A Fury of Fire & Ice

A Fury
of Fire & Ice

Sarah Massey

Massey Books
Aberdeen, NC

~1~

Chapter 1

May thirteenth; A day looked back on in agony by one, and
forever glanced over as a normal day by all the rest.

~
Running down the hillside, two elven boys were laughing and chasing each
other in a game of tag. The smaller, orange-headed, boy tripped. Abroxus was
very lanky which made him a bit clumsy. Abroxus was sent tumbling down the
hill past Fireball, his best friend. Fireball chased after the rolling boy and
flinched at the pain of his friend. Abroxus slid to a stop, his face stuck in the dirt.
When Fireball finally caught up to Abroxus, he knelt down and tried to comfort
his now crying friend.
“Ouch! That had to hurt. Hey, are you okay, Abroxus?” The crying elf sat up
and let out a wail of pain as a steady stream of tears fell down his face. “Ow, ow,
ow, ow!” he clutched his nose and continued to bawl. Fireball gave a sort of
chuckle that quickly became giddy laughter. Abroxus, still crying, scowled at his
oh-so-happy friend.
“Hey, look, it's Ellie,” Fireball gestured towards the gleeful little elf girl
skipping their way yelling, “Bubbi, Bubbi!”
Abroxus, not wanting anyone else to see him crying, immediately stood up
and wiped away his tears along with whatever dirt he had gathered on the way
down. Of course, Fireball wasn't all too pleased with the suddenty of Abroxus
being crisp and clean again after having to endure his screams.
Abroxus picked up the little girl with a “Hey, baby girl.” Elizabeth was four
years younger than Abroxus and Fireball, and she adored her big brother

~2~

Abroxus.
She gave Abroxus a big hug and said, “Takey's here! Takey's here!”
Ellie was four years old, but she was pretty smart. Her strong personality

made her stand out. Normally, elf women either became rouges or stay at home
mothers. Ellie didn't want to be either of those. She had a wild soul and wasn't
afraid to show it. She loved to play adventurer, and she definitely had the
potential to become a real one. Never once did she say she wanted a real job,
or to be the elder, or to be anything ordinary. She was destined to carve her
own path.

Fireball looked over to Abroxus with eyes widened, “Did she just say what I
think she said?” Abroxus looked back to meet Fireball's stare. “Sounds like it to
me.” The two boys went quiet, if only for a moment. Abroxus gently put his little
sister down and told her to go home and tell their mom. Ellie gave a nod and
went skipping back the way she came. The entire world seemed to go still. With
an excited yell from Fireball and Abroxus they began sprinting towards the main
gate. They were grinning and laughing as they raced each other to town.
However, Abroxus's grin quickly faded as they neared the corner.

“H-Hey, Fireball.”
“Yeah?” Fireball looked over, still smiling.
“Do you think that Takeshi's gonna be mad?”
Takeshi was a traveling archaeologist that made his money by teaching
combatives. Abroxus and Fireball were students of Takeshi when he was in
town. Takeshi expected a lot out of the boys and could be very intimidating.
However, it was Takeshi's don't-tell-me-what-to-do personality that kept getting
him into trouble.
Fireball began to slow down to a jog alongside Abroxus. “What do you
mean? Why would he be mad?” The corner was practically upon them. Around
that corner was the main entrance to the town, and that's where he'd be.
“Well, you know how he told us to practice at least three times a week? In
the four months he's been gone, we've only practiced twice.”
The reality struck Fireball almost immediately, but it was too late. Abroxus
and Fireball rounded the corner and came face to face with a tall human man
with long white hair brushing the back of his knees. The elven boys shivered as

~3~

they peered behind his hair into the ocean blue eyes beneath. He was carrying a
longbow—probably made of elm—at his side. Fireball took a small step back,
leaned over to Abroxus, and whispered, “Run.” They both turned and attempted
to run, but were caught by their collars by the human.

“C'mon, I just got here! Don't go running away from me yet, I haven't even
said hello.”

He dropped the two of them right in front of him and smiled. Abroxus
began to cower and tears welled in his eyes, but Fireball just stood there
gawking in fear. The tall man stood there smiling, probably waiting for a hello,
for about a minute. Finally, Fireball shook his head and swallowed all of his fear.

“Hello, Takeshi,” Fireball spit out.
Abroxus, followed his lead. “H-Hello, Takeshi.”
“Hey guys, I know it's been a while, but no need to be so formal. Anyway,
I'll give you your presents in a second,” they relaxed for a moment, “But I need
you two to tell me something, and be honest... How many times did you two
practice?” Every muscle in their body became taut. Why did he have to ask that
question? Abroxus began cowering again and Fireball gave Takeshi a series of
“ums,” and “uhs.” But cowering wasn't all that Abroxus was doing. He was
thinking. Thinking of a way to get out of this situation. Only one answer seemed
to be the right one, but Fireball probably wouldn't like it.
“Twice.”
Fireball's head whipped over to look at Abroxus. He couldn't believe
Abroxus said that. Quickly, his head was turned, once more staring at Takeshi.
They could no longer see his eyes behind his hair and he was standing with
deadly stillness. They heard what might have been a sigh of disappointment.
Takeshi's hands were hovering over Abroxus and Fireball's heads. Fireball
flinched, expecting some sort of smack. He gave the two elves a gentle pat on
their heads as he walked pass them. He turned his head and said, “Well, it can't
be helped, I guess,” he smiled, “Just meet me at the training ground in ten.”
Abroxus took note of a few details. One: he was most definitely tired. Two:
everyone smiled and said hello to him as he passed. It always seemed normal,
but Abroxus knew it wasn't like this in every elven town or village.
Silver Wood was a special place. A long time ago, elves despised humans.

~4~

They believed that humans were inferior in every possible way, and should be
treated that way. Most elves still believed that. It was rare to find an elf and a
human walking side by side or even looking at each other. Silver Wood was like
that at one point, too. It used to be a village that taught elves to use a bow and
arrow, and every year a competition would be held to see who was the best out
of the middle aged or old. Elves from around the world came to compete, but
one day a human showed up. His name was Kiest. He walked inside the village's
borders and every creature within the area knew he was there. There was some
sort of presence to him, and they all knew it. However, they were arrogant and
allowed him to join the competition, just so they could prove which race was
better. Kiest beat every elf in the village without even trying. The elves were
ashamed, but weren't given the time to recover as they were attacked by a
neighboring barbaric tribe of Bone Elves. The only reason Silver Wood came out
on top was because Kiest helped them. Since that day, humans have been great
friends of Silver Wood.

“Oh no,” Fireball grimaced.
“What?”
“I have to get my dad's bow from Mom.”
“Oh,” there was a pause. Fireball's mother was too paranoid to let Fireball
do anything on his own, so he had to sneak in and out pretty often. His father,
on the other hand, knew that Fireball needed to experience life in order to
learn; that's just who he was. Fireball's father, the local priest, was lenient when
it came to archery and adventuring. “Well, good luck,” said Abroxus as Fireball
began his swift jog home.

~
Abroxus went home to get his father's bow for practice. When Abroxus
opened the door, his mother turned around. She was holding a freshly baked
pie, probably apple. She gave him a smile and said she heard about Takeshi
being in town. She then asked if Abroxus could bring him a slice of the pie. Of
course, Abroxus said he would, but first he needed his father's bow. “Do you
know where father's bow is? Takeshi will skin me alive if I don't have it for
practice today.”
“It's in his closet,” she replied with such a sweet and caring tone. To

~5~

Abroxus, she was the best person in the world. Abroxus hopped up the stairs
and flew into his parents' room. Just like she had said, it was in the closet. When
he came back down, his mother was holding a woven basket with the pie inside.
She gave him a kiss on his head and sent him off. “Oh wait,” she called for
Abroxus as he was leaving, “Have you seen Ellie?” After Abroxus explained that
he last saw her with Amma, their grandmother, while he was running home, he
was off again, trying not to trip.

Abroxus was almost at the edge of town when he was jumped. Tristan and
his two lackeys were three years older than Abroxus, who was eight, and they
had a grudge against him for tattling. It wasn't the first time they tried to beat
him up, but normally Fireball was there to help. Tristan punched him in the jaw,
knocking him over and bringing him to tears. The pie spilled everywhere, his
father's bow was sent flying, and Abroxus quickly saw Tristan peering over him.
Tristan's friends soon surrounded Abroxus and Abroxus tried to stop crying.
Tristan, with a sort of sick smile, picked up Abroxus by his hair and asked, “Did
you really think we would let you get away with telling?”

Ten days before their Coming of Age Ceremony, there was an exam of sorts
to test if they were prepared for their journeys as adults. This exam must be
taken by elf boys at age eight and girls have to take two exams, depending on
what they wish to do or be, when they're eleven. One exam that goes for both
girls and boys, is the Hunting Exam. The Hunting Exam tests one's abilities to
survive in the wilderness by themselves. This exam must be taken individually
and without outside help.

Tristan took it upon himself to not only bully others out of taking the exam,
but he also had his two friends, Ukan and Loen, give him outside assistance.
Tristan was banned from taking the exam for three more years because Abroxus
caught him and turned him in.

Abroxus was only five when it happened, but he knew that what Tristan
did was wrong and had to be reported.

Another fist to the face. Abroxus was hit over and over, and could barely
see from his left eye. After Tristan almost had his fill, he dropped Abroxus and
let Ukan and Loen beat him around like a pinball. They were relentless. Abroxus
attempted to throw a couple of punches, but he was never given the

~6~

opportunity. He was bleeding, disoriented, and was afraid he was going to
throw up. He started to wonder if this was how he would die.

