The sun was setting in the east. By the hundreds, the Lightborn made their way out of the valley. The mountains went to the left and right, north and south. The air surrounding them, chilling and rich in nature. Unlike that in the Shivering Lands, the winds there had a pleasant cold to it. The kind of breeze you would enjoy in the morning, except it was continuous throughout the day and night. It was something they felt ever since they entered the passage between mountains, though, much more abundant in that open space.
They were all admiring the view. Vast, stretching lands with tall trees, grass, wild plants, small critters. The sounds were everywhere. Chirping of birds, here something jumping, there something running. 'Wild and loud,' Kilon thought to his delightment. These were the signs that life enjoyed itself in the open space, no great creatures to warrant silence.
"Is this what was promised?" Avaanel asked, her walk getting accustomed to the support of the antlers. She looked around, mesmerised by the beauty of these lands.
"Indeed it is," Menoel answered, standing at Kilon's right. His eyes were excited at the possibilities these new lands presented to them. Eharel, standing by Kilon's right, studied the environment for dangers. He was just as excited, yet he didn't want to acknowledge that their problems could be solved with such ease. Kilon understood each of their feelings. Excitement, wonder, fear. Those were things he felt when he first left the Link. His current instance though, wasn't like before. There was no feeling of deep loneliness and longing. It was all there for him. A place where the cold doesn't kill them, a place where wonder was abundant. A home, where they could rest and wonder.
"Eharel," Kilon shifted his sight down upon his brother. "Find the Sweepers, tell them to stop whatever play they're into, and aid us. Tell them I have proper action for them," Eharel switched glances with Kilon, then Menoel who wasn't paying attention to either, and left to find them. "Avaanel," he was looking behind, "take a few brothers and sisters of your choosing, explore the nearby area and test for the plants, critters and anything that has life to it. If something piques your interest, send it back," she snapped back into the moment, realised what Kilon said by thinking a little, then obeyed. "Menoel," he shifted his sight more towards his shoulder, where Menoel almost reached with his head, "test the trees, plants, anything. See which of these living things wishes to grasp at our light, and which wishes to steal it from us.". Menoel shortly glanced at Kilon, acknowledging his task, then stared some more at these lands.
Kilon patted Menoel on his shoulder, then went between the Lightborn, assigning them tasks. From groups to keep watch of their surroundings, to scouts to understand the terrain better. Everything had to get in order, before they could start travelling once more. For he didn't want to settle where they came through. He wanted a place better surrounded by mountains, and towards south, the mountains seemed to curve slightly towards east. It wasn't a guarantee, but if his wisdom was to be trusted, then that could mean those mountains surrounded the south towards east, providing a sheltered place.
The Sweepers made themselves present, but they were gestured to wait. Kilon was looking at the hand of one of his brothers. It held dirt in it, but when Kilon was told to take some and taste it, he felt a strange taste to it. Lightborns liked to taste, smell, feel, hear and see anything that was new. That stood true for the earth beneath them. This proved to be an effective way to understand their environment. So, when Kilon felt the dirt on his tongue, he felt something almost melting on top of it. It was a rough, cutting metal. To their tongues though, because of the light that healed their bodies to the smallest degree, when that metal cut their tongues to a microscopic level, it made their tongues taste something. It was the reaction between the energy of their light, melting the small metal particles into their tongue.
"We're here Kilon," Avunaia stated, losing her patience. "But if you're too busy, we can come bac-".
"Don't test me, Avunaia," Kilon commanded, his voice firm and strong, his back turned to her group. "I heard you formed a group to 'find' things before others.". He shifted gallantly towards them, "Do you care to explain, why would you want that?" his eyes filled with a calm light, too calm.
Avunaia didn't understand where this animosity was coming from. She did make a group to gain more influence and looks of adoration from her siblings, but she didn't think it would matter to him that much. What didn't, and couldn't, come to mind, was the vision which only Kilon and Menoel knew about. It was tormenting him, so anything the least suspicious, would prompt Kilon to take severe, immediate action.
