Legacies of light

Arc 1 End

Name: Orb

Age: 11(approximately)

Hair: White (normal?), Red (anger), Green (excitement), Yellow (fear), Brown (nervousness), Grey(confusion), Cream(hunger), Lime(lying), Orange(discomfort), Black(worry), Pink(happiness), Purple(?), Gold(arrogance) All with strands of silver.

Eyes: Blue(left) Gold(Right)

Likes: Drawing, Food, Snow Sculptures, Books, Captivant, Wolfie

Dislikes: Being left alone, Physical contact

Height: 152 cm

As I get up slowly from the bed, I see no one beside me. Capti has probably started his hibernation. So, as I slap my face with my hands and say, “I have no time to waste if I want to see Capti. So I immediately head to the study to start my challenge. After getting there, I take a second to take in all my surroundings and realise how many books Capti has stacked away. He did a lot of hard work, so I need to as well. I go up to the desk in the study. It has a giant box with a note on top of it. The letter reads as follows.

[Hey Orb, how have you been? I guess fine, I probably am not, but that doesn’t matter, so I will tell you what to do. First, all the books are in a giant cube shape; starting from the door on the left-hand side of the wall opposite the entrance, read all the books column by column. The first few books are all workbooks for the Heroes and Heavens songs that I haven’t given you. Finish those and the ones I have given you, and you will be proficient enough to read everything here.

Also, if you get lonely, you can talk to my wife and keep her company; she likes having conversations, so I leave that all up to you. Work hard, but don’t forget to eat and sleep.

PS: I left some clothes for you to change into in my room if you grow out of your current ones.]

After I finish reading the note, I immediately went to get Draga and said, “Nice to see you again Draga, we will be spending a lot of time together from now on,” after that, I ran and grabbed my workbooks and then got started, “Let’s get started Draga,” I say with bright green hair.

But right before I open my book, I hear a large grumble. “Sorry, Draga, I guess I am hungry,” I say out of embarrassment, so I run downstairs to prepare food. While eating, I don’t know why, but it tastes worse than usual.

8 Months later

Books 15%

“Draga was finally finished,” Orb says as he jumps with joy and closes the final book. I memorised four-fifths of the heavens song characters, so I can read and write in it quickly enough, and I have a near-complete mastery of the heroes song. It was hard finishing all these books for both songs, but I succeeded and can’t wait to show off all my new skills to Capti. Now I can get started with the rest of the books, but first I need to cut my hair. So, while using the mirror in Capti’s room, I cut my hair my skill at doing it is nowhere close to Capti’s, and my hair went from a giant cloud, as Capti described it, to messy. But it was lots of fun. I also decided to put on the clothes Capti made. I am surprised he could guess what size I would be, but he had raised kids before. Maybe that knowledge helped.

Year 6 End

Year 7

One year later

Books 40%

I have been reading nonstop every day from one morning to the next. I fall asleep and wake up in the study; doing this allows me to read books from the moment I am awake. I only started doing this when I discovered my progress wasn’t enough. Eight months passed, and I wasn’t even a sixth done.

All these books were packed with information, and I needed to understand them perfectly. Some days, I go without sleep or eating entirely, but it doesn’t inhibit me. It’s like I don’t feel tired at all, but then I would randomly pass out for about 8 hours, but then I am entirely refreshed. It’s strange. But to be honest, the food has been tasting worse and worse, so I don’t feel like eating it.

I shouldn’t be able to do this. I know that since some of the books Capti left me are about human biology, my body should have stopped working a while ago, but it hasn’t. I feel sharper than ever. I can taste, smell, and hear better. Due to all this, I have been able to shoot through many more books in the last four months.

But on the topic of the books, I don’t understand what some of these books have to do with his process of immortality. All the ones I read have been informational, but I don’t know why it’s like this. I wanted to check the books I have yet to read, but I am scared I will mess them up in some way and won’t be able to see Capti, so no matter what, I can’t do that.

All I can do is keep reading until I find my answer “Isn’t that right, Draga?” That’s all I can do to see Capti again.