~7~

Chapter 2

Fireball was outside peering into his house through the living room
window. No one was inside. Fireball's mother, Ana, was more of a stay at home
mom, so it was rare to see her out of the house. There were only three
explanations. The first was that she was checking on his Coming of Age
preparations, and the second was that she was outside doing laundry. The last
explanation was the scariest, being that she was working on her award winning
azaleas near his bedroom window. Fireball was really hoping she'd be at the
church with his father, but then he heard the backdoor open and close.

She walked over to the kitchen and started washing the dishes.
Unfortunately, if she turned around she could plainly see the living room.
Fireball needed another way in.

If he couldn't go through one of the windows on the bottom floor, then
maybe he could go in through a window on the second floor. There might have
been a ladder somewhere, but that would cause too much of a ruckus. There
had to be another way. If Abroxus were there, he would have known what to do.
Abroxus was good at sneaking around, but today Fireball was on his own.
Fireball decided a distraction was necessary. He decided he needed to make
some noise.

That was the best plan he could come up with. He needed to find a way to
make a lot of noise to draw her outside. Then, he'd rush in, grab the bow, and
be on his way. The real question was how he'd make the noise. After a minute of
quite searching and pleading, he finally found someone who'd make some noise
for him. His name was Brendan, a teenager who was pretty fond of making a
scene. That was exactly what Fireball needed. It was finally time.

~8~

Bang, crash, boom!
As planned, Fireball's mother came rushing outside. Through the open
front door and up the stairs, Fireball sprinted with all his might. Behind his bed,
that's where he left it. It was gone. Fireball searched around his entire room, but
he couldn't find it. That probably meant that his mom got to it first. The noise
outside had stopped.
He was whispering to himself while briskly pacing around the room, “No,
no, no.” He heard the front door close. He stopped everything, even his
breathing. He allowed himself a breath when he heard the dishes clattering
again. There was a possibility that it was in his parents' bedroom. Fireball had a
new game plan, but it was risky. First, he needed to sneak out of his room,
across the hall, and into his parents' room. From there, he'd have to grab the
bow and crawl out the window and down the wall. It seemed so simple in his
head, but it was time to test it.
As quietly as possible, he tip-toed across the hall. The door to his mom and
dad's room was open, thankfully. He was in the room, now all he needed was
the bow. Fireball checked in the closet, under the bed, behind the dresser, but
he couldn't find it. If he was his mother, where would he put a dangerous
longbow to hide it from her son? It would have to be somewhere he would
never dare to look. He knew where it was, but that didn't make him want to
look anymore than on any other day. It had to be in his mother's underwear
drawer. He nearly gagged thinking about it.
It would be sickening, but he had to do it. Fireball slowly slid the drawer
open, and held his breath. There it was, his father's longbow. He swiftly grabbed
it and shut the drawer. He grimaced.
It was time to crawl out the window. He gently opened it and peered
down. Underneath him were around seven azalea bushes. He could possibly
jump, but he had fallen into azaleas before and it wasn't fun. That wasn't the
only danger of doing that either. His mother simply adored those flowers. She
was known around town for her prize winning azaleas. It was a point of pride for
her. She would be devastated if they got crushed. He hated the thought of
upsetting his mother, but there didn't seem to be many hand holds on the side
of his house, so it was his only option.

~9~

Jumping off the second story of a house was one of the less dangerous
things he had done, but that didn't change the fact that it was dangerous. With
a quick prayer to Ketephys, the elven god of hunting and running, Fireball
jumped.

Fireball landed on the outer edge of the bush intentionally, so that the
plant wouldn't be too damaged. Of course, that wasn't helpful for his landing.
He was covered in scratches from the small branches inside the bush and
bruises from tumbling afterwards. Fireball was pretty used to jumping off of
high platforms, so he knew how to land properly without breaking any bones.
He wasn't, however, prepared for the loud sounds of branches breaking and
himself crashing to the earth.

As soon as he made sure he and the bow were intact, he got up and heard
his mother running through the back door near where he was. If there was one
word used to describe Fireball, it would be “fast.” He quickly made it around the
corner so that he was not seen, but his heart ached as he listened to his mother
cry out in anguish. He would turn himself in after training, but training came
first.

Fireball began running towards the edge of town, where their small
training ground was. He nearly made it there when he saw three boys, Tristan,
Ukan, and Loen beating some kid to a pulp. He couldn't stand watching
someone be helplessly thrashed, especially when it was for no good reason. As
he got closer he heard one of them say the name of the person closest to him.
Had Fireball not heard that name, the three may have gotten away without too
much harm done to them. The moment they said “Abroxus,” Fireball lost all
sense of self control.

Fireball immediately dropped his father's longbow and sprinted like some
sort of wild animal. He threw a tightened fist through Tristan's smirking,
arrogant, horse-like face. He was not willing to give the three thugs any mercy,
not when they beat his best friend. Ukan and Loen turned and froze when they
saw Fireball.

~

~10~

Fireball was almost constantly putting them back into their place. Although
he didn't look like much with his skinny arms, Fireball had to have been one of
the strongest boys in Silver Wood. Tristan was sent flying as soon as Fireball
showed up. Abroxus's hero arrived just in time. With a ferocious, beast-like
glare, Ukan and Loen were tripping over themselves trying to get away.
Moments passed. Tristan was unconscious with a broken nose, twisted arm, and
a big lump on his head. Alongside him was Ukan with a black eye and shoulder
out of socket, and Loen whose teeth were either chipped or in his hand and a
shattered nose that bent to the side. Those two, however, were still conscious.

Fireball knelt down by Abroxus and started checking his injuries. He was
bloody and bruised and was in a lot of pain. Nothing was broken and Fireball
was sure Abroxus would recover swiftly. Surprisingly, Abroxus didn't have tears
streaming down his cheeks. When Fireball mentioned it, Abroxus said, “I
couldn't let them think that I was willing to say I was wrong for turning them in.
Cheating on the Hunting Exam is as bad as swearing and slapping your own
mother.” Fireball gave him a relieved smile. It made him happy to know that he
wasn't broken enough to have him loose his sense of justice. Abroxus was
clumsy and small but he was the most stubborn person Fireball had ever met,
even if he cried a lot.

Fireball sighed, “You know, you really can be a pain in the neck
sometimes,” Abroxus lowered his head in a sort of apologetic manner, “But, that
doesn't really matter. What matters right now is that we get you fixed up and
head over to Takeshi.”

Abroxus lifted his head, “I don't need fixing! I don't wanna keep Takeshi
waiting.”

“That wasn't a suggestion. C'mon, you're going home. Your mom can help
you with that shiner you got on your eye and that pie on the ground over there,”
Fireball stood up and lowered a hand down to Abroxus. He had completely
forgotten about the pie.

They walked briskly back to Abroxus's mother and she patched him up as
well as any cleric would. She then proceeded to grab an extra slice she had from
the pie she made for Ellie and put it into another basket. She sat down in front
of Abroxus and Fireball and said with quite a stern tone, “What happened?”

~11~

Abroxus shrank back in his chair, not wanting to get his mother involved.
Fireball, seeing this, described what he could about the incident. She scrubbed
her face with her hands and mumbled, “I shouldn't be, but I'm glad you got to
them before I did.” The two boys chuckled to themselves. “Anyway, you should
get going or Takeshi just might stop training you two.”

Once reminded about training, Fireball and Abroxus jumped out of their
chairs, nearly knocking them over and began towards the door. Helen, Abroxus's
mother, told them not to drop this pie, so Fireball carried it.

~

Fireball and Abroxus were once again at the edge of town, but this time
they actually made it to the small clearing that they called a training ground.

Leading up to the clearing was a small dirt path and the clearing itself was
just a small gap between the Elm trees. Hanging on two of the trees were two
targets, respectively. Not too far from those targets was Takeshi sitting against
an ancient Elm in his usual spot, “You're late. By twenty minutes, no less. Is
there a reason for that?” Takeshi was normally very patient, but since he just
arrived in town and was waiting for his two knuckleheaded students to show up,
it was understandable that he was a bit irritated. However, his irritation slipped
away when he saw Abroxus covered in bruises. Instead, he furrowed his brow in
an angry manner. He closed his eyes and said in almost a whisper, “Never mind.”
Fireball handed him the basket and said it was a gift from Abroxus's mother.

Takeshi stood up, patted their heads, and told them to get into their
positions twenty yards away from the targets. “I know it's been a while, but I
hope you still remember the basics. Are you ready?” they nodded. “Alright then.
Slack.” Abroxus and Fireball put one arrow into their bows, but kept the bow
slacked at their sides. “Draw.” They drew back their bows, keeping them taut by
their heads. They were steadily aiming at their targets. Takeshi was planning on
leaving them like that for one minute, but after about thirty seconds Abroxus's
arms started shaking. “Slack. Abroxus, why are your arms shaking? If you can't
hold up your bow for at least a minute, you won't be able to come close to
surviving on your own.”

