It’s been hours since I narrowly avoided that complete neurological overload that would have pushed me into a full blown panic attack. Nobody has come home yet, so it’s just been me sitting in the family gathering pit in a crossed legs sitting position. I might have dozed off once or twice, but with how blurry everything feels I might have just spaced out for a while and not known the difference.

Incalculable mana. I can imagine that somebody with a hero complex or no depth of reason would be frothing at the mouth to get a hold of something like that. Me, I was terrified of what that implied. All of the damage I could do to the ones I loved, the risk of harming myself as well, it just wasn’t something I could keep quiet in the back of my mind. Maybe that was why the elders were keeping their distance: I was a walking talking bomb with no visible fuse. No that couldn’t be right, they haven’t had any way to check that I wouldn’t notice, and this went back to before I was even hatched.

Damn it, even when I’m on the verge of a breakdown I’m still overthinking things. I have to stop thinking for a while. Just imagine something pleasant, like my brothers coming through the door with a cartload of purchases, mom and dad lugging another barrel of something into the house, Humey shaking my shoulder to snap me out of my trance. Hold on a second, that’s a real hand on me, and this isn’t my imagination.

“Ḵ̴̜͌a̶̧̦͊y̸̫͎͛̏,̷͖͘ ̴̲̼͑à̴͙̜̈r̸̲͆̈́ĕ̵͖̲͝ ̸̹͔̊̿y̵̯͠o̶̫̊͘u̴͖͂̚ ̷͙͓̀͂a̵͙̹̿ḷ̶͈͋r̵͈̓i̴̫̍g̵̲̅̇͜h̸̦̖̀́t̶͍͂̆?̶̣͗̕”

I blinked a few times to shove the incredible grogginess from my eyes so I could meet his worried stare. Fumbling through the few hand signs we had come up with, I signed him a quick “Head hurt need food and drink”. He shouted something to Tokols, but the words didn’t register to me. It sounded like barking and yips again. Everything is spinning.

…

So cold. Every muscle in my body is shaking uncontrollably, but the cold is too much. I can feel my scales brushing against the blankets with each quake, but their presence brought no warmth. There were more voices again in those animalistic yelps and chirps, but I still had no idea who was talking. I opened my eyes only to see the ceiling of my bed shelf and a glow to my side.

Something next to me was moving steadily along the length of my body in repeated top to bottom arcs. A pair of glowing hands connected to a big red kobold were trying to act as heaters on my frigid flesh. His snake-like mouth made multiple strange sounds but I couldn’t understand him, and my lack of comprehension painted a heavy weight of worry upon his brow. A brown scaled hand reached out from beyond the edge of my bed holding up my writing board with words written on it.

“Can you understand us?”

Weakly I shook my head, to which Humey parroted the motion to the writer of the message: Mibata. A new message appeared, but I could already feel my consciousness drifting again.

“Just rest. Moon-fall will be over soon. Stay-”

I couldn’t read the rest of the message before darkness engulfed me.

…

My head was no longer caught in a vortex when I awoke. The space around me was uncomfortably warm, and I could still see that soft orange glow to my side. Instead of the serpentine face of Humey, I was now looking at the blunted green snout of my tired-eyed mother. Her hands were staying steady over my torso, where a heat radiated from them in the same manner as Humey’s did. I did my best to smile for her in my weakened state, though her face remained filled with sorrow.

Her lips moved in a series of trills and clicks, but yet again I couldn’t grasp the meaning behind her words. She recognized that I couldn’t grasp any meaning from her, so she instead tried to use my slate to communicate. She could read just fine, but her writing was not as practiced as her kids’.

“HOw FeeL KyRUx?”

She set the plank on my chest for me to use though it was a struggle to make my arms move through the exhaustion. Everything felt like it was worn down, and even a few scales came loose when I moved. Was I falling apart? I kept my reply brief both because of my degraded joints and for my mother’s sake.

“Hurting. Can’t understand. Hot. Tuleni? Medicine? Very tired.”

