Kilon stepped inside his house. It was the first tree to be sprawled from the ground inside their settlement, which marked the beginning of a society built by Lightborn. The tree was lost between the others, near the edge of the settlement, and smaller than most. It was also hard to find, most Lightborn not knowing Kilon used it as a house, but more as a barrack of sorts where he would store his items. Kilon couldn’t blame that train of thought, as he almost never went inside of it.
‘Just how I left it,’ he thought, his steps followed, almost stepping on some woodmice running around, ‘almost how I left it.’. The house had only one room, large enough for a bed of sorts opposite to the door some five metres away, a table in the middle and a large indent to his right where he left some of his belongings. To his left, hooked by branches, were his cape and spear.
He first touched the cape, recollecting memories of his first great foe he befell, thinking then about the one he was about to face. ‘I just have to do it again,’ he thought, ‘then once more…’.
He then grabbed his spear, felt the handle that stood the test of combat and time, not bending once to break. Feeling the blade, it reminded him of the pain the claw left on his body. ‘Even though now it’s made of graymatter, just how my scars never did, inherently it didn’t change.’. And while it was true for the most part, due to how he sharpened the edge of the claw, it became more of a glaive, instead of the curved spear it once was. ‘I’ve prepared long enough, waited perhaps too long, as the visions become clearer,’ Kilon felt the lights surge throughout his body, reminding himself of the power he withheld, and the one he hid.
Once he put the cape on, the claws clasped at each other, maintaining their sharpness and placing a comforting weight on his chest and back. The spear he trusted most felt as if it was part of his body, while to him, not a weapon, but a tool to enact his will upon the world. There was a sense of reassurance when he wore his cape and held his spear, but uneasiness swelled deep inside at the same time. ‘There is pride I have when dressed like this, fear accompanying each step of mine, as they only serve one purpose,’ Kilon thought as he started to push the door open, lights starting to pour from the outside, his brethren readying themselves for him, ‘to kill my foes.’.
First to come before Kilon with the setting of the night, was Menoel. The elite Lightborn stood behind him; all tall and powerful, white or blue, they were emanating piercing lights to anyone besides them. He counted thirty with Menoel, which meant he split them in half. “The others will stand watch here, we don’t want to risk anything,” Kilon agreed with a nod.
The second to greet Kilon was Stelorus with his Groundbreakers. Riding on river wolves, their fifty warriors matched in strength those of Menoel’s. “I did much like Menoel, and kept half of our forces in here. Avaanel said she would need as much to dig up some more greymatter and the like,” Stelorus said on top of his silver-furred beast, Sirva was her name, the word for silver in their tongue. “I hear the Sweepers won’t be joining us, is that true Kilon?” Stelorus asked coldly, Kilon still taller despite Stelorus sitting atop the large beast.
“They will, just no more than ten of them, as Avunaia believes Menoel’s warriors alone are enough,” Kilon glanced at Menoel, then back to Stelorus. “Besides, it is you brother who said you wanted to take the lead, isn’t that so?”. Stelorus cracked a small smile, which he quickly hid, Avunaia making her way between all the others as they were talking, mane looters flying high above everyone and plunging in from time to time to harass Menoel’s group. Melonius also tagged along with the Sweepers, carrying on his back the object he hid, strapped with rope made of hide strips.
“What would that be, Melonius?” Menoel asked, pointing at the piece of equipment he tried to hide. “You certainly don’t want us to see it, yet you tempt us with it. There doesn’t seem to be much sense to it, does it?”.
Melonius smiled, as he pulled from his back the piece. It was heavy they could tell, Stelorus thinking it must be Melonius’ weaker frame, but that didn’t prove true, as they noticed a rather muscular arm under those clothes, tensed by the weight. Melonius let it drop to the ground, the object pushing into it, and when Menoel tried to touch it, he felt something odd pushing his hand slightly away, then realising right away what it was.
“You can tell, can’t you?” Melonius said as he started to unravel it, Menoel frowning at the thought of it. “This is meant to repel and protect,” Melonius showed his shield, a solid piece of metal so thinly round, it was almost sharp, and slightly curved towards the front, with grooves indented in circular patterns.“In other words: to keep those dear to me alive.”.
