-Cecilia Enya-
Tell me, do your flames burn as bright?
To a spark like me, they surely do
But when the winds blow tonight
Those ashes will be made anew.
When I awake, memories of my teacher and his musings rush in all at once, pulling me away from my time here. The place isn't bad by any means, but I miss the hustle and bustle of town, hearing people fight over the pettiest things. My teacher always said I looked like a Wyvern. It's hard to tell if it was a compliment, considering they look rather menacing. But I think they're cute, with their fuzzy fur and long bat-like hands. Yeah, I'm going to believe it's a compliment.
Sebastian– or rather, Wren– has been taking me out of the building to talk about his past exploits. In turn, he's told me a lot about the elves. They spent many years of their long lives finding just the right height on the Alt trees to both be easily accessible from below and to protect themselves from rain using the trees' canopies. Elves have a lot of promising architects, though they seem more interested in purely functional carpentry rather than art.
Hearing about the elves like this makes me wonder why they're such a threat to us humans. Apparently, Altous is a remote village without any allies or known neighbors. We had originally assumed they were all part of one elven nation, but it seems like they don't even have a clan like the Demon warrior tribes in the North or a faction like the Highborns in the far west. They're completely unaffiliated and peaceful towards visitors, from what Wren has described. Even though he was a human, they fed him and kept him safe. I wondered what kind of life Wren had lived since he went missing almost 2 years ago.
-Wren Altous-
It has been a couple months since Cecilia's detainment. Haienna stopped sending people over, and no one has come to request her release. In truth, I feel like she hasn't really done anything to require my supervision for this long, and if she weren't a prisoner, I'd like to consider her my friend. But it isn't like she really had a choice in the matter of talking to me...
I also haven't been able to train my magic like usual because of this duty. However, because I am awake during the day, I've been able to hunt with my brother Ren much more often.
"Cecilia has been rather docile. Considering her temperament, I thought she would have gone wild." Ren kicks the ground with his foot wraps, flattening it.
"How long do you think she's going to be in there?" I pull out a bundle of rope, fastening it to a tree branch.
"Hm... our village's code is usually imprisonment for 5 years." He nods in approval as I finish the trap.
"5 years? Surely that is far too long for a human prisoner!"
"You're right, I didn't really think about that. Maybe you should bring it up with the Great Shamans?"
"I probably should. I don't think she should be punished in that manner."
"What would you suggest, then?" He smirks at me, clearly knowing something I do not.
"What is it?" I cross my arms, probing him.
"Oh, nothing. I was simply a witness to a number of 'walks' you have shared with her. I am wondering if your duty as a guard should be brought into question."
"Ha! You would make such a joke, Ren!" I scoff. "I think she makes good company, especially when I am delegated to be her guard during the day."
"It seems somehow fitting that you would cozy up to another human so quickly, brother... And here I thought you and Rytia had something going."
"Now you're just saying whoever comes to mind, is that it?" I roll my eyes. "It isn't like that. She respected the person I was before... I lost my memories. Even if I don't know exactly what kind of person I was like personality-wise, I don't want to betray her expectations of me."
Ren's face diminished to a more pensive look. "I think you should leave the village someday, brother. Your reputation as Sebastian and your talents as a mage are wasted on a humble gathering like ours."
"You can't be serious, Ren. I've been here for a whole year, soon to be two. I'm indebted to this village, and I want to dedicate my life to it. I don't have that connection to my memories as Sebastian."
"It's only been a year. Do not nest yourself too soon, or you'll find yourself on the lowest Alt, stunted by the tallest's widespread branches."
I knew he was right, deep down. As much as I would like to escape the duties of Sebastian, my existence in this body means I have to act as him in order to find peace myself. "...I will think about it."
--
"We meet again, Staria." I bring a hand to my chest in respect. "Shall we discuss our prisoner for a moment?"
Staria smiles, leaning forward from her resting posture on her meditation spot. "Wren Altous, it has been a couple months. I didn't think you would take so long to come see me again."
"...I am truly sorry for keeping you waiting, Staria."
"Have a seat anywhere you like. I don't have any implements in this cave of mine, so please try to make yourself comfortable however you can."
I settle between an outcrop of stones. "You appear to be cheerful."
"Shouldn't I?"
"I suppose you should."
"You are correct to suppose such~"
I clear my throat. "About the fire mage, Cecilia... I don't think the village's rules should apply fully to her. She's a human who bears a shorter lifespan than elves, after all."
"That is a fair distinction. Should I be worried that you are looking to release her earlier than planned? Or perhaps you are simply looking out for her as a fellow human?"
"Well... I have gleaned a lot of information about Sebastian from her. The person I was... was formidable. Empyr's top warrior who excelled in combatting mages, the 'Mage Breaker,' or so I was called." I recall the various talks Cecilia and I had. "You don't need to worry about anything like me betraying the village, Staria."
"You thought I was worried about you betraying us? Heh... not at all, Wren. I was worried about more personal matters when it came to you." I may not have seen her eyes, but her eyebrows and cheeks creased into a teasing smile.
Her too, huh? Even the Great Shamans are ruthless when it comes to gossip. "I assure you nothing of that sort is going on between us!" And I truly meant it. Maybe elves have nothing better to do in their long lives but to cultivate drama... Ser and Tyr are like that with each other too. "Please consider making a change to her sentence, Staria."
She chuckles, then softens into a more relaxed expression. "Alright. Let's move on to other matters, Wren. Do you remember the communication spell I used during Haienna's assault?"
"I do. Your words appeared in my vision. It was very interesting magic." It was very similar to instant messaging, text scrolling past my eyes like a user interface.
"I want you to be able to utilize that spell. It's called Telepathy. It is Status magic that conveys thoughts into others' minds. The one I used was an Executive-grade spell that handled sending, receiving, and specific targeting of individuals outside of my sight. You can cast it at Major-grade if you only focus on sending and receiving messages."
"Would I have been able to respond to you if I casted it at Major-grade during the attack?"
"Indeed. Only one side needs to continuously track the location of the target they're receiving from. That's because a connection is established between them. If you were to engage with other Diviners, utilize this effect for the best efficiency."
"Is there a way I can train the magic?"
"I'll write you some instructions, Wren. Study it while you spend time watching the mage." Staria smirks again, pulling a canvas leaflet from behind her resting spot.
"Thank you, Staria... by the way, what is your full name?"
"My name is Istarica Altous." She lowers her head in introduction. "You are permitted to call me Staria, Wren Altous."
"I appreciate it, Staria. You are much more casual than Mentor Ipha."
"Consider it something like kinship. As a half-elf, I feel more connected to you than most other elves would." She nods, then takes a deep breath. "I am growing rather tired now, so I must rest, Wren. I'd like to talk more another time, but you should take your leave."
I stand, bringing my hand to my chest, now heading towards the tunnel to leave. Something about the way she mentioned kinship makes me wonder if her status as a half-elf ever brought her trouble in the village. She must have worked hard to earn their respect as a Diviner, even becoming a shaman. I got lucky, earning the easy way in through Ipha's apprenticeship. But then again, they might have been more tolerant of humans because Staria the half-elf was there...
I may have lived in Altous a long time, but I have never felt like I was an elf, like them. We are like family (Ren in the more literal sense, as we have shared blood), but as a human and outsider from this world, I feel so... distant from them.