Elegy of the Leaves

XXII | The Mirrored God

Fire sat hot in Evan's belly. The flames singed his lips as he sucked it in. Of course, any pain he felt was only imagined. Still, he found it hard to believe he was really immune to fire.

He marveled as the orange jewel regrew in his wrist. He'd spent the past week listening to Tahlia's voice in his head instruct him on how to use the jewels. She'd been right—it was intuitive. All he had to do was envision what he wanted. The jewels would emit warmth into his wrist with Ifirit's being warmer than the rest for fire magic. He could think of one of the others while still thinking of fire and feel that jewel grow warmer in his wrist too, but Ifirit's jewel was all he used.

The first few days he spent just imagining things he could create but not unleashing them. Each thing he imagined he would feel the jewels required to make it a reality become warm in his wrist. Tahlia made Evan think of more than just fire. Evan fought against it when the first jewel he felt warm up was hers. He didn't want to use any of the noble jewels knowing he would cause their memory to vanish if he did.

But Tahlia persisted.

'There will be a time you'll need to use them. Ifirit's fire is powerful, but it will not shield you from The Empire's cannons. Nothing but a noble soul can summon that kind of power,' her voice was soft in his mind. 'You need to get familiar with selecting one of the noble jewels—sooner is better.'

"But these people have families... They deserve to be remembered for the life they lead and the sacrifice they made. It's not right that they should be forgotten."

'You're right, Evan, it's not, but we all accept that price knowing our last sacrifice will go towards saving so many more,' she paused, 'If it helps, you will be able to remember them. I would also think that it served as a kindness to their families too, knowing the pain of losing their loved one becomes no more.'

Evan stared at the jewels in his wrist. Ifirit's had completely regenerated, but it was the noble jewels he focused on this time. "There would be a hole in my heart if I were to forget my sister. Perhaps I wouldn't know why, but the sadness would be there still." He balled his fist. "I can only imagine the sadness a mother would feel. So no, it's not a blessing to them. It's not right that someone who gave the ultimate sacrifice must be asked to make an even greater one!" He paused. He could feel Ifirit's fire burning in his heart at the thought, and felt if he lost control, he would do something he would regret. Evan let out a calming sigh. "But you're right, I know you are; I will likely have to ask that sacrifice of them. Such is the cruelty of war."

Both he and Tahlia were silent for a moment. Evan shook his mind from the thought and imagined a large fiery crystal. Ifirit's jewel grew warm in his wrist and began to tickle his palm as he willed the shard into existence. The crystal was the same size as him. Flames licked and dropped from it as it smoldered and crackled in the air before his hand. With a sharp exhale, the shard flew from his hand and in a blink exploded into the dirt cliff on the far side of the field.

Fire and dirt rained down from the cliff edge, and the sound of the explosion echoed through the valley. Evan reached down and pulled a stick from the fire he'd made to train with. He inhaled the flames once more to replenish the jewel before dousing the fire with a pale of water.

"Enough training. People are dying above us, and it won't stop until we end it."

Evan turned and began down the path toward the mother tree. Among the trunk of the tree, a village had been grown from its roots. They wrapped around green jewels that gave a warm and gentle glow. This glow pulsed like a heartbeat, slow, strong, and even. A large trench had been dug near the center of the village that housed a long fire with stone slabs set across it and a spit that spanned its length constructed over it. Every night, Evan enjoyed a communal dinner with the entire village. Both those with pointed ears that had once belonged to The Empire, and humes who'd once served the Arcadian Alliance. He'd learned that those who'd come from The Empire were called elves.