After she was done reading she wiped it clean and left it by my side before leaving the dorm. With her out of the way I could see that Tokols and Mibata were standing in the doorway with dad, all three discussing something. A faint rumble of snores came from the foot of my bed, meaning that Humey was still asleep. He probably stayed up late trying to keep me warm, and only went to sleep once he hit his limit or mom forced him to.

I closed my eyes in an attempt to put myself back to sleep, but my body resisted this action completely. Everything felt so numb, but it also was tingly and sore like the muscles and skin had been stretched beyond the breaking point. Maybe there really was a curse on me. I was just thinking about what kind of rune I could make to detect something like that when I noticed that my mana was moving.

I couldn’t see my source through the energy being radiated throughout my body. Every sense that I used to detect the flow of mana was being drowned out in the power that was emanating from my core, and no amount of focus or calming breaths were changing the situation. Tracing the aching pain in my arms and legs I noticed that the pain was strongest along where the mana lines would be, and if the sensation I was feeling was correct that meant that every line was currently open. I tried to clench that imaginary muscle that controlled the flow of mana around the source, but it either wasn’t responding or couldn’t stem a tide this large.

Even when I attempted to generate runes there wasn’t a proper response. I could visualize the limit rune and where along the line I wanted it to be, but every time the willpower generated reached its destination the mana would jolt in that spot to block my attempt. The more tries made the stronger the surge, and the stronger the surge the more it hurt. Three strikes and I was out of that losing game.

A pair of green kobolds loomed over me when my eyes opened. One was holding me down while the other placed a hand on my midsection and sternum. Oh, I was shaking again, that’s why she’s holding me down. I watched as Tuleni’s eyes widened in surprise as she growled her throaty words to her daughter, the reply being alarmed yelps and crows. I pondered how this situation felt so similar to before until one of those bladed hands grabbed my snout and shoved something vile and bitter inside.

It burns, oh sweet baby dragon Jesus it burns! I tried in vain to tear my face away from the iron grips on my wrists and face in a desperate attempt to eject the source of my newest suffering. Grandmother was shushing me as she tilted my head up, which caused the involuntary reaction of swallowing the mysterious medicine. Tears were welling in my eyes as the pain traveled down my throat and into my stomach where it continued to radiate a searing pain through me. Damn you Tuleni, you crazy old-

…

Bitch!

Wait, where did they go? Shit, I must blacked out again. That’s odd, my body feels lighter than before, though not quite as light as it was before this ordeal. I pushed myself out of bed and grabbed my slate before following the voices in the other room. The trio were in the kitchen making something, dad and Tuleni were talking in the pit, and mom was snoozing with her head on Tuleni’s lap. It was a peaceful scene, one that I wished would remain even after my presence became known.

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Dad was the first to see me and wave me over before my brothers noticed. They were currently having a bit of a disagreement over a burlap sack in Mibata’s hands, so my approach was undetected. I sat down beside him while also keeping my distance from the healer who had assaulted me earlier. Don’t you smile at me granny, you’ve lost some of my trust for that stunt! Bahruk’s voice interrupted my little sneering match with Tuleni.

“K̷͓̓ả̷̤y̸͎͊r̵͍̍u̸͒ͅx̸̜̄,̵̫͑ ̵͜͝à̵̖r̴͕̈́è̸̡ ̶͇̆ỹ̵̞ȍ̶̮ǘ̴̘ ̶͙͝f̸̠̀e̸̱͗ḙ̷͋l̴̖̓í̵͙n̴̜̄ġ̸̫ ̴̼̋b̸̥̆é̷͓ṱ̸̑t̵̩̀ė̵̳r̵͚̽?̵̮̓””

I shook my head as the words tried to filter through some kind of mesh in my head. Why did it feel like I was hearing things wrong, as if the noises he was making weren’t the words I heard? Ugh, there’s that spinning headache again.

