Kilon, wounded as he was still, could only focus on the vibrance from the lights before him. All of the lights that Manna possessed were working in a smooth yet aggressive symphony, akin to a flow of water, calm and steady, to then become a torrent and engulf the lands. His lights, by comparison, were winds slowly gathering for a storm that, once formed, would bring disaster upon everything. Two natural calamities, worked in the hands of sentient beings.
“So we do,” Kilon responded, “although you look different…and feel different.”. Manna jumped down from the cliff, no wind to cushion her fall. The Lightborn from Kilon’s side didn’t even recognize their sister at first. The furs dimmed her light and the blood soaked into them changed its colour, while she herself had a different feel, as her body was imbued with all those lights she didn’t have before.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXXllWn0kMr
Menoel and Eharel could tell right away, while Melonius didn’t know if to protect Kilon from the odd sibling before them, or ask her who she was.
“Much like you brother,” Manna approached Kilon and Avunaia, Avunaia backing away while showing her teeth. “Should I kill the beast next to you?” She asked, pointing her twin-headed spear at her deformed sister, “Or do you take joy out of doing it slowly?”.
Kilon told her “This is our sister, Manna, can’t you tell? Come closer and I’m sure-” Kilon couldn’t explain it properly, as Manna was quick on her feet and leapt towards Avunaia to strike her heart. Kilon swept the winds below her feet in the next moment with a wave of his broken hand, making her trip, but Manna simply pressed her hand on the ground and sprung back up. Manna was a few steps away from Kilon, so she came closer to him, looking him in the eyes.
“How can you call that our sister Kilon?!” she was angry, maddened by something Kilon couldn’t tell. From the dirty, bloody furs she wore and charred meat in places, he had to wonder what had she done to the beasts she befell. “I can see her soul, but I can see nothing else of my sister.”.
“This is not how I wanted us to meet,” Kilon said with a pained expression on his face, “but there is still time to talk, and hug, and let our bodies feel each other’s warmth.”. Kilon placed his hand on her shoulder, feeling her emotions and trying to understand better what his sister had become. And, by pure instinct, Kilon pulled his hand away after a couple of moments.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHAeINVnQG4
Anger, despair, sadness, pain. They all swirled and circled between her mind and soul. She bore quite the heavy burden, and what it was he could only wonder. ‘In a way, I don’t want to know what she’s been through, for the terrors seem to run deep. But she is my sister, and I must share her burden.’. Kilon thought, placing his hand more confidently on her.
Manna kept an angered expression all the while, until Kilon reluctantly placed his hand on her once more. She then remembered a melancholic feeling, when they first saw the other at the Link and Kilon embraced her. She felt small in his embrace at that time, but not in a bad way. It was a warm, comfortable feeling, one that she didn’t mind letting herself be lost into, like a spark in the flames of a fire. Now that she could feel his light and the touch of his hand again, she wondered if that same feeling would surge. If it would help her forget even for a moment all that she and her siblings had endured. Manna took a good look at him, gritted her teeth, and hugged him.
Kilon could sense her feelings of longing, that she was searching for something from him. He wanted to think about it, but also thought it wasn’t the moment, and that all his sister may want is what she reached for. Once he hugged her back, while she was no longer the small Lightborn he once knew, she felt just like it. Those raging feelings came to a halt and calmed down, a deep state of peace overtaking her.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOXtBM2XcWB
“I missed you Manna, and so did the others. The suns that passed were long and painful, which I’m sure you too know much of.”.
“Indeed I do,” Manna responded, tightening her hug as the surge of emotions were coming back to her, “which is why I must kill her Kilon.”. Manna empowered herself with the lights she had, the orange she emanated seemed crimson at its centre due to her furs, Kilon found himself unable to move a single muscle. “Kill it!” she cried, Salvete stepping out of the forest and running towards Avunaia with quiet steps. Avunaia was distracted by her cry, ready to jump at Manna and bite her to help Kilon break free.