Meriumus saw the growing tension between them, as Avunaia froze in place. He didn't know either why Kilon had this cold, cutting look on him. Thus, he tried in his way to defuse the situation and find the root problem. He approached Kilon from Avunaia's back, to her right. "Brother, if we brought offence, let us discuss which kind. For we don't know the source of your seeming anger," he told Kilon, trying to meet his eyes to use his ability. Kilon wasn't moving his eyes off Avunaia, he wanted an answer from her. Meriumus knew that would be perhaps too hard for her, given that often her mind froze when confronted with problems. Meriumus tried to get in front of her, meet Kilon's eyes in a sly manner, but Kilon simply looked directly in his eyes when he tried to move.
"I know all about your ability, Meriumus," Kilon revealed to Meriumus, then turned his gaze back upon Avunaia. "I know about all your abilities. Which is why I have to wonder, why would you try to put your hands on things before any of us?" his question could be dismissed by Meriumus with ease. Avuanaia, though, portrayed a stance of guilt. She felt as much, given that she thought she did Kilon some sort of wrong.
From behind, the other four Lightborn were watching. Mercaara, Culroon, Hastaia and Tumuurm. Besides Mercaara, the other three were waiting to see the result of their conversation. They thought that Kilon was planning to disband the Sweepers, for they caused some trouble. But they didn't think that Kilon was ready to take more drastic actions, some of which, not even Kilon knew he could take. For Mercaara, it was confusing. Why would Kilon act so harsh towards her? Was this the kind of attitude to keep when Avunaia was distressed? She didn't understand Kilon's actions, but Avunaia didn't deserve to be treated as such.
Kilon kept his gaze focused on Avunaia. He knew there was guilt in her, but also fear. Was he mistaken? He couldn't afford such presumptions. If the Lightborn who stole their lights, was capable of such cruel acts, manipulating their nature to fool him, would be nothing. Some silent moments have passed since his last question. He didn't feel like waiting much longer, before he would ask one last question, then decide what to do. Before he could do that though, he saw Mercaara stepping from behind. She passed by Avunaia's shoulder, used a bit of wind manipulation to make a small jump higher to reach for Kilon's face, and slapped him.
It took him by surprise. He can read someone's intent by the fluctuations in their light, and when he didn't feel any malice from Mercaara when she slapped him, it left him confused. Mercaara herself did it out of a gut feeling, for what her body told her it was right to do. "Stop this brother!" Mercaara cried to Kilon. "We only wanted to enjoy some attention like you always do!" the reasons revealed by her, striking Kilon's mind like a flash. In the torment of his dreams, he forgot how little his siblings knew, how their careless joy didn't bear any malice towards anyone. He forgot that his siblings still had no reason to hate him or others.
Avunaia didn't know how to react to Mercaara's action. She felt happy that Kilon finally changed that cruel look in his eyes, to one that showed glimpses of emotion. "It is as she says, brother," Avunaia told Kilon, her senses brought back together. "All I wanted was to get their attention, like you do," her eyes were looking down, thinking that somehow that was wrong given his reaction. "But I will no longer warrant attention, not if it makes you angry.".
Kilon looked around, saw the faces of his scared siblings. Saw Mercaara tearing up from her burst of emotion and Avunaia looking down, sorry for an action she didn't have to be about. He felt guilt grasping at his heart. He realised what fear the vision intruded in his mind, making him doubt those with whom he's been since birth. It wasn't fair to act with such ill thoughts, when there was no signs that his vision approached them. He looked at Avunaia, saw how his words and actions could upset his siblings, make them think less of themselves. 'Am I the cause of the vision?' he had to ask himself. He couldn't allow it, thus, he couldn't allow himself to grow suspicious of those around him. He placed his hand on Avunaia's left shoulder, she expected words of contempt, Mercaara preparing herself for it.
"I'm sorry sister," Kilon's words were simple, yet enough. Avunaia looked at his face, puzzled, and saw for a few brief moments sorrow and pain. She didn't know the thoughts that were consuming him, but she knew he spoke true to his words. "There are things which I cannot tell, so I ho-"
Avunaia slapped Kilon across the other cheek. "Don't scare me like that!" she yelled at him. The others sighed in relief, seeing as she took his apology to heart. She tried to hit his face some more, but he simply straightened himself, pushed her with an arm away. "Hmph. If that's all, I will take the Sweepers and go back to what we were doing," she told him with annoyance, yet with some relief in her voice, turning towards her group.
