《Roots of the Brórur》


 0 - Sichocht

    Her words froze through me. The syllables embedded themselves in my ears, each one more rapturous than the other. Sparks flying. Us, soaring through the air.


    Images projected onto the walls only stayed there for a brief few seconds before giving way to something new. Now, in saltwater. A realm in which matter only


    bothered to float, as if not concerned with anything. The woman called out the name of another place, and the images shifted once more. We were now in


    space, floating above a golden bauble. I didn''t realize right then, but now it occurs to me; that interlocking mechanism of rings and discs was most likely


    the size of an entire planet. The magnificence of it all stifled my breath. My grandmother raised her hand one last time, and collapsed the illusions of


    travel into blue embers gliding in the small room. The aging walls, damaged couches and the window (still giving way to the evening sun) revealed themselves


    from behind the magical drapery. Firdevie finally spoke:


    "This, you do not have yet". Her voice carried with it a soothed and impenetrable air. "That is projgean, that which transports only your cognizance."


    "That..."


    "...is something you can only learn with time."


    "...was awesome!"


    My unremitting glee had shown its head once more. She responded with a blooming smile on her face:


    "It was, young one."


    "Let''s do it again!"


    "I will show you one final thing first. You don''t have to sit on the carpet, come" she patted a spot on the couch next to her. I merrily took my place.


    "Do you remember that time in the mountains when many green embers showed up and made you giddy?"


    "Yes grandma."


    "Try to feel that giddiness again. Recall the essence of those particles."


    I didn''t even know what half of those words meant at the time, as I was only six. Despite this I knew what I to do. My conception of magic has not wavered


    much since my childhood. Lifting one''s arm is a refined process. Reflexes are the thoughts of bodies. Accessing magic is thinking with your body, whereas


    using magic requires discipline. I only needed to show how high I could reach this time. Like walking, like breathing.


    In mere moments a coursing sensation originating from my heart glided across my body, and settled on my right arm. I swatted my hand through the air to


    release the buildup. Green things in the likeness of glowing, shrunken leaves apparated all over the room. They only stayed for a short while. When they had


    all gone away, Firdevie turned her proud smile to me.


    "This talent is not ubiquitous. You alone among your peers may end up being the only one with this ability."


    "I''m special!?" I impatiently blurted out. Grandma quickly followed with a light chuckle.


    "No, that wouldn''t be true" she said. "Do not be happy with the things only you can have. A good person is someone who does the best they can." She softly


    grasped my hand. No other person''s smile was as warm as hers. "Put your heart to use, not your might". She took a deep breath. "Now, I think someone wants


    to visit strange places, correct?"


    "Yes!" Thus was my enthusiastic response. "Can we go to a sauce mountain?"


    She looked stumped at first, but her fixed expression quickly turned into laughter as she understood me:


    "Do you mean a volcano, son?"


    I shook my head with joy. Upon the realization that I was referred to as a boy I was filled with a zest that far surpassed the unadorned pleasure of


    anticipation. Upholding my esteem of caution, I looked to the passage connecting the living room to the kitchen. My father was there, standing as still


    as he could. The displeasure on his face was almost perspicuous enough to be felt. He had heard grandma, and there was nothing I could do.


    Firdevie and I turned the sky like a dial as we visited many truly wondrous locales: A bazaar unfathomably far away from our humble city. The surface of


    the asteroid 6 Macochta. The horrifically lengthy body of a county-sized wurm. Many places were visited, and at the end of our journey we finally visited


    a "sauce mountain". The day had become night, and it was time for me to sleep. I happily tucked myself into my bed, a respite from my very difficult job of


    being excited as a toddler. She came to kiss me goodnight.


    "You are a lovely boy". Grandma was never one to hold back a compliment. "Like as the substances of the universe become stars, you too will become


    something great". Her tired face hadn''t failed to include plenty of mercy and love in its expression. "Goodnight". She lightly kissed my forehead.


    "Goodnight, I love you" I whispered. "I love you too". She got up from the bed and opened the door to get out. While she was closing it I noticed the


    silhouettes of my phlegmatic parents. They were standing in front of the door, with a clear intent to stop her. After grandma left the room the arguing


    didn''t cease for quite some time. They held nothing back while expressing their disfavor for Firdevie''s actions.


    "Why are you calling her a boy seriously? She''s just playing pretend."


    "Well his eyes shine when called a boy, so I''m assuming he doesn''t hate it."


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    "''He''? Really? We''re calling her a ''he'' now? She''s not even listening!" My mother''s incessant shrieking would take on an even sharper edge when paired


    with her words.


    "Do you two not remember whence you came? You are the branches of the tree, the progeny of the spirits. It is in your blood to respect a person''s


    identity."


    "Doesn''t apply with children."


    This continued for a rather long time. As this was taking place, I just stared at the decaying ceiling of my bedroom hoping for the argument to come to an end.


    Maybe I was a girl? Maybe it was me who was at fault for insisting that I was a boy. Maybe if I conceded, it would be better for grandma. She would get less


    headaches. At the same time, I didn''t understand how that could be. When given the choice of identifying who I was, I knew at least one thing about myself.


    I was a boy. Like walking, like breathing. It was innate. Adding to this, I didn''t want my parents calling me a girl in any way. I had enough days in which I


    was repulsed by my body. I was... missing some parts as I had put it when talking with Firdevie about this. I had wished upon a star to have those parts


    for a long time. When I was strongly reminded of this, when my parents called me the wrong thing, strong distress afflicted me. I wanted to scream. That was


    not something I wanted to go through again and again.


    Grandma and my parents kept going for a lot longer than I''d anticipated, but they decided to end it after a while. I had enough of hearing their horrific


    descriptions of me anyways. "Future princess". "Brat girl". "Just a child". "Deluded". I was tired, so it didn''t take long for sleep to conduct me into its


    domain.


    A pleasant breeze furbished the open areas of the next day. After a nice breakfast (which my father would always refuse to help the preparation of)


    Firdevie offered to take me to a "place of bewitching quality".


    "Be back soon" my father said coldly. He was the sort of person to be fond of keeping his possessions under his belt, and I could tell that we were only


    objects to him.


    Our home was at the outskirts of the city, and so the alluring grassy plains were always close to us. The place my gran told me about was not too far into


    said plains, so we made our journey. Along the way, she told me little bit more about magic.


    "When you conjure up those little sprites, you tap into your instincts. It does not take memorized or concentrated effort to realize them. Those particles


    are the result of simple interactions between you, and the Sichocht."


    "The what?" I said with my usual, aloof voice.


    "The Sichocht. The wellspring of magic. The base layer from which everything rises."


    "How does-" I would have tripped on a rock had she not caught my by the arm. Her grip was unnaturally sturdy for someone her age.


    "Be careful, curious youngling!"


    "How does it work?" I continued, without a hint of deterrence in my voice. She chuckled ever so slightly. "That is far too complicated for you as of now"


    she said. I must''ve appeared quite dispirited, for Firdevie immediately followed her own statement:


    "Do not sadden yourself with the premise of your incapability. I was equally incompetent in comprehending such things at your age" the warmth of her homely


    smile persevered in the slightly cold air. "You will understand one day".


    As we were getting closer to the location, she instructed me to do some "exercises" with my abilities. I only needed to replicate what I had done back home.


    I created, they weaved. Floating, stuttering, flying, almost kissing. The particles appeared and stirred each time I moved my arm energy-filled arm. By the


    time we had arrived at the wooden shack, I had long forgotten what we were supposed to be doing. The cabin stood amid a collection of sparsely-laid out


    trees. The windows were boarded shut, and most of the paint had already peeled and fallen to the floor. She got a small key out of her pocket, and opened


    aged and crooked door with it. While the exterior of the place was quite decrepit, the interior was truly filled with wonders.


    Books. Leather bound books. Big books, small books. Books that had sustained so much damage that they looked like they could fall apart when subjected to


    the slightest touch. They were everywhere. On the floor, on tables that were right next to walls, on the shelves. The inside of this shack was a treasure


    trove of knowledge.


    "Most magicians like you learn their craft in schools" she paused to look at me, "but I suppose giving you a little knowledge beforehand wouldn''t be a bad


    idea, hmm?"


    I smiled and turned my head towards all the tomes. The least damaged one was situated on five other books and still had some green sheen on it. It was


    slightly thinner than all the others. Its spine read: "?lkrang B¨¹yaoi Bilolas". I pointed to it and yelled:


    "I can''t read that!"


    Firdevie looked at me with a flat expression. "Yes-"


    "Can I read it?"


    Puzzled, she took a moment before responding:


    "Do you want me to read it for you?"


    I enthusiastically shook my head. She calmly reached for it. Picking up the green covered texts she said:


    "There are things to demonstrate in this book. We should go outside if you want to see what you can do."


    Upon hearing this I immediately ran outside to the grassy field, as was usual for my overly excited self. Gran slowly followed me, unbothered by my


    juvenile excitement. I ran my hands through the greenery to feel the light touch of the druidic pieces. Firdevie opened the textbook as she approached and


    picked a page for us to study as we sat down. While she was holding it, I noticed the peculiar symbol etched on the cover. It was the caricature of a tree,


    but drawn in a way as to incite questions as to why it was drawn in the way that it was drawn. The central stump had split into many boughs, and


    those boughs had split into several smaller branches, but each strand was drawn with an undulating motion. As a result, the whole etching had the rough


    shape of a flame, or a multi-headed snake.


    While I was examining the book, she called me by name. I begrudgingly responded with a timid "Yes?". Noticing my discomfort, she asked:


    "Is something wrong?"


    I did not want to correct her, she had already suffered enough trying to defend me, but I knew I couldn''t lie to her. If it wasn''t for her listening to me


    and caring about what I say, I would have no refuge.


    "I hate that name."


    "Why?"


    "It''s girly."


    She looked at me with a compassionate eye.


    "Would you like to be called something else?"


    I nodded. She grunted and got into her usual "thinking pose". Gran would always give the most peculiar yet loving names to things. I realized that she was


    trying to recall a name she thought suited me.


    "How about Farriz?"


    Farriz. It sounded like nothing I had heard before. Not even the phonetics of the word reminded me of anything I already knew.


    "Does it mean anything?" I asked.


    "It means the sea in my tongue," she said.


    Farriz. As was usual for her she had found another name with a history unknown to me yet I still fell in love with it.


    "Gran, can you call me that? I hate my old name."


    She, once again, unashamedly showed her smile. This time it felt bright enough to turn sunflowers towards us.


    "Of course."

 1 - Fas B眉

    "Shall we begin then?" gran asked. I nodded happily.


    "Your were making your way through a forest in the mountains when the sprites came to you. They bestowed your powers. If I were to guess by the location of


    this gifting and the way in which you have been able to display your powers, I''d say that your inclination is most likely towards dryadic powers. The spell


    that we''ll be trying to cast is simple, even druids like to learn it. It is called tree growth."


    She set the book aside in a very delicate manner. While focusing her gaze on a tiny spot in the earth, she lifted her right arm up. She also turned the


    palm of her hand upwards at the same tame. Then, as if connecting with some sort of energy, she pointed ever so slightly forward with her middle finger.


    "Fas B¨¹." Her words carried withing them the tranquility of a leaf drifting through air. The spell reached the point she had set her eyes on via green


    particles very similar to the ones I had the ability to conjure. They were accumulating. When every little leaf had reached its destination the clump of


    magical matter finally emitted a green flash before disappearing. Afterwards, only a tree sprout remained. Soon enough, as if goaded by some other presence,


    the plant commenced its accelerated growth. It heightened, sprouted new branches, and reached my height before ceasing the rearing of its own self. Even


    though thanks to Firdevie I was able to observe the farthest corners of the universe, what I had just witnessed seemed to be much more profound. It is one


    thing to see, to sense, but it is quite unlike condensing a primordial process, such as growth, into a smaller temporal space. The concept seemed far more


    intricate and compelling. I was watching everything she did with the most inquisitive eyes.


    "Now," gran pointed to another spot "let us have you perform your own version of this over there. It is unkind to disturb that which nourishes the


    world". Following her instructions, I took my place on slightly more comfortable patch of grass, and gran sat across from me.


    "It will be difficult for you to perform this at first so let me guide you." She lifted her arm in the exact same manner as before. "With this motion


    you tell the Sichocht what you want from it. In this case, you want to cultivate a tree in a timely manner." She then pointed her middle finger forward.


    "This motion, if done properly, will connect the built-up energy of your arm to the base layer of magic, allowing you to call forth the potential you need


    in order to cast your spell. When you are done, recite the name of the spell." She paused. "Do you want me to repeat, Farriz?"


    I excitedly poked my head upwards: "No. Thank you". With immediacy, I began trying to conjure a tree. Trying to quickly raise my arm and perform


    the hex yielded no results.


    "Do not try to be swift yet, youngling. You cannot learn to run before you learn to walk." Taking her advice into account, I tried again slowly. When I


    tried to connect with my finger and direct the energy into the ground, nothing happened. I lifted my hand once more, collecting as much magic as possible


    within my hand, but when I made and attempt to connect it fizzled out once more.


    "Ease your mind, and try to smoothly transition between motions." I did as she asked and as I was pointing with my finger, the magical presence ran through


    me. It was time to say the spell.


    "Fas B¨¹!"


    A small number of tiny, viridescent particles flew out of the nothingness and into the ground. A measly glowing mound formed right before it went away in a


    minuscule flash of light. The beginnings of a sprout were left on the floor. It was far smaller than the one Firdevie had conjured up. Her usually merry


    face was expressionless.


    "I abhor dishonesty, and so I must tell you something Farriz." My ears pricked up.


    "Your performance is far less impressive than others I''ve seen. Keep that in mind, but do not be discouraged. You''ve the interest to improve yourself and


    what you do. You may not be good yet, but you will be if your passion burns well enough." The pinch of disappointment showed itself to me. Firdevie must


    have pierced through my emotionless veil as she added: "I believe in you."


    "Thank you, grandma" I said quietly. She smiled. What a lovely smile it was.


    "What does ''abhor'' mean?" I said.


    "It means to strongly dislike, dear." She turned her head to the sky immediately afterwards. It was clear she was trying to discern something.


    "We sadly don''t have much time left."


    "What? We''re leaving?" I objected. "There are so many books and things there, I want to read."


    "You can read again, kindheart. We will come back. It''s just that we don''t have much time for now."


    I nodded, as to convey my new outlook on the situation. Firdevie got up (I began following her), and took the green book into the shack and placed it back


    in its original place. We got out of the front door and as she was locking it, she said: "I know how much you want to come back here. We will visit this


    place again, I assure you."


    As we began our trip back home I asked her where all these ancient tomes and texts had come from.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Most of them were gifted to me by a friend..." she paused. "...and I helped write some of them." I stared at her with an expression of surprise. "Yes,


    indeed. Some of them explain spells created by us, Br¨®rur." She sighed as if she was responding to a wind calling her home. "Our people, Farriz." I looked


    at her with the same curiosity I had displayed when she was casting her tree spell. "Really? I''ve never heard of them." She stopped dead in her tracks. Her


    closed eyes and expressionless face seemed confusing at first, but I quickly saw through the pain she was trying to hide. "Come close, dear." The normal


    self-assured mannerisms I knew her by had given way to a timid yet courageous stance. I did as she asked. Her hands tenderly grabbed me by the shoulders as


    she sang her truth, unbowed.


    "Listen to me very carefully, dear. You and I, we are Br¨®rur. That is our people''s name. The people around us don''t like us. They want us to be gone. They want our language and culture to be erased, they want us to die. It is not pleasant but it is the truth." I gulped in


    between her words. "We can fight this. You can fight this. When you grow up, you can teach people our language, our songs, our stories. When you have


    children you can give them Br¨®rur?e names. No matter what you do, do not let us die. You must live on. You are my hope." She landed a gentle kiss on my


    forehead. "Do not tell anyone about this conversation, okay kindheart?"


    "Yes." I was compliant.


    "I love you."


    Two sojourns decorated the roads of Gatcregel¨¢d that day. Firdevie took us on an alternate route on the way back. The normal way was the fastest, but this


    path was laden with autumnal breezes, jubilant birds and calm rivers. "Be like the rivers," she said as we were walking, "and you''ll no doubt unlock your


    full potential."


    I saw sparrows for the first time on this road. Before this walk with her I didn''t tend to think of sparrows as much of anything. For me they were a sound,


    a sonic ornament and not much more. The road also happened to go through a forest, and I was finally able to see the beautiful things myself. Up until that


    point I knew that they were birds, but I always liked to characterize them as miniature birds in my mind. Never seeing them led me to believe in their


    invisibility. Upon seeing one, I became fascinated with them. They weren''t painted with the common extravagance of a raven dressed in black, they were


    ambassadors of the humble brown and white. They were small (although not nearly as small as I''d anticipated) so it was easy to find them adorable. I fell in


    love with sparrows that day. Slowly but surely we mad our way back home.


    "You two are late." My mother remarked without even bothering to greet us. "Why?"


    Resolute, gran responded: "I showed my grandson a few important things."


    "I hope it really was important, not being able to see my daughter is distressing." Her way of referring to me made me want to shrivel up.


    "I ask you to get out of the doorway." said gran.


    "Not until you call her your granddaughter." Firdevie stood completely still amongst the deadly silence that followed. She had become a maelstrom of fear so


    strong even I could feel it. Her eyes were oblivion, her face was death. At last, my mother relented. "Fine!" she shouted. "Have it your way you hag!"


    "Thank you!" she said cheerfully as we made our way inside.


    For the rest of the day, I remained outside. Refusing to play with other children, my sole focus was being able to properly cast Fas B¨¹. My first few


    attempts were quite similar to each other as I tried ever so desperately to make magic happen. I would forget to do something, or I would forget to say


    the actual "Fas B¨¹" line. Eventually though, I started being able to eventually initiate the spell. At this point the problem I was facing was one of muscle


    memory. I refer to it as a muscle memory, but it would be better described as a "magical sense". The manipulation of the Sichocht was done via with magical


    sense. This reflex was surprisingly close to moving a muscle in feeling.


    I kept training this sense. At this point some of the sprouts I was making were slightly bigger than the one I had originally made, and some were smaller.


    Sometimes nothing showed up at all. Hours were passing, some of the nearby children were eager to make me join their games, and I was persistent in not


    doing that. At some point some of the kids who didn''t know about my abilities called me insults but I couldn''t bother to care. What was actually bugging me


    was this spell. I was making no apparent progress. Very occasionally a somewhat sizable baby tree (about as big as my arm) would appear, but even though it


    was better than what I had achieved before it would be an inconvenience. I had somewhat blindly accepted Firdevie''s reasoning, and as a result I did not


    want to displace the saplings that were decently big.


    When I had grown a little too tired and angry to continue, I sat down on the floor. I didn''t want to do it again. All the work I did had yielded next to no


    fruit. The wretched haze of worthlessness loomed over me. If I couldn''t even perform this rudimentary spell, how could I ever hope to get good at magic? Why


    would anyone have any reason to care about me?


    Firdevie would care.


    Like the guiding star on wintry night, she was there. Her love, her smile. My parents were ready to discard my wishes at any moment, but she wasn''t.


    A breeze dissipating the mist of despair, her devotion wouldn''t falter no matter my achievements. It was certain that I would fail, but I would always be


    cared for. In light of this realization, I sat down and tried again.


    The sun was beginning to touch the horizon, yet I felt more refreshed than ever. My mind and muscles were ready to begin anew. Setting my eyes on the spot


    where I planned on making the tree, I lifted my hand with perfect smoothness. While touching the aether that was about to grant me my spell, with perfect


    intonation, I said the spell''s name:


    "Fas B¨¹."


    Particles that were far more numerous than any of my singular attempts apparated and started collecting on the ground. When the pile they created had


    reached appropriate size, they disappeared with a powerful flash of light. My tree began growing. Swiftly as well. Within a few seconds, it had reached my


    standing height. It only lengthened a little bit more after that. At the end of the ordeal, I had done it. I had successfully cast Fas B¨¹.


    I must''ve looked very stupid when I began jumping out of joy. I then began running home as fast as I could. Gran had to hear this. She was getting out of


    the house as we saw each other.


    "Slow down son, what''s the matter?" I ran up to her and gave her the nicest hug I could. "There!" I screamed. "Look at the tree!" She respectfully did as I


    asked, and then turning her head towards me she said:


    "Determined as ever, I see?" I could see the pride in her face. "You have a will of steel. That is quite valuable in a dryad, such as you." I giggled.


