A few hours have gone by since the Elder told the King and I that we were Disciples. I've been ordered to stay in bed by Kendrick until my muscle strength returns, which should happen sometime soon. I've been sitting on the edge of the medical bed, looking out the window, staring at nothing. Everyone went to help reconstruction move along, though Silven stayed back for a while, trying to make sure I didn't need anything. It took about thirty minutes to convince him I was okay, that he should be out there helping the others, and he eventually made his way out.

My gaze shifts to my palms, and I stare at the charred spots in the center of each one. That night has been playing through my mind since I woke up. That woman and those two children's expressions just before they're consumed by fire are plastering my mind, I can still distinctly see the woman’s arm, reaching for me. I… couldn't save them. I went too far over my limit… Now I have these scars to always force me to remember that night… I… I can't let that happen again. My eyes well up, tears dripping down my cheek, but my body refuses to move or react, no matter how badly I want to throw myself face down into the bed and scream at the top of my lungs, or cry until my eyes dry out. Why… Why does it have to be me? A… Disciple of a Goddess? That's crazy… I can't even protect people… How am I supposed to do anything if I can't even use my Specialty to help…

As my thoughts run rampant through my mind, my sight planted firmly on my palms, two small, frail hands cover the burns, and snap me from my trance. I look up to see Elder Naori in front of me, a concerned smile on her face as she looks up at me. When did she come in…? Did I really not hear her?

"Good afternoon, Salem. How are you feeling?"

I look back at her hands resting on mine, unable to look her in the eye, and shrug my shoulders just barely enough to be noticed. Does she really need to ask me that?

"I heard from Joffrey about what had happened, and I'm sure you must be fighting an impossible battle in your mind. Moments like those will stick with you for the rest of your life, and it's up to you to choose how you will let it affect you. There is no changing how those events happened."

"Mm," I mumble. Of course, I know that. I don't need you to nail that point down further…

"May I tell you about the Legend of Deltania?”

I shrug, which she takes as enough of an affirmative response.

“Deltania was the strongest of the Goddesses. Since she possessed the ability to control energy, she realized she could stockpile it within herself, and unleash as much she had contained, as she wanted, when she wanted. The gems the Goddesses created, not only did they shape the planet, but each gem sowed deep lifelines throughout the planet, growing stronger. Deltania learned her gift had blessed her with youth, appearing years younger than any of her sisters upon reaching adulthood, and she could tap into the power the gems have been depositing into the planet and use herself as a conduit, releasing unimaginable amounts of strength in a single blow. Some say she could punch through mountains. There are only a handful of records of what happened to her after that, some say she went mad, and others depict her leaving the planet thanks to her near-endless energy supply. But the only thing known for sure… is that one day she disappeared without a trace.”

I lift my gaze, finally making eye contact with the Elder, and my words come out as hardly a whisper, "What's that have to do with me?"

"Well, as much as our Legends tell of the incredible feats that these Goddesses have laid upon the land, they were still regular people, with all of their emotions, struggles, passions, and relations, just like you. I believe Deltania reached a point where she couldn't handle the pressure of her powers, and that was her reason for disappearing."

I stare at her for a moment, unsure of what point she's trying to make, and say softly, "This isn't exactly making me feel better…"

"I understand, but there is a point to this. You see, Deltania took it upon herself to leave everything she had known behind her, spending her time alone. Now, You…" She gestures to the window and I look over, seeing Joffrey poking at Silven with a small branch from a section of trunk they had just cut up and Kendrick trying to get them back on track in the distance. She continues, "You are in a very similar situation as her. You have many people who care deeply about you and are ready and willing to do anything for you. However, It's up to you to decide whether you'll let them stand with you and fight together, or go your own way and face it alone. Both are viable options, and there is no right or wrong answer, but as the Elder of this village, I personally want to thank you for all of the efforts you and your friends put into protecting us. It's true that lives were lost that day, and we are all grieving the losses, but if not for you and your friends, this village might not have been here anymore… You've done a great service, and I hope you can forgive yourself one day. I know you will make the best choices, Salem."

