The Name of Names

𝕆ℕ𝔼

Ismira opened her eyes to complete blackness. Calming, cool, unending. The sun hadn't yet risen over Carvahall, but the moon had sunk low into the horizon already. Nothing moved or breathed that she could hear. She closed her eyes again, letting her magic move out into the open air.

Life buzzed around her that previously had been undetected. She could feel her father and mother in the room over, sleeping. Roran Stronghammer, and Katrina Ismirasdaughter. Both lay undisturbed, not even flinching when her probes gently ran over them. Bugs and small rodents skimpered on the ground outside the house, and beyond them, dozens—hundreds of lives burned like individual flames. The town of Carvahall.

She withdrew back into herself, letting her eyes open slowly. She drew a breath in through her nostrils, letting it back out slowly. Nothing was even awake at this hour. Perhaps an owl or two, but at least no humans. So why was she?

She slid her feet out from under the covers, touching them down on the cold floor.

The wood, which had been hewn from trees outside of carvahall was now polished and smooth from almost twenty years of her feet treading on it, wearing it down until it was like granite. She stood up slowly, walking over to the one window that looked into her room.

Outside, she could hardly see anything. No torches were lit at this hour, and her eyes hadn't quite adjusted to this much darkness. Several minutes passed. Nothing moved outside or in, and Ismira was content to simply watch the darkness.

It was unbroken. And remained so for the entire time she watched.

She turned around, her steps mute as she slipped back into bed and closed her eyes. Darkness embraced her minutes later.

*⃝   *⃝   *⃝

The next time she awoke, it was from the light streaking in. The earlier silence was replaced by the faint noises of her mother working in the kitchen. Dishes scraped against each other, and aromas from breakfast were slipping through the crack under the door.

Flipping back the covers, Ismira stood up. She changed into a simple gown of brown and red, turning to look in the mirror. The mirror was small, and had been a gift for her past birthday. She had just turned nineteen. Ismira tilted her head, watching as her silky copper hair moved with her as one. Using two pins, she pulled it away from her face.

She opened the door, slipping out to the kitchen, which was directly outside her room. Her mother turned, wiping her hands on her apron and giving Ismira a smile.

"Sleep well?"

The mother and daughter were similar in many ways. They both had copper hair and a slight build. But while Katrina's eyes were a smooth brown, Ismira's were sharp and green. Unusual, since her father's were brown as well.

Ismira nodded. "Well. You?"

"Very well."

The day passed by uneventfully. Dinner came around, beginning the bustling of cooking all over again.

"Would you mind checking the bread?" Katrina asked, chopping at an alarming rate some fruit that she had just brought from the market.

Ismira moved over to the small oven, looking in on the browning dough. "It's almost ready."

"Thank you." Katrina moved to the door, stepping outside. An open fire crackled, and a pile of vegetables lay in a pan on top of it. She shuffled them around, hurrying back inside to take a look at the bread herself.

Ismira smiled to herself. Her mother was a very busy woman, always liking to have something to do. The days typically went this way.

While her mother took the vegetables off the stove, and the bread out of the oven, Ismira selected three clean plates from their rack, setting beside them forks and cloth napkins. Her mother brought over the food, and at the same time, her father stepped into the house. Dirt was all over his clothes, and Katrina cried in protest as he swept her into an embrace.

"You. Are. Filthy." She said, pulling away enough to look up at him.

He kissed her once, releasing her. She rolled her eyes, smiling, and finished preparing the food. They all took their seats, and Katrina began serving the food. Ismira ate in silence, listening to her parent's conversation. Her mind was elsewhere, but she noticed when the talking abruptly ceased.

She looked up to find Roran looking at her. "You're awfully quiet." He took a bite of bread, raising an eyebrow.

Ismira smiled, shaking her head. "Mind is wandering."

"Where is it wandering to, may I ask?"

"I'm thinking about visiting Gil'ead tomorrow." Ismira noticed the quick glance her parents exchanged. This was... a sensitive subject. They didn't need to ask why. She'd visited the closer cities already, in search of books about magic. Ismira stabbed a carrot, avoiding her parent's worried looks. She bit on it, chewing slowly. Magic was all she treasured, besides her parents.

"We were having Malen and his family over then. Couldn't you wait?"

Ismira looked at her mother, containing an iritated sigh. "You mean Kilven is coming over."

Her mother paused at her tone. "Yes, Kilven will be there," She said in a sharper tone than before.

"I don't..." Ismira cut herself off, finishing the last few bites of her breakfast. "May I be excused?"

Katrina nodded wordlessly, and Ismira pushed back her chair, setting her dishes in the tub to be washed. Roran had stopped eating, and looked concerned. Ismira left out the front door, heading around to the back of the house.

I don't belong here. She had been here for Carvahall's construction, raised here for her whole life. And yet, it felt like she was out of place.

She leaned against the back of the house, diving within herself to the energy that lay in her mind, ready to access. The feeling of weightlessness enveloped her, drawing away any conscious thought. She could shape it with a word. This was hers.

Ismira heard footsteps coming around the side of the house, and murmured a few words in the ancient language. Slowly, the light covered her, rendering her invisible. Roran appeared around the corner, his eyes searching for his daughter. His only child.

Ismira swallowed past the lump in her throat as Roran turned around, heading back to the front of the house. She did love her parents. But she knew that her magic frightened them. They couldn't hide all of the shared glances. She inhaled through her nose, releasing a breath, and with it the magic that rendered her invisible.

Ismira walked to the back door, slipping inside quietly. She paused as she heard her parents speaking, and bit her lip.

"I don't know what to do, Roran." Katrina spoke quietly.

Silence. Then, "I don't know either." His voice was low enough that Ismira had to strain to hear it. A small knot in her chest formed. Her father always was so strong and sure of himself. To hear him say that he didn't know... It was unsettling to know that she was the target of that statement.

Ismira turned around, leaving the house. She slid down against the coarse wood, feeling splinters prick through her dress. Minutes passed, and she heard the conversation in the house die down. She didn't move, until darkness settled again, complete and unbreaking.

Hey everyone! I just wanted to add a quick explination about these types of chapters! It might be kind of confusing, because you'll see that there are technically two "chapter ones."

This is because there are two POVs that I will be following throughtout this book; Vanya and Ismira! Ismira's chapter headings will be in a different font than Vanya's are, so hopefully it won't be terribly confusing? :/