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Sages of the Hidden Lights

Arki Darkwater

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Year 847, Summer

-Chapter 1-

Aiko

Aurro, Bælan

The air was warm and quiet, all except for the sounds of birds chirping atop the trees. In combination with the comfortable orange and yellow colors of the setting sun, it was the perfect night. In my paws, I carried a bundle of firewood. It was a bit heavy, but hey, I'm a strong-ish guy, so I managed. Of course, just one bundle of wood wouldn't be enough to stock up our reserves for the rest of the week. Thankfully, several more bundles of wood were mysteriously floating through the air, following close behind me.

Thanks magic, I mused haughtily. You're the best.

The dry, powdery dirt felt comfortable beneath my bare feet as I walked down the forested path. Just past the gentle overhanging branches of the oak trees, my small village came into sight. I stopped for a moment and sighed as I simply absorbed everything around me. Nights as free and stressless as this one were rare, and it felt like the weight of the whole world, for that brief stroll through the woods, was lifted off my shoulders.

Walking through the village, I saw several of my neighbors lighting the streetlights and grabbing the hanging laundry from their clothes-lines, preparing for the night before them. After a short stroll through the heart of the village, I came to a small and cramped cottage at the edge of town. Logs were arranged atop one another to form walls in a somewhat rectangular shape. The door was a plank of wood loosely tethered to a metal stake in the ground, which allowed it to swivel back and forth, opening and closing. The ceiling was nothing more than a cheap gray tarp from the flea market, delicately draped over the whole complex. It was my family's "house" if that's what you wanna call it. We built it ourselves and called it the Hovel. I opened the door to the sight of multiple familiar faces.

"Heya wolfy, finally back? We were getting worried," said Ruby, the small, chirpy red fox standing in front of the open door. The fur on her muzzle was an inky black hue, but the rest of her fur was stunningly scarlet in color.

"Oh heya, sorry. I got a ton of wood for the fire," I reported as I walked into the crowded hut. Fortunately, none of us were terribly large people, so the whole situation was at least tolerable for our simple everyday life.

Ruby closed the rickety old door behind me and replied, "Good. We're almost out." Ruby's petite younger brother Shiro and a chubby otter named Odie were huddled by the fire, keeping warm as they burned the last of our previous wood stash. I dropped the bundle I was carrying next to them, then stuffed the rest of my findings in the corner of the room, where we usually kept our wood. Taking a look at the other side of the small room, I saw that Maren, a timber wolf with dusky gray fur and a remarkably calm demeanor, was busy folding laundry and fitting it snugly into the organized compartments she had made for each of us. Beside her, Medley was laying down with his head resting on a bunched-up blanket and his paws folded neatly across his chest. The lynx appeared to be very deep in thought, just as usual.

"Oh yay! More wood!" exclaimed Odie from his place by the fire as he turned around to face me. "Now we won't hafta cuddle each other to death for warmth."

"Aww, but that's fun," Shiro murmured, grabbing one of the new logs and tossing it into the fire.

"No, it's not," Medley stated coldly. His voice almost seemed to suck the happiness right out of the room.

"Ehh, I sure don't mind it," I said with a smile. Medley simply glared at me with fierce amber-colored eyes from his position on the floor, then resumed his meditative state of inner peace.

"I don't think Medley appreciates your desire for physical intimacy," Maren jested with a chuckle.

"A family that sleeps uncomfortably close to one another stays together, isn't that how the saying goes?"

Medley grunted. "That's definitely not how the saying goes, Aiko."

"Well, it is now!" I declared cheerfully, provoking a grin out of all my other housemates.

"I like it," Maren said quietly, wearing her usual serene smile. "Maybe we should engrave it on a plaque and hang it up. It could be our family motto."

"And put it where, exactly?" Medley asked. "We don't have room, sis."

"We'll make room," Ruby suggested. She let on a sly grin. "We could always kick Medley out, if he's gonna be such a stubborn ass."

"Excuse me?!" Medley growled, sitting up with his fists clenched. "You'd better take that back if you don't want my fist down your throat."

Odie stepped up beside Ruby and held up his own fist proudly. "We'll put two fists down yours! You're outmatched, kitty cat."

"Make that three!" Shiro exclaimed happily, raising three fingers in the air.

"Alright, alright!" I shouted, chuckling nervously. Both Maren and I stepped in-between the growing divide. "That's enough squabble for now."

"The sun is almost set, so I think we oughta get ready for bed anyways," Maren pointed out wisely.

"Alrighty then, I'm gonna go grab some water and hit the bathroom quick," I announced before stepping outside one last time before dark.

Just a short stroll away from the Hovel was a water well. Moss-covered stones formed a circular wall around the dark tunnel, and a crumbling wooden roof covered the small structure, held up by two oakwood beams with vines wildly laced around them. It had been there since before we moved in, obviously abandoned long ago by whoever had built it. But it still worked, so of course we used it frequently. Turning the wheel over in my paws, I let the bucket drop down, scoop up a modest pool of water, then return as I slowly hauled it back up.