‘Kilon will hate me for this,’ Salvete thought, her daggers by the side. Just as she jumped into the air, wind behind her to assist, Melonius threw his shield towards her body. Seeing the object Salvete tried to expel light from her body in order to repel it, but the shield was imbued with Melonius’ own light, disturbing her flow and hitting her in the abdomen, making her fall on her back. “What was that?” Salvete was bewildered by both the object, but also the mastery Melonius had over it. Salvete then realised something and looked all panicked around her body.
“It’s only been a few moments, and we’re already fighting?” Melonius asked Manna, approaching her and Kilon while glancing at Slavete, catching a glimpse of the little creature she was hiding beneath her clothes. “This was Kilon’s plan, to tame the beasts so all the Lands Between Mountains will be ours,” he explained as he came closer to Manna, Manna keeping a sharp eye on him while restraining Kilon. “If it were up to you, what would you have done sister?” Melonius stood some two metres away from her, just close enough to use his light to help Kilon, while also mindful of Manna’s reach now that she had a larger body.
“Kill every single one of them,” Manna responded without much thinking, “the simple thought that our sister is now stuck into that thing’s body, is abhorrent to me.”. Manna looked Kilon in the eyes, he was only frowning a little, but not because of the restraint. “What will you have her do Kilon? Mindless as she is, she can no longer think and laugh with us, nor wonder about the world. All she can do is eat, sleep and mingle. Is that what you want of her? To mingle with-” her words became too much for Kilon, as he lost his temper and showed her a terrifying side of him.
Due to having their bodies so close together, Kilon was able to take control of her lights and adjust them to his will. It was something Manna only had seen from Orvus, but did know Kilon was also able to do so, she just didn’t think he could do it forcefully. And when he took control, Kilon first made it so the control in her limbs would cease, then placed his hand on her belly and expelled light to blast her away.
Pushed some ten metres, once Manna regained control of her lights she didn’t feel much of the pain inflicted, but mentally she was scared. While she initially sized him up and thought they would be the same, his mastery over light manipulation was more than she could hope to have. Realising that even if she may manage to kill Avunaia and the other draxes, she wouldn’t be able to do so unless she fought Kilon, and that would mean at least one of them will be severely injured or worse.
So she laid her twin-headed spear on the ground, then bent the knee before Kilon.
Kilon watched over her with cold eyes, no sparks erupting. It was a state of calm that disturbed Manna somewhat, so she said “I am sorry Kilon. I didn’t mean to hurt you or anyone else. But these creatures, you cannot possibly think to tame them, and to put our sister’s soul in one of them.”. Manna still couldn’t hide her distaste for it, and Kilon didn’t want her to, because he wanted to know what he would have to work on.
“I don’t expect you to like the way I do things, not after we’ve been separated for so long,” Kilon said, his voice firm, “but I wish for a mutual understanding, not fighting.”. Kilon approached her, picked up her spear with his injured hand and held it out to her, “We are reunited, that is cause for celebration, so join us and let us talk about our concerning matters.”.
Manna gritted her teeth and swallowed empty, then raised her face to Kilon with a harsh smile. “Then we shall talk,” Manna stood up and took the spear from his hand, “everyone! Gather!”. Her call was met with whistles and noises from around the forest surrounding them. Soon hundreds of Lightborns gathered, Kilon deeply disturbed by the view.
Some were missing limbs, some had wounds hard to explain, like a hole in the abdomen covered only by a thin piece of fur, or a missing piece of their skull, while others had their limbs misshapen or bent in ways they shouldn’t be. And what was most common: bloodied, gut drenched furs, and mouths that were covered by dried up blood. The view made those present recoil, it was as if they were wild beasts. Hungry and eyes that were seeking to kill.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoog6vIVnQj
It was only then that it snapped into place for Kilon, what his sister and siblings have become, what those dark convoluted feelings must’ve meant, he could only begin to understand.
