“Do you think we can survive this?”
“I suppose so…my visions had nothing akin to this in them.”
“We should have the numbers and skills on our side, those are all dead after all.”
“You think he wouldn’t take that into consideration?”
“Of course he would.”
“Then he relies on something.”
“Probably those crystals they wear, they contain light but seem to do a bit more.”
“The way they wear them, it might be safe to assume they can protect them from injuries, light related and perhaps more.”
“That would make them really tough to fight, not to mention they will not stop until they’re cut to pieces.”
“Indeed it would.”
“That is, of course, if we don’t consider what you can do, Kilon.”
Kilon’s eyes erupted with sparks, thousands of Lightborn gathered behind him. Armed with weapons imbued with light, armor ripped and torn from various animal pelts and skins, trinkets and devices to ensure precise destruction, the first army to emerge on Erta stood against the dread that was Orvus and his army of corpses. Their dreams, hopes, ambitions, emotions, none would matter if Orvus was to win, and they all knew it.
“That is so, Manna.”
A few months priors, at the meeting
“Beliefs won’t suffice,” Eharel spoke, “there is a threat on the horizon, and we don’t even know what it looks like. It could be any of us, or none.” Manna gave him a sharp glance.
“Are you suggesting my eyes-Eraanel’s eye was mistaken?!” Manna grunted.
“I’m suggesting he may have found a way to deceive all of you, and I believe Avunaia here to be a precise example of what can escape our minds,” Eharel looked at Kilon after speaking, “but not theirs. Kilon and Orvus that is. They always had that about them, didn’t they?”
“I refuse to believe that. So many have died…Felemous sacrificed more than any of us should have, so he can what? Escape between our fingers?”
“We didn’t check the lake where the beast was Manna,” Eraanel admitted, “if he managed something similar to what Kilon did to Avaanel, then it’s very much possible.”
Manna wanted to deny it again, but she knew better, so she then wanted to explode in anger. Not even that, however, would’ve made her feel any less empty than she did.
Those present had their eyes set on her, waiting to see how she would respond to it. Some were eyes filled with pity, some with despair, others with expectancy, particularly from Kilon. He wanted to see how she would react given the predicament.
“It’s my fault,” Eraanel was first to speak under the pressure, “I should have known better.” Kilon hid a smile at his words.
“No,” Salvete stood up, “me and Gilaate were still very much able to walk and fight, we should’ve gone back and ensured everything was dealt with.”
Manna’s feelings of emptiness started to vanish as her siblings started to take accountability in her place. ‘I can see it now,’ Manna admitted in her mind, ‘what being a leader is. To take responsibility, and to give. Ultimately, it’s all our fault, mine above all, but we share the burden. That’s what I’ve been missing.’
“That is good,” Kilon cleared the chatter, “we know what went wrong, and could have done better. And I speak as one that has too made the mistake of relying too much on their own strength. It is why we lost precious siblings like Efeehem.” Kilon looked at all of them, a conviction setting on their faces.
“No more schemes and plots against one another,” Menoel smiled at his words, “no more disagreements on what’s right and what’s wrong,” Manna had a firm look about her, “we fight as one, for Orvus will come as one great force. Thus we must stand strong as one great whole.”
Current time
“How many have shown?” Kilon asked Salvete.
“Three hundred draxes. There were more to come, but we noticed the storm, so we decided to let them go,” Salvete responded.
“Good, we don’t want him to know what we have prepared,” Kilon petted Arhegon, who stood proudly before all the Lightborn and critters they’ve gathered. “Mane looters, regal deers, river wolves. How many are there?”
“If we counted right, me and Mercaara believe there to be around two thousand. But besides the regal deers and river wolves, I don't see how the mane looters are of any help.”
Kilon could read uncertainty from Salvete, a worry she developed for the critters. “If all goes well, we might end this conflict without any of us having stepped out of line. And that relies on them, who infiltrated into our lives since we arrived and whom we owe our lives in some cases,” Kilon stroked the fur of Avunaia, being thankful to Prickety for always being on her back watching over her.
“Your visions though, we know for sure that won’t be the case, don’t we?”
“Nothing is certain sister, not even a moment ahead of us. One action can change the course of what is foreseeable and what is not, that much I learned. So let us not wait in vain for what’s to come.”
A few months prior, after the meeting
The settlement of the Lightborn was a show of lights in the night. Blue, white, orange, yellow, they were moving around hastily, preparing in whatever way they could for what was to come. They didn’t know when Orvus was to come, so not a moment was wasted.
