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Rucejk La’Buq ab Jujnis, 2997
Curse the cosmos for giving me a dream the same night my body decided to finish growing it’s wings. Already I want to stop writing, but I fear I’ll forget the details if I wait for the pain to fully subside. I had an unexpected vision last night. Why I would receive such? I don’t know, but it truly came at the most needed time. My mind feels a peace, though it could very well be that I’m in the eye of the storm rather than the calm of one having passed.
My eyes stubbornly woke to find my room quite dark. It couldn’t have been more than a few hours after falling asleep that I found myself being aroused... but by what? I looked about the room and saw nothing. With a heavy head, I placed it back on the pillow, waiting for sleep to take me away.
But then I heard it! I single note, low and crisp echoed in my ears. I sat up, eager to find the source of the sound. Again my eyes were met by the dull shapes in the dark room. I had begun to question if I had heard anything when the note struck again. Though it was the same note, this time I heard my name in it. I got to my feet, grabbed my shawl, and after wrapping it around me, approached my door. I wasn’t sure if it had come from the hall, but it seemed like a good place to start.
As my hand enclosed the doorknob, the note struck again, starting at my hand and rippling throughout my body. Malaney. My name was sung so clearly, but it wasn’t my ears that heard it. It was in the pulse that rocked my body.
The door opened to reveal a man. His hair was blonde like a wheat field and rested just above his shoulders. His hazel eyes were kind and warm. I could see his Elven ears stick out subtly from his long hair. He wore a pale green vestiture that flowed to the floor and in his hands was a lyre.
“May I help you?” I asked. The Elf maintained his smile but said nothing. Instead he struck a few notes from his lyre.
I am Adam, I felt. I wish I could describe it better, but as the notes filled my ears, their pureness consuming my being, words lit up in my mind. I looked at Adam with great curiosity. And as I spoke his name to confirm what I knew, his smile brightened. He continued to strum the strings on his instrument, inviting me to follow. I nodded and walked beside the increasingly familiar person.
We walked down the halls of the monastery, walking to the over look. However as we approached, the valley below was replaced with a small farming town. There was nothing familiar about it and I wondered how it was there, so high in the sky.
Here is where we are needed, I felt Adam say. The sounds of the dying mingled with the notes the Elf played filled my ears. A feeling of dread chilled my bones. With haste I moved toward the town, ready to give aid where needed. Soon I was wading through hundreds of bodies all sick and suffering. Instinctively I knelt down and proceeded to try and heal any and all I could, but my magics held no power. I could feel my energies flowing into them, but whatever laced their veins seeped through my spell like water through a strainer. I couldn’t flush out illness.
“Malaney?” a familiar voice called to me. I looked over and saw Achmath. My heart fluttered for a moment before breaking. He was sick too and with renewed fervor I tended to him. Wave after wave of healing I channeled through his weakened body, desperately hoping to relieve him of his suffering.
“Adam!?” I cried out, hoping he might know what to do, “What is wrong with me? Why can’t I fix this?”
The music from the Elf’s lyre filled the air and I felt it before the words collected that there was no hope to be had. I looked to the man I then recognized as my second manifestation. Somehow his face, though solemn, held such love and regret as he continued to play out the words, Sometimes, there is nothing we can do.
My tears of helplessness poured. I never truly wanted to say good bye to Achmath and there he was dying in my arms. Soon he would forever be gone.
Malaney, Adam called out. My attention remained with Achmath. Not out of anger toward my former self, but because I couldn’t bare to hear anything more. Which is better? To let him suffer? Or, to relieve him of such?
The mix of fear and peace was curious as it swirled in my mind. The dread at thinking of killing Achmath was pointed. Yet he was to die. I knew it. Every fiber of my being knew it. So I had to wonder; was it more cruel for me to leave him in such a state until death took it’s toll or to kill him?
I looked at Achmath, a blurry vision in my arms. He smiled the best he could. It was more of a grimace really, but I knew what he wanted. I leaned down and kissed his forehead, whispering, “Uil æaer.” Then, as though it was always there, I took the Lyro Blade and killed Achmath.
Though it was but a moment, it felt like an eternity. Eventually his body wisped away and I was left clutching my own form for comfort. There was guilt as my mind cried out, “Was it really necessary? Was there truly no other way!?” as the other part of me was certain I had done right.
Then something warm embraced me. I looked up and found my love before me. Health was in his countenance and a smile secured on his face. He wrapped me in his arms and simply said, “Thank you,” before I found myself back in bed, the room dark with night.
There was a moment that washed over me as I realized it was just a dream. Soon my eyes were heavy with sleep again and what felt like I had just drifted into a deep slumber, I found myself being called awake once more. My mind recognized the sound, the way it was playing my name, and with curiosity I opened the door to see if it was who I thought it would be. Sure enough, Adam stood before me in the same green vestiture and piercing hazel eyes.
“What do you want?” I asked the Primordial.
I am Adam, he replied.
“I know. But what do you want now?” Once more he plucked at the strings that beckoned me to follow. We walked again through the halls of the monastery and to the over look. Once more, the town I saw earlier was there and I felt a mix of eagerness and apprehension.
Here is where we’re needed, Adam informed me. This time I ran in and found Achmath right away. Though I knew it wouldn’t work, my hands defiantly found his head and my lips proceeded to offer up the words to channel my magic. Hope clung in every word as I tried to heal him of the illness, but to no avail. I brushed the hair from Achmath’s face and knew what to do as Adam repeated the same words of, Sometimes, there is nothing we can do, and Malaney, which is better? To let him suffer? Or, to relieve him of such?
And so once more I killed Achmath, anticipating his hug of thanks, but this was where the vision changed. I opened my eyes wondering where my love was. Instead of seeing a glowing persona of him, I saw a cloudy landscape in the midst of the universe.
