Book of The Lightborn: Rise

Hopes Shattered

"Resources, seemingly unlimited. Creatures, also apparently unlimited, due to their reproductive methods, noticed back in the Shivering Lands. Living matter, land, water, air... the lights inside of me, none appear to lack or diminish. Well, in the case of the lights, I would say that is a bit different, at least for those I have and my siblings do. If we are to talk of the Link, then our source of power is also unlimited, which funnels an infinite amount of energy through our lights... hmm, what a conundrum. However, what is not, is Kilon, Manna, Eraanel, Felemous, Salvete, me and the others. One may look at me and say that due to my actions, us, this limited resource that cannot be reproduced, has been diminished. That is not true," Orvus spoke to himself, deep inside the forest, resting on an ancient log next to a large pool of water, which he named as a lake, the skyscraping trees surrounding it. His eyes and body were glowing with a light outside of his control. Whether that was because of how many lights he possessed or due to his intense use in order to traverse much of the forest in such a short time, was unknown to him.

He clenched at his left side, the wound around his ribcage area, yet to heal, the venom ate his skin as fast as it regenerated. "Where was I," he resumed the talk with himself once he soothed his pain. 'Right. It is not true that I diminished us, the Lightborn. Contrary, I would say. I preserve them. My brothers and sisters are tormenting me with their lights, but the fact that they do, means that they're still alive, inside of me, through me. I'm not a murderer. Yes, I caused the deaths of hundreds, but! With this new revelation, I can help the other thousands. I can help them all... salvation through sacrifice.'.

His thoughts were final, standing on top of the log, beside him, he glanced at the body of a venomous angolin. Long, thick, black claws, overlapping scales protecting most of its body areas, a long, thick tail with curved needles at the bottom, strong, muscular limbs, pointy ears and a long mouth with a white black dotted nose at the end. While it was only half in length the height of Orvus, it surprised even him with its spectacular agility and strength. The venom which managed to afflict Orvus, was made of organisms that fed on energy such that of the sun, or in this case, that of his light, fueling their process of creating toxic matter which dissolved anything besides said organisms. To remove it, Orvus would have to cut off the affected area, which he was preparing to do, sharpening his knife made of a clawbear's claw against a rock in front of him.

He first cut the above area, the most painful, 'I must save them,' then the ones at each side. 'Free them from the confines of pain and despair,' then the last, bottom portion, 'see for myself that they're all safe... safe inside of me.'. Behind him, what he named shadow lurkers, were in dozens, hidden behind trees, submitted to his will through strands of light attached to their souls. If he strained one such strand a little, unbearable pain would follow. Thus, those bipedal, black furred, giant apex predators of the Gargantuan Forest, obeyed his simple commands.

"It took me a while," Orvus was talking aloud, the shadow lurkers seemed disturbed by his voice, their large, open ears able to sense the slightest shift in reverberance around them, his voice haunting to them. "But I managed to make these obscene creatures obedient to me," he looked in front to his left, "even though it took me a few tries," the bodies of a dozen shadow lurkers lay dead in a pile where he looked. "Now go, find my siblings, bring them back to me... let me save them," with pulsating energy, Orvus sent signals through his strands of light. This wouldn't allow for actual control over the creatures, but would remind them what to look for, light that is, while also assuring them that if they didn't obey, pain or even death would ensue. They spread amongst the trees, acting almost coordinated, which wasn't in the nature of these solitary hunters. They went north-west, from where he ran off and where his siblings were following a similar path.

3 days ago

"Has Manna recovered?" Felemous wanted to know from Eraanel, stretching his limbs, the dawn of day cracking the sky alive with light. Eraanel kept his eye closed for the late sun, the strain of using his ability over the course of the early sun, costly.