Year 7 End

Year 8

Three months later

Books 55%

The book’s stories started to change after I reached the halfway point. Their now less about information, but back to the usual stories; some are books written by Capti, and some are from other authors. Yet this hasn’t helped me figure out how this will help Capti.

Though because of the books I now know why the food doesn’t taste good anymore; its cause I am eating it alone, food tastes better when it’s been eaten with someone, but no matter how lonely I feel, it won’t do any good to complain about it just got to keep reading.

6 Months later

Books 85%

But it seems my body can no longer keep up with my demands. When I want to walk, my legs can’t balance, my eyes, ears, and nose bleed sometimes, and my hair doesn’t grow anymore. My body hurts a lot. But I am almost done and will be seeing him soon, so I put up with it.

2 Months later

Books 100%

I have finished all the books and have read them all thoroughly in order. Now that I am finished, a part of me wants to go through them all again, but my utterly depleted body wants to fall apart just from the suggestion, and I don’t know whether or not that will affect anything.

So, as I pick up Draga beside me, I go to the large box at the top of it and open it up. I see a letter. There must be more instructions, so as I read the letter, the first thing I see is this.

[Hey Orb, you’ve done well to get this far. I am sure this took you about three years to get through. I am proud of you. Well done. But to ensure no confusion, I am dead, deceased, and never coming back. I am Mortal.]

Huh, what was it? Capti is not immortal, but he swore on his family life. Doesn’t he love his family? What’s going on? All these thoughts ran through my head chaotically. I couldn’t think or breathe. My chest is tight, and my head hurts. I can keep up with this. It’s too much, is what I think right before I fall unconscious.

-Break-

I get up from the floor, breathing heavily. I just had a terrible dream, Capti was dead; I guess my mind can go to stupid places without sleep. “Wait, where is Draga?” But with a quick look around, I find her on the floor a little ways away from me.

“Now, Draga, let's go look at the box Capti left, " so I climb onto the table to see it. “Huh, it’s already open. That’s weird. This all feels like déjà vu, Draga,” so as I look in the box to read the note, the only words I can make out of it are I am dead, deceased, I am never coming back, I am Mortal.

Huh, so it wasn’t a dream. It happened. At the very thought of what I had read, all I could do was laugh, “THIS IS HILARIOUS”.

“Hey, Draga, I am feeling quite hungry. Let’s go it”.

So, I prepare food for myself with Draga laughing all the while. But after I finish eating, I only have one thought, “This is garbage,” this is the worst meal I have ever eaten in my life, no way I have been eating this same food for the past eight years. So, food that’s been good your whole life can suddenly taste like this. I grab Draga and start heading to my snow museum outside.

“If I think about it logically, what else did I expect from the food because that’s just how life is for an existence as disgusting as me!” I say as I smash a snow sculpture.

“This is just what I deserve. I am an abandoned child who no one wants and who everyone leaves. EVEN THOUGH I TOLD CAPTI ALL I WAS SCARED OF, HE STILL MADE SURE TO MESS WITH ME, TO GIVE ME ALL THAT HAPPINESS, SO HE COULD TAKE IT ALL AWAY! WHERE YOU JUST LAUGHING AT ME ALL THIS TIME? I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU. NO ONE IN THIS WORLD LOVES ME. THEY ALL JUST COME AND GO. WHAT’S THE POINT OF ANYTHING!” I say until I smash all the snow sculptures around me.

Out of anger, I run right into the snow. I don’t care about what direction I am running in or what distance l travel; I just know I don’t want to be here anymore. My body, which hasn’t had any vigorous movement in a long time, wants to fall, but I don’t care. All I do is run as fast as I can.

“CAPTI YOU LIAR, YOU LIAR, YOU PROMISED ME ON YOUR FAMILY, WAS ANYTHING YOU SAID EVEN THE TRUTH, WAS THIS ALL SOME FUN JOKE TO YOU, LIAR, I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU!” I run until I am entirely out of breath, but then I realise I am still holding Draga in my left hand.

