When we fell from Earth

The Ones Before Us (Not Finished)

Belimerando stood in his backyard and felt stupid for the very first time since these kids had arrived here. What the hell was he thinking, training them? He had no idea how to do that! He can train a warrior, yes, but training those who would become the rulers of his world felt like a greater responsibility than he had ever had to carry. Belimerando isn't the type to shy away from a challenge, no, but he was about to have them use the method his mother used with him to tap into his powers and connect with it. According to his research, this method was, hypothetically, generic to all the magic of Arotheman, but did he try it before with anyone, no.

He showed them the flower and sword trick he showed to Youssef earlier that day and asked them to form a circle. But they were still looking at Belimerando, amazed by the rose and sword, which ironically was the first thing anyone in Arotheman learn to do: Recreate their family crest. Belimerando's family crest reflected love and war. His father always said that, long ago, Love and War had some kind of a romantic relationship. They were so much in love, that their powers threatened to destroy the universe, and so they were broken a apart. But, one cannot win love without fighting a war for it. No matter how easy or hard the war was, it was still a war for love. Ironically, however, love can be the end of all wars.

Belimerando, as a child, thought this an amazing symbolism.

Now, he stood in the middle of the circle formed by the future rulers of Arotheman and clapped his hand to get their attention. "All of you close your eyes and dig deep into yourselves. You have the power inside of you, and I know that by now you probably have an inkling to what your power might be. Shadows and Darkness, Fire and Ice, Water and Light, Lightning and Creation, Earth and Wind. The powers are roiling inside of you, waiting to be unleashed. So let it. Close your eyes and—"

"Won't we need an anchor to this world? If we got lost in our powers?" Zeina asked. "I have been reading and sometimes people get lost in their powers they cannot come back. So they need something to link them to this world."

"That's just some shit doctors say so they get more money when you dive into your powers. However, you can use a song. My mother did that for me, she sang me a lullaby." And he regretted saying that, because they all looked at him in a way that he knew meant they wanted to know more.

"Okay, I am all against toxic masculinity, I really am." Belimerando said, "But I am not singing this lullaby here. Nor am I saying anything more about my—"

And before the poor man can finish his sentence, the ten children broke into a chorus of sing, sing, sing!

"Fine." He growled, just wanting this to get over with so they can start training. "Close your eyes and focus on my voice."

They all did so.

"There once was a world so magical," Belimerando started singing, closing his eyes himself, recalling his mother's warm voice as she held him close and sang her lullaby for him. "it had rulers so powerful."

They smiled as they listened.

"Kind and peaceful they all were. So let me tell you..." Belimerando didn't hear them fall yet, so that meant they were still conscious and here. They needed to lose themselves in the power.

"Hearthia can talk to fire, so humble and gentle she burned like a pyre. Menderan only spoke the truth, no matter how much they hurt the youth. Andrian was merciful and kind, but when one acted, he wasn't blind..."

"Okay, no." Mohammed said, "Beliermando, with all due respect, this is not going to let us tap into anything but boredom."

Belimerando folded his hands over his chest and growled, "Really? Then tell me, Ashraf, what is the song that would anchor you here?"