Dinner was always quiet. Today was no exception. Bricrui and Doreena sat were they always did, across the table from each other. Madina through the door as she always did, straight through. She didn’t care if a door was in her way, she treated them as if they weren’t there.
“Mea Luna!” Bricrui exclaimed as she entered, “I didn’t think you were going to join us. Another Long day traveling the woods?”
“Why do you say that, papa? She helped me catch Kali after she got loose!”
Now that Doreena mentioned it. Bricrui recalled how Kali, Doreena’s pet Axy, escaped into the woods for the third time in as many weeks. And every time it vanished.
“Yes of course. Now My dearest Bri, did you fill the silver order for the curate before or after you took the little one to the festival?”
“Of course I finished it before, Madina. You needn’t worry so much.”
“Papa always makes time for me. Today he made me this!”
Doreena lifted her brand new necklace with pride. It was made of small scales. Each one was silver and as polished as a mirror. It was attached to a silver chain, which looked like a fly could snap it. The links were so small it couldn’t have been forged by any but a noble smith. It had a single scale, as blue as the sky, placed in its center. The scales themselves link by sky-blue rings.
Madina’s face grew a frown as she say this.
“Bricrui! You said you weren’t using your clan anymore! If the Republic finds out you’re still alive they will…” She cuts of, looks at Doreena, and then continues, “K-I-L-L all of us!”
“Kill? What does that mean? Papa is teaching me to read!”
“That’s nice dear. But really Bri! You need to think ahead!”
Bricrui sighed, “Well, I guess the one I made for you I’ll have to sell.”
Doreena looked shocked, “You made one for me? Can I still have… NO! You shouldn’t have made any! But I’ll take it. If you sell it, it might draw attention anyway. But DO NOT make any more!”
Bricrui then handed her a necklace almost identical to Doeena’s. Except this one was made of golden scales, with a golden chain, and in its center, a scale as pink as a rosebud.
“I made them to match both of you.” Bricrui explained, “The silver to match Doreena’s eyes, and gold to match yours.”
Madina took the necklace grudgingly. She kissed Bricui on his bearded cheek, and then went upstairs.
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As the moon crept higher into the sky. Bricrui covered a sleeping Doreena with her favorite blanket. He prepared to hear the words she always said. Every night before Doreena could sleep, she would ask him for a story.
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“Papa, tell me about the beginning.”
“You ask for that one every night, are you sure you don’t want a different story?”
“No, I want that one. If you don’t tell me, I’m not sleeping.”
Bricrui sighed, as he did every night, and said, “Fine, but tomorrow, a different story.”
Bricrui pulled out a large piece of steel from a corner, sat at the end of her bed, and focused on the plate of metal in his hands. As he began his story, the steel plate started to flow. It became almost a liquid, it leaked onto the floor and began to morph and change into symbols one the floor.
“In the start of the current age, Fundati saw the trails facing his creations. He saw the dangers that threatened those without power. He gave
The steel morphed to form a flat disc. Trees, mountains, even cities began to erupt out of it. The map was very clear and precise in some places, but fuzzy and dull in others.
“When Fundati created the world, there was simply the joy of existing for mankind. There was no suffering, anger, war, or famine. The great beasts that roam this land did not fear humans and they do now. The Draconarths were without their sharp spines; the Cuntairs were without their teeth and claws; and the true dragons lived in harmony with the lesser beings.”
“But then Kunda got greedy.”
“That’s right, Mea Stella, Kunda got greedy.” On the far east of the Map, one large mountain stood up and coalesced into the form of a giant with a long forked tongue. “Kunda believed that he could improve on what Fundati had made. He looked at the races of Myr and said to himself, ‘What? Thesssse peoplessss are sssso boring, let me ssssspice them up a bit.”
“So Kunda travelled this small world, leaving a crater wherever he stepped. He went to the mountains in the north and gained a promise from the metal that lived there. The metal swore it would give its soul to the humans. He went to the waterfalls of light in the south and gained a promise from the energy that lived there. The energy swore it would give its soul to the humans. Kunda then went to the Void in the West and gained a promise from the space in between that lived there. The space in between swore it would give its soul to the humans. Kunda, after gaining these promises, collected the nine races of man. He sent three to the North, three to the South, and three to the West. The clans gained the souls from these places, for each soul was shattered into three.”
The steel changed from a map, it became the symbols
“The metal of the north gave its soul to three of the clans. Each clan gained a third of its soul. The gulyers gained the ability to change any metal's shape, making impossibly intricate jewelry and armor, with detail so minute no smith could challenge them. The Yelyenkiseis gained the ability to change any metal’s location, throwing metal shards around the battlefield at the speed of arrows, any metal was their tool of war.. And the Shyphtirs gained the ability to change any metal’s soul, changing steel into silver, silver into copper, and lead into gold. They are the reason Mundas uses gems instead of coins.”
“The energy in the south gave its soul to three of the clans. Each clan gained a third of its soul. The Llelusens gained the ability to change the color of light. They can change perception. Anything you see is their weapon against you. The Smueltiers gained the ability to change heat. They are terrors in battle, as they throw ice and fire at their enemies. The Wavierns gained the ability to steal energy. They can attach things together as if they were never to be separated.”
“The space in between gave its soul as well. But those three clans long since died out, as they were too powerful for their abilities. They were bloodthirsty and sought to take the souls from the other six clans. They were banished into the eastern forests. The remnants live there to this day.
Bricrui then stood up and covered Doreena with her blanket.
He sighed and told himself, “Just once, I wish she could stay awake until the story is over.”
Then he coalesced the puddle of steel into its rod shape and set it into the corner. He blew out his candle and left.