Dawn of the Third Moon — Village of Autumn

  The ground of the ancient clearing vibrated in silence.

  Leli stood at the center of the Circle of Branches, where the oldest forest whispered secrets that could only be heard by those who did not speak.

  In front of her stood him — Patriarch Aurelius Rowan.

  A mantle of dry leaves that did not decay.

  Eyes that did not seem to see — but to remember.

  — The true root never screams. — he said, in a deep, dragging voice that seemed to come from the soil itself. — It simply grows.

  Leli remained silent.

  — You wish to walk the path of Autumn. But Autumn is not an easy and gentle path. This is your final test of Autumn. I must acknowledge that little Fernandes greatly resembles her father's determination and her mother's kindness.

  She took a deep breath.

  — Thank you, Patriarch. I count on you in this final stage.

  Aurelius smiled. An old smile, like that of an elder who fought many wars and saw many different people, yet saw few humans of rare kindness among humans.

  The First Ceremony — "Listening to the Root"

  Leli sat upon the earth. Her eyes covered with a crimson bandage.

  — You will not see Autumn. You will feel it.

  The Patriarch placed one hand on her back and the other on the ground.

  — Breathe in and concentrate. When you see a crimson light, pull your Anchor of Autumn. You will know when you see it.

  — Ok, sir.

  And then… she heard.

  It was not an ordinary sound.

  It was as if the earth spoke.

  ?? A slow creaking.

  ?? A deep calling.

  ?? An ancient whisper:

  "Child, this is the moment to prove you deserve the Anchor of Autumn."

  She felt her heart race. Her veins pulse.

  It was the mana of the red angelim tree of the Autumn elves.

  Leli found herself in a different space.

  When she looked, she saw vegetation.

  The Roraima mountains in the North? The mountains that separate the kingdoms of the Empire?

  — Focus, child!

  She saw an older girl, with a rapier in her right hand, sitting on a stone. The rapier planted into the ground, hilt upward.

  Barbarians dead on the ground.

  — Hello again, younger me, who probably annoys all the Autumn elves. They may like you, but here it is only the two of us. Sarya will not be able to help you here, little me. I took your weapon. You should already have your guard up.

  Leli understood: the test was to face herself.

  So this is the test.

  But how am I going to defeat someone who has already lived through a war, who has so much blood on her hands and absurd combat experience?

  — As expected of myself. You already realized what the test is. I’ve already been through this. Just like you.

  The older Leli attacked quickly, hard to follow.

  Petal Touch.

  The rapier spread pink veils.

  Leli felt it — not with her eyes, but with sound, with vibration.

  She struck the tip of her foot, imbued with aura, lifting stones upward, dodging, spinning midair.

  In a fraction of a second, she spread condensed pink aura into the stones and kicked them, using centrifugal force from the spin to turn them into mana arrows.

  Fist raised.

  — I did it?

  — You did. Calm down, little Leli. You have much to learn, but I admit: that was impressive. If I didn’t have inhuman reflexes, I would have lost.

  Leli looked.

  She had three stones in the palm of her left hand. Smoke rose from her palm.

  — That was very good, but is that all you have?

  Now it’s my turn. Try doing more like that.

  She placed a stone on her thumb and flicked it.

  Dom.

  The stone hit Leli squarely.

  She held her abdomen from the impact.

  — That hurts! It made no sound, I couldn’t see it! How did she do that? That hurts, and it hurts like hell. What was that? She didn’t even use refinement on the stone.

  — That’s why I said you have a long road ahead to become someone who can stand at our brother’s level, little me. It wasn’t refinement. It was reinforcement with seasonal mana. I used Autumn on the one that hit you.

  Leli tried to run and camouflage herself to recalibrate.

  — Trying to hide from me? That won’t work. I know exactly what you’re thinking right now.

  — Little me, you still haven’t understood. Don’t disappoint me. You’re clever, but it’s not enough.

  She flicked another stone with her thumb, this time at the girl’s feet.

  — What? My feet?

  The ground was frozen.

  — Bingo, little me. I told you it wouldn’t work. This time I used Winter magic.

  Leli tried to use aura to increase her body heat and sharpen her senses.

  — Wrong, little me.

  — She disappeared! Where is she?

  — I’m right in front of you, little me. I came out from among the leaves. This is seasonal mana. Look closely at what you must surpass to be equal to superior beings.

  — That can’t be!

  — It can, little me. Since you refuse to see it… I’ll take your body. You’re pathetic. With all that wasted potential, this time we’ve been given another chance. Don’t throw our strength away.

