Chapter Text
Pain. Twisting his insides, pure fire, heat across his skin, in his guts, his insides. It all burned.
Lumen shot up from his slumber, immediately inhaling a gasp and releasing it with a loud sigh.
Again, that same gnawing pain he felt. Lumen knew he was sick. For months now he'd been experiencing severe and sudden painful episodes, as if his insides were being rearranged. His skin became hot and his focus waned. On occasion, Lumen felt his own consciousness slip and the world would drift into a dreamy darkness, free of pain. He'd managed to make it to his bed when his episode began last night. He remembers he had been out gathering wood when it started. First, he couldn't breathe. Then, the pain. He fumbled, dropping his wood and the few apples he'd found in the brush. Gasping for air through the grinding pain, he collapsed barely on his bed, his skin soaked and his eyes tightly shut just trying to bear it. Before he knew it, he'd woken up. Slightly sore, a twinge of nausea swirled unpleasantly in his throat
Lumen stood from his low bed, making his way to his dimly lit kitchen. It must be early morning, before the sun was up. He could see the darkness of the sky fade into a gradient of deep blue, before the sun broke the horizon. He sighed, and ran his hand over his abdomen, as if reassuring himself he would be fine. He reached into his sparse cupboard, pulling out a small wooden dish. He went to a large barrel in the corner of his kitchen, and removed the thick wooden lid, dipping his small dish inside. He brought it to his lips, coating his dry mouth with cool liquid. He drank several cups full before sliding the lid back on, thoughtlessly placing his dish to the side.
Lumen sighed, his body aching and his head full of fog.
"I should go to the market once it opens," Lumen murmured
He glanced towards his window. A thin line of bright orange broke the darkness of the sky. The market would be open within a few hours. Lumen figured he should continue where he left off, gathering wood from the night before in the meantime.
Lumen dragged his sluggish sore body through the squeaking wooden door of his home, it was modest, a cabin style house surrounded mostly by forest, with paths sprawling through the trees and bushes more houses could be seen nearby, deeper within the city had more advanced housing, houses in concrete, brightly colored furniture, shops, places groups could gather and talk. Lumen preferred his home; it wasn't too far into the city, so people had to go out of their way to come to his house, so he didn't see people often. He inhaled the cool, dewy air as he began to head deeper into the woods. Lumen could make out the boarders around the city where guards typically stood, He considered heading in to town for a moment, but decided the forest surrounding him should suffice for now. He didn't need much. Maybe just enough wood for a fire for a couple of nights, something he could make his dinner with.
About an hour passed, Lumen had taken a small bundle of wood to his home, finding himself distracted, staring out more than once at the cityscape, signs of life stirring, he could hear voices, and the rhythmic sound of horses trotting. Horses were relatively common in the city and to his knowledge most of the outside area as well. Lumen swallowed, his throat, feeling dry at the realization he needs to start heading into town before the market opens or there will be a line for sure. But his feet disobeyed him. He stared at the brightening town, unable to move.
He hated the city, the people, the staring, the comments, their looks. He was different from the regular humans here. His father born of Elven kind, and his mother Human. He was a half-breed. Elves were considered a higher race than Humans many moons ago, but still today Humans hold it against the whole of the Elven People. The city knows who he is, their faces say it everyday he goes in to town, their whispers. All of it. This town was rotten, but it was his only home left. His quiet empty cabin that once housed him and his mother, the warm sunny days that they once had where he felt comfort was gone. Lumen's heart sunk into his stomach; He blinked hard and shuffled a bit realizing he was lost in his thoughts.
"Seriously.. it's fine just go in. They can't do anything they haven't already done"
Lumen avoided confrontation at all costs; he didn't want to be seen, noticed, any of it. Inside his cabin he quickly braided his two-toned hair. A few strands of his bangs fell beside his face, framing his features. His eyes were sharp, not unlike an Elves. But they had a certain bright, curiosity to them. His cheeks were soft and rounded, unlike his fathers defined features. He didn't look childish, but he inherited the soft expressions of his mother. Bright moss-colored eyes that resembled his fathers scanned the house. Lumen, finding his cloak that he had been searching for, swung it around his shoulders, throwing the hood up, hoping he could slip by unnoticed for as long as possible. His skin was fairer than the Humans of the village. No matter what he would stick out, he knew that. He swept his multi-colored hair back, tucking the ocean-hued braided strands behind his neck within his hood. His roots had an opposing bright blonde color. His hair had always grown in this way. It started as pale blonde and slowly faded to blue closer to his ends. This trait was most likely due to the nature of Elven hair having an array of pigments.
