Tao had lost consciousness many times when he had used up all his spirit power. Usually, it was not for long, though, or he slipped into a normal sleep. This time the boy was unconscious for much longer. He felt how difficult it was to pull out of the darkness of his mind. It was the same right after his second birth.

Something touched Tao's cheek. He involuntarily reacted to it and started to move.

"Mummy, Mummy, look!" Tao heard his sister's voice.

"Calm down, child. Let him recover."

Mother... Safia... they're fine, the boy realized.

He slowly opened his eyes, careful of the bright light. It looked like daylight. Tao wasn't in his room, probably not in his house either. The boy was lying on a large bed, with Safia standing next to him, studying her younger brother intently. Tao turned his head to the other side and saw his mother beside him. Sofra was also lying down, though awake. The woman's face showed weariness, but she smiled gently. The mother reached out her hand and gently touched the boy's body, began to feel it.

"How do you feel? Does anything else hurt?" asked Sofra.

The boy carefully moved his body. He no longer felt the stinging pain around his waist and in his legs. Pulling his shirt higher and patting his stomach, Tao felt a line of small scars.

"No hurt." He assured.

"Thank the Eternal! But don't move unnecessarily, yes? It's not good to overdo after healing either." The woman patted the boy's head.

"Yea..." Tao responded meekly.

"Do you want something to eat? Or a drink?"

"Drink." The boy felt his mouth dry.

"Safia, child, can you go to the kitchen and ask the aunty for a jug of water?"

"Fine, Mom!" The girl responded and left the bedroom with fast steps.

Indres... he too was fighting. Tao began to remember more of the night's events.

"Where's Daddy?" He asked.

"Dad... is sorting out the house. But he'll come soon."

"Ah..."

Sorting the house... Right, the monster broke down the door and rampaged in the kitchen... Teru lay on the floor motionless...

"Mom... is... where's Teru?" the boy quietly asked another question.

The woman's smile faded; her hand caressing her son's forehead stopped.

Tao didn't need an answer to understand.

"Oh! Is everything all right?" A voice spoke from the doorway, not letting the gloomy thoughts take over the boy's heart.

Reyte, mother's friend, had brought a pitcher of water herself, while Safia dutifully carried a small jug in her hands.

"Yes, we are fine. Dear, could you please...?" Sofra looked at the cradle in the corner.

"Yes, right away."

While Tao drank, Reyte gave something to his mother, who sat up in bed. When the boy looked more closely, he saw a small baby with a noticeably pink face in his mother's arms.

"Tao, look! That's your little sister, Inya." Sofra turned around to make it easier for her son to see.

The infant seemed healthy, even though the birth was ahead of schedule. The mother also seemed happy and content. She gently stroked the baby's cheek with her finger.

"Sister." Safia slowly repeated the word.

It sounded new to her.

"That's right, little sister." Sofra smiled at her eldest daughter.

I'm a big brother now... not just in my mind, but physically too, Tao concluded.

Although it was strangely sad to lose his standing as the youngest child at home, the boy hoped he could be a good big brother. This experience was also new for Tao.

After a while, Indres also arrived. He was in work clothes and had a grim face that got lighter after meeting his family. Well, Tao thought his father looked at him quite seriously.

"Dad, are we going home soon?" Safia asked.

"We'll have to wait a little longer. Be patient." Her father answered shortly, then turned to his wife.

"I'll go after Neter. I want him to take a look at Tao himself." Indres stated.

"Do you think that's necessary? His assistant assured me there were no serious problems." Sofra didn't understand.

"Better to be safe... I'll see what he's doing and be right back." The man insisted.

"As you wish." It looked like she had no desire or strength to object.

After a while, Indres did return, accompanied by the old healer the boy had met earlier.

"Greetings, noble Neter. I'm sorry, but I can't properly greet you." Sofra smiled politely, still sitting in bed with the younger daughter in her arms.

"No, it's all right. If anyone needs to apologize, it's me. My strength is already exhausted, so I can't pray for you in front of the Saints. I hope you will be able to recover in no time." The grey man bowed humbly.

"Oh no, your servant already helped me, along with Tao. My wounds have healed, but this... Well, it isn't the first time I've had to recover from childbirth." Sofra shook her head.

"That's good... Is the baby feeling all right?" Neter turned to the infant in the woman's arms.

"Indeed, praise be to the Eternal Father. Noble Neter, this is Inja. Inja Viktomara."

"Viktomara? Is that the ancient illarith?" The healer raised eyebrows in surprise.

"Yes, if a child is born under special circumstances, he gets a second name. That is why she is now Victory over Evil." Sofra kissed the infant's forehead.

Sounds like the name of a hero, Tao thought to himself.

Apparently, nothing special had happened during his birth. His full name, Ataodres, was a combination of his father's In'dres and Sofra's father's Atao'st.