  The punch came heavy and hot, petals of fire scattering through the air.

  Doom.

  The air vibrated with the impact, throwing Leli into the trees.

  She crashed violently against the trunks, raising dust as she tumbled across the ground.

  Leli felt pain in every muscle.

  Heavy breathing.

  — This hurts… it hurts so much… my bones… I think I have broken bones. If she is me, why would I do this to myself? It makes no sense.

  — I think I overdid the strength.

  — You must be in a lot of pain, aren’t you? You must be wondering why I would do this to myself. Don’t you remember the lessons? Autumn is not gentle. In Autumn, there is no space for those guided by emotions or empty feelings.

  Leli remembered the conversation she had with Sarya.

  Outside

  Aurelius held the crimson mana flowing through Leli to prevent the girl from collapsing.

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  Sarya watched from outside, expression cold, calm, crimson eyes like ice.

  But inside, the reality was different.

  She was distressed.

  "What is happening in there, Leli? Come on… you can pull the Anchor of Autumn. I believe in you."

  Leli breathed, remembering Sarya’s lessons.

  Pay attention to the environment, Leli. Want to read an enemy? Pay attention to the environment. It will tell you what your enemy does not.

  — Pay attention to the environment… She threw me over here, but why isn’t she coming here?

  There is only one possible answer.

  She cannot move away from that stone.

  The test is not to defeat her, because she is far superior right now. She already has the anchors.

  That means she is protecting the Anchor, and the Anchor is in that stone where she was sitting.

  She has been giving me hints since the beginning.

  That is so like me.

  She really is me.

  Outside, Sarya watched with sharp eyes.

  Thought: Come on, Leli… you can do it.

  She looked — the girl’s nose was bleeding.

  Sarya trembled slightly.

  Aurelius spoke calmly:

  — Continue believing in her and do not interfere. You cannot help here. This matter is out of your hands. Whether she succeeds or fails depends only on her. So do not interfere, understood?

  Sarya did not respond. She only watched with her usual cold gaze.

  The elves observed from outside.

  — Hmmm… a human trying to pull the crimson Anchor!

  Valen stood farther away.

  — Tch… Father seems to be putting in effort, but she will not succeed in pulling the Anchor. No human has ever done it. No matter how much she tries, father, this is doomed to failure.

  — Yes, Valen… she seems quite talented and is blessed by the four seasons. She will probably succeed.

  — Tch… Furgo, you need to learn to shut your mouth. That sincerity of yours will be your downfall. Go train that body, Furgo.

  — What is wrong, Valen?

  — Tch… look in the mirror. You’re round. And they say vegetables don’t make you fat. Or are you eating something beyond our routine, Furgo?

  Furgo sweating…

  — N-n-no, Valen! I would never break our tradition!

  — Hmmm… would you, Furgo? Would you really?

  At the ceremony

  Leli took advantage of the ice still on the ground.

  She hurled stones infused with mana, raising the temperature and creating a curtain of smoke.

  — A smoke screen, huh, little me? Interesting… But what will your next move be?

  Several stones came through the smoke curtain.

  Leli, queen of the sword, saw the thousands of pink flashes.

  — Hahah! Come on, little me! Show me everything you know!

  Dom, dom, dom, dom, dom…

  With every “dom,” a pink flash pierced through the curtain.

  The older Leli caught them all with absurd reflexes.

  While she focused on the stones coming through the smoke…

  Leli attacked from the side.

  A small little foot.

  Imbued with raw pink mana that made the air vibrate with centrifugal force.

  — What? She came from the side? Bold… but I already expected that from myself.

  She spun her body following Leli’s foot while catching the stones at the same time.

  She grabbed Leli’s foot and slammed her into the ground.

  Leli hit the ground, but remembered another lesson:

  Do not despair when everything seems lost.

  Think. Breathe. Everyone has a weakness.

  Use the environment to your advantage. It will tell you what you want, but it also serves as a weapon. If you understand that, you will have a card up your sleeve. To deliver check.

  The older Leli caught all the stones. The smoke curtain was lowering.

  — What a shame, little me. It seems you are not like me, even though we are the same person. There’s no way you can develop when you’re not living through a war in the Empire, is there? You see the world as flowers and kindness. Little me, abandon that useless vision.

  — Abandon it? Don’t be pathetic. I’m not like you, who chose to be empty just for power. Pay attention, older me.

  — Why are you smiling?

  Leli pointed her finger to the side.

  A massive stone was coming — large enough to destroy the rock where she had been sitting at the beginning.

