The Prodigies: The Return of Equinox

Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Longest Homecoming

Garvhoz had been silent the whole way back towards the frontier town that they had picked up Riah from. Noromac couldn't quite get over Riah's death and the words the Quillian had said about it.

"It didn't care that she hurt us and that she died."

"People expire often." replied Alegna.

"But this was near senseless."

"No, it was to become stronger to reach the conclusion of their mission."

"The suffering we went through, me and Garvhoz, that was senseless."

"Maybe not," croaked Core. "I know of the story from the elders in my home. He might have ample reason to inflict plenty of pain and death to reach his goal. He didn't die fast, and was then made to experience death again and again. How would you feel about others' pain at that point?"

Noromac didn't speak much after that.

They eventually reached the frontier town. Before long they were confronted by the apparent father of Riah. He was upset and aggressive. He demanded to see his daughter. Garvhoz stepped in front of him and broke the news.

"She was killed by some roaming thieves. We couldn't save her."

The father was devastated. Lies were told and courtesies were said. Condolences and apologies were exchanged. Empty words. Garvhoz talked with the dwarf that worked at the inn and was made clear of many things. Noromac offered to help in any chores that Riah may have missed. They ended up staying the night there again.

They left before the sun rose.

"Do gods feel regret?" asked Noromac.

"I don't know," answered Garvhoz.

"If a god can get angry, I'm sure they can feel regret." said Core

"But was Vera angry when she cursed Quil?" asked Garvhoz

"I don't know."

"I know Gorund would have been, to curse someone like that. He must have." said Garvhoz

"Maybe, but we do not know for certain." croaked Core.

To Garvhoz, the minutes in every hour lasted an eternity, but the days and nights passed without any notice. He was lost in his realization that maybe, just maybe, Gorund wasn't the idol Garvhoz thought he was. That maybe he was an angry, spiteful, scary being, whose motives and beliefs just so happened to align with what was needed.

Noromac couldn't get over Riah. She was pretty, funny, and good company. The days seemed just a tad brighter with her around. Yet, now, the days hadn't seemed to return to their previous radiance, but rather a duller shine. A level of brightness had been extinguished in Noromac's eyes. He couldn't help but want to right the wrong, but he didn't know how. He was powerless. In all the areas that mattered to him at the moment anyways.

"Do you still wish to die?" Noromac pointed his question to Alegna.

"Maybe not as much as before, but yes. Why?"

"How do you keep living? What drives you?"

"The cumulative primal instinct to survive by any means necessary that I stole from the beasts that I consumed over my life."

"What about the people?"

"They are beasts. I meant both animals and people, but the two names are the same thing. I don't recognize enough differences to name them separately in colloquial speech." Noromac would have been offended any other day or time, but was now just curious.

"What do you mean?"

"The both of you hate your own profuse. Each rear their young. Either of you can learn skills to enhance the quality of your own existence. Both end up contributing nothing to the world. Every single one of the beasts ends up becoming food for the worms, who then become sustenance for the land to grow greenery from."

"Is it all just a cycle for you then?"

"Name a cycle you know."

"The cycle life."

"How does it go?"

"birth, young age, young adulthood, parenting, old age, death."

"You see, the only difference between what beasts are in and a cycle is that the earth will always win in the end. Beasts come and go as part of the cycle. The earth grows them and eats them infinitely. That is a cycle. Cycles always benefit one party, not more and not less. What you described is no true cycle. Not all people want life or want death. It is only a small sliver of one. The land will be here always."

Noromac found no answers in what Alegna said. Not that Noromac had wanted to die, but he wanted to know how Alegna felt about this ever-present suicide impulse that Alegna claims they have. He guessed that answers would have to wait. How do they survive?

After a long time Garvhoz had finally opened his mouth to speak to the group again.

"What is a Chosen?"

"They are people, or things, that have been chosen by a god to be imbued with special power." Interestingly, Core was the one to respond.

"Are you Chosen?" asked Garvhoz.

"No, but one of my elders is. Zhe can do things with the natural flows of magic that I don't think any other could begin to do."

"How do you know if you are Chosen?"

"If you were a normal person it would be much easier to tell if you were or weren't. Can you do magic?"

"No."

"I can." Noromac piped up. "How can you tell."

"Can you make a shield?"

"Of light?"

"Any kind will do."

"Shield." A flat construct of magic appeared before Noromac's face. "Am I a Chosen?"

"No, just a normal person." Croaked Core

"How do you do that? Magic?" asked Garvhoz

"Well, first you need to think of what you want. You must then say what you want to happen, but you must be very proper about your wording. Then, you must concentrate onto your words. You must concentrate onto everything that the spell is. If you've done it correctly, you will create what you want. Just be careful not to do anything too crazy."

"Ok, I'll give it a shot." Garvhoz had focused for a minute before he spoke again. He then lifted his hand and spoke the words. "Shield."

A small plate of light appeared before Garvhoz's hand. It was barely as big as his palm, and just as thin as a finger nail. Garvhoz had started to sweat not long after the spell activated. "Am I Chosen?"

"No, there is no god that claims you." After those words hit Garvhoz's ears he lost the focus to keep the spell going and grew a little disappointed in himself.

"Are people born Chosen? Or can they become Chosen after work?" asked Garvhoz

"There has been no record of a person becoming a Chosen through their own hard work, but we are Prodigies. You just might be the first."

"Maybe." Garvhoz smiled at the thought. To be Chosen. That was it. That's what he would strive for now. He would still hold Gorund's teachings in his life, but this was his new aim.