“In the far west, we are told the Dragon Lords live. If you are to become something more than a farmer, go and see them, the mightiest beasts there are,” the words of his father, as they gaze upon the stars. A boy with rationale beyond that of his age, finds himself riding the large beasts in a place which doesn’t exist.
“You and your brother, are you two alone?” the man asked Amel. Ame still didn’t know what to think. On one hand, his light wasn’t wavering and was coursing really fluid, a good indicator that he wasn’t lying. But at the same time, he knew better than to think that something cannot be done or outside the realm of possibility. So, a Master of Light which could manipulate his own light in such a way that he couldn’t tell he was lying, was something that wasn’t outside the realm of possibility. The man saw his gazing eyes, staring at a place behind him. “That’s right, you’re young and obviously talented, so you must see it, right?” he pointed directly at the weave of his light. “I can see yours too,” Amel didn’t flinch or change his gaze, kept staring at this man who was more skilled than he would’ve liked.
“What is your purpose?” Amel found within himself to ask. The flames produced flickers of light here and there, where shadows would gather and his constructs would wait in wait, those which he called after.
“You mean besides warming myself up?” his smile showed once more. Perfect teeth, and a scar adorned face. When he saw that the kid wasn’t amused, he changed his smile in a neutral way. “I’m here looking for something, from Thranes.”. ‘Thranes,’ Amel thought. The requests for soldiers and such were coming from that place. It was the military capital of this country, where the best warriors and most soldiers were at. He knew these things from what people talked around. If it was true or not, it wasn't up to him to know.
“What is it that you’re looking for,” the words were concise and short. The man noticed that the boy wasn’t willing to give up much of anything from his side, and would further want to know more before he would sure the least bit of trust.
He didn’t want to scare the child or alienate him from the get-go, his reasons for him being in Tainas, and before the child, were aligning in his head perfectly, so he couldn’t afford to lose his step. So, in a casual manner, he chose to stand down, the constructs still trying to harm him by twisting his limbs and neck, however, the muscles of this man alone, would impede them from accomplishing their goal. Once they saw that their efforts were futile, and that Amel was in fact safe, they ceased their struggles, stepping a bit behind him and watching through holes instead of eyes.
“Did you tell them to-nevermind that, I know they chose of their own accord. I can sense the light, it wavers for the decisions which they make,” the man grew more fascinated by the boy and his creations the more he had time to analyse both. He scratched a rough beard, probably not shaven in a couple of months at least. His leather gloves made a crisp sound against his beard, while the clothes he wear, were finely placing themselves and showing his large muscles. “Tell me boy, how has life been to you?” his question threw Amel off guard.
Amel expected further inquiry about the constructs or why he was hiding or who his parents were. The casual tone and attitude the man has taken, suggested that the man was more interested in him, rather than all other things around him. His mind was able to pick these small cues and make sense of them. Once he assembled the supposed purpose and intent of the man, his mind came up with a response. “Rough, as I figure it was for you too,” he was responding with an underlying question, adopting the casual tone of the man.
“Aren’t you something? Taking after me and even being so daring and brazen, goo thing little man, you’re going to get far like that,” the main leaned to his right as he pointed with that finger towards him, looking Amel from the side and measuring him once again. “I guess there is no point in playing games with you, so I’ll answer a question of yours, if you answer one of mine. How about that?”.
Amel once again read the mood and intent of the man. He felt that the man was looking for something which he had, information, and to get it, he proposed an exchange that was looking more like a trade. For anyone else to be talking to this man, would be considered a golden opportunity. The cast knowledge and skills he possessed, were things many would pay a lot of coin and resources to gather. But Amel wasn’t one of these people, and he knew that what he had, was more than what the man could offer to him, in terms of information at least. It was a bad way to look at it, if you didn’t know how much value each placed on the other’s information. And while Amel could maybe get out of the hunger and cold by offering the man what he wanted, in his mind, the glint on this man’s eyes, looking for something which he had, was placing value far beyond food and warmth, which Amel wanted. Thus, to him, it didn’t seem like a fair exchange.
“I will ask you two things, and I will answer one,” he bargained for the price. The man was once again struck by the boy’s words. ‘Bargaining, when he’s the one caught lacking? Heh, what a daring boy, if only he was ten years older, I could’ve trained him into something else,’ the man thought. “Is it a deal, or not?” Amel asked.
The man placed a broad smile on his face, and said “That’s one question, boy,” looking for signs of frustration from Amel as he said that.
“Much like your prior one,” Amel argued back. The man realised it in the momen the irony, so he laughed out loud, Femel grumbling in his sleep, unperturbed by the talk. “So, for my second one, to reflect back on what I said, what sort of man are you?”. The question had multiple answers.
