《The Crux of Human Suffering》


 Chapter 1: Before

    I awake with my feet lacking any sensation at all. My lungs struggle to raise my chest up and down like chains are binding them. Needles prick my feet, and cold like steel fills my legs. Time freezes. Am I going to Die? Alone in my room being crushed by an invisible force? My nerves lock in place as I begin yelling loudly, ¡°MOOOMMM!¡±


    The response I need to hear doesn¡¯t come, so I yell again, ¡°MOOOMMM!!!¡±


    Slam! My mother crashes through the door. She approaches me as hot beads of water roll down my face. The heaving of my chest quickly grows ragged after I see the grimace on her face being partially covered by the darkness of the room. My mom knows what to do right? There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to die right?


    My mom sits down beside me. Her long brown hair and phantom like frame add fuel to the fire that is her ghastly appearance in the abyss. I reach out as if I can dispel the sinister visage her usually comforting form has taken. Like reaching through a dark haze my mom returns when I wrap my arms around her.


    ¡°Braxton! What hurts baby? Is it bad being in the new room?¡± her face resembles a wrinkled shirt being ironed out as no signs of danger present themselves.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know Mom! I feel...Wahhhh!¡± I cry heavily when the waves of frustration hit me. Why do I feel so bad? Is it just me? Does my mom not see the needles pricking my feet? or the weight on my chest?


    ¡°Relax Braxton! I¡¯m here. You know I¡¯ll always be here...¡± she pauses while rocking me lightly in her arms. I feel instant comfort at the remarkably soothing gesture. A pool of anxiety inside of me feels like it is being drained with each leaning of the right or left.


    After a few moments I say, ¡°I¡¯m sorry mom. I just couldn''t breathe well for a bit. I felt sick.¡±


    Her face lights up as she says, ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the doctor tomorrow okay? Now get some sleep. I know it¡¯s scary being alone in your new room, but you can be strong for me, right Braxton?¡±


    ¡°I can be even stronger for me Mommy,¡± I say with false bravado.


    ¡°Haha, well good. If you feel bad again you can sleep with me tonight okay?¡±


    She leaves, and I feel the fear of the unknown trap me. I hold onto the warmth of my mom¡¯s appearance, and fight away my feelings of dread with it. Over the course of a few minutes my alertness fades, and sleep quickly follows.


    The first doctor says I am probably completely healthy, "You are at an age when a lot of different things seem scary son, but just try to recognize that a lot of times the best medicine is peace of mind. Just relax."


    "Are you sure? I just have a little trouble lifting my toes and feet now is all, and I can''t help but get paranoid!" I proclaim with fear obviously lacing my words. He shoos me away with a knowing nod, and gives me an ankle brace to try and help my feet whenever I sleep.


    My symptoms continue, but after the reassurance from the doctor I assume these symptoms are all inside of my head. Anxiety is most likely directing my decision making process to an unhealthy degree. At least, that''s what I assume. So I decide to ignore the current symptoms. I¡¯m going to continue my life regardless.


    I¡¯m at school googling everything I can find on gunpowder and how it came to be whenever one of my friends, Luke, notes the way I started always wearing two ankle braces.


    "Did you hurt your feet?" Luke asks with nonchalant curiousness.


    "No, but I saw how you got some braces recently, and I wanted to match," I say with a teasing expression.


    Luke panicks,  "Wait, do they look bad? Oh god what if they look bad!" I reassure him that they look as bad as anyone else''s with a laugh. Luke looks both aghast and amused at the same time. His black hair and thin frame look gloomy at first, but his easy going aura can sometimes sharply contrast his appearance.


    The day passes by with cozy ease when suddenly a girl from 7th grade sits on our table next to me because of the way their class''s table at lunch is over crowded. She is pretty in a simple way. She has blonde hair that is long and pulled into a ponytail. She is taller than me, but seems shy despite her stature. Her sports related attire looks very natural on her.  Her pale skin is flushing slightly as she is forced to sit next to me in the only free seat.


    Being free of the social quagmire that usually prevents people from speaking at times like these, I start a conversation with her.


    I have the terrible habit of overthinking the first thing that I say to people, and since she looks like she isn¡¯t too shy I say, "Heyyyy, me and my friend over here were making bets on which one of us you would hate more by the time lunch is over. Care to guess who I bet on?"


    Her cheeks deepen their shade of red, and she quickly starts to shyly laugh while covering her mouth. I can see her glance at me for a second, but she still doesn¡¯t say anything.


    "Sorry!" I say with exaggerated hand gestures. " I didn''t mean to embarrass you, my name''s Braxton. What''s yours?"


    She shows a little more comfort as she somewhat stiffly replies with, "My name is Kinslee."


    "Well then Kinslee to commemorate our meeting I dub thee Lee. Short for Kinslee the wise all knowing saint of Rockwhil high," my close circle of friends gives her a knowing nod of sympathy as if to say they are sorry for her having to talk to me.


    It completely contradicts their snickering as they want to see more of the show between us.


    "Haha, well that escalated a little too quickly," Kinslee says with a new found interest in the conversation.


    "What should I call you then Braxton?"


    "Call me Ton, because I that''s how much I talk," I immediately reply with a slightly smug look of satisfaction at the rather clever self derogatory comment.


    "So tell me what you do Lee. Tell us about your grand adventures you have daily."


    "I do track. I run the 400 meter dash, I also play basketball, and I looove my dog, sparkles. "


    "The dog life is my life. I love my dog Artheus," she laughs at the somewhat unexpected name, but I can tell that she was slowly opening up because of my rather goofy behavior.


    "I''m not even going to guess how you made that name. Why Artheus," she asks with a comfort that was quickly forming when talking to me.


    " My parents told me they wanted to call him Al, but I told them normal names won''t fit my war beast. He needs a name befitting his future position," I say with a goofy, exaggerated smile plastered to my face.


    She quickly smacks her face and becomes as skeptical of my actions and words as my close friends.


    Before she left I ask, "Why don''t you sit next us tomorrow lee?"


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    She replies, "Nice try short stuff, but that isn''t very likely."


    The next day I realize her words were true, and she decides to sit with her usual circle of friends.  I talk to my friends about a game plan to attack this issue, and they tell me to go sit with her. I usually don''t feel a single bit of pressure from people, but even I was wrestling with the thought of actually going and sitting with the 7th graders. Especially because it was just a lot of athletic chicks who are all somewhat attractive. I back down from my friends suggestions and decide that maybe our friendship isn¡¯t meant to be.


    I¡¯m walking into the lunchroom the next day when I see Lee sitting with her friends and they all seem to be bored. I turn towards my regular sitting position when a sudden flash of the gigantic creature I still see in my dreams causes me to stumble slightly.The sudden image clouds my mind as I feel a force pull me towards Kinslee''s table. I approach her table with reckless abandon. I sit down next to Kinslee and everybody in her circle stares at me. One of them opens the conversation with, "Are you confused little man?"


    Oh man. I¡¯m not one to take passive aggressive remarks laying down, and I can almost always swamp people in conversation with clever references and an overbearing language style that always catches people off guard.


    So I reply with, "Why Lee over here is why I''m here, but I can see why seeing my majestic form gracing your presence could seem confusing. I''ll let you have my company for a day though, okay, doll?" I say with the same silly smile I put on whenever I¡¯m in character.


    The result is this incredibly high pitched round of laughter directed more so at me than with me from the table. They all look at me as though a very interesting toy had landed in front of them. One that they want to use for entertainment.


    Lee grows to a bright red, but seems very happy to have somebody to spice up the monotony of lunch for the day. The only problem is my appearance. I¡¯m a shorter fellow with black hair who¡¯s fairly thin. It greatly contrasts with my over confidence in conversation while simultaneously making people take more interest in me.


    At the end of the day I tell her to sit with us from now on. Her friends make incredibly obnoxious jeers at this as though I¡¯m asking her out publicly with no intent of actually receiving a yes. I turn incredibly red but maintain my usual smile.


    Later that same day I¡¯m walking my dog Artheus through a park somewhat close to our school. I love walking Artheus through this particular park because of the evergreen trees it has. I feel a deep satisfaction from being surrounded with nature. Each seemingly random feature in the surrounding plants add to an overall mysticism that escapes my everyday life.  During this time, I see a familiar face with an adorable dog that can only be named Sparkles.


    "Leeeeeeee, I can see you were completely serious about sparkles."


    "Well Artheus is all you said he would be and more," she replies with a breathy laugh particular to younger girls.


    We continue our conversation for a while and eventually find ourselves next to a small orchard of fig trees located next to a lake.


    "I never understood lakes or the ocean. Why do lakes form in some holes and valleys but not others? Especially the ocean. Why doesn''t the salt water just seep into the dirt underneath?" I roughly ask not expecting a reply.


    Kinslee at this point is confused and asks, "That just isn''t something I would think about. What could possibly make you think that?"


    "Well we are sitting here next to this lake. Wondering why the lake is here is a pretty natural thought. Why? Is that a weird thought? Would it confuse and confound the masses?" I reply with thick sarcasm towards the later part of the sentence.


    "I just liked it. It was something new...What do you want to be someday," she asks with rapt attention only attainable through interesting conversation.


    "I want to rule a large group of people with an iron foot," I jests while pointing towards my foot braces. "Just think about me as a counterpart to Stalin."I pause and snicker. "Or a grand warrior who crushes enemies under his feet. You know I think high jump could be for me."


    I try to make it obvious that I¡¯m completely okay with my feet being made fun of, but deep down it is an insecurity of mine.


    "How could you say that!" Kinslee stares straight into my eyes while my smile slowly fades under her glare. "Why would you say that about yourself? Your feet are fine, and I think it''s not at all that big a deal."


    I¡¯m blown away. I don''t know how, but she knows it hurts for me to talk about my feet. She even seems mad at me for...hurting myself. It makes my mind scramble in every direction to try and accept all of this unexpected situation and still keep up my usual banter. In the end I just sit there with my mouth slightly open. I¡¯m deeply tense about the current situation, but I also feel a bittersweet pinch. She sees through me and can tell how I really feel. It makes me realize I have felt so lonely up until this point. Like Kinslee is the first person to actually see through my shell.


    "I guess... I want to be somebody who makes things. Like a writer, programmer, or a construction engineer. I want to make things and bring them into the world. Things that wouldn''t exist without me, " I reply with a subdued expression not at all typical for me.


    She looks at me with a more approving gaze and says, "I want to be an architect. I really like houses, especially older houses."


    The conversation continues for at least another hour before we part ways. This became a pattern as we meet next to the fig trees and the lake every day after school. She tells me about how she struggles with her grades, but she still wants to be an architect. How she loves animals and is an amazing athlete.


    Eventually it becomes abundantly clear that she is competing at a national level, but she remains very humble about her circumstances. I slowly  realize that she is very empathetic. She doesn¡¯t always understand everything I say, but she always manages to understand how I feel.


    The only problem is my legs. After about 3 months I can''t move my toes or feet. I go to the doctor in hopes that there is some kind of help for my condition when I receive the news. I have Lou Gehrig''s Disease. I am slowly going to wither away and die. A million different futures are immediately destroyed before they can begin¡­


    ********


    I had to rewrite this chapter so puhlEASE tell me if something is wrong. I want to catch it as soon as possible.

 chapter 2: After

    Slowly a thick layer of fog is forming over the lake in the distance. I am looking outside of my wood framed, slightly warped glass window when I see it. Massive on a scale that defies my comprehension. With light steps resembling a fairy dancing on water it treads across the land, it stops to view a snowy capped mountain with a tilt that seems to convey confusion.


    Every pore on my body perspires with fear. I am frozen in front of the beast that is surely many times more powerful than I can hope to be. Like a human smashing an ant the beast releases a white light so blinding and focused it bursts forth. With the same focus the power grows and warps into a dark circle devoid of all color. Instantaneously, the orb collapses into nothingness. As though to accommodate the beast''s demands the mountain is completely gone. The clouds surrounding the peak of the mountain contorted as though being focused through a fish eyed lens and instantly pull towards the now empty space where the mountain had been.


    A shock wave forms in the center of the space. A gigantic perfectly circular ring of white spreads outwards in all directions. The trees in the valley between the mountain and my window are all obliterated in its wake. The pit of my stomach fills with a deep fear. I panic and scream with all of my being. I know with a certainty greater than death what comes next. The shock wave rushes over the village I am inside...


    I awake with blood in my mouth. I have bitten deeply into my cheeks and tongue. The dream has fury I am unaccustomed to. I have slowly become numb to the dream, but the new anger greatly ruins my ability to cope with it. This is probably because of my new found helplessness in life.


    Three years have passed since I met Kinslee in 6th grade. My condition has progressed so that I can no longer move with crutches. Each passing day...my nerves becoming weaker despite therapy. As usual I haul myself into my wheelchair. The familiar feel of leather and metal have become as integral as my arms or legs. I decide to call my mom to let her know I am awake.


    The daily routine of my mom helping me get dressed and ready for school follows. The initial embarrassment at needing help dressing myself had long faded. Now a deep apathy takes its place. Slowly over time I need more and more help which my mom aptly handles. The only problem being the rift slowly forming between me and my mom. As a single parent she can barely afford all of the new expenses my condition has caused. The stress slowly pushes her away from me. The talks of the past about what I had learned that day have long since faded, and are replaced with cold, pounding silence.


    I am rolling myself to school as usual with Artheus taking the lead. In my time of need the dog has been a life saver. He allows me to keep my mobility to and from school, and he still loves me with innocent apprehension. He keeps me in a state where my sanity is slowly recovering. As usual I bring him into the school, and they keep him with the school counselor. It is actually a huge process to allow Artheus to carry me to and from school, but eventually the school cracks and let me uses my dog to come and go.


    Luke waits for me so we can talk before class. He has a slightly sympathetic glance directed at me. It burns. I hate the constant glances and down turned eyes. The hands clutching their chests. Like being famous for being ugly, I continue my walk of shame over to him. People give Luke a glance of slight pity as he starts the conversation with, "Looks like my favorite bro made it  in time for the school showdown."


    I reply with, "Pffft, made it? If it wasn''t for the slow pit stop I easily would have beat you here with my lightning pace. Wanna race and see?" I say with my usual cheerful mask.


    Masking the seething anger, I think about how I''ve become desensitized to my current condition. While other people just can''t do it.


    "A race ey? What will the stakes be?" He says with a slightly refreshed "aaaahhh" under his voice. He always did this whenever we haven''t seen each other recently. I can''t help but think it''s because he wonders why he even talks to me.


    "Maybe a wooden one? Vampires are all the rage now" I say with a big smile plastered on my face as he cringes at the joke.


    He makes a weird hissing noise as he tanks the joke. I use that moment of weakness to push further, "I could maybe get bitten and then have super cripple strength. They would call me "The Blur" because of how fast I''d take off in my chair." I state with a mock smile and hand gestures.


    He has the weirdest expression of trying to suppress laughter as though to save my feelings, but laughs nonetheless.


    "I love the way you stay so strong despite the disease Brax." He says while quickly shifting from a laugh to intense eye contact.


    I think about how much I know that isn''t true. They don''t know about how much I wish with all my might I could raise my goddamned legs. Strength saps from my legs and hands like god has poked a hole in my soul. Right now they shake with ever increasing vigor. As though they struggle more and more each passing second to continue moving.


    "I just feel like Life is too short and painful for me to hate it. Isn''t that just too sad? I should be focusing on all the good I have. " I reply with mock happiness.


    I know what I am saying is true, but each passing day I struggle more and more to keep that outlook. How can I? Is it at all reasonable to expect me to constantly be happy despite my condition? No. I don''t think so. I have a deeply suppressed sadness that helps me stay motivated. If I was ever alone or not busy for too long I know I would have to face it, and that....Is not something I think I can do...


    "You''re a stronger man than me. You wanna go to the chess club again today?" He replies with a mischievous smile.


    Luke has always been a somewhat passive person, but with me around he knows he can let his inner desires show. He loves showing people up, and surprising them.


    "As always Luke. Your knight in black armor is here to crush the hopes and dreams of the elite," I say with a certain level of familiarity.


    He wants to go and Smash some poor random kid called Daniel, the reigning tri-state area chess champion again today. I have never lost to him, and he is a decently pompous fellow. The look of devastation is always like a heavy rain in the dessert.


    I spend every second of free time researching anything. Famous figures from France''s history? I know them all. How to create a sword from rocks and tree sap? You can slice through steel with the ones I can make...At least I want to believe. Theory on radiation sickness and therapy? I can heal the Hulk.  At least in theory. Today I''m looking through practices the mongols used to dominate the competition under Ghengis Khan when I notice that the teacher is about to call on me. Since it is the beginning of the year, I am going to do what has become a custom among my new teachers.


    As always I am not at all paying attention to anything they say. Instead I constantly read in class. I would even wear headphones and watch videos in most of my classes. I have studied academia as far as I can go. I didn''t do anything with it only because of my age. I can''t actually accomplish too much in the next few years anyways...


    "Why don''t you solve the equation at the board for us Braxton Whitaker?" The new teacher says with slight apprehension. My last teacher skipped the custom because she never actually tried to make me go to the board, but this one is a lot older and does not feel as much sympathy for my condition. It is refreshing because I don''t want to get rusty or out of form.


    "Absolutely mam!"I say with my most innocent voice possible. Luke in the corner begins to chuckle. I struggle to readjust myself and I fall out of the chair. The cold air rushes to meet me, and heat like boiling water spreads through me. The atmosphere is thick, but I ignore it.


    I then slowly roll to the front and stretch to an uncomfortable degree while reaching the chalk high enough to write on the board. I solve the equation easily, and then write some more. It is a counter problem meant for her. It is just a harder version of the one I just did.


    I challenge her to do it, but in a very child like way that is more of a request. She is able to do the problem, so we go back and forth for a while until I bring out a problem from calculus 2. It''s a problem that involves advanced understanding of integral calculus and 3d modeling. She''s completely stumped. I spend the next 15 minutes explaining the problem in the most demeaning tone I can possibly muster.


    "Th-Tha-...That is enough Braxton. Go sit down," she responds while trying to hide the frustration under mock strictness.


    "Is this some kind of a joke? Do you think it''s funny that I have to sit in a chair all day? " I reply while my voice cracks loudly.


    "Do you understand what it is like to never be able to walk? To know you''re going to never walk again?" I pause for dramatic effect.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    The teacher looked onto my visage with absolute horror as I continue. A heat I have never felt before shrouds my mind.


    "Maybe it seems like a smaller deal to you than to me, but I think I still deserve respect befitting a  man. Befitting a human being going through a difficult time. Do you like the idea of picking on me and forcing me up to show boat my disease in front of the class? Does seeing me struggle to the front of the class make you happy? So I embarrass you, what about it? Am I expected to be happy all the time? Can you tell me what it feels like? You are SICK. " I say with finality.


    "Even sicker than me..." I say while turning my chair around and crying.


    Unlike my previous sessions where I just roast the teacher in front of the class I actually became emotional. Hatred for having to go in front of the class, hatred stemming from my lack of control, and hatred from my lack of opportunities funnel through my voice and eyes.


    The stillness in the air is so thick it''s like concrete. The snickering had died down and is now reforming into silence. Looks of horror and shock are plastered onto the faces of everybody present. I can''t breathe. The seriousness in my claims so greatly contrast my usual persona that a couple of people start to cry. The teacher slowly reddens more and more. Her breathing slows and she eventually starts to cry.


    "I...I just....I''m so sorry." the old woman says as she runs from the now unbearable situation.


    Anger is so thick in my  mind that pleasure emanating from her pain forms...I just want her to feel a fraction of the pain I have... If she can just have it for a moment maybe I won''t be so alone... Maybe I won''t be....


    I find no respite. As the heat fades, cold fills my limbs. I want to escape my isolation, but I just amplified it. Me and Luke don''t go to the chess club after class. In fact we barely speak again after that. A veil of darkness between me and all of my previous classmates materializes after that.


    Later that day I''m walking my dog, and I meet with Kinslee as usual.


    "You look more beautiful each and every day Lee. Are you trying to tempt me? " I say with incredible sarcasm and a  snicker.


    "I thought our great leader was immune to temptation," she playfully asks.


    The thought of how much better at conversation she has become after the last 3 years comes to my mind  as I say, "You know iron is vulnerable to oxygen? It seems like you just breathe too much life into me."


    "You seem well as always. I have big news so lets go sit down somewhere," she says while pangs of guilt go through my mind. Earlier today is already becoming a painful memory.


    We continue our banter and eventually come to a stop. We sit down in the usual place where the fig trees and lake meet like lovers.


    "I think... Today is a special day." I say teasingly, as though to prompt a response.


    "Oh no, are you going to ask me to marry you finally, " She asks with a dramatic pose of a damsel in distress.


    "Even more important than that. This could truly break the modern power balance in the world. Tales of this day will be heard throughout history. Long after Alexander and Hitler are forgotten they will inscribe this story into stone." I say with a huge grin on my face.


    "Okay what is it? You got me, and I need to know now." She says while leaning in closer towards me.


    I reply slowly,"Did you know today marks 3 years since the first time we started coming after school and talking?"


    She blushes a scarlet red and smiles as she said, " You are a hopeless romantic. Do you do this to everybody? "


    "Only the important ones." I say with a wink as I struggle to pull a backpack out from behind my wheel chair.


    I fall from the chair while reaching back and land on my side. Seething frustration similar to earlier wreaks from every single ounce of my being. I quickly regret how I can''t deliver the presents like I want to. The girl I love picks me up and straightens me into my wheelchair. In my mind, I cry out in anguish. Lamenting at my inability to remain suave in the face of adversity.


    "I...I brought you a couple of things." I say while blushing and turning away slightly.


    "I thought since it''s been 3 years I should bring you 3 things." I pull out a leather pouch I''ve made.


    Throughout the last 2 weeks I have been secretly visiting a tailor shop and borrowing equipment to create this present for her. It is 4 miles from my house, but the journey is made infinitely easier by Artheus. It is still an intense effort from me, and its rough appearance supersedes real emotion.


    "I...How did you make this? How much did it cost," She asks with a shambling voice.


    Her hands lightly shake as she grasped the pouch and brings it to her chest.


    "The noble lady needs a more expensive gift to keep her appearances up?" I ask with a smile as I pull out a rather cheap ring that has 3 gemstones encrusted into it.


    "wha...er!.. I can''t! It''s so pretty. You''re...Thank you so much Braxton." She says with continually breaking down demeanor.


    Tears start to well as she looks at both of her presents. She keeps opening up her mouth and shutting it as if she can''t speak without crying. I love the reactions, and I let them soak in for a few more seconds. Right before she speaks I put my finger to her mouth and say "shhhh."


    I pull out my third and final present. A little box. "Open it! This one is going to really special."


    She grasps the box and steals a glance at me before opening it. Inside is a thousand sheets of tracing paper, an architectural scale, some architectural and engineering measures, and a book that is titled "Architectural Graphic Standards".


    She looks down and opens her mouth before saying, " you...you really....How could you?...I"


    She immediately stares back at me and her already rapidly deteriorating presence shatters. She grabs me and starts to cry. She weeps with strength as I hold her in my arms and smile.


    "You want to be an architect right? Well there is a starter kit." I say warmly while trying to infuse my words with as much understanding and emotion as possible.


    "wahhhhhh, you....You''re so.....Sweeeeeeetttttt. wahhh" She cries loudly while leaning over the arm of my wheelchair and laying on my chest.


    Every bit of the effort I have put into it is worth it. At this moment, happiness and fullness pour forth like never before. We completely ignore stares from random people across the lake as we hold onto the moment as long as possible.


    After about 5 minutes she calms down and I stare at her. I say, "I just want to do something for you while I can. To help the world remember me a little better."


    Her reaction is drastically different than what I expect. She says, "You''re going through so mu-much. You still find time to ma-make all of these things for me.....You''re hurting so bad. Just let it out. Don''t be scared to cry. You can''t be strong in front of everybody all the time."


    "What are you talking about? It''s all goo....d. I feel great, and..." I pause as the knot in my throat stops me from speaking.


    "I understand its hard. Your disease hurts your mind and body every day. You probably won''t live to be 20, and you feel cheated. Lied to. Like the world is playing with what little you have left. I''m still here. I won''t run away. I will be here for you forever. You can keep being you, their will never be anything wrong with that."


    The tenseness in my shoulders disappears. My mangled ball of emotions becomes unraveled. Like I have finally heard what I needed to hear, I weep. I let out my soul with every whimper. I let out my heart with every sob. Time stops as we both truly understand each other.


    After about 15 minutes I finally stop. I''m hideous, covered in snot and tears with eyes so swollen they look deformed. Kinslee look equally distraught. Her usually perfect face is riddled with red marks as she routinely wipes away her tears.


    "The only thing sadder than that is how we look," I reply playfully, wiping away my last tear.


    "I''m just glad you feel better now," she says while looking though me as easily as a window.


    We stay like that for who knows how long. Afterwards we part ways and I go home. I hate the way I can never hold her because of my condition. A series of what-ifs cross my mind, but with new found determination I decide it is going to be okay. That I am going to keep loving my life no matter what happens. I will not silently go into the night.


    *****************88


    Please let me know whats up guys! I went through a massive rewrite recenty. I NEED YO HELP TO CATCH THE ERRORS.

 Chapter 3: Dream?

    Suddenly, outside of a dirt stained window, the abomination becomes visible. It tip toes with ethereal steps towards a set of mountains several miles away from my house. Its height is at least 150 meters. It stops with unearthly suddenness. At this point sickness is bubbling from the pit of my stomach, but there is another sensation as well. Cracks in my mind fill with willpower. I want to stand against the ominous creature.


    I search around the room for tools as a bright light forms near the mountain. I grab a large stack of wood and instinctively activate something that is like a muscle I can barely control deep inside of my head. The wood is promptly pressurized together. The white light forms into a large dark orb that is growing. Tears flow freely as I stand up and build what looks like a perfect sphere of dark reddish wood.


    The pressure from the situation isn''t causing the tears to flow from my face, but the fact that I can move my legs and arms freely again. Spastic urges to move my unchained limbs develop, but I suppress it and instead thicken the reddish sphere of wood with random materials lying about the workshop like room. Random metal trinkets and building materials crash at a high speed into the sphere.


    The dark orb collapses and a gigantic white shockwave grows from its center. At this point in time I open the perfect sphere and walk into it. I frantically close the opening in the object as the shockwave gets closer and closer. The sound of glass being broken is the last thing I hear before the sphere completely closes.


    I have molded the sphere so that I am locked into place by wooden restraints. Like being strapped in a completely dark wooden surgery table, I start to be moved at a speed that completely removes my ability to think. My senses give way to the event.


    Gravity multiplies and is applied at random angles as the protective sphere is rocketed back and forth. After some period of time my wits slowly return. I control my breathing as I crack open what used to be a perfect sphere to crawl outside.


    I stare at my house from a distance of easily over 6 miles away. I rationalize that I have been catapulted at a speed easily over sound. The colossal horror has slowly walked away from our house after crossing the mountain range. It¡¯s horrible tentacle covered body then continues lightly treading on the earth. My mind turns blurry, and hit my head to grab my wits back.


    As though fighting an entrancing pull, I turn from the wriggling beast. The collection of flattened wooden houses and trees appear in my center of vision instead. Realizing that I have survived the incident that has killed me so many times before, I start to walk towards the top of the hill that my sphere has landed on. It smells strongly of pine tree sap and dirt in every direction because of the shattered wood and freshly turned up earth.


    After reaching the top of the hill, a slightly larger village than the recently destroyed one reveals itself. It has been protected by a crater like mountain surrounding it. I carefully scale the massive fallen trees and ravaged ground towards the village. Oddly enough as I approach the village the only thing that is on my mind is how irrational the situation has become.


    I remember being incredibly crippled just yesterday¡­.Why am I okay now? The question daunts me as I approach the nearest house that is made of logs that have obviously been stacked by hand.


    Dirt and what looks like some form of pinkish adhesive have been plastered in between the logs. This gives a surreal almost candy like look to the log houses that both intrigue and disturb me. Also the proportions of the houses are surreal. The trees used to create the houses are smaller than the surrounding forest, but still outlandishly large. The houses could easily be as wide and large as a school gymnasium, but at a normal height.


    As the adrenaline fades,  every single part of my body hurts viciously. My body is injured in ways only the cruelest of imaginations could hallucinate. The tendons and bones show around my wrists, and my skin looks bruised on each exposed surface.


    I knock on the door and start to breathe very heavily as the energy seems to ooze away from my body. A woman with light blonde hair that gently dances in the wind answers the door. With eyebrows raising sharply and her jaw gaping, she just silently stares at me. She faces me frozen in horror and stands perfectly still for a full minute or two. I try to speak but cannot. My head falls downwards and I see my skin is lacking a semblance of any normal color.


    Like skin that has been pulverized for hours. Each square inch is a unique blend of bright crimson, purple, and dark blue. Where the restraints had been inside of the circle(around my wrists, shoulders, thighs, and ankles) dug deep through my limbs. The bone are visible around the front of my ankles and wrists, but the thighs and shoulders have enough thickness to them that they resist being completely destroyed. It is at this horror filled epiphany that I stumble forwards and attempt to lift my arms. I instead meet a gentle embrace as I slip out of consciousness.


    When I awake numbness weighs my limbs down completely. Tiredness barely permissible by the condition of life kept my ability to think at bay, and I am sipping on a warm liquid. I can not open my eyes, but I can still smell decaying meat. At this point I slip back out of consciousness.


    After a series of these foggy awakenings, I finally awake with a trickle of consciousness. The walls look like spiderwebs made of branches that have opaque pink glass in between them. My mind races towards the goal of understanding my current situation. Why aren''t I home? Where am I? How long have I been asleep? Why am I covered in Blue goo? Why are there so many colors? The area looked like a candy land creation. Pink, deep blue, and white are everywhere.


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    A moment later a man creaks open the door and stares inside with one eye. I imitate death the best I can. He grumbles loudly and then leaves. I thank his short arrival, or he would have noticed the pools of sweat forming over my forehead.


    After about 6 hours of waiting, the sun finally sets completely. The hurt paralyzes me at first, but I slowly get up and rip off the dark blue coating covering me. My skin is pink and healed to my great surprise, but the muscles underneath are still devastated. I start the excruciating process of moving through the house.


    I wander through an incredibly intricate labyrinth of rooms and hallways to eventually find an exit to the building. At this point, I see a room with a fireplace that has a man sitting in a chair asleep. Behind the man is the only exit/entrance to the building. I can feel my muscles ache as I skulk silently across the ground. The soft snoring stifles and I remain frozen. The man scratches his face and rolls over. I quickly go back to the painstaking work of crossing the room.


    I start to curse the abnormally large room when I finally reach the door. When leaving and entering my room,the door is completely silent. I attribute this to either fantastic lubricants, or perfect building materials. Either way, I thank my current situation as I slowly open the door and it remains quiet. Just as I am closing the door at the last second, an ear piercing animalistic cry is heard. The man jumps out of his seat surprisingly fast as I shut the door and run to jump behind a thicket of enormous tree roots located near the front of the home.


    The man sees me and pursues me until I jump across the roots. He scans the horizon and decides to prioritize the loud animal squelch instead of me. I follow so I can see the threat


    After the end of a small forest path, the guard sees the creature that is causing the ruckus. A huge creature on what looks like hooved legs is next to a partially collapsed village house. The creature has 4 legs and stood at least 15 feet tall. It moved with the twitchy motions of an insect as it stands over the house and smashes it. The featureless fur covered body with no appendages suddenly makes a popping noise as it opens up a large fleshy hole from its stomach region.


    At this point I am a jittering, trembling mess. I watch with horror as what appears to be organ like tentacles fall out and start to prod through the house. It slowly picks up a screaming child and its parents. The tentacles have a thick slime that is melting away at the flesh of the people it has grabbed. As if forcing the people into a meat grinder made of melting tentacles, the creature pulls them into its body.


    The fleshy hole closes, and the creature turns to face the random man with an ax in hand. Hand prints can be seen as people tried to force their way out of the fleshy hell they have just been trapped in. Their cries of agony are heard as they are eaten by many smaller tentacles inside of the main body of the creature. The front face of its body is just a snout and two odd looking patches of skin I guess are used for echolocation or heat sensing like a snake.


    ¡°AAAAGHHHHHHH!!!!¡± The man cries with a visceral intensity only available to animals truly fearing for death.


    As if to confirm the need for fear, the godawful monster shuffles with insect like speed towards the man. Shockwaves of disgust bombard my mind. The man is quickly scooped up into the sea of crimson, churning organs. At this point the initial horror and shock have fallen to a point that I can finally let go of a gut wrenching amount of vomit.


    I quickly run to what is a steep incline into a valley of still towering trees. The trees are about 40 feet apart from each other so the land is actually fairly open, but the sky is mostly dark because of the amount of light the thick tops of the trees absorb.


    The creature has paused as if to rearrange its new contents before turning to face me. It moves. Running with an unnatural speed, I am driven by adrenaline firing every fiber of muscle into gear. The creature quickly breaks the gap and finally stops above me.


    The next moment a gigantic fleshy hole reopens and randomly shaped organs covered in what looks like large but sparse hair came out of the creature''s body. I start to panic and throw rocks at the creature while I think of something to do. It is at this point that I remember the sensation I used to move the wood into a sphere.


    A needle stabs into the lower part of my head when unlike before the entire landscape changes. I call upon my power. I am vastly stronger than before. Nerves are completely silenced throughout my entire body, and then pain like bees stinging every silenced nerve baptize my existence.


    I can tell the problem is my complete lack of control over the ability and I collapse the entire surroundings. The creature and I start to fall down a hole that is at least several hundred feet down when I scramble to grab the rocks located at the side of the expanse. Fingernails snap and arms break as I reach into rocks passing by me. As if reaching into pavement while in a speeding car, my hands are being ground to mush as I fall.


