Excerpt from Alexan’s Third Journal, Tour of the Shadowed Depths

What kind of advice is 'don't ask them about their life story' anyways?

Tal's Letter

Dear Nolsa,

Thank you for worryng about me. I am happy for the leter you sent. Sorry that my righting is bad. I was never good but now is good time to get better. So I have put lessons sheets in with letter. I hop it is not bad.

I have a queston. Did holow home always have more monsters when chosen got older? On old days right after holow home was seeled?

You did say your daughters name before. It was Alamia, You sed she was a short girl right? And she did not like it wen kids said so. I can know a little of what that is like.

Thank you for the leter, stay well,

Unnamed Tal.

Teacher Nolsa

Nolsa traced her fingers along the poorly-written letter, hardened as it was with dark mana. Poorly-written, but still better than almost anything else she’d seen from him.

What she’d asked of him was hard and greedy. Frankly, she was unsure it would work, as young as he was. The letter wasn’t the problem — any medium would work if both partners were fully invested. Or at least, that would be true if what she’d read in her teacher’s books was accurate. It meant that he could supply dark mana with a simple focus rather than needing to have an aspected seed. It had worked for Nolsa's friend as well, but that friend was an Erlkin, and Tal was not. It was also possible he didn't even need to use dark mana, but he'd obviously done as he'd observed.

Seeing the badly-formatted letter and misused words, she could only chuckle. Even the way he spoke was stiff. He must have been nervous. That might work in their favour, actually. With him concentrating so much on forming the words, the story would only be stronger in the eyes of the world. And the mana infused in the parchment just felt right.

Alamia. She could live with that.

The question about monsters was odd, though.

Leaving her desk and heading for a small office in the back of the classroom, Nolsa started rummaging for old journals. While looking, Nolsa smiled as she considered what story to send back to Tal.

Days Later, Unnamed Talkarn

He set aside the lesson sheets and pulled out the letter Easil and Ouran had brought on the second visit. Tal unfolded the parchment and started reading again, the effort coming easier this time.

Dearest Tal,

Thank you for answering my request; I know it can’t have been easy for you.

Easil has told me what the Grand Elder wishes to attempt. I suspected as much in my rare conversation with Elder Darisen. He first hinted at the idea back when it still seemed certain you would be unable to develop your seed further.

It is a relief that you will not be wasted like I have seen done with other children. But enough of that! You were right to wonder about the increase of monsters too. The monsters and the rot in the deep roots wasn’t mentioned in the old journals. The first mention I found in my searching happened in the third century of our imprisonment. Did you suspect this would be the case? I would love to ask you more about it after the ceremony.

Let me tell you more of Alamia!

She was always an independent one. I never expected she would do so well, but the little white mink, she took to living in the outer branches of the tree by herself! I know you’ve climbed to some of those hanging houses that exist on the outskirts. Houses like the reach in Lisnail.

She pouted like a little kid whenever I teased her about it. Being small made it easier for her to hide and make those places hers. “It would be harder if you were bigger!” I told her once. Oh, she stayed away for a whole season for that one, but eventually she came back as awkward as could be. I could tell she’d missed me.

Tal smiled as he continued reading the letter and learning about Alamia.

He was several days into his stay and was starting to feel like he’d been here a whole season.

Which made this letter from Nolsa all the more welcome. Even if there was much more to read this time. Enough that Tal was starting to think he was going to go cross-eyed.

But he was already enjoying the stories. Some of the words still escaped him, and there was a lot to read. But it was strangely more interesting now.

It was nice to see the follow up from Nolsa, even though saying indirectly saying yes had twisted him up inside. And he still wasn’t sure what his decision would be with the seal! With the Elder not even letting Tal out of the room, he was starting to go a little crazy. That lump in his stomach had stopped talking to him too.

All Tal could do was distract himself with the reading, with his reply...

And with his lessons.

Nolsa had also sent a couple suggestions on circulation exercises. It was easy to get wrapped up in the primary casting nodes: the chest nodes, hands, and the ones at the neck. But there were also nodes around the hips and lines all the way down his legs that he could practice with. It took a higher level of skill to use the lower body nodes, so Nolsa hadn’t pressured Tal or his classmates much over needing to use them. But with the sealing ceremony coming up in a couple of days, there was a reason to try. Tal would probably be in the same shape that made Meyla’s visits necessary in the first place.

The fact that Tal had to wait to interact with the thing would have made him suspicious to begin with. With his knowledge from the Sentinel the situation stank. Tal guessed whatever process the Elder used to extend his lifespan took some time to set up.

The idea of it was anticlimactic. Putting a lid on the seal like it was a simmering meal and coming back later.