From a practical standpoint, the man could offer himself one of the many attributes he had gathered, but that wasn’t what interested the boy, he could tell. He could also say what sorts of thing people expected from him, painting him in a good light and maybe that’s what the boy wanted. But what his gut was telling him, and could see it in the light of the boy too, is that “I’m a good man,” a simple, straight answer. For the boy to be able to relax.
Amel watched the light of the man. The man was confident in his answer, sure of it, and still, something was peculiar about his light. Some undertone, waver so small, you could say is the illusion casted by the light of the flames. Amel wasn’t sure what this man was, but good is not something he truly believed himself to be. There was something he is purposed or has to do, and that will make him less good, he could tell. “Your question,” Amel responded back.
“Ah, very well,” he pondered a bit, wanting to make the best out of his deal with they boy. So, he asked “Why are you here?”. To the man, that would open up certain paths to ask further questions. He didn’t know if he was from around or not, there was an underlying assumption that Amel, based on some prior preconception this man had, wasn’t supposed to be here. It wasn’t something that escaped Amel’s thoughtful mind.
“Shelter, food… money,” he faked the last one. He wanted to look like the desperate child he was to this man. The man didn’t buy it, he could tell, those older eyes, they saw countless faces and have seen many things. Amel’s attempt at fooling him, even though good for his age, was nothing more than a simple puzzle for the man to decipher.
“When I give you my honest answer, I’m expecting you to do the same. Didn’t your father teach that?” the sudden aggressiveness seemed misplaced. But the man was trying to breach the price for the exchange, and get something more from Amel.
With a cold stare, which made the man’s heart stutter for a moment, Amel said “He didn’t have the time, now I will ask you four things.”. The man would find himself defeated time and time again in the battle of wits between theme. He wanted to make the child act more like one, so he could take advantage of it. But there were no cinches in his mind’s armour, and while he had stronger, more effective methods, the man became unsure of his own skills. “Where are you from? What are you looking for? Who is your father? Who bestowed the purpose upon you?” the last one froze the man. ‘Could he tell? That should be next to impossible, but given the strange nature of this child, I can’t hope but feel he did see past me,” the man thought.
“The capital city Thranes, I’m looking for mighty warriors and skilled individuals, such as yourself, my father is Hran the Mighty, and he told me to find those like you,” a fully honest response. Amel would expect nothing less from someone bearing such a strong light. “I hope that suffices your curiosity,” the man felt defeated. He had to place it all in front of this boy he could break with a simple blow.
Amel finally felt like he understood the picture. ‘The king is looking for capable people, and by this man’s words, I fit the criteria,’ he thought. ‘Are there more like me? Will me and my brother be safe if I go with-no. It is the reason we fled afterall, Mou,’ thinking of his name brought a frown upon his face, which the man noticed. It disappeared quickly after, as if his muscles were operated individually. “Your question,” he almost commanded. The man felt a fire burning inside of him. The spirit which told him to fight, was burning to try see how far this boy could go against him. Could he beat him without using his light? Or would that not even be enough? Are these his strongest constructs, or could he have larger, sturdier ones around? The questions filled his mind and made his light flutter in the least. Amel noticed the excitement the man was getting from getting provoked by his words, but wasn’t willing to test his might against this might. Fighting wasn’t something he liked, and none of his constructs could probably do anything against this man. Maybe just Og and Olm, but they would cause a large scene if he brought them there.
“Will you join me?” he asked the boy. Amel expected as much, the scope of this man no longer a secret. “You and your brother,” Amel knew he wasn’t looking for his brother, yet was willing to help them both, if it meant he would follow. “In Thranes, we’ll provide your brother with all he needs and more. He will not hunger, he will not be cold and will have plenty of opportunities to grow into a fine, reliable man,” his words were true to the full extent. Amel knew these things would be his and his brother’s to have, the person in front of him, under the direct command of Hran.
“What is your name? What do you wish to accomplish?” Amel kept pushing the conversation further. The man felt as if he was approaching a conclusion, seeing as Amel was being thoughtful of his words, and given his offer, it would be surprising if he declined.
“Hran, Hran Thranes. I wish to bring our country back to its former glory and slay the Foolish King and his armies,” Amel saw the fire in this man’s eyes, the goals which he had, aligning with his. ‘What more could I ask for?’ Amel thought, while a portion of his mind was searching for all the bad outcomes. Then, in a flash, it hit his mind once again, Mou’s orders.
“Mou,” he spoke the name aloud, Hran placing a face of worry upon himself. He was already assuming what the kid was thinking. Much like everyone, he knew all about Mou’s concept of ‘forgiveness’ for crimes. And given the state of these two kids, he could tell they weren’t living all that badly, and without parents nonetheless. Looking around, he could see that the constructs were built in a special manner, so that they could snatch or grab things. ‘Thief’ he thought. “He said that, both thieves and criminals, are to be punished by death, did he not?” a third question, which Hran didn’t feel like answering.
