A New Art

Frein wondered what the faunel meant by ‘not enough time’, but he was also curious how combining two Arts together worked. It wasn’t an impossibility to Draw multiple Meiyal Arts in tandem. In fact, even an Aspirant was expected to be capable of Drawing two Arts at the same time.

However, combining was too specific a term.

Not to miss the confused faces between the other two Meiyal Arts practitioners, but clearly, they also caught Elizzel’s specific word choice.

“No one’s ever tried it, really?” Frein asked.

They shook their heads reluctantly.

“After thousands of years within its history?”

“Sam?” Katherine turned to her M.O.B.I.L.E. for answers. The device buzzed around for a few moments.

“By the term combination, you mean the practice of—attempt at—melding two or—possibly—more Meiyal Arts with their own vivid and specific patterns developed and internalized mentally by the practitioner for clearly defined effects and purposes when Drawn into reality? And thus, by definition, deconstructing said patterns that the practitioner spent hours, if not days, if not months of rigorous mental and physical training, after multitude and countless failures?”

“Yes,” Katherine said plainly.

“He always talks like that? Is it a he?” Kristel asked musingly.

“I wouldn’t say it’s ‘clearly defined’ per se,” Frein said defiantly.

“Listen here, smart guy. Just because Siffera works in a weird way for you than the others, doesn’t mean you get to redefine the entire discipline. And yes, he, madam Princess. Thank you. Now with regards to combining, well…”

Sam’s M.O.B.I.L.E. form whirled with interesting colors. The black orb Frein was used to now housed a swirling rainbow of what he would define as paint submerged in water. The swirl suddenly formed into colorful spikes still contained within the orb’s enclosure.

“No, nothing on my database. Clearly it defies all logic and this faunel, who quite possibly has lived even before the discipline’s creation, is lying through her tiny little teeth.”

In a sense, Frein understood where Sam and the other practitioners were coming from. Each Meiyal Art, whether named or not, were exactly it—an art. Even the practice of forming the pattern in his mind’s eye was akin to painting a masterpiece. He wouldn’t let anything else blemish it even if it was from another pattern he conceptualized for a different Meiyal Art.

But the piece didn’t fit for him. The discipline was supposed to be centuries old. Surely someone would’ve thought about combining patterns and Meiyal Arts, leave evidence of tests or experiments at least.

“Wait! I think I got something,” Sam exclaimed, his rainbow-colored spikes spinning rapidly inside his orb.

How does he work anyway? Yet another question Frein stored in his memory.

“Okay, I think I got it! You can combine Meiyal Arts!”

“How?” Kristel asked.

“Hmm…I think it’s more interesting if you figure it out yourselves. Besides, if you can learn this on your own, you’ll get a nuanced feel for it. I think not only will all three of you be able to combine Siffera with an observation Meiyal Art, you’ll also be able to combine even more!”

“What about a clue?” Katherine said.

“Hmm…” Sam buzzed for a while. “Let’s study Diferenfra for example.”

Frein knew about the Art. While the name-ender ‘fra’ indicated the Art was of the fire element, the purpose of the rest of the name, ‘Diferen’, was purely for delegation purposes only. The wonderous aspects of the Art came from both its destructive strength and ability to pinpoint targets. To master Diferenfra was to hold a flamethrower at one’s disposal that will not combust anything you wish not to burn.

“Before Diferenfra, what did we use?” Sam quizzed them.

“Ferenfra,” Kristel and Katherine simultaneously answered.

“Correct, then we eventually developed Diferenfra which allows us to use Ferenfra without any casualties at the cost of additional meiyal and concentration. Nowadays it’s pretty much the most common Meiyal Art most practitioners learn. Ferenfra’s basically out of the picture. So, how did we get to that? How were we able to improve on Ferenfra?”

“You’re saying Ferenfra was combined with something?” Frein guessed.

Sam circled around him excitedly. “Smart fellow. I approve of your relationship with Katherine. She’s lucky to have you.”

“Thanks…I guess?”

“Can’t take a compliment, though.” The floating M.O.B.I.L.E. returned to Katherine. “The question now is what. What did we combine Ferenfra with? It’s something all three of you know how to Draw.”