~12~

“I can hold it!” Abroxus stubbornly protested.
“It's too heavy isn't it?” Abroxus's eyes widened for a moment. He was
surprised he guessed it on the first try. Takeshi noticed the surprise and stated
that he figured as much. Abroxus made an ashamed expression. “Hm,” Takeshi
paused, “Okay, try getting through today, at least. Can you do that?”
“Yeah! Like I said, I can hold it as long as I need to.” Yeah, stubborn was
definitely the word for Abroxus, even if he was young.
“Good. Now, draw!” One minute later and Abroxus was shaking, but still
holding on. “Release.” The arrows whizzed through the air and struck the targets
with a thud. Fireball's arrow hit the outside of the third ring on the four ringed
target. Abroxus's, even with his unsteady arms, hit the inner portion of the
second ring.
“Aww man,” Fireball's shoulders slouched, “I lost again.” Fireball dropped
to his knees and began his fifty push-ups. That was a rule that Abroxus and
Fireball came up with as motivation to get better. The loser wasn't the only one
who had to work, though. After hearing the rule his students came up with,
Takeshi made another rule. The rule was that the winner had to do twenty-five
sit-ups, so that they weren't waiting around.
After they were done with their short workout, they did it all again. They
continued this routine until lunch-time, which made that session last around
three and a half hours; extremely short for training with Takeshi. When
questioned about it, all he would say was, “I'm too tired to handle such
energetic kids right now. Tomorrow, it will be longer.”
When the three of them returned to Abroxus's home, they were greeted
by little Ellie who had apple pie smeared all over her face.
“Hello, Mrs. Westfall, Mr. Westfall,” Takeshi extended a friendly hand.
“Please, call me Ziek,” Abroxus's father said as he shook hands with
Takeshi.
“It's good to see you again, Takeshi,” said Helen.
As the three adults talked, Abroxus and Fireball sat at the table, tired and
hungry. Another knock on the door and in came the Hayes, Fireball's parents.
Fireball stiffened when he saw his mother. His shoulders were back, his back
was straight, and his eyes struggled to stay wide open. He didn't forget what he

~13~

did to his mother's flowers and he felt absolutely awful. He could still see some
redness around her eyes from her tears.

They greeted Takeshi and the Westfalls and after some chatting, all of the
adults sat down at the table. Fireball's father, whose name was Isaac, lead the
prayer, and they ate.

~

After they ate, Abroxus, Fireball, Ziek, and Isaac all went fishing together
for their dinner that night. After being begged by Fireball and Abroxus, Takeshi
joined them. Fireball managed to catch the biggest fish out of all of them and he
wouldn't let Abroxus forget, either. Then, Isaac and Ziek taught Takeshi and their
boys how to cook and clean the fish they caught. They were welcomed back by
Helen, Ana, and Ellie.

It was nearing dark so Fireball and his family decided it was time to go
home and cook their fish. Takeshi had his own home there, but he was always
alone. The Westfalls offered him a room at their house, but he refused. Takeshi
thanked them and then remembered his gifts for his students.

For Fireball, he pulled out a pocket knife lined with silver. Ana Hale was not
very excited about that, so Fireball's father carried it home. Fireball seemed a
little disappointed that he still hadn't gotten a bolo tie, but he was still content
with the knife.

For Abroxus, he pulled a box out of his backpack. Abroxus pulled out a
string. Abroxus asked Takeshi what it was and he replied with, “It's a spider's
galdur silk.” Everyone in the room tensed at the word galdur, but only for a
second. The silk wasn't the only item in the box, however. In the box, at the
bottom, there was a bolo tie. Abroxus had previously asked Takeshi to get it, so
that he could give it to Fireball for his birthday in twelve days, so he was very
happy to see that Takeshi hadn't forgotten.

Everything was perfect, and Abroxus could only hope that it would stay
that way.

~14~

Chapter 3

The sun rose once more, as it always had. Abroxus hopped out of bed and
got dressed. It was dawn, so Takeshi was already waiting for them. Abroxus
grabbed his father's longbow, kissed his mother, and ran out the door, forgetting
about breakfast. Once outside, he dashed over to Fireball's house, hoping
Fireball would be ready to leave.

He knocked on their door, but there was no answer.
He tried again.
No answer.
He knocked again, this time yelling Fireball's name.
Still, no answer.
“Fireball! Fireball, we're going to be late!” Abroxus yelled with all his
might. The door creaked open.
“Stop yelling, would ya? It's barely morning, go back to sleep,” Fireball
squinted at Abroxus, still in his night clothes. Abroxus narrowed his eyes and
reminded Fireball about training with Takeshi that morning. Fireball looked as
though he had forgotten to say happy birthday to someone as he said, “That's
today? Okay, gimme two seconds!” He slammed the door in Abroxus's face. The
door opened again almost immediately.
Fireball was still trying to put his shirt on as they ran to the clearing. The
two were surprised to see Takeshi surrounded by seven different piles of wood.
He was sitting where he normally would, but something was definitely different.
“What's all this?” Abroxus asked while poking around the pile of elm
wood.
“Today, you two will be making your own bows,” Takeshi replied flatly.

~15~

Abroxus and Fireball whipped their heads to look at Takeshi. They obviously had
some questions, but didn't want to ask them. “Those bows weren't yours in the
first place. Your fathers had to make them, so now it's your turn to make your
own. Plus,” he paused and glanced at Abroxus, “This is the perfect chance for
Abroxus to make a short bow for himself.”

Takeshi told Fireball and Abroxus that they could only use materials around
the forest, or the materials of their own. He told them that they had two hours
to make the bow they'd be stuck with for life. Although it was an obvious bluff
to scare them into making a good bow, the boys took his every word as gospel.
Most times, what Takeshi said, he meant.

“Two hours?!” Fireball and Abroxus shouted simultaneously in utter
disbelief.

“Yes, that should be enough time for me to take a quick nap. When I wake
up, I expect to see two well made bows.” Takeshi looked up to see Abroxus and
Fireball nervously looking around at the piles and then at each other. Takeshi
closed his eyes and smirked, “Your two hours start now.”

The two elves were frantically running from pile to pile, looking for the
wood they'd use for their bows. Fireball pulled out the pocket knife Takeshi gave
him and stared at the pile of oak wood. Abroxus had forgotten that he needed
to get a knife to whittle down the bow, so he told Fireball he'd be back and ran
for his home.

As Fireball began his first attempt at making a bow, Abroxus ran into his
house and asked where a knife was. He ran out to his father's work shed and
began looking. While searching for a knife, he spotted the galdur silk and
grabbed it. Abroxus's father walked into the shed to find Abroxus frantically
throwing around various tools and supplies. He told Abroxus to calm down and
wait a moment. In that moment, he went over to his desk and brought Abroxus
a pocket knife. Although, because of Abroxus's... clumsy nature, his father
decided to carry the knife to the clearing for Abroxus.

They made it to the clearing and Abroxus grabbed the pocket knife out of
his father's hands.

Abroxus immediately began weighing the different types of wood and
found the lightest and most flexible one. He sat down and began whittling the

~16~

bamboo into a curved shape, but when he looked over, he saw Fireball having
some issues with his bow. From the look of it, Fireball had already tried making
a bow twice while Abroxus was away. Abroxus couldn't help to chuckle at the
struggle of his best friend.

Upon realizing his own choice in materials, Abroxus noted that he chose
the most flexible, durable, and light weight wood out of all of them. He was
proud of his decision, but he didn't have the time to pat himself on the back
with only an hour and a half left to work. So he worked.

Very few words were shared between Fireball and Abroxus due to the
intensity of the assignment, but there were still a couple of comments such as:
“What's your fail count now?”

Abroxus looked over and saw around five failed bows laying around
Fireball. “Uh, two I think?” Abroxus said. Abroxus looked around himself and
made sure that their were only two broken bows around himself. At that
moment, Abroxus remembered the galdur silk he had in his pocket. He laid it
next to him and continued his whittling.

~

The two hours were up and so was Takeshi. He sat up and said with a loud
yawn, “Alright, show me what you've done in the two hours I gave you.”

Fireball proudly held up a longbow made of oak. It was rough to say the
least, but Takeshi looked at it and said that it wasn't too bad. He said that it
would be better if he could manage to draw it back. Fireball tried, but the bow
was not willing to budge.

Takeshi glanced over to Abroxus, it was his turn to present. Abroxus held in
front of Takeshi a beautifully well formed short bow made of bamboo. Even
Fireball was left speechless at his friend's work. Takeshi gave him a stunning
smile, “It's very well made. But appearance won't save you in combat, so I'll tell
you once more.” His eyes narrowed, but his grin stayed put. “Draw.”

Abroxus managed to hold his bow steady for three minutes. He probably
could have gone longer, had Fireball not gotten bored.

Takeshi patted them on their backs and let out a jolly laugh. Abroxus and

~17~

Fireball joined him for a moment, but Abroxus remembered something that
worried him.

“Your Hunting Exam is tomorrow isn't it?” The question was hard for
Abroxus to spit out, since if Fireball were to leave for ten days, Abroxus would
be by himself.

“Hmm? I thought you take the Hunting Exam ten days before you turn
nine?” Takeshi asked, slightly confused. Fireball looked up at his forgetful tutor
who had clearly forgotten his birthday.

“Yeah, that's right. I'm gonna be nine in eleven days.” Fireball puffed out
his chest as if he were the coolest kid around. Takeshi looked at Fireball in
disbelief, then turned his head to Abroxus for some sort of reassurance. Abroxus
nodded and gave an involuntary chuckle as Takeshi began his frantic attempt to
cover up his mistake.

“Well, since that's the case,” Takeshi turned away in a half mumble, half
cough. He then walked over and grabbed a chopped log of elm wood and tossed
it to Fireball. Fireball dropped his bow and caught the small log, fumbling it a
bit. “Then I guess you don't have a lot of time to waste! After you finish making
your bow, I'll help you practice hunting. But this time, try to make the bow a bit
more, you know... Nimble.” Takeshi waved a hand to Abroxus, telling him to do
his workout for a while. While Fireball was receiving advice from Takeshi,
Abroxus managed one hundred push-ups, sit-ups, burpees, and two hundred
jumping-jacks.

