Rising Kite - A story from the world of HWFWM

Chapter 2 - Glimpses from a life

Contentment. Warm embraces. Distress followed by an incorporeal warmth, swaddling like an unseen blanket of caring. Blurry shapes gradually becoming more clear. Seeing a smile and smiling back. Sleeping. Grabbing a fistful of anything within reach. Feeling. Tasting. Growing.

A cry broke the nightly silence in the house. Crow, without opening her eyes, reached out with her aura to the distressed baby. Feeling the fluctuations of his little aura, she quickly deduced that he wasn’t hungry, merely lonely since he awoke.

As so many times before, she deftly used her aura to gently caress his, carefully guiding him back to sleep. “Imagine doing this without an aura. Normal-rankers sure got it rough…” she thought to herself before sleep claimed her again.

Curiosity. Frustration. Crawling. Falling. Standing. Falling. Walking. Running. Falling. Laughing. Wanting things. Grabbing them. Having them taken from him. Grabbing them again!

The toddler was laughing uncontrollably as he, for the umpteenth time this afternoon, made a stilting run toward the small pile of slightly shining water quintessence.

Crow, sitting at her workbench making preparations for yet another array-plate, didn’t even look his way as his not-so-subtle attempt at grabbing the shinies took place yet again.

The strands of her black hair lengthened, snaked out along the floor and wrapped around his stubby arms and legs, stopping him just short of his price and lifting him into the air. He shrieked with laughter all the more.

She broke off from her work to look at the little boy, held aloft in the air at an angle, his mop of dark hair being a slightly lighter shade than her own. Crow smiled as she reached out a finger to boop his nose.

“You’re a persistent one, little chick, I’ll give you that. But so far, your auntie Crow can still keep up.” She then returned to her work, the boy content with playing with the many strands of hair that were still animatedly moving around him.

Thinking. Talking. Playing in the gardens.

“Kite, this is Brook. And the little baby is her brother, Leaf.” auntie Dove was explaining to the three year old boy who was currently standing next to her, curiously inspecting a young girl of his own age as his auntie had stopped to speak with their father during a trip down into the village.

The girl in question, with auburn hair and freckled nose, was busy trying to hide behind her father’s legs while taking peeks at him.

“Pwetty!” the little boy exclaimed, pointing to her which caused her to hide again.

Her father laughed. “Well, you’re quite the charmer, boy. I hope you will get along with Brook and Leaf here, and have lots of fun.

As they left, auntie Dove patted Kite's head. "It is very nice to say nice things that is on your minds Kite. Just remember to choose carefully when to speak the bad ones out loud."

She didn't expect him to understand much, but thought it wise to start early. The small boy looked at her for long while where he walked by her side, before nodding gravely.

Helping auntie Dove picking berries. Other kids are fun. Wondering. Questions. So many questions.

“Auntie Dove, why did you name me Kite?” the now four year old boy asked his auntie as he helped her carry a basket of herbs in their sprawling garden.

He liked that she never seemed to hurry when they were out in the garden. He also liked that the weather was clearing up. That meant he could probably go out and play with the other children today as well.

Dove bent down to gently caress a couple of leaves from some herb Kite couldn’t quite remember the name of. The plant shed the leaves, seemingly of its own volition, after which Dove chanted a quiet spell.

“Life’s bounty, heed my guidance”

This caused the leaves to start growing back at a visible pace. She then turned to the young boy and answered as he helpfully held out the basket for her to place the herbs into.

“Well dear, you know that kites are viewed as a symbol not only for freedom, but also a good omen for future endeavors? That’s why we named you Kite Flown in on Winds of Fortune. Since the night winds brought you to us, which makes us very fortunate.” She punctuated the last word by gently ruffling his hair.

“But I thought it was uncle Walker who brought me here? And why do we get so long names if we don’t use them all the time? I don’t call you auntie Graceful Dove below…” he began but trailed off as memory failed him.

“Graceful Dove under the Moon, dear.” She gently reminded him. “Names carry meaning. For most, one or two words just can’t encompass everything we see in our children or hope for them in the future. But as you say, it would be quite impractical to always use the full names.

That’s why we mostly use them for special things, such as when speaking to important people. But some may take offense if you forget their full name once they have offered it to you, so do your best to remember it. Do you understand, dear?”