I nod gingerly, muttering quietly, "Thank you, Elder…"

Elder Naori takes her leave, and I stew in my thoughts for a while. How can I forgive myself when all I can see is that woman… I don't even know what her name was… and those kids… and if it weren't for Joffrey, I'd be dead right now… I ball my fists up and rub my eyes aggressively, strained groans escaping me as I rock myself on the edge of the bed. Maybe it would've been best if that beast had just killed me…

Some time went by, and my stare shifted out the window, though I don't remember when I looked over. I see the sun starting to set on the horizon, and a thought crosses my mind. I wonder how my parents are… thinking back, they never were good to me, but… I miss them… I still hold tight to the memory of me with my family, the one time we watched the sunset together. It was before my older brother disappeared… I don't know what we did that made them want to do something for us, but one day our parents surprised us and took us onto the roof. They had laid out a blanket that we all sat on, and they even had a few different leftover scraps set out for us while we watched the sun slip gently behind the massive walls, the beautiful golden rays bouncing off of the rolling clouds overhead in a prism of red, purple, orange, and blue as the sky grew darker. They didn't even lay a hand on us that day… Lucian disappeared not long after that… he turned fourteen around a few years before I did. I… I wonder if he made it through the Ceremony or not...

As my thoughts spiral downward, someone thumping my shoulder behind me pulls me back to reality. I turn and see Oswin standing by the foot of the bed.

"Sorry to bother you, I tried saying hello and tapping you, but you seemed a little lost in thought."

I shrug and make a small gesture to the chair and he walks over, taking a seat.

"I wanted to talk to you… about what the Elder said. About us apparently being some sort of Disciple. And… about the Ceremony."

"Okay." I stare at him blankly, my body too drained to try and force any kind of expression.

"Is that alright? It's a lot of information… Are you well enough to want to hear?"

I nod, looking down at my legs.

"Okay, you can stop me at any time if you wish to not hear more," he pauses for a moment to collect his thoughts and nods affirmatively to himself before continuing, "Elder Naori managed to confirm a few things for me with what she told all of us and… it only feels right to share with you seeing as we're connected on a grander level. So… I suppose I should start from the day we met. When you stepped before me during the Ceremony, it was as if time had frozen in the real world, and in my mind I entered an imaginary realm with a seemingly infinite library. I was drawn to a notebook in this world and searching through it, it gave me the name Infernia. I was thrown back into the real world, right back to the moment I left, and looking back at you I could see an aura emanating from you… It was orange and whipping at the air around you. I just… felt that the energy you gave off was connected somehow… and now I know I was right thanks to the Elder. I just had a pure instinct feeling that I had to do something to get you out of there, because, well… They would have killed you. Had I not intervened, guards would have taken you… and… chopped you up…" His voice trails off, expecting a reaction, but I sit stone-faced, gazing at him.

"I know, " I state matter of factly.

"Oh, I see. O-of course, " he stammers for a moment, "Joffrey must have said something, or perhaps that boy did. I should have thought of that."

"Silven," I say, correcting him.

“I'm sorry?”

“That boy's name is Silven.”

“Right, Silven. I can't believe I didn’t ask for his name… Regardless, you must think horribly of me, doing all that I've done to you.

“I did,” I watch him look up at me, and I make full eye contact with him, straight-faced.

"Did?" His eyes light up with hope, his mouth agape.

"Then you came here."

I watch his hope grow brighter, his smile beaming through. I guess that was weighing on him pretty badly.

"I'm so glad… I do hope to go back one day and change the ways the Kingdom is run. That's why, just as soon as I exiled you, I ran and hid in the only place I could have for myself, the Royal Archives. My right-hand woman, Viralia, chased me down and tried to force her way in, but I managed to make it in time. I wonder if she knew what was hidden away there…" he trails off for a second, but snaps back to, "Anyway, I found a secret tower hidden behind a magical panel. It led me to ancient scrolls and papers, and some of the writings were causing more visions. It was as if I was living through the eyes of someone else, and I watched as seven girls developed incredible and pure energies, I saw their powers in action. It was… breathtaking."

