Day 17, Summer of 500 A.V.
(Nykko Lightstorm is 12 years of age)
(Nykko Lightstorm is 12 years of age)
Location: Skyglow Hold
Jerosh Lightstorm slipped the slick blade back and forth across the young boys body, slashing his arms and legs twice!
"Ow! Aahhh!!!," screamed Nykko, who had been told to sit very still and close his eyes. He wasn't prepared for this!
"Sit down, boy!" yelled his uncle Jerosh,"Your getting blood everywhere! Sit DOWN"
Nykko reluctantly walked back and sat down on the large mat that was old and dinjy. Warm blood trickled down his bare arms and legs. He was wearing only a loin cloth.
"My Goddess, people will think I'm trying to kill you here! Is that what you want? Huh? For them to take me away and you left alone with no one to take care of you," yelled Jerosh.
Nykko was hurting pretty bad, but noticing the cuts, they were actually not deep and they were just surface wounds. He admired his Uncles control with the blade! He felt so embarrassed that he couldn't man up and bear the pain of the knife wounds. Summoning the little courage he had, he begged his uncle to continue. "I am sorry, Uncle. I'm ready now," Nykko said in a small but growing voice, he voice cracking with pre-pubescent squeaks.
Jerosh seemed to calm down as well, noting that his nephew was being serious now. Kind of like a man, less like a boy. This made him smile and give out a hardy laugh. "Ha! Just like your old man, crying and then manning up! Alright, Nykko. I cannot promise that this next part will be less traumatic as what I just did with the knife. Are you ready for this? Do you really want to learn Reimancy?" asked Jerosh Lightstorm with a steady seriousness.
Nykko looked at his Uncle, the only family he had, with reflecting seriousness, trying to hold back tears from the cuts he was just given.
Ever since he could remember, Jerosh had aways been there. He was, in all practical terms, a father to him. Jerosh was a High Level Ice Reaver who helped maintain the infrastructure of Avanthal coupled with Water Reimancy. Nykko wanted to be just like Jerosh because he admired the strong willed man and would follow his footsteps to the very ends of the world!
"Yes, Uncle Jerosh," squeeked Nykko, "I am ready"
The older man, his hair already turning gray, closed his eyes to summon the Res that had already been building up in his body. His brow creased with already deepened wrinkles.
"Close your eyes once again, Nykko, my boy. You must find your element, be it earth, air, water or even fire and use that thought as a focus point. You will be a great discomfort, so you need to focus, Nykko! Focus on the element!" announced Jerosh in a serious tone.
Ok, Nykko thought to himself. Focus. Wait, what is my element anyways? Nykko had never really put any thought as to what element he should learn first! But by then it was too late!
Gaseous Res was exiting out of Jerosh's open palms held up in front of Nykko! It took all the remainder of Nykko's little courage to sit still, but he was shaking profusely! Will this hurt? Can I die because of this?
The gas snaked and swirled around Nykko's little body and found its way into the various cuts and open wounds opened up on his tender skin.
He felt nothing at first but then, like a weight building up inside of him, he began to panic as he realized that this foreign material didn't belong in his body! He couldn't move! He tried to scream and beg Jerosh to stop the flow of Res but he could not!
"Focus, Nykko" Jerosh said with a stern voice. "Focus on your element"
Focus Focus Focus Focus, Nykko almost unconsciously told himself! He was now on the ground, elapsing into convulsions. He felt his blood mix with agony and pain as the foreign Djed pulsed and raced across his bloodstream. With every beat of his little heart, more and more of it entered his brain, mixing with his emotions in a strange, almost hallucinogenic trance!
Along with the very strong inner voice yelling at him and telling him to scream, he kept telling himself to focus.
Shaking profusely, Nykko's head was facing towards the back of the little room they were in. He tried to take his attention away from what ever it was that he was going through with his surroundings. A chair. A table. An old bear rug that his neighbors had given them when he was 7. His eyes flicked around the room, trying to keep conscious! A pile of old books, a juggling torch that was being held up on the wall and used as a room light. He never had noticed before, but this whole room was lit by juggling torches! He tried to laugh, but he didn't know if his brain could register that. He felt as if he was being squashed by a giant from the inside out! His skin flickered with twitches and spasms as the Res raced on and on inside of him!
How long had it been now? Hours? even Weeks? He didn't even know who he was anymore. He looked around again, trying to keep his focus on anything! The torches! Yes, he stared at the closest one and realized that it was carved very finely with intricate patterns of flames. He followed the pattern up till he got to the actual flame on top of the torch.
Fire.
It was so warm and pleasant to stare at. It danced to even the smallest current of air around it. Burning brightly on the earthy torch wicker. Fire fought with water to stay alive just to exist. Just like him. He was like fire. Trying to stay alive without burning out! Was there a better example of something to focus on than a fire burning brightly against the darkness? And thinking about the darkness, Nykko's vision was getting darker and darker! Is this what it felt like to pass out?
And then, Nykko passed out.
