Starry Power

After some time, we made it back. Only a few elves were in the eating hall, give or take.

"What is this building called anyway?"

"A stave house. Think of it like an inn, but different. Many live in it rather than stay for a night or two."

"I thought you'd each have your own home." 

"We're not quite as hierarchical and individualistic as human kingdoms tend to be. My place is with the people as much as it is as a Tjali. The same goes for Tarwyn."

"I see."

"Grandfather, on the other hand, has his own place. But that's just because he's old, and can't travel very far."

"..."

We entered the stave house. Considering the carved wooden pillars planted about any and every weakpoint. The name stavehouse made perfect sense. It was tall anyways. We walked up the stairs together, just before parting ways.

"See you in the morning, Ladon." She smiled at me.

I nodded. "See you then."

I entered my room. All my stuff was untouched, thankfully. It was a warm night, so I took my clothes off and got into bed. What in the hels did I agree to? I drifted off to sleep.

"Keep it up. Nothing's ever over," the original Ladon's voice echoed in my head.

My eyes immediately opened to the morning sun's light piercing through my window to my face. I could tell by the brightness that it wasn't early morning however. I looked around my room to find my clothes, on a chair, not where I left them. They were washed. I changed into them, leaving my cloak off. The city had plenty of shade, and it was a hot day.

Someone knocked on my door three times. "Ladon! Are you awake yet?!" It was Inowyn.

"Yes."

"What?!" 

"Yes!"

She entered my room immediately. "Oh good."

"I could've been naked."

"Psh, that would've been fine." She smiled in a way that made me uncomfortable.

"Not for me."

"What? Are you uncomfortable with your body? I've seen it before, when you were injured."

"I'm not; I just don't like people seeing it unless they have to."

"Fair enough."

"Why were my clothes washed?"

"Because I had them washed."

"So you came into my room?"

"Twice, yeah. Why?"

I sighed. "Nothing."

 "Alright." She walked over to my door. "Are you ready for the day?"

"Sure."

We left my room. There were four elves in the hallway, armoured like Tarwyn when I first met him, except with helmets and armour for the legs and arms, all plant-like. They looked how I'd imagine the guards here to look.

"What's this?" I asked suspiciously.

"Oh they're escorts. We're going to talk to grandfather first."

"We didn't have escorts yesterday."

"You didn't meet Tré af Líf before last night."

"So they're protection?"

"For the off chance it would be necessary," Tarwyn answered, coming up the stairs.

We started walking down the stairs.

"Why would it be necessary?" I asked.

"You've been treated well so far, but being a demidragon means you're part human, which means you're the closest thing to a human that has ever met Tré af Líf since before they forced us into hiding. Not everybody will be ready to accept that."

"I see. Your people do realize the cull happened, right?"

"Of course we do. That kind of death and destruction could never be unknown—at least to us."

"You elves seem to hate them so much. They aren't exactly in a position to impose on you. Why not take anything back?"

"You're right, Ladon. We could," Tarwyn answered, "but it's hardly a victory when you beat an already weakened enemy. And besides, we don't want those dragons to confuse us with them. The only place that's ours to own is still the forest."

"I see."

They led me back to the building where I met Borowyn. Just like last time, there were two large crowds of elves, split in the middle from each other. Of course, they stared at me constantly. We walked to the same spot as last time. The guards stayed in the four corners of a square around us. There was all sorts of commotion. I couldn't pick out any voice in particular with all the people in this room.

Borowyn, who sat on his chair, planted his staff loudy onto the floor. Everyone grew silent.

"So, Ladon," Borowyn started, hoarse and old, "I've heard from both my granddaughter Tjali Inowyn, and Karasym that when you went to the astral plane to gain your Fylgja, you spoke to Tré af Líf. Is this true?"

"Yes."

"Tell me every detail, if you can."

