Yelena, her gaze filled with desperation, bent over the fallen Leonard, calling upon his soul through her tears as a new day was born in the haze above them. "You can’t leave me, do you hear? I’m the one who led you here; I bound you to the fate you held onto so tightly.” Her voice trembled, her whispered words woven into fragmented prayers. When she placed her hand on his forehead, she could feel the fever beginning to take hold, likely from the effects of the healing spells she had cast on him only moments ago. With her cooling touch, she tried to calm the fevered dreams drawing him somewhere far away, yet hopefully not so deep that his soul would depart forever.
Carefully, she tended to the wound, surrounding it with freshly picked leaves and dabbing the edges of his torn flesh with a thick green extract from a vial she always carried; it stopped the bleeding. "I won’t give up on you, do you hear me? You must stay here with me,” she said with urgency, her words lingering over him as if suspended in the air.
After treating his wound in this way, she stood, raised her palms upward to waist level, and called forth, with vibrations from her fingertips, the power meant to serve her. Nothing of her true nature needed hiding now. In a brief trance, she reached out through time and space, locating a lone horse, frightened and separated from the scattered ranks of soldiers. She bound him to her by a wave-like thread of shared consciousness, ordering him clearly to come to her. After a moment of silence, a dull pounding of hooves grew louder, and between the trees, the horse’s silhouette appeared, his eyes clouded like a fog of the night itself had passed over them. “Come here,” she whispered to him, her soft tone laced with an otherworldly command. Then, with her magic, she gently lifted Leonard’s body, positioning him carefully. She secured him onto the horse’s back, and with an apologetic stroke over the white blaze of the horse’s face, she released his will to her own.
The journey into the mountains was long and unrelenting. Yelena led the horse along narrow trails and winding slopes, stopping only briefly to offer him water from her hands. Leonard’s body lay upon the horse’s back, secured by a strap of light, while Yelena held his hand tightly; she would sometimes whisper to him, as if hoping her voice would reach into his fevered dreams.
It was late afternoon when she realized they could go no further. Leonard’s body was shaking with feverish chills, and night was drawing near as the sun dipped lower, casting the mountains in shadows. When a rocky cleft appeared before her like a miracle, she felt as if a weight had lifted from her heart. It was a sign. She left the horse and his burden waiting, unafraid he might flee, and entered the cleft. The overhang formed a sheltered tunnel, leading to a rocky chamber with an open ceiling view of the darkening sky. From there, a narrow passage led to a small cave under the mountain, perfectly hidden from any passing eyes. However, the horse couldn’t descend with them; the cleft was too narrow for him. So, Yelena thanked him as an equal, lifted the burden from his back, and with a wave of her hand, released him from her spell. The creature seemed briefly confused by his surroundings, but once his senses returned, he bolted, galloping wildly away.
Yelena gently brushed her hand over Leonard’s face, then executed a well-practiced maneuver to lift him into the air. His body rose as if on an invisible cross, suspended in a soft light between the trees, and she carefully guided him ahead of her down into the cave, covering his head with her hand to shield it from scraping against the low ceiling. There, she made a bed of moss for him to rest upon and stayed by his side as night fell around them.
She was nearly exhausted to death and gripped with fear. She hadn’t eaten in over a day. Leonard writhed, caught in fevered dreams, and to soothe him, she prepared a broth from herbs she had gathered earlier that morning. The flickering light of a conjured flame danced along the walls of the cave, luring the eyes of wild creatures prowling in the night’s shadows around them. And as Leonard fought for his life, Yelena kept vigilant, bringing him sips of water and placing damp cloths from the scraps of her dress on his fevered brow.
The following days passed in a monotonous cycle of hope and anxiety. Leonard’s strength gradually returned, though his body remained weak and drained. Yelena left their shelter only briefly when necessary, to gather berries, mushrooms, young sprouts, or more herbs to aid his recovery. The meat of a squirrel and a hare she’d managed to catch by chance during those days she skewered on branches and roasted over the flames. The nourishing food brought renewed strength to them both.
When the inflammation finally subsided, Yelena looked down at Leonard with a smile of profound relief. With her hands held over his chest, she whispered a gentle incantation, and a soft light enveloped his body, sealing the edges of his wound and bringing Leonard his first true relief.
Now awake, he looked at Yelena with a gratitude shining in his eyes. “You saved me,” he whispered, his voice still weak but filled with warmth.
Yelena replied with a look full of tenderness. “It was my calling, Leonard! You have no idea how much I feared for you,” she admitted hoarsely, as if the fear still gripped her throat. She leaned over and kissed him softly. “You were close… too close to departing,” she whispered. “But now you’ve found the right shore, and nothing matters to me more.”
