The porridge tasted good. Baba was very adept at using different spices to create tastes that would really make a dish stand out. She’d also made quite a lot of it, seemingly anticipating how much Zvanimir had longed for proper food.

Large quantities of the porridge disappeared before their eyes as he gobbled down his first proper meal, but it was more than that. The ordeal with the roaches had made this porridge that much better.

“Slow down soldier, you will be sick.”

He looked up from his wooden bowl and at Baba. He then looked back at his bowl and realised that she had a point. Self-control was in order.

“Sorry, it’s just…”

“I know, I know, first proper meal. But you should still not rush it, it is unnecessary. The porridge will not run away.”

She had a point, of course, but it was difficult for Zvanimir to eat slowly. He had to actively think about it and focus on maintaining a moderate pace.

“It would also not do you well to be sick now, we have things to do.”

He wanted to ask what those things were, but Baba had scolded him previously for speaking with his mouth full so he took the time to chew his food thoroughly and swallow before speaking.

“What did you have in mind?”

“You asked me to teach you, I will teach you. It will likely take a long time, but the sooner we get started the better.”

Zvanimir nodded and began to think to himself. How would the lessons look? Considering the effects of using it, it couldn’t just boil down to him repeating words after Baba until he memorised all of them.

On the other hand, he wasn’t sure how else you would go about learning a new language, albeit a magical one.

-

Baba and Zvanimir stood outside in front of the tree house. It was some time past noon, usually a time for respite, but not for the two of them. She insisted that they go at it now as they would get tired after the meal otherwise.

Zvanimir wasn’t exactly sure what was going to happen, but it was hard to not feel at least a bit excited. He had seen what Kaikavian could do and it seemed like something that would be good to know going into this world.

“Before we begin, there is something I need to give you.”

Baba opened her hand and showed Zvanimir the seed that she held within it.

“A seed?”

It seemed harmless enough, but Zvanimir still didn’t take it immediately.

“What’s it for?”

“You are asking a lot of questions today.”

She attempted to place the seed on his hand, but he pulled it back before she could do so.

“I want to know what it does first, please.”

Baba sighed, but didn’t put up much of a protest besides that.

“It will help you handle the side effects of use at first, provided you do as I say during your studies. It will not, however, help you if you recklessly abuse it like you did yesterday.”

Zvanimir nodded. It made sense, there wasn’t much he could protest.

“And what do I do with it?”

“You swallow it.”

Now there was something to protest. Just having it on his person would have been fine, he could get rid of it at any time, but swallowing it was bad news.

“I’ll need more if you want me to swallow that thing.”

Baba grunted. Where had the obedient soldier from yesterday gone, she had preferred him to whatever this was now.

“It is a Drijade seed. They can syphon the magic that is held within Kaikavian, growing from it. If used correctly, they can mitigate the side effects of Kaikavian.”

Again, all that she was saying seemed reasonable. The only choices Zvanimir was left with was to either trust her and take the seed, or doubt her words and refuse what might be a great help to him.

“Is it possible for me to learn it without using the seed?”

The expression on Baba’s face was one of annoyance as much as it was of surprise. It seemed like she hadn’t expected this kind of reaction from him.

“It is possible, for certain, but there is greater risk involved. I would sug…”

“Then I would like to do it without the seed.”

Baba let out a sigh longer than her previous sentence and started rubbing her eyes.

After about a minute of just being irritated, she finally put the seed away in a small pouch that she had hidden somewhere under her robes.

“Fine, suit yourself, soldier. It will be much harder this way, but you can change your mind at any time.”

Zvanimir nodded.

“Thank you for understanding.”

“Do not thank me yet, you might come to change your mind once out lessons start.”

It was difficult for Zvanimir to tell if that was a threat or a warning, or maybe a bit of both. One thing was for sure, he felt that he had made the correct choice in this situation.

With confidence in his heart and Baba’s guidance by his side, the lessons finally began for Zvanimir.

-

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

The pain was excruciating. He had only spoken a few words, but already the vines began to tangle into his very bones.

“It wasn’t this bad last time!”

Zvanimir was screaming at the top of his lungs. If Baba had any intention of keeping her home hidden, that would surely fail now as it felt like his voice could reach up to even the skies.

“Last time there was no intent behind the words. The more you intend to achieve, the more you have to pay for it.”

The vines continued to tangle into Zvanimir’s skin, grasping his bones tightly and squeezing them. He could feel the blood vessels moving out of the way to make room for the serpent-like vines as they traversed his body.

“Can’t you make it stop!”

Baba pulled out the seed again.

“I told you this would help. If you swallow it now, there is still time for it to lessen the pain.”

Zvanimir looked at the seed with desperate eyes, his pupils focused on nothing but it. The entirety of the world had disappeared and all that was left was that seed.

His hand instinctively reached for it and took it out of her hands. Like a feral animal, he began to throw it into his mouth.

With all the willpower that he had remaining, he closed his hand around the seed before it could fly into his mouth.

“No. I won’t!”

His arm moved closer to his mouth, but he would not let go of the seed. His body needed it and he knew it. The pain was nigh unbearable and the seed would make it go away. All the lessons that still awaited him would become so much easier if only he took the seed.