“This is what we have become Kilon,” Manna said looking at Kilon then Melonius, who had a deep look of horror on his face, “a force that instils fear and does as it wishes…a calamity you could say.”. Manna started to walk away from Kilon, keeping a sharp glance on Avunaia for a little, then switching her gaze upon the other draxes, not standing near them or her other siblings as they were surrounded by them. “Now let us make haste, we’re tired and have many stories to tell,” she placed her hand where Kilon hit her, “as well as sorrows that haunt us.”.
Kilon stretched his arm, looking at his broken siblings he was reaching for a place inside his mind where he could fix them, but there was no such place, his siblings passing through in droves. Eraanel was the only one who stopped in front of him, his eye analysing Kilon’s whole being, wanting to understand something in correlation to Manna.
“It is good to see you Kilon,” Eraanel said with a smirk, which then quickly disappeared, “it is unfortunate that you and Manna seem to disagree.”. Kilon let his hand fall by his side, “Just do know,” Eraanel passed by him, “we’re not what we used to be, and we no longer wish to follow you, not if you are going to oppose her ways. And to that extent,” Eraanel felt a knife on his belt made of furs and teeth, “we’re going to stop you will there be need.”.
“Rich words coming from you, Eraanel,” Stelorus approached at last, “make sure you have what it takes to back them up.”. The two brothers were measuring each other, Stelorus with a pained smile on his face, Eraanel with a stern look on his.
“No need for squabbles, not here anyway,” Eharel intervened, “it can wait until we have returned home.”. Eharel extended his arm, wanting to welcome his brother back, “And besides, we still have to embrace each other.”. Eraanel knew Eharel was just trying to smooth things over, seeing as there was a clear difference in the ways they lived up to that point. One side wore clean clothes and were making use of beasts from around the lands, even using them as mounts and companions, while the others had to learn the best ways to kill them and wanted nothing more than to do just that.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoscJfh9thO
It was such a glaring difference that at some point it was bound to create conflict no matter what.
“That is true,” Eharel said, shaking his brother's hand instead of embracing him, pretending to ignore Stelorus’ teasing, “no need to settle our squabbles here, where some of those things can pounce on us.”.
Stelorus took note of him and returned to Sirva, mounting her and looking from above towards the newly arrived with a sense of dread, but keeping a confident look on his face. “Hope your feet can keep with us,” Stelorus said as he went ahead to gather the draxes, regal deers and river wolves.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuWKjwcYTAl
Arhegon slept until the whole ordeal was over, Prickety sleeping on top of the beast until Avunaia passed by, which he recognized as his master and so he took place on top of her, rubbing his head on the line of fur on her back.
And so, with eighty nine from Kilon’s group and five hundred from Manna’s, the Lightborns started to march back home. While it wouldn’t last long, it was a serenic scene before them. Despite the blood drenched furs and injured ones in Manna’s group, it was still a peaceful sight to behold. The draxes tempering their instincts as to not attack Kilon’s group thanks to Avunaia, the river wolves and regal deers walking side by side in harmony, while the Lightborns either stood mounted or on the ground. Some from Kilon’s group, specifically on Menoel’s side, were starting to have conversations with the others, catching up on the things that have passed but also what they plan for the future.
Manna found herself almost relaxed for the first time in a long while. Looking around at her siblings, while cautious, interacting and exploring those green, relatively peaceful lands, was something she thought she would never see. And for a moment, as Kilon stood in place to orient himself, moonblooms broke into the sky as the sun warmed the lands, a chill, almost warm breeze fluttering Kilon’s cape, revealing some of the old scars, as well as the new ones. Manna touched some of the scars of her own, feeling sorry about the way she treated Kilon.