  — That can’t be! When did she—?

  She squeezed one of the tiny stones against her thumb.

  — Combination: Vortex of the Four Seasons.

  The stone shot out like a cannonball.

  BOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMM

  — What?! Just with her thumb she turned that stone into a cannon shot?!

  The impact shook the entire peak.

  The large stone shattered into thousands of fragments.

  — Wow, little me… that caught me off guard. But it’s still not enough. I have the seasons on my side.

  — Haha… If you are me, you should know you still shouldn’t lower your guard.

  — Hmmm… what?!

  Her eyes widened.

  A second stone — even bigger!

  It was already close to the Anchor Rock.

  She plunged her rapier into the ground.

  — Dawn of Spring!

  Several roots burst from the earth, covering the rock.

  — Thank you, older me. That’s exactly what I was waiting for.

  Leli placed her small hands on the ground.

  — If I condense mana and release it all at once at the base…

  — Pink Impact!

  The ground beneath her feet cracked.

  — You can’t remove the rapier from the ground, can you?

  Thought:

  What did I say that time? My heart belongs to Spring. I wasn’t lying.

  Leli condensed a large amount of mana in her palm.

  — What? The mana is taking shape? How is she doing that?

  Leli breathed deeply.

  And a cute voice, trying to sound threatening, crossed her soul:

  “Here. I’ll lend you Mjolnir. Be careful, it’s powerful.”

  The mana in her hand took the shape of a short-handled pink hammer, small bolts of lightning radiating from it.

  She clenched her fist tightly, spun in the air, and hurled the hammer toward the stone, pouring her heart and conviction into the attack.

  — I won’t let you, little me!

  She moved forward, but her left foot sank into the ground.

  — Damn it! When?!

  Thought:

  That moment… the mana in the earth wasn’t to summon that large stone. It was to destabilize the ground beneath my feet. She thought two steps ahead.

  — But it’s still not enough. I can destroy that stone. You think I can’t remove my hand from the sword, don’t you?

  — Wrong, little me.

  She removed her hand from the sword.

  — Lotus Rubra!

  A gigantic lotus rose to block the hammer.

  She grabbed a stone and flicked it with her thumb at the other stone heading toward the roots.

  — Vortex of the Four Seasons!

  Dom.

  The stone shattered.

  She was about to grab the girl’s foot, but Leli smiled.

  — I win, older me.

  — What?!

  Leli smiled.

  Another small stone was coming from the same first direction the earlier small ones had come from.

  — What? There was another one there?!

  The older Leli opened her mouth and caught the stone with her teeth.

  — Crimson Reinforcement!

  BOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM

  The impact exploded into pink light, lightning scattering everywhere.

  The entire ground trembled.

  Outside

  An intense crimson light burst from Leli’s body and rose up to the height of the Red Angelim tree.

  The Village of Crimson Leaves — capital of the Autumn elves — trembled.

  Dommmmmmmmmmm

  — What is that?! A red flash?!

  — It’s the Anchor of Autumn! But what kind of Anchor is that?!

  — I’ve never seen an Anchor that strong! What is happening?!

  — What is that?! — someone else shouted.

  Valen’s eyes widened.

  — What… what does this mean?! Damn it! What kind of Anchor is that?! The only Anchors that ever did this were my father’s… and that time when many were injured because of Sarya’s Anchor!

  He clenched his fists and ground his teeth.

  — Damn it… now this brat dares to humiliate me after that damned Tenth… damn it! And I thought that after Sarya, I had awakened a powerful Anchor…

  — Shit… shit… shit!

  Valen trembled.

  Furgo stepped closer, but fainted from a blow delivered by Valen. He did not even see the attack.

  — I told you already, Furgo… shut the fuck up. Next time, I’ll rip your heart out.

  Sarya

  Sarya watched the flash, the aura.

  — Without a doubt… that is the Anchor of Autumn. Incredible. It reminds me of when I pulled my own Anchor of Autumn.

  Her heart was pounding with excitement.

  And Valen saw something rare.

  Sarya smiled.

  Looking at the crimson light.

  — Damn… even that brat can do this…

  His lips dripped blood from how hard he was biting them.

  — Curse Kyros… curse that brat… curse the Tenth… curse the entire House of Fernandes!

  — Always humiliating us…

  Inside

  The dust was settling.

  The Lotus Rubra was in pieces.

  The Anchor Rock destroyed.

  A crimson light pierced the skies of that space-time.

  Older Leli clapped her hands.

  — Congratulations, little me.

  She smiled — something she no longer knew how to do.

