Nero
Nero blocks two quick attacks from the Entity just a meter away before it suddenly falls apart. He inhales deeply several times with his charred broomstick ready. His breath is just barely visible in the cool winter morning. Where did it go?
He shifts his perspective and sees the violet glow dissipate into the surroundings. Nero hears rustling from behind him and spins around. He catches a bright red glow of Aether as a person runs away. Switching his perspective back to normal, he sees it is a woman covered in black, who is soon lost to the park. What was that? He runs forward to get a better look and stumbles on a golden glittering object in the grass. Nero stashes his broomstick and picks up a long dagger in an engraved dark wooden sheath with inlaid precious stones of green and red, and gold designs.
The handle is made from the same wood as the sheath with light grain running along its length. He pulls the dagger out, revealing a dark double-edge blade with triangles cut through the metal along the length, which are large near the base and smaller as they come closer to the tip. He shifts his perspective and sees a gentle pulsing red glow about the sheath and a slight green glow between his fingers from the handle. When he slides the blade back in the sheath and removes his hands, green lines of Aether cling to his hand like the handle was covered in sticky slime. Eventually the lines of Aether break and green tentacles from the handle are left reaching out for his hand.
Oh my gosh that's creepy. The tentacles sway like grass in the ocean as he moves his hand back and forth. This is weird, it's like they’re alive and drawn to me. What are they?
Suddenly an iron grip clenches around his wrist and the dagger is ripped from his hand.
The old Borukin Nero had seen sweeping is glaring at him with a stare of death and breathing deeply. “You two handed, white skinned, sorry excuse for something that uses oxygen, thief!”
“What?!” Nero yells out, partly from pain and partly from surprise. “I didn't steal anything.”
The man turns and yanks Nero's arm with him. Nero tries to resist but the old man's strength is unyielding.
“Thought you could take advantage of an old man? Obviously your human brain didn’t account for the speed of a well-ripened Borukin! I was right behind you the whole time.”
Nero stumbles along. “I don't know what you’re talking about! I just found it on the ground.” Tears and panic start to build.
“Save your lies for the police. You'll be in jail until you get arthritis,” he says with a slight hobble to his walk.
“I didn't do anything wrong,” Nero barely squeezes out with tears trickling down both cheeks.
The Borukin drags Nero the rest of the way to his shop in silence. Inside, he throws Nero on a chair next to a phone. Nero's medallion jumps on his neck and catches the man's eye.
“Did you steal that too?” The man grabs the medallion.
Nero fights with him but is unable to stop the old man from pulling the necklace over his head.
Nero's head drops and tears begin to flow freely. “I didn't steal anything,” Nero says between sobs.
The old man hesitates at the phone. “Where'd you get this then?”
“Sosimo the candy maker gave it to me.”
“Ha! Sosimo the candy maker? You might as well call him Sosimo the elephant trainer for the waste of talent he is.” The man shakes his head. “Why would he give a little rascal like you this medallion?”
“But he did!”
“Well let’s see what Sosimo has to say about that.” The man looks Nero directly in the eyes. “Don't think about doing anything funny or just anything at all. Just sit there and breathe… if you must.” He picks up the phone and dials a number. “Hi Sosimo, it's Saraf. ― What? No I'm not getting needy in my old age and I know we just talked yesterday, this is about something else. ― Do you know a small human child, I think, with light hair, really skinny, and cries a lot? ― Oh yeah?” Saraf covers the phone with his hand and looks at Nero. “What's your name boy?”
“Nero.”
Saraf's shoulders droop and he moves his hand off of the phone. “Yeah that's him. Did you give him the medallion I gave to you? ― Well I found him in the park with Kormick's dagger. ― That's what I think but he says he just found it. ― You trust him? You're sure he hasn't stolen anything from you? ― Of course I saw the thief, I'm not getting that old. ― The one that took the dagger was dressed in black and if I had to guess it was a female and definitely not Borukin. ― No the boy doesn't fit the description, but I didn't say I saw him take it. ― Well then yeah, his story could check out, but why would she drop the dagger? ― Errrr... or more likely she saw me coming.” He lets out a sigh. “Okay fine, I'll let him go.”
