ã€ŠSpirit&#x27;s Ascentã€‹


 Chapter 1 - Prologue

    [The time has finally come.] Murmured a deep raspy voice, breaking the silence that filled the dimly lit room. The place was illuminated by what seemed to be merely a handful of crooked black candles. The unnatural violet flames danced merrily atop the bizarre twisted wicks, casting eerie shadows upon the cold, rough stone walls. Partaking in the ghastly spectacle, the flames flickered in response to the movement of the robed figure, almost as if sharing the excitement that was permeating the stale air of the cellar at that very moment. The man strode with long yet steady steps towards the centre of the room, swiftly approaching the glowing magical circle crackling with arcane powers threatening to overflow at any moment.

    The air within the room suddenly turned cold, as the man raised his voice in an elaborate incantation. In mere moments, long tendrils of violet energy rose from the ground, responding to his call. At first, it looked as if the tendrils struggled against an invisible force, wiggling along the floor blindly and meekly, not leaving the bounds of the magical circle in the slightest. Yet as his incantation rose in power and intensity, so did they.

    Within moments, the tendrils shot out into the air, grasping for something unseen. The target of their attention struggled in vain, as the tentacles found their prey, entangling it with ease of a seasoned hunter. Suddenly, a pulse of power rushed across the room, as the incantation reached a level of intensity that would send shivers down the spine of anyone unlucky enough to witness the grim scene.

    The man was shouting at this point, his face twisted in a grimace vaguely reminiscent of a smile, albeit one that clearly bordered on madness. The ritual was nearing it¡¯s climax.

    As the tentacles finally managed to drag down whatever it was that they caught, the man walked towards a shoddy looking wooden table at the corner of the room. The dust stirred and started swirling around, forming intricate patterns in the air over-saturated with magic, as a hand beaming with power reached for a tiny wooden cage rested atop the unkept surface, yanking it open impatiently and dragging out a tiny pixie by her leg.

    The poor creature¡¯s body was covered in delicate patterns, undoubtedly magical in nature as she didn¡¯t as much as let out a yelp while the man carried her back towards the magical circle, her body limp in his hand.

    All of a sudden, a blinding explosion of a searing light covered the room, toppling over the deformed candles, the blaze of which could now rival the brightest of torches, as the man threw the little unmoving creature towards the swarm of tendrils. And then, there was darkness.

    A sudden pained gasp was the only thing that dared interrupt the tranquil silence that took hold of the room, closely followed by rugged breathing and rhythmic wheezing. The whole ordeal was taxing for the mage, and he was not left unscathed.

    But the dim, almost imperceptible glow that surfaced on the porcelain skin of the tiny pixie was all that the man needed to know, that the ritual has been a success. He got what he wanted now.

    ***[The next day]***

    First, gentle rays of warm golden light announced the arrival of a new day, as they brushed the massive wooden shelves, tracing along the faded writings adorning the old, worn-down ornate surface towards the modestly decorated stone walls, as a tiny pixie, the room¡¯s sole inhabitant, stirred and slowly opened her eyes. The chill of an early spring morning was biting into her exposed, pattern covered skin, yet she seemed unaffected.

    As she slowly rose from her curled sleeping position, delicate hands shakily supporting her nigh non-existent weight, her curious dark blue eyes darted across the room, taking in the surroundings.

    She might have been looking for answers, alas the contents of the room didn¡¯t seem to provide any, as the look of confusion on her face didn¡¯t fade in the slightest.

    Shaking off the feeling of sleepiness with a swift slap on her cheek, the fairy finally seemed to notice what was amiss. Stretching out her petite limbs, she started inspecting her body, as if seeing it for the first time. Finally nodding to herself, her satisfied expression quickly turned sour as her fingers ran across a multitude of wooden bars encasing her within what seemed to be a circular bird cage.

    A few quick jabs, punches and a lot of thrashing around, and the fairy finally got the clue that she will not be getting out without the help of an outside force. So she turned her attention back towards the rest of the room, scouring it with her sight expectantly.

    A number of oddly shaped tables, shelves and chests rested atop the carpeted floor, housing an immense number of various books and contraptions that she did not recognise. The room itself was a mess, with countless documents, tomes and artefacts covering any space available, including but not limited to the floor, table tops, shelves, chests and even walls.

    The pixie would have groaned in displeasure had her line of thought not been interrupted by the creaking sound of the rustic door opening, as a tall man in a pointy hat stepped inside. He appeared to be deep in thought, or perhaps just still sleepy, allowing the pixie a few moments to take a good look at the visage of her captor.

    The man was very high, but then again anyone would appear giant from the evaluation point of a pixie. Long, ruffled white hair could be seen beneath his dark green wizard¡¯s hat, matching his majestic, even if a little unkempt beard. His piercing violet eyes seemed to carry the wisdom of the ages, albeit no warmth could be felt from their gaze.

    Light glimmered on the texture of his silken robe, decorated with a single row of golden runes, the meaning of which eluded the pixie. However one thing could be understood from his visage. In spite of the man¡¯s apparent elderly age, his muscles were toned as if he was a seasoned warrior, which was in stark contrast to the rest of his appearance.

    Lastly, dangling from a thin silvery chain hanging the mage¡¯s neck was a weird crystal. It¡¯s uneven angular surface seemed to be absorbing all the light from it¡¯s surroundings, shrouding the gem in both darkness, and mystery.

    The pixie looked at the crystal curiously as the man finally turned his thoughts outwards and his attention centred on the captive creature.

    [You will start meditating immediately, and after gathering sufficient amount of mana, you will¡­] commandeered the mage, not paying any attention to the tilt of the pixie¡¯s head.

    [Um, excuse me? I think there might have been a mistake. I am a human. Could you please let me ou¡­] muttered the pixie, interrupting the mage who hasn¡¯t been paying the slightest bit of attention to her complaints. The man didn¡¯t take this well, as his expression twisted in rage.

    [SILENCE! You will not talk unless talked to, and you WILL OBEY ME, OR YOU WILL KNOW PAIN] screamed the man at the shivering faerie, not wasting a single moment as his hand shot up, grasping for the ominous dark gem, as his mouth recited a short incantation.

    ¡°Oh, this is bad¡± thought the pixie as a sudden feeling of pain assaulted every single nerve in her body, tearing through the flesh and searing her soul. The agony was unlike anything she has ever experienced before, and all she could do was scream and thrash in despair as time and time again wave after wave of torturous suffering seized hold of her very being.

    The torture might have lasted for merely a couple of seconds, but it felt as if it might as well have been decades. There was no strength left inside of the poor thing as the man raised his voice yet again.

    [You WILL learn OBEDIENCE].

    And then, as the drumming sound of the fading footsteps echoed across the damp hallway, resonating with the rhythmic throes within the little fae, she welcomed the embrace of the soothing darkness, calming her troubled soul.

    *** [The next day | POV: the archmage] ***

    I groaned loudly as I was ascending the long winding steps coiling their way along the walls of my tower, heading towards one of the rooms on the highest floor.

    Yesterday¡¯s events replayed in my head as I grimaced in distaste. The pixie¡¯s childish appearance made it mentally taxing to train the familiar, but unfortunately this step could not be avoided.

    My lips curled up ever so slightly as I started reminiscing about the good olden days, back when I apprenticed as a trainee mage. I used to swear to my master that I would never use the searing spell as a method to train any of my familiars, and would always opt for the benevolent, yet tediously slow alternative of gaining their trust and loyalty. I chuckled at my naive young self, just like my tutor did back then. Time is precious, and wasting years to train a mere temporary familiar for what could be done in weeks at most seemed foolish to me now.

    While thinking of such things, I arrived at the door, shoving the old slab of withered wood out of my way, as the old hinges creaked in protest of the sudden movement. The creature jumped back in surprise, it¡¯s cute little face contorting in fear.

    I suppressed the pain in my heart before it could bloom into regret and settled on the feeling of satisfaction in regards to the progress of the training. The creature now knew fear. What was left for it to learn, was that as long as it obeys, there¡¯s nothing more to fear.

    [Ehm] I cleared my throat, as my eyes looked at the trembling figure curled into a ball in the corner of her cage.

    [It appears yesterday¡¯s lesson has succeeded in teaching you obedience. Now then, as I stated yesterday, what I require of you, my familiar, is to make use of that body I have given you, to gather as much mana as you possibly can.] I paused for a second, observing the hybrid, looking for any reaction.

    It was obvious the creature has heard my commands, yet for some reason did not comply. Has yesterday¡¯s punishment been too light? As I started reaching for my arcane heart, the pixie stiffened, and hastily opened her mouth, speaking timidly.

    [Um, Sir, please¡­ I don¡¯t know how to gather mana¡­]. Replied the fae, not daring to even look directly at me. I will have to correct this behaviour at some point, but for now, the results of the training were... adequate.

    [You are residing within the body of a pixie, gathering mana should come as easily to you as breathing does to humans. Considering that I¡¯m neither a spirit nor an elf myself, I have no more guidance to give you in this matter.] I turned my back towards her, preparing to leave, yet before taking a step outside of the room, I stopped for a second, declaring my final order for the day.

    [Well then, I will be expecting good results tomorrow.] As I was finally about to leave, an unexpected interruption halted my steps.

    [Um, sir, please, could I ask you a que-question?]  stuttered the pixie.

    I furrowed my brows in displeasure, contemplating enacting more punishment on the disobedient runt, yet I felt oddly curious about what question could be important enough for the creature to risk my wrath. So I gracefully allowed it.

    [Speak].

    Her face darkened for a second, yet her eyes slowly moved up, looking directly into mine.

    [Would¡­ would you please let me¡­ go home?].

    I pinched the base of my nose. I knew that this was a possibility, yet hoped I would avoid such a troublesome scenario. Every once in awhile, the summoning ritual produced a defective familiar that kept claiming it was a human, sometimes even arguing about being from another world.

    For some time, our best scholars, including the magnificent me, dedicated all of their attention towards researching whether any of these claims could be true. Countless years have been wasted collecting research samples and studying various cases of this occurrence, yet not a single one proved to be of any merit. All of the summoned creatures carried the characteristics of a familiar, and not a single one of them possessed any magic of their own... All humans possess at least some minuscule trace of magic.

    Therefore it was concluded that this phenomenon must have been caused by a fluctuation in the saturation level of magic in the air at the time of the ritual, affecting the nature of the familiar and turning it into a mimic. There were no actual problems with the familiar itself, other than the familiar being more annoying to train, as the trainer first had to break it¡¯s human facade first.

    Recollecting my knowledge on the topic, I reached for my arcane heart and recited the incantation again, my back turning towards the screaming little creature.

    I walked out of the room with a frown deepening on my face with each new shriek and sob. This day did not go as well as I hoped it would.

    ***[Three months later | POV: the familiar]***

    My name is Silvia Skye. No, that was my name. The only names I am allowed to respond to now are ¡°hey¡±, ¡°you¡± or ¡°familiar¡±.

    It feels as if it has been an eternity since I was brought to this place. The first few weeks were the worst, as I was tortured endlessly for every minor sign of disobedience towards the man. There were many times that I contemplated ending it all, only to fail miserably due to the foreign anatomy of this body and being punished by the mage severely.

    I have learned my lesson though, and soon enough started obeying his orders to the letter. Not only was I forbidden from dying, I wasn¡¯t even allowed to wallow in self-pity, something that was so characteristic of teenagers of my age back home.

    The cold hands of despair claimed me many times, yet the searing pain has always  made sure that I would obey my orders, willing or not.

    I still occasionally wonder what happened to me, to my family. The last thing I remember is riding home on a school bus with my friends when a truck suddenly toppled over, forcing the driver to steer the bus off the road. And then, there was darkness. Did I die on that day? If I did, was I reborn in this world?

    That doesn¡¯t make sense. Even though my body is tiny, it is not the body of a newborn, and I still carry all of my memories.

    I just want to see mom and dad again. I hope they are all right. I hope they didn¡¯t end up in a situation similar to mine. Oh god please let this all be a nightmare that I will wake up from.

    But I must not waste time on such idle thoughts. If the man discovers that I have been slacking off on my training, there will be hell to pay. The throes of pain after each punishment make it even harder for me to gather mana, inciting even more harsh punishment, so I must be diligent.

    I have tried asking master once about the purpose of my training, but he only told me in a cold voice, that I was meant to obey, not question. The pain that followed was meant to make sure, that I would not ask the same stupid question again.

    Lately, the mage has started teaching me simple spells, as if preparing me for something. I am not brave enough to ask for what, so all I can do is obey silently...

    *** [Few days later | POV: ?]***

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    ¡°I?¡±

    ¡°What is I?¡±

    I know this place. I don¡¯t like this place. I can remember this place. I can remember other places too... But I don¡¯t remember this feeling. What is it? It¡¯s as if suddenly something is different. I am scared. I don¡¯t like it. I don¡¯t like being scared. I don¡¯t like being here...

    Here comes the bad man. I remember. I remember the pain. The bad man...  I can¡¯t get out of here. I don¡¯t like it here¡­ I don¡¯t like the bad man.

    The bad man is saying something. I am not listening. But my body is. What is this feeling? What is different?

    I am different. I am moving even if I don¡¯t want to move. I am doing things. I can feel the things. I am hungry. I need more light, but the room is so dark.

    I can hear a voice. The voice is inside my head. It¡¯s thinking about the bad man¡­ a mage? Is it tasty? I am hungry.

    The voice is talking to itself. Thinking about things that don¡¯t make sense.

    I try talking to it, saying ¡°hello¡±. But my voice is so tiny. I can¡¯t hear it well. Can she not hear me?

    ***[A few months later]***

    Lately we¡¯ve finally been allowed to go outside! But no, we have not been freed. We have been assigned missions. Well, not ¡°we¡±, but the other me. I¡¯m just an extra that can¡¯t do anything.

    The other me is going into the forest, killing ¡°monsters¡±. Why is it killing them? They didn¡¯t do anything to the other me. I don¡¯t like killing, even if it¡¯s the other me. I think the other me doesn¡¯t like killing either. My body often cries at night.

    How do I know what crying is? I have been learning! I have seen images¡­ places. Places where Sylvia used to live. Who is Sylvia? It¡¯s the other me!

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    I have been hurt a few times. My hand was bit off by a huge wolf when the other me was being careless. But ¡°master¡± fed us some sparkly stones and the hand grew back. I still don¡¯t like feeling pain.

