Slowly walking around his room, the movement calming his nerves. Dailin contemplated the act he was about to commit. It was something he hadn’t attempted before; a step above in terms of complexity.

But he had little choice. He could only be in one place, and only spend so much of his time singing to the masses. There needed to be more who could do the same.

Problem was, his song couldn’t be taught. He didn’t know how to teach it in a way Vails would understand. They needed rules, a pitch to reach, arm movements to memorize. A formula in their minds to guide them, and the Mana within themselves. None aware of the fact that the substance didn’t need such rigids steps.

One only needed to focus on it like a person, and with all their might—their will— request a wish.

His first secret, a truth he hadn’t dared let others know of. Because, simple as it was, it meant that an individual was capable of anything.

If they had enough Mana under their control.

In a realm of sociopaths, one full of Mana, he feared what horrors would be birthed if that truth got out.

The only exception to that thinking was his children. Still, he hadn’t revealed it to them either. Even though they were kind Souls, and free from the cruelties of their people. It was such a dangerous secret, once out, there was no telling what would happen. That, and his lie would be exposed.

Children would begin to see he wasn’t blest by their deity. That the Giver hadn’t chosen him as some eighth son. They would know every change upon him had come from his own acts alone.

Plus—and his deepest desire—he didn’t want his children to put themselves in harm’s way. With that truth known to them, and Mana in reliable quantity. They would begin to act out; demand they play a larger role in taming the realm. They may even become over confident, believe there wasn’t any threat they couldn’t handle.

Something he continually felt to be true, given his constant euphoria from the power flowing into him; the tide trying to force a dilution that he could conquer the realm. Thankfully his dread inducing Instinct helped keep that state in check.

A feeling that had been with him through his many—seemingly endless—lives. It let him know when he was in danger, and more importantly, when he was about to enter a moment where he could die. An all-knowing sense that if he continued down his current course, his end was certain.

It too, ever-present, always pressing lightly on his shoulders. Broadly he knew the danger outside was something that could end him, if he let himself fall to the illusion of invincibility. Somehow, with all the power at his command, and the ability to use it any way he wanted; things were out there that could kill him.

The very concept had him shiver.

But he put the problem aside; the danger was distant, since Instinct was barely pressing on him. Which meant he could focus on less life-threatening problems.

Since he refused to rely on his children, and share his secret. It was a given he needed to find a new solution; which he had.

This was thanks to beings that Vails—as a whole—feared as much as the Nightmare.

The Vail collectively called them Curses; for a time, he’d saw them only as emotions. Given the things took on a specific type to try and influence their target. Because of this, Vails saw any ill affecting emotion to be a Curse, whether it really was or not. Which most of the time was the latter.

Slayer of Curses as he was, he had begun a search for those enemies since he’d been attack twice by them. The first with anger, the second with fear. So he knew from experience how potent a threat they could be when given enough time to influence a person. Because of that, he had checked his children, calling on Mana to guide him to Curses that were affecting any of his sons and daughters. To his surprise he’d found none. Naturally he hadn’t believed the results, and assumed he was doing something wrong.

He’d broadened his attempt to those not his kin. There, amongst hundreds addicted to his affection. He found some afflicted with a Curse, and accepted that his children had indeed been spared their vile touch. Naturally he destroyed the Curses he came upon, freeing the Vails being tormented by them.

Each he killed became visible to the eye before they died. The happening caused by the saturation of Mana wrapped around their form. Each of those Curses had been grotesque beings of shifting mass; full of eyes, warped mouths, and clawed tentacle like appendages.

Horrid things, and their ability to be invisible just made matters worse. It allowed them to entangle a victim and slowly eat at their will; while the people at large remained clueless to the deed.

Once the person gave up, they would become something called Consumed. Put simply, the Curse takes possession of the body, and starts causing havoc till it has been put down. Thus, starting the process anew, since the things seemed immune to most attacks.

Till he had arrived, none—besides those mentioning the Giver—had records of Vails slaying Curses.