Relief washes over Nero and he fills his lungs with air. His surroundings suddenly catch his attention as he wipes the tears away. Saraf’s shop is bursting with Artifacts. They cover the walls, clutter shelves, and fill display cases. Nero shifts his perspective and he is overwhelmed by light of every color that shines as if the place were on fire. Holy cow this is incredible! Without even thinking, he hops off his chair and moves towards an especially bright glow from a short display case in back.
Saraf eyes Nero while he continues to talk on the phone. “Are these kids with that catalyst thingy you’re helping out? ― No? Well pardon me. Why didn't you tell me? ― And I don't approve. This is almost as ridiculous as you making candy. ― Oh really? I guess anyone that causes some discomfort for the Erohsians isn't so bad by me and you do seem a bit more manageable lately, so maybe it’s good for you.” Saraf glances again at Nero as he looks closely at the Artifacts. “Okay well I need to go Sosimo. ― Sure I'll give you a hand, though you’ll probably be rustier than a sunken ship. ― Alright, save the butt kissing for someone else. Goodbye.”
“Hey,” Saraf snaps. “I said you were only allowed to breathe, what are you doing moving about?”
“I thought that was only because I was in trouble.”
“And you think you’re not in trouble anymore?”
Nero looks about. “Am I?”
“At least not yet.”
Nero turns back to the Artifacts that have captured his attention and sticks his nose on the display case. They are more impressive than any Artifact he had ever seen before. Most of them radiate a blue Aether, while others radiate green or red Aether, and one has an orange glow. Nero lets his vision go back to normal and sees the artifacts as crystal rods, gloves, bracers, bracelets, and necklaces.
“Will you take your greasy nose of my case,” Saraf says as he palms Nero’s head and moves him away. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep this shop clean?” Saraf begins to rub the glass with his shirt.
“Your Artifacts are amazing! They’re way better than Sosimo’s. Where did you get them?”
“Ha! Then Sosimo hasn't showed you the good stuff. He was my most promising student.”
“For what?”
“For making Artifacts. Has he not told you? Do you think people just gave these to me because I’m nice? I made most of them.”
“You did?” Nero asks with an unbelieving tone.
“What? You don’t think an old but good-looking Borukin such as myself could make Artifacts?”
“I never said you were good looking.”
“I know that, but I’m just saying for an old guy, I’m not too hard on the eyes.”
“You are pretty old looking,” Nero says.
“Are you trying to get on my bad side?”
“No sorry. What I meant is I didn’t think I’d ever meet a person that could make artifacts. They’re incredible. What do all these do?” Nero sticks his nose against the glass case again.
“Will you stop it with the nose?!” Saraf pulls back Nero’s head and rubs the display with his shirt again.
“Sorry, what do they do?”
“This is all more than a feeble, young human brain could understand,” Saraf turns Nero around and starts to push him out. “I’m saving you the headache.”
“Please! I have a good brain I promise.”
“I’m sure you do.”
I can’t leave. I may never get another chance to see these. Nero sits on the ground. “I’m not moving unless you show me one. You’ll have to carry me out if not.”
Saraf looks down at him and frowns. “I took a bigger poop than you this morning. Carrying you shouldn’t be a problem.”
Nero moves to his knees and clasps his hands together. “Please sir, just show me one?”
A shiver runs through Saraf’s body. “Oooo, I’ll do it as long as you don’t use ‘that’ word again.”
Nero hops to his feet and runs over to the display case. He sticks his finger on the glass and points to a bracelet.
Saraf holds out his arms and looks at Nero’s finger like he was just insulted.
Nero pulls back his finger and wipes the glass with his dirty shirt, which smears more grease around. “Oh sorry.”
