Hazard was used to pain, at least he liked to think so. Outside of the obvious, he’d been zapped, burned, frozen, and slimed by plenty of different crystals, got stuck in a few fights, and one too many head bumps thanks to his poor eyesight.
This? This was new.
It was like he was drowning in fire, a cold burn saturating his whole body. Yet... he could feel so much around him. He was in a void with lights of all shapes and colors moving through the darkness, but four white forms rimmed with purple seemed to be constantly moving around his sides, and he felt a constant pull from every light. He wasn’t sure how long he was floating for, like he was in the strange blur of time that usually accompanied a dream, but at one point he started to feel as if he was being drained. The “burn” faded away, replaced by a soreness, and the white forms leaned in. He felt like he should be afraid but there was a calmness to their presence that radiated towards him.
He wasn’t sure how or why, but the lights all vanished suddenly, and Hazard’s eyes suddenly cracked open like he had just had a long nap. Blearily looking around he saw he was in a room with a tall ceiling, a row of beds stretching to the wall on his left, and to his right-
Hazard practically went blind as bright sunlight blasted his face, and he quickly tried to turn away and raise his arms to block his face. His left arm came up, but something heavy weighed down on his right. He heard a quiet groan and the weight shifted... and suddenly he was wrapped in a tight embrace.
“Haz!”
“Ro? What-” She pulled away so she could turn his face, cupping it tightly with both hands.
“Are you okay? Do you hurt anywhere? Are-”
“I’m fine, I’m fine.” He cut her off, trying to blink away sunspots. “Just too bright.”
She laid him back down a bit roughly but she did get up and close the curtains so he wasn’t having the entire force of the sun in his face. She quickly returned to his side, grabbing his arm. “Haz, seriously, are you okay?”
“I’m okay, Ro.” She nodded but she still held onto him like he’d vanish any moment. “What happened?”
“You... You passed out.” Her voice was choked and hoarse, and he quickly turned to hold her hand. He only heard her like this once or twice, and it was never a good sign. “You’ve been asleep for a whole day.”
That would explain the weird dream, at least. “Did they say why?”
“You abs-” Hazard practically jumped out of the cot he was in at the sudden voice from his other side. It was a bald man in white robes, practically blending into the white stone of the wall. “Apologies, I did not mean to startle you.”
“It’s fine.” Hazard took a breath to calm his racing heart.
“Regardless, you have my apologies. As I was saying, you absorbed quite a bit of power.” The man pulled out some sort of short stick with a small, round crystal embedded in the tip from his robes. The crystal began to glow, and Hazard followed it with his eyes, not unlike the doctor visits of his past. “We rushed you here and I must admit; you gave us all quite a fright.”
“How so?” The light faded and the man stowed the wand away.
“Tell me, do you remember anything?”
“Not really? I was in the elevator with Ro and then everything went dark. I... had a weird dream, if that helps?” The man hummed, sliding a stool from... somewhere and sitting beside Hazard.
“Tell me about this dream.”
“Not much to say, there were a bunch of colored stars moving everywhere, and these four... I don’t want to say stars, they were figures, were all moving around right near me. I had this pain like... you ever hold something that’s too cold and it stings? Like that, but through my whole body. That went away, then all the lights, then I woke up.” The man’s eyebrows went up in surprise.
“Are you certain that’s what you saw?” Hazard nodded. “Amazing... you absorbed quite a bit more power than we thought.”
“What”
“When a... no, if a... hm.” The man hummed, taking a moment to collect his thoughts, before he spoke in a tone Hazard usually heard used for children. “When someone very, very skilled with crystals and magic focuses, they can take power from the world and crystals around them. You took in quite a lot of power, and quite rapidly- er, quite fast at that. It seems like your body wasn’t ready for that. Tell me, did you feel anything before you fell asleep?”
“...You can say “fell unconscious,” and no, nothing at all.” Hazard wracked his brain for a moment before something popped up, “Wait, Ro, do you remember when we first came here? Or started coming in?”
“What do you mean?”
“You felt that weird charge too, right? Everything felt sharper, we felt better?” Ro’s face scrunched up in confusion before it clicked.
“Oh! When we were on the boat, yeah!”
“The High Queen’s skyship... so you were pulling in energy even then?” The man pressed his hand to his chin. “I see... yes, that would make sense. If you grew up somewhere with few crystals, your body was probably starved for energy and started pulling in as much power as it could as soon as it reached any source large enough.”