"Well, I meditated. I opened my eyes to the Astral. I saw thousands of people, I think, walking in the same direction. The fox appeared, then gave me its power. An unfathomable amount of animal spirits were heading in the same direction past me. Then the wolf gave me its power. I was curious, so I followed. I don't know how I didn't notice it earlier. Maybe it wasn't there before, I don't know, but I saw her. The tree, glowing brightly, in a huge pool of stars. I think she called the water Ginnungavatn. I got the eagle's power as well. Then I talked with her."

"And she showed you the hels, and their forces?" He sat at the edge of his seat.

"Yes. She asked me if I would fight them, and defend life. I said I wasn't sure. She seemed very interested in me, she asked me if she called apon me, would I answer? I said sure."

"Did she tell you they were coming?"

"No? I don't think so. She was calm."

"I see." He settled in his seat.

"Beyond that she didn't tell me much else, outside of the fact that I have some power or potential or something. She called it world changing, but never told me what it was exactly."

"Interesting. Tré af Líf must be preparing. Her interest in you can only mean one thing: she wants to make you a champion in the future."

"Like a champion for a god?"

"Like a champion for her: the centerpoint of life itself."

"Why? Why me?"

"Because she sees something in you that nobody else does; something few have."

"Which is?"

"I don't know."

"Great. Is she a god? I thought only gods had champions."

"She was created by the gods. In a way, she is a demigod, if not something closer."

"Does she usually have any champions?"

"Not for an age, Ladon. However, that doesn't necessarily mean you'll become one. Do not worry."

Nothing made me feel better about it.

"You've answered all my questions, save one."

"..."

"What did Abraxas say about having a chat?"

"Unfortunately I'm not . . . in good graces with Gerickst. I denied him his fun. Abraxas is staying home to keep up appearances so there won't be any investigation there. He would love to chat, but won't be able to for the time being."

"A shame. I'm certain I still have life enough to wait for it. Well, I won't keep you any longer, Ladon. Good luck on your training."

"Thank you, Trewari."

He responded with a quick smile, exhaling through his nose just as fast. He planted his staff against the floor, and everybody started speaking with each other all of their unshared thoughts. We left the building.

"What do you want to do first, Ladon?" Inowyn asked. "Tree striding, or Fylgja?"

"I'd like to see the girl first."

"Well, yeah. That was a given. I meant after that?"

"Fylgja."

"Alright then!"

We walked off, heading toward the girl's room. Tarwyn stayed silent. Fylgja were all about. Many elves walked past us, colored in the seasons. I even saw some elves who looked very different, with silver or white hair, and dark grey skin: that didn't look like wood. I even saw a few who had skin fairer than the sun, with different shades of golden blond hair. They almost looked like angels.

"Who are they? They don't look like wood elves."

"Ah, they're Ljós álfari and Dökk álfari: light elves and dark elves. Sometimes they pass through our cities, since we have more than them. There's many different kinds of álfari. We've been around long enough for that."

"I see."

 Tarwyn was still silent. Anytime I'd glance over to him, he looked like he was in his mind.

Eventually, we made it back to her door. Inowyn was about to open it when crashing and clanging reached my ears. Without hesitation I rushed past, opening the door to enter. I saw the girl halfway getting up off the floor, in between her bed and table. Prewana was holding her left arm, supporting her. There was a plate, some cutlery and a spilled cup on the ground.

"Are you okay?!"

She looked forward while raising her body. "Y-yeah… I just sort of… slipped."

Prewana spoke while focusing on supporting her. "I told you it might be too early to try this, girl."

She grunted and breathed from her own weight, "I need to get better… don't I?"

Prewana sighed. "Yes, but I think five steps is enough."

Five is her limit? I wish I could do something about this.

She just looked at me and smiled, obviously trying to dissuade my worry.

My heart dropped again. I couldn't help but feel sorry, and guilty every time I saw her. I've been through hel since that night at the orphanage, but I couldn't even imagine what she went through. I was never a captive. I couldn't understand her strength and determination. Something about her attitude just seemed better than mine.

"How . . . are you feeling, Red?" She asked.

"I'm fine. I uhm, go by Ladon now."

"I forgot . . . sorry."

"..."

She knew?

