Book of The Lightborn: Rise

As promised

"Three suns left. The valley leads further ahead, and I can't see it ending, but..." Kilon paused a moment and extended his hand forward, "the winds, although strong, they're a bit... warmer." He noticed, now aware of every little change in the winds and the fact that they would rise a bit more from the ground. "Maybe there is a way out through this seemingly endless valley. Is it worth the risk, I wonder," he contemplated. "Well, for now, I must return home. I can feel the direction where I'm supposed to go, but it's still vague." Kilon thought as he focused on the light, now feeling a stronger connection. Whether that was because he pushed its limits or his limits, was hard to tell, as both were tested during the fight against what he now called the apex clawbear.

Kilon paid his respects to the beast, offering a small prayer, even for it, which took so much and so dear from him, his wisdom allowing him to know better. Then, much like with the starstag, he wasn't going to waste what was in front of him. He used his spear to cut off the fur, head, and back paws of the clawbear. He made himself a cape, with its front paws covering his chest and the sharp claws intertwining and clutching at each other, acting as clasps. The back paws he cut off, letting the cape fly into the wind, keeping only the nine claws in a skin bag. He washed the blood off by melting snow around him and rinsing against rocks. The skin proved quite tough, and with some added fat on the inside, the claws wouldn't cut through.

Now with his clawbear cape on his shoulders, large head under his left arm, the skin bag held by his left hand and spear in his right hand, Kilon was prepared for his journey back. He looked at his defeated foe and thought, "I could've been there, cold winds blowing over my desecrated body, limbs, and head missing, assimilated by some other predator." These thoughts kept his ego in check. "But at the same time... I'm not." Proudly, deeply, and strongly he stated aloud, pressing the bottom end of his spear against the ground, forcing his way against the winds towards the way he came through. He couldn't use his hands to manipulate the winds and make his way easy. That, however, was fine with him; he learned during his harsh journey that challenges and hardships allowed him to survive, a lesson which he couldn't afford to learn if not for his siblings who died and allowed him to find the answers to his problems.

Many times he would lose his footing in the valley. When he came through the entrance, these winds allowed him, at times, to take his body a bit above the ground, allowing for fluid leaps and easy travel. Faced against these winds, he would struggle to keep himself on the ground and not be blown back deeply into the valley. These winds would also intensify the closer he got to the entrance, which further affirmed that, even using his wind manipulation, if he were to try and enter from the other side, he could quite possibly be blown out where he came from or into a rock and die. The weight he carried and slim, tall body he had only made it so much more difficult. His cunning, however, would come in handy once more. Kilon found out that by pushing hard with his feet into the ground, he could find dirt below the snow. So, he used the light strand to disperse it into his legs and into his feet, then out into smaller strands. Those would act like roots, every time he would plant his feet, he would do so literally. This, in turn, also allowed for him to rest at times.

As the early sun shifted itself to the middle of the sky, Kilon made his way out of the valley. This took far longer than when he got in. But now that he was out, the desolate view of the Shivering Lands stretching once more before him, a blizzard incoming not too far off. His first thoughts were on Alvaraan, although he knew he didn't have a way back to him, he still searched in the general area where he recalled leaving him. The blizzard, however, made it impossible for him to see anything, and he couldn't clear it up without losing the items on the ground. For a moment, he weighed the worth of the items against finding the remains of his brother, but he knew that these items bore more importance as they would serve as proof for his siblings that they can leave the Link. "So far brother, I hope this grave of snow and ice won't freeze your soul and bind it here, for that would make me far too sad," Kilon said softly with a heavy heart as he started to walk back towards the Link.

Since he couldn't tell the precise way to the Link, but had to base his way on a vague feeling through the light strand, Kilon took a slight detour to the west. There, he found a location with plateaus of ice and stone, rising much above his head. On top of them, he could see the vague shape of clawbears. Kilon waited as the blizzard calmed down a bit. He wanted to study their behavior now that he knew he strayed away from the path, to at least make it worthwhile. There were packs of them, five to ten, sleeping on different parts of the plateaus. Most males would keep warmth for one another in less optimal parts of the plateau, while one or two males, surrounded by females, would sleep in the better and more optimal parts, where they had more cover and better views. Once the blizzard stopped, those surrounded by the females would shake the snow off their furs and descend the plateaus in small leaps. Once down, they would put their bellies and bodies onto the ice, letting themselves feel it. Kilon understood that that's how the beast could tell he was there from a distance. Then, the clawbear would start going somewhere, and some of the males from the worse parts would go and mate with the females from the better parts. Sometimes violent clashes erupted between them, and sometimes the females themselves would go to the male spots on the plateau. Kilon took note of this and started concentrating on the light once more, finding his way back north.

Kilon didn't encounter much danger on his way back. There were the usual stormhawks, starstags, horned rabbits, and so on. But never clawbears, he noticed. He thought that perhaps the one who hunted him and his siblings was one of those alpha clawbears which got too far from home or one of the beta males. Perhaps it was still young when it left, tried to fight one of the alphas and got exiled from the pack. The latter sounded more probable, which weighed heavier on his mind since, from what he could see, none of these clawbears were nearly as large or ferocious as the one he fought. In fact, the young ones were perhaps a bit larger than him, while the older ones were just a bit larger than a starstag, if even. His surface thoughts were that the clawbear had a steady supply of food, which is why it grew so large and strong, but deep inside, he knew that it was because it ate his siblings that the clawbear grew as it did. He could tell that he and his siblings were different from other beings the day he left the light, the creator telling them as much, but he didn't know that they could make other creatures different just by existing. It was as much terrifying as it was exciting. The possibilities to create monsters that could end their race because of the powerful life they possessed, and the possibilities to create grander, more powerful, and wiser creatures with the right guidance, were all things he considered.

That being said, he was finally back. The light of the Link, strong as always, stretched beyond the sky to the stars. A sight he couldn't be happier to see. Yet, sorrow stung at his heart, knowing that this might be the last time he would see his home. For now though, he was excited to see his siblings. He no longer was scared of the possibility of the clawbears attacking them, as he ruled the beast as an exception. He still had some anxiety in his heart, but as he stepped within the light, the countless sparks of light circling the large light made his heart skip a beat, a mix of shock and relief crossing his body.

His siblings didn't notice him yet; many were praying, while others were, curiously enough, putting their hands inside the Link and pulling them out. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what to say, his hands trying to find the proper way to greet them. As he stood there at a loss for words or what to do, Manna noticed him, and he noticed her. She was starting to tear up with light and sparks, and, to his surprise, so did he.

"Brother!" Manna cried while running towards him, and her brothers and sisters soon followed suit. "Kilon!" "He returned!" "There he is!" and many others were the calls of his siblings. Some were cheering, while others were hugging each other before flocking to him. Manna was the first to jump and hug him. She was tearing up but so joyful and didn't want to let go of him, making her brothers and sisters jealous of the attention she was stealing for herself. After Kilon let go of his belongings, hugged his sister, he opened up his arms while Manna still hugged him. No one could contain themselves, dozens of Lightborn were piling on top of him, and he didn't resist. He simply closed his eyes and said softly and gently while tearing up, "As promised, I have returned."