Around Avunaia’s house dozens of Lightborn were learning how to assemble the various mechanisms and trinkets she knew how. Avunaia was, at the same time, developing a potent poison she wanted to use on Orvus. She wasn’t sure if anything would work on him, but through it, she found better ways of destroying their own flesh.
Outside the settlement, by the hundreds, Manna was training those from Kilon’s group better ways and tactics to fight. Those developed by her, Felemous and Orvus too. Anything and everything they had was valuable knowledge worth sharing.
Thanks to the greymatter, those which had weapons coated in it like Manna, were seeing outstanding results. From being able to channel their light through and expelling it with high precision, to giving weight to the strikes when wanted. Bustomus in particular became quite formidable with his arsenal.
Kilon, meanwhile, was making his way to Mercaara. To his surprise, Salvete was there with her, talking and taking care of the mane looters they were now holding in small huts.
Salvete was dressed like those from Kilon’s group, fine strands of silk adorning her shape that was roughened in the Gargantuan Forest. Mercaara was handing Salvete seeds and small plants the mane looters loved to eat, Prickety choosing her food more careful then letting other mane looters feed as well.
“You seem to have taken a liking to our little helpers,” Kilon intruded without them noticing. Salvete smiled at his remark, then seemed to fall into thought. “Manna doesn’t like our critters the way we do,” Kilon said as he looked at Salvete, “or the way you do as well.”
“I have helped Manna and the others to accomplish our common goals. I even did as she wanted me to, all for the purpose of survival,” Salvete scratched Prickety’s beak, something Kilon only saw Avunaia able to do so, “but now our goals-our purposes diverge, except for one that is.”
“I understand,” Kilon roughened her hair as he crouched, “then feel welcome here Salvete. I love you as I love Manna and the others, so for you, just like for them, there is a place in here.”
“Why do you sound as if they’re going to live elsewhere?”
“Because that’s what they want.”
Current time
The storm was approaching from the north. They weren’t sure how Orvus found them, but Kilon assumed that “If he reached the Link and then followed the same path through the Whistling Valley, then it stands to reason he found the rootworm plains and soon followed our trail to the east.”
“Makes sense to me,” Menoel approved, “although, it could also be that he has some way to trace our lights. It’s why we can’t have anyone leave and hide.”
“Precisely, after all, I was able to faintly sense Manna’s and her group’s lights from quite a distance.”
Menoel was deeply frustrated, and Kilon could tell. “Imagine, all that power and knowledge he has, the way we could have reshaped the world together.”
“Or lead our siblings in my stead.”
Menoel chuckled at his remark “You figure I have something in the works don’t you?”
“Would I be wrong?”
“Probably not.”
“Probably, you say,” Kilon looked at the Lightborns. Placed in rows three hundred, five such rows served as the bulk, the infantry of the army. While the rest of them were mounted on river wolves and regal deers, with Menoel leading the river wolves, Kilon the regal deers and Manna the infantry. “Well, whatever it may be, at least it will wait until this is over.”
“Indeed, and if I don’t come back alive, I suppose you have one less worry,” Menoel amused himself.
“You will come back,” Kilon placed his hand on Menoel’s shoulder, “that much I think I can promise.”
“Something you saw in your visions?”
“No,” Kilon said, and Menoel knew he lied.
A month prior
“He called for us today, what do you think it is all about?”
“We haven’t seen Orvus nor have there been any reports as of yet…”
“But?”
“There is a storm, one that doesn’t seem natural coming from the Whistling Valley.”
“You’ve been there?!”
“Last I saw Orvus, he was less than dust. If he learned anything from our fight, it would probably be to not follow us.”
“So he went to recover part of his powers, maybe even convince Affrax to join his side.”
“Meanwhile we have no way to return to the Link, not without sending a considerable force.”
“Then you did well Manna.”
“Now, what do you want from me? I assume the secrecy is there for a reason.”
“It is,” Menoel placed a small contraption on a table between them. They were inside his house, a simple one that only had what was necessary and nothing more.
“Avunaia showed us this thing,” Manna flickered it, and the palm sized thing went flying to the other side of the room. “Pointless I’d say.”
“Precisely,” Menoel agreed, standing down to look Manna in the eyes, “pointless actions that Kilon condones. Not only that, but he wants to explore this world? After everything we-you too have endured?”
“Working behind my brother’s back is not in my nature Menoel,” Manna’s body emanated an irritating glow, one that made Menoel shiver a little.
“I know it isn’t, and I don’t like it either, but what can we do? He gives us little choice.”
“We will leave,” Manna’s words left Menoel staring blank at her. “I have fought, I have bled, I have cried and raged on Menoel. Of all the things I’ve done, the one thing I regret the most is fighting Orvus.” Manna clutched at her chest and made an anguished expression, sparks falling from her eyes, flaming tears those were. “Do not ask me to do the same with Kilon, for my heart can not take any more of it.”