    I still scramble to try and launch my new stump like nubs into the cliff to stop my fall. I release as much of my ability as I can muster and the entire surrounding rocks, earth, and the sinister being start to fracture into sand. I slowly fall with the large pile of sand into the new crater I have just created. I scream my most soul wrenching cry right before I land onto a patch of pitch black rocks.


    ******


    Massive edits my friends. PUHLEASE tell me if there are errors.

 Chapter 4: Fire

    I awake in one of the most uncomfortable positions possible. I am compressed against a wall with my legs and arms limp at my sides. My hands are splintered wood given human form. My face is pressed hard against wood that had been clawed at heavily.


    With a great struggle, I turn my entire body around just using my neck muscles, and I quickly realize I have returned back to my crippled body. The familiar sensation of having no sensation across expanses of my body is somehow greatly comforting and distressing at the same time. The completely unique feeling is something brought on by my absolute confusion. Given an hour of thought I would still be unable to process what just happened to me. Hell, given a year or 10,I will never make sense of what just happened, but the current situation is equally alarming.


    A paralyzing dread fills my nervous system as I realize I did not wake from my bed. I have woken up at least 10 feet away. I am in my 5th year after contracting Lou gehrig''s disease. I haven''t moved my arms or legs in months...I am now many feet from where I can normally wake.


    My hands are battered beyond belief. A limit that is quickly becoming harder to reach... Pieces of drywall, wood, and chipped green paint from my wall are deep under my fingernails. Each finger has its own brand of ravaged flesh. My right hand is misshapen as though I have punched a concrete wall with all of my might repeatedly. Chills cover every pore on my skin. A cold nausea pervades through me; I have somehow moved over to the other side of the room and clawed at the wall with all of my strength.


    The impossible situation only adds to my turmoil when suddenly I start to smell burning tires. My horror at the smell is dwarfed by a greater fear of the unknown force that has made me move while having my demented dream. The realism is not the problem of the dream. The dream has happened. The world which I lived in for a few painful, agonizing, and woeful days was real.


    I comforted my unstable mind with these statements. The burning smell slowly grows into a quiet rumbling resembling a fire. Cracking wood can be heard from a distance as smoke slowly fills the dark room.


    I start to get a combination of despair and helplessness as I furiously try to throw my worthless body forwards with nothing but my neck. I fall over and proceed to weakly move my shoulder muscles and chin. The motions slowly grovel me forwards. The increasing harshness of the smoke burns my lungs and stings my eyes in the unlit room. My mother is away for a business trip, and my caretaker does not actually sleep in the same building.


    My isolation is breeding a thick layer of almost tangible panic. It adheres to me as I sweat profusely while approaching my motorized chair. With the frenzied effort of an insect trying to escape flames, I slowly use my teeth and shoulders to climb my chair. The room is now dimly lit with the fire that is quickly growing next to my room.


    After about 5 minutes of the most mentally taxing physical effort that I have ever endured during my now seemingly peaceful stay on this earth, I finally am able to lay on my chair in a position where I can direct my chair controlling joystick.


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    Desperate to try and beat the flames that have engulfed the other side of the room, my mind races at unbound speeds. Dozens of plans involving more complicated logistics than I have ever envisioned appear before me, but they all move out of the way as the only logical solution takes front and center.


    I am going to have to drive my chair through the flames, down the hallway, and then finally through the glass pane door at the backside of the house. My ever present state of life or death struggle related fear surges me to action. While meandering my tongue over the joystick in an exceptionally pathetic manner I start to roll towards the flames.


    I start hyperventilating to overload my body with oxygen before I go to the fire. I will need to hold my breathe until I''ve escaped the flames if I want to live. As I reach the flames a new experience awaits me.


    Searing Torment like broken bones and crushed teeth consumes me. Because of my hyper oxygenated state I can feel the flames lash my entire body at varying levels of intensity. The immediate problem is that the flames can only hurt the external part of my body as I roll at an oppressively sluggish pace. I am counting each second to try and remain in control of what small parts of my ever melting body I can still feel.


    ¡°31...32¡­33...34...35,¡± I think with ever increasing exhaustion as I navigated through the house using my now hazy mental map.


    ¡°44...45...46...47¡±


    I count while thinking of what could possibly be worth this level of anguish. Kinslee, Luke, Artheus, my mom...My unmet dad all flash across my mind as I approach my glass door that is now engulfed in flames. Large pieces of burning wood and drywall have fallen all over what I now imagine to be the least human looking corpse on the planet. My own.


    The glass makes a sharp cracking noise as the first charge does not completely break it. Using my tongue, neck, and ever softening cheeks I direct the joystick to try and escape the maelstrom of hate and heat that I am in. My cheeks paper thin flesh gives way like heated butter as I try to push the joystick.The taste of blood and charred flesh enter my mouth while I struggle to remain mentally stable as I feel my body slowly crumbling under the overwhelming heat. I redirect what I picture is a set of bones covered in charred meat to clasp the stick with my teeth.


    The crescendo of glass falling is like music to my ears as I slowly roll over the door frame and out of my house into the street. God has sent cool night air to alleviate my pain. I know with absolute certainty that only the kindest of creators can save me from my newfound hell. I release my breath and start to gasp for air. My quickly deteriorating consciousness faintly senses that I am being moved right before I pass out.

 chapter 5: Aftermath

    Today is much like my usual day after the fire. I¡¯m dressed and cared for by my new aid Angelica, and I¡¯m rolled to school in my wheelchair. I still try to grasp at the straws of my previous life before the accident, but I know it¡¯s a lost cause. The same thing happens as usual. Angelica does everything, and I wait to arrive at school.


    Whenever we arrive Angelica gets me out of the car. I thank her as she strolls me around the school, and Luke walks up to me to say, ¡±Hey buddy, how¡¯re you doing?¡±.


    I¡¯m long past getting angry at the slightly derogatory tone he approaches me with.


    So I respond with, ¡°I¡¯m just thinking about ordering my underling to go and run laps, or work in the salt mines while I¡¯m in class.¡± Thick sarcasm is in my voice as I move my face slightly to the direction of Angelica.


    ¡°Not again sir!¡± Angelica claims in mock horror.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice Angelica. Think about the lack of salt people are allowed to have around me! Why, I¡¯d say they feel like if they utter the smallest complaint, or show even a slight bit of anger around me it would warrant their utter annihilation. Salt¡¯s important! I don¡¯t wanna die because of a lack of sodium do I?¡± I say with a thick crackling laugh that I¡¯ve had since the accident.


    ¡°Of course not Braxton, God forbid you be put in such a perilous situation,¡± Luke says with thick sympathy and a slightly humorous attitude.


    The usual dialogue has somehow been reignited between me and Luke after the fire, and it¡¯s become incredibly important to me. My heart overflows with warmth unlike ever before during these everyday events since the fire, and somehow I find it in me to be thankful for the fire that has almost taken my life.


    After class is over, Kinslee takes me on our usual walk. She opens the doors to the school, and as we get closer to the park she says,  "I can''t really put a nail on it, but it seems odd. You seem happier now."


    "I think I am. It¡¯s easy to once you get enough perspective." I say while coughing.


    "How did the fire even start? I never asked that did I..." Kinslee says while looking downwards and gripping her bag.


    "Nobody knows. The police told me it looks like a fire was started by some kind of radiation. Nobody knows where it came from...Really mysterious..." I say while reminiscing about it.


    The funniest part about the whole situation is that I¡¯m nowhere near as bothered by my new look as everybody else. I have vast amounts of experience with dealing with a failing body. So this is nothing new. It¡¯s just more severe than before, but Since I''m already trapped in my head what difference does having a hideous head really make?


    These thoughts dance in my head as I hear, "BRAXTON! Are you there?"


    I snap out of it and see Kinslee leaning over my chair gently grabbing my face.


    "Careful love! Not in public!" I say while somehow cracking a smile.


    Kinslee turns bright red and pretends to pull out her hair while saying, "You are an absolute idiot. Here I think you''re going into a coma, and bam! I''m the pervert."


    "I can always find a way to turn it on you Kinslee. Or maybe it¡¯s just you can never turn it on me?" I ask while teasing her.


    "Haha, or maybe. I''m just not as easily entertained. Larger brain and all." She says while lightly tapping the top of my head.


    "Careful! You know what they say about playing with fire? and imagine if you knocked this gigantic head off its shoulders. If the bigger they are the harder they fall holds true, then we both want to keep it steady." I say while rolling my eyes.


    "Haha, At least the world knows you''re smart now..." Kinslee says.


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    "I like to think the worlds always subconsciously known how smart I was. Waking up to it can take awhile is all. "I respond while trailing off.


    ¡°So what are you going to do now? Graduating so early, seems like you¡¯ll be bored.¡± Kinslee says while playing with a flower in her hand.


    ¡°Working on world domination. The first step is to conquer a university called¡­.Anton.¡± I say while waiting for a response.


    ¡°...That¡¯s great! I...I can¡¯t go there because they don¡¯t have any athletic teams...¡±She says while slowly looking down as we get very close to our usual spot on the lake.


    ¡°They have the best architectural school in the entire country!¡±I say.


    ¡°Ugh. You really want me to feel terrible about it huh?¡± she says while sitting on a bench next to me.


    ¡°Terrible?...Excited? They can be closely related emotions...I want to take you there with me. I have the money.¡± I say.


    A cloud gently floats across the sun. A large shade covers us during the otherwise sunny day. I hear the bird chirp as she responds with now familiar warmth, ¡°You are the kindest person I have ever met...I just don¡¯t get it. Why would you want to do that for me? I¡¯m just a normal girl, you could talk to anybody. Do that for anybody. I can already go to almost any college I want, why help me?¡±


    A breeze passes through. Treetops sway with god¡¯s loving breath. Ripples pass across the lake, and the sun is revealed. The lake reflects ethereal wisps of light onto her face. I wait for the moment to set in before I reply.


    ¡°I love you.¡±


    She stares at the lake with a light smile. Her happiness might be greater if the fact was not already known. She might leap for joy, or even cry. Now she just looks like her life had been filled to the brim, and now she¡¯s trying to hold it as tightly as possible. As if this memory could disappear at any moment.


    ¡°You know I doubt anybody feels as happy around somebody else as I do around you.¡±She says while clutching her chest.


    I snicker and reply, ¡°Is it like sitting around a campfire? Maybe reading in front of a fireplace?¡±


    She looks shocked and entertained at the same time when she says, ¡°It¡¯s true! and don¡¯t say that. Even if you''re strong enough to get over it, not everybody else is. Superman is only super because not everybody else is¡­.How do you do it?¡± She asks with some almost mystical haze covering her eyes. Like she¡¯s looking at something that just doesn¡¯t make sense.


    ¡°Do what?¡± I say with a slight amount of genuine confusion.


    ¡°Remain so human, after so many terrible things have happened to you.¡±


    ¡°....I just think...Well...If we all let the terrible things that life throws at us define us...We end life defeated by it.¡±


    She opens her eyes as though solving an ancient mystery. Like a mathematician finally cracking the code after 5 years of hard work.


    She replies, ¡±Yeah¡­.I think I¡¯ll take you up on that offer. Besides...You¡¯re the one who always says doing the hard thing is what makes you happy. ¡±


    After that she softly places her hand over mine. She dances her fingers softly on my completely numb hand. We stay like that for a few more minutes. She leaves for practice. The national track meet she is practicing for will almost assuredly be dominated by the girl. I laugh as I think how lucky I am to have met someone who understands my soul.


    Afterwards, Angelica comes to pick me up and I am brought back home. Sleep embraces me while I think about how the anguish of the fire somehow creates as much as it destroys.

 chapter 6: Return

    In the distance I see the abomination. It¡¯s grand poise gives off an aura of invincibility in the distance. At this point my mind begins to snap. Like a dam built with sticks, the barrier around my mind breaks. Memories of a past life flood into me. I remember the last time I dreamed of the alternate world. The creature moves effortlessly closer to the mountain that I know is just a mere minute from being destroyed. I quickly try to formulate a  better survival plan than my...previous execution.


    I create an inner orb out of soft materials gathered from the workshop like room. The Eldritch evil stops in front of the mountain. I barely tense my shoulders as I realize waking up in my bed is the worst possible thing that can happen to me, so with absurdly low levels of tension a crafted sphere made of several layers forms in front of me. A bright light is summoned as I quickly use as much bedding material as possible between the soft inner coating and the resilient outer coating of the marble looking construct.


    I quickly run through the house while the dark orb grows. At this point my very short legs struggle to keep up with my intent. I find an older woman who I assume is my mother. I yell to follow me with my high pitched boy voice. She follows while shifting her eyes left and right with her mouth open. She looks completely dumfounded whenever she walks through what used to be a workshop door. The room is now a large gray and brown marble.


    I activate my power to open the large marble as the shockwave that usually kills me rapidly encroaches. I force her almost catatonic body into the marble and follow. I mold us to the side of the marble and wait for the shockwave to hit.


    This time the actual shockwave is more like the most violent possible roller coaster ride rather than hitting a steel wall. I want to puke, but the rampant G force prevents me. I can tell as we slam through trees and then earth that we will soon stop. The lady with brown hair and a very thin figure has long since passed out.


    After stopping, I open my protective sphere and check my body. The relief is palpable as I see a lack of injuries covering me and instead carpet burn covers almost all of my skin along with a crippling headache. The woman is promptly dragged by my tiny body out of the sphere. The landscape reveals we have been lobbed in a random direction. We are even further away from the slightly safer village than my first dream...


    The most productive thing to do with my intensely debilitated body is to rest until the unconscious woman wakes up, so for about 7 minutes I spend my time trying to survive the migraine until my "mother" wakes up.


    ¡°Wha-wha¡­.where are we? Are you okay?¡± I grinn with satisfaction at the warm concern she directs towards me.


    ¡± Yes. Are you?¡± I reply with a steady and to-the-point voice.


    ¡°Yes, but why are we here? Where is our home? What was that bright light?¡± She starts to huff uncontrollably at her current overbearing questions. I rear back and slap her with all of my tiny body''s strength. The mediocre slap seems to wake her from her delirious state.


    ¡°Okay Mom. Look around and tell me where we are. Then I want you to tell me about  the village over there.¡± I say with direction and maturity defying my age.


    With a flabbergasted shake of her head and obedience created through my assertive words she replies with, ¡°Are towards the badlands. Probably. I think if we went that direction,¡± She points towards the second village, ¡°we will end up going to the Tauss village. ¡± At this point she looks over and sees the devastation of our village and pauses.


    I quickly say, ¡°Do not worry about that right now. We need to find somewhere to sleep or get food. Where can we go?¡± to try and prevent her from falling into despair before we have a direction to go.


    ¡°I guess the Tauss village would be our only option. We can¡¯t get food otherwise,¡± She says with an ever increasing shakiness to her voice.


    We both talk for a short while and make the plan to go towards the village today. The only problem is that nights are very cold in this world, and the beast from last time is making me cringe.


    ¡°What is a gigantic beast covered in fur with no head that has tons of bloody tentacles?¡± I ask while starting and keeping steady eye contact.


    Her eyes expand in surprise, ¡±A Goth?! Oh gods no, where did you find out about those Nox? and why are you acting so strange? ¡± She pauses for a second to try and organize the vast array of questions in her mind before saying,  ¡°Why...Was there a gigantic marble in your room? Did you do that? Was it a god?¡±


    ¡°So there called Goths? Well, where do they come from, and how many are there? I can answer all of your other questions later, but this one is incredibly important right now.¡± I say with an intense stare.


    ¡°......They usually don¡¯t come near our village. They are very rare, but there are more of them towards the Badlands. That¡¯s why they¡¯ve always been called the badlands. Did you see one?¡± she asks while leaning towards me and gripping the ground around her.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say, but I know we might. Didn¡¯t you say we are in that direction right now?¡­..Either way let¡¯s move now and focus on reaching Tauss. I will answer questions on the way, but is Tauss a friendly village?¡± I say while slapping away imaginary doubts.


    ¡°As friendly as they can be in these times. We all help each other out if we can, but if we can¡¯t... ¡± Her voice trailing off towards the end gives me plenty of information about the world. Apparently we are in a low resource subsistence farming or even hunter gatherer type society. I can not tell how large the society is, or if there is a civilization to even speak of. The tone in my Mother¡¯s voice also tells me she doesn''t either. She sounds like ¡°We¡±, the two villages, encompasses everybody she knows...


    After a short break we start the treacherous climb over devastated earth and gigantic uprooted trees. At this point I decide to answer what I can about my mother''s questions.


    ¡°I really just don¡¯t know that much Mom. I felt weird and then an orb was created, and I just knew we could get inside of it. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m acting strange, but I feel like we need to stay strong after this great disaster. I have not seen a goth now, but I have before. I wanted to know so we could avoid them. Could you tell me if there are any people who have special powers Mom?¡± I ask while slowly filling the role of a small child.


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    With her situation becoming continually more understood she slowly starts to become more comfortable. She moves her light brown hair with a blond sheen out of the way as she says, ¡° No son. I¡¯ve never met anybody like that, and I haven¡¯t really heard of it either. But the world is vast, and it would not surprise me if our village just doesn¡¯t know about it.¡±


    We''ve walked at least 6 miles through rigorous terrain when I realize I''m not as tired as I should be. It is also still very bright outside so I ask while trying to stealthily hide my true questions, ¡°How long are days Mom? and can we make it to Tauss before we need to take a break? or night falls?¡±


    ¡°You know today is 111 hours. We can definitely make it to Tauss before night fall. I doubt we will need to take a break unless you feel tired Nox.¡± I respond with a playful leap.


    Even after over 6 miles of brutal hiking, I still have ecstasy flowing through my newly mobile limbs. I thank my weird transfer to this world for letting me experience this long lost joy.


    After another 4 or 3 miles we arrive at the base of the Tauss village. An incredibly long lasting sunset is forming as we arrive at one of the first houses of the village. My jaw hangs wide open as I gawk at the surreal architecture once again. After the last dream sequence I eventually chopped up the event as unexplainable and unreplicatable, but this confirms my original suspicion that my childhood dream has a mysterious origin and meaning. Still, understanding of the situation is not coming easily. I ogle as we go up and knock on one of the half candyland, half rustic log cabin houses.


    This time the the girl looks shocked as she says, ¡°Dad! There are survivors!¡±


    At this point I notice that almost everybody wore flashy, yet ugly, fur clothing. We all look like a large pack of skin wearing savages with confectionery log cabins. A large man walks up, and in the darkening sunset I can only tell he has a mustache and is bald. He stares at my mother as if to size her up before saying, ¡°Did anybody else survive the great light from Terk?¡±


    My mother replies while slowly overing her face and trembling, ¡±...I guess not...Everything is destroyed. All of the trees are broken and uprooted, every animal¡¯s been flattened. It¡¯s so bad...It¡¯s so bad you can¡¯t even tell where our village was...¡±


    At this point a sobering quiet takes over the conversation. Empathy is transferred with a silent respect for the fallen. After about a minute the girl says, ¡° My name is Lune. This is Braul.¡± Braul interrupts her and says with callousness bred through the harsh environment, ¡±You can stay at our place, but you will work. Today you can rest, but when the night ends we will have yah wake early and start tilling fields.¡±


    I try to absorb as much information as I can from the conversation. No doubt the two communities are not the whole of humanity, and this village is better off. The villagers are kind at heart, but they don''t have much, so they are always working to make ends meat. The really surprising factor is the quickness with which they rebounded from the devastating announcement of the genocide of our village. This means death and disaster are either common enough that they only showed a little bit of surprise whenever hearing about it, or the man doesn''t really care...


    I ponder these thoughts as Lune shows us where we will stay. The house is filled with trinkets of basically dead animal bones, furs, and the odd neon pink substance. Furniture made from wood, fur stacked on top of itself, and what looks like pink hard candy could be rarely seen throughout the ridiculously large house. I can not hold my curiosity as I ask ¡°What is this pink stuff?¡±


    My mother responds, ¡°Pariah sap, you know those pink leaved bushes in the forest? We smash up the leaves and mix the paste with water. After about an hour it dries to look like this. Our village was really new, so we hadn¡¯t made anything with it. ¡± Like an itch years in the making had finally been scratched, I sigh.


    After a very silent dinner we all go to sleep. Our rooms have a decent looking bed, so I assume the family living here is well off. It makes me think about how fortunate I am. I really want to bombard my mother sleeping next to me with questions, but a strong physical urge to sleep overcomes me. I think about how much easier it is to sleep here than in the other world. Maybe it is because we had such a long day? I fall asleep smiling about how I might be able to explore and learn more about the world surrounding me.


    I awake to a Loud crashing noise above me. I see through the broken roof. A goth is standing above the house, and has already dropped its organ like tentacles down near me. My mind explodes with activity as I quickly analyze the situation. Why is the goth here? Maybe because we went near the badlands. Why earlier than before? I was probably in the bed for only a day. So the dark blue goo heals really well? That¡¯s probably why I awoke that night. I have a series of questions and answers appear in my head simultaneously as I try to run from the monster''s grasp.


    I immediately regret not thinking more about the situation and preparing for it. The truth is after a few years the event has become hazy in memory,


    A tentacle pulsates with fresh blood as it greedily wraps around my neck. The sensation of my body is quickly plucked away. I feel the all too familiar sensation of not having any arms or legs. I watch with horror as my own legs and torso are thrown into a cauldron made of wrinkly red flesh. My mind is quickly losing focus as I fly into one of the wrinkly walls. The squelching noise of wet flesh hitting wet flesh is the last thing I hear before I die yet again to the horror.


    **********


    Edited heavily, please let me know if anything is wrong.


    I cut A TON from this chapter. I used to write very wordily. damn.

 Chapter 7: The End of the Beginning

    I awake in my my bed, but in an odd position. Drywall, paint, and pieces of my old wooden fan are littered across my body. I look up to see my roof has been hit fairly hard by a large object. Looking down the answer to the forming question becomes obvious, I have been slung very hard into the air. Luckily my incredibly stiff body has weathered the event fairly well , but scrapes and signs of damage can be seen by the analytical eye. At this point I start to observe all of the patterns that are forming between this and the last dream event.


    I sense unknowable eyes desecrating my body, I am being watched. I note that I impossibly moved in the regular world. The last few seconds of movement before death seem to apply to both worlds. Maybe it has to do with me being transferred back to my real body? The more important question is why it happened in the first place.


    Slam! My door busts wide open as Angelica frantically comes in. ¡°Braxton! Are you okay? What happened? Wha-Wha-WHAT?¡± She yells at top volume after seeing my body and the damage to the roof.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t fucking know. I woke up after a weird dream, and I was just laying down on the bed.¡± I say while contemplating the event.


    ¡°Thi-this is impossible Braxton. You...Was somebody in here? No...¡± Lines of horror slowly creep on to her face as the mystery becomes less and less explainable. Angelica leaks religious fervor as she says,¡±Why? I just can¡¯t see any other reason than a divine miracle, or divine...punishment. ¡±


    I start to seriously ponder Angelica''s claim. It seems more likely than any other explanation I have contemplated. Now that the event has proof and a witness it seems many times more real than the last time it happened. I can somehow explain that my nerves reactivated shortly during my last dream. Which led to me clawing and running in my sleep last time. This time though...I am burned so badly, and I have so many different joint problems their is no possible way I can move. Much less launch myself 10 feet in the air while laying down.


    ¡°I guess I felt like superman for a second, ay Angelica? Wanted to bust through the roof to fight crime. Maybe save a damsel or two? ¡° I say while my voice shifts from a nonchalant joke to harsh skepticism.


    ¡°Braxton. This is dangerous. I don¡¯t know what could have caused this, but we need to find you somewhere safe. I¡¯m sure if I make a claim we can have you put under police protection-¡±Angelica is about to try and suggest solutions when I suddenly cut her off.


    ¡°Angelica please think for a moment. If someone wanted me dead, and could sneak through our house and launch me into the roof without waking me up...I¡¯m not safe anywhere¡­I know you may not think this way, but I really don''t have that much time. I don¡¯t want to waste the little bit of time I have left covered in kevlar and surrounded by security cameras.¡±


    ¡°Braxton...Do you really think you don¡¯t have anything to lose? ¡± Angelica says while her voice trembles, and her her mouth lay slightly open.


    I instantly start to laugh harshly, ¡°Hahahahhaha. Wait, hahaha. You think, hahahah.¡± I pause to settle down my rampant laughter. ¡°I don¡¯t Angelica! Threatening me is impossible at this stage. I¡¯ll...be gone soon anyways, I can¡¯t feel anything, I¡¯m already crippled beyond belief...How about this Angelica. We keep living like we always do. We ignore this happened, and we taunt this ¡®spooky and malicious spirit¡¯ with our happiness. I mean, that is, if you aren¡¯t going to get scared and leave.¡± She stands over me because I can¡¯t move my neck anymore, so she hears the seriousness in my voice.


    I can''t blame her if she leaves... This was even more unnerving to her than me, but I have so little time... I know better than most that a happy life isn¡¯t going to just happen. Sometimes you have to work to love life. This time we just have to work harder is all.


    ¡°I...You know I could never leave you Braxton...Nobody else could work the salt mines,¡± she giggles slightly,¡±...You¡¯d end up all alone you know?¡± She runs towards me and hugs my scarred body and starts to cry. It makes me very happy as a sentiment, but the action doesn''t affect me as much as I want it to. The lack of feeling dampens it for me. All the same we lay there for at least a few minutes before we decided to get ready for a visit.


    The dramatic events from earlier have left me exhausted, but luckily I still have enough energy for the task at hand. My old teacher Ms. Herners was a kind enough lady. Throughout high school because of my outburst, I know she always blamed herself for my angst and pain that year. I decide that today I will visit her and apologize. I want to try to make sure I don¡¯t leave any lasting scars before I...leave.


    After getting out of the car that Angelica uses to drive me everywhere, we stroll along a pleasant suburban street. The average mowed lawn and decorative plants litter the landscape as we come to a small but well kept home. Angelica rings the doorbell, and we wait.


    ¡°Hello?¡± A crackly older woman says while opening the door. Her face becomes a horror filled rag before she continues by opening the door and saying, ¡°Bra-Braxton! I saw what happened on the news. I¡¯m sorry for not coming by the hospital. ¡± She says the last sentence with fear. My throat falls into my stomach as I imagine the old lady cowering in front of my burnt and battered body. How can I cause so much fear? Do my internal thoughts reflect my external appearance?


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°I know you had things you needed to do. Plus not everyone I have ever known my entire life can come visit me in the hospital right? Please don¡¯t worry about it. Do you...Do you have time to talk right now? ¡± I say with heavy breathing.


    ¡°Of course! Sit down and I¡¯ll fix you both a drink. What do you want?¡± She says while trying to put on the usual social airs desperately needed in these situations.


    ¡°Please Give Angelica some tea. I¡¯m fine without anything.¡± I say while being rolled into an old looking living room filled with knickknacks.


    After about 5 minutes she comes inside and sits down. Her old wrinkle covered hands slightly shake as she brings in the drinks. like she is about to be psychologically mauled. I feel pieces of scar tissue slightly move in front of my eyes and face. I try to close my eyes to absorb some of the impact of the old lady''s fear, but my own skin fights the efforts, and it wins. I try to smile as well, but I settle for internal happiness. I thought my blowup five years ago didn''t really effect her, but...apparently no one really knows how much of an impact they have on others.


    ¡°First off I wanted to say that I am sorry Ms. Herners. I really don¡¯t want you to feel like you''re a  bad person... or that you made some kind of mistake 5 years ago. I was a teenager grief stricken by my circumstances, but that¡¯s no excuse for what I did. I...I think you''re a wonderful person. You¡¯re always trying your hardest, and I¡¯m sorry if I made you think otherwise.¡± I say while moving my head slightly to try and show sincerity.


    We sit there for awhile before my sudden declaration really hits her. As if a weight has been lifted off her shoulders, the old woman says while finally relaxing, ¡°I guess I can finally let that go. You know...I never thought less of you for that. Nobody did.¡±


    I quickly respond, ¡°Not true...I felt like I had been beaten and broken by my disease after that. Like I had let my disease define me¡­¡± I pause for a few seconds to gather my emotions and words before saying, ¡±I think this is the final step to defining myself, and not letting excuses, or pride, or some disease decide who I am.¡±


    After a silence permeates the room for a few minutes we resume the conversation in a much lighter way. We talk about the school and its students. We talk about old teachers, and what has happened since. After about two hours I decide it is time to go.


    ¡°I just want to say goodbye Ms. Herners.¡± I say while my voice cracks..


    ¡°Haha!¡± She laughs with energy defying her age. ¡°You don¡¯t really sound like you''re saying goodby to me¡­¡± She pauses as if to breathe in the moment before continuing. She smiles a gentle and knowing smile when she says, ¡°We all have our demons Braxton. I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re getting past yours¡¯.¡±


    When we leave, I think about how she is right. The angry and dejected me of the past ignited and burned to cinders. I came here to try and heal her. In the end her acceptance and understanding is helping  me far more. I weep like a child while Angelica drives me home.


    I later defend my thesis on neutrino therapy as a form of curing certain forms of malignant cancer successfully. The thesis creates a method of using neutrinos instead of standard gamma radiation in chemotherapy. This process uses neutrino streams to react with the electrons in cancer cells to release controlled beams of radiation. This allows a non-invasive operation with substantially less side effects because the radiation is more controlled compared to normal chemotherapy while being far more accurate. Ensuring much lower chances for recurrences of malignant cancer cells. I can stare into the abyss a little less afraid knowing it will be used to save a lot of people some day.


    Two weeks after my thesis, I can no longer speak or move except for my eyebrows. Two weeks after that the doctors tell me I have no time left. All of my loved ones are waiting near the hospital for the news that I have died, so when they call everybody is somewhat prepared for what is about to happen. Even me.


    The funny part is that I can''t hear or see very well, but I can feel their love. I can see Luke crying like a baby, Kinslee slowly letting tears fall with a smile, my Mom''s face grimaced in pain, and Angelica in the corner with her face in her hands. I feel surprised by how much everyone cares for me. I guess I could have done worse.  I know it is over when I can''t breathe anymore.The darkness that has surrounded me for the last few weeks becomes pitch blackness instead.


    ********


    I cried again while editing this. Damn man.

 Chapter 8: Nox

    (Not Braxton''s perspective. This is Nox, the small child in the other world. )


    Perfect darkness surrounds me, but  warmth also shrouds me. I slowly become aware of being conscious when another pressure builds behind me. I follow the pressure instinctively. My small hands start pressing against something. My consciousness fades as instinct took control.


    I awake to a harshly bright world. Every piece of me resonates deep discomfort.The sensation overwhelms me, and I start crying. After about 5 minutes, my eyes open. Staring back at me is a large thing. Light brown hair on its head reflects a bright yellow light which is pleasing to my eyes, but very quickly exhaustion compels me to sleep despite my strong curiosity about my new surroundings.


    After awaking another time I start to feel a deep itch in my mind. As though something needs to be satiated, the force remains restless, but I do not know what it is. With this in mind, I just continue to cry, and the large thing holds me.  My nerves and anxiety are slowly removed through soft movements.


    After 3 months of hazy consciousness, I start to feel the itch become stronger. I am discovering many new things with each passing day though, and I¡¯m happy to see my mother and father each day. I know they love me, and I return their love with utter confidence. My favorite things are mom and dad. Mom is thin, but she is lovely. She has blond hair that seems to shimmer like a jewel in the wind, and loving green eyes that see through the mist that covers the world. My dad is a thick framed man with brown hair that is wavy. His brown eyes match perfectly with how he often sees things in one shade of color.


    After about a year I finally speak! My mom and father have always been talking to me, and I never knew what they said, but I have always wanted to say it to. Why do I know they are my mother and father? Why do I know I wanted to ¡°say¡± it? I become confused at knowledge just automatically placing itself in my brain. Again, what is knowledge? Where¡­I¡¯m tired with these thoughts. I¡¯m going to sleep.


    I become able to speak much faster than my mother and father thought, and sometimes...I even know words that they don''t.


    I look around my wooden room, and think about how I love the way the fire dances in it¡¯s home of stone. My dad says, ¡°My name is Klay. Your name is Nox.  Say it with me Nox. ¡®N-ah-cks.¡¯ ¡±


    ¡°Silly daddy. Clay is dirt, you are daddy,¡± I said with a smile. My dad looked at me with confusion before saying, ¡°Nox...Where did you learn clay is dirt? How...did Mommy teach you that?¡±


    ¡°Everybody knows...Cway is dirt daddy!¡± I imitate his pause because it''s what I am supposed to do.


    ¡°...Well. My name is Klay. It is a different name than for the dirt.¡± Klay says with a furrowed brow.


    ¡°Okay Kway. Hahah. Daddy, you have a siwwy name.¡±


    ¡°At least I¡¯m not silly enough to call my dad¡¯s name silly!¡± He says while lifting me high in the air and swinging me around.


    Euphoria fills my flying body as I scream at the fear and fun of the situation, ¡°AHHH! Haha!¡±


    Afterwards my daddy puts me down and gives me a few of his tools to play with. I love using his tools to build dirt piles outside, or pretending to build stuff like my daddy. ¡°He can make chairs, but so can I!¡± I think while wanting to be like him. After all, he is perfect. I have never seen him ever do anything wrong, and I doubt I ever will. Mommy is the same way. I think about how great they both are before going to sleep.


    Several months pass and I remember how to make a chair. The itch in my mind intensifies as if something is irritating my consciousness. I don''t really know how to explain it, but I don¡¯t hate it. It kind of feels like a friend is roughly playing with me. I know it is a good thing for some reason, and I don¡¯t want to get rid of the feeling. I decide I will build a chair like daddy.


