The Legacy

Ciara led Kain down a lit path. On each side of the path was a row of white lotus flowers dipped in illuminating fluids, making them glow with a celestial light. At the end of the path was a giant tree. It in itself looked celestial. There was a couple of fae already standing around the tree, heads bent respectfully. Kain and Ciara joined the group, bending their heads as well, waiting for the rest of the fae to join around the tree.

The fae stood around a dug circle that was at the foot of the giant tree. The fae, who waited around the tree, started to come closer and take a place around the burial circle. The edge of the circle had a frame of white teardrop flowers. White is such a comforting sight to Kain. White means pureness, serenity and innocence. It is the colour of light and all that is good. The lost ones that will be buried here today, will know peace. Kain gave a small smile at the thought of that. The smile faded as soon as it had arrived. Gavin and Breezes won’t be buried here today. She wondered if they would find peace too. In the centre of the circle lay the three heaps, the bodies already buried underneath. All that was left was the ceremony of saying goodbye and mourn those who were lost from the world of the living.

Everyone stood hand in hand around the circle, ring after ring of fae connected by each other’s touch. Everyone was wearing their own unique kind of uniform. Kain stared at the ones standing in the inner circle. Ciara was dressed with a leather weapons belt with pieces of thick leather hanging down like a skirt. Her chest was covered with a thick leather strip with two steel plates worked into the leather to cover her breasts. Her stomach was bare. She wore a steel ringlet around her head with a diamond shape in the ringlet that covered her forehead. Ciara stood with her chest out, looking proud as she stared down at the three heaps. Wison on the other hand wore a white coral like chest piece with thick, dark green seaweed pants and a giant shell-like helmet. His uniform was decorated handsomely with pearls.

A lot of the fae wore uniforms unique to their land and each uniform looked both strange yet fascinating to Kain. She stared down at her own uniform given to her. It was a beautiful full armour set in the form of a dress, the colour of a white pearl, mixed with silver and aqua blue. The tunic she wore underneath the armour was a beautiful aqua blue. She had a cape pinned to the shoulders of her armour the same shade of aqua blue as her tunic. The dress part of the armour was made from aqua blue silk and white silver chains hanging loosely over the silk material. It was surprisingly light for something made of elven steel and dragon fire. Or so she was told. Ciara had told her that the uniforms was specially made for the use of their magical abilities, each with their own colour. The Bleeders had their own special uniforms as well but they were lost among the many destructions in the cities. With the few resources the little sanctuary had, they had managed to build a uniform for Kain. One just as special and unique as the others.

The aqua blue of her uniform originally represented the deity Siqua but since that was all they had from their land, it would have to do, Ciara had told her when she helped Kain get into the beautiful piece. Ciara had explained where each material had originally come from. Steel forged by dragon fire. Silver mined from the Elven mountains. Silk from the Spiders of Amzora. Gems mined in the Arcadian mines, a city that existed only in gems and crystals. Ciara also explained to Kain the different Bleeders and their own special uniforms. The Bloodyin’s with uniforms as white as a pearl and as light as a feather yet as strong as a unicorn horn. Nearly impossible to break. Forged by pure sunlight. The crest of a unicorn horn embedded in the chest plate. The Bloodvain’s with uniforms as red as blood with a fire gem embedded in their chest plate. They say that the steel gets its red colour from the blood of murderers and thieves sentenced to death in the Sorian mountains, mused Ciara in a hushed voice, as if she was a child telling a big secret.

Kain, as Kainun Bloodleaf, represented the most powerful deity of all the seven deities. The deity of magic named Hekatai. The Bloodleaf’s had uniforms forged with gold from Soria. Forged by dragon fire and sealed with the coldest ice in Iridis. They had an eight-pointed star embedded in their chest plates and is said to not only withstand both extreme heats and unendurable colds but also withstand magic cast by other fae. Many of the uniforms are lost now and the few that was recovered had barely anything left.

Kain bowed her head and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before opening them and staring at the three heaps again. The air around them was dark, lightened by hundreds of fairy lights hanging from the trees and blue torches burning around the circle. Everyone’s hands fell to their sides as soon as the low tune of the violins and flutes began to play through the silence. Kain followed suit when everyone fell to one knee and bowed their heads low to the ground. She could feel her heart pounding loudly in her chest. It wasn’t just because it was her friend’s funeral but because the whole ceremony seemed magical all on its own.

