Magis: Feythors

Chapter 1: Moon sword

The flame-red sunset hid shyly behind the proud, majestic Granite-peak mountains. The quiet, unannounced full moon rose toward the east. Daenuros region sat between them, respecting the Eye of the Sky and the night equally. Tansy was up a tree, watching them. She always felt a serene beauty, yet somber quietness at this time of day. Twilight, where the sun, nor the moon was the master of the sky, but both shared responsibility equally. Everyone else was at the Monolith, northward, surrounded by circle-stones watching the solstice, but she was here, watching the sunset, soon the winter solstice would come, and have its turn being the majority of the day. Valus was at the bottom of the tree, but he wasn't watching the sunset. He was looking at her.

"You gonna come down?" Valus asked.

"Nope!" She replied.

"Your father would like you to eat with the village, your not a druid you know, and even they are at the feast" Valus answered.

She sighted, sliding down the tree, and nodding respectfully at the oak who'd allowed her sitting on it, she lightly half-skipped half-printed away. Valus kept pace with her easily. Although it was somewhat cheating due to the fact that he could run faster, and Void-walking only sped up the moving process, and even then he was still faster, before even materializing back, he'd moved on. Very few of his Order could boast the same prowess. she stopped, composing herself, and stepped into the clearing.

"So you finally decided to show up then, Daughter?" Chief Wills inquired, already knowing the answer.

"I might have" She replied, grinning, and breaking into laughter. Valus smiled, then a stab of sadness reached his heart. he shook it away angrily, he removed his hood.

"Today is the longest day of the year, but we treat the Sun and moon equally. They give us light, separates us from the the Elder ones who lost their light and were imprisoned within the Void!" Mathias said. The Other druids said something in a language Tansy didn't understand.

"but tonight, we celebrate a new member of the Druids, one who shall train within the natural world!" Mathias continued.

Tansy felt obliged to move forward, everyone knew about this, she'd been made to spread the news of her decision. Mathias Smiled at her. She smiled back, hoping the gesture wasn't mutilated by her nerves. It wasn't. The people of the village came forward one by one and left gifts at her feet. A rowan wood staff, A bow made of Yew, and 24 birch shafted arrows lay in the wolf-fur quiver. She felt obliged to mutter a thank you to the wolf and the trees for letting their hunters and woodcutters shape them into things for her. Her father came forward, and produced a bracelet crafting out of a rare kind of wood called Ironwood, which is as strong as its namesake and rarer than gold. The bracelet also had a forest emerald set into it. Mathias produced a talisman similar to his own, and the other Druids produced a Iron wood-leaf sheath for her dagger, another lay the Leaf robes, tailored for her size perfectly. She smiled slightly. Unseen was another Item lay in the small pile. She noticed it, and picked it up. a sword. within utilitarian leather. when was this placed? She unsheathed it and gasped at the iridescent beauty of the silver blade. she looked at the fine craftsmen-ship of the weapon. Within its pommel lay a moonstone. They only fell to the south-west, at a place called the Elnswore isles. the Void tales originated from Elnswore too. And Valus was a Void-walker... She knew who gave it to her. When she looked, he was nowhere to be seen. She shrugged, sheathing the weapon, and replacing it. She bowed lowly, and rose. A gesture of Thanks and respect to those who had gave things to her. Mathias smiled, nodding approval...

Valus Slipped away after she saw distracted and he'd layn the moon sword down. He needed... he didn't know what he needed, he supposed he needed to be alone. To mourn for those he'd lost, or the souls of things who'd never found their way.He sat in a small clearing. Alone. So no-one could see the tears streaking down his face. He'd forgotten what the mutual affection of a family was, he'd never realized he needed it since he was eight. But since it was gone... He angrily tore away from that train of thought. Valus heard Tansy calling distantly. He Evensced, fading into his surroundings.

"Valus?" She asked entering the clearing. She frowned, she was sure she heard him here. making some kind of sound, it was to faint before to hear what it was. Suddenly she came across an arrow. and another one, and another. A trail. She followed it...

After five minutes of walking she found Valus, in the middle of a circle, runes were drawn in smaller circles that intersected the circumference of the larger ones, a hexagon connected the sigil-cirlces. In the middle of it she found Valus, sitting by himself.

"Don't step on the circle lines whatever you do" He half-mumbled through closed eyes. Strangely, his eyes were open, staring, without blinking. She felt a presence touch her shoulder, and spring into Valus' body, Valus blinked and stood.

"I felt your presence, and I was sure I saw it too" She said "Well, I saw something move toward your body, disappear into it, and you then blink and stand up"

Valus frowned, furrowing his brow, deep in thought. How could she have seen the Manifestation of an Astral projection? it was his Essence moving through the Astrya-Void, taking on appearance of this world "How could you have seen it?" He asked himself quietly

"I have a theory" Mathias said, stepping out of the forest, making Tansy jump in surprise, Valus, however, didn't react.

"State" Valus said, his intention clear, grammatically, it wasn't amazing but Valus couldn't be bothered to say anything else.

"The Moonstone manifested your essence, and she, As I recall, directly was intertwined her destiny with your own, your paths crossing, her taking the shard began it all"

"There's an issue with that though, only tenebrous moonstone can do that, not regular moonstone, and even then its the First essence it comes into contact with, And My master gave it to me when they found it."

"But it was, wasn't it? Well partly anyway, It was a twilit moonstone, Both a regular and tenebrous moonstone, which is why she could sense your presence, and her eyes gave rise to the concept of your Essence moving, but was unable to truly see it clearly" Mathias grinned triumphantly, before coughing, and attempting to regain control of his face, but the corners of his mouth definatly twitched upward. Valus simply raised an eyebrow.