Lydia listened quietly as Calen explained his alternative to directly recharging the tree. When he was finished, she rubbed her chin thoughtfully.
"It sounds like a decent idea - I assu you were thinking about using the chapel to host the altar?"
Calen nodded.
"We’re missining sothing that could serve as fuel for the fla. The original temples used so kind of oil, but I doubt it’s a regular liquid."
The Elder smiled.
"I’m fairly certain that the thing you’re looking for is holy oil - it’s very easy to produce, as long as you have a source of divine energy."
"Do you have it then?"
"Sure, quite a lot. It has a myriad of uses, but we mostly add it to fertilizer - once you’re done with the altar I’ll bring you as much of it as you’ll need."
Having resolved the issue of fuel, Calen changed the topic:
"Did you co up with a reason to call the grand council?"
Lydia’s expression darkened.
"No, I’ll have to do the stupid thing."
Calen observed her face.
"Should I be worried?"
"Nah, if everything goes right, no one will get hurt." She sighed. "It’s just sothing I didn’t want to do."
Calen attempted to steer the conversation in another direction:
"Do you have any stone working tools?"
"We should have sothing yeah, did you agree on who’s going to alter the altar?"
"Isa is going to sketch the runes, and Cass and I are going to chisel them into stone."
Lydia quirked an eyebrow.
"Is there a reason Elira is not included in this activity?"
"She’s busy turning all those herbs you gave into usable dicine, apparently the process takes a while."
Afterwards they discussed the details of the plan - this evening Isara was going to design and sketch the entire thing under the guidance of Alara, whereas tomorrow Cassian and Calen were going to etch said designs into stone.
Since they didn’t technically have training today, Calen wanted to help Elira with the herbs. There were parts she could do without his aid, but the most essential processes needed heat - and therefore him.
While in theory he could leave behind a tiny bit of fla for her to use, it wasn’t the best solution - she had no way of controlling the intensity of the fire, or stopping it, should the fla break the containnt.
Before he could leave, Lydia stopped him.
"Make sure you’re ready in two days, we only have on shot at this."
***
Calen felt like he made a mistake.
"How long is this going to take again?"
Elira responded without taking her eyes off the silvery powder she was grinding.
"Around four hours - it has to be kept on low fire for a long period to burn away the impurities without damaging the rest."
"And what are we supposed to do while we wait? I can’t exactly leave."
Elira shrugged.
"We could get to know each other, you know, like real friends."
"...That’s a good idea, actually."
Controlling such a small fla took very little concentration, so Calen could comfortably talk while making sure it doesn’t go out of control.
"Question for a question?" Elira suggested.
"Sure, you can go first."
She thought for a bit before asking:
"How did you and Isara et? I asked her many tis, but she always gets cagey when it cos to the details."
Calen was hit with a wave of nostalgia when he rembered the event.
"As you probably know, Isa and I are both orphans, we t when I was eight and she was seven..."
***
Calen has ran away from the orphanage... again.
Miss Berk said soone was interested in eting him today, but he didn’t want to get adopted - he was completely fine with his life.
The house of dawn had everything he could ever need: food, clothes, bed to sleep in, and friends to play with.
Why would he give all of that up? For a family? Just the notion seed utterly ridiculous to him.
Miss Berk and whoever ca to et him would start searching for him any mont, but he knew how to hide in the city.
He scratched the bandage covering his left wrist.
’stupid cloth.’
It covered the strange symbol that appeared on his arm on the previous sumr solstice - his seventh birthday. Miss Berk was very insistent on keeping the mark hidden.
He didn’t really understand why, but his caretaker was rarely wrong, so he followed her advice.
After slipping through yet another narrow alley, he ca to a halt - he heard four voices arguing nearby
Calen quietly tip-toed to the place where he heard the shouting, and peered behind the corner.
A girl around his age, maybe a little younger, was surroundeatd by three older boys, who were glaring at her.
"Listen here, you little shit - either you co with us, or you’re gonna regret it" The tallest of the boys threatened.
’I should probably help her...’
