8 Running after butterflies

EARTH CLAN – NEAR THEOR CITY - IGNE 150

It was dark. It hurt. She was scared. She didn't know where she was. She remembered she was taking a stroll with everyone. Dad was talking with Ferrys, while mum was talking about boring things with Frigg and Morigan. She was told to stay and talk with them, as a lady should do. She had seen a butterfly and Morigan had winked at her and gently pushed her. She had run alone after the butterfly. She couldn't remember what had happened afterwards.

She didn't know where dad was. She wanted to cry. She stayed there on the ground for a while, trying to call dad for help.

Maybe dad was angry because she disobeyed and that was why he didn't come? He had told her a few times: "When someone you love is upset because of you, you have to go apologize, say you're sorry." She knew she had to go say sorry.

She got up and tried to search around her. Thankfully, the pain had faded. She couldn't see a thing, so she extended her arms around her. The place was narrow, humid. She felt earth on the walls. She kept looking but didn't find a thing. There was just cold and solitude.

She yelled as time passed. Soon, her mouth became dry. She tried to climb to the surface but there wasn't even a root to help. She tried, she fell, she tried again and again, but she slipped and failed every time. When she couldn't keep count of her trials, she sat down.

She felt hungry now, and thirsty. Very, very thirsty. She couldn't understand why no one was coming. She wanted to cry again, but she was too tired.

Then, she heard steps. A voice. Ferrys' voice.

"Dad! I found her! She's here, she fell! Don't worry, Maëlys, dad is coming to get you."

She felt joy, and relief. She wanted to answer but, in the end, she just smiled foolishly and fell asleep.

It felt like she had just closed her eyes when she was suddenly filled with a familiar smell and warmth. A blanket was wrapped around her as she was taken away from the ground and in someone's arms.

She opened one eye and saw her father, smiling."Everything's fine, little spark, you've been brave. Let's go home."

She murmured an apology before closing her eyes once again.

When she woke up, she was in her bed. Morigan was next to her, reading. She spotted a jar on the table. The thirst came rushing back.

She timidly saluted her sister, afraid of being scolded for what had happened.

Seeing her moving, Morigan jumped on her. "I'm so sorry! I never should have let you leave on your own! Kmir, how scared I was!! I just wanted to spare you the flannel talk. Oh, Maëlys, please forgive me! Oh but you must have been so afraid, too! I'm here, speaking all about me when it should be about you. How are you feeling? Are you hurt somewhere? The healers said you'd be fine, but we never know. Head, arms, stomach, legs, ribs? Anything?"

She then seemed to notice Maëlys' hand that was still raised in the direction of the jar. "Oh Kmir! I'm sorry! You must be so thirsty! Wait, don't move, I'll help!"

She finally stopped speaking and helped her drink. Maëlys was quite surprised with her reaction. "But… I'm the one who should be sorry. Even if you winked at me, I didn't wait to get clear instructions and I went alone in an unfamiliar scenery! That's bad, right? … Dad must be so mad at me…"

"What? No, don't take things so seriously, it's okay. He's not angry. Speaking of which, I kept you for myself long enough. Stay here, I'm coming back right away."

Maëlys drank a bit more and then sunk back in the warm blankets. She saw Morigan leaving with her cheerful and dancing step.

She was left alone for a while. She looked at the room that she – for a moment – thought she would never see again. There weren't many things. Her bed was small, but it was the most comfortable in the world! There was a chest for her clothes, a table for her writing works and a shelf for the few personal belongings she was allowed to keep. Her favorite books that Morigan read to her, and some trinkets she'd found here and there. She had to fight for those, or her mother would have them thrown away.

Her parents always said – and had her write and remember – "Wealth is used to reinforce power, luxury only reinforces idleness." She didn't quite get that, but Morigan sometimes read to her stories of castles filled with gold and gems, of precious fabrics that were worth the prize of cities, of women who wore silk, laces and jewels. It sounded funny.

Then, her father came in the room. She fell in tears and apologies, still persuaded that she had done something terrible. He took her into her arms and put her into her bed.

"It's okay, little spark. You didn't do anything wrong. Kmir tells us that a mistake which we suffered enough for is a mistake that has been judged, punished and forgiven by Him. You were afraid, it was cold, and it lasted very long. You've been really brave, and I think you have suffered enough. Kmir punished your carelessness, so now you can forget and move on."

She looked into his eyes while he spoke and then snuggled up back into his embrace. He stayed for a while, to play with her. Once he was away, Morigan asked her what she wanted to listen to.

"I want the story about the Founders, where they come from, how they built the clans, those are my favorites!", Mordren answered, her eyes sparkling with joy.

Her sister smiled tenderly. "Ha, the Origins, then. You know we won't have time for the whole thing, do you? So, when Kmir meets them or when they create the clans?"

"When He meets them! When He meets them!"

"Got it! I'm so happy I can read it to you from my own copy of the Texts! Remember before my fifteen's birthday, when I always had to borrow Father's or Ferrys', because Frigg wouldn't even let me touch hers?"

