The boy was unlike others from the day he was born. As he possessed the power of the goddess of darkness and shadows, the goddess Tagra.

The birth was an unusual one, striking fear in the young parents and other people of the village. No one has even heard of stories of babes born in a shroud of darkness. It didn’t take long for the news to spread, and rumours of the cursed newborn circled the village.

Even with the strange beginning, the parents didn’t mind, the babe was pleasant, didn’t cry much and seemed to adjust quickly to the world around him. So, the boy was named Lyath and was surrounded by unconditional love from the start. Other villagers also came to love the child, even if his behaviours grew more odd as the time passed.

When the babe started to move around by himself, he would crawl to corners and wave his hands around at things that others could not see, he would cry and then stop as if someone had calmed him down. When Lyath was two, his baby sister Gadia was born. Fortunately for the family, the second child was born in normal circumstances, which brought more worry for their unusual first child.

Not too long after that Lyath started being more talkative, forming his sentences and telling stories to his family. The first story he told was of the stars, how the mother created them out of her essence, which she then used to create gods. The remaining stars in the sky watch over people, and their actions, watching the gods under the mountain, and are ready to aid us in a time of chaos. Needless to say, the parents were very confused where their three year old heard such stories, or how he learned some of those words.

Then he started to talk to himself constantly, smiling at empty spaces and repeating odd words. Lyath seemed to develop faster than other children his age, started to read advanced books at the age of four, and most shockingly held a small performance for his parents to show off how beautifully he could throw knives. His father couldn’t run fast enough to Lyath to grab the knife off him. The blade flew straight into the middle of the target, only Gadia clapped her small hands in awe.

As Gadia and Lyath played, the parents started to think on getting their oldest assessed in some way. No child should of been like that, too many strange things were occurring around the boy for it too be normal. The mother thought she would get a head full of grey hairs at this rate from the stress, she wanted her son safe and well, not running around performing knives tricks.

Even with all the oddness around him, Lyath was kind and loved by everyone. Maybe, but a few superstitious elders. Even thought he was a small child, he tried to help in any way he could. A pregnant woman carrying fresh food back to her house, Lyath was the first to run up to her to help carry the load back, someone lost their pet, Lyath would stay up all night in search of the animal. Even more odd was he succeeded with most of his tasks no matter how impossible some of them seemed for a child. Not to mention at the age of five, Lyath already attended a school with kids aged ten or above.

Gadia was the opposite of her brother. She was shy around strangers and liked to keep to herself. She adored her brother and always chased him around to play, in return Lyath became protective of his sister, wanting to protect her from all the negative things he has heard of and encountered.

Now what others did not see was the goddess that accompanied Lyath nearly everywhere. The first time he laid his eyes on her as a babe, Lyath did not stop crying for hours on end. After all, when the gods were not under the mountain, their looks were something straight out of a kid's horror story.

The goddess Tagra was almost pitch black, her body was nothing more than a deformed shadow, resembling the body of a woman, the dark fingers were sharp and could cut through any material. Tagra had no eyes, she didn’t need them, her body felt everything around her. The part that scared Lyath the most was her teeth, they resembled the teeth of an animal, maybe a wolf. The goddess did tell stories of how star born body, spoke of her pitch black long her, pearl white skin, and what she described as obsidian eyes. Lyath wished to see his goddess that way one day, but Tagra was adamant about not taking him under the mountain.

She whispered stories of the creation of universe, gods and humans. Told him the secrets of nature, taught him long forgotten subjects, and slowly introduced him to combat, as he will learn how to fight like a god.

The one thing that was difficult to explain was, what Tagra was to the boy. There was no easy way to tell Lyath, that she was a part of him, possessed a part of his heart and brain, he was no god but was born with the essence of one. It allowed him to be quicker than others, smarter, and possess abilities of the gods, that part was something she had yet to explain.

So, Tagra sat down the boy one evening before he turned six.

“Do you remember me telling you a story of how gods can be one with humans?” Tagra spoke.

Lyath looked at her with his big obsidian eyes, paying close attention to each word the goddess said.

“You will soon turn to an age where your abilities will manifest. However, no power comes without a cost.”

“There must be a balance.” Lyath nodded.