Lumen hurried through the paths towards town, keeping his head down, focusing on the crunching of various leaves and twigs beneath his shoes; the vibrant rusting of the trees ahead welcomed him into their shade. Lively singing of birds over his head accompanied him as he walked.
Eventually the rugged dirt path turned to cobblestone as he closed in on the city. Lumen's eyes glanced upward at the morning sun, casting bright orange light upon the many buildings and houses. Crowds of humans chattering and talking among themselves, merchants boisterously offering their wares. Lumen quietly hurried through the bustling streets, trying to avoid eye contact. Despite his best efforts, he could still see glances towards himself, even so he avoided them. He felt discomfort in the pit of his stomach, like being hit with cold water; suddenly a loud voice broke through his anxious haze.
"HEY! It's the halfing! Whaddaya you doing in the city kid, huh? looking for your mama?" A poison-laced voice slurred.
An older man crumpled off to the side, shaded by a building. He was barely visible among his empty bottles. He was clearly drunk, spitting out a few more obscene words that weren't entirely audible. Lumen swallowed before continuing on. He hadn't even realized he had stopped walking. The mention of his mother echoed in his head, and he gritted his teeth in anger, wishing she could be here right now. Lumen would give anything for his life to have meaning again, feel his heart full of love. Anything, he thought to himself, his shoes clicking against the worn stone road.
Lumen sighed, not in contempt, but out of relief when he was on a street lined with stalls. They bloomed across the dull stone, brightly colored and eye-catching. A sea of people of various clans, color and species stood before Lumen, some laughing, chatting and haggling prices. The market was well known in the area as being one of the best, locals and people from villages further away would come to it in the summer months when it was operating. During the cold season the market would close down, most people stocking up before hand. He could see a woman holding up a shimmering golden scarf, the sheer fabric catching the sunlight; as it caught his eye. He didn't really need something so frivolous, but the honey-colored fabric looked soft to the touch, and reminded him of a sunny morning from his youth.
Without really thinking, Lumen found himself in front of the stall. A short older woman greeted him with a warm smile as she held up the thin fabric to his face, her smile so wide it thinned her eyes.
"Hello Dear! why..." She paused as she scurried close to Lumen
Lumen jerked his head back in surprise, quickly stilling himself as to not seem rude. He swallowed, pausing and allowing her to examine the fabric beside his cheek.
"Just look at you! this color is soft against your skin, and it really brings out your eyes. This color suits my daughter too, you know," The older woman chimed.
Lumen felt his lips turn upwards just a bit. He hadn't really thought about how it would look, but being compared to a girl was a little embarrassing. Still, the woman seemed so happy as she compared the shimmering amber material against his cheek. Lumen tried to find words for her.
"Ah.. well, thank you Ma'am.." He trailed off for a moment before speaking again.
"It's very beautiful.. did you make this?" Lumen questioned, always impressed when people could make something from nothing. The old woman beamed at him in response.
"With love! Would you like to purchase this one? I truly think it would be perfect for you!" She was practically glowing, her smile just a little infectious.
she spoke eagerly, not as if she wanted a sale, but as if she had wanted to gift him something precious, but.. He didn't bring enough silver for anything extra, only what he needed. Lumen felt a little guilty, rejecting her.
"Oh.. Thank you, truly, you're so kind... But I haven't brought enough silver with me today. I didn't intend to buy anything extra. I'm very sorry to have wasted your time, the scarf is beautiful, truly!" Lumen smiled but it was slight, his eyebrows knit together as he felt a pang of disappointment, he didn't often look at material items, but this scarf had been so beautifully made, this woman's small wrinkled hands spending hours carefully creating it. It was still in the warm months anyways; he didn't need something like this now. Maybe once the evenings began to cool. His thoughts were cut off suddenly.
