(A New Era)
The joyful sound of chatter and laughter danced on the breeze that whistled through the trees and plants of the Western Forest. It was there that the first five Natanstrelleans decided to hang out - away from their parents and away from their younger siblings, where they could talk about what they wished to talk about and show off their light magic in peace.
Beanni sat upon a sturdy branch of her favourite tree, swinging her legs back and forth as she held her light orb in her outstretched hand. Countless birds made of violet light, that mimicked her mother's magic, soared around her and above her friend's heads, who sat on lower branches and at the trunk of the same tree.
"You always choose birds," observed Mollig, as she braided her long, blonde hair. The light seeping through the trees brought out the orange undertones within each separated strand.
"I like birds," Beanni responded. "To be able to fly." She let out a peaceful sigh and studied the movement of the delicate wings that fluttered in the air before her. "Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
"I guess." Mollig shrugged, then reached for her orb that lay in a pouch tied at her waist. Her mother decided to make her that pouch one day, then agreed to make one for each of her friends once they saw how functional it was. "It's my turn now!"
Beanni nodded and drew the glowing, violet birds back into her orb then stored it away into her pouch. She then turned her focus, along with the rest of her gang, to Mollig's left hand. They all watched the glowing orb grow to fill her palm. She closed her tawny eyes, then scrunched her brow into a frown. When she opened her eyes again orange sparks flew from her magic orb and flitted in all directions. They then joined together and built up, bit by bit, a perfect representation of the Fiosolim sitting around the strange smoke.
"What are you doing, Mollig?" Strellum snapped.
"Yeah, that's a stupid joke!" Emlyn added, echoing her friend's uneasy tone.
"It's not a joke, I'm just remembering something I saw," Mollig rushed into her explanation.
Beanni tried her hardest to not sound as frustrated as her cousin did, however she couldn't help but express her worry. "But, we're not allowed to go anywhere near the mauve tent, so how do you..."
"Stop pretending Beanni! All five of us have looked into the tent, how else do you know that that's what my light is showing you now! Don't try to make out that I'm any worse than you!"
"I'm not!" Beanni squeaked defensively.
"Alright fine!" Emlyn moved between them, lifting both of her hands up in surrender, she then continued in a hushed tone. "We all have looked, but we also promised each other that we wouldn't speak of it, you know, incase our parents overhear!"
"Well they're not here, are they?" the orangey-blonde Natanstrellean shrugged. "Stop being paranoid."
"Just change your light picture to something else will you?" demanded Strellum.
"No, I wanted to show you guys something that I noticed the other day."
"The other day?" Beanni spat. "Mollig! You went back?"
"Yes, I went back!" Mollig rolled her eyes. "Come on, will you just stop? I noticed something that I think is important!"
"What is it?" Callan finally decided to pipe up, no longer able to hold back with his curiosity now spiked.
"All of you, look at their eyes," Mollig instructed as she pointed towards the orange picture that shone in the air. "Our parents noticed their glow was dimming from gazing, but I saw it's worse than that now."
"Worse? How?" Callan said, intrigued, taking a step closer to study the image that his friend conjured.
"Their eyes are getting darker. They are almost black!"
"But that's impossible," Beanni said with an incredulous sigh. "Nobody can get dark eyes now. The darkness was banished to a non-magical world before any of us were born. We've all heard the story."
"Exactly!" Strellum joined in. "I don't know what you think you saw but you shouldn't have even..." Suddenly a yelling from beyond the town's white wall distracted him from scolding his peer further. "What was that?" he gasped.
"Come on! Let's go and find out!" Beanni said, jumping down from her seat in the tree.
Mollig pulled her orange light magic back into her glowing orb and held it tightly in her hand. She then followed her friends, who already began darting through the trees towards Chridocus. The five Natanstrellean's held their individual light orbs and formed a rainbow of shining light magic. Doorways opened in the surrounding white wall and they all entered back into their hometown.