"Okay…?" My eyes narrow as I think to myself, what are you getting at? Oswin notices my demeanor and pulls himself back on track.

"Right, sorry, back to my point. I think it's safe to say that the girls I watched grow up in my visions are the Goddesses, from before the legends, in a small village. As in, this village. If that's the case, then I have a very bad feeling that I can't quite place... In the last couple of visions, I saw something, and I feel… off…when I think about it. The youngest girl, Bela… had a disturbing power, though, I'm not sure she even knew about it herself. I watched through the eyes of the oldest sibling, Cayna was her name, as she was following Bela, watching her while hiding along a path in the bushes. I could hear her thoughts, wondering about when Bela would develop signs of any power. Just then, a person passed by Bela on the walkway and tripped, and as she reached down to help the person up, they were… absorbed… gruesomely… I'll spare the details, but all three of us, me, Cayna, and Bela herself were horrified. I can still hear Bela's scream…"

"Why is this important?" I reply flatly, my mind a scrambled mess of unintelligible thoughts crashing against one another.

"I'm sorry… I know this is a lot. But in my last vision, I witnessed the gems being created by the girls, only… Bela wasn't there. Meaning that only six gems were made… I also heard more of her thoughts, how Bela had run off a few months before this vision, and how they didn't want to have to do this. And then I found this…" he reaches into his jacket and pulls out a letter, "Thank God Hrithika grabbed this, I ran out in such a rush."

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

He hands it over and I read through it.

Bela, I don't know how to tell you this, but I've seen what's coming. I know that we shouldn't have abandoned you like we did. You didn't deserve it. You have an unimaginable power and there wasn't anything that we could do to help understand it. Our powers pale in comparison to what you are capable of. What you will be capable of. By the time you've read this, I'll be gone, and it will be by your hands. But you must know, I knew this was coming, I knew it was my time, and I would do it all again for you. I was never able to forgive myself for separating us, but it had to be done for the sake of everyone, even you. Your time will come, I know it will. I believe in you.

- We'll meet again, Cayna

As I read the last words, I look back up at Oswin, "What do you think it means?"

"That's exactly what I'm trying to find out. What level of power could this girl have that would make these girls have to resort to storing away their own to grow? Cayna had the power to see visions, just like I'm experiencing now, I just wish there was some way I could see what she saw… and why is Bela the one who kills her? There's so many things that I can't find answers for and it's driving me mad…"

"This is a lot…" I mutter quietly, rubbing my palm against my temple.

"Of course… I'll leave this be for now," he stands up, bows down toward me, and speaks softly, "Thank you for your time, I hope your energy returns swiftly, and I look forward to traveling together." He exits the room and once again I'm left alone. I lay back on the bed and shut my eyes, rewatching that moment on repeat in my head until somehow I slip into a deep sleep.

My eyes squint open as the first rays of the sun peak through the window across the room, landing right in my face. I shield my eyes and sit up, grumbling to myself. Blinking a few times to adjust my vision, I look over and see Silven curled up on the floor near my bed. He must have never left my side while I was out… I can't believe I had him so worried. I slip out of bed, putting pressure on my heels and wincing in anticipation, but the pain has settled drastically from yesterday. Kendrick must have done some more work while I was asleep… I examine my palms and see the scorched marks still prominent, no different than before. I wonder how permanent this is… I walk over and crouch down, gently shaking Silven's shoulder. He groggily rolls onto his back, then shoots up, almost knocking heads with me if I hadn't pulled back quick enough. "Whoa, it's okay. Are you alright?"

I watch his fearful eyes dart around the room, landing on me before his breath returns and he hangs his head, "I've… not been able to let my guard down since, well… y'know… I haven't slept very well for almost two weeks."

"I'm alright now, aren't I?" Lifting his head, I gaze into his eyes and smile softly.

His smile cracks through, his face growing a light pink shade, "Yeah… you are."

"We should go find the others, and see what we can do," I stand up, teetering slightly but catching myself on the wall. Silven shoots up, ready to catch me, but I stop him, "I'm okay, just haven't been on my feet in a while." I chuckle weakly to which he softens his stance.