    ¡°Nox! What are you doing!?¡± My mom yells with her mouth aghast. I look down and put down the small tools I am holding. I have been using a flat rock to sharpen one of our only knifes, and I am going to use it to whittle some sticks that way I can build a chair like Daddy.


    Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°I wanna make chaiws wike Daddy.¡± I say while I finish sharpening the knife.


    ¡°Wha-Did Daddy show you how to sharpen the knife?¡± She says with fury lacing her voice.


    My face crinkles, and a knot forms in my throat. She might be angry at me, and I start to cry as I explain myself, ¡°I thought everybody knew how to¡­.I-I¡¯m sowwy mommy!¡± My heart falls through my stomach as I think about how I''ve disappointed mommy.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault Nox! Daddy should not have shown you that. Don¡¯t sharpen knifes anymore Nox. Don¡¯t even touch them. Can you promise mommy you will do that?¡± She says while slowly growing more calm as the conversation continues.


    ¡°Yes Mommy!¡± I say while brightly grasping onto pleasing her. Mommy takes away my knife and places it way too high on a shelf in our kitchen, but I really want get the knife, so I use the rope we have to knock it down from its location onto the lower counter top where she usually cooks. I then climb the side of the counter and get the knife again.


    Several days later I build all of the pieces for the chair in secret from Mommy and Daddy. For some reason I know If I take the pieces of wood and ground the edges they will be smoother and look better. I have used the wooden hammer and the knife like a chisel to bore out holes the wood can fit into, and I made what looked like a bunch of pieces of wood that just needed to be assembled.


    I was really excited to get to work. With raised concentration I started to put the smooth logs of wood together. After a short period of time, I complete the tiny chair. I jump up and down, and start to lose focus. "I''ll show my daddy!" I ran through the house to his workshop.


    ¡°Hey Nox! What is my little worker doing?¡± He says while squinting and smiling at my appearance..


    ¡°I have something to show you Daddy! I can make chaiws to!¡± I say while proudly revealing the small chair I have made.


    My Daddy¡¯s kind expression changes to being stunned. He drops the hammer and piece of wood he is using at the moment, and he stammers as he says, ¡°Th-That¡¯s, you made that Nox?¡±


    I am really confused by daddy¡¯s expression. He grabs the chair from me and starts to stare intently at it. He revolves it around in his hands as if to absorb its design the best he could quickly.


    ¡°This is...spectacular Nox. How did you learn to make this? How did you make this? You''re barely even 5... ¡± He states with fervor related to people who love their craft.


    With both my hands at my sides I say, ¡°Spectacular is what I do. Wait...¡± the same itch on my mind comes as I say it. This time It is more like a pressure on my consciousness. Like a different person is trying to share my mind. Darkness creeps from the edges of my vision to cover my entire view.


    With a nudge, my dad wakes me. Hot water drips onto my face as I hear him yelling through a thick fog. I relish in the fact I''m being held. The strong arms lift me and as I open my eyes more and say, ¡±Daddy¡­,¡±, Klay starts to cry more uncontrollably. My body become weaker as the pressure in my head become unbearable.


    My mind is being compressed sharply against a much greater force. For the first time the benevolent force makes feel fear. I can feel my control weaken, and my memories and thoughts leaking into the larger force. Like I am losing my mind, the presence becomes gorged on my soul. I start to accept it as I struggle out with my last breath, ¡°goodbye...Daddy.¡±


    I know it is over when I can''t breathe anymore.The darkness that has surrounded me for the last few minutes becomes pitch blackness instead.


    *******


    Massive edits so please let me know if anything is awry.

 Chapter 9: The First Stretch

    (Swapping back to Braxton''s perspective from Nox''s)


    Suddenly I awake. A middle aged man is holding me in his arms and crying heavily. I am inside of his arms, and we are inside of a room with many different pieces of paper, tools, and half made wooden furniture. His loud cries are blaring out, and I can hear hurried steps moving towards us from another room. His sorrow is making the edges of my eyes burn, and his desperation makes me uncomfortable. I try to grab my bearings in the bizarre moment.


    Moments ago I had been in my hospital room, and now I am...In the room from my dreams. My ¡°Father¡± is holding me. The somewhat familiar face of Elaine is bursting through a door. Her usually soft face is hysteric, and she is scanning the room for threats. I start to formulate situations that could have happened when a stream of thoughts come into my mind.


    I suddenly remember being a baby and being raised by Klay and Elaine. I remember watching Klay make furniture and tools out of wood. I think about how much I love them, and how perfect they are...


    My mind is receiving a list of thoughts like this when suddenly I feel incredibly nauseous. A consciousness other than my own comes crashing into me. Like dropping a cinder block in a large puddle, the smaller consciousness becomes surrounded by my thoughts, and creates a large disruption in my thoughts. I start to cry as I feel the same fear the small child feels.


    What just happened? Am I okay? Why do I want to see outside so much? Where does this powerful love for Elaine and Klay come from? Am I becoming the child? No...The child is becoming me. I start to cry with his emotions, and the new found feelings I have. I feel like I''m crushing the child¡¯s mind, and I start to try and somehow separate our memories.


    Like trying to split nitrogen and oxygen in the air with my hands, I struggle to save the poor child. I feel a deep sense of helplessness as I overpower the infant. After about 30 seconds the struggle ends and the child is no more¡­


    For a minute I realize I''m not breathing and gasp for air. My Dad starts crying more heavily as I recover. My mom joins and they both hold my small body. I start to think about what just happened.  I think my mind has blended with the small child¡¯s. I can''t tell if he is in my mind with me or not, but I can tell I have his memories and thoughts.


    I decide to talk to my parents to try and calm them since I...There child is...Okay now. ¡°Klay, Elaine. I feel okay now. Thank you for coming and helping me,¡± I say with a trembling voice.


    ¡°Thank god. Thank god.¡± My dad finally starts to release his vice grip around me.


    ¡°What hurts? Are you really hungry? Do you feel sick?¡± My mom asks while slowly collapsing the grimace plastered to her face.


    ¡°I feel...Different...¡± I walk away from them to a slightly greater distance. I am not at all used to having people touch me, and it makes me uncomfortable and happy at the same time. With a lightly recognizable clicking noise I felt the back of my head flex. The air around me starts to vibrate, and a hammer lightly starts to float.


    My mom and dad look at me as though I''m an alien. They stand perfectly  still, and start to gape at the hammer. With instinctive readiness I reach out towards the hammer, and right as my index touches it, it disintegrates into a fine sand. With a loud hissing noise the heavy sand falls to the floor.


    ¡°You...Elaine...Our son has it. He is...¡± Klay holds Elaine in his arms and looks from her to me while slightly puffing out his chest.


    ¡°Nox, you have an ability. It is very rare, and only a few have it. You need to stop using it. It will hurt you badly if you keep using it.¡± he says while holding his hand up to me as if to calm a frightened animal.


    I listen, and let go of the feeling. Immediately the air stops shaking, and I feel a slight headache that quickly fades. I look at my dad and mom. Klay looks at me as though I am a statue made of gold while Elaine looks at me as though I''m in mortal danger.


    ¡°Do not show anybody this Nox.¡± mom says while slowly moving towards me. ¡°Nobody can know, because there are some people who will try to use you, and maybe even hurt you if they know.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense, and I won¡¯t let anybody else...¡± I start to quieten as I trail off.


    I love the two people here, but only because of Nox. The loss of everybody else is...much worse than having these two. I start to think about Kinslee, the way she would listen to my dramatic stories and whimsy...How luke cried harder than anyone when I was dieing, and how I know he is probably struggling by himself. My mom lost the light of her life and her greatest burden when I died. How is she doing now? Did Angelica find someone new to take care of? Whoever it was, they are very fortunate to have somebody like her by their side.


    I start to cry. Deep pain wells around my eyes, and my throat knots up. My short legs buckle. My dad runs to me and catches me as I collapse.


    I grab him tightly as I let out a lament originating from my past life, ¡°ahhhhhhhhhhh. W-W-Whyyyyyyyy?¡±


    I ask the question that pervades me. The answer does not come, and instead another pulse of despair hits me as I grab my dad tightly and sob. Somehow his presence is warming the feelings of isolation and loneliness.


    Several minutes pass before I let go, and I decide I need to reflect on my position. I open my mouth to say something to my dad. No sounds come out and instead I push him away.


    I start to walk away when my mom says, ¡°Nox, are you okay? What¡¯s wrong? The power is not that bad a thing. I just don¡¯t want you to be reckless with it!¡± She says with delicate eyes, slightly pursed lips, and a gently outstretching arm.


    ¡°...I...Just need a little time to...Think.¡± I say while walking away.


    I look around and make a light hearted smile. With heavy footsteps I walk outside. The forest that surrounds the house and the small pen of Chok¡¯s fill my field of vision. An opening in the forest reveals a small plot of land with a few large sized weeds. They have been planted in plowed land, and beyond the field is a hill with a rocky side. I make my way past the field and climb the hill.


    After sitting on the rocks that sharply fall at least 30 feet I start to calm my mind. I start to go over all of the things that just happened. I''m reborn into the body of the child ¡°Nox¡±, and our minds have melded. I have the same power that I had in my dreams, and I''m now quickly growing less emotional about everything that has happened. I deeply love both of my parents now, and the little boy''s mind is influencing me in different ways.


    My hands come in to my sight, and I turn my head downwards. I''m about 4 or 5 years old. I have a small tan frame associated with boys who play outside, and I rip out some of my hair. I have the same brown hair color with a blond sheen as my mother.


    The great row of Mountains miles away from the village comes into focus as I lift my hair to see it. I drop the hairs and gasp. I have forgotten completely about the creature that is coming. I start to feel anxiety at how I do not at all know when it will show itself. I quickly start to think about different ways to stop it. If my repeated dreams are any hint then the gigantic creature would soon walk through and destroy everything.


    The problem is¡­ The unknowable creature holds limitless power, can warp reality, cause destruction on a massive scale, it is colossal, and even with ten thousand times my own power there is no way I can ever defeat it. I desperately want to save my parents, and I know that saving the village is something my moral compass is about to force me to do.


    I think about trying to reroute it. Again, it destroys the mountain simply because it is in the way. I can not imagine me being able to change its direction. The new plan is now to just lessen the devastation...but the shockwave is so powerful it''s impossible to stop it or even slow it down. I start to panic as every thought is shot down, and then another idea appears.


    I can simply move the villagers out of the way...The only way is to warn them of the incoming danger with enough impact to force action, and I need to do it this very moment. I jump up from my seat with a newfound purpose, and think , ¡°Hahaha! Why mope around Braxton? Pain is your specialty after all. This is just a moment compared to before, "with forlorn acceptance.


    The plan is to use some kind of blood to write a message on the cliff that is above the central part of the village. I can use my power to do it, and then make some kind of a loud noise or flashing light to attract everybody''s attention towards the sign. The village is small, and it looks like it is close to subsistence farming as far as technology goes. I assume they are superstitious about something as cryptic as a massive message written in blood. Then I can go and tell my parents outright that we need to go away.


    I start running. I feel my hot breath release from my mouth in a rhythmic fashion. My new legs and arms give me newfound confidence. I hear the chicken-like creatures in a pen in the distance. The sound of wind passing through trees temporarily erases the sound as I get closer to the clearing. I run to the cage, and with an ineptness that has escaped me since I was little, I attempt to use my power to kill the chickens.


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


    With the same feeling as creating the gigantic marble I smash a few rocks laying around into the birds heads. Four of them fall with light thuds after the rocks slam into their skulls. With an unsteady control, I attempt to try and grab just the chickens and hover them like I did the hammer. After a moment I am able to pick up the birds and start to run while shakily hovering them next to me.


    The village is somewhat small, and I need to hurry to a place that can draw a lot of attention. I look backwards, and see a small group of candyland lodges gathered around the cliff. I run to them while trying to not let the birds drop to the ground.


    I walk off of the dirt paths that litter the village. The houses are usually surrounded by forest, and they each have a dirt pathway to the central area of the houses in front of the cliff. I make my way towards the cliff by sneaking around the trees. After about 6 to 7 minutes of effort I make it to the face of the cliff.


    I then write in letters I hope with all my heart the village will understand, ¡°Beware the God of a million arms as it dances across the land. Escape to Tauss if you have will to understand.¡± I write the message in crimson blood supplied by the birds, and I quickly think of ways to grab everybody''s attention from their houses. In one movement I raise my hands towards one of the goliath sized evergreen trees. With the headache becoming a migraine, I start to rip chunks out of the tree to cause it to fall near the village.


    Thoughts of failure start to design themselves in my mind when I finally bring the tree to one stroke. My mind starts to feel hazy as I wrench the last chunk out of the tree. The migraine intensifies as I watch the easily 300 foot tall evergreen come crashing down near the cliff. The sound of wood cracking quickly panics me as I realize the actual tree is falling many times faster than I originally thought. To dodge I use my power to move me quickly towards the cliff. I watch as wind whistles past me, and I block with my arms as I am rammed far too hard into the rocky cliff. My ability to reason evaporates, and I lose consciousness.


    Suddenly I awake and there is an all too familiar light. It is the same light that signaled utter annihilation by the monster. With panic I start to yell louder and louder. With all of my strength I collide rocks and trees near the cliff together to form a cubby hole type bunker. I feel myself levitate slightly off the ground as I scream from the pain of the migraine that using my power is causing. I feel the air tremble as both the shockwave and my power get closer and closer.


    Halfway through the protective hole''s completion I stagger with heavy steps towards it. Still straining to continue building it, I feel the air start to blow so hard past me it lifts me slightly further off the ground as the shockwave forces it further and further away from the origin of destruction. Two steps are left between me and the bunker when it is finished. A loud rumble forms as I jump into the bunker and desperately fight my exhaustion to close it shut.


    A hole the size of a pin head is still open when the abomination¡¯s power finally hits. A loud splattering noise echoes through the small dome, and the ground shakes like a man freezing to death. Unlike previous times, I did not fly through the air, and instead darkness covers my field of vision while warm liquid is forced around me.


    I awake to pure darkness. Eerie silence creates a slight ringing in my ears. Caked on material surrounding the back of my head and lower body add to my current state of sensory overload. I feel around for some semblance of a clue as to where I am. Rocks and pieces of poorly situated wood are everywhere I feel. At this point a landslide of memories crash over me. I had built the protective structure, and hid myself in it. Before then I tried to save everybody from the village and ended up knocking myself unconscious while dodging the tree.


    At this point I start to slowly crack the stone surrounding me in the direction of where I came from. The low cracking of rock is slowly giving way to wood and dirt. I start to slowly scrape with my power. I manage to finally see a shimmer of orange sunlight as it pierces my surroundings. I break the small gap to the size of a car door, and try to stand up to escape my tiny prison.


    A dull pain causes me to collapse. The pain comes from my right leg. I look down and immediately gawk at my leg. My right leg has been destroyed past the knee. I look around the cave and see that the liquid and stiffening material I felt is my own blood. I glance down and start to analyze my wound. The cut is perfectly curved at the bottom of my knee. It looks like someone has taken a crescent like blade and perfectly cut through bone, tendon, and flesh alike.


    I hold back tears of frustration as I grab some cloth and create a tourniquet around my new wound. I slowly climb past the dirt to get out of the hole. With an unmoving frame I sit next to the hole and look around at the landscape. The trees that used to tower next to the cliff had all but been evaporated. Broken and beaten beyond recognition, the trees lay stacked on top of each other.


    The smell of wood similar to pine and cedar pungently float around the air.  The Sunset lights the destruction in a sublime majesty. It somehow forces me to try and see my new injury in a positive light. At least I was alive? I have experienced far worse injuries before. Right? There isn''t the usual signs of villagers whenever I awake to see the bright light, so I hope with all of my heart that my parents are okay.


    I get up and grab a large branch broken into the shape of a ¡°Y¡±. I snap it into a more suitable shape for a crutch using my power. I look forward towards the Tauss village, and start to slowly hobble. At this point I start to feel incredibly tired, and I seriously contemplate on whether or not I will be able to make it to the village. I struggle on through the pain of the leg towards Tauss despite reason.


    After about an hour I start to notice a ridiculously powerful itching sensation coming from my leg. I look down and see the inconceivable. My leg¡¯s bones and skin are regrowing like a lizard. With freakish speed the leg has turned into a pink outline of what it was previously. For the last hour I have been avoiding looking at the the injury, or even trying to acknowledge it as I creep across the destroyed wasteland of trees and earth, so seeing it almost completely healed is surreal.


    I know the world was different from my own, but regrowing limbs is not even a human ability. I slowly place the foot down and with great surprise it functions properly. It works much the same as my left leg, but with no shoe or clothing on it. It is also perfectly clean and flush like a baby''s complexion. I decide it might have something to do with my power as I start briskly jogging towards the Tauss village.


    Another 4 hours pass and I start to wonder about the immense length of the sunset. Everything felt different in this new world. In the short time I have been here, I have experienced losing a leg, regrowing a leg, fusing my consciousnessf with a young boy named Nox, possible saving a village from devastation, and getting new parents. My own sigh rings through the air as I entertain the thought that the day has lasted years, and the events become increasingly harder and harder to organize in my head.


    I start to become increasingly detached from everything that happens. My mind wants to work, but it is barely functioning at this point. With a near apathetic expression I come across the side of the Tauss village. I test my power on the nearest rock, and I discover like in my past two incursions it has increased. The rock splinters into sand, and quickly falls with a loud hissing noise.


    Just like the tree the sand falls much faster than on earth, and I assume that gravity is stronger here. The gigantic creature I decide to call an ¡°Eldritch¡± has even more mysteries surrounding it now. It is impossible for something that large to exist on land even if earth had half of its gravity. The mystery came and went at equal speeds as I acknowledge the fruitlessness of even thinking about the events.


    With an exhaustion that perpetually afflicts me while I am in this world, I start to consider how to stop the approaching Goth. Unlike the Eldritch this particular brand of horror is somewhat understandable. It ate, it killed, and it is going to come to this village at some point in the next few hours.


    I decide I can do what I have with the dodo like chickens. I will try and fuse the creature with random inanimate objects. More complex ideas escape my now groggy vision. I walk to a small opening in the woods about a mile away from the village in the direction the Goth is probably approaching from. It is a fair distance away from the village because I didn''t want anybody to get hurt in the fight. I lay down on a rock to wait for the encroaching tide.


    *******


    Jesus. This took 2 hours to edit. PUHLEASE comment on grammar mistakes.

 Chapter 10: Desert Night

    (Swaps to third person perspective for this chapter.)


    On the ground in a small clearing lay a small boy of about 4 years of age. The haggard boy between a toddler and an adolescent lay against a small boulder. His hair is shaped by coagulated blood and dirt. His entire lower body has the same layer of decorative, dark red painting his visage. With ashen breaths he looks around as he has been doing for the last few minutes.


    The boy¡¯s eyes lack any semblance of energy as he lay in the clearing. The evergreen forest rustles as if being pet softly by the planet¡¯s wind. In the distance a rustling is heard. The boy jumps up with alarm as a small rodent like creature scurries across one of the trees.


    Suddenly a small vibration is felt in the ground. Ever so softly the rhythmic thud continues. As if being brought back to life, shocks shoot through the boy. He straightens with incredible force and points his small hands where the vibrations have been given birth. Sweat beads from the boy¡¯s forehead as he heightens his senses to their limit.


    The wind blows a drop of moisture off of his blood stained forehead and on to the ground near him. Responding in kind, the ground shook ever more with each pass of the rhythmic vibrations. In the distance a large figure spasticly approaches. It¡¯s brown and gray fur matches the surrounding pine straw and trees. With the same spastic movements of a rat being clenched by the steel of a trap, the beast heads towards the village far behind the boy.


    The boy starts to shake as the creature sniffs and snorts heavily. It directs its front towards the boy, and runs at a brisker pace. The gap between them becomes less than 100 feet when the air shivers around the boy. Rocks, pine straw, and leaves start to float around the him. He raises his arm and turns his body as if to get ready to absorb an impact.


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


    From the boy''s hand a small circular ripple that warps through everything it touches emerges. It grows to encompass the beast, and then it continues far after that. Greedily passing through trees and rocks alike, the warp in space slowly weakens. It fades after millions of pounds of earth and wood have been sentenced to death.


    With abrupt speed the space encompassed by the ripple fissures and cracks. The fissures were unnoticeable to the eye, but the damage has already been done. Sand created from every object in the space starts to loudly hiss as it falls in enormous piles. The creature becomes a puddle of red and white that seeps through the sand it falls on.


    The boy¡¯s aura exudes rage and fear at the recent devastation he brought. As the multi colored sand quickly falls down, the boy collapses and holds his head. For a few moments the falling sand¡¯s sound is replaced with a cascade of grunting and convulsing from the boy. Every few seconds the wind sounds through the trees, and the boy booms another indiscernible groan.


    After a minute of spastic twitching the boy smiles wickedly. He starts to calm down, and slowly breathes. He struggles through the sensation to get out a light laugh. Another minute passes and the boy largely recovers. With a euphoric laugh he proclaims to his surroundings, ¡°Haha! Somehow, someway¡­ That wasn¡¯t the worst pain I¡¯ve ever felt!¡±


    Suddenly, the last spark of light vanishes from the boy''s eyes and he passes out.


    ******


    Masssive edits ensued this day. Let this humble author know of treachery by the land''s greatest enemies...

 Chapter 11: Ecstasy

    I awake in the same position I fell down in. With the awkward thought that I wouldn¡¯t be able to move my arms, I jump up from my sleeping position. The sunrise has almost ended, and I have apparently slept through the morning. I look in front of me to see a single moose like creature on the multicolored desert I created yesterday. Soreness radiates through my limbs. Every muscle has its fibers destroyed, and each movement made another tendon creak under pressure.


    I feel grime on my hands, and lift them into my view. Suddenly my own aroma becomes olfactible. The odor of a butchered animal left to dry outside hits my senses. Blood in different states of coagulation litter my body. Tatters of once wholesome cloth barely cover my frame.


    I turn my head away from the newly materialized dunes. The slight hum of a bustling village is wafting on the wind, and I decide the only thing I could really do was go to Tauss. Hopefully I can wash up, and then possibly find something out about the world.


    I look up and clasp my hands together before saying, ¡°Please tell me my plan worked...¡± I slap both sides of my face and start walking towards the village. The almost constant wind holds moisture in it, and I hurry to try and reach the village before rain hits.


    After arriving, I look around the village to see what is happening. Unlike the last time when I arrived, their are many makeshift shelters that somehow make the rustic cabins of wood look like a luxury. The tiny shanty town has been hurriedly shambled together, and many belongings and knapsacks lay around with random villagers who have obviously made a run from the other flattened village.


    ¡°Whewwwwwww...¡± I state while deeply exhaling. At the very least a few of the more eccentric villagers have escaped and made some kind of refuge in Tauss. I walk up to one of the villagers who promptly looks at me as if I am walking roadkill.


    He says, ¡°Boy, you look like hell. You survive the coming god¡¯s attack?¡±


    ¡°I guess. I got scraped and slammed into a wall by the shockwave, but I survived.¡±


    ¡°Damn miracles in all directions these last few days. Anybody who got hit was gutted from what I heard,¡± The old man says while furrowing his head and spitting towards the hollow mountain barely visable in the distance.


    ¡°Do you know if Klay or Elaine made it out of the village?¡± I say while raising my eyebrows, leaning towards the man, and staring him down.


    ¡°Eh? Who are they?¡± The older man says.


    ¡°The carpenter and his wife.¡± I say.


    ¡°Ah them? Yeah, I saw ''em visiting Braul¡¯s ol house. Right over there.¡± He points at a pathway the village has.


    ¡°Thank you sir!¡± I say before moving towards the direction he''s pointing. After a short period of time walking in the less heavily wooded village, I find the first two story building. The site comforts me as I start to imagine the village probably has many more prospects than the one I was in previously.


    I walk up to the door and I hear constant whacking as though someone is pelting a pile of mush with a stick. The double doors are slightly decorated and have signs of being heavily used around the handles. I knock on the door. After about 6 minutes a girl answers. She has red hair that reaches down to her elbows. It frizzes heavily, and she is slightly plump. Her eyes are brown, and she looks tired.


    Her dress is made of a familiar pink material made to link pieces of fur that eventually accumulate into a decent outfit. The fur dress with flashes of pink is incredibly surreal, but I kind of like them. She stares at me, and as our eyes meet it wakes her from her exhaustion. She yelps with a high pitched voice while jumping backwards, and then gathers herself. She quickly changes to being even more exasperated.


    She opens her mouth while rubbing her brow tiredly to say, ¡°Who are you? Are you looking for your parents? Who are they?¡± Her tone of voice made it abundantly clear she had done this several times and now she was exasperated with the process.


    ¡°I¡¯m Nox. My parents are Klay and Elaine. ¡±


    Her eyes raise ever so slightly as she says, ¡¯¡±So you''re Nox? Your parents are going to be real angry with you. If you didn¡¯t know this is the village chief''s house, and it¡¯s where most problems the village faces are solved. So try to be respectful, but your parents are in the far backroom. ¡±


    I raise my eyebrows and smile as I say, ¡°Thank you ma''am!¡±


    I quickly run through the smooth floors made of cut wood that have beast pelts strewn across them. The walls are made of smoothed trunks of trees glued together with sharply  color contrasting pink material. The walls have random possessions and heirlooms sitting on wooden shelves. The house looks rather large but lacks the horizontal size of the first house I saw in previous dreams.


    At this point I walk into a larger room after the initial one that has a fireplace in it. There is an increase in quality of the heirlooms and even some weapons and swords are hung on the walls. The fireplace is large and has pink mortar holding the rocks together. In front of the fireplace is an area that is 1 step lower than the rest of the building¡¯s floors, and it contains a table with wooden chairs. A large group of people are loudly talking about something when I finally walk in.


    ¡°There is NOT enough room for everybody to move in.¡± A large man yells over everybody.


    ¡°Room be damned. Food is our number one concern! They¡¯ll eat us out of house and home!¡± A woman says while raising her voice.


    A broad shouldered man of about 6 feet walks in. He has a bald head, and a large brown mustache that adds to his already imposingly large figure. He is dressed in robe like clothes that seem to be as ancient as the village itself, and when he speaks everybody quickly silences themselves.


    ¡°I know that the Tauss village has never had so many people move in before. But my friends, my brothers, you must all think about the actual impact this will have on the village. If you don¡¯t want to let a family move in with you then don¡¯t let them move in. Crime will be harshly punished, and I can guarantee that with the blue cave we can afford the new comers. We need more labor to gather it! All they need to do is guarantee housing for work.¡±


    ¡°You want to make us slaves! Our village would have helped you anytime Braul! Why can¡¯t you help us now?¡± A stubby man who is slightly overweight says while waving his arms around exaggeratedly.


    He has a slight accent, and he uses it as if it is adding to his negotiation skills. The funny part is that it actually does make his voice more alluring. His slow and deep baritone punctuates each syllable, and makes you want to hear more. He is about 5¡¯8, so the robed man, Braul, towers over him.


    ¡°We can¡¯t just give you free food and housing Guaro. You know that¡¯s impossible. What we all need right now is to start working on building new homes. New pens for Choks. New fields for Youse and a new future!¡± Braul says while both the men orate in front of the crowd as if to water the flames.


    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t affect our lives in a negative light then I don¡¯t care what your people do, but understand they are all going to be Taussi. They will pay the tribute each year, and they will be ruled by our laws.¡± Braul says while smiling and holding up his arms. ¡°We should rejoice at the predicament at hand. Given a year it will all be behind us, and Tauss will be all the stronger for it.¡±


    ¡°But of course Braul! I am merely suggesting you give us some help assimilating into the village. Let us forgo the tribute for a year. Just for ol times sake? Friend? ¡°


    Braul looks exasperated as he raises one side of his mouth in a momentary sneer, and then slightly lowers his hands, but he nods all the same. The smaller man instantly digs into the sifted dirt.


    ¡°Seeing as how you¡¯ll need more leaders to quell the masses Braul, I would be more than happy to bear the burden of public altruism. If not for the sake of the future of Tauss.¡±


    Brauls face twitches more violently this time, but he responds icily with, ¡±Guaro...It might help to have the old village leader help with some of the new duties...Everybody!¡±


    The group of people turn to face Braul.


    ¡°We have decided to help the Terk village refugees migrate to our village after the great light from the God, but...The Terk villagers will have to work incredibly hard to quickly become members of the village. Terk villagers will also receive larger penalties for crimes, and they will need to sign contracts of our creation before moving in. Any other questions?¡±


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


    With the speech done, many of the people leave. The Tauss villagers seem incredibly tense. I get the picture that the majority of them believe that refugees should be allowed into the village, but a few who vehemently disagreed with it exist among the crowd. I personally want to start building a new life here with my parents as soon as possible before trying to get some actual goals.


    In this sense I guess I can sympathize with them. Some of them are just scared about the future, and they don''t want to lose what makes their village...their village. I just hope no idiot from our village ruins it for everybody. With this in mind I walk up to Braul and ask him about my parents.


    ¡°Hello sir!¡± I say while bowing.


    ¡°Oh? A polite little one, how refreshing...¡± He says before turning around to see me, and then he continues by saying,¡±Good god. What happened? Are you hurt? ¡±


    ¡°I am okay sir, but do you know where Elaine and Klay are?¡±  I say while ignoring his other question.


    ¡°Are they your parents? Ahhh, well all¡¯s well that ends well. They are in the other room over there. They are worried sick, so I suggest you hurry.¡± He says the line like I am an ant in his way, but he helped me so I fret not.


    I run into the other room to see a group of dejected parents and children all looking at a small map of the village. The small room is downstairs, and has rock like walls with the familiar pink mortar. Problems arise as I stare at the group of people. Some have minor injuries that are poorly patched, and others are in hot arguments while pointing at the map. I assume it''s over future living prospects, and then I see my Dad.


    His usual bright demeanor looks like a thing of the past. His usually sharp eyes sit vacant, and stare a thousand miles into the abyss. The glimmer of any facial movement is gone, and he is barely sitting up in his chair. I start to walk towards him, and I sit in a chair right next to him. He is so devastated he doesn''t even notice me.


    ¡°...Dad,¡± I say while trying to look into his eyes.


    With an animalistic speed he reacts. Every facial muscle contracts, and his eyes immediately start to water. He looks at me and his skin flushes to a deep red. His arms raise upwards, and  then he starts to gently grasp the sides of my face. His arms grip me tightly and pull me forward as if to get me as close to his heart as possible.


    ¡°I...Nox! You¡¯re alive...I thought...You...¡± He stutters repeatedly while crying silently.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay Klay! I wasn¡¯t even...I was barely even hurt by the light.¡± I say while hugging his large stomach.


    ¡°...I couldn¡¯t...Nox...I¡¯m so sorry I couldn¡¯t find you...¡± He says while clenching even harder. He holds me as if I''m a figment of his imagination that might disappear if he lets me go.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you looked for me dad, but I¡¯m wondering what happened to the village. Where is mom? Did everybody make it out?¡± I ask.


    ¡°I...About a half of the village got out. Some people did not take the blood warning seriously. Some did not plan to leave until later, but most just grabbed what they could and left.¡± He says while continuing to hold me. He starts to let me go and he stands me up on the ground.


    ¡°Your  mom looked longer than I did, but we both got out. We honestly thought the message was written by you...Since you got your new power...but if you didn¡¯t, then we...¡± He says while looking down guiltily. I cut him off before he finishes his thought.


    ¡°I did, but when I broke the tree I ended up falling unconscious. It was...unfortunate, but I was able to get out of the way of the blast. It took me all night to get here afterwards.¡± I say while trying to calm his guilt.


    A beast caged within my mind is finally tamed as I hear the news. A great relief floods my soul, and I think about how I can have them both in my life. I start to gently cry, and my dad picks me up.


    ¡°You know Nox. I am so proud of you. You got all the way back here without either me or your mom. Think about that Nox. That¡¯s amazing.¡± He looks at me as though I am his most prized possession. A sacred jewel box he can''t lose.


    He sat me back down after I stop crying and he asks me, ¡°Are you okay now Nox?¡±


    ¡°I am dad. I love you, and thank you.¡±


    I feel a knot in my throat form, but I fight it away with the sweetness of the moment.


    ¡°I love you Nox. Your mom does too, but she¡¯s meeting up with a possible place for us to stay until we get a new house, but Nox. I need to ask you something really important.¡± He stares into my eyes sternly.


    ¡°How did you know about the god coming?¡±


    The question I knew is coming finally came out.  I start to think of excuses, but no way such an event could have happened randomly came to my mind, so I say the next most likely thing.


    ¡°When I got my power...A vision of the village being destroyed and us all...dying...flashed before my eyes.¡±


    He stares at me slightly skeptically before saying, ¡°Are you sure Nox?¡±


    ¡°I promise dad. I¡¯ve even had dreams of it before, but I knew it was real after the vision,¡± I state with many half truths laced between the words.


    ¡°Well...Thank god you did. A large portion of the village was saved because of you...You¡¯re my little hero....¡± he said as the sides of his eyes wrinkled sharply, and a little twinkle slipped through the gaps in his eyelids. I''m lying to him, but I can''t think of anything else that he might believe, and it contains some truth to it¡­


    ¡°Well it was easy when I¡¯ve got someone like you to look up to,¡± I say the line the Nox part of me is feeling. If anything I can feel him strongly whenever I''m around Elaine and Klay. It makes me think he''s definitely still alive, and It makes my mind''s burden lessen.


    Klay laughs heartily while lifting me up and twisting me in the air like he has always done. The same euphoria of back then fills me with a cozy feeling.