"Well, there is something I would like for you, the Sweepers, to do for me," Kilon told her. She turned her neck slightly, intrigued by what his request may be.
Avunaia wanted to speak her mind some more before accepting it, but Meriumus stood between them, knowing her too well. "What can we help with?" he was also intrigued by this.
"By now, it is apparent that no land to where we travelled lacked any sort of challenge," Kilon started to make a point before explaining the task. "Whether that's storms, powerful winds or otherwise, there is always one recurring issue," he leaned forward a bit, as if for others to not hear. "Predators," his words sending shivers to everyone present. Memories of clawbears and rootworms haunting some of them. "Meaning that in different lands, different predators lay in wait. And amongst them, there usually stands one above all. The apex predator," he clutched at his right arm, old, barely visible scars present from the battle with the beast.
"You want us to... hunt the apex predator of these lands?" Meriumus asked, trembling a little. He didn't like fighting a whole lot. He didn't even carry any weapons with him.
"We accept then," Avunaia stepped next to Meriumus, pushing him slightly. "It's the thing we're best at," her pride shining through a little. "But we want-" before she could continue, Kilon put his hand forward, telling her to wait.
"I don't want you to kill them," Kilon's clarification leaves them more confused. "I want you to tame them," his request sounded ludicrous.
"Tame them?!" Avunaia protested. "If it were as easy as you ask for it, then we would be riding on clawbears by now!" her reason simple and clear.
"That is true, so why are not riding clawbears right now?" Kilon asked her, feeling preposterous to her, his question seemed to answer itself.
"Because they can tear your flesh with but a touch? Or because they can munch you to the bone in moments? You know these things, it's obvious why we didn't tame them," Avunaia didn't realise how he was leading her to the answer.
"Then, if those are issues which prevent us from taming them, how do we deal with them?" Kilon was trying to make her see new ways of approaching it. For if they wanted to live here, they couldn't afford to keep losing their own, for they were only so many, and no more to be.
Avunaia was getting impatient with these questions, she felt played for a fool. Before she could answer though, Meriumus, deep in thought, came with a possible solution. But, Mercaara was one step ahead, "Remove them," her answer simple and to the point. Avunaia looked confused. Why did they play into Kilon's joke? Was it a joke?
"I would suggest, further," Meriumus intruded with his own thoughts, "to capture them, remove the issues and then make them reliant on us," his words complementing those of Mecaara. Avunaia finally understood where Kilon was going with his idea.
"Good, start thinking like that," Kilon praised his siblings, happy smiles on their faces. Avunaia felt left out, Kilon noticed that. He took her hand, brought her closer, as the other Sweepers started to think of ways to capture creatures depending on their size, weight and so on. "Do you see them, sister?" Kilon asked Avunaia. "Do you see how their minds start to work together, if you just nudge them in the right direction?"
Avunaia looked at them, a feeling of excitement and happiness covering her heart. She wanted to do that, inspire them. "I see..." she realised. Kilon wanted to build more leaders, prepare them some more, for the home he wanted to build, mustn't be reliant on a singular pillar, him. He wanted to teach her that the ambitions of one alone can hardly be accomplished, but with the help of many, they can be brought to fruition.
"Good. Learn and adapt. You can inspire others, Avunaia, that I trust," her eyes met Kilon's, a gentle look on them. "You just have to find the right path, and that, I can show you for as long as I'm here," those words flaming her own ambition.
"Kilon!" their moment was broken by Fanteem, the Lightborn who first found a sharp flower. Fanteem and other Lightborn were sent scouting, as they were really good at wind manipulation, enabling them to cover large distances in short periods of time. "We found something!", the announcement making waves of whispers and talk amongst the Lightborn.
"What is it brother?" Kilon cried back to him, seeing eyes glimmering with jubilation. Fanteem let himself down, stumbling a bit, Kilon catching him in his arms. He was giggling and couldn't stop. "It must be something great, if you return with such happiness for us," Kilon smiled at him, glad to see his siblings enjoying these lands.