    "Come inside, kindheart," she added. "You deserve a nice rest."

 2 - ?ahrè°©n Kerè´¸nde (Homeblood)

    "You will see my bloodied corpse before you take him away from me." The demon from the void had shown her teeth once again. "Witchcraft? Do you have the


    slightest idea what you''re accusing me of?" she waited for them to spit their fire. I had never seen her this angry before.


    "How else could that tree out in the field come about? Surely it didn''t appear for no reason!" the creature that called itself my mother was scowling. "This


    is heresy, you''re teaching our daughter he-"


    "If you call my grandson ''your daughter'' ever again I will send you to Cr¨¢zap Banasc!" her echoing voice lunged from every direction at once. "What is the


    meaning of this? Explain your intent at once!"


    "The intent," stole a voice from the back, "is to stop you from destroying our child''s mind." my father''s tyrannical inflection begged to be recognized.


    "You have no right to teach her the things you have taught. Besides, you have the audacity to call what you do magic! That is not magic, it is a corruption


    of everything this country holds dear!" he returned. My trembling frame was still hiding behind Firdevie as I waited for the storm to blow over.


    "Etching metal is magic, bolt-binding is magic, healing is magic. What you do is borderline conspiratorial!" the bastard''s audacity knew no bounds. "And I''m


    not even getting into the ''son'' thing. You''re insane, and you''re taking my daughter down with you."


    The room fell into silence for what felt like eons, but only seconds were elapsing. In that time I somehow managed to examine my surroundings. My


    grandmother''s plain red dress was reminiscent of a rose to me. The walls and roof had began wearing down years ago, as a result many cracks had taken


    their comfortable places in the house. Two doorways connected the living room into the kitchen and the bedroom. I wanted to escape through those doors. It


    had become very clear to me that the possibility of this whole altercation just withering away had itself crumbled to dust. The lamps on the wall were white


    instead of yellow that day. I assumed this was gran''s doing, as she knew that I preferred the white light. They reminded me of a shining lake''s surface.


    Blue covering most of the aqueous body, and the blank flavor adding itself ever so sparingly to give the whole picture a serene air. I thought of the


    possibility of me being a painter one day. Giving life and brilliance to a still whiteness, it sounded quite nice to me. Especially if I had the opportunity


    to paint a lake.


    "You''re going to leave her here and you''re going back to your commune" my mother''s treachery brought me back to the present moment. "You can perform all


    of your freakish experiments in that place, and you won''t have to corrupt our daugh-"


    "I am not doing that." Firdevie responded without smidgen of hesitation in her voice. "You will not take him away from me."


    The worthless brute calling himself my father clenched his fists in anger. "You have no right to do this."


    "I have every right to do this, you have no legal power over me." Her deliberately flat intonation refused to falter.


    Finally, in his disgusting rage, the bastard attempted to hit Firdevie. She swiftly took me by the hand whisked both of us away from the attack with


    unnatural speed and stillness. "Ate¨¢in K?rena!". Many small pieces of flame accumulated within milliseconds as gran posed her hand as if


    she was holding an object with both of them. The specks had now formed into a whip, ready to strike anyone who might come close to her.


    "Our retribution will not end here. The conclave has now observed and recorded your actions. Do not tread further, worthless imp!" My father stepped back


    with shock. Seeing him with such fear in his eyes gave me joy. It didn''t feel good to admit that I was taking pleasure in someone else''s suffering, but when


    it came to my father I found eliminating the guilt to be very easy.


    "You''re nothing but a deceiver, an illusionist!" He defiantly took another step towards us. "Do you think you-" before he could finish his sentence Firdevie


    landed the whip onto his chest. A small explosion engulfed the site of impact. He went flying back. My mother howled; she did not expect such


    strength from the person she assumed to be a weakling. When the useless ogre landed, he let out a yelp, but that small noise quickly turned into fearful


    screaming as he realized his shirt was on fire. His chest was also burning.


    "Do not worry, the fire will go out quickly. He will not sustain too much damage." The younger woman was too afraid to respond properly, and so when she


    finally made a sound, she let out a shriek of fear. "Let us go then, my child. We will leave these fiends behind." The whip dissipated after her command.


    She firmly grasped my hand, and led me outside through the front door. The sun was about to cross the horizon, and the swathes of light emanating from the


    orange masterpiece had covered the earth. Clouds weren''t present. I looked back to see the tree I had created only a few minutes prior. It was my first


    success. My first creation. I was leaving not only it, but also the place I was most familiar with behind. Tears started streaming down my cheeks. Firdevie


    noticed almost immediately.


    Her face took the shape of mercy and regret. "I''m sorry. I''m so, so sorry." She embraced me with her arms. "This was the only way dear, they attacked us.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.They wanted to make you miserable. I assure you, the place we''re going allows for much more freedom. You will be happier there." Her soft words served as


    an uplifting countermelody in my song of sorrow. "Wh-what about the tree? The b-books?" I managed to say in my disheveled state. "I''ll never see them again,


    will I?"


    "Of course you will see them again, kindheart. I will call upon the conclave to help us with that. They will bring the books to the commune, and they will


    protect the tree. My dear darling, I''m here for you." She embraced me slightly tighter than before. "We must leave this place now" she continued. "We will


    get away from here and find a safe place to rest, and then we will find our way to the settlement, okay?" I wiped the remaining tears off my face, and


    nodded. She gave me the tenderest kiss on the forehead.


    "I love you." She got up and grabbed my hand gently, and we began walking at a fast pace towards the city. I was with her now. Despite all the violence


    that I seen that day, I was feeling safer than ever. We embellished the stone roads again like we did in the morning.


    Night was approaching. Lengthy shadows began blending into their surroundings. I watched as the bright sheet of day was torn, as the stars took their place


    in the sky. The soothing cricket noises coming from the nearby bushes pushed the sounds of our steps into the background. The city lights were not too far


    off in the distance, so I guessed that we would reach our destination before midnight. Not too long after our departure, we came across a small river


    running through the plains. Firdevie called the name of a spell I''d never heard before as she snapped her fingers. "Inse Solna??" she said, and with that


    command a bright, floating ball the size of a fingernail came into existence in front of gran. It began following us. The light it gave off was surprisingly


    brilliant, as it had lit up most of the path in front of us. While we were getting closer to the river gran stopped me with her arm, and took a glance into


    the water. She guided the ball of light towards its surface. There was nothing odd that we could see. She then cupped her hands and took a sip.


    "It is safe to drink, dear" she told me. "If you want to quench your thirst, do not wait while we have the opportunity." I took heed of her instructions


    and drank with vigor. Although the water was nice, the cool drink didn''t seem perfect to me in the relatively cold night. "Your clothing looks like it can


    you warm enough, but let me know if you get cold" she said. "Thank you" I responded quietly.


    "Do not thank me, son. I am your grandmother, this is what I should do. Now, hold still. We''re going to cross the river.


    "You''ll hurt yourself!" I objected. She seemed confused at first, with her thick eyebrows bent in a charming way. "How so, youngling?" she asked.


    "Your back will hurt, and your arms will be tired" I murmured. Upon hearing this, gran smiled playfully. She responded "R¨¹zoth, tug ank¨¹ alach." To my


    surprise, a curious wind lifted me up and chucked my to the other side of the river. It blew the other way as I was landing, so my impact was soft


    and balanced. The same happened with Firdevie only a few seconds later. She caressed my face. "Your grandmother is strong, don''t forget that dear." I looked


    at her cheerfully.


    We kept heading towards the city. We encountered a few small, stone homes on the outskirts similar to the one we had left. Gran picked up a handful of


    pebbles on the way. About an hour later, we had reached the inner city. Thanks to the ball of light that we had carried on our way here, the usually dark


    streets were slightly illuminated. Sturdy houses and closed shops were still standing strong, but the same could not be said for the crooked pavement. Not


    much had changed since my last visit. Mysterious silhouettes of the urbanites moved behind the curtains. Their chatter sounded like mockery.


    "You must be unimaginably hungry and tired" said gran. "Don''t worry, I know an inn that''s only a few minutes away. We can get some food and rest there." I


    nodded.


    We reached the place she was talking about shortly. A wooden sign fixed above the door via a metal frame read "Wulf''s House". Two lamps were still burning


    brightly next to the entrance. We entered. The inside was warm, thanks to the fireplace that was still burning. Some tables still had plates and cups left on


    them. The walls were not utterly decrepit, but they weren''t in pristine condition either. Many customers had left their marks. We headed towards the


    innkeeper standing behind the counter.


    "What do you want?" the innkeeper asked snidely. His beard didn''t hide his wary face well.


    "Food and lodging" returned gran. "What do you have?"


    "We''ve only got some roast beef and a single room to spare." He spoke flatly. "Two plates?"


    "And some water." Gran reached into her pocket filled with pebbles, pulled out a handful of coins and placed them on the counter. "Will this be enough to


    cover our costs?" she said. The man examined the coins with suspicion, and then looked back at Firdevie. "Melrose! Bring two plates of beef and a cup of


    water. We''ve got stayers."


    "Thank you. Ferriz, where do you want to sit?" she asked with her eyes turned to mine. I pointed at a clean table close to the window. We made our way to


    it. The waiter brought our food and some utensils without much wait. Even though the meat was subpar as it had been cooked a while ago, I ate like a


    monster still. "My son..." her voice was laced with pity. "From the bottom of my heart, I am sad that I left you hungry. I will give you all that you need


    there. You will be happy. That is why I do this."


    "I know, gran. I love you." My response seemed to ease her guilt a little bit. Seeing us finish our meal, the inn worker took us upstairs to our room for


    the night. It had only one bed, but it was still warm and cozy enough to keep us from complaining. "Rest well" said the servant, before closing the door and


    leaving us be.


    Gran opened a closet on the right side of the chamber, and found a worn pillow and a damaged quilt. She laid them out on the floor to create a semi-bed,


    and then tucked me into the better bed. I was too happy with my condition, so I didn''t bother to question her. Before she laid down, she sat next to me.


    "Did you count the stars in the sky as we were walking here?" she said, dropping the facade of her liveliness and adopting a tired manner of speech instead.


    "Some of them" I responded.


    "You know that you''re much more precious than those, right?" she said. I returned the compliment with a smile. "You struggled to conjure that tree at first,


    but you didn''t give up. While we were making our way here you didn''t complain even once. You''re a warrior. That is why you''re precious." She kissed me on the cheek.


    "Goodnight, kindheart. May sweet dreams find you in your sleep."

 3 - ?avn

    Every normally inconspicuous indent on the road was now proudly displaying itself under the light of day. Gran was singing. Our table was next to the


    window, and consequently allowed us to observe all the passersby while enjoying our breakfast. Some of them were advancing with a quickened pace, so I


    wondered how they even had time to think. If the tasks of their lives required so much haste, they must have burdened themselves with many obligations. With


    so many things to do, how did they have any spare time left? Some of them had adorned themselves with colorful dresses and were proud in stature. I wondered


    what could make a person feel so high and mighty. Mayhaps they had something that others didn''t? My focus shifted towards the table. I looked at my finished


    plate. The small figures painted on it were surprisingly elaborate and charming. My small fork and knife were nothing special. I started listening to


    Firdevie''s singing. Her musical sense was far from perfect and yet the rough outline of a melody was still there.


    "M¨¦n gedt¨ªn anna ker¨®n vaenn,


    Na bronici de bhr¨®venn,


    ?ch f?rchen m¨¦nim ¨¦?il,


    Achcak to s¨¢ M?lh.


    Thond si?d m¨¦an¨¦m reach bi m¨¦ar,


    Avu fate."


    I couldn''t understand what she was saying yet, but I sensed the sorrow that was coursing through the words. After she finished singing I asked her something.


    "What is that song about?" my voice was as jubilant as it could be while saying this.


    "It is about someone who loses their husband to war" she said solemnly. "This is a folk song. Many think that it was composed ninety years ago, during the


    occupation of B¨®yol?ile¨¢kna. Our people were relentlessly captured. The women were forced to serve, and the men were forced into the military." She


    wistfully stared out the window. "They pillaged our home. Now they call it Geolurbeorg." As she was talking, I noticed an inn worker approaching our table.


    His smile gave off the impression that he felt like he was about to give someone what they deserved.


    "You two need to leave."


    "Excuse me?" Firdevie said in her confusion.


    "The innkeeper doesn''t want gypsies to stay in his home for too long."


    "Do we look like gypsies to you?" she snapped back.


    "You two are Br¨®rur, correct?" he returned with condescension. "That''s almost worse than being a gypsy."


    "Is that why you''re kicking us out? Because we are different? What a spiteful-" the man scoffed before she could finish. That face of his was practically


    shrieking with hatred.


    "Yeah yeah, stop dithering and get out before I call the guards. Don''t worry, they too dislike bandits of your sort." Gran threw an expressionless stare his


    way, as was usual for her to do when she was boiling with righteous fury. "We cannot do anything dear, there are innocents nearby" she told me with a somber


    cadence. The waiter, ignorant of gran''s abilities, scoffed once again. She paid the innkeeper with coins she took out of her pebble-filled pocket, and we left


    the dismal place through the front door. I followed her as we walked towards where I assumed the conclave to be. Suddenly she slowed down and then


    stopped. Leaning into my ear she whispered among the crowd: "That evil man will pay for this in a few hours. He will be surprised when he realizes that


    some of his coins have turned into pebbles." I looked at her merrily.


    Before we set out on the road again, she quickly performed a gesture and quietly spoke of a spell. In accordance with her saying "?lmartide ?ailte", a


    minuscule eruption of pink sparks took place on the palm of her hand. She then spoke into the magic. "I am Firdevie Kayyaiy. I''m approaching your sect. My


    grandson is with me, I plan to raise him there. I hope this isn''t too sudden, G¨¹nnua?. I took him away from my son and his wretched wife. I have returned.


    That is all." She then led her finger from the palm of her hand onto her forearm, and closed her eyes as if she was imagining something. "That was me


    sending a message to the ones who will greet us, dear" she explained. "I know you like to ask about these things. You are fascinated with everything, you


    little scientist." She took my hand and led me through the dreary streets.


    Unlike yesterday, today was not drowning in the effervescent light of the sun. Clouds had reinstated their rule in the sky. A weak wind evocative of autumn


    was sweeping the city streets. Folks from all walks of life could be seen. Shopkeepers, soldiers, musicians, medics, magicians, students, they were all


    attending their businesses. The busy and strained faces were far more frequent than the talkative and cheerful ones, but some people were still blooming


    with mighty happiness. Even in this unwelcoming place, gaiety had taken up residence in the hearts of some. There were plenty of pigeons and other animals


    around as well. I especially pitied the dogs. Most of them were injured in some way, and even the ones that didn''t look like they were in pain looked filthy


    and unkempt. Wanting some sort of closure, I asked Firdevie "What will happen to the poor dogs? They all have homes, right?" She, as was appropriate for


    her, replied with only the truth. "They do not have homes. This city has abandoned them, and most citizens do not have the want to help them." The


    dispiriting realization hit me like a hammer. "Can we do anything about this?" I asked sorrowfully. "Not now, kindheart. But if you grow into a merciful


    man in your life, nothing will be able to stop you from helping the poor things." She looked at me. "You''re very considerate, aren''t you?"


    More frequent than the cruel-fated dogs were the ignorant yet noble pigeons. Their indolence when it came to learning was quite dissimilar to that of a


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.human''s in my mind. Generally humans would remain ignorant out of want. The birds, with their constantly aloof eyes, sustained their lack of knowledge


    for the sake of regality. Their state of being did not demand the highly intelligent operations normally required of a human, so why should they concern


    themselves with knowledge? All of that apparent foolishness was a crown they wore to boast about their ease in life. That was their nobility. That was their


    meaning.


    "The settlement is very close, son" said gran. "Are you tired?"


    "No, gran. You''re too kind" I answered. She caressed my face as she was walking. We were in a less populated part of the capital now. There were still houses


    around us (albeit they were less frequent), and the stone road hadn''t quite disappeared yet. A most troublesome rain was about to start above us. Foreboding


    clouds had gathered above us. Despite Firdeive telling me that the encampment was near, the tents and structures that I was expecting to see were absent. I


    wondered if it was underground. Just as I was pondering the possibility however, a figure shrouded in dark green entered our sights. The silhouette was not


    distant, and I likened her figure to a woman''s from afar. Under the cuffs of her cloak, she was wearing what looked like magical trinkets in the form of


    bracelets. She was steadily coming towards us. When she got close enough for gran to take notice, she took off her hood. A middle-aged, stout face was


    hiding behind the wool cover.


    "Merciful H¨ªsar, I haven''t seen you in a while! I thought you had left for good!" she said, surprised. "Well, I am here now" gran responded as the other


    woman embraced her. Their hug lasted for longer than I''d anticipated, and so I guessed that they had known each other for quite some time. "I assume that


    she is your granddaughter?" the younger woman asked.


    "He is my grandson" corrected gran.


    "Oh, I apologize. What is your name, young boy?" she inquired.


    "Farriz."


    "It is so very nice to meet you, Farriz. I am G¨¹nnua?, a friend of your grandmother" she said with a welcoming voice. "We''ll do the talking later, it''s about to


    rain. We should go to the hideout. I must give you permission, son." She gently touched my forehead with her thumb, and I felt a magical warmth in the spot.


    "This will allow you to see and enter our domain. Now come, the two of you" she said. Gran and I started to follow her.


    Unexpectedly, the vacant land beyond the homes we had just passed was now filled with tents. The illusion had dissipated. As we got closer, I felt an


    incredibly sudden change in temperature. It was as if there was invisible border separating the inside from the outside. All of a sudden I could hear


    vibrant speech. This place was alive! Getting closer to the center of the village I spotted many unique people. Whereas in the city everyone was dressed in


    normal attire, these people had generated an entirely distinct custom when it came to clothing. Another thing that they differed from when it came to


    clothing was the lack of delineation between men and women. A majority of the denizens fit those two categories nicely, but a significant portion of them


    didn''t. They lacked a gendered expression.


    Right in the middle of all of this sat a tree. Strangely, the roots of this tree had somehow raised themselves above the ground as if to mock the very laws


    of nature that they had to abide by. About four meters tall (from root to top), it looked more like a glyph rather than a real object. Its branches,


    wavering in their ascent, would occasionally spawn lightning between themselves. There were leaves, but they only existed as outlines made of glowing


    whiteness. Through the cracks and fissures in its body a faint light was gliding out. A thin string made out of some kind of phantasmal material extended


    from its very top into the sky. All kind of baubles and ornaments hung from the tree. Most of these were statues or medals of some kind, but others were


    more elaborate works. I was able to see a few mechanisms on it. Children had gathered at its roots.


    "Have you two eaten anything yet?" asked G¨¹nnua?. "We had breakfast an hour and a half ago in an inn." answered Firdevie. "Good. We should inform Nacian of


    your arrival." We followed the woman through the tents.


    "Why was that tree weird?" I asked Firdevie curiously.


    "It was a special magical tree, dear. Its kind are the gleamtrees. They hide us, protect us and grant us warmth in their embrace." She smiled. Her face


    gleamed with abundant beauty. Even the gleamtree couldn''t match her in this regard. "That specific tree''s name was Cega. Wasn''t it gorgeous?"


    "Yes!" I giggled.


    Soon enough we came across a group of people attending to a cauldron. Working with coordination, they were hard at work preparing some sort of soup. The


    was undeniably quite pleasant. Among the cooks was an older man. In spite of his age, his fit physique and defined muscles showed his abundance of


    discipline. I could tell that his face was quite wise, even though most of it was covered by a sizable white beard accompanied by long, nicely groomed


    hair. A red silk band was wrapped around his forehead. The yellow and red garments on his body accented his tanned skin quite well. As we approached


    G¨¹nnua? called his name.


    "Nacian! Firdevie has returned with her grandson!" the man lifted his head up to see us. "You came sooner than I expected" he said, with relief. Joy quickly


    engulfed his mannerisms as he came to greet us.


    "Where have you been? Why did it take so long for you to come back?" he asked while hugging gran tightly.


    "I went to look out for the boy" said grandma. "My son and his wife aren''t fit to raise a child. They would have made him miserable" she looked at me. "So I


    brought him here, so he could be himself."


    "That is understandable, but you could have at least visited us once in a while!"