“Well, that explains why I passed out, but not anything else. How come Ro didn’t pass out then?”
“We did an examination on you both: your sister was suffering as well, but as she was older and healthier, she was much more resilient. It seems her Resonance also focuses inward, so her body was able to process the sudden influx. You, however...” The man trailed off, and Hazard had a feeling he was trying to find a polite way to phrase his next words.
“Going to guess it has to do with me being malnourished, having horribly injured legs, and being cursed with an already underperforming body?” The man winced.
“...It is not your fault; you are as the Light and your situation made you. Thankfully, we were able to get you here quickly. Those lights you saw were likely the other Medennice. By absorbing so much power, you obtained a sense of sight that most mages train their whole lives to have, but it was also hurting you. We drained the energy out from you, and now we just need to slowly give you the power back, so that you will get used to it.”
“So building up the resistance over time.”
“That... is very astute for one so young. Yes, that is exactly it. If you are to remain in the Stormlands, being adapted to the Star is the highest importance. For now, though, I think it best you rest again.” Hazard nodded, making himself comfortable in the cot. The man bowed deeply and made his way out of the room, the siblings sitting in silence.
“...Hey Ro?” She hummed. “What’s the “Star?””
“No idea.”
“The Star-” Hazard jolted as Jeddard’s voice suddenly came from the doorway.
“Fuck mothering- Jeddard! Gonna give me a fucking palpitation.”
“Sorry about that! Anyways, the Star is the single largest crystal to have ever been discovered by mortal eyes.” Jeddard waves his fingers around, trying to establish some sort of mysticism with his words. “Legends say the Saintess Alessa led her people after they were driven from their homelands into the wild, dangerous Stormlands, where roiling storms of crystal energy churned and burned the land. Still, they survived and came upon... it.”
The dramatic pause made it clear Jeddard was waiting for one of them to ask, so Hazard spoke up, “”It?””
“The “Heart of the Heavens,” also known as the Fallen Star: a massive, massive crystal. The religious say it was a gift of the Light, sent down as the holy land for the people of the Stormlands to find, while the more scientific say it was suspended high, high among the sky and came crashing down, causing the deep crater that surrounds it. Whatever the case, no one had seen such a massive, massive crystal before, let alone one so powerful, and Saint Alessa sought to tame the crystal and its power. And she did! Using the energy and shards of the Heart, she led her people into a war to seize back their lands, followed by a long age of prosperity in which she built a capital city over the Heart. Fun fact: the Queen’s Spire, which we landed on, is the tallest shard of the Heart, and is used in multiple ceremonies!”Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!
“Thank you for the exposition, Jeddard.” Hazard did have one concern, namely if he got sick due to being too infused with crystal energy, a giant, city-sized crystal should be blasting him like a nuclear power plant. Then again, even as weak as he was, he did spend most of his life mining for crystals. Maybe that’s why he didn’t end up worse...
He shuddered at the thought of how it could be worse, and Ro looked at him, “Haz?”
“Nothing, nothing.”
“I can imagine you’re both exhausted! Ro hasn’t left your side since you fell!” The girl blushed.
“Excuse me for being worried when he suddenly passes out!”
“Actually, that brings up a good point: what’s been going on with the Queen and Dallia?” Jeddard opened his mouth but there was a popping sound, and he leaned back into the hallway.
“Oh! Here she comes.”
There was a quiet tapping noise that grew louder and louder before Dallia came running into the room. She stopped at the foot of the cot and Hazard blinked at her outfit, a mostly purple dress with white filigree in the shape of birds lining the bottom, frillier than anything he’d ever seen. She said nothing, just staring at him for a long moment before Hazard waved to her. “Hello.”
“Oh you can do better than that! This is a joyous reunion; she was just as worried as Ro was!”
“...Wait, were you not worried?”
“Of course not! I know how great you’re going to grow up to be.” Jeddard beamed brightly and Hazard shrugged before looking back to Dallia.
“Hello Dallia, I’m sorry if I worried you.”
“...are you okay? They sicked you were sick but you fell...”
“I’m okay Dallia. The doctor’s fixed me right up?”
“”Doctor?””
“He means the Medecinne! In his home, a healer is called a “doctor.”” Jeddard supplied. “They don’t use crystals to heal at all!”
“...So he’s okay?”
“Yep!”