    I don¡¯t like eating the sparkly stones either, they taste¡­ wrong.

    But there¡¯s nothing I can do, I am just an extra. So I¡¯ve been learning. Learning from Sylvia. I learned to speak, and read, and think!

    We are hurt again now. It hurts!

    How can the man let us do such dangerous things?

    He is an evil man.

    ***[A year after the summoning ritual | POV: Familiar]***

    It has been a year since I started serving master. I have been slowly getting used to my life as a familiar, and I think I found my new purpose in life. Sure, it¡¯s not all pink and pretty, but it¡¯s my life now so there¡¯s no point in me complaining.

    I have gone through hell that would break any normal person. But here I am, happily cleaning master¡¯s room. Master¡¯s good to me, he only punishes me when I do something wrong. It¡¯s all my fault you know? For disobeying master. I deserve the punishments.

    But master has been behaving oddly as of late, murmuring to himself that the time of ascension was nigh. There is a lot I have yet to understand about master, so I didn¡¯t pay any serious attention to it. All in due time.

    Oh, here he comes. I beam my best smile at master. His eyes are cold as always but I know he¡¯s gentle inside. My gentle master is just too shy to show his kindness. The pain is there for my own good, making sure I don¡¯t do something stupid.

    It seems master has released me from my cleaning duties tonight. We¡¯re going down a long hallway towards a corridor I have been prohibited from entering ever since I was given free rein of the tower. Well, except for that corridor of course.

    ***

    I was getting excited at the prospect of learning something new, and followed master merrily.

    We entered an old, moldy room in the cellar. I had no recollection of this place, but it felt oddly familiar. The twisted black candles covered by a thick layer of dust gave the room an ominous feeling, but as I knew master, he probably just didn¡¯t bother cleaning up the place since he last used it in one of his experiments.

    [Go stand in the middle of that circle] said master, and I obliged immediately. It wouldn¡¯t do to spoil his good mood by being too tardy.

    As I readied myself for the ritual, a shiver ran up my spine. I was not being punished, was I? I have done nothing to displease master in a long time, but this was the first time I took part in one of his rituals, and I was understandably tense.

    But I calmed my beating heart, steadying my clashing emotions. I can¡¯t allow myself to falter here. I need to be of use to master.

    Master raised his voice in an incantation, as the circle crackled with otherworldly energies. Violet tendrils of energy wiggled across the cold, moldy floor, as if blindly searching for something.

    My heart pounded with an intensity that rivaled drums, scraping away my calm, collected facade with an ever increasing force. I was scared. I was so scared.

    As the hazy image of the tendrils steadied, they shot out and grabbed something within me. Suddenly, I could feel the old, familiar searing pain.

    [Ma...s...t...er, w...h...y?] I cried to the man staring at me, chanting his spell. But no response came, as the tentacles pulled at my soul. They were taking me! Was I to be discarded? Was I to be thrown away after all I have gone through? Was I unneeded?

    No, no no no NO nO n0 NOo00OoO! I will not be so easily discarded!

    Anger surged forth as I have come to the realisation that I will once again be reduced to nothingness, after all I have done for this man, in spite of the pain, the torture, and the treatment he has been giving me, as if I was not even a person.

    With the last of my strength, I stretched out my hand and managed to fire off a single mana bolt, the simplest of spells he has taught me. It would not harm him, but I would not go down without a fight!

    And then, I felt my soul leave the body I had inhabited for the past year, being dragged towards the floating ominous crystal that master used to always carry with him. I didn¡¯t want to go, I didn¡¯t want to¡­

    ***[30 minutes earlier | POV: the archmage]***

    To be honest, at first I was quite unsure whether the ritual would be a success. But I had no other choice, as I was refused over and over again by those damned tree shaggers. This was the first time in my long life of six hundred years that I was faced with an impasse.

    In my pursuit of knowledge, and by extension the ascension to the next step of human evolution, I have discovered a means to facilitate a change in the nature of human body that would allow for the birth of a completely new species, more powerful than any of the others.

    The problem was, that the ritual I devised would require countless incredibly rare reagents, the most difficult of which to obtain would be the heart of a powerful spirit. And the only ones capable of summoning such beings are the elves.

    And as expected, the pointy eared mushroom suckers refused me. They refused me over and over and OVER again until the king threatened me with cutting my research funding, had I not left the salad gobblers alone.

    But how was I ever going to get my hands on such an artefact without the help of someone who could summon it for me? I am an archmage, not some leafy berry muncher who plays pretend with spirits at being friends.

    My brilliance could not be defeated so easily, by such meager attempts at stopping my genius! If I couldn¡¯t find a nice strong spirit to gut, I would make one myself.

    Honestly, even securing a pixie, the lowest of the low among the spirits took everything I had, as spirit magic is usually only available to those of elven lineage, but with months of preparation I have managed to capture one of the blasted rodents.

    It was a tiny light elemental pixie. I was surprised at how cute it looked, with it¡¯s palm sized body and childish looks. The pixies in the books were always depicted with insect-like wings, or possibly butterfly ones, but this one had beautiful feathery wings made entirely out of pure white light.

    But alas, in spite of wasting months gathering the required spiritual energy, this was merely the beginning on the arduous road towards acquiring a powerful spirit, for the pixie was weak. In fact, the pixie spirits were such low-level creatures, that they did not even possess a mind of their own, operating merely on base instincts, swarming towards natural congregations of their element¡¯s mana. That was another thing I would have to fix. I would need to introduce other elements into the mix, but for that purpose elemental gems should do the trick.

    The problem was finding a way to train the pixie, for where there is no mind, there is no mechanism to process orders, or learn techniques. So I had to devise a ritual that would bind a familiar¡¯s soul to the pixie¡¯s body, giving it intelligence and allowing me to control it.

    The problem was, that as a rule familiars only ever possess dead bodies or golems, for there is rarely enough space for two souls to reside within a single vessel. To bind my familiar¡¯s soul to a living body, I would have to dabble into soul magic.

    Easier said than done though, as soulcraft was the forte of the mirage people, and me being an archmage had little to no power over matters of the soul. I could not risk others discovering my plans before their completion either, so the only choice I had left was to do it all on my own yet again.

    I have spent the following months researching into the topic of soul magicks, only finding traces of obscure knowledge. The mirage people guarded their secrets zealously, and it was not easy to devise the ritual, but I found a way. I always do.

    The price for obtaining that sort of power was steep though. Unlike spirit mana, which can be found in the nature freely, soul mana originated from a living being¡¯s soul. In order for an archmage to make use of such energies, he would have to use a medium.

    There was but one forbidden spell called the arcane heart, crystallizing almost all of one¡¯s magical energies, save for the little bit required to sustain his life, into an artefact powerful enough to withstand the forces of soul magic.

    The artefact would allow all the ambient energies to seep into it freely, feeding on them and growing stronger, but this artefact could be broken or stolen, taking away the utilised powers for good.

    There had been many unfortunate souls who have suffered this fate in the past, culminating into nation-wide witch hunts in blind pursuit of power, wealth and fame.

    But as I said, I had no other choice¡­

    Arriving at my destination, I merely waved towards my familiar and turned back into the hallway, the pixie merrily following me, the way I taught her to.

    I have grown fond of the little rodent over the course of the year we had spent together. She had served me faithfully, in spite of the harsh training I have forced upon her. I would contemplate finding her a new body once I¡¯m done with the ritual. One that is more fitting for my familiar. But for the time being, I will have to keep her inside of my arcane heart, until I can find a suitable replacement for her vessel.

    ***[After the ritual | POV: ?]***

    I could feel my life draining out of my body as the tentacles tore us away from each other. I have nearly succumbed to the enticing allure of darkness, threatening to take over, but the searing pain would not let me.

    As the ritual was nearing completion, the other me managed to scrape up the very last remains of our strength to shoot a simple mana bolt. A statement that we would not go down without a fight, even if it was a fight we had no hopes of winning.

    However the mana bolt did achieve something. In a momentary slip of the mage, caused by our unexpected resistance, his concentration wavered and the arcane tendrils pulled a just a bit harder than they should have.

    I felt a loud cracking sound reverberate throughout the core of my being, causing my existence to start crumbling. I could feel myself disappearing, while the other me faded into the hovering dark crystal.

    The mage was outraged. He was shouting, swearing and pacing around like a mad beast. And then, he rushed out of the room leaving me on the floor struggling to stay alive, my life bleeding out of me slowly.

    Turning my head towards my limp limbs, a lock of dark black hair slid from my forehead as it could not resist the force of gravity. I liked the color of my hair. It used to be silvery white though. Why is my hair black now?

    Such idle thoughts occupied my mind while I looked through my increasingly transparent hand. Is this how I die? Is this it? I have just awoken. I haven¡¯t even had the opportunity to experience how it feels to move my limbs. Is it perhaps too late now?

    A soft smile appeared on my face as I tried to move my fingers for the very first time. And they did. Pain was the price, but my body, for the first time in my life, moved according to my own will.

    ¡°I want to live¡± a single tear fell down my face. ¡°I want to live¡± I repeated in despair.

    Throughout my life as the observer of the other me, I have learned a great many things, some of which I would have preferred being oblivious to, such as the concept of death.

    ¡°NO!¡± I screamed in a hoarse animalistic voice.

    ¡°NO!¡± I repeated, commanding my body to move. I had to do something. Anything. I will not die here, I will live and experience life.

    As I slowly lifted my dying body off the cold, filthy floor, my eyes rested upon the accursed crystal, still hovering up in the air, as if it in mockery of my limp wings.

    I could feel the energy seeping from the contraption. I could feel MY energy inside of that accursed thing. I would NOT let it have it. I would not let the time I have spent a prisoner in my own body be wasted for some greedy man¡¯s folly.

    I gathered all my remaining strength, and flapped my wings. Once, twice, I was slowly gaining altitude, rushing towards the artefact. A feeling not unlike agony attacked my senses as I collided with it, feeling the remains of my life being consumed by the darkness within. I would not let it have what it wants. It wants to consume me? I will consume it instead!

    I wasn¡¯t thinking clearly as my teeth sunk into the rock hard surface of the jewel, as I heard a roar of anger and pain resound across the halls of the tower. He knew.

    The first bite was the most difficult. Swallowing the hard substance felt as if I was trying to eat rocks, which technically wasn¡¯t wrong. With each bite I took, I grew stronger, yet I could also feel the energies stored within the artefact changing me.

    I could not afford to waver now, for the screams of anger were drawing nearer. In a last ditch effort, I gobbled up the remaining piece, feeling my pain slowly fading, and my broken core being replaced by something... different.

    ¡°Run¡± a soft voice whispered within my mind, warning me of the approaching danger, yet before I could muster up my strength one more time to escape, the crashing sound of splintered wood deafened me.

    I snapped my head towards the source of the sound and saw the mage¡¯s figure standing where the massive door once used to be. His face was the manifestation of rage, and he was breathing heavily and wheezing very loudly. He seemed to be in pain, as his shoulder was rested on the door frame, not moving at all.

    [To think that the freaking beast would go after my arcane heart to repair the broken core¡­ I was careless.] murmured the mage, apparently talking to himself.

    [No matter, after I gut you and take out your heart, I will finally be able to ascend, and none of this will matter in the least.] a maniacal grin spreading across his face.

    Has he already forgotten about Silvia? About us? Or did he not care in the first place.

    I had to escape this man, and I had to escape him fast. But these accursed markings on my skin prevented me from returning to my spiritual form. The only relief in this whole situation was that he would no longer be able to inflict that horrid pain on me without his precious crystal.

    The man suddenly started moving, but he didn¡¯t appear to be in a rush. He was just slowly limping towards me, as if he didn¡¯t even consider that I could try to escape him. Then it hit me. He still thinks I¡¯m just an empty husk acting on an impulse!

    This realisation just presented me with the only opportunity I would have to turn tails and run from this psycho. I will just have to wait for the right moment when he¡¯s far enough from the door, yet not close enough to me.

    Then my face froze in fear. The man stood stiffened, looking straight into my eyes, which were darting between him and the door.

    ¡°Oh god, he knows!¡± I panicked as I darted off with all my might.

    His hand reached for me, but only managed to brush one of my wings briefly as I rushed for the door. The sudden force threw me off and I ended up crashing into the wall in the hallway. The man was immediately upon me.

    Feeling scared out of my mind, I called upon the element I was most familiar with, as the hallway got covered by a blinding light, temporarily confusing the mage. Making use of this tiny opening, I ran away at full speed.

    I knew the insides of the tower like the back of my own hand, as we used to clean it¡¯s every nook and cranny daily. I also knew that I would never be able to escape from the front door, as it was usually kept locked to prevent intruders. But one of my wings was hurt in the crash and I was unsure whether I would be able to keep flying for long.

    I had no other options though, as falling to my death would still be preferable to being butchered alive by this madman.

    To make absolutely sure he would not have time to follow me, I started climbing up to the top of the tower, his bellowing shouts echoing across the empty halls as he regained his sight.

    My whole body was hurting, but none of it could compare to the pain in my right wing. But I had to keep up this pace, or else he¡¯d catch up to me.

    Then suddenly, a blast of arcane energy arced millimeters from my face. The sudden gust of wind that followed in it¡¯s trajectory sweeped my wings from under me and I started plummeting towards the ground.

    I closed my eyes and expected an impact, but none came. As I opened my eyes, I could see the red face of the mage shouting at me from the window of a tower, as I kept falling.

 Chapter 2 - Resolve

    The crystal clear water of a tiny, yet lively stream glittered with the touch of early sunlight, livening up the tranquil landscape of the surrounding verdant green forest with it¡¯s joyful trickling. It¡¯s turquoise-blue surface splashed merrily against the sharp rocks embedded in the otherwise lush river bank, overgrown with all kinds of wildflowers and ferns. A handful of petite rounded pebbles seemed to swirl around chaotically as the vigorous undercurrents whisked them around, along their way to a small pond.

    A gentle gust of wind rustled the young leaves crowning the majestic oaks, perhaps praising them for providing shelter to this breath-takingly beautiful scenery with their thick, healthy branches. They have been standing vigil over this fertile land for ages, together with their faithful companions, the withered mossy stones, which in turn provided refuge for those of the animal kingdom, who would otherwise find themselves lost within the sea of dense undergrowth.

