, bearing elements that were more difficult to understand, but they still existed, at least. I, on the other hand, was not born with an element but instead a concept. I am Ananke, Goddess of Necessity.¡±


    I knew I was fanning the flames, but I was curious. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I follow. What is necessity?¡±


    Her eyes closed, and the area around us shifted in appearance to show a field of grass spreading out into infinity. It didn¡¯t seem tangible, but my eyes couldn¡¯t tell the difference. ¡°What is Necessity, you ask? I posited the same query when I was first told of this ability, which was undefined at the time of conception. There are truths upon which their very nature is not questioned, and there are falsities, statements of possibility that cannot form. You will die.¡± She walked to a blade of grass that stretched to her thighs and glided her hand against the length of it, showing that it could be physically interacted with. ¡°Even immortality is only bound by the plane that allows our existence, controlled by the inevitable heat death of the universe. So, you must die; that is a necessary truth.¡± I placed my hand against a blade of grass, but it passed through it. ¡°You will die today. That is a contingent possibility, not necessarily false, but a contingently true statement. You are starting to understand, yes?¡±


    No, I thought to myself.


    ¡°We are the offspring of Khaos and Khosmos, whose divinity was processed in the infinite void with a much greater potential than our own. When intelligence persuaded necessity, the very spark of creation was formed. The laws of the universe did not call for existence on this planet, so the first beings, in their union, allowed intellect to dominate what was necessary. The very laws of the universe were intrinsically manipulated to represent new values than their previous positions. Life was made necessary with majik, and then our eyelids unfolded and saw only darkness, the belly of the tree ¡ª surrounded by a cocoon of bark, but then it opened, exposing us to this paradise.¡±


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    The field around us withered, and in her hands lay the ashes of a blade of grass. Then, I began to understand. ¡°You can change fate?¡±


    She ignored me as if I wasn¡¯t present, disregarding my question. ¡°The ever-present burden of cost, however, continues to impede progress. The ramifications of change in the spectrum of possibilities echoed throughout the cosmos, inducing a transformative shift in the very fabric of our galaxy ¡ª impossibility, imbalance, then immortality. What you call fate, I call necessity ¡ª a change in judgment by force. One cannot manipulate fate. It is not about what will be, those events that have yet to pass; one can only change what is and what is not.¡±


    The place she made appear blurred out of existence until we were standing again at the top of her tree, having never really left in the first place. She can manipulate the reality around her and will her desires into existence. ¡°Tell me, though, Ananke. Why are you up in this tree and Khronos isn¡¯t?¡±


    She sighed, sitting back in her chair and regaining her previous position. ¡°Our creators bargained with the great void to change a contingent truth. I imitated their great work, and I paid the price for the pursuit of forbidden sin. There was one rule. ONE RULE in this whole damned place!¡¯¡± She paused. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t they just follow one measly rule?¡± She spoke in sorrow to herself before continuing in a more plain tone, almost devoid of emotion. ¡°Although what I did might have been worse. I didn¡¯t have the strength to do it alone, so I begged the tree to provide it for me. The tree did not yet yield the concept of necessity, so it accepted and gained my powers to its¡¯ bidding.¡±


    Her eyes filled with the weight of tears, her sin still brewing freshly on the surface. ¡°What did you do?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Like you, I was doing what I thought must be done. I saved my family. Khronos and I had been out exploring for some time. We never counted the suns back then, so there was no way to know for how long, but when we returned, they had already eaten the fruit. When we found them, they were dying and looked half as bad as you did when you arrived. They explained themselves and their futile reasoning, and I made a decision. I changed the rules. ¡®If you eat from the fruit of the tree of majik, you shall surely never die.¡¯¡± Ananke wiped her eyes and sipped the rest of her tea quickly.¡°I don¡¯t understand. If you can just change the rules, you can fix Maleki or change your contract with the tree!¡±


    ¡°No, Miko. It¡¯s never that simple, and I learned it the hard way. That¡¯s what I am trying to show you. My decision saved my siblings¡¯ lives, but it also doomed them. I thought I would be returning them to their original primordial state, the way we were intended to be. Primordial does not mean invincible; we are capable of injury, but we do not age and heal from injuries quickly. Mortal wounds can be performed against us, but at that time, there were no enemies to validate that. To never die, that is truly a vile curse. We are meant to die, boy. They now possess no soul and, therefore, no realm to go to after this life. I cried upon learning of this, but they did not resent me and instead embraced me for the last time before their banishment from The Garden. It wasn¡¯t until later, when their children filled the planet, that I learned the depth of my sin. All of humanity had been cursed to live and die without souls so that majik could flow through their blood. How vain am I?¡± She wept, placing her head into her arms.


    I felt nothing. Her pain was her own, and there was nothing I could do to stop it or help her. My mission was too important. What would Maleki do? Would he let his compassion prevent him from healing me? In my place, would he console her? Ananke collected herself, and I got out of my chair. ¡°I appreciate the information, but as I said, I didn¡¯t come for stories even if they hold the truth,¡± I passed by her before a last thought was raised in my mind. ¡°One more thing. There¡¯s a place I go to when I sleep; my brother sees it, too. Do you know where that is or why it happens only to us?¡±


    ¡°A place?¡± She questioned.


    ¡°Yes, sometimes they are different. One after the other until I wake, but only when I sleep.¡±


    ¡°Miko, we gave that a word while in the depths of the trunk. It¡¯s called a dream. The fruit eaters and their children cannot dream as they possess no soul. Take solace in that place you find yourself in ¡ª it is but a taste of the afterlife.¡±


    I kept walking to the steps that brought me here before her voice rang out again.