Over the following days, Leonard’s strength returned until only a reddish scar remained of his wound, gleaming in the light of his magical stone each evening. Finally, the time had come for Yelena to teach him, in the shadows of the tall trees, the first steps toward harnessing the magical power lying dormant within his soul, waiting to be awakened. They sat together on the soft moss, surrounded by the forest’s whispers and waves of mutual understanding.
“Focus on your breathing,” Yelena said calmly, her eyes gleaming with a light Leonard had seen only in her. “The stone will guide you from within, just as I do. All you need to do is reach toward it with your mind, feeling its vibrations, its currents.”
Leonard closed his eyes, the first sensation he felt was the moist air’s breeze around him. Inhale, slow exhale. Again and again. After what seemed like endlessly long minutes of guided concentration and rhythmic breathing, he felt a warm sensation spreading around his heart. The stone on his neck pulsed lightly. “I feel something… as if something inside me is awakening,” he whispered, a sound now forming within him, quiet yet incredibly powerful.
Yelena nodded, her voice soft and encouraging. “That’s Elúvéris’s call, Leonard. Learn to find the hidden rhythm within those vibrations, a frequency you can slowly expand into your palms. Once you can hold it there, use it. Don’t be afraid! All magic begins in simplicity and its pulse.”
Leonard yielded to the shimmering current in his mind, and soon he was able to delve deeper into the hall of his consciousness, reaching a place he had never known. His breathing transformed, and the harmony of its flow became a tool for moving the power within him. Yelena watched his resolve, sensing he had found the way. In a trance, he raised his hand, and the wind began to ripple around his fingers, growing until it lifted the fallen leaves from the ground back to the treetops.
Yelena exhaled softly. “Yes… yes, just like that!” she whispered with pride, her eyes sparkling with admiration. His uncertain hand continued to swirl the magical Zephyrion wind, whipping through Yelena’s silvery hair. When the spell subsided, Leonard opened his eyes and met her gaze.
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“I did it,” he murmured, his face alight with joy and wonder. “You really taught me! Oh, Yelena!”
Yelena smiled. “You learned it on your own. I only showed you the way.” Her gaze softened, and in that moment, a silent bond formed between them, a deep understanding as if their souls were entwined by invisible threads. Gracefully, she rose and sat beside him. “I knew you were capable of it.”
Leonard, captivated by her nearness, moved a little closer. Her hand left a warmth on his face, gentle yet incredibly intense. “Yelena… whenever I look at you, I feel that something more than just power is awakening.”
That evening, she nestled close to him, and after long days and nights of caring for him, she finally tasted his renewed strength, drinking it in. In the flickering night, they surrendered to each other in every movement and breath, and the passion that had grown within them rose like a silent melody dissolving in the mist above. The secrets they shared were deeply inscribed in their bond, which became a timeless space for the two of them. When Leonard felt Yelena’s heartbeat near his own, he understood that what had grown between them was something greater than the mightiest magic. It was the spell of true love woven from their fates.
As the first rays crept into their refuge at dawn, Leonard realized that the nights they had spent together had changed his soul forever. He slipped quietly out of their shelter as if touched by living water, careful not to wake the still-sleeping Yelena. He felt full of life, energy coursing through his veins, his steps light and sure. While thoughts of their exile and the curse binding them lingered, he allowed himself to revel in each breath and the warmth of the sunlight on his face. It was the perfect time for a hunt!
Each step quickened as Leonard moved through the untouched wilderness, spurred by a newfound freedom. He stopped only when he spotted tracks in the soft earth—likely those of a doe grazing nearby. A thrill washed over him, and he pressed forward, quieter and more alert. Climbing higher into the mountains, he kept a careful eye on his surroundings to ensure he could find his way back. He stepped lightly, watching each footfall to avoid snapping a dry branch when, suddenly, a thunderous crash tore through the air with such force that he froze. The sounds were harsh and raw, like stone shattering against stone, accompanied by the deep, ominous rumble of two majestic bodies in combat.
Barely breathing, Leonard concealed himself behind a hollow stump. His eyes gleamed with excitement as he watched the unexpected spectacle before him. Two adult Capricorns, their magnificent, skyward-curving horns, were locked in battle. Their blows thundered like peals of a storm, the ground nearly groaning beneath their hooves. Each clash of their horns cracked through the air like a gale tearing across a mountain ridge. These magnificent creatures fought with primal intensity, and Leonard, pressed close to the earth, felt drawn to their raw power and beauty. His spirit wrestled with theirs, bound to the rhythm of their fierce dance.
Then, one of the Capricorns suddenly faltered, staggered, and fell to the ground. Leonard held his breath—the victorious Capricorn stood, exhausted, with a deep wound on his neck and a fresh break in his horn, a loss cruelly close to his head. The creature did not look triumphant. In that moment, Leonard saw himself reflected in the beast, his victory tainted by pain and loss.