We walk out into the golden-orange sun, and I take a deep breath. A loud crashing sound in the distance forces my body rigid, my breath halting. Silven puts his arm around me.

“It’s okay Salem, it was just a tree. We're safe.”

I catch a few shallow breaths and start repeating in my head, It's okay… I'm okay… There aren't any beasts, I'm okay… My breath returns to me over the next few minutes, Silven keeping his arm wrapped around my shoulder. Once I caught my breath, we headed up the road, Silven guiding me to the house Joffrey was staying in. Entering the hut, I see Oswin and his two friends in there as well. Hrithika and Oswin are trying to wake Kendrick up while Joffrey is busy packing up everyone's belongings. Oswin is gently nudging him, trying softly to wake him up, but I watch as Hrithika winds up and delivers a quick slap across his face.

Kendrick shoots upright, muttering half-asleep, "Of course my lord, five pounds of berries…"

I can't help but chuckle to myself, and walk over to Joffrey who is double-checking his pack. He looks over and is surprised to see me, pulling me in for a tight hug before I can speak. He pulls away, clearing his throat before speaking, "Glad to see you're feeling better. You had Silven worried sick." He shoots me a smirk, and I smile.

"Sorry for worrying you… and Silven, of course." I give him the same smirk he gave me, to which he lets out a small laugh.

With Kendrick awake now, and Joffrey having packed up everyone's things, we make our way out of the house and head down the road to pay a visit to the Elder. Joffrey knocks on the door, and a frail voice from inside calls out to enter. We step in, closing the door behind us, and all bow to her.

"Leaving already?"

Joffrey nods, "Yes, we have a lot more to see now that we know about the Goddesses and their gems. I haven't had any sort of goal since I've been outside the walls other than to survive."

Oswin speaks up next, "I had a feeling that these gems are necessary for something, though I can't pinpoint exactly what for. It's a deep sensation I have that we have to gather them all."

"I never did finish telling you of the Legends, do you have a few moments to spare before you leave?"

The group nods, everyone taking a seat on the ground, all eyes on Elder Naori.

"Let's see.. where did I leave off… ah, yes, after Infernia was the Goddess of the Earth, Stahnoria. She could create mountains on a whim, cut valleys in the earth with the move of her hand, and blossom acres of land with a snap of her fingers. She created the terrain most of the six Kingdoms lie on. Her twin sister, Zephyria, was Goddess of the wind. She breathed life into the world, helping the planet circulate its atmosphere, and gifting us with natural weather. And then there is the last sister… There is no Legend of her. Honestly, very little is known about what happened to her. The only inscription we have that could be connected to her is one we hardly believe in ourselves here, mentioning the name of Deidamia. But none of us know where the name came from or what it could mean."

Oswin ushers in a word, "I'm sorry, did you say six Kingdoms?"

"Of course, young man. The sisters went separate ways after the gems were created, taking their gems to the far reaches of the planet and keeping them hidden. None knew why they were told by Brindovia to do so, but they trusted the word of their sister and did as instructed. Our people believe that there is a great evil permeating the world, waiting for the right moment to take action, though no one can be sure for certain."

Oswin's expression drops and he sulks his head, "I think I may have an answer to that." He reaches into his jacket and pulls out Cayna's letter, handing it over to the Elder who reads through, her free hand moving to cover her mouth. Even with years of built-up life experiences showing in the lines on her face, I could see new creases forming as she reads. In a flash, her face brightens back up.

“I'm sure this is nothing,” she says with a grainy chuckle, and hands the letter back, “Now then, I've told you all I can, sorry to take up your time.” That didn't seem like nothing… I look up at Oswin and he exchanges a worried glance back at me.

“No trouble at all, thank you, Elder,” Joffrey says with a bow, the rest of us following his lead, then heading out the door. I notice that Silven has not left my side since I've stepped outside, and my face can't help but grow red a few shades. “Now then, we need to find Odel. He's mentioned a festival happening not far from here a couple of times, and I feel like that's a good place to start.” The group agrees and we spend the next ten to fifteen minutes going around the village together to find him before running into him by the pond he built.