"Foolish! Don't be ridiculous," She chided him, though somehow it was still terribly kind.
Lumen's eyes fixed on her in surprise as she folded the delicate garb and placed it within a paper bag, handing it to him eagerly.
"Please take it! It would make me happy knowing something I created was well cared for," she reassured him.
Lumen stared at the bag in mild shock. Something.. like a gift? For him? He felt his cheeks strain from the smile he hadn't realized he'd been wearing. He hasn't been given a gift in a very long time. But still he felt guilt for taking something she spent so much time on. Was it really okay to accept something like this?
"Are.. Are you sure? I'd feel bad just taking something you worked on.."
"Nonsense!" The woman spoke confidently, putting Lumens mind at ease
"I saw it caught your interest, sometimes we all deserve a gift don't you think? And anyway, it suits you! Please make sure to come back again, young man!"
Lumen sighed, realizing it would be disrespectful to her wishes if he were to turn her down. He did like the scarf, though, and felt a twinge of warmth as she smiled at him.
"Ah, thank you.. I will make sure to come back soon! Definitely."
Lumen smiled at her and nodded in earnest; a small girl and her mother appeared beside him at the stall; the child pointed at various floral colors in pinks and purples, asking her mother and tugging on her hand. Lumen looked at the paper bag in his hand and felt a slight tug at his lips again. He waved his hand at the older woman before he started to step away. She waved back before he turned and continued into the vast array of people. he had spent a bit longer than intended chatting with the woman; it's not like it was a bad thing, but the vegetables he wanted to pick up typically sold faster than others.
The market was somewhere Lumen was never heckled, and despite the crowd of people he felt as though he blended in. The market was always so full of different clans and species that nobody thought anything of him, unlike the rest of the city. But he was used to it by now, mostly anyways. He was hoping to leave anyways.. Hoping to fix himself and his sickness.
Lumen approached the bustling stall; various shapes and colors filled his sight, and an earthy smell was lingering in the air. The tables were lined with various strangely shaped root vegetables, and Lumen outstretched his hand, picking up the white, bulbous vegetable; he turned it in his hand a few times, looking for blemishes, even though he knew there would likely be none. There never was, not from this family's crop. In all the times he'd come here, everything was always perfect and harvested the day before their sale. Whatever didn't sell on the first day, they marked it down to a lower price or bundled it with other items to avoid waste.
Lumen picked up another of the same kind and handed them off to the younger girl behind the stall; her small feline like ears perked up on her head and her brows raised as she saw Lumen.
"Hey! Lumen how are you? I feel like we haven't seen you in awhile!"
That was true.. Lumen hadn't been coming out much since his sickness had gotten worse, scared an episode could happen at any time. He began to fear leaving the safety of his home in the deep verdant stretch of forest. He felt safe there, as if the forest held him tight, protecting him from the harshness of the city and people.
"Lumen?" The girls voice broke his wandering thoughts; he attempted a smile, not sure entirely what to say.
"Ah, yeah you're right Mena. I haven't been feeling the greatest lately so I've been staying home a bit more"
Lumen felt a bit guilty. Mena was a kind girl, probably about his age. She's from a Clan of Feli'na to the south of here; mostly a small working clan of farmers and dedicated fishers. Lumen avoided eye contact with Mena when he saw her eyebrows come together and her smile drop.
"Lumen.. Y'know all you have to do is write to us and we can bring something to you. Don't go hiding, you've gotta eat or you'll just get worse!"
Her eyes looked serious and he couldn't escape looking at her, a pang of guilt in his chest.
"I know Mena, I'm sorry...well" Lumen tried to find words as he swallowed.
"I promise to come around more from now on" he said hopeful he could keep those words true.
Mena had a soft smile, but her expression still showed concern.
"Lumen.. I hope you're okay. Please tell us if you need a single thing!"
She leaned in with a mischievous grin before whispering to a slightly confused Lumen.
"I'll discount everything here for you today.. Don't tell Pa" she ended her sentence with a laugh.