“Wh-who made this?!” Stelorus was most intrigued and upset by it, as he then saw his hammer as a rather flimsy tool compared to what Melonius had. “Can I touch it?” Stelorus approached him with his hand extended, feeling the same force repelling his hand, and then seeing as light pulsated in a ripple-like fashion between the grooves. Stelorus kept trying though, wanting to see a solution to the behaviour, but Melonius didn’t entertain the idea, as he placed the shield on his back again.
“This is the work of one of our brothers,” Melonius looked at Menoel standing shorter but stronger than him, “he didn’t want you or the others to know about him. He wants to be left alone from these matters.”.
“Matters?” Menoel felt offended in a way, “These are not just matters. This is in regards to our survival, how dares he think in such a selfish manner?!”. The others from Menoel’s group riled up with that thought, frowning with their brother. Kilon however, could see his brother’s intentions for what they were.
“I don’t believe killing these draxes will solve that issue, brother,” Melonius said, “for we are purposed to tame and bend this world, not break it.”. Melonius then returned to the Sweepers, some of them also trying to touch his shield, while others outright reaching to steal it.
“Don’t spout nonsense,” Menoel chased Melonius with his words, “that is the sole purpose we are here. Kill these beasts and push forward, as we can’t bend the whole world, but just parts of it. And sometimes, we need to break them instead.”. Kilon was starting to see more clearly the way his brother was thinking, although it was too late to talk things over.
‘If only I’d spent time talking with him, instead of running away from our settlement. Maybe it wouldn’t be need for us to hide our goals and feelings,’ Kilon started to make his way towards the exit of their settlement, Lightborns gathering to bid them farewell and regal deers brought for the others. ‘I have to wonder once again, if I’m the one in the visions. Leading them on a path of destruction that I could’ve avoided have I been more sincere.’. Once at the exit, Kilon looked once more between all his siblings. Those which were to come with him, and those which were to stay. He couldn’t see Eharel anywhere, but couldn’t do much about it, as Menoel told him he would stay behind to lead the others. He couldn’t deny the thought that Menoel lied to him, but there wasn’t much he could do, as he could account for most details, just not deal with them.
Kilon raised his hand, Arhegon making his way from outside the settlement, as the beast couldn’t be contained, merely subdued, a strand of light attached to its soul leading its path back to its master. ‘Trust my lead, and the path I take,’ Kilon thought, the strand of light enforcing his feelings into Arhegon’s being, ‘for we go to battle, which you too know much of.’. Arhegon let out a puff from its nostrils, then bent itself before him, Kilon accepting its subordination by climbing on his back. Once the beast raised itself, Kilon raised his spear towards the darkened sky, the sun falling just behind him in the east.
“Laugh and cry brothers! Sisters!” Kilon cried, everyone present starting to discover a new feeling. “For we march forward, to tame these wilds, to see new horizons, discover greater places,” Kilon looked at them, their emotions connected as one, “to conquer!”. Euphory is what those present felt. A sense of pre established victory, combined with a religious love for their brother, made them forget themselves in the elation this battle was to offer. “Onwards!!” Kilon pointed his spear east, set on his resolve, as the cries of the Lightborn shook the peaceful night.
The Lightborn then marched on for a sun without rest, their regal deers and river wolves having their energy supplemented by the light of the Lightborn. While the Lightborn would get strained from it, it wouldn’t matter as they could rest while travelling. It was during that time that Menoel knew he had a window of opportunity.
Approaching Avunaia, Menoel looked around, ensuring Melonius wasn’t listening. “I hope you’re prepared, we can only do this once and this time only,” Menoel spotted Melonius who had Stelorus closer to him than he would’ve liked.
“Don’t tell me what I know,” Avunaia snapped at him, which Menoel met with a frown, “and you should hope Eharel played his part well. It would anger be greatly if he lost the beast some of us lost limbs for in our attempt to capture it.”.