"I guess… I better… get back in be-"

Her body started shaking from where she stood, her eyes glowing white, as if her irises and pupils didn't exist. Prewana almost lost her grip. Just as her body was going to fall, I rushed close, grabbing her and holding her up in almost an instant.

"What in the hels is happening?!" I yelled.

Prewana was panicked. "I-I don't know. She's never done this before!"

Suddenly the girl's hands grabbed me by my arms, surprisingly tight, though it wasn't exactly very tight. Her eyes returned to normal as the tremors left her body. She was hyperventilating, loosening her grip.

I brought her to her bed so she could sit on it. She looked extremely exhausted, more so than before. "A-are you okay? Do you need water? I can-"

"He's coming," she spoke, shocked and scared.

"Who?"

"Gerickst."

"What? Now? Here?"

"No."

I recalled what Abraxas said about her, before we even knew it was her. "In the future?"

"Y-yes."

"Tell me what you saw."

"It's… hazy; not as clear as the others." She took a couple breaths.

"Easy now." Inowyn started rubbing her back.

"I saw you… with the dragon, in a clearing."

"That's my home. The dragon's name is Abraxas."

"I was… there. It got unclear, like a dream… tossing between moments. Gerickst came. He… he was going to harm Abraxas."

"How many times has this foresight been accurate?" I asked.

"There've… been times where… I see many possible outcomes. It's never wrong. The ones that didn't happen… could've."

"Sooo," Inowyn started, "If you don't go there, it won't be a problem right?"

"Not necessarily," I responded. "Whether or not we're there won't change Gerickst going there. He'll still go, and we just wouldn't be there. He'd discover the cabin, make an obvious inference, then Abraxas would be in danger. I'm the demidragon he'd be looking for, and he knows my scent. We'll have to be there. I can't leave him alone with Gerickst."

"Ladon…" Inowyn said "What will you do?"

"Continue training for now."

Prewana lowered the girl onto her back. "Time to rest. I'm sure that magic didn't help."

Her voice was small, and breathy. "I am… tired."

I stood there, watching as she fell asleep. Prewana left.

"Well, ready to use your fylgja?" Inowyn asked.

I continued to stare for a moment. "Sure." I turned around.

"Then let's go!" she said, cheerful as can be.

We walked out, the currently ever-silent Tarwyn following behind us. For the next half hour or so, we walked back to Trelanwi. Like last time, the door opened apon our arrival.

Inowyn got a little ahead. "I'll go in and fetch Kara. Tarwyn, take him to the spot."

"Alright, come along." Tarwyn walked to the right of the door, heading around Trelanwi, though given the tree's size, around is barely a useful word. In no time I noticed a circular platform, just slightly lower, jutting out from the main one we were on. We walked down a few steps onto it.

"Hey, Ladon?"

"Yeah?"

"I've been thinking."

"I could tell."

"When I become the next Trewari, I'm going to make some changes."

"..."

"Some of our traditions and laws are just too old. You were right, what you said about the law of our dead ancestor tree fruit, even if they were human. It's not right to punish someone for a law they didn't know even existed. Trial by combat is just too archaic. Why decide justice through a fight? Those skills have nothing to do with the truth."

"I agree, but why are you telling me this?"

"You're the one who made me think about it. I've been so focused on becoming the next Trewari, I never thought about the traditions that deeply; just upholding them, because they're important. Now I'm questioning some of them."

"I see."

Inowyn and Karasym finally came.

Karasym walked over, here arms ever-crossed beneath her sleeves. "I see you've come back to train your Fylgja already."

"Yes."

"Very well. Stand in the middle."

I did just so. Inowyn stayed next to me, and Tarwyn stayed off to the side.

"To be perfectly honest, utilizing your fylgja is quite simple. Like the rope we use to stride, intent is the key. Unlike the rope, you also need to visualize it. To make that part easy, Inowyn, care to demonstrate?"

"Sure!"

