Chapter 3: Penumbra

Part 1

A month has passed since my adventure in the forest, despite the punishment I faced, I am finally free from it.

The sun emerged over the treetops, bathing the clearing in front of our house in golden light. As usual, I woke up with enormous excitement as I could finally go out, because that day I was free to do whatever I wanted, but I only had to do some of the usual tasks.

It didn't take me long to get ready and enjoy breakfast. In a matter of a few minutes, I was ready to start everything.

"Okay, I just washed all the dishes and dusted the furniture on the first floor. Now all I have to do is clean up the leaves in front of the house, and I'll be free. Really, since I learned some spells, things are easier to solve."

I pause briefly between the kitchen door and the exit, checking to make sure I haven't forgotten to do anything else. Satisfied that everything was clean, I headed toward the front door to deal with the leaves in the yard.

" - What a strange feeling I think I'm forgetting something, but what should it be?"

Lost in my reverie, I end up putting this restlessness aside and heading to the front of the house to clean the yard.

After a few hours, the yard looked completely clean, with no dry, yellow leaves covering the splendid green lawn.

"Even using my magic was not an easy task, but in the end the effort was worth it."

With a sigh of relief, sitting near the door steps, I felt proud for completing everything just in time for the early afternoon. The brightness of the sun crossed the landscape until it made the barrier of the house shine, reminding me of the atmosphere of the same day I left home for the first time.

"How strange, it doesn't even seem like it's been a month since I left the barrier's domain and I came across that monster."

I give a sideways smile remembering that day.

"But on the bright side, I didn't have to do the contract ritual with a random familiar member and I met that intriguing guy with Skáld who helped me. It's a shame that, in the middle of everything, we can't say our names."

"- What must he be doing now? Even without knowing him very well, it would be interesting to have someone the same age as me. I know I have slime by my side now, but having a few more friends would be amazing."

Yet something still seemed strangely missing.

"Well I have nothing else to do, I think I'll go see the master maybe he needs something, come on slime let's go in."

As I climb the steps towards the residence, I begin to notice something unusual on this day. The chatty creature that always accompanied me wasn't with me, which was why the day was so peaceful since I hadn't heard a single word since I woke up. This is strange, because even on rainy days, he can't keep quiet at home. He liked to explore forbidden places, insisting that the place belonged to him. The worst episode was when he invaded the master's workshop, even though I warned him that he shouldn't enter. This mischief resulted in a few more days of punishment for me, as I still didn't improve my skills in taming that gelatinous ball.

With a snap in my mind, I let go of everything I was holding in my hands and shoot towards the house. However, it was too late; I could already hear the master's furious screams echoing upstairs.

"MIDNIGHT LE RENOIR BLUE, I DIDN'T TELL YOU TO LEAVE THAT CREATURE FAR AWAY FROM HERE!!!"

Part 2

The master was immersed in his work, which only made him angrier, as he was focused on a project that was too important to have been interrupted. The workshop gave off peculiar smells of metal and dust, seeing that he had heard his screams he approached me handing me the small gelatinous being.

"I'm sorry Master Elias, I told him not to come to this room anymore, but it seems he didn't listen." I murmured shyly trying to avoid looking at him.

The master sighed deeply, trying to calm down since he had to remain calm in this situation, but I could still feel his disapproving gaze.

"This creature has already caused a lot of damage since the last time it came here, I don't want to see it here again. I'm busy, I don't have time to deal with this right now."

"But master, maybe he just wanted to find out what you were trying to create." I tried to explain while slime made a sound of approval, agreeing with me.

"No buts, now get out of here and take that thing with you!"

I bowed my head, and mumbled one more apology before leaving the workshop. Slime, in turn, made a relaxed noise, as if he was mocking the situation. I knew the master was busy, but it seemed like that jelly being didn't have the same idea.

I determined it was time to talk to my familiar about going into places he shouldn't. Standing outside the house, I took a deep breath before starting the conversation.

"Slime, you really couldn't stay away from master's workshop? And why didn't you come to me when you woke up? We could have avoided all this confusion."

I questioned, trying to remain serious, although his mocking manner challenged my words.

"Ah, relax little master, I just wanted to take a look at what the old man was doing inside. I thought he might be making a new potion, isn't it interesting? And I still want to find out how he managed to detect me."

He replied with a bubbly voice and a touch of sarcasm.

"You're only saying that because you love experimenting with potions, and every time the master creates a new one for a customer, you always find a way to get a bottle without him noticing. The problem is that right now he is so busy that he barely has time to deal with this situation." I sighed frustratedly.

He made a sound like laughter.