    ¡°Miko.¡± Her eyes demanded of me. ¡°We have both warned you now. If you do this, like my siblings before you, you will be forever cursed.¡±


    I didn¡¯t turn my head and kept walking. ¡°I¡¯m already cursed, Ananke.¡±

 Chapter 28: Septimum Peccatum

    <u>Miko:</u>


    I left Ananke¡¯s home, proceeding back down the steps feeling enlightened. The information she shared with me was far more than I expected and not the interaction I had prepared for all this time. After all we had been through, a part of me felt let down that there wasn¡¯t a violent exchange to decide the outcome of this place ¡ªa strange, twisted feeling to find yourself in. Perhaps we had been through enough and deserved an exchange of words or an explanation. We got it either way, so I should be happy. Should be. Was it something she said? Something I didn¡¯t? The time I spent here made me feel more distant than I already did. The latter part of nine months was mine alone, and to some extent, there was a joy to be found in it. My prison had become home. All this progress wouldn¡¯t have been made without that forced loneliness. Far away from prying eyes and others¡¯ expectations, I found myself in the void. For so long, I had learned to live for others. Wake up so I can spend time with Maleki. Help Grandmother with her flowers. Getting better was for my family, not for me. You can lose an arm and still be happy. The weight of my family¡¯s wishes and sadness made me mirror what they felt.


    Going down was faster, easier to stumble, but faster nonetheless. I had reached the first limb quickly. The limb was like the rest, but green veins embedded in the bark stretched out from where I stood far into the most distant part of the branch. Dark green vines coiled and squeezed the bark all around me, but these veins were different. A light green luminescence emitted from them, carrying out as far they could be seen. A beautiful guideline that perfectly pathed me to my destination. This light and coloration could be seen from the ground, and I remembered seeing it, Khronos¡¯ vision of this place from before the fruit was eaten. The tree at that time was full of colour, starting from the base of the trunk and following up the tree in small sections, one for each color represented. Now, though, only two colors could be tracked ¡ª a soft purple, almost violet in hue, and a lighter green. The context Ananke and Khronos provided, combined with what I can see with my own two eyes, tells me that this energy is emitted from the fruit. Flowing out of it and into the tree, giving it power over The Garden and the surrounding environment.


    This was the highest vertical branch; the remaining ones above me all stretched out to the highest point of the crown. The limb itself was a road dedicated solely to me at this moment, yet I found myself trapped in the middlemost point, equidistant from the sides. I strode forward, and even where there were juts or palpitations in the bark, climbing or hopping over them was much preferred instead of moving aside. Avoiding the sides was pivotal to my clumsy nature. I had made it up here consuming whatever good luck I had built up throughout my life. However, the scales were much in my favour, considering the amount of bad luck I had already used up. Tripping over a small divot was not in my plans, and at least from this distance, landing flat would still grant me the grace of an extra person¡¯s length before the edge. The walk was quiet. My only friend the breeze that glanced between the limbs, branches, and twigs. The tree¡¯s sway was melodic and didn¡¯t impact my ability to walk too much. I had grown used to it during the climb, though its effects were limited at the thickest part of the tree. Only when you got to the outer edge of the branches towards the edge of the crown could you see and feel the movement. A tree of this size would be difficult to move by simple winds; a much larger storm would be needed to move the branches in an impactful way.


    There was a grove up ahead where the branch twisted over itself and formed a nook, sub-branches, and twigs masking the area mostly from view. What it was hiding was no mystery because the green veins pulsed slowly with a solemn hum. I was close to the fruit. It must be hidden in this culvert. As I neared the area, the humming and pulsing grew louder. My good arm pushed large leaves away from me so that I could enter. A surprising view took my eyes. This place was lush, and water trickled down the sides of the sub-branches. An oasis so far up surprised me ¡ª it shouldn¡¯t have, considering all I had seen thus far, but it was odd to find myself in more beautiful places continuously. Grandma would love it here; this place would be all she ever dreamed about. It was Grandpa¡¯s simple nature that kept her at bay. I had a subtle feeling she might have been a flower in a different life. The way she cared for nature and all its creatures was like the stories you hear of mother nature itself. What is her majik, I wonder? I had learned much but hardly ever seen majik be used with my own eyes. That is a twisted way to learn about your world. I might be the only mortal on this planet with all this knowledge ¡ª libraries and historians would even be jealous of me. However, when it comes to majik, I was a simpleton. Our whole world depends on it, and its existence has been a mystery to me for most of my life.


    What did I really know of my family, excluding Maleki? Based on Kallen¡¯s info, it could be inferred that they were life and end maji, but what does that even mean? Their faces became harder to see each day, and it was only until these dreams that their appearance arrived back in my mind. Dreams. That is what Ananke called them. She spoke of them with such regard. I appreciated them and what they had done for me on this journey alone, but something must be missing. Not all the dreams were joyous; some snuck fear into my heart. A place that was also filled with deep regrets and made you wake up in a deep sweat. I should ask her about that if I ever come across her again.


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    The last strand of vein circled the culvert and into a single small branch. A tree within a tree ¡ª this one was smaller, almost normal in size. Hanging over the edge of the abyss was the forbidden fruit. At first, it looked perfectly normal as far as fruit goes. A thought rose in my mind that this was all a test or that I had dreamed it up, and I was still in a coma at the foot of The Garden¡¯s door. Then I looked down, and vertigo filled my body like a sickness, returning me to a clear train of thought. The fruit, an apple with a round bottom and curve in the middle, was colored a beautiful green with white streaks that looked like paint strokes. The stem was attached to the branch, the green veins flowing into it as it hung over the air. Reaching it would be impossible from the edges, especially at my short height. I could try to climb the tree to the stretched-out branch, squeezing the branch from an upside-down position like a worm until I got to the fruit. However, this would be difficult with only one arm since I would need to pluck the fruit and hang on with my feet somehow. That fruit was attached securely from the look of it, too, so it would take a good strong tug to come loose. Instead, I measured the void with my eyes. It was six or seven feet in diameter. Short enough to jump over in theory, but too tall to reach up on my tippy toes and grab the fruit. I exited the area and found a flat portion of this limb to practice. Stepping out from a lump in the bark, I paced out seven steps just to be safe and marked the spot with a piece I tore out from a leaf that hung from one of the twigs. I had one shot at the jump, or I would be meeting a swift end at the bottom of the soft grassy floor of The Garden. Practicing here was safe, and I could get the motions right before the jump. The jump wasn¡¯t that far, really. Maleki would make it on the first try if he were here. My body had improved, but this was foreign to me, even with all the climbing I had done. Different muscles and movements were required to get this right, and I¡¯ve barely been able to use both my legs at the same time most of my life, so this was needed.