“Hey Joffrey, Silven. Glad to see you're on your feet again, Salem. And some new folks as well? Nice to meet you all, I'm Odel.” He gives Oswin, Kendrick, and Hrithika a firm handshake.

“Hey Odel, I recall you mentioning a festival happening close by. Is that starting any time soon?

“Oh! Of course, yeah. Marianne is actually prepping to head out that way, she always goes out to sell her bows and equipment, but not many people buy them. She should still be at her shop, you can catch her if you hurry.”

“Thanks, you're a lifesaver.” Joffrey nods to him and ushers everyone back down the path, Silven still attached to my hip, and we reach the bowery quickly. Marianne is busy running back and forth between her shop and her cart, loading it with an assortment of items.

She looks up long enough to see all of us approaching, and lets out a short, “Hey you guys, sorry, I'm really busy right now.”

Joffrey steps forward, “We know. You're heading to the festival, right?”

She double-takes at Joffrey before refocusing on her task at hand, “Odel must have said something, didn't he?”

“He… may have mentioned something along those lines. But I'm- I mean, we are here to help.”

“Wonderful, come on then.” She chuckles at his slip of the tongue.

We take the next little while helping her load various bows, arrows, quivers, and apparel into the cart. As we finish up, Joffrey calls out, “Is that everything you need?”

“Yeah, I believe that's all from here.”

“Alright, come on everyone, it’s time to go!” He hollers, grabbing everyone’s attention. We all gather around and Joffrey takes hold of the cart handles.

Marianne steps up, “No, that won't be necessary. I still have a few errands to run before I leave, you all go on ahead.”

The handles drop from Joffrey’s hands and he walks over to Marianne, “Wait, what? Odel gave me the impression we'd all be traveling together.”

“Settle down now, I just have a couple more things to do. I'm serious, go! I'll be alright.” her eyes narrow and a sly grin creeps across her face, “Unless… you're worried about me?”

“I- Well- Th- Am not!” His face contorted through a cycle of emotions as he processed what she asked, his expression settling on flushed embarrassment.

Silven cuts in, “Hey, no rush on your little flirty talk, but we should probably get moving now, right?” He says loud enough for everyone to hear, the rest of the group cracking up as Marianne and Joffrey turn beet red. They both start stammering about how “No we weren’t” and “What are you talking about?”. I chuckle and look over at Silven, who is smirking proudly at embarrassing Joffrey. It’s like it’s his favorite thing to do, but I can’t help but find it cute. I know he doesn’t mean in it a bad way. I smile softly at him. He looked over and once he noticed I was staring right at him, his cheeks flushed and he turned back quickly.

Joffrey clears his throat, “Anyway, it's time everyone.” He turns back to Marianne, “I'll see you at the festival, but, uhm, which direction is it in?”

“It’s about North-northeast from the village here. Just a handful of miles through the forest. Head straight north with the lake on your right side, and once you're on the opposite side of the water, break off Northeast. You'll be able to see the village from that far side, so it should be easy to know when.”

“Perfect, we'll be on our way now.” he turns back and stops in place one more time, “One more thing, before I go, at least let me do this.” He walks over and crouches down, closing his eyes and raising his arms. Placing his palms firmly against the side of the cart, all of us watch as the cart begins to wrap in his purple aura, sealing it with his Enhancement. “This should, uh… help cut down your time to get to the town.”

Marianne walks over and lifts the handles of the cart, pulling it slightly to test the resistance, “Just as impressive as your last display, it glides across the ground now. Thank you for that,” she leans in and gives him a hug which he greedily accepts, squeezing her. “Alright now,” she pats Joffrey's shoulder after a few seconds and pulls away, “You’ll see me soon, don't worry,” She smiles.

“I'll try,” They chuckle and he turns to walk away but stops mid-step and swings back around, “Where are you going to be setting up?”

She chortles heartily, and says, “I'll be in the shop alley, they have a street dedicated to paid goods. The rest of the festival is free for anyone, almost a celebration of life type of thing. There are oodles of people with quirky powers like yourselves using theirs for the sake of making others happy and entertained.”