‘Maybe I was quick to judge,’ she thought for a moment, but then flashing images of Orvus came before her. The monsters he controlled in order to kill dozens and hundreds of their siblings, then the beasts that ravaged them ever since the Frozen Passage. ‘Or maybe I’m becoming sentimental about it,’ the moment passed as Kilon resumed Arhegon’s walk.
‘The lands are changing,’ Kilon noticed, ‘it will soon be colder I can tell. The leaves also fly away from the trees, turning brown and yellow, while others seem to stay the way they are.’. Kilon was noticing the passing of the seasons, from summer to autumn, and soon to be winter. ‘We should be fine, even if the winds get colder, for we survived harsher ones. But our critters,’ he stroke Arhegon’s fur, ‘they stay around us, so if we don’t use our lights to protect them, they’re going to be cold inside our home. Perhaps we should find a way to warm them, like we do with the greymatter.’. Kilon then looked back, seeing the wild hardened siblings of his, ‘It will have to wait a bit though. They can barely tolerate standing around them, so showing such consideration for these flesh beings could be taken as a further insult, especially by Manna.’.
Their walk back home left Manna’s group wondering and curious about the environment. Never have they thought they could see such peace, more so than ever as the draxes have been tamed, and the only worry they could have was from natural phenomena or wild, crazy animals. Kilon ensured the group took various, longer roads to let them absorb the beauty of the lands. Smell, touch and see the way they felt nature when they escaped from the Whistling Valley. Feelings yet to be tainted by the cruel nature of an otherwise harmless world.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS0Gd5oczC0
Even Manna found herself wanting to get closer to some of the fauna, Melonius telling her that “Avaanel can show you much more than what you see around,” he plucked a crying rose to show her “there’s life that hides where you’d think not.”.
Manna had a wondrous look on her face, capturing the details of the rose carefully. “It is beautiful,” she admitted, “but still, I cannot trust that which is not made of light.”. She crushed the rose in her hand, the parasitic plant shrivelling in the heat of her palm.
“Then maybe you will like our home better,” Melonius looked displeased at the flower, “our lights were put to great use by Kilon, and we’ve been waiting for you so we could name it properly.”.
“We shall see,” Manna said, speeding up her walk to stand by Stelorus’ side, they were soon to arrive as night started to set in. “Last I knew you, you were quite fond of killing these flesh creatures,” Manna looked Sirva in the eyes, the wolf not averting her gaze from the road ahead, “now you ride them. How pathetic.”.
Stelorus couldn’t tell if she was trying to mock him, speaking out her mind, or trying to persuade him in some other direction. “I understand you went through a lot Manna, but I do not carry the same sympathies as Kilon does, or as Melonius,” even though she was taller than him, he looked Manna in the eyes as if they were still newborns from the Links, him stronger than her at the time. “So do me a favor and put the mask off.”.
“What do you mean?” Manna asked, a bit of anger in her voice, looking now at Stelorus with much dismay.
“Just fight it off, you and Kilon,” his proposal seemed crude at first, making Manna burst a bit of laughter of how ridiculous it sounded, removing the tense atmosphere. “I know how it sounds, but that’s how I settle things,” Stelorus looked at his hammer, “and thinking how you look, all drenched in these creatures’ blood, guts and furs, it’s probably how you settled most things on your side too no?”.
“We can still try to talk, convince Kilon and through him a lot of you that we cannot make use nor depend on these creatures. For they do not want to help us, merely make use of us, and the moment you loosen the leash or they become too hungry, they will kill, without thought or feelings, for they have neither.”.
“Well, talk all you want. The way I know you, and I still see you, there will be a fight,” Stelorus petted Sirva, running his fingers through her fur to calm her down, as Manna’s presence was making her extremely tense he could tell. “It’s what siblings do, it’s how we reach our points across. Sheer power is what we ultimately follow.”.
