Book of The Lightborn: Rise

Siblings Fight

"Did you get her?" Manna asked her brother, a small frown on her face.

"I did. She's a handful I must say," Eraanel responded looking up. His eyes bear a gentle look.

"Have you confirmed what she said?" Manna asked her brother, knowing what Salvete saw.

"I did. Every tree, at least those near us, are filled with these small critters." Eraanel assessed "I also used my eye to look at them," his answer alluding to some hidden truth.

"Your eye? Doesn't it work as it did previously?" Manna's intrigue rising.

"Before, I could use my body to notice the 'motion' of life within critters. This, in turn, allowed me to predict their movements and understand what kind of life they live." Eraanel started to explain "But, after my eye was taken, I had more energy at my disposal to distribute. I also acknowledged that our strength is nowhere sufficient to survive, the monster leaving deep scars within me." he continued, grasping at his chest, as if something is missing from within.

Manna deepened her frown, still convinced that it was partly her fault for what happened. "So, what have you come up with, brother?"

"I can now see their entire being." Eraanel's statement carried more meaning than even he could imagine "I can see their construction, composition, everything. If I focus most of my light into the eye, I can reveal aspects which one doesn't know about themselves. For instance," he pointed at a tree "I'm able to see everything inside that tree. Every single one of those woodants and their simple construction.".

Manna could see the potential in his eye. If used wisely, Erannel's ability may prove crucial in this environment. "How long are you able to keep your eye active?" she asked curious and to assess her brother's capability.

"If I use my eye to simply notice the 'motion' of life. I can do so constantly without much strain on my eye. But if I am to use the full power of the eye, in optimal conditions, only for brief periods of time." Erannel answered "That, however, doesn't mean I won't be able to reuse it. I can stop the flow of light within my eye to a minimum and recover from the strain with a bit of time. If necessary, I can completely shut off the flow of light and let myself be blind, thus the strain is reduced much faster.".

"Impressive brother," Manna praised him. "We might need your ability as we travel into the Gargantuan Forest, since the critters in here seem to have adapted with the trees. Using them as nests and such." she told him as she placed her hand on his shoulder. Eraanel saw a look of relief for a moment on her face.

"What worries me though, sister, is what Salvete said about the trees." Eraanel told her worried. "These trees don't match what Orvus told us about them. Like the living matter, they should've possessed life within. Yet they don't. And I trust Orvus to be capable in his assessments.".

"Orvus wasn't anywhere near the trees during his visit. Maybe if he stood around some more, he would've found out about the dangers of the passage." Manna's resentment was still present in her voice.

"That is not a wise thing to say. If he died to the monster while returning, we wouldn't have known anything about this place." Eraanel tried to rationalise with his sister.

"And maybe that would've been better." Manna told him, realising with large open eyes what she just said.

As Manna and Eraanel talked, the other Lightborn settled in circles. Some were praying, some were practising their elemental manipulation or individual skills. In one of these circles, Felemous concentrated on his light, trying to reproduce a lightning. Orvus approached him, seeing as he struggled.