Menoel felt defeated before even trying. “Where will you leave? And how many of you will leave?”
“To the east. We know Kilon wants to explore the world, so only the south remains for him to travel to, perhaps further west as well. As for how many,” Manna looked out a window, “I suppose as many as they want. It’s up to them, something I finally understand quite well.”
Menoel sighed, a saddened smile conjuring on his face. “Very well then, may I come along?” Manna raised an eyebrow. “It’s not what you think, or at least I hope. I just realize me and Kilon will never tolerate each other, not in the way the other wants.”
“I see him keeping you down there made you a bit wiser, Menoel.” Menoel let out a small laugh at her joke.
“Not wiser no, perhaps just gave me a better sense of clarity,” Menoel looked out the window as Manna did, “imposing one’s will upon another’s, it’s easy if you know how. But is it worth it? I’d argue that yes, it is, if Avunaia was still alive. Now though, having lived with the consequences of my greedy way of thinking, I’d argue no. It’s so not worth it Manna.”
“Seems like both of us finally arrived at the conclusion Kilon did a long while back.”
“It would seem so,” Menoel agreed, both grabbing the other’s forearm to hold in agreement. “Then let’s do as he said, and no longer plot against one another.”
“And march as one, for our enemy comes as one relentless force.”
Current time
“It’s time,” Kilon announced. Menoel and Manna took their positions, the Lightborns at the back raised their weapons, the mane looters soared the sky ready to dive. The regal deers started stomping the ground with their hooves as Arhegon did, something Kilon only saw him do when they fought, but never did he think they would follow his lead. The river wolves on the other hand were oddly calm, their ears were pointed up, moving and twitching at the slightest sound, even Menoel felt nervous around them.
‘Even the river wolves, they’re all submitting their will to Kilon in preparation for what’s ahead,’ Manna thought, ‘which means he has gained it: control over nature itself.’
“It is time brothers!” Kilon repeated, this time making sure everyone heard it. “Death wants us! What do you say to that?!”
“NO!!” They all screamed.
“And what shall we do when it breaks our wills, destroys our dreams and shatters our hopes?! Shall we bow before it, plead for mercy and accept our fate?!”
“NO!!!” They announced.
“NO!!!!” Kilon raised his spear, light exploding from within his being, rising to the sky in a blaze of glory. “We kill, we trample over, we destroy and carve our fate!! You hear it Orvus?! Our roar for life! For a future greater than anything this world-our Creator will ever offer!!!”
Every Lightborn, every creature present, they all roared and screamed. Amongst all of it, the words Kilon Tihal were made out. Language wasn’t a barrier, the words resounded through reality itself, so much so not even Orvus couldn’t hear them.
Then, the ground started shaking. The storm approaching the Lightborns started to clear off, and from within, the sight horrified and chilled everyone to the bone. The roars and cries died off fast, the river wolves wanted to back off, while the mane looters and regal deers started acting frantically. Death wasn’t what they were meeting, but eternal damnation, as the corpses of their brethren marched onwards. What disturbed everyone was Orvus himself.
“I hear it Kilon,” Orvus spoke in three different voices, two additional sets of arms, and limbs that were no longer resembling legs but insect members made out his shape. As for his face: four eyes to the front, one set to each side of his head and ears misshapen and covered by skin made him no longer resemble what a Lightborn was supposed to be. “And oh how glorious it is, albeit futile, for I have ascended beyond life and death. I now reside between the realm of immortality and godhood. Can you stop such a being brother? For it’s not death you’re fighting, but life too, as I have power over both.”
Since he fought the clawbear in the Whistling Valley, Kilon never felt fear again, not for himself at least. With Orvus before him though, his hand was trembling. “Brother, what have you become?”
“What you were supposed to be to us brother: a god.” From flesh and bone Orvus manifested a spear of his own, light crystals surrounded him soon after, and with a wave of the spear towards the ground, the earth started to split and rise or crush under their feet. In just a moment, mayhem ensued and the order disrupted. “Now let me save all of you, and share this blissful eternity with all of you.”
“Don’t grow content with your power Orvus,” Orvus started to feel it too, just like Kilon, “if you believe yourself a god, I shall show you power that defies godhood itself.” Fear. “Now bow before your Creator impetuous heretic.” With a raise of his hand, and then letting it go down, Kilon manipulated gravity, forcing Orvus to crush into the ground and leveling the earth back to how it was supposed to be.
“You never disappoint Kilon.”
“Neither do you, Orvus.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1dXvUnvn5o