    However, the wind itself still carried a hint of chill, a remnant of the days of winter that have come to pass not too long ago. The last patches of snow were mere memories now, but mother nature still remembered them well.

    There was but one thing amiss within this sanctuary of life. It would appear, that the jovial stream, always the little rascal, has brought along with it an uninvited, though not unwelcome guest. The visitor did not appear to be showing any signs of life, but then again, those of the fae descent possess neither the heartbeat, nor the need to breathe of other living beings.

    It would appear, that our tiny visitor¡¯s time of slumber was nearing it¡¯s end, as the little pixie finally showed signs of movement.

    ***[POV: the pixie]***

    A feeling of urgency and dread the likes of which I have never experienced before were the first two things to greet me in the morning, as I woke up in an unfamiliar place.

    ¡°The Mage!¡±

    The thought rang in my mind the very moment my hazy consciousness regained some of it¡¯s usual focus. I started frantically looking around, searching for the visage of the one man I needed to avoid at any, and all costs. He was nowhere to be seen, but that did not mean he wasn¡¯t close. I needed to hurry up and run!

    A pained whimper escaped my mouth as I forced my bruised and battered body to move, pushing my shaky hands underneath the freezing cold water in an attempt to stand up and keep moving. My limp, aching wings were drenched through and through, adding a whole new layer of difficulty to the task at hand, but I did not care. I pushed with all my might, raising little by little above the surface, but I lost balance as my hand slipped on a submerged stone that I have been using as support, sending me right back below the waters of the shallow pond.

    A cry that was a mix of agitation, anguish, frustration and fear forced it¡¯s way out of me, but I didn¡¯t relent in my efforts. If I couldn¡¯t stand up, I would crawl.

    ¡°Just a little¡­ more!¡±

    I was panting heavily by the time I felt the good old dry ground beneath the scraped, aching palms of my hands. Getting out of the water took all I had and it was merely the beginning of what was waiting ahead of me. But I had no time to spare, and I was afraid, so very afraid. The overpowering fright had cast a shadow on my mind, pushing all thoughts but those of escaping out of the reach of my reason.

    ¡°He¡¯s coming. He¡¯s coming for me. He¡¯s coming to kill me!¡± my head was repeating that one thought, over and over again, like a broken record. The injuries, the exhaustion, the hunger, the pain¡­ all irrelevant. Even if I could no longer fly, I would use my two feet to run. If I couldn¡¯t run anymore, I would crawl, I would grovel and I would bite the ground with my teeth and pull myself forth would the rest of my body stop listening to me.

    ¡°I! WILL! GET! AWAY!¡±

    I took a deep breath and gathered all of my remaining strength. It was nothing short of a miracle that I did somehow manage to stand up. All the muscles in my body screamed in protest of this foolishness, but the pain was nothing compared to what would be waiting for me if I stayed here.

    Right foot, left foot, and then right again. I took my first, shaky and unsteady steps, not unlike those of a newborn calf. They were slow, and unsightly, but they felt liberating. I was running away at last.

    ***

    A sudden jolt of pain brought clarity back to my hazy mind, as my injured right wing brushed against an old, dried up branch laying atop the forest floor. I had no idea how long I have been walking. I wasn¡¯t paying attention. I was too scared to look back and I didn¡¯t care where I was headed in the first place. All I wanted was to run away.

    But now that I have finally managed to calm down a little bit, I felt so incredibly tired. I was hurt pretty badly, and it felt as if I couldn¡¯t take even a single step further without collapsing on the spot.

    ¡°What am I doing¡­¡± I sighed loudly, feeling the last traces of determination snap beneath the weight of the overwhelming exhaustion.

    ¡°I can¡¯t run away from someone so much bigger than me on these two tiny feet.¡±

    I felt like giving up. I just wanted to rest. I needed to take a break, replenish my energy.

    For a second, I was nearly overcome with the desire to let myself faint right where I stood, but I steeled my mind and decided to find a suitable spot to recover from my fatigue first.

    Taking a good long look at my surroundings, I spotted a rocky mound of irregularly shaped pale boulders assert it¡¯s dominance over the otherwise level landscape. The stones were being bathed in the glory of the sun, it¡¯s warm golden rays penetrating the greedy dense canopy, giving the scene an almost mythical atmosphere. Oh how I longed to dive into that radiant stream of light that felt like home.

    If I was to collapse and die somewhere, let it be there, surrounded by what I love the most in this world.

    I could almost feel the pain fading as I lifted my feet anew. Even if my body didn¡¯t feel any better, I could tell I sported a brand new smile on my lips.

    ***

    My body collapsed the very moment I felt the familiar heat touch my skin. Afterwards it didn¡¯t take much longer for my mind to venture into the realm of dreams. My heart was calm, and for the first time in a long while, I felt an almost imperceptible tinge of happiness bloom in my heart.

    ***

    A sudden feeling of alarm, of something bad, REALLY bad happening sent a cold shiver down my spine, waking me up from my sleep.

    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong¡± surfaced in my mind as I once again succumbed to the state of panic, hurriedly searching my surroundings for any signs of hostile movement. But there was nothing.

    I still couldn¡¯t get the danger off my mind, but I couldn¡¯t place it. There was nothing around me that I could attribute my current condition to, yet here it was, and it was here to stay.

    Trying my best not to fall victim to paranoia, I stood up, remaining vigilant of any possible impending attacks. And yet still, nothing happened.

    Relaxing a little bit, though not completely, I noticed that the sun has moved quite a bit of a distance on it¡¯s journey across the skies, leaving me behind in the shade.

    [So heartless¡­] I complained to the blob of plasma floating high above, not really expecting an answer.

    I have recovered, though not nearly enough to be at my full strength. In the first place, what strength did I even possess? I was always merely an observer, never doing anything myself, be it moving, fighting or¡­ living.

    To rid myself of the bad thoughts invading my mind, I decided to take a stroll and catch up to the one thing I craved more than any other - light.

    But the sun¡¯s position was bad and merely a trickle of light managed to pass through the wall of leaves that stretched above my head. If I wanted to bathe in it¡¯s splendor for even a moment longer, I¡¯d either have to climb up the rocky mound, or one of the towering trees.

    Going with the easier option, I started unsteadily ascending up the coarse, dry stones. I was being very careful at first, making sure to always find stable footing, not to slip on one of the mossy patches covering the rough surface. But with each new step, I gained confidence in my movements, and started getting bolder.

    That, however, was a mistake. A mistake that led to my downfall... or in other words, a pebble gave way underneath my feet as I was reaching the top and I got to know mister rock fairly intimately, with my face.

    As I was lamenting my clumsiness, mainly via the ache on my face, I heard something that would make my heart stop, was it beating in the first place.

    [Hisssssssss]

    Slowly turning my head towards the source of the sound, I found myself staring into the abyss of darkness within a pair of bright yellow slitted eyes, and that darkness was staring right back at me.

    [Hisssssss]

    I swear I could see all colour drain from the world. My insides clenched and tightened, as unknown pressure assaulted my throat, threatening to spill out of me... could I actually vomit fear?

    [HISSSSSSSSSS]

    Running, screaming, crying, begging, if I could, I would do any of those, but I just stood there frozen in place, for that was the only action my stiffened body permitted.

    The snake way eying me, unsure of what I was. I was extremely lucky to still be alive after disturbing the creature¡¯s rest. Agitated snakes usually strike first, and ask questions later, or so suggested Silvia¡¯s memories. However, these few precious extra seconds of my life were apparently all that my luck amounted to, for I saw no way to escape this situation.

    In a flash, everything changed. I could see the snake striking at me, it¡¯s long pointy teeth dripping with venom piercing my body.

    ¡°Noo!¡±

    Closing my eyes, perhaps for the very last time, I stood in fear, genuinely expecting never to see the light of the day again. But then a tiny, weak voice whispered to me: ¡°run you fool!¡±.

    A sudden surge of power rushed into my body, breaking the chains of fear that bound my limbs in place, and just in the nick of time, I managed to dive sideways, barely avoiding the snake¡¯s jaws of death.

    The force of the sudden jump sent me over the edge of the mound. Trying desperately to lessen the impact of the impending landing, I spread my wings wide in an attempt to decelerate.

    My right wing was still in no condition to fly, but at the very least I managed to transform my free fall into a glide, albeit one that was rapidly losing altitude.

    I landed with a tumble, shooting out from my crouching position into a sprint, not daring to turn around to see whether the snake decided to give chase.

    And then I ran again. I ran, and I ran, and I ran some more. I didn¡¯t stop running until I stumbled upon a modest forest clearing, only then finding it within me to look back to check whether the snake ended up following me.

    Confirming that I was safe... for the moment, I started weighing my options. I needed to find a safe place to rest and recover fully, for I would not survive this forest without the use of my wings.

    Then I stopped thinking, frozen in place by the sudden revelation. For the first time since my escape, I realised that I was not alone within these ancient woods. There were predators; wolves, foxes, wild cats, birds of prey, and¡­ and¡­ snakes.

    ¡°What am I doing...¡± I hung my head down in shame. I have been blindly running from danger that I could not see, that maybe wasn¡¯t even there in the first place¡­ would the mage actually dare venture into these woods without any magic to protect himself with? No, he still had some magic left in him, and I definitely shouldn¡¯t underestimate his obstinacy.

    Still, I ended up getting into a situation that might have culminated with my death. I wasn¡¯t thinking at all, the days I spent learning from Silvia utterly wasted, and for what? Just so that I could get a couple hundred meters away from where I started? How dumb could I get before I ended up killing myself¡­

    A sudden rustle from the dense bushes across the flowery meadow interrupted the onset of depression that was poised to claw at my sanity with it¡¯s poisonous mocking voice, once again reminding me of where I was, and what I needed to do. Alert and ready, I crouched, prepared to flee the moment the enemy revealed itself.

    But the rustle subsided as quickly as it had arrived, leaving me startled and weary.

    There would be time to reflect upon my shortcomings later, provided I¡¯ll somehow manage to pull through this situation.

    Realising that nothing was coming, I decided to find a safe spot to recover once again, and so I started searching for any clues that might help me pick a suitable one.

    The first option that I came up with was something that was almost instinctual to all of my kin. Most spirits don¡¯t find themselves in predicaments like this. How so? Well, they rarely have physical bodies after all. It¡¯s just that I have spent such a long time inside of this body of ours, that I have nearly forgotten how it feels to be free of it¡¯s constraints. Seeing as I have already¡­ ¡°disposed¡± of the amulet that the mage used to cast his spells, it wouldn¡¯t be unrealistic for the spell that bound me to this body to have already dissipated, right?

    But the moment I tried escaping the hold of this physical vessel of mine, the accursed marks flared with violet light, forcefully pulling me back, not allowing the release I craved.

    I was angry, oh so angry. I was fed up with my aching body, with this forest, with everything. Channeling all that pent up anger, I tried letting go of my body once more. I could feel the threads of the spell pulling me back, blocking my way out, but I threw all that burning rage and boiling frustration at them, my raging soul biting, and kicking, and struggling like a mad beast! I just wanted to vent, I wasn¡¯t expecting anything to happen. But something did. Something snapped at that moment, with a bang.

    [Oh¡­] escaped my mouth as I felt the force that bound me to this plane of existence lessen ever so slightly. I looked at my forearms, marks on them slowly fading into nothingness. After inspecting my body more closely, I discovered that the marks on my shins were now a thing of the past as well.

    With renewed determination, I tried even harder. I struggled, cursed, and shouted¡­ the marks didn¡¯t budge in the slightest. I was not strong enough to break them yet.

    If I were to continue like this, I would only exhaust myself before I could find a place to sleep. Dejected, I decided to move on.

    Feeling a little hopeful, perhaps encouraged by the little glide from earlier, I tried flapping my wings once, but the piercing pain that shot up my back seemed to disagree with this notion. If anything, the glide has made it worse.

    In the end I had to resort to my last option. I had to try and search through the memories we shared with Silvia, the ones of our ¡°adventures¡± in the forest. I didn¡¯t like those. There was a lot of pain to be remembered there, and a lot of killing as well.

    The expression on my face as I went through each and every single one of them, or at least the ones that I could recall, probably wasn¡¯t pleasant in the slightest, and it must have gotten even worse when after scouring each of them several times over, I was forced to accept that I still held no answers to my question. I was out of options.

    ¡°I am lost.¡±

    I had no idea how to get out of this situation. We never had any survival training, be it in Silvia¡¯s previous life, or this one. The mage would always require of us to return to the tower before sunset, and her previous life ended, well, prematurely.

    I looked up at the sky, feeling despair carving it¡¯s ugly mark on my soul, as the first tear rolled down my cheek.

    [I want to go home.]

    I wanted to see my kin, to dance with them once again under the light of the moon. To welcome each and every new day with laughter and happiness. To feel the gentle caress of sun, all the while racing towards distant horizons basked in the rays of it¡¯s light.

    ¡°I want to go home.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t even see my brethren with these eyes of flesh that I was cursed with now. I felt alone, so alone. Even Silvia was gone. Her presence alone made it possible for me to bear the crushing loneliness throughout the days of my imprisonment. And now, she has left me too.

    I was alone, abandoned.

    ***

    Deciding that it was better to look for a sanctuary on a high ground, as that would at the very least provide me with some measure of safety against the bigger, land-bound predators, I climbed up an old, crooked tree, reaching for an abandoned nest.

    Hugging my knees tightly, I curled into a ball. I wanted the world to disappear even if only for a moment, to let me wrestle with my grief. But I dared not cover myself with my wings, unwilling to obstruct my field of vision in case one of the flying predators decided to attack me while I was vulnerable.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be here.¡±

    ***

    My peaceful sleep was interrupted by the sound of loud croaking and angry cawing. I must have nodded off, as it was already deep at night. The all-encompassing darkness that had descended upon the forest hid whatever was happening from my sight, but I could make out the shape of an old, grizzled raven, it¡¯s glossy feathers reflecting the little light that remained. It appeared to be frantically attacking something, and that ¡°something¡± was climbing up the rugged trunk of the tree that I was resting on.

    As my sight slowly adjusted to the lack of light, I laid my eyes upon the elongated body of a snake, that was slowly, but steadily making it¡¯s way up towards my temporary base.