Sam turned to each practitioner one by one, urging each of them to find the answer. The three looked to each other for ideas. In truth, Frein already had one in mind. With his options so few, it didn’t really take him long to find the appropriate Art to tame Ferenfra into Diferenfra. The interesting part was the gradual realization manifesting on the Lady and the Princess’s faces.

“Barrier Meiyal Art,” they all said in unison.

“Correct!” Sam rang an affirmative chime and excitedly spun around them.

“So, what patterns do you use for Ferenfra and Diferenfra?” Frein asked, his own excitement building up inside him. “What are the differences? Do you just slap the pattern for the barrier Meiyal Art on top of it?”

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Sam hovered beside him. “Smart fellow. Smart questions.”

Kristel turned to Katherine. “I didn’t learn Ferenfra,” she admitted.

The Lady of the Void pondered for a moment, realization hitting her with confusion more than clarity. “They’re nowhere near the same for me at all.”

She took a twig and began to draw on the dirt. “My Ferenfra is basically an image of a candle’s flame that I stoke to Draw into reality. My barrier Meiyal Art is an outline of myself. Diferenfra, for me, is a rose with fiery petals.”

“My Diferenfra is a flaming dagger,” Kristel added and traced on the dirt along with Katherine’s crude patterns. “I know Frill’s resembles a phoenix’s shape.”

“Weird,” Frein said, observing the patterns. “What’s your pattern for the barrier?” he asked the Princess.

“An outline of myself as well.”

“Same here. Why a rose?” This time, he asked Katherine but quickly caught himself before she could answer. “You like roses,” he said before looking at Kristel.

“I like daggers.”

“And Frill like phoenixes? Does she have a pet phoenix?”

“No. Like dragons, phoenixes did exist. They’re just part of stories now,” the Princess replied. Frein remembered that the people here never really regarded the Jaws Lurking in the Forest as a classification of a dragon even though it resembled one.

“Would you like me to send you some legend lore about phoenixes and dragons, Smart Visitor Frein?” Sam asked.

“Sure, but do you have to flatter me every time?”

“I like currying favor with exceptional people.”

“Fair enough.” Frein turned to the two ladies who were staring at him with curiosity. He dragged himself back to his train of thought. “The patterns for Diferenfra are more complex. They’re fiery, but they take the form of things that you like, therefore, things you’d want to protect or treasure. Not burn. With the barrier Meiyal Art, you outline yourself, because that’s your protection. Do you see the connection?”

“I think I get it,” Kristel said, pondering. “But that’s basically the origin of how Diferenfra was made into a Meiyal Art. How do we combine Siffera with observation Art? My pattern’s the shape of an eye for observation.”

“Same,” Katherine and Frein said together.

“What’s your pattern for Siffera?”

“A stronger version of myself,” the two answered together again.

“Okay, that’s weirding me out a bit.”

“It doesn’t happen a lot,” said Katherine.

“Promise,” Frein finished for her. Both of them smiled at the Princess.

“Whatever.” Kristel rolled her eyes. “Any ideas for combining these patterns?”

A slight movement caught all their attention and they—Sam and Enza included—all turned to see Elizzel rising from her stupor. The faunel squinted with inquisitive, heterochromatic eyes. “How do you make meiyal a part of yourself?”

“You Mill it,” Katherine answered.

“You Gather it,” Frein replied at the same time.

“You guys are doing this on purpose, aren’t you?” Kristel tried to be intimidating but all she did was make herself seem wider with a failed attempt to look angry.

“Where do the meiyal go?” Elizzel continued her questions.

“In our meiyal systems,” Frein continued to answer.

“How do you envision your meiyal system?”

“By reflecting my inner self.”

“In?”

“In…in my mind’s eye.”

“What do you think would happen if you combine Siffera with an observation Meiyal Art?”

“Read the hidden text on the book.” The answer was awkwardly obvious, but Frein gave it voice. Maybe speaking the idea aloud would inspire them.

“Now, what’s something about yourself that you would rather remain hidden?” With that, the faunel returned to slumber. It left everyone confused.

“The pattern is a hidden version of ourselves?” Kristel guessed. “How can you come up with a hidden pattern and be able to Draw upon it?”

“I think it’s definitely abstract in a sense,” Katherine replied.

How does one look at a reflection of himself? Frein pondered. A mirror, obviously. What about inside one’s self? Self-reflection? A self mirror. How could he see things he couldn’t see? How would he look at it? A different angle? Or maybe elevation? What would be something he couldn’t see?