“Ṱ̷͌a̴̪͗k̸̯̕e̶͕̓ ̴̟͒i̸̧̍t̶̤͗ ̷̢̕s̵̫̿l̶̛ͅō̶͇ẅ̸̪ĺ̵̮y̵͂͜.̶̧̋ ̸̩͂J̷̲̈́ȗ̸̲s̴̠̿t̴̗̅ ̴͖̂r̷̯̓è̴͜l̴͎̈â̵̡x̴̭͂ ̵̤̇f̵̹̉o̷͙͌r̶̳̾ ̸͔͂ạ̴̎ ̴̻͝w̸̩̒h̴͈̐i̸̭̔l̸̖͋ë̷͙́.̴̢̒”

What is this feeling, and where have I felt it before? I placed my hands on the sides of my head to cover my ears. I’m sorry dad, but your voice is making things worse. Fortunately he was a smart kobold and realized that he was doing me harm and instead unslung my slate from my shoulder before conferring with Tuleni. A few minutes later he set it on my lap for me to read.

“Your magic is moving too fast right now. You need to slow it down for your source to work properly. Focus inward and try to stop the storm, then you can understand us. Tuleni suggests moving the mana around without spreading it out, try to pack it closer together instead.”

I hadn’t tried messing with the source directly before, but if Tuleni was suggesting it then maybe there was some truth to it. My source sat right in the center of my being hugging the space adjacent to my heart, and until yesterday it had felt like a smooth oval. When looking at it now I couldn’t tell what shape it was, only that the mana inside was swirling rapidly and bulging at the points where the mana lines connected. The whole spot felt raw, like a dry chafing sensation had been bundled up into a ball.

I reached inside of my source with my willpower and almost immediately had the tendrils of intent swept away in the current. My imaginary hand had been dissolved like cotton candy in a river. Alright, what if I didn’t put a hand in there, but rather an entire fist? Channeling my focus I breached the outer layer of the core and was pleasantly surprised when the current slammed into the imaginary arm only to part while losing momentum.

If one fist was good enough, then perhaps ten would be even better. Each arm needed my constant attention to maintain its form, but with my ability to conjure the mental image of the situation I was able to keep all of them together. A few moments passed as the current battered my mind hands within the source in a merciless torrent, but eventually the hurricane began to break as the dented shell of the source reverted to its normal shape. This felt a lot better than it had before, and I could almost feel the pressure inside of my head relenting.

One by one I began to pull back the obstructive hands in my source, but one hooked on something that sent a shiver up into my brain. I focused on the sore spot until my brain finally clicked in recognition as to what it was. The red stone. Within my source was a red spot, one that had buried itself deep inside of the vortex of mana and was still maintaining its shape. The fist uncurled and grabbed hold of the crimson speck, only for it to slip through the fingers and fade into the current. The impression it left on me after just one touch told me something I hadn’t realized, and explained exactly why I wasn’t able to understand anyone.

The name of that red dot was Comprehension, and it was my acting language translator. I had absorbed it from the red stone fragment I had eaten, and from it I felt a lingering sense of functionality. It also left me with some kind of mental imprint, an explanation as to why it had ceased functioning: interference. It let me know just from one touch that it was working fine until the moon-fall, and when my mana went rampant it couldn’t reach my subconscious through the haze.

Another revelation dawned on me after that encounter. The red spot, Comprehension, had come from a red stone. A red mana stone. That meant that it had come from something alive, and I had eaten it to gain its latent function. I shuddered at the idea of killing monsters and eating their parts to gain power. If the shattered piece of a broken stone was still able to maintain its shape in a tsunami of mana, then what would a regular stone do to someone normal?

The creeping taste of bile rose up, but I managed to catch it before making a mess. I opened my eyes and lowered my hands so I could focus on the others instead of diving headfirst down the rabbit hole. Carefully I picked up my slate and gave dad a status update, much to his relief.

“I think it worked. Everything is back to how it should be. Try talking again.”

“H̵o̴w̵ ̶i̷s̸ this? Can you understand me?”

Ah, blessed clarity at last. I smiled and nodded to confirm my reply.

“Thank the great six that you are alright. I had never thought that you would succumb to such an awful fate.”

