The Rift in the Domain- The Auranos Stories Book 2

Chapter 14 - Many Eras Ago

The three of us made incredibly fast time as we crossed the mountains. The skies sailed by overhead as if we were inside a painted ball- flashing through night and day several times before we'd ever notice. The world was ours for the exploring... the possibilities were endless back then.

We wanted to help people. It was within our power- those worthless town skirmishes we'd heard about didn't need to go on any longer. So we planned to fly through the skies all the way to Courier, a town near the southernmost edge of the mountain range. Courier was an information hub- any news worth hearing would eventually find its way to Courier. It was one of the biggest city-states in the world back then.

Eventually, the birds we were possessing grew tired. It wouldn't have been too much of a concern, because we were controlling them, but they'd never flown so far in so little time. So we let them go and found others, stopping in the town of Mallow Creek for the night.

I looked around as we walked into town, having left our talismans just outside the first house. Mallow Creek was a fifty-person village at most. It was the kind of town where the only thing that ever changed was the seasons. Something about the place made me feel like our adventure had come to a grinding halt. It was small and quaint, with neat little houses and simple cobbled streets. Little planters' boxes lined the houses, with little blue and yellow flowers waving slowly in the wind.

"This place is pathetic," Cavern said under his breath.

"I'm not deaf, kid," someone laughed. "And it is not pathetic here."

A bronze spirit with glowing eyes the color of lime sorbet appeared just ahead of us, shimmering cheerily.

"So who might you be?" he asked, smiling.

And that was how we met Jemano, an eclectic spirit with a childish sense of humor. We followed him through the town to the very center, where a tall oak tree shaded the roads nearby.

"It's not much, but it's Mallow Creek," he said, gesturing around. Then he grinned to himself. "Haha, actually, that could be the town motto."

"How often do you fight with other towns?" Relako asked.

"Fight with other towns?" Jemano paused. He shrugged. "Rarely, I'd say. I think... part of that might my fault." He shrugged again, winking at us.

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"Well, other spirits generally avoid me," Jemano laughed, giving us a winning smile. "Let's just leave it at that."

And I would have left it at that, but Cavern had a different theory. "You're extremely powerful," he said suddenly. "You're stronger than spirit I've ever met, anyway." (I thought of Mossy, who could probably eat Jemano for breakfast, but I kept my mouth shut.) "Is that why?"

"Well," Jemano scratched the back of his head, suddenly less energetic. "Sort of. I mean, yeah. I'm a little intimidating, I guess. I didn't really ask to be, but I guess that's life. There aren't a lot of towns that pick fights with us nowadays."

"What are you doing lazing around a town like this when you could be helping people?"Cavern asked.

"Ah, Cavern? Maybe we should just keep moving, huh? We've wasted enough time as it is," I told him. Relako gave Jemano an apologetic glance. Jemano just shrugged.

"Carry on, kids," he said, smiling. "Ahkra is right. Your adventure awaits."

"Thanks, Jemano," I said, glaring at Cavern. "We'll see you again sometime."

Cavern stalked off, avatar vanishing in a flash of red.

"Fantastic," Jemano laughed, snapping his fingers cheerfully. "I look forward to it."

"And... sorry about-"

"Don't worry about it," he shrugged, with that same smile. It looked almost fake now. "I've heard worse."

He waved us off as our birds vanished into the sky.