It wasn’t that he would hold a grudge or even blame the kid for what he did, many adults older than him, would’ve used those constructs to cause much more mayhem and disaster. The fact that the kid was only stealing some food in order to survive, was an absolute necessity. However, that wouldn’t change Mou’s strict view on stealing and killing. Even if it meant your death, you were not meant to steal or kill, which is why anyone doing so, would be punished by death, since others were prepared not to do any of those with their lives, so why should these others be exempt, child or not? It was a logic which Hran didn’t like, but had to accept, while he could tell that Amel was not only of a similar opinion, but also despised it.
“We can make it work out, if I talk with him. I will convince Hran to do as well, and you can get out of this hell, kid,” he told Amel, even though he could tell that the boy wasn’t willing to hear him out anymore than he did already. Hran was willing to protect both of them from Mou, even if it meant his death. ‘He’s only what, three, four, maybe five at most? And he took care of his infant brother, is that to be punished by death?!’ he felt enraged inside all of a sudden. The more he thought about it, the greater the rage that was building. Amel could tell there was inner turmoil. He couldn’t tell whether it was due to the man thinking on his response, or if the man was tormented by the thought of having to deal with the criminal he was himself, since he was basically royalty.
“Don’t think about it,” Amel told the man, who was looking down in a struggle, then up upon his words. “The Apostle, Umshaow, after it eviscerated my mom and father before me, I entrapped the piece of it that was going to kill me and my brother,” his words made the man tense up all of a sudden. He was confident he could take a few of those pieces, or umbral matters, down and keep them busy. Entrapping them though? ‘Maybe I can’t actually fight this kid,’ he started to reanalyse his options. He knew that what Amel showed before him, was merely a fraction of his power, but he didn’t understand yet how small it was. And once he was made aware of not even his current capacity, but the past one from a few months ago, Hran felt defeated for the second time, both on the mental and physical front.
“I wasn’t going to try and harm you,” the man confessed. “I was at war with Mou’s philosophy,” he lifted himself up, the constructs behind him ready to assault him and pin him down, even though it wasn’t possible for them. He looked around at the constructs once more, the creations of a kid, able to think and act of their own accord, ‘what greater thing there is, if not the act of creation? The act… of a god,’ Hran thought to himself. “Very well, bo-little man,” he started to adjust his tone more accordingly before this odd existence. “You’re not one to swindle with ease, so I will make a proposal before you,” Hran started to gather his things as he talked. Then, he dropped to a knee, still looked the boy from above due to his tall body. “I will talk with Mou, and if I succeed in convincing him, I want you and me to become friends, what do you say?” he pushed his hand forward, ready to shake the small one of a boy that couldn’t come up to his knee while standing.
Amel felt no ill intent, the offer beneficial for him from all aspects. While he didn’t believe Mou would switch his mind, the thought of having a friend after spending so long with the silent brother of his, who could only manage a few words, excited him. While Hran wasn’t a perfect human, nor was he, and unlike most others, he had that smile, which wasn’t fake or forced to make him feel better. It was a gentle smile, showing him a certain kind of affection which he almost forgot. So, he extended his hand, a childish excitement overcoming him, and for the first time in some time, he showed his true emotions to someone else. The man would be once more at a loss of words, reaction or anything, standing dumbfounded. The genuine pain and happiness this child was showing before him with closed, smiling and crying eyes, was something which made him want to cry as well. But he couldn’t show it to him, he already felt a deep sorrow and pain for these two boys, especially for Amel who had to witness and endure all of these things, while growing stronger in order to stay alive.
He took his small hand with only his fingers, shook it gently. He wanted to hug the boy and bring him back in Thranes. Offer him what he did to his sons and daughters, more than half of them dead after the calamity. He couldn’t, that wasn’t his duty and this boy wasn’t one he could care for, he was going too fast to see him walk. “Just one last question though,” he had a smirk on his face, Amel liked that, much like his father’s. “What is your name young Child of Light?” Amel thought that he was just being playful by naming him like that, but the name which he attributed, was that which some Lightborn bore, as a sign of their great enlightenment.
“Amel, Amel Stoneborn, and that’s my brother,” he pointed behind him, a bond of trust forming between these two beings. “Femel Stoneborn, remember our names, Hran Thranes,” he reciprocated the smirk with one of his own. It looked awkward in this child’s face, but were he sixteen years older, it would fit him just fine.
“I will, Amel and Femel, I will write them down in the core of my mind and soul, so I don’t forget them,” and so Hran did, the light shifting inside of him, connecting slightly with that of Amel and forming a bond, through which he imprinted the name of the boy in his soul and mind. “Engraved for eternity, I shall not forget our forged friendship, o Child of Light,” he repeated the nickname to Amel, which he didn’t really like, but accepted it as a gift from a new friend.