She held her left hand out, revealing her two tattoos, her slender fingers outstretched, making her palm face forward. After a moment, her tattoo on her index finger began to glow pink. Almost like liquid, the pink glow came out of the lines of her tattoo, pouring under its own control onto the ground, a starry pattern flowing through it. A small puddle started forming, thicker than liquid this time almost like gelatin. After a moment, it took the shape of a small rabbit.

The pink, astral rabbit started hopping around in a circle, before going onto my lap.

"The fylgja are completely under the individual's control," explained Karasym. "Their knowledge is your knowledge, and yours theirs. It can act on your will, even crossing great distances to complete a simple task, never needing a second command after the first, controlling itself based on your control. However, you can control it even more directly."

I looked at Inowyn, whose eyes started glowing the same color and pattern as her rabbit. The rabbit stared into my eyes and waved at me with a front paw.

"You can enter its eyes to see what they see."

"Hi!" Inowyns voice came from the rabbit, sounding slightly echoed.

"You can talk through it too. Its body is physical, so it can be destroyed. Depending on if it's destroyed, and how long it is used, your fylgja will have to remain inside your tattoo for a time. The longer it's used, the longer it will recharge. Destruction adds about twelve to eighteen hours, depending on the individual and how much power was given by the respective spirit. Though its body is physical, to a limited degree its shape can be affected, meaning if it needs to squeeze through a hole a bit smaller than itself, it can. However, affecting its shape too much will destroy it."

"I see."

"Now, another cost of your fylgja is energy. You can bring out two, but that'll make you twice as tired for as long as both are needed, three is three times, et cetera. It's important to take that into account when making one travel a great distance, if they can. With that said, they can stay out even while you're asleep to finish its task, and its price stays the same. Some people leave their fylgja out for weeks, though I wouldn't recommend that."

Inowyn's rabbit lost its shape to a liquid, all over my pants, just before pulling back into her finger tattoo by its own force, leaving no mess.

"As you can see, your fylgja must return to your tattoo. If it can't, then that'll be okay. What's left is essentially water, so it won't harm the earth, but the cost of recharge becomes exponentially longer. One day can turn into a week."

"I see."

"Are you ready to try?"

"Sure."

"You've seen one come out. Use that, and your intent, and hopefully it should happen quickly."

I opened my hand, just as I saw Inowyn did. I focused my intent on bringing out the fox, and from my middle finger poured the black and purple starry liquid from the wolf tattoo. Despite the size, it took just about as much time as the rabbit, though much more liquid burst out.

"Woah! He's beautiful!"

Before me stood the wolf, stoic and powerful, its dark purple streaks glowing.

"Very good, Ladon," Karasym said.

Inowyn started petting it immediately.

"I meant to bring out the fox."

"Ah, well this is your first time anyway," Karasym started. "It's believed that a person's fylgja represents something about their personality. There may be some truth to it, but then again Trewari Borowyn has eighteen, so who knows."

Tarwyn joined in. "If it's true, then it would make some sense. Wolves are ambitious, strong, intimidating, adept at leadership. Foxes are smart, shrewd, tricky, and adaptable. Eagles are tenacious, distant, and always overcome obstacles, no matter how hard. Those seem to fit you if you ask me."

"I'm not sure about ambition and leadership, but sure."

"I should also mention that the size of the fylgja also affects the cost. A mouse costs very little, but a whale… you wouldn't be able to use it for any longer than thirty minutes, at least not without very adverse effects."

"I see." So far I didn't feel a difference.

I started the process again, leaving the wolf out. This time, the light blue and white astral fox poured out onto the floor, then formed into its shape.

"Yes!" Inowyn shouted, just before petting both of them.

"You were right, Karasym. This isn't that difficult."

"Good. Bring out the eagle, then we'll know you mastered bringing them out. After that, you'll train to control them."

"Alright." I did the same thing, and sure enough, the pinkish crimson and orange eagle poured into the air, forming its flapping shape. It landed on my shoulder.

"Another thing that's great about the fylgja is that they never tire. Your wolf could run at top speed and your eagle could fly at its top speed as much as needed, unlike real animals."

"That would be useful."

