Fragmentum

Chapter One - Shi Maer, Ish Krana Der

Even then I knew I would remember that day – the day when my life was destroyed forever. Rebellion that had never gotten a real name kept then the last gathering that I was a part of. Every member was present: me, my brother Mizar, my sister Saba, my mother Nicis and her best friend, void-goddess Kylara.

"Our time will soon be up", Kylara brought up the thought that was surely plaguing all our thoughts. "In a bit over a hundred years, they will come."
I glanced at Saba. The girl had seen the looming danger with her own eyes. According to her, we were not going to survive. Not when no one else wouldn't even want to accept the ever-approaching doom. But we had to try.

"So, what do you suggest we do?" Saba asked. Her previously wide grin was replaced by a thinner and weaker, false smile. Her previously colorful and frilly dresses had turned into more discreet dresses that clung to her skin. Only the purple color had stayed, even that paler and more often the same hue.

"Nicis", Kylara sighed. "You had an idea."
I turn to look at my mother along with everybody else. For the wife of the leader of the shadows, she was but a shell of a real shadow. But she had won my father's heart with her devious plans and magic – which was typical for the purple shadows like her and Saba – so there was nothing we could do about it. Many who had tried to do something, had quickly realized this as they met their death – more often in my hands than not.

"Yes. I may or may not have found a way to send a shadow to the human world. Permanently."
I stared at the woman sitting few paces from me and heard a few surprised gasps.
"How?" Mizar questioned inquisitively. My little brother was the middle one in our group of siblings, and the most devoted follower of our father. Father, who did not want to accept the danger we tried to stop.

"It's a simple spell, really", Nicis smiled shortly. "We will create a human vessel and transfer one of you into it. So, who wants to go?"
The question was too sudden, and there was a moment of silence.
"No way am I stepping into one of those things!" Saba almost shrieked just before Mizar started shaking his head. My mother turned to me together with the other three. For the first time in a long time, I started to wonder why I was so willing to do anything for anyone. Why did I accept every whim and demand of the others so easily?

"Fine", I answered then. "How bad can it be?"
Extremely bad, I later found out. If I had back then known what a simple, harmless decision could do to me, I would've said no for the first time in my life.

~*~

I sit in an empty room. There is a table, but otherwise it is completely empty.The floor must be cold, but I can not feel it. Even though my form is that of a human's, my essence is still different. Like other shadows, I have no sense that would let me feel the cold. Sometimes I wished I could feel these things I had read about. And soon I would sense them. As soon as Nicis would arrive..."A human", I mumble to myself. Of course, I have been to the human world a few times, but to stay there... I guess that's what it means to transfer into a human body.

"Are you ready, Shedir?"
I glance at my mother who appears in the room and stand up. I do not answer for she does not look like she's paying me any more attention than what it had required to say those words. I silence a little, complaining voice inside my head. Over the years it had grown stronger. Complaining, clinging to little things it tried to get me to hate and detest.

Nicis keeps disappearing and appearing, always bringing even weirder things with her.This area of magic was definitely not my area of expertise, but I still could be pretty sure that the bones of a human baby and apple seeds did not belong to the same potion. While I did not say anything, I started thinking whether I could still decline. But it was not in my nature to say no. Everybody knew meas the helpful guy who would do anything if only asked. That little voice in my head said that this was strong. That I should not help others so much. But how else could I live?