Hran would stand up once more, hitting the wooden beams with his head and laughing awkwardly at it. Amel would giggle slightly, which made it as another surprise for Hran. Then, with his things on his back and ready to leave, Hran hurried outside, willing to convince Mou as fast as possible, so he could end the suffering of these two young boys, and help their race move forward. When he got outside, by the door, there was a greatsword, sheathed in a black skin scabbard. The sword was longer than his height, and two constructs around half his size, were trying to take it all along form there and bring it to Amel later on.
“Don’t bother, even if you had my muscles, you would barely be able to make it flinch from its place,” and true to his word, Hran couldn’t take up the sword, not until he infused his body with a bit of light, a practice ancient to the Lightborns and rarely practised by humans. With a smooth motion, he lifted both the sword and the constructs that were holding onto it. They let go once they saw themselves powerless against this man’s might. “Good little things, go inside, your master might need you,” they looked at one another, at the man again, who patted them on the head, and went inside the house. “Now, let’s see what that old fool thinks of this,” he placed his large sword on his back, diagonally below his furs, and started to make it at a steady pace through a storm that was enveloping the city.
Inside the house, Amel would wait until the man could no longer be seen by a couple of his constructs that were watching from other empty houses the man leaving. After that, he brought down Femel from the closet, placed him gently on the floor next to the chimney, where the fire was still crackling. Two constructs, besides those sent inside by Hra, arrived with wood from nearby houses. He placed more wood on the fire, watched the flames dance as he listened for the howling winds outside. “A friend,” he placed a hand on top of Femel’s sleepy head, “we made a friend brother,” then, slowly, he let himself sleep.
The morning came by, Amel was still sleepy, his stomach wouldn’t allow him to laze around. However, the storm which started that night, kep going throughout the morning as well, so he couldn’t get outside and steal some food. He could send his constructs to scour around, but he was afraid the winds might sweep them up and make them end up somewhere, where someone could discover them. He didn’t know what to do, and Femel woke up also, so it was going to get noisy as his brother would demand food. However, once Femel woke up, he started glaring at one of the rooms on the left. Amel would let him wander around the house, they wouldn’t be having much to do given the storm outside. To his surprise, he heard the rummaging of stuff in the room Femel went. There, a bag filled with bread, meat and some smoked fish was. Those were the supplies of Hran, he left them there for the kids.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
After enjoying the meal their friend left, Amel would concentrate on a coin of silver he had in his pocket. Silver was a tricky metal to work with, but he was getting there at a steady pace. He could already infuse copper and some soft metals with his light, silver would be his next step before he would attempt gold. While it proved difficult, the main issue he had so far, was the lack of time. As he had more time, he would progress more efficiently. And by the time noon came and the storm settled, he made a breakthrough. The coin was able to flip on itself. Amel liked that, so he didn’t change the aspect or retracted the light, and let the coin flip itself at times, catching it awkwardly in a little game he was starting with his hand.
He left the house filled with constructs, to protect Femel and entertain him while he was gone. He was thinking of placing Og near the city, although that would probably get some suspicious eyes upon Og. He decided not to, as the constructs present were over a month old, and had plenty of experience to deal with thugs and the like. What he had to worry more, was the next house he had to find. It was fine to spend a night or two inside a house, but try any longer than that, and people would start to think there is something to steal from there, someone is living in there afertall. So, with that in mind, and not having to worry about food for about two weeks, he started to once more look out for a house.
During his search, he found two possibly good ones. He would send the constructs during the night, check them out, kick whatever wild or human life was in there and then move the following day. One was on the other side of the city, while the other was nearby. He noticed that some more people were coming from north, where Amouldes was. Making a fair assumption by the looks of their clothes and in their eyes, they weren’t people coming to sightsee or repopulate the city. They were thieves and criminals, people to avoid.
Once night started to settle, and the cold became a bit too much for him, he retreated inside the house, where Femel was troubling a couple constructs. While he built them of sturdier wood and ensured to be able to withstand higher forces, Amel felt as if there was no resistance great enough to endure Femel’s retribution. He was too tired to deal with his brother though. While he had the mind of a wise adult, he still had the boyd of a child. So he made the fire, as he saw Hran make it. It took him a few attempts, but once he got the hang of it, the fire made lit up and the smoke went up the chimney.
That night Amel would remain vigilant. It was the second day they would stay there, and some people were probably getting funny thoughts. He placed some constructs around the house that were pretending to be inanimate objects, so he could catch sleep. From one hour to another, the constructs would wake him up with flows of information, as they would spot people walking late at night from one place to another, and looking interested in the house producing smoke. The night would go uneventful, while Amel was ready to take off from there and move to one of the two houses. The constructs which he sent, found a bunch of people inside the house near them, part of those were people which came recently, having their pockets filled with gems and coin. It was enough for Amel to know it wouldn’t be a good idea to bother with them, so he went with the other house, at the edge of the city, where only one wild animal occupied it. It wasn’t to his liking, as the house was mainly made of stone and had spacious rooms. If he wanted to hide, that house would prove troublesome.