    After setting me down he looks back at the map, and with renewed vigor says, ¡°So, for now I want you to stay in this building until we find somewhere to stay tonight. I¡¯ll come and get you with Elaine then. ¡±


    ¡°I think...I can go find a job here.¡± I say while staring at his eyes and clenching one of my fists.


    ¡°Nox, you don¡¯t have to worry about that. We will get by, and you are way to young for that anyways.¡±


    ¡°I can do it dad.¡± I say while not blinking, and clenching my other fist.


    ¡°...It¡¯s dangerous to go alone, you are too young, you don¡¯t know any skills, and your mom will want to see you as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°I can defend myself just fine...I am mature for my age...I can learn quickly...and my mom would probably be even more excited to see me clean, and with something to do with myself.¡±


    ¡°Nox...You really want a job? Because I can make you my apprentice as a woodworker...¡± he says while awkwardly flushing and shifting his eyes direction left and right.


    I say, ¡°Of course I want to do that dad, but right now we need money. You focus on the new home, and if I can help support the family in anyway...I want to do it.¡±


    ¡°You know...It feels like you grew up in one night...¡± He starts to tear up.


    I grab his hand and hold it while saying, ¡°Dad, I¡¯ll be whatever is needed of me. Usually more. ¡±


    I pause and we stay there for at least a minute before he laughs and says, ¡°I must be getting soft. I feel like I¡¯m crying at anything that happens these days!¡±


    ¡°Haha, they¡¯ll call you Mud before long Klay if you keep crying.¡± I say with a small wry smile.


    The joke lacks deep humor, but the heavy conversation needs a break, so he laughs pretty hard.


    ¡°Well...stay close to the center of the village Nox, and son-do not use your power unless it is an emergency.¡± He says while changing the atmosphere to dead seriousness.


    ¡°Why?¡± I ask with honest curiosity.


    ¡°The power will drive you insane son. The more you use it the more it affects you...There are tales of people going stark raving mad...and destroying entire cities...¡± He says while whispering and looking from side to side.


    ¡°What stories? Can you tell me?¡± I say while softly jumping and widening my eyes.


    ¡°Guess you still haven¡¯t grown up just yet. Come here¡± He says while lifting me onto his lap.


    ¡°So...Let¡¯s start with...¡± He pauses to gather his thoughts before he started to tell the story...


    *******


    Jesus. So much editing in just one day. Good god please tell me if stuff is wrong. Tense. Spelling. You get it

 Chapter 12: The Sandman

    ¡°Did you know that where we live is the Lorscall continent? ¡± My dad says while opening his hands to show me how big it is.


    I nod no since I honestly don''t.


    ¡°Well, Lorscall is wayyyy up North. The place where our ancestors live is called Azauk. Right now we have a small little community here, but Lorscall has at least two nations that live on it. Anyways, the point is that this story comes from Azauk.¡± He widens his hands out greatly to show that Lorscall is much smaller than Azauk.


    ¡°In times long past people with ¡®power¡¯ were much more easily found. Great heroes would become inscribed in tales because of how they used their power to destroy an invading army, or to assassinate a corrupt king, but the truth is...The hero would almost always become the villain...You see the old tales of people with the power always end with them turning on their country, or going crazy. The reason is because using the power drives you to insanity...Now think Nox. Why would someone use a power that would make them crazy?¡± He lowers his voice to add to his suspenseful aura.


    ¡°They valued something more than their own mind? Or had something they¡¯d be willing to die for?¡± I conjecture.


    ¡°Exactly right Nox, but that was usually the character''s fatal flaw in these stories. You see they ended up using there power maybe ten too many times...That is when the tale becomes the horror story. Apparently it is so serious that some kingdoms on the mainland will kill you for even having the power...¡±


    I gulp down while the story starts to pull me in. Every time my dad pauses he adds in a dramatic pose, and despite myself, I start to lean forward to listen more closely.


    ¡°The story today revolves around one such kingdom. In this kingdom anybody who showed any sign of power would be executed on the spot. That is when a small boy named Anyelm was born. Most people do not show signs of the power until they are older, and this means that if you are young then you are talented¡± He pauses to poke me in the chest.


    ¡°But being talented with something like this can quickly backfire...Anyelm was actually born with the power, and he accidentally killed his mother as a baby. His father was so stricken with grief after time that he tried to kill Anyelm when he was 7, but at that point Anyelm was far too powerful...Anyelm wandered the land acquiring strength and madness until he was 14. At this point Anyelm was the most wanted person in the mainland, and everybody wanted him dead.¡±


    ¡°Why? Did he hurt anybody besides for his parents?¡± I ask.


    He smiles before continuing, ¡°Droves of people! Most were killed, but he had no choice! The kingdom¡¯s guards were coming after him. It was at this time that Anyelm finally went stark mad! People do not know if the madness comes from the increase in the power or if madness increases the power, but one thing was certain...Anyelm had slowly gotten stronger and stronger over his bloody rampage...So the kingdom tried one last huge battle to try and kill him before he destroyed anything else, but it was far too late. The man had just enough wit about him to defend himself from the army by destroying droves of people. After a long time of using the power, it becomes unstable. You can no longer use it as telekinesis, but instead a greater and darker power awakens...¡±


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    He reaches over and grabs a bit of flour-like material from the corner of the room. He then drops it slowly from his hand and says, ¡°You turn everything to sand...¡±


    I start to sweat coldly at what I had done to the large swath of land south of the village. If they found it will they go on a witch hunt to kill me?


    ¡°Haha, don¡¯t worry son. It¡¯s just a story, but Anyelm had gained this power halfway through the battle...He started turning swaths of soldiers to sand in the blink of an eye...With each passing second he would gain in power, and his mouth would start to froth from his insanity...After that he roamed the land...Never dying or aging, and slowly gaining in strength. Eventually people started to call the horror that used to be a man...THE SANDMAN¡±


    He grabs me up off his lap and shakes me from side to side while he yells the phrase. The spooky ghost story vibes I get from him make the story incredibly entertaining, and besides that it helps me understand my power a lot better.


    ¡°So I could become a Sandman?¡± I say.


    ¡°Of course not son! That is a tale. Meant to scare bad children. Think about it this way though...Tales are told for a reason. If everybody in a village says there are demons to the north, do you believe them?¡±


    I shake my head no.


    ¡°Well, would you take a trail to the North?¡± He asks the question with more emphasis on North, and again I shake my head no.


    ¡°Exactly son. Tales are told for a reason. Maybe it¡¯s bandits, maybe it¡¯s some poisonous plants people eat along the way, or maybe it¡¯s just a story...but the story is always told for a reason.¡±He says with the continued flare of a ghost story, but this time while keeping eye contact and leaning in closer.


    ¡°I see...So don¡¯t use my powers unless I have to?¡± I say trying to sum up what the story meant.


    ¡°Exactly. It is not a play thing, or even a tool for labor, and don¡¯t let anybody know either. Lot¡¯s of people would value your power far more than your mind, but I¡¯ve spent enough time here. If you want to go and get a job then you better go now. Most people from Terk are going to start looking for a job soon.¡± He says warmly while lifting me up encouragingly.


    ¡°I will, and thank you for the story. Would you mind telling me more about the continent, the nations, and everything else later?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± He says as I walk away.


    It''s all starting to make sense. Some people are born with the power, and some have it ''gifted'' to them by an...Eldritch. The end result is the same. If you use the power...You go insane. It also increases in power as you use it more and more...Which made me wonder if the regeneration is because of the power...What if the regeneration becomes stronger with the power?


    I start to get chills as I imagine how terrifying an actual Sandman would be.


    ********


    Massive editing session going on right now! SO if you see ANY errors PLEASSSE leave a comment. I will notice it quickly and fix the problem.

 Chapter 13: Complex Feelings

    I walk back inside the other room to see what is happening with the village. Braul has a series of people writing on pieces of paper in the room with the table and fireplace. They look like contracts. Each one of the men is older, and many have gray hair. Braul is talking with the same authoritative tone that I am quickly summarizing as his only tone.


    ¡°-For land and labor. If the benefactor decrees it an available option then the new inhabitant will have the option for sovereignty at a later date.¡± He finishes the line with a little smirk under his well maintained mustache.


    The contract writers then continue writing up copies. I walk to Braul and say, ¡°Are these contracts?¡±


    ¡°Clever boy! They are. Now go run along. Fellow Terks will need all the help they can get.¡± He says with a surprisingly unbashful grin.


    I hold back laughter at his impression of me, and decided to play the part.


    ¡°Why sir, Those papers over thar? They used to help us terks?¡± I say with a slight twang to add effect.


    ¡°The real question is how they won¡¯t help you my boy!¡±


    I think about how to frame the question in my new persona to force a confession out of him, and then say, ¡°I guess signing isn really needed then? Seeings as how they isn gonna give us anything.¡±


    ¡°No my boy! Each Terk who lives in the household or property of a Taussi will just have to sign this. It will let them live here in the village. Just a little bit of work will be in trade is all.¡± He pats my head and grins a large toothy grin.


    Slime oozes out of his voice, and noble look was somehow being countered by his sleaziness. Our village leader seemes of the same variety of person, but actually appears to have his villagers best interest at heart some of the time...at least it might be that way.


    I decide to tell my dad to not to sign the paper later, and I start to think about ways I can help rebuild. Since I''m too small to help with gathering wood, or anything heavy, I ask around the middle grounds of the village for other trades or crafts. My knowledge about studies from metallurgy to creating barrels is extensive. I thank my previous live¡¯s hobbies before setting out to try and find out more about the world.


    While walking out of the courthouse type building, I start to think about yesterday more thoroughly. I fell unconscious 3 times yesterday, killed a goth, and¡­ The memory of the tree sets dynamite off in my mind. Each second of the situation plays back to me in gruesome detail. I see myself desperately clawing out parts of the tree...and then I poorly dodge the falling tree...The mistake had cost hundreds of people their very lives...


    I had essentially killed half of the village by doing that. If I had stayed conscious there was no doubt in my mind that I could have thought of another way to get the other half to leave...I had¡­murdered 50 Kinslee''s...Taken the life from a hundred angelicas...Each one of them lost everything...They faded into the pitch black embrace of death without any warning. No goodbyes. No relatives to keep them company.


    With a slight pause I grab the fence post...I start to feel incredibly nauseous...


    Then I puke.


    I picture Klay in my mind. His little speech where he calls me a ¡°Hero¡± causes me to tear up. I''m no hero...I''m essentially a murderer...


    I puke again.


    As though salting the earth, my mind''s thoughts all start to slowly die off. I did my best. With what little I had I did something, and would I berate someone else for doing what I did?...Absolutely not...


    If I couldn''t help those that died...Maybe I can help those that lived?


    With a heavy heart I decide to help the remaining villagers rebuild in any way that I can. The first step is getting them housing, and then a better standard of living, but...I guess the only way is to literally build technology up, and try educating everybody. I''ll build up my own knowledge of smithing, architecture, and especially crafting. I''ll do everything they couldn''t and more.


    I head towards the central area of Tauss.


    I find that there is a surprising percentage of the people in Tuass who practice some form of a trade. Blacksmithing, crafting, carpentry, and even a jeweler exists in the village. The reason is because of the nearby ¡°Blue Cave.¡± It has a weird blue goop that grows on the sides, and you can use it to heavily heal people. It hardens and then protects from infections of all kinds. While the blue goop doesn''t grow elsewhere, it grows very quickly, and supplies the village with a variety of caravaneers who happen by to pick it up for trade. It is also owned by Braul¡¯s family, and has been for generations. It is probably the reason why he is the chief of the village....


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    While the village only has 1000 or so people, the village can somehow support 3 inns, a brewery, and a small shopping district. It also means that there is not a small blacksmith desperate for an intelligent boy to come help around the place, so instead I go around asking each and every single owner of a store if they need someone to help them work around the place, and I show them I know at least the basics about the craft.


    After 6 hours I find the easiest thing of all time is impressing people who literally have no idea about their own field. The brewery doesn''t know about distilling alcohol, the smithy doesn''t know how to smelt iron into steel, the crafting shop doesn¡¯t know about staining wood with sap and other chemicals, and what they do know is poorly executed and organized.


    If I start hiring people and training them in a assembly line style of production...I can easily revolutionize the way the people produce things. These thoughts twirl in my head along with ways to use each of the industries and future workshops together when the even larger revolution hit me; sanitation is still at an incredibly basic level.


    Penicillin is easily manufactured on citrus rinds, or even bread if you do it correctly. The sweet potato like roots called Youse can easily make a vodka like material given the right blend of yeast. More than anything, it can help the old and sick. I start to have a massive amount of thoughts on how I can revolutionize the village.


    I run back to the courthouse. Why would I want a job? I have infinitely more impactful things I can do. Hell even an hour of experimenting can save a villager''s life.


    Whenever I arrive back I run to the back of the courthouse where my mom is talking with my dad. She sees me and falls to her knees and reaches out to me. I quickly run forward and like I have always done, I nuzzle my forehead to her¡¯s. The moment means more for me than I thought it would, and I start to cry.


    ¡°Your dad told me you were the hero of the village...I can¡¯t tell you how proud I am...¡± She says while crying and petting the back of my head. She starts weeping as she pulls back my face to grasp it and hold it the same way my dad did. I felt the same warmth from her that surrounded me when I was with my dad. The world''s biting edges are being smoothed, and the monsters that were seconds away from devouring me are pushed back.


    For now.


    With each passing moment I think of the times she held me and comforted me after I was hurt. How she fed me each day, and kept me warm when I was sleeping, but something that has been nagging at my mind since appearing here washed up on the shore of my mind.


    "Is there a mirror? Anywhere in the village?" I ask my mom.


    "Why honey?" She responds.


    "I need one for an experiment." I say.


    She points me towards the upstairs part of the courthouse, and on the second floor their is a mirror. For the first time I actually look at myself. I''m at least 5 years old, I''m tall  for my age, I have brown hair that glints blond, and a thin tan frame associated with children. Unfortunately I have only cleaned myself at some random inn, and my clothes and everything else look hideous otherwise.


    The burning curiosity at how I look becomes an itch that has finally been scratched. I have honestly assumed I look the same as in my previous life, but no...I''m dramatically different. After that I go to the court house to hear more stories about the land. I need to get a gauge on what will happen after I introduce all of the changes I have planned...


    *******


    Massive edits. Please let me know if subject-verb tenses are a problem! Or anything else. PLEASEEEEE.

 Chapter 14: True to Form and Self

    ¡°You''r an amazing man Klay. What you¡¯ve done in the last year has revolutionized life in this village.¡± A random man with brown hair and green eyes who is working on some construction project says while Klay walks to a small general store to try and pick up some food.


    An old woman with poor clothing and missing teeth walks to Klay and grabs his hand to kiss it.


    ¡°You know you saved my life only 7 days ago? You¡¯re a miracle worker.¡± She says.


    Klay awkwardly accepts their thanks before picking up his groceries and hurrying back to his home. He shadily shifts between alleyways and trees to go home without being seen. After he arrives at the 2 story building that is used as the courthouse, Klay finally sees his young child in the basement. He''s working on a variety of projects at the same time.


    In one of the corners of the room there are many different containers of glass that held specimens. Twenty different kinds of bread are all blue green with week to months old mold. There is a selection of earths and stones in various supplies and forms in the other corner, and a variety of wooden containers are filled with random materials. All of them are labeled ¡°failures¡± over their original names. ¡°Dynamite¡±, ¡°gunpowder¡±, ¡°steel¡±, ¡°porcelain¡±, and ¡°pariah garbage¡± are seen among the stack.


    In the other side of the room is a large stack of crates each with a label telling what kind of seed is within them. Pieces of paper saying ¡°bad¡±,¡±good¡±,¡±best¡±, and ¡°WTF¡± are nailed to different crates, and each one of them is put in similar stacks.


    ¡°What do you have today?¡± Klay half asks, half dreads.


    ¡°Well dad, I am trying to make the equipment to try and...Create a stronger metal. If you take this iron.¡± Nox points towards a large block of iron, and then continues, ¡°You can blast air through it as you superheat the metal, and it should be stronger. ¡± Nox says while half heartedly laughing.


    ¡°Why?¡±Klay asks half sarcastically.


    ¡°Well...Iron has a lot of weak stuff in it. Like rocks and random other elements. That¡¯s why we have to melt iron ore to make iron. Imagine this as a next step. We are now blasting air through even hotter iron to get rid of the stuff that just melting it doesn¡¯t get rid of. ¡±Nox says with raised eyebrows and slightly hunched shoulders.


    ¡°That...Actually makes sense. You¡¯re getting better at it son! I couldn¡¯t understand anything at first.¡±Klay responds slowly broadening grin.


    ¡°Yeah...It is hard to word things so everybody understands. I...guess you¡¯re getting better at understanding it to. How goes the work on getting the school instituted?¡± Nox asks.


    ¡°They are struggling to find people to teach and especially to enroll. You are the only one who understands what you''re doing right now son, so a lot of people can¡¯t even approach your lesson plans. They are way too difficult. ¡± Klay responds.


    ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s about the future. Children will be taught this whenever they are young, and after they get older I PROMISE they will be able to learn these kinds of things much better than older people. Here is an example; You have a child who has been throwing stones since he was young, and you have a child who was taught nothing. Who will learn how to throw a javelin faster?¡± Nox explains and then asks.


    ¡°I guess the child who threw rocks before.¡± Klay starts nodding halfway through.


    ¡°I think...If we teach children from a young age something new almost every week...Then they can learn something new every week, but if we teach them to learn something new every day, or every hour...You see where I¡¯m going? It is essential, and I mean essential to our future.¡±Nox says while maintaining eye contact and leaning in closer and closer to Klay.


    ¡°Of course son...Why don¡¯t you...You know...Start taking credit for your inventions?¡±Klay says .


    ¡°Think about it this way dad. If a 6 year old invented a kind of moldy bread that saves you from black magic, the people would take it as a joke, but if ¡®The¡¯ Klay Waulack shows it to them...They listen. Fall in line so to speak.¡± Nox says sarcastically while making his fingers dance around and then straighten out.


    ¡°Haha, well as funny as that is. I can¡¯t...Explain half of this...Much less all of it.¡±Klay says.


    ¡°If...¡±Nox picked up a large trolley to carry the iron, ¡°People listened to ¡®reasons¡¯ or ¡®logic¡¯ then I could have already created the perfect utopia of Tauss. But noooo. It matters way more about how the people feel about something, and you are very good at making them feel like the change is a good change. Plus you are the new mayor and all. Seems like a valuable type person would make these discoveries. Right?¡± Nox smiles with a sharp curve as he finishes.


    ¡°I...guess you¡¯re right.¡± Klay says while he scratches his head dejectedly.


    After a short pause they start to walk outside and Klay leads Nox to the newly made smithy near the middle of town. After they arrive inside with the trolley that is carrying the iron, Klay asks a question.


    ¡°Does your mother really need to be involved though? I mean women are supposed to stay in the house. It feels wrong to have them outside doing manual work, or inventing new contraptions.¡± Klay says while puffing out his chest slightly.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡±Nox keels over while laughing at the response, and Klay turns a bright red.


    ¡°Let¡¯s say it this way dad. I have known women who would blow every single man on the planet out of the water when inventing. Do you know why they don¡¯t? ¡°


    Klay promptly responds with a no. Nox diggs into the ignorance, ¡°It¡¯s elementary my dear Waulack. Women breed, and they are needed to keep the population high. If all but 1 man die, we are okay. If all but one women die...We will go extinct. If we lose half our women...Then the next generation will be around 60% as large while if half the men die a desperate little village can keep going easy.¡±


    Nox points at himself and his dad, ¡°We are disposable! We have no inherent value. That¡¯s why we fight wars with men! Not women.¡±


    At this point Klay opens his mouth and raises his finger, but lowers it slowly without saying a word. He rubs his eyes with one hand while saying, ¡°Well...If that¡¯s true then why-¡±


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


    ¡°Can  you help me lift this into the furnace?¡± Nox interrupts his speech quickly and asks for help as they start lifting the large block of iron into a patch of bricks and other kinds of rocks.


    ¡°Why do they not have positions that are only safe then? Like being mayor is a safe job.¡± Klay throws the idea out expecting a rebuttal.


    Nox starts to fan the furnace with a large fan as he says,¡° Now imagine humanity wayyyyyy back. Which civilizations survived? The ones who kept their women at home and therefore safer, Or those that let them go out and help the others hunt and gather?¡±


    Nox looks at him while raising his eyebrows and leaning in towards him.


    ¡°I guess...I would say the ones who kept them home...So you¡¯re saying woman staying at home started way back when?¡± Klay says as though it is impossible, and very probable at the same time.


    ¡°Exactly. Now watch this.¡±Nox says while the iron starts to liquify.


    The hot molten block of iron has a large metal top above the rocky layer it is kept in. Hot jets of fire pour out the top of the container as Nox blasts air through a pipe on the left side with yet another fan like device. The air passes through the molten iron, and then out the top hole creating the welding torch like flames.


    ¡°Wow! What are you doing?¡± Klay asks as he stares with large eyes and a slightly tilted neck.


    ¡°I am...Creating steel! At least I hope so...It should work in theory right?¡± Nox says while fanning harder and harder.


    ¡°Come here, and fan this. I need more coal.¡± Nox says while handing his father the large fan that needs to be repeatedly waved.


    Nox goes to the back of the furnace where a large stack of black rocks are in a pile. He grabs a shovel and slowly starts to shovel tiny bits of coal into the lower part of the furnace. The flames creep hotter and hotter, and the top of the container roars.


    After a while they stop and open a side latch at the bottom of the furnace that pours the molten metal into a large mold lined with Grey rock. The newly formed steel hisses as it cooled, and eventually becomes a very large panel of steel.


    ¡°This!¡± Nox taps the metal, ¡° Is steel. See how it is lighter colored? It is a lot lighter  as well¡± Nox throws the plate of steel at Klay, but Klay jumps out the way to avoid the object.


    Clank! The high pitched whistle of the steel clambering to the stone ground echoes through the room. Klay picks it up and says, ¡°Wow! It is way lighter? How did it get so much lighter? ¡±


    ¡°Imagine it as using air to burn out all the bad stuff in iron, and then mixing the iron with air also makes it lighter. NOT because the air is lighter, but because of stuff in the air is strong when placed in iron.¡± Nox says while drawing shapes of weak and strong materials that air is taking as it goes through an imaginary block of iron in his other hand.


    ¡°Son...This is incredible! It¡¯s way stronger. I could block a sword with half the thickness of iron now!¡± Klay says.


    ¡°Call it steel dad. It really is just iron though, but naming it something else will help people understand it better. How many people moved in today?¡± Nox questions as if expecting an answer.


    ¡°Only four! Sometimes it¡¯s a slow day, but word has to keep spreading, right?¡±Klay questions.


    ¡°We need to start changing up how we govern the place. A council and a ¡®cheif¡¯ won¡¯t last much longer. We need to start separating the town so we can have certain parts governed by the more educated and competent.¡± Nox says while drawing a circle and chopping it into pieces using his hands.


    ¡°...What? Haha. I swear you can lose me faster than fire in a rainstorm.¡± Klay responds while squinting his eyes and tilting his head.


    Nox elaborates, ¡° Imagine if you taught someone to just govern. Then they would be way better at it than somebody who was taught a little bit of everything. We would use people like that to organize and run our town.¡±


    ¡°Nox...Where does all this come from? I mean I understand your smart, a genius even...but why do you care so much? You know you¡¯re sacrificing your childhood¡­¡± Klay says while holding his hands up with a lackluster effect..


    ¡°Imagine...You felt like it was your fault that over 200 people died. I...¡±Nox slows his speech down dramatically.


    Klay walks with heavy, stern steps and slaps Nox.


    ¡°Imagine, YOU saved over 200 people. Including your mother and father. IMAGINE you listened whenever me and your mother talked about this. IMAGINE how we feel seeing you cry, imagine how we feel seeing you work till your fingers bleed, your eyes are bloodshot, your fingernails fall off. IMAGINE...¡± Klay cools off slightly and stops shouting.


    Nox is crying silently while he holds the bar of steel at his side. His long and greasy hair falls over his eyes, and his thicker than normal child arms are completely lax. Klay slowly grabbs the back of his head and holds him closer as they stand.


    ¡°You did nothing wrong. You can¡¯t be expected to carry every burden the world has to offer. It''s okay to be weak, it''s not a sin to show your heart from time to time. Try letting someone help every now and again. Imagine if you trusted the people around you more...¡± Klay says.


    Klay wraps his large arms around the adolescent''s head. The adolescent''s perfectly still figure slings the steel bar down and grabs the front of his shirt. He immediately starts to sob, and he weeps at top volume as he says, ¡°I...I murdered them...I...I¡¯m a failureee.¡±


    ¡°You''re not a failure. You are NOT a failure.¡± Klay says while Nox¡¯s legs slowly crumple. Klay holds him closer and closer as he goes down on his knees with the child. Nox cries louder and louder until his voice is completely horse. With tears staining his face, Klay says the same simple phrase over and over.


    "You are not a failure."


    *******


    I made massive edits to this chapter, the tenses might still have errors. SO PLEASE comment if you see anything that is lacking.

 Chapter 15: Its Human On All Fronts

    ¡°I¡¯m just glad things have changed...¡± Elaine says while holding me in her lap.


    ¡°Crazy to think how it was just a year ago,¡± I say while reminiscing.


    She''s holding my head in her lap as we both lay in a large bed in the private quarters of the renovated courthouse. The room has nice accommodations and good lighting to let us read or relax. The bed is mostly covered in fur and has a nice spongy feel to it underneath. Elaine uses her voice to soothe my troubled mind after any large event happens, and last week with my dad...has me in turmoil.


    ¡°You know it feels like you have it all figured out sometimes son. Like how you flipped the village on its head when you made alcohol. We always had small brews, but it really changed how the village was run. Did you know things were going to end up like they did?¡± my mom asks while gently stroking my hair backwards.


    ¡°I know it seems like I have all the answers sometimes, but I¡¯ve made huge mistakes. If anything, I¡¯m more vulnerable to failure than you or Klay. I just fall into a good situation, and you two can somehow make it so. You want me to tell you exactly how I saw it?" I ask softly.


    ¡°I would. I¡¯m always here to listen. How did you see it?¡± She questions.


    ¡°I saw it as me mindlessly trying to save the villagers. I wanted to save lives because I¡¯d struggled with it before. I didn¡¯t want my mistakes to define me, and...I didn¡¯t want to face them either. It was completely on accident that dad ended up being elected to the council, and then after I saw how badly we Terks were being treated...I knew we could change things if he ran for mayor. Alcohol just ended up hurting Braul¡¯s ability to control the medicine around this area, and penicillin was the last nail in the coffin. Other people were the ones who actually went against him.¡± I say while peacefully lying still.


    ¡°You say it like it was a coincidence? You talk about it like it wasn¡¯t as bad as it was. We Terks were treated like slaves...Do you remember the contracts? They basically made us Braul¡¯s property. If you hadn¡¯t helped Klay get elected...¡± She gulps as she gently curls my hair in her ring finger.


    ¡°Yeah...I guess it all worked out this time, but I...I¡¯ve made mistakes. I wish I could always handle things like that, but...¡± I feel pools well in my eyes. Small beads of water gently cascade down the features of my face as I remain silent.


    ¡°I think we all make mistakes. It¡¯s how we come back from them that defines us. Did you try to save everybody in the village? ¡± Elaine says while scanning me with her eyes.


    I nod up and down as I feel the hot water increase in volume.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s all we can do. Imagine if we were all defined by our mistakes. There would be no good people, but there are. You¡¯ve saved thousands of lives with your heart and mind. You put genuine effort into it every day, and you grieve over those who are lost. I think your soul is beautiful, and you make it brighter with each passing day.¡±


    My mom holds my head up with her small frame as she says the last sentence, and I feel warm drops of water fall onto the back of my head. The cracks and scars of my past are slowly healing under her pure virtue, and with it a new strength appears. I start to quietly sob in front of my mother, and she pets me with an empathetic glint in her reddening eyes.


    ¡°Just try your best, and be who you want to be. You¡¯re the effort and direction you put into your actions, not the results. ¡± she shakily says as she puts her head above mine and shows me her gracefully crying face. We both smile and softly laugh.


    ¡°Haha, I guess...You want me to keep trying, and if bad things happen then I need to just try and make them good things? ¡± I say while letting myself appear vulnerable for the first time in...what feels like years...


    ¡°Exactly. That¡¯s all you can do.¡± She grabs my head and shakes it from side to side as if to sift out the silliness in me.


    After about 30 minutes I get up and say, ¡°I think it¡¯s time I go and really put myself out there. I can¡¯t fall if I have two people like you and dad behind me...¡±


    I pick up her hand and kiss her on her cheek. I watch as she smiles like she has finally seen what she needs. Like she''s going to watch miracles happen from now on.


    I walk up to the mirror in my room down the hallway on the second floor. I look in the mirror and a beefy 12 year old stares back at me. His eyes are distant somehow. A pale green iris surrounds pits of tar black filth, but the surrounding tan skin and light brown hair soften the hardness. His hair glistens like gold with sunlight, and his arms are too large for his age. He cuts his hair short with a razor laying next to the table, so he looks proper, but...He looks like he''s far too tired to keep doing whatever he''s doing...


    After I clean myself up slightly I decide to spend the day actually relaxing for a change. I''ve literally worked every day for the last few years trying to make Tauss into a Utopian, juggernaut state...I have mostly succeeded, but as always the truth was not as sweet as I hope for.


    I walk down the boulevard and notice some small stares that I''m completely accustomed to. In my previous life not a single person could resist staring at my freak show like body, but these glances are different. I guess it''s the fact that the razor haircut made my hair look odd compared to everybody else¡­


    I''ve spent so much time inside I didn''t realize the village has somehow made itself a dozen times larger in just 3 or 4 years. I can hear rumors about miracle medicine and architecture that have revolutionized life in Tauss.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    I have routinely spent so much time inventing and working I keep forgetting what I''m supposed to do for fun...I spot a clearing of land where there is a group of children all gathered around a board. It ''s a game of chess. I think about how I made my father invent the game to increase the culture of the region.


    ¡°No! I am telling you that isn¡¯t a rule. You can only go sideways with pawns, ¡± a young boy says to another girl who''s playing.


    ¡°I know how to play. Scared to lose today¡¯s lunch as well? A shame you can¡¯t afford to lose...¡± The young girl says mockingly.


    The young boy comes into view as I brazenly walk up. He has a small cap and a roughly tailored coat obviously too big for him. His sallow cheeks and thin frame work to his advantage as his eyes shrewdly scan the board. It makes him appear like someone who is getting stepped on now, but in no time will quickly become a fierce individual bred by hardship. The force of a staving animal radiates off the young teenager.


    The girl stands out as being the polar opposite. She is obviously one of the people who moved in with the influx of immigrants hoping for a better life in Tauss. Her fine dress and hair seem to ooze wealth as she tramples on the young boy in the game of chess. Her blond hair sticks out because of its freshly combed look, and her dress looks out of place on her because of her age. She only looks about 14 years old.


    The small boy has a collective of followers who are all watching, and the boy uses this to his advantage by saying, ¡°Who here has ever heard of this? You can¡¯t swap your king and rook like that!?¡±


    I interject, ¡°Yes you can. It¡¯s called castling.¡±


    The boy shoots me a venomous look before his group of friends all swagger up to me. I see no harshness in their stares, so I stand my ground.


    ¡°...Well with that it looks like I win!¡± the girl says as she topples over the boy¡¯s king.


    ¡°Looks like I get the food again, and next time try to put up a decent challenge.¡±


    The girl walks to me and says, ¡°You...Thank you.¡± She tosses her hair in a disgusting display of confidence.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name? Mine¡¯s Elizabeth. Care to go for a walk?¡± She says the sentence as though refusing is an impossibility. She underestimates how out of practice I am around girls. In my past life I was only experienced with one girl, and I knew her before the fire or ALS... I was deformed, and I had always approached anybody if I wanted to talk to them. Her advances put me out of my comfort zone, and into a very confused state.


    I freeze up and can''t take her hand as she gently reaches out for me.


    ¡°Haha! The idiot can¡¯t even move! Wet behind the ears, ey? Why don¡¯t you go fuck with somebody else before making yourself look even more stupid,¡± the young ringleader says while his goons look forward and laugh. I run a fever thinking about how if I just had a little bit of time I''d be able to handle it, but the change to an all too familiar atmosphere quickly brings me back, and I thank him from the bottom of my heart for saving me before responding.


    ¡°It''s a game my friend. Some of us are good, and some of us...are bad.¡± I say while pointing at his chest.


    ¡°Pretty boy likes talking big ay? You think your so good ay?¡± Jax says while crinkling his nose and pointing at the table they used to play the game.


    "Sureeee. This is going to go great for you. What are you going to bet? Your soul? Life per chance? This is how I''m going to do it. You win, I will literally do anything you say. If I win, you agree castling is legal, and leave without saying a word?" I say while slowly picking up the white king off of the board.


    "Sit down then. We''ll see pretty boy." He says.


    Within a minute I win. They''ve never seen a fool''s mate before, and the effect is dramatic. Each one of them ogles at the board like I''ve turned water to wine.


    "Awesome. So castling is legal now. We done?" I say.


    With surprising integrity the hot faced boy gets up...and leaves. I think about how every character trait is double sided. Even the bad ones like pride.


    The girl watches from the side, and after he and his group leave she walks up to me. I turn around to the girl. I slowly start to understand the thick atmosphere between us despite my thick skull, and after about 15 seconds of excruciating silence my groggy brain responds to my commands.


