Vitalus Journey

The vayron wandered through the vast forest. Mutli-colored crystals grew everywhere, forcing the vegetation to grow around them. Trees had sparkling sections of crystal poking out of their bark, while other vining plants twisted around the crystals’ jagged edges. It was the sort of chaos that Mel felt at home with. He wondered briefly if his empyrian companions could see him through the thick forest canopy that blanketed him. 

Winona and Komang swooped gracefully in the air above Mel. They were meant to follow him towards a city further in Vitalus, but they weren’t certain their vayron guide knew exactly where he was going. This was the third time they flew above this forest, and it was clear they were going in circles. Winona and Komang shared a look before they descended through the thick trees. 

Mel looked unsurprised when the empyrian pair broke through the trees and landed in front of him. 

“Are we going the right way?” Winona asked softly. 

Mel twisted his head from side to side as he considered the question. 

“We’ve flown this path three times, Mel,” Komang added. 

“I’ve been walking a different path every time,” Mel shrugged. 

Komang sighed and shook her head. 

“That doesn’t change the fact that we should have been through this forest by now.” Winona urged gently. 

“Walk with me down here then. There’s much more to see,” Mel suggested and then quietly added, “Some much chaotic nature.”

“We can’t walk on legs for long, Mel, and you know it.” Komang’s tone slowly turned harder. 

“We’ll get through the forest eventually, just as soon as I’ve seen everything there is to see,” Mel replied, clearly not caring about the empyrians’ troubles or concerns. 

Mel started to continue on his weaving path. He ignored his companions and stared at all the plants and the various combinations of crystals merged with the flora here. It amazed him and, admittedly, distracted him. The pair of empyrians didn’t fly or walk; they opted to glide from tree to tree, following Mel’s confusing navigation. The trio managed to see every part of the forest, much to the empyrians’ frustration. When Mel finally led them out of the forest, Winona and Komang shot into the sky to stretch their wings. 

Outside of the forest, Mel noted the sun’s position and figured they would reach the town in a few hours. He could concede that had he stuck to the straightest path, then they would have made it there in a matter of hours, but he didn’t understand the empyrians need to go straight rather than taking the path less traveled. Sure, it took longer, but there were so many things they got to see. 

While Mel wandered further away from the forest towards the city, the empyrians above him flew gracefully in the sky as they weaved through imaginary obstacles and spoke to themselves away from his ears. 

“Should we have picked another guide?” Komang whispered despite their distance from the vayron. 

“It’s too late to worry about that now,” Winona pointed out. 

Komang sighed as she agreed and then looked down toward the ground. It took a moment before she realized Mel was nowhere to be found. 

“Win, can you see him?” Komang paused in the air, flapping her wings frantically as she scoured the ground for any sight of the green and white back of their guide. 

Winona circled as she made a lower pass before she returned to Komang and shook her head. " Nope, I can’t see him anywhere.”

Komang exhaled as she and her sister looked for their companion. 

Mel was on the ground and within sight, technically. However, given the chaotic nature of his magic, he could hardly control when it would flourish or how it would appear. He imagined in this moment that his spark flared in the form of invisibility or camouflage. He watched his empyrian companions search everywhere for him, and he grew more frustrated with each glance that went over him. He walked over to a bush nearby and shook it vigorously. 

Komang and Winona swooped down towards the bush as the dirt from the path flared up in the air. Komang noticed that the dirt gathered around what looked like legs near them. 

“What’s your magic?” Komang asked. 

Winona looked at her sister, confused, and was about to answer the ridiculous question when she was interrupted. 

“Everything…” Mel hissed, “Anything…”

Winona jumped back at the voice she wasn’t expecting. 

“What does that mean?” Komang’s confusion and curiosity were clear in her tone. 

Mel sighed, and with it, his magic faded, making him reappear, “It means that I don’t control it well, and sometimes it appears as something I haven’t experienced before. Didn’t they tell you before they instructed you to find me?”

“That’s frustrating,” Komang stated without replying to Mel’s question. 