Kite nodded eagerly. “Yes auntie Dove!”.

“Good boy.” she said while ruffling his hair again.

Just about a minute later, the silence was broken once more. “Auntie Dove?”

“Yes, dear?”

“What is the ‘path’ most adults are always talking about? Which one do they mean?” young Kite asked, looking around at the many small gravel pathways dotting the garden as if it might be one of them.

Auntie Dove chuckled as she knelt in front of him. “It is a little complicated, but I’ll do my best to explain. The path they are talking about isn’t a path in itself, like those in the forest or here in the gardens. It is a word we use for the way we choose in life. It can be your profession, what friends you make or any other choice really. For those with essences, such as uncle Walker and your aunties, it also means their path to power.

Legends say that those who use their powers to build themselves a strong, steady path can walk it up into the heavens and beyond.”

Kite’s eyes widened as he looked up at the blue sky above them. “Whoooaaa…” he said as he imagined that there was something beyond the vast blue expanse. "But- but how do I make my path go all the way up there?"

"Not everyone can, little Kite. But if you work hard, eat your vegetables and remain the nice little boy that you are, I am sure that the heavens will reward it."

Kite looked at her, even more questions visibly brewing in the confines of his young mind. But before he could ask more, his auntie fell silent as she seemed to be listening for something. Kite stayed quiet as he knew from experience that both his aunties had very good hearing.

“I think that little Brook and her brother just went out to play. Would you like to go with them, dear?”

Kite brightened and ran off, while shouting “Thank you, auntie Dove!” over his shoulder.

So many things to learn. Reading is fun. Herbology with auntie Dove is hard, but the rituals auntie Crow teaches me are fun. And I can show them off to the other kids, especially the one making colored lights!

The aunties also get many exciting visitors. Some stay for some days while their orders are completed. Most don’t care about me, but some are really nice! One told me stories about mythical monsters and one nice lady Stream taught me a strange game with black and white rocks. Uncle Walker is always nice to me too, and he even started teaching me how to wield a staff!

Kite hissed as auntie Crow dabbed at the scratches on his upper arm.

“Well boy, let this be a lesson to you. While you were very brave defending Brook and Leaf from the frenzied ferret, even lesser monsters should be enough for you to call for an adult.” she admonished.

Kite thought back to the recent event and the flurry of claws which the little creature had become while he tried to use a long stick to whack it away from Brook’s younger brother, Leaf.

“Besides-" Crow continued, " -you are only nine and master Walker has only taught you so much. He will probably review this with you thoroughly the next time he comes to visit.”

Kite hissed from the sting of the cleaning again before answering.

“But lady Shade also taught me things. And master Trance said I was really quick at learning as well!”.

Crow looked at him, all stern but with a hint of amusement. “While it has been very nice of our guests to give you their time and advice, the argument that you are but nine years old still holds. They don’t expect you to know it all at your age, and neither should you.” She paused again, sighing. “But it is good that you want to learn. While part of me would never want to see you hurt nor in danger, the world isn’t so kind. Especially when you live out here.”

The last part mentioned their province, which Kite had learned was called the Autumn lands. It was supposedly very remote, and he had heard more than one guest grumble about it and the amount of monsters in the forested valleys dominating the landscape. Kite was often frightened by their cries in the night, but when the frenzied ferret had chanced upon Leaf when they were playing in the village outskirts, he had been forced to swallow that fear. The thought of how sad Brook would be if her brother got hurt had also been a factor. She didn’t speak much even at the best of days, and such an accident risked her becoming even more reserved. That thought made him sad.

While Crow had cleaned his wounds, Dove had been walking back and forth between jars and pots of herbs and other components. She joined them at the table with a handful of different leaves and even small grains of minerals, scrutinizing them a bit before throwing them into her mouth one after another, chewing almost meditatively while listening to their conversation. After swallowing, Kite could see the familiar glow from inside her chest as she clapped her hands together. The glow flowed out along her arms as she chanted.

“Fusion of the internal cauldron”.

Wisps of smoke giving off a medicinal smell escaped from between her fingers, and she soon separated her hands. Between them floated a small sphere, which she deftly snatched from the air and offered to Kite. He obediently took it and swallowed it, feeling the warmth of the healing pill spreading through his body, closing the scratches along his arm.