The way everyone bowed simultaneously and the way the respect hung in the air sent pinpricks all over her body. It was a true sign of honour. Low drumbeats sounded around them followed by the quiet lull of voices. Kain raised her head, seeing that everyone else had started raising their heads as well. The voices grew louder. It wasn’t the voices of the fae, it was the voices of nature. It was the voices of the seven deities. Kain heard the fae start to sing the song, silently at first, then systematically growing louder. They sang along with the deities, as if they could hear their gods sing. She watched as seven celestial beings stood around the three heaps. Slowly one deity after another turned their heads towards Kain. Hekatai stood in the middle, on the other side of the circle. She raised her hands slowly, reaching out towards Kain. The two deities nearest to Kain raised their hands out to Kain as well. They were waiting for her. They wanted her to go to them. With her heart skipping a beat in her chest, Kain realized that they were inviting her to join them.

Kain didn’t quite understand what was happening. All she knew was that they were calling her, and she was obeying whether she was aware of it or not. She found herself slowly getting to her feet, Wison lifting his head up towards her. His face clouded with the same confusion as those who noticed her as well. Kain wasn’t aware of their bewilderment, as she slowly walked towards the two deities reaching for her. Hesitantly, she first took the hand of the deity whose skin was covered with moss and her hair, long hanging vines covered with leaves and small pink flowers. Then she took the hand of the other deity who had black volcanic rocks as a body with burning red cracks all over him. His hair an eternal flame and his eyes burning with a golden glow.

Once Kain held both deities’ hands, they reached out and locked hands with the other deities who locked hands with Hekatai, completing the circle. Kain instantly felt the rush of power running through her veins and she closed her eyes with a sharp gasp. The deities sang louder as Kain felt their power being focused on her. That’s when Kain realized what was happening and she resisted the urge to fight back. The power build inside of her until it finally burst and leaked into the ground where it was led towards the three heaps.

The heaps began to pulse with a shimmering glow and from it sprouted three green sprout-lings which grew with every pulse until it was three full grown trees, which curled around each other until it stopped growing. In the place of the three heaps stood a giant tree with a curled base and a great beauty to it.

Kain felt her body lose control of itself, her eyes lit up with a warm glow. Then Kain began to speak. Her voice was not her own but that of the seven deities speaking through her as one. “Here lies the bodies of three great soldiers. May their souls rest peacefully rest in the spirit realm of Luana. What is dead shall never die and what goes forward must come back. We will justify that which has been wronged. We protect our own. We protect each other!” the deities said. One by one they bowed their heads and removed themselves from Kain’s body until she was herself again.

She saw the fae around her, standing with their arms proudly crossed over their chests. They didn’t seem to think that what had just happened was strange. Not like Kain expected them to. In unison, they spoke strongly and proudly, “what is dead may never die and what goes forward must come back! So, it shall be for all of eternity!” they said and kneeled down as they bowed their heads. They remained like that, in silence.

The deities one by one let go of each other’s hands and disappeared one after the other, not without giving Kain a quick bow of their heads first. Hekatai was the last to leave. She walked towards Kain, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. They are at rest now. Their souls sent to the spirit world of Luana she said before walking away from Kain and disappearing with each step. All around Kain the fae folk slowly stood up one after the other, staring at Kain with wide, bewildered eyes, before bowing their heads with respect. “The deities have released their souls?” someone from the inner circle asked quietly. Kain stared at their faces then nodded slowly. “They rest peacefully in the spirit world of Luana,” she announced, telling them what Hekatai had told her.

They didn’t seem at odds with what had just happened. “You truly are the chosen Bleeder. The deities haven’t left us after all,” a fae said, laying a gentle hand on Kain’s shoulder before walking past her. Kain smiled gently, she didn’t know what to say. The deities might not have left them, but they weren’t doing anything to help them either.