Lumen smiled at Mena's gesture and nodded in response. She had always been kind to him and never questioned his quietness or pressured him to share details. He knew arguing with her would get him nowhere, so he silently accepted her offer and continued to pick up various oddly shaped vegetables of every color. A small pouch of mixed berries of deep reds and blues, and finally a jar full of murky red orbs that floated in liquid that was dyed a similar color to the vegetation inside.
Lumen made his way to the front, where people were placing their silver pieces and being given their baskets of goods in return. Mena welcomed him with another smile.
"For you today that's.. let's see"
Mena jotted down some numbers with a worn looking pencil scratching at the thick paper. She quickly added and removed various numbers while mumbling to herself. Lumen found a weird sense of calm during these moments; something so mundane was refreshing to him, who lived alone. He wanted to be alone.
"Twenty three silver! The pickled beets are on us today too"
Mena shot Lumen a wink as she ended the sentence. He was a bit shocked considering he brought forty pieces with him, usually about how much this would all cost. Mena was too kind sometimes, and he never really had a way to repay her for that. All he could do was offer a sincere smile and collect his silver pieces from his small green pouch.
"Thank you, Mena. It means a lot to me really it does!"
Lumen offered her the pieces, and she took them with a shake of her head.
"Don't mention it, now stay healthy you hear? I want to see you back here real soon! before the cold months set in"
Lumen nodded in response and took his fabric bag of goods. The jar was wrapped in a burlap cloth to prevent it from breaking on his trek home. Lumen sighed, searching for a comfortable way to carry his purchases.
"Ah.. Maybe I bought too much this time" He stared down at the bag of food, before doing his best to haul it over his shoulder, spreading the weight evenly through his body. He felt a pang of pain in his stomach, but he tried to ignore it along with the creeping anxiety that he could have an episode of sickness in the middle of the city.
Lumen made his way through the crowds of people; he would have stopped to grab something one of the many vendors had been cooking since he had extra silver. Unfortunately, he didn't feel like stopping since he already had the bag over his shoulder. He thought it would just take even longer with all this stuff, maybe next time.
Lumen continued out of the large plaza, until the various chimes and voices began to fade and the regular bustle of the city took over. Where he felt wrong. Cold. Out of place.
The man crumpled in the corner looked as if he'd finally fallen asleep, a few people glanced at him and kept moving. It wasn't terribly common to see folk like him, but they did come from time to time. Sometimes their own fault, and other times unfortunate victims of destruction, razing their homes and lives, unable to recover from such events they had given up. With his free hand, Lumen pulled his hood back up and kept his head low.
Suddenly he felt his bicep being squeezed; it was like a shock of cold water to his body; he froze, his eyes wide as he looked at the strange man glaring at him. The man spoke, reminding Lumen of a weasel, dishonest, and squirmy.
"Hey.. Why don't you come this way?" The weasel man pulled at his arm, and Lumen's brows creased in surprise, he pulled back, forcing his arm free. He was thin but not frail, and he wasn't interested in being pushed around by another man.
"No thanks. I'll be going now," Lumen said, trying to hold his voice firm.
The other man tightened his grip, offense flaring over his face. He was just a Human, a bit taller than him, sort of rugged and messy looking, but probably still had housing and work. His hair was bright red, probably stained with dyes as Humans didn't exhibit brightly colored hair like other species.
"S'cuse me?" The man's voice sounded harsh like gravel in Lumen's ears. He quickly began to walk again, choosing not to answer.
"Hey.. get the fuck back here. I asked you nicely, little elf." The man grunted as he spoke, grabbing Lumen's arm again, nearly causing him to stumble and drop his items. Lumen gritted his teeth in anger and shot the man a glare.
"What the hell do you want? I have nothing for you, now please-"
The other man grinned and dug his fingers into Lumen's sleeve, as if trying to crush his bones, he forced Lumen closer to his face, causing Lumen to instinctively jerk away. Anxiety rising in his stomach and his heart beginning to pound, he looked at his assailant, waiting for a response. This guy's eyes didn't look right. Something was off, but he didn't know what.
Suddenly the creep leaned in and seemed like he was inhaling the air around Lumen.