Tao was not envious... maybe just a little.

"I wonder... are either of you, in case, not of the nobility?" Neter seemed to be looking at both parents in a different light.

"No, it's not just a tradition of the nobility. People in the heartland still do it... at least those who have been there since ancient times. My parents were from there, they moved north when I was little." Sofra explained.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Indres didn't look deeply interested in the matter. His attitude was 'Let the wife do as she likes.'

"Oh so... well, I always thought that Indres's wife had a... noble aura, if I may say so?"

"Strange to hear that from someone who is true noble." Sofra smiled.

"I'm just a servant of Kat'ram, child. Anyone given more spirit power and the right heart to use it by the Eternal can become one... Who knows, maybe one day I'll have little Victomara in my shrine as a great healer and giver of blessings."

"I don't want to keep noble Neter long, could I ask...?" Indres wanted to change the subject of the conversation.

"Yes, all right. Let's see that little boy of yours, shall we?" The healer turned his gaze to Tao.

"Maybe we should move to another room? Let Sofra rest with the other little ones."

"As you say."

Sofra looked at her husband searchingly but said nothing.

Indres took Tao in arms and carried him to the next room, where there was another, smaller bed. He closed the door as the old man came in.

"Are you really calling me to check your son's injuries?" Neter asked in a quieter voice.

"Yes, that's one reason... the other is, I want your advice," Indres explained.

His voice was also quieter.

Tao had let himself relax since the awakening. Now his heart was filled with anxiety.

"Raise your hands up." Indres looked at his son and pulled his shirt higher, exposing his bare stomach.

Two grown men undressing a little boy... In another context that would be rather... no, no time for nonsense, Tao tried not to let his mind linger on unnecessary things.

The healer leaned closer and touched the boy's stomach with his fingers, or rather the wounds covered in dry blood patches.

"I think you already know this yourself, but... If the wounds don't turn unnaturally dark, especially after a healing session, then there's no spawn blood inside. Everything looks fine." The healer stated.

"Are you sure? Can't saliva cause that?" Indres wanted to be sure.

"I haven't heard of such a thing, but anything is possible... Check the scars regularly over the next few days. If you see that they darken, call a healer, or come to the shrine. I doubt it will be necessary, though." Neter straightened up and turned to Indres.

"Then... what else is on your mind?"

Indres tidied his son's shirt and looked at Tao for a moment as if still trying to decide. Then he took a step back from the bed and spoke in a muffled voice.

The boy, however, could still make out the words.

"It's about everything that happened... the attack by those spawns." His father said.

"If I can help in any way... please speak." The grey-haired man nodded his head.

"Well, I don't really understand something... this attack was different than in the other villages. It wasn't one big group, led by a large, strong leader, attacking without premeditation to wreak havoc and kill. At first one group appeared near the village but did not attack, just made noise. When we went to meet them, the group retreated into the forest. These spawns did not run away completely, they avoided the fight but retreated just far enough for us to follow."

"Sounds like a trap." The healer spoke up.

"Yes, we figured so too. Like a pack of wolves, with some distracting their prey while the real attack follows from behind. Not the best situation, but we judged we could manage if we were careful. You see, we expected the other group to attack us, but not the village."

"Hmm... and we don't know who the leader is?" The old man's voice showed unease.

"Neither we nor those who fought at the gate saw one who stood out among the others... except for what my family witnessed."

"As far as I understood, the second attack was stopped at the gate. But something still got in?"

"Yes, I suspect that the second group didn't actively try to get in either. When our group of hunters heard the noise from the village, we realized what was going on and decided to stop chasing the spawns in the forest. The moment we turned around to go back, they attacked for real. No doubt, to delay us. Fortunately, they were all quite weak and retreated when we had slain more than half.

Then, when we finally reached the village gate and attacked from both sides, the spawns retreated from there as well. The gate guards said that no one had gotten past them, so they celebrated victory. No one had any idea... When they told me that my house had been attacked... " Indres went silent, his voice was full of emotion.

The boy saw his father's fists clench in anger.

"Breathe, son. It's all over." The healer put his hand on Indres’s shoulder.

"No one really knew what happened. But the neighbors said the noises from my home started sometime after the attack on the village gate. When I arrived, Sofra’s labor had already begun and it was difficult. I don't think I ever prayed as hard as I did this night, not even before the fighting in the East...

"Yes, I was told... we rushed as fast as we could when we got the news, but... your wife is a strong, son." Neter was again trying to comfort Indres.

"I know. But there are limits to her endurance. Inya came into the world only with the morning light, and then Sofra rested. I dared to question her after she woke up just an hour ago... May the Eternal forgive me for interrogating my wife so soon after giving birth... But it had to be done. She did see the creature for a moment. It landed on the roof and looked like... a winged bat, bigger than a man."

