Lyra ~ Life can be very different, through another perspective.

“Pole is not ready for the ritual. We will have to wait until the next descent.” Euryce said conclusively, to finish the discussion that had formed.

Mother’s interjection left no room for retorts. Nobody else said a word after it. Even if they wanted to do the ritual, there was no option in the first place. Nobody could do anything about it, right?

Could not, or were they too cowardly to actually push on with it?

Howard looked so alleviated, he didn’t even try to hide it. If only…

There’s nothing to do now. Another cycle, and then Pole dies. That’s all there is to it.

I tried to relax, but all the blood was going into my head. I wanted to hit the wall before me, but last time I did it I went straight through it.

And I didn’t even use the light to do it!

“Seeing that there are no further arguments, this is the new plan. We will leave Pole where he is, and he is now forbidden from leaving his hut. All the patrols in the forest are cancelled, and all vigilance will be focused on maintaining the city borders.

Nobody but Lyra is allowed to go near Pole. If we call too much attention to his place, then they will know where to strike. Everyone else will return to their emergency stations until after the descent. Dismissed.”

After saying those words, mother hit the ground with her smoking pipe. A heavy, heavy instrument, mostly used by Howard, that made a loud sound against the wooden floor of the chief’s hut.

I didn’t like her decision, in fact, I loathed it.

I looked at her unblinking, hoping that she would understand the message and she would finally get me away from Pole, but she didn’t even spare me a glance. She simply remained pensive until the only ones left were Howard, mother and me.

“You disobeyed me, Howard.” Mother said, succinctly, without even turning around to look at him.

He, with his natural disdain for authority, the one that with anyone else would have gotten him duly executed, simply took the pipe from her hand and tried to smoke on it. He failed to grab it from her hand at first, but did it on his second try. He raised the lighter to it, only to notice that Euryce hadn’t even filled it when he noticed nothing lit up.

“No, you can’t evade the conversation. Why did you disobey my order?” she repeated, directing her fiery gaze towards him. Anyone else would probably burst in flames under the intensity of her scorn.

“Darling, I do believe you are smart, and you remember perfectly what I told you last time. Repeating myself would be an insult towards you.” He said, with a mock reverence, as he started to look around for the filling of the pipe. He was knocking around flasks, trying to find the correct one.

A part of me wanted to stand up, throw the pipe away from his hand and make him kneel towards my mother in apology for his attitude.

But a bigger part of me can only feel respect towards him. Even now, it is like he truly fears nothing. How does he do it?

Mother remained pensive for a moment. Not answering, still looking to the ground. I wondered why she didn’t respond immediately. At the very least, I could say at least five very adequate responses, considering his attitude.

“And it would be an insult to your intelligence too, to assume that you were not aware of my revelry.” Howard concluded. Finally finding what he was looking for, taking a huff of the enormous pipe.

“I’ll ignore your insubordination in lieu of the pressing circumstances, but as soon as the descent ends, Lyra will take over your duties, completely.” Mother concluded, in a move that felt like punishing me instead of Howard.

I gave a step forward and tried to speak, but this time, she did set her gaze at me. And I did feel as if I was gonna burst into flames.

I hate that look.

At the end, I said nothing, dismissed back into my post in the recluse’s room, previously the infirmary.

The idiot hadn’t even moved from his spot. And is him who we are going so far to protect?

“Train.”

“Train.”

“Train.”

That was the only word that I deigned to say to him. It was strange for me, to use that strange language they use where they are from. I like using it with Howard, but when I have to talk with… him, I feel as if he’s robbing me of something every time I have to force myself to do so.

And, train was the only word I would need to say to him once I took over Howard’s duties. I would be completely in charge of his preparation, which was going terribly, but I could fix that. He was making steady progress.

I gave him slight nods when I saw him grab the darkness successfully. I even allowed myself a bit of a breach in conduct, taking small breaks so he could go through his strange pouch without me looking over him. He always seemed uncomfortable with me around, and I noticed him crying when looking at his pouch one time, so I decided that he could be afforded a little privacy.

If Howard can bend the rules, so can I.

I even told the madam to add some extra meat to his dishes, as a bit of a reward for his work, but his mood remained as dull and off as always. Having that meat is a luxury, can’t he appreciate anything?

Time went by, and I was almost, almost getting comfortable around him, when that sound reverberated through the village. I recognized it immediately. It was the sound of the ceiling of a hut collapsing.

I went outside and looked around. I saw fire. They were attacking from the forest.

They were finally going to destroy us all.

I started running, even managed to tap the light that engulfed me, but I suddenly stopped.

“Don’t you ever leave the boy’s side again, that’s the most important thing of all.”

Mother had been very clear about my role after I was attacked while gathering. Pole safety is first, under no circumstance, must I leave him alone.

But they need my help!

I was trying to decide what to do, hearing the screams of the people I cared about, seeing those bastards finally entering through the village barrier.

And then a crash behind me returned me to reality.

The hut where Pole was in. the single place that I had been tasked to protect, had now been engulfed in flames.

But how? Did they attack from the veil? Are they that desperate?

No, of course they are, how could I be this foolish.

I went back, but the flames didn’t let me see anything inside. The smoke was ruining my view, and whatever it was that had happened, it would soon be too late. I had to act.

I could not let him die. He’s an ingrateful little piece of shit, but he’s my responsability, and I have not spent so long caring for him for the nochians to take him.

I invoked the light, hoping that the resistance would diminish the pain that I would go through to jump over the raging flames. With a single jump I landed myself in the middle of the collapsing hut. I looked around in a panic, trying to find him, but it was useless.

Pole was no longer there. A hole was all that was left from where they took him.

I went out the hole, but the only thing on the other side was the veil. It would be incredibly expensive, taking away even more of the precious light we have left, but maybe I could dispel the veil for a moment and kill the bastard who is taking Pole away. It would only take a moment. I could do it, only I could do something like that.

I prepared myself for the wave, doing the motions to gather such an amount of light to dispel the enormous darkness in front of me, but the screams stopped me before I could do it. The screams from the people of the village, still under attack while I concerned myself with helping Pole, thinking of sacrificing all our light for him. What the hell was I doing?

I simply could not. We needed the light for the fight. If someone died because I took their light by mistake I would never forgive myself.

I’m so sorry Pole.

I promise I will find you. I promise I’ll bring you back.

But my people go first.

With that, I took my spear, and bolted in an instant towards the screams. I had to save their lives while I could. I could not let them destroy everything my mother worked so hard to protect.

I would protect them all, and I would also rescue that ungrateful, sad man they call Pole.

It was the very least I could do.