The normal procedure to deal with Curses, was to exile the individuals being tormented by them. Namely by placing them in a Flock, and making them someone else’s problem. As such, the level of Curses within a settlement was drastically higher than that of a Sanctum. In theory anyways. How many people exiled were truly being tormented by a Curse, rather than being emotional, was impossible to find out.

Not that any of those details mattered. Yes, the Curses were a threat to others, but not to him. And made irrelevant since he could both find, and destroy the manipulating little beasts. What had his mind focused on the things, was their ability, their means to invoke an emotion.

It was no different than what he did with his spell, save his was enjoyable, while theirs were tormenting.

‘If I had an army of such beings singing, keeping the people appeased.’ He thought, excited by the prospect. ‘I could spread the song everywhere, encase the realm in it.’ Perhaps it would even affect the Nightmare, calming the beasts and their murderous rampage.

But he was getting ahead of himself. The vision was a grand one, alluring in a way; but he had no idea if it would work. He was going to be asking a lot, or better put, something complicated from the Mana. He’d never made something that would be able to think. It might not work, or backfire. But what choice did he have? He was juggling so much, everything held together by his will alone. He needed loyal followers that wouldn’t question, nor tire of their charge.

They were going to be singing to the realm constantly after all. So in turn, he could be freed from the task and focus his attention and might elsewhere.

‘If it doesn’t work, I can just destroy it,’ and then promptly retry. It wasn’t like he was working on a fixed amount of power; he could fail numerous times without risk.

Taking a deep breath, calming his anxiety; he prepared. Willing to the Mana, he began forming Animastones, crystals specially designed to hold Mana outside a living body. One of the most precious resources a settlement had, and normally could only be gained by bartering with a Sanctum. Those crystals were one of the main reasons why settlements kept up their mining operations.

After his rise, and the impossibility of trading with a Sanctum, curiosity had taken him; he’d experimented to see if he too could make the containers. Naturally he had no clue how to do so, but that hadn’t mattered. He’d willed to the Mana, and like it always did, it had provided.

He’d run tests on the crystals afterwards, ensuring the objects worked the same way as those normally made. They had, and with it, one major concern had been removed. Not that the masses knew; his ability to make crystals was kept secret. He didn’t need to be smart to know, that the craftsmen within Sanctums would be rather upset to learn a settlement had somehow mastered the ability to make such objects; that is, if they ever reestablished contact.

Currently, to those living within his settlement, it appeared as though the Anointed from before, had been hoarding a greater trove of power than anyone had previously believed. And he had kept it that way, even though there were obvious signs it was a lie.

An example was his preparation. The crystals he formed were the length of an arm and thick as a thigh. That wasn’t normal for a crystal designed only to hold power. It should have had a function added into it, the same as a Bestowingstone, or those that helped ascending infants into adulthood.

But so far none had voiced suspicion, so he made more crystals without a hint of worry; twelve in total, and each he filled with his power.

He waited till he was the same before starting; his hands tingling with nervous anticipation. Taking a few breaths, and closing his eyes; he emptied his mind of distracting thoughts and worries.

First, he pictured what the entity would look like. A motherly Vail came to mind, a nurturing Soul to care for those under her charge. When people looked at her, he wanted them to experience a feeling of safety.

‘Make her a thinking being, able to understand and learn. Have her compelled to help me, and be loyal. Have her committed with keeping me, and my children safe.’ The Mana remained still, but he could sense it listening, trying to make what he wished into something real. ‘Make her a being of affection and love, able to radiate out these emotions; thus helping me keep the Vail from turning on each other.’

He repeated those desires again and again, while maintaining an image of her. Including the concept she was to be an apparition, similar to the Curses he’d encountered, and how they operated. He envisioned her semi translucent, and able to appear physical when needed.

The Mana in him began to vibrate and move about. It was active, but not yet committed to the task. He kept repeating his demands, holding on to the image of her as best he could.