"Percisely. Now onto control. You can get rid of two of them for now."

I nodded, then tried to reverse the process. Surely enough the wolf and eagle collapsed their forms onto the floor just before being pulled into their respective tattoos. All that was left was the fox, currently on Inowyn's lap, sitting despite me never making him do so.

"Controlling them is pretty simple," Karasym started. "Though you may not feel it, you are connected to the fox, and it to you. Apply your intent to it, whatever it may be. You can also say what you want it to do, in your mind, or out loud. It doesn't matter."

To me.

The fox got up, and walked calmly to me, rubbing his nose against my leg

"Ah man…"

Go back.

The fox went back to her lap.

She smiled at him, giving him a ferocious belly rub.

"That was easy."

"I hoped it would be. They don't even need you to communicate any specifics, because they already know them. They're very efficient. With that said, complex tasks are still complex. Let's try something a little harder." She pulled a small stuffed, linen ball out of her robe. "I'm going to toss it up, and your fox will catch it."

"Alright."

The fox walked in front of me, as if he already knew what I was going to have him do.

"Are you ready?"

I nodded.

Karasym tossed the ball at a high arch.

Catch.

As it made its way to my fox, he rose up, extending from his hind legs. The fox jumped, clamping his jaw down where the ball was meant to be. The ball bounced off of his nose, to be caught by Tarwyn before it could be lost. He tossed the ball back to Karasym.

"Let's try again, shall we?" Karasym asked

I nodded.

The ball was tossed in an almost identical arch. The fox prepared again, then jumped as the ball came down, catching it in his mouth before he landed on the floor.

"Very good. You can make your fylgja complete a somewhat complicated task. Would you like to try something more difficult?"

"What would it be?"

"Entering your fylgja's eyes."

"Sure."

"It may be one of the hardest things to do with a fylgja, so if you don't get it right away, don't worry a great deal."

"I'll try."

"Very well. I recommend meditating. As I said before, you may not feel the connection. In order to enter your fylgja's eyes, you must find the connection. Once it's found, it'll be hard to not feel it again."

I sat down to meditate. "How do I find it?"

"You look for it, with your eyes closed. You'll begin to hear from their ears as well as your own, smell what they smell, feel the same gust twice. That's how you'll know. All you do then is reach, and open your eyes."

"I see."

I closed my eyes and focused, searching for a link. Eventually, as she said, I received the sounds of the rustling of leaves, from a second place. I smelt the flowery, yet not overpowering scent of Inowyn, closer than I knew I was. I even felt the caressing of a back I didn't have, like a phantom sensation. Suddenly I knew where the fox was, like I could see it in the pitch black. I reached out with my mind; with my intent. When I opened my eyes, I saw Inowyn's calves, right at my height, I looked up to see her kneeling down to me. I was small.

I turned around to look at myself, sitting on the floor, my eyes glowing the light blue and white, starry glow.

"Woah."

"Pretty amazing right?" Inowyns voice spoke from above.

I walked in a short circle. "Yeah." Despite not being a quadreped, it was like I had the muscle memory for it.

"Now, this is more tiring than just having your fylgja out, so you wouldn't want to overdo it," Karasym explained. "You've done well. Feel free to leave your fylgja."

"How do I do that?"

"Simply let go."

Just as I thought to return, suddenly my eyes blinked, and I was staring from my height, sitting down. My fox was still staring at me.

"I've never done anything like that in my life."

"Soon enough, it'll become rather normal."

I noticed I did grow just a little more tired, as if I did a minor exercise.

"That will end our time for today. I take it you have plenty left to do, as do I."

"Thank you, Karasym."

"May Preyanor guide you to the fertile soil."

"What?"

Inowyn snuck right by my ear, whispering, "It's a saying. Don't take it too literally."

"Alright, you too," I said to Karasym.

She walked away, as if floating on air, an effect most likely granted by her long robe-like clothes blocking her feet. That or she actually was floating. At this point, anything was possible.

"Ready to stride?" Tarwyn asked.

"Sure."