"The old man is always too busy. I don't see what the problem is with livening up that place."

"The problem is that if you touch anything inside, there is a risk of blowing up the entire house. And I doubt that, if that happens he won't forgive you, even though you're my familiar."

He ended up shrugging his shoulders, as if he didn't care much about my words.

"Ah, you can rest assured, little master. After all, it's only been a moon since we've known each other, and you're already becoming a boring master."

It was my turn to smile, remembering the day we met.

"A month ago, you were nothing more than a curious slime who liked to roam around the house, and now you're my adorable partner. But even so, you need to respect the rules, for your sake and for mine, okay." I say this looking at him trying to caress him.

He made a sound similar to a grumble, but I could tell that despite the joke, he ended up understanding the seriousness of the situation.

"- I'm glad it's easy to talk to him, I wish Master Elias was like that sometimes."

With the issue resolved, we chose to take shelter in the shade of a large tree in the backyard as the temperature ended up rising with the arrival of the afternoon.

"Hey, do you notice that today is a lot like the day we met? Only this time, the 'monster' was the master." I laughed, remembering the events.

"Yes, now it just needs to rain and you find that guy from before."

"I exactly spent these days thinking about him and I wanted to express my gratitude in some way. However, I doubt that master would allow me to go to the village even if he came along."

"Why don't you go? He's busy now, and you can cross the barrier without worrying about alerting him."

I remember the night before, when he finally removed the restraint mark from me, freeing me from punishment for having crossed the boundaries of the house's territory.

"Well, a quick exit wouldn't hurt, especially now that I've mastered more spells and magic to protect myself from creatures. Besides, you will be by my side, and the village isn't even that far away. Maybe if we leave now, we can return before dark and he won't even notice." I say this standing up.

"- I think it's better to take some things with me; Who knows, maybe something similar will happen to the last time, if the master leaves the workshop early I will leave a note informing my location."

With the little gelatinous ball between my arms, I hurry toward the house to prepare for my newest adventure. In a few minutes, I was already crossing the imposing barrier that separates the inside and outside of the house.

Part 3

The first light of the afternoon filtered through the branches of the old forest as we walked along the old trail. The ground, covered in a carpet of dry leaves, emitted a soft crackle beneath our steps, while beams of light intertwined, creating a pleasant ambience on the path in front of us.

As we delved deeper, the sounds of nature came to life: melodious birdsong echoed through the branches, while leaves rustled softly in response to the gentle breeze that caressed the air.

Slime, always curious, swayed in my arms, making vibrant sounds in response to the sounds around us.

"Hey, little master, did you know that in the past there were certain magical creatures that used to dance in these clearings at night?" he teased, his voice full of enthusiasm.

"I suppose so? Maybe I read about it somewhere."

"I never saw them, but my oldest relatives told me stories that they only appeared to those who respect magic, however, as time went by they began to disappear and were never seen again."

Presuming that he could be mentioning the ancient Tyrnas clan since this region belonged to his domains but over time they ended up disappearing from Hemera.

We continued along the trail, as the afternoon progressed, shyer magical creatures began to appear: Shadex¹ jumped from branch to branch, their tails shining in vivid colors, while small luminous beings danced among the shadows, leaving a trail of glow.

Finally, after hours of walking, the dense forest foliage began to lighten, revealing the horizon in front of us. Between the last trees, we saw the red roofs of the village, which stood out against the blue sky.

"Look, it looks like we're coming!" I exclaimed, feeling anxiety mix with joy.

The village appeared to be a trading port, with its bustling activities, stretched out before us. The sound of waves crashing against the docks filled the air.

"- Now, we just need to cross the wall, and we will be inside. I hope we don't face any problems; It would be annoying to travel all this distance and not be able to enter."

The problem is that this didn't apply to us. We learned, through the conversations of travelers who crossed our path, that some magical beasts lost their territories due to Birdeg. This resulted in several of them trying to invade the village, which led to increased security.

Part 4

The village gates stretched before me, an impenetrable barrier of wood and metal. The guards who were on guard blocked the entrance like sentries from ancient stories. My small figure contrasted with the grandeur of the walls, but my determination was as firm as the gates I was trying to cross.

"What do you want here, cub? You don't look like you're from around here, and we don't let just anyone in without a good reason."

He growled one of the guards, his expression showing distrust in every line of his face.

Swallowing hard, trying to explain my situation for being there at that moment.

"Hello sir, I just want a ticket to enter the village. I came here to try to find a boy who helped me a few days ago."

The guards exchanged sarcastic looks, as if they were about to laugh at my attempt.