Why am I carrying this dead weight anyway? You probably aren’t even a real person, you're just another lie he told me. So, I prepare to throw Draga at the ground with all my force. But all the snow around me changes to a different colour, a dark blue, and it looks like the snow is floating around me.

“When the moon shines and hits the top of the hill, it is said to be the most beautiful site in the world”, I remember Capti’s words as I look around this mountain. Pretty, it’s beautiful. It’s the most fantastic thing I have ever, I say. He didn't lie to me as I cleared the tears from my eyes.

I rush back to the house as fast as I can, and go to read the rest of the note.

[Hey, Orb, you’ve done well to get this far. I am sure this took you about three years to get through. I am proud of you. Well done. But to ensure there is no confusion, I am dead, deceased; I am never coming back; I am Mortal. Now, you might think I have told you a rather wicked lie. I would say I technically have not. In my opinion, the best way you can learn about someone is by understanding what type of stories they like, and all those books you have read are every book I have written and read, so right now I would say you’re the person who now knows me the best. Everything I am has been put into my books and passed down to you and my family, so I will be immortal as long as you remember me. All those books were filled with information that will be helpful to you from now on. I am sorry, I won’t be able to get you out of here physically, but I have enabled you with the ability to leave and survive. Also, for all your birthdays, I have missed there are two presents here. First, a unique cloth I made by repurposing the materials of my gear, so you can wear something while going to the bottom of the mountain. Next, at the bottom of the box under the clothes are letters of introduction, so if you ever get in trouble, seek out these people, and they will help you. Orb, sorry I had to lie to you. I just needed you to have motivation. It’s been so much fun, and I know you will bring light into the lives of others, as you have done to me. Be good and keep your promises. I don’t hope to see you, but tell me how much fun you had when we met.]

Tears are flowing down my face. I don’t know what to say in response to what I just read, but I know what I must do now. I put on the clothes Capti left for me; a long garment split at the end to allow me to move my legs. It’s a bit big for me, but it’s still okay.

So, I grab Draga and run to the place I was before, and I bury her right next to a large lump of snow. “Now you get to see it every year, goodbye.”

So, after gathering all the letters in the box and finding a bag to put them in, I go in front of the house and bow, “Thank you for keeping me safe. I enjoy staying with you.”

So, as I try to run into the snow, I see a tremendous amount of snow around me form into a giant wolf the size of the house, it is Wolfie.

“Hello, Wolfie, it’s been a long time.”

“Stop what you’re doing, go back in the house.”

“I refuse. I want to leave”

“There is nothing out there in the world except never-ending suffering. Go back inside, or I will make.”

“I am sure you could stop me, but I must go.”

“Why?”

“Because my life here will never amount to much. Capti had happiness in the place where he was born. But he didn’t settle for that; he wanted to find the place where he truly belongs, and so do I. If I do that, I am sure I can die fulfilled. because if I don’t, all I will be left with is regrets.”

“All that sounds like is a curse to me.”

“But that’s left to me to decide, so thank you for everything.” Putting his giant paw in front of me, he blocks my path. “I am leaving no matter what, so unless you want to kill me, move.”

So, as I run past Wolfie with all my might, all I hear is, “You’re a fool” Maybe I am, but I have never felt this free and happy; my body feels lighter, my head is clear. I am so excited I can’t wait.

Character logs

Name: Orb

Age: 14

Bday: Capricorn 28^th

Hair: White (normal?), Red (anger), Green (excitement), Yellow (fear), Brown (nervousness), Grey(confusion), Cream(hunger), Lime(lying), Orange(discomfort), Black(worry), Pink(happiness), Purple(?), Gold(arrogance) All with strands of silver.

Eyes: Blue(left) Gold(Right)

Height: 164 cm

Likes: Drawing, Food, Snow Sculptures, Books, Captivant, Wolfie, Draga

Dislikes: Being left alone, Physical contact

Name: Captivant Nightfall

Age: 84

Birthday: Taurus 23^th

Hair: Black (Normally), Grey(due to age)

Eyes: Yellow

Height: 179 cm

Likes: Books, family, Orb, potatoes, alcohol,

Dislikes: milk, berries, people who don’t like his family,

Part 1 End