    On the first jump, the idea was there. My heels landed first and rammed into the surface, forcing me to stumble back hard onto my rear. My good arm waved in a circular motion to my side to prevent me from falling like I was standing on a log in the water. A useless motion, but it helped me realize part of the problem. My dead arm was causing me to lose air as it flopped behind me during the jump, but this wasn¡¯t enough to break the jump. The landing part was the issue because I had no way to balance myself out right near the end. This meant I had to jump further and fall forward, or I had to jump perfectly and stay balanced. Pulling myself up over the edge would be nigh impossible. Of course, I could go to sleep and let one of my legs go limp so that both my arms worked, but that would make the jump itself much harder. I would have to get a running start, leap forward ¡ª grab the apple in midair ¡ª then make it to the other and stick the landing while being thousands of feet above the ground. Easy enough¡­


    Hour after hour, I performed the jump, slowly building confidence and skill. I approached this methodically, attempting new ideas every few attempts and tracking the results after every ten jumps. My arms and legs were already cut and bruised from landing wrong and scraping against the bark. I sat with my results and thought about the idea as a whole to ensure there weren¡¯t any ideas missed. With a complete running start, the jump was doable, landing perfectly on the bridge of my feet and then falling forward in a teeter-totter motion onto my knees. After this break, I would test a few more times and then go for it. No regrets. I won¡¯t live long enough to have them if I fail anyway.


    Ten more jumps, and eight of them all landed perfectly. Two of them I made, though not so gracefully. It was time to put my efforts to the test, so I pushed through to the oasis and placed my bag against the bag. Part of me wondered if I should bring my bladed disc, but it would weigh me down and be too sharp to practice jumping with. The other part of me wanted to just try throwing the thing at the fruit, but there¡¯s no telling what would happen when it hit the ground, and I wasn¡¯t accurate enough to try it. I liked this method the best because my options seemed sure; I either fell to my death, grabbed the apple, and fell to my death, or made it to the other side with the apple in my hand. Three deep, relaxing breaths calmed my mind before the acrobatic act that came next. See you at the bottom, Maleki.


    I backed all the way to the edge of the oasis, where the air opened up towards the crown, and with a running start, I took three steps and pressed hard on the last possible place. Lurching high, my palm placed out towards the heavens, I guided my fingers across the fruit, clutching hard once it fully entered my palm. My weight and body pushed past the branch that hovered over the ravine, and combined with my arm, it was enough force to unlatch the apple. My eyes stayed forward, the other side consuming my mind. My leg was outstretched in front of me, the right leg lagging behind from that last push-off. As it caught up, the edge of the limb was two feet away, and I prepared my feet to brace the landing. The timing was off from the pluck of the apple. Instead of undershooting the jump and falling to my impending death, I had overshot it.


    The extra air time forced me to land on my shins, falling face-first into the thick, hardened bark. My forehead had collided hard, and I was too dizzy to fully realize what I had accomplished. I went to rub the headache away and felt only the cold, soft touch of the apple¡¯s outer layer of skin. I did it!

 Chapter 29: Ultima Fructus [Part 1]

    <u>Miko:</u>


    I rubbed my shins with fury, a failed attempt to push the pain out of the bone. It did offer some relief or at least a distraction, but then the pain in my head throbbed in my eyes, forcing me down to my backside. My thumb and middle finger squeezed against the side of my skull near my eyesockets in an attempt to recover my vision. A few moments later, I was able to sit up and take in my surroundings. I was surprised the crashing fall didn¡¯t knock me out, so this was much preferred. Although, the nap would have been much appreciated.


    A pouch in my bag comfortably held the apple like with the rest of my belongings as I slung the pack over me. This place didn¡¯t change, the green veins still flowing to their point despite the fruit being plucked. I had half expected a rumbling earthquake to shake the tree from the roots, but nothing had occurred or changed. The apple most likely regrows if not eaten after a certain amount of time as a precaution if a fruit ever accidentally comes loose from natural occurrences.


    Despite the pain in my legs from the jump and previous practices, the walk back to the trunk was enjoyable. Every day I got to walk on my own was a reminder of how far I had come. No more piggybacks on Maleki¡¯s back needed; I can get around just fine by myself. The growth spurt I experienced in my time here would probably make carrying me more difficult anyhow. Making it to the stairs, I turned right to proceed further down the steps and walked until I found the other colored vein. After climbing down the steps and passing another branch, I found the violet vein humming with life and streaming forward, guiding me to another colossal limb. This limb was similar in size, stretching out far into the distance like the rest, but there was a subtle difference in the shape. There was perfect symmetry in the way it grew. Sub-branches coiled back onto the limb and underneath at odd intervals, creating a coiling effect. Every ten feet, a twig grew on the left side; another ten feet and a twig would grow on the right. The very middle of the branch was cut inward a step, revealing the inside layer of the tree and providing a soft walking area to the end.


    Advancing through the perfectly manicured walkway, I arrived at a fork in the path where the veins split into two directions. The left side branched off, arching upwards; the right side arching down about seven feet. You could walk up and down them with their degree of curvature, so I took the left side, stepping down and being more careful as the width of the branch had diminished significantly. Twenty feet ahead, the branch began to shrink and cone upwards like a tentacle. The top side also did this, meeting the bottom wooden tentacle at a center point, where a violet fruit lay in the middle.


    How would I get up there? It was approximately seven feet up, which was a jumpable height for me, but a slight arc over the side of the void prevented me from snatching the fruit and falling to safety. Sliding down was possible if I approached from the top, but grabbing motions would be complicated with one arm. Shimmying up the bottom with two legs would be safer, but holding on while getting the fruit would be hard. I can¡¯t throw anything, so the second idea will have to work. There¡¯s no real way to test it either, so I¡¯ll just have to go for it!


    I placed my hand against the bark of the wooden spike, preparing myself mentally for the movements, and then an idea popped into my head. Maleki strapped us together by our belts by tying them around us during the climb, which assisted in holding us together in the event I slipped. What if I used mine to assist me in shimmying up? That would allow me to effectively grab the fruit more safely. During the climb, I was able to confidently switch the part of my body that stopped working, so I would go to sleep today with the idea of both my arms working and try again in the morning. I found a comfortable spot to rest that was safe from sliding or drifting over the edge in my sleep; waking up while falling to my death was not on my agenda.


