3 Chapter 3: Sparks

Adam frantically searched for his sister like a desperate hen with missing eggs. However, she was not anywhere near nor far.

Only after spending an entire day's span did he returned to Gilgan to seek out help.

"Gilgan!" he called, his grief echoing throughout the lake.

Adam asked for the nymph a couple more times, but to no avail.

"Gilgan! My sister is missing. Please! I know of your sorrow, but I plead to you, help me as 'we' helped you!"

{Rumble}

In the middle of the lake sprouted Gilgan, who wore the face of a worried friend.

"Eve's missing?" she asked.

"Yes. Please help me. She's all I have left. Please tell me where to find her." Adam helplessly bowed. Seeing this, the Divine Nymph looked away in guilt.

"Perhaps I wept too much that I didn't took watch of you. I don't know where she is."

Adam's eye sank as his body fell to the surface of the lake. Gilgan couldn't help but embrace him even though it didn't provide comfort.

"… But, I can help you find her atleast. There's no volcano near my lake, so the explosion you said yesterday was definitely done by someone else. With your sister gone, we can connect the dots-"

"Someone took her! But who?" Adam stood up, his eyes brimming with hope and a hint of anger.

"I can help you with that. See, I am most curious about how you saw my thread, and the blood that flows through your veins… Hmm, most curious indeed-"

"What do you mean by that-"

"I am saying that you are special, child."

"I… am special?"

"Yes. Those eyes saw my thread after all. The details are unimportant, but I can give power even if it's just a little-"

"What good would that do?"

"You are going on a journey right? Then you will need strength, most importantly the power called wisdom. Azaquell is a harsh and dreaded place, and so are its people. Trust me, I know." Gilgan clasps his tiny shoulders.

"… Then when do we start? I don't think I have time." Adam said resolutely.

"Oh, don't worry. It won't take long-"

Gilgan lovingly kissed the young child's forehead. Adam closed his eyes and the next thing he saw when he opened them was the twinkling night sky, the only thing he felt was his back on the rough, serrated ground.

He felt something change within him.

[Hello Little light!]

'!!!'

A voice inside him spoke. It was Gilgan!

[Don't be shocked. It's just me. Call me Big sister from now on!] she said with utmost energy, which shocked Adam. This persona was completely different from the one last night.

(How and why did you get inside my head?) he asked, a little irritated.

[Knowledge is power. You're still a child ignorant of this world. This is my full payment-]

[{Monotone} Payment, you say, but you're interested in something else aren't you?] he asked with the intent to interrogate.

[Urk! This kid is sharp… You're quite the smart little light, huh?]

(I have my ways. Also, what's with the name?)

[Little light? It's your name! 'Udam' in divine language means 'Bright Light', while 'Adam' means 'Little Light'.]

[Little Light… I like it.] His smile caressed the heart of the nymph inside of him. 'Let's go then.'

Ever since Gilgan went inside of him, Adam journeyed the outskirts of Lordrith for months in search of towns to ask. However, much like the Town of Gilgan, every town he visited was already left in ruins with its people missing.

Most likely, towns became rubble and people became rotting flesh.

"The sun is setting. Let's camp in here for the night." Adam sat beside an odd-shaped boulder that was atleast 20 times bigger than he is, but because of its odd-shape it was able to provide a large shade. Behind it was a small forest devoid of life.

{Howl}

The cold evening breeze was starting to bite his skin.

(Hey Gilgan, how do I make fire without magic again?) he asks the nymph.

[Friction.] She yawns.

(The hell's that?)

Gilgan groaned in frustration.

[It's such a PAIN to go in-depth about it all the time, so just rub your pendant and the grey rock I told you to keep earlier together with great speed. It will generate a spark. Make sure to catch it.]

And that he did.

{Click!}

As sparks flew out of the tension, Adam tried to catch them with his bare hands.

[Grrr, Not that kind of catch, silly! Go find some burnables. A spark is, in simplest of terms, a tiny fire. Can a tiny fire burn a large log? Also, do remember that fire is akin to people, it cannot live without gentle air. Now, figure out the rest. You're smart after all. I'm gonna go sleep-]

After gathering weeds and branches of varying sizes, he rubs the rock and pendant again-

{Click}

{Blow, blow, blow}

Slowly, the sparks became flame, eventually turning into a dancing blaze.

"I did it!" he cheered.

"Indeed you did."

"!!!"

An anonymous man with a red hood along with a few others in the same clothing fashion stood in front of him. They have a large baggage in each of their backs and silver rings on their fingers.

"Can we join you? Our hands are starting to feel a little numb. I will be willing to give you some deer meat in exchange for the heat." he brings out 3 large chunks of blood red meat. He felt its warmth when he grabbed it, recently killed and drained.

"Okay!" he smiled.

"Thankies." the stranger smiled back.

His group of 4 members sat beside the young child, taking shelter with the lone flame that gave warmth to the cold night..

"My name's Venetive. The guy over there's-"

Adam didn't remember them, for they didn't seem to be anything important like Venetive.

"-We're a group of beginner traveling merchants. We recently traveled to the town of Grit but found it in shambles. Lots and lots of dead buildings... and dead bodies. We're aiming for Gaunts next, in wild hopes of people and business. How bout' you lil' fella?" he caressed his dagger while talking.

