Chapter Text
The leather-bound books sat at rest on the shelves, a thin layer of dust covering them slightly. As he takes in the old library around him, he notices a newer book. One he recognizes, as he remembers his mother reading it to him as a young child. Curious as to why it’s there, he picks up the book and the title reads as ‘Of light and shadows’ . Turning the front cover over, there is a blurb of writing, “To my dearest Vierna, my light in this shadow cast world… you may not understand why I’ve gifted this book to you now, but I promise to you that as you grow older my intentions will soon be seen.”
Then he remembers the little girl across the way. He used to play with her, she was full of joy, truly a burning flame within a dark room. They used to play this game of chase together, typically he’d be the one chasing her through the streets, but that was alright with the both of them. They never asked for each other’s name, content with just having fun as young children do. He’s only ever heard her name, or what he assumed to be her name, once. “Vivi! Come back inside, your brother has returned!” He overheard. And now he’s replaying that same sentence over and over and over in his head. She was his best friend, not having anyone else as the other kids in their village thought that they were weird, but she disappeared a few fortnights after that incident. He still thinks about the girl across the way from time to time, when the nights get lonely, and his room a little too dark.
Coming back out of his looping thoughts, he pockets the book into his overcoat and returns to scanning the library for the book he came for. It was one that had rung about much controversy of all the people knew of magick and its wixen wielders. It’s the book that got wixen and other magick wielders outlawed. Haerin was just 14 when it happened, he was with his mother at the announcement. The kings’ mage had attempted to poison him at the breakfast table or so they say. The mage was beheaded soon after the law was pronounced within the Rivendalen Kingdom. There was no safe area for the magick users in the country after that, so they either went into hiding or fled to Fernial across the sea. His father left with them.