Aysu woke up, getting ready. Dressing, washing—things like normal.
Normal.
Everything was numb. Her grief preyed on solitude, drowning in silence. Vicious and ruthless.
Lislan joined her soon, a kind look in her eyes.
Summoning up her courage, Aysu asked, "Do you even want me here?"
Lislan's face morphed into shock. "Why would you think that? You haven't been here a whole day!" she protested. She shrugged and leaned back on her chair. "You worry way too much. Don't think I could ever worry like that! How does anyone live by only worry worry worry, yah?"
You deal with my life and we'll see how you fare.
"Anyways, why would you ask?"
"Noran."
"Oh, don't worry about him, especially protective of me, y'know? Twins have a link—a minor Attunement—y'know? All siblings do," gushed Lislan. Flustered, she rushed. She was lying. Not about the link, but something else.
"And the shadows well…they didn't give him the complete picture! You are a mystery! Everyone fears the unknown! Also…beings partly like you did terrible things," Lislan answered, changing the subject. "Oh, hello, Noran." Noran sat next to Lislan, glaring at Aysu.
Aysu looked away, trying to find out how she should respond. Her mouth did not consult her brain, as she remarked, "Wow. You are so nice." She had never been witty and had trouble creating responses to insults. But she had always been sarcastic and always liked shooting sardonic comments.
Noran stood up and Lislan gave a little sigh, pulling him back down. Possessing an ashy smile, Lislan forced the conversation. "Do you have any questions, Aysu?" Her eyes flitted to the two of them, Noran started whispering and she slammed her hands on the table. Her voice lower, she hissed, "Shut—okay!You do anything and I will burn you alive—what were we doing again? Oh, Aysu?" An irritated sigh as she undid her elaborate braided bun into a simple braid.
"What were my parent's powers?"
"Your mother's Attunement was Light," Noran answered. "Your father was the same but his Depths were low so he could only Perceive emotions by neurons."
Aysu recalled the moments where her bruises seemed to subside, its hurt soothed. He probably didn't want her to get suspicious…but…
"What is magic?" Other than waving a wand.
"Magic is the foundation of the world along with Matter and Time." Time. Huh. "Think of it as building blocks. We're all born with…magic but it comes in different ways, as Attunement. We each have a limited supply of magic though, which we measure in Dimensions. If you use too much, you will die."
"So, if I use my water thing too much…I'll die?"
"Only spells, hexes, and charms because the magic that influences your Attunement is endless. Thing is, it's just how much you can bear before the Aeons decide they should stop their flow."
"Oh," Aysu said, faint.
"A few can do spells or hexes, but everyone can do charms. Especially the simple charms. Spells and hexes take five Dimensions and charms vary. Oh! We measure the power of an Attunement by Depths. The highest ever recorded was eighty-eight point seven. Mine's eighty! My tutors say I can be a Master, y'know?"
"Um, yeah."
The conversation died after that. Aysu was just so articulate.
Eldreran arrived and sat at the head of the table. A little bit after, Lidaen arrived with a hovering platter of food. She noticed that it seemed to mostly contain plants—that was no problem as they all had various flavors—she wouldn't need meat.
It was brilliant though. The tastes burst in her mouth, flowing beautifully as she swallowed. It was so vibrant. And there was so much. She didn't have to worry about rationing or limits. It was right there, in front of her platter, and Aysu loved it.
Her eyes lit up; the others had thin, confused smiles. They never had to worry. Abundant resources and magic to keep them alive and fed, rich and prospering. Aysu bit her lip.
Others were starving.
"Can I ask—"
"—Yes," Eldreran and Lidaen answered.
"Oh, by the way, certain data is inputted into our brains. It's…natural for us. Simple things like mathematics and language are instinct, so you need not worry about that," Lidaen said.
Aysu paused. That had been one of her questions.
She didn't know how to feel about that. Would she be normal? Insignificant? Inferior? Would she fail without that advantage—was her confidence in her intelligence misplaced?
She shuddered, hating the implications. "Okay." Her eyes flickered towards the ever-present wings on Lislan's back.
"Why does Lislan always have her wing—Halo out?"
"She was born with them," Lidaen told her. "It's very rare."
"And why wings?" said Aysu.
Lidaen gave a delicate shrug. "The Aeons were creative. We should not deign to try to understand their machinations."
"We should show you around," Lislan said, pulling her up. "I want to show you Otrini. She is super fun. She is just amazing."
"I'll come, too," Noran said.