It was exactly the same as what Destiny had shown us the night before. But there was something ominous. I stood, Lyro Blade in hand, and looked around. Before me the stars began to disappear one by one. Something was replacing them. The foreboding presence grew and grew until I found myself staring into a black abyss. And from it’s depths came two glowing red eyes and a smile that matched. And through the blackness, the creature that formed emanated something even darker.
Thankfully Adam didn’t abandon me to the monster. He must be stopped, he said. I remained immovable. Remember the weeds that choke.
Again, that same resolve swept over me. Though unsure, there was determination. And so I charged at the creature, taking flight as my arms suddenly were full fledged wings. I weaved in and out of the wisps of darkness that tried to bind me. With fervour greater than anything I knew I made it to the creature and plunged my sword into the depth of its heart.
The blackness that had covered the stars dispersed, leaving me in a sea of light. I stood on the cloudy surface before collapsing onto the ground catching my breath. The echo of the monsters anguished cries rang in my ears, but there was a sense of pride knowing I had done the world a service.
I then watched as the stars once more blotted out, one by one, until I was staring at the ceiling of my room once more. My hand ran along the top of my brow, wiping the sweat that had formed. I looked at my arms and found my feathers no where near the size they’ll need to be to carry me through the air.
My mind had just begun to settle back down when the familiar call sounded again. I got to my feet quickly and approached the door to see what it was Adam wanted. He greeted me in the same fashion and once more I was whisked away to the town of the dying. Straight away I went to Achmath’s side and delivered him of his agony. I didn’t bother to try to heal him. There wasn’t anything different about the scene, like the other times, other than how I approached it.
Again, Achmath didn’t appear when he vanished and the world reverted to the stars. I watched as the darkness consumed the light, my arms preparing to fly off and destroy the creature once more. For a moment I was curious as to what Adam would show me afterwards, but my anticipation was again misguided.
The second manifestation plucked his lyre putting in my mind, Not all attacks needs be gruesome.
How else would I bring the aggressor down? I thought. Then came the image of rest. How peaceful the body was in it’s state of sleep, where pain wasn’t felt.
I looked at the swirling darkness, the mouth wide with its glowing red smile. There was nothing physical about it. In fact, how was I able to kill it last time with the blade of my sword? Though I doubted, a sensation rippled through my limbs and Adam played the words to the spell; Alm nak uin la’bejk rejux (Alm nigh oon lah-beZH ray-uff).
My lips formed the words that danced along my tongue, repeating it as my hands gathered the darkness. It was as though I was harnessing the creatures energies and compressing them into a ball within my hands. The more it collected, the harder I had to focus on the words. Saying them became difficult, as though the very act of speaking was pulling a hundred pound weight through sand.
At the peak of the spell, the ball of dark energy swirling violently in my hands, the monster let out a weary sigh before collapsing on the cloudy landscape, wisps of black and red fog blowing away in the whirlwind that followed. Once more I was standing in the universe, the evil defeated. This time there was no cry of anguish that lingered. Everything that remained was in a peaceful state as I stared across the stars.
Adam stood before me once more, a serene smile on his lips. You did very well, he played. There was pride, though the idea of celebrating my victory seemed out of place.
“Why did you show me this?” I asked.
Because you shouldn’t have to give up what makes you you, I felt him say, Malaney, you deserve to be happy and not a slave to your duty. Rora and Leryst unfortunately never got the chance to figure that out before the pressure of our responsibilities got to them. I couldn’t let them have the only word again. The cycle has to stop. But, of course, it depends entirely on you as to what you will do.
I don’t recall ever feeling so empowered before. A sense of value also came to see someone believe in me. Unlike the many times Bordel and Kimaris had mentioned their confidence in my capabilities, I didn’t doubt Adam. He wasn’t just saying it to be nice.
The former primordial then looked to my right and gave a nod. With a twist of my head, Achmath came to view, his boyish grin echoing my own joy. He then held up my copper piece Ahmiaus had given me.
“Were you not instructed to keep this on you always?” Achmath teased. He then whispered in my ear as he took my right hand in his, “I’m still waiting for you. I’ll always be waiting,” and placed the metallic disk on the inside of my wrist. Without waiting for a response, Achmath began to sing a melodious tune in his baritone voice and I watched the copper stretch and twist across my arm. Light poured from it as it collected between my wrist and elbow. Soon it was too bright and my eyes clamped shut as the magic energies flared about.
Then the calm returned and the light began to dim. When I opened my eyes, I was once more back in my room, standing and staring at the walls glowing in the morning twilight. There was something weighted about my right forearm and there was hope I’d see Achmath. Instead my eyes found a copper design that at first glance might appear only as artful music notes, but as I stared, I could feel my love’s presence. Uil Æaer was what was written in the midst, for those who read Elven.
Of course the entire night had slipped by and I had scarcely time to relish in all that I had learned when the morning gong sounded. As soon as it struck, it was as though something erupted in my head. A pain throbbed and continued with each note that signaled the waking hour. But it wasn’t in my head where the pain resided. It was my wrists! I could feel something breaking free from my joints in which my hands were helpless to relieve. I stared through my tears wondering what was happening. My voice called for help but the gong sounded louder as it proceeded to ring over my cries. My body twisted and turned, trying to rid itself of the pain, but to no effect.
Then came the final piece for my wings. A bone, long and thick, extending out and doubling my arm length. I don’t know when the growing pains stopped, but I vaguely remember being curled up on my bed, my head in someone’s lap. My arms shook with pain and all I yearned for was sleep. It had been a long night. The only comfort managing its way in was the feeling of Achmath watching over me as I read the copper inscription on my arm.
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