    "I am certain that they would hurt him without my presence. I couldn''t bear that burden on my conscience."


    "I see." He turned his head toward me. "What is your name, young man?" he asked gracefully. I answered timidly "Farriz." He was clearly a friend of


    Firdevie, so I was inclined to trust him.


    "Farriz! You have a gorgeous name." He took a brief moment to check on the boiling food. "As you can guess, I am Nacian. I am also your grandmother''s


    brother. It''s nice to see you here." His presence was inspiring.


    Returning to Firdevie he added "I have kept all of your belongings. I need to finish this food, and then I will join you in setting your tent back up.


    G¨¹nnua? will take you to an available area. I will be with you shortly."


    "It''s not far from here. Follow me" intercepted G¨¹nnua?. We stayed behind her as she led us to the eastern side of the camp. It only took us about half a


    minute to reach our destination. Nearby stood a collection of chests and fabrics which I assumed to be Firdevie''s possessions. "I haven''t the time to


    help unfortunately. Nacian will come to aid you."


    "Hold on, there''s something I must tell you" responded gran. "Farriz is a dryad."


    G¨¹nnua?''s eyes widened. It was as if she had discovered a pile of gold in her backyard.


    "What?"

 4 - Akairler

    A few days had passed since my arrival. Still in the process of discovery, I was eager to know this place inside and out. Along with this effort, the new


    spells I had learned from G¨¹nnua? were keeping me busy. It was impossible for me to run out of things to practice. My incompetence did not deter me from


    passionately improving myself. Each new cantrip I added to my memory contributed to my feeling that I was a poet, expanding his arsenal with time. Vivid was


    the memory of me casting D¨ªod¨®mach Ate¨¢in for the first time. Under the rain but protected by the gleamtree, I learned the method of designing fire.


    "Out of all the things that exist on this earth, plasma is broadly the easiest to manipulate with magic" I remember G¨¹nnua? telling me. The day had passed,


    and darkness had encircled the earth. Sitting across the campfire I wondered if there was a spell that could show the future inside a flame. "Do you know what


    plasma is?" she asked." No, what is it?" I said. "It is the most volatile version of matter. For example, fire is plasma. Lightning is plasma. D¨ªod¨®mach Ate¨¢in


    can control all plasma, but since it is a weak spell that is generally used only for practice it is named after its ability to manage flame." She took a


    deep breath. "Are you ready to begin?" she asked. I nodded.


    Most simple spells and cantrips could be cast in a very similar way, by first concentrating magical energy and then commanding the Sichocht in a specific


    way. This cantrip didn''t break the trend. G¨¹nnua? raised her whole left arm slightly and as she was doing so small particles phased into existence near her


    hand. She uttered "D¨ªod¨®mach Ate¨¢in", and grabbed a piece from the campfire. The fire, instead of burning her, configured itself into a thin bright string as


    it twirled around her fingers. Playing with this galvanizing line, she calmly moved her fingers to excite the flame into taking many forms. When it was time


    to finish this charming little performance, she threw the trapped source of heat back into the fire. "For now, don''t worry about damaging your hand" she said.


    "I will cast a ward on your hands." With her encouragement, I got a bit closer to the fire. G¨¹nnua? clasped her hands together and murmured "K¨¹a?a Kosaima"


    quietly. Swiftly separating her hands caused a bunch of faded, sparkling specks to erupt into the air. Before I could react the small things gathered on my


    hands, creating a thin layer of colorless magical substance. Before doing anything I summoned the energy necessary to bring the spell into effect. Feeling


    ready to catch the fire, I said "D¨ªod¨®mach Ate¨¢in" and tried to grasp a shard. I expected a thin bright thread to be dancing around my fingers but there was


    none there and the protective ward had gotten slightly damaged, though it regenerated with impressive speed.


    "Try thinking of your intent as you''re rousing the energy" the woman suggested. "If you do it right less particles will apparate, and they will be red


    instead of green."


    And so with that advice I tried again. As I was for the higher plane which housed the resource I needed for my spells, my focus didn''t falter. It remained


    on the fire. Once again I spoke. "D¨ªod¨®mach Ate¨¢in." Plunging my hand into the flame, I took a small thing from the source. I watched as it glided in


    between my fingers. Turning my hand resulted in the little curiosity shifting into new spots, as it was eager to remain unstable. Eventually, deciding to


    send it back to its originator, I coiled the weird apparition around my middle finger and flicked it back to its source.


    "Nicely done" commented G¨¹nnua?. "You threw the little guy back in there as well. Avoiding the risk of a fire is important, so I advise you do that when


    you can."


    "But fires are cool!" I said, but my teacher was quick to correct me.


    "Not here, and not now. If anything in here is set alight I may be able to stop it, but not if it spreads too quickly. And if one of the tents is caught


    then that would be especially terrible." She then pronounced the words "Hargadli Daugh", closing her eyes in the process. A humanoid figure made out of


    wood rose from below in the center of the flame. In unison with the nuanced motions of her fingers, the puppet acted as if it was suffering. The skin,


    flesh and organs burning. I could almost sense the incommunicable, soul-destroying pain it was in. Without much time elapsing, its arms fell off. Soon


    enough its head did was well. G¨¹nnua? opened her eyes and spoke again.


    "I apologize, for that must have been disturbing to witness. But I really want you to comprehend the danger a knowing misstep can cause."


    "I... understand." My six-year old vocabulary still didn''t include words like "misstep" but her message had made itself very clear anyways.


    Following that day I continued to practice the cantrips and little hexes I learned along the way. My vocabulary was expanding, both magically and


    literally. Most of my neighbours spoke common, but all of them knew Br¨®rur?e. Some of them were better at speaking it than common, which made sense as it


    was their native language. Continuing to live among them led to me to slowly acquire expertise in Br¨®rur?e. I was still very, very far from fluency yet my


    stubborn progress was steady.


    Through my tenacious advance I kept inquiring about newer spells. With Heaf¨¢n R¨¹zoth I could call a breeze to carry or move small objects. Using Ekluir


    Solna?? I could temporarily add a glow to an object that I touched. My continuous day to day development made me quite happy.


    On a day that was quite bleak and grey even by autumn''s standards, Nacian called me towards him. I was out in the field playing with other children.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there."Firdevie has great news for you my son!" he shouted. The evidence for what those news were had already made itself known in my mind but I didn''t want to


    get my hopes up, so I remained calm. "Head home!" he said.


    "Sorry, I have to go!" I said while running to gran''s tent. The fifteen seconds in which I sprinted towards our tent did not go to waste as I thought about


    which books I was going to read next. Would I carry on with my study of ?lkrang B¨¹yaoi Bilolas, or would I choose to enter the world of another primordial


    text? Or perhaps there were story or history books among the pile which I had not seen in my short trip to the hut. I realized during the middle of these


    thoughts that keeping my expectations down wasn''t possible anymore.


    My heart was pounding with anticipation (and slight exhaustion) as I turned around one last corner. Sure enough, in front of our house, stood the same


    books that I''d set my eyes only about a week ago. Some of the empty chests that previously held my grandmother''s belongings were next to these tomes. A


    peculiarly tall woman and Firdevie were counting and examining the books. They looked quite scholarly in their concentration. With the bewitching motions


    she did in her dark robe covered in golden motifs the towering woman presented herself, to my immature brain at least, as a menace. She had collected all


    of her white hair on the back of her head with a bun.


    Trying to stay wary, I began approaching the books. Before I had even reached the halfway point, the woman spoke to me.


    "Your diligence in your studies is a thing that Firdevie talks about often" her native Br¨®rur?e had contributed greatly to her heavy accent. She turned to


    face me. "She is quite proud of you." Not knowing what to say at first, after a brief delay I replied "She loves me."


    "A brief summary of her emotions'' true extent, but not altogether incorrect." Extending her arm  towards towards me she said "You needn''t be afraid of me. I


    am Hearrain, friend to Firdevie."


    "You still speak with more grandiosity than me" cheered Firdevie from the side, lifting her head up from her work. "Nothing is missing it seems."


    "I''m glad" said Hearrain. "It is time for me to return to my watch. In the meantime," she returned her gaze to me, "take care of yourself, Farriz." With


    that, she left us to perform her duties.


    "Was she a mage?" I asked Firdevie. "I suppose she could be called -a- mage, so yes." I looked at the pile of books in front of me.


    "How did all of these get here?"


    "Hearrain was able to bring them all here with a spell, dear."


    "Can all sorcerers do that?"


    "No, dear. Only some of them" she said. She picked up a book from on top of another pile of books, and showed it to me. It was ?lkrang B¨¹yaoi Bilolas. I


    could barely contain my excitement.


    "Finally!" I yelled, but noticing the missing presence of something that was just as significant as the books to me I asked a question immediately


    afterwards. "What about the tree?" Gran pointed at a distant spot outside the gleamtree border, on which my very first tree stood. "You thought of


    everything!" I yelled again.


    "Quiet dear, people are around us" she reminded me.


    "Kindheart, I hope this gave you joy." I jumped to show my happiness. "Good, good" she replied as she was wrapping one of her arms around me. "If I have


    done this then all else is fine."


    A few days passed by. My progress through the dense green book of dryadic spells was somewhat slow, but I never gave a second thought to this. I wanted


    mastery. I was committed. My resolve refused to give out to any obstacles along the way. Thanks to G¨¹nnua?''s tuition I learned a few key distinctions and


    facts as well. Cantrips were the spells that a magician of any discipline could cast, whereas any other spell required specialization in a narrower field


    of magic. As an example Fas B¨¹ could only be cast by druids, dryads and the like. There were spells that blurred the line between cantrip and spell, (as in


    some of these in-between spells could possibly be cast by an unrelated mage, but that depended on the individual) but they were rare. On this path of


    discovery I acquainted myself with the few other sorcerers in the commune. One of them was a small boy my age, Eirr¨ªr was his name. I first saw him while he


    was manipulating a band of lightning around his body.


    "That must be so hard to do!" I told him while he was showing off his powers to a group of other children.


    "I am a mage. It''s normal for us" he said. "I can wrap this around your arm" he continued while stretching the buzzing rope with his hands.


    "Sure" I replied. He then straightened the peculiar piece of plasma and stabbed it into the ground, making it dissipate instantly. He said "Don''t move" as


    blue particles showed up around his hands. He kept his hands facing each other while reciting "?intmeach". Another piece of lightning loudly appeared


    between them. At first it was only a beam of light, but it quickly broke into entropy as it bent and twisted into many chaotic shapes. It grew thicker. When


    it became big enough Eirr¨ªr grabbed it by its ends and carefully conducted it around my arm. It now looked like a snake that had coiled itself around my


    arm. "You can move your arm now" he said finally. His hands were still up in the air, and they were pointed at my arm. I assumed that he still had to


    deliberately prevent the lightning from striking my arm. I brought my arm to and fro in the air, observing the curious loop crackle and shift. "Can I take


    it home?" I asked the boy. "It would strike you and disappear without me" he said.


    "You can take it back." It was time to display my skills. Eirr¨ªr attentively removed his spell, and then stabbed it into the ground like before.


    "What is your name?" I asked immediately after.


    "Eirr¨ªr" he answered.


    "Can I show you something?" His unbothered gaze conveyed his disinterest very well.


    "What are you going to show me?"


    "Magic." He was surprised. "Do it" he told me. With his permission I cast the spell Dotiayuionna H¨¢mva. Swiftly enough a protrusion outlining the shape of a


    circle started to rise out of the ground. As it formed water began filling its insides. When the structure reached knee height it ceased expanding.


    What resulted was a pool that resembled the stump of a large tree that was cut at the base. The water contained within was slightly bubbly, and smelled


    faintly of lilacs. "You can drink it" I said. With my incentivization he got close to the water''s surface and took a sip with his hands. Impressed, he


    turned to me and pointed his thumb upwards. "Impressive" he commented. "What''s your name?"


    "Farriz."


    In Br¨®rur?e, he said something to me in a warm tonality. He saw my confusion. "I said, you have a beautiful name."


    "Thank you." He drank from the water again. "Your lips are dry. Would you like to drink some?"


    "Yes" I replied.

 5 - Leoffl?ds Leorninghç…¤s of Drymen

    With a small amount of anxiety in me I asked "What will they teach me there?"


    "What every person needs to learn, dear" answered gran. "Things like math and science. You will learn the intricacies of common there as well." She waited for


    the sufficiently convincing words to appear in her mind as she sat on a cushion, eating sandwich. "Think of how you learn about magic. Besides practicing the


    casting of a spell you also learn how it works, right? In school, you learn the process behind certain subjects. I already gave some examples as to which


    subjects you''ll be studying."


    "That sounds boring."


    "That is only because you haven''t experienced the real versions of these things" she explained. "Right now, to you, math is nothing more than adding some


    numbers together. You take a three, you take a two and as you add them together you get five. When there are too many numbers you ask for help from am adult.


    That is not how I know math." She took one final bite of her sandwich and got herself ready to enthusiastically elucidate as to why she adored math.


    "You''ve seen the processors we projectors use, right? In addition to transcribing pieces of information from very far away into paper, they can also calculate


    at high speeds. They can do that because they''re built to be faster than humans. If a human tries to add, as an example, nine thousand nine hundred and


    ninety-nine and another nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine together by brute force, it might take them a few seconds whereas a computer can find


    out the result in fraction of that time. But what is truly fascinating about math to me is that it is intuitive, despite it being somewhat difficult to


    grasp." Saying all of this with haste and great excitement left her a bit short of breath, so she breathed in deeply. After grabbing a pen and paper from a


    nearby desk she continued.


    "If we were to return to the adding two numbers example, there is a quicker and more sensible way of calculating that as well. You can think of nine thousand


    nine hundred and ninety-nine as a number one step below ten thousand," she wrote 10000 - 1 on the paper as she finished her sentence. "If you add two of these


    one minus a thousands together," she wrote another 10000 - 1 and placed a plus sign in between them, "you see that this equation is just twenty thousand minus


    one written differently. I know this because a minus or a plus can be written anywhere in an equation and because you can bunch up minuses and pluses


    together. Knowing that doubling ten thousand results in twenty thousand comes later." She remembered to draw breath this time. "I know that subtracting two


    from number with a bunch of zeroes at the end of it will give me a result with an eight at the end, and I reach nineteen thousand nine hundred and ninety


    eight by jumping from on conclusion to another" she said while glanced at me. Her smile served as a sweet pleasantry. "Doing acrobatics with knowledge like


    this gets really fast after a while. Because we have assigned the job of brute force mathematics to the computers, what is left for humans is finding clever


    solutions like this one to achieve greater ends. It is quite like a puzzle." I snuggled up to her. "I understand" I said.


    "Do you really?" she asked.


    "No."


    She chuckled lightly. "Then there operations you haven''t even seen yet," continuing to exposit her love for math, she drew many other symbols that I was


    unfamiliar to. I heard "Topology, my eternal love how could I forget you?" before she began illustrating a truly odd object. It resembled a vase, only it


    had a weird pipe at the bottom that turned around and intersected itself. That pipe then connected to the only mouth of the object. "I really love this


    trinket, it''s called the Jaono''s bottle." Firdevie''s mouth told me of math, but her sparkling eyes spoke of a woman who had waited her whole life to tell


    someone these things. "It only has one side, so its inside is also its outside! How fascinating is that?" she said.


    "This is cool stuff. Is this what they teach at school?" I asked.


    "They give you the basic tools you need to understand more complicated things. If you are still interested in this subject afterwards, their lessons will


    come in quite handy."


    "I get it" I said. "I feel sleepy."


    "Of course you will, you attacked Nacian''s stew like you were starving."


    "Mmm" I responded drowsily. My mind slowly sank into a nice dream about milk filled bottles that intercepted each other as gran was caressing my face.


    All was well. School in contrast was a fountain of issues.


    The distance between my school and the commune wasn''t a problem, since Hearrain could easily transport me and Eirr¨ªr to a far away location and back with


    ease. But unless we were to hide the manner of our teleportation, it was possible for many people to ask questions about our places of residence. It wasn''t


    possible to keep such a major lie going for too long. We picked an inconspicuous alley to appear at. It was only about five minutes away from the building.


    That was only the beginning of our troubles.


    It was the first day of school. There I was, sitting with an orderly demeanour in the frontmost seat. A clock was affixed to the wall, and the jittery


    sounds of its inner mana-mechanism manufactured great tension as I was anticipating the teacher''s entrance into the room. The age-appropriate chatter of the


    children behind me didn''t escape my ears. "I''m bored", "Where''s the teacher", "Let''s play Hopperscotch after this", "my dad is an engineer". An energetic


    girl had agreed to sit next to me. Her name was Eoreberge. She didn''t want to do much with me. When I decided that staring at the front door


    had gotten boring enough, peering at the elegant wafers of light piercing the windows became my solution. The sun was at its most magnificent position in


    the sky. Drawing, outlining shadows, and overall providing me with inner solace from the ticking mechanism on the wall the beams of white were truly


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.graceful. I then immediately took notice of a door opening in the corner of the room. I turned to look at the stranger. Even though he was already within my line of


    sight, his harrowing roar made me jump with fear.


    "QUIET!"


    The scream had successfully drenched the class in silence. I keenly took note of his red face and overly-serious attire as he was making his way towards


    the teachers'' table. There was an unceasing aura of spite around him as if he hated the world, and the world hated him back. Standing behind his desk he


    told us:


    "I am Hedley Hawke, your primary school teacher. I will be your teacher for the rest of your stay in Leoffl?ds Leorningh¨²s of Drymen." The words were


    sliding off his tongue as if they were a poison that he was trying to cleanse himself of. "Before we begin with our lesson, I''d like to establish a few


    rules. Firstly, you''re not allowed to talk while class is in session unless I give you permission to do so. You can ask for permission by raising your hand,


    but I cannot promise that I will give it to you. Secondly, you must give all of your attention to me and the board while I''m teaching. Thirdly..." and my


    mind had already slipped elsewhere during his recitation.


    I wondered if he was ever going to ask about our names. "Maybe he just forgot, he seems like a busy man" I thought to myself. He didn''t seem like a


    particularly considerate human being, so it was possible that he was just that much of a jerk. Soon enough, posturing by the window with a refined stance, a


    magpie made itself known to me. Staring inside the room behind a backdrop of pine tress and sunlight subdued by the clouds, it was significantly more


    entertaining to observe than the noise machine churning itself in front of me.


    "Young girl!" I heard the man call out. No response. Turning my head towards the teacher I expected him to be looking at Eoreberge or some other person in


    the room.


    He was staring right through my soul. My skin crawled.


    "Yes?" I answered cautiously.


    "Did you not hear the second rule? Are you acting up already?" he spat with extraordinary speed.


    "I am sorry."


    "Sir!" he corrected. "You shall call me sir whenever you can. What a petty child you are, not even respecting your elders" said the dung heap of a human.


    "Sorry, sir." Feeling like a full on aggression was too much for this moment, I held myself back.


    "Why do you not respond when called to?" it asked daringly.


    "You said ''young girl'' but am a boy" I said. It mockingly examined me. "Well you certainly dress like one. Your hair is quite short as well. Then I suppose


    anyone can become anything nowadays. If that''s the case, then I''m a sewer drain!" Faint laughter made its way to me from around the room. Eoreberge did not


    contribute to this.


    "Well it doesn''t matter. I''ve played much worse games" it told me. "I will refer to you as a boy from this point forward" said it that sneers. "Now, we


    shall begin our first lesson. If anyone else refused to listen while I was laying out the classroom rules, then you should know that the punishment for


    disobedience is a warning. If you don''t comply once, you will be warned. If you do not obey a second time, you will receive a ruler to your hand. Do it a


    third time and you will be sent to the principal''s office. Understood?" I replied "Yes", with an overwhelming sense of disgust.


    What followed was a lesson that was about thirty-five minutes long, but felt like it dragged on for hours. This spiteful lump of malignancy that we called


    our "teacher" was truly undeserving of its title. Rattling off numbers and concepts unceremoniously, it wasn''t ashamed to show its clear disinterest in


    almost everything that he was talking about. It wouldn''t even stop to ask us if we had gotten what he was talking about. I was able to discern the meaning


    of his words thanks to prior knowledge I had gained from Firdevie herself, but it was obvious to me that most of the people in the class with me had not


    been helped the same way. "Ineffective" would be an understatement for this waste of skin''s method of tutoring. Occasionally the revolting sack of meat would


    find it within itself to ask us a question in the form of a mathematical problem. When asked if anyone wanted to come to the board to answer these


    questions, no one would raise their hands except for I and Eoreberge.


