Inheritance

Part 2. Chapter 70: Knowledge

Thinking back on the moment he bonded himself to Them made him feel giddy and wretched at the same time, and it was where his thoughts usually led him when he had nothing to do but think.

Them was climbing the holy mountains near Trella; he was determined to trigger the magic that was sitting dormant in his stomach, and Pete was watching him through a jewel. The look of fiery determination on the waif's face was forever seared into Pete's memories.

Upon the holy mountains, Them was expected to find the missing piece of his spirit that would grant him access to the magic sitting inside of him. Pete learned from watching Them that the rite of climbing the holy mountain was an arduous and cruel one. Waifs were expected to climb the mountains all by themselves when they turned twelve; they were expected to stay on the mountain until they either collapsed, or until they found the missing piece of their spirits.

This missing piece of their spirt would appear to waifs in various forms. Some would see tigers, some would see flies or birds, and some would see objects like hammers or musical instruments. These animals and objects would appear to them in shades of blue, pulsing with wavering outlines.

Months before, Pete's curiosity about Barione's words had overwhelmed him. She had asked him if he wanted to know the truth behind the existence of wisps, and why she thought that they were nothing more than leeches who feasted upon the mortal creatures of Yharos.

Pete couldn't stop thinking about this secret that Barione was keeping. He couldn't stop thinking about it because wisps had little else to do with their time but think.

He eventually went to her and asked her about the secrets she supposedly knew.

"Ah, so your curiosity has finally overcome you." She said with a cackle. "If you are ready to know the truth, then you must endure the one thing that all other wisps are not willing to endure."

"What's that?" Pete replied.

"Pain." She answered. "We do not know pain as mortals know it. We only know boredom and a peaceful life."

Pete snorted. "Boredom is pain."

Barione nodded. "You are like me, then. I think you are ready to learn the truth."

And Barione led him down the winding, narrow path of the Wisp Mountains, saying that she would tell him her secrets once he had traveled far enough.

Because nothing exciting ever happened to wisps, they had no choice but to talk about the mortals they had guided while they followed the mountain path downwards.

"I became as obsessed with a human man as you are with this waif." Barione told him. "I wanted to be apart of his life more than anything. He was a nobleman residing in Maribel who had lost his way. Gods, he embraced life so well. He loved gold, and good food, and his family... But he found his attention being drawn away from them and toward this beautiful peasant girl. I had the pleasure of leading him back toward his family through the jewels, and I expected never to see him again, but the jewels kept appearing and showing him to me. I watched him day and night, and I began questioning why I lived upon these mountains and why I didn't live with him instead."

The two talked of the many mortals they had met and guided throughout their lives, and time passed quickly.

Eventually, Barione and Pete came to a stop at a broken edge of the mountain path. Pete was about to float across when Barione blocked his way with a hand. "This is pain. Are you ready?"

Pete narrowed his eyes, annoyed that she should delay him. "I told you that I was. I can withstand any amount of pain, provided that it leads me to the truth."