Selerim half-stumbled, half-fell through the open gateway. The sight of his home felt almost alien after so much time in the wild. He glanced over his shoulder to see Senri standing just a pace away. He’d thought himself dreaming when she stepped out of the gloom.
“... Thank you,” Selerim whispered, just loud enough for Senri to hear. She blinked. “Did you get hit in the head?” He laughed, then coughed, and her concern visibly grew. “Are you okay?” Selerim nodded, but even he knew it was unconvincing. “I’l– ow!” He fell to his knees as Senri kicked one leg out from underneath him. She knelt beside him with a sigh. “See? You’re exhausted.” She pulled out a clean rolle of bandages as she spoke. “We’re back in the village now. I’m going to bandage your arm.” Her tone left no room for argument.
Selerim fell silent as she wrapped the bandage around his bloodied arm. Their eyes met as she looked up– and then Senri grinned. Yanking his arm back, she pulled the bandage tight. Way too tight. “Hey! That hurts!” Selerim protested with watery eyes. Senri patted his shoulder– right on the still-smarting wound. “You should've listened to me the first time.”
“Anyways,” she continued as she stood. “No one was supposed to return tonight. There should be someone here soon…” As if on cue, a handful of people stepped into sight. Chief among them was Corvus, his wine-red hair pulled back into a tight bun. His eyes lingered on the bandage around Selerim’s arm for a moment, but the corner of his mouth twitched up in an ill-concealed grin.”
“Welcome back.” As he spoke, Saya and Verad stumbled out from behind him. They moved to join Senri at Selerim’s side, but Corvus stopped them with a raised hand. “How went your hunt?” Selerim struggled to his feet at the question. He fumbled around in his waist pouch for a moment, pulling out the Heart as his fingers closed weakly around its smooth surface. Corvus smiled as the pale red sphere came into view.
With long strides, he closed the distance and pulled Selerim into a tight embrace, careful to avoid putting pressure on his injured shoulder. “Well done,” Corvus whispered. Those two words filled Selerim with pride. The village head pulled away and beckoned to Saya and Verad. They stepped forward after a moment’s silence. Saya stood next to her sister, while Verad smacked Selerim’s injured arm. “Took you long enough.” He grinned as the other boy’s face contorted in pain. “You had us worried.”
Another adult pushed their way forward. It was Arwen, the village doctor. His shoulder-length hair had turned white with age, and his expression had permanently hardened by the many wounds he’d seen throughout his tenure. Arwen grumbled. “Of course it had to be one of the four troublemakers. Who else would wake me from my sleep?” Selerim smiled at the good-natured complaints. “Sorry, Arwen.” The elderly man rolled his eyes as he inspected Selerim’s arm. “If you were really sorry, you’d avoid injury in the first place.”
He gingerly unbound the bandage and peered down at the fang-marked injury. After a moment, Arwen rebound the blood-stained gauze. “There won’t be any lasting damage, but…” his brows furrowed. “You didn’t clean the wound before bandaging it, did you? You should know better. And it seems you have other injuries, as well.” He reached for his medical bag, but Corvus grabbed hold of the doctor’s waist. “Don’t.”
Arwen glared at him. “Don’t be stupid. It may not be serious now, but if it becomes infected, he could lose the entire arm. I’m sure he would prefer to avoid that.” Corvus’ expression hardened. “No. You know better.” Arwen glared for a moment longer. “Fine. but if anything happens, you’ll be the one answering to the boy’s mother.” He ripped his arm free and strode away. Corvus turned back to the four friends, offering them a tired smile. “It may be late, but I believe we’ve been delayed long enough.” He gestured to the Heart held in Selerim’s hands. “Are you ready?”
image [https://i.imgur.com/T7fdvjj.png]
Selerim found himself being ushered onto the same dais on which the ceremony had taken place. It became harder to stand by the moment. His return to Cress had been an adrenaline fueled spring; with it over, the fatigue was setting in. Senri, Verad, and Saya stood at his back, while Corvus spoke to the gathered crowd. He was too tired to comprehend the words.
“Stand straight, lad.” A hoarse voice, accompanied by a strong hand, shook Selerim from his stupor. Varen had joined them atop the dais. The blacksmith’s hair was black with soot, and he reeked of smoke. He handed Selerim a hammer. “Take this.” It was an ugly thing, wrought from black metal. Its head was so large that it looked like it would snap off the handle, and the metal itself was coarse to the touch. It was the heaviest thing Selerim had ever held.