"You've got this really great smell.. What the hell is it?" He murmured, taking another deep breath.
Lumen felt disgust rising in his stomach and tried to pry his arm away from the mans grip, frustration mounting as he couldn't shake him off and didn't want to drop his food. Other people simply walked by, not seeming to care about the exchange happening between them. The man's rough voice filled his ears again, making Lumen feel nothing but anger, a rising sickness in his stomach.
"I'm not into dudes, but damn you smell good. Like I could fuckin' eat you,"
The man tugged Lumen's arm closer and began to sniff around his neck, Lumen jerked his body back in horror, this guy was definitely not right. Lumen ground his molars as his free arm was squeezed and being pulled towards the shadows of an alley, he couldn't shake this pervert off without dropping his stuff and it made him feel so frustrated he could cry. He dug his heels in and began to pull back, glaring at the twisted individual assaulting him.
"Get the hell off me! Let go!"
Lumen felt his voice raising in panic as the man laughed, and spit out flustered words.
"Hey, hey. I think I kind of like you struggling. Somehow, it makes y'smell even better... Somethin' about you is driving me crazy,"
Lumen's jaw clenched and he felt bile rising in his throat. This is sick, this is absolutely sick. He repeated this to himself over and over. He squeezed his eyes shut and pulled his arm so hard he was surprised it didn't pop out of its socket. How the hell is this creep so strong?! Lumen's thoughts screamed in his head, and all he could repeat was no. No, NO NO
Suddenly he stumbled backwards and his eyes shot open. He nearly fell on his backside but managed to stop himself with a quick push of his heel behind him. He gasped for air; he hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath all that time. What the hell had happened?
He lifted his head, his eyes snapping open wide as the man in front of him was grabbed from behind. A figure taller than him engulfed in the shadows of the buildings on either side, stood behind the red-headed creep. A large clawed had grabbed the man's shoulder and quickly spun him without care, slamming his back into the wall, causing the red headed man to cough loudly, sputtering out jumbled words between breaths.
"What?! Who the fuck-" The man hissed. "What the hell do you want?!"
He shouted angrily at the taller figure. Lumen knew he should probably start to run, but he couldn't bring himself to move his legs; they were firmly planted on the stone beneath him as he watched the entanglement of bodies before him.
The hooded one grabbed the strange man by the collar, shoving him to the floor without hesitation, immediately standing over the confused, sputtering red head. The hooded figure slammed a boot down onto the man's hand, pinning him to the ground. Lumen heard him shriek. It almost made him feel slightly sick hearing something so visceral, another person screaming in agony... yet somehow, after what he had done, he couldn't find any sympathy. The cloaked man seemed unfazed by the pain he was inflicting, only grounding down harder.
"Wha- What the hell man! get the hell off of me!"
He pleaded from the ground, staring up at the man enshrouded in cloak and shadows. Lumen could see he wore dark colored pants fitted closely to his skin. Overtop were a pair of black boots that stretched up his calves. Everything above his waist was shrouded in a midnight black cloak, save for a golden ornament on his belt, glinting when he moved, catching a few rays of the sun occasionally.
The hooded figure ground his boot into the man's hand, eliciting a desperate shriek from his victim. He didn't seem to care as he leaned down, reaching inside the red-headed man's inner breast pocket and pulling out a pouch. Suddenly he began to panic and thrash his head from side to side — like a realization had hit him.
"Hey, Wait! Wait! are you with them? Listen I can pay I swear I'll- I'll pay just let me g-uck"
A wet, crunching sound echoed as the man on top kicked the other in the side of the face, bruising his cheek almost immediately. Blood spattered to the ground below and suddenly Lumen felt the need to leave. Right now. He quickly began to step away, backing up towards the crowd in the streets. The man in the hood glanced at him. He could see the sharp glint of gold behind the hood; perhaps the sun caught his eyes for a brief moment. Time felt as though it had stopped for just a second when his eyes were caught by the others.
Lumen quickly broke the contact and turned away, rushing through the streets, not even concerned about the strange looks of people around him.