  Leli stood up, her eyes shining.

  — Did you see?! I did it! Me, older me, you can say it: I’m amazing!

  — Yes… you did it.

  Older Leli analyzed in thought.

  I don’t remember being this conceited…

  But it’s good that she smiles. It seems I’ll have a much better life.

  — But you know, older me!

  — Huh? What?

  — It was fun, wasn’t it?

  — Huh… you’re not mad that I beat you?

  — No. You were the guardian of the test, after all.

  — So much kindness…

  — That’s how we are, right?

  — No… I’m not like that anymore.

  — Of course you are. You may have lost many things… and forgotten how to smile… but kindness is still in your heart. After all, I am you.

  — And how can you be so sure of that?

  — Simple. You didn’t fight with all your strength. You were holding back. That Vortex was incredible! I’m going to use it when I have all the Anchors.

  Older Leli smiled genuinely. A smile of happiness.

  — Hahahahahaha…

  — This is the first time I’ve laughed like this. I used to laugh only at Lukas’ stupidity.

  But that’s good. Now I’m sure. I will be different.

  — By the way… what are the Anchors like?

  Older Leli pulled four Anchors out of the air.

  Pink — Spring, my primary.

  Red — Autumn.

  Blue — Winter.

  Yellow — Summer.

  Leli’s little eyes sparkled.

  — That’s so cool! They’re little keychains! Like a little lumpa keychain!

  — Yes. But pull your Anchor of Autumn. It will disappear from here.

  Leli walked closer to the light. She extended her hand.

  The light turned into a red cord.

  She grabbed it and pulled with force.

  — Come to me, my primary Anchor!

  The cord ran… and at the end came a small red Anchor keychain.

  — Congratulations once again. Take care of Lukas for me.

  — Yeah! I’ll take care of him! You can count on it!

  — Ah… but who did you face in the test of the primary Anchor?

  — Thank you, younger me… live for me too.

  A flash erased everything.

  And Leli heard…

  A sound.

  Back at the ceremony

  — Leli! Are you alright? — asked Aurelius.

  Leli removed the blindfold.

  — Yes, sir.

  She looked around.

  She saw Sarya.

  She ran like lightning out of the circle.

  She hugged Sarya tightly.

  — I did it!

  Sarya kept her cold expression.

  But inside, she told herself:

  Incredible…

  She felt something inexplicable. Something she did not know how to name.

  — Look, Sarya!

  Leli pulled the Anchor of Autumn out of the air — a small red Anchor keychain.

  The elves around were stunned.

  — That truly is the Anchor of Autumn!

  — A human really did it?!

  — Idiot… she’s an elf too.

  Aurelius was in shock.

  — So fast…

  But his sharp eyes noticed something.

  She did not trip over the root.

  ?? The Second Teaching — The Blind Walk

  — Hey, little Fernandes. First, my congratulations for obtaining the Anchor of Autumn. You earned it. Now you are one of us.

  — Sarya… I believe you are eager to test her. I grant you the honor, jewel of Autumn, to test another jewel.

  — Yes, sir.

  Outwardly, a cold response.

  Inside, she was screaming with joy.

  Sarya placed the crimson blindfold over Leli’s eyes.

  — Feel, Leli. Feel Autumn and let your Anchor guide you through the vast forest of Autumn. Autumn is your home now.

  Sarya guided her between roots, stones, and leaves without saying a word.

  They ran at insane speed.

  Without making any noise.

  And Leli followed through vibrations.

  The wind.

  The forest told her where to go.

  — Walking with your eyes is easy — Sarya said at one point.

  — Hearing with your feet… that is for those born to be hunters, Leli.

  Leli did not stumble.

  She felt the root before stepping on it.

  She avoided it without seeing.

  Aurelius said nothing.

  But the ground vibrated.

  As if approving.

  Leli’s steps were light, in sync with the forest.

  And from afar, Valen trembled with rage.

  Seeing Sarya smiling faintly.

  No one else noticed it was a smile.

  But he knew.

  That expression on her face was joy.

  Something he had never been able to achieve.

  ?? Final Lesson of the Day — The Spear Sleeps in the Earth

  In the final part of the training, Aurelius handed Leli a dark wooden spear, still without an edge.

  — Every spear came from the root. Every root came from silence. To master the weapon… first, become the silence.

  Leli held the spear.

  Took her stance.

  And the Patriarch simply turned and walked away.

  — Welcome to the Tribe of Autumn. From today on, this is your home. And here, we take care of our own.

  End of Chapter 9.