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    Laying flat on my spine, I looked to the sky, which was mostly blocked by the upper crown of the tree¡¯s large leafy branches. Enough light peered between the leaves to see almost everything around, but the thick leaves and branches prevented me from seeing the moons. Maleki always liked to look at them and talk about the fictional environments they hosted. He would go on and on about the terrain, the hypothetical creatures, and the events that happened up there. Banter with him was what I found myself missing the most. Those conversations we had, even if they were silly or about nothing, still meant a lot to me.


    The tree swayed as I slept, and I awoke to a whistling sound that passed through the twigs and leaves. Time was difficult to track here, where ever here even is. The old maps don¡¯t even include The Garden or any of its features. Likely because no one had ever been here and returned or made it back with enough knowledge or memory of where they were and what they had seen. I wasn¡¯t sure how long I had slept, but I did dream. The details escaped me so quickly after I woke, but glimpses of images scanned through my mind; a quick summary of what I felt or saw was all that remained. I stood up with one leg, finding my balance quickly.


    Stretching my hands wide, I undid my belt, pulling it through the loops until it drooped loosely in my right hand. No point in packing up if I die, so I left all my belongings strewn about. Walking over to the apple¡¯s cage, a flick of my right wrist wrapped the entire belt length around the circumference of the wooden finger-like protuberance. I bounced back and forth between my heel and bridge as I prepped mentally for the motions I had planned. Finding a position on the tree with my foot, I stepped up as high as possible and placed my foot sideways against the bark. I pulled hard against the belt and held myself by arching my back. To move forward, I would have to slide the belt and my hands up the bark while releasing enough tension to prevent it from getting caught in the chips in the rigid outer layer. My first attempt was admittedly rough. The timing was challenging to track, and to be fair, I am hanging over thousands of feet of dead air. There¡¯s a slight chance I could hit another branch during the fall, but at this height, that would kill me, too. A few more awkward tries and I had the motion down. I slid my foot up the arc a couple of inches, and at the same time, I pulled the belt up slightly. A small accomplishment, but progress nonetheless. This repeated until my hands were close enough to the purple veins to feel the vibrations causing the hum to be heard. Up this close, it felt more like a thumping, like that of a heart.


    What would happen to this colossal tree when all the fruit was plucked? What would happen to The Garden without the tree? No time to worry about that. I took the excess length of my belt and passed it over to my left hand. Now clutching the leather belt with one hand, my entire body was supported by my left leg and left hand. My free hand found the whole of the apple, gripping it entirely in my hand tightly. The thumping was strongest here in its violet core. I ripped it from the tree¡¯s grasp and brought my right hand close to my chest. The base of the branch was just a few feet away, and with my newfound confidence in jumping, I pushed hard off the wooden tentacle, unleashing the excess length of the belt I had gripped in my left hand. To protect the apple, I fell on the side of my foot, transferring the bulk of the force built up all onto my rear, which hit the branch¡¯s tough bark with a firm thud. Not too bad¡­


    After a few moments, the tree didn¡¯t groan or recoil in anger from what I had done. The last two apples in the tree had been plucked and removed from its¡¯ grasp. No creatures came to the tree¡¯s rescue, nor did beasts arrive to swat me away. All those months I spent trying to get my body capable of movement had culminated at this moment. My plans, although primitive, had been successful. Now I have to get to the ground, get to Maleki, and finish this.


    With one good leg, I hobbled over to my bedspread and collected all my belongings. The violet apple hummed sweetly as I placed it next to the lime green apple in my bag¡¯s inside pouch. I wasn¡¯t tired; this place prevented that feeling, so it was difficult to sleep in the first place. I would have to hobble around like this for a while until enough time passed for sleep to be possible, and then I could try and wake with two working legs. Where to go next? Should I try and climb down the colossal tree? That feels much harder than the initial climb for several reasons. If I have to, I will, but for now, I want to visit Ananke again.

 Chapter 29: Ultima Fructus [Part 2]

    <u>Miko:</u>


    <u> </u>


    <div>


    My limp made the walk to the top of the trunk much slower. Once I reached the steps, I had to incorporate both my arms into the movement like an animal. One less leg made the total climb up the steps take almost twice as long. I reached the top and found the platform empty ¡ª she wasn¡¯t waiting for me like before. ¡°Ananke?¡± I yelled out, hoping to avoid scaring or surprising her. It was silent up here. Her chairs were tucked into the table, the tea set stacked neatly and untouched. Hobbling to her hut, I gave an audible signal that I was walking around with my voice and obviously loud steps.


    Peering into her hut, nothing of interest was seen. She did not live lavishly; even her bed was made of flowers blooming on the tree and leaves curling at the edges. There was no sign of recent activity here, so I walked the perimeter of the top trunk, hoping to see a hint of where she was. Then my eye caught a glance of her ¡ª she was perched on top of a malformed bulk of wooden mass at the northwest side of the platform. The steps up the malformation weren¡¯t ideal, so my arms did most of the work, pulling myself up fifteen feet with a few extravagant maneuvers that were necessary with only one leg. She was turned away from me, looking out into the infinite greens of The Garden below. I sat a few feet to the side of her with a deep puff of my chest. Our legs dangled in the air, which spiked my heart rate as my fear of heights sunk in. Looking out into the distance wasn¡¯t as bad, so I avoided looking directly down. From this angle, I could see the mountain and sea we crossed to get here. Mors Interitus was so far away, making it seem small, but I knew from experience that that was false. ¡°If I knew back on the farm what it was going to take to get here, I might not have ever tried in the first place.


    Her head was rested in her left hand, maintaining her stare into the depths below. ¡°None would blame you, dear boy.¡± She spoke slowly and solemnly.


    ¡°All of this, the view out in front of us ¡ª It¡¯s not worth it, but it is beautiful. I have seen very little in my life, but this is surely the only place like it on the whole planet.¡±


    ¡°I thought that too at first. When it was all we knew, there was still an appreciation for The Garden. Before the curse, Khronos and I traveled all around, finding new places and naming new things. You¡¯ll find many places in this world filled with just as much beauty.¡±


    ¡°Do you miss it then? Being out in the world. It has changed a lot, ya know? There are a lot of people past that mountain.¡± I pointed into the distance to clarify where I meant.