I reached into the bucket and cupped some of the cold, refreshing liquid in my paws, bringing it to my muzzle and taking a long, noisy sip. I closed my eyes and revelled in the moment--after a long day of working with little hydration and a dry throat, letting it trickle down my gullet put me in a state of pure ecstasy.

I scooped up some more water, splashing it into my face and rubbing it into my tainted white fur to clean out the dirt and grime, or at least try to. I looked down into the bucket, using the reflection to assist me. A pair of glossy light-brown eyes stared back at me quizzically, observing my pointy ears and scrawny figure. I was rather small for a wolf, and my fur was so dusty, you could hardly discern my arctic origins. I honestly must've been a pretty sad sight, but I shook it off and gave my reflection a toothy grin, knowing all too well that I had to stay positive for my family.

Then I scurried into the woods to take a leak. Although summers along the southern coast of the mainland tended to be fairly warm, the temperatures still managed to get cold during the night. Standing outside wearing nothing but a loose-fitting sleeveless shirt and trouser shorts, I began to shiver. There were also mosquitoes, and something about wolf blood must drive the l'il buggers crazy, 'cause they were all over me like I'm all over my breakfast in the morning, and believe me when I say that it's not a pretty sight. Suffice it to say, I took care of business quickly and hurried back to the Hovel.

I climbed back into our home to find that everyone was settling down. The only source of light remaining was the crackling fire. Odie and Ruby appeared to be amidst a last minute quarrel over who had to cook breakfast the following morning. I got settled in my improvised pile of ground-level blankets--or "bed" as some might call it--just in time to hear Medley's voice croak out, "Please shut up and go to sleep, or I will come over there and slit both of your throats." The quarrel ended and the room promptly fell silent.

Nobody ever questioned Medley.

We laid there in silence for a few minutes, simply looking up at the stars above, which were bright and remarkably visible through the thin, nearly-transparent ceiling of our hut. The sight, although quite troubling in terms of our economic welfare, was beautiful, and it immediately put me at ease. Whaddaya know? Being dirt poor can have its advantages, too, I thought.

I began wondering whether anyone else was still awake, which was soon answered by the voice of the wolf to my right.

"I remember when I first met you guys," said the quiet and calming sound of Maren's voice. "It was a night like this one. The stars were just as bright. I was lost in the forest, alone ever since I'd lost track of Medley the previous day. That's when I saw your campfire. I saw the five of you guys all huddled around it, and believe it or not, it was Medley that later convinced me that we oughta stick with you guys." She playfully nudged the figure next to her. A muffled "Shut up" was the response.

"From there, it just took a l'il bit more traveling and we found this place," Shiro said, chiming into our nostalgic story time.

"We were just north of the highlands at that point," I said, pitching in. "You guys only got dragged down here 'cause I was headed in this direction to find work."

"Yeah, and look how far your 'work' has gotten us. We now have a really nice tarp," Ruby interjected.

"Hey, magic is some serious business! I'd like to see you try," I recoiled. Then I paused to think for a moment. "Say, why'd you guys decide to follow me anyways?"

There was another moment of silence before Maren spoke once again. "Because we liked you, Aiko. You had all these great stories about growing up and all of your adventures. We were all lost and confused, and you gave us hope."

At that, my heart almost stopped from how loving and caring my ragtag family was. I couldn't help but smile.

"I love you guys," I told them. Next to me, I felt a small reddish-brown fox cuddle up to me and nuzzle into my fur. By the looks of it, Shiro was already asleep. I pulled him closer, and with that, I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

-Chapter 2-

The next morning, I awoke tired. Rubbing my eyes in my furry white paws, I forced myself to pull the covers away and get out of bed. I must've slept in quite a bit, although that was nothing short of the usual for me. The sun was shining bright in the sky, and I was the only person left in the Hovel. I got up and quickly slipped on some warmer clothing before I stepped outside.

"Mornin'," Odie said to me before taking another bite of something that smelled rather pleasant. The otter was sitting by our bonfire, carefully watching the frying pan that was comfortably nestled amidst the sizzling flames. His stubby brown ears perked up when he heard me walking over.

"Heya, big guy. Where the others at?" I asked.

"They already ate," he replied through a mouthful of food. "Shiro and Ruby are off in the woods, picking berries I think. Maren and Medley went into town."

"Ah, okay," I responded as I sat down on the other side of the fire. Odie finished eating and wiped his paws off on his dirty tan shirt, then grabbed the pan by the handle and passed it to me. "I made pancake-ish things. Want some?"