Lislan arched a perfect eyebrow. "We know."
"We do?" Aysu squinted, skeptical, she didn't know that. Maybe a few logical guesses or predictions based on his overall behavior, but even that could be wrong. So far, a surly, hostile twin. He was lovely to Aysu.
"We'll be at Otrini's quickly," Lislan said, walking toward the exit, Noran a few steps behind them. "Y'know, because there are connections across all of the private properties."
"No, I don't." Maybe Aysu should tone down the hostility, as Lislan winced.
"Right. The bridges are connected to a mountain in one of our main cities, Fálul. It's where the Council judges and does all of their important things and whatnot."
"Does everyone live on islands?"
"You're more likely to find saints and elves but elves don't make them float. They don't like heights. Gnomes—Rnlaip's a gnome—have sanctuaries, spirits do whatever dead beings do, sinners and wildborn live in their assigned sections in the mainland so everything works out!
"Then, there are cities. Fálul, Nikilison, and Aizao to name a few. We have a private estate because we are the Aranlises. Us Aranlises are one of the two-hundred or so NobleHouses. Others don't use their family names since it is of no importance. It's amazing, isn't it?" Radiating pride, she beamed with a twinkle in her eyes, entering the…door that shimmered into existence.
As Noran entered, it disappeared after them. As she came to her bearings, she noticed that they were inside another building.
It was filled with light, pooling through the transparent walls. It was nothing like glass but she could just tell it wasn't any kind of crystal. It pulsed and rippled constantly, its glimmer captivating. Her hand brushed it and ripples resounded off the material, a shock wave released from it, making her choppy hair flap in the wind.
"What is this?"
"We call it quayren. It is indestructible and it can't be controlled," Lislan answered as she walked three doors to the right. She touched it and it disappeared. She beckoned. "Come on!"
"Why couldn't we teleport?" Aysu asked after they were on the other side. She was greeted by a lush, temperate forest.
"It's rude. The Commerce of Fálul is better. Additionally, private land has barriers to stop intruders." He began ranting about the mathematical charmwork of a barrier, to Lislan's annoyance.
Lislan shushed him, merry, waving at Aysu to hurry. They walked up to a giant tree with majestic leaves of summer greens, branches spanning outwards. And…it was plated in prismatic plates. Aysu touched it—it was hard and unyielding. Aysu glanced at other trees; the newer ones lacked as many plates as the older ones. Curious.
"A tree?"
"Up there," Noran told her, gesturing towards the tree, grinning—his grins were never good grins—at her shock. He was such a lovely person. The branches didn't seem to end; she wondered where the tip of the crown was. Was there an end?
This forest was on divine levels.
"Well, look who it is!" A cheerful, stentorian voice called above them. Every word had a playful inflection; words were articulate and animated. There was a curious exaggeration on the vowels.
It belonged to a young girl with short, dirty-blonde hair with brown streaks racing through them. Braids graced her hair and her round, freckled face. She had a flexible, muscular brown tail and tiny round ears peeking out of her mane instead of…normal ears. The girl leaped down with a bounce.
"Otrini!" Lislan shouted.
"Hey! Who is she?" Otrini smiled, her stunning green eyes reflecting the bright colors around her.
"Aysu."
Otrini did a cartwheel on the branch, grinning. "Ooh." She clambered down, giving a mock bow. "You're new. And let me guess, you're a saint."
"Otrini, don't tease," Noran said.
"By Elfotri! Have a little fun, Noran." She swept down, bowing, hand extended, revealing…otter-like patterns all around her body. "Otrini Manana. The Otrini—the best elf that you shall ever find. Now, hand."
"Okay?" Aysu said.
The edges of her features beamed, as she declared, "Now you can get here by teleporting. If Lislan thinks you're alright, you are alright." She said, "Neikoh! I know you're here, so hurry it up!"
Seconds of silence passed before an otter with rich, brown fur and…hells. It…was the size of a lion, and those teeth were meant to crush. Holy ashes. Holy. It climbed out of the river and said, "Otrini, you really need to work on your refinement." Her accent was similar to Otrini's, but drawling. And then, it was talking.
"It talks!" This translation had to be magic-oriented. The vocal cords wouldn't allow it to speak like this—some magical translation, then. "It talks."
"Who are you calling it? I'm an enhydriodon, if you'd please," the otter-thing growled, flouncing around. "Let me tell you, I am intelligent; a wildborn, not one descended from that cell on your Earth. It is wholly different from those Nixthyns. I was created from the grace of the Aeons, with their plans—they were merely meant to satisfy the humans' transition!"