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A Heart was set in the block-shaped head. Its smooth blue surface was a stark contrast to the hammered metal. Varen winked. “Make sure you hit it with your Heart.” He chuckled at his own joke before pushing the boy forward.
Selerim stumbled forward, half from exhaustion, half from dizziness, but one of Corvus’ steady hands kept him upright. His former mentor gestured to a small stand a few paces away. “You know what to do, yes?” Forged from the same dark steel as the hammer, the Heart he’d claimed sat atop it. Selerim nodded. Tightening his grip, he stepped forward. Blood leaked through the bandage as he raised the crude tool, and his shoulders burned as he brought it down.
It was more of a drop than a proper strike. There was the sound of metal on metal. The feedback numbed Selerim’s fingers, traveling up his arms and into his body. He groaned and stumbled as his wounds flared in pain, blurring his vision. A hand on his back steadied him. “Hit it with the center,” Corvus whispered.
Selerim took a deep breath and raised the hammer again. He wrung every drop of strength he could, making sure to strike with the head’s center. There was hardly any sound as the two Hearts collided, but the feedback was even greater. It tore through his fingers and ripped into his arms. Selerim bit back a scream of pain as the tremor tore into his wound, shaking more viscous scarlet drops free from the blood-soaked bandage. This time, when his vision cleared, the pale red Heart had a crack running down its center. The red light held within gathered around the damage, as if waiting to be set free.
He struck again. Another crimson cascade fell to the floor.
And again.
And again.
He fell into a broken rhythm.
Strike.
Breathe.
Strike.
That was all that existed. The passing of time was marked only by Selerim’s counting. Blood pooled around his feet, yet the Heart was still intact.
Breathe.
Strike.
Breathe. Strike. Breathe.
His strength lasted until the tenth strike. Selerim raised his arms above– and then pitched forward. It still found its mark. The hammer slipped from his hands as red light burst forward, falling to the dais with a dull thud. He felt Corvus’ hands on his back again. “Look.” Selerim lowered his hand, squinting as the last vestiges of red haze cleared. The Heart set in the hammer had shattered. Shards of dark blue sat like crystalline islands in a lake of blood. The Heart ato the stand had broken as well, leaving a small marble that sat among the shattered remains. It was the same pale red as before, but brighter and clearer.
“Go on,” Corvus said softly. Selerim straightened, stepping forward and picking up the small marble with both hands. It was warm to the touch, and something pulsed rhythmically just below the surface. Selerim brought it to his mouth, and after a moment’s hesitation– swallowed it whole. He felt it travel down his throat and settle in his stomach.
One second passed.
And another.
Is something wrong? He wondered. But when he turned back towards Corvus, a question on the tip of his tongue, the village head was nowhere to be seen. Neither were his friends. Or his home. Selerim’s head whirled as he took in his new surroundings. With a mountain range crowning the valley, it was not so different from Cress, save for the color. The leaves and grass alike were colored a dappled mixture of red and orange, making the land look as if it was woven from shimmering fire. Just as Selerim took a step forward, the air itself warped and rippled. The red and orange swirled up alongside it, merging into every imaginable shade as it bore down on him.
He gasped as it struck his chest, but there was no pain. The colors diffused as they touched him, flowing harmlessly over his skin. The brilliant stream brought with it a deluge of emotions. Burning anger filled him one moment, only to be replaced with a mellow nostalgia the next. And then it was all gone.
“-- rim! Sel! I swear, if something happened to him…” Senri’s voice filled Selerim’s ears as he opened his eyes. The grainy wood of the dais greeted him. “I–” he coughed. “I’m alright.”
“Sel!” Senri turned him onto his back. Her dark blue eyes were filled with worry. “You lost a lot of blood.” Selerim coughed again. “I’m fine. Promise.” He struggled to his feet amidst her protests. Senri moved to support him, but paused as she met his gaze. “Your eyes…” She reached up with one hm, but pulled back, startled.
“Wha–” Selerim started, but the question died on his lips. Flames flickered to life at the edge of his vision. They were the same near-pink hue as the Heart he’d swallowed. Senri took a step back as he waved his arm in a futile attempt to extinguish them. Panic rose as they spread to the bandage, lighting it. Before he could do anything, the soiled gauze was burned away, blood and all. Only smooth, undamaged skin lay underneath.