The goddess smiled. “Yes, that’s right. These costs are unusual, they can be harmful to the individual. No matter how much I do not wish for you to experience them, my presence in you has consequences.”

The boy said he understood, but when the time came, and shadows responded to his call, he was not ready for what happened the next day.

The parents were still unaware of what was happening with their child, no person in their village was suitable to hold an assessment. And when Lyath started crying, screaming he lost his sight and all he could see was darkness, his mother wept with him. It went on for days, until his sight came back.

Tagra was there the whole time, pitying the boy. A few times she tried to explain he does not need his sight just like she doesn’t. Lyath is part of the shadows, he can use them to see others could not, but he was still only six, at such a change and hysteria from him, no information was coming through to his head.

It wasn’t too surprising that Lyath did not want to call his powers again. He resisted for as long as he could, but the goddess was a part of him and the essence needed to be used. Next time Lyath called the shadows was in front of his family, a simple thing really, disappeared from his seat on the table, and appeared again in front of his mother to get more food. This was when the parents realised that there might be a god involved. One of those ancient beings, that now were only present in the stories.

Gadia was only more amazed by her brother, couldn’t stop talking about him to her play friends. With her big mouth and praise, the whole village found out of the young boys abilities. If people adored him previously, they were now close to warship. Even those pesky elders, who thought of him as nothing more than dirt, bowed before him as Lyath passed them on the street.

Not long passed, for the boy to be more comfortable with the powers. Tagra taught him everyday of her knowledge, even when he inevitably lost his sight, Lyath listened to what the goddess said, growing more comfortable in the darkness.

Three years after that, the news of the god blessed child, reached all the way to Kroln, the capital of Tairia. After many discussions with the scholars, and the council, King Ior decided it would be best to go himself to Azmar.

Most people did not believe the villagers. God blessed were rare, always born with some purpose. The most common people with gods by their side were the royals, it was well known that the first kings of each kingdom had a god, and now it was it the royal bloods to contain some of that essence and have their spirits be more inviting to new gods, to accompany the current royals. King Ior was not blessed with one, but his dear son, Prince Jothyan was. Although which god it was would not be known till later.

So for a commoner to be born with the essence, was as good as unheard of. Nonetheless it needed to be investigated. A war was coming close with Koragon, and another god chosen might be what gets their country the needed advantage.

Villagers screamed as King Ior arrived to Azmar. It was the first time in a hundred years the small town hosted a king. If there was a longer notice, more preparations would have been done. The streets would be cleaner, some buildings repainted, and the finest of dinners would have been prepared.

Lyath was already waiting at the village hall, sat closely to Gadia and his father. Tagra wandered the room, until she sat comfortably in the corner. All the most important people in Lyath’s life were here, and because of that he only felt more nervous.

There was no way for him to protect his family from the king, no way he mastered the sword enough to defeat royal guards in case something went wrong. Gadia grabbed his hand and squeezed it, the small reassurance meant the world to him.

The doors creaked opened and the king’s face came into view. Lyath released his breath, when he noticed the king was not as intimidating as he imagined. The man that stood at the door was neither small or tall, had bright blonde hair, and deep blue eyes like the ocean. The only thing that was unsettling about the king, was his face did not display any emotions. There was no telling what was on that man’s mind.

King Ior and Lyath both stared at one another, assessing every single detail.

“My king.” The village leader bowed deeply, followed by the others in the room. “It is my honour to receive you in this humble village.”

“And it is my pleasure to have travelled here, I must say it is long overdue for a member of the royal family to come and visit this side of Tairia.” King Ior spoke softly. “I hope I do not offend you when I say I cannot stay long.”

“We are grateful for any moments with you, my king.”

King Ior and three other men sat in front of Lyath and his family, four royal guards behind them.

“What is your name child?” The king smiled softly at the boy.

“Lyath.”

“Nice to meet you Lyath. I would like to make this as quick as I can, for us to avoid any misunderstandings.”

The boy quickly looked towards his family, first to his right on Gadia, who could not stop staring at the fine jewels of the royal, then his father, who looked the most nervous out of anyone in the room, then his mother who smiled towards him, and finally at Tagra, who now stood behind the king, eerily watching him.

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“I have the blood of the King Othid, the first king of Tairia and the one who has granted me the dormant blood of gods.”