Even so, Amel went about his day, letting the constructs prepare that house for him and Femel. He made a new construct specifically so it would make fires for them. So, by the time he would arrive, the house would be nice and warm. He also made Og circle around the city from where it was, as the house of stone was close to the exit, and a bunch of large stones were in the nearby forest, so Og could fit seemingly.
Amel had a bit of a rough day gathering food. The usual vendors locked themselves inside their houses during winter, so only more stern or rough ones were up for business, and the people buying from them, sharper and more attentive to the surroundings. Even so, the food left by Hran would last them a while longer, so while it would be rough for some time, he had some leisure to work with. As the sun was approaching the low horizon on the east. The constructs sent him the information, that the house was prepared, as he was heading for the current house, to pick Femel and move him.
But, not being careful where he was looking, he bumped into a large, scrawny man. He was looking as if he had been through some stuff, and his clothes stenched of booze and blood. “Watch wer you goin’ kiddo,” he seemed surprisingly approachable, until Amel saw the knives at his belt. He held one of his hands near it, as he extended the other, he knew the man would probably try to rob him there, or worse, grab him and kill him elsewhere, his flesh being a valuable resource for these types. In the past months, he had dealt with a bunch of people like this, so he took the hand. As expected, he was being pulled towards the man’s chest quickly, he was watching his light to predict the man’s movements. But when he expected the man to pull out the knife and threaten him, he just helped Amel back to his feet. He patted him up and down, then on the back, and said “Ther’ you go kiddo, back to yer parents,” he understood the deeper game of this one. It wasn’t about his meat or belongings, but the potential of stealing from someone with more stuff than him.
It wasn’t a bad tactic this man, had, Femel even found himself slightly impressed by this one. ‘Too bad there won’t be anything where you’ll follow me,’ he thought. He smiled at the man like a child does, and ran away, noticing the two pieces of meat the man stole from him, while laughing at his own catch of two coin purses. The exchange of two thieves.
Once he was back home, Femel would once again torture his creations, already breaking a few of them, pulling out their limbs and beating them with those. Amel would feel a bit disturbed, as he looked at his constructs as pets, since Om however, he wouldn’t place more than surface level feelings for them, so that what occurred could not happen again. After he patched the broken constructs, he placed Femel on his back, held by a cloth which he tied with two knots at the shoulder and chest. Femel was growing heavier and larger. It wasn’t something Amel’s small body liked, as he could barely carry him as he was. Thankfully, Femel was showing good progress in walking. He seemed to have the muscles and bone for it, just not the proper coordination required to make the first steps. He thought of making some special constructs to aid his walk, but thought that learning naturally is for the best, and that would hold true in the future.
Once night started to settle some more, Amel would let out some of the constructs first, watching his surroundings for him, then they would assure the way towards the other side of the city. Night was a perilous place for two young boys to travel within, there wasn’t another choice however. During the day, more people were walking the streets, which meant it was harder to know which ones were dangerous and which weren’t. At night, he knew only dangerous people would walk. He looked to his right, then left, even though his constructs were continuously surveilling the area, it was just his good habit developed from much practice. He then took a step outside the house, Femel not making a noise out of habit.
Amel took the road around the edges of the city. If someone was going to approach him or come from somewhere his constructs couldn’t see, Olm would be on the standby, ready to stomp whoever would be trying to bring harm upon them. Slowly, but surely, Amel made his way to the other side of the city, crawling between the stone and wood buildings all around. Half of these buildings have been erected by Mou some time in the past, while the other half by the growing population of Tainas. Empty house here and there, a dimly lit other in some other place.
The shadows move constantly, and Femel was paying attention to his surroundings better than Amel could hope to. His brother’s eyes were sharper and could see further away, he found that when he could spot a rabbit from a couple hundred metres. He didn’t know if that was due to him still being that young and captivated by hir surroundings, or because of his inability to produce light, thus his body being different. But whatever it was, it started to show itself as a great help when moving or trying to do anything. His instincts on staying silent while travelling and in situations where it was required, made Amel’s work much easier. Then, with a point of his finger, Femel would show Amel a figure moving somewhere behind them. He sent the information to Olm, who stood hidden between some tall trees, yet dwarfing them. The figure would then go in an opposite way, and leave them be. He sent the information to Olm, and kept on moving.