~

It was noon and Abroxus was winded from the seemingly never-ending
workout. Fireball had finally finished his elm bow. It was a long, and somewhat
choppy, bow that could flex and slack well enough for Takeshi's standards.
Takeshi was going to practice with Fireball one-on-one for a while, so he sent
Abroxus to the town's study to catch up on the history of the Fae race. Although
Abroxus was the top archer, he was still a little slow when it came to history.

Abroxus went home first, so he could wash up a little before he went into a
clean, and public, study. Drenched in sweat, Abroxus trotted up the stairs and

~18~

into his dresser for some clean clothes. He quickly changed and went outside.
When he opened the door, Ellie was walking home with his Amma and Afi,
grandma and grandpa, hand-in-hand. “Hello, my little carrot,” Amma greeted
Abroxus with a heartwarming smile.

“Now, now, Alena,” Abroxus's grandfather warned his lovely old wife, “He's
not so little anymore. Soon enough he'll be nine years old.” He gave a wink to
Abroxus that just spelled out “Your welcome.” Abroxus chuckled at this and gave
his Amma and Afi a hug. He patted his sister on the head, but she didn't like
being left out of hugs.

“I have to go study now, but I'm sure Mom wants to see you.”
“Yes, yes. You go fill that big brain of yours, don't let us stop you,” it was
Amma's turn to pat Abroxus's head.
Abroxus shook a hand through his hair to put it back in it's messy place.
“I'll see you later Amma,” he tripped remembering the others, “Oh, a-and Afi
and Ellie, too!” Abroxus called back with a giant and genuine smile. He loved his
family, and he loved his town.
Abroxus opened the grand doors into the expansive array of books and
scrolls. He had been there hundreds of times, but the vast amount of knowledge
contained in each document never ceased to overwhelm him. He walked
between the many bookshelves to try and find the librarian somewhere in the
mess of books. “Mr. Librarian? It's Abroxus, I'm here for another history book,”
Abroxus called out and heard his own echo. The study was a strange place. On
the outside it looked like an average two story building, but the inside seemed
like it was an empty castle.
“Oh, hello there, Abroxus,” there was a slight unsteadiness to the old and
nasally voice. Abroxus peeked around the corner of a shelf, expecting to see the
librarian. He wasn't there. “I'm over here,” echoed the voice. Abroxus followed
where he heard the voice at its strongest. He rounded a corner for the fifth time
and saw a tall and wobbly ladder swaying from one wheeled leg to the other.
To Abroxus's surprise, the librarian, also know as Study or Mr. S, was on
the very top of the ladder with at least ten books in his arms. Abroxus
immediately grabbed the ladder to steady it a bit.
Mr. S gracefully slid down the long ladder with amazing nimbleness.

~19~

However, he was unaware of Abroxus underneath him as he landed.
Squish.
“Hm, I don't remember my books being so squishy.”
There was a mumble.
“Abroxus, I'm over here, my boy!” he yelled out into the study.
Another mumble. Then a poke.
Mr. S looked down to see a boy underneath him. He gasped and hopped

up, peering over Abroxus. Abroxus gulped at the dusty air, trying to catch his
breath. He put a hand over his nose, “Ow-ow-ow-ow.”

Mr. S offered Abroxus a friendly, and apologetic, hand. “Are you okay? I
didn't think anyone could find me that quickly in this mess. Props to you, sir.”

Abroxus let out a chuckle of relief and pain. He was crying, but he wiped
away the tears fairly quickly. “A-Anyway,” Abroxus stood up and swept off some
dust, “I need a new history book to read.”

Mr. S adjusted his spectacles, “You've finished the other two?”
He nodded.
“I'm impressed. But have you learned anything through the reading?”
“Well, sure. I learned that Elves and Fairies- Uh, I mean Finen- are
descendants from the Fae race, although purebred Faes don't exist anymore.
Elves are more direct descendants, but the Finen are a little further off,” Abroxus
said as he helped pick up some of the books Mr. S dropped.
Mr. S raised his head. Even though he was much older than Abroxus, he
was smaller. Mr. S seemed surprised. He was astounded by Abroxus's capability
to read and take in all of the information from a hundred year old scroll. The
writing style from that time was much more sophisticated than the way they
wrote at the current day. “I see.”
“But, Mr. S, is it really true that humans killed each other just to prove
which of their deities was better?”
“Yes, that's right.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean?” Mr. S gave Abroxus a quizzical look.
Abroxus returned the look, however, a sadder expression appeared shortly
after. “Why would anyone kill another just to prove a point? They're still

~20~

people.” Abroxus walked over to a table and set down the giant pile of books he
had collected. Mr. S followed him and smiled.

Very few elves at the time considered humans as “people,” even the elves
in Silver Wood rarely referred to them as such. That was what Mr. S thought,
and why he smiled. It truly touched him that a child from his town would be the
one to go against the social injustice's of the world. It made him truly happy.

“I'm not really sure why. That's just how it is,” Mr. S said. That doesn't
mean you have to agree with it. One day, I hope the invisible boundary between
the races is shattered. Now if only someone would take that step...”

Abroxus didn't know it at the time, but Mr. S just lit the match for his
future.

After a bit of searching, Mr. S found a couple books that he thought would
be good for Abroxus to read. “They aren't exactly history books, but they do
contain some historical facts,” he explained as he handed Abroxus a book on
culture and a book on religions. “I think it's something you should look into.”

Abroxus thanked him and went to the upstairs study area to read. The
windows in this area were small and it only contained a couple of tables.
Abroxus sat there reading for the next three hours, but he still only managed to
get halfway through the first book. It was nearly sundown and Abroxus was
intent on finishing the first book. Then he heard the doors creak open and
someone shouted “Abroxus!”

Abroxus folded the corner of the massive book and closed it. He peered
over the lofty edge of the balcony down onto the tall bookshelves. When he
looked over at the door he saw Fireball standing with his hand cupped around
his mouth, “Abroxus, it's time to go home!”

Abroxus smiled, he was finally done training. He yelled back down to
Fireball that he was on his way. He grabbed his two giant books and heaved his
way down the stairs. Fireball greeted Abroxus at the door and grabbed a book
for him. Fireball looked worn out.

“What's in these books? Bricks?” He grinned. Fireball felt bad about
making Abroxus shove his nose in those giant books all day.

Abroxus chuckled, trying not to drop his book. All was quiet.
Fireball sighed, “Little A?”

~21~

“I told you not to call me that anymore. You're only four months older than
me,” Abroxus quickly realized that his friend had something on his mind.
“What's wrong?”

Fireball raised his head to the sky and filled his lungs with the crisp air.
“When I die, I hope that my body will disappear, leaving nothing behind except a
little heart that shows my scars.”

The hairs on the back of Abroxus's neck stood up. “What in the world
made you think about that?! You're not going to die anytime soon,” Fireball
glanced over to the boy with a fiery passion shown in his eyes, “No way I'll let
you die! You're my best friend. You're not allowed to die until I do! Got that?”

Fireball started laughing so hard that he dropped the giant book on his
foot. He was hopping around on one leg in circles until Abroxus finally asked
what was so funny. He picked up the book again and looked over to his buddy
and started talking again. “Obviously not now, but one day, when I do die, that's
what I want to happen.”

“Why? Then no one could have anything to really remember you by,
except for that weird heart thing. Also, why so specific?”

“Well, if there's nothing left, then no one will suffer. If I'm forgotten
forever, then no one would have to deal with heartbreak. I got the idea from a
book I read the other day and I can't stop thinking about it, weird huh? But now
that you mention it, I want you to promise me something, Little A.”

“What is it?” The two made it back to the Westfall house. Fireball put the
book down on one of the stairs and turned to Abroxus. He followed Fireball's
lead.

“Promise me, that if that does happen and all that's left is a weird heart
shaped thing,” Fireball held out his pinky, waiting for Abroxus to link theirs
together, “Promise that you'll throw it into the deepest part of the ocean.”

Fireball had said it with a bright smile, and although there was no real
light, Abroxus wanted to avert his eyes from his friend's blinding radiance.
Though the topic was a bit depressing, Abroxus did think Fireball was pretty cool
to think that far ahead.

Abroxus linked his pinky with Fireball's and made it a promise. He didn't
like the idea, but Fireball would never leave until he promised.

~22~

“Well... I mean, I guess I can,” Abroxus murmured, “But then we wouldn't
have died together. You know, as buddies.” Fireball chuckled, patted Abroxus's
little orange head, picked up one of the books, and went inside.