Tal was pretty sure that he was going to do as the Elder had asked, for a little while at least. Unless the sealed on remained a raving beast, which Tal didn't believe was true, then he would break the seal. Eventually.

But until then, he had to be patient!

And that would give Nolsa more time for what she needed to do.

Tal picked up the first letter Nolsa had sent. There was a hole where the thumbprint had been and the leaf had faded from the dark tint to the usual light brown. Spinning a new tale into the reply had exhausted him for the rest of the day, but at least it wasn’t so demanding that he risked burning himself further.

Tomorrow, Easil and Ouran would come for another visit and Tal could hand off the next letter. Then, the day after that, it would be time to go to the Heart’s tower, and the sealed one within.

The waiting was excruciating.

He would wait for Meyla to finish her next visit, then he would write the next letter.

“I hope visiting me hasn’t taken away from your gathering,” Tal worried.

“Hmm.” Easil scratched his chin from where he was sitting on the table. Looking up from the paper that was as tall and as wide as himself the gnome shrugged. “The increase in monsters remains a problem, but when I stop and think about it, there seems to be more plants too.”

“So it’s easier to fill the stores?”

“Yup, as long as we get them before the rot moves through. They’ve started expanding a lot these last couple days. The smell wafts up from the depths much more often.”

“Too much mana trapped in the barrier,” Tal mused.

“Too much mana?”

“Yeah, it’s leaking in from the ou- I mean, the extra mana is the reason I gotta do the sealing ceremony,” Tal replied, glancing at the door . “It’s leaking from… out of the seal.”

Easil glared at him for a long moment. He hadn’t missed Tal’s slip-up, and he knew very well indeed when Tal was lying. But he also didn’t miss the way Tal was watching to see what happened.

“I suppose that makes sense,” Easil replied, letting it go. “But I must say I’m getting bored of these study questions. Do you need me to read the other letter Nolsa sent?” Easil pointed to the now faded letter from Easil’s previous visit.

“No!” Tal twitched, raising a hand. Realizing he’d almost shouted, Tal swallowed and tried again. “No, it’s, uh, really good practice. I already read it.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, uh, it’s part of another lesson, that includes me sending a letter back.” Tal tapped on the rolled up reply he’d bound with string.

“If you say so, let me look at your lesson scribbles then.” Easil shuffled the papers on the desk, then whispered in Tal’s ear from afar. “What aren’t you telling me?”

Realizing Easil was using an enchantments of hearing and whispering, Tal breathed his reply.

“The Shadow is the Sentinel of the seal. The Elder is lying but I have to do what he says for now.”

Easil froze in place.

Tal jumped in to break the silence. He knew there were still wardens outside. Letting his discontent creep into his voice, he started complaining “What I really wish I could do, is go for a walk. I can’t believe how much I miss moving around.” After that he spoke under his breath again. “The sentinel says I can meet the sealed one during the ceremony and know if it is still dangerous. That’s part of being the chosen.”

“Hmm. Did you try asking?” Easil asked, following up on the change of topic. Like Tal, he spoke out loud, then whispered the true conversation. “You spoke to the shadow?”

“Uhm…” Tal trailed off. “That’s what I ate. I have some of its memories, I think?”

…

“No. I didn’t ask.”

“Maybe try asking then? Next time you see Meyla?” And then in secret, “Why didn’t you tell me last visit?”

“I guess I should, she’ll be along soon. I’ll ask her then,” and then, “I’m sorry, I didn’t think of it.”

“Well do that. But for now let’s do circulation practice, I don’t want to deal with letters and reading anymore either. I’ll pass this along to Nolsa I think, she’s been very open with what she is sharing.”

“Okay, lets do that.” Tal said to finish both conversations.

From there, Easil jumped off the table onto the bed as Tal backed up and crossed his legs. His tiny father sat on Tal’s knee facing the door with Tal’s hand on his back.

That was how Meyla found them. Tal practicing aether transference and Easil making dense balls of air.

A small and increasingly-stuffy room. The study materials Nolsa had given him. The hard bed and the bits of furniture.

And Meyla’s twice-a-day visits.

That was the extent of Tal’s world.

Tal had one more day, and then he would go to the Heart’s tower and touch the seal. The sight of the black blob of nothing still sat prominently in his mind, along with the image of the angry thing from the Sentinel’s memory.

Meyla found Tal resting in the bed, arms and legs splayed out as much as they could. His left arm and leg hung off the side, with his right arm and leg pushed up against the wall.

There was a quick knock on the door followed by Meyla as expected. Tal saw Warden Seft and one of the other regular guards for a moment, before she closed the door behind her.