They finally arrived at their house. The glow of the fire could be seen through wood patched windows. The constructs inside prepared their place, with various furs, stolen and found, serving as the beds. Once inside, the warmth hit their cold faces, making them feel better already. The constructs behind them, closed the door as Amel put Femel down, and went around the city, doing their nightly surveillance and keeping a few around the house in case of anything. While the stone was cold, the furs which the constructs have laid, were warm to the touch, especially near the fireplace that was well prepared. Amel felt comfortable, which was all that mattered to him, and Femel was already tumbling in the furs and making himself comfortable before sleeping. Amel would keep a construct in each of the six rooms that made up the house, and just as many around the house, posing as inanimate objects.
After the long day, and dangerous road here, Amel found himself closing his eyes involuntarily, the stress built up inside, released and making way for his brain to relax. He felt good, next to the fire and his brother moving around in his sleep. The constructs were watching over both brothers, their hollow eyes giving Amel a sense of eerie security, it was those eyes which kept him safe so far, and will keep doing so for who knows how long. Before his mind could follow his eyes into sleep, he thought of the first winter he could remember. This was his fourth, meaning he will be four years of age not too long from that point on. Only four winters did this boy live, and had to make sense of the world like an adult does once they leave their home. It was something he regretted, that he couldn’t leave his home out of his own accord, but out of necessity. Stuck in a place foreign to him, where danger lurked at every corner, he couldn’t let go of the light enhancing his mind. Even in his sleep, his mind was at work, thinking of possible scenarios and how to deal with them. This intricate way of living, was slowly trickling into his constructs as well, who kept getting more specific with each modification and rewriting of their inner light.
Finally, silence befell his mind, at least for what he was aware, since in his dreams, the scenarios which his mind would produce, would show up and let him deal with them. It wasn’t something he had control over and only thought that these were weird, specific dreams of his. Without realising that due to the special nature of his light, it started to affect his mind much like it did the constructs. Finding ways to optimise and accomplish its task, was the way this light has been trained, and that’s how it would train his mind, to find the most optimal way to protect Femel and ensure both their survival. While it was a damaging aspect of his ability, it was also what was keeping both these brothers alive and getting them out of tough situations, where uncertainty was at every other step.
Another dream ensued that night, Amel could tell apart each dream he had, up to fifty would occur during his sleep, and each of them would tackle specific, different scenarios. Were there to be rootworms that travelled by accident in to Tainas, then he would solve it by having Olm and Og distract them, as he and his constructs ran away. This would play out, and the next dream would come up. Amel didn’t feel like he was dreaming, rather, it was as if he was worked by his mind, but he thought something like that is impossible. Him and the mind, are one and the same things. But enhanced by the light, patterns, thoughts and feelings would get imprinted on a side of his mind that would gain its own rationale. Another ten dreams went by, then, information, flowing through and manifesting itself as visions. There was a group of people, heading for his house. The constructs outside engaged with them, they got destroyed.
The mind wouldn’t let him wake up, there were more dreams for him to solve before it would let him wake back up to reality. Amel didn’t care for dreams, he wanted to wake up, and tried to do so forcefully. Didn’t work, the place of the mind where dreams took place, was controlled by the light which engulfed his mind, so he didn’t have a way of escape once he was inside that place, it would be up to the light to let him go. He couldn’t think of any solution, feeling trapped inside his own head. So, he obeyed the mind and solved all the dreams. He did so in a haste but with accuracy. The mind was satisfied, let him go. Amel would remember this issue as he woke up.
He heard the door, they were trying to get inside. The constructs outside, all got destroyed, these people had weapons. The constructs inside had the extremities modified with stones, some sharper, some duller and larger. They were a last measure, in case someone got inside and had to fight them, he would be ready to kill them. Amel sent the information to Olm and Og, they were heading each from their direction towards them. The constructs and Amel would only have to buy them enough time to get there. However, that would prove troublesome, as the group of people got inside, the cold winds howling and entering the house, making the fire dimmer. Femel woke up, only one eye open, his instincts kicking in, and knowing it would be better if he played dead. It wasn’t something out of intelligence, but an animal-like instinct. Amel had no choice, but confront them. So, he closed his eyes, and while dangerous, let the light infuse his mind as strongly as it could.
Over the course of thousands of years since humans emerged from the Lightborn, there were only a few occurrences, beyond the First Six, where humans would be seen with a trait these beings of light possessed, the bright, glowing and sparkling eyes. Amel, once he opened his eyes, the light inside his mind, was hardly contained, thus, it started to expulse itself out of his eyes. This was a trait which only few amongst even the Masters of Light would gain, and to have it at such a young age, it was very telling of his boundless potential.
One of the people walked up, slowly and carefully. Like a wolf approaching its prey. They were all covered in many layers of cloth, a bunch covering their faces and hiding weapons in unknown places. The one who stepped up, took the layers of cloth away from his face, it was the thief Amel encountered the other day. He knew he would be trouble, just not to what extent.