    "Come then... boy" it said hesitantly. I walked up to the board and grabbed a piece of chalk from its hand. As I was finishing my solution it brashly


    asserted that "at least the little imp was useful for something." Regretting what I had just done I gave it the piece of chalk back and went to


    sit down on my chair.


    The school bell (briefly) liberated us from this small demonstration of the experiences it was possible to have in Cr¨¢zap Banasc. "You have a ten-minute


    break" he said. "Spend it well."


    Getting out of the classroom I was delighted to encounter Eirr¨ªr looking for me in the hallway. I waved at him and followed him into the front garden as we


    talked to each other. "Our teacher sucks" I lamented. "He''s dull. I don''t even remember his name."


    "Our teacher is alright" said Eirr¨ªr. "Listening to her wasn''t too bad. She talked about your teacher. His name is Hedley."


    "Thank you" I said.


    There were many things to despise about our school, but its hauntingly beautiful garden wasn''t one of those things. An abundance of birds had taken their


    spots atop the slowly withering autumn trees. A delightful song melody they sang, which bequeathed the entire locale a delightful air. Excessively


    flamboyant bushes and vines of all shapes and sizes were allowed to remain where they had chosen to grow, and so were in the business of fulfilling their


    aesthetic roles. An opus, the nearest star, which the Earth was turning around hung above all of this.


    My friend guided me through the place as we walked on the floor covered with auburn leaves. Just as we were about to sit down, a coarse voice howled at us


    from behind.


    "Hey, wait!"


    We turned to face the sound. Three boys were approaching us, each with mannerisms that were indicative of their baleful nature. When they got close enough


    the one in the center, who happened to be the burliest among them, asked me "You''re new here, aren''t you?"


    Apprehensively, I answered with a subdued "Y-yes?"


    "We don''t like newies in this garden. Leave." Upon hearing this, I responded with a resounding "No".


    Having already turned his head towards one of his fellow thugs, he nodded in my direction. The miscreant the immediately grabbed me. I was not strong


    to break his grip. Eirr¨ªr tried to free me, but the other bastard pinned him to the ground before he could do anything. Fearfully I took one last look at


    the large beast before he landed his punch in my face.


    Immense pain.


    I tried to get my bearings straight.


    "??NTMEACH!"


    A blinding flash of light accompanied by a horrifyingly loud boom sent me fully into a shock. Eirr¨ªr''s spell had sent his captor flying into the air. When


    he landed, the fire that was enveloping his body was made itself apparent. In awe of the power, my assailant and his co-conspirator could do naught but


    run away. I fell to the floor as the one that was holding me let go. With their escape, Eirr¨ªr quickly came to my aid.


    "We should tell someone! Your nose is bleeding!"


    All I could do was cry as the aflame body of a bully stood not to far from me, barely able to breathe.

 6 - Savaint

    I couldn''t think. The only image that my mind didn''t refuse comprehending was that of a burning child. Even Eirr¨ªr''s desperate pleas couldn''t pull me out


    of this cognitive stasis. Having come to terms with the fact that I was unable to move, my friend resorted to carrying me away. A bit of blood seeping from


    my nose stained his shirt. My head stayed close to his as he struggled to drag me somewhere else. Leaves of fall  As a result, I could very clearly him


    mumbling to himself.


    "Why... why... why... I can''t tell anyone. I can''t tell anyone. If they find out, they''ll hurt me. I can''t tell anyone. Why..."


    Finally, I started to recuperate from my affliction. His sudden panic at this traumatic incident was truly heartbreaking to witness. "I-It''s..."was the only


    thing I could get out of my mouth while trying to comfort him. "F-Farriz? Are you awake?" he asked in his deeply distressed voice. Wavering and faltering,


    the intonation of his voice went wild as he tried to grasp onto something that would give him ease of mind. "It''s f-fine" I whispered. "You were defending


    us. They won''t hurt you..."


    Before long, the alarming footsteps of teachers and small children alike were drawing closer. My innocence was evident, yet it was clear that Eirr¨ªr had


    gotten himself into at least some trouble. Guilt washed over me as I ruminated on my inaction. Maybe if I was able to defend myself, I thought, he would be


    safe. None of this would''ve happened. The kid wouldn''t be burning right now.


    He was burning. An all-consuming fire had been released upon his flesh, and if not quenched soon enough it would irreparably damage him.


    "Wait... He''s burning, we-"


    Before I could fully alert the young mage, a young woman turned the corner. She was familiar, and I assumed her to be Eirr¨ªr''s teacher. She stared at us


    with widened eyes.


    "Are you two okay? What happened? What was that sou-" Her face, which looked only a bit disconcerted before, had now shifted into an expression of pure


    terror as she finally saw the child on fire behind us. The scream that came afterwards only served to hasten the footsteps nearby. A whole group composed of


    of children had gathered around us, as the adults went off to bring water. "Who did it?", "What happened?", "What happened to your nose?", "Which one of you


    is a mage?", "Can you teach me how to do that?". All of this incessant questioning didn''t help, but I did not possess the vitality at that moment to react to


    any of it. When the adults of the school came back, the woman who had seen us earlier pointed to my friend and yelled "He did it! He is a sorcerer!


    He shouldn''t know things like this yet!"


    "Can you tell exactly what happened, kindheart?" asked Firdevie. I was home. Three hours had passed since the event, and gran was looking anxiously at me.


    With my timid voice, I recounted my view of things as best I could. "Oh, dear..." Her warm hug was just as comforting as it always was. "It''s all over now.


    I''m sure your friend will be fine" she said.


    "How?" I asked with a miserable tone. "He hurt someone and almost," I breathed in heavily, "killed him. Maybe he is dead."


    "He probably isn''t dear." Even though I could see through the white lie, gran had still succeeded in making me relatively more comfortable and calm.


    "Besides, you told this exact story to the guards, right?" she asked. I nodded. Then you don''t need to worry. They will consider what he has done to be


    self-defence." I nodded again. Right before I was about to say something to her, Nacian entered our tent. "I heard about what happened. I came to check up


    on Farriz." He crouched next to us and I got out from under gran''s arm, and temporarily moved the small bag of ice on my nose.


    "Did they only hurt your nose?" he asked.


    "The boom was loud" I responded.


    "Do your ears hurt?" he said while examining my face.


    "They were painful right after lightning. They don''t hurt right now."


    "Do you hear any ringing in your ears?"


    "No." A burdened sigh came out of him. "He seems to be fine. Just keep the ice on his nose, and he should all good." He looked at Firdevie. "What terrible


    luck. There are always bullies in schools but them coming after someone on the first day?" His eyes were filled with mercy. "Food will be ready in a short


    while. Are you hungry, little one?" he asked. I said yes. As he was leaving through the tent, I asked him something.


    "Uncle Nacian, do you know how to fight?" His face lit up with intrigue. "Yes, son. I am among the best fighters in this settlement."


    "Can you teach me how to fight?" I asked. A single eyebrow was raised on his wizened face. "Why do you want that?"


    "I couldn''t defend my friend. All the cantrips I know are useless in fighting, and the rest of my spells are all dryadic. People would find this place." I


    replied confidently. "I need to learn to fight."


    He looked at Firdevie with a questioning expression. His brownish skin portrayed his charisma well under the light seeping through the entrance of the tent. My envy


    of his physique showed itself under this circumstance. "That is the man I want to be" I thought.


    "If he wants to, I see no harm in it" said Firdevie. Nacian picked up the conversation from there. "He will have to deal with more bullies sooner or later."


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Can we start now?" I asked, with my expected impatience. "Easy, boy" said Nacian. "You should heal and feel better about what happened first."


    "Understood." Waves of determination washed over me. My unwillingness to give up had led me to this point, and it would continue to fuel my


    self-improvement for much longer. I would not let anyone mistreat my loved ones.


    "I must warn you," began Firdevie, "my brother can be quite a fierce teacher. I figure that a person with your personality can withstand him easily, but you


    should be wary just in case."


    "Hedley is worse." Her wondrous eyes drifted towards me. "Who is Hedley?".


    "Our teacher" I said. "How bad?" she asked.


    "Very bad."


    The following day whizzed by as I anticipated my first lesson with Nacian. No altercations between me and my egregiously incompetent teacher took place


    this time (thank H¨ªsar). Attempting to contain my anticipation turned out to be quite a laborious process, as I didn''t know exactly what was awaiting me.


    Perhaps his style of tutoring would turn out to be quite cumbersome and straining, even for me. Or maybe it wouldn''t, and I would proceed in my effort to


    gain a new variety of prowess. Among my joyous moments of pondering, however, stood the memory of my previous inaction. Voices in the back of my head like


    continuous water on one''s forehead kept whispering. "Where were you in his time of need?", "What good are you if you cannot even defend those who depend on


    you?"


    "He would''ve been there for you."


    When school ended I immediately went to the deserted alleyway in which Hearrain''s ritual circle was. As I entered, I saw that the umbral pools in which I


    would normally seek seclusion had draped themselves with an atmosphere of dread. Perhaps across the corner was another belligerent child, looking to get his


    guts pierced by a tree of my creation. Such a horrible occurrence would never come to be, fortunately. I lifted a yellowish cloth on the floor to reveal the


    circle of teleportation. Stepping into the enchanted mechanism, my vision shifted as a number of indeterminate shapes crossed my path through the Sichocht.


    They were not incomprehensible, but rather were ever flowing and not bound by the physical laws to which we humans were accustomed to. As a result of this,


    making my way through this magic road was surprisingly similar to wading through a sea of swirling rainbow paint. Eventually, the outlines of familiar


    objects began to appear from beyond the chromatic veil. A table, a chair, a man. He slowly began approaching me as more and more things began coming into


    view. My disorientation increased quite swiftly. By the time I''d completely become opaque in front of him, he was ready to grab me before I fell on the


    floor.


    "Be carefuul theyre, young chap" said Hearrain''s husband. "We doon''t want you to get huurt now, du we?"


    "Thanks, Saozade" I said.


    "Finallee, you kall me my neym! No ''s?r'' or ''uncle'' nonsense" he said merrily. "Ar yuu able to waulk now?" he continued proudly.


    "Yes, I can go" I answered. He let go of me. "Ai here thaet Nacian will train you today! Gud laack with that, he is a touf teecher."


    "I know, thank you" I returned. "Goodbye."


    "Teyk caere, young chap!"


    Exiting the tent, I made my way home. Smells of cooked meat supplemented by the sights of mouth-watering fruits and vegetables allured me as I did so.


    Firdevie had already set our table before I arrived. "There you are, dear! How was your day?" her smile shone.


    "I was alive." She added a small bit of confusion to her cheerful expression . "Does that mean you''re not alive now? Are you a ghost?" she said with the


    softest sarcasm.


    "It wasn''t too bad, gran" I said. "Your lessons are so much better!"


    "You''re too sweet, dear" she responded. "Come now, my effervescent child. Nourish yourself."


    "Can I go train with Nacian?" Impatience had become so engrained in my mind at this point that waiting for things made me feel like I was betraying my soul.


    "Not yet!" she objected fiercely. "You must be hungry and tired. Don''t even think about exercising that harshly before I feed you!" She forcefully


    pulled me towards the table and sat me down on one of the chairs. The sleeve on her green robe brushed up against my cheek. We had a fine meal after that.


    About an hour later I was waiting in front of Nacian''s tent, waiting for him to get out. Written with embroidery above the entrance was a message that read


    "Hayirh L¨¹¨¢nler". An almost circular empty space with a diameter of about eight meters was next to his "apartment". Just as I was about to leave and look


    for the man elsewhere, he suddenly got out of his room. He let out a small yelp of fear.


    "You scared me, Farriz! Why''d you sneak up on me like that?"


    "Sorry. I didn''t want to scare you" I replied.


    "I see. How have you been?" he said while crossing his arms.


    "Good. And you?"


    "I''m fine as well, that is very kind of you to ask. I assume you want me to teach you now?"


    "Mmhm" I returned while nodding. "Let me get something from inside." He returned to his tent. While he was looking for something I was able to get a brief


    look inside. Unlike the exterior the interior was dyed with a deep, dark red. Several expertly woven kilims were laying on the floor. A circular metal tray


    with a few dirty plates on it stood on the ground, which was peculiar considering there was a perfectly usable table in the room. On the table stood many


    wooden carvings. Several of them depicted humans in surreal situations. It looked like most of these figures were telling some kind of myth. To my


    fascination, a significant portion of these figures had been painstakingly colored. Their flamboyant hues along with their distinct and exaggerated style


    clearly showed that they were the works of a single, unique vision. Nacian picked up his signature red silk band from on top of a cushion.


    "Who made these?" I said. He turned around to look at me. "These?" he asked, pointing to the little statues. "This is all my wife''s work."


    "I''ve never seen her, can we meet sometime?" I asked, naively.


    "Unfortunately no, son. She passed away years ago."


    "Oh" was my response to this revelation. "I''m sorry."


    "Don''t be. Now, follow me to the training ground" he instructed while putting on his red band. I did as he asked. While walking out, a peculiar detail on the


    kilims jumped out at me. They too seemed to be displaying tales from a grander religion.


    As we were walking towards the middle of the training spot, he explained:


    "Farriz, you''re a boy. I completely accept that and I support you as a human being, but you were obviously not born the same as many other boys."


    "I know" I added softly.


    "People who are like those other boys generally have more muscle than someone like you" he continued. "If I were to teach self-defence to you in the exact


    same that I would teach a boy like that, I would be failing you. For you to be able to properly fight back, you need to master defeating foes stronger than


    you with practical solutions. Brute strength won''t work."


    "I understand" I said as we reached the center of empty field.


    "Are you ready?" he asked.


    "Of course!" I responded with excitement. He adjusted his red band.


    "Prepare."

 7 - ?ahran Naciande (Act One)

    There he was, standing, scalded by the flames of ambition. Spirit and valor were bearing each one of his movements. Granted he didn''t know the "f" in


    fighting, but his unceasing devotion to practice and discipline made this hurdle unimportant. In this little boy''s eyes becoming great at anything wasn''t a


    matter of how, it was a matter of when. Beginning with the lesson, the first subject we covered was avoiding (or if not possible, counteracting) the blows


    of an aggressor.


    "Think of me as the bully," I said, "and I''m trying to hit you. What do you do in response?" I, relatively slowly, performed the motion of a punch towards


    him. With an amateurish stiffness he put his entire face behind his forearms, as he was completely clueless.


    "No, son. By doing that, the only thing you''re managing to do is restricting your own vision. Let me show you how it''s done." I arranged his arms into the


    correct position as he watched intently. "There" I said. "Try blocking my blows again." I hit him with a few extremely light punches. "See how you can stop


    me even while protecting your line of sight?"


    "Yes" he responded.


    "I''ll hit a bit harder this time. Prepare." He was trying to ready his pose, but I started before he could perfectly set it up. Because of my experience, I


    was able to soften the blows that would get through his guard. I would never harm him. After about ten hits, I halted. "You need to get ready quicker" I


    said. "We will try again. Prepare." This time, he was unable to black properly, because he wasn''t able to bring his body into the right position while


    defending. A few blows softly landed on his stomach and face. He didn''t show any signs of pain. "Halt!" I said. "You need to stiffen up your guard, and


    raise it quicker" I said.


    "It''s so hard doing both" he responded.


    "Right now it is," I retorted, "but with time and dedication you will be able to do both at once."


    "Okay" he said with a gleam in his eyes. "Let''s try again." I was surprised by this demonstration of forbearance. Judging by his previous interactions with


    me I''d assumed that he''d be unwilling to endure anything that didn''t yield result immediately. This interaction proved the opposite. "Alright then," I


    continued, "prepare."


    He was continuing, struggling, drawing from the fire of his absolute revolution. Only a select few people I knew held the power of this attitude towards


    improvement. My sister and Hearrain were among them. They didn''t expect praise where there was none to give, and asked for corrections when they were


    needed. Firdevie had raised the boy well. Despite this, he was still having more trouble picking up this skill than most other kids I''d practiced with.


    "Halt!" I yelled. Correcting his pose again, I said "Like this. Now, prepare!"


    On this attempt he was able to block most of my attacks. He was definitely getting better, though I noticed that his countenance was eerily still. His eyes


    kept shining and held a still expression, but it was quite apparent that his face was obfuscating something unaddressed. We kept on training. At first, he


    seemed to be improving but after a while he unsurprisingly got worse. The sweat on his forehead wasn''t hard to see. Expecting him to request a break, I


    kept going for a little while after that. A clear sign of anger briefly appeared on his face, but he still wasn''t accepting a temporary end to what we were


    doing. Like a prisoner who would refuse reprieve, he chose to undergo this exhausting trial as if trying to repent for something he did. "Stop. You can


    rest" I announced. Relieved, he sat on the floor. I crouched in front of him to ask him something.


    "What''s on your mind?" He looked at me defiantly. "Nothing. We should keep going" he said, out of breath.


    "No, there''s definitely something bothering you" I responded. "It seems like you carry the burden of some previous action. I see it in your eyes." After


    briefly pausing, he stared at me. I guessed that he was trying to figure out what to say. "My friend..." he managed to say. "Eirr¨ªr? What about him?" I


    asked.


    "It''s all because of me" he lamented. "If I was stronger..." a cloak of misery shrouded his face, he looked down.


    "It wasn''t your fault" I told the poor boy. "You couldn''t have done anything."


    "I need to get stronger" he responded. "If I don''t, it will be bad."


    "Getting to a point where you can defend yourself and the people you love is a great goal, but you cannot go down this path out of guilt." He turned his


    face towards me again, looking for someone to absolve his "sins". "You don''t need to feel guilty, it wasn''t your fault."


    "When I went to sleep last night," he said, "I saw the burning bully. He screamed at me. He told me that I was a bad person. His skin was on fire. Then I


    woke up." A noticeable, yet small amount of tears had welled up in his eyes as he said this.


    "I sometimes have nightmares like that too" I responded. "That was not real, and you''re not a bad person. You''re trying your best, and you''re trying to


    get stronger so you can fight people like that. You seem more like a responsible and good person to me." Eyes filled with gratitude stared back at me


    under a somber fall sun. "Do you really think so?" he asked.


    "Of course," and before I could say anything else at all he hugged me with all of his might. I accepted and returned his embrace. "Thank you" he whispered


    quietly. "Now, did you only want to learn from because of guilt, or do you still think it would be better to keep training?" I asked.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    "Let''s keep going" said Farriz, with returned resolve in his voice. "Are we done with guarding?" he asked.


    "Let''s see if you''ve learned it well" I returned. I let go, got up off the ground and offered him my hand. Gripping it tightly, he stood up. "Prepare!" I


    announced another barrage as he prepared swiftly. I threw one swing, then another slightly faster than before. Having regained all of his previous vitality


    after resting, this posed only a slight challenge to him. Countering every one of my blows, upon finishing the exercise he celebrated. "I did it!"


    "We''re not just done yet" I retorted passively. "You cannot just defend while an assailant is trying to break you down, so we should cover how to attack


    now. We''ll practice countering your opponents moves more later."


    "Understood."


    And so, the day drifted by as our lesson carried on. Not letting his current physical weakness interrupt his zeal, the boy kept unceasingly following my


    instructions. Now that his emotional tethers had been cut, he was no longer pushing himself to the breaking point. Evidently he was learning and getting


    better still. The only difference between a few minutes ago and now was the resoluteness and clarity that he had added into his movements. That sense of


    loathing directed towards an assigned malignant self was no longer there. His body and arms were getting tired, but the eyes now held within them a much


    vivacious pulse. Small yet unwavering fists kept trying to strike me. Farriz was now much more careful when it came to what he was capable of. I didn''t


    witness him trying to push himself into total collapse again for the rest of our session, although there were a few times whern he tried to give himself a


    break prematurely. He only got them when it was appropriate. When our alloted time had passed, the sun was moving towards this resplendent earth once more.


    My student, out of breath and exhausted, raised his up from where he was sitting. "I commend your spirit" I said. "It''s up to you if you want to keep


    training with me. Will you be coming back tomorrow?" I asked. A single jovial yet fierce glance along with an eager "Yes!" set the routine in stone. Farriz


    raised himself up from the ground and sprinted towards me, with both arms raised to the sides. He ran into me and embraced me. "Thank you so much" he said.