Then the girl spoke:
"Oh yeah? And which one of you idiots is gonna make , this one?" She pointed at the short, slightly fat boy.
Calen looked more carefully at the scene, and realised he might have misjudged the situation slightly. The teenager she indicated was holding his bloodied nose, and the left fist of the girl had suspicious red stains.
After a closer look, he also recognised the girl - she was called Isara, and she joined the house of dawn last month. Before that she lived on the streets, and because of that she had a tendency to sneak off.
"Should’ve kept you mouth shut, bitch." The last one, clearly the eldest of the gang said, and took out a long, rusty knife. "I’m gonna cut you up and leave you to die here."
He slashed at the girl, leaving a long cut on her right forearm.
Before Calen could think about what he was doing, he sprinted down the alley, an cracked the attacker in the jaw.
The force of the blow made the boy buckle, and drop the knife.
It also made Calen travel past the trio of teenagers, and land in front of Isara
"Are you alright?" He asked her
Her eyes widened.
"Look out!"
The tall boy, as the only uninjured one, took over as the attacker and lunged at the pair - Calen spinned around, and managed to duck the rusty blade just in ti. Isara and He backed up imdiately, creating considerable distance between them and the teenager.
They were in a stand off - it seems like Calen knocked out the oldest boy, and the short one seemingly run away, so now they had nurical advantage, while their opponent had a weapon.
"Do you have any plan?" Whispered Isara
"Umm... Yes? No? Maybe?"
There was one thing Calen could try - a few months ago when he really wanted to run away, a hole appeared in a nearby wall out of nowhere. Then, two weeks ago he wished to find one of his books, and it flown to him on its own.
He was fairly certain he could do it sothing like that again, but he needed to concentrate.
"Keep him distracted, I need a few seconds."
"How am I supposed to distract him?!" She hissed.
"I don’t know, rile him up or sothing."
She let out a frustrated sigh, but did what he told her.
"Hey asshat, don’t wanna run off like your friend? Or are you even more brain-dead than him?"
The teenager didn’t answer, but his left eye twitched.
"What, you won’t talk? Are you scared of two kids?"
Their opponent looked like he wanted to strangle the sassy girl.
"Damn, you’re stupid AND a coward, how did you even end up in a gang?"
That was it, the boy started running at them, screaming obscenities.
At that mont, a blue light surrounded Calen’s fist, and he punched out.
A glimring shockwave spread through the alley, throwing the teenager against one of the walls.
A sickening crack was heard, and the body of the adolescent gang mber fell lifelessly to the ground.
"Did... Did you kill him?" Isara whispered.
"By the sun, I hope not." Responded Calen in an equally quiet voice.
"He rely broke an arm, don’t be alard."
The voice ca from the roof above them.
On the dirty red roof tiles, a middle aged man stood - he wore rather plain clothes, but his appearance was still very unusual.
His face was symtrical and perfect, his eyes silver, his hair and neatly trimd beard a deep crimson.
He jumped down from the roof, and landed without making any noise.
"Miss Berk, he’s here!" The man announced.
A few seconds later, the familiar figure of the caretaker entered the alley. She was talk and muscular, her eyes were stormy gray, and her brown her was tide in a loose ponytail.
"Cal you’re in a big..." She began, but then she saw wounded Isara, as well as the unconscious teenagers."What happened here? Are you two alright?"
She rushed to fuss over them.
When she confird that their lives weren’t in any danger, she turned to the strange man.
"I’m sorry sir, I hope we didn’t cause you any inconvenience."
The man waved his hand dismissively.
"No bother, it was quite entertaining." His eyes fell on Calen’s right wrist. "Quite fascinating, may I talk to the boy myself?"
"Of course, sir."
Calen followed the stranger’s gaze - at so point of the fight his bandage ca off, and his mark was visible.
The man kneeled to et him at eye level.
"Hello, I wanted to et you for quite so ti. You’re Calen, right?"
When Calen nodded, the stranger extended his hand in greeting.
"Nice to et you, I’m Alarion"
Reviews
All reviews (0)