“I am sure he is doing good, these creatures are prideful afterall, so they will chase after him no matter what,” Menoel saw that Melonius and Stelorus were conversing about something. “Those two,” Menoel pointed with his head towards them, which Avunaia then saw, “Stelorus helps Kilon, but we still don’t know what he talked with Melonius right?”.
“We don’t, but I believe it is right to assume he only wants to protect Kilon,” Avunaia was talking with Meriumus through his ability from a distance, who kept an eye on Kilon at the front. “I don’t believe that to be bad, we have to protect him even at the cost of our lives.”. She spoke in a manner that worried Menoel, as he could see more than love and adoration, but passion too in what she was feeling.
“Do not do anything we may regret Avunaia, it’s not worth the cost of your life,” Menoel placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to be the good brother he should’ve been, which she rejected with a shrug of her shoulder.
“If it’s for Kilon, there’s nothing to regret about it, I’ll do it even at the cost of my life,” Menoel could start seeing a sort of madness in her eyes, sparks erupting in a hectic manner when she said his name. Menoel wanted to say more, but there was no time for it, as the Lightborn started to open their eyes from their rest. “And here we are,” Avunaia said, Kilon stopping the group from the front.
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“Sister!” Kilon cried for Avunaia, and she made haste, leaving Menoel with no more words to be said. Once she was next to him, she felt her heartbeat faster, her light wavering. “Are you troubled, Avunaia?” Kilon asked worried, trying to place a hand on her to understand what she felt, but she pushed her regal deer away to not let him.
“No, it’s just the lands around here,” Avunaia said, looking sad at a further away place. Kilon thought about it and then realised.
“I’m sorry, I haven’t noticed,” Kilon looked at her and he could tell there was something else bothering her, but chose not to look into it, “do you think we can find their bodies? I believe Melonius would be glad to have a place made for them.”.
“I don’t believe they are any-” before she could finish, Prickety returned from its journey, seemingly panicked by the sight of something. Avunaia knew what it was, playing oblivious to it though. “I think she got scared of something, I should go look into it.”. Avunaia was already starting to move towards there, but Kilon grabbed her by the shoulder, stopping her. Avunaia knew what that meant, and she could only hope he couldn’t feel her lying.
“You should take someone else too with you, it’s not safe to go alone,” Kilon wasn’t trying to understand her feelings, he trusted her and he knew that was one way to breach said trust. “I believe Melonius could be of much use in this instance.”.
“I could take Menoel instead,” Kilon frowned at the idea, “it’s just so he can’t make any moves while we’re distracted.”. Kilon didn’t like the idea a whole lot, but there wasn’t much to argue about, and that would offer him some time to talk with Stelorus while Menoel was elsewhere.
“Very well, just make haste. For all I know this could also help Menoel,” Avunaia nodded, sent Prickety to get Menoel, and left for some time. Kilon didn’t think it could be another draxe, not that far since they moved deeper into the forests. However, there was a feeling he had, similar to when he left the Link. There was something watching for an opportunity, although, this time it wasn’t some wild animal, but his own kin. He could feel Menoel’s gaze upon him and that of two others, constantly surveilling him. ‘There’s three of them, but now not even one,’ he found it odd that the feeling left him after Avunaia left.
Before he had time to arrive at a conclusion though, he could see a ray of light piercing the night sky from afar. It was that of Menoel he could tell, Kilon not wasting a moment and making haste, the others following right after but much further behind. Once he arrived at the scene, he infused his lights into his being the very next moment.
Menoel was bleeding light from his right arm, his spear to the ground, while Avunaia had her neck caught between the fangs of a draxe. Kilon didn’t waste a moment, infusing his mind with the power of his lights, thinking of all the best ways to stop the beast before it could kill Avunaia.
But, as Kilon almost instinctively prepared to throw his spear, Menoel cried “There’s more!”. And just as he said, two more draxes came running straight for Kilon from both sides, hidden in holes they dug. However, Kilon simply stood up on his feet atop Arhegon, the regal deer proving too much, for draxes that haven’t seen more than a full cycle of the sun, kicking and throwing his giant antlers around. With his aim steady, Kilon aimed straight for its head, the power of his lights making the spear travel almost like an arrow through the night.