    "I wouldn''t be helping you if you didn''t deserve it. Go back home now, son. You must have your own things to do." He nodded with stern approval.


    "Goodbye!" he said, and ran home as fast as he could. To make sure that he''d be okay, I kept my watch on him until he disappeared behind some tents. I went


    back home.


    Upon entering my humble abode, I saw that one of Geylep''s carvings had somehow gotten knocked down from the table. I immediately ran over and picked up


    from the ground. Planning to place the masterpiece on top of the table, I made the mistake of examining it. Smooth and masterful yet out of proportion and


    filled to the brim with unbridled emotion, this depiction of Lal?csere¨ªnch Dehreth among the wolves of the D¨ª?lth¨² mountain was never failed to astound me.


    Passing years brought with them each new and exciting means to appreciate this statue, although this property could be applied to all of Geylep''s statues.


    Most sculptors would opt to paint the wolves green, and place the iconic hero into indistinct armor befitting a regular knight more so than a figure of


    legend. This little work of art was quite unique in that way. The wolves were draped in a mixture of white, grey and black furs. This was accurate to the


    actual written words in the Tophan epics. Dehreth, with his green tunic and red baggy pants, was also dressed up with congruence to the source material in


    mind. Another distinct choice was the replacement of his widely recognized halberd with a spear. This was also in accordance with the original text.


    Adding to this already peculiar set of artistic decisions was this thing''s particular style. Her doctrine when it came to her adaptations from texts


    was always the same: The adapted artwork should capture the essence of the original, even if that means some unorthodox choices must be made. In the Tophan


    epics Dehreth''s journey through the underground caverns and the D¨ª?lth¨² mountains is a strange one, and symbolizes the overcoming of the unfamiliar. Turning


    the animals and character involved into somewhat surrealist caricatures of themselves was a justifiable choice, at least in her eyes.


    That was what she was about, I think. In her heart lied a drive to express and emote in ways that exceeded human limitations. Opening up new horizons of


    qualia. Besides creating literal reflections of existing works, most often she would devote herself to more avant-garde pursuits. These types of things


    would fulfill her desires to push the limits of our emotional capabilities. Sometimes I wonder if she ever dreamed of becoming an alien creature. While I


    had gotten lost in my own thoughts, my original intent of placing the statuette on the table had escaped me. I kissed the precious remnant, and carefully


    placed it where it belonged. Taking off my red band, I dutifully placed it on the table. Among the immaculate artworks, it found its place in the shrine.


    Suddenly, a light border of white appeared in the periphery of my vision. Hearrain had called me. I left my house, to seek her council. A sky consumed by


    orange torpor welcomed me outside. Walking among the lively children and tired adults,I made my way to where she lived.


    Greeting me in front of her home, she said "Well I''d normally be annoyed at your consistent punctuality, but this matter is of utmost importance. Come


    inside." While inside, her husband also greeted me. "My frend, eet soo very nays to see yuu" he said as he got up from a his cushion. Shaking my hand he


    continued, "We must tolk, it is horrible" It was nice to see that he remained the must Br¨®rur of us all throughout the years.


    "So," I turned to look at our own Uche Sich¨¹ra, "what is this urgent matter that you must disclose to me?"


    "The citadel can detect gleamtrees now." I stared at her, with nothing to say. I returned my solemn gaze into the ground as she continued.


    "It''s the new piece of tech that they''ve imported from D¨¹?¨¹al Mreadaile. It can detect unusual repellent magic."


    "Them finding out about us is only a matter of time, then?" I asked.


    "Exactly."


    "What would they start with first?" I wondered to myself. Would they release an entire extermination plague on us? Or would they mercifully drive us out of


    the entire country, so we would all die alone?


    "If you''re wondering," she cut through my dark thoughts, "they will not employ and spells of mass destruction. The collateral damage would be incalculable.


    An entire army dedicated to genocide is much more likely to be sent our way" she said.


    "H-How did you learn this information? Are you completely certain that this is the case?" I asked desperately.


    "The news was all over town. Most citizens are excited for this. They call it the ''final blow''" she explained. "I know it''s sudden, but our only choice is


    to inform the other colonies and tell them to head for Kadonchaagon while going there ourselves." Indomitable fear had consumed our spirits.


    "It''s do or die."

 8 - Santeurzin Ateè°©in

    A visceral premonition of certain doom swallowed every last piece of hope I held. The denial in me was still trying to grasp some minute tether of faith, to


    no avail. Running towards the gleamtree, I saw the accursed crowd gathering around the horror. My height was fitting for a six-year old, so I couldn''t see


    anything that was taking place beyond the onlookers. I could hear the troubling words of the people, however.


    "Are they examining it? Do they know it''s there?", "They can''t just throw us out, right mom?", "We''re all dead.", "We can''t do anything to them, that would


    just give us away for certain.", "Ned yhan¨®ninn?", "Solna??ca?na''go yroosk¨®n n¨ª?ilsen!"


    "We''re already dead."


    Passing by all the people, I made my to a spot where I could see what was going on. There were two knight watchers underneath the tree, pointing some sort


    of optical device towards the sacred being. Comprised of blue crystals and many, many circular lenses, this was the device that Nacian described to us when he


    warning us of the authorities'' arrival. Covered from head to toe with shining dimnesstiele armor, the harbingers of destruction also carried two enchanted


    swords with them. Their pommels, each with a black gem at the tip, were showing themselves proudly in their hilts. Death had come knocking right in the


    morning. Fidevie quickly caught up to me as I was examining the scene. Splitting the group of people, she took her place next to me.


    "Firdevie," a desperate voice was calling out to her from our left, "can''t you do anything? If anyone finds out, we''ll have to migrate to the haven. Can''t


    you capture them?"they pleaded.


    "Someone would notice, and send a bigger platoon our way. We could take care of that as well, but at that point there would be no doubt that they would


    declare war." My eyes widened at this knowledge. I knew that danger was floating above us, but I didn''t know that it was this close to landing. War. The


    vulture rips apart a piece of flesh from the carcass. "It''s best to begin preparing for the journey as soon as possible" even in this darkest of nights, she


    was still our unfaltering moonlight.


    "It''s there! There was a tree here all along!" A loud collection of protests arose from the people around us as gran held my hand tightly. Pointing the


    horrid lens at all of us, the one who was holding the object alerted his friend. "They''re all around us! Back to base! Cast the ward!" with devilish speed


    they both unsheathed their swords and pointed them towards the sky. Devilishly, the aquamarine device began floating right next to them. It was a crafty


    tool, designed for the treachery of human kind.


    "Abyssal Repelling Sphere!" they both shouted in near unison. Abyssal lightning flew out their weapons, and reached half a meter above the swords before


    dissipating to form two grayish barriers around them. "Look at all of them!" shouted on knight as the two spells merged into one, thicker wall around them.


    That spell clearly allowed them to see things hidden by the gleamtree, at least to some extent. "Hold the spell, we don''t know how bloodthirsty-" Firdevie


    had walked out from the crowd. When she got close enough to the two soldiers, a single dismissive swing of her arm was enough to completely break their


    defence. Without the need for words, their carefully erected barrier had been broken. So had the blessed tree''s. Her gaze was completely devoid of any


    hesitation. Behind her eyes stood a raging wave of spite, which she kept purposefully caged. Caught with no means of escape, the two knights slowly lowered


    their blades.


    "If you''re searching for savage beasts, maybe it would be best if you pointed that glass toward yourselves" she began speaking. "Who interrupts a peaceful


    folk in the morning to exterminate them?"


    "Kill us, and the king will send his army here!" yelled the knight to her left. Both of the seemingly civilized barbarians readied their armaments.


    "Do you think we don''t know that?" she retorted. "Perhaps the king''s troops are far less bright than I knew them being."


    "Our leader is not a king, he is the current righteous ruler of this nation! It was a democratic election that put him in a posi-"


    "He has been the sovereign of your empire for twenty years!" she roared. Not giving the two fools an opportunity two protest, Firdevie employed her spell.


    "G¨¦?rclerinde ?intmeach!"


    A shrieking pillar of lightning split the sky in front of the knights. Its roar was sudden enough to make them scream. "Leave now," she warned, "or you


    face me."


    "So be it, you fucker!" shouted the knight to her right. "When our army arrives, you will taste the might of our army. We will raze this entire fucking camp


    to the ground and watch you squeal like pigs as you run for the wastes!" Ending his vitriolic rant, he violently stabbed his sword into the ground. The


    other knight mirrored this act, and a circle of runes appeared on the ground beneath each of their feet. Within a few seconds, they were gone. Gran lifted


    her right up, and whispered a spell that I couldn''t quite make out. With her command, the tree emitted an especially bright flash of light for a brief


    second before returning to its original state. While the crowd was swamped with panic, she returned to my side and grabbed me by the shoulders.


    "I''m sorry Farriz, but we will have to leave again. The city''s soldiers now know about us." For the first time in my life, I was seeing her worried. "We need


    to go home and prepare."


    "Gran, why are we leaving? Why do they want us gone?"


    "They hate us, Farriz" she responded. "They think that our mere existence is harmful to them. They will force us out of this land if we don''t try to escape."


    "Can''t we fight back? You''re a powerful magician, you can save us."


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    "Even G¨¹nnua?, Hearrain and I tried to stop their incursion together, our combined power wouldn''t be enough to stop their incursion" she replied. "They


    would paint the remains of this village with rivers running with our blood." My gnawing, existential fear stuck its claws deep within me.


    "Hey!" a woman shouted from the back. "What''s going on?" it was the stern voice of G¨¹nnua?. "The Aldeofolda have found us out."


    "What?" The young woman''s normal voice, free of inflection, was now replaced with a bewildered one. "That can''t be true... How?"


    "They were using some sort of revelation lens. We''ve completely lost cover." G¨¹nnua? stared blankly, either out of heartache or denial. Maybe both.


    "Uhm- W-when did they get this thing? Sh-shouldn''t we have known about this?" she asked timidly. Her mouth was like a riverbed through which pain was


    flowing.


    "Hearrain and Nacian knew, and they were trying to tell everyone, but the government acted quickly. We were caught off guard" replied Firdevie.


    "Alright," G¨¹nnua? was finally able to say. "Alright, alright... I''m going to tell Hearrain about what happened. I''ll tell her to help you two after she is


    done with alerting everyone in the camp. You two go home and pack all the food and things you can." "Understood" responded Firdevie. "I''ll see you soon."


    Grandma and I made haste among the scattering townsfolk, who were also trying to reach our tent and prepare for the coming journey. Unexpectedly, the people


    had abandoned their frenzied fear. Now, they were readying supplies and items with great coordination. "Can''t we hide with the gleamtree?" I asked gran.


    "The soldiers can''t hurt us, they will all just go right through us."


    "If we do that kindheart, they will just surround us and wait for our supplies to run out. Then we cannot do anything but surrender." I nodded.


    Just before we reached our house, a tingling sensation crept up onto my temples. A thin, white string covered the edges of my vision. Without warning,


    foreign thoughts began invading my mind. They were not words but rather the meanings of words stripped of their auditory medium. If I were to try


    translating these unalloyed concepts it would result with something similar to this: "Nacian''s command. Get ready. Village center. We leave in about an hour."


    "Do you feel that too?" asked gran. "That''s Hearrain. She is telling everyone in the encampment what to do." As we were entering our house, I noticed


    Eirr¨ªr''s parents embracing their son. He had bags under his eyes and tears were drifting down his face but at least it gave me some comfort to know that he


    was safe. While inside our abode, Firdevie and I began storing all the important items inside large bags. Lamps, our trusty processor, food, canteens filled


    with water. My precious books that I kept inside chests were left alone for now, as Hearrain could store them in a static sichochtli space. We carried the


    remaining bags outside, and began waiting for the Uche Sich¨¹ra to arrive.


    A current of wind was blowing through the streets, the throes of a dying people. Yet again, the promise of a place of belonging was torn away from me by


    those who insisted on maintaining their seething, scheming hatred. How could an entire city''s worth of people despise us so vehemently? We had not


    inflicted any true harm on these people. All we did was existing alongside them. Could a lie, an overwhelmingly compelling story, be capable of completely


    swaying the public opinion against us? Could the president of Aldeofol really be spreading such rumors about us? For what purpose? I did not yet have the


    answers to these questions, but I had a feeling that they would find me eventually.


    As I thought more and more about the prospect of deserting our current residence, the prospect became worse and worse in my mind. Hedley was an


    insufferable tutor for sure, but at least I was learning something thanks to him. I didn''t know if the place we were heading towards had a school I could


    enroll in. Would I be bereft of academic education for the rest of my life? Would I be able to continue my training with Nacian?


    Was coming with Firdevie to the conclave a mistake?


    I sighed. "Grandma," I asked anxiously. "Will I ever go to school again?"


    "Yes, dear" she told me, and turned her head towards the path that Hearrain was most likely to come from. Suddenly realizing why I had asked the question,


    she looked back at me. "My poor boy, I assure you that everything will be fine. We will be safe, we will sort this out. Our friends will be fine as well.


    Even if something goes wrong you can be certain that I will do absolutely anything that is necessary to ensure your health and happiness. You''re always safe


    with me."


    "I love you" I said. "You''re the light of my life" she countered.


    "There you are!" Hearrain shouted with relief as she approached. "Oh, it''s so nice to see you" gran said.


    "Is there anything you guys need to store in the sichocht?"


    "The tomes. They are too valuable to discard" said Firdevie.


    "Understood. Let me hendle it" said the wizard, and went into our house to transfer the chests into the magical plane. "What about the trees?" I asked.


    "Hmm? Do you mean Cega?" Firdevie asked. "My tree too."


    "I''m sorry kindheart, I don''t know if we will have time to save your first tree. Hearrain''s work is urgent, and many people need her." Even though the


    situation gave me sorrow, I chose to not complain. Hearrain and Firdevie were going through enough already. "I understand" I said. "Thank you for caring."


    "Of course I''m going to care dear, I''m your grandmother. That is why I''m here."


    A potent light momentarily erupted out of our tent. Hearrain almost tripped while getting out, though was able to regain her balance quickly. "It''s done.


    G¨¹nnua? is currently pushing Cega towards an under layer of magic, I must go help her."


    With conviction, Firdevie said "Go! Make haste!" Hearrain began running, but stopped before she was able traverse even a few meters. A tide of misfortune


    made her dress sway in the air. "Why have you stopped? What''s-" Firdevie wasn''t able to finish before the unmatched sorceress interrupted her with a hush.


    We listened. At first, it seemed like there was no sound out of the ordinary that was visiting our ears. Then we took notice. Noises resembling thin,


    slithering whistles were camouflaged behind the current chaos of the settlement. They were slyly building up in the background. We cautiously walked to the


    back side of our tent, to get a better look at the source of these oddities.


    From a distance, it resembled a nightmare. Striding on top six symmetrically placed, dark legs ending in hooves its lumbering movements were unlike those


    of any other being I had seen until that point. The central piece to which all of these appendages connected resembled a revolting, flesh covered mountain.


    At its peak tendrils resembling crimson blades of grass were swaying slowly from left to right as if they were trying to locate something. A vertical slit


    was on its body, and it was facing towards us. It opened. The eye gazed. Without warning, my grandmother grabbed me. Hearrain''s panicked footsteps


    approached, and with a hurried spell she teleported us about fifteen meters away from our doomed home. At first, I was disoriented. Then the null beast of


    annihilation suddenly appeared out of a black smoke on top of our hut. I had fallen down. There were no thoughts. Someone screamed. It too, fell. The dust


    that rose from its horrid fall flew towards us. Firdevie spoke.


    "Bestia Ex Nihilo."

 9 - Sanguine Sanctum Prae Ater

    It was screaming, at least I think it was. With sounds of unparalleled anguish erupting around us, it was hard to tell exactly which inscrutable sounds


    were coming from the beast. I''d expected noises coming from the abomination''s mouth (which I still hadn''t located yet) to be reminiscent of a large


    creature. When it loosed its three tongue-tentacles from its peak however, the only thing I could hear was the unbearable wailing of many tortured souls. I


    assumed its maw was the hole on top that the giant flesh strips were attached to. It stood up on its six legs that ended in hooves. The fur on each


    appendage was so black that it almost looked like it didn''t belong to this world. There were no textures or shadow on them, just pure oblivion. Its horrid


    pupil was the same color, forming a contrast with the rest of the yellow eye. Almost as if they were two-dimensional. One of the three tendrils lengthened,


    and began approaching the ground. Gran hurriedly raised me up by my arm, and we tried to get away as fast as we could.


    "No you DON''t!" Hearrain stomped the ground with her left foot, and the resulting white spellcircle stamped itself violently into the ground around her.


    Minuscule particles of magic exploded out from the earth. She brought her hands together and raised them up. Miming the motions needed to use a sword, she


    swung them back down with great force. As she did so a transparent, four story tall sword with no wielder cleaved right through the encroaching horror. A


    tubular slab of flesh crashed on the dirt and a deep, primal bellow was heard from the sky.


    "FIRDEVIE!" the heroine screamed desperately. "GET HIM OUT OF HERE!" As she finished her sentence an arc of lightning spread out from the palm of her left


    hand, eventually becoming a sort of bow. An unstable line of electricity formed in her other hand. Like an archer, she brought the two pieces together and


    readied her shot. With its release, the projectile turned into actual lightning as it struck the gaping eyeball. Another low roar echoed across the heavens,


    but gran and I were too busy fleeing to see anything else.


    There were no thoughts. Only fleeing. People, afraid for their lives, were trying to get away as fast as possible. Still, no thoughts. The sound of another


    fleshy limb dropping on the ground. Terror had captured the people. I hear a sound, it is not too different from one that a shattering crystal would emit. A


    few seconds later, noises that seemed like the shrieking of a thousand tormented souls met my ears. Following this, a deafening boom shook the ground. We


    kept running. Finally, my mind was able to do something, and a dreadful realization crept up on me as the cogs of my brain turned.


    Our supplies were crushed under the towering monstrosity.


    "Why?" That query pulsed within me. Others followed. Did the Aldeofolda do this? Why like this? Why would they attack so soon after our presence was known


    to them? These remained unanswered. Finally, the beast emitted a last deafening clarion as it perished. Firdevie slid and halted, and I did the same.


    Looking back, I saw the toppled remains of the demon. There was an orifice on the peak, just like I had guessed. Lined with what looked like hundreds of


    shark like teeth, it was not too dissimilar to a horrid cave. Hanging downwards from the hole were the two tongues; one of them had a severed tip. In its


    entirety, the creature was truly colossal. Approximately, its height was that of a seven-story tall building. From any side it was just as wide as well.


    Two legs had been chopped off the front, but even without them its corpse was uncomfortably similar to a spider''s. Hearrain was standing extremely close to


    it, and she turned towards us as she got up. Without a word and accompanied by a muted flash of light she teleported in front of us.


    "Gather as many people as you can in the village center..." she ordered, panting aggressively. "We''re leaving right now."


    "Understood" replied gran. With that, Hearrain yet again disappeared with a subdued flash of light. I presumed that she had gone home temporarily.


    "We cannot rest just yet dear" she told me. "Follow me." I nodded, for I was too horrified to answer properly. Around us, many people petrified from fear


    were cowering. We slowly but surely made our way towards the nexus of the settlement as we notified them that the danger had passed. We encountered an


    extremely distressed Nacian on the way.


    "My God, what happened? It sounded like the depths of Cr¨¢zap S?lmra were opening!"


    "You''re not too far off" replied gran. "The bastards sent a gigantic creature to drive us out of this place. Hearrain killed it."


    "H¨ªsar bless her!" he shouted with relief. "Was she injured? Are you two alright?" he asked. "We aren''t wounded, but..." she began.


    Our supplies were crushed under the towering monstrosity. We had to depend on the generosity of our fellow Br¨®rur if we wanted so survive.


    "I am so sorry for you" said Nacian. "Do not fret about your survival just yet, it is highly likely that everyone else has enough food and water to share


    with the two of you."


    "Good" replied Firdevie. "We''re trying to corral the people towards the center of the city. If you have extremely urgent business to attend to, help us."


    "I will. I''ll see you next to the gleamtree." He left us with great speed. "Follow me Farriz" grandma instructed. As I continued walking with her, a slight


    sensation crept up to my temples. A white border covering the edges of my sight came into being, and the Uche Sich¨¹ra gave us her orders. "Village


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.center, now." Every person around us obeyed the command, but we still encountered a few clueless people on our way. We told them what to do.