Saraf shakes his head. “Just leave it.” He fumbles in his pocket for a set of keys. “This bracelet was actually made by Sosimo a long time ago, very impressive.” He looks at Nero seriously. “Don’t you dare tell him I said that.”
Nero shakes his head. “I won’t.”
“Good, now are you ready?”
Nero nods and shifts his perspective. Saraf’s body is a swirling blue and red interwoven Aether that clearly shows many details of his face, completely different than the obscuring bright red glow from the Woman at Blue Horin. As Saraf reaches for the bracelet with green tentacles fanning from it, they dive into his hand, sprouting green veins of light throughout his body, making his natural glow dim. Nero jumps and lets his perspective shift back to normal and to his surprise Saraf is gone. He shifts his perspective once again and he sees Saraf’s glowing body walking away. Suddenly the green veins in Saraf’s body dim, and his normal glow returns.
Saraf jumps at Nero. “Boo! Bwhahahaha. Did I scare you?” Saraf frowns. “You don’t seem so surprised.”
“What happened?”
“What do you mean what happened? I was invisible. Well not truly invisible. This spiffy little bracelet discombobulates your brainwaves so they don’t perceive my presence. The downfall is it drains energy faster than trying to dig up your grandma’s grave, to get an Amulet she promised you but didn’t write in her will, before the keep catches you...” Saraf lets out a nervous laugh.
“Is the handle of the dagger I found an invisibility talisman too?”
Saraf's eyebrows rise. “It uses the same cast of Aether but it’s a speed and strength talisman instead. Why did you guess that?”
“They both have those strange tentacle thingies coming out of them.”
“Tentacle thingies? Did we change topics?”
“I don't know how to explain them, it's something I guess I feel and see... They're kinda like... green... tentacles...” Nero wiggles his fingers about and looks at Saraf uneasily. “And then when you touched it the tentacles went into your hand and spread green lines of glowing light through your blue and red glow. That scared me and when I looked for you, you were gone. When I focused though, I saw your dim glow and brighter green lines.”
“Red lights, green lights, tentacles... The only tentacles I can imagine are the ones mucking with your brain.”
“I’m not making this up. All these Artifacts have different colors and stuff.”
“Uh ha. What ever you say kiddo.”
“Why doesn’t anyone ever believe me?”
Saraf looks at Nero a moment. “Fine then how about a challenge to prove what you say?”
“What type of challenge?”
“A challenge to the death!” Saraf says with both hands open towards Nero.
“What?” Nero looks at Saraf in shock.
Saraf drops his arm. “Okay fine, I can see you’re not really into that. No dying involved, I promise… unless you do something completely unexpected.”
Nero glares at him. “What’s your challenge?”
Saraf rubs his hands together. “Oh excellent, excellent.” He starts to pull artifacts from different shelves and places them on a glass top, prancing about as he goes. “This will be a challenge of legendary dimensions.” When he collects a satisfying pile he stands next to them with a serious face and his arms crossed.
“Are you ready?” Nero asks.
Saraf gives him a curt nod.
“What do you want me to do?”
“Sort,” Saraf says with a quick point to the pile and then crosses his arms again.
Nero frowns at Saraf and then approaches the pile of Artifacts. I could sort them by bracelets, necklaces, gloves… maybe by Aether? He shifts his perspective and the pile glows with, red, green, and blue light. Some of the lights are pulsing, some have a solid glow, and others have the weird tentacles.
Nero first separates them by color then he groups the type of light they emit into three columns, so in the end he has rows of blue, red, and green; and columns with solid lights, pulsing lights, and the tentacle lights. During the whole processes he moves the Artifacts with tentacles by poking them quickly to keep the creepy things from touching him for too long.
Nero stands back. “How’s that?”
Saraf looks at the grid. “Holy mother of pearl. You separated them by cast and type.”
“What does that mean?”
Saraf’s jaw nearly hits the ground. “How can you ask that, after you’ve sorted them?”