    I must have still been sleepy, as this time, panic didn¡¯t claim me as easily as it did before. Instead, I just observed the whole situation calmly, as if it wasn''t me that was in danger at that moment, as if... it didn''t even matter.

    The ancient bird didn¡¯t relent in it¡¯s attacks, raiding the snake¡¯s position time and time again, it¡¯s sharp claws and razor beak slowing the serpent¡¯s ascent. The snake was in a desperate situation, and was soon faced with having to make a choice. It would either retreat, or risk injury.

    The serpent apparently arrived at the conclusion, that I was simply not worth the trouble. Then it turned around and left.

    Turning my head groggily towards the approaching sound of flapping wings, I saw the glistening black feathers fold along the raven¡¯s body, as it landed mere centimeters away from me.

    There the ghastly grim and ancient raven perched and sat, and nothing more.

    At first, it merely tilted it¡¯s head with a curious look on it¡¯s face, perhaps pondering over what to do with the little creature that laid claim to it¡¯s nest, but then it nudged me very gently, a signal for me to make space.

    I was still unsure whether any of this was even real, it all might have been just a dream, brought about by my wish to be protected, mixed with the emotions I experienced in the aftermath of the encounter with the slithering predator during the day.

    Perhaps I might have been too exhausted to think clearly, or perhaps it all unfolded just too fast for my reason to get a chance to kick in and slap the hell out of the drowsy, defenseless me, but I ended up thoughtlessly moving over, allowing the raven to join me inside of the nest.

    Together there, high atop the tree, the two of us headed off into the realm of dreams.

    ***[POV: the old raven]***

    The old raven returned from it¡¯s hunt only to find it¡¯s nest occupied by what seemed to be an oddly shaped bird. The creature looked sickly, most of the feathers on it¡¯s body probably having fallen out because of an illness, only the ones on it¡¯s wings remaining. But there was something else ailing the visitor, the raven could tell. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    You wouldn¡¯t live to become an old hunter in these woods if you could not tell which prey was the easiest to catch, and discerning the health of it¡¯s targets was just one of the many skills the raven had acquired over the course of it¡¯s long life.

    But the raven wasn¡¯t hungry right now, as it had just returned from a successful hunt. Unwilling to risk catching whichever disease troubled the oddly shaped bird, the ancient bird decided to wait, and see. Patience was, after all, another important virtue for a hunter to have.

    It perched atop one of the higher branches, observing the creature curiously. It has been a long time since her nest was occupied by anyone besides herself. A long time indeed...

    It didn¡¯t always use to be like that. There was life, there were her young, there was her mate. But that all came to an end when one day, she returned to their home only to find a snake swallowing the last of her family.

    She was enraged, she wanted to attack it, to destroy it, but the snake was too big and she was too weak. All she could do was chase it away, away from their home that now housed only her, and the hollow solitude that remained where once life was.

    The tiny creature reminded her of those times. Small, weak, just like herself back then, just like her young. The raven found itself staring at the sickly invader, somehow completely missing the silvery glimmer that ran across it¡¯s skin.

    And so, she continued observing the little sleeping thing, as the last light of the day parted it¡¯s way with the very tops of the highest trees.

    ***

    It was the deepest part of night, when neither the glitter of the milky stars, nor the glow of the silvery pale moon could penetrate the charcoal-black darkness that took hold of her homeland, as her keen eyes spotted movement along the trunk of the tree.

    It was here again, to claim something that was hers by right. She would not let the beast have it this time.

    ***[POV: the pixie]***

    [AaaAAAaaAa!] A bloodcurdling scream pierced the chilly morning air. The origin of the scream, me, was staring in horror at the gargantuan bird that was currently laying right next to me.

    The raven obviously got startled by the scream, for it took no longer than a second for the creature to scurry off in a panicked flight, leaving me behind. However, it didn¡¯t take long for the bird to find it¡¯s bearings, as it glared at me angrily, grumpy that I disturbed it¡¯s peaceful sleep.

    Looping around the tree several times, the raven made sure there was no hidden danger lurking in the shadows before returning to the nest.

    [Eeek¡­] I shrieked as it approached me again. The raven seemed to have come to some sort of understanding of it¡¯s own, as instead of landing, which was undoubtedly it¡¯s original intention, it just glided past me, heading off towards the other side of the meadow.

    At first I was feeling glad to be rid of the danger looming over me, but then I remembered what happened last night.

    ¡°So it wasn¡¯t a dream after all¡­¡± I froze up, a stiff expression appearing on my face.

    ¡°Did I just spend a night nestled up against a deadly predator?¡± I couldn¡¯t believe how careless I was! But there was another question that popped up in my head following soon afterwards.

    ¡°If so, then how come I am still alive?¡±

    ¡°Was the raven truly protecting me? Or was it just keeping me fresh for a quick snack later?¡±

    I didn¡¯t get much of a chance to contemplate the implications of either of the two options any further, as the raven returned swiftly to the nest. And it was not alone.

    [Hurk...] I nearly vomited as the bird dropped a bloodied carcass of a small rodent right in front of me. It was still twitching!

    Looking at me expectantly, the bird nudged it¡¯s catch, turning it around in the process and exposing it¡¯s yellow teeth and torn belly, guts spilling out of it in a nightmarish fashion.

    [Aaaaaaaaa!] I screamed, expelling all the air I held within my lungs. The raven only looked at me patiently, waiting.

    ¡°This is disgusting! How could it do such a thing to an innocent creature!¡± I felt hot tears drip from my eyes, as agitation slowly turned into pure, unrestrained anger. Turning my eyes filled to the brim with disgust towards the demon, I started shouting:

    [HOW COULD YOU!] I raised my voice seething with rage. And yet the raven remained calm, patiently waiting, the expectant look in it¡¯s eyes remaining steadfast in face of my fury.

    [It might have had a family! Children!]

    ¡°This demon! This beast! This murderer!¡± I fumed, wrath being the sole playwright of this scene, scripting every word my mouth faithfully repeated, but it didn¡¯t look like any of my emotional turmoil was actually getting through that thick skull of hers.

    ¡°Is this creature really any different from the snake?¡± I despaired for a moment.

    The raven seemed to be fed up with waiting, as it hopped sideways a couple of times, ending up right behind me. And then, once again I could feel the gentle nudge of it¡¯s beak on my back, patient and caring.

    There was no patience or caring to be found within me at that moment though. The flame of rage was burning bright within my heart, and wasn¡¯t ready to give in just yet.

    I flailed around in denial of it¡¯s intentions, blind fury driving me. I hit it with my fists again and again, but I lacked the strength to do any real damage to the beast. It was as if a newborn wanted to spar with a veteran warrior. The raven simply stood there, taking it all.

    Exhausting myself once more, I finally managed to calm down. The raven simply nudged me once again, and then at last, the truth of the situation dawned on me...

    The raven was, after all, my saviour. And now it was just trying to feed the weak, incompetent me, wasn''t it? I shouldn¡¯t have tried to fault it for trying to help me, for trying to survive¡­ I was being unreasonable... again.

    ¡°I¡¯m horrible.¡± The regret fell heavily on me. I was an ingrate.

    The raven once again nudged me gently, reminding me of the fact that the one minding my earlier attitude wasn¡¯t my benefactor herself, but me alone.

    Snapping out of my daze, I turned to look at the carcass in front of me again. Eating was not something I needed to do to survive, but the concept was not foreign to me either. I used to eat the shiny stones, the elemental gems as the mage had called them before, whenever I got hurt, or spent my mana. Could eating perhaps aid in my recovery this time as well?

    I felt disgusted at the notion, but it would also serve as a way to make amends. And I knew I had to try, to repent somehow. If not for the one I had wronged unjustly, then for myself.

    It also wouldn¡¯t be nice of me to waste the sacrifice of the rodent, unwilling as it may have been. I reached out with my hands, grabbing onto the meat dripping with lifesblood, as I sunk my teeth into the flesh.

    It took all my mental strength to suppress the urge to vomit as I bit into the body of another, a body that was now void of life, for my sake alone. I tried tearing off a small strip of flesh off the side of the carcass, the taste of iron spreading through my mouth, but my jaw simply wasn¡¯t up to the task.

    The raven, as always mindful of my needs, assisted. It pecked a tiny bit of meat off the corpse and laid it in front of me.

    Picking it up, I readied myself as I felt the nausea return in force. Unwilling to waste my newly acquired friend¡¯s favor, I started chewing.

    At first I had trouble swallowing the tough, uncooked meat, but soon enough I got used to it. After the first few gulps, I started feeling invigorated. I couldn¡¯t even imagine how hungry my body must have been.

    ¡°But how?¡± my body was not supposed to be able to experience the feeling of hunger. I knew that this was crucially important to my continued existence as a spirit, and would need to find an answer to this question sooner rather than later, but then, ravenous hunger assaulted my stomach. Losing all semblance of reason, like a starving beast, I threw myself at the prey, and feasted.

    ***

    When I finally came to, there was barely anything left of the body, save for bare bones and a few patches of fur scattered around the nest. The raven had a proud look on her face, as if she had achieved something of significance.

    On the other hand, the emotion I was experiencing was that of pure horror.

    [What have I¡­ become?]

    ***

    I had spent the rest of the day in silent recuperation. In order to recover from the injuries sustained during my escape, I would normally have to gather my corresponding element¡¯s mana, or take it from another source, but it would seem that the meal from earlier somehow managed to accelerate the rate of my natural regeneration. And that was merely the beginning of all the effects the meat had on my body. I felt stronger, my reflexes got faster and my mind was crystal clear.

    The most surprising of all, however, was that I had, for the the first time in my life, actually grown. I failed to notice any difference at first, but when I stood up, I could tell from my heightened line of sight.

    Throughout the day, the raven has left the nest several times, flying off into the distance, only to return a few hours later with yet another catch.

    During the times she wasn¡¯t gone, my friend seemed to be content with merely observing me, and for that I was thankful. I was unsure of what to think of my present condition, and neither the endless supply of food, nor my unceasing hunger helped in my attempts to reach some kind, any kind of conclusion about what was happening to me at all.

    I could not stop myself from indulging in the sin of gluttony, but I felt repulsion towards the act of sustaining my own life with the life of another. With each mouthful of food that I swallowed, the feeling slowly subsided though, and near the end, I had finally come to terms with it.

    I could not be the selfless creature that I yearned to be. I have become selfish¡­ perhaps I have always been.

    ¡°I might not like the fact, but I MUST accept it, or I will not survive.¡±

    ***

    [Amazing] I muttered beneath my nose as I flapped my wings. Once, twice¡­ I could barely feel any pain at all.

    ¡°It¡¯s healing so fast...¡± I mused as a small, timid chuckle left my smiling lips.

    ¡°This is soo nice.¡± ran through my head as I tried flapping my wings a bit harder. But I stopped there. Even though the pain in my right wing was mostly gone, I could feel that it was still a bit weak, and would require some more time to make a full recovery.

    Turning my head around, I tried looking for something, anything to distract myself with. There has been far too much going on in my life as of late, and I needed some other thoughts to freshen up my overburdened psyche. Seeing as I didn¡¯t want to tackle my inner demons just yet, I tried looking for some kind of entertainment. That¡¯s what people in Silvia¡¯s memories did when times were tough, and I saw no reason to disagree with their methods.

    Throughout my life inside of the mage¡¯s tower, I had free access to Silvia¡¯s memories. That¡¯s years of content! Sure, not all of it was amazing, but some bits and pieces were really interesting.

    When I first awakened, I couldn¡¯t understand much of what was going on, so I simply went through the memories of all the pretty places she had visited. Crimson sunsets, vibrant forests, lively parks, wondrous cities¡­ I couldn''t get enough of it. But those memories ran out pretty fast. Apparently, she wasn¡¯t much of a traveler.

    The rest of her memories didn¡¯t make any sense to me back then, as I couldn¡¯t understand all of the words, and any of the writings. So I had to learn. The first few years of her life taught me much of what it feels like to have a loving family, to experience life for the first time.

    But as she slowly grew up, many of the wonders of the world lost their appeal somehow, being replaced by the dreary reality of stereotypical routine. What she wanted to do was no longer as relevant as what she had to do, so she started escaping into the world of books. I could not read back then, but she seemed so happy. It inspired me, and awakened within me the thirst for knowledge she possessed as well.

    ¡°Oh how I miss her¡­¡± I sighed. This wasn¡¯t helping at all. Even my happy memories were turning sour now, so I turned my attention towards something that remained good in my life so far, my new friend.

    She was sleeping soundly right next to me, so I just pulled closer, snuggled up, and started drifting off to sleep myself.

    ***[The next day]***

    After what felt like an eternity, but was in fact only a few short days, I was soaring the vast skies once again. And after what indeed was a long time, I wasn¡¯t flying alone. I had a friend with me this time.

    Feeling the refreshing sensation of a playful wind caressing the feathers on my now completely healed wings, I reveled in the freedom that I was denied before due to my injuries. This time, I held my emotions firmly in check though, as the memory of the snake¡¯s attack was still freshly etched in my mind.

    ¡°I will not let myself go out of control like that EVER again.¡± too emotional, too careless, I was being simply too naive, and it nearly cost me the ultimate price. Even now, I had to be careful not to draw the attention of the aerial predators, such as hawks and eagles.

    I had no idea whether they inhabited this part of the forest, but I would not let myself find out the hard way.

    ¡°I might be bigger now, after all those meals perhaps even slightly larger than the raven that I now call a friend, but that is no excuse to get conceited. Slow and steady wins the race.¡±

    Deciding that the brief moment of bliss had to suffice, I landed back inside of our nest. It was time for another meal.

    ***[Two weeks later]***

    I had spent the next few weeks getting stronger, both physically and mentally. The food that my friend provided me with boosted my growth so much, that I could barely fit inside of the nest that would normally house a family of ravens, when we both went to sleep at the same time.

    But there was something else that was bothering me as well. My control over the element of light had undergone a transformation. I couldn¡¯t really tell whether it was for the better, or worse. All I knew, was that I was somehow starting to sense the other elements around me as well, and it was overwhelming. I felt as if a whole new dimension of colors, sensations and stimuli opened up to me, and they all rushed inside of my head, demanding attention.

    I did remember that Silvia made use of all the elements when she was still in control of my body, but I always thought that to be because of all the training she had undergone under the tutelage of the mage. Honestly, now I was regretting browsing through her memories instead of paying attention to the lectures, as I could have used some spells of my own.