Without a second thought, he made up his mind. He felt a compulsion, a silent calling he couldn’t and wouldn’t ignore. Slowly, he approached the wounded combatant, careful not to startle him. Excited but undeterred, he steadied his breath and closed his eyes. Once more, he delved into the depths of his consciousness. In a recently discovered corner of his mind, he opened doors he hadn’t known existed, guiding forth a power he felt was right. Leonard reached out to the injured Capricorn, who regarded him with patient, trusting eyes. Guided as if by an ancient hand, he placed his palms over the bleeding wound. He felt a wild, bubbling energy beneath his skin, soothing yet fierce. Focusing on the flowing light that burned behind his eyelids, his fingers began to glow with a blue flame.
The flame cleansed the wound, drawing out the blood as though it were burning away every impurity. His hands traced the gashes on the Capricorn’s neck and moved toward the blood-streaked face, the blue flames following his touch, healing and leaving a trail of regeneration. Leonard opened his eyes, marveling at the sight! With the lingering vibrations in his fingertips, he gently touched the broken horn—and a sudden golden glow blazed forth. To Leonard’s amazement, and to the Capricorn’s as well, the horn began to regrow. But it was no longer horn. From the new growth emerged a radiant piece of tawny onyx, gleaming and polished, as brilliant as Leonard’s own stone.
When the horn was complete, the creature looked upon the world with new eyes, as if seeing it anew. Then the Capricorn rose, his large body straightening to a majestic grace. At that moment, to Leonard’s astonishment, the beast bowed deeply, as if comprehending the significance of what had just transpired between them and expressing his gratitude for his salvation.
And then it happened. The Capricorn fixed his gaze on Leonard, a deep, unspoken wisdom flickering in his eyes that penetrated to Leonard’s very soul. At last, he spoke—not with a voice heard aloud, but with words that resonated within Leonard’s mind, silent yet powerful.
“Thank you, young human. By this act, you have shown me a friendship to which I am forever bound,” the Capricorn’s words rang in Leonard’s mind, filling him with a strange, stirring calm.
Leonard nodded, replying inwardly, “I don’t know what led me to do this… perhaps just compassion. I saw your victory but also your pain. I, too, have won battles, but my victory came at a great cost. I am an exile.” His words reflected his own story, in which he heard the echo of his fate.
The Capricorn looked intently at Leonard, his eyes filled with an awareness that nearly made Leonard dizzy. “This was a test,” the creature said in a voice that held the weight of ages. And with those words, the fallen Capricorn vanished before Leonard’s eyes, as if he were but an empty shell, a trial of Leonard’s heart and soul. In that moment, Leonard understood that this majestic being had transcended all the layers of his consciousness.
Just then, something in Leonard’s world lit up, as though the sun itself had descended from the heavens. The Capricorn transformed, his body stretching into the form of a venerable elder with a white beard and hair like mist, woven from strands of the world itself. Two long antlers grew from his head, and his presence embodied the essence of mountains and ancient forests. The elder sat upon an elevated rock on the slope, gazing at Leonard with boundless wisdom and power. Leonard felt small, almost retreating in awe and reverence.
The elder, who bore many names, one of them being Eldrin, reached into his robe and withdrew a woven crown of golden brambles, adorned with small antlers twisted into elegant spirals. “Here is your crown, for you and your sons,” Eldrin said, his voice both firm and kind. “In its name, summon all your people within a month and a day, Leonard. You will journey together to a place that will become your freedom. Then, with your followers, return here, call upon me, and I will open the gateway through which you shall lead them into a new realm, gifted to your line.”
Eldrin raised his hand and continued, “Here, too, are seven rubies. Gift them to your most loyal followers as a symbol of brotherhood. And these emeralds—give them to those you choose among the geomancers, to establish houses that will uphold the Arcanian kingdom’s growth and strength. Together, build your dwellings and wisely govern all life within. Maintain balance between light and darkness, and never defy nature’s laws. Speak of this gift to no one unworthy.”
Eldrin paused, his gaze solemn and penetrating deep into Leonard’s soul. “As a token of my allegiance, I also give you a magical tool with which your blood may summon me in times of great need. But remember, nothing in this world is free; all comes at the cost of sweat, blood, and unwavering resolve. Use it wisely and with discernment. Blessed be you, your wife, your sons, and daughters.”
Leonard’s heart flooded with gratitude. Slowly, he bowed and gently kissed Eldrin’s hand. Eldrin then placed the crown firmly on Leonard’s head, his gaze warm and filled with silent blessing.
As Leonard left Eldrin, he felt as though he were radiant with Eldrin’s power, carried by new strength and hope. He held the gifted treasures close, his heart full of silent determination, and descended with calm back to his beloved Yelena, aware of the new task that had been entrusted to him.