“Will you look a’ that, a yung Master o’ Light. Ain’t that somethin’ guys?” the other were watching in fascination as well. Amel knew Og and Olm needed only a bit more. “How ‘bout we take ye eyes, little one?” he was looking for what value he could get out of him, not fully aware of what the kid before him was capable. Amel just wanted to wait for it, the moment he would leap at him to stab him or tackle him, so the six constructs could all ambush both the leader and the other people. He didn’t, once he was only a couple metres away, he dropped to a knee, placed the knife to the floor. The others were watching in bewilderment as their leader, kneeled towards the young boy. “Master o’ Light, please forgive I foolishness,” the others didn’t notice, but their leader did, the six, seemingly lifeless yet moving constructs standing, watching between the doors, ready to jump and kill him. ‘Not a foolish thief,’ Amel could tell. The others weren’t going to sit around while their leader messed with the boy. While the thief before Amel tried to warn them, it was too late, the constructs leaped in an unnatural fashion and killed them all in a split, four bodies touched the ground.
Amel looked with glowing eyes at the thief, by the name of Ermel. “Congratulations, petty thief, you bought yourself a couple more seconds to live. Anything you want to say before meeting the Creator,” this wasn’t Amel who spoke entirely, this was also the light inside his mind, feeding him the words, to show the ruthlessness he was willing to perform upon Ermel.
“A-Aye, let me buy me life from ye, young Master,” Ermel proposed. Amel looked down on the begging thief, he informed only for Olm to come, Og stopped and returned to the forest, too much attention would do more bad than good. One Olm arrived, Ermel felt a grand presence behind him. He glanced back, the dead bodies of his comrades not bothering him nearly as much as the large crown of the tree entity standing in the door way, looking through with two huge, hollow dug eyes in its trunk. Olm was two trees intertwined and living in symbiosis. Amel found these trees some weeks after they had died. Their tall, intertwined and thick trunks, allowed them to stay away from rot a long time, even if Amel wouldn’t have found them. While Amel had mainly experience with long dead wood, worked into planks and such, dealing with more natural elements like trees, was something he wanted to learn. And over the course of a few days, he managed to spread and infuse his light into the two giant trees. His light, in fact, almost resurrected the trees, giving them a kind of energy which they never could’ve hoped to consume. However, Amel’s light did what it does best, and repurposed the dead cells of the tree into living extensions of Amel’s mind. Due to the sheer size of the trees, they absorbed far more information than the other constructs, and was able to form far more and much more complex interactions.
Amel understood the risks of such a construct, but the uses and huge offensive prowess it provided, allowed Amel to tip the scale in favour of having it. He wouldn’t use this construct unless it was absolutely necessary, like in this case, for whatever it might've learned and contained from these interactions, it might’ve transformed into dangerous ways of taking action for his good. The sentient tree looked through the entrance as if through a hole in a wall, glaring at the begging thief and dead bodies on the ground. Amel willed it to stand by the house, looking for any other humans. While it was a large, looming presence, high above even the tall house, it was better than bringing in Og, his stone giant.
“I hope you understand just how cheap your life is, for I have my creations to serve me,” Amel told Ermel. Ermel himself came to realise the giant he just upset inside the half empty city. This could prove to be the undoing of him, or a new opportunity to rise above scummy crimes and petty theft.
“But me begs to differ, young Master,” Ermel said, adjusting his voice and words to sound more proper. He then took out more knives he had hidden, to show that he wasn’t willing to oppose whatever fate was bestowed upon him. Amel watched his actions, then his light, not a hint of doubt that what he was doing was in earnest. “Let me ask you, young Master, can your large creation fit in with the others? The… humans, I mean,” Ermel tried to find some sort of compassion or humanity inside Amel, but those eyes glowed with something alien to him. There was a sort of divine presence that overwhelmed him and made the air feel denser.
“Why would they need to fit in with the others? Their purpose is to serve and protect me, isn’t that what you’re trying to offer me? Your services?” Amel didn’t want to waste more time, as the cold started to set in the house, and Femel was digging himself in the furs, going to sleep. This sort of activity became the usual for Femel. Let his brother take care of the humans, and he could eat, sleep and be happy, it’s how it worked for a good portion of this young boy’s life, given his age.
“Y-yes young Master, but what I is saying, is that, I can gather ye information which the creations can’t,” Amel squeezed his eyes a bit, then widened them again, he was seeing the offer this man was giving him. “Me can bring you information, talk with people and keep ‘em away from you, Master,” he was taking an even more formal tone towards Amel, not because he was feeling threatened, but because he wanted to narrow the bridge between how he addressed to him, in order to form a sort of connection.
“That sounds good, thief,” Amel sent information to the six constructs, which surrounded the man, placing their deadly parts against or above his body. “Now tell me, thief, why should I believe your word?” he knew already that Ermel was telling the truth, but didn’t want to risk losing the man’s faith, thus something more drastic had to occur.