"Hmm... spawns aren't my specialty, but... bigger differences from normal size can mean more Darkness?" The old man became thoughtful.

"It seems... this... monster killed Teru, an adult serene that could stand up to even a bear. Then it attacked my family, who were hiding underground. But... instead of killing them all, it grabbed my son and fled. "

"Do you think it realized that the battle was lost?"

"Like I said, the spawns in the woods were just a distraction. Also, the attack on the gate was not forceful. It was as if they wanted to distract from something else."

"This bat... you think it's the leader?" The healer's voice became more cautious.

"Maybe, but... I'm more worried that it was Tao that the monster grabbed."

"Why?"

Indres' gaze seemed rather heavy, so the boy lowered his eyes.

"Teru, my serene, he smells... he smelled the traces of magic. It may sound funny, but... several times he acted as if the magic came from my son."

There was silence for a moment, as the old man seemed to reflect on what he had heard.

"That's odd... are you sure you're not mistaken?" The healer expressed doubt.

His gaze also turned to the child on the bed.

"Both me and Sofra have more spirit power than most folk. Of course, it's nothing special, but if Tao has more of it... can it somehow... become felt?" Indres asked.

"I know that the Pertoru are served by special talents, there are those in my order who can sense spirit power as well, but they usually only see if the person is doing something magical. Shouldn't that be the case with your dog?" Neter seemed skeptical.

"Yes, it was always like that. But... after today, I started thinking about it again. Of all the buildings in the village, this spawn broke into my house and tried to kidnap only Tao. What if it's not without reason?" Indres didn't let go.

The old man sighed and was lost in thought for a while.

"Forgive me, I don't know of a method to determine the potential of a spirit power. As a Kat'ram servant, I shouldn't say this, but the easiest method is to learn one of the simple spells... but that's not for children, of course. Besides... even if a child has the potential, why would you think that's a reason to attack?"

"Doesn't a great spirit power attract spawns? I think I hear a case every year of mages being eaten.

"It's their own fault! If you only knew how many of them build themselves towers or fortresses in monster-possessed no-man lands and begin dangerous experiments! Of course, in their arrogance they do not obtain the blessings of the Eternal and the Holy Ones, but... it does not matter." Neter lowered his voice, realizing he was getting too emotional. "I know the spawns may react to the use of spirit power during battle, but I've never heard of them attacking villages and targeting only those with great spirit power. Even if your son has this gift, it won't make him a target." The healer tried to convince Tao's father.

"If that's true, it makes it even harder to explain the attack." Indres retorted.

"By the way, you didn't finish the story. I heard from others that a monster snatched your boy, but then lost him?" Neter asked.

"Sofra doesn't know anything about that. When she found Tao, the monster was gone. The residents of the nearest houses heard the noise, the screams of the monster. Some say they saw it burning, but the only practitioner of battle magic was at the gate the whole time. True, I haven't spoken to him yet... nor to Tao." Once again, the boy's heart began to beat faster at the sight of his father's stern gaze.

Indres knelt on one knee to be at the same eye level as his son.

"Tao, do you remember... this night. That big creature with the wings?" he spoke slowly.

"Yes..." the boy decided to answer honestly for now.

"What happened? Why did it let you go?"

"..." it was hard to answer.

"Was it... fighting with someone?"

"..." that was even harder to answer.

"Tao?"

"I want to go to mommy..." He lowered his eyes and spoke in a voice ready to cry.

Indres sighed and stroked his son’s head.

"Aye, soon..." his father seemed accepting of not getting something of value out of the boy.

"I can write to the Order in the city... without mentioning anything specific about your boy. There are more knowledgeable people in these matters. Maybe they'll have an answer about the behavior of the spawn." Neter offered.

"Thank you. I'll be grateful. I think the whole village will too." Indres stood and bowed to the old man.

"Well, it's the least I can do. That and prayers. They just might help young Ertar."

"His hand won't heal?" Indres asked, taking his son in his arms again.

"Physically, yes, but... the nerves and the channels of spirit power are too fragile. Unfortunately, I am not close enough to the Light for my blessings to suffice."

"Well, he still has the other hand that can hold the spear."

"True, but still..."

The two men started talking in a normal voice and turned to other topics.

Tao was returned to his mother, and the healer assured the woman that everything was fine with her son.

All was well.

Only Tao knew the truth.

His father's hunch was right. Tao used magic, which was sensed by Teru and, apparently, the monsters. Although Tao didn't know why the monsters wanted to kidnap him, the horror the family experienced was his fault.

As was Teru's death.

Possibly the whole attack on the village.

Tao's heart clenched with guilt.

By learning magic, he didn't protect his family.

He was putting them in danger.