> Vem raus, vem raus

>

> Phrase

>

> Translation: Come out, come out

>

> Definition: "Vem raus, vem raus" is a chant in the Menschen language, invoking positive energies or spirits. The phrase is used in a variety of contexts, from traditional rituals to daily affirmations, where the speaker wishes to call forth good things, blessings, or favorable circumstances, it is specially used by children.

Cradling the wolf in his arms, Howl was still spasming and convulsing. Yeso could only survey his surroundings, looking for an answer, something to help Noctavia's Spirit. Anything.

He was no healer, and his knowledge did not extend to the kind of aid Howl so urgently required. Helplessness gripped him; he needed the wolf more than ever to play a critical role in saving his Hexe.

He needed the Howling Night to bend the fabric of time. With Howl's power, journeys that would normally span over a week could be traversed in mere seconds. Yet, in his current state, Howl was powerless to assist.

Time was of the essence, and with each passing moment, Noctavia's predicament could only grow more perilous. Yeso's resolve hardened – he needed to find a way to Keblurg, rescue Noctavia, and confront the traitorous Xendrix, whatever it took. But he couldn't. Not like this, Howl was part of his Hexe; if he was suffering, so was she.

For a creature, a Menschen, who was the Master of the Sun, he felt suddenly quite human.

"Take him to the ormsaat."

Hearing a chippering voice from behind, Yeso quickly turned his head over his shoulder. It was a familiar sound that he easily recognised. It was the one that had assisted Noctavia during their son’s birth.

"Who are you?" Yeso asked, curious but with a slight wariness. Despite the helpful role this creature had played during Orlo's birth, their sudden appearance at such a critical moment made Yeso cautious yet hopeful for assistance.

The girl with striking white hair and red eyes, cradling an ember eye in her hands, responded in a stoic tone, "I don't think we have time for that. Take him to the ormsaat; we need to have a talk with an annoying fish."

Her words left no room for further questions at the moment, "A very annoying fish!" she kept complaining while walking in the direction of the ley line node.

Yeso understood that introductions and explanations would have to wait another time, but he didn't really care at this point. The priority was clear – to get Howl to the ormsaat as quickly as possible and confront whatever awaited them there.

Did she say a fish?

The ormsaat was only a short distance away. Yeso scooped up Howl, holding him as securely as possible while the Spirit continued to convulse in his arms. Navigating the brief distance, they soon reached the edge of the pond.

Upon arriving, the woman with the white hair and red eyes gestured towards the water. "Get inside with him," she instructed firmly.

Hesitant, Yeso complied with her request. As he stepped into the water with Howl still in his arms, a swirl of questions enveloped his thoughts. He was beginning to suspect that this girl was more than she appeared, possibly a Spirit herself. But if that was true, which Spirit could she be?

"Go on, activate it!" she commanded.

"With Howl? I've never done it with a Spirit!"

"It will be fine. We need the ormsaat to link with the one in Pollux," she said, her instructions crisp and clear.

Yeso was taken aback by her knowledge. The revelation that there was a node within the Palace of the Elven King in Pollux was news to him. Finnegan, it seemed, had withheld this information from Jaer, or if he had shared it, Jaer had never passed it on to Yeso, which was unlikely. He and the tiefling were like blood brothers; Jaer would never hide such important information.

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Yeso began the process of activating the ormsaat. Triggering a ley line, under normal circumstances, required a state akin to falling asleep – a deep relaxation and focus that allows one to tap into the energy flow.

However, with his mind swirling with concern and turmoil, finding that tranquil state was proving to be a challenge, even for someone as experienced as Yeso.

He attempted to calm his racing thoughts, focusing on taking deep, measured breaths. To further ease into the necessary state of relaxation, he gently ran his fingers through Howl's wet fur, the repetitive motion helping to steady his nerves. The tactile sensation under his fingertips served as a grounding mechanism, drawing him away from his worries and closer to the serene mindset required to activate the ley line.

But the anguish of not knowing the real danger surrounding Noctavia made it impossible. He was constantly pulled back.

"Think of her," the woman instructed, aiming to guide his focus.

Yeso tried again. He centred his thoughts on Noctavia, his own slice of heaven. His Hexe. However, the gnawing fear and uncertainty surrounding her current plight clawed at his mind. The notion that she was in some unknown danger, the specifics of which he couldn't fathom, whipped his thoughts into a frenzy akin to a hurricane, engulfing him in its chaotic embrace.

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As he struggled with these emotions, Yeso could feel his skin starting to crack, revealing the glowing golden veins of the Sun beneath.

"No! Her!"

"Who are you talking about?" Yeso asked, starting to lose his temper.

"Think of the Summerqueen," she said.

The mention of the Summerqueen instantly clicked in Yeso's mind - she was referring to Eura. But how could this be? His mind reeled with more questions.

Eura's circumstances were well known to him: she was essentially a captive within her own timeline and realm, subjected to cruelty, neglect, and isolation. Her life would be one of suffering, with only Jaer to give her moments of peace and love.

As he processed this information, a vivid memory flashed through his mind: the vision he had at the Capitol. He recalled a scene where Jaer had given Eura a book, a seemingly simple gesture of kindness. But then, her voice, reading aloud, had revealed the true name of the author - Orlo Yeso Sternacht. - Orlo, his son.

And then his mind went further away. Further away.

Yeso found himself in a verdant oasis, a lush garden replete with towering green trees, dense bushes, and elegant whitestone arches of Elvish architecture. This exquisite scene surrounded a tranquil pond, its edge adorned with vibrant flora and floating lotus blooms.