Dallia nodded and approached the side not occupied by Ro, curtseying. “By my power as the princess, I hereby grand you this boon.” She reached behind her to fiddle with something, and he craned his neck to see a small pouch at the small of her back. When she returned around she gently placed a small, hand-sized plush of a white rabbit in his hand. “This is Baron Jumper. He’ll keep you safe.”
...He tried, he really did, but the fact she was suddenly acting so prim and proper along with the complete seriousness with which she said the plush’s name made him breathe out a laugh before he could speak, “Thank you. I will also keep him safe.”
She nodded, curtsied, and quickly left. Jeddard watched her leave and there was a popping noise around the corner. “Amazing! Short range transposition at such a young age! Even in the capital that’s impressive!”
“...You are a font of enthusiasm, aren’t you Jed.”
“Why not? Every day I’m not in the dirt is a blessed one.”
“Jed we lived in a mine.” Ro pointed out.
“Exactly!”
Hazard shook his head, and for a moment he let himself forget about the situation, and sinking into conversation with the two.
<hr>
“Never a moment to relax.”
Vitala rubbed at her temples as she sat in the auditorium, the rabble of Upper and Lower ring nobles fighting to have whatever inane or idiotic request heard. Eventually she grabbed her gavel and swung the hammer down onto its platform, a loud crack and boom of thunder silencing the crowd. She glared down and let her eyes roam the auditorium, daring anyone to speak up. She looked to the Steward, “Now, let us try this again: Steward, what are the most important items on the docket?”
The reedy man fixed the clear crystal lenses across his face before looking at his handboard. “The construction in Inani Bay has been stalled for unknown reasons.”
Vitala’s eyebrow raised as she looked to the Upper Ring section of the auditorium. “Lord Gaula, explain.”
The lord slapped a hand to the stand in front of him, “We can’t keep up pace with just the scraps you send us! We need real workers, not just whatever debtors can be scrounged up!”
“You have been given an extra three months and a hundred more workers in that time than you were supposed to need, Gaula. I will be sending a wing of knights and a Steward to make sure if everything is as it’s supposed to be. If not, we can find others more competent to do the construction... and manage the Bay.” He was clearly incensed but he quickly sat back down. As if she didn’t know about his little “skimming” of resources for his passion projects. Vitala just about kept her eyes from rolling as she looked at the Steward who was noting down the resolution. “What is next?”
She wished she could say anything interesting had happened, but it was more of the same: red-beaked scavengers trying to pick at the Crown’s coffers. Her only saving grace was the recess they took an hour into the Convene, where Dallia returned to her side in the booth. “Hello, little one.”
“Hello, grandmother.” Vitala noticed something was off, and she realized Dallia was beaming. It was jarring, even if she had clearly been enjoying her new... friends, it was clear they had a much more profound expect than she thought.
“I assume the boy is awake now?”
Dallia nodded rapidly. “I had the guard tell me as soon as he woke up. He is healed, and under the protection of Baron Jumper.”
It took Vitala a long, long moment to realize that Dallia must’ve meant one of her toys, and she was struck. Dallia guarded her playthings religiously, but she gave a boy she practically just met one of her treasures. Vitala understood she was excited, the short teleport she did once they were informed of his condition all the evidence she needed, but this? She wanted to caution her granddaughter against being so trusting, but how to breach it?
“I see... did he, appreciate it?”
“He swore he would keep Baron Jumper safe.” Vitala mulled over the words. It was just as likely he understood appeasing Dallia as it was that he appreciated having a toy himself. Only so much entertainment to be gotten from a pet rock, after all. Before she could question her further Dallia’s eyes lit up. “Can I show him the rest of the castle once he’s ready to walk?”
“...I’ll tell you what, Dallia: once we get him a new name and he gets better completely, you can go show him the whole castle.” For once a truly soft smile broke her face. Her reservations tried to wheedle at her for being so open to Dallia’s wishes, but she smothered them. Dallia’s smile at Vitala’s words was worth more than the whole Heart, as far as she was concerned. Unfortunately, it was all too soon that they both returned to the Convene and the rabble of the nobles. The temptation to send Dallia back was tempered with Vitala’s need to keep her granddaughter’s learning schedule.
Hopefully, Dallia would learn how not to act in addition to how politics usually went. Dallia had dutifully sat through the rest of the Convene after the break ended, and Vitala breathed out in relief once she saw the nobles begin shuffling out, “Finally.”
She stood, rolling some of her joints to free them from their stiffness. “Alright Dallia, you are free to go play.”