    ¡°I...I¡¯m Nox, ¡± I say with a stone face and completely rigid movements.


    ¡°Why yes you are,¡± she says with the confidence of a professional conversationalist.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we go have lunch at my place?¡± She says as though we are being unfashionable at the current location. I decide to shut her down mainly because I feel trouble brewing. Her type is dangerous given any real leverage.


    ¡°I...I¡¯m so-¡±


    ¡°So happy to come? I know. Let¡¯s go.¡± She wraps her arms around mine and shuffles us towards the nicer part of the growing town.


    *********


    I am making MASSIVE edits going backwards. If you spot tense errors or anything like that please let me know! I will probably make a second go through soon.

 Chapter 16: The Pressure

    The curly blonde haired girl with extremely fair skin is softly pushing me forward to her home. I see the village change to a newer district created by designs I made in the last 3 years. The houses have high quality wood, nails, and especially mortar holding them together.


    The pink material that had been everywhere whenever I first got to Tauss is actually a very malleable glass like material if forged in hot temperatures, and it changes color depending on the heat that is used to treat it. It changes from pink, to red depending on the level of heat.


    It had become a sign of status to have windows and parts of your house molded in red glass, and that is exactly what the buildings nearby are like. The glass material is even stronger than steel, but less plentiful, so only the wealthy can afford to throw it into their actual homes. The pariah bush it comes from is hard to find and cultivate, so whenever one is found it is usually brutally poached.


    I think about how this side of the town is infinitely smaller than the new slum districts. The new economy forming around the area means farmers are not as needed as before. Plus better crop rotation and caretaking is leading to an explosion of food production.


    The newly forming economy is based on producing goods using assembly lines and less specialized work, and the only reason its succeeding so well is because of Klay¡¯s leadership. With him and the influx of immigrants, the village has become a city, and now it is closely approaching a city-state...


    As we walk I notice Elizabeth is only slightly shorter than me, but I feel a mountain of difference in our expectations. She is obviously used to this process, but I feel incredibly awkward.


    I constantly have heat waves that turn my tan skin red before fading back. We walk up to a wide two story building that has a red glass swan in the front. If I was walking her I think I could be much more comfortable...


    The walls are made of nicely stained wood, and the engraved doors and windows slightly wake me up from the situation. If I let this go any further their can be trouble...


    ¡°Interesting! So Elizabeth, it is fantastic that you want to make my acquaintance, but I am veryyyyyy poor. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d fit in here...¡± I say with as much sincerity as I can muster.


    ¡°Nonsense! I saw you slip Jax some Grads. Those aren¡¯t things a poor man can throw around, and you look positively famished! I know our cooks can get you something delicious to eat. ¡±


    Her grip becomes vice like around my arm. I visualize an anaconda slowly squeezing the life out of me and the blood slowly draining from my face. A butler opens the door, and I am marched into the large building.


    The fine glass and wood materials created an incredibly ambient surrounding. Glass floors with small circles to reveal tiny fractions of other floors could be seen, and the walls and hallways were heavily decorated with porcelain. Tiny statues and trinkets from far off lands collected themselves in drones on the fine wooden furniture.


    ¡°Impressed?¡± she says with a cute, but very smug smile.


    I sigh as the expectations are shifted, and the atmosphere changes. I''m finally able to say, ¡°If only. It¡¯s decent enough.¡±


    ¡°Surely you jest?¡± She says while turning her head up and closing her eyes..


    Neurons long cold rekindle inside of me, and I say, ¡°My house is made of diamonds and gold! Wood? You can see that anywhere outside, but you can barely even see my house. It blinds with gems earthen in nature, and fine in quality.¡± I declare the statement with thick sarcasm and over exaggerated hand gestures from my free arm.


    ¡°Hoho, it looks like I¡¯ve found my Romeo,¡± she responds with the same sarcasm.


    I''m very surprised by the reference to Romeo, and she picks up on it like a lion sensing the weak link in a herd.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you seen Romeo and Juliet? Oh no! Did I blind you with my cultural finesse?¡±


    ¡°More like bore me to tears love! The real reason I¡¯m surprised would surprise you, but I¡¯d like to hear more about plays that you¡¯ve seen. Maybe you can wow me after mentioning something I haven¡¯t seen, and music as well! What is your favorite kind?¡± I ask while trying to worm out knowledge of the outside world.


    Elizabeth eagerly responds, ¡°Oedipus Rex, The Oresteia, and Prometheus Bound are all good classics. I personally have not heard much music outside of small time musicians. Listening to an orchestra would be like a dream!¡±


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    I freeze mid step. The plays are all made by Greeks...


    How deep is this world and my own threaded? Is history almost the same? Am I on Earth in the past with a different history?


    No...Things are different. The power, the Eldritch, the creatures can all be explained away with fantasy but...the gravity difference means it is a completely different world. I can accept everything else as a coincidence of whimsy, but a differing gravity on earth is impossible. The thought gives me a great inner peace, and I speed up to join Elizabeth again.


    ¡°You look like hearing those play names brought back ghosts!¡± Elizabeth says.


    ¡°Haha! The funny part is they are ghosts. Only ghosts to me...Elizabeth, I want to let you know something about me,¡± I say while opening up my arms some and relaxing my shoulders.


    ¡°Absolutely!¡± Elizabeth says and turns to face me.


    ¡°I am eight years old,¡± I say while maintaining eye contact.


    ¡°Haha! You jest! Look at these arms. I would say a short man of fifteen perhaps,¡± she says while grabbing my arms.


    ¡°I can only say it again, but I am only eight. I¡¯m just large for my age. I work already so I¡¯m a little thicker than most is all, so now that we understand that...I¡¯m going to go back now...¡±


    I tug away from her grip, but its constriction grows in strength. I look backwards and she is staring at me with her brow furrowed, and one eye twitching.


    ¡°Do you understand who I am? I am Elizabeth Chapman. You are going to come have lunch with me...and be thankful I am even talking to you,¡± she says with a grim undertone.


    I yank my arm away and start chuckling hysterically.


    ¡°Haha! You really, waha.You really think you¡¯re that important? ¡± I pause to catch my breathe and collect my thoughts before I make the poor decision to berate the young girl for her ridiculous claim.


    ¡°Elizabeth, you are beautiful and charming. Use those instead of your family name to appeal to me. I have to leave because my father needs me for something. How about we meet up for lunch later this week, Ms. Chapman? ¡±


    Her face shifts like a chameleon. From a red face with a twitching eye, to a darker red face with raised eyebrows and a slightly open mouth, to a weird mixture of both...She opens her mouth and reaches out her hand before drawing back. She sighs deeply before saying, ¡°Okay...Where?¡±


    ¡°Only the grandest dining establishment in the whole land would do for a lady like you Elizabeth, so how about my place? I live in the courthouse near the middle of the town square. Do you know where it is?¡± I say with a knowing smile.


    Her face warps from a bright red to ghastly white as the realization hits her. I''m ¡°The¡± Klay Waulack¡¯s son, and she has tried to use her status against me.


    ¡°I-I-I¡¯m so sorry! I had no idea Mr. Waulack.¡± Elizabeth is bowing and starts to glance left and right.


    ¡°Nobody does! Come if you want to, okay? I¡¯ll eat there at around 2 every day. I promise a feast of grandiose proportions, and a lively banter that bards will sing about for thousands of years. Can you promise not to jump into my arms by the end?¡± I smirk with exaggerated motions at the comment. The entire conversation feels like it is bringing me back to a different time...


    ¡°...Sure. I¡¯ll be there in three days,¡± Elizabeth says with the same discomfort I felt only minutes ago.


    I turn to the butler and say, ¡°Thank you so much for your valuable service?¡±


    ¡°John sir,¡± The gray haired butler says while standing perfectly straight.


    ¡°John. Please help the poor girl get the courage to come. I would love to see her in a different dress,¡± I say while snickering and knocking on his shoulder.


    The statue like butler tries with all of his might but cracks a smile for a millisecond. I laugh and walk back the way I was led in. I breathe in the lighter fresh air, and I softly say, ¡°...Still got it, haha.¡±


    ********


    I MADE MASSIVE EDITS to this chapter. Please let me know if there are errors with tense, spelling, or anything else. Thank you.

 Chapter 17: The Grand Design

    The wind gently pushes a variety of different food¡¯s aromas towards the street I¡¯m walking on. Each passing second I see a new kind of building under construction. I think about how each design was made by me, and I have the slight doubt that they might crumble one day. The large pillars of wood and stone reach into the sky, and the newer buildings don brick tiles to cover their outreached hands. The cobblestone road smacks my with each step, and I observe the apex of a hill on the outside of the village.


    I turn around and survey the village. The large courthouse in the center shines as a beacon of what people consider an architectural renaissance. The columns and white paint make it resemble the purity the people hope will infect the land. I see the central part of the village has now become a variety of villas and houses that will someday be made into mansions.


    The parts south of the court district are an assembly of older style architectures resembling log cabins. The slums were forming around newer factory like structures that my father had organized with old business leaders. The influx of cheap labor allows for quick expansion of services to the point that old money from other areas creates houses or investments in the region¡­


    I notice the natural barriers of the village was a large crater like hill, but now the crater was filled to the brim with structures, and the trees had all been removed for building purposes...I start feeling anxiety swell to the forefront of my thoughts. The village was too large for 5 years...This much attention would no doubt cause nearby nations to take notes. I decide the meeting with my father will focus on these  issues.


    A small house made of wood and pariah glass material came into view underneath a waterfall about a mile outside of the village. I walk through the thinly populated forest to go through the routine of opening the door. The building has no windows and has a lock on the front. I open the lock by tracing the line of pins I had made inside of the mechanism. I hear a familiar click whenever I finish the symbol, and an older man opens the door.


    The older man is Guaro. His drum of a belly had somehow expanded, and I say, ¡°I see our Tauss gentleman is excited for more prospects as always? Glad to see you again Guaro.¡±


    ¡°Haha! Me a gentleman? Why never whenever I¡¯m compared to someone such as yourself Nox.¡± Guaro says while bowing slightly.


    As always the man¡¯s deep voice let out whispers of flattery and nonsense. I walk past him and I see the gathering of chairs where several key members of the town sit. Over the last few years me and my father had slowly revealed that I¡¯m the mastermind behind the technology boom in Tauss to just a few people.


    Guaro, a man named Atticus Farlow, my father, and I all sat down in our respective seats before I stood up to begin the meeting as always.


    ¡°You all understand the changes in Tauss are profound and life altering?¡± I say as the group nods their heads.


    ¡°Let¡¯s begin this meeting by first asking about how each of the businesses and districts are doing,¡± I say while handing the floor to Guaro.


    ¡°Why of course young Waulack! The court district has experienced two new arrivals this week. The Chapmans, and the Bernards. The Chapmans are a very wealthy family coming from Dureal. They own a large fishing company there that encompasses at least the majority of Baltora¡¯s exports and internal fishing revenues. They have a modern fleet of ships numbering around two dozen, and they also have two factories that produce rope in sizable quantities, but it¡¯s quality is dramatically lower than what we have here,¡± guaro says without pausing.


    ¡°Perfect! Make sure they feel welcome. Somehow I¡¯ve already met their daughter Elizabeth, and they seem like nice people. Atticus what do we have on your side? ¡° I ask while throwing my arms up.


    ¡°The slums had 43 members move in this week. I¡¯ve given them all the care package we provide to new families, and I am trying to gather enough taxes to make the school you were talking about. I¡¯ll need your help on the specifics. The slums expanded to cover a larger area than the rest of the town combined this week, but they still have a slightly better standard of living?¡± he says while looking to me for confirmation.


    I nod and he continues speaking, ¡°Than they experienced in Baltora or Centra. So far we have a little over 6 slum members looking for work, ¡± the last part of his sentence is slightly muffled because he pulls out a piece of paper with bios on each of the people.


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    ¡°Perfect Atticus. I see you are as efficient as ever. Now Klay, how are the businesses doing? Oh Atticus we will meet at the courthouse tomorrow at 4. I will give you recommendations for jobs and positions for each of the men. Don¡¯t force them into it, but make sure they have the options presented to them within a month, ¡° I say while directing my attention to Klay.


    ¡°Bu-but sir. I have a meeting with my daughter then. Could we possibly reschedule,¡± Atticus asks while holding himself in a  slightly defensive position.


    The newer members words immediately receive eyes filled with daggers. Guaro almost stands up, but I raise my hands towards them to calm them down.


    ¡°Atticus that sounds perfectly fine. I can manage 5:30. I plan on slowing down my time in my lab, so I can spend more time doing other things. Will that work Atticus?¡± I say while holding my hand out in a welcoming gesture to Atticus.


    The other members reactions were somewhat reasonable based on some of the previous meetings where I demanded compliance. I was a little fanatical about improving the village, but now I am starting to feel better about everything.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Atticus says while backing back into his seat.


    ¡°So what about the business district Klay?¡± I ask.


    ¡°We just opened the factory that builds boards, nails, and pariah glass. We need at least 500 workers within the next 3 months, and probably a large investment to keep the factory profitable in the near future, ¡° Klay says while slipping in suggestions.


    ¡°Use taxes. Growth trumps all other factors. After you guys see how successful the factory is at producing building materials I can guarantee you¡¯ll agree it is the best way to organize things. We can then sell these products to the poor slum members who are desperate for housing. The central bank is what we will use to pay for newer housing. I want to start work on a housing project for immigrants and current slum members. Make the housing decent, and I want to use the old farmers to begin working. I want you to start a campaign to make construction and raising a family seem like manly things to do. People are new to it, and they¡¯ll listen to whatever is the first thing they hear. Especially from you Klay.¡± I say while handing out several pieces of paper to Klay, Atticus, and Guaro.


    ¡°Guaro, handle the culture campaign. Klay you will help him, but I also want you to work on getting the right people to start building using that Blue print I gave you. Atticus, I want you to focus on organizing the central bank¡¯s efforts. Make sure you give low interest loans to any families that seem like they will be able to pay them back. All of you, use your own judgement carrying out these tasks. Anybody have anything else they want to bring to the table?¡± I say while clasping my hands together.


    ¡°I believe Mr. Chapman would be a good potential member to add. He has a great influence over Baltora politics, and the potential to soothe the slight tension forming over how many of their citizens are moving to Tauss,¡± Guaro says while smiling broadly.


    ¡°I told you not to try and win my favor Guaro. I trust you enough already. Great suggestion though, everybody, always look for potential new candidates. Atticus has been invaluable when dealing with immigrants into our town. I will start work on seeing if he is a viable candidate for the council. I would like for you to help with this task Klay. Anything else?¡± I say while taking note of the suggestion on a piece of paper.


    Everybody stands up with trained poise, and we all shake hands before leaving. Me and my dad walk away at the time, and he starts a conversation with me.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t see how you do it son. It¡¯s like you¡¯ve got a grand plan and everything always falls into place. Where are all of these ideas coming from?¡± he asks while making it very noticeable that he isn¡¯t questioning my motives.


    ¡°I just want to help people. I feel terrible when I see other people suffer. Nothing gets a man motivated like a grave mistake.¡± I reply honestly with sadness threading my words.


    My father drops the subject, and we walk back towards the village.


    *******


    Please check out my other work "Schism." It will be a historical drama that focuses on characters. Imagine the first 7 chapters of this story. With no fantasy elements. PLEASE!XD


    http://royalroadl.com/fiction/4950</a>

 Chapter 17.5: Sins

    On the way back my dad and I split off. I decide now is a good time for dinner. A collection of finer restaurants that serve a variety of foods present themselves before me. I head in the direction of the one I frequent called, ¡°The Gathering.¡± It is a primarily traditional Tauss restaurant that sells some of my favorites.


    I approach a booth I usually sit at whenever I see Guaro eating alone in another private Booth. I walk over to him and pat him on the shoulder. The man directs his attention at me with sharp but puffy eyes.


    His intense aura shifts as he says, ¡°Why, sit down young Waulack! Might I say you look splendid today? Isn¡¯t that everyday though? Let me treat you young one.¡±


    I see straight through the man¡¯s pleasant facade and respond with, ¡°You know I always hear this whenever I need it...¡± I sit down across from him and stare directly into his eyes before saying, ¡°Somehow...Someway...It¡¯s okay to be weak. It¡¯s okay to hurt.¡±


    The old man¡¯s armor forms cracks, but abstains from collapse as he says, ¡°...I know we both know each other well son, but...¡±


    Guaro hunches over and lowers his eyes to glare at me while saying, ¡°Don¡¯t pry into my business. We¡¯ve been over this far too many times.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because this conversation never goes far enough. You know I love you old man. You¡¯ve done more for me and the Terks than anybody else. Especially whenever Braul almost took over,¡± I say while never letting him break eye contact.


    ¡°Too little too late, young Waulack. I¡¯d love to have a mundane conversation with you from time to time. Feels like you focus far too hard on either work or sorrows. Makes for bad beer and if you don¡¯t stop, a bad time,¡± Guaro says while slowly filling his eyes with cold like dry ice. Cold so full and deep your flesh dies just by getting close.


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    I feel one of my eyes twitch before I say, ¡°I know it sounds stupid for me to say...I might be able to understand better than anybody...¡±


    ¡°Nox. You may be a genius, but that does NOT,¡± Guaro slams a beer on the table breaking the mug, ¡°Mean you understand everything boy.Sometimes people lose things they-....¡±


    The old man stops mid sentence and throws the handle at the wall. Tiny specs of blood fall on the table, but he quickly throws enough money to pay for anything on the menu at the table before rushing out of the bar in a brisk pace. I see a couple faces raise their eyebrows and slowly look away.


    The conversation happens every few weeks, and my heart aches for the old man. He is completely alone, and I have the gall to say I understand. I don¡¯t even know how he gets up in the morning.


    I think about how the great light took away his wife and child. How I am the one to blame for it all because I failed to save them. My soul is heavy under the burden, and my courage is lashed every time the old man smiles a hollow smile.


    With steps far more hollow then normal, I walk back home after not eating. I cry as I question everything I¡¯m doing, and how little it all seems to matter when stacked against my sins. After awhile I feel the tears fade, and my consciousness slips through the cracks of time.


    *******


    Sorry for length. It felt right at this length though.

 Chapter 18: Date

    The morning sunrise slowly shifts my mind into an operable state. The advent of better food and nutrition in Tauss leads me through mornings with bliss and grace. I fill my stomach until I¡¯m brimming with food, and I head to my lab in the basement of the building.


    I reach the table where I keep my notes and project schematics. I go through the daily duties of creating plans for varying aspects of the village, and then I look through my notes of the past day.


    I was working on creating a better process for steel. I read my notes and they say my grand plan is to eventually have a military equipped with pariah glass, and a building and infrastructure system made from steel. It seems good enough, but I start scratching extra notes on pariah tree cultivation. I write another note to ban the harvesting of pariah trees without a governmental certificate.


    After about two hours of writing and changing various aspects of the towns agenda I get to work drawing schematics for a new factory that will be dedicated to making steel in large quantities. With that...We could possibly start looking to a future with railroads¡­


    Three more hours pass and I complete the 8 pages of blueprints that will be used to create the factory. At this time my mother walks down the stairs in the corner of the room, and knocks lightly to gather my attention.


    ¡°A young lady says she is here to see you, ¡° my mother half asks, half states.


    ¡°...What?¡± I say while furrowing my brow and tilting my head and then the memories hit me.


    ¡°Oh noooo. I...Stall for time mom. I need to go get ready,¡± I say while throwing a meaningful look at my mother. I start to run past her and into my room.


    I look in my mirror and take note of what I look like.


    Garbage.


    I collect clean clothes and go down to the kitchen where we keep our water. Luckily there¡¯s a huge supply because of the new aqueduct connecting to the Bascus River about 30 miles away. I try to get a decent chunk of the ink and grease off of me in the seconds I am allotted. The effort makes meager returns, but I continue to wash myself. The water passes over my slightly thick frame, and I shiver. I change into the new pair of clothes I have prepared.


    I am halfway through putting my shirt on when Elizabeth walks into the kitchen while pouting. She stares at my shirtless body with reckless abandon, and I quickly become estranged. My movements become awkward and heavy as her gaze lengthens. I feel myself trying to button my shirt with speed and coordination no man could call human.


    I finish and I say with an incredibly hot face, ¡°I¡¯m like the sun, stare too long and you¡¯ll go blind. Now where do you want to go my lady?¡±


    I feel my voice stay steady through the embarrassment. I take note that I would never let myself get too flustered to respond. After a 5 second pause Elizabeth¡¯s voice cuts through the atmosphere.


    ¡°I-I guess we should go to The Gathering...¡± She says while staring at her feet, blushing, and exaggerating her reaction to seeing me shirtless.


    I see through her camouflage, and respond without letting her response cloud my mind, ¡°I ate there last night, let¡¯s go to HorseHead. Ever have the thought we Tauss have a fetish for the bizarre? Names remind me of a ghost story, Haha.¡±


    Her camouflage does not fade in the slightest, and she continues to poorly respond, but I see through it. She won¡¯t get the response she so desires, and I¡¯ll stay calm and collected.


    She takes off her hat to fabricate the illusion of heat to thicken the facade and says, ¡°Su-Sure. I guess. ¡±


    She distances herself from me, but I understand her game, and take the initiative.


    ¡°People will think we lack any civility if we walk like strangers! Come here Elizabeth.¡± I say as I hold my arm out for her to hold.


    ¡°...I..we can just walk to-together,¡± she says while trying to solidify the act.


    I grab my chisel and destroy the barrier between us to force her to stop pretending by saying, ¡°But I¡¯m in the company of, ¡®The¡¯ Elizabeth Chapman! I should be the envy of every man, so to humor me please?¡±


    I put on fake puppy eyes and insist.


    She looks away, and gulps before grabbing my arm with trembling hands. I now respect her deeply for her acting ability. She is playing off the act on levels I have yet encountered, and I smile to show her I understand what she is doing.


    We walk to the nicer restaurant while I continue the conversation in attempts to uncover her true intentions.


    ¡°Elizabeth, why the change? You seem so shy when compared to before...Don¡¯t tell me three days was enough for you to change your mind about me?¡± I say with a curled smile.


    ¡°...You..You can be so...Bold...Or thick. I can¡¯t tell,¡± she says while looking at me through her lashes.


    I start to doubt my earlier instincts. She might really be...Am I torturing this girl? No. Surely she meant to plant these thoughts in my head.


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    ¡°Why not both? A thick skin and a bold design create fine wine in time. Of course it can only be so with a star at its side to shine.¡± I say while laughing and raising her hand to kiss.


    Her face deepens its light blush, but she also cracks and finally laughs.


    ¡°Do you have a whole collection of lines for woman you meet?¡± she says.


    ¡°I think every meeting is fated, as such, my words are each a unique design. Crafted through the scenario¡¯s demands,¡± I say.


    ¡°Well you seem too practiced for an alleged, ¡®8 year old,¡¯¡± she says while narrowing her eyes and creasing her brow.


    ¡°Nine today! I think I am aging faster than the normal human...Much faster,¡± I say with my face slowly staring out into the abyss of uncertainty.


    ¡°Haha! You talk about your age like you have no clue, or like it¡¯s criss crossed with reality,¡± she says while throwing her head back.


    I rub my hands together while saying, ¡°I just can¡¯t wait for the meat here. I used to live in a land where there was barely any variety of meat, but here I can almost try a new one each day.¡±


    ¡°It looks like the Renaissance man is also a brute at times. Do try to keep manners up in front of me,¡± she says while finally returning to her normal self.


    ¡°Haha! I have to keep my manners down or you¡¯d feel ashamed my lady. I¡¯ll try to keep a state where we don¡¯t appear to be on different levels,¡± I say as we finally open the doors to the restaurant.


    The middle aged brunette who worked the lunch shift of the restaurant looked at me with surprise before saying, ¡°I see the young master has a date! I¡¯ll get you two a good seat.¡±


    I throw her a secret thumbs up, and a smile as we are walked to a smaller back room that has more private booths. The walls and furniture are all a mixture of pariah glass and wood, and let the sunlight refract freely throughout the space. A fireplace lays at the end of the room, and fills the room with a softer light from the side.


    ¡°Oh, the gentleman knows how to treat a lady?¡± Elizabeth says while fanning herself sarcastically.


    ¡°In both form and fashion. I just hit all the right places at all the right times. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already noticed?¡± I say while imitating her fanning motion.


    ¡°You just can¡¯t be beat in these exchanges can you? Looks like I misjudged you as a simple man when we first met,¡± she says while leaning forward in her seat.


    ¡°I...Am the most unique person in this world. At least that I know of. I have a million different factors bending and shaping the iron of my soul. I just hope it ends up being beautiful in the end,¡± I say while leaning forward as well and keeping steady eye contact.


    ¡°...Are you a poet? Beautiful words from a beautiful man are a woman¡¯s most vulnerable weakness you know,¡± she says.


    I take a moment to chuckle and blink before saying, ¡°Does it seem like I know? ¡±


    The banter flows heavily for the next minute or so before the lady we met at the front brings us mugs filled with water and asks what we want. We order and the food arrives in little to no time.


    The conversation slows until I am done with all of my food, and the woman brings the second dish. I eat it all and Elizabeth looks in shock at my ability to eat the food.


    ¡°That¡¯s inhuman. You literally ate 6 or 7 pounds of food,¡± she says while raising her eyebrows.


    ¡°I could eat more, but I want to stay fit you know? Clever words come from the furnace of one''s mind. The furnace needs fuel to continue! I would hate to slow with time as our date draws to a close.¡±


    ¡°...I guess you have a solution to everything?¡± she says while licking her lips.


    ¡°Or maybe everything is just a solution to me? Yeah...That kind of thinking places me at the center of everything right? That seems fitting,¡± I say while chuckling and rolling my eyes.


    Her laughter fills the room and I feel myself shortly get lost in it. We leave the restaurant and bid our farewells.


    ¡°You need to enchant another one of my meager days some time soon Elizabeth,¡± I say while bowing.


    ¡°Haha. I don¡¯t think you even know how charming you are. I will make time anytime you will have me.¡± she says while licker her lips and then smiling brightly.


    I walk back to my house and my mom stops me.


    ¡°...I had no idea you had a girl. When did this happen?¡± she said with over exaggerated movements to try and embarrass me.


    I smile a curled smile while raising one eyebrow and saying, ¡°It¡¯s always happening mother, I am to woman as diamonds are to jewelers. I have the most luster, I am the most valuable, but you need to mine through miles of rock to get your hands on me.¡±


    My mom¡¯s head shoots backwards as she laughs heartily. She slapps me on my back and responds with, ¡°I guess you aren¡¯t at all like your dad then.¡±


    I walk downstairs and spend the rest of the day working.

 Chapter 19: Intricacies

    A middle age man with brown hair walks down a set of stairs toward the second floor of a construction project. He is among a large group of others who are diligently working to erect a 4 story building. A skeletal framework of metal is built along the projected sides of the building, and large mounds of metal and wood are surrounding the structure.


    Klay stands to my left, and I relay to him instructions he will feed the workers. I look and say, ¡°We need a better way than people to carry these materials...Is there any animals or other things we can use? ¡±


    ¡°The largest animal around here is the goth. They are way too rare to use like that, and...Well son let¡¯s just say I hope you never see one.¡±


    I almost fall onto the upturned clay I¡¯m standing on. The unexpected comment makes me spill the drink I have in my glass. I look down and regret losing it in my small fit.


    ¡°I can tell Dad. They sound terrifying,¡± I say while raising my voice.


    ¡°Haha. You know it didn¡¯t take long for you to start talking back. Make fun of me all you want. I promise Goths are death incarnate. You should be thankful they haven¡¯t attacked recently.¡± he says while hugging himself and shivering slightly.


    ¡°Or you should be thankful of forces you don¡¯t understand,¡± I say while looking at him and winking.


    ¡°Cryptic as always I see,¡± Klay says while walking up to a random man to give him directions. The man nods and heads back to go and help a group of 6 other men carry a large pariah glass gerder. I smack my forehead as I watch the least effective method of moving large materials ever.


    ¡°The damned  Fauraks won¡¯t cooperate now matter what I try. Is there any other animals? Like any large mammal creatures?  On the mainland maybe ?¡± I say while pulling my hair.


    ¡°Not that I recall¡­.Well you know about the juklo right?¡± he says while crossing one arm and pointing the other hand at me.


    I rub my brow as I say, ¡°I have definitely asked this before. You have never brought this up. Gimme ten years and I¡¯ll make a metal moo-I mean Faurak and it will do whatever I tell it to. Until then we are stuck. ¡±


    Klay scratches his head for a second before asking, ¡°Can you tell me why you need these so bad?¡±


    I go and put one hand on his shoulder before saying, ¡°I...I know its hard to picture. But imagine if we had the moose carrying these materials. We could feed it grass, and it would move this for us. We could use its manure for fertilizer, milk for food, and  maybe even travel. Think about riding one to Baltora. We could go to its towns in weeks instead of years.¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t see that as a hugely beneficial thing. I haven¡¯t been to the mainland, but I can¡¯t imagine a land that uses animals for that sort of stuff...¡± he says.


    ¡°I know. What animals live in the badlands?¡±I ask while grabbing his other shoulder and raising my eyebrows.


    Klay¡¯s brow lowers, and his voice deepens as he says, ¡°We don¡¯t go to the badlands. I won¡¯t take you there. Goths get thicker as you approach the Baltaria sea. The beasts can make you mad just by gazing at them...I¡¯m not joking.¡±


    I hold my hands in front of my face and shake them. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m having this conversation. I killed at least 30 goths 2 years ago, and now my dad is preaching to me about saving myself from them.


    ¡°How about this dad. I am going to take a map. I am then going straight into the Badlands. I will destroy goths with my power, and return with some beasts of burden to save those poor...¡± I glance over at the men, ¡° poor souls from lifting or dragging hundreds of pounds with just their arms.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a violation of human decency son. Nobody here is asking you to go risk it all for some hope somewhere. The people here need us.¡± my father says while raising leaning forward and flaring his arms outwards.


    ¡°Nobody asks me to do anything. Maybe I just want an excuse to explore the world for awhile? How long would it take to walk the all the coasts of Lorscall?¡± I ask.


    ¡°At least 10 lifetimes.¡±


    ¡°What about going through the badlands. What is on the other side? Some immigrants come from that direction,¡± I say.


    ¡°There is Centra...But besides that it¡¯s just the Wilds, Son. This world is larger than any human can know. All I know is explorers either never come back because they die. How about you go to Baltora and see if you can find something? That sounds infinitely better,¡± he says while pointing towards the South East.


    ¡°I know! What¡¯s that dessert to the south?¡±I ask while shaking the man by his arms.


    ¡°Slane? It¡¯s got a few places. Why?¡± he asks.


    ¡°Civilization had to form for some reason right? Plus I can get close if I....How close is the southern point of Baltora from there?¡± I say.


    ¡°Fairly close. Maybe 4-500 miles away,¡± he says.


    I cringe at the news. It is an incredibly far distance. It seems the world is much larger than earth. Gravity is stronger...I guess time is the only true measure of distance...


    ¡°Is there really no way to leave and be back in less than a year?¡± I say.


    My dad keels over while laughing before he can stutter out, ¡°A year? Haha! You would be lucky to make it to Baltora in a year. Much less come back.¡±


    I furrow my eyebrows and stare the man down until he stops laughing. The world is cruel. It has gigantic apocalypse fairies, gurgling tentacle sacks, but no fucking horses¡­


    ¡° I wonder...Can I use my power to make a horse...Dna...¡± I mutter softly.


    ¡°What? Dna? ¡±my dad asks while shaking his head slightly.


    ¡°Nothing dad. How about we go through the badlands into Centra? How far is that?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Going around takes 6 months. I¡¯d say¡­.1 month straight through, but that¡¯s impossible,¡± he says.


    ¡°Alright. Sounds good. Let''s go get the map and go to Centra through the badlands. I need you and 3 others,¡± I say while imaginarily grabbing him and others to follow me.


    ¡°Son no. I won¡¯t...¡± he says while shaking his head.


    ¡°Dad. I think it¡¯s about time I show you something,¡± I say as I point towards the forest.


    My dad looks at me with a questioning gaze before following. We walk past the turned up dirt on the construction site to some nearby grass. After that we reach the border of the forest and enter. The large evergreen trees block out the sun with airtight locks of green, and the ground becomes uneven and jagged.


    We reach a decently far away spot before I stop. I point my dad towards a rock to sit on. After he arrives I change my pointing finger towards an evergreen tree.


    ¡°So dad. I was ¡®gifted¡¯ right? Please check this,¡± I say as the air around me shimmers.


    Tiny glimmers of bent light flicker around me, and the ground lightly shakes as I point my arm at the tree. I open my fingers and the tree bends like a ripple of light is warping it. Moments later the tree falls down with the hiss of sand. The 300 foot tall tree hisses loudly as the last bits of sand come falling down.


    I turn to face my dad. He gawks like I walked upon water. Every facial muscle tries to pull his jaw lower, but it hit its limit. He slowly loses balance and falls over like a statue. The man hits the dirt without blinking.


    My nerves heat my face, and I start to blink shyly. The man continues to remain frozen in the ground before slowly raising himself. He looks back at the pile of sand then to me. He repeats the action twice more before finally speaking.


    ¡°....You....How long?¡± he says while going and picking some of the sand up.


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    ¡°Since the great light,¡± I declare.


    ¡°You...You made the desert years ago?¡± he says.


    ¡°Every goth since then has been killed by me. I¡¯ve killed dozens.¡±


    ¡°You...This is...¡± he grabs his head and starts to stumble.


    I run to catch him and help him sit down on the rock again. He grasps his head as though bludgeoned by the recent news. I see him stare a thousand yards deep through the ground while he sits. I wait for another 15 minutes before he swallows deeply, pats his shirt, and stands up.