What's gotten into him? Why in the world would he say stuff like that?
Abroxus followed his best friend into the house.
Once inside, Fireball and Abroxus saw Takeshi waiting for them. He told
them to drop the books, grab a fishing rod, and head down to the dock. He
grabbed the pole next to him and strode though the door like a shadow.
They did what they were told and went to the docks. In the distance, they
saw Takeshi put one leg up on the edge of a small boat . He looked like a fishing
lunatic with his straw coolie hat and green vest littered with different baits and
bobs. Along with the crazy outfit, Takeshi threw on a crazy smile as he quickly
braided his long white hair.
“Well?,” his blue eyes gleaming with a sort of mischief, “Get in the boat.”
“This guy gelineny scares me,” Fireball muttered.
“Genuinely, and yeah, me too,” Abroxus corrected.
They climbed into the boat and set off.
Most of the time, they were all intensely concentrated on fishing and
horrible fish jokes, but Fireball finally told Abroxus what he was going to do after
his Faith Ceremony, another name for the Coming of Age Ceremony. Abroxus
had been asking for a while, but he stopped after Fireball said he wasn't sure
and he wasn't going to tell until he was.
Fireball went on about wanting to see the world back before all of the
greed and hatred. He said he had heard from a passing fish merchant that there
was a tribe of people who discovered a way to travel back in time.
Unfortunately, he said that those people, known as the Sogu, lived far away and
had been studying history and magic for years, so they wouldn't let just anyone
learn from them. Apparently, they made those curious enough to ask face
several intense challenges involving history.
“Well luckily for you, you're a history genius. You shouldn't have any
trouble getting them to teach you,” Abroxus praised. He was quite jealous of
Fireball's knack for history trivia.
“I doubt they'd accept answers out of a history book. They probably want

~23~

those with knowledge beyond that of an ordinary person,” Takeshi retorted.
“Yeah.” Fireball had obviously been thinking about it for a while. “But that

doesn't matter,” He seemed to be back to his normal, spunky self again, “Cause
I'm gonna have them teach me, whether they like it or not!” His fiery grin had
returned, as well.

Fireball explained to his mentor and his friend that no one knew how they
did it. Scientists and wizards alike had been searching for centuries for a way to
travel back in time, but none had prevailed. He told them that he heard about
this a while ago and how he had been thinking about it ever since.

It had became his passion.
He went on and on about how he was going to travel the world and study
the history of every place he visited, the real history. He said he would then find
the Sogu and take their test.
The sun soon started falling below the horizon and the three boys headed
back to the dock. They all returned as glorious fishermen with giant fish, one
almost the size of Abroxus, Takeshi caught it and he wouldn't let anyone forget
about it. After the long day, they all had a long dinner until finally, it was time to
rest.
Fireball confessed that he was a bit nervous for the exam, but he also said
he knew he'd make it all the way through the ten days.
Abroxus was anxious, too, it nearly put him in tears. He was afraid for his
friend, afraid to loose his friend in eleven days. After hearing Fireball's story and
seeing the sheer joy in his eyes, it made Abroxus realize that he'd be left alone
after Fireball went off on his journey. Abroxus had felt this feeling of
abandonment once before, after his cat left him as a child.
He didn't want to be alone again, and he was scared, scared of being
consumed by sadness just like how he was before he met Fireball. But that
wouldn't stop him from leaving.

~

It was sunrise. It was time for Fireball to begin his Hunting Exam. Abroxus
prayed for his friend.

~24~

Chapter 4

The ten days Fireball was gone seemed to be the longest ten
days of Abroxus's life so far.

It was the morning of the eleventh day, and Fireball was coming home. His
mother was frantic and worried sick. Abroxus was, too.

It took Fireball twenty minutes to return home after sunrise, but steadily,
he came walking back. He was healthy, happy- unscathed. It brought tears to
Mrs. Hayes and Abroxus, both.

Not only did Fireball return the same as the day he left, but he even
brought back a couple of hares and hides. It truly was an amazing sight for the
town.

Later that day, around six in the morning, Fireball's father, the priest,
began the Faith Ceremony for his son. After the introduction and Mr. Hayes's
proud speech, it was Fireball's turn to speak.

“It took me a long time to write a long and pretty speech,” he began, “But I
don't like the way it sounds, so I'm scrapping it. I didn't really understand the
purpose of having a ten day exam at first, it just sounded silly to me. I get it now.
I understand its purpose. It's ten full days of thinking, of praying. But it wasn't
just fear and loneliness out there because you were never alone. I thought of
everyone here during the days. I understand why Ketephys, the god of the Hunt,
decided to live on this planet for the time he did. It's wonderful and full of so
much life. I never want to forget that, for as long as I live. I love this world, and I
love all the people in it.”

Fireball sounded so happy and sincere. After he stepped away from the
podium, Fireball walked over to the back room that was hidden behind a paper

~25~

screen. The children who still hadn't had their Faith Ceremony, including
Abroxus, peeked into the room through the crack in the sliding door. It was
always interesting to watch.

Through the crack, they could see the priest dip the needle and thread into
the ink and began sewing it in and out of Fireball's skin.

The first time Fireball and Abroxus saw the tattooing process, they agreed
to both get their tattoos on the upper part of their backs, stretching from
shoulder to shoulder.

Fireball sat with his legs crossed. He had to keep his fists tight and his jaw
clamped down to stop himself from screaming. It was hardly noticeable to
anyone besides Abroxus, though. Abroxus knew Fireball all too well, he knew
how he worked.

~

It took around eight hours and ended two hours past noon. When it was
finished, everyone marveled at the beautifully stitched markings along his back.
Fireball strutted out of the back room full of pride.

Abroxus was so happy, and then so sad. He remembered the silent
promise Fireball made. The promise to travel back in time and see the world
along the way. When Fireball said he'd do something, he'd do it. That's another
trait Abroxus was jealous of.

Fireball turned to show his tattoo to everyone. It showed a large radiant
sun in the center of his back, the rays of light shown spreading to his shoulders
where the rays changed into the outline of howling wolves. Then he looked over
his shoulder so everyone could see his smile and know how happy he was.

An hour or so passed and Fireball walked out of his house holding a stuffed
pack. Abroxus walked up to his best friend, and Fireball nodded. They walked to
the edge of town together. The two were met by the entire town, Takeshi
included.

Abroxus paused as they approached the crowd. He grabbed Fireball's
sleeve and he stopped. Fireball couldn't really see the face Abroxus was making
through his hair, but he could tell he wasn't grinning.

~26~

Fireball gave him a weak smile, “Hey, you don't have to-” Fireball froze. He
saw his crybaby best friend lift his head. He was smiling, but he was crying, too.
Abroxus reached a hand into his pocket and pulled out a bolo tie. The ornament
was silver with a blue gemstone in the center, matching Fireball's eyes. Fireball's
eyes widened and tears welled.

“I know how badly you wanted one, so I asked Takeshi to buy it with my
money while he was away. And, one more thing,” Abroxus tried wiping away his
tears, but they didn't stop. “I want to hear all of your crazy stories when you
come back, so don't die, okay?” The smile was genuine, but so were the tears.

Fireball's lips shook and he gulped. He dropped his pack and wrapped his
thin arms around Abroxus. It was Fireball's turn to cry. With an uneven voice,
Fireball squeaked out, “You bet.”

He gently took the tie and wrapped it around his neck.
He stepped away and wiped off his face with his shirt. He picked up his bag
and held his pinky out in front of Abroxus. Abroxus linked his own with Fireball's.
It was a promise.
The goodbye wasn't very long. Fireball hugged his mother and father, and
waved a parting hand to the rest of the town. He turned his back and strutted
out of town with confidence. Abroxus couldn't stop crying, but they were no
longer tears of anguish. They were the tears of a peaceful parting, and the tears
of anticipation for their joyful reunion.
Abroxus whispered to the wind, long after everyone else had gone back to
their normal lives, “Goodbye, big bro.”

~27~

Chapter 5

Nearly three months passed and Abroxus seemed like he was managing
well enough. Takeshi left town the day after Fireball did, and Abroxus was all
alone. He would play pirate or adventurer with Ellie from time to time, but she
was usually with their Amma and Afi. With each passing day, there was more
news of the Duke's murderous rampage on wizards and other innocents. It
disgusted Abroxus to the core.

Abroxus began to practice regularly at the training ground with his new
bow, in case something were to happen to his town. He quickly became the best
archer of his age group. Then the town. Abroxus was a true prodigy.

Between resting periods and training, Abroxus would study. And not just
history and culture, but math, science, religion, literature, languages, and any
other topic he could get his hands on. He was looking for some way to get
better, to spark some light in himself. It was April twenty-sixth, only one week
left until the Hunting Exam, and Abroxus wanted to be ready for it.

His father finally got the chance to spend more time with Abroxus, so he
helped prepare him for the exam. He got himself and his son into shape over
that week, but Abroxus didn't seem happy. He looked... sad, most of the time.
He would occasionally tear up or become serious, but smiles, genuine smiles,
became a rare sight.

~

It was May third, time to set off.

~28~

Abroxus left at midnight with only his bow, ten arrows, and the clothes on
his back. They all waved him off, and his adventure began.

The elm and oak woods were dense and vast. Though at first they seemed
creepy, but there was something magical about them. Even more so when the
sun began to rise. The sunlight trickled though the leaves in such a manner that
Abroxus felt the warmth that left him months ago return. He started gathering
materials to build a small hut when he saw a giant oak tree.

The tree's height and width rivaled that of the ancient red wood. The
difference was a small entrance into the tree. Abroxus had heard of similar
phenomenons, but those were usually the cause of the Finen.

Is this a home of Finen? I didn't think there were any so close to Silver
Wood...

He gently put down the materials he had gathered and slowly walked
closer to the entrance.

But why in the world would the entrance be big enough to fit an adult? I
know that the Finen are usually not hostile, but this is a little too weird. And it's
so close to the town, how has no one found it?

He crawled through the hole with caution. What he saw was not at all
Finen.

A wrinkly old woman turned to meet the gaze of a curious young elf boy.
She was wearing a large shawl and a big puffy dress. Her hair was short and
silver and she wore giant round glasses that hid her eyes.