Dallia nodded, slipping off her own seat and taking Vitala’s hand, “Can you come with me?”
The question soothed Vitala’s soul, and she stooped down to pick Dalia up in her arms, “Of course. What would you like to do, dear?”
“Can we visit Hazard? I think he’d like to see you.”
...Vitala was certain that was a lie, or the optimism of youth. She could count the number of people happy to see her on one hand. Regardless, Vitala nodded, and she decided some pomp was in order. Her hand raised and a purple portal to the hospital ward of the tower spun open, and she was unsure who was more surprised: obviously Vitala’s visit wasn’t expected, but the Queen didn’t expect to see the young woman hoisting her brother’s cot above her head with one arm. Roanna was quick to lower the cot back down as the Queen stepped through the portal, the old man waving to her, “Hello, Your Highness!”
“What... is going on here?”
“They are brilliant! I decided to give them an exercise, and they passed with flying colors! You see, they were curious about how the princess managed short range transposition without a crystal, and Hazard posited that she’s able to do so by using the Heart as a source-”
“Okay, yes, I understand.” Her good mood was bludgeoned with the old man’s rapid rambles, and she set Dallia down. “So, they managed to figure out the obvious?”
“Yes indeedy! The Hazard tried out his magic, and then Ro tried hers, but it wasn’t as impressive. Ergo, I pointed out her Resonance was internal, and she channeled her energy into newfound strength! Imagine what they could do with full bellies and some training.” While she doubted it was intentional, Vitala couldn’t argue he was making a good case to keep the two. An extra pair of semi-competent bodies to protect Dallia... or perhaps her edge was dulling. Vitala hummed as she watched her granddaughter approach the bedridden boy, the two chatting excitedly and he raised a hand.
A ball of soft purple light appeared, and he made it rapidly change color before crushing the light. It exploded into small sparkles, a parlor trick really, but still, more control than she’d expected. Dallia was absolutely fascinated and started showing off some of the tricks she knew from her control exercises, and Vitala mulled over the small lights the two exchanged between them. Perhaps they could change his name to “Little Light” in the old tongue or something like that. She’ll have to ask the Medennice when he’d be clear to leave, another chunk of her schedule gone-
“Up we go.” Roanna had picked up Dallia and set her on the cot, apparently some chunk of the conversation missed as Roanna lifted the cot up and down. Her hackles raised at the potential danger of the move, but the two younglings were practically cheering as the older girl lifted them up and down. When they were set back down Vitala was quick to clear her throat.
“There are some rather important to discuss.” Yes, important things, not bitter at all that the dregs of humanity got her granddaughter to laugh more than anything Vitala did. “While Jeddard’s past is being investigated, I will be setting up the Rite of Forebears for “Hazard.” Is there any name your parents thought about giving him?”
Roanna and Hazard looked to each other before Roanna spoke, “Nothing... nothing solid. Chevonne if he was a girl, or Chevra. I think... I think Lunas was mentioned? They never picked something before...”
She trailed off and Vitala finished. “Before they died, I assume. And what do you think, boy?”
“...I don’t know. I don’t even know what the “Rite of Forebears” is, what limits or rules there are to it.” The mood had clearly been brought down, the room quieter as the boy rubbed the back of his neck. “I mean I would like something my parents chose, but...”
He shrugged, and Jeddard leaned forward in his seat. “The Rite of Forebears is an ancient ritual in which an individual is named a noble by virtue of a sponsor or having a strong bloodline claim! So long as your sponsor and/or the court agrees, you can name yourself whatever you wish!”
“Not like there’s an extra Noirus out there, otherwise we wouldn’t have been sent to the mines.” Roanna crossed her arms with a huff, but Vitala grew curious.
“You had a surname?” Now she was almost certain the siblings were noble offspring; no commoner would have a surname. “Do you remember your parent’s names?”
“Our mom was Addelaide. Our dad was Mateo.” Now they were getting somewhere in the case of the mysterious orphans.
“I see. I will begin preparations on the Rite, among other things. Dallia, as soon as you are done here, I want you to study the last chapter of your history book.” Dallia nodded, and Vitala opened another portal, this time to her personal office. When she stepped through, she sent a quick message for the Royal Guard to remain with Dallia, and Vitala sighed through her nose as she took her seat at her desk. She’d have to research this “Noirus” bloodline, she didn’t come all this way to have her family tied to some sort of dirt farmer or worse: a noble who might get too big for their britches and “conveniently remember” their “long-lost” family.