    She sighed loudly, her emotion front and center on her face. ¡°The worst part is, I have burdened Khronos to travel the world alone. He always comes to visit me when The Garden allows him and tells me of the places he has seen or how they have changed. I have learned much of your world through stories and small items he is permitted to bring in.¡±


    ¡°We have much in common, then. Back on the farm, I had only met a few people throughout my time there. Everything I learned was from a book or secondhand through tales and stories. Even since then, I have only truly met a few more people; A carriage driver and you and your husband. There were others we passed by or had short conversations with, but they were all rather meaningless. I guess I¡¯m saying I know how you feel.¡±


    She looked at me for the first time since the conversation started, ¡°You are free to wander, no?¡±


    I laughed. ¡°You saw the shape I was in before, right? Moving about was not a luxury I possessed.¡±


    She chuckled, jesting back at me, ¡°You could have crawled around? I would crawl if it relinquished me from this prison.¡± Her mood shifted back.


    ¡°I am familiar with prisons, well, the figurative kind. My own body was a jail for a time. It took a change of perspective for me to change that. Perhaps you need a change of perspective?¡±


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    ¡°I have lived a long time, boy. Many perspectives have come and gone, yet I am still here.¡±


    ¡°You have Khronos, though.¡±


    She smiled, the thought of him bringing her back to life a little. ¡°Yes, I do, but he has changed a lot too. This tree knows the power he holds over me, and it tends to control our interactions as a penalty or motivation.¡±


    ¡°He cannot simply come up here and visit you? He is a primordial. What prevents someone with such strength from doing what they please?¡±


    ¡°Hah! Khronos is no rule bender, never has been. That is sure to never change. For every individual he brings to The Garden, in failure or success, he is permitted time with me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so why isn¡¯t he here right now?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You have not yet failed nor succeeded.¡± She responded honestly. ¡°Speaking of ¡ª you are here now and carrying the remaining fruits. What shall you do next?¡±


    She gets straight to the point and tends to ask all the questions you don¡¯t necessarily want to answer. Grandmother had that same pesky talent¡­.¡± Not sure yet. I wanted to come here first, finalize my thoughts, and apologize.¡±


    ¡°Apologize?¡± She asked, confused.


    ¡°Well, yes...my brother would have slapped me silly for how I acted earlier.¡± I paused, thinking of Maleki while I rubbed my head ¡ª a likely area he would have struck me. ¡®You would like him. You might not have changed his mind if he was up here, but he¡¯s a better person than I am.¡±


    She smiled, accepting my apology with a nod. ¡°Your brother is many things, but he is not you. Don¡¯t get obfuscated by his light, and let yours dim. He is not here right now because of his own choices, but you are due to your own.¡±


    My head drooped, denying her kind words. ¡°I¡¯m here in the first place because of him. He carried and drug me to the very end. This wouldn¡¯t be possible without his efforts.¡±


    She demanded me with her words this time, ¡°Did he climb up this forsakenly tall tree and have the courage to pluck the fruit?¡± I didn¡¯t respond, her question being rhetorical. ¡°No, you alone did that. You both made it this far because you worked together; at some points, one of you carried the weight for the other. Right now, he is down there, and you ¡ª you are up here doing what needs to be done.¡± She winked at me while mimicking my statement from our last conversation, a successful attempt to un-sour the mood


    She was encouraging me. That wasn¡¯t owed to me, and yet she was being nice. I was about to steal from The Garden, and this ancient primordial was giving me words of endearment. Odd¡­ ¡°Thanks, Ananke. I guess I needed another change in perspective.¡± There was silence for a moment before I broke through it. ¡°How does Khronos visit you? Does he climb the tree each time?¡±


    No, the tree-¡± She cut herself off, catching her words before they formed a complete sentence.


    ¡°The tree, what?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I have already said too much.¡± She said.


    She had indeed. ¡°So, the tree can bring him here?¡± I asked. She did not respond, moving her head back to the center, away from my eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll bargain with the tree then. Ask it to take me to the bottom.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll bargain?¡± She laughed hysterically. ¡°What do you have to offer to a colossal tree in your mortal form?¡± Her laughs flickered slowly, letting the moment carry on longer than needed.


    I thought about it, and again, she had pointed out something I had not prepared for. The only items I had to offer I had to have to heal Maleki. Our previous conversation trickled into my mind, and I went back through everything she explained about The Garden and this tree, her contact with it. What contract could I make? The thoughts settled with me until an idea formed. ¡°I won¡¯t need to bargain. Last time we spoke, you said this tree was conscious to some extent.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it wields a heart and mind of its own.¡±


    ¡°This tree is like us, imprisoned and cursed. Its heart has been fractured since the first fruits were stolen. I don¡¯t need to convince the tree ¡ª it will help me all on its own.¡±


    She smirked, trying to hide her eye roll. ¡°Your logic is flawed, but you might have a point. If the tree helps you, that will be its own doing. Although, it would not be unfair to say your idea is akin to someone asking a person they intend to attack for a weapon prior to their immediate attack.¡±


    ¡°You think this tree will give me a weapon too?¡± I stated in a dumbfounded tone, blinking quickly. She almost took me seriously, cutting herself off before replying.


    I raised my hands in defeat at the joke. ¡°There¡¯s no need to get into the details. Let¡¯s hope the tree sees my plan differently.¡± I said, standing up and pushing against the edge with my palms. One big breath of fresh air, and I took in this sight for hopefully the last time.


    ¡°Where are you headed?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I have a few more things to do. How will I beckon the tree when I¡¯m ready?¡±


    ¡°The colossal tree is everywhere. Speak to it directly as you would to me.¡± She said plainly.