Oh crud! She definitely isn't a Fairy. What should I do? Wait, does this
count as outside assistance!? I need to leave, right now!

Sweat began to drip down his face. He knew he needed to run, but he
couldn't move. There was some force that kept him from moving.

This isn't good.
“What are you doing here, elf boy?!” She screamed, looking not at all in
Abroxus's direction, but still at him. It seemed like she could barely hear herself.
Abroxus slowly opened his jaw to speak, at least he could to that, but he was in
for some serious trouble.
“S-Sorry, ma'am. I didn't realize you lived here, I thought you might have
been a Fairy,” she used her cane to drag the rest of Abroxus through the hole.

~29~

He still couldn't move. Maybe he needed a better excuse. “I'm sorry ma'am, but
I am going through the Hunting Exam and I should really get going.”

The old woman walked over to an old book that was covered in dust. She
opened it and started flipping through the pages. When she eventually got to
the page she was looking for, she folded the corner and set it onto the small
table next to her.

“You interrupted my reading.”
“Um, I'm sorry, ma'am.” This is so bizarre...
“Why is it that you weep, but no tears fall?”
Abroxus was so surprised to hear that. How could she see his pain? Ever
since Fireball left, Abroxus felt so alone. The light, that beautiful, blinding light
that followed Fireball was gone. The light that guided Abroxus faded. He felt like
he was only a spec in the expansive universe. He was so stunned he couldn't
speak. She was a total stranger, and yet she could see right through him. Was he
that easy to read?
“I see, you lost your light.”
“How... How could you know?”
“You're as easy to read as this book,” she pat her hand on the book next to
her. “Stand up.” An order that he obeyed. “It's rare for me to have company.
Only those in need of help find this place.
Oh no. No, I can't have any help...! But, I feel so cold.
“So you finally realize your own suffering? Good.”
Abroxus put a hand to his face, it was wet. There were tears. It's been a
month since he cried, a month since he convinced himself that he wasn't sad.
His lip shook. No!
Slap!
Abroxus struck his own face, and the tears stopped flowing. “I'm not
suffering, ma'am. I must leave, please excuse me.” He turned on his heel and
began to walk towards to exit.
“You are just like they say. Don't loose those precious keys of yours, this
world needs you to open the door.”
He was out the hole when he heard that, but when he turned to ask her,
she was gone, along with the hole in the tree.

~30~

“What just happened...?”

Chapter 6

Was that a dream?
Abroxus looked up to the tree tops, it was dark out. How long was he
inside that tree?
There was a rustle in the bushes. Abroxus quickly loaded and drew back
his bow. A small rabbit hopped out of the shrubs. Abroxus didn't really want to
hurt it because it was so cute, but he was so hungry. He let the arrow fly, and he
soon had a rabbit kebab.
He built a fire pit and dug a quick den for him to spend the night in. After
eating his rabbit and crawling into the den, Abroxus prayed for his family, for his
town, and lastly, for Fireball. Abroxus didn't usually pray for himself because he
knew he was blessed enough.

~
It was the tenth, and final, day. Abroxus packed up his things and headed
towards town. He wasn't allowed in until midnight, but he wanted to be close
by. At midnight, Abroxus would be nine, and he would be accepted by the
community as a mature adult.
Something didn't feel right. He still hadn't seen or heard from that old
witch. He still wasn't sure if she was even real. If she was real, he would
probably never get the chance to see her again. Never get the chance to thank
her.
Abroxus didn't want to believe that he was broken, that he was weak. But
he was, and she forced him to see it. Abroxus wanted to be stronger, he wanted

~31~

to make a difference to this world. He was only nine, but Abroxus was as smart
as any adult in East Elm. The only difference between most people and Abroxus
was experience. Abroxus rarely left Silver Wood, so he was still naive.

When Abroxus started the exam, he went as far away from the town as
possible, so he could experience something new.

It took him four hours to drag everything that he gathered back to the path
that lead to Silver Wood. He stopped and snacked on some hares that he cooked
and rested up. After his break, he walked the two miles back to Silver Wood.

It was midnight.
Abroxus found his new light. He had created his own. He found happiness
and tranquility in every creature in the forest. They rubbed off on him and he
was so thankful.
It took Abroxus five minutes to return home after midnight. They were all
shocked stiff when they saw their little carrot dragging a handmade leaf tarp
and a giant pile of elk on top. There were two or three elks on the tarp, and
Abroxus was smiling and waving his free hand to his loved ones. But the rarest
and most surprising feature was his smile, his honest and radiant smile.
The people of the town took care of the elk and Abroxus was given time to
clean up. He washed off in the river nearby and put on his normal clothes. It was
his turn to grow up.
His father gave his short speech after the priest, and Abroxus walked over
to the podium. He always looked up to Fireball, learned from him, and now he
was going to join him in adulthood.
Abroxus still wasn't too sure what he was going to do after the ceremony,
but luckily, fate made that decision for him.
Unfortunately, fate isn't always kind.

~32~

Chapter 7

“I've spent nine years in Silver Wood. My entire life was inside of our
borders. It's all I've ever really known. That changed ten days ago. When I left to
take the exam, I was merely the ghost of what I wanted to be. Today, I am
solidifying my faith to Ketephys. That's why we have the Hunting Exam, right? To
show our loyalty and to understand what we are supposed to be, and where we
came from? The forest breathed its breath of life into my soul. I once heard
someone ask me, 'Why is it that you weep, but no tears fall?' It took me a
second to understand what she meant, but it was a second too late. I had to
have someone point it all out to me, even after I thought, I knew, I was strong. I
believed that this exam was just another milestone in the thousands I have
stretched out before me. I was wrong, oh how I was wrong. This test, this trial
changes you. I thought everyone who spoke about it was just exaggerating, but
they were right. I changed, and I'm as happy as I was when my baby sister was
born. So, thank you, for all of this.”

There was a loud applause when Mr. Hayes guided Abroxus to the back
room. He told the priest exactly what Fireball had told him, “I would like my
mark from here,” he pointed from one shoulder, “to here,” he pointed to the
other shoulder. Abroxus smiled that new and dazzling smile.

Abroxus cried in the process, but he didn't wail. When it was finished eight
hours later, Abroxus showed off his tattoo. His tattoo was nearly identical to that
of Fireball, but it bore a large moon in the middle, with streams of moonlight
forming into falcons in flight. Only a handful of people were surprised that he
got his mark in the same place Fireball got his. Most of them knew the bond the
two of them shared.

~33~

Abroxus put his shirt and poncho back on and was quickly congratulated
by everyone.

When he went outside, his family gave him a hug and they all gave him
their gifts. The gift from his father was a knife. It was small and the blade was
oddly shaped in a curve. His mother handed Abroxus a button with the town's
symbol on it. She kissed his head and it was Ellie's turn to give him a present,
even though he said she didn't need to. She held out her favorite bracelet that
she would always be found wearing. It was a perfect circle and there were round
pearl-like beads hanging off of it. Abroxus managed to slip it onto his wrist, it
was a bit tight, but he loved to see his little sister smile.

~

Abroxus spent the next hour or so training where he normally would,
when he heard a scream and saw smoke drifting into the bright blue sky. He
retrieved his arrows and started running towards the town. Just as he was about
to round the corner, Amma and Afi grabbed him and started dragging him
towards the lighthouse along the rocky beach near town. He struggled and
demanded answers, however, he stopped struggling after he saw their faces. He
turned around and ran along side them. He heard more screams. Abroxus
couldn't take it anymore, “What's happening?! Where's Mom, Dad, and Ellie?”
the concern lingered.

Afi grabbed his arm and looked Abroxus in the eye with a very cold look,
“They will be fine, now stop acting like a child and go to the lighthouse!”
Abroxus was afraid, but he nodded and continued to run with them.

The smell of smoke followed them.
The three of them arrived at the door of the lighthouse. Amma pushed
Abroxus up the stairs and Afi closed the door behind them. Paintings lined the
seemingly never ending stairs. Amma stopped at the painting of the town. She
proceeded to take the painting off the wall and open the small stone door
hidden behind it. She was pretty strong for someone her age.
Afi repeated his words of worry, “Come, now, hurry.”

~34~

The door skidded open and Amma pushed Abroxus inside. The little room
was filled with food and water, enough to last about a week. Abroxus looked
around and turned find his grandmother closing the door from the outside.

“Wait! Aren't you staying here, too? You're not just gonna leave me here,
right? Right?!” he pleaded.

She smiled weakly and shook her head. Afi looked into the small shelter
and said to Abroxus, “My boy, you possess the keys to this corrupt kingdom, so
please lift your head. Your story has only begun. We all expect great things from
you.”

Amma finally said, “Goodbye, my little carrot.”
The stone door closed. Abroxus became frantic and pulled against the door
with all his might, but it wouldn't budge. He heard the footsteps of his
grandparents slowly disappear.
The room was as dark as the night itself. The only light floated through a
tiny hole only about half an inch tall and wide. Abroxus crawled over to it and
peered through the hole to see something that would follow him forever.
His town, Silver Wood, was up in smoke. There were people running
around frantically trying to escape the men on horseback. They were wearing
royal purple and silver- the colors of Duke Wallis.
Why... Why would he do this!?
Silver Wood was a small trading town that traded with anyone passing by.
There was nothing Abroxus could do, he was trapped and alone. There was
no saving light, this time. Only the light of the houses and people that burned.
Abroxus had a perfect view of his house.
He saw Ellie and his mother escape into the house, but his father... Ziek
Westfall stood and defended his house and his family. However, the man
covered in medals with a bright flowing cape struck him down. Abroxus couldn't
tell if his father died quickly or slowly and painfully. But he knew he died.
The man in the cape had his grunt throw his father into the house he grew
up in.
Abroxus wanted to cry. All of the pain, the fear, and the rage built up
within him. He felt like he was going to explode. His entire body felt cold, like
there was a fan blasting at him. Even so, this throat was burning. He couldn't

~35~

make a sound, and he couldn't shed a tear.
Anger began to build up and he let loose a blood curdling scream before

passing out.