Tuleni cocked an eyebrow at him as she scoffed.

“Bahruk would know when tell Tuleni. Keep avoid Tuleni, learn nothing. Moon falling curse require diligence, patience, mostly understanding. Family lacking understanding, survive without. Lucky. Kayrux almost collapse completely.”

I raised my eyebrows at the word “collapse”. What did that mean? Tuleni interpreted my curiosity at a glance and resumed her explanation.

“Kayrux cursed because moon-fall laying day. Curse considered superstition, bearers know falseness. Magic source becomes turbulent, forces mana lines opened, saturates body. Excess mana damages body, look Kayrux hide, scales falling away. Kayrux having absurd magic resistance only saving grace. Other kobold explode, magic flow melt body, great fireball.”

Fantastic, I was a few seconds from going thermonuclear in the living room. As if to emphasize her point when I rubbed at an aching spot, three whole scales fell from my chest and onto the linens. Yikes. I used my slate to ask dad to ask Tuleni questions for me.

“She wants to know if this is going to happen every moon-fall.”

She nodded somberly as she stroked at Juaki’s scales.

“Yes. Every moon-fall. Cure unknown. Tuleni medicine help, cannot stop curse. Sincere sorriness.”

Oh, so she was trying to save me with that awful burning stuff. I felt embarrassed by my violent thrashing in rebellion to my necessary healing. Dad resumed his interpretation.

“She says shes sorry for reacting poorly, and asks if you can teach her how to make the medicine.”

A toothy grin stretched across her maw as she chuckled her response out.

“Worry nothing, Tokols boy learn well. Tomorrow learn greater medicines, also surgeries. Fast learning boy become best healer, second only Tuleni. Kayrux cannot medicine maker, worry nothing.”

I hate putting so much responsibility on my brother, but if the greatest healer could vouch for his skills then I had nothing to worry about. Tuleni was being open right now, so it was a good opportunity to see just how deep her well of knowledge was regarding my predicament. Bahruk accepted the slate again, though his face became a grimace as he read the words given to him.

“Kayrux says that her magic source went wild and hurt her, but when she calmed it she found a piece of red magic that was not from her. She says that it came from the red stone that a gray scaled elder used on her. She swallowed the stone, and when she spat it back out it was powerless. The power is in her source, and that is how she hears us. She wants to know more about that kobold, the stone, and why she can do this.”

Tuleni’s expression went from terror to concern before settling on stoic calm.

“Zhathrael. Cruel elder. Terokos secret keeper, two century old. Powerful, tricky, mysterious. Tuleni avoid this one, many dangers hidden within. Red stone Mind-Touch Stone. Powerful stone, very rare. Allowing Kayrux understand any speech. Tuleni demonstrate this. Understand Tuleni? Stone magics working. Kayrux consume magic. Dangerous thing, sometimes make monster. Kayrux stronger, stone magic cannot devour. Kayrux devour, take power. Avoid eating stones, could kill, worse become demon. Worst fate possible.”

A two hundred year old wizard named Zhathrael was my arch-nemesis. His weapon of choice against me was magic that threatened to tear me apart like my own mana tried to do and a red stone that allowed him to read minds. The later object was the essence of something that created a mana-stone, probably a monster, and was now a part of me. This essence allowed me to understand the spoken words around me, even if they changes which language they spoke like Tuleni did. If I were to continue consuming mana stones I would become a demon. Was there anything else I was missing?

Oh yeah, I still never got an answer about what was going on with my head. Dad was compliant with one more turn as my translator.

“Kayrux wants to know what her dreams mean. She says you know something, and she would very much like to know.”

I watched as the old woman debated in her head whether to tell me or not, though she eventually settled on her answer.

“Sorry. Tuleni cannot tell. Must ask brother of Tuleni mother, Elder Faerkurch. Tuleni promise Faerkurch, must ask him yourself. Please forgive Tuleni.”

I can forgive you grandma, but this still complicates things further. Ugh, I just can’t catch a break around here.