"Sure," I replied, chuckling and taking as many of the tasty treats as I could seize. I sat and ate for a few minutes until I finished wolfing down my meal. (Haha, see what I did there? Laugh, dammit. I'm funny.) I heard some footsteps approaching and looked in their direction just in time to see Shiro and Ruby get back.

"Look Aiko! We got berries!" Shiro shouted to me.

"Nice job, buddy!" I marveled, giving him a complimentary high-five of approval.

Unfortunately, our celebration was short lived. My tall ears perked up at the sound of yet another set of footsteps, these ones belonging to Maren. With a newspaper clutched firmly in her paw, she seemed to be in quite a hurry, and by the troubled look on her face, it couldn't mean anything good.

"What's wrong?!" I exclaimed, running up to meet her. "Where's Medley?"

"He's still in town, shopping for some herbs I think. He'll be fine. However," she began, grabbing my paw and forcefully pulling me back towards our settlement. "There's something you guys should see. Everyone get inside," she ordered. We all immediately headed for the Hovel with the exception of Odie, who first set out to extinguish the fire and grab the remainder of breakfast as a take-out.

Once we were all inside, Maren laid the newspaper out on the ground. All five of us huddled closely around it, eagerly scanning the headlines for whatever news had Maren so gravely worried.

INCREASED TENSION ALONG THE BORDERS

Wrothian and Agu Morran troops are reportedly converging along their southern river boundaries. Alleged smuggling incidents over the border, coupled with the conflict over land rights to the Mountua Strip, have been inciting violent responses and public riots. An alliance has formed with Aey'Áris, and negotiations for an alliance with Uthalia are under-way. Could we be headed to war?

MORE SEEKERS HEADED SOUTH

The Northern Alliance or "NA" is sending more of their murderous, Liaran-hating apostles called "Seekers" to all major Bælanian, Árisian, and Uthalian settlements, claiming, "They can live in your town, be a neighbor, or even a friend. They are a disease to this world, and must be eradicated."

"I see," I said quietly, shaking my head. My ears drooped at the thought of everything. Maren placed a paw on my shoulder.

"You're worried about your foster mother, aren't you?" the wolf asked me quietly.

I sighed in disappointment. "Yeah, of course I am. She lives right on the border, you know. Just a mile or so away from the Thitus River." I paused to swallow my growing emotions. "She'll be ok, as long as they don't figure out what she's been doing."

After a moment of silence, Odie said, "I'm sorry, Aiko. You have my hopes and prayers."

Just then, the door burst open. I was about to prepare my stunning spell, but thankfully it was just Medley.

"I don't think the Seekers are heading down this way" he stated, shuffling in and closing the door behind him. "Hell, I don't even think they know anyone lives out here. Aurro is about as obscure a place as it can be."

"Well fortunate for us, huh?" Maren mused. "In that case, it's probably safe to go back outside. Just be careful." At that, everyone slowly started filing back outside to get some fresh air, leaving just Maren and I remaining.

"Aiko," she said hesitantly, her voice trailing off.

"It's okay, I know I shouldn't worry too much," I replied. "She may not be my real mother, but I care about her a lot. She raised me into this world when I had no one else to even give a damn. But I guess that doesn't really compare to you guys never having parents in the first place."

To my surprise, she pulled me into an embrace. I laid my head on her shoulder, as tears started to form in my eyes.

"It's okay, Aiko. We understand. We care about you and we care about your mother too," she said, gripping my paw firmly. "I'm just really worried about you. If they find out what you are..."

"I know. They'll interrogate me and then kill me. I've seen it with my own eyes."

"Okay. Well, we don't know anything for sure yet. Don't lose your hope yet, Aiko."

A moment of silence lingered between us. She quietly mumbled, "I love you, brother," which was then followed by an hour-long session of my emotions slowly sinking into her fur in the form of my wet tears.

The rest of the day was relatively uneventful. I went on a stroll in the forest with Ruby and Maren, and then later, we all had some family bonding time with a good ol' game of "guess what the other person is trying to draw in the dirt with a stick".

We went to bed early that night.

-Chapter 3-

I woke up several days later to the feeling of being violently shaken. Opening my eyes, all I saw was the frigid, palpable darkness of the night. The stars were null.

"Aiko! Aiko, wake the hell up!" I heard. Looking up, I saw Maren's terror-filled face in front of mine. Behind her, Medley and Ruby were waking up, and Shiro began to stir. Odie was still deep in sleep, as usual.

"What is it?!" I demanded harshly.

"Aiko, I'm so sorry." She paused for only a brief moment, but it felt like entire hours of her cerulean eyes intently gazing into mine, frantically searching for something that wasn't there, that didn't exist.

I wanted that moment to last forever. I wanted to hide in that moment and never leave, because I already knew all too well what her next words would be. I knew the immense, inescapable fear those words would spark in my heart, and I just couldn't accept them.

"They're invading. Their forces have already taken Aey'Áris by night. And I think we're going to war."