“And what a fine king he was.” Tagra whispered.

“If I mix some of your blood with mine, I should be able to see the god that is with you. Do you understand?” The king asked.

Lyath could only nod. It felt like his tongue has swollen, and was unable to move.

“Is your god with you right now?” The king pressed further.

“Yes, Tagra is with us.” Lyath mumbled.

It was strange for the goddesses name to come out of his lips. No one ever asked in the past few years, which god might be with him. It also did not feel right to discuss the topics Tagra spoke with him, to the family, they would not understand. Lyath always thought there was no reason to worry his parents more, his mother already had grey hairs most likely because of the stress.

King Ior reached out his hand to Lyath. With a second of hesitation the boy joined the royal. One of the other men at the table pulled out a knife, slicing both the king and Lyath on their hands, then pressing the two palms together.

With a few deep breaths and a worried sigh from the king, he looked around the room, searching for the goddess. Tagra did not move away, the royal tried not to jump at the sudden proximity or the disturbing look of the goddess, but he could not suppress the shudder.

“Do not disappoint me, Ior Marlon, from the line of Davon, or your despair shall be immeasurable.” Tagra disappeared into thin air with the last of those words.

The king bowed deeply to where the goddess just stood, his lips moved but no words came out.

A few hours passed before everyone emerged from the village hall.

It was officially announced Tagra the goddess of shadows, blessed the boy. The royal and his council negotiated with the family, and village leader for the next steps. Neither side was willing to back down, until Lyath himself came up with a satisfying conclusion.

He would spend the next two years in Azmar, continuing his studies with a scholar provided by the king, and combat with one of the royal guards. After that point, Lyath will move to Kroln, to enrol into Lariara the royal institute of military. After he is done with the studies, Lyath will be able to join the higher ranks in the army.

Now he only had two more years with his family.

After the king left, everything changed in the village.

For the whole two years no one really spoke to Lyath. They all treated him as the royalty, someone to look at from afar, but not interact with directly. No one wanted his help, no one wanted anything from him. And it hurt Lyath deeply. Overnight he became and outcast in his own village.

His family was loving and support as always, mostly acted as if the king never arrived and placed a time limit on their time together. Yet, the differences could not be ignored.

Every morning, Lyath got up before dawn to start his combat practice with the royal guard Mevias. At first the lessons were challenging, mostly due to the difference in size, but once Lyath learned the fighting style used, he was able to beat the guard. In the afternoon, the lessons with the scholar, Kar. Those classes were more discussions between them, Kar was interested in the vast knowledge Lyath already had, and with permission from Tagra, he would share some of the lost stories of the world. The scholar in return would tell him of the new ways and methods of people, of the different cultures and believes. To those classes even Tagra would listen along.

The days passed quickly, eventually turning into months, then a year, then two.

Now Lyath was eleven and heartbroken to be leaving home. Even though he did not belong, he would miss his father and mother. Gadia was his only friend during this time, she was his sister and best friend, it broke Lyath’s heart not to be able to be there for her anymore, to see her grow up into the kind person she was.

A general stepped out of a wagon, and greeted the whole family one by one. When it came to Lyath, he smiled at him and exchange pleasantries. The both of them sat down in the wagon and started their journey to Kroln.

The journey was long and uneventful. Even Tagra disappeared somewhere, claiming she could not stand the sight of any more trees.

But it was that boredom that made the arrival even more breathtaking.

The capital was nothing like Lyath has ever seen. The buildings were made of stone instead of wood, trees and nature filled every space between the buildings or roads. A river split parts of the city, the water appeared to illuminate the sunlight, making the whole city brighter and warmer. If only Lyath could paint, he would capture this moment and send it to his family.

Upon arrival, the general lead straight to the institute. Introduced multiple teachers, house staff and carers, then finally went to the room Lyath would stay in. It was another moment of awe. At the back of the room was a huge window with a view of the palace, and the river, the bed was bigger then necessary with dark green silks on top, a large wooden desk was placed in a corner with shelves next to it, and wardrobes filled with the institutes uniform. As if that was not enough, there was another door that led to a large bathroom, with the biggest bathtub Lyath has ever seen.

He could not help, but question, if the simple reason of him being born with a goddess by his side made Lyath worth of all of this luxury.