    ¡°I see. You can¡¯t use this much Nox. Each time will cost you, but...¡± he stares back at the pile of sand, ¡°I can see you have...Talent. I still don¡¯t like the idea of going to the badlands, but...If having these animals will help us like you say...How can I...Say no to someone who has saved our lives countless times? You said you need three right?¡± he says while coming closer to me.


    ¡°I think that will do,¡± I say while clenching my shirts sides.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry son. I don¡¯t know a father who would hate his son for being so...Interesting. Really I can¡¯t be more proud of you...It¡¯s just surreal,¡± he says while he gently rustles the hair on my head.


    ¡°Not the first time I¡¯ve blown expectations right? Seems like something I just do,¡± I say while giving him a curly smile.


    ¡°Now! Who are we bringing? I want some rugged people,¡± I say.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get you who you¡¯re looking for. Now we need to make sure the construction project goes as planned. We gathered at least a hundred people to work on it for the next week. Can¡¯t keep them waiting...¡± he says.


    Several hours pass as we spend the day working on the project. I help sometimes when directing people, and my dad plays the role of a construction leader aptly. I think my dad would have been better as an actor. When the sun sets, a small framework made of wood and red glass is slowly being built. In the distance behind it a large collection of pink leaved pariah trees are being grown and cultivated.


    The influx of manual labor and my knowhow have combined to make Tauss the production capital of Lorscall. We make pariah glass, wood, steel, and soon we will make oil...Oil is the hardest thing to convince people that we need, but at this point they almost brainlessly follow my orders...I think it¡¯s better that way.


    I walk through the winding pathways to see many half finished construction projects. Large piles of bricks or plates made of the moldable pariah glass lay everywhere. The glass¡¯s durability outranks steel, so people use the material for everything. Steel will still need to be used for many different buildings because it does not shatter like pariah does whenever it breaks, but the look and feel of the red glass glistens aesthetically.


    I walk to the center of town where all of the roads have already been cobbled with perfectly square pariah glass, and my breathe is shortly taken away. The city has become a gem near the courthouse. I look to see shops lined with fanciful architect only possible because of pariah, and large wooden columns and furniture amply supplied by the surrounding forest.


    I reach my favorite place to eat close to the center of town. I open the wooden doors to reveal a lively bar. Many townsfolk are dancing and drinking. The people smile as though they are living wonderful lives, and softly grin.


    At this point I walk through the crowd and see a familiar sight. man is slumped over a barstool made of wood, and has his head hanging low. He grabs his mug and stares into it like a bottomless pit. I see a single tear fall onto the table.


    The short man is an all too familiar sight. At this point seeing him creates fissures in my heart and fills them with tar. I approach the raging inferno, and stick my hand into the flame when I say, ¡°Guaro...How¡¯s the drink?¡±


    The old man stiffens as he hears my voice, and grabs a napkin to quickly clean his face. I see him pick a mug up and turn around. Somehow his face has recovered much of its lost vigor whenever he finally replies with, ¡°Fine my young Waulack! Care to sit with me at one of the booths?¡±


    I see his disguise, but I allow the survival of his dignity. I order steak and youse, and we walk toward a private booth out back. The wood embellishes the pariah that pervades the interior design. Guaro says, ¡°I saw you helping your dear old dad! You too make quite the team whenever you put your mind to it.¡±


    ¡°I can only do it through the enrapturing leadership one of my closest subordinates brings to the table,¡± I say while throwing him a wink and a nod.


    ¡°If I can help the town in any way I am ever so inclined to do so. With you as a leader, I know I can follow. Cheers to you, kid,¡± he says while raising his glass and putting his other hand around my shoulder. The alcohol reeks from his breathe, and especially off his drawling voice.


    I raise my glass of water obediently, and he breaks the glass with his mug. He stares at it for a second before laying his mug down. He chugs the entire glass before laying it down and staring at me. I see his flushed, fatty face, and my vision blurs while my throat constricts.


    The man reddens and grimaces for a half second before regaining control and saying, ¡°I am just so glad...I have something to throw this meaningless life at...¡±


    I cringe at the compliment thrown at the man he does not know is responsible for his sadness. My field of vision slightly blurs and tilts. My secret sears my mind and I eventually see them fall out of my skull onto the ground. The black sludge dripping from my skull ruins my very plane of existence. They vaporize into a dark gas that poisons the air of the room.


    I flinch away from the sight as Guaro says, ¡°Young Waulak. Don¡¯t cry for me...I¡¯m only as happy as can be knowing I serve the greater good,¡± he says while wrapping his hand around the side of my neck and shoulder.


    I open my mouth  frantically to tell him about the black sludge when a dark shadow forms off of his hand and shrouds parts of my body. My guilt bubbles black in the shadows, and I look up to see the man putting on a smile for me. He says, ¡°...You know...I love you Nox. I can¡¯t say you''re perfect. Too bossy at times, and too clever at others, but you do what you think is right no matter what. If it wasn¡¯t for you...I don¡¯t know where I would be...¡± he says while tears freely flow from his face.


    Mental anguish cascades onto my very soul. Hot streams of water so toxic it poisons the world¡¯s innocence pour from my hollow eyes. The space around him distorts, and I stand up while maintaining eye contact.


    I break into a run before the situation consumes me. I run out of the bar. I run past the paved streets of red onto the older roads of cobble. I run past the bad part of town with only dirt roads and desperate shanty towns surrounding its edge. I run into the forest dark as death at night.


    I awake from a trance to find myself somewhere very far away from Tauss. I breathe with stripped lungs as I continue to run. A lake is near the edge of my vision.Stopping in front of the lake, I collapse on my knees and stare towards it.


    ¡°AHHHH! Wahhhh. Ahhhhh¡­.¡± I wail towards the lake. I see the two moons softly reflect from the still lake water. Stars I don¡¯t remember stare back at me through the mirror like surface. Complete silence momentarily appears before disappearing in the wind.


    I look up and lament one last time. I stare back down into the lake and see my reflection...And another robed figure standing behind me¡­

 Chapter 20: Reverence

    Ripples cross a lake, and water rushes past me. Pond scum fills my hands as I desperately claw it for speed. I focus on using my leg muscles to push harder and harder against the thin liquid and then the thicker pond scum. With a burst of effort, I emerge above the surface of the pond and gasp a lung full of air.


    Splash! The whirling sound of water passes my ears. I finally reach water deep enough, and emerge. The hooded figure lay deeply bowing towards my direction. Brown pond water and mud cover my vision, so soon a hand wipes it away.


    I see the situation and try to get a grip as quickly as possible. The hooded figure continues to bow, and I call out, ¡°You! What do you want? Why are you there?¡±


    ¡°I am here to keep the prophet safe. The coming end is nigh, and you will lead us there oh holy seer. May you bless us with the sand of the world.¡± he says while his face rests inches above the dirt.


    I look around the shore and only slight signs of primitive life are littered. A frog like creature croaks, and a large fly buzzes. The familiar coo of insects continues despite my own restlessness. I ask while floating on the lake¡¯s surface, ¡°Do you mean to kill or hurt  me? I warn you now that I will defend myself, and I have the power to instantly kill you.¡±


    I bluff with the coolest expression I can. I know I can¡¯t kill another person, but I also know I can at least trap them in something. Silence pervades for a few moments, and the lake rests still again. My mind creaks at my lack of ability when intimidating others.


    ¡°I would consider it the greatest of honors to be sent to heaven by you seer. I only wish to talk shortly before my ascension.¡± he says.


    I crease my brow and tilt my head. Swimming towards the shore, I start to rethink the situation. The man raises his head as I get off the shore, but he does not get off of his knees.


    ¡°Oh great seer please allow me to bestow my name and purpose upon you before my enlightenment. May I seer? ¡± he asks with tears lacing his cracking voice.


    ¡°I have no idea what you are talking about. Are you from Tauss? Are you sick?¡± I ask while attempting to help the man up.


    The hood falls off to reveal a boyish young man. The moon barely lights his soft features and brown eyes. His hair is black, and his frame looks very thin. The forest looks quiet, and the small clearing has no signs of traps.


    The teenager stands as I raise him and he speaks again, ¡°Please do not help a lowly acolyte like me. I am but a pittance for the offerings you deserve...¡±


    My look of skepticism shifts to complete doubt. My eyelids droop halfway shut and I lose all tenseness in my shoulders. I put my hands on his shoulder before saying, ¡°Please just tell me why you''re here.¡±


    He shivers awkwardly under my hand and begins a largely contained confession, ¡° I am a member of ¡®God¡¯s Followers.¡¯ I only wish to offer you understanding of your role in this world, and what you mean to my people. I hope you will follow me to my people, and allow us to be cleansed by the your righteous might.¡±


    Hate filled fire erupts in my mind, and I can''t control it. I turn my head towards him and say,¡°Okay. I see now that you are dumb...or deaf.¡± I say while dark globs of my hate float from my hand towards the night sky. My focus shifts to the dancing goo. It begins to smile at me, and then a loud crunch sounds through the air.


    I jump back and stare at my hand. The black ooze is gone, and I look back at the teenager. He is smiling as he cries from the pain of my grip. I broke a collarbone in his right shoulder.


    ¡°Are you okay? What am I doing...I¡¯ll take you where you can be healed. I-I¡¯m so sorry. My name is Nox. What about you?¡± I say while leaning down and helping the poor child up.


    ¡°Thank you oh great seer. I am sure this...to has a purpose. I am Mark Sloven. Please let me guide you to my humble village but a few clicks away.¡± he says while standing up and holding his arm up.


    I quickly take off my shirt and rip it. I fashion a small sling and tuck his arm into it. I see him nod before he leads me into the forest. We pass thick trees of a slightly different breed than the ones that surround the nearby area in Tauss.


    ¡°How far is your village from Tauss?¡± I ask.


    ¡°We do not know of Tauss, but we see traveler approach from that direction.¡± he points in the opposite direction I ran from. I had run at least a few miles before I stopped. I don¡¯t know why, but I feel...off.


    We walk for about an hour in silence. I hear the crunch of pine needles as we happen upon a very vertical village. A deep valley goes down far below the ground, and houses are situated into its cliff side. The familiar gleam of fire lights the small holes in the valley, and grass covers the walls surrounding the windows of the houses. An intricate set of stair ways link the houses together, and each stair is made from hardened dirt.


    I glance to the sides of the valley and see no signs of any other houses or villages. Mark takes me lower towards the very bottom of the valley. Hundreds of feet  of rock and grassy cliff are passed as we traverse. We reach a flatter open area at the base of the valley, and inside the rocky cliff is a set of stone doors. Mark walks to the large stone doors and knocks.


    A very loud scraping noise is created as they open. Inside a large collection of fires and other robed acolytes lay inside. I instantly turn around. ¡°Now is the time to leave.¡± I think out loud.


    ¡°Seer! Please do not go! We only seek guidance from one with the holy power. One such as yourself is rare, but to have your talent...We are awed.¡± a large man wearing a much more intricate robe says.


    I cringe as I turn around to see the very sight I imagined. A large group of acolytes wearing shabby brown robes all bowing towards me. They almost lick the earth with their exaggerated prostration. The old man approaches me, but before the mood is set in stone I say, ¡°Please stop this. I am a child. Please....think about what you are doing....This looks...kind of ridiculous...¡±


    No one raises their heads, and I quickly decide since that incredibly simple piece of logic did not work. Neither would more complex logic. I start to walk away, and whenever I reach the cliff I see Mark jump in front of me and grab my feet.


    ¡°Oh seer. I am sorry if our land does not suit your tastes, but please listen to our humble request. We mean you no harm. We only seek deliverance.¡± he says while his face reddens with intensity.


    I look downwards and pinch the ark of my nose hard as I sigh. The boy has slung his arm out of its sling, and he seems genuine even through the pain. I turn around and approach the gray bearded man. He takes the hood off to reveal an incredibly hideous figure. He is missing his teeth, and liver spots form star like constellations on his face.


    One eye socket lay barren, and his left arm is missing a hand. I take an even deeper sigh before I say, ¡°What is it?¡±


    The old man grins with a toothless mouth as he says, ¡°But to receive a blessing from you seer. We know of your great power. We have watched from afar for a while now, and we wish to know if it is true. Can you sand?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±, I say while crossing my arms.


    The old man looks back at mark and mutters, ¡°Is he not a prophet?¡± Mark shrugs in response, and the old man turns around and puts on a very fake smile.


    ¡°We have an agent who says they saw you turn a tree to sand, as well as nightcrawlers to gel. ¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t everybody have crazy agents reporting all sorts of nonsense to us? Those zany agents...You got the wrong guy. Sorry.¡± I say while turning around.


    The old man¡¯s smile disappears as he grabs me and yells, ¡°Mark, why did you bring someone who isn''t the seer? Now we have to...¡±


    I flip the heavy weight man over my shoulder. His large body barely traverses the distance needed. I turn around to run away, but I see the acolytes are already running towards me. The old man grabs my leg, and the clearing is narrow enough that if even one of them gets ahead of me¡­


    ¡°WAIT! Wait! I can sand things.¡± I hover slightly off the ground. The old man scrambles away. A second later a meter of ground in every direction around me turns to sand. A light crunch pierces the pure silence of the surroundings as I land.The bowing congregation returns. Especially the old man.


    I hold up my hands to keep them at bay. I then slowly say, ¡°The prophet wishes to know. Why is he a prophet, why would you need to get rid of me, and why...Do you guys worship this power?¡±


    ¡°You are gifted by a god, and therefore a seer. We do not let outsiders know of our villages location, and because it means you are chosen by the gods.¡± Mark cries out loudly.


    ¡°...You worship the Eldritch? ¡± I say while my mouth hangs wide open.


    ¡°What is an Eldritch Seer?¡± the old man asks.


    ¡°The gigantic beast that is taller than the trees, and has a million arms. I promise it sticks out. ¡± I say while continually scanning the group for a possible sane person. None appear.


    ¡°Oh! Thank you oh kind Seer for granting us the name of the gods. FOLLOWERS! Let us rejoice together that we now know the god¡¯s names!¡±


    ¡°Leader...type person. I want your second in command to please explain some things to me.¡± I say.


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    ¡°GUSS! Bring the Seer to your home. The rest of us will go back to our homes to allow the prophet what he asks.¡± the old man yells throughout the large square chamber.


    A small goblin looking man walks up to me. His head is oddly spherical, and his teeth are almost all gone. He looks much younger and older than the chief at the same time. His hair has large bald patches, and one eye bulges slightly out of socket. He shambles towards me and grabs my hand. He attempts to kiss it when I yank away and say, ¡° I change my mind. Do you have a third in command?¡±


    This time an even more awkward looking man shambles from the crowd. Before his hideous visage becomes truly visible I say,¡°Leader! I change my mind...Again. Please take me to your home instead.¡±


    The old man looks up and smiles towards me. The crowd remains oddly bowed as he and I leave. After we scale halfway up the cliff they finally begin to move. We continue onwards and a pair of wooden doors approach from our left side.


    He opens the wooden door to reveal a subterranean home. It has set of torches hanging in each room, and holes rip through dirt to the surface. Smoke funnels through the holes, and well made sets of furniture are in each room. The house extends quite a ways into the cliff, and the further we go, the rockier the walls become.


    We walk through 4 rooms to the back of the house where a table is. The man¡¯s wife sees me and immediately lands on her knees. She crawls towards me and attempts to kiss my feet. I reach my foot back instinctively and I grimace in disgust¡­


    ¡°You know I am slowly getting tired of all this, Seriously...What the are you people doing. Even if I¡¯m a ¡®prophet¡¯ please think before you...Like that¡¯s demeaning. Stand up. Stand up.¡± I say while forcing the woman to her feet.


    ¡°I-I-I¡®m so sorry Seer. I only want to ap-p-peal to you in any way I can...¡± she says.


    ¡°Try talking, and smiling. The entirety of what you did was...It isn''t appealing. Imagine if some random stranger came to you and started kissing your feet...¡± I say.


    She smiles like her life depends on it. Every single molar in her mouth becomes visible. Her face creases in pain as muscles strain harder than they are meant to. I change my approach.


    ¡°Stop. Instead treat me like you would another boy my age. Exactly. None of...this¡± I gesture to all of her.


    ¡°I could never!¡± she says.


    ¡°She could never!¡± the old man says in unison.


    ¡°No way! What is that?¡± I point towards my hand shaped like a fist, ¡°It¡¯s reality! It¡¯s coming to smash this situation. Just wait for it¡­.boom! Now you can do it. Just try.¡± I say after smashing the fist into my other hand.


    ¡°H-h-h-h-hello. What¡¯s your name?¡± she stammers.


    ¡°I¡¯m Nox. I¡¯d usually make jokes about how amazing I am. Something tells me that wouldn''t blow over too well.¡± I say while grabbing her hand and shaking it.


    The old man stares. His jaw hangs wide to reveal bare gums. I see him stare at my face and then his wife¡¯s. The old woman seems slightly more comfortable, and I smile at them both.


    ¡°Now. Let¡¯s go talk.¡± I say.


    The man tells her to quietly leave so we may speak alone. She walks to the other side of the house, and the man closes the wooden door. He sits across from me, and I see the fire of the torch flicker on his face.


    ¡°So...I wanna know why do Eldritch attacks give us power, and why is it making sand and fusing things together?¡± I say while staring into his eyes.


    The man smiles and says, ¡°I want to thank you for this hon-¡±


    ¡°Stop with all the pleasantries, call me Nox, and please treat me like a normal human being.¡± I say while leaning forward.


    ¡°Of course...Nox. We know not why the gods do what they do, but we do know that the more severe the trial from a god, the more bountiful the gift. Many are given trials we cannot pass, but that is of no fault of the gods.¡± he says.


    ¡°Yes, I guess....So you guys just know about as much as I do. Tell me how bad a usual trial survivor gets injured?¡± I ask.


    ¡°We have never had a survivor ever directly get hit before. As you probably know, if a god¡¯s power so much as touches you...You are brought to an enlightened state. The ones such as yourself are here to guide the ones who are left behind.¡± he says.


    ¡°What if I told you I had my leg blown off and it grew back. Would that be at all in one of your old books?¡± I ask.


    ¡°...No. You are the first I have ever heard of to survive a direct impact...Even legends do not speak of...¡± he stutters before laying his head on the table and bowing towards me.


    Heat flares from me as I lift him up off the table and say, ¡°Do not bow. Okay? So how did the other people get¡­..blessed?¡±


    ¡°Most are underground, or not directly hit by heaven¡¯s light. Instead they merely see the event from a distance. Some of those individuals eventually develop power, and once every few generations a blessed child will appear. They are usually born if the mother experiences a blessed culling from a distance.¡± he says with smile.


    I cringe at his optimism towards genocide and death. I ask, ¡°I was also born with the power. It just greatly increased after the injury...And what about healing? Do these prophets heal quickly? Maybe even...regrow limbs?¡±


    ¡°Of course not! Once they reach the final stage they heal faster, but we have never seen somebody...regrow a limb. ¡± he says while flinching at the last part.


    ¡°I¡¯m a disgusting freak, totally fine to say it. Honestly, you knowing makes me feel a lot better about it all. At least it¡¯s not normal. I¡¯d haaaaate to hear I¡¯m normal. ¡± I say while venom and sarcasm thread my words.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry N-Nox. I mean no offence to our holy prophet. ¡± he says while trying to bow.


    I catch him mid bow and relift him. I say, ¡°I¡¯m joking with you. Thank you for all the information. What do you mean by final stage?"


    "Well...After a Seer gets so old there mind slowly becomes one with the gods...They begin to speak in the god''s tongue, and they usually turn themselves to sand..." he says.


    I pause. I blink a few times and open my mouth. Words will not come out, and instead I just sit there. I am eventually able to say, "Can I get some food so I can go back to my home?¡±


    ¡°Of course. You can stay here till daybreak if you¡¯d like. I have an extra room.¡± he says while standing up.


    ¡°I know nothing could possibly be safer than sleeping at the village...but I¡¯ll pass.¡± I say while winking.


    ¡°We are so sorry, can we do anything to make you reevaluate our village?¡± he questions.


    ¡°Honesty? Or lies?¡± I ask.


    ¡°What?¡± he says.


    ¡°Honesty it is. Absolutely not. I¡¯m going now...Food? Yes? No?¡± I say.


    The man¡¯s look of confusion continually grows as he says, ¡°You can have as much food as you want. We keep Youse in the room over there.¡±


    I stare with hollow eyes at a gigantic piles of uncooked orange potatoes. They stare back at me with even harsher intensity. I try to overcome the bland tasteless root¡¯s pressure, but instead I begin sweating. My stomach rumbles and my head begins to shake from the strain of grasping the impossible concept of eating the uncooked roots. I realize when I¡¯ve been beat, and I say, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine...¡±


    I walk towards the door, and open it. Outside stands the entire village. They all have bags and other belongings attached to their bodies. I sigh heavily. They all begin a struggle to compete for enough room on the narrow walkway to bow, and I begin a contest of stepping over bowed people to escape.


    Halfway through the old man emerges from his house with his bags and belongings attached to him. His wife follows, and they both look at me.


    ¡°Please prophet. Take us to the promised land!¡± he says.


    I turn around slowly and raise my lower lip as I squint. Desperation from the surrounding people intensifies, and I crack. A million images of a calm future of me returning to Tauss by myself are destroyed, and instead replaced by a large group of groveling loonies.


    ¡°You may follow me under a few conditions...¡± I say.


    ¡°Anything Seer! What are they?¡± he says.


    ¡°Never bow to me again, never grovel again, never call me prophet, seer, Jesus, Ghandi, or anything else weird. You will all call me Nox, you will all not follow me after we get back to Tauss. You will not treat me differently after we arrive at Tauss. You will not kiss my hand either. That¡¯s it.¡± I say in one sprint.


    The congregation stares upwards at me and gazes made of iron devotion all agree. The chief says, ¡°Of course...Nox.¡±


    ¡°Oh and no telling anyone I have the power, or acting out whenever we get to Tauss. Plus you will all go to school, and get jobs. I¡¯ll remind you of all this later, so no worries. The prophet is going to lead you all to a better life. I promise.¡± I say.


    They stare silently as I repeat, ¡°Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Of course...¡± the old man says.


    The people stand up and I throw my arm above my head towards where we are headed. I begin the long walk home through the dark woods...

 Chapter 21: Stranger During Sunrise

    I stir from my sleep. The darkness outside informs me of my suspicions. I was up for the vast majority of last night, but I still wake up earlier than the sun rises. I don¡¯t sleep more than 4 or 5 hours every night, but my mind is clear, and my body still feels strong. I...think I¡¯ve been hallucinating recently...I keep seeing darkness take shape whenever I feel emot-Knock!Knock!


    A very quiet noise quickly forces me from my reflection. I unwrap my covers and walk downstairs. I open the door to see Atticus waiting. He has a dark robe on, and hands me a piece of paper. I lean towards him and whisper, ¡°You keep up the good work...I can promise you far more.¡±


    I see a slight glimmer of white form on his face, and he nods. He walks away from the courthouse and I go downstairs to my workshop. I open the letter and read it. Exactly as planned, Atticus is proving more and more competent...I walk to the fireplace near the middle of the house and burn the parchment.


    I head downstairs to my workshop to start working on the final touches to a very important piece of machinery. It¡¯s the last thing I need for the final step in my industrialization of Tauss. The complex set of molds and machinery are placed next to a large pile of different raw materials.


    The set of machinery is needed to produce printing presses. I need them in order to start education on a massive scale. I begin hammering away after I close the door to upstairs.


    Several hours pass and I wipe away the pool of sweat from the final thin piece of metal. I begin placing it into another set of wooden instruments to form the last piece of a line of machinery. The row of machinery is about 20 feet long, and each one of them has a finely crafted edge. Most of the pieces are made of steel, but several pieces of refracted red light glimmer through the room.


    I smile, wipe my forehead, and sigh before saying, ¡°Now I can finally start making them.  Seems like it won¡¯t be too long before the people here are smarter than me...¡±


    I chuckle at the statement before I walk upstairs. The sun is starting to rise when I notice a person standing outside my door. They are wearing a robe, and I don¡¯t know them. I answer the door while cracking it cautiously while saying, ¡°Hey! Do you need my dad?¡±


    ¡°I only seek to follow your decrees Nox. Please help me obtain a ¡®job.¡¯¡± says a woman¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Are you one of the cultist?¡± I say while opening the door more and pouting.


    A knife comes from her coat and pierces my stomach. Cold steel fills my stomach and blood enters my mouth. I attempt to pull away but the knife is turned sharply. Pain racks every nerve in my body, but I stare her down and try to grab her arm. Anger forms in my body as I miss her arm.


    The knife comes out, and my face contorts into an angered grimace. I reach out for her robe and the knife slices through the air. I watch as my fingers fall off. My footing becomes unstable as I step on my own blood, and I slip. The ground comes rushing to my face as I fall.


    Squelch! I hear the sound of the knife piercing my side once more. Seconds later the hooded figure runs into the distance, and leaves the knife in my side. I cough. Blood comes rushing out in droves. I try to think but my mind feels heavy. Seconds later a pressure picks me up.


    The completely new experience of not losing my consciousness this close to death envelops me. Every second is a fight with rivers of pain pouring from multiple places on my body. My eye twitches from the exertion, and I spit out, ¡°stop¡­.bleeding...pressure...now.¡±


    A force pushes a bandage onto my sides, and the pain changes to sharp icy tendrils from my wounds. Several minutes pass and my hearing and sight return in differing levels.


    I see another robed figure crying above me while several others stand somewhat close by. I hear them murmuring about faith, and hope. My dad barrels through the group and lightly checks my bandages. Pressure forms and the weirdest sensation of my stomach being filled forms. I barely manage the words, ¡°Alcohol...Disinfect...¡± through the blood in my mouth.


    A time period passes that could have been decades or centuries, and I see my dad lifting the most viscous liquid in the entire planet. He puts leather in my mouth, and I sadly accept the future.


    A second passes and a liquid softly caresses my side. Another second passes and the liquid changes to visceral pain. I convulse as the pain becomes too much, and then I feel another liquid cover my face. Tiny droplets form as I take the piece of leather out and say, ¡°every wound¡­.Alcohol...I¡­.fine.¡±


    The leather gets placed in my mouth as a strong hand grabs mine. It tries to comfort me through the pain. I turn and smile at the blur with leather in my mouth. I¡¯ve been through worse.


    My stomach feels the familiar cooling liquid, but this time instead darkness covers my vision as I convulse heavily. The straining of every muscle fiber in my legs continues for years, maybe even the rest of my life, and I pass out.


    --------------------


    I wake up to the familiar sound of Nox¡¯s voice. The boy could work more than two men, and barely slept it seems. I shake the grogginess from my head as I hear a thud outside. I ignore it and go downstairs to check on Nox.


    I scan the room of ever increasing clutter to find no Nox...I look upstairs in his room and he is also missing. I walk towards the front of the house. A large velvet streak forms around the creaked open wooden door.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Ice fills my very being. My stomach and throat collapse deep into my stomach as I run forwards. I scramble with feverish movements to open the door. A group of hooded figures all stand outside, and I hear them talking as I rush forward.


    The velvet streak thickens to black as I rush off of the front porch. I step into it on my way, and it carries my foot forwards. Splash! A hear the sound of water as I land inside of the extended puddle. Dull pain spreads to my side, but I quickly launch myself from the laid down position forwards.


    The crawling motion keeps me moving forward. I finally stand up and push violently through the crowd forming around something. Inside the middle lay the most unholy sight possible. My beautiful baby boy is clutching his side as a robed figure pushes on a large stomach wound.


    His form is like a rag doll laid out on its side. Blood covers his young form, and I see his chest barely moving. He has his arms on his stomach, and I see trails of red flesh stringing from his wound. He barely twitches his hands as he tries to slowly push his organs back into his stomach. I see his eyes twitch as he struggles. The hooded figure looks left and right for guidance, and finds none.


    Instead with a swift motion from my feet and side I launch my fist into the robed figures head. The person is launched to the side, and I quickly step forward to analyze the situation. My son stares blankly forward as his rag doll like figure lays still. I hear a fizzing sound as he breathes, and look at his side. A knife lay gouged into his upper rib cage on his right side.


    I hold back tears as I yell, ¡°Get some badges. Now. NOWWW!¡±


    The group of people sprint to the surroundings structures. Each of them head in a different direction, and I hear my son whisper. I jerk my head forwards to his mouth to hear, ¡°stop¡­.bleeding...pressure...now.¡±


    I instantly act by placing my hands and scooping up some of the organs back into his stomach. I grab a random robed figure, and stare into his eyes with something blacker than death when I say, ¡°Do NOT stop pressing where I put your hands.¡±


    The hooded figure readily cooperates, and I place their hands over the open skin of the stomach. The skin and wounds lay ravaged, and I put them all together to form a wall between the outside world and his stomach. I replace the person¡¯s hands onto the wound and push them just enough to hold everything in place.


    My son twitches every now and again throughout the process. Sorrow and determination flood every crack in my unstable mind. I see his face start to open and I jerk my head forwards again.


    He says as blood pours from his mouth, ¡°¡°Alcohol...Disinfect...¡± I catapult myself and sprint towards our kitchen. I slam the door open and a window breaks. I grab rush forwards and open a cabinet. I slam my hand through a variety of goods to the back and pull out the alcohol as a variety of food and goods fall on the floor.


    I turn around and run with even more speed back outside. I jump forwards and land on my knees next to my son. His twitching has slowed and I lift the red glass bottle of vodka my son made. I think about the hurt it causes and take off my leather boot. I push it into my sons mouth and push his tongue out of the way. I grab his hand as I pour the alcohol over his stomach.


    The adolescent shakes violently with his legs as the liquid pours over his stomach. I reach back with the vodka. I set it down and start to softly pet his head. Water wells at the sides of my eyes and torrents downwards onto his face. I see him move his arm slowly to the boot, and I move it out of his mouth for him.


    ¡°every wound¡­.Alcohol...I¡­.fine.¡± he whispers incredibly softly.


    I put the boot back into his mouth and pet him softly and say, ¡°I love you. You¡¯ll be okay, you¡¯ll be okay, I promise you¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    I grab the handle of the knife with both hands and pull it out. Nox does not shake. Instead he smiles ever so lightly. I look in horror as he again stops and stares emptily forwards.


    I see blood rush from the wound, and I quickly push down on it hard. I get another person to clamp the ribs close together from two different angles as I slowly put the alcohol back onto his stomach.


    This time he convulses much softer, but for a longer period of time. The spark of life drains from his eyes, and I stop pouring. I grab his head and whisper softly, ¡°You can do this¡­.I know you can¡­ Please...I...We need you...I need you...I...I love you son...¡±


    The crowd backs away except for the two holding my son¡¯s mangled body together. I hold his head softly and stare upwards. Tears drench my shirt as I yell, ¡°Ahhhhhhh! My sonnnnn. Please don¡¯t take my sonnnn.¡±


    At this time I notice the entire group around me is crying as well. Each one of them has varying levels of grief streaked upon their faces. Our collective sorrow reaches a peak and lean down closer to my son¡¯s head. I hear a voice call me, control me. It pulls the strings controlling me and forces the words from my mouth, ¡°We need you Braxton. Kinslee, Luke, Angelica...You can¡¯t leave us....Ever.¡±


    My son stirs ever so softly. A landslide of relief crushes my soul. The crowd begins to smile and cheer. I grab his head and start weeping as I say, ¡°I knew you could do it¡­Son...My precious son...¡±

 Chapter 22: Paranoia

    Suddenly, I¡¯m being carried by a group of people with a blanket. They are bringing me somewhere when I try to get up. A few from the group look at me and gasp. I roll out and start running.


    I¡¯m actually in my house. The familiar wood and glass interior bring my back to sanity. Cough! I check my hand and blood litters it. Ahhhhh, that¡¯s right. I was attacked, and I survived. The girl didn¡¯t see me surviving the multiple stabbings, but the truth is I probably wasn¡¯t that close to death.


    I look back and see a group of acolytes all crying and walking towards me. My dad is the only one truly shocked by my recovery. He still holds the front of the blanket as the rest of the group approaches me. He stares at me as I hold my hand up to feel it. My hand has already started to regrow the missing fingers.


    ¡°Well. I guess you¡¯d find out eventually. The power also makes you heal faster...and...I guess that¡¯s wh-¡±


    My dad barrels into me before I finish. He wraps his arms around my neck and head, and pets me while crying. His chest heaves with the convulsive sobbing as he says, ¡°I...I thought. You¡¯re okay? Oh god...¡±


    My father cared so little about my regeneration it was funny. He really did love me this deeply...I wrap my arms around him and say, ¡°Yeah...I was lucky. She thought those tiny paper cuts would take me down, but luckily I fought her off by throwing my fingers at her. It was a brilliant strategy, you should have seen it!¡±


    ¡°Did you see their face?¡± my dad says. His eyes are filled with hate and malice. I feel his gentle exterior being hidden by something eerie and ominous.


    ¡°I heard their voice...Sorry dad,¡± I say while staring downwards. I can¡¯t take his eyes¡­


    ¡°You have nothing to be sorry about...But they will. They¡¯ll be sorry they ever stabbed a child like that. I¡¯ll separate their soul from their body one burn, cut, and...Son...I¡¯m sorry you''re seeing me like this...I will protect you from now on, okay?¡± he says.


    ¡°I am okay dad. Really. I have a good plan for this in the future,¡± I lean in forward and whisper, ¡°I¡¯ll just tighten the belt on newcomers a little. I have three new things to show you today as well.¡±


    ¡°Son...This is not a joke. You almost died. I saw you die...Work can wait,¡± he says while holding my shoulders and taking off my shirt.