As he looked around, his attention fell upon a young girl, no more than six, making her way towards the lake. She was a stark contrast to the last image he had of her.

Carefully brushed diamond hair fell around her shoulders, crowned by a tiara fashioned from some precious metal, gleaming in the daylight. Curiously, she wore earrings, giving her round ears the pointy shape of an elf’s. Her dress, fit for a princess, flowed around her in gentle folds. And a smile of pure joy played on her lips, radiating happiness and innocence, so different from his last vision of her.

"Vem raus, vem raus, wherever you are!" she called out in a melodious voice, almost singing. "Come out, come out..."

Her playful summons was interrupted by a splash from the pond. Water arched into the air, catching the sunlight to create a fleeting rainbow over her head. From the disturbed water emerged two creatures, initially resembling Koi Carps, dancing and twirling in the air. But as Yeso watched, they transformed, taking on their true form - one mere.

The creature was a slender humanoid, its forms adorned with pearl-like scales that made its skin shimmer. In the dappled light, they almost resembled an Elf, save for the scales that undulated gracefully around their forms.

"What do you want, you pestering child?" inquired the Spirit, its voice steeped in stoicism yet tinged with a hint of annoyance. From the timbre, Yeso surmised it belonged to a male mere, or was it female?

"I brought biscuits!" she declared with a triumphant beam, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "One hundred and two delicious biscuits!"

"And what am I supposed to do with... biscuits?" The mere's response came not as a genuine query but more as a disdainful scoff, clearly bemused by the child's offering.

"I made them... well, I helped Jaja make them. Try one," she urged, hoisting the heavy basket up towards the mere. “they are really good. I thought you were always grumpy because you are hungry?”

"I do not want one. It is not what I desire!" the mere retorted, lacking patience.

"It would be easier if you just told me what you want," she replied, a note of frustration in her voice. “If it’s not flowers, if it’s not paper boats, if it’s not bean bracelets, if it’s not biscuits, well… what do you want? What would make you happy? Hugs?”

The mere responded cryptically, "It is far more entertaining to watch you figure it out, Sun which burns over land, sea, and sky."

“One hundred and two hugs?”

“No!”

"You're mean," she muttered, placing the basket gently on the ground. Then, her expression softened, and with arms wide open, she asked innocently, "You are sure you don’t want a hug?"

At her words, the mere underwent a transformation, its form shifting into something more delicate and curvy, resembling a woman.

"Are you mocking me?" the mere questioned, its tone now higher-pitched yet still dripping with bitterness.

"You are always angry and mean. It sounds like you need a friend," Eura responded, her arms still outstretched, offering the hug.

"Eura!"

At the sound of her name, the little girl turned her head, and at that moment, the mere vanished as swiftly as it had appeared.

"Eura, what are you doing?" Jaer approached her, almost running.

"I was talking to the fish," she pointed towards the pond.

Jaer's expression grew serious. "What have we agreed about that?"

Eura's gaze dropped to the ground, and her voice was hesitant, almost as if she struggled to get the words out. "I can't go to the pond alone... I need to ask father or Jaja first. But..." She looked up at Jaer with eyes resembling those of a pleading puppy, "They need a friend."

"They are dangerous and vicious," Jaer cautioned firmly. “You can’t just trust them because they are a Spirit!”

"Well, they sound like father. But father is not dangerous or vicious," she countered innocently. Jaer crouched down to her level, his eyes softening. "I truly hope the world doesn't change you, my little Sunbeam. You are too good to be true."

She looked back at the pond wistfully. "They didn't like the biscuits. We need something else. I tried the hugs again. They still don’t want any hugs. Who doesn’t like huggies?"

Jaer glanced at the wet baskets and the ruined biscuits, clicking his tongue in mild disappointment. They had devoted a great deal of time and effort to prepare them. Standing up, he lifted Eura into his arms and began walking away from the pond. "It's their loss; those biscuits were delicious!" he reassured her, trying to lighten the mood, “And if they didn’t want any Huggies, the more for me!”

Yeso's eyes snapped open, and he immediately became aware of the ley lines etched into his skin, a network of energy pulsing through his limbs with an electric sensation. He had succeeded. He had activated the node. Howl, still in his arms, continued to convulse, it was evident that the wolf was gradually losing strength.

At the pond's edge, the woman with white hair, cradling an eye in her hands, nodded at him. The moment had arrived.

"Vem raus, vem raus, wherever you are!" Yeso called out, echoing the words from his vision, ready to face whatever awaited them next.

> Over the course of my career, I've had the privilege of teaching at almost every university across Mir-Grande-Carta. Interestingly, I never pursued a position at Ormgrund—you would guess why at this time, right? Despite their persistent letters, invitations and gifts. My primary focus remained on Regulus in Ostesh, a place I grew quite fond of, along with its students. I can't recall any of my classes ever having an empty seat. During the summers, many students came and went, leaving lasting impressions with their unique personalities and talents. One particular student stands out in my memory, and this was only a few summers ago, relatively recent as I write this chapter. There was something strikingly familiar about him. It was like I saw him in every single class I taught for centuries. Maybe he had one of these faces. We even joked about it, especially when he mentioned his name. I remember teasing him, suggesting that his parents must not have been too fond of him to name him Xendrix. ——The Hexe - Book One by Professor Edgar O. Duvencrune, First Edition, 555th Summer