blood of the mind

A MAGE NAMED KANDEI

In recent years the names, Artemis and Amret, have grown exponentially in popularity in the virgin forest. They're origins came from the virgin goddess that was worshiped in the area before the 'library of prayer' confirmed she was just an exceptionally powerful nymph, but recently the war deacon of Mira has been visited by shvients who confirmed that she had been elevated to godhood. This caused the two names popularity to soar, but not every mother followed this trend, which is why when Io, wife of jerrick the gutless prematurely birthed two bastard twins (she claimed they were of shvients but jerrick in a fit of rage slaughtered the woman), they were anointed with the unpopular names: Jack and Kandei, not Artemis and Amret.

"were leaving!" I holler nobody answers.

"we'll never come back" my brother shouts he is man 20 years of age, with damp sickly hair, lanky legs and the starting's of a moustache.

"your bluffing" a gruff voice calls out "five minutes an you'll come runnin back ye premature bastards." The voice belongs to Jerrick, a huge man, with a temper shorter that Kitakosh's famous third leg. For years this testosterone-fuelled-monstrosity had been confined to his mighty throne, after his conquest of the trees was ended when he contracted bokingun.

"keep counting" I reply as we cross the doorstep and sprint into the woods for mile.

"can we stop?" jack complains, as his body twists painfully, multiple out-of-place bones around his solar plexus causes his spine to twist when running long distances.

Knowing this I replied "yeah we'd better find a river"

"I hear" he speaks after a particularly painful spin "one" he points to the left.

We slow to a walk and soon we reach a stream. As jack kneels down and fills are skins, I stare into the water and look at my reflection. Under my plaited hair, my bagged eyes and dried lips stand out against my pale and gaunt face, which was rimmed with sweat-spots. My proportions were not perfectly seductive, but I didn't care, I'm happy with how I am. My features were covered by a leather jerkin and knee-length skirt. I wore hide boots and topped it off with a woollen cloak. All of a sudden, an idea came to me. I removed my skirt and jerkin and stood with the forest wind buffeting my naked body for a few seconds, I found this extremely calming as the cold wind numbed my pain and focused my thoughts. I then took my cloak and folded a third of it over, I then rapped it around my body and tied my belt around my waist. I then tied the cloaks corners together to make a chiton. There, I was cleansed of the past.

"You girls a-a-l-l-ways fussing over fashion" my brother taunted jokingly.

"o-o-op I think Jerrs sexism rubbed off on you" I joke.

"fjandinn that old cot" he jests "I'd rather f*** a turtle than be like him"

We laugh together and then.

"Σ" it's god-speak.

I scream as a crack appears next to jack, a clawed hand with 9 fingers reaches through. It grabs jack and tugs him through "jack!" I scream.

"Kandei!" he shrieks.

"Σ" the portal closes with the sound of jacks cracking spine.

For a while I weep mourning my brother but then I stiffen, he may be gone but I can still go on, "I will not fail him" I mutter "I WILL NOT FAIL MYSELF" I scream to the havens. I'll care for no-one, I decided, I'll preserve him through me. "I'LL FIND YOU NINE-FINGER AND WHEN I DO EVEN SHVIENS WILL CRINGE IN TERROR AT THE ATROCITIES I PREFORM ON YOU!!" I swear an oath to the sky. I am a-new I am new.

.