Time passed, the amount uncounted; there was only his trance, and the sensation of his body vibrating from the Mana within him struggling to act. Yet he wouldn’t relent, and by the time the Mana finally moved, he’d been shouting in his mind.

The pull almost disrupted his thoughts, power left him, the source of life rushing out. He was tempted to open his eyes, to see the wonder that was taking place. Yet he kept them shut, kept willing to the power with all his might. There was so much for it to keep track of, and he couldn’t risk something being left out.

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He only stopped when the power did; its sign of completion. One moment it was rushing out, the next it went completely still, then dormant.

He hesitated to open his eyes, to witness whether his creation was a success or failure. But when he heard her voice, the song just like his own. Well, there was no delaying after that.

Eyes opening, he saw her for the first time, and she looked almost exactly how he had envisioned. Fur white as snow, her layered dress the same, she was the picture of a motherly woman; someone who could be trusted to care for the young. She was humming, her own eyes closed, and transparent form lightly rocking back and forth.

He stood there for a few moments, enjoying the sensation of experiencing his own song. He understood its allure, the way it made him feel warm and know he was loved. Yet it didn’t debilitate him, he was free to act same as his children.

‘What a hellish existence it must be for the Chilltouched.’

He moved towards his creation, all the while she continued to sing, unaware of his presence. That changed the moment he touched her arm. Gasping, she opened her eyes, revealing their silver hue and glow, then stared at him with a fixed gaze.

He pulled back, noting that she felt similar to a physical Vail. “Can you understand me?” He asked, slowly circling her.

She tracked him, never once letting him out of her sight, and fixed him with a Soul gazing stare.

“Well?” He commented, seconds passing by without answer. “I guess you can’t, it’s a simple question.” And when he thought back, it occurred to him, he hadn’t asked the Mana to endow his creation with the knowledge needed to interact. She was a blank slate of stone.

“I. can.” She answered abruptly, breaking his chain of thought, and regaining his full attention. “But not, in the way, you think.” She squinted her eyes, the way she looked at him, he could have sworn she was reading him like a book.

“What are you doing?” He asked, stepping further away from her. She was gazing at him so intensely, and though their eyes were staring at each other, he could tell hers weren’t focused on them.

“Reading,” her brows furrowed. “Your thoughts.”

“What?” He shouted in alarm, and called to the Mana within him. ‘Block her!’ He commanded. ‘Make it so none can see my thoughts.’ He sent again and again, while keeping his eyes on the creation before him.

Her eyes widened in wonder, then back to squinting as the Mana acted. Power diminished from him; his runes flared, and to his surprise began to shift. That got both of their attention. But he had been able to keep his focus, recite his want till the Mana was done.

She returned her attention back to his face after, her head tilting back and forth. Eyes squinted: “Can’t, see.” Her eyes relaxed, then closed as she went perfectly still.

For a few seconds nothing happened, she seemed to have gone dormant, and him thinking of ways to provide the information she needed to converse. Then her eyes shot open, and to his shock, glowed with power. Her whole form did, it lit up as the Mana making up her form activated.

When she gazed at him it felt as though he’d been struck. His own runes flared bright, Mana in him slowly being spent protecting him. Same for her, as she tried something. He watched perplexed, then alarmed when she began to wither away. The Mana in her was being used up, while his kept renewing.

“Stop what you’re doing.” He commanded, not expecting to be listened to.

But she did, understanding enough of his words. One moment she was a dying light, the next she was back to a transparent Vail. Her form was barely visible; she’d used up so much of herself.

Another mistake on his part. He hadn’t considered what would happen if his creation ran out of Mana. ‘Will it wither away to nothing? End the same way as a living being?’ He assumed that it would, if compelled to. Given there was Mana in the air, his creation should be able to sustain itself.

As he thought about the problems of his work, the woman returned to staring at him. The normal kind, nor was she squinting, and she remained perfectly still. Which was all very fine with him, after her failed attempt at something.