But he also knew that the pain would pass. The vines would retract and disappear from his body with time. Before they started the lesson, his arm had almost recovered.

Should I take it? Maybe I should? But I can’t be sure that it will do what she says it will.

Baba watched Zvanimir, by now kneeling on the ground, fight with himself. It was a terrible sight to behold, like an addict trying to stave off his addiction.

“Just take the seed, soldier. I swear that it will do nothing but help you.”

He trusted her words, that was not the problem, but something inside of him was screaming not to take the seed just yet. It was like the instinct of a wild animal that could override any thought, an urge to not take the easy route.

Fuelled by these thoughts, Zvanimir continued to struggle against the pain as the vines continued to grapple his insides.

“What’s… the… ugh… next… word…”

“The last word for today is you. Now do not imme…”

“May I speak to you?”

The muffled sound of bones cracking was the first response to Zvanimir’s question.

“You fool!”

Baba rushed to his side and took the seed from his hand.

“No! I don’t want it yet.”

He kept himself from screaming out in pain, but it was clear that the vines were rampaging through his arm. If She let this continue for any longer, the metamorphosis would begin.

“(sorry.)”

Baba whispered to Zvanimir and grabbed his hand.

He could feel the grip of Baba’s hand like a vice around his own. Using all of her strength, she crushed his hand, adding to the pain he was bearing.

The already broken bones dug into his flesh from the inside while Baba’s nails dug into it from the outside. Zvanimir tried his best not to, but there was little he could do to stop his body from screaming out in pain.

The second his mouth sprang open, Baba threw the seed inside and made sure he would have no choice but swallow it.

“I have seen enough. You will not put yourself through more risk. Awaken, my child.”

As Baba uttered the words, Zvanimir could feel the pain lessening, but he could feel something else. He could feel the seed taking shape within his body, absorbing the roots and vines that had plagued him until only moments ago. But there was something else, something unknown to him.

“Ⱀⱁⱅ ⱄⱅⱃⱁⱀⰳ ⰵⱀⱁⱆⰳⱈ.”

A set of words echoed, no, exploded into his mind.

“What did you just say?”

Baba only stared at him in confusion.

“Just now, you said something?”

She continued to look at him, raising an eyebrow at his words.

“I said nothing, soldier. It must be from the pain and exhaustion. It is possible that you are hearing things.”

That couldn’t be it, Zvanimir was sure that he heard something. A language he could not understand, but one that sounded strangely nostalgic, as if it was something he was supposed to know deep in his very soul.

“You’re sure you didn’t say anything? I swear I heard something.”

Baba waved a hand at him and gestured towards the tree house.

“We have done enough for the day, it would be best if you went inside to rest. The seed will lessen the pain, but you still need treatment for the damage that has already been done.”

She was right. The shock of it all was slowly fading away and reality began to set in. Most of the bones in his right arm were broken, maybe even shattered completely.

Can Baba even heal such an injury? Maybe I should have taken the seed from the start.

This was another situation in which he had definitively made the wrong decision. He could have spared himself a world of pain had he only listened to Baba from the start. It was that simple.

But it somehow wasn’t.

While walking back to the tree house, he couldn’t help but feel proud that he endured everything for as long as he did. It just felt correct to take the route with adversity. Being built up through adversity felt like the correct path for him to take in life.

The feeling of pride quickly faded, however, as it was replaced by disappointment. Disappointment in himself for not sticking with his conviction until the very end. Disappointment for being glad about having received the seed after all.

The pain was gone and learning would become so much easier for him, but it would also mean that what he had sworn to himself meant less now. His words no longer carried the same weight that he believed they did. He felt weak, pathetic even.

I can’t even go through with my own resolutions. I can’t let this happen again.

This would be the first and the last time. Once something was decided, Zvanimir would stick to it. No more making empty promises to himself, only words that carried true meaning.

“You should not reside in your own head so much, it will do you little good.”

Baba’s words broke Zvanimir’s flood of thoughts.

“What do you mean?”

“I can see you retreating into yourself, into your own head. It is not wise to reside within yourself too much, there is a whole world out there.”

It was a valid point, but also one lessened by the fact that she was holed up within this forest that was hidden by a cave.

“Should you really be saying that, considering where you live?”

Baba’s face twisted into that of a teacher whose authority was being questioned.

“Those like me, who have seen more than enough of the world for one lifetime, have earned the right to retreat away from it. You, it seems, do not even know the first thing about it seeing as you are not even familiar with the trains that pass through the lands.”

He couldn’t dispute her words, that much was certain, but he was intent on exploring the world.

“I will go out, I just want to learn from you first.”

“And learn you will, but once that is completed, I will send you out. It is the best way for you to remember who you are.”

It was strange hearing her say it out loud like that. Remembering who he is was something that would surely be a prime goal, but somehow it didn’t feel that way right now.

There might be people waiting for his return, but to Zvanimir right now, those people didn’t exist, they were just an idea. And he himself was, in a sense, a new person.

How long would it take for him to be considered someone else? Was he already there? Would it take months, years even? If he remembered who he was, would who he is right now perish? Was that something he wanted?

Am I really Zvanimir, or is Zvanimir someone who would come to take my place once I restored all of his memories?