While the aim was true and he managed to hit his target, it didn’t arrive fast enough, the draxe crushing his sister’s neck, almost as if out of spite. When the spear’s blade passed through the skull of the beast, so did the fangs through Avunaia, ripping a large chunk of her neck. Kilon jumped off Arhegon and ran straight for his sister, knowing she had moments to live before succumbing to death.
“On the Creator! What happened?!” Kilon asked in a rage Menoel, not caring for his state and focusing on trying to help Avunaia. “Here, take some of my lights, heal yourself with them!” Kilon cried to her, light erupting from that portion of her neck, trying to bind itself back together and heal the missing flesh. Eharel started to make his way out of the thicket as well, crawling on the ground as his right foot was missing, holding it in his hand.
“It-it wasn’t supposed to go this way,” Menoel said, and Kilon, still infused with his lights, realised in a moment that this was the plan he was preparing for him. He couldn’t understand how Menoel was outsmarted by these creatures, but didn’t change what he had done. “Will she survive? She has to survive,” Menoel said in almost a whisper, falling to the ground. Kilon knew what that was: poison. Most draxes relied on their strength and bite to kill their prey, but due to creatures like the regal deers, some of them rubbed their claws in poisonous plants and their own faeces, creating a potent poison.
Kilon knew there were only a few moments deciding who lives and who dies. The others were still a couple of minutes behind, leaving him with his three siblings, two of which were on the verge of death. ‘I can infuse Avunaia with lights to stop the bleeding and heal her wound, but Menoel needs my full attention so the poison doesn’t destroy the inner portions.’. Kilon was thinking of the organs he or no one else there could regenerate, like the heart.
In the moment it took him to think, where he couldn’t find a solution to help both of them, Avunaia pressed her hand on his face. “Heal him, I’m already lost,” her soul spoke to Kilon, “there is poison inside of me as well.”. Kilon felt his chest tightening and his mind fogging for the first time, the cruel realisation there couldn’t be a choice he can take, but the one forced upon him. “I’ve already made my peace the moment it grabbed my neck, for I loved you brother, more than anything.”.
“Is this what love looks to you, Avunaia?! Dying for what? The plans of a foolish brother that didn’t know his limits?!” Kilon’s thoughts wrathed inside his soul, resonating into Avunaia’s. “No, I’ll save you, let him die for his mistakes.”.
“It wasn’t just him,” Kilon felt his soul wavering with those words, “I too had wanted this. We wanted to show them, and you, that you’re still supreme. That you’re the god we want and need, not the one that made us, but led us.”.
“This wasn’t the only way!” his soul was shaking, anger, confusion and desperation forming a vortex of frustrated thoughts. “You could’ve talked with me, told me what I should’ve done, not run to your death!”.
“No, you hated it, being what we wanted you to be. So we wanted to show it’s not a bad thing, maybe even necessary,” he knew that better than anyone, he just couldn’t believe they were thinking in such a manner too. “But it’s too late for regrets, and even though you’ll hate me and Menoel for it, I believe to have served my god well. For I love you more than I loved them.”. As she communicated her last words through her soul, Kilon could feel it being pulled away from her body. It was something that happened over the course of a couple of moments, time which no longer could be wasted, not with Menoel dying. Even so, amidst the torrent of thoughts and confused feelings he had, Kilon found clarity, inspiration worthy of a god.
Kilon knew better than anyone, besides Orvus, how souls worked. All he had to do was reach out for his sister’s soul, and so he did, grabbing it and surrounding her soul with his lights. It was something fragile, something which if he lost control even for a moment over, would allow the soul to escape or be strained by the power of those dozen lights he used. ‘I won’t let go, not yet, not here. You will get to live, see the day I no longer am your god, but your brother,’ Kilon promised in his mind, tying the soul to his being with the lights, then hurrying over to Menoel. ‘You too. You don’t get to die, not until you’ve seen me accomplish what I set out to do. And not until you’ll see the wrong of your ways,’ Kilon placed his hand over his arm as he was thinking, ‘as well as mine.’.