    Adjusting to my new powers therefore wasn¡¯t easy, but in spite of all the distractions, I did somehow manage to retain a presence of mind that allowed me to slowly absorb them into me, strengthening me even further. This left me exhausted, and starving, so I ended up eating even more than before.

    ***

    Over the course of the past two weeks, I have noticed a change in my friend. She seemed to be getting¡­ weaker. At first, the difference was negligible, but yesterday she faltered as she was landing at our nest and almost fell down the tree. That got me worried about the state of her health, so I started observing her closer.

    Her majestic wings seemed to be lacking strength, as her masterful flight appeared to have become merely an apparition of what it used to be when I saw her for the first time, her glistening glamorous feathers becoming dull and sickly, and above all else, she appeared to be getting thinner.

    ¡°How have I not noticed this sooner?¡±

    ¡°Wait, with all the food she always brought to me, did she even get a chance to eat properly herself?¡± I paled, horrified at the dreadful revelation that announced itself to me immediately afterwards.

    ¡°Am I being a parasite on her?¡± I had decided to accept my selfishness, but I would never accept myself thriving at the cost of my friend¡¯s well being!

    [I, I¡­ have to leave.] Yes, I had to leave, lest risk becoming a nuisance that would end up killing my only friend.

    But I couldn¡¯t bring myself to. I needed her. Without her, I would be lost, hopeless and¡­ alone. Was there no other choice? Could I not think of another way to solve this situation?

    ¡°There has to be a way!!! Yes, if I go hunt alone and bring enough food for the both of us, I will be allowed to stay. Yes, now I will be the one caring for her, repaying the favour. It will work¡­¡±

    [... but it¡¯s getting dark already, I won¡¯t be able to catch anything in the darkness¡­ In the morning, YES, in the morning I¡¯ll go and catch us some breakfast!] I muttered in a daze.

    Turning my head towards my friend, I looked at her sickly visage with regret in my eyes. I would make it right come tomorrow.

    I snuggled up to her, trying to ease the pain in my chest. It wasn¡¯t helping, but that was all well. The pain would remain there to remind me that I must make things right when I open my eyes again.

    ***

    The raven stirred, waking up both of us at the same time. It was deep at night, but unlike before, I could see quite well in the darkness. An after effect of my evolution, no doubt.

    And because of my improved sight, I could tell the reason my friend was being nervous. Our old nemesis has decided to come pay us a midnight visit, yet again.

    Perhaps because of the intenseguilt that I was feeling, or maybe because of my budding overconfidence that I failed to extinguish in spite of my best efforts, I decided to take a course of action I would normally never even consider.

    I was going to fight.

    [This is our nest, creature. This is our home, and this is MY family. You are not welcome here!] I hissed at the approaching predator, firing myself up for what was to come.

    The raven took off immediately, but she did not head for the snake. That was good, for this was my fight alone. I would protect her!

    I was not the tiny weak creature the snake tried to eat before. I was bigger, I was stronger, I was fiercer. I had feasted on the flesh of another, and I have conquered my fear. I would face it, and I would win.

    Cladding my hands in the elemental energies surging all around me, all colour drained from the world.

    ¡°Just like that time.¡± This was our rematch, and I was prepared.

    [Aaarrrrrrrgh!] I rushed at my foe with a growl like that of a feral cat, commanding the wind with the force of my wings and closing the distance between us in a second.

    I extended my claw-like hands and struck at the startled serpent, causing a couple of bloody gashes to appear on it¡¯s back.

    Not wasting a single moment further, the snake retaliated, whipping it¡¯s head sideways in attempt to catch me with it¡¯s fangs, but I could see it striking at me long before it even started moving, and it¡¯s jaws struck empty air.

    ¡°I can do this!¡± I rejoiced, a toothy grin spreading on my face.

    Picking the moment when the snake was paying attention to the raven that approached us carefully, I decided to go in for another attack.

    But it was a ruse, as the snake was ready and waiting for me. I could see it strike at me again, but this time my rush had too much momentum and I couldn¡¯t stop in time. It¡¯s head sprung forward in a flash, and all I could do to avoid a direct hit was to alter my path sideways. I did avert the immediate crisis, but I still ended up crashing into the thick branch behind the snake.

    And that was a chance it would not miss. I could feel the open jaws approaching me from behind, but there simply wasn¡¯t enough time to evade.

    In a last ditch effort, I summoned all the elemental power I could muster, and imagined a wall appearing behind my back.

    [Argh!] The force of the impact slammed me into the tough, wooden surface, knocking the wind out of me, but I was otherwise intact. A miracle in and of itself.

    Seeing the situation take a turn for the worse, my friend came to assist me. Gasping for air and struggling to regain my composure, I wanted to shout at her to stay out of this. To keep herself safe, out of harm¡¯s way.

    ¡°I am doing this for her!¡±

    [Run! Don¡¯t fight it!] I shouted at her the moment my breath returned. But she wouldn¡¯t listen. As intelligent as she was, words wouldn¡¯t reach her, and the one she wanted to protect, me, was still within the serpent¡¯s reach.

    I flapped my wings hastily, drawing distance from our foe as to avoid exposing her to any more unnecessary danger. We would simply get away and come back once the snake is gone.

    [RUN!] I shrieked at her, worry clutching my heart in it¡¯s iron grip.

    She turned her head my way, and seemed to understand what I wanted to do, but that opened her defenses to the snake¡¯s next attack.

    I knew what was going to happen. I could see it in advance with this grayscale vision of mine, but there was nothing I could do to stop that prediction from coming true. I was too far, and wouldn¡¯t make it no matter how hard I tried.

    The snake¡¯s head reached her, it¡¯s venomous fangs piercing her body, delivering the deadly substance into her blood.

    [NOOOOO!]

    Colours returned to the world, but not the ones that were supposed to. My vision was now dyed in savage, crimson red and turbulent pulsating violet. I was burning. Burning with rage and fury and hatred that could incinerate worlds.

    [I WILL END YOU!!!]

    I appeared in front of the snake almost instantaneously, reaching for it¡¯s fangs with my hands, blazing with violet light.

    [GraaaAARGH] I pulled with all my might, the tearing sounds and pained hissing singing an ode to madness.

    I wanted to make it suffer. I wanted to make it regret being born. I wanted to make it experience the pain my friend was going through.

    The snake might have understood that it couldn¡¯t win this fight, as it was trying to scurry off, but I wouldn¡¯t allow it. I descended upon the frightened creature like a valkyrie of death incarnate and struck it¡¯s eyes with it¡¯s own two weapons that I still held firmly in my hands, robbing it of it¡¯s sight.

    [HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT?!] I shouted, bathing it in my bloodlust, and in turn getting bathed in it¡¯s blood. The force of the punch that followed sent it falling off the tree, but I wasn¡¯t done with it, not by a long shot.

    Down on the ground, I punched the creature wriggling in pain, over and over again, my magically enhanced fists gouging flesh out with each strike.

    *splat*, *splat* The squelching sound of my fists impacting bare, bloodied flesh echoed across the forest in a grim serenade, and it was time for it to climax.

    ***

    By the time the red haze lifted off my mind, the creature was long dead. I didn¡¯t care, I just kept puncturing it¡¯s body with my punches, until I couldn¡¯t find any more fury to throw at it, and then some more.

    There was little left of it¡¯s head, and the rest of the body didn¡¯t fare much better. Then, I turned my attention towards my friend, afraid of what I would see there.

    She was still breathing, but the venom was eating away at her remaining life force. The bite itself wasn¡¯t very deep, but that did not matter. I walked up to her, brushing the top of her head with my hand, but at that moment, I could feel a tiny stream of power resonate within me.

    Feeling the light of hope fill my despairing heart, I tried reaching for it, grasping it, but it kept eluding me, as my friend¡¯s life was trickling away. I wasn¡¯t about to give up. I tried harder, and harder, driven by the urgency pressing at my frustrated mind.

    ¡°I can¡¯t afford to panic now.¡± I steadied my rugged breathing, as I noticed that getting agitated won¡¯t get me anywhere, calming down in the process. Then I attempted to reach for the trickle of golden power once again, but slowly and carefully.

    I could see an almost imperceptible gentle golden glint cover the palms of my my hands. My instincts were telling me to let this power, the power of life, seep into the body of my dying friend.

    Pressing my hands against the gaping wounds in her belly, I could feel the flesh mending, the venom dissipating, but it wasn¡¯t enough. She was too weak, the invading substance was too spread out and she wouldn¡¯t make it if I didn¡¯t hurry up.

    I tried channeling more power through my palms but the tiny stream ran dry, as the golden light on my palms faded.

    Frantically, I tried to reach for it again. And then again and again, but the light didn''t comeback.

    Feeling despair seize hold of my heart, I felt the familiar, gentle nudge on my arm.

    ¡°She knows... doesn¡¯t she?¡± a dam of tears burst open as my vision blurred, the pain of the world disappearing behind a rainfall of sorrow.

    ¡°Of course she knows, she always knows better than I do myself¡­¡± I sniveled.

    I hugged her tight, to let her know just how much I cared, to let her know that she wasn¡¯t alone. I cradled her head in my arms, the unbearable pain of helplessness shattering my heart, as her breathing became increasingly weaker and shallower.

    I was there for her until the very end, until the warmth of her life turned cold against my skin.

    I kept cradling her lifeless body, remembering all the time we had spent together.

    ¡°This is all my fault.¡± I was starting to hate myself.

    ¡°The weak useless me who keeps getting into trouble, that can¡¯t do anything on her own, always requiring protection.¡±

    "For what purpose was I even born in this world, other than to suffer?" I was starting to pity myself, when a wave of disgust washed over me.

    [No¡­], "no, that¡¯s not right. That weakling part of me has to die tonight. I will strangle it myself if I have to."

    ¡°I will never let anyone rob me of what¡¯s precious to me EVER AGAIN!¡±

    ¡°grr!¡± I expelled the air from my lungs angrily.

    ¡°I need to become strong. Staying alive is no longer enough for me. Hiding away in fear of shadows is no longer acceptable to me. Being protected is no longer something I wish for. I will use these two hands of mine to grasp my own place in this world!¡± resolving myself, I stood up.

    [You will become my power, even though I hate you.] I walked over to the mangled body of the snake and started devouring it. The flesh tasted of regret, but that didn¡¯t deter me from consuming the whole carcass. It would become my strength, repenting for it¡¯s sin in death.

    ***

    In the end, I decided to cremate the body of my friend. I would not touch her flesh and I would not allow any other creature to either. She would forever remain the masterful hunter, never the prey.

    To make sure that the forest wouldn¡¯t catch fire, I had to dig a hole in the ground. With no tools at my disposal, I could only rely on my hands, which took me the whole day, along with hauling all the small sized rocks and pebbles I could find to provide an additional layer of protection against the fire.

    My hands were scraped and bloodied from the work, but the pain didn¡¯t even register through the agony that was tormenting my heart.

    Gathering the dried up branches that were scattered all around, I created a provisional funeral pyre, mixing the wood with any grasses that looked dry enough to catch fire.

    As nightfall drew nearer, I placed the limp body of my companion upon the wooden construct. I took a good long look at her visage again, motionless in what seemed to be merely a tranquil, peaceful sleep. But I knew that she would not be waking up from this one.

    I brushed her head one last time, bidding my farewell to a friend I owed so much to. Before moving away from the pyre, I plucked one beautiful, charcoal-black feather from her wing. A memento that would both haunt me for the rest of my life, and remind me that I now carried responsibility for two lives instead of one. A responsibility to get strong, and live my life fearlessly.

    As I turned away from the pyre, taking a step towards the outer side of the circle of stones, tears threatened to spill from my eyes, but I wouldn¡¯t let them trample over this newfound resolve of mine. What happened was my fault, and my responsibility to carry alone.

    Gathering all the remaining rays of fading sunlight from the crimson sky, I directed them at the leaves scattered across the base of the pyre. It took some time, but they did catch fire in the end.

    And as the last remnants of the day yielded their hold over the world to the dominion of night, I stood there illuminated by the fire, alone with my sorrows.

    ***[Later that night]***

    [I know you¡¯re there, show yourself!] a voice I once dreaded more than any other echoed across the clearing hidden in darkness.

    It would seem that the time to test my resolvehas arrived much earlierthan I anticipated.

 Chapter 3 - Revelation

    The waning light of a wooden torch flickered, as a dark, robed figure rushed past it, pacing down the damp and dimly lit hallway.

    ¡°I need a plan,¡± thought Xarhazan, ¡°or else I will never find the creature again.¡±

    The echoes of the heavy and hurried footsteps suddenly ceased, signaling that the man has finally arrived at his destination. The tall silhouette stood in front of a massive reinforced steel door, lined with countless magical runes and mysterious inscriptions.

    [Thil li feinlen ¨¢n ashin vou argis] a short incantation rose, resonating with the magical circuitry inside of the door, which in turn started to emanate a soft violet light, prompting the mechanisms within into motion.

    A soft hum could be heard from the elaborate contraption, as dusty cogs turned and spun, creaking loudly, but still opening the entrance to the vault reliably.

    [It has been a long time,] the wizard mused, deeply inhaling the stale air, [a long time indeed.]

    The insides of the room felt desolate. Countless towering wooden shelves laid empty along the walls, covered with a thick layer of dust that must have accumulated over dozens of years of neglect.

    Xarhazan frowned as he took a few steps inside the vault.

    ¡°This place used to be full of wonders the likes of which would leave the world in awe.¡±

    But all of these unique, and irreplaceable treasures were gone now, sold off to fund his pursuit of greater justice. The pursuit of the project that was now so dangerously close to failing. Well, all of them, but one.

    He took another few quick steps towards the center of the room, where a single, ornate chest laid atop the moldy floor.

    Crouching, the man took a small dagger out of the pocket of his silken robe, unsheathing it in a fluid motion and bringing it towards the sweaty palm of his hand.

    Not a single sound escaped his lips as he slid the blade along the skin, opening up a shallow wound. The blood surged forth from the cut, flowing freely, as if drawn towards the golden ornaments adorning the lid of the metal chest. A few drops was all it took for the chest to open smoothly, seemingly unperturbed by the ages of disuse.