“I’m trying to tell you, I just did it by color and glowiness. Sosimo hasn’t taught us a lot on Artifacts yet.”
Saraf raises an eyebrow at him and scratches his chin. “Hmm curious. It’s as though you can see Aether as if it has different colors.”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to say.” Nero throws up his hands. “Wasn’t that the point of the challenge, to prove I wasn’t making stuff up?”
Saraf continues to scratch his chin. “A challenge to prove that you’re not making stuff up… A good idea, I’ll have to think on that.”
“What? Are you okay?”
Saraf shakes his head. “Oh yes, thanks for asking. How are you?”
“Okay, just confused.”
Saraf pats Nero on the head. “Don’t beat yourself up, it’s your feeble human brain.”
Nero looks at Saraf blankly and blinks repeatedly. “So what are the different types of Artifacts?”
“Ah yes Artifacts. My favorite topic,” Saraf says. “Well there are four main branches of Artifacts. Capsents which store Aether and are in your first column, tursents which convert Aether to a different form of energy and are in your second column, sorbsents which pull Aether from the user and are in your third column.”
“You said four.”
“Oh and carcerasents which trap an essence and let the owner of the Artifact bring the essence into the world and control it… Borukins don’t mess with those though, the mental bond they require is dangerous and it’s no better than slavery.”
“What do the rows mean?”
Saraf stares down at Nero and a smile creeps across his face. “How about this Mr. Fancy-pants. Come work for me. I have a feeling I’ll be able to use your little talent and I’ll answer all the questions that spill out of your ears from that little brain of yours. Deal?”
“What about Sosimo and the candy store? He needs me to help him there.”
Saraf waves his hand. “Pfft. Making candy isn’t complicated. Crush some beans, add some sugar, do a little dance… I'll talk with him.” Saraf pulls Nero's medallion out of his pocket. “Here's this back. Sorry I took it from you.”
“It's okay.”
“Good, then I'll see you tomorrow. My name is Saraf by the way. What were your parents thinking when they named you after a maniac that nearly destroyed an entire race?”
“He fought to save his family! Nero was a hero.”
“I’m sure that’s the human’s version of it, but power and greed gets the best of all humans in the end so let’s be realistic.”
Nero looks down.
“Okay I'm sorry. That was a bit over the top, even for me. Just make sure you wear that name as you and not the earlier owner.” Saraf pats Nero on the back and Nero lifts his shoulders a little. “Now get out of here and don't be late tomorrow morning.” Nero begins to walk out. “And make sure to wash your greasy nose!”
*****
Later that night, Sosimo brings Nero to the training room.
“So it seems that Saraf has taken an interest in you,” Sosimo says. “Many Borukins would be grateful to have a chance to work with him so count yourself lucky.”
“Really? He seems a bit odd. What’s wrong with him.”
“He’s eccentric. He used to be the Obsentsan Overseer, which is an Artifact maker of the highest degree until he realized that he wasn’t happy, so he decided to relinquish the title and loosen up… which nurtured his oddities until they came out in full bloom as you probably saw yesterday. Just don’t let him fool you, he’s incredibly smart.”
“Yeah his Artifacts were all really amazing but I didn’t believe he made them,” Nero says. “He said he taught you to make Artifacts. Is that true?”
Sosimo looks down. “It’s been a long time since I’ve made one but I’m thinking it’s time for me to start again.”
“Why did you stop?”
“It’s in the past and I don’t wish to talk about it.” Sosimo takes a deep breath and looks at Nero. “So Saraf tells me you have an incredible sense for Aether.”
“I guess.”
“Modesty's a good trait but I don't care how well you can sense Aether if you don't know anything about Artifacts. I'll never hear the end of it from Saraf so I want to teach you some of the basics. We'll have private lessons every few nights. Are you ready to learn something?”
“I think so,” Nero says. Sosimo looks at him for a few moments. “Yes?”
“Good.”