With a closer look at his new possessions, and the detailed class plan that was left on the desk, there was nothing else to do, but rest, before the start of his new life.

The next morning, Lyath got ready. He ate the breakfast left in front of the door, and put the uniform that hung in the wardrobe. It was simple and comfortable, black leather pants, and a black tunic with a golden embroidered emblem of Tairia, elegant, cursive lines that formed a tree.

Tagra crept behind him, only once he started walking outside, on the way to the institute. Lyath considered talking to her about the room, but the people around him would not understand he is talking to a goddess, so he smiled and kept walking.

“Who are you talking to?” A quiet voice emerged behind him, causing him to turn around.

“A goddess.” The moment the words left his lips Lyath felt like an idiot, and the look the boy has given him just confirmed those suspicions.

The years of isolation in the village played a part in Lyath’s obvious lack of social skills and the interaction quickly turned awkward. Even Tagra couldn’t stand to watch as she slipped off into the shadows.

“My name is Rylan.” The boy said as he extended his hand forward. “I’m guessing you’re new. Do you know your way to class?”

“They showed me the day before.” Lyath explained. He straightened his body to appear more confident then he was feeling inside, but he had to take a chance. “But I would love the company.”

No one knew if this Rylan pitied the newcomer or if he genuinely wanted to become friends with him, but either way he showed him to class that day and soon enough nothing mattered as they became inseparable.

For the first few months it was still slightly awkward between the boys, but Rylan did not leave his side. They spoke daily on the way to and back from class since as they discovered their rooms where a few doors down from each other. During those moments Lyath learnt that Rylan was a son of a lesser lord in a city called Aikhin that was bordering the kingdom of Koragon. For the safety of his son, the lord sent him to finish his education here, which only bonded the boys closer together since their circumstances were not too vast apart.

Those months turned into a year and that was the time Lyath finally felt confident enough to explain the full circumstances of the move to his friend. He told him of Tagra, the powers she gives him, the stories she shares and how thanks to her he hasn’t felt too alone all this time.

Understandably, Rylan was sceptical at first but once he saw the powers himself that feeling turned into fear. They were still 12 after all and powers like this were most common found in books or stories to scare children. Lyath thought he has lost his the first friend he made, but after a few days, soft knocks sounded on his door with an apologetic Rylan before him.

He explained he needed to process it. It was not everyday one would meet a gods chosen, but a friend was a friend and Rylan wasn’t about to leave.

At the two year mark Lyath began to feel more comfortable around people that actually treated him like a normal human being and his comfort grew with using his powers. Tagra taught him everyday and he felt it simmering under his skin, waiting for his call. The darkness that followed no longer bothered him, now it felt comforting.

Sometimes he wondered if that made him odd. To find darkness a place he felt at home, but it’s not something anyone knew. Lyath practised his magic everyday and eventually Rylan wanted to get more involved in it, wanting to see what a touch of that magic would feel like.

So one day when the boys were walking to class, Lyath wanted to indulged those thoughts. He’s never used his magic on anyone else, didn’t know the extent he could go or if it would feel as peaceful as it did for him. But since it was Rylan that was asking he felt comfortable to try.

“What would you like to see?” Lyath voiced echoed down the hall they walked, they were only few corridors away from their class.

“Could you hide me away?” Rylan sounded so excited it was hard to say no.

With a deep breath Lyath focused on that pool of power he felt and as he usually would cover himself, he imagined the shadows crawling to his friend. Within seconds he was gone, completely covered in that darkness.

But something didn’t feel quite right, at first Lyath could feel Rylan clearly, he felt his every breath and heartbeat and that disappeared. There was nothing. Shadows dispersed in moments just for his friend to fall to the ground with a loud thud.

Lyath’s cries filled every corner of the hall as he held the limp body of his friend. As he desperately tried to shake him awake, hoping and praying that he would wake up. Refusing to admit that the longer he waited the colder Rylan’s body became.

“Please tell me there is something I can do.” Lyath’s voice was pleading as he found the shadow goddess facing him.

Tagra gently shook her head and the agony in his chest became unbearable. He did this. It was his powers, those dark forsaken powers that he just learnt to live with that caused this. And now he will never be able to experience the darkness without seeing the death of his friend.