"You won't believe it brother! Water that walks!" Fanteem's words amused everyone. "You laugh now, but wait until you see it!".
"Water cannot walk dummy!" a Lightborn spoke as they giggled. "Everyone knows that it moves as the Creator wills it," another added.
"There is more!" Fanteem jested, "It tastes like rain too!". The Lightborn were starting to laugh at this. It went against everything they knew about water, since all they tasted and saw were the waters of the sea and those of the storms. To them, a river was something that didn't make sense.
From south, Avaanel hurried on with wind below her. Behind her, there were three Lightborn carrying another with their wind manipulation. She saw them gathered and laughing, so she screamed as loud as possible "Help us!". Kilon switched his attention instantly, seeing trouble closing up. He was the first to rush forward to her aid, after which, many more started to run.
"What happened?" Kilon asked her as they met. Avaanel stopped for a moment for him to catch up, then both rushed towards the injured Lightborn, called Leiasa.
"We were exploring a portion of the forest, next to the walking water," Avaanel told him, "when she dropped to the ground, screaming in pain. This was in front of her, the only odd thing amidst all of it," she showed him wrapped in skin, a plant without roots. It looked like vines, except it twitched and moved spontaneously. "A part of it was in her arm, moving behind her skin. We believe," they met with the other Lightborn, letting Leiasa down. "We believe that a portion of the plant is still inside, this is what we think she pulled out by herself," Kilon listened to Avaanel as he looked at Leiasa's arm. "The pain is too much, so she can't speak.".
"I might need to cut her arm off, so I'll need you to hold her down," Kilon ordered Avaanel. She complied, holding her by the left shoulder and pressing against her legs. The others couldn't stand around to watch, backing away some more. Kilon, then, extended light from his fingertips. He sent it to search inside the hole which the plant produced in Leiasa's arm. He felt it, the foreign life. He made his light small enough to enter through the plant, and make way. He could feel each part of the plant, much like he did back then with the tree. It was spreading fast, consuming the light within Leiasa at an alarming rate, trying to snatch onto his own as well. 'Terrifying life,' he thought. Then, when he was almost ready to cut off her arm, he felt the tip of the plant. He reached every part of it. And so, with a blast of light from within her arm, he scorched the plant from the inside. His precision was immaculate, only slightly damaging the bone that the plant latched onto and climbed.
Kilon took his arm slowly away, let the light he manipulated from within, rest inside Leiasa's arm, she needed it more. Leiasa fainted from the pain, but was no longer struggling. Avaanel relaxed, standing by the side of Leiasa. Some Lightborn took her further from where they were, to take care of her. "It happened really fast," Avaanel told Kilon, who was in deep thought. "There is no other danger," she tried to reassure him. "We were being a bit careless, and she didn't abide by my rules. 'Ask before you touch'," Kilon figured as much. He was thinking of the aggressive nature of this plant. And if there was one, there were more. Kilon tried to figure out what kind of environment creates such aggressive life. For there must be reason as to why they grow as such.
"Find the Sweepers, I need to talk with them," Kilon ordered Avaanel. "Tell them that there is a change of plans," Avaanel listened to him, she could see he was thinking of new ways to tackle this environment. 'Here I thought life is good, o' Creator,' Kilon thought, lifting himself up, opening his arms to the sky. 'Yet again, my beliefs are denied. Foolish of me to think that beyond the Light, there lies hope. Foolish of me to think that where there is life, there is hope. Foolish of me to believe that this... is a home. All there is to this world, is a challenge we must overcome,' he started to smile, a small laugh erupting in silence. The Sweepers arrived with Avaanel, saw him with his arms spread to the sky and laughing in silence. He turned towards them, his laugh, his smile, showing off someone who found a new kind of determination. "Fine by me, Creator! The challenge of being alive! What a joy!" Kilon proclaimed. The others were standing in awe of him. Once more, he grew in ways others couldn't hope to. For a bit of madness was needed.195Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvEVCk8Srvb