    The stab to my chest had already closed, and my stomach felt incredibly weird. Pink flesh had regrown over it, but...It felt like things were misplaced while I was...taking a nap. I touched it to make sure and confirmed I¡¯m fine. I look up at him and smile. He looks even more tired, and I say, ¡°We can work today too. If we let this destroy our lives then the goal is accomplished if the assassin fails anyways right?¡±


    He stares at me. His eyes become blank, and I see the fire die down. He hunches slightly before saying, ¡°You better have some good stuff son. It¡¯ll take quite a lot to convince me.¡±


    I smile and leap slightly while heading downstairs. For some reason I am very refreshed despite my near death experience. I keep having thoughts about my last life, and how much I dealt with my own death before it happened. I remember Luke and Angelica¡­My mom and Kinslee. I wonder what they¡¯d think about what I¡¯m doing right now?


    My dad shakes me slightly and I realize I¡¯ve been standing still. ¡°First you want to go downstairs and show me why you¡¯ll be safe. Now you stop mid step and zone out. The really crazy part is I¡¯m going along with it all.¡±


    I turn around and my dad faces me. A group of acolytes all respectfully keep their distance behind us as they follow.


    My dad turns around and jumps a little, ¡°Wow! You guys scared me. I don¡¯t know how but by a miracle my son is okay. You can go now.¡±


    ¡°Just awful dad. They already know I have the power. I brought them to the town because....A lot happened. The problem is one of their group¡­.Might have stabbed me,¡± I say while backing away slightly.


    ¡°We would never! The seer¡¯s flesh is more than just holy. It is sacred. To damage it is to die,¡± a familiar voice says. The old man takes off his hood , and reveals a more grandfatherly aura than last night. Without ordering everybody around, the old man looked more like a kind grandpa. A warm glint hinted devotion behind his eyes, and he wouldn¡¯t break eye contact no matter how hard I tried.


    ¡°Well then who was it? They said they wanted to help follow my ¡®decrees.¡¯ They were obviously there last night. She was also wearing one of your hoods.¡± I say while slowly walking up and poking the man¡¯s chest.


    ¡°She you say?¡± he says and I nod. He brings his hand up to scratch his beard, and then says, ¡°I might know who it is...but...I don¡¯t at all know why she would...¡±


    ¡°First off what is your name? I never actually found out,¡± I say.


    ¡°My name is Reak. Reak Salamonsk,¡± he says.


    ¡°So who is it then Reak?¡± I say.


    ¡°We had a mysterious newcomer show up to our village about a month ago. We thought it was a child that went missing just a few years ago¡­.She knew about the power, and about our last holy seer. I never would have thought,¡± he proclaims distraughtly.


    ¡°Haha. Yep. Should have seen it all along. Crazy cultists are all totally okay. It¡¯s the random new guy,¡± I say while nodding at them.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid? ¡± my dad says while charging towards them. The same malice from earlier rose to the surface, and my father transformed into somebody else.


    ¡°Wow! Calm down dad. I really don¡¯t think it was them. She talked differently, and she had a knife. There village doesn¡¯t have any way to work metal,¡± I say while grabbing my dad¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Sorry...I¡¯m just on edge is all. Thank you all for helping him,¡± my dad says while bowing. They all respond in kind.


    Reak asks, ¡°Do you have the power? Or the boy¡¯s mother?¡±


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯re apart of our family? Do you think I know you? Trust you?¡± my dad says.


    ¡°...I¡¯m so sorry sir. I am just curious about what can cause the child to be born with the power,¡± Reak says.


    ¡°So here is what I¡¯m thinking right now. I actually trust these guys right. My dad does not trust you guys by the way. I can prove it to you though dad,¡± I say and turn towards Reak.


    ¡°So I want you to gather all of you guys here in an hour. All of you. If not, I can only say my dad will...remove you all from the town,¡± I say.


    ¡°Of course. If you say so Nox,¡± Reak responds.


    I turn to my father, ¡°Just fantastic. Now let¡¯s go downstairs. Believe it or not. I care for my safety just as much as you do.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Get out of my house,¡± Klay says while pointing at the acolytes.


    They shuffle out of the house, and my father goes upstairs to lock all of the doors in the house. He comes back after a couple of minutes. We walk down to the basement where I have all of my projects stored. I walk to the assembly line of machinery and use both of my hands to form spirit fingers towards it.


    My dad looks extremely exhausted and shoos away my performance. I stop awkwardly and get to the point by saying, ¡°Okay. I need about 6 people, and then we can use this to do the impossible. Make machines that can make books. I call it the printing press. Trust me that¡¯s an original.¡±


    ¡°So? What use is that?¡± he says far less enthusiastically than usual. I frown slightly and say, ¡°It will be useful after we teach everybody to read. Imagine a plague that improves people''s life for the better. That is what reading and writing is. I plan on using this to spread it across the land.¡±


    He looks at me skeptically and says, ¡°Have you ever thought that maybe, you decide what¡¯s best for everybody too much?¡±


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    I pause mid sentence with my mouth open. I hold the pose for a few seconds before saying, ¡°No.... I haven¡¯t. We were all eating nothing but youse and chok eggs 5 years ago, we were all living in ruddy little log cabins, and we all died routinely to illnesses and diseases. I think things have definitely gotten better. Even people living in the slums have it better than we did 5 years ago. In 10 years this place will be a utopia for a lot of people. With me leading it, it¡¯ll be the best place on this planet to live,¡± I say while staring right into my father¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I see your point son. You can just be a little obsessive about things,¡± he says while looking away and scratching his head.


    ¡°Sorry for obsessing over improving living standards. Shame on me. Anyways, let''s get onto the next thing. That is the biggest thing I¡¯ve done since I¡¯ve gotten here just so you know,¡± I say while moving onto a large tarp covering something.


    I rip it off to reveal a set of shiny, translucent, and red armor. He instantly changes to a look of wonder as he approaches it and says, ¡°Nox...How did you manage this? I thought it was really hard to mold complex shapes with pariah?¡±


    ¡°It can be yes. But if I use this,¡± I say while ripping off another tarp from a much larger set of objects, ¡°We can.¡±


    Behind the cover was a large set of molds for armors. They are made with graphite we mined from the blue cave. The gray rock can¡¯t even melt, so I knew it would be able to handle the temperatures needed. The problem so far is the inability to melt the pariah glass into any molds. It melts at a hotter temperature than iron or steel, so we typically used steel lined with rock, Quickly poured it into a mold, then the instant it got into shape, we would slab the mold and glass into water.


    ¡°So this will not melt, and feel the inside,¡± I said while rubbing my finger on the inside of the mold.


    ¡°How did you get it so smooth?¡± he asks while pressing on the mold.


    ¡°It is a softer material than most, and you can easily just use cloth or even your hands to smooth it. ¡± I say while brushing off my shoulders.


    ¡°This is...How much of the rock is there?¡± he asks.


    I smile widely and say, ¡°Probably hundreds, or thousands of tons.¡±


    His jaw drops. The corners of his mouth start to flicker and then flex. He puts both hands on his sides and says, ¡°I never doubted you son. Now we can make armor! I know you don¡¯t think about it too much, but I¡¯m always worried with all the attention we get...People might try to take what we¡¯ve made.¡±


    ¡°I know it may not seem like it at times father, but what we¡¯ve made makes us almost unassailable. I have never been involved with war, but I know defense is more so about making yourself unassailable as opposed to actually defending. So my plan is to create the products that the rest of the continent will need. There people and nobles will get used to them, and then only be able to get them here. Plus I have a huge weapon development program in the making, but we have plenty of room to grow. I¡¯d rather focus on defense and expansion. If we do that, it won''t take long,¡± I smile widely and snicker.


    My dad slumps over and pats me on my head while saying, ¡°I guess you¡¯ve always got a plan...¡±


    I grab the man and hug him. He jumps back slightly in surprise, but slowly comes back to pet my head. ¡°Nox...Why aren¡¯t you more scared of death?¡±


    ¡°...Would you believe me if I told you I¡¯ve died before? The joke is, it is a fond memory,¡± I say seriously.


    ¡°Haha. Well be more afraid for me then. Me and your mother wouldn¡¯t know what to do if you were gone.¡± he says sullenly.


    ¡°I have a plan just in case that happens...It¡¯s in the bottom drawer of the cabinet over there...¡± I say while leaning more into him.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± he says.


    ¡°No, hahaha,¡± I laugh loudly as I respond.


    We spend another ten minutes or so talking before I hear a knock at the door. I rise and my father follows me up the stairs. We go to the front of the house, and hooded figures gather in a large group on the porch and road next to the house. I crack the door open and say, ¡°All of you. The robes have got to go. I can¡¯t handle this, haha.¡±


    They all promptly take off their robes and I see the village elders were really the most hideous of the bunch. Overall the group of a hundred or so people are very normal. I march them inside and hold my hand out to all the youngish woman. I make them stand outside of the house and they all start to blush slowly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not whatever you girls are thinking. If you didn¡¯t know, I was stabbed earlier today by a girl wearing a robe. I need to hear your voice before you come in,¡± I say while standing behind the door. I let in one at a time as my dad stands in between me and the door. Each girl passes and says there name.


    About five minutes of this pass and I don¡¯t recognize anybody. ¡°No luck Dad...Or should I say good luck.¡±


    I turn around and call to the group to go downstairs. They all shuffle except for Reak who stays behind. He twiddles his fingers and walks up to me while staring down.


    ¡°Do you plan to...Take some of the woman for yourself?¡± he says.


    ¡°No,¡± I say.


    He stares upwards dejectedly, ¡°Why not? We have some beautiful young gir-¡±


    ¡°No. How about I talk to them some and you stop being creepy?¡± I say.


    He brightens at the offer and says, ¡°Of course!¡±


    I slowly turn my head left to right as he walks downstairs. I turn to my dad who is unholy confused. I shrug and we follow the man downstairs. The large group of villagers all stand at attention as I arrive.


    ¡°So. You are all moving to Tauss. You will need three things to belong here. A work ethic, a place to live, and a job. For those of you who want to stay here...No. Just no. I don¡¯t trust ANY of you. You will live in the shanty town made of log cabins. I need 22 of your men to stand over here. I need the rest right here. All of the woman over here. Excellent,¡± I say while dividing them up with my hands.


    ¡°You twenty two men will work at the supply factory. You will get an advance paycheck and education. That means you will get money and free schooling before you¡¯ve started working. Tauss¡¯s government will do this to help you move into a decent living quarter. You will all learn to read and write after you work.


    I take a breath before continuing, ¡°I am usually a little more accommodating than this, but you guys have no skills. You aren¡¯t used to society, and I will help you change those two facts. Any questions? Just fantastic. Now group one follow me. I am going to take you to the immigrant processing clinic. The rest of you will follow my father. He will show you around town. I will find you and take the other two groups separately,¡± I say while my dad looks at me in surprise.


    The large group shuffles and we head out. The rest of the day I show random groups of acolytes where everything in the city is. The immigrant processing clinic provides a pair of clothes, food for a week, and 1 small piece of silver for each incoming immigrant. I have prepared for a large group of immigrants to come in at any point, so the influx really isn¡¯t a problem.


    After about 8 hours, they¡¯ve all found what they need to do, where they will sleep, and they get started working. By the time it is all done I still have plenty of time to work on projects. As much as I want otherwise, I still shift to a lot of self defense projects. I may act tough in front of my dad, but the truth is, a storm is brewing.

 Chapter 23: Two Sides to Every Coin

    Who would have known crossing a small child 2 years ago would lead to this. I didn¡¯t realize that Nox could be this...monstrous. He seems so small, and easy to control. I sigh deeply as I finish wiping some ink off my hand.


    ¡°Nox, you know I won¡¯t try anything again,¡± I say while pulling my hair. I gently release my hair and bring it back to the ink covered pen. I wipe it down and dip it back into the tiny well of black tree sap.


    I pull out an old book from my desk, and open it. Inside it are entries of the last few days. I start writing on the thirty-third page.


    ¡°I really did mess up two years ago. The small boy has turned into a fantastic leader in no time. I see his eyes growing colder and wiser by the day. I want to run from his greatness, but I would never be able to find a better position than now, and as much as I hate to admit it, he does have many inventions that improve the lives of the mindless masses. The people in Tauss live far better lives than everywhere else.


    I wish for more, but I dare not ask for it. I feel as though the boy watches my every move, and reads my every note. I too fear for this journal¡¯s privacy. I must agree...Two years ago I might have stepped across some lines...but that was two years ago. I now understand he means well, and will only further the lives of everybody here. I feel my loyalty grow every day, and I only wish to serve him. I hope his trust recovers over the coming months.¡±


    I smile as I place the book back into my desk. I hope the boy finds it. I know his soft mind will believe every word. He may be incredibly intelligent, but the boy still lacks experience. I messed up two years ago whenever he found my plan to take over Tauss, but this time I will heat the kettle slowly.


    I start to laugh. I bring the documents back to me so I can please my master once more.


    -----------------------


    My mom¡¯s eyes open wide. Her jaw hangs low, and I hold my exaggerated pose. We stay like that for awhile before she cracks and gives in.


    ¡°Why? I can handle just taking some credit, but why make me personally introduce this,¡± she pauses while twirling her hands in the air, ¡°contraption you¡¯ve built. I know nothing about it.¡±


    ¡°That is why you will read my manual about it, and then be able to explain it,¡± I say while smiling and nudging her.


    ¡°Love, why choose me to do this? Why not your father?¡± she says with defeat stricken across her face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really ask much of you mom, but I am working hard to improve everybody¡¯s lives. You will do your part. Plus I want you to be an inspiration to women everywhere. If we can stamp out sexism before it happens that would be just fantastic,¡± I say while stroking my chin.


    ¡°Sexism?¡± she says.


    ¡°Means people think men are better than women, or that women are better than men,¡± I say.


    ¡°Why would people think that?¡± she says.


    ¡°Well maybe it starts when women or men become complacent with their position in society. An example is how much dad is willing to help, but you,¡± I poke her lightly, ¡°want to avoid it. ¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to,¡± she says.


    ¡°We all do things we don¡¯t want to. Do you want to help other women? Do you want to help other people in general?¡± I say.


    ¡°Everybody does son,¡± she says.


    ¡°So you¡¯ll go through with it?¡± I say.


    She sighs deeply and her head falls down as she says, ¡°I guess.¡±


    I jump up slightly and grab her hands. I push the manual into them and smile. She holds onto it and stares as I run back downstairs.


    ¡°I convinced her dad,¡± I say.


    ¡°Convinced...Coerced...What¡¯s the difference?¡± he says while chopping some vegetables on a sink.


    My smile dies down. I stare at his back. He turns around and sees me and heads over to me. He puts his hand on my shoulder and says, ¡°I¡¯m only joking son...I¡¯m sure your mother doesn''t mind.¡±


    ¡°Am I forcing everybody to be things they''re not?¡± I say.


    My dad¡¯s eyes open wide and he looks from side to side. He opens his mouth but no words come out. He gathers his thoughts and then tries again and says, ¡°I think you just see everybody at their maximum potential. You want them to be that, and some people don¡¯t want to do that. So they feel pressured. Just think about it son.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I get it...Weird I haven¡¯t noticed that. So basically some people don¡¯t want to be all they can be, and I try to force that out of them?¡± I say.


    My dad laughs and smiles while nodding his head. I say, ¡°I¡¯ll think about it some, but that doesn¡¯t sound all bad. I¡¯ll just watch out whenever I push people around from now on,¡± I wink and knock him on the shoulder.


    He kind of smiles back, and I walk outside. I head towards the employment planning center. The pariah roads for the majority of the town have been completed. Roads of red light shimmer as I step forwards. The large roads and sidewalks were added purely to allow intense growth in the future, but now instead it made the central area of town glimmer with large plaza looking areas in between all buildings. It really does look like a fantasy town now. Something a good dream would create.


    I made the small wooden building thinking it was a good idea back whenever Tauss first started growing, but now it has become an integral part of our society. The building has become a multi story metal fortress. Atticus is the reason for the change from just planning employment to more so gathering espionage on immigrants. We started doing that to improve planned employment accuracy.


    ¡°Now it sounds like a good idea to help prevent ¡®serial stabbings,¡± I mutter. I walk through a small wooden set of stairs covered in a thin layer of pariah. The front door is a little older, and is made of iron. I open the door to see a young man at the front counter. I walk past him and he stops me. He gets up and says, ¡°Excuse me, you can¡¯t go back there. ¡±


    I pat him on his shoulder and smile while saying, ¡°Fantastic. I see Atticus trains you all well. If you want I can go get him to let me in?¡±


    ¡°Oh...I¡¯m sorry. You can go ahead,¡± he says while sweating and awkwardly smiling. I walk through the back room and upstairs past many different filing cabinets. I walk to the back and knock on a door.


    ¡°Guess who,¡± I yell. Footsteps shuffle and I see him open the door. The man is about 6¡¯4, and even with his thin frame he looks gigantic. His brown hair, large nose, and never smiling face make him look very serious. ¡°Fire the man out front,¡± I say as I sit down.


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


    ¡°Oh? Why this one?¡± he says.


    ¡°He just let me in without knowing who I am. Can¡¯t have that can we?¡± I say and take a pause. ¡°Let¡¯s use one of the acolytes. I want to see how they do with orders. How are they doing under you?¡± I ask.


    ¡°They actually do very well. It seems like they are used to following directions, and everything you told them has stuck like glue. They just...aren¡¯t too bright,¡± he says while holding the pros and cons in each hand like scales.


    ¡°Perfect. Just don¡¯t give them complex orders. Two of them seem pretty smart though. I might even recommend you start talking to them. One is a girl named Alna Ferdow, and the other is a boy named Julias Armok. I think the girl is more gifted, but her attitude could use work,¡± he says while handing me two stacks of paper.


    ¡°You work eerily fast my friend. They¡¯ve only been here 3 or 4 days,¡± I say while reading the reports.


    ¡°I only do it because I know it¡¯s helping people. I know you''re helping people,¡± he says.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to think I¡¯m helping people help themselves. Though I don¡¯t really know,¡± I say lightly while my head turns left and right with the flow of incoming text. ¡°You know most people I never know if they¡¯ll stay loyal, but you Atticus, I know. Too much self interest to ever try anything. Makes you predictable though old friend,¡± I say while closing the first stack.


    ¡°Haha, let¡¯s hope you don¡¯t get bored with me then,¡± he says while putting the stack back into a file cabinet.


    ¡°Seems like I won¡¯t need the girl. Too fiery. I don¡¯t need people too smart to know what¡¯s good for them. You already take up all that space,¡± I say while handing him the other stack and staring into his eyes.


    He smiles softly and nods lightly as he grabs it. I ask, ¡°Where is he? I¡¯ll check on the girl to.¡± He grabs a dusty map I drew years ago to plan the city¡¯s expansion, and points towards the slums specifically a more outer area. I see him point to another sector closer if not in the middle district.


    ¡°One of them lives in the middle ring? ¡± I ask.


    ¡°The girl. The village elder was able to afford to move in there,¡± he says.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised. How? I couldn¡¯t see them having almost anything of value,¡± I say.


    ¡°Traded a chunk of silver for the house. Seems like he found it underground,¡± he shrugs.


    ¡°I guess...So I was stabbed earlier yesterday,¡± I lift my shirt to show the small pink dot on my side, and the large pink ex on my stomach. ¡°Seems small. But their was a lot of blood. Just know I¡¯m invincible essentially. The problem is I still don¡¯t want it to happen again, call me paranoid,¡± I say.


    ¡°How large? Looks pretty small,¡± he says.


    ¡°Atticus we¡¯ve had conversations about believing me before right?¡± I say while leaning forward and staring at him.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry sir. I just don¡¯t understand is all. I¡¯m sure you are telling the truth,¡± he stammers out. I grab a pen he was writing with, and stab my hand with it. The metal tip makes a scraping noise at it slicks past bones and into flesh. I don¡¯t even blink while I stare at him.


    ¡°This,¡± I say while lifting the fresh wound in my hand, ¡°Will be gone before I leave. The power also gives you regeneration.¡±


    ¡°Is that really necessary?¡± he says while covering his mouth. ¡°I get it, you were raised in a snake¡¯s pit, and ate nails for food. Probably had to kill someone before you left the womb. Ugh.¡±


    ¡°Just don¡¯t forget the snakes were poisonous, the nails were rusty, and the someone was a trained killer,¡± I say while curling my mouth sharply.


    ¡°Why are you so nasty around just me?¡± he says.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m so clean around everybody else. Plus, I like us understanding one another,¡± I say while leaning back into my chair.


    ¡°Quite the character are we? Well I do understand. I¡¯ll have written reports on the rest by the end of the week. Can you throw me one of them to help with the extra burden?¡± he asks.


    ¡°Take as many as you need. I¡¯m struggling to make jobs for all these new people as it is,¡± I say.


    ¡°Is the great genius finally slowing?¡± he asks while writing on a piece of paper and smiling.


    ¡°Maybe, or maybe his plan is going too well. Sometimes I plan for my own misjudgements, or more specifically,¡± I lean back forwards as I tilt my head down and stare into his eyes, ¡°Yours.¡±


    He laughs loudly as he puts his hand to his chest. ¡°With your dad being the monkey he i-¡±


    I grab his hand with my injured hand and say, ¡°How about we try that again. What?¡±


    ¡°Your dad¡¯s so fantastic and wonderful. I love him more than my own father. He really is the greatest,¡± he says while cringing and smiling as he stares at our union of hands.


    I reach back and laugh, ¡°I only enjoy this because you are you, Atticus. It¡¯s like watching a centipede squirm after biting you. Gross, but satisfying.¡±


    ¡°...Yes. Well I can see you think only the highest thoughts about me,¡± he says while wiping his hand off with a rag.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go now, and keep up all the good work my close friend, oh and start finding out where people came from as well,¡± I say while getting up, opening the door, and then shutting it.


    ---------------------


    I try to stop sweating, but I can¡¯t. The little boy just stabbed his hand and didn¡¯t flinch. He didn¡¯t blink. Nox think¡¯s I stabbed him. I have to find who stabbed him soon, or I....


    I gulp deeply to swallow my thoughts as I walk downstairs. I stare at the gross blood trail the youth left behind, and whenever I reach the bottom of the stairs I yell, ¡°Johnson! You¡¯re fired, and rehired. You will find out if anybody does not like Klay, if anybody does not like power users, and if anybody has anything to gain by killing Klay¡¯s family. Now!¡±


    The young man hops up and runs outside. I sit down and start scurrying through papers. I throw them around as I yell, ¡°Damn you! Two entire years gone because of you! Wait...¡±


    I can use this to my advantage. All I need to do is find the assassin, and then I can make one fatal swoop to Nox''s side. Where I can do a lot more than just cause a pink spot....

 Chapter 24: Cherish

    *Author note: I released two chapters at once. Make sure to read them all. I say this because this chapter has many more views than the one before it. Author note end*


    I keep walking down the stairs and wave the young man at the register away. He looks disgusted at the blood on my hand, and I quickly cover it. I think about Atticus. He¡¯s needed at this point, and I love how systematically he can do things, but he has baggage.


    I hope my plan worked. I stabbed myself to show him I can¡¯t be murdered easily, and if he arranged it, trick him into thinking I know it. Something feels off. Atticus has been placid for two entire years, why make such a risky move now? I look upwards towards a tree and thank Atticus for being so simple minded.


    I continue walking towards the nice part of town whenever I see a familiar set of faces. Elizabeth and her butler are walking together. The butler is carrying groceries and some shoes from a tailor. Elizabeth has long curly hair pulled up into a bun, and she is wearing a lovely blue dress. It has frills I have not seen since being in this world.


    ¡°I see John¡¯s keeping you straight as always,¡± I say while curling my mouth.


    ¡°You look dashing as always, Nox. What happened to your hand?¡± she says while walking over and grabbing it. My hand has blood streaking it, and a small hole quickly closing. Before she gets a good look I rip it away and say, ¡°Cut it while working, look¡¯s worse than it is. I think that¡¯s enough talk about my wonderful looks. How have you been lately my lady?¡±


    ¡°Trying to get my dad to send more money. Tauss really is unlike any other place in the world. I can get things here I never would have elsewhere. I¡¯ve heard your mother also has another invention she¡¯s revealing later this week,¡± she says while throwing her hands up as though her dad is just terrible.


    ¡°You seem to have too much of that already. John over here will be a muscle man before long. You can thank me later dear John,¡± I say while taking one of his bags. We turn and begin walking towards her house.


    ¡°A gentleman? You surprise me every time,¡± she says.


    ¡°A gentleman? Is it that surprising I know how to treat a lady?¡± I say.


    ¡°With how we first met, why yes. I thought you were rather rough around the edges, or should I say...pretty but stupid?¡± she says while holding her hand over her mouth and mock gasping.


    ¡°Oh? So was it going to be a story of beauty and the beast then?¡± I say while curling my mouth.


    She blushes red while pouting and saying, ¡°I take it all back. A monster is what you are.¡±


    ¡°You only hit the nail on the head when you close your eyes my lady,¡± I say while laughing.


    ¡°I feel like you are always having an inside joke with yourself,¡± she says.


    ¡°I¡¯ve lived two lives, so it isn¡¯t that surprising,¡± I say while laughing even harder.


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you asked me out or visited? You seem to enjoy yourself when I¡¯m around,¡± she says while raising one brow.


    ¡°Oh? We have the question? I already have a girlfriend. I¡¯d hate to make her jealous,¡± I say.


    The blood sinks from her face, and her eyes widen. She raises her hand and then slowly lowers it. She asks dejectedly,¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°I can show you now if you¡¯d like? John can come as well. I think she¡¯d like having more people,¡± I say.


    ¡°How rude? She would hate you bringing another lady I¡¯m sure,¡± she says.


    ¡°Are any of us sure about anything? I think she would like to have you,¡± I say while her large house comes into sight.


    She pauses in front of her gate and scratches her head. She opens her mouth then closes it. She shrugs and says, ¡°If you say so Nox. I guess you¡¯ll understand a maiden''s heart better afterwards.¡±


    I stare downwards after placing her stuff inside of the house and say, ¡°Or maybe you¡¯ll understand mine just a little.¡±


    She stops dead in her tracks and grabs my chin. She turns my head upwards and looks at John. John remains stone like as ever. She turns her head back to me and says, ¡°I can see more than just this rough shell you say? I can¡¯t think of anything that could pierce your character.¡±


    ¡°Well think again. I¡¯m going now. Come if you like.¡± I say while pulling her hand away and walking out of the house.


    I look around to see the ever expanding financial district of Tauss. Large red and white houses surround me. Made of Pariah and white wood, the houses shimmer like a sea of red and white. I walk past the fences and hear footsteps behind me. Somehow the atmosphere is too thick to talk, so we all follow me silently.


    Elizabeth¡¯s house is in the farthest corner of the financial district, and where I need to go is just a ways past the edge of town on the opposite side. We walk past the central courthouse district, the shopping district, a small section of the slums. On the way I walk into a tailor shop and grab a bag made of leather.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    I stuff it into a larger pack I always carry. I walk to a florist shop. The walls are made of wood, and the roof is made of pariah glass to let the light in. I see the lights glimmer and ask, ¡°What do you think she¡¯ll like?¡± My voice is soft and serious. I look around and elizabeth turns red and almost yells, but John moves from his stone like expression and shakes his head left and right.


    The sudden motion stops her head in her tracks, and she instead stomps a foot. She leans to John and whispers something in his ear, but John just shakes his head again. She turns to me and says, ¡°...I guess some Lilacs.¡±


    My face turns slightly red and I say, ¡°Those sound absolutely perfect.¡±


    I grab the largest bundle and she stops me. She pays for them. I grab them and thank her before walking outside and heading for a workshop just across the street. They follow, but this time I pick up a set of measuring scales and some tracing paper. My face reddens again as I pick up the items and leave.


    I walk towards the edge of town. We leave the town¡¯s edges, and I head towards a waterfall I found years ago. They follow, but I hear the occasional complaint from Elizabeth. We approach the waterfall wherever a large rectangle made of pariah glass appears. It has a large square of stone behind it reaching from the ground towards the sky.


    The waterfall adds a pleasant crescendo of water, and a small set of trees sit set next to the water. They bear some kind of fruit, and next to them is a poorly made bench. Oddly enough the two squares are positioned right behind the bench.


    I walk up and pull out my three items. I grab the lilacs first. I place them on top of the square. I hear Eizabeth¡¯s shocked voice say, ¡°A grave....¡± I turn around to reveal tears falling from my face. I see her instantly put her hands to her face and grimace. I say, ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯d love to hear anything you have to say. You¡¯re the one who bought her the flowers after all.¡±


    She starts to cry as she slowly walks up. She stands next to me and says through tears, ¡° I really can¡¯t...I don¡¯t know what to say.¡±


    ¡°She loved meeting new people. I¡¯m sure she would love to just meet you.¡± I say while my face contorts in grief.


    She shakes her head up and down as she says, ¡°Well okay. I¡¯m Elizabeth,¡± she pauses as she leans forward to read the engraved words, ¡°and it¡¯s nice to...Meet you Kinslee. I...¡± She stops and starts crying. I turn my head and tilt it to ask if she can continue. She puts her hand up and holds it in front of me to tell me to stop.


    ¡°am incredibly happy to meet you. I¡¯m sure you are as beautiful and amazing as where you rest right now.¡± she says and steps back. I step forwards and pull out the leather pouch. I place it gently next to the flowers.


    I hear a sniffle, and I turn around. Elizabeth¡¯s face is completely wrecked. Her makeup is smeared, and she points me back towards the grave.


    ¡°If there is anytime I would fall for you, it would be when you''re crying about her.¡± I say.


    I pull out the scales and tracing paper. Then I pull out the first book I ever created and printed with the press. It¡¯s titled, "Architectural Graphic Standards." I put the book next to her grave. While leaning over I land on my knees. A single raindrop falls on my head, and soon a rainstorm hits.


    ¡°Are you doing well Kinslee? I am. I¡¯ve made a lot of friends, and I¡¯ve finally forgiven myself for letting all of those people die. You know I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about you after I almost died...I guess it¡¯s because you were there when I died. I...I guess you really never know what you have till you lose it huh? Because I just miss you more every day.¡± I pause and take a deep breathe.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help but think how I could run with you everyday now. I would run as much as you wanted, I promise. I know you would have loved that...It¡¯s already been 6 years since I lost you huh? How are you doing? Are you an architect like you always wanted to be? I really hope...It¡¯s as great¡­.As me...¡± I lift my head up into the rain and I lament.


    ¡°Wahhhhhhh. KINSLEEE.¡± I pound the ground as water covers my body. I hear the sniffle every few seconds for a few more minutes, and then the pounding of rain and the waterfall take its place. I whisper,


    ¡°I still love you.¡±


    ************


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 Chapter 25: The Rain Stops, and the Sun Ascends

    I look back onto the grave of Kinslee, and I wipe away my last tear. I sigh deeply and smile. I kiss my fingertips and bring it back onto the red stone, and I say, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can''t...Carry this with me anymore. I''m going to move on now, and I hope you do as well. Wherever you are my love.¡±


    I get up and turn around. The unthinkable has happened. John is standing perfectly still and a single tear is falling from his eyes. Elizabeth is in ruin, but she just stares at me silently. She holds her hand and gently puts it back down. I reach forward and grab it gently. I say, ¡°I really need to get away. I¡¯ve worked...too hard recently. I¡¯m done being so...beaten all the time...¡±


    She turns my hand around and traces the thick callouses. Elizabeth looks back up to me and says, ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°Another country? Another land? I want to travel some, I want to breathe fresh air, and I really want to have eve just a little bit of fun. ¡±  I say while slumping and holding my arms out wide.


    She breaks the gap between us, and walks into my arms as she says, ¡±I¡¯m going home soon....Will you come with me?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I think I need to just rethink...Everything.¡± I say while staring upwards.


    We break and she holds my hand as we walk. The forest path I created mirrored a past only I knew, and I can see it slowly fade. I wonder what lays in store for me. I help Elizabeth cross rocks and logs, and we slowly get past the forest to the outer part of the town. She does not complain on the way back.


    I see the outer edges of Tauss showing themselves. A large square building that looked like it was made purely for efficiency has almost been fully erected inside the middle of the slums. A large set of pariah roads are slowly creeping from the center of town outwards, and the people of the slums have smiles on their faces. They have the twinkle of people who believe they are living good lives.


    I walk past them and onto the old cobblestone road. I see shops and nicer homes appear as we get past the cobble, and onto the shimmering red brick road. We walk past it and I see a large map of Tauss spread on a sign. It reads that Tauss is about 11 square miles now, but I know it¡¯s a little bit more dense than that. It has at least 20,000 people now. I know it will continue to grow ever faster as time goes on, and I think about ways to keep the stable growth going after I leave.


    ¡°Elizabeth...Am I pressuring you too much? I know I can do that some- ¡± I say as a soft finger comes to my mouth.


    ¡°Please understand I would have to be worse than a devil to deny you respite. I have never¡­.seen someone with so much...hurt. ¡± she says.


    ¡°Neither have I.¡± John quickly throws in between our conversation. Elizabeth stops and turns towards him like she has seen a ghost.


    ¡°What? Am I not allowed to interject when I agree?¡± John says while remaining statuesque.


    ¡°You just never do is all.¡± Elizabeth says.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell anybody about that. Okay? I don¡¯t want anybody else to know. I don¡¯t even know why I let you guys know.¡± I say while swallowing down my memories.


    ¡°Well I will not. No matter what happens.¡± Elizabeth says.


    ¡°Need anything be said?¡± John says.