Winona answered a beat later, “No, they didn’t tell us anything besides you were eccentric.”

“Well, they did warn us. They called you some mad vayron,” Komang added until Winona sent her a scalding glare. Komang continued with a whisper that died out at the end of the sentence, “Among other things.”

Mel scoffs, “Figures.”

The trio fell into a silence that could only be described as heavy. Winona and Komang were curious about their guide, but the hard look on Mel’s face made them hold their tongues. It clearly wasn’t the time to press him for more information on his unique and wild magic. Mel was lost in thought as he gazed at the glowing crystals around them. He wouldn’t have minded their questions, but he wasn’t aware that his face was continuously tightening into a darker expression. 

“Well, should we…” Winona started with a cough to break the thick silence, “Carry on?”

Mel snapped out of his thoughts, his expression immediately lifting as he nodded. Winona and Komang nodded and watched as their companion wandered away from them. They shared a glance that said they were talking about it later before they took to the skies again. However, this time, they stayed lower to the ground to keep a closer eye on their guide in case he vanished again. 

As Mel walked, he let his mind wander back to the place it was earlier. His frustration at the outlandish stories, rumours, and gossip. Most days, he didn’t mind; it kept everyone away as he preferred, but why couldn’t they mind their own business? Were their lives so boring they had to make up stories about him? Hell, he didn’t mind that they made up stories for their own amusement, but why did they have to spread them like they were true? Being called eccentric was hardly the worst thing he could be called, but it nagged in his mind that they were warning strangers about him. Eventually, he shook his head free of the negative thoughts and focused on the path ahead of him. 

More crystals dotted the path the group followed. Everything about the trail screamed Vitalus. The crystals didn’t just spike out of the ground; in some places where the earth cracked, the group could see the veins of crystals. 

“It’s been so long since we’ve been here,” Komang said as her eyes followed one of the veins of crystals. 

“You’re from here?” Mel asked over his shoulder while he walked. 

“Born here,” Winona piped up, “On the other side, where most of the land is broken up into floating islands.”

“Ah, so you never traveled this way?” Mel inquired. 

“No, shortly after we could fly long distances, we high-tailed it to Warrenfall,” Komang answered.

“What brings you back?” 

Winona and Komang shared another uncertain look before they said, “Looking for our sibling.”

Mel started to ask why they would look in this area but found that every time he opened his mouth, sparks would jump from his clashing teeth. He hissed his frustration after he found it nearly impossible to talk like this. Mel let his jaw hang open like a panting dog waiting for the magic to fade. The pair of empyrians, on the other hand, were amazed. 

“That’s incredible,” Winona gasped, and Komang nodded. Both forgetting about the conversation just moments ago. 

Mel gave the pair a flat look that said he didn’t appreciate their excitement at this moment. The pair ignored him and began throwing all sorts of questions his way. They wanted to know all the different types of sparks he had experienced, when the first time this happened, and whether he was trying to fix it. Mel, in turn, ignored their questions and walked closer to their destination. 

After a few minutes, Mel felt the distinct chill down his spine that usually meant the magic was done. He closed and opened his mouth, testing it to confirm it was truly over. He muttered to himself but continued to ignore the sisters. 

When they arrived at their destination, a small town built around a massive cluster of rock and crystals, Mel quickly bid them goodbye. 

“Wait, wait,” Komang said quickly before Mel could get away, “Don’t you want help to try to fix your magic?”

Mel raised an eyebrow at Komang before shaking his head, “No, I’m fine.”

“Then how about you stick with us,” Winona tried, “We might need the help when we're done searching this town.”

Mel stared between the two empyrians before he reluctantly agreed. The group made plans to meet back at the entrance of the town in two days. With the plan set, the empyrians went off, and Mel carried on to the shops he was looking for. Grimoires, he wanted more knowledge and magic because the thing about his spark was that it was self-inflicted. With all his experimenting, he managed to imbue himself with more sparks. The magic seemed to have a mind of its own, and it acted out whenever it could. 

[1645]