~36~

Chapter 8

Abroxus spent five dreary days within the lighthouse, the light floating in
through the one peep hole keeping whatever sanity he had left in tact.

He refused to look at the ashes of his town. He had watched it burned, but
he didn't want to watch it blow away with the wind.

He just sat in front of the light, traumatized. He couldn't eat, he couldn't
sleep. He just sat there, wallowing in his own filth and sorrow, just waiting for
death to take him away.

Abroxus Westfall had completely given up.
He no longer saw the need to pray. What's the point of praying to a god
everyday if they won't bat an eye when you need them most? Even still, he
could not cry. He had cried so many times over the nine years of his life, but not
a tear could be shed.

~

After the five days and five nights passed, Abroxus heard footsteps. They
were light and gentle, but it was only one person from the sound of it. It
couldn't have been Amma, right?

The footsteps grew louder and louder until eventually, they stopped right
in front of the room Abroxus was in.

If his mind was awake, Abroxus might have even thought it was a soldier,
either there to kill him, or to save him.

Abroxus could hear the sound of the painting being taken of the wall. He
turned his head to look at the door, to see his savior or his killer. At the time,
Abroxus was hoping for the latter.

~37~

The heavy stone door slid open with ease. The light was too bright.
Abroxus closed his eyes. His head started to swirl. That was the last thing
he felt. His small, limp body collapsed onto the floor. He didn't manage a look at
the one opening the door, but somehow, he knew he was going to be safe.

~38~

Chapter 9

Abroxus felt something soft brush his face, like hair? Abroxus slowly
opened his eyes, everything was blurry. He could see the silhouette of a pale
woman with dull grey eyes. But the feature that stood out the most, was her
hair. It was a beautiful red, the color of a red garnet or even a ruby. Abroxus had
never seen anything like it before, and he thought it would be the last time.

Abroxus fell asleep once more. He awoke to the smell of stew. He was so
hungry.

Abroxus winced at the bright light when he opened his eyes. He tried to
quickly take in his surroundings, as he had been taught, but he was too weak to
sit up.

A soft melody rang through the air, “Are you awake yet? Don't worry,
dinner is almost ready.” It was a woman's voice. It sounded like a sweet lullaby
from a mother to her infant. He had only heard that sweet voice from his own
mother.

But his mother wasn't around anymore.
Abroxus lifted his head enough to see the woman's face. She looked very
pretty and young. Was she living here by herself?
“Why, no. She's got her incredibly handsome, kind, and intelligent husband
with her,” an old voice echoed from the hallway behind Abroxus.
What the... Did I say that out-loud? No, I didn't. Then how...?
“The question was simply written all over your face,” the old voice was
closer.
“Come now, Tutrix. Stop being mysterious, you're scaring the poor boy.”
“Scaring him? No, that's not true,” the man that the voice belonged to,
Tutrix, walked in front of Abroxus. He was fairly short, but he had a very long
beard, so long that it was brushing the floor. His hair was as white as the snow,

~39~

but not like Takeshi's. Takeshi had a silver gleam to his hair, this man before
Abroxus didn't have that.

The old man smiled a sort of mischievous smile, “No, he's not scared,” he
sat down in the chair next to Abroxus, “He's curious, intrigued, interested.”

The woman shrugged and went back to her cooking and the old man took
off his spectacles to look at Abroxus.

“My name is Tutrix, and the lovely lady cooking over there is my wife,
Derry. Wanna tell me your name, kiddo?”

Abroxus opened his mouth and closed it again. He didn't know these
people, for all Abroxus knew, they were with the Duke. Abroxus was skeptical,
but he dismissed the thought right after thinking it. They saved his life, they
couldn't be with Duke Wallis, right?

Abroxus wanted to say his name, but no sound would come out. He
couldn't speak.

“I see...” Tutrix lowered his head. “I'm not quite sure what happened, but
it traumatized you. You're safe now, we won't hurt you, Abroxus.”

How did he-? Abroxus's thought was cut off by Derry's soft voice.
“All done, it's time to eat now.” She carried a bowl of stew over to Abroxus
and instructed Tutrix to get him some water.
Derry spoon fed Abroxus all of the stew. It was delicious! She made sure he
was fed well and had lots of water. Derry was acting as if Abroxus was her own
son.
Where exactly am I? How far am I from my... home... The thought tugged
at Abroxus's heart. Right. He didn't have a home anymore. It almost didn't feel
real - almost.
After his feast, Abroxus drifted off to sleep. Derry and Tutrix cleaned up
the tiny kitchen area and Tutrix went to bed. After Derry made sure Abroxus was
comfortable, she also went to bed.

~40~

Chapter 10

Everything was dark.
“Where am I?”
“Hello? Is anyone here?” Abroxus called out into the darkness, the
emptiness, but there was no response.
There was nothing there. Then there was a light, but it wasn't comforting,
it was terrifying. The light was bright red. It was the light of fire, and Abroxus
was surrounded by it.
And then the screams flooded Abroxus's head.
“No- No, stop!” Abroxus covered his ears, but the screams only grew
louder and louder. Cries of agony and fear.
“Bubbi!”
Abroxus slowly turned around.
Ellie was sitting in front of him, she was crying. Then two, three, four more
figures faded into view. His mother, his father, Amma, and Afi. They all wore the
face of disappointment and shame.
“M-Mom, Dad, Ellie!” Abroxus stretched out his arm and started running.
Abroxus was running as fast as he could, but none of them came any closer.
Until there was a voice right behind him.
“You failed.”
Abroxus whipped around and his greatest fear came true. “Fireball, it's not
what it looks like. Please, help me! Help me save them, Fireball!”
Fireball's eyes were as black as the space around him. “I trusted you to
take care of everyone. I thought you finally grew up.”
“Fireball, I'm so sorr-” Abroxus couldn't say anything. His voice was gone,
and he couldn't warn his friend about the large man behind that him ran a blade

~41~

through him. No!
He turned to his family behind him, he was looking for help, but all he

found was pain. His grandparents were nowhere to be seen and his father's
head slid off his neck. The Duke appeared and tied up his mother and sister. He
lit a match and threw it onto them. They were set ablaze.

The Duke walked towards Abroxus. He tried to back up, but he ran into the
man who stabbed Fireball.

The Duke's voice was deep and dark, “You watched everything and
everyone you loved die, and you won't even shed a tear. Did you
even care at all?”

~

His eyes snapped open. Abroxus sat up and looked around, one hand
grasping his shirt right over his racing heart.

It was a dream... But...
“You're alright. It was just a dream.” Abroxus turned to see Derry, her
expression was practically blank. She rested a hand on Abroxus's shoulder.
But it wasn't a dream, it happened. And I didn't do anything to try and
stop it! I'm so pathetic. I couldn't even fall with my loved ones.
“That doesn't make you weak, Abroxus,” Tutrix walked through the door.
“Derry told me what she saw, but we still don't know what happened. You're
just a child. If you had tried to stop that chaos you too would have died for no
reason. Stop blaming yourself, right now.”
That was a command, not a suggestion.
Abroxus tried to swallow, but his throat was dry.

It' been three days since they found Abroxus, two of those
days he spent sleeping...

Tutrix was carrying herbs in both hands. He dropped them off on the

~42~

counter and Derry stood. She walked over and started cleaning them in bowl
that was also on the counter. It looked like there was no water in the bowl, but
then why was there water washing over the leaves?

Tutrix turned back and saw the flabbergasted look that Abroxus wore. He
grinned and walked over to Abroxus. Abroxus couldn't take his eyes off of the
bowl.

“You wanna know how she can do that?” Abroxus nodded, still staring at
Derry. “Can you stand?” he nodded again, “Then follow me.”

Abroxus stood up, he wobbled a bit, but he followed Tutrix out the front
door. He knew he could trust them, and even if Tutrix did try to kill him, it didn't
really matter to Abroxus anymore. If Abroxus were to die that day, he wanted to
die knowing how she did that.

Tutrix lead him around the small house made of logs past the little herb
garden. It took a about two minuets to get to the stream.

It looked familiar to Abroxus. It reminded him of a stream near the area
where he stayed during the Hunting Exam. Sure, he thought, all streams look
alike, but I know I've seen that giant tree.

Abroxus sort of gasped. That was the tree where the witch lived.
Tutrix looked next to him to see Abroxus. He raised an eyebrow, asking a
silent question.
You know this place?
Abroxus looked up at Tutrix and nodded. Yeah, there's a witch lady in that
tree over there. Wait! Are you and Derry witches?
The old man let out a hardy laugh, “No, we're not witches,” Abroxus
relaxed, “But we can use galdur.”
Abroxus stifled a look of utter fear. Even so, his heart was in his throat.
Another hardy laugh, “I wasn't expecting you to act so calm. Yes, we are
what most people call 'wizards'.” He patted Abroxus's head. “And the 'witch
lady' is Martha, she's a friend. But that's not why we're here.” Abroxus cocked
his head.
Tutrix pulled a towel out of his satchel. He plugged his nose with his
forefinger and thumb and insisted Abroxus took a bath. He left Abroxus the
towel and said he'd be back with clean clothes in ten minutes. Honestly, Abroxus

~43~

wasn't quite expecting that.
Abroxus sniffed himself and gagged.
The water was ice cold. It didn't take him long to get used to it, which was

surprising since he usually couldn't stand being cold. It wasn't all that bad,
though.