    ¡°I guess not,¡± I say while smiling lightly.


    We make it to my house and I split them up from me. I walk inside to my father¡¯s study, and I see him busy with paperwork. I walk up and say, ¡°Dad I¡¯m leaving. I have decided to go with Elizabeth to her home. I need to get away, and plus it will-¡±


    My dad interjects and says, ¡°That sounds absolutely wonderful. I¡¯ll handle anything that needs to be done here. I have your plan, and I have some plans of my own.¡±


    ¡°I need to-Dad did you hear me? I said I¡¯m going to go? Don¡¯t you want me to stay?¡± I say while looking confused.


    ¡°Son, I want to see you happy more than anything, but this place is like a wasteland for your heart. I know you can handle yourself out there, and I think you getting away would be a great idea. Just remember all the things I taught you.¡± he says.


    ¡°Hell if we¡¯re being honest I¡¯ve taught you more than you¡¯ve taught me, ¡± I say sarcastically while winking at him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that son! I taught you the basics. I just did it so well you could build on them real easy. Honestly it was all me.¡± he says right back at me.


    ¡°Sounds like the student has become the master, but let¡¯s not forget I¡¯m an accomplished architect, I can...build¡­.anything.¡± I say while thinking about earlier today.


    My dad gets up from his desk and hugs me. He lifts me in the air and starts twirling me around with all his might. I finally make it into the air and I start yelling, ¡°Haha!¡±


    He keeps twisting for another 5 seconds and he loses his strength. Our grips loosen and we both fly into the surrounding furniture. He lands into his desk and an inkwell flops onto his head, and I land awkwardly in a chair that promptly falls over. We both grown from the pain at the exact same time. We stare at each other and laugh.


    The moment is so perfect I just can¡¯t stop laughing. He laughs and laughs as ink slowly falls down past his face and onto his chest. Time passes and Elizabeth walks into the room.


    ¡°What are you idiots doing? A lady is waiting, and you¡­¡± she pauses as she sees me laughing and she stops. She scratches her head and says, ¡°Just tell me when you want to go. I am going back to my house tomorrow, but earlier is okay as well. I am sure John is fine with it.¡±


    ¡°An arm or a leg would suffice dear John. I guess I can get my stuff now. Are you sure dad? ¡± I say.


    ¡°The only one who is ever really sure of themselves is you Nox. I just wing it the best I can. I...¡±He pauses while slowly standing up. He lands on his knees and says, ¡°Be safe son...If you...I just...I love you. I need you to come back safe, and happy okay? Can you promise me?¡± he says while leaning over and staring at the floor.


    I walk over and place my hand on his shoulder. I embrace him and the man is shaking. He really doesn¡¯t want me to leave, but he sincerely thinks it will help me. I let my weight fall onto the old man and he immediately hops up and lifts me with he embrace.


    ¡°Only strong when I need it huh?¡± I say.


    ¡°I¡¯m as strong as I need to be son. Most of the time more.¡± he says.


    We break up and smile. I start to walk away and up towards my room. I pack several leather bags with clothes and my possessions. I head downstairs to my workshop, but my mom is blocking the way.


    ¡°If I see you try to bring even a single piece of work I¡¯ll strangle you. ¡± she says.


    ¡°Do I really look that rough? Everybody is treating me so well. I¡¯ll have to break down more often.¡± I say while laughing.


    ¡°Does he not know how to get embarrassed?¡± Elizabeth says from the other side of the room to my mother.


    ¡°No. He doesn¡¯t. He¡¯s forceful and rude, but somehow he has the biggest heart I¡¯ve ever seen. ¡± she says as she walks up and embraces me.


    I roll my eyes. We hug for a short moment and separate. I walk towards Elizabeth and my mom doesn¡¯t follow. I tug on her and she shakes her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m needed here. The Waulak couple are what keeps Tauss from wrecking.¡± she says while shooing me away.


    I open my mouth but words won¡¯t come out. I run back and hug her. I lift her off the ground and then place her down. I see my dad walk inside from outside and I say, ¡°Just watch out for Atticus. He will always be plotting something. Also use the acolytes. You can trust them, and good luck without your trump card.¡±


    They laugh lightly while John and I carry my stuff. We follow Elizabeth towards her house. When we arrive I ask the big question on my mind. ¡° What are we going to do about travel? Won¡¯t it take forever?¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t heard? ¡± Elizabeth asks.


    ¡°About what?¡± I say.


    ¡°Oh, they brought a new kind of animal to this continent only a few years ago I guess it just hasn¡¯t made it this far north.¡± she says.


    I set down my things and leap upwards. I blink widely as I struggle to contain my excitement, and I frantically say, ¡°What kind? Is it a mammal? Four legs? What does it eat? How large? Where does it sleep? How strong is it?¡±


    ¡°The psychosis finally reveals itself!¡± Elizabeth says while dangling the information in front of my face.


    I calm down and pat my shirt. I say, ¡°I guess I was getting too comfortable. What does it look like my lady?¡±


    Her face shifts from a sly smile to a frown, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. I was teasing.¡±


    I smile widely and lean forward as I say, ¡°So was I love.¡±


    She blushes red and covers her mouth as she says, ¡°Well aren¡¯t we bold now? We haven¡¯t even started the travel yet you boast of love?¡±


    ¡°Or I boast of how lovely my traveling companion is?¡± I say.


    ¡°Recovered beautifully master Waulak.¡± John says.


    We both stare at him and start to laugh. I pick up my stuff and say, ¡°How far south till we see one of these mysterious animals?¡±


    She stares at me and says, ¡°Maybe 5 days walk from here south? John will be towing me on my own wagon, and I hope you enjoy carrying your own things.¡±


    ¡°I can carry so much weight. I¡¯ve carried more than you can fathom. I¡¯ve carried the responsibilities of a lost world.¡± I say while making exaggerated hand poises.


    ¡°I hope the young aspiring poet doesn¡¯t hope to make a dime with that one.¡± she says.


    ¡°Remember every poem as a grain of truth. Sometimes a whole sheaf.¡± I say.


    ¡°Oh this is going to be fun no matter how it turns out.¡± She says.


    I smile and I wait for her to pack up her things. They say it will take at least an hour, so I see John I tell them I¡¯ll be back then. I also ask if I can bring someone else and they say as long as it¡¯s just one or two. I go and check on the two other people I was going to meet before all of this.


    I walk towards the slums from the financial district and I start to think about everything. Why is it all so spur of the moment? I almost always thought long ahead of things, and this felt oh so wrong to my mind. I walked with hurried steps to try and shake the thoughts away whenever I arrived at the encampment next to the slums.


    It was made of tents and sticks gathered or carried by the acolytes. They had set up a camp, and they seemed to continue life in the way I instructed them. I walked to a corner of the camp where I think Julias Armok lives. I shout, ¡°Hello? Do the Armoks live here?¡±


    The tent door rustles immediately and a group walks out. A group of six somehow come from the small tan hide structure. They line up as though being executed and the father says, ¡°Hello Nox. If we have displeased you please let us know.¡±


    ¡°Nothing of the sort. I have heard you have a clever boy. I would like to give him an offer.¡± I say.


    ¡°What kind?¡± the dad says with lit up eyes.


    ¡°I am about to go on a journey, and I want...to train a future leader for your community. I think Julias will fit well.¡± I say.


    The man¡¯s jaw drops down low, and he looks back at his wife. She holds his hands, and I see her start to cry. She says, ¡°Julias is right here, please take care of him. Julias. I want you to be strong. I am incredibly proud of you. ¡±


    She pushes forward the largest in their line. An incredibly thin, but tall boy walks forwards. He towers over the group at around 6¡¯3, and has long black hair he pushes back. His light facial hair makes me think he is at least 17. His long facial features and large nose remind me of Atticus¡­


    ¡°My pleasure leader. I only hope to be able to serve. ¡± he says as he gets on one knee in front of me. I instantly regret my rash decision.


    ¡°Yes...Well I guess we will be off soon. I will be back in 30 minutes.¡± I say.


    ¡°So little time?¡± his mother says.


    ¡°It is no problem my leige-¡±


    ¡°Nox. I¡¯d hate for you to start calling me master or something.¡±I say.


    ¡°Nox then.¡± he says with a eerily wide smile.


    ¡°Oh you don¡¯t have to come if you don¡¯t want to. It is just an offer.¡± I say.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather die, my Nox.¡± he says while still on one knee.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious. Feel free to change your mind annnnny time. No commitment. ¡± I say.


    ¡°I will keep it in consideration my Nox.¡± he says.


    I slowly back away. I weave through the tents and debate actually coming back. I smile and say, ¡°I guess softy is the right term...¡±


    I lightly jog through the camp, then the slums, and then down the large red road system to Reak¡¯s house. I rub my closed eyes before I knock, and right before my hands reach the door Reak open it and says, ¡°Seer! I am so glad to see you stop by? Do come in?¡±


    I walk forward while continuing to rub my eyes. I look around to see the modest house has rather nice internal furniture, and a fireplace roars in place next to a kitchen. I walk forwards and say, ¡°So...I have an offer for you and your daughter.¡±


    His face goes from a pleasant grin to a gasp of surprise as he quickly says,¡° You do not need to do that Seer. I am sure you have plenty of time, and I would hate to waste it.¡±


    ¡°Waste it? What are you talking about? I just want to ask her something.¡± I say.


    ¡°Did you hear about her from someone else? Perchance?¡± he says while twiddling his thumbs.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t. Now I do want to ask for a specific reason. So please get her, unless you aren¡¯t interested.¡± I say while turning around.


    ¡°No we are. I just don¡¯t want to offend you...Nox. Please don¡¯t act too surprised. She is a delicate creature.¡± he says.


    ¡°I am pretty sure nothing surprises me at this point.¡± I say while smiling confidently.


    ¡°Well...If you say so. give me one minute.¡± he says while going to the back of the house.


    When he comes back a small girl walks behind him. She is very short, but curvy. She looks incredibly shy, and hides behind her father. A glint of brown hair I did not see inside the village till now appears, and I say, ¡°It¡¯s wonderful to see you Alna. I have an offer.¡±


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


    The girl walks past her father and he cringes as I see it. She has a huge burn on her lower left side of her face. It goes from her jawbone to her shoulder, and it looks extensive. The rest of her face is untouched, but you could see all the way up to her ear is burnt. Her face lacks all baby fat, and it makes her look around 17-18. She shambles forwards and looks down dejectedly while saying, ¡°Yes?¡±


    A voice as smooth as jazz, and as thick as honey resonates through the air. I instantly make eye contact and say, ¡°You look lovely Alna. I am going on a long journey. I plan to train two people to lead the community here, and I¡¯ve heard great things about you.¡±


    ¡°Why me? Why would you need a set of leaders?¡± she asks.


    I smile as I say,¡°I can¡¯t control everything forever. I need smart, and competent people to help me. I hope you can become one of those people.¡±


    ¡°Well...Are you a good person?¡± she says while staring at me.


    I scratch my chin before I answer, ¡°Good...I don¡¯t know, but I am great. Maybe even the best.¡±


    She looks at me with drooped eyes as she says, ¡°You just sound over confident to me.¡±


    Reak gasps in horror and steps forwards but I stop him. I say, ¡°I¡¯m just a regular person Reak. I really am. It¡¯s refreshing to have someone doubt me every now and again.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like you need someone to doubt everything you do.¡± she says while straightening herself more.


    I laugh while I say, ¡°I love it! I just absolutely need you. Would you please reconsider? I can pay you handsomely?¡±


    ¡°How much?¡± Alna says.


    ¡°The audacity! You should be thankfu-¡± Reak says, and I interrupt with, ¡°As much as you want. How about 3 gold pieces?¡±


    ¡°Taken. Dad, I¡¯ll go. ¡± Alna says while Reak glares at her.


    ¡°Settled then! I hope you like walking. We have quite a ways to go. I¡¯ll be back in around...ten minutes for us to go then.¡±


    Reak gasps yet again, and says, ¡°So soon prophet? Why did you not talk about this sooner?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying out being impulsive. I¡¯m going to see how it goes. You okay with that Alna?¡±I say.


    ¡°Yep.¡± she says while packing the gold and running to her room.


    Reak gasps some more but I just walk away. I open the door and head back to Julias¡¯s place. He is waiting with a meager bag filled with probably little to no food, and one change of clothes. I take out another 2 gold pieces and I give him one, and then his family one. He gets on one knee and says, ¡°I promise to serve you well...¡±


    His family hugs him one last time before I take him off towards Alna¡¯s house. He start talking by saying, ¡°What kind of training will I receive? Am I going to learn about the power?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. You are going to learn about a lot more than that. Something far more important than...that.¡± I say while spitting out the last word.


    ¡°Why the disdain? What is so wrong with the power?¡± he says while turning his head and shuffling slightly in front of me.


    ¡°It makes you crazy. I know for sure. I¡¯ve hallucinated before. So I know.¡± I say.


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen the god¡¯s visions? You mustn¡¯t have long till enlightenment then Nox!¡± he says excitedly.


    I freeze mid step and ask, ¡°What do you mean...¡±


    ¡°Well...You know. You use the power, and the first sign is uncontrollable anger. Te next is hallucinations. After a few more months most then start to foam, and that is when they understand the inconceivable. Most turn to sand after that.¡± he says while awkwardly shifting from excitement to serious explenation.


    ¡°I...I haven¡¯t...Hmm. Is it...I.¡± I rearrange my thoughts. ¡°How fast does a sandman, or a prophet heal? Do I look like them? How strong are they? Did any of them try to remove it? Were they successful?¡± I ask in succession.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see...A prophet can¡¯t die. Maybe if you smashed their head? Otherwise they heal. They can crush just about anything with god¡¯s blessing at that point. Even rock. No one has tried to remove it, but it will fade over time if you do not use it. Very slowly though.¡± he answers.


    I shrug while nodding. Call me impressed, but the boy was sharp. I send a silent salute towards Atticus. We walk up to the house of Reak and I see Reak and Alna talking outside.


    ¡°I am going. I can handle myself just fine. I don¡¯t need your permission either. Scared I¡¯ll make the prophet mad? Tough stuff.¡± she says.


    I smile at the situation and call out, ¡°Let¡¯s go Alna. Reak, make sure the villagers continue to follow my decrees while I¡¯m gone.¡±


    He stares at the ground and say,¡°...Of course sir.¡±


    Compassion swells from me and I walk towards him, but Alna stops me and whispers, ¡°He¡¯s faking it.¡± Compassion deflates and we turn around coldly to walk away. We then, walk away.


    ¡°Introduce each other. I¡¯d hate to see you two become estranged from the beginning. Also I¡¯m sorry for this being so sudden...I guess It¡¯s more of a whim than anything.¡± I say.


    ¡°I am Alna. Pleased to meet you.¡± she says while reaching out her hand.


    ¡°I am the prophet¡¯s shei-¡±


    ¡°He is a guy called Julias. Little wonky, and I am still trying to work out the kinks.¡± I say with a smile.


    ¡°Seems like you like to ¡®work on people¡¯ a lot. Nice to meet you Julias.¡± she says while shaking his hand and giving me a scowl. I clap and laugh whole heartedly.


    They shake on it and the odd sight of the giant and the shorter lady contrasted with the forming financial district in the distance. I watched as the two started to have an awkward conversation about their religion. I watch them and I realize I lack that kind of personableness. I can be so prickly, and intimidating. I stare at the ground for a second.


    I notice the small cracks in the bricks of pariah. I think I might be one of those bricks. I just smash everybody else out of the way, and use them to hold me in place.


    ¡°Hey! Zoning out isn¡¯t like you.¡± Elizabeth says.


    ¡°Sorry! Haha. Just thinking about the road systems here.¡± I say.


    ¡°You know that is actually really interesting. Your father is a genius. I¡¯ve never seen these kinds of bricks across any part of the world.¡± she says while looking down at them.


    ¡°So Elizabeth, before we forget these are the two I brought. ¡± I say while raising my arm to present them. ¡°This is Julias, and this is Alna. Be careful, she can be intimidating.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s great to meet you Elizabeth. I hear you are accompanying the prophet on his journey?¡± Julias proclaims.


    ¡°You look wonderful! I wish I had a dress like that.¡± Alna says.


    ¡°Thank you ever so much, and prophet? What?¡± she says.


    ¡°Well. I guess it¡¯s about time I explain. They are from a cult deep in the woods that hasn¡¯t seen society yet. They worship people with the power and call them prophets. That sums it pretty much up.¡± I say.


    ¡°The power? Cult? Why would you bring them along?¡± she says while furrowing her brow.


    ¡°They would follow me anyway. Why not choose who?¡± I say nonchalantly.


    I turn around and both their eyes are wide open. ¡°How did you?...¡± Julias says.


    ¡°So what? You stop watching me because I¡¯m nearby? I doubt it. Don¡¯t look so surprised. I¡¯m full of surprises, ¡± I say while smiling.


    ¡°I¡¯m so confused. Follow you? What is the power?¡± she says while her face reddens.


    I see John¡¯s posture bend ever so slightly as I say, ¡°I was born with a power is all. I guess you¡¯d find out eventually. I can turn stuff to sand. Fuse stuff together to.¡±


    John looks around in a paranoid mess. Elizabeth covers her mouth as she screams. I frantically look around for danger, and I see nothing but the placid surroundings of the financial district.


    ¡°Jesus! What just happened?¡± I say while lowering my hands. Elizabeth walks away slowly and says with lines of horror streaking her face, ¡°You¡¯re a Sandman?¡±


    ¡°Wow wow. That¡¯s a legend. I¡¯m perfectly sane love.¡± I say while holding my hands up gently as if to calm a fragile animal.


    ¡°Do you know how dangerous you are? What can happen? How many times have you used the Bane?¡± she says.


    ¡°Er. I guess I¡¯ve used my power 10-20 times. Not many times at all.¡± I say.


    ¡°What?That doesn¡¯t make sense. You shouldn¡¯t be able to do almost anything with it then...You said you can turn things to sand right? That means you are in the latest stages of the Blight?¡± she says while shifting from fear to confusion.


    ¡°Okay. So I don¡¯t like the words you¡¯re using to describe it. What¡¯s so bad about ¡®The Bane¡¯?¡± I say.


    ¡°Entire civilizations have been destroyed by a single sandman. ¡° she says while scratching her head.


    John jumps in by saying, ¡°They can multiply, and it may take time, but they can eventually become gods of death. They usually just cause disaster after disaster before disappearing. Whenever you said you could turn things to sand...Most people are already insane at that point.¡±


    I turn around to Julias and Alna. They shake their heads in agreement. ¡°They worship the gods of death, Eldritches are what I call them. They have had multiple sandmen in a small village. Each time they turn themselves to sand. Why is it so different where you come from?¡± I say while turning back and forth.


    ¡°A sandman usually dies being hunted. They turn on everything around them and kill everything. Then they wander aimlessly, unkillable death machines. Are you sure they just killed themselves?¡± She says.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Julias says. ¡°Our last preist, Obadiyah, killed himself. That is how all priests do it. They become enlightened, smile, and then end it themselves. It¡¯s a beautiful thing, watching a prophet return to the hands of god.¡± Julias finishes while closing his eyes and shaking his fist in excitement.


    ¡°They are told to do that their entire lives. They grow up thinking it will happen, and we encourage it. Maybe you shouldn¡¯t try to kill and smash what you don¡¯t understand.¡± Alna says while looking scowling at Elizabeth and John.


    ¡°Maybe you shouldn¡¯t raise monsters you litt-¡±


    ¡°Hold up! Calm down you guys. I can explain it. You said they can destroy civilizations right?¡± I say while looking at Elizabeth. She nods. ¡°Maybe...How old is your village Julias?¡±


    ¡°Many, many generations. It¡¯s impossible to know for sure.¡± he says while scratching his head.


    ¡°Elizabeth, which country has lasted the longest?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Centra is the oldest outside of the mainland. It is hundreds of years old.¡± she says while tilting her head questioningly.


    ¡°Centra is the most thorough at killing Power users, aren¡¯t they?¡± I say.


    ¡°Have you been there? They have a religion completely for it.¡± John says as Elizabeth shrugs.


    ¡°So...A civilization lasts and prospers if they handle people who catch the Bane.¡± I say while raising one finger upwards.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­.Brilliant...¡± I hear Alna say.


    ¡°As expected of the holy prophet. ¡± Julias says.


    ¡°What?¡± Elizabeth says.


    ¡°Think about it this way Elizabeth. One sandman is all it takes right? Then the places that deal with them the best are the ones that last the longest. We can see the two extremes have lasted through the sands of time.¡± I say while winking at her.


    ¡°Ahh. You¡¯re saying Centra is the oldest because it killed the people infected earliest?¡± she says.


    ¡°It¡¯s only a theory. I could be way off, but,¡± I say while reigning them all in closer, ¡°remember that the civilization who responds properly to disasters is the one that lasts. It isn¡¯t the one that has the most efficient system, it¡¯s the one who avoids being wiped out by a fatal switch.¡± I say while lowering my voice.


    ¡°Bravo! A little mystery solver aren¡¯t we?¡± Elizabeth says while clapping lightly.


    ¡°This also solves who tried to assassinate me.¡± John and Elizabeth gasp, ¡°Oh yeah. Someone tried to assassinate me recently. That is one of the major reasons I want to leave. Since we¡¯re getting everything out in the open I guess it would be pretty valuable to know that...¡± I say while scratching my head.


    John looks slightly dizzy while Elizabeth leans towards me and says, ¡°And you are being hunted! Fate hath decreed Nox Waulak to be forever in pain. The dashing hero must banish the dark forces surrounding him, and overcome the odds despite his mysterious past! How romantic.¡±


    The light of a small child glistens in her eyes, and Alna and I both sigh deeply. We both laugh at the way it happens. ¡°So guys. Still okay with everything? Still want to go with me despite it all?¡± I say while opening my arms to them all.


    Elizabeth says, ¡°Even moreso now.¡±


    Alna says, ¡°Already got paid, plus maybe you aren¡¯t all that bad.¡±


    Julias snickers before saying, ¡°I¡¯d die before abandoning you prophet.¡±


    ¡°Call me Nox please Julias.¡± I say back to him.


    ¡°I say we change plans Elizabeth. If Centra has already targeted him...They¡¯d go to war to find him. They would do anything to kill him.¡± John says while wiping sweat from his forehead.


    ¡°They think I¡¯m dead. I looked dead after the assassination attempt.¡± I say.


    ¡°How?¡± John says.


    ¡°The Blight also gives you regeneration. If it¡¯s a strong ¡¯infection.¡¯ So I was injured heavily, and I recovered. The assassin ran away after I looked dead.¡± I say while cringing.


    ¡°How bad?¡± he asks.


    ¡°I¡¯m sensitive to past traumas. Let¡¯s not talk about it in detail.¡± I say while softly laughing and scratching my head.


    ¡°Ah. I¡¯m sorry master Waulak. I guess¡­.It isn¡¯t unacceptable. ¡± he says.


    ¡°Perfect!¡± I say while picking up my bag. I sling it over my shoulder and point towards the southern horizon while saying, ¡°Shall we?¡±

 Chapter 26: The Everyday

    Two days have passed since we started walking. I can not see John as a human anymore. He has carried the carriage structure for an entire three days while pouring sweat, but he continues unrelenting. At first we talked, but now only I have the energy to keep it up. My constitution has been a blessing in many ways.


    I brace my eyes for the coming clouds, and I say, ¡°A rain storm is coming. ¡±


    ¡°You freak. Just shutup. ¡± Alna says while huffing.


    ¡°Truly the prophet,¡± Julias says and then takes in a deep breath to finish with, ¡°has the ability to converse better than we mere mortals. How can you be unfazed by the traveling?¡±


    ¡°The regeneration guys. My feet don¡¯t hurt because they heal too fast. I don¡¯t run out of breath because I don¡¯t need as much air to move. I think anyways. More importantly is why are you all so tired? It¡¯s just 30 or so miles in two days of rather warm humid weather. I mean, sounds simple enough.¡± I say while smiling cheerily. I turn around towards them and say, ¡°I...am going to scout ahead, and how am I the freak Alna? Look at John over there. ¡±


    John barely nods politely as he sweats profusely through his somewhat nice overcoat. I turn around and run backwards ahead of them. Eliabeth is reading a book she brought, and she is wearing a nice red shirt. It is thin, and she has a large belt over her stomach to keep it close to her skin. It looks similar to middle eastern garbs in my past life.


    Julias has gained weight in seemingly no time. His incredibly thin frame is slowly filling out as he eats as much as 3 men each day. I cringe slightly at the thoughts of the villagers poverty. I shake my head to release my thoughts. I will no longer bind myself with burdens. He wears the same robe his villagers all wear, and treks while carrying only one or two changes of clothes.


    Alna is sweating profusely through an altered robe. She has cut off the sleeves, and she has cut it into a skirt. I smile as I see her give me a disgusted scowl. I speed up and start to run ahead. My legs pass through air and across terrain easily.


    The process has become as ingrained as my past life¡¯s inability to move. I smile as I carry the large 150 pound pack on my back. I look down to hop over a ditch in the dirt like road. The large trees surrounding our village have continued to this point, but they are growing less frequent. Instead a drier climate is taking it¡¯s place ever so slowly. Large hills covered in grass appear from time to time, and I can see the fauna change to a lighter colored green. Bushes and shrubs grow more plentifully as the large trees no longer blot out the sun.


    I start to think about the prospects of the sandman. I think the physical effects are based on the amount of power you have as opposed to how much you lose your mind. I try to sort out a large set of evidence when I see the smoke of a fire rising past a patch of trees.


    The scent of burning fills the air as I start sprinting. I smile at the prospect of seeing new faces. My pack jostles my body awkwardly, and I flip it around to my front so I can carry it with my arms. The path widens as it splits into two directions. The right dirt path leads to a place with the fire, and I decide to head in that direction.


    I hear the dirt crunch underneath my weight as I test how fast I can make it. My legs move faster and faster as I kick up large chunks of dirt with each step. ¡°This will never get old!¡± I yell while laughing. Euphoria fills my mind as the surroundings start to blur slightly.


    The fire smell becomes more subdued as I run down the path. I see two travelers huddled around a fire. The group is inside of a large clearing next to a fallen tree. They each have a set of packs, and one of them has a cart stationed next to him. They wave at me from a distance and I slow down to a trot.


    I trot for a little bit. The group comes into earshot and I say, ¡°How is everybody here?¡±


    ¡°How...You got quite the set of legs on you son, but we¡¯re doing well young man. On our way to Tauss. Wanna make it there by the end of the week. I hear they got things you won¡¯t see anywhere else, and they have streets of gold.¡± A large young man with brown hair says.


    ¡°He knows that Jeb! He just came from the North. Is it true though? Can anybody have a good life in Tauss?¡± an older man says through a gruff smile.


    I stop as I reach the base of their encampment and I say, ¡° More than true. The average citizen will live like a king given 10 more years. The roads are probably even more spectacular than gold though.¡± I say while giving them a light bow.


    ¡°Polite ay? You look like a man who knows his stuff. When do you think Tauss will join Baltora? Or will they join the nuts up North?¡± the older man says.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be rude Paw! What if he¡¯s from Centra! You know they take their religion very seriously. I am sorry if he has offended you.¡± the younger man says while bowing.


    ¡°Born and raised in Tauss. I played a¡­¡¯small¡¯ role in its building as well.¡± I say with a wink.


    ¡°Oh? Construction ey? I hear you can barely even find a native there anymore. All of them have been replaced with Balts and Cens. ¡±he says.


    ¡°He¡¯s actually pretty close to right. We even get some from mainland countries, but they are very rare. Anything you guys can tell me about Baltora?¡±


    ¡°Why sure. It¡¯s a large country, biggest in Lorscall, but it is connected to the mainland, so it has to repel off invaders from time to time. Fairly new compared to the mainland through. It¡¯s borders are nothing like its southern region. Gots lots of old money south, but the new money are in the new capitol. It¡¯s a decent enough country, and the king keeps the peace.¡± the old man says.


    ¡°Why move to Tauss then?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Easy! I heard things never go wrong in Tuass. You show up and you can find work instantly. You get a house and new shoes to. The founding couple reveal a new invention every week, and they make fantastical wonders you can only see there!¡± he says while his eyes light up.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± the young man interjects. ¡°You can be anything there! They¡¯ll teach yah how. Aint stingy bout getting some new people either. Hell why wouldn¡¯t anybody not wanna move there?¡±


    I smile and say, ¡°I guess I did alright then...What are you guys going to do once you get there?¡±


    ¡°Gonna learn to make books.¡± The young man says.


    His father smiles at him and slaps his back as he says, ¡°I¡¯m going to learn to build. Gonna be a famous house maker some day.¡±


    ¡°Ohhh?¡± I say.


    ¡°You betcha. Imma make them roads a gold, and he¡¯s gonna teach them younguns how to spell.¡± he says while holding up a fist.


    ¡°You can do it there guys. You¡¯ll just have to work real hard is all. I wish you two the best of luck! When you get there tell them ¡®Nox gave us a seal of approval.¡¯¡± I say with a smile.


    ¡°Oh we didn¡¯t catch your name! I¡¯m Josh, and my son¡¯s name is Jeb. ¡± he says before I go.


    ¡°Nox. I promise if the right people hear you use that name, you can get a nice little jump start.¡± I say with a broad smile as I walk off.


    I turn back down the road and start sprinting again once they are out of sight behind some of the thick bushes. I make a slight detour as I note a small creek near the path. It is fifteen feet or so lower than where I am so I jump.


    Wind traces my outlines as I sail through the air. Pain shoots through my legs and ankles as I land and bend my legs to absorb the impact. The pain quickly dissipates as I shake my legs. I set down my bag and move through the mud colored sand of the creek. I walk over and take off my shoes. I set my bare feet into the flowing creek.


    The heat of the journey radiates into the creek. A set of rocks ahead make a pleasant crashing noise as I lean back and close my eyes. My soul¡¯s lake becomes placid, and my mind¡¯s eye becomes tranquil. For a fleeting moment...I gorge my mind with this morsel of time.


    I splash my face with some water. I see a set of small fish colored dark red swim lightly by. I reach for them and they swim away quickly. I look upwards and clear my mind once more. Suddenly, I feel the back of my mind tingle. Instead of the usual flexing sensation, I open my eyes and the light is gone.


    Pure darkness surrounds me. The sound of the creek is gone, and instead the void replaces it. The creeks water still caresses my legs softly, and peace still pervades the void. The tingling sensation ends as I focus on it, and the surroundings become visible again. The water resumes crashing into the rocks.


    I look around in a daze and shrug. For all the confusion, the experience was pleasant. I try to replicate the tingling sensation, but to no avail. A clapping noise sounds lightly as I clap my face. I get up and put back on my shoes. I grab my pack and ascend the cliff by grabbing a series of rocky extrusions.


    I land on my feet, and I start to run back towards the group, in no time the white carriage comes into view. It is pulled off to the side, and the group is resting under a rare deciduous tree. Shade covers the group in pleasant relief from the sun''s beams, and I see them all eating.


    I continue running and skid to a halt in front of them. I smile largely and say, ¡°How goes the journey? Anybody need me to carry anymore?¡±


    ¡°Freak. ¡± Alna stutters out as she fans her face. ¡°Every time I think I don¡¯t hate you, you change my mind.¡±


    ¡°People just hate what they don¡¯t understand! Woe is me. The poor travels of the misunderstood genius. A riveting tale of love, and adventure. Brought to a stage near you soon.¡± I say with a wink.


    Elizabeth giggles softly while Julias and Alna look confused. ¡°What is a stage? What are you even saying?¡± Alna says.


    ¡°It¡¯s a place where groups of actors play stories for people. Like a show to entertain people.¡± I say.


    ¡°People can do that? How do they get food?¡± Julias says.


    ¡°People pay to see the show.¡± I say.


    Elizabeth giggles while saying, ¡°That sounds like what you do all the time Nox.¡±


    ¡°I try to keep people on their toes, and at the edge of their seats. ¡± I say while helping Julias and Alna stand back up.


    ¡°Elizabeth, can you please just tell me what the animal looks like? The one people are using to carry people around?¡± I say after they rise.


    ¡°Ho ho. Sounds like I have you at the edge of the stage.¡± she says.


    ¡°Better stop dangling the bait before you get bitten love.¡± I say with a curled smile.


    ¡°Stop flirting you idiots. It¡¯s embarrassing.¡± Alna says while her eyes roll.


    ¡°Oh? Sounds like the savage is jealous of my fair Romeo and his Juliet.¡±Elizabeth says.


    Alna and Julias cringe as I walk up to her and place my hand on her shoulder and say, ¡°Let¡¯s not hold people to where they are from, but where they are going instead, okay?¡±


    I smile and raise my eyebrows expectantly. She blushes deeply and shifts her vision left and right as she says, ¡°I-I am sorry.¡±


    Alna looks with wide open eyes at Julias as she says, ¡°See? Makes me not wanna hate him so much.¡±


    Julias stares at Elizabeth and says,¡°Apology accepted, but remember. Some of the people you call ¡®savages¡¯ are incredibly proud of their heritage.¡±


    Elizabeth stares downwards and I grab her chin and lift it. I go to her ear and whisper, ¡°Good job love. ¡±


    Her blush becomes an inferno of red that envelops her face. She softly pushes me away and I laugh.¡°Let¡¯s go! I gotta see if I can keep up with the mysterious cattle creature.¡±


    ¡°The prophet is ever eager I see.¡± Julias says as he hands me the rest of his bags.


    ¡°I have to be! I can¡¯t wait to find out more about Lorscall, and the world. Aren¡¯t you two excited? ¡± I say.


    They both smile, and we begin walking again. A bird chirps loudly as my very being settles into the peace surrounding me.