He glanced behind him, seeing nothing of the other two. Lumen released a quivering sigh he hadn't realized he held, meeting with the gates at last. The guards nodded to him and he returned the gesture on his way out. Lumen considered reporting on the event, but in the end, he felt too scared to do so, it wasn't really his concern anyway. He followed the uneven stone until it was just dirt. The sun was still high up, which left an unsettling realization that he was just attacked and in broad daylight, then his assaulter.. was assaulted? He tried to make sense of what he just saw; the tall hooded man hadn't seemed to care for his presence at all. It didn't feel like an act of a savior; more like that creep had something the other man wanted.
He swallowed hard and tried to keep his breathing steady as the deep green arms of the forest welcomed him home, hundreds of rows of brown and verdant as far as he could see, small shrubs dotted with red and clusters of fungi sprouting beside fallen, rotted logs. Birds, singing above him. He sighed. He felt at peace here.
After awhile of walking he caught sight of his cabin, a sense of comfort washing over him; he sighed as he brought out his key, unlocking it he stepped inside and immediately placed his sack of food on his wooden floor. He quickly slid off his shoes and his cloak, sitting down quickly in the chair in his kitchen, he sighed and stretched his arm out.
"What a weird day..."
Lumen mumbled as he stretched his arm out, and folded it back towards himself a few times. He couldn't get the image of blood hitting the stone, the sharp glint of gold under the hood, the red-headed mans disturbing words. Something about his smell?
Lumen shook his head. He figured the man was probably just crazy or involved in something weird. Lumen stood, shaking off his messy thoughts, as he began storing his vegetables before he heard a soft scraping at his door. He smiled as he walked towards the familiar sound and opened the door.
"Ah! Biyo!"
The small multicolored cat greeted him with a soft meow, rubbing its body against Lumen's leg. It wasn't exactly Lumen's cat, but he had began feeding him about a year ago after seeing him in the woods. He wouldn't even go near the food at first, but after awhile Biyo would approach if Lumen left it unattended, and slowly came around to Lumen being closer. Eventually Biyo let Lumen touch him. He was so happy when this happened, something that no longer judged him. Biyo regularly came into Lumen's house now, and likely stayed somewhere nearby outside nowadays.
"Biyo! I brought you some fish today."
Lumen removed a few vegetables from his bag, finding the paper-wrapped fish. He unwrapped it and placed it on the floor for Biyo. He had only really bought it for this purpose. He wanted to at least make something happy. He smiled as Biyo purred, beginning to gnaw at the fish.
Lumen stored away his groceries, and began to prepare his lunch, although it would probably be his only meal.
"Oh, right" Lumen thought out loud as he reached into his worn bag hanging from his chair. He reached inside and pulled out the folded brown paper bag. Unfurling it, pulled out the delicate garment inside. Admiring it for a moment, he smiled. The color reminded him of his mother's hair. He sighed and draped it across the back of his kitchen chair; It was still too warm for such a thing.
A few hours passed, Lumen sitting outside, enjoying the swaying of the trees, as he inhaled the air, earthy, sweet, it tickled his nose and filled his lungs. He often sat outside in the evenings, before it was completely dark. Occasionally he could hear the residents of the houses not too far from him; but it never bothered him. He didn't speak much to them, but they didn't seem bothered by his being there. Lumen's thoughts drifted around in his mind like a cloud, his mother.. he missed her. Every day. This cabin felt empty since she passed, but it was still his home.
Lumen felt a soft weight on his lap. Biyo had jumped up on him and sat himself down on Lumen's lap. He couldn't help but smile at the simple gesture of affection.
"Hey Biyo"
Lumen ran his hand down Biyo's back, watching it arch up as he stroked him.
Lumen began to wander in his mind again while absently petting Biyo. He thought about those two men again, nearly being assaulted. He squeezed his eyes shut, not even wanting to imagine what the red-headed pervert would have done to him. But..The other guy was a complete mystery.
Lumen opened his eyes and glanced down at the colorful cat on his lap, trying not to think too much about what had happened. He had enough food to last him a couple of weeks, at least, hopefully long enough neither of them would be around.
Suddenly Lumen's heart sank. His breath was stuck in his throat and pain began to creep through his insides.
"Ugh..No.."