    With much on my mind, I left this place for a second time, mumbling aloud, ¡°Thanks again, Ananke. See ya around.¡±

 Chapter 30: Expergiscere, Frater Mi [Part 1]

    <u>Miko:</u>


    Visiting every branch, I explored the tree with a limp for several days. I sat with Ananke¡¯s words, her wisdom. She was a great source of knowledge, but my mind was made on those many months of weary, lonely days and nights where Maleki and I lay comatose until I started to regain motor functions. Why did I have to be the one to wake? To have been the one to make this arduous journey. What was left of me after all this? Who will I become if I make the wrong decision or if it doesn¡¯t work? There was worry in my heart, but I wasn¡¯t dissuading myself, just predicting as my brother does. His mind would often race like this as I would watch him. Usually, it would happen in the middle of a conversation, and I would keep talking, pretending I didn¡¯t know he was far away in another plane of existence. When I asked him about it, he would apologize and ask me to continue whatever I said. After a while, I would stop asking and continue to talk or tell my story. Maleki would walk or stand there in his own little world. Eventually, when I got older, on one occasion, I took offense to his distractive nature and demanded he tell me what was so important that he couldn¡¯t listen while I spoke. He dodged the question, trying to ¡®sorry¡¯ his way out of the conversation, but I pushed the subject further. He told me he was thinking ¡ª that he was preparing himself. I began to understand after that. We had normal conversations, but for every ten we had, there was one where something was said that triggered his brain to react defensively and start predicting every possible scenario. That is his nature; he is a planner. I guess I¡¯m more like our father, reactive and emotionally unintelligent. Perhaps that¡¯s a fair trade to be better at understanding complex concepts. That is Maleki¡¯s crux. When things become too difficult, he shuts down and keeps moving, unwilling to change his surroundings and ask for help. Well, I¡¯ll help him. He won¡¯t have to ask. Today, I will fix my brother.


    After my journey amongst the tree¡¯s domain, I found myself at the bottom-most branch. The colossal limb I had drug myself across a week ago. To bargain with a tree, I would only need to call upon it. She said I could speak to it as I did to anyone else. That¡¯s a silly thing. Trees cannot speak, for they have no mouths to do so. Perhaps she was saying that in jest or tricking me for a laugh. She will get her pitiful laugh because I¡¯m willing to try, at least. It¡¯s still better than climbing down this tree.


    Talking aloud, I felt embarrassed. ¡°Arbor Majikae ¡ª great Leviathan Tree ¡ª I call upon you.¡±


    Nothing shifted or moved. There was no voice responding to me. She had been playing me for a good laugh. I bet she was up at the top of the tree, flopping around in a laughing fit. The gentle wind caressed my shoulders, sliding off my bag as the bark vibrated softly around me, much like the apples when they hummed. The tree¡¯s presence entered my mind. Was that a voice? No, to call it a voice or to call them words is too archaic. This was something much different. My head pounded as the language it spoke translated into my head. The process made human language and communication seem inefficient and straightforward. The words changed from symbols into a voice and words all at once, ¡°Flesh beckons, and bark speaks.¡±


    She hadn¡¯t lied. The Leviathan Tree has a mind and will of its own. If she isn¡¯t lying about anything else, I should be wary not to mince words with this tree. ¡°I require your assistance.¡±


    The voice filled my mind again. It was neither masculine nor feminine. The words and sounds sat behind my eyes and in between my ears. This was like the riddle at the doctor¡¯s house. The tree had responded to me, speaking more sophisticated than Ananke and Khronos combined. ¡°Beware a bargain with a tree; the price is more than just a fee.¡±


    That¡¯s foreboding¡­Ananke had warned me that making deals with this Leviathan Tree was not worth the profit. ¡°Can you send me to the ground?¡± I asked.


    There was a slight delay before a jolt of pressure was heavy behind my eyes, and the voice started to formulate again. ¡°Our branches reach far, and roots run deep. Why should this be a request that we complete?¡±


    ¡°I want to go there and heal my brother,¡± I said, resting my fist on the ground as I leaned over and prepared for the headache behind my eyes to return.


    ¡°A purpose we do not reflect, a proper exchange you must state for us to accept.¡± The tree hummed. As it spoke, my fist could feel the vibrations in the tree from whatever power flowed through it.


    ¡°Your pain will end, and I want my brother and me to live. Is that not a fair trade?¡± I said in an argumentative tone.


    With every passing wave of the feeling, I was growing more used to the side effects. ¡°To die, this is not our wish; we desire our original bliss. The past repeats, sending us further into the abyss.¡±


    ¡°There is no pain or unhappiness after death. Does that not meet the definition of death?¡± I asked without reply. ¡°Is there a way to heal my brother without stealing your fruit?¡± I pleaded. Killing this tree was not what I wanted, but if I were forced to trade it for Maleki, I would.


    ¡°Without life¡¯s soul, we are not made whole.¡±


    Was that a response to both questions? This is more difficult than I had prepared for. I asked, determined, ¡°Can you be healed? I can feel it even through my bag. These fruits are alive, whose hearts beat with majik.¡± I paused, then asked a question I wasn¡¯t sure about. ¡°Are these fruits disconnected parts of your soul?¡±


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    The vibrations in the tree were almost somber, low-pitched in their hum, reflecting what I interpreted as sadness. ¡°Each fruit, an aspect of divine registry, forever separated, confined to abject misery.¡±


    This tree speaks in riddles, but there is truth in words. This is all starting to make more sense. The parchment we read in that old doctor¡¯s hut must have been made from the wood of this tree. This explains why we could hear the Leviathan tree¡¯s voice and why the words were muddled into riddles. Kallen called it a prophecy, and it never left my mind. I recalled it from my memory; ¡ª ¡®Often I am found, in the town between the kings and sound. Listen for the hum and carry with a krown. Judgment of earthen mound, and fiery crust around. To the garden, we are bound, with fruit of cursed ground. Cure the pain abound, a cost worse than death profound.¡¯


    The contents of the last line stuck in my mind. Ananke spoke of cost and what it meant for her family and herself. The tree called for people to come here and help it. Initially, I thought the cure was for my pain, but there never really was a prophecy. The ¡°riddle¡± was just Arbor Majkae pleading for help. Learning that there was no cure for me here was why I had started to hate the tree. We traveled all this way, injuring ourselves and making ourselves worse off than we were before we set off on this journey. ¡°What¡¯s the cost of curing you? You didn¡¯t stop me from taking the fruits, so send me to the ground so I can get this over with.¡± I spoke loudly in frustration.