"Yeah, sometimes I even wonder if she's truly our sister."

She came back with a small book covered in leather and began reading. She read smoothly, with a clear but soft voice. She was usually very lively and playful, but – when she wanted to – she had a gift to make people forget she was there. That meant that when she was reading, only the text and its meaning was hanging in the air.

[There was a time, thousands of years ago, where the earth was a whole, where no walls and no kings ruled mankind. Kmir, the One God of Creation and Life, the God of all, lived peacefully with His lover, Daria, the Goddess of Death and Chaos. Good and evil, life and death balanced each other, so that the world was safe.]

[But Daria wanted more, she wanted to own Kmir's beloved creation, and to get all the power for herself, and thus she betrayed Him.]

[She gave her blood, her life and her deity to become the Chaos itself. Kmir cried and mourned the death of His lover and He left the earth, as it was tainted.]

[Death had been created to give a meaning to life, as Daria had been created to support Kmir. Her sacrifice became the origin of black magic, as Chaos became its source of power.]

[As Kmir mourned over Daria, the earth mourned over the absence of Kmir, and thus was defenseless against the dark forces of Chaos.]

[Everything that wasn't burning was burnt. Hatred ruled the earth, mothers were eating their own children without a remorse.]

[When Kmir awoke and saw what had happened to His creation, and what mankind had become, He thought about letting it burn to the core. However, then, He saw six people that evil hadn't overcome, six people who were begging Him, who were still true to Him and who hadn't given up on their faith.

He thought they were worth it, so He came down to fight with them.]

[He first met with Sofiia. Her hair was black and short, and her eyes were pale blue. She was lean, wore a dark blue armor, and hold a sword as wide and tall as she was, with pale pink glowing runes. She fought fiercely, but always stopped to ponder over her actions. She was wise and knew that she could very well fight for Chaos while thinking to be fighting in the name of Kmir. All the people she had known had become mad and monstrous, and losing the control of her mind was her biggest fear.]

[They both walked to the mountains of the east. There, they saw Theor trying to build again some old ruins. He was strong, his hair was also black, but his eyes were as green as the meadows of the ancient times. He wore a hammer at his belt. The mountains were his life, but he had seen half of them being destroyed by the Chaos, and his family with it. The grounds weren't fertile any more, only a desert of dust and rocks was left. Yet, he stayed, and protected his home, because he knew he wouldn't be safer anywhere. He was something that satisfied himself with what Kmir gave him. He trusted his God and needed nothing else.]

[As they were leaving, they were called over by a woman. Her name was Myr. Her hair was long, braided, and as red as fire itself. Her eyes were amber and shined with a mysterious light. She was dressed in ample robes and hold two spears in her hands that were encrusted with gems. She told them that she had found them through magic, because she had felt around them the purest aura she had ever experienced. She had a warm personality and always seemed cheerful. She never talked about what had happened to her, only about the beautiful things she had seen on her way. She danced and sung for her companions, trying to lighten their anger and sadness.]

[All three then met with Aldir. His hair was silver, his skin dark and his eyes black. He wore a bow and arrows, as well as many trinkets that were important to him. He had been travelling since always, so as to be able to never regret what was left behind him, and to never find out that what he had once loved had been destroyed. He was solitary and never talked much. He always seemed to say nice words, but in his eyes hid mockery.]

[They walked for a long time, before Esmera joined them. She hid herself in the shadows and got out only if her life was at stake. Her hair was gold and her eyes dark blue. She only wore some knifes, but nothing seemed to get up once it had been touched by her blades, even when it had only felt the wind grazing over its skin. She had been abandoned when she was little and had learned to live on her own. She was polite with everyone but close to no one. Once even a thread of conflict showed itself, she disappeared. However, people often came to her to seek advice, and she always answered wisely, with a great pragmatism that characterized her.]

[The sixth person, Nolx, wasn't there. Kmir said it was because he wasn't ready to fight yet, but that he would be there when he would be most needed. Time had come to fight, they couldn't wait any more.]

[Sword, hammer, spears, arrows and knifes were flying and spinning as Kmir's Light protected their bearers. They were sad to learn that they were killing their own Mother, but only more resolute after they heard of her treason.]

Morigan stopped." That's it for the night. Now it's time to sleep, or we'll be scolded."

"Nooo not now, I want to know what happens next. Just a bit more, please?"

"Nope, you're only six, wait before you're ten to bargain with your curfew."

"But you're fifteen, that's not much more!"

"It is much more, more than twice your age! Now hush, sleep time."

Maëlys grumbled a bit, but she didn't dare disobey. Morigan waited for her to fall asleep, then went to return the book. Before she left the room, she looked at her younger sister. Her gaze was cold and sad, it had nothing to do with her daily, usual self. "It's fine as long as I'm only reading things to you, but what will I do once you start asking questions I don't know the answer to?"