    Soon enough, we arrived at the bustling base of the gleamtree. An understandable spirit anxiety was permeating through the air. Some people took to


    embracing their loved as way to cope with the dread, while others seemed to be relatively unaffected. I was able to briefly spot Eirr¨ªr hugging his parents


    among the crowd. While waiting for someone (I assumed that someone to be Hearrain), my ceaseless curiosity got the better of me. That thing, that obscene


    disgrace of an organism was quite unique in its composition. Not one other being I knew was similar to it, and so I took to aiming the energy generated by


    my lack of knowledge towards my grandmother.


    "Gran, what was that thing?" I asked.


    "It was a nullbeast" she answered while turning her gaze to me. "I will explain further once we have enough time." Waiting returned to me as the only option


    there was at the moment. I took to examining the nearby precipice. One thing I immediately noticed was G¨¹nnua?. She was right next to Cega, facing it. Her


    hands were delicately gliding through the air; she was casting a spell. I couldn''t discern the magical words as they were much too quiet to be understood


    while the surrounding commotion was still present. An occult circle was placed around the holy plant''s odd roots. Before long, a portal to a verdant


    landscape opened up within the ritual shape. Slowly, the tree of light was being pulled into it. There were no signs of Hearrain anywhere.


    "A nullbeast," whispered Firdevie, "is a creature that is created via the direct or indirect usage of a abyssal magic" she explained. "Abyssal magic is not


    an original form of magic, it was created by a false god named Debellare, whose name means ''to vanquish.''" Every word that was coming out of her mouth was


    like gold to me at that moment. "We call them Yenaig. They were a normal human at first. Upon attempting to add an aspect of godhood to themselves however,


    they twisted and morphed into a pseudo-concept. The only way in which they can manifest in the physical world is if someone calls for them. Each nullbeast


    is an extension of their psyche."


    "Why did it attack us?" I asked.


    "Most likely it was released onto us. The Aldeofolda know these kinds of magics intimately."


    Without so much as a warning, Hearrain apparated right in the middle of the large gathering of people. She hadn''t bothered to dim the initial gleam of her


    teleportation this time. The light shone violently as she made her entrance. Without much wait, she began speaking with a voice that encroached from all


    sides at once.


    "My kin, listen to me! I see that all of you have gathered your supplies, and are ready to leave. I don''t doubt that more hostile weaponry is on its way


    here. Follow me! We shall go east, to Aeyal T¨¦ift?osm?! It will be an arduous journey, but we have no choice. Follow me!"


    And so, the trend of the Br¨®rur facing incessant continued for yet another generation. Without a home and without the guidance, we would traverse land and


    waste once more. Through solidarity and harmony, we would endure. Time could slowly trim away years and years, but our unshakable fortitude would protect


    us. Strife between ourselves would surely arise, but our people had braved harsher circumstances and would come out on top. We would live. Until the world


    goes cold, until the last flower withers away into dust. We will live. What else is there to do against those who wish to destroy a race of people? How else


    could we fight against those who wish to erase all ideas of opposition? Valiantly, we would defend our views, our art, our culture, our thoughts. Without


    such differences in human existence, the most valuable parts of humanity would vanish. Could a world in which only a singular collection of norms remained,


    be worth preserving? No. Our cause was just.


    I missed home. I missed my mother. She was cruel and unyielding in her punishments, but she was my mother. Very occasionally, she would say something nice


    to me. I missed that. The righteousness of our purpose didn''t make these feelings go away. If I went back, my father would not let me go to school. I would


    never be allowed to exist as a boy. Most days he wouldn''t hesitate to beat my mother until blood was on the walls. Without my help, what would she do? By


    continuing to live with my new family, was I leaving her to die? Was it selfish of me to leave her behind? Would I be able to handle being in a group that


    was fighting against destruction at every turn? Would war tear me down? If I stayed with my parents, how much would my father beat me? In which situation


    was I more likely to survive?


    I was only six years old.


    Crawling into a ball of despair on the ground, I cried. "Oh my dear, the kindest of the hearts I know," said Firdevie. "This will all pass. Everything


    will be fine."


    While Choking on my own tears, it was almost impossible to say anything. I sniffled. "I-I..." I managed to say. "I miss home..." I saw no shred of surprise


    on her face, only regret.


    "I w-want to b-be a boy, I-I-I want t-to go to school..." it was getting more and more difficult to speak. "Farriz..." gran managed to say.


    "I DON''T WANT MOM TO DIE!" I finally shouted, with what felt like a force that could power a supernova. I couldn''t see in front of me; the tears were


    flowing freely down my cheeks. "My boy, oh my sweet child..." Firdevie''s warm embrace. Her arms were truly a miracle for the sorrowful. If her smile was the


    sun, her arms were the moon. Always there. We did not hurry after Hearrain as we sat on the ground. Her soft caresses flowed touched my face like a gentle


    breeze.


    "Firdevie?" Nacian''s aged voice called out to us from behind. I heard him getting closer. "We must go, what is wrong?" he asked.


    "Nacian, what have I done?" asked the saint. "My son was safe, he was with his birth parents." She smiled at me. It was bright, like always. A lens of gloom


    was in front of its brilliance. "And I brought him into a war zone." Her brother stared at us, blankly. His eyebrows shifted slightly upwards as he


    responded.


    "His home was already a war zone. He saw his father open new wounds on his mother''s flesh. At least with us he can be himself, he can get an education." He


    stared at the both of us, intertwined. "Sister, you''ve done the right thing. We shall talk about this later. Come, we should follow the crowd."


    With great difficulty, even with gran''s help, I got up from the ground. We began marching along with our fellow immigrants. "A-are we going to a safe


    place?" I asked my grandmother. I could feel the tears running through my nose. "Of course we are darling, there will be no war there" she responded. The


    morning sun made it look like the gods themselves were shining their light on her. We began making our way towards the future.

 10 - Yonail

    The sun, a traveller of the cosmos, was nearing its western edge of unbirth. Shadows kept lengthening in the lush vale. Among the opaque shades, a small


    boy was playing. His friend, also a magician, was accompanying him. His guardian, I, was keeping a close eye on the wondrous child. While watching him, some


    peculiar details caught my eye. Unlike three weeks ago, the consistency with which he could successfully employ sorceries was notable. I was certain now


    that if he began the process of casting Fas B¨¹, I would definitely witness the swift growth of a new sapling. Each dryadic effort of his shook me to my


    core, and forced me to look inward. Fire had been at my side when I choose to take Farriz under my wing. A catalyst of change, the flames set in motion


    the mechanisms of freedom by which the little sorcerer could truly live as himself. On the other hand, I had forgotten to consider the evident: Fire burns.


    With careful handling it could very well serve as a method of cleansing the obsolete underbrush, creating a fresh environment for new trees to grow. Without


    this variable of caution however, the ruthless termination of an entire forest was entirely possible. Had I, in my careless rage, singed the roots of this


    new life, this blooming boy? Or had I offered him a new, more hopeful road on which he could tread on? Even if the latter was closer to the truth, the path


    that I was currently taking him through was laying right no top of an active battlefield.


    Indeed, he was condemned to live a scarred life either way. It was up to me to determine the severity of the wounds he would inevitably receive on each


    track that was offered to us.


    "Swimming in deep thoughts again, eh?" my brother swatted away my perpetually darkening thoughts. "You needn''t do so. Just look at Farriz! Look at how far


    he has come."


    "I know, it is impressive for him." I turned to face Nacian. He was wearing a plain shirt and his usual confident demeanor. His white beard was contrasting


    the black tunic nicely. The red band which I had gotten used to seeing on his forehead wasn''t on there. I figured that he had finished everything he planned


    to do before coming to see me. Seeing my contemplative countenance he said:


    "Why the glum face? Did a rat chew on your ears this morning?"


    "Sure" I replied. Even while I was in this sorrowful state my brother''s unashamed grin gave me a slight dose of joy. "Your jokes are terrible."


    "I know!" he enthusiastically responded while pointing upwards with his finger. I chuckled faintly, and moved my gaze towards my grandson. "Oh come on,


    what''s bothering you?" Nacian asked. "What''s wrong?"


    I took a deep breath and sighed. It felt as if a corroding mist had retired itself from my lungs. With great shame in my soul I stared at the ground


    beneath my feet.


    "You''re not thinking about the boy, are you?"


    "I am." Upon hearing this, he slowly sat down next to me. I understood his compassion perfectly from his movements.


    "Her home was quite violent and prohibitive, was it not?" he asked. "It is quite likely that you have saved him from a terrible fate."


    "At this point, I don''t even know." My grandson''s laughter echoed in the background. "With us, she gets hunted down. With us, she has to endure traumatic


    events she has never had to before. If I didn''t bring him with me, maybe he would''ve been happier."


    "You''ve told me about his parents before. His father is a raging beast, and her mother insults him with reckless abandon." A sense of warmth spread within


    me thanks to his brotherly empathy. "On especially abhorrent nights, he would witness his father beat his mother senselessly, is that true?"


    "My biological son was too scared of me to do anything while I was around, but Farriz has talked about such occurrences with me." I got in a word before he


    was able to say anything back. "Even if these are true, his life is in much more danger than before. You can''t deny that. If Hearrain didn''t get us out of


    that situation yesterday, we would be red stains on the ground beneath the feet of that beast."


    "Do you think that he would live?" he asked softly. The words were not lacking in conviction.


    "I just told you that he would."


    "Not live as in keep breathing, but as in live!" He paused to look at me. With a single glance, he had calmed the storm of thoughts in my head. "They would


    certainly see him as a girl, and you know what those kinds of people think of women. How our father thought of you." Another face of sympathy and


    understanding. He had always been at my side, and so no one else could give me as much comfort on this moment as him. Despite my previous interruption of


    his reply, he patiently waited for me to say something.


    "I couldn''t let him serve his sorry parents for years," I began, "and then be married off to some brute." As my brother, Nacian knew exactly what to say


    when consoling me. With his counsel my guilt, like the black mist of my lungs, was dissipating.


    "At least with us, he has a chance of becoming something greater." We both turned our heads to stare at the two children not too far away. Weaving small


    spells around each other, exhibiting new magical things they had learned, playing innocently, the sight of their joy and lively mannerisms was a true marvel


    to behold. "Our parents never even sent you to school" my brother said. "He is one of the most inquisitive souls I''ve met. You know how adamant he is about


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


    "I couldn''t tear him away from his book to save my life." My voice was starting to regain some firmness. "Never in my life will I be able to conjure up


    enough will to impede his progress."


    "Imagine his father telling him that he couldn''t go to school because he''s a girl." One final time, he turned his head towards me. On his face was the


    unyielding expression that he would look at me with when he was sure I was going to become convinced. Throughout the years he had perfected this technique


    on me.


    "They were those types of people" I said while sighing. Finally, with my sibling''s aid, I was able to reach some certainty of purpose. "Har ano nes¨®,


    oachall mana inna?nu ge?chdinen aok-mu¨¢stla oleithm" I said.


    "Cisnintle." He sedately got up from the ground. "Yiame h¨¦irdh. Farriz''d yiame m¨¢sbla ?laorighotgan."


    "Wait, you don''t have your band. I thought you hadn''t done anything today." Crossing my arms together I jokingly remarked: "Is the chief cook getting lazy?"


    "Not remotely" he said as he smirked. "Hearrain phased out most of my wife''s statues, and just to be safe I made her store the band as well."


    "I see. We''ll meet again at the table" I said. He nodded approvingly, and walked away to attend his business.


    The cosmic traveler had sunk halfway beneath the horizon, and the darkness was rising from the other side of the earth. Underneath many objects, the shade


    had begun to fade away. Before calling his name, I examined Farriz one last time. The boy who once seemed like the bearer of a curse that I had brought upon


    him, now portrayed himself as the thriving vessel of love to me. I drew breath.


    "Farriz! Dinner is ready!" He shifted his focus onto me. "Okay, I''m coming!" he said. As he explained the situation to Eirr¨ªr, I wondered what he would


    choose to do after becoming old enough to make decisions of his own. Just like the circadian decease endured by the nearest star, death was also due for me.


    After my inevitable demise, would he try to live a life relatively free of tumult? Or would he stoically pursue the betterment of this world? To me, it


    didn''t matter. My only duty was to ensure his happiness, and the full realization of the potential that he carried within himself. Until my body was nothing


    but food for the worms, I would relentlessly pursue this goal.


    Until death.


    Yet again, we were treading the paths of the grassy plains. A cold wind was ambling close to the ground, and the grey clouds had nearly obscured the entire


    sun. Rain would lend its blessing to the dirt soon enough. A new day had brought with it the tonic breeze of the third season. With Farriz at my side, I was


    walking with the crowd towards a particularly verdant cavern. As described by Hearrain''s husband Saozade, this cave wash lush with not only plant life but


    with magic as well. Slipping through cracks on the walls were brilliant auroras, which were continuously consecrating the soil nearby. Through this process,


    via sichochtal energy, the nearby vegetation had thrived. Not only was this place a perfect place to renew supplies (Thanks to G¨¹nnua?''s abilities), it was


    also the provider of a great opportunity for Farriz. In an environment where rapid cultivation was possible, Farriz could learn a lot about his specific


    branch of sorcery.


    "I love you" a boy said to me. His mien was jubilant and agitated, like always. A priceless smile was stretched across his face.


    "Hmm? I love you too my boy, but why have you said this to me now?" Pure, juvenile eyes peered at me with adoration. Farriz shrugged. "I love you" he said,


    and didn''t even hesitate slightly while he leaned on to me. Little arms wrapped themselves around my stomach, forcing me to stop. I did not to try to get


    him off of me, and instead caressed him for a short while. Eventually the moving people forced us to go on, but that brief moment would remain in my mind as


    a fond memory that enlivened our burdensome journey.


    As we kept travelling further north-eastward, we started encountering stranger and stranger fauna on our way. Quite a few plants we saw had mutated into


    weird shapes and sizes as a result of the magical infestation emanating from the cave. Even the trees weren''t able to avert this fate that was sealed onto


    them. Among those that had undergone change, some of them had shed their newly gained crystal leaves. Some flowers had received the gift of cinder, they


    were occupied with creating a poetic visual in which their petals were burning endlessly. To me, the oddest of these bewitching beings were the eel-grasses.


    We were almost at the hideout when I spotted a bunch of them, moving around smoothly with their bodies which were affixed to the ground. Much to my absolute


    bewilderment, they hissed at me. They weren''t just stationary plants anymore, but rather had turned into active animal-greenery hybrids. Another memory,


    another thing to remember. This experience marked our entrance to the magnificent hall of alterations.


    Tucked away within the corners of a small canyon, there was a cave whose mouth was covered by a quaint waterfall. A river ran from the entrance towards the


    other end of the ravine. Plunging oneself into the depths was not necessary to witness the hauntingly beautiful lights escaping from inside. With my


    grandson in tow I went to talk with Hearrain, who was standing right in front of the outpouring of water. She noticed us long before we were even remotely


    near her.


    "Are you two alright?" she asked. "Did you two notice anything that might be dangerous while coming here?"


    "I certainly did not. What about you, Farriz?" I asked the child. His mind had wandered elsewhere, but he quickly caught up and answered the question.


    "No. I only saw cute eels."


    The woman only responded with a simple "good"; it was obvious that she was planning something. "I''m thinking of using this place to our advantage. The


    people couldn''t prepare for the journey, so our food will run out before we reach the next city even if we use what we have conservatively. We need to grow


    something in there."


    "I''m back!" shouted a younger woman from inside the cave. A bright ball, the product of Inse Solna??, was floating above the ground next to her shoulder. It


    was G¨¹nnua?. "It''s quite expansive in here, we could make lots of fruits very quickly. I can transform them to include proteins and other important things


    as well."


    "That is great news!" Hearrain said back to the woman. "You should rest now, we will set up camp here. You have a lot of work to do in a few hours."


    "Can you teach me how to grow things other than trees?" Farriz asked the dryad who was exiting the cavern. Out of clumsiness, she stepped a bit too far left


    while she was leaving, and a small tuft of her brown hair got soaked with water.


    "Sorry, I can''t. I''m too tired now, and I''ll be way too busy soon." The boy didn''t seem to be thrilled, but I knew that he was considerate enough not to


    object. He responded with a subdued "Okay."


    "Maybe I can teach you, little one" I suggested. With eyes that resembled the surface of a moonlit lake, he impatiently turned towards me. I was ready for the


    hug, but not for an ear-piercing shriek of victory.


    "BEST!"

 11 - Yonsoiren

    "If I were you," Hearrain began saying to Firdevie, "I don''t know how I''d put up with this kid. He would''ve drained me of energy long before this point."


    "I think it''s cute" she replied. In an overexcited frenzy, I let go of grandma and produced a gargle-like noise aimed at the sky with the facetious intent


    of shattering the heavens. I did not expect my seniors to respond with utter silence, but I suppose a meaningless action such as this deserved an appropriate


    response. Grandma shrugged.


    "I need you two to back up a bit" said the Uche Sichura. Heeding her words, gran took about five steps back. I replicated her movement.


    "That''s enough." Closed eyes began the summoning of the rift. In the absence of sight, Hearrain began to gesture towards the air by performing a strange set


    of hand movements. Certain maneuvers were reminiscent of tasks that belonged to this world, I could swear that she was imitating sewing at some point, but


    others were completely foreign to me. Each and every moment before the spell was cast showcased the true capabilities of this woman. She was a true artisan


    of magic. What was especially impressive to me was how she had the ability to conjure up all kinds of different sorceries without saying a word. Even the


    person whom I respected and cherished most was beholden to certain ritualistic utterances, while the woman robed in white was free of this restriction.


    As I was examining this magnificent occurrence, the oncoming dimensional gate finally opened itself up from beyond the sichochtal realm. With a cascading


    series of brilliant lights, an object resembling an eye that was tilted sideways appeared above the ground right in front of Hearrain. Lacking the slightest


    indication of aversion or fear in her face, she put both of her arms through the entryway whose insides were swirling with all kinds of wonderful colors.


    She pulled out one of the chests that she had graciously stored for us. There was no need for a command to get rid of the portal, for its reality quietly


    dwindled until it was no longer part of this plane of existence.


    "This was the chest that had ?lkrang B¨¹yaoi Bilolas, right?" Hearrain asked, serenely. Calling what she had just achieved impressive would be a vast


    understatement, yet no hint of arrogance could be found in her words.


    "Yes!" I responded. With my verification, she put the chest down. Saozade, with his moderately rotund and merry figure, was approaching us from beyond all of


    our fellow immigrants "Anything else?"


    "You''re way too kind, and exceedingly capable. We haven''t any more requests my friend, you''re free to attend to your own business."


    "Thank you," her response was cut short by her loving, if enthusiastic husband.


    "Hayol m¨¦nim, teal m¨¦nimnen dinath¨®g. Y¨ªturolsuysata." he said. For the first time since I had met my kin,


    I had almost fully understood a sentence of Br¨®rur?e. What he said, fully translated, was this: "My love, come rest with me." I couldn''t catch the last part,


    but the base word used in it was "tired."


    "M¨¢tslainen" responded his wife. I couldn''t understand what she said. With crossed arms and in each other''s devoted embrace, they walked


    back to the entrance of the ravine. Their steps were soft, as in a morning sunrise.


    "They''ve been together for ten years, and they still act like this" Firdevie said to me. "They''re sweet" I replied.


    "Well, if you say so." I was a bit confused by her response. "They''re sweet, can you not see that?" I asked brashly. Gran didn''t approve of my impolite


    response.


    "That''s not a very kind thing to say dear." A small pinch of regret stung me. "I''m sorry, that was rude" I said, apologetically. "That wasn''t just rude


    dear, it was also not considerate." Despite her eagerness to correct my behaviour, she spoke with a calming yet stern voice.


    "It is entirely possible that someone else might not take pleasure in things in the same way as you. They might not like the same things as you. That is


    entirely dependent on other people''s natures, and their experiences." She turned her head towards me compassionately like she had done so many times before.


    "I do not view relationships in like you, but that does not make me lesser or wrong. Only different. There is nothing wrong with that." A small smile, like


    a shimmering window, spread across her face. "What you take pleasure in is determined by emotions, not logic. Do you understand that, kindheart?"


    "Yes, grandma" I responded while nodding.