Weaving his own light into Menoel, he found the poison and destroyed it all from inside out. While it reached his chest area, Kilon managed to destroy it just in time. By the time the others arrived, Kilon was also healing Ehare’s foot, putting it back in place after removing any impurities. Melonius saw his sister’s body lying without light on the ground, no longer sensing the warmth she should’ve had nor the presence of her soul. Before he had time to weep though, he noticed the strange formation of lights near Kilon’s body, weaving and twisting around something.
“Kilon…what is that?” Melonius pointed at the sphere of lights, and Kilon didn’t have to open his mouth, once getting closer, Melonius could tell. “H-how is that possible?! Can you do it to others as well?!”. Melonius was already finding false hope were there was none.
“No…” Kilon said sorrowfully, “and the way I hold her soul as of now strains my body. I don’t know how long it will be before it either escapes my grasp or is crushed under the weight of the lights.” Melonius understood the dangers and the slim chances they had to do anything with her soul, but it was still enough to make him want to bow before Kilon. It was the same behaviour, one which Kilon could no longer stand.
“He’s…he’s our god,” Menoel was coming back to his senses, “he’s our god I tell you!”. His cries could be heard throughout, the others wondering what this was about. “Capturing a soul?! Unbelievable! This is why we must follow, bend our wills to his!” the others didn’t quite catch what was going on, and to them, Kilon seemed almost wounded, their sister was dead and he was barely standing. It was a rather pitiful picture for Menoel to use at his advantage, but in his mind he had to try, in order to not waste Avunaia’s death. Kilon approached him, Menoel not even aware as his eyes were crazed by his purpose, “He is Kilon Ti-” before he had time to say it, Kilon struck him across his face, breaking two of his fingers with it and damaging the bones inside Menoel’s head.
“Enough,” Kilon said in a low, grave tone, “this is what you wanted, Menoel?!”. Menoel clenched his teeth, trying to find the words, but defeat was all he had in mind, those words being his last attempt to make it right. “This will have to change, you hear me?” he cried to his siblings. “When we get back, there will be no more veneration or adoration of me,” the Lightborn present wanted to protest, but Stelorus wouldn’t allow for it, he knew Kilon had to speak his mind. “If this,” he pulled out his spear, showing and pointing with it at Eharel and Menoel, “is what your adoration does, and this” he pointed with his hand at Avunaia, “what your love does. Then I need neither, nor do you. If you want to say otherwise, you no longer can be our brother or sister. Death shouldn’t be sought in my name, it should be avoided for your sake, you fools.”. His words were cutting and sharp, wanting to make his point across.
Between all the Lightborn, Melonius and Stelorus stood by Kilon’s side. Menoel looked at the others, seeing doubt in their eyes, knowing that if he could speak, he would sway them still. But Kilon’s eyes, even if not looking at him, told him of the fact that Kilon could reach for his soul and pull it out. Ending whatever more schemes he could come up with. It was fear Menoel had before, just didn’t know what it was for sure, not until he witnessed what he could do with souls.
After they thought a little, the Lightborn stood by Kilon’s side or behind him, showing their support in what Kilon was after. Eharel, feeling defeated, joined Kilon, no longer wanting to oppose whatever he set in motion. “There is still a place for you too, brother,” Stelorus reached out for Menoel, but was met by a backhand instead.
“I don’t need your pity,” Menoel spat, “what I needed was for us to find worth in this world. And by your actions Kilon, I can see us only failing, as you risk us divided by your words and actions.”. Menoel stood up at last, his light still fixing the cracked bones. “If you no longer need me, so be it. But there are others who need you in that way, not this. For their belief is what leads their life.”.
Kilon looked around him, seeing the readjusted eyes of his brothers and sisters. There was still that adoration for him he couldn’t get rid of, but it was a start to something greater, he was certain of it. “Then they can believe in what I’m set out to do, and what we can accomplish. They don’t need to believe in me,” Kilon stood in front of Menoel, putting a firm grasp on his shoulder, “they just have to witness my conquest.”.