They didn't have to go far before they saw where the yelling was coming from. A Troglobha was screaming threats at a Sìthicris. His eyes were ablaze with flames of fury and spit flew from his gnashing teeth. Anybody would've found such a sight intimidating, however, the Sìthicris held his ground, squaring up to the enraged Troglobha with his hands glowing with red magic. In the middle of them both, stood Vidorea, who tried her hardest to calm them and get them to see reason, however her words seemed to fall on deaf ears. It was as if their outrage put blinkers on them so that they could only focus on their assailant.
"Where's father?" Beanni searched the area for her father but neither him or his brother, Severton, were anywhere to be seen.
"Emlyn!" a high pitched voice called out. A small green-eyed Natanstrellean, ran from the spectators, towards his older cousin.
"Sèamar, what's going on? Why is Uncle so angry?" Emlyn grabbed his trembling shoulders.
"That Fiosolim tried to take me to the mauve tent, he was going to force me to gaze!" Seamar said, pointing at the red glowing Sìthicris.
"What use is preventing the inevitable? We've seen that the new tribe will gaze. They shall gaze and prophesy to others! We must train these youngsters to see visions!" the Sìthicris yelled, apalled at how stubborn the Troglobha was being.
"You just keep my child out of your corruption, Fiosolim!" Seamar's father growled back.
"Fiosolim! How dare you call us that! We do not identify as such!"
The Natanstrellean children watched as the two fighting got angrier and more aggressive.
"Why won't mother move?" Beanni's anxiety shook her voice.
"Beanni, look at the Fiosolim's eyes! They're black!" Mollig whispered in her friend's ear.
Soon a brawl broke out between the two adults. Emlyn stopped her younger cousin from running to his glowing, green-haired mother's aid as he watched her try to pull her husband away. The fires in his eyes were burning too brightly and his strength overpowered her attempt to stop him.
Vidorea, with hands shining with violet magic, grabbed the red Sìthicris' wrists, but when she looked into his eyes she froze. The children's view of her was then obstructed by violent swings, clawing and throwing.
When Beanni saw her mother again she noticed her violet light was beginning to dim. The fight then came to a sudden stop. The Troglobha took a step back and his foe followed suit as they both watched Vidorea collapse to the ground.
"Mother!" Beanni yelled and ran towards her. However, before she reached her, Vidurram swooped in as if from nowhere and knelt by his wife's side. "Father, where were you?"
The look her father gave her squeezed at her heart; she had never seen him so frightened before. He turned away from her to address the adult spectators standing around him. "Who is responsible for this?"
"It is hard for us to tell for sure," Mach, the blue Sìthicris stepped forward. "Vidorea got caught in the middle of a terrible fight between Brin and this Fiosolim."
"Severton, take them both away," Vidurram commanded, then caressed his wife's cheek while choking back his tears of worry.
Severton stepped forward and seized the guilty Troglobha and motioned to Mach to arrest the red Sìthicris. The Fairy managed to restrain him with the help of his sapphire magic.
Brirag (née Seamrag) watched her husband being taken away. She then turned her focus onto her chief's daughter, her duties as a healer overriding any anxieties she may feel for her beloved Troglobha spouse.
"We must get Vidorea into the main tent as soon as possible, before her glow snuffs out completely," she announced, then turned to her green haired brother. "Cùram come and help me!" Vidurram got up and stepped out of the healers' way. The Sìthicris siblings made their hands glow and lifted Vidorea with their magic. The crowd then parted to allow them to swiftly move her to a safe place where they could treat her wounds. Vidurram and Beanni followed close behind, not wanting to let the most important person in their lives leave their sight.
Vidurram paced back and forth in the central room of the main tent. Listening intently to the sounds from the sectioned off healing room - the very place he waited nervously outside when his daughter was being born over a decade ago.
"Father, Mother will be okay, won't she?"
Vidurram stopped, and glanced at his frightened daughter's face. The flames in his eyes were weakened to an ember as hope was beginning to fade from his mind. Not wanting to drag his daughter into the depths with him, he faked a smile.