While the pill worked its magic, auntie Dove smothered him in a warm embrace.

“You were very brave, Kite, but please remember that your aunties would also be very sad if something more serious happened to you. But as long as I live, I will always have a hug and pill or two for you”.

That night, Kite fell asleep thinking of training, blood shed but also tears prevented.

Each new thing explained leads to two more questions. While Brook is often a bit scared of my aunties and their magic, I think that they're awesome!

"So I'm normal rank?" Kite asked auntie Crow, looking up from his book. The volume, called 'Foundational basics of magic' was quite challenging for his young mind, but Kite had at least started grasping a little of it, his own place at the absolute bottom of the magical hierarchy now being the subject of inquiry.

"That's right, little Kite. As are most of the people of this world." Crow answered, ever patient with his questions where she sat working on some magical diagrams.

"But you are not." the young boy stated. "You are brass rank?"

"Bronze, dearie."

"Why bronze?"

Crow looked up from her work, adjusting her slightly shimmering glasses. "There have debates about the origins of the terminology for a long time, but the most prevalent theory is that it simply matches the colors emanated from one when reaching said rank." she said, chuckling when Kite looked almost disappointed at the simple explanation.

"But does that mean that you and auntie Dove can go higher in the ranks to? To-" he paused, looking back to the book, "-silver rank?"

"Yes, we might. But just because we can does not mean that it is the fate of everyone. For most people, ranking up means danger. And reaching the next rank usually takes a lot more effort than the previous ones combines."

"But I can do it too? If I work hard, eat my vegetables and remain a good boy?" Kite asked hopefully, repeating the criteria Dove had often told him when asked the same question.

"That you can, little Kite, if the heavens will it." Crow said, reaching out and patting him on the head. "But you'd better go through the basics-" she tapped on the book in front of him, "- before setting even loftier ambitions.

Kite sighed, but eventually went back to reading with renewed vigor. About the ranks and how one improved, growing capable of the feats he had only seen described in the stories and tales he so often enjoyed. And as he read, he imagined himself among their ranks, wielding power in his own climb towards the heavens.

A most fortunate encounter.

Kite loved joining auntie Dove on her outings into the woodlands around Starberry peak. The colored leaves, the freedom to run among the trees and jumping between root and stone and the tasty berries made for a child’s paradise.

He had once asked auntie Dove if they needed to watch out for monsters.

“You should always be careful, dear, but most monsters will not dare to approach your auntie's aura. Your auntie is stronger than most of them, after all.” she had answered while giving him a wink.

Kite still couldn’t really grasp what the aura that some adults talked about really was, but he figured it was some kind of grown up thing. Therefore, he was quite surprised when he looked up from an especially lucrative bush of lucul berries and coming almost face to face with a strange creature.

It was a small feline creature, but instead of paws it had human hands and its tail was several times longer than its body. Most eye-catching was its fur, which had a distinct golden luster that glimmered in the daylight. This made the long tail almost look like a golden ribbon which seemed to dance in the wind.

It sat just a meter away, perched on a rock, regarding Kite silently with eyes even more golden than its fur.

Kite froze, and some long moments passed in silence. He didn’t know how to react to the unknown creature, but in his moment of paralysis he remembered one of auntie Crow’s many lessons she had repeated often during the years.

“When in doubt, politeness will rarely make any situation worse”.

Not knowing what would be considered polite to such a being, Kite just went with one of the few things he had available at the moment. He slowly raised the hand which cupped a big pile of lucul berries, and slowly held it out towards the creature in offering. Golden eyes regarded the proffered berries for a moment, before a small hand reached out and picked the topmost purple sphere. It ate the berry, chewing slowly while maintaining eye contact with Kite.

After another prolonged silence, it turned around as if to leap down from the stone. It didn’t look at Kite, but he felt a certain kind of nudge that the creature wanted him to follow. The nudging feeling felt strangely familiar yet completely new. Kite hesitated but his childlike curiosity got the better of him as he cautiously followed the tail which danced in the air among the bushes. He wove around some trees, waded through some bushes and finally slid down a small slope when he realized that he could no longer see the swishing tail. The creature had simply disappeared.

He now stood, alone, at the foot of a small rocky slope among yet more trees. This grove seemed to be full of old growth, with long and knotted roots and twisted trunks, making it a veritable paradise for a child who spent much of his time jumping, balancing about and climbing everywhere he could.