    "Good, my darling. Now let''s put this behind us." In the middle of her sentence, she reached for the chest filled with gold. It was had been preserved


    perfectly in the sichocht. Firdevie, in no rush whatsoever, opened the chest slowly to reveal its book-ridden innards. ?lkrang B¨¹yaoi Bilolas, the book on


    top with a fire-tree etched on its cover, was even more inviting than before to me. "In here, this cave, opportunities to improve upon your magical skills


    are abundant" gran said. "Normally, dryads are taught more advanced techniques in environments where growth is deliberately accelerated. A magic infested


    cavern is not quite the same as a chamber specifically designed for teaching, but it might prove useful nonetheless."


    She closed the chest, and ordered the container to do something with a familiar spell. With a fierce yet collected instruction, she said : "R¨¹zoth, tug


    ank¨¹ alach." Swiftly, an audibly strong wind pushed up against the chest. All I felt was a breeze as the wooden box floated inside the cave. It placed


    itself next to a curious batch of vines. Turning her effervescent smile towards me and pointing at the chest, gran asked: "Shall we?" I, hungry for


    knowledge, answered impatiently. "Yes!" We started taking careful steps towards the stone hollow''s entrance. Once we were past the waterfall, gran employed


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.yet another spell that I recognized from our escape towards the commune. Following her order of "Inse Solna??" an adorably tiny point filled with snowy


    radiance faded into life, and began following us. The previously barely illuminated chamber was now revealed to us fully. We walked in.


    To my surprise, filled with lush and sizable vegetation, the interior was quite lively. At first glance, the place didn''t seem to be large. Upon closer


    inspection however, I spotted a few human-sized archways which lead to truly enormous sections of the cavern. Overrun with thick plant life, these enclosed


    spaces looked perfect for cultivating nutritious substances shaped by magic. I assumed that this was where G¨¹nnua? was going to do her work. Another strange


    detail about these organic nerves jumped out at me: natural sources of soporific, blue luminescence were spread throughout these rooms. These wonders of


    quickened evolution did not spread their photons in the fashion of an unaltered source, however. As their luster wandered to the maw of the cave, they


    would slither and dance around corners. Eventually, these enchanting auroras would find abandon their homes and flee from their makers.


    I rushed to the box, and opened it readily. There were no negative thoughts in my mind as I took ?lkrang B¨¹yaoi Bilolas and hugged it tightly. I heard my


    grandmother''s delightful laugh. "You missed your books that much, huh?" I replied with a gentle "Hmm hmm", nodding. "What new thing will I learn?" I asked.


    "Ahh, I don''t quite remember my dryadic spells. We''ll look at the book together and decide what to study this time. How does that sound?"


    Instead of saying anything, I just put the book down and opened a page at random. I stared at her with a grin on my face.


    "Alright then, let''s see what we have here..." She crouched right next to me. On the page that I opened was a lengthy Br¨®rur?e text, right next to an


    illustration detailing a group of magically transformed plants. In the drawing they had formed weird, oddly recognizable patterns with their bodies. "We


    shouldn''t try this, dear. It would interfere with G¨¹nnua?''s work" she explained. Referring to the table of contents, she opened up another page that


    was nearer to the beginning. Fas B¨¹ was on the first page. "You already know this one..." she said. She turned the page. Similar to the last spell but


    slightly different, the illustration on this side depicted a nearly identical incantation that cultivated a small bush instead of a tree. "This is an


    iteration of Fas B¨¹. It is Fas ?air B¨¹. Would you like to try this out, or do you want to do something you haven''t seen


    yet?"


    "Growing a bush is a bit boring" I replied. "Let''s move on to the next one."


    "As you wish, kindheart." A faint sheen, that I could only briefly catch a glimpse of, on her eyes warmed my soul. She kept flipping pages, most of which


    also portrayed variations on Fast B¨¹. Finally, Firdevie landed on a sorcery which seemed very interesting. Gran read its name out loud : "Yins Adan


    Draollacha". "What does that do?" I inquired. "Ooh!" my grandmother excitedly pointed it out. "I remember this one! This was really hard


    for me to learn at first, but I remember practicing it with my friends. It allows you to gain total control of a soft-bodied plant for a while: I remember


    it being very fun."


    "Let''s do it!" I got up impatiently.


    "It''s not the easiest thing to cast, you know" she told me. "It may take a lot of tries. Do you still want to go along with this?" Jumping with


    anticipation, I replied: "Yes!"


    "Let me remind myself the movements needed for the ritual, kindheart. This won''t take long at all." I watched patiently as she read the passage describing


    the gestures intently. While quietly mumbling some of the words to herself, she copied the moves written down on the text. Shattering my


    expectations, she got up and put the open book aside. Immediately, she faced towards the vine right next to her and began casting the spell. She turned


    the palms of her hands towards the green veins, and separated all of her fingers on each hand. As if trying to spread some kind of substance around, she


    performed an unfurling motion once. At this point the green particles I was all too used to seeing began to apparate around the unwilling plant. While


    finally whispering the phrase "Yins Adan Draollach", she clasped her hands together. The green sprites that had appeared around the vines rushed to engulf


    the entire living being. In mere moments, they had served their duty. They didn''t stay for long, as they disappeared only a fraction of a second later.


    Not breaking her concentration, gran slightly raised her arm. At the same time as this, the snake-like being moved in the exact same direction with the


    same speed. As the woman puppeteered the thing, it never disobeyed and always kept up with her pace. Only when she broke her focus was the poor guy did it


    go limp.


    "Let me explain" she began speaking. "You point the palms of your hands towards the plant to indicate what you''re trying to affect." Accompanying this, she


    precisely demonstrated what I should be doing as she continued to lecture me.


    "Hmm hmm" I responded.


    "Stretching out your fingers and spreading your hands allows you to mark the magic behind what you''re trying to possess." Again, she was bringing her words


    to life by exhibiting the rituals using her hands.


    "Understood."


    "And finally..." clasping her hands loudly, she communicated what I needed to do perfectly. "Do not take your eyes or your mind away from your


    biological marionette, as controlling two bodies at once is more intense on the mind than controlling just one."


    "Thank you, grandma" With further appreciation to be expressed in me, I gave her the biggest smile my face could handle. She smiled back and I realized that


    no matter how hard I tried, I would never be able to match the immaculate brilliance of her tender expressions.


    "Now," she broke the silence utilizing a tone that was ever so slightly louder than her normal speaking voice. "Let''s get on to the spell casting, shall


    we?"


    "Okay..." Readied by confidence, undeterred, I set my sights on the vines before me. Despite me having planned the successful outcome of this attempt, I failed. I had invoked the mantra way too late. A dazzling collective of particles appeared as I used my inner magic muscle to call them, but they did not coat the plant at all.


    "Try saying it a bit earlier" Firdevie instructed. "I''ll try" was my reply. My ruthless persistence lead me to immediately return to the task at hand for a


    second go. Paying very closing attention to every minute element of my performance, I was able to correctly end the ritual. In my state of excessive


    focus, however, I was unable to activate my inner sichochtal sense with greater force. The green particles speedily covered the plant, but when I tried to


    move my the vine it did not comply.


    "Do not forcefully commit yourself to singling out the process, dear" my grandmother said. Even while she was displaying my failures clearly to me, I


    couldn''t feel a single malevolent thing in her soul. "Thank you" I replied to her a final time. Without the presence of any beliefs of my future success in


    mind, I tried once again. This time, it worked. Everything was done properly, and as the viridescent glow flew through the air towards my target I knew that


    victory was mine. I moved my arm, and the vine replicated me perfectly. Excitedly, I turned to Firdevie. The walls spoke.


    "Daring enough to lambast a druid, are you?"

 12 - Yabeyon B?lh

    "Daring enough to teach, I was." Notwithstanding the relatively low volume of her voice, gran domineered over the concealed presence. In response, the


    primordial soul echoed back.. It chuckled. "So that''s why you''ve got the little one with you. What were you teaching her?"


    "Him" I responded. "I''m a boy." A deep hum, obviously coming from a spirit which was once human, preceded his response.


    "I have lived through and seen far too much to care about such trifling details. You are who you say you are. It doesn''t matter to me." He sighed. "So,


    illusionist, what were you demonstrating to this young nymph?" My presumption was that Firdevie would be inordinately wary of this imperceptible revenant,


    but looking at her it appeared as if she was totally unfazed by this inexplicable situation. Better yet, a light grin was beginning to take its place on


    her face.


    "Nymph? When were you born?"


    "That is a piece of information that I haven''t bothered to relay in quite a while. It is yet another thing that has lost its relevance to me" A faint


    disruption of the swirling blue streams of light happened right as he finished saying this. "Probably nine hundred and thirty-five PF" he responded. In


    concert with his reemergence, the snaking beams of cerulean flickered back into view. To my bewilderment, a bluish apparition in the vague silhouette of a


    human, standing, also faded into existence right where gran and I were sitting just a few minutes before.


    A gentle clarification from Firdevie reassured me: "Do not be afraid, son. He will not hurt us."


    Crossing his transparent arms, the figure noted: "You two are the only company I''ve had the pleasure of talking with in the past few months. I do not seek


    to harm you."


    "You''ve made that very clear, thank you" replied gran. "So, two thousand years eh?"


    "About that much." My grandmother was now utterly blooming with excitement. "Well, we call nymphs dryads nowadays" she explained. "You know what a druid is


    called in modern times, yet you do not know ''dryad''?"


    "Well, the last time I conversed with a nym-, pardon me, dryad was nearly two hundred years ago."


    "You needn''t apologize. I understand."


    "Thank you. Anyway, the young one, what were you teaching him?" Unfiltered zest kept coursing through gran''s intonation as she answered. "Yins Adan


    Draollacha."


    "You Br¨®rur and your wonderful naming conventions..." the spirit responded. "We druids know that spell as ''move plant''. How boring. ''Dancing Branches'', what


    an elegant name. Do I remember it correctly? Was that the Aldeofolda counterpart?"


    "You got it."


    "Great!" I assumed the conversation had come to a temporary stop at this point, so I gave myself the liberty to ask the featureless ghast a question.


    "I''m confused, what are you?" Immediately, as the elusive spirit turned his head to me, I felt remorseful. Without any facial cues to deduce his feelings


    from, every movement could be interpreted in any way. "Was that rude?"


    "No, of course" he replied. "I am a master druid. These days my title could be perceived as being closer to ''professor''. As a revered animal commander, my


    final goal was to imbue my own consciousness and essence to a piece of the earth. This way, research into certain parts of the mana realm becomes easier."


    "Mana realm?"


    "The sichocht, as your people call it." He turned to face gran. "Is this method familiar to you?"


    "I''ve heard faint whispers of it, but it never seemed intuitive to me." She was about to ask a question with a hunger for knowledge that rivalled mine, but


    she resisted. Her eyebrows tilted apologetically.


    "What a thoughtless misstep I''ve made by not even asking your name."


    "The shame is... mutual" the ancient observer replied. "I am Relix Useus Uraia, an what of you?"


    Putting the palm of her hand on her chest she replied: "I am Firdevie, an illusionist." As if pleasantly perplexed, Relix put both of his hands on his


    waist.


    "An Illusionist who knows of organism-based spells? That''s curious."


    "My only magical education came from close friends and relatives," an almost unnoticeable inflection gave her voice a yearning quality. "Never have I set


    foot in a sichochtal school."


    "That explains it" he replied. "Well, you seemed all to elated to ask about something, I shouldn''t make you wait any longer. Go on." Firdevie''s thankful


    stare gave off a pure glint. Her smile remained as the most blindingly caring thing I had ever seen, yet this instance of her luminous joy was also to die


    for.


    "How does becoming one with the terrain help you do your research? Wouldn''t doing that make everything far more difficult?"


    "You''d be surprised as to how many times I''ve been asked that question." A charismatic, thick chuckle came from the ghost. "But to answer your question,


    this form allows me to open portals to the sichohct at will. Without cost, without basically any effort spent. I am the lord of this domain, and it


    bends to my will."


    "Fascinating!" Gran kept up her piercing stare.


    "This would be a good enough benefit on its own, but what really made my trade off worth it was the loss of my physical body." I didn''t know enough about


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.magic to interpreted what he said as a good thing. My doubtful eyes drew his attention.


    "That means that I can still interact with this world to some extant, but the sum total of my existence lies closer to the mana realm than to the physical


    one." Firdevie still hadn''t subdued her sharp gaze. "Truly magnificent" she responded. "I cannot thank you for providing your invaluable experience to me.


    You have gained our appreciation."


    "That is great to hear!" he replied cheerfully. He took his hands off of his waist. "Your kindness is also greatly valued, but I must ask you something."


    said Firdevie. By pointing to her with his right hand, he gave her permission.


    "My grandson and I haven''t come alone to this place. Our people were kicked out of our settlement, and now we''re advancing towards Aeyal T¨¦ift?osm?. Our


    supplies will not last for a long time, and a capable dryad is among us. We must use the mutated vines in this cave to produce food. Do you have it in your


    heart to let us do this?"


    "Of course" responded Relix. This seemed like an unexpected thing for him to say, considering that he had introduced himself to us in quite a brash manner.


    I myself had assumed that we would incur the mighty soul''s wrath simply by asking the question. Gran''s eyes narrowed just a sliver, in bemusement.


    "Really?"


    "Why wouldn''t I? You people have been great guests so far, why shouldn''t I also show my hospitable side to the rest of your kin?"


    "That is most gracious. You have our eternal thanks." Even though Firdevie was content with just expressing her gratitude to him, an unimportant yet gnawing


    question was still tugging away at the back of my mind.


    "Why did you warn us before?" I asked.


    "Oh, that was just to draw your attention. If the two of you were aspirants, seeking to pillage the resources of this irreplaceable pocket of the loam,


    then I would not hesitate to bring down rage upon you. If you were regular people, the multitude of modified creatures just outside the cave would have


    deterred you from entering. I knew almost immediately that you and your grandmother were not troublemakers." I responded with a sufficient "Understood."


    "That being said, I do have one condition that you must work under." His spoke with a firm air. "Do you see those glowing lumps on the plants?" he said,


    while pointing to a source of blue light that was affixed to a nearby ball. "Those are not just there for decoration. Those spots are where the green veins


    and exposed malachite crystals intersect" he explained. "I do not know if growing something on those spots can result in displacement, but I do not want


    anything to be cultivated there. Is that clear?"


    "Very much so" replied Firdevie.


    "I''m glad that we could come to a favourable agreement" he replied. "You''ll have to excuse me," he continued, "but I must return to my analysis. I


    wish the best of luck to your people, and I hope encounter the two of you again."


    "We reciprocate the sentiment" gran replied. Without a properly indicating that he was going away, the faintly blue ghast hastily dissipated into the air.


    No evidence of this mystifying event remained. Gran''s grossly incandescent smile remained on her countenance. "What an eccentric being, right dear?" she


    said as she turned to look at me. Afore approving her statement, a query that had somehow previously escaped me came to my mind.


    "Is Relix immortal?" I asked. Without making me wait, gran answered with a thrilled "Yeah!"


    "Relix couldn''t die, what happened to his family? Did he see them die?" Was my next inquiry. Gran''s eyes widened to accompany her satisfied grin. "Great


    question kindheart. Most sorcerers that I know of who have done this are hermits and have no family. In Relix''s time it was mandatory to take an oath of


    isolation many years before the spirit transfer could even be performed. He did not have anyone to care about" she explained succinctly. Knowing that Relix


    had been condemned to remain alone for most of his physical life, and all of his incorporeal one was immensely saddening. Covering my mouth with my hands I


    said:


    "That is horrible! He was alone while alive, but he is going to be alone forever now?"


    "Well, there are most likely thousands of magicians that have done the exact same thing as him. They too, reside in the sichocht." she answered. "It is


    undoubtedly pitiable that such an oath had to be undertaken by so many, but I''m sure that nowadays he doesn''t feel so lonely."


    "Good..." I replied solemnly. "I should tell Hearrain and G¨¹nnua? about this" Firdevie said. "While I do that, would you like to stay here and practice the


    spell you''ve just learned?" she asked. Gently and with a sorrowful cadence, I said "Okay". The waterfall behind us kept weeping.


    Under an afternoon sky, I dropped on the ground right next to Nacian. My limbs, completely drained of energy, were aching. "I''m tireeeeed" I jokingly


    complained to my granduncle. "That is good, my dear Farriz. It shows that you''ve toiled to refine yourself. Do not take it as omen, but rather a sign


    of your own resilience" he said. "Thank you uncle, but I''m still tireeeed" I reiterated. "Well," he gave me an ebullient pat on the back, "then you


    deserve a good rest." I nodded. Most of our people had already set up camp, and were eating their rations. In satisfying harmony with each other, the sounds


    of the wind and the waterfall came together in a beautiful chord. Pleasant, emerald hues could occasionally be seen from inside the cave. G¨¹nnua? was hard


    at work, producing many nutritious fruits for her fellow Br¨®rur to consume. Bouncing off the ragged walls of the dell, the comforting speech of the crowd


    was enjoyable to listen to.


    A stealing breath drew closer.


    "Standing in the mist, waiting for slumber..." Thoroughly terrified, I got up and turned around. The hairs on the back of my neck had become like spikes.


    "Farriz?" Nacian called out to me, and the shadowy whisper didn''t come back for a few seconds. As I was sitting down, IT TOOK MY SOUL INTO THE ENDLESS ABYSS


    FROM WHICH NOTHING CAN COME BACK. I collapsed onto the floor again, but not out of exhaustion this time. My thoughts were muddled. A creeping dread began


    spreading throughout my body as I realized that some of my previous thoughts weren''t mine. My granduncle sat me down, and desperately began asking me if I


    was okay.


    "Boy, are you alright? What are you feeling?"


    "I heard a strange-" I became paralyzed again. Drifting thought, dying days. Brother, here. UNTO THE PLACE FROM WHENCE THE RIVERS COME, THITHER THEY RETURN


    AGAIN. As soon as I regained control of myself, I screamed. Something was stealing my mind. In here, brother. Even my senses began to fade while I watched


    my slow, agonizing death. COME INTO THIS, TEMPLE OF THE FEAST. SET YOURSELF WITHIN THE VESSEL. The last thing I saw in my own body was Hearrain. In a


    desperate bid to rescue me, she ran as fast as she could towards me.


    MINE.


    I awoke in an alien body. Unshakable terror enveloped me as I felt my new, scaly appendages. This monster that had exchanged its mind with mine possessed


    extraordinarily sharp eyes, for I could see my relatives rushing towards me in the distance. There was my body, here (kilometers away) was my consciousness.


    If I had eyes of my own, I would have cried out of primal fear.


    "I will shred this pathetic soul. ITS DESPERATE PLEAS WILL FEED MY PROGENY AND I WILL CONSUME, BROTHER." Out of sheer despair, I began praying to some higher


    power, hoping that they would somehow take my life. "It fears, it seeks an end" cackled the counterpart. Just as the abhorrent beast began crawling away,


    I took a final look at my real, limp body. Firdevie''s tears were dropping elegantly on my lifeless frame.

 Apology (NOT AN ACTUAL CHAPTER, JUST AN APOLOGY)

    Under normal circumstances, I try to work as hard as possible to produce a good product for the people kind enough to follow me. I''m truly sorry to the people reading this, as I will have to take today off. I''m in an emotional dumpster right now, and I just cannot bring myself to write anything. I know that I''m not big enough to make anyone worry that I might miss a chapter or two, but I wanted to put this out nonetheless.


    Also, I am a cis guy. If you think that a person like me writing a story about a trans person is terrible idea, that''s fair. I am welcoming of any negative criticism that you might helm my way.


    While I have the motivation, let me explain the motivation behind me writing this story. I am half Turkish and half Kurdish. The entirety of my father''s side of the family is Kurdish, and my mother''s side is Turkish. I love writing, but I wanted to produce something that wasn''t just vapid, so I ended up creating the premise of an oppressed people trying to preserve their culture while bigger, racist forces try to annihilate all traces of their being. This is similar (at least in my eyes) to imperialist efforts made by the Turkish government to erase Kurdish identity.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    As an example, about a decade ago the government wouldn''t even acknowledge the existence of Kurds. They would spread propaganda about us saying that our people didn''t exist. Now, the actual conflict between Turks and Kurds is much more complicated than just "Kurds are the best people on this earth", as the Kurds have waged war even against each other before. Just like any political conflict with many participants, the issue of Kurdish erasure is a complicated one to be sure.