As Abroxus washed himself in the stream, he thought about what Tutrix
had said.

“We are what most people call 'wizards'.” Huh... galdur... The ability to
conjure elements and then manipulate them to your will. Most wizards can only
control the elements they create, but I wonder if it's possible to control natural
elements... What am I talking about!? Wizards were outlawed by the king, and
I'm living with two of them! This isn't good...

While he was bathing, Abroxus thought long and hard about what he
should do. Should he stay with these people? Run? Or maybe he could learn
galdur from them.

Abroxus's pondering was cut short when Tutrix showed up. “I think you're
clean enough, now. Derry sewed you some clothes, so hop out and put 'em on.”

Abroxus got out and dried off. Then he took the clothes from Tutrix and
put them on.

They fit him perfectly. The outfit was similar to what he wore before.
Instead of a long sleeved brown shirt with a matching poncho, it was a light
green sleeveless shirt with a light green poncho. Lining the bottom of the
poncho was a streak of silver. The one major difference was the strap
connecting the two halves of the poncho. There were two buttons on either side
of the strap and one of them was his mother's. That way he would always have
a piece of her with him, so long as he didn't loose the poncho.

Wow, she made this?
“Yup, my wife's pretty awesome, isn't she?” Tutrix bragged.
It was still pretty weird that Tutrix could read his mind, but Abroxus didn't
think it was all bad, since he couldn't speak.

~44~

Chapter 11

After a couple of months of living with Derry and Tutrix, Abroxus realized
that he was happy to be with them. Derry was like his mother, and Tutrix acted
like a father towards Abroxus. He hadn't forgotten his real mother and father,
and he knew he never would, but the two wacky wizards brought Abroxus
comfort. And although he would never admit it, Abroxus was happy to be
treated like a child. He needed it.

Abroxus was given his own room shortly after arriving, and Derry finally
gave him back his bow a few weeks after. She had refused to return it until she
thought he was completely healthy again. She also returned his father's knife.
Abroxus had never taken off the bracelet, ever.

It took the entirety of three months to get Abroxus talking again.
Even though Abroxus could speak, he didn't really find the drive to. He was
as depressed as he was when he was stuck in the lighthouse. They only
difference was that he was able to hide it. So, he hid it in front of Derry and
Tutrix, and when he was alone, he'd revert back into a melancholy state. But he
was content when he could finally speak his mind instead of having it read for
him.
It was the end of July and Abroxus finally felt like telling Derry and Tutrix
what happened in May.
They didn't seem too phased by it. They were very kind and understanding
about the fact, but they didn't pity him. Abroxus was grateful for that. And he
understood that they were on the run, so they had probably seen much worse
than raids.
It was the middle of August when Tutrix asked Abroxus the question he

~45~

had been awaiting.
“So kiddo, you wanna learn how to use your galdur?”
“What do you mean by learn how to use my galdur? I don't have any.”
Tutrix couldn't help but laugh, “Everyone has a galdur. It's just the matter

of waking them up.”
“Them?”
“Yes, some galdur influencers believe that this 'magic' is just an item to be

wielded, but those who have spent their life with it learn that galdur is alive. For
example, drawing power from your galdur is like using someone else's power.
Get it?”

It took him a second to process it all, but Abroxus understood the most of
it.

Abroxus's real journey was about to begin.

~46~

Chapter 12

“Alright, now start with this book and then move on to this book.” Tutrix
handed Abroxus two giant books that were about four inches thick. They were
dropped into Abroxus's arms and carried him to the floor with their weight.

“Now don't get me wrong, if you so choose, you will learn spells and how
to communicate your galdur,” Abroxus smiled with a sort of relief hidden behind
it, “However! That will only come after you learn it's history.” The relief was
gone and replaced by bitter anticipation. “After you learn the history of galdur,
you may become an influencer.”

“Galdur influencer” is what those who have mastered their galdur call
themselves. However, they are known by most as “wizards” or “magicians.” This
is because most people who haven't studied galdur don't even know what it is.
They just think it's magic, but they couldn't be further from the truth.

Derry insisted that Abroxus read outside since it was a nice day, but
Abroxus wanted to be by himself in his room. He was going to say no, but Derry
pushed him outside.

“Okay, I guess I'll read out here.” He wandered over to the side of the
house and sat down. He leaned back into the wall and sighed.

She was right, it's really nice today. Just like on the 13th...
He looked down at the two giant books laying next to him. He had better
get started.
As Abroxus read, as he learned, he thought about how his life was flipped
upside-down on his birthday and then again after meeting Derry and Tutrix, now
he's learning about the origin of galdur.
To think all of that happened in three months. I guess Murphy's Law is
following me around.

~47~

The sunlight slipped below the horizon and droplets of water started to
splashed on Abroxus's face. It was raining. Abroxus quickly grabbed his two
books and began to head inside. He had finished a quarter of the first book.

As Abroxus opened the door, he heard a whimper from behind him. He
turned to see an injured fox. He opened the door and put the books down on
the inside. Abroxus quickly ran over the the limp fox and picked it up. Derry
poked her head outside to see what was going on. After seeing a hurt fox in
Abroxus's arms, she told him to bring it inside and grabbed a first aid kit they
had in the cabinet.

Abroxus gently laid the beautiful creature onto the table. When Derry
returned with the small white box, Abroxus asked her, “Why don't you just use
ma—I mean, galdur—to heal it?”

“It's true that galdur can be used to heal, but it's not the same as having an
injury heal by nature's will. You should never take your galdur for granted, only
use it to heal when there are no other options left.”

~

The fox was back to its normal self in a week or so. Abroxus used the fox as
an excuse not to read, but he still managed to finish the first book in that week.

After learning about the guardians of the five continents called the
“maldra,” Abroxus was ecstatic that he could learn how to awaken and
communicate with his galdur. But he was also scared.

Ever since a pair of influencers tried to overthrow the king, all influencers
have been outlawed. If anyone was caught using galdur, they would be hanged.

Even so, Abroxus wanted to learn how to use his galdur. After getting the
galdur infused string, Abroxus felt different. He was more resistant to the cold,
in fact, he wanted to be surrounded by it. And now that he was with two
influencers, he couldn't help but jump at every opportunity to learn more about
galdur.

“So, tell me what you've learned from the first book, be specific now,”
Tutrix knelt down and began collecting the herbs from the small garden.
Abroxus wanted to be useful, so he went over and started helping him with his

~48~

harvesting.
“It mostly spoke about the legendary 'maldra' and how they only appear

when the world needs a shift in weight.”
“What does that mean, exactly?”
“When there has been an era of tyranny, the maldra appear to start a

revolution. Or when there has been too much bloodshed via a war, they show
up to end things quickly.” Abroxus glanced over and saw Tutrix nodding his head
with each fact Abroxus gave. Guess I should keep going...

“What about their descriptions? What do they look like?”
“O-Oh. Well, they're all different people each time. They're like
reincarnations. But one characteristic is carried from one maldra to the next.”
“And that would be?”
“Their eyes. The Maldra from North Nut-Pine always have eyes like
moonstones, the Maldra from West Willow always have ruby red eyes, South
Spruce's always has sapphire eyes, and Yggdrasil's Maldra always has golden
eyes.”
“You're forgetting one. What color does the Maldra of the East have?”
Tutrix stopped his movements and looked over to Abroxus. This was one of the
kinds of “pop quizzes” Tutrix gave him, but he seemed very focused on
Abroxus's answers for this one.
“Emerald green. The Maldra from this continent has green eyes,” Abroxus
stared back at Tutrix. Why did he feel so tense all of the sudden?
There was a long pause.
“That is correct.” Abroxus sighed as if he had been holding his breath. But
Tutrix was still staring at him. No- through him.
Abroxus asked if everything was alright, Tutrix said he was fine and
continued on.
Weird...

~

Abroxus and Tutrix laid the herbs they had collected on the counter for
Derry who was probably on her was back from a nearby town. The town was

~49~

called Ikenstroth, and it was where Tutrix and Derry got most of their groceries.
It was a fairly large town a few miles out from where Silver Wood used to be.
Abroxus would always hear tradesmen talking about Ikenstroth, but Abroxus
had never gone there himself.

Supposedly, it was a highly guarded town since Duke Wallis had a home
there. Abroxus worried that Derry might get caught by a guard while shopping.
When he shared his concern with Tutrix, he just said that she was strong enough
to take care of herself.

Derry finally returned home with groceries and books.
Abroxus was about to ask her if he could go with her next time, when
Tutrix told him to keep reading his second book.
The second book was about the history of galdur. It said that some
believed that galdur was alive—like it was another being within an influencer. It
described them as being humanoid beings that dwelt in the mind and soul of a
wizard. This creature could be the same or opposite gender as the “host,” and
could draw your mind into its realm whenever it pleased after having been
awakened.
It took Abroxus three days to completely finish that book, but he was very
satisfied to have learned so much about galdur in such a short amount of time.
When Tutrix got around to quizzing him on the two books, Abroxus had
practically memorized them both.
Abroxus passed Tutrix's test with flying colors.

~50~