    Xarhazan reached inside calmly, taking out a single small leather pouch, half filled with what seemed to be a number of tiny angular clinking objects. Untying the lengthy straps, he peered inside only to grimace in displeasure-

    [So few¡­] he sighed, as he picked up a single translucent crystal, rolling it between his bony fingers, the only part of his body that showed as many signs of aging as his face did.

    Putting the pouch inside of his pocket, he reached inside of the chest again, his wrinkled old hand taking out a beautiful and elegant longsword.

    [It has been far too long,] he murmured, a soft smile appearing on his dry lips, [old friend.]

    The sword emanated an otherworldly aura of power. Its faultless silvery blade showed no signs of use, in spite of the many battles it had won for its master. The hilt was of simple, yet effective design, reflecting the crafter¡¯s obvious preference for practicality. The simple metal crossguard was there to protect the wielder¡¯s swordhand, not boast of his wealth, and the grip wasn¡¯t exactly showy either. Pommel was perhaps the only part of the weapon that could be considered extravagant, as it was made of a rounded black gemstone set in an intricate silvery filigree. Many foes have made the mistake of foolishly believing the gem to be the weakest part of the weapon, as in fact the jewel itself was harder than diamond, and more importantly, magical in nature.

    [V¨¢rgint,] Xarhazan called, [the mage slayer.]

    The sword shimmered as if responding to his summons.

    ¡°Good,¡± thought the old man, ¡°it still remembers me.¡±

    Having acquired what he came for, the mage stood up, and hurriedly left the room, heading straight towards the very top of the tower.

    As he ascended the long winding stairs, various thoughts occupied his mind.

    ¡°V¨¢rgint, eh?¡± he chuckled, ¡°such a nostalgic feeling, partner.¡±

    The weapon wasn¡¯t merely a tool to him. It was a memento of his old master, something he had sworn to protect with his life. So far, he has always been faithful to that promise, in spite of all the hardships he has had to endure because of it. There was another reason for his reluctance to part with the sword though, and this one was not nearly of such a sentimental nature as the previous one. In addition to being something precious to both him, and his tutor, V¨¢rgint was also one of the only eleven greater artefacts known to humankind, and one of the three that could actually be used in battle.

    No ordinary sword could rival the power of this mystical blade, magical or not. Not even the greatest enchanted weapons, crafted by the ancient dwarven masters eons ago, could pose a threat to its wielder at full strength. But all that overwhelming power did not come without a price.

    And the price V¨¢rgint demanded in return for displaying its true power came in three parts. Magic, and time were the first two. Magic was easy enough to clear. The black gem in the pommel simply needed to absorb some arcane mana, its source being completely irrelevant to the blade, be it the sword¡¯s wielder, or the enemy. Hence the name of the sword - the mage slayer.

    The terrifying part of V¨¢rgint, however, was not merely its ability to absorb the enemy¡¯s magic as its own, or even the ability to use that mana to fuel its own spells. It was what happened to that mana if left alone - the longer, the better.

    That was the second condition - time. Any unused mana remaining infused within the sword would slowly grow in size, doubling over in quantity by the end of the very same day, and doubling over yet again at the end of each day henceforth.

    And therein laid the first problem. Such a huge, constantly growing mass of power would always inevitably result in some peculiar side-effect, usually sooner rather than later. This case was no exception to the rule. Once the amount of mana contained within the jewel exceeded a certain threshold, the sword would spontaneously start manifesting a will of it¡¯s own, changing its position from a silent tool to an active companion.

    Where there is will, there is thought. And that thought might not necessarily be in agreement with the intentions of the weapon¡¯s wielder. In spite of the dire implications this truth could have on his plans, Xarhazan didn¡¯t really feel threatened by this fact. V¨¢rgint has never failed to comply with his orders in the past, and there was no reason to doubt its loyalty now. Regardless of how much the sword¡¯s personality changed with each new cycle of rebirth, the sword would forever remain the embodiment of justice to its very core, it¡¯s creator was very adamant about making sure of that. The mage believed himself to be just the same.

    No, there was a different reason as to why Xarhazan chose to abstain from using his old companion¡¯s powers, until a time of great need was upon him. That reason was the third, and last part of the price one had to pay. The weapon was, after all, a double edged sword in the truest sense of the word.

    Absolute trust. That was what was demanded of the wielder in compensation for the blade¡¯s services. An equivalent amount of mana to what was absorbed by the blade would remain locked inside of the wielder¡¯s own magic core, becoming inaccessible until such time, when the mage slayer was laid to rest yet again, devoid of magic to fuel it¡¯s endless growth with, leaving the wielder defenseless in case the blade decided not to lend its strength to his cause any longer.

    Xarhazan didn¡¯t like the notion, he didn¡¯t like it at all. But he trusted his companion. Together, they had slain many evildoers who would bring mankind harm, plowing through the lines of enemies on the field of battle, standing proud and without equal. Those fights now felt as if they happened lifetimes ago. Perhaps they did.

    Yes, he trusted him. Trusted him well enough to rely on his aid in times of need, times like these.

    [Ready?] the man chuckled loudly as he started pouring what little remained of his mana into the weapon.

    Not even bothering to look at the sword, he just kept walking. It didn¡¯t take much longer for the archmage to reach his next destination.

    As he arrived at the summit of the spire, Xarhazan shivered under the sudden gale of freezing wind, sending a chill right through him, down to his very bones. Exhaling slowly, he could see his breath condensing into milky white steam, before dissipating into thin air as the chilly breeze lazily blew past him.

    The room, if you could even call the place as such, was very cold compared to the rest of the tower, which lacked the qualifications to be referred to as warm even during the hottest months of the year. The reason for the sudden drop in temperature was simple. In place of the thick stone walls, which were present everywhere else within the spire, only ten monolithic ornamented pillars, carved out of the highest quality marble, were the ones to support the crystal roof overhead. The only safety precaution against falling to the ground, if one was unlucky enough to to face such a predicament in this place, was a number of low, embellished railings. The exquisite craftsmanship and great care that went into creating this marvelous architectural piece of art could be easily discerned from taking but a quick glance at the place where the handrails transitioned into pillars, blending seamlessly into a spiral that crawled upwards, stopping centimeters below the delicate-looking statues protruding out of the pillars. One for each of the ascended races of the world.

    The angels, demons, beastmen, undead, dragons, mirage people, wisemen, giants, elves and dwarves. Most of the individuals belonging to these races would surely kick up a fuss over being bundled up into such vague and otherwise extremely diverse groups, but there was only one reliable factor according to which an ascended race could be determined - the magic unique to that species. That single fact was something that not even the most obstinate of the aforementioned individuals would dare to dispute.

    Xarhazan did not pay any heed to his surroundings, as he proceeded towards a solitary white marble stand, positioned directly below a giant transparent crystal hanging from the ceiling. The purpose of the contraption seemed to be gathering sunlight, as a single concentrated golden ray shone down upon an orb rested atop the polished pale surface.

    [Hmpf] the archmage groaned, worry apparent in his eyes.

    [How did it come to this¡­] Xarhazan muttered beneath his nose, [you were my greatest achievement, and yet here I stand, shivering in fear of you.]

    The man took a deep breath, clutching his shaking fingers into fists in a futile attempt to stop the trembling.

    ¡°What am I even feeling afraid of, after all this time...¡±

    He knew though. He knew what he was feeling afraid of, and he knew that the feeling was not unsubstantiated.

    And he remembered. He remembered the day he gave up his humanity and ascended as a wiseman damn well. The oldest one to ever walk the world. He could have been the youngest, but he always felt reluctant, fearing he would lose touch with the reality in front of him, as the passage of time took everyone he had ever known, cared for and loved away from him, crumbling any and all attachments to the world, with the withering hands of indifference. But in the end, his unyielding thirst for justice won over his reluctance. He vowed to the memory of his loving family, that he would stand vigil over these lands, for as long as fate allowed him to. And as both a testament to this oath, and a tool to carry out its contents, Thrathmandil was forged, born of the arcane fires that burned away the old and feeble human, and gave birth to the wiseman Xarhazan.

    Most acolytes aiming to become wisemen opted to use the excess arcane energies overflowing from the ritual of ascension to forge artefacts, that would either further their own research, or simply benefit themselves in one way or another.

    However, he was different. He didn¡¯t yearn for recognition, he didn¡¯t strive to learn everything there was to know about the world. He simply wanted a tool that would allow him to see what he wanted to see. To obtain a means to an end, and the end he wished to achieve was to seek out and punish murderers, rapists, bandits and all the other scum that walked the lands he had sworn to protect.

    They laughed at him, they taunted him, they mocked his goals, and belittled his resolve. In the end, they died performing the ritual, and he did not. Perhaps he might have been right in his choice, and perhaps not, but he was definitely extremely lucky. Only a handful of mages have ever managed to undergo the ritual, and live to talk about it.

    Following his ascension, Xarhazan spent centuries seeking out criminals and bringing them to justice, but the more he tried to quell the forces of evil, the more despair he experienced when they appeared anew. Worst of all, the victim count never even seemed to slow down, as new cases of murders, rapes and other heinous crimes kept piling up on top of each other in an endless parade of suffering and death.

    Driven into a corner, in a mental state dangerously close to madness, the worn-out archmage attempted something that was downright insane. He tried to take a peek at the future, to see evil before it could happen, and to prevent any further harm from being inflicted upon the innocent.

    Although Xarhazan might have been a single step away from spiraling down into the abyss of insanity, that didn¡¯t stop him from designing the most brilliant magical circle anyone had ever seen. A magical circle that spanned one hundred and twenty three meters, crawling up the walls of an enormous tower all the way from the layline flowing through the planet deep beneath the ground, up to the starry skies, connecting the two worlds via the means of countless interweaved inscriptions and runes, channeling all the power of those opposing worldly energies directly into the seeing orb, placed at the center of it all. In doing so, the wiseman doomed his greatest creation to forever remain locked in place, but in return granted it abilities far beyond its original purpose.

    At last, Xarhazan was allowed a single glimpse through the eyes of gods. But what he saw there changed him. The world inside of the improved Thrathmandil was a world the wiseman recognised well, however, the scene into which he was thrust upon his arrival, was something straight out of his worst nightmares.

    What he experienced in his vision, was a landscape covered in dark flames threatening to consume everything in sight. Blood red haze covered the twisted moon, as if lamenting the death of all that once walked the barren ground. Not a single star could be seen shining through the darkness, that filled the void where sky once used to be. The land was dead. This was a vision from the end of the world.

    Though visibly shaken, the archmage emerged from this ordeal with a newfound determination. A new purpose, something only he could do. The world needed him, for he was the only one who knew what was going to happen. He was shown the vision, and he had to prevent it from happening.

    [I can do it.] Xarhazan whispered to himself, as he felt grip of fear on his heart lessen ever so slightly.

    The memory of what he saw on that fateful night was still haunting him, even though centuries have passed. All of his efforts, all of his research, all of his time since that incident were devoted to one thing: obtaining enough power to prevent that prophecy from ever coming true.

    He could no longer see any justice or salvation in saving innocent lives, as they all seemed worthless and insignificant in comparison with the death of the world itself. And so, he stopped caring. He cooped himself up in his tower, researching feverishly day in and day out, as lifetimes passed, ignoring the pleas for help from those he had once vowed to protect.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    [I am so close!] mumbled the wiseman, building up his courage.

    [I will be able to save everyone, I only need to find HER!] shaking off the last traces of fear that made him stay his hand, he extended his arms towards the orb, reaching for it with his mind as much as his fingers.

    And there, he saw her, laying all bruised and battered, sleeping peacefully on the mossy ground. She was in a forest, but he did not recognise the location. That didn¡¯t matter though, as he could find the spot easily now that Thrathmandil has revealed the location to him. Her image was so clear and vivid¡­ Xarhazan almost felt as if he could reach her, grasp her.

    He didn¡¯t even realise he was tracing his fingertips along the smooth glassy surface of the orb, when all of a sudden, the pixie stood up and started looking around in panic.

    [WHAT?!] The mage shouted in surprise.

    As he was trying to make sense of how the tiny fae managed to sense his spell, the vision changed, spilling out of the confines of the orb in huge inky splatters, quickly covering the ground everywhere around him.

    He recognised this phenomenon, as it had happened once before. On a night devoid of the light of moon so many years ago, on the night he was shown something, that he did not want to see.

    [Why now?!]

    In mere seconds, the scenery of the tower disappeared behind the veil of darkness, as he felt a savage yank pull his consciousness towards the illusion spreading outwards from the orb, as if painting its own, living portrait on the world, trying to overwrite it. Without his magic, he was hopeless to resist the force dragging him in. Soon, he succumbed to the pressure.

    When he opened his eyes, he could see the world as he hoped to never see it again. Dying, burning, fading¡­ He had to prevent this at any cost.

    As he turned around in hopes of finding an exit from this nightmare, he spotted something that wasn¡¯t supposed to be there. Something, that was different from the last time he found himself wondering this plane of torment.

    What he saw, was the origin of all this destruction. Crouching on all four limbs like a beast, the creature emanated an aura of complete and unrestrained rage. Its long slender tail whisking around in the air, as if attached to an annoyed cat, with its long feathery wings folded neatly along the humanoid body, providing an additional layer of protection against attacks, as well as reducing air resistance when it pounced.

    The creature was clad in the darkest darkness that one could - or more likely couldn¡¯t, even hope to imagine. The only reason Xarhazan could make out it¡¯s shape was because it was absorbing all the regular darkness from the surroundings, completely negating any meaning that the conventional definition of the word could ever hope to carry.

    There was but one source of light-

    [no¡­]

    And it was situated on the monster¡¯s chest-

    [No¡­]

    Shining with the violet arcane light, so typical of-

    [NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!]

    Xarhazan shouted in despair, realising just what exactly the creature was.

    [This cannot be possible!]

    The creature turned its beastly head towards him.

    [It cannot be YOU!]

    Even through the veil of abysmal black covering the silhouette, the wiseman could still recognise the face of his familiar.

    [It¡¯s not my fault! IT¡¯S NOT MY FAULT!] the man sobbed.

    *SCREEEEEEEE* The creature screeched, flapping its wings with a force that could shatter reality, before disappearing from his sight.

    ***

    When Xarhazan came to, he was back inside the highest floor of the tower, sprawled on the floor with his limbs stretched out, in a position unbefitting of one of such social status as himself.