Siffera’s pattern was a stronger version of himself. It was definitely something he would always want to look at and not hide. Something he would wish to see every day. So based on that premise, the pattern couldn’t be a stronger version. Obviously not a stronger eye pattern, either. Nothing about them was hidden. What would be something about himself that he wouldn’t want to see?

“A useless version of myself,” Frein mumbled, turning heads towards his direction. “I would never see myself become useless, but I can surely visualize how I would look if I am one.”

The pattern formed in his mind’s eye. A version of him that had lost, had failed. It didn’t matter what the failure was, it didn’t matter what the loss was. His self was devastated, hopeless, and depressed. Someone Frein never wished to be, nor never wished to see. One he would rather hide forever.

He poured meiyal into the pattern and began to Draw. The first thing that came to him was a clarity. A name materialized in his mind, as if the world itself gave it to him.

“Mesiffera.”

Colors began to warp around him. The air became a cloudy gray, as if he was covered suddenly by translucent smoke. Darkened meiyal influenced by the Nightmare Lands showing themselves true to his eyes. The ground was steady with tightly packed meiyal. The abundance in the trees moved at a snail’s pace. It was something beyond what a simple observation Meiyal Art could do. A level higher and processed better.

Not only that; Frein could see Kristel, Katherine, Enza, Sam, and most especially Elizzel in finer details. If he concentrated enough, fed Mesiffera with enough meiyal, he could focus on their breathing. He could see exactly when their eyelids would close. He could see the distribution of meiyal inside their system, exactly how much they had left. He could probably see which Meiyal Arts they had active and how much meiyal they were investing on them if he wanted to, but he didn’t want to waste more meiyal. The Art was surprisingly draining as it was. He needed to get used to it first.

“Show me the book,” he turned to Katherine. She was on the verge of Drawing an observation Meiyal Art, the meiyal from the core floating beside her temple moving at an alarmingly rapid pace.

“Something wrong?” Katherine asked.

“Have you ever timed how fast you can Draw?”

“I can Draw pretty fast.”

“I can see how fast.”

The Lady’s eye widened in amazement as she presented the book. Frein began to read it to everyone.

> Evangeline is dying. She doesn’t have much longer. Sealing the fourth one was too much, even for us. Father can’t save her either. I can’t find him anymore. In the end, I fear I’ll be the only one left.

>

> The Sky Islands are destroyed. Dragons dead, The Thousand Year Storm is dead. Maybe, I don’t know. But without the Deitar, Eva can’t carry the Burden of Protection anymore.

>

> Who do I pray to?

>

> Why can’t I remember the gods anymore?

>

> What did Zerax’thum do? Why did he do it? Was destroying Brymeia not enough?

>

> I don’t know anymore. Maybe it’s too much for me to hope, but I’ll write it here anyway. The world’s been silent. Maybe she really is dead.

>

> As agreed, we’ve decided to keep Evangeline’s existence away from history. Father had tied her destiny too tightly. I can’t find a way to undo it. Norazzel said she would, but I’ve little faith in dreams. In the end, we can only rely on Elizzel. She’ll be the only remaining evidence of my sister’s existence.

>

> Alphazzel promised to keep a record of her history, but as precaution, I’ve hidden this account as proof that my sister, Evangeline Irista, her beauty, her exceptional prowess, and her curse once existed in these lands.

>

> And in the end, when my time comes, I’ll have Schrodie take mine.

>

> Whoever sees this account, may you be in a future more peaceful than my era. The Deitars are dying, but we mortals can strive. We will survive for the sake of our future. Whatever demons, or devils, or abominations the Nightmares come up with, we will push them back. I pray that you can end them once and for all.

>

> May Brymeia find you and keep you safe.

The questions formed one after the other in Frein’s mind. The sheer amount made it difficult to keep track and organize, stunning him speechless at what he had just read.

He erased Mesiffera from reality. It had taken a significant portion of his Milled meiyal and he didn’t need it to see the questions forming in Katherine and Kristel’s heads.

But before any of them could even voice out a single inquiry, Frein felt a small weight press on his shoulder. He turned to find a small pair of legs dangling on his side and a much taller Elizzel looking down at him, until he realized she was sitting down on him.

“Time’s up. We have…visitors.”

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