Rows of velvet curtains gently fluttered with the winds as streak of grey lights penetrated into a dim-lit room. A cold air swept into the room like a wave of desperation. Surrounding the room, it was accompanied by the spray of raindrops. Papers drifted and flustered at the harsh breeze and sheets, dresses rustled fiercely. A cluster of dark clouds accumulated around beyond the cylindrical windows. And a dimming greyness slowly blanketed the sky like a disguise.
A storm was approaching.
A figure stayed quietly amidst the turmoil with her face buried within her palms. Sitting close to the bed within her daughter's chamber, she exhaled. As calm as she was, There was overwhelming anguish flooding her heart. Like an anchor weighing her beyond the surroundings storm. It was suffocating and heart wrenching. The painful sting of losing everything she would ever love tormented her.
Recalling every single event that transpired for the past few months, drained her. If not, consumed her. She had forced herself to stand strong ever since the disappearance of her beloved husband. The previous years, she casted away that feeling of hopelessness and despair. Buried it for the sake for her family but now she couldn't bear it any longer. She was already losing everything...
Everyone...
What was there to stay strong for when her second son was going missing?
Today was the fifth month since the tragic rumors of Geths carriage attack reached their town. The survivors told their tales. However, none had any idea about the whereabout of Lyriel. Her daughter's life was slowly fading.
Lady Madeleine unburied her face. She laid her eyes over the bed, watching the sickly form of her laying daughter.
Her breaths were steady and shallow. Her chest rose and fell under the weight of the thin quilt. Her honey brown hair similar to her's clung onto her pale skin, half scattered across the pillow. The beautiful face remained, but gone was the vibrant youthful enthusiasm of her skin. She almost looked unrecognizable. Even more skinnier as though she were endlessly starving.
There were faint trembles from her lashes to her body shuddering at intervals. Her pale lips twitching. The sight would shatter the toughest of heart. Madeleine was barely holding from weeping.
Would she even survive?
The town mage diagnosed she had six months to live, of which four months were gone. With her son now missing, the healing vial would be impossible to retrieve. Her whitened knuckles reached for her daughter's forehead and hesitated. She wouldn't bear the coldness of her temperature.
When she withdrew her finger to sit down, the chamber's large door opened with a creak. A pair of leather boot strode into the room hurriedly. An air of confusion surrounded the young man as he stepped into the room. His confused gaze briefly noticed the opened windows, but dimmed once they locked on his mother's dreary frame.
"Mother?..."
Kaiden Damore Tharagon called as he stood within the center of the room. His tall sturdy frame would scare any opponent into cowering. His bulgy limbs networked with veins signified his years of immeasurable labour, hung low besides his shoulders. The grey silky apparel he wore clinged his skin, and revealed his tight muscles.
Unlike his mother, he held an unconceivable expression. Although, they both felt the same ache within their hearts. He could only stand prominent. He was the first child, and the duty of the first child was to remain unyielding even when other's didn't. To provide support.
"Hmm." His mother replied.
The young man studied his mother before glancing at the window. He watched the heavy pitter-patters drift into the room. The floorboards soaking wet in raindrops. It was already raining.
"You left the windows open, again."
This had been his mother's habit for the past months. He didn't know why she always did it but there was no mentioning how dangerous it was towards her health. His heavy gaits sauntered for the windows, shutting the windows panels with a casual snap. "You should be mindful or you'll catch a cold."
" Hmm", The older women responded with a thank you. She flashed a smile at her son, remembering the amount of times he had warned her against unlocking the windows, although she couldn't help it. Afterwards, She asked curiously." You came home early today. One of those times?"
Surely, he didn't just come home this early for nothing. He had mentioned something concerning a lack of metals yesterday.
"Perhaps..." Kaiden sighed, he stepped over the paper littered grounds. He neared and checked his younger sister's temperature, knitting his brows at how it grew colder.
" ...A few investigators came by today with reports concerning the attacked carriage." His eyes glanced forward.
" They did?", Madeleine's eyes widened. Instant curiosity blanketed her face.
There hadn't been any involvement concerning the carriage attack for awhile now, so?
"Yes." The young heir rose his head before his mother could question further. There was a light flicker through his brown eyes which his mother evidently noticed.
" I think Lyriel lives..." He spoke calmly.
As he did so, he searched his mother for any reaction while struggling to believe what he just said.
Lady Madeleine froze, mouth gaping in disbelief. The next seconds she placed a hand over her chest as though she couldn't breathe. Each words struck like a boulder. Although she would never doubt her son, and refuses to do that. The mountainous forest of the western region were as treacherous as they were filled with savage creatures and heinous bandits. It would take a couple of highly skilled sentinels to survive and navigate through the lands. How could he possibly be alive?
Silently, she glanced over where her sickly daughter laid. In her heart Lady Madeleine could only pray and hope, pray and hope for the safety of her son. He was alive, yes, and surely he'll come back..
....
Swoosh...
A flash of sleek light whistled through the air as it reached for a tall tree. The arrow's tip sharply impaled the hard brown bark and protruded from the other side.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations Host! Daily task completed: Strike 13 targets with Aether's Bow! +10exp. +9strength. ]
[Ding! ]
[Host gained new level!]
[Name : Lyriel Neil Tharagon ]
[Age: 23 ]
[Race : Human ]
[ Class: Harnessers ]
[ Level : 2]
[Exp: 21]
[ Occupations : Blacksmith ]
[ Ability : Heliokinesis]
[ Strength: 28/1000 ]
[Stability: 100]
[ Weapons: Aether's Bow (Sacred Weapon)]
[ Consumables: Nil]
[ Others: Locked ]
Lyriel ignored the notification as he withdrew his fingers from the string. But a faint smile never left his lips, staring at his levels single digit number plus a one. The feeling was ecstatic.
Recollecting the past three days was something that almost left Lyriel in a state of despair. He had trained from almost dawn to dusk. Tirelessly. Though he performed his daily tasks and mission, though his experience and strength rose by a few digits. Yet, Lyriel's levels status had somehow refused to even switch to the next number. It was annoying.
But now it finally increased, it was time for his journey. But with a few more days for perfection.
Lyriel had initially meant to depart for the original's sick sister once he had reached level 3, but he was running out of time. There was a despairing family with a dying daughter. Who knows how many days it would take before his next upgrade?
Most importantly, was level 2 even strong enough to withstand Npc attacks?
Lyriel spent the last minutes before the journey practicing on his light manipulation ability, hoping he would achieve a bit decency in manipulating the element that signalled him a Harnesser. He made sure not to exert much of his mana for it could cost him his stability. And like star had explained, make him vulnerable.
It was no new information that mana thrived abundantly within Certaryia. All races tapped on the force, however one had to limit it's usage because it backfired with an effect that could char it's users body parts to cinders and even paralyze their golden core. Harnessers, unlike others, were the major users of mana. The ability to manipulate elemental forces required more mana usage, hence, it was somewhat usual that they were mostly prone to such hazards.
Lyriel was no different. He might be a player, but he wasn't invisible; He could be affected as well!
The light system never had any exception!
He studied his skill for the last time. Watching the three shards of lights he had hurled into a tree disintegrate into sparkles as he clenched his fingers, drifting off with the winds. Accomplishment swirled the rings of his silver eyes. Three wide holes gaped in the tree. Lyriel smirked.
His wielding skills had improved but he still needed to be sure of something. As he wiped the glistening sweat off his forehead, Aether's bow vanished. Lyriel turned towards the other spectators behind him only to find star wriggling under a pair of silver paw.
A bawl of disappointment reverberated, "Kar! "