"We hear stories like this every day, kid. Saying you're looking for someone isn't enough."

They didn't seem to believe me much, but if they believed a luphios cub alone without anyone accompanying him would be very suspicious, not even if I was alone. I took a deep breath, remaining calm as slime watched intently.

"I can give you a description of the boy I'm looking for if that helps me get in. Well, he is one of the Felles species, he has brown hair, red eyes and wears a yellow scarf around his neck, I don't know his name but from what little we talked I know that he lives in this village with his brother."

The guards exchanged a more serious look, as if assessing my sincerity.

"Do you see, Stan? This little thing smells like trouble. But just to get rid of it, give me a more complete description, let's see if we know this kid." said the older guard, giving my words one more chance.

When giving a more detailed description, mentioning that whoever I was looking for had a skáld with their familiar in addition to being quite energetic, I saw the guards' faces change. One of them, surprisingly, seemed to recognize the description.

"I think I've seen this kid before. Looks like he stopped by here a few times. Come on, get in quickly before I change my mind", the guard mentioned, opening a gap in the gates.

With a sigh of relief, I thanked him and continued on my way, but as I walked away, I ended up hearing a whisper among the guards.

"You'll love meeting him…", muttered the younger guard, while the two laughed among themselves...

Upon entering the village, I was enveloped by a frenzy of colors and sounds. The streets were narrow and lined with colorful stalls, skillful merchants advertising their wares with enthusiasm. The tantalizing smell of spices and baked goods wafted through the air, creating a vibrant ambiance.

Excited slime swayed in my arms, curious at the glimpse of the lively place.

"What an incredible place, master! It seems like there's everything here!" he commented excitedly.

"Really! I never imagined this place would be so busy, but we can't waste too much time. We need to find that boy. Maybe after we sort this out, we can check out the stores on the way home."

With determination, I began to question the locals about the boy I was looking for. However, my attempts didn't yield much results. The inhabitants seemed too busy with their own lives and businesses, and the answers were vague or simply a shrug of the shoulders, many of them also looked at me in a different way.

Lost in the crowd, I ended up in a quieter alley, trying to decipher my next move.

"I didn't imagine it would be so difficult. I believed it would be easier to find them, especially considering he has a creature that is both unique and familiar. It seems I underestimated the situation." I mutter as I head towards the next alley.

"Little master, this place is huge despite its appearance. Everyone here seems so agitated that they barely notice our presence."

"Yes, but if we don't find him soon, this trip will be in vain."

I direct my gaze towards the tops of the houses, trying to locate the position of the sun to assess how much time I still have at my disposal.

"- Well, it's not time to get discouraged yet. I believe I have a little time on my side."

It was at that moment that I found myself staring at a mysterious guy, wearing a dark jacket and wearing an eye patch like a ship captain. His sharp gaze caught our presence, making him approach with an intriguing expression.

"Looking at what we have here, it looks like you're lost and you happen to be looking for something...or someone," he said, his voice heavy.

I recoiled a little at his proximity, but ended up responding to his observation, maybe he could help me.

"To tell the truth, we are looking for a boy a little older than me, he has brown hair and wears a yellow scarf around his neck."

The guy smiled slightly, as if he was aware of something I didn't yet fully understand.

"Hmm, maybe I know who you're talking about in case he had a draconis as a companion?"

"Yes, he has!" Hearing this answer, a wave of excitement runs through my being, because I had finally found someone who could know him.

"Looks like luck decided to smile on you today, boy."

In the midst of my excitement, the mysterious guy revealed himself as the older brother of the boy I was looking for. His eyes, filled with something I had never seen before, met mine as he revealed his own name and that of his younger brother.

"My name is Yahir River, and my little brother's name is Shadow River, but you probably already know that. Just now I was going to meet him at a training area not far from here." he said with an enigmatic smile.

Given his response, he invited me to join him.

"You and that little slime over there can join me. It could be an interesting experience for both of you. I'm sure you have a lot of questions."

"- So, his name is Shadow River. It fits well considering the first time we met was through the silhouette of a shadow."

Even with my agile thinking, I ended up giving in and agreeing to follow him to the training area, after all, the intriguing aura that emanated from him aroused my curiosity. However, as we walked, an uneasy feeling settled over me. It felt like we were being watched, but I couldn't identify the source of this strange sensation.

Notes:

1 - Shadex: It is an agile and curious creature, found in dense and dark forests. With a small and harmless appearance, this creature belongs to the low ranking. Its body is covered in a soft, short coat, while its tails display a palette of bright, contrasting colors, ranging between shades of green, blue and yellow.