The boy took a deep breath. It sure was cold tonight, for his breath turned into mist.

"My name is Adam. I haven't found my meaning yet. Like Grit, my hometown Gilgan was one day destroyed by an explosion of unknown origins. It took my entire family but one, my sister Eve. However, even she disappeared into the night. And now here I am, travelling from town to town in search of her." he smiled bitterly.

It was silent for a moment. Adam fidgeted his ring and pendant while Benetive spoke nothing for a while before mimicking Adam's breath-

"That… sounds tough. You've been through a lot for someone so young. Looks like we have our similarities." he smiled at Adam before looking at the largest Moon.

"I have a wife and 2 kids that I lost as well. I was just peacefully doing my work at the backyard, but I suddenly passed out. Next thing I knew, my wife and daughter are gone. Turns out, that bastard of a king Lordrith issued a 'pestilence cleanse' in our area because his wife died from a disease believe to be from peasants. Truly a King unfitting of its throne!"

The firewood cracked sparks, lighting and burning the grass around it. Venetive's outbursts calmed with the fire.

"I'm sorry." The man said to Adam with eyes brimming of tears.

"… Forgive me as well. I sparked a terrible memory-"

"No, it's fine. It's fine. Nothing a good night's sleep can't take… Good night little fella." the man smiled warmly before tucking himself beneath his sheets.

The same went for Adam. The cold night passed smoothly, and no one was awake. Thus, there was great silence.

"AHHHH!" A SHOUT in the middle of the night broke the grand silence. Venetive woke up gasping for air.

His companions are missing. He couldn't find Adam as well.

"AHHHH!" Another one shouted. It came from the forest.

Hurriedly, the merchant rushed inside the dark forest, calling out to his companions despite not seeing a single thing except for the things that the Moon shone upon. No answer was given back.

{Rustle}

The rustle of the bushes alerted him. Venetive pulled his crossbow out and stayed on guard.

"Who are you! Show yourself!" he yelled at the mysterious perpetrator.

"Venetive! Help me!" yelled yet another one of his companions. He couldn't have seen him if not of the moonlight, the only thing keeping his eyes valuable in this situation.

He was far above a tree with his feet binded to one of its branches, struggling for freedom.

Benetive rushed towards him but before he knew it, his vision turned upside down with the ground seemingly far above him. Reaching for his crossbow was futile, so he pondered instead.

Who would set traps in this soulless forrest?

A pair of glowing eyes and a ray of moonlight revealed the shocking answer.

"Adam?" his jaw drops in shock. "But why! Why would you do-"

"Stop acting already. Your friends already confessed the truth." the boy coldly shuts him.

The moment this message reached Venetive's ears, his frown turned into a sad smile.

"So you knew." he glanced at the boy's cold glare. He never could've expected that the boy who smiled warmly at them would make a face like this.

"Of course. At first I was suspicious. A beginner merchant that has silver rings when he should've had none at all, a group of beginner merchants that dressed fairly amongst each other when they should've had a leader who dressed differently, a merchant that stared at my golden ring with desire. I wonder where you even got those things in the first place. And those 'meat'-"

{Laughter}

'Has he finally gone mad?' Adam puzzled at the sight.

The man was tearing up at the outburst.

"Oh, sorry, sorry. You surprised me yet again! An 8 year old with the mind of an investigator, can make traps and conjure fire spells. I'm genuinely impressed! But this is not enough-"

"!!!"

In a constant succession of rapidly swift actions, Benetive disappeared from his bindings and appeared behind the kid with a dagger in hand, about to take the boy's breath.

(However smart you are, you are just a kid. I bet you can't see in a place this dark, you can only feel your surroundings. With this speed of mine, I'll honor your efforts with a quick death-)

"Is probably what you're thinking."

"!!!"

Adam turns around to catch the dagger with only the tip of his fingers. With no time to act surprised, Venetive tried to pull his dagger. It was futile, for it is completely 'stuck'.

(What? Are you serious? He's not a sorcerer but a warrior? And an extremely strong one for his age! Then how did he conjure fire?)

"You probably thought I'm a sorcerer because I conjured flame. Very well, I'll show you how I did it. But first, sit down-"

{Bash!}

Adam kicked him right in the stomach. The force was to the point that it made the poor Benetive wriggle on the ground.

"Here is how I did it." he brings out his pendant and rock.

{Click!}

Sparks birthed out of the rapid rub. These sparks landed on top of Benetive's fur coat, setting it on fire.

Afraid and in a panic, he rubs the fire off of him. It did nothing but spread it even further. Before the blaze spread completely, Adam kicked him again in the stomach and rolled him on the ground like a barrel.

To the merchant's surprise, the fire was no more than char and embers in his garments.

"If there was one thing that gave you away completely, it was your story. The same tragedy happened to both of us and you know more than I do. Fill me up on what exactly happened to you and your group and I'll let you have your lives."

After a brief thought of struggling, Benetive relaxed as he spreads his body to face the moonlit sky.

"{Sigh} What a phenomenal child. Very well, sit comfortably then."