“Keep one of ye’s creations with me, in me pocket or on me back, and you can see, right? You can see that me is doing his job as promised,” a basic, yet good option to keep watch of him. But that wasn’t what Amel wanted from him. He wanted a more distant sort of connection, one which didn’t need him to keep constant surveillance of him. It was already taxing on his mind that he had to keep those other forty constructs and his two giants in mind. Following another man’s actions throughout day and night, that would become a lot more tiresome.
“No, that isn’t good enough,” Amel wanted a better solution from the man, something to really make him trust his words. He saw that the man couldn’t think of anything else. Whether due to the extreme circumstances he was subjected to, or because he didn’t possess that much mind to begin with, didn’t matter to Amel. “Fine, if you can’t find a better way for me to trust you, then here’s my solution,” Amel approached the man, placed his hand upon his head. “Don’t fight it, or I will kill you,” the light of his mind threatened the thief.
Amel wasn’t fully aware of what he was doing, but his mind devised a method through which he could ensure control of another, living being. It wasn’t the same as the construct, but not any less effective. By placing a portion of his light inside the man’s body, traveling through and reaching his heart, he was able to place a vow of sorts upon him. The light existed in every human, in some more and in some less. In the case of this thief, his light was so weak, that even a small portion of Amel’s light, if forced upon his heart, would make beat spontaneously to the point of stopping, like an electric shock, except it didn’t tense the muscles, rather, exerted them to such a strong degree, that they would tire and fail. And since the light was carrying information and was somewhat sentient, it could determine when the man would try to betray Amel and when not. A simple yet effective method to ensure this man would never betray Amel, and if he did, he would die the very next instant.
“There, now if you lie to me or dare betray me, your heart will cease its beat, and you will die where you stand,” he willed the other constructs, they backed away, and the didn’t feel any different, except for a sudden surge of energy due to the light from Amel. “While what I did to you is a measure of protection for me, it’s also a sign of association,” Amel started to gain a bit of control back, the light letting him deal with some of it, as part of the training it was imposing on him. “Given that you want to work for me, it’s only natural that those which can tell, will know you’re under someone’s service,” Amel was speaking of Master of Light, who might see Ermel and know that certain portions of the city are his, thinking already ahead of the influence he might gather thanks to Ermel working for him.
“Me name is Ermel, Master, and I will do as promised,” he lifted himself up, bowed before Amel and waited for him to see if he might do anything else. Amel sent information to Olm to retreat. After a few moments passed, he let the thief go. Ermel wanted to run away, hide in some place, but given the opportunity before him, he would find himself restless that night.
After the constructs fixed the door and made the fire stronger, silence befell the house once more, and order with it. Femel was long sleeping by that point, as he was used to sleep when he heard his brother’s voice or felt his presence near him. Amel made himself comfortable, and looked at the fire as he started to fall asleep, the glow in his eyes dimming away. While inside his landscape of dreams, he was confronted by that part of his mind which he lost control over. This time however, he wouldn’t let it do as it pleased. He was the master of his own light, thus, he enacted his control upon the light, and much like he did with his constructs, the dispersed the light away from his brain, rewriting it with new emotions, memories and specific actions. The purpose of the enhanced mind was to think faster, find solutions and think of methods of approach in situations of crisis. Under no circumstance was it useful for him if the light took over his mind, so he got rid of all of that. Inside his mind, while the night passed by, he structured such a complex system of memories, experiences and instructions for his light, that it was nothing short of incredible. This new system which he implemented, had point of safety, in case the light attempted to modify in ways that it thought would further benefit him. Amel thought of hundreds of thousands of combinations that could go wrong if matched together, and placed them as exclusions from the way his light behaved. By doing this, the light filtered any of those which it came across and replaced them with the simple aspect of life, ready to be filled by memories and useful actions, that were deemed right by Amel.
Once morning hit the cold streets of Tainas, Amel would wake up better rested than he did in months, his mind still enhanced by the light, but a better, much more calmer way for him to use it. Femel stretched his growing limbs, let out a yawn filled with the small teeth that were coming out of his gums. Amel placed his hand on his forehead, Femel liked it when he did that, taking Amel’s hand with his own two and holding it there. The constructs were sending Amel information, which thanks to how he structured the new light system, was being somewhat worked almost in an automatic manner by the light enhanced mind and only the more important aspects were shown to him. This system proved so optimal, that Amel would find himself less and less stressed, with more energy to spare for both his brother and his training, besides the hunt for food which he undertook during mornings.
“Maybe this life is not as bad as it seems,” Amel told his brother, who wasn’t paying attention, playing with his brother, that has grown a bit long. “We can make it, in these uncertain times, we can find ourselves a place to be good to us… by our own strength,” he looked at the sun through the cracks of the windows, let it touch his skin and feel its bitter warmth.