Loosing himself in the challenge of traversing the discovered area for an indeterminate amount of time, he heard auntie Dove calling for him. Just when he was about to leave, Kite stumbled on one of the gnarled roots for what was probably the thirtieth time. From where he sprawled, his gaze fell upon a small nook formed between the gnarled roots curving upwards and the mossy ground. There was something shimmering inside. Reaching in, his hand returned clutching a rather sizable glittering stone. It was beautiful as it sparkled in pearlescent colors with a noticeable dominance of golden flecks.

In his young mind, it was a true treasure, and he proudly showed it to auntie Dove as he returned. She “ooohd” and “aaaahhd” to a most satisfying degree when he regaled her with the tale of finding it, and promised him that he could keep it in his room.

That evening he fell asleep while looking at the shimmering colors as the stone rested on a small pillow in his bookshelf among other “treasures” he had accumulated during his short life. Auntie Crow smirked as she glimpsed the awakening stone just laying there on the shelf when closing his door, murmuring a soft “Winds of fortune indeed…”

The monster surge. Staying at a new place. Afraid, but trying to be brave.

“-and my dad can also throw lightning at all the monsters! There won’t even be any left after today!” the young boy proclaimed proudly to the other kids in his vicinity.

Kite, along with Brook and Leaf, sat on the stone floor inside the rather bleak fortress town in one of the many dormitories. They were playing a game as the boy continued boasting about his father’s prowess, apparently being an adventurer. Kite had actually met quite a few of them, as most of his aunties’ customers were adventurers as well.

That was why, during one of the few pauses in the boy’s proclamations, he spoke up as even his patience had begun running a bit thin.

“There are many adventurer’s here to protect us. My aunties are here as well. We should be cheering for all of them.”

The boy looked a bit surprised at the sudden interruption before giving Kite a sour glare. “Yeah? But my dad is the best of them all. I bet he will be the one who defeats all the monsters himself. He-”

They were interrupted as the door to the dormitory swung open. A man limped in, supported by several braided strands of onyx-black hair as he was followed closely by auntie Crow. She helped him lay down at a cot, as the boasting boy forgot about the argument to rush up to what turned out to be the very father of which he had been speaking.

“Dad! Are you hurt? Was it a monster? Are you going to be okay? Where is-” he began, before being interrupted by the man’s hand ruffling his hair.

“Don’t worry, lad. I will be fine. This lady here pulled me out of quite a lot of trouble, so thanks to her your daddy will be out there fighting again soon enough.”

His words left the gathered children in stunned silence, watching as auntie Crow had gone over to Kite and his friends.

“Are you alright, little chick? And you as well, Brook and Leaf?” She asked him as an animated strand of hair brushed some dust from his clothes.

“Yes, thank you auntie.” Kite replied with a smile as the other two nodded.

“Good. Now stay put and play nicely. This will be over soon enough.” she said as she rose to go back out, leaving only silence and slack-jawed kids staring between her and Kite.

Why is everything suddenly so complicated? And so awkward. Both my aunties and uncle Walker always have that smile. It is so annoying. Like they somehow know what I’m feeling. They constantly mention “growing up” and “THAT age”. I’m soon an adult, so there can’t be much more growing to do, right?

One good thing is that uncle Walker has been visiting more frequently and staying longer. I heard him talking about some kind of troubles between the sects, which put the aunties’ wares in higher demands. He says I’m really coming along during training too, which is nice I suppose. But he doesn't know my feelings. No one does. Maybe Brook does, at least a little. She’s a really good listener.

Kite made a lunge, staff extended. Uncle Walker deftly struck the staff aside. Kite using the motion to transition into a sweeping spin. Which was also promptly deflected.

A couple of exchanges later, Walker stopped them. He was dressed in the loose, simple gray clothing worn by both him and Kite during their exercises. The outfit was loose enough not to restrict movement but not loose enough to allow for easy handhold. It was Walker’s third day staying with them, which meant he was usually in a good mood and clean shaven with the exception of the thin mustache he kept. His black hair was kept short as usual and he didn’t look any different from what he’d always looked like to Kite, courtesy of his bronze rank.