“Okay, see you soon.”

He turns back, rounds all of us up, and off we set. It doesn't take us long to reach the outskirts of the village, and Joffrey leads us around the edge of the lake, holding tightly to the directions he was given. We take our time walking through, admiring the wildlife and fauna. Kendrick and Joffrey are running around picking up anything useful like Vitrablossom leaves or different edible plants. Hrithika is messing with Oswin by stretching her arm out and tapping his shoulder opposite of her, then quickly acting like she's distracted by something in the trees. Silven is walking right next to me, and looking over I see him watching one of the trees in the distance.

“What are you looking at?” I whisper to him.

He points out a branch on a tree about twenty yards away, and I follow his angle, seeing a large creature with claws and hard plating on its back, “It's a Slothadillo, they're really cool.”

My eyes grow in awe and I watch as the creature hangs precariously from one of his long arms on the branch. It lets go and as it falls, it curls into a hard-shelled ball, bouncing off some roots and rolling to a stop before unfurling and crawling after some large bugs. “Whoa… that was awesome.”

“They're tough too, not even a steel-tipped arrow can pierce their shell.”

“Really? That's crazy!” I exclaim, unable to draw my eyes from the creature as it plucks a large insect from the ground and eats it, curling back into a ball and rolling away. “Wow…” A smile grows on my face and I glance over, noticing Silven is beaming with happiness.

“W-what’s that look for?” I feel my cheeks grow warm.

“This is your first smile since you woke up, how could I not be happy?” His words fill my chest with heat, a fluttering feeling fills my stomach, and I feel my thoughts wreck into each other, beginning to stammer incoherently.

“I-I mean… I guess th-that makes sense…” My face gets hot to the touch, and I can only assume it shows based on the fact that Silven chuckled after my trail of words.

“It's okay to be happy. Really, it is,” he puts his arm around my shoulder, drawing me in as we walk, “Just because something bad happens doesn't mean you don't deserve to be happy.”

“I can't help it…” My smile fades, eyes glossing over, “This isn't just something small like lying about where I've been… people died because… because I couldn't…” Tears start to pour from my eyes.

Before I can finish my sentence, Silven stops walking, pulling my head into his chest, “I know Salem, I know… and I’m not saying to forget about it, just… Even if they didn't know you, I'm sure they wouldn't want you to hold yourself responsible…” His breath hitches for a moment, almost like he's choking back tears, “You did everything you could, alright? No one blames you… okay?” I nod, gently wrapping my arms around him until my sobs quiet down. He waits a moment before pulling away, looking into my eyes. “Feeling better?”

I nod again.

“Good, let's catch up, they didn't seem to notice that we stopped,” he chuckles and takes my hand, pulling me along until we're back with the group.

After a couple of hours of peaceful walking, Hrithika, who has stretched her neck to reach high into the trees, calls out, “I think I see it!”

Everyone groans a sigh of relief and follows Hrithika as her head returns to her body. Oswin, feet dragging in the dirt, desperately mumbles, “Thank god, my feet are killing me.”

Hrithika turns her head around, eyeing him, “I carried you for half of the walk, what do you mean your feet are killing you?”

“Uh, I know that, but, uhm… you see…”

Joffrey steps in, “You'll survive Oswin, just another ten minutes or so,” he gives Oswin a good slap on the back, causing him to stumble forward.

“Good God, that's quite an arm, Joffrey.” They laugh as we continue through the trees, a small glimpse of something manmade slowly breaking through the dense forest ahead of us.

As we get closer, the tree density grows thinner, and soon I can see a bustling avenue of people, colors, and flags smattering every inch of the town, the crowds cheering loud enough I was hearing them before we could see them. I feel a tightness constricting my chest, my breathing pacing faster. My vision begins to fade, and my feet feel frozen to the ground. I feel a warmth surround my palm, breaking my trance and I look over to see Silven holding my hand.

“It's okay, I'm right beside you,” he says, and I look up to see him smiling gently at me, “This'll be fun, I promise.”