Born in the Flame

Chapter 32

    "Elwin, tell me about my brother." Reeyar said. We sat together in the meadow. It had taken weeks of practice to be able to interact with this world, but now I could. Sitting cross-legged in the meadow next to the dead god, I picked the flowers with him.

    "Hm... he's quiet, smart, caring..." I started, "He has bright red hair, green eyes, freckles..."

    "What is his god form?" He asked.

    "A panther. When I saw it, he was sandy colored." I said, "He's the god of the forests."

    "The opposite of me, I guess." He held onto a light blue wildflower, twirling it by the stem as he observed it.

    "What is your god form?"

    "An elk. My antlers were covered in greenery that matched the season of the year. It gave me the title of god of life." He sighed, "How did you meet him?"

    I hesitated about telling him outright about everything. The subject of us killing his mother was something I did not want to tell him for fear of startling him. Yet, I did not want to lie about it or put off telling him. Cathyr was also his mother.

    "What if I told you that the dawn elves were trying to attack Droca again?"

    "I'd hope you and my brother stopped it without hurting the dawn elves. I know that can't be helped, but at least not hurt them as much as possible." He said softly, his eyes looked at me for a moment. They were the same jade green that Uzlos had, but they were far sadder. Reeyar's body didn't seem as ghastly anymore, but the clothes still had rips in them where I recalled his wounds were.

    "What if I told you Cathyr was the one wanting it to happen?" I asked.

    "Where are you going with this?" His look became very serious.

    "I'm asking because it is happening. That is how your brother and I met." I replied.

    "Why does he need your help?" He asked, tone full of suspicion.

    "He wants to kill Cathyr and the person who has been gathering dark mages, Oakwell." I told him.

    "Wait..." he looked to the ground, panicking, "Did you say Oakwell?"

    I nodded.

    "My last name is Oakwell. Why is this... Oakwell gathering dark mages?" His breath was shaky, but his eyes were entirely focused on me.

    "He wants to... free a hestamenn... Ninn." I said quietly.

    "Kill them." He said, a fury illuminated in his eyes. "Kill them both."

    I still didn't explain exactly why Uzlos needed me, but it didn't matter. He no longer cared. The flower he had in his hand, now lay discarded in his lap; destroyed by the hold he held on it.

    "Would you like me to leave you to your thoughts?" I asked gently. He nodded. I didn't blame him, I just dropped a lot on him. Hopefully, the next time I meditated he wouldn't be in this state; but I knew he was sometimes like this. If he wanted to be alone, you knew he did by the quiet sadness he held.

    I let my gift guide me back to consciousness. Slowly, but surely, I was once again sitting in my room. Moonlight cast over the room and shimmered over the mosaic on the floor. It had been a few hours since I had been with Chither and seen his prophecy be marked on him. When I meditated, I told Reeyar about it. He too had witnessed it in horror when he was alive, just like I had.

    Reeyar had become somewhat of a friend to me since I had been here. It was nice talking to someone that had something in common with me. Being dead, being resurrected, and having to endure the reawakening were all things we had in common and talked about. His experience wasn't the same, but was the only person who understood the complexity of it. Reeyar understood that words couldn't describe the feeling of death or being reborn. I appreciated having him there to talk to, it felt like I was truly healing from the experience.