“Hello Tal, I hope you are doing well?”

“Considering how things have been going recently, I could be doing worse,” Tal quipped.

That earned him a soft laugh, but Meyna’s usual cheer was immediately lacking.

Tal threw his hands forward to lift his torso off the bed. He felt a few minor twinges of pain in the wounds on his chest, but Tal had already been testing moving his arms around for a couple hours. The healing was coming along. Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed he looked at Meyla with a bit of concern. “Is everything okay?”

She paused for a moment, regarding him with her green eyes. “I’m sorry, I asked if they would let you out at least for a walk around the heart…”

“But they said no,” Tal finished with a sigh. He lifted his head to look into her green eyes. “Thank you for asking.”

“It doesn’t hurt to try!” Meyla gave Tal a smile before extending a hand. “Let’s get started with the circulation, shall we? When that’s done, I intend to remove that stubborn lump. I worry it might impede the dark mana that will be pulled through you.”

Tal frowned at the thought of removing the remainder of the Sentinel. He wasn’t sure how the whole thing had worked. Maybe it would be okay since it seemed mostly gone anyways?

“It’s a lot to worry about, having all that mana pass through you,” Meyla spoke up, inferring his hesitation to tomorrow’s ceremony. “But all should be well, I believe in you.”

Tal smiled weakly. “Thanks, Meyla.”

Tal peeled off the shirt, sighing in relief as it didn’t stick to the sores. The wounded nodes were still scabbed up, but the surrounding spiderweb of black lines was finally gone. His arms down to his palms were also now clean of the marks.

Shirt off, Tal placed his hand in Meyla’s and relaxed as she placed her right hand on his chest and began circulation.

The aether flowed clean and crisp, raising goosebumps along the arm Tal had laid in Meyla’s hold. She moved her hand, tapping each of Tal’s nodes to ensure they’d cleared up, having to spend very little time to do so. It took almost no time for her to switch hands and check the other side.

“Okay then!” Meyla exclaimed, clapping her hands at the same time. “Turn sideways so I can put a hand on your belly and a hand on your back. I’m going to look at that lump.”

Tal wanted to say something, to refuse her and leave it alone… But the thought of Elder Darisen finding out scared him. Tal turned sideways, lifting one leg onto the bed to make it easier.

Meyla got a little closer, the wooden chair scraping on the floor as she moved. He felt her hands on his back and stomach and realized she was very close. Really very close. Tal’s face flushed hot.

And then he grunted as he felt the flow of aether immediately tug on the heavy lump. The flow eased.

“Did that hurt?” Meyla asked with concern.

“No, it’s just heavy, and feels stuck,” Tal replied. “it doesn't hurt, you don’t have to stop.”

“Very well then.”

The tugging resumed. It didn’t stop being uncomfortable, but it didn’t get any worse either.

“It’s stubborn, but there's progress,” Meyla muttered. “Are you still okay?”

“Yeah,” Tal said with another grunt, “it feels kinda like you’re pulling out a baby tooth. It needs to go, but it’s stuck.”

“Put your hands on your belly and help me circulate Tal.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Tal placed his hands over the hand she’d put on his stomach and concentrated on steadying his breathing. When he felt it was about right, he began pushing aether through his hands to add to the current Meyla had created. He felt the lump shift. Tal didn’t let that distract him or break his concentration. Meyla continued uninterrupted and he kept up the timing. It shifted again, and then broke loose as a solid clump.

“Oooo, don’t stop, owowowow.” Meyla flinched in pain but kept her hands in place. Tal could feel the last fragments of it leave him only for the healer to take on the burden instead. The flow of aether slowed down, not because Meyla was injured or burnt, but because she was controlling the pace.

“You’re okay?” Tal asked, looking at Meyla, “it didn’t break up, even at the end.”

Meyla stared blankly at Tal’s arm until he tapped her hand under his. She jumped slightly and looked up at him with her green eyes. “Oh! Yes, it didn’t break up at all. That surprised me.” She withdrew her hands and then pretended to wipe the dust off as if she’d been doing heavy labour. She stopped to inspect the palm of her left hand that had been on his back. She'd acquired a small spiderweb of black marks for her efforts. “That will take a couple of days to clear, but I'll be fine. But with that, you've finished your recovery. Don’t go eating anymore chunks of dark mana now.”

Tal smiled in relief. “You know, I can’t promise it, but I don’t think you have anything to worry about there.”

She sat straight in the chair with her hands on her legs. “Good then, with that I am done with you. For now of course, I’m sure I’ll be seeing you after the ceremony. Don’t be too demanding on this old lady.”

“I won’t. Thank you, Meyla.”

End Chapter