Chapter 2: Bundok


    Her young heart projected across the cove.


    Her range was a mere twenty meters,


    But that was further than most managed


    At her young age.


    The problem with Agatha was sight.


    Her excellence in heart projection


    Only served as a cruel reminder—


    I’m the blind one.


    A hickory staff improved her senses.


    The staff was hard won by her father.


    It allowed Agatha to perceive


    Land through her soul.


    This power was by no means perfect.


    All objects bound to the ground appeared,


    But those who flew and floated before her


    Instilled great fear.


    As a soul tool, the staff was superb,


    Crafted lovingly by friends of Broxen.


    An elder tortoise gladly gave,


    His soul to her.


    Broxen embodied great fatherhood.


    He was the leader of the village,


    A devoted husband to her mother,


    And cherished her.


    Agatha tried to be grateful,


    To serve as a filial daughter should,


    But she held such sorrow at what she


    Saw around her.


    The staff imbued her with two meters


    Of crystal clear perception centered


    On the shining elder tortoise shell;


    Yielding no ire.


    She was blessed, or cursed, a heart reader.


    Her heart truly caused her suffering.


    It perceived far beyond two meters,


    Through one’s soul.


    Growing up, she read the souls of “friends.”


    In the beginning they were truly


    Clear and innocent of malcontent.


    Change quickly came.


    Toddlers are not known for their purity.


    Lies crept into their thoughts and actions.


    Jealousy fell upon her treasures.


    Broxen was rich.


    At least he was rich in the eyes


    Of children who never left their homes.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.In truth the village was poor, but wealth


    Is ethereal.


    Greed grows from lowly comparison,


    And children hold uniformity


    In highest regard. Differences mark


    The ones to shun.


    And so she could not turn to her peers.


    To Agatha all of one''s soul,


    All of one''s sin, laid bare to her.


    Virtue was sparse.


    Even among her parents she fell


    Into fearful patterns of piercing


    Perception. Most parents did wish well


    For their children.


    Agatha’s parents do care, do love


    Her with all their might, but their souls held


    The stains of their actions to others,


    Held by remorse.


    Broxen held the most pure soul she knew.


    Though Agatha found it difficult


    to examine her own soul, she felt


    Unclean throughout.


    Agatha knew she resented her peers.


    Worse she felt the stains her sins caused her.


    And so she sought solace in the cove,


    Stretching her heartforce across the sea,


    Detecting life.


    Animals tended towards purity


    And clarity in their souls. Weakness


    Of the animals souls correlated


    Mostly with size.


    There are exceptions to this rule,


    The elder tortoise for one, but few


    Beings violated this rule. Those that could


    Held conscious minds.


    Humans were aberrations to all


    Norms regarding capacity and


    Power within their souls. Even elves


    Were not so blessed.


    Most of humanity did not tap


    Their full potential, but those that did


    Rose to unparalleled heights across


    The mortal realms.


    Agatha was not concerned about


    Giants among men. She strained her heartforce


    To detect smaller and smaller souls.


    Toil grew her spirit.


    Every few months she found she could


    Expand the range of her heart reading.


    And slowly she came to better terms


    With her parents.


    Agatha began to completely


    Forgive herself and humanity;


    Then sprouted hope that she might discover


    A pure soulmate.