"Of course she will, she's your mother."
His focus then turned towards Brirag and Cùram whose cries of defeat penetrated the closed doorway.
"No!" Vidurram muttered through gritted teeth before barging his way into the private room.
"No, you can't give up on her!" he shouted desperately at the two healers.
"We're sorry Vidurram, there's nothing more we can do. Her injuries are too severe," Cùram said as his sister became overwhelmed with despair.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered through waves of sobs.
"No! She will be fine! Illuminare-Trabem will heal her. He must!" Vidurram declared rushing to his wife's side. He pushed Cùram out of the way, scooped his fading wife into his arms and left the room.
"Beanni, I'm taking your mother to the lake of Iar Coilva, I need you to open the town wall for us!"
Beanni, without saying a word, grabbed her orb out of her pouch and followed her father out of the tent. They made their way to the surrounding wall where Beanni created an archway with violet light magic. Together they entered the Western Forest and rushed between the trees, past the flower beds and clearings until they got to the edge of the lapping waters of the lake where Illuminare-Trabem never failed to meet his children.
"Great Power!" Vidurram called across the calm water.
"I'm here, Vidurram," the powerful voice of Illuminare-Trabem echoed around them. Vidurram lay his wife on the ground beside the water. He then knelt down alongside his daughter on the spongy ground. They both looked towards the bright beam that shone on the surface of the lake.
"Please, Great Power, Vidorea's light is fading and I don't know what to do." Vidurram pleaded through a veil of bitter tears. "I can't lose her! I just can't!"
"Vidurram, my son, all will be well," Illuminare-Trabem's deep voice soothed the air.
"So you will heal her?" The Troglobha allowed himself to smile a shaky smile, as hope began to spring within his broad chest.
An uncomfortable silence took over the West Forest, making Vidurram's smile disappear as quickly as it arrived.
"I'm sorry," Illuminare-Trabem finally broke the silence with a gentle whisper.
"W-What do you mean you're sorry? Are you saying you won't heal her?"
"I'm sorry, my child."
"You are the Great Power! You can do anything you wish!" Vidurram argued. Illuminare-Trabem said nothing, which made frustration claw its way up the Troglobha's throat. He pulled at his fiery hair and rocked back and forth as he looked down at his poor wife's week form.
"F-Father?" Beanni's timid voice graced Vidurram's ear. He could not bring himself to look at his daughter. Instead he got to his feet, as if he was squaring up towards the beam of light in front of them.
"I don't understand! Vidorea's your most faithful follower! She has done everything that you ever asked of her!"
"I'm sorry, Vidurram."
"Stop saying sorry! Just save her! Save my wife!"
"Things must be this way, my son."
Vidurram collapsed back down to his knees in defeat. A tidal wave of depression crashed over him, taking his breath away. He bent down and kissed his wife's cold lips and sobbed as he watched her light grow dimmer still.
"Urra vossa amaradh, aeteràdh," Vidurram confessed his feelings for the violet Fairy in the little he knew of Sìthicris-Sana. It was at that moment that her battered body faded completely, leaving behind her soul in the form of floating, violet stars.
"No..." Vidurram whispered, the pain in his heart straining his voice. He felt his daughter hug into his side as they waited to see Vidorea's soul float into the sky. However, her violet stars moved in a very different way, instead of dancing straight up they circled her little family, then soared above the lake where they created many large rings that fused together. They turned around faster and faster. They began to glow brighter and hotter until they formed a huge floating sphere that shone like the magical orb that lay in her daughter's pouch.
Vidurram and Beanni stared up at the large light orb in awe and confusion.
Illuminare-Trabem's voice then echoed through the air, the sound engulfed all other sounds of nature and filled both Vidurram and Beanni's hearts with a warmth like no other.
"Vidorea's soul will forever live as Gealach Trabem, she'll be by my side for eternity and will bless generations of Natanstrelleans for centuries to come."