He would need to find out, but for that to take place, his first mistake had to be rectified. Staring back at her, he began whispering his desire. ‘Make her able to communicate in Vail tongue.’ He could have gotten a Bestowingstone, maybe even made one. But he wanted to see if he could add upon his work, doing it in stages rather than all at once.

It didn’t take any prodding from him to get his power to act. After making a thinking being, the new request was straightforward.

From him a line of Mana rushed out and into his work. The woman went stiff, her eyes wide, and for a moment he saw her inner workings. A maze of moving, shifting Sigils and patterns well beyond what he could comprehend.

His creation shivered after the work was done, and gazed upon him once more.

“Can you understand me now?” he asked.

She smiled: “Yes maker.”

He breathed out, please and thrilled that he could tinker with his work. But he pushed it aside, for the question on his mind took precedent. “What did you try to do before, the act that cost you so much Anima.” He added just to be sure she understood what he meant.

With an unmoving smile still on her face she answered: “To see your thoughts again, before, it was the only way for me to understand, and learn what you requested of me.”

“It was that easy to see my thoughts?” He asked, horrified.

She nodded. “You were shouting them, but now they’re all gone,” she pointed at him. “Caged behind that, complexity. I tried to pierce it, calling upon the Mana the same way you do.” His heart pounded and his ears fell flat. “But it couldn’t, or there wasn’t enough.”

“What did you just say?” He mumbled out, his hands itching with fear. A panicked thought to his power had Barriers materialize around them. She stared at the work with wonder filled eyes, but answered him still. “The Mana, that’s what you call it. I saw you shouting to it, and how it was compelled to act, thrilled to be given a purpose.”

“You saw all that, just by looking at me?” Gods; he shivered, fur flaring, and felt exposed by the prospect that his most private thoughts could be so easily seen.

“Yes,” she added again, giving him a puzzled look. “Is that not normal? Can you not feel the tide of thoughts around you, all these impressions?”

“No, no I do not.” He answered, half his awareness on her. The rest was on a thought. ‘Are the Curses the same?’ They’d spoken into his mind, attached themselves to his feelings, did they see like his creation? And if they did, why did they not pick up on his secret as quickly as her.

“So, I’m odd,” the creation said. “Oh well, I can serve all the same. Shall I sing maker?” She asked happily. “I can feel many in need of it. The air is saturated with worry, frustration, hints of anger.” She was looking at things, things invisible to him.

“That won’t be necessary,” he said, and thought to Mana: ‘Destroy her.’ It acted, tendrils of light sprouting from him, and wrapping her tight. She didn’t scream, or even looked concerned, only confused.

“Is something wrong?” She asked unbothered, her form dissolving.

“You’re a threat to me,” he answered, uncomfortable with how nonchalant she was being.

She gasped in shock. “Then hurry, I can’t be allowed to be.” She fidgeted in her bindings, feet kicking. “Hurry maker, hurry.”

Dumbfounded, his mind went still, and the Mana slowed in its function; he stared at her. His creation was serious. ‘Stop,’ he thought, and the Mana did, to her concern.

Talking fast and urgently she said: “It doesn’t seem to be working, quickly maker something else, or maybe I can end myself.” She closed her eyes, and her form began to brighten.

“Stop,” he yelled, knowing full well she would succeed. The shout made her flinch, she gazed at him confused and concerned. “Why are you so quick to end yourself?” he asked.

She squinted at him. “Because I am a danger to you, of course. That can’t be allowed, maker must be safe.”

“Because?” he pressed.

“Because? Because,” she said, looking at him as if he had a head wound. “That is how it must be, will be.”

“And what about my children?”

She gasped again, taken by a revelation. “Am I a danger to them too? Hurry maker, why do you delay, end me; they must be kept safe.”

“Quiet for a moment,” he said, and focused on her. ‘Make it that she can’t lie to me.’ He thought, and expected the Mana to act. It didn’t move, even when he willed with all his might. It only shivered, then went back to dormancy. ‘So, it’s already done then.’ She couldn’t lie, perhaps couldn’t even conceive of it.