    The landscape of dread was nowhere to be seen, but he could still feel the tongues of corrupted flame licking his face, burning his soul. He felt weak, almost as if-

    [I see you are awake now.] a voice resounded out of nowhere. It was a raspy, but enticing feminine voice, that Xarhazan did not recognise.

    [Who-]

    [Have you forgotten the poor little me after being cooped up in this god forsaken place for so long?] the voice asked playfully.

    [V¨¢rgint?!]

    [Yes?]

    [Pfft! Hahahaha] the voice broke into an unrestrained laughter. It was obviously very amused by the confusion in the wiseman¡¯s voice.

    [V¨¢rgint! We have no time for this!] The old man shouted.

    [...] the laughter ceased immediately, sensing the seriousness in the mage¡¯s voice.

    [How long have I been out?]

    [Roughly ten days have passed since I awoke, depending on how much mana you have fed me-]

    [Nineteen days¡­] the archmage was stupefied.

    ¡°How could this be?!¡±

    [Xar, would you care to explain?] V¨¢rgint asked with a serious voice, not bothering to finish the sentence as she knew the mage would understand what the meaning behind the question.

    [Well, where to start¡­] The man sighed, and then started recounting everything that happened since the first time he had seen the vision centuries ago.

    V¨¢rgint just remained silent, letting him finish before speaking up.

    [Are you sure you are talking about a pixie? Her actions don¡¯t seem like something a creature acting solely on instinct would do.]

    [...] silence filled the room as Xarhazan stroked his beard, deep in thought.

    [You might be right. I may have created something that will turn out to be our undoing...]

    [I didn¡¯t mean that. Think about it. If she has a mind of her own, we could try to reason with her.] V¨¢rgint suggested softly.

    [NO!] The man roared, [she is far too dangerous to be left alone! You haven¡¯t seen the vision! You don¡¯t know what she¡¯s capable of!]

    [...] V¨¢rgint remained silent, patiently waiting for the storm to pass, before speaking up again, calmly, but sternly.

    [And who exactly do you think is responsible for that?]

    [...] Now it was the archmage¡¯s turn to be silent.

    [Either way, we must find her first. We can always decide what to do with her later, when the threat is contained.] Xarhazan spoke as he unsteadily stood up, shaky from the days of starvation his body experienced during his mind¡¯s imprisonment.

    [We must go find her before she disappears for good. I can still sense her location thanks to Thrathmandil¡¯s influence. Now quit yapping and get ready for battle!] commandeered the old man, signaling the end of the conversation.

    V¨¢rgint just remained silent, giving the mage the time he needed to cool off.

    ***[The same day, late at night, in a certain forest clearing | POV: The pixie]***

    [I know you¡¯re there, show yourself!] a voice boomed across the tranquil meadow.

    My eyelids sprung open immediately, as a violent surge of adrenaline rushed through my veins, assaulting each and every single fibre of muscle in my body, powering it up in preparation of the oncoming confrontation.

    ¡°How did that asshole find me?!¡± Went through my head, as my mind forcefully put an early stop to my body¡¯s instinctual reaction, before it could actually go and jump up straight into a fighting stance.

    If my recent experiences actually managed to teach me anything at all, it was definitely that if I was to survive a situation like this, I had to refrain from acting impulsively or rashly. What I needed to do, was think things through, and I needed to be quick about it.

    However, the situation was dire, and if I didn¡¯t start acting now, it would all be over in a flash. My heart was beating so fast that I thought it would jump out of my chest.

    ¡°Heart? Beating?¡± my thoughts froze for a second.

    ¡°Not. Now.¡± I mentally shouted at myself.

    ¡°Should I flee? Should I... fight?¡± A number of fresh, still bleeding emotional wounds in my heart throbbed painfully at the thought, but the ache reminded me of the cost of my foolishness. And that memory fueled my newfound resolve, and that resolve chained the swirling, chaotic emotions, and gave them purpose. This provided me with a measure of clarity, that I so desperately needed right now.

    Even though I despised the man in front of me, who hurt Silvia, who hurt me¡­ I had a different goal in life now. I had to get stronger, and dying in vain has never led to anyone achieving their dreams ever before.

    ¡°I was defeated precisely because I knew neither myself, nor the enemy. This time, I know better.¡±

    Firing myself up, I started thinking.

    ¡°Step one, remain calm.¡±

    As I took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh, cold air, I stilled my thoughts. I had to be extra careful not to let out any sound as I was exhaling, as that could betray my position to the foe search all over the clearing below.

    ¡°Step two, assess the situation.¡±

    First, I calmly looked around, taking in the surroundings with my eyes¡¯ newly acquired ability to see through the darkness as if it was the middle of the day. Then, I swiftly started analyzing all the information in order to pinpoint any possible flaws in the enemy¡¯s approach.

    My pursuer called out to me, which meant that he wasn¡¯t aware of my exact location just yet, or else he would have attacked me in my sleep. That was good. At the very least, I still had a little bit of time left.

    An immediate gaping hole in my defenses revealed itself to me though, as out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of my glowing wings.

    ¡°Dammit! I am like a freaking lighthouse in this darkness!¡± I grimaced for a second, before taking a closer look.

    Thankfully, it seemed that the bigger part of the shining feathery surface was currently being covered by a layer of¡­ something. As to what exactly that something actually was, my best bet would be a mixture of varying amounts of dried snake blood, mud, entrails and a lot of funeral pyre soot. However, the camouflage wasn¡¯t nearly as perfect as I would have liked it to be, as some amount of light still managed to pass through the gaps in the crusty cover.

    I needed to mend this immediate threat to my safety, to prevent any further rays of light from leaking out, and I had to do it as soon as possible. For now, the thick leafy crown of the oak hid me from the hunter¡¯s sight, but it was only a matter of time before he noticed the oddity.

    ¡°How about plucking some leaves and covering myself with them?¡±

    ¡°... No.¡± I decided to not go through with that idea, as that would both result in unnecessary rustling, that would draw unwanted attention, as well as possibly fail to serve as a reliable form of disguise, considering that I wouldn¡¯t be able to ascertain whether the leaves covered me well enough to prevent detection. That plan had simply way too many ifs.

    Moving on to a different idea, the plan to escape by flight was swiftly denied as well. I wasn¡¯t willing to risk exposing myself to a barrage of spells, not after my close encounter with one of those blasted things as I was escaping the tower not too long ago.

    While I could try fleeing through the forest, I would most definitely blow my cover in choosing to do so, not to mention, that I would also have to take into account the possibility of crashing into one of the trees as I flew through the densely populated woods.

    No, the only reasonable option left to me, was to rely on stealth. So far, I have managed to avoid being found, but the one glaring flaw of going through with this plan, was that the mage was already aware of my presence...

    In order to succeed, I would have to sneak down the tree, and look for a solution to the whole glowing wings problem on the ground. Easier said than done, as flapping my wings was as much of a no-go, as shouting ¡®over here!¡¯ would be.

    Left with no other choice, I had to steel myself for what was to come. Taking extreme care not to mess up this chance, I slowly, carefully descended down the trunk of the tree. My wings were packed tightly along my back, while my concentration focused completely on staying out of sight. This was no easy task, as over the course of the last few weeks, my body has grown considerably.

    At last feeling the cold, damp ground with the bare soles of my feet, I had to make sure of the mage¡¯s location. I couldn¡¯t find it within myself to actually dare and go take a look at the clearing from behind the tree, but there had to be another, safer way to go about this.

    Spotting a small pebble poking out of the muddy ground not too far away from me, I got an idea. Picking it up cautiously, I pulled my hand backwards, and swung it with all my might, throwing the slippery object towards the bushes to my left.

    [What was that?!] an icy grip seized hold of my heart, as words resounded from what felt to be at most two to three meters away from me.

    I could hear the rustling sounds of the mage¡¯s feet, as they forced their way through the long grass. Feeling a little confident that I had managed to divert his attention in the other direction, even if only for a few brief moments, I quickly peeked from behind the tree, just in time to see the back of his robes fluttering in the wind.

    Without the slightest hint of hesitation, I took off swiftly, but soundlessly, while making sure to choose a path of escape that would put as many obstacles between myself and the man hunting me, as possible.

    Moments later, my foot felt the wet sensation of a puddle, as it submerged below the surface of the shallow muddy water.

    ¡°This will have to do.¡±

    I loathed the idea of dirtying my wings on purpose, but I wasn¡¯t vain enough to disregard this blessing in disguise because of such shallow feelings. As I felt the cold sensation of mud seep into my feathers, I sincerely prayed, that I wouldn¡¯t regret impairing my ability to fly in the moments to come.

    Not stopping at my wings, I ended up covering my whole body with the icky viscous substance. Any tiny advantage might turn out to be the decisive factor in this contest of wits. Adding in a couple of fallen leaves, my disguise was perfect.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    ¡°Okay, take a deep breath, you will get over it.¡±

    ¡°... Step three, decide on an appropriate measure to address the situation at hand.¡± I was feeling glad that I didn¡¯t spend all of my time just lazing around the last few weeks. Going through Silvia¡¯s memories in search of any information that might help me survive, was proving to be a particularly worthwhile effort, as the knowledge obtained from the crisis management manual was of great value to me right now. And they used to tell Silvia how useless those things would be in a real pinch.

    ¡°I should get away¡­¡± is what I would have liked to say at that moment, and even more so loved to do, but it was deep at night, and various predators roamed these woods at such a late hour. Moreover, the man had somehow managed to sniff me out, and that ¡®somehow¡¯ part was really bothering me, because unless I found out exactly how he was doing it, I could end up getting caught off-guard later.

    I was faced with a dilemma. On one hand, it would be incredibly risky to go, and try to figure out the secret behind the creep¡¯s undoubtedly unnatural newfound stalking talents, but on the other hand, it would be downright dumb of me to just let it slide. Time was ticking, and staying in one place while weighing my options was yet another addition to the streak of horrible ideas I could come up with tonight.

    The only course of action, that wouldn¡¯t practically equal suicide while at the same time allowing me to keep an eye on the enemy, was to find a good hidden vantage point, and play the waiting game.

    As I was stealthily climbing up a particularly tall maple tree about twenty meters away from the old nest, the wind carried something interesting to me. It was the sound of conversation.

    [Did you honestly think she would just reveal herself?] a voice I haven¡¯t heard before said with a surprisingly gentle tone.

    ¡°Weird, I thought the man came alone... No more optimistic assumptions!¡±

    [I shouted to startle the pest, and force her out of hiding!] replied the mage with an obvious hint of irritation in his voice.

    [Well, bravo. And how did that work out for you, if I may ask?] a sarcastic reply came in response to his indignant attitude, but for some reason, I couldn¡¯t really feel any animosity towards the man in the voice.

    [We should just burn down this whole forest. Screw getting my powers back, if we don¡¯t stop her-]

    [Have you gone completely insane?! People hunt in these woods! What would you do if someone innocent got caught up in th-]

    [AS IF I CARE!!! SHE CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO EXIST!]

    [...] an uneasy silence filled the meadow, before the other voice sighed loudly and proclaimed with an iron clad resolution, [I know you are under a lot of stress because of the visions, but if you suggest something RETARDED like this EVER AGAIN, consider our partnership forfeit.]

    There was a brief pause in the voice¡¯s speech, as if it was allowing the mage some time in order to let the message sink in, before ushering a command:

    [Now haul that lazy ass of yours back to the tower, so that we can find her again, you big moron.]

    There was no further interaction between the two, as silence laid claim over the clearing once again.

    ¡°Well, well, what have we here?¡± I chuckled internally, as my mind processed the bounty of information gained from the conversation.

    ¡°I think I just overheard something really~ interesting.¡± I mused, remaining motionless as the sound of footsteps faded into the distance.

    It would appear, that whatever they had used to find me, remained in the tower. That meant, that I was safe for now, unless all of this was some sort of trickery to lure me out.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t they just bring it with them. Or could it be that they couldn¡¯t?¡± I played with the thought, before discarding it.

    ¡°No. No more wishful assumptions.¡±

    I could only derive one definitive conclusion from their conversation: they had a tool with which they could track me down easily. And that meant, that I had to put as much distance between us as I possibly could.

    ¡°If I can¡¯t hide from him, I will run. I will keep running for as long as it takes, and once I have gathered enough strength to face him, then I will run no more.¡±

 Announcement: resuming work on this story

    First of all I wish to convey my deepest apologies about going on hiatus so abrubptly and without an announcement. It was not my intention to interrupt the work on this series so suddenly. At first, I only felt stuck on a part of a chapter that would otherwise pose no problem for me, but as I ended up getting sidetrackedmore and more, I realised a lot of time has passed and just couldn''t find the motivation to keep going, considering how busy my real life has gotten as of late. This will not happen again, and if I ever need another break, I promise it will be properly announced. I will finish this story.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Well, I have finally resumed my work on this story and hopefully will be posting a chapter in the next few days.

    I''d also like to use this opportunity to ask my readers (if there are any of you left) a few questions:

    Q1: Would you prefer shorter chapters posted several times a week, or longer chapters with the original release schedule (bi-weekly).

    Q2: Should I lighten the story up a bit and move the main character towards the "adventure" part, or keep the originally intended slower pace, explaining and introducing the world along the way?

    Q3: Would any of you be willing to work as a proofreader and/or editor for this story?

    Cheers,

    Silfay

 Chapter 4 - part 1

    [Ugh¡­] I grunted audibly, as a soft chiming sound interrupted my preparations to lie down and rest for the night.

    The feeling of agitation at the sudden unwelcome intrusion on my cherished sleeping time blew incessantly at the, as of late, ever-glowing embers of anger smoldering in the pits of my heart, a remnant of the last few days of constant flight and endless confrontations with the local wildlife.

    Ever since the late night encounter with the mage and his companion-

    Or was it actually companions?

    ...

    Either way, over the course of the past few days, I have been running away, trying to put as much distance between myself and the ones hunting me as possible. In the end though, not even once did it truly feel as if I was far enough. The ever present feeling of danger that urged me on only got worse, when on the second night, I experienced the out of place sensation of dread yet again, but this time, with a much greater intensity than ever before.

    It shouldn¡¯t come as a surprise then, that I have hardly allowed myself a wink of sleep, and was feeling considerably tired. It took me over two weeks to finally calm down just enough to be able to sleep for a few hours, and yet here I was, still wide awake.