“Well, little Kite, I think it is time for us to broaden your training a bit. Do you remember why we’ve focused on the staff for so long?” he asked while looking out over the finely crafted wooden roofs of the village. As Kite and his aunties lived on the highest point in the village, next to the starberry bushels, Kite was used to the nice view from above. He thought a bit before answering.

“You have taught me that the staff is versatile enough to build a solid foundation for most other fighting styles, both through grip and footwork. But why? Isn’t it better to simply pick one thing and focus on it? How can one reach true mastery otherwise?”.

Walker chuckled a bit, giving him a searching look.

“How old are you now, little Kite? Thirteen?”

“Fourteen in two months.” Kite answered, almost too quickly, which made Walker chuckle even more and him even more flustered.

“Fourteen then.” Walker continued. “Do you perhaps know your future then? Your fated true path? What little Kite will do when he’s all grown up?”

“No… But do I have to? If I can work hard and save up to become an essence user like you and my aunties, then will it matter as much? Won’t I be powerful either way?” Kite tried to hide his flustered state with reason, only partially succeeding.

“Oh you would be. But unlike the young masters and mistresses of the nobility or the sects, you probably won’t be able to simply practice the sword your whole life while knowing that a sword essence awaits you when you come of age.

What if you have only practiced with a blade, only to come across the axe essence, if any at all? Could you really afford to pass it over, when something more along your tastes might never come along?” Walker waited to let his words sink in a bit before continuing.

“I can understand your dreams of wielding essences, but understand that for the majority of the population it remains just that; a dream. But I wouldn’t be a very supportive uncle if I didn’t try to help prepare you for that dream, would I? So I thought I might try helping to at least give you a foundation to build upon if you manage to achieve it.”

Kite’s frown had both deepened and lessened during the lecture, but he seemed mollified. After a short pause of contemplating the view, the myriad of cliff peaks jutting out of the reddish-orange sea of foliage, Kite took a breath and looked back to Walker with the determination of youth.

“What will be the next step then, uncle Walker?” he asked.

Walker answered with a smile and a slap on the back. “For most adults, unarmed combat would have been the first step, but due to your young age and light body, I felt the staff a better starting point. I aim to correct that now.” His smile took on an almost gleeful expression. “Prepare to be thrown around. A lot.”.

Confusing feelings turn clear. Longing, fear, wonder. Pondering, interpreting, fretting, pondering some more. Talking beneath the stars. Soft lips, warm bodies almost melting into one another. Fumbling earnesty. Bliss. Smiles, laughter. Contentment.

The summer night was warm as Kite gave Brook a helping hand up to the roof of their guest cabin. The gradual slant of the roof gave them a surprisingly comfortable seating as they snuggled up close to each other, Kite breathing in her auburn hair.

Brook had always been there with him, the shy yet earnest girl of his childhood growing up to a quiet youth but with a wit and passion hiding just beneath the surface. They had circled around each other for so long, yet now the distance which seemed insurmountable before had shrunk to almost nothing.

She looked up, cupped his chin and he couldn’t help but melt inside as her freckled face smiled at him.

“I love you, Kite Flown in on Winds of Fortune.” she whispered.

Kite felt he really understood his aunties admonishments regarding the importance of names as he answered.

“And I love you, Still Brook in Blooming.”

She giggled. “It feels so unusual to hear you name me so, but I like it. It feels… real.”

"I can't help but saying it, as it belongs to the most fair of maidens." Kite intoned, falling into an oft repeated little jargon between them.

"Then know, warrior-sage, that your presence here is most appreciated- nay -required." Brook replied, leaning into him even more.

They watched the sunset bathe the peaks and valleys in colours of peach then of purple, and lost themselves in one another.

Deepened learning and interests. And distractions. Plenty of distractions.

"Kite, I know that you find Brook very pretty, but what I do not know if that you can admire her and actually listen to me at the same time." auntie Crow admonished with a wry smile, causing Kite to snap out of his reverie while Brook's attention left Crow and turned to him. Meeting his gaze, she blushed, still doing so even though they had been together for several months now.

"Sorry, auntie." He said abashedly.

"You can redeem yourself by chasing down your wandering attention and bringing it back to this room. At least I have one attentive pupil here." Crow jibed, turning to Brook who blushed even more.

"Mistress Crow, I- " she began, but her teacher interrupted her.

"Please, Brook, auntie will do just fine."