Lumen gasped for air as Biyo jumped off of him, circling his feet. His fist tightly grabbed his chest, squeezing his shirt as his body broke out into an uncomfortable, sticky sweat. He shivered, his legs barely able to hold him as he stood; his brain felt like molten liquid, and his bones were screaming at him. Lumen gasped for air as he slowly hobbled inside. God please no.. Please make it stop.
Lumen chanted in his mind, wishing for nothing but the pain to go away. He held the walls as he stumbled, making his way to his room, slowly, one step at a time.
He was dripping sweat and gasping by the time he hit his bed. His lungs burning and his head dizzy; he lay down on his side, pulling his knees to his chest; he let out a sob. Desperately questioning what was wrong with him.. Why.
His last thought was clear as day among the pain. He was going to fix this. He was going to Astradel to fix this.
Lumen's consciousness left him.
It was mid afternoon. Lumen had bathed off the sweat from the night before and put on fresh clothes. He was heading back into the city today to speak with the local expert. Someone who might have a better idea than him on what was wrong and how he could get to Astradel.
Lumen quickly made his way through his familiar dirt roads, meeting the same stone as yesterday he felt anxious, he hadn't wanted to return so fast but his pain, the episodes were too much to bear he couldn't take it. He needed to leave earlier than he had planned. He sighed as he entered the unwelcoming city once more. A few glances from Humans, a few glares. One small child jumping beside her mother, outlining her ears as if they were long like an Elves.
Lumen averted his gaze; he hadn't realized, he had forgotten to raise his hood, but he felt as though doing so now would be pointless.
His shoes clicked across the stone as he hurried through various streets, always keeping an eye out for the men he saw yesterday. Always checking over his shoulder and any dark alleys he may pass.
Lumen finally appeared in front of a large building; it looked a bit more advanced than the ones surrounding it. It had a certain shine around it that caught his attention. This was the hall for studying various things from herbs and mushrooms to various illnesses, different cities and landscapes too. He was here to talk to the locale expert on the best route to Astradel from here.
He felt a twinge of anxiety as he stepped into the building. The person at the front that was meant to direct and greet people looked at Lumen with confusion, almost harsh enough to make Lumen turn around and give up.
He cleared his throat before attempting to speak
"Good afternoon.. I Uh, I was wondering if I could speak to the local expert for just a moment"
The woman behind the front counter looked at Lumen, almost condescendingly. She had a sharp voice that matched her scowl.
"Well, I don't think he has the time to speak with you, why exactly do you need him? This is a place of study not children running around"
Lumen clenched his molars, feeling the sting of her words. He spoke in an unwavering tone, demanding respect. He hadn't even done anything wrong
"I need to speak with him on something related to Astradel, so if you could possibly find the time to inform him that would be appreciated"
The woman looked slightly shocked and cast her gaze off to the side; two men chatting with each other exited through a large door that probably led to some sort of library given the brief glimpse Lumen saw. They were both in white robes; most teachers wore something like this. Lumen couldn't remember, but he knew the color was related to the subject. At least that's what he could remember. Suddenly one of the men spoke up, his voice echoing through the halls.
"Did I hear Astradel?" He said with genuine curiosity, he scanned the room as he walked closer, his comrade parting ways down a different hall. His eyes caught Lumen's and he gave the boy a curious look.
"Interesting, did you mention Astradel?" Lumen couldn't sense any hostility, maybe surprise, at an Elf asking about the largest city of Elves in the entire region. But no malice. Lumen quickly straightened up and went to answer. Before he could, the squirrely woman behind the counter began
"I'm sorry sir, I tried to tell him he can't be here he ju-" She was cut off rather abruptly.
"That's enough now Caroline, he's just a boy and he's got some questions. We should never shun the pursuit of knowledge."
He spoke smoothly before beginning to walk towards a long, warmly colored hallway.
"Come this way, boy"
Lumen looked at the dejected, probably embarrassed girl behind the desk. She avoided eye contact with Lumen as he walked by, following the older man ahead of him. He began to finally speak once he caught up
"I'm sorry for the intrusion, I did have some questions about Astradel.. And well, how to get there."