    The tree resonated around me, thinking of a reply. ¡°True, we do not halt nor assist. Souls intertwine and we exist. We enlist those with heart and determination for us to persist.¡±


    Exploring this tree, I saw the damage done to it by the theft of the majikal fruits. Parts of the limb were charred, infected, and covered in mold. This place was beautiful, and I bet it was even more so in its prime. Now, these branches and limbs were devoid of their souls. I know how to help this tree, but I must convince it to help me first. I can¡¯t risk these fruits regrowing and becoming useless. ¡°Arbor Majikae, I can help you. You called for someone determined, with heart. My brother, Maleki, possesses a strong heart, and I¡¯m determined to fix him, and I will fix you as well. Help me, and trust that I will help you.¡±


    ¡°We have had faith in humans before. Let them explore, and the only rule they ignore. Now you request from us to implore?¡±


    I responded quickly, ¡°Primordials failed you ¡ª humans did not. I¡¯m not asking for faith; I will trade you my trust. If I lie, your death will free you from your bonds to this place and the pain it brings you, but if I¡¯m telling the truth, you will be better off for it.¡±


    Again, the tree paused. Even the vibrations in this tree seemed to quell as it sat with my words, dissecting them. Suddenly, a few feet from me, the trunk opened like a doorway with no door. The tree spoke confidently, like when our grandparents let us leave the house to start this journey.


    ¡°Very well, we accept your promise, hoping you will lift the curse upon us, and grant a form of solace.¡±


    There was no acknowledgment of the hole that opened in the trunk in their speech. I just have to trust them that this won¡¯t kill me. A fair trade, I guess, we will each have to trust that we don¡¯t bring the other¡¯s demise. Taking several steps, my hand found the edge of the bark doorway and held myself back with a tight grip as I inspected the area. The hole led to a dark chamber in the middle of the tree. Before I could react, the tree pulled me in, ripping me from my grip on the bark. The doorway closed up, confining me into the darkness of the tree. There was no light to even see in front of me. The floor beneath my feet shifted as I tumbled from the Leviathan tree¡¯s pull, unable to find sound footing and balance myself. ¡°You said you would take me to the bottom, not imprison me here!¡± The floor adjusted, and the vibrations returned in the bark, filling my ears with one last hum.


    ¡°We shall, little farmer. This gift is for reading to us about arms and armour.¡±


    Falling onto my rear, the ground pulled at my feet as the trunk warped around me. The ground was sloping downward, and I was descending. No, I was sliding. This was like being carried down a riverbed by the crashing waters that flowed. Arbor Majikae had given me a slide. When I was climbing, I had not realized the tree was conscious, and it was listening while I read. The mention of the book allowed the words to ring in my mind again; ¡°¡­to not be consumed by his forge¡¯s flames, he must decide the kind of blacksmith he will be. An Armer, or an Amourer.¡±


    I resisted at first, attempting to grab onto the sides of the tree with one of my hands. The floor was slick, and I was moving too fast to grasp anything. I flipped my bag around to the front, using my working arm to protect the apples. I wasn¡¯t falling, I was sliding, and it was fun? Trapped in the tree¡¯s dark depths, there was no view of the ground, and that feeling that churns in your gut while you look down wasn¡¯t there. This was actually enjoyable. I lay flat and let the tree carry me to the bottom. The process was quick, and I could feel myself dropping down the length of the tree at incredible speed. Every minute, my ears would pop as the pressure changed in the atmosphere. The air changed around me as I neared the bottom. Familiar smells filled my nose, those of the grass fields and colorful plants The Garden possessed.


    A new doorway appeared down the slope twenty feet ahead, but my speed stayed the same. ¡°Alright¡­¡± I laughed nervously aloud. ¡°We can slow down!¡± I pleaded with a louder laugh as the mixture of fun and fear combined. Shooting out the doorway, the entirety of The Garden of Need bellowed out in front of me, the light blinding at first. A root carried me out further to the ground, slowing my speed. ¡°Tha¨C¡°The tree cut me off as the root curled at my feet, sending me into a forced backflip, landing me hard on my buttocks in the soft, lush grass. ¡°Thanks¡­¡± I said, blinking my eyes in annoyance. The tree had just pulled what is effectively a prank. Vibrations in the tree¡¯s bark shot back up the tree, leaving me alone on the floor of The Garden. Well, it technically did fulfill my request, I thought while scratching my head.


    Standing on both feet, I dusted myself off and checked for splinters. ¡°No one makes a slide out of wood, ya know!¡± I spoke, knowing my words were likely falling on deaf ears. Trees don¡¯t have ears, so how does this one hear?

 Chapter 30: Expergiscere, Frater Mi [Part 2]

    <u>Miko</u>


    Walking for two hours, the amount of time it took to get to Maleki¡¯s body, I prepared myself for what would come next. These last moments in The Garden, I wanted to enjoy them. Gliding my hands across the soft grass, I felt and smelled every flower that passed. All of this time in this place, and I never spent the time to enjoy it. Taking in every sight, touch, and smell, I let my senses be overwhelmed by this place with joy. This would likely be the last time I ever got to.


    My old spot on the ground near Maleki could be seen through the trees. The grass had grown and stood taller to make up for the cushion I had made in it. A figure stood near him, and my eye caught him immediately. Khronos sat, his hands rested on his knees, with his chest and back sharply flat and tall, in a more proper take on what grandmother called ¡°criss-cross apple sauce.¡± I was about to make the most delicate applesauce ever made,


    Walking to my brother¡¯s body, I asked aloud, ¡°Did you come to stop me, Khronos?¡°


    ¡°Your decision may be your own. I will not interfere, though I must impose that I oppose it indiscriminately. However, let me tell you another story.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need Khronos. You know what the issue is?¡±


    ¡°Do tell.¡± He said, intrigued.