She stared back up at the tree before walking away from it. She moved past the celebrating fae and walked back towards her tent. The fairy lights disappeared, leaving her in complete darkness as she walked through the quiet night. She felt both light and heavy at the same time. Light because it was an experience never experienced before and heavy because there are still a lot that lays ahead on her road. There was a lot of responsibility that suddenly lay on her shoulders and she wasn’t entirely sure that she was ready to take it all on yet.

She’s not entirely sure she wanted it, but the more she argued about it in her mind the more she realized that the option to bail, wasn’t on the table. Kain didn’t have a choice. The decision was made for her and she wasn’t allowed to turn away. Kain sighed, her life had become difficult, and she didn’t know when it had suddenly turned out that way. Once she would have thought, ‘oh how exciting! You do belong somewhere!’ but it wasn’t that simple now. She hadn’t expected that the cost of belonging would be so complicated and come with so many sacrifices that was written in fine print.

Kain cocked her head to the side, while she walked through the field at her own pace. Would she ask for a refund if she could? She wondered. She lifted her eyes up towards her tent. The answer to her thoughts would have to be answered another day. For now, she just wanted solitary.

She had reached the tent and closed the flap back up behind her. Kain began to take the armour of, but the tears took over instead. She had lost so much already and yet she still seems to lose more along the way. She wouldn’t admit it out loud, but she was scared and unsure. Kain pretends to be strong and brave in front of the others when in truth she is broken inside. She fell to her knees and buried her face in her hands. How does someone deal with so much pain and still survive? Everything had been bright before. EVERYTHING! Of course, she felt like an outcast, but everything used to be easy. Then she lost Breezes. After that she lost Gavin and even Sophia. Not to mention the fae who had sacrificed their lives to safe her.

Kain jumped at the sudden warmth on her shoulders and was surprised to see that it was Wison. He had followed her back to the tents. It was too late to hide her tears now, and when Wison pulled her into his chest she couldn’t help but break down further and let it all out. Wison folded his arms tightly around her, pressing her head hard to his chest and slightly swaying her back and forth. He quietly shushed her as she cried into his chest. Kain was grateful for Wison’s supportive friendship. He had lost Breezes too after all. And those fae who had been killed? They might as well have been his friends.

Kain liked the way he was stroking her hair which was comforting and soon she felt herself calm down and start to fade away. The sound of his breath and his heart beating steadily, lulling her into a strange calmness. He stayed for a while and they talked quietly about good old memories. At first Kain was wary of the idea since it would only be a raw subject but as they talked, she realized that it was sort of a healing process. It wasn’t well into the night, before Wison said good night.

A map of the Academy and the woods around it lay spread out on a table in front of them. Kain and Wison stood side by side, neither mentioning anything about the previous night, which Kain was very thankful for. They listened to a pale fae with long white hair and a deep voice, talk about strategy points. They tried to figure out how to stop the Academy from hunting anymore fae, completely. Kain stared at the map, remembering the old man Abbadon had conversed with.

They shouldn’t just be planning out how to stop Abbadon, they should be planning out how to stop Zorzia’s influence on the Academy as well. “Kain?” she heard Ciara call. Kain turned her head slowly toward Ciara who stood beside her, her face covered with worry, “we want to know what you think about Alocius’s point?” she inquired. Kain turned her head towards the pale fae standing in front of her, his eyes looking questioningly back at her. Kain shook her head slightly, “I’m sorry, I wasn’t listening. I was thinking about Zorzia Bloodyang,” Kain apologized, feeling a little embarrassed. If any plan was to work, then she should give it all her attention. She’s distracted and that’s the worst thing any good fighter should be. It is dysfunctional.

Wison frowned, “Zorzia? Why would you be thinking of her?” he asked confused. Kain straightened, looking at each face around the table, “I believe she has something to do with this,” Kain declared pointing at the map, insinuating the problem. Another lion-like fae gave an abrupt snort, “Zorzia Bloodyang has been out of the picture for decades. If I’m not mistaken most has declared her dead, along with all the other Bleeders!” he growled in response, his accent deep.

Kain felt her face redden, “no!” she said a little too loudly. They were so willing to believe Zorzia was dead. Kain couldn’t believe that they would be so foolish. Somehow, she had to make them understand their mistake. The fae turned towards her with wide eyes, questioning her denial. “She is pretty much alive and she’s part of whatever is going on at the Academy,” Kain argued. Slowly each face melted into the same expression.