Manna, as much as she wanted to argue, could only think of Orvus. Even though Orvus and her got along for the most part, in the end she couldn’t find the proper words to persuade him from killing more of them. How it was too late by the time she realised the error of her ways. With Kilon, she still had hope. They hugged, and she could feel in his light much love and care when they did, even though there was a torrent of concern running amok, none of it was thrown at her.
“Maybe I will prove you and me wrong this time,” Manna said quietly. Stelorus couldn’t quite hear her, “Nothing, let us reach this home you’ve built, so I can finally tell our story.”. Stelorus smiled and looked ahead, the view of their home soon to come around.
“Seems like the journey hasn’t been kind to you, brother,” Menoel said towards Eraanel, “although you acquired a power that surpasses that of Eharel by leaps and bounds.”. Eraanel glanced at him with his eye, wondering why was he trying to get a conversation going.
“Kinder to me I’d say, I’m still free to roam between my siblings as I wish,” Eraanel reproached, trying to get a reaction out of Menoel, which was met by a hmph. “Do you want to tell me about it?”.
“Only if you tell me how you lost that eye of yours, and why Manna seems to hate our ‘beloved friends’ over here so much,” Menoel was trying to get at something without raising suspicion from his siblings that were keeping an eye on him.
“Then it will have to wait until we reach this home of yours,” Eraanel tried to end the conversation, “I’m sure hearing the story twice isn’t something you’d like, not when you can put things together as fast as you do.”. Menoel smiled at him, glad to see the proud attitude his brother had back then being preserved despite the time that had passed.
“Not much longer,” Menoel said, the Lightborns reaching some of the hills near their home. “And there it is, just as Kilon planned for.”. Eraanel didn’t know what he meant, and as he looked forward, he felt his eyes glued to the place his siblings called home.
Trees sprouting in an orderly fashion, Lightborns litting up the dug up roads like ethereal lights in the night, the main, massive tree serving as the meeting place, regal deers letting out symphonic cries from within to announce the end of the day. And most importantly, the star-like colourful lights shining inside all those treehouses.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrrtkQ8xDsm
It was such a spectacular view, not Mann, Eraanel, Salvete or any of the others from her group had the words to speak or describe what they were seeing. Such beauty could only be created in a place filled with life such as that, and that realisation hit all of them to the deeper parts.
‘This is not how I have imagined it,’ Manna thought. ‘Stars reflected upon the lands, this is what Kilon and my siblings built.’. She had to sit down, take it all in. It was during that moment that Manna breathed out and sighed, as for the first moment in a long long while, Manna felt at peace, she rested truly. “This is our home.”.
Kilon stood behind her, not wanting to interrupt the solemn moment he slowly built towards for the past few suns. He wanted his sister to truly appreciate not only their efforts, but what could be accomplished if only she would stop fighting against the natural order of the world, and instead embrace it.
They all stood quiet for those moments. Kilon’s group was no stranger to how their home looked from afar, yet still it was a sight they wouldn’t miss no matter how many times they had the chance to.
In that silence Kilon had to wonder, ‘Are my visions wrong?’. Manna almost noticed Kilon’s anxiety, Avunaia getting her attention instead as she stood not too far from her, yawning and stretching her limbs as if the draxe she inhabited felt as home as well.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5eYlmMmabB
‘Because I can still see them, dead bodies lying on the ground, the figure in the sky taking their lights, and me standing below. I’m still helpless before the figure, so am I not strong enough? Is the figure stronger?’. He looked at Manna, ‘Is it her that I see?’, her eyes fixated on Avunaia for a moment, hatred gathering, but then let loose, sighing once more and switching to their home instead. ‘I hope not’.
“Let us meet the rest of our brethren Manna,” Kilon put his hand on her right shoulder. There was a heavy weight to it that wasn’t there when they first met, she could tell. “We have much to talk about, and all the time in the world thankfully.”.
“Indeed,” Manna rose up, her body felt weak for a moment, then she regained her strength. “That’s what siblings do, they talk.”.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFPHcbpI9rm