    Despite this I thought that it wasn''t too bad of an idea to write about my own experiences regarding my own identity. I must confess however that Farriz''s childhood experiences are a bit different from mine, as my father''s side of the family has quite a lot of shitty individuals, but I cannot disregard the many insults I''ve recieved as a result of me declaring that I was Kurdish. The whole deal with "B¨®yol?ile¨¢kna" or "Geolurbeorg" in chapter three was kind of inspired by the problem of some Kurdish territories being within Turkey''s borders (i.e. Dersim).


    Why is the main character trans? Why not? Representation yaaay


    So, yeah. That''s that. I hope that this wasn''t too disappointing to see. Oh another funny thing, my surname is Erdo?an. That is pretty funny considering the surname of this country''s current dictator is also Erdo?an. I''m writing a story about the evils of imperialism and I share the name of our horrible leader.


    Urfapanda out.

 13 - D铆l谩er De?ri

    Prevailing over all my thoughts and instincts, dread streamed through me. Not being able to control the body I inhabited was nauseating. My sight was


    limited to what the horrid brute was able to see, so only when it widened the lens of its eye could I take a better look at my surroundings. Comparing my


    abductor''s size to the many other rocks around me, I realized that it was enormous. Each hand was the size of an adult human, and its arms far exceeded


    that length. It breathed. The foreign movements that I felt in "my" own chest pulled me deeper into the sea of dread. Judging by the small figures that my


    relatives had been reduced to in the distance, I guessed that I was about half a kilometer away standing on a steep precipice. On all fours, with its limbs


    bedecked with claws of terror, it began sprinting away from our encampment. Trapped within this mind, my implorations were dismissed without effort. It ran,


    and ran, and ran. Leaping from rock to rock, it performed its dexterous dance of horrors. All seconds that elapsed while I was being torn from my family


    drove themselves into the flesh of my soul. In a frenzy of complete hopelessness, I began trying to think of a way to free myself from this situation. One


    solution presented itself: I did not have a mouth to scream with, but I did have a brain that was willing to plead.


    "Please, let me go!" I tried to think to myself as violently as possible. A chill somehow crept up my spine. No sound at all from either its head or its body


    could be heard, save for the occasional loud misstep on the wrong piece of terrain. A truly nightmarish devil, this saurian abomination was. Its abilities


    allowed it to steal souls. It possessed a body with which he could perform maneuvers both silent and swift over any kind of terrain. Leaving my home behind


    as this thing''s prey, I asked myself whether I was the only person to be caught by it. How many mortals had been snatched away in the exact same manner? How


    many of them were able to return?


    Was I dead already?


    "Why are you doing this? I want to see my family!" I said. Again, I was ignored. "Please, I don''t want this!" Right at the end of my sentence, a whisper


    emerged from the back of my mind. At first it was faint, but then it crashed furiously into the walls of my cognizance. It echoed vigorously as the mental


    pain enveloped all corners of my being.


    "Human..." Nothing else. Only a word. I was sure that if the same reverberating attack had been directed at me while I was in my normal body, I would have


    crawled up into a ball out of blinding agony. With only a single, brief stream of consciousness it had completely erased almost everything that I had the


    apparent gall to think. I faded away. I became a passive entity floating in the back of this animal''s mind. I observed.


    Rocks. Grass. A leap of faith towards the rocks. Between trees. A cliff approaches. A cliff approaches. I returned to myself. As it kept accelerating


    towards its seeming end, I cycled through spells I could use to halt the creature. Previously I had disregarded magic, for I couldn''t cast anything without


    the control of my hands. When all moments were leading up to my demise however, it wasn''t unwise to try my luck. Using every bit of my willpower to invoke


    something, I managed to bring some green particles from the sichocht into the physical realm around me. Desperately, without almost any shred of hope in me,


    I attempted to cast Fas B¨¹. Without any auditory instructions to follow, the surrounding magic just fizzled out with no effect. Time had run out. Beyond the


    edge of the crag stood a river, whose source was the waterfall covering the maw of Relix''s cavern.


    Right as the reptile reached the edge, it stabbed its claw into the ground with a vicious motion. As we pivoted, I let out an internal shriek. While I was


    still trying to figure if this move was intentional, the mindstealer landed its back legs onto the rocky wall. It displayed a stunning lack of hesitation as


    it began stealing across the steep surface. One hand after the other quietly grabbed some jutting edge or an imperfection nearby to hold on to. If there


    weren''t any object it could support itself with, it would slip its claws into the wall as if it was made out of some soft material. I couldn''t do anything


    while it continued to descend. A fall from this height was sure to put an end to my life. I didn''t want to snuff myself out yet.


    "Why? I want my family..." I begged one last time. The demon, either nescient or malevolent, didn''t pay heed. Our downward climb went on for a while. There


    was only despondence in my heart as I watched the river down below get closer and closer. With nothing to think, I recalled the last memory of Firdevie I


    had. I remembered her tears. With a heavy heart I wondered why she was crying. It seemed obvious, but perhaps it was because she knew what was happening


    and despaired. A much worse possibility was that what had been done to me was irreversible, so she was crying out of pure agony. As I pondered the latter


    option, falling to my death in the body of this lizard felt just a little bit more comforting.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Eventually, a hole of great proportion appeared on the cliff face. My horrid body didn''t immediately pivot to its direction. Only when I became parallel


    with it lower lip did I change direction and made for it. An almost slithering motion got me inside the burrow. At first, only the entrance and its edges


    were visible to me. Concealing the back end of the cave, a darkness was present. From those depths, the sounds of ominous clicking and squeals came to my


    ears. The beast proceeded. Alarmingly, its eyes adjusted to the pure abyss very swiftly. Its wretched progeny, covered in white scales quite unlike their


    parent, cried out for something. Not even the slightest bit of mercy was shown to me as it gave its order. "Get out..." My shrivelled, incorporeal form


    was spat out. Unyielding in their efforts to consume, the reptilian''s offspring began biting.


    "Dance... Perform..." a breath, more odious than the state of things, ordered me. As they made their way towards my spirit, a startling facial detail


    of the juveniles jumped out at me. They all carried faces that were disturbingly similar to a human''s. Eager to defy my captor, I turned around. What I


    encountered as I made this egregious mistake shook me to my core.


    My kidnapper''s visage was identical to a human''s. Its skin bled into the rest of its scales at its neck. Despite resembling a serpent with its claws and


    dark green skin, its dead eyes and mammal-adjacent figure made it quite distinct from one. Not willing to await my response, it spoke with its "mouth"


    again. The words violating my mind didn''t match what its lips were doing.


    "Move..."


    One of the mutant children snapped its jaws right through my arm. A portion of my spectral digit turned into dust and was whisked away. Another fetid child


    was hurriedly proceeding towards me, and so I had no choice to obey the fiend. I used all of my remaining might to summon... something. It didn''t matter


    what would result, I just wanted to stay alive. Through this theater of nightmares, I unwillingly bowed down to my overseer. They gorged on the materials of


    my being as all I could do was weep. Another alarming particular quickly alerted me of itself: My swaying and twisting under the gaze of the Ollaphaer


    still resulted in my appendages crumbling into small pieces, albeit sluggishly. Even if I kept trying desperately to please the dreadbringers, my untimely


    end would still come crashing down upon me. Tears, or at least the spiritual essences of tears, evaporated out of my eyes. As they devoured the blue mist, I


    wondered how such creatures, hellbent on sustaining themselves by eating minds, could even exist. Not long after the sweetest fruits of my torture were


    released, the parent Ollaphaer slapped me away. I violently flew across the cave and rammed into a nearby wall. I suffered not injuries, but their effect.


    My senses were taken away once again by the numbing, white pain.


    "Why..." I was now far away from the damned beasts. A lightless nothing shrouded them from across the stone hollow, although the rotten noises they created


    simply by existing didn''t fail to make me aware of them. I heard the repugnant claws of the father demon approaching its progeny. Without so much as a


    thought, I got back up on my feet. Realizing that the creature had made the terrible mistake of throwing me closer to the entrance, now blazing with the


    light emanating from the slightly sunken sun. It didn''t even occur to me that I was running as I heard the parent monster turn and chase after me. I made


    a leap off the edge as the horrific thing blew a final, decaying breath my way. While falling into the river, the luster on the surface reminded me of


    grandmother''s smile.


    Unconsciousness followed.


    In an endless pool, a void, I sat adrift. Unwillingly wandering the non-halls of insentience. Peering into death. Itself. Inescapablee night, impassable


    Banasc. All was naught. Until things started to come back again. From within what felt like a windowpane, I peered onto my comatose body from above. Right


    next to my body sat Firdevie. Her eyes were red and swollen, most likely because she had cried almost incessantly since my departure. Standing beside her


    was Relix, with his arms crossed. "Gran..." I tried to call out. The druid spirit took notice of my call. He looked right at me, but I didn''t have enough


    courage to continue the dream.


    I woke up on the edge of the waterway. Along the course if its length, it had gotten narrow and shallow enough for my body to get stuck. Without any true


    wounds to keep, there was no physical agony. The moon in all its melancholy, had risen above the stalking night. No useful actions remained for me to do,


    except for trying to make my spirit join its counterpart. Lacking in hope, feeling and the energy to cry, I began yet another journey. This time to get back


    what was stolen from me.


    Rising up to my transparent feet, I realized that I had exited the canyon long ago. Though I could still see some rocky formations in the very far behind


    me. Were I to follow the river, I would surely encounter the distant forest. Its lush, towering trees looked quite menacing under the veil of darkness.


    Deciding to try my luck, I began making way towards the left of the canyon. Perhaps there was another way to the temporary encampment from there. Maybe


    there wasn''t. I was the lamp whose oil was aspiration, and aspiration was all but spent. Right before I set out on yet another perilous journey, I decided to


    take on last look at the sky.


    I didn''t know until then that a lunar glow could bring a boy to tears so quickly. I collapsed on the floor again.


    "Please," I begged from behind my strained throat, "I-I-I want to g-g-go home, I''m sorry. I''m sorry, it''s so beautiful." I took a deep breath.


    "I''M SORRY!"


    I''m sorry.

 14 - On R眉zoth De Kerlon

    Damnable roads, like as the beasts, writhed on the vegetative soil. Not one of them was the guide I needed. I had taken the canyon to my right while


    journeying. Expecting to come across a path that lead to an entrance of the ravine, I had skewed quite far from the river. Disregarding the snaking,


    defoliated patches of land led me to this place. Somehow I had ended up on an elevated section of the grassland. I found no indicators of where I was,


    except for mound of rocks that I had been dragged from. It was still way too far away for me to be able to determine exactly where I was. It must have


    dragged me for kilometers before my awakening. No want of repose beckoned me, as my spectral from didn''t demand sleep. I pressed onwards, under a grey sky.


    Many stones and protrusions stabbed me with each step I took. "Accursed soul", I thought to myself. Without nerves to feel, how could I still be


    suffering from ailments of the flesh? If my fervour and sentiments were not beholden to a physical form, then was the body nothing but a forced medium


    through which spirits could commune with each other? While I was in this peculiar state, would anyone be able to see me? I left these question behind, in


    the same manner that my mind had abandoned my body. A more immediately pertinent question occurred to me soon after.


    Was it even possible for me to reunite both halves of my being?


    It began raining. Small droplets rushed to meet their mother earth. During this time of temporary banishment, this small event was the one thing I expected


    fuel my strained desire to return home. Enduring the harsh minutes I had to wait through for the water to soak into the ground was tough. There were still


    stones to be stepped on for great pain. Finally, when nature''s mercy had fully imbibed itself, I halted. I took a deep breath, and reminded myself of the


    sweet caress of the storm. The rainfall, although persistent, wasn''t strong enough to break out into unpleasant noise. It calmed me. Among the terrible


    things, between the endless journeys, this was the only solace I could relish. Upon lifting my hands up, I saw that they had become outlined by the shapely


    cohesion of water. I was nearly transparent, but the generous precipitation had given me some form. I chuckled. Nothing came out. Yet another puzzle to be


    solved, yet another thing to ask.


    With no power to create or to affect, was I less alive than that which possessed these capabilities? Could a measly existence comprised of nothing but a


    sensor be called a living thing? While the smells and sounds of rain lingered on for a little while, it was infinitely more impactful than my nothings. No


    trace was left in my wake. I was the lingering ash of a bygone flame. Not wanting to stand idle this stream of consciousness corroded me, I began walking


    again. Through grass and across rivers I went. Everything I passed by blurred together. Without hope, even the simplest of ordeals was a chore. Previous


    encounters with horrific creatures had mounted up to a demoralizing pile of depression. Both in feeling and form, I was a husk.


    As a result of this circumstance, my own emergent joy caught me off guard when I finally came across a familiar trail. From about midnight, at least twelve


    hours had passed since I began walking towards the canyon. This was the path decorated with the ever-burning flowers. Relix''s cavern was close. It didn''t


    think about running, the urge to find my family again was enough by itself to get me moving as fast as I could. Some crystal-leaved trees with their newly


    discarded petals lying at their feet were also present. Soon enough, I was getting past the eel-grasses. My heart ached gently as they didn''t turn towards


    me. Right as I was turning the corner of the last wall, a revelation came to me. If the villagers had remained in front of the cave, their chatter and


    could easily be heard from inside the ravine.


    After my pivoting around the rock, I saw my grandmother. Her pitiable figure was bent over my almost lifeless body, alongside a very injured


    G¨¹nnua?. A grisly claw mark had ravaged the right side of her body, including her shoulder. Over her right eye, a bloodied bandage was affixed. She had fought


    the soulstealer, and survived. It was clear through her miserable expression that she was suffering immensely from her wounds. While she could barely even


    sit beside Firdevie, gran was not diverting her gaze for even a second. She kept staring at my pale face with eyes wide open, even though there were bags


    under them. From inside Relix''s nearby cave, the inscrutable words of an ancient druid reached me. It appeared as if no one but these people had waited for


    me. I didn''t have the privilege to despair for the absence of Eirr¨ªr or Nacian. With all my might, I attempted to scream out for my grandmother.


    "Gran!" Again, nothing. Desperate and in need of comfort, I ran towards Firdevie. While running the rainfall gave me away. G¨¹nnua?''s lone eye darted towards me,


    and I stopped dead in my tracks.


    "Firdevie!" the young woman let out a strained scream, "There..." My poor grandmother jumped in place. It pained me to think of what she had gone through.


    Hours had gone by without rest, without repose. In each corner of this labyrinthine she had looked, but had not reached me. Now, a strange apparition had


    suddenly approached her. Maybe to harm her, perhaps to terrorize her. With only a desperate expectation she looked at my hydrous silhouette, unblinking.


    Only my presence could bring her deliverance. This burden of grief and guilt she had carried for long enough.


    To the best of my ability, I tried to convey to her that it was me. No elaborate gestures were needed for this, she recognized me from the way I kneeled.


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    "Farriz?" cried out the woman astray. "My boy," a cluster of heartache was blocking her throat as she was trying to speak. "Is that you? Come to me,


    please..."


    I hastily ran towards her and jumped onto her lap. Cerulean mist began evaporating from my eyes. "It''s him!" G¨¹nnua? screamed, victorious. She wasted no


    time waiting, and instead sprinted towards Relix''s cave as fast as possible. With pained relief, Firdevie began to shed her pain as well.


    "Where were you, my kindest of hearts? Who took you away?" She tried to locate my shoulder with her trembling hand. Once she had grabbed a proper hold of


    me, I was in her embrace like I had been so many times before. "Dear, dear..." she planted a gentle kiss on my forehead. I looked up to see her face. Her


    smile was a rainbow that cracked the skies of grey. G¨¹nnua?''s panicked sprinting reached alerted us of her presence.


    "Bring him and the body into the cave!" she yelled. "If there was enough of him left to travel all the way here, then Relix should be able to put his soul


    into the body." Firdevie''s brief stare at her was hollow, but it gave way to a proper response. "We''re going to fix this, dear" she said. "You need to get


    off my lap. We will carry your body inside" she continued. I too, wanted this desolate displacement to come to an end. I got up from her soft hold. The two


    women, who had evidently worked themselves to the bone at this point, both grabbed my seemingly diseased body. G¨¹nnua?''s words formed a connection in my


    mind. Through the process of draining the soul, maybe the body was affected as well.


    They made their way swiftly into the cavern and I followed suit. I slipped through the side right after them. Inside the stone hollow, stood a disconcerted


    Relix. As soon as my spectre had set foot inside, the blue spirit pointed towards my rain-coated silhouette. "He is alive, but quite injured. I must commend


    for his resilience against the vile serpent" he said. "Place the body right in the center of the room. Be careful, do not hurt him."


    "How could you think I wouldn''t be careful?" Firdevie wailed quietly. With G¨¹nnua?''s help she laid my cadaver on the cold, stone floor. Relix crouched and


    got closer to my body. Turning his head towards my soul he said "Farriz, you must touch your own flesh. Only then can I make you one again." Obeying his


    instructions, got down on one knee. Even to myself, the macabre sight of my own practically dead body was incomprehensible. Death was a concept to be


    feared for certain, but facing the pure embodiment of one''s own demise was utterly bone chilling. My soulless eyes. Staring into nothing. Until the end of my


    dreams, they would haunt me.


    "I know how scary this is, boy. You will get through this" Relix comforted me. "I have had to perform a ritual on my own body as well. Trust me, you can do


    this." I shook my head to say yes. "You must stay out of here until this is done," he told the the women. "This will release an immense amount of energy, so


    unless the two of you are outside while I''m casting this spell you two will burn."


    "Understood", G¨¹nnua? replied drowsily. Firdevie said nothing, and left first. G¨¹nnua? looked back one last time as she left. "Don''t mess it up." Relix


    waited for her to disappear behind the edge of the cave''s mouth. "Keep holding your hand until you are back in the body." he instructed. "There will


    be an intense light right on your corpse as we do this, but it is critical that you are in contact with yourself until you are returned." I nodded


    approvingly. "Good. I will initiate the spell right now." I took a deep breath as the druid began chanting a strange hymn.


    What is a human without soul?


    Bring it to him, repay him his due.


    You too are spirits, aren''t you cognizant?


    Of this pain, suffered without desire?


    Let the ghost flood back in.


    A sharp beam of light began to cross a magical barrier, right on my chest. From beyond the domain of the ethereal it came.


    Travelers, from beyond the fog of time!


    What are you but cruel,


    If you don''t heed the call of this duty?


    Oh, revered ones,


    Grant a wish for once, deliver him unto salvation!


    Without so much as a warning, the thin strand of light atop my chest suddenly expanded into an entire cascade of brilliance like an eye. I felt its pull.


    It was clearly beckoning me with its uncounterable tug. I held onto my hand with greater force.


    Drag him back, into his own self!


    Let the misery fade away!


    Unless there can be contentment without peace,


    Show him compassion,


    Show him grace!


    The eye''s gravity strengthened itself, forcing me to go closer into it. Like the time I had conquered Fas B¨¹ diligently, like the time I had trained


    with Nacian with resolve, I gave myself to this task with imperishable determination. With my left hand, I grasped my entire arm.


    Wherever he may roam, I know not.


    He shall not be a sojourn of mind nonetheless!


    After these final lines, he stood up. Great anticipation enveloped me.


    GRANT HIM PASSAGE!


    I was pulled into the vortex. Once again, I had vacated my own consciousness. Neither time, nor space remained in the emptiness created by this lack of


    sensory input. I was waiting. Not my own self, he was completely nonexistent for as long as my body remained asleep, but the whole of my being. Recalling


    this lack of existence would be facile later on. Then the oblivion began to fade away. Minute patches of a dream began fading in. Constituents to this


    confined otherworld, the many faces of my relatives began appearing. As I went deeper into this unconscious fantasy its numerous details slowly unveiled


    themselves. A table, decorated with quaint candles and a delicately crafted tablecloth was the object on which we were dining on. My father was sitting


    right in front of me. He lifted his head up, revealed his neck, and slapped himself in the throat.


    My limbs, leaving me great pain because of low temperature, caused me to scream as I woke up. I had wished for a resurrection more fulfilling, but I would


    have to make do with this temporary torment. "It hurts, it hurts so much..." I cried while looking at Relix.


    "I know, I know. Just hold on Farriz, it will pass soon..." spoke a soft voice from my right. Realizing that I was under the vigilant watch of my


    grandmother relieved me, if only slightly.


    "My boy..."