‘Repair her,’ and the Mana sprung to life. In seconds all was undone, leaving her still bound, but unharmed.

“I have decided you are no longer a threat.” He announced, to her open relief.

“The danger has passed?” She asked, her bindings coming undone.

“Yes, but questions still remain.”

She straightened herself, head held high, ears fanned out in a confident pose. “I will do my utmost to answer them.”

“How much did you see of my thoughts; how much do you know?” That was the key to his final decision.

“Anything that had been on your mind at the time. The more pressing, the louder it was shouted,” she answered factually. “When you demanded to the Mana to shroud you, it was all I could see.”

“Be specific, and don’t use that word, call it Anima,” he said back. The denizens of the realm wouldn’t know what she meant, and if she was to be around them, he couldn’t have her saying such a thing. It would draw unwanted questions. That and it was a bit annoying she could say it at all. He couldn’t, anything with meaning was automatically translated into the Vail tongue whether he wanted it to or not.

“As you command maker,” she said happily. “As for specifics. Your thoughts revolving around me, and the worries I might have come out a failure. Then concern of how to fix me when I couldn’t answer as you wanted. I did my best to help in this endeavor, but I see now I caused grief; I apologize.” She added, still holding a smile, so it felt and sounded fake.

“Nothing else?” He said, fixing her with a glare.

She shook her head. “No maker, your intentions were fixed upon me.”

Internally he sighed, his creation only knew one secret. The second, and truly dangerous, was still hidden. Without it, her ability to be a threat to him was small at best. Not that he had much worry left about that subject. Even a hint of ill intent would be picked up by Instinct. The moment she decided to end him, he would instantly know. But right now, he felt nothing, and the un-preserving nature she had for herself, made his worries and fears dwindle.

No, he wasn’t afraid of her anymore. It was her nature that had him fretting; of others that could have looked into his mind, and saw secrets. ‘The Curses must go.’ Even with his mind shielded from onlookers; they still couldn’t remain. But first, he needed to make an improvement to his creation.

‘Make it so others can’t read her mind, except for me,’ he thought to the Mana. For, if his creation could see into the minds of others, why couldn’t he?

Mana flowed from him and into her, his creation not moving. As the Mana entered and spread, he could see the full workings of her. Akin to a sheet being pulled away, he saw symbols; they dazzled his mind as it struggled to decide their appearance. They remained blurred, and no matter how hard he focused, the sight wouldn’t clear.

The Mana knew though, somehow, so his desire was enacted. Symbols, or Sigils as the Vail called them, shifted around, and new ones were added in. He watched the tapestry of mystery reorganize itself before being hidden away once more. Back was his motherly looking creation; she blinked a few times, then returned to smiling.

Neither of them said anything as they stared at one another. ‘Let me hear and see her thoughts.’ He requested of his power, it shivered, and he kept repeating the demand till it moved. Traveling to his head, it centered at the middle of his brow, and spiraled there for a few Breaths. Then, the wish fulfilled, he heard her.

‘Serve him, serve him, keep him happy, keep him safe.’ It repeated over and over, even as he stared at her for a full minute. There wasn’t a single ill thought in her mind; it was so focused, and pure. Same for the…aura around her, vibrant green that pulsed out love.

He smiled, and let himself sigh openly. “You pass creation,” he announced to her benefit. Her grin spread, and passed what a Vail was capable of. “I have need of your help, and from what I’ve learned from you, more than I ever imagined.”

Worries gnawed at him; he couldn’t help but think about all the dangers he didn’t know about; foes who could perceive things beyond him.

‘I’m going to need an army of her,’ he thought. Because not only would she be his means to pacify the Chilltouched, she would also be his eyes and ears. A completely loyal force to keep all he cared about safe from the unknown dangers of the realm.

“I have tasks for you,” he said, the words causing her to stare at him even more intently. “You are going to help me bring peace, find Curses, and,” smiling prettily. “Those of ill intent.”