The older man raised an eyebrow before speaking in a rather lively tone.
"How to get there! Goodness that is a request. For what purpose did you plan to go if I may?"
Lumen examined the walls that had rather old paintings on them, before the man ahead of him opened the two large doors leading to a room that was surprisingly warm. A fireplace tucked off to the side and a large desk in the middle of the room. A spinning globe on the far corner of the desk and a sprawling shelf of books behind it. Lumen suddenly remembered the question; as the man gestured to him to sit; he did with slight hesitation.
"I- Well, I'm sick. And I've heard Astradel is leading in medicine. So I was hoping they could help me.. figure out what's wrong. I figure since I'm, well I'm one of them they would be more inclined to help."
Lumen felt his words start to trail off a bit towards the end as he pondered them. The older man in front of him rolled out a map across his desk, showing the entire country. Lumen scooted closer, taking it all in as he heard the Teacher answer thoughtfully.
"Well, that may be true. Elves tend to be unsure of outsiders." He thought for a moment more "It is true they lead in known medicine, and are infinitely skilled in healing magics, it's quite a long way from here. one that isn't exactly safe at many points. Would you by chance have a plan for that?"
Lumens gaze shifted around the room. He felt slightly embarrassed to answer, as he knew he physically couldn't fight off thieves on his own, and he could potentially lose his way. But he was determined. His browns creased as he looked the older male in the eyes.
"Not.. exactly. But that's not going to stop me from going. I need to get there no matter the cost"
Lumen jolted suddenly at the booming laughter from the man.
"Now it doesn't do you much good if the cost is your life, now does it."
Quickly the older man stood and spread the corners of his worn map on his desk, smoothing the corners that coiled on themselves.
"This is where we are, down here"
He pointed a bony finger at a cluster of trees off to the south-east part of the map. Lumen watched with intent as he listened to him speak.
"Up here, a long this river, if you follow it for several days you'll reach a larger city called Tas'gala"
Lumen only vaguely heard the name of this city before, it was a hub of sorts and had many trade routes connected to it. He watched as the older man in front of him dragged his fingers across various lines mentioning many small villages a long the way and a larger city further north tucked close to water. Finally his hand landed on a large mass on the map.
"This is Astradel, up here. at least two weeks away on foot."
Lumen glanced up, seeing eyes full of wisdom, staring down at him.
"Do you see now child, how perilous your journey is alone?"
The man quickly folded up his map before sitting back down in his well used chair.
"In all good faith I can't suggest doing this alone."
Lumen understood where he had been coming from, but he couldn't let this stop him. He will reclaim his life, somehow. He spoke earnestly.
"I.. I understand, and I appreciate your concern, but this is my life. I must go regardless of anyone's warnings."
The older man let out a low chuckle as he crossed his arms, seemingly in thought.
"There's something you could try, but I couldn't condone such an idea"
Lumen sat up, leaning in close as the older man spoke in a low tone. Lumens eyes fell to the ground as he listened, considering his words carefully. He hadn't thought of this idea before, and we wasn't even sure he could go through with it. But perhaps having safety would be best.
As Lumen was escorted out, he turned back to thank the older man, who departed with a smile, disappearing into the grand halls of the building. The bitter woman side eyeing Lumen said nothing as he walked through the doors, greeted by the evening air, not yet dark. The world hung in twilight as the streets calmed.
Lumen continued on his way home, down his familiar dirt path. He felt a pull in his stomach as he realized he was finally going to go. He had to. His plans are finally coming together.
A number of hours passed; Lumen sat in the stillness of the forest with Biyo, content in the moment his eyes shifted down to the ball of fur on his lap.
"Biyo, I don't think you can come with me when I go.."
He stroked the cats back, watching it raise with each swipe of his hand across the feline's fur.
"I'll be back though! I promise"
He knew Biyo couldn't understand him, but the simple conversation helped ease his addled mind. Eventually Lumen shifted, feeling his body growing heavy. He decided to head for his bedroom, sinking into his bed after undressing. He hadn't had an episode of pain tonight.. It's best to sleep before it comes. Lumen's eyes drifted closed, and he was soon in a deep slumber.