Brook hesitated a bit before continuing. "Auntie Crow. Thank you for letting me be here. For these lessons."

Crow smiled at her words, shaking her head. "Dear child, you are always welcome here. You have a good head for this, and even though your presence might distract little Kite here, it is always good that he gets challenged a bit more. Let no one say that Curious Crow flies Swift does not properly engage the mind of her charges.

But let us continue. As you can see, these two supplemental lines further aggregates the core of-"

Even though Kite did listen this time, he still reached out beneath the table and gave Brook's hand a squeeze.

Anxiety, impending loss. The world is unfair. Truly cruel and unfair.

Kite stood with an empty gaze, looking at the road leading down the mountain from Starberry Peak.

Not long ago, his gaze had been locked with Brook’s as she sat in the back of her family’s wagon as they left the village.

The logical side of him had thought and processed. It told itself it understood. That life was like this. That sometimes a family needed to move, for new work and better opportunities. That they could find each other in but a few years.

Yet still there was a part of him that raged inside. Against the pain of loss. The feeling of unfairness. That the happiness he felt was controlled by others.

It remembered their last moments together, their last kiss. And it would not let it go.

But as much as they would want to, even brooding sixteen year old boys could not stand looking at an empty road forever.

So Kite walked up the sloping road toward his home.

Days turned into weeks. He cried together with auntie Dove. And he had long talks with auntie Crow.

He practiced his magic theory, some basic alchemy and most of all, his martial skills.

He ran across the woodlands near the village, leaping, swinging and vaulting his way through the terrain until his body was wrung out.

And gradually, the raging part inside him calmed down slightly, becoming more an ache.

Weeks turned into months. And life continued.

The present day. The future seems so close, bursting with potential and the unknown. Almost close enough to grasp.

“You are doing well, dear. Keep your breathing just like I told you. It’ll help you focus.” commented auntie Crow as she sat in the corner of the room, watching Kite’s progress with the ritual circle.

Her gaze rested on his work while strands of hair were deftly wielding carving tools for the big stack of basic array plates at her side which she was currently working on. Kite finished the last symbol and, after an encouraging nod from auntie Crow, added a few lesser spirit coins to their prepared places. He sat in the middle of the circle as they were absorbed, just as he had done many times before. Auntie Crow hadn’t told him what the ritual was for, just that it was good practice.

It normally produced a nebulous cloud of flickering lights around him for a while before vanishing. Expecting this, he was surprised when said cloud didn’t manifest. Instead, the air around him was filled with more condensed motes of white-blue light, each little speck stable and solid. Small lines and connections began to form between some of them, before the ritual winked out and the phenomena vanished.

He looked up and saw that auntie Crow had her full focus on him now, work forgotten beside her. Her smile was proud, but also a bit rueful.

“Dearest, it seems like I owe you!” she called out into the house.

A small “whoop” of triumph could be heard from downstairs as auntie Dove rushed up the stairs holding up the hem of her robes, brown locks trailing like the tail of a meteor.

“He’s ready? He’s really ready?” She asked excitedly, not stopping and instead catching the rising Kite in a fierce embrace.

“Ready… for… what?” Kite managed to wheeze. Whilst he now stood as tall as auntie Dove, there was no denying that her strength still made him feel small. Dove barely listened, continuing to ruffle his hair and spouting a constant stream of praise and so it fell to auntie Crow to once again give an actual answer.

“For us to get some more answers regarding your origins. Mostly you, of course, but I must admit that we have been very curious for all these years.”

Kite’s eyes widened as he took in her words. The question of his origin had arisen many times over his life. He knew that his aunties weren’t his birth-parents, even though there was no question that he saw them as his true family. But he had often wondered why he ended up with them.

They had told him the story many times. How uncle Walker brought him to them and the little he could tell them. While Kite had, in most ways, been content with the life he had been delivered to many years ago he still had that slight ache that he imagined most orphans harbored in one way or another. Then his brain caught up to him a moment later.

“But… How could a ritual tell you that I was ready for that?”

Auntie Crow and auntie Dove exchanged a meaningful look, ending in a resigned sigh from the former.

“You won the bet, dear, so you go ahead.”.

Auntie Dove’s eyes sparkled as she took his hands and, somewhere between a whisper and a squeal, told him.

“It means that you are finally old enough to absorb essences!”