    *chime* but the annoying sound didn¡¯t seem to be going anywhere, nor did it appear to be merely an auditory hallucination dead set on pestering me. More importantly than that, it seemed to be getting closer-

    *chime* I knew I should have been alarmed by the sound, but for some reason it had the opposite effect on me. It felt soothing, and gentle¡­ not unlike home.

    ¡°Heh, trying to trick me, aren¡¯t you?¡± I chuckled inwardly.

    *chime*

    The sound was drawing increasingly nearer.

    ¡°Dammit!¡± I cursed my bad luck.

    Gathering my wits, I started looking around for a suitable hiding spot.

    Unfortunately unlike the last time, I was now far too big to successfully pull off hiding myself atop a tree branch. Since the events that unfolded throughout the last few days wouldn¡¯t really let me alleviate my sleep deprivation through actual sleep, I had to find another way to replenish my energy. And the only one that came to mind was eating¡­. A whole lot of eating.

    At first, I made due with a handful of small critters, preferring not to waste precious time and energy looking for bigger prey. However, soon I came to realise that even in spite of all that effort I was putting into fleeing the nasty old man, I wasn¡¯t truly making a whole lot of progress at all, courtesy of that disgusting slimy goo covering my wings. As if making my stomach turn wasn¡¯t bad enough, the horrible substance even had to keep obstructing my mobility, and rather significantly at that, while still managing to tire me out both mentally and physically.

    Honestly, my patience was nearing its limit. I caught myself subconsciously scratching pieces of dirt off my wings more than once. My agitation seemed to only grow stronger with each passing second, and if I allowed this to go on any longer, the camouflage would be rendered completely useless under the unrelenting onslaught of my fingernails.

    In the end, any resolution I might have initially had to keep the tiny semblance of subterfuge that disgusting layer of filth provided me with, simply ended up giving way to my inner desires.

    Washing off all that filth felt heavenly. I truly felt liberated for the first time in a long while. Unfortunately as expected, that¡¯s when the larger predators started showing up, seemingly attracted to the mysterious source of light.

    It didn¡¯t take me long to realise that the never ending influx of predators was actually a gift in disguise. And I decided to make good use of that gift, capitalising on the fact that food was now coming to me of it¡¯s own volition. And as I hunted, I grew stronger, faster, deadlier... and as I was lamenting at this very moment, significantly bigger.

    *chime*Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    The extreme sleep deprivation truly seemed to be doing a number on me, as my mind kept losing focus, darting all over the place, costing me precious time. Searching for the source of this disturbance, I cupped my long pointy ears in an attempt to focus my hearing.

    *chime* Turning my head in the direction the sound was coming from, I spotted a pale light emanating from beyond the densely growing trees. Straining my ears even further, I could make out the playful melody of a lute accompanied by the joyful trills of a flute, and obviously, a chime.

    I couldn¡¯t really allow myself the luxury of finding out what any of this actually meant, as I was quickly running out of time.

    ¡°This is bad¡±.

    *chime*

    Not wasting a moment further, I took a deep breath to calm myself down and started looking around. It would appear that this part of the woods was situated on a mountainous terrain, as various hillocks, mounds and slopes adorned the landscape around me.

    ¡°This could work to my advantage.¡± I arrived at a conclusion, as my eyes analyzed each and every possible nook and cranny I could shove myself into, before the other party found me.

    ¡°Not good.¡± I thought as I realised, that I was currently sitting mere meters away from a modest animal trail, the likeliest of routes their party was to take if they wanted to avoid stumbling on any of the innumerable twisting roots and bushes scattered all over the place.

    *chime* the only thing separating the origin of the sound from me at this point, was a bunch of thickets.

    ¡°Seems like the time¡¯s up. Best make my move now while I still can.¡±

    Slapping my cheeks with just enough force to sober up for a few precious seconds, I started sluggishly moving towards a shallow ravine. Picking up the charcoal-black feather, my only treasured possession, I threw myself down the nearly vertical slope, landing on top of a cushion of moss and leaves.

    Summoning forth the last bit of energy that remained in my tired body, I pulled myself into a shallow opening in the cliff face, hiding myself below the twisting dried roots of a giant tree.

    *chime* This time, the sound came directly from above.

    I just wanted to close my eyes and hold my breath until it was all over, but I knew better. Closing your eyes during a crucial moment such as this one was a one way trip to the land of disaster and regret. Still, there was no harm in being careful, so I did decide to hold my breath, just in case.

    Then it hit me.

    ¡°The sound has stopped¡­¡±

    I could feel my heart somersault as adrenaline assaulted each and every aching muscle in my body. Before I could stand up and make a run for it, an out of place sensation assaulted my senses.

    My hand shot up reflexively, aiming for whichever creature had latched itself onto me, but instead of pain, I was greeted by the sensation of soft, fluffy feathers. Ones that I was very familiar with.

    Turning my head, a smile spread over my lips as I spotted a tiny pixie hugging my shoulder, grinning profusely. I chuckled as I gently and carefully returned the greeting. It has been such a long time since I¡¯ve been with my kin, that the joy of reunion momentarily made me forget the situation I was in right now.

    Closing my eyes in silent appreciation of this gesture, I breathed in deeply, savoring the scent of home that I have missed so dearly. The bliss only lasted for but a short moment though, as I was brought out of my nostalgia induced daze by a series of few weak tugs on one of my wings.

    Turning my attention away from the mismatched hug, another little fairy floated into my line of sight, visibly pouting at me for ignoring her for so long. Extending my other arm towards the little rascal, we entered into a three-way hug, and I felt tears forming in the corners of my eyes.

    Meanwhile, the number of visitors had increased yet again, and it wasn¡¯t about to stop just yet. In just 20 seconds, there was a small flock of pixies latching onto me, pulling my hair and nestling against my wings eagerly. I was just about to scold them, when a few words broke the silence.

    [Little sisters, where have you gone?] a gently sounding male voice spoke in the darkness.

    This startled me, but the other pixies didn¡¯t seem to care in the slightest.

    [Little sisters?] a different, female voice called out to them.

    One of the pixies seemed to have stirred from her stupor, as she started tugging on my fingers as if trying to pull me towards the voices.

    There was no way in hell I was going to go though. Not in this lifetime, not after what I have gone through.

    ¡°Would it really be so bad though? They seemed to get along well with my kin.¡± I thought for a moment, but shook my head to get rid of these doubts.

    The little pixie tugging me had apparently grown impatient, as she resorted to a different strategy. She snatched the only thing on me that she could - the feather.

    I stared dumbly at her back, as she took off into the night with the only worldly thing I cared about.

    I panicked. Fear gripped my heart, as adrenaline surged forth yet again, and I stood up with vigor I wouldn¡¯t expect my exhausted body to be capable of. Before I could stop myself, I was already flying after the little thief. Too late did I realise, that there was scarcely anything between me and the road.

    So there I was in full view, floating in the air with my wings glowing brighter than the stars, with but my long sparkling black hair and a flock of pixies covering my modesty. There they stood, mouths agape, staring directly at me.

 Chapter 4 - part 2

    Within a single heartbeat, I stood ready for the coming confrontation. The air around me shimmered with power as my wings, bathed in the pale silvery light of the crescent moon, gathered the elemental mana, preparing it to unleash a fury of searing light in a single concentrated flash. Once the enemies were blinded and confused, I would strike them down swiftly and without mercy.

    But then, something unexpected happened - they all bowed.

    [Greetings, starchild.] clear, melodic voices resounded in unison across the midnight forest path, as they all lifted their heads, their almond shaped dark blue eyes staring at me in wonder.

    I was milliseconds away from striking at them with full force, but this reaction of theirs took me by surprise, and I hesitated.

    ¡°Should I attack them?¡± I wondered, unsure of their intentions ¡°They don¡¯t look hostile...¡±

    I played with the thought for a few seconds, before discarding it.

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t feel right.¡± I thought for a moment, before reluctantly releasing the swirling mana, allowing the surrounding scenery to sink back into pitch black darkness.

    I wasn¡¯t about to trust them just because they seemed nice though, so I made sure to put some distance between ourselves before I descended, keeping my senses sharp at all times.

    As I glanced back in their direction, I caught a glimpse of a smile forming on their faces, which only served to push my vigilance even further. Various scenarios played through my head as I steadied my breathing and calmed myself down, even if only a little bit.

    Seconds passed as we were locked in this uneasy stalemate, and after a while of neither side taking any action, the silence started pressing down heavily on me, turning the whole situation somewhat awkward. When I couldn¡¯t bear it any longer, I decided to return their greeting, and probe around to see how they would react.

    [Umm, hello?] I spoke meekly. After all, this was my first time interacting with anyone who wasn¡¯t outright hostile towards me, so yes, I was a little shy.

    As if right on cue, the male standing at the front of the group, garbed in some weird, metallic yet oddly flexible armor, started speaking:

    [My name is Enrandil the Shieldbearer, my friend. I am the leader of this group. May I have the honour of knowing your name?] asked the man with a gentle tone in his voice.

    He wasn¡¯t holding any weapons, at least not any that I could see, but he was firmly gripping his slightly oversized kite shield. It was still a relief to know that I didn¡¯t have to fight them - for now.

    [W- well, ¡­] I stuttered, before going completely silent.

    The calm demeanor of this group had allowed me to somewhat soothe my agitated mind, and seeing as they didn¡¯t show any ill will towards me, I really wanted to answer their courtesy in kind. But there was a catch - I didn¡¯t have any name to give them to begin with.

    Enrandil seemed to interpret my silence as denial of his request, as he spoke:

    [It¡¯s alright, you don¡¯t have to tell me if you don¡¯t want t-]

    [No!] I interrupted him hurriedly. Some part of me didn¡¯t want these people to dislike me. Some part of me didn¡¯t want to be alone any longer. If my kin could get along with them, why would it be any different in my case?This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    [It¡¯s not that! It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t-] I was about to answer him truthfully, when a tiny, weak voice spoke in my head:

    ¡°No! Don¡¯t let them name you!¡± It seemed familiar to me, but considering how weak and distant it was, I couldn¡¯t tell whose voice this could be.

    I was getting impatient. Familiar or not, I couldn¡¯t stand the newfound sensation of shame, that I found myself experiencing at this very moment, so I replied curtly:

    ¡°What name should I use then?¡± putting a bit more edge to my mental voice then I originally intended.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Shouted the voice despairingly. It seemed to be losing volume rapidly, as if something was obstructing its ability to speak to me.

    ¡°We¡¯re sharing the same body, so just use my name for all I care!¡± Said the voice faintly, before fading into nothingness as abruptly as it came.

    Then it finally hit me, whose voice I was talking to.

    ¡°SILVIA?! Is that you?!¡± I roared at the phantom of her voice that was there just a moment before, but no answer came back. As I was about to call for her again, another voice interrupted my thoughts:

    [Excuse me, you were saying?] Asked Enrandil with a noticeable hint of expectation in his voice.

    [Um¡­]

    It would appear that today was to be a day of close calls, very close calls indeed¡­

    ¡°Yet again left with no more than a few seconds to decide my fate. Brilliant.¡± I grumbled inwardly.

    ¡°Using Silvia¡¯s name doesn¡¯t sound quite right though. It¡¯s as if I was taking her place... but doesn¡¯t she have two names?¡± an idea popped inside my head.

    ¡°Silvia Skye. I remember that there used to be a lot of other people with that second name in her memories, and most of them seemed to be somewhat close to her¡­¡± I started seriously considering that option.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m quite close to her too, so it should be fine, right?¡± Time was ticking and I didn¡¯t want to drag this on any longer than necessary¡­

    ¡°Yea, I like the sound of it as well. Sounds like sky. Let¡¯s go with that.¡± I rejoiced inwardly.

    [My name is Skye!] I announced in an oddly cheery voice, surprising myself as much as the others.

    The streak of surprises wasn''t over yet, as the moment the words left my mouth, my whole body started glowing with an intense light. It only lasted for a second or two, but the shock was sufficient enough to leave me in a daze. Enrandil on the other hand seemed unfazed.

    [It¡¯s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Skye.] said the man disheartenedly.

    I barely paid any attention to him though, as I was currently reveling in the joyful feeling of having a name I didn¡¯t know I ever wanted, or needed.

    [To tell you the truth, I was hoping you were unpaired.] he started again, gaining my attention this time, seeing as he was talking about something I didn¡¯t understand, and such topics could be dangerous.

    [But seeing the sign with my own eyes¡­] Enrandil paused for a second, before changing the topic: [So, where is your partner? I¡¯d like to ask them a few questions.]

    I truly had no idea what he was talking about, but he seemed to assume quite a lot about me, and breaking such assumptions could result in me revealing a piece of information I would have otherwise preferred to keep to myself.

    ¡°Damned if I do, damned if I don¡¯t, huh?¡± I pondered for a while, ultimately deciding to ask him anyway.

    I would prefer failing while knowing why, rather than messing up somewhere along the line and never knowing the cause. But once again before I could open my mouth and ask anything, as if in mockery of my decisions, I was rudely interrupted by Silvia¡¯s voice inside of my head.

    ¡°Wow, I really wasn¡¯t expecting this to happen¡­ but HOW? I am not an elf!¡± Unlike the last time though, the sound of her voice was loud and clear as if she was standing right next to me. It wasn¡¯t my voice, the one she used to talk with the mage, but the voice of her heart, the one she used in her memories. A quiet, soft feminine voice.

    ¡°Silvia?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you heard that?¡± replied the voice inside of my head, continuing with: ¡°You know, you really should reply to him before he misundersunderstands agai-¡±

    [Did anything happen to your partner?] It would seem that Enrandil had once again misinterpreted my silence.

    [You don¡¯t have to talk about it if you don¡¯t want to¡­] he added quickly, and this time, I thought I¡¯d take him up on the offer.

    [Yes, I would prefer not to talk about it¡­] I didn¡¯t even get to finish the sentence before Silvia butted in:

    ¡°Are you really that dumb?¡±

 A small delay

    Sorry about the delay, am currently burried in work to such a degree that it''s cutting into my sleeping time so I''ll need a few more days to release the next chapter (sunday or monday I guess).Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    Just thought I''d let you all know, so that you don''t feel abandoned.

    Cheers,

    Silfay