The First Day

Lillian and Araval stand in their home's foyer; the Leighys' scuttling quietens, as does the hastened footsteps of Meetlemire. The hall is long and exquisite, with marble walls, flooring, and a grand staircase that spirals to the second floor at the far end. A colourful gold and red ornate rug covers the length of the foyer with small gold tassels that splay off at the ends.

"Let us talk in the reading room, dear." Lillian worryingly asks Araval.

"Of course, my love. Lead the way." Araval replies, extending his arm to his side and inviting Lillian to go first.

They walk into the reading room and close the large, heavy wooden doors behind them. A bay window covers most of the wall and shows into the now charred and cratered front garden. The walls are covered in bookcases with books of many varieties and a ceiling that reaches thirty feet high to accommodate them all. A fireplace crackles on the far wall where two chairs and two small tables sit. Although large, the room is cosy and naturally makes one feel at ease and relaxed. Lillian takes a handkerchief from a pocket inside her robes and begins to clean the cut above Araval's eye.

"We must swiftly decide what happens next; time isn't on our side." Lillian firmly tells Araval.

"Easier said than done; this is an unprecedented event, and to think our boy Lalrin has somehow gotten involved in this." Araval worryingly replies. "A more apt question in the current situation would be, why did you change your mind and want him alive?"

Lillian sighs as she stops cleaning Araval's wound. She looks into the distance, thinking deeply. "Our son trusts him enough that he was willing to oppose us. But to allow that boy with power like that to roam free, then we'd be just as guilty for the murders he would cause as he would be for committing them. But the main reason is curiosity. He is an enigma, a true one-of-a-kind mage. Even observing him could provide us with valuable information." 

Araval looks outside toward the destroyed garden.

"So we guide him? Train him to use the powers he has? You heard me earlier when I said it was unholy magic that circulates his soul?!" Araval raises his voice before taking a breath, trying to remain calm.

Lillian turns toward araval and holds his hands.

"This could be the first day of something momentous in our lives. Questions flood my mind that circulate around him, and I know you have many questions, too. I ask you to trust me that I have the best in mind for our family." Lillian looks into Araval's eyes deeply.

Araval stares briefly but then sighs in defeat.

"Okay, I trust you, and I trust you will have my back if the time requires me to make a tough decision in the future." Araval sternly voices.

"Of course. We will take it one step at a time," Lillian earnestly responds.

"Then let's check on them and see the full extent of the situation." Araval kisses Lillian on the forehead as they hug. Araval opens the door for Lillian as she takes the lead.

Lillian and Araval walk through the mansion; the halls go on endlessly, with artistic paintings, statues and books in glass cabinets down the corridors. They eventually reach a door, tall like all the others and open it. Inside, Garrick and Kyra each lay in a bed with hundreds of Leighys running about, working in tandem, cleaning and sewing wounds and replacing bandages. They grab little specks of glitter from under their helmets and rub them on the wounds, accelerating healing growth. Meetle notices his parents walk in and rushes over to them.

"Why wouldn't you listen to me?!" Meetle shouts at them.

"You would do best to remember your place. Your 'friend' was the one that attacked us, almost killed us all!" Lillian angrily snaps back.

"Regardless of whether your friend intended to harm us, it happened. You are smart, Lalrin, so don't insult us by pretending our reactions were not completely rational." Araval adds.

Meetle looks down, not knowing how to respond.

Lillian kneels down and hugs Meetle.

"You say he saved your life, and if true, then it is no surprise you are willing to defend him so vigorously, even if it means going against your parents. I trust your judgement, so let's go for a walk, and you can tell me the story. Araval will stay here and make sure the Leighys help your friends." Lillian speaks with warmth and kindness to Meetle as she guides him from the room, shutting the door behind them.

Araval walks up to Garrick and Kyra, who lie five feet apart. They are barely visible through the fuzzy mass of Leighys because of the sheer amount of work that they are doing on them. A Leighys wearing a miner hat walks up to Araval, making a lot of hand gestures and visibly irate.

"What do you mean you can't fully heal him? You've never failed before." Araval confusedly asks.

The Leighys gets more irate as he stomps his feet, pointing towards Garrick. Araval moves over and looks at Garrick's arms; the scars of where his bones snapped through the skin remain, as well as the scars of previous encounters since becoming Runecarved. A Leighys sprinkles some dust on the scars, and as it soaks in, no change occurs—the Leighys stomp in frustration as they make more hand gestures.

"20% of his body has scars you cannot heal? Odd, but scars are simply remnants of battle; it's no concern if they can't be removed." Araval tells the Leighys'. "Your payment will be delivered as the norm."

The miner Leighys makes more body movements.

"Two days of sleep, I understand." Araval nods as all the Leighys' scuttle into the walls, leaving Kyra and Garrick healed of their wounds but weak and needing to recover.

Araval stares at Garrick with contempt as he remembers the guttural noises right before summoning the purple sphere.

"What was that language?" Araval thinks to himself.

End chapter