“What drives your accusation?” Ciara asked, the growl in her accent heard clearly in the silent room. Kain stared at her, wondering if she should say more. They still had to know the truth. She rubbed her hands over her face, then decided. “Because,” she said taking a deep breath, “I saw her. She disguises herself as a cocky old man but Zorzia Bloodyang still breathes. She was the reason for me being part of the Academy in the first place. Unknowingly of course. Turns out it was planned all along. My adoption, my life was being kept a secret and I was given a lie to grow up with. All because Abbadon was keeping me caged up and fed for the nasty witch,” Kain explained. She placed her palms on the table, leaning forward on them, “it was all planned from the moment Abbadon found me in the orphanage. Every little detail was planned,” she repeated.

Wison leaned forward on the table beside her. “How so?” Alocius asked, his eyes squinting at Kain. Kain sat down on the chair behind her with a heavy sigh. “Because she has been waiting for me to remember all these years. The day the circle was attacked, my mother cast an enchantment on my memories, making me forget everything about the fae world and my destiny. My future as well as my duty in the circle and my magic was hidden from me as well. I forgot everything except for half of my name! Now that I’m older the enchantment began to break away. Thanks to Wison, we were able to remove the enchantment completely. It was Zorzia’s plan all along to wait until I have full power then she would take me back to the fae land in order to kill me. To syphon out my magic which is the last of the deities’ powers,” Kain explained.

“We can’t let her do that!” Ciara protested, “she’ll kill us for sure!” Kain nodded distantly.

They stared at her with gaping mouths and wide eyes. “So, it is true then? Zorzia is back?” Ciara said in a whisper. Kain nodded stiffly, “I am not the last Bleeder after all,” Kain added quietly.

“No,” Wison interrupted her words, “Zorzia has been disregarded as a Bleeder ever since she wiped out the circle. She isn’t counted as one of the circles anymore. She is known as an unseelie!” he proclaimed with a fierce distaste. Kain frowned, “an unseelie?” she asked confused.

Alocius nodded, “of course, why did I not think of that. An unseelie is the term we use for dark fae. Evil fae. The demon fae,” he said distantly. “Demon fae? As in those things that are attacking both human and fae?” Kain asked, her eyebrows raised with surprise.

Alocius nodded once more, “those ‘things’ you refer to, used to be Seelie, fae in other words. They are either kidnapped or converted into the unseelie which completely removes their humanity and common sense!” Alocius explained angrily. He spat to the side with disgust. “All that is left behind is the murderous being which lives of off the blood of those that once used to be their own,” Ciara added with a deep growl.

“Unfortunately, once you turn unseelie there is no way of turning them back. The only way to save what is left of them is to put them out of their misery!” the lion fae beside Ciara growled. “Don’t forget that these are our people you talk about, son of Greylark!” Alocius exclaimed, his expression flat and his lips pressed together.

“They were our people! Now they are nothing more than abominations!” the lion-fae growled loudly, his roaring voice making the table vibrate slightly. Alocius slammed his fists on the table and turned towards the lion-fae, looking as if he was about to hit him. “Alocius! Burbor! This is not the right time! We are all on the same side here!” Wison warned loudly. Both Alocius and Burbor murmured apologies before turning back towards the table.

“So, what does our last Bleeder suggest we do about this whole heap of a mess?” Burbor growled lowly, casting Alocius a murderous glare. Kain breathed heavily. She wasn’t prepared to start leading a group of fae. At the Academy it was different. There she knew what she was doing. Here? She had no idea. What she did know is that she wanted to stop Zorzia from causing more havoc in her life. “We should come up with a plan to infiltrate the Academy and find out more about what it is they have planned and how exactly. Zorzia has them in her claws. While we’re at it we need to figure out exactly why the fae are being attacked by the unseelie demons and what they are doing with the livers they take from the bodies!” Kain suggested, her eyes focused on the map as the thoughts turned inside her head.

“Very well, where do we begin?” Ciara asked straightening up, her whole exterior saying that she was more than ready for action. “At the beginning,” Kain said, as she pulled the map closer to her.