"Neikoh! She's new."
The enhydriodon stopped in her pacings. "Oh! I…forgot within my ranting, darling. I apologize," Neikoh…said. "Pleasure, really." There was a warping in Aysu's vision as the otter disappeared.
Aysu asked, "Where did she go!?"
"Teleportation. She put her Aspect into the Void to travel. I don't know where, and I don't care!" Otrini said. "She's my bond, we're Attuned to each other, and she can give me stuff. Agileness, energy, and my insufferable charisma. My charm is so insufferable, it is irresistible."
"I see. Uh…what about…the…cell?"
"The Aeons, for Nixthys—your Earth thing—created a cell to create life. It evolved into creatures. A lot of those cell-descendants are similar to the wildborn but they're lesser! Are you…Aysu Aranlis?"
"Ah…what was it Noran? Mum told us it, I swear she did—"
"Tsela," Noran quickly answered. "It's pretty—"
"But it won't ever be used because you aren't in a Noble House!" Lislan said, undoing her hair with a shake.
"—Aysu Tsela has a nice ring. If I am correct, it would be Moon Water Tsela. "Aysu" is a human name. Very unique. I don't think the Facet gives out that kind of name, does it? Oh, stop it, Noran! I do study. Occasionally. How old are you, Aysu?"
"I'm fourteen?"
"What maturity?" Otrini asked. "Mental."
"She's fourteen. Six more years until she is a young adult," Lislan answered, chuckling, "Particularly lucky; her mental maturity and physical maturity are aligned."
"What!? What are you talking about?"
Lislan winced. "We age differently. It can take…a long time. That's why the school's curriculum circulates, y'know? Noran and I took twenty years to get to a ten year old's mental maturity though our bodies only took five"—she shuddered, tying her hair into a braided bun. Licking her lips, she said, her voice a tint higher now, "After that, it was aligned."
"Twenty years!?" Aysu shrieked.
"I took a thousand," Otrini said, brushing her solidified tail.
"What—"
"—Played you like a broken shard! It took me a century but that's all. I promise!"
"But…what?"
"This world…well, it's different. Aeons and all!" Otrini grinned, waving her hand side-to-side.
"When…does it stop? How does this…maturing thing work?"
"Ten to twenty is when we are more…adaptable. We learn better in those years. After twenty, though, it's all inconsequential. You don't really change after twenty."
Aysu stared, suddenly cold. "How can you go on for that long? How do you?"
Because…I don't think I could live like that. Ever.
"I mean, there's always something new," Otrini commented. "Always. We elves know how to live compared to saints! Oh, by the way, beings might be billions of years old, but that just means they have more experience. It doesn't mean they are shifting more into a wiser stage." She added, "Unless you are an emotionless gnome. But…don't worry. You get used to it, I'm pretty sure!"
"How?"
Otrini bit her lip. "I…don't know! I've never really thought of it as a problem, right, Lislan?"
Lislan hovered above the ground, her tone thoughtful. "Some saints find fulfillment in Mastery. All saints have attunement to the Aeons' elements, but…it is the highest honor to achieve Mastery. There are only eighty Masters. They are the Elemental Aeons' will," Lislan said. "Those of dedication might be able to earn that degree of perfection. That is what I aspire to—"
"—and continue that rant about Lislan Aranlis," Otrini chimed. "Saints get on like that—over and over about their powers and Weavings and Perceivings and oh! If you hear about their mind-reading things, it's not really mind-reading. It's just that they are Perceiving your brain's signals and something.
Aysu mumbled, "That's weird."
Lislan scowled. "It's not as bad as those sinners with their Domination."
"Sounds like mind control," Aysu said, blank.
"It is," Lislan said. "They are far too dangerous. Only the Banshee, Deva, Cyclops, and Harpy Clans have Mind Domination. Either way, Aysu, it is best to keep your distance from the sinners though most of them are civil!"
"Why?"
"Blood Rage. They infect others. Their victim changes. If it is one of the Noble Clans, their victim gets a power. Don't worry about it, though."
"But why fire and light?"
"It's energy, isn't it? It's just how it works!" Otrini said, bright.
"I guess."
…
Aysu followed her routine, trying to accept her life—musing over the day's contents. Trying to find a pattern to try to understand how her life would go. To try to understand her previous, normal life was gone. Ash upon the winds. Scattered memories.
Dead.
She cried that night too.