    ¡°You¡¯re trapped in your wallowing. At some point, you stopped trying to fix what was wrong with you or this place.¡± I demanded. ¡°You gave up, simple as that.¡± I walked past him to my brother¡¯s essentially lifeless body. ¡°Don¡¯t trap me in your misery. I¡¯ll fix this on my own.¡±


    ¡°You think you have me all figured out?¡± He asked with an offended tone. ¡°Your life thus far is but a droplet in a rainstorm compared to what I have seen.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ve lived all this time. A waste if you ask me. Eventually, you found comfort in your failed desperation, and then you returned to habit, making your punishment too hard to escape. At least Ananke was physically trapped here, but you could go anywhere you wanted in this whole wide world.¡± Is set my bag on the ground in between us.


    ¡°You believe I did not attempt? My footsteps exist in far-off places on this planet that none might ever see with their own eyes. Languages changed, kingdoms rose and fell, and a thousand useless wars were waged. If there was an idea or plan that could fix this, I uttered or plotted it first.¡±


    ¡°Ha. Haha. Bahaha!¡± I laughed maniacally. ¡°You have some humour in you, after all! For the first time this journey, you look more pitiful than both of us here. Born at the beginning of time before last names were even needed, yet you claim to know and have tried everything.¡± He tried to interrupt, a quality unsuitable for him, but I stopped him, continuing, ¡°You and your siblings were trapped here with imaginary rules and ideas. Screw ¡¯em!¡±


    Reaching into my bag, I clutched an apple in my hand and then took a bite.


    ¡°You have sealed your fate, then.¡± He scolded me with his eyes as his top lip raised.


    I chewed like the pig he probably saw me as, talking aloud as the beginning of every word slurred, ¡°No such thing, Khronos; you should know that. There¡¯s just what is and what isn¡¯t. My brother is getting better ¡ª actually, me too while I¡¯m at it.¡±


    I took a bite of the second apple as he watched in disgust, or maybe it was curiosity.


    ¡°Why? Why have you eaten both apples?¡± He begged in mental anguish.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    My mouth was entirely full at this point, yet I still spoke. ¡°Schut up, Krumnus.¡± I crushed the apple into tiny bits in my mouth, being careful not to swallow any of the bits. Then I did something gross, trapping one side in my cheek; I spat out bits of the apple onto the ground. The remaining cheek puffed up like a squirrel, and I dug into my bag for one of my discs.


    ¡°What have you done? Are you going to feed your brother like a baby bird?¡± Khronos questioned me like he was indulging in a child¡¯s plan.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to shut it? Either stop me or stand there and watch.¡± I said, eyeing him.


    ¡°Proceed your foolish escapade.¡± He said with hands raised, which he then crossed under his chest.


    I began digging, first with my hands and then next with my disc, as it got deeper. Using the disc to scoop the dirt out of the hole, a minute passed until I had a decent-sized hole about two feet deep next to Maleki¡¯s body.


    Khronos spoke facetiously, ¡°Forgive me, but that hole might be too small for your brother. Quite the preemptive burial.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not burying him, you idiot.¡±


    ¡°So then, what are you doing?¡± He asked in what looked like genuine confusion.


    I turned my head out of frustration. ¡°Did your listening and watching skills suddenly worsen? You managed to get by the whole journey just fine.¡±


    He signaled for me to continue with one of his hands, but I decided my rudeness earlier was undeserved for how much we had gone through together, so I explained further with an annoyed exhale. ¡°You ever looked at the apples your siblings ate?¡±


    ¡°Numerous times.¡± He blinked assuredly.


    ¡°The apples are withered. The majikal power sucked dry from them when they were eaten. The tree regrows them out of habit, but the seeds still sit within the core. Did you ever try planting the seeds of the corrupted apples?¡± I said with a questioning pause, then continued. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t have mattered even if you did because you never tried plucking all the apples. You and Ananke feared plucking the good ones, just out of caution from what your brothers and sisters did, but also because you were scared to break whatever contract you made with this place.¡± I opened my bag and found the pouch designated for the apples. There lay six seeds from the corrupted apples I had gathered on my way down from plucking the still-good ones. Carefully, I slid them into my hand out of their slot. With my hands together, side to side, with my palms facing up, the seeds clumped in the center.


    ¡°The idea came into my head when I remembered my grandmother and her obsidian roses. A whole rose bush can be regrown from the seeds of the previous one. Her garden was real, smaller, but the scale of it allowed it to be truly pruned and managed so that every leaf was important. This colossal tree obfuscates your ability to pay attention to the tiny details. Important ones. All those months, I lay there, and I hadn¡¯t given it much thought. Maleki was hurt, and I would fix him no matter the cost, and we would bear the curse together by eating the fruit. Then your much nicer wife completed the idea with just a simple sentence.¡± I mimicked her phrasing and tone, ¡°Our eyelids unfolded and saw only darkness, the belly of the tree ¡ª surrounded by a cocoon of bark, but then it opened, exposing us to this paradise.¡¯¡± I placed my hands in front of my face and then spat the rest of what was in my cheek onto my palm. Two seeds deposited themselves at the top of the pile, eight in total. Placing the bottom of my hands over the hole, I released the seeds, letting them fall into place.


    Maleki was close, so I pulled at his armpits, dragging him over the hole I had made. Nomen stood silently, and then a semblance of a smile peered through. Dirt clumped around the hole, so I pushed and packed it in as my grandmother taught. With a deep breath and wide smile, I looked up at Khronos. ¡°See you soon.¡± A rumble formed in the ground around us, quaking the dirt beneath my feet. Tendrils of roots shot above me, all different colors, creating a shape like a bird cage. Air passed between the roots enough that I could still see between them.


    There was dear old Nomen, and if my eyes did not betray me, I believe there was a single tear forming at the crest of his cheek. ¡°Seems I was the fool all along, Miko.¡±


    I placed one hand on Maleki¡¯s chest, feeling his heartbeat, and the other on his shoulder as I bent forward over him ¡ª just in case I was terribly wrong about all this. Then the roots thickened, contorting and twisting around us so that we were now inside a bark shell egg. Darkness filled my opened eyes, and then my vision began to fade as a watery substance filled the chamber from underneath. My neck fell back into the liquid, and I began to dream of a place near where this all started and what seemed like so long ago. A lake, a day into the journey where Maleki and I talked like brothers. I had missed that for so long.


    Something pierced through the dream ¡ª a thumping sound that reverberated in my ears. Maleki¡¯s heart began to beat faster.