Farim
Location: The Slums of GeneseaTime: 4th of Ventu 1729Flashback! Part 5
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
At first, Farim had blacked out entirely, his head throbbing as he came to moments later. He saw the old man ushering people away from the door to the shop through the fluttering curtain. The noise had attracted far too many witnesses. In the haze, Farim quietly called out for his friend.
āMalik, where are you? Did you get the stone?āFarim crawled through the darkness until his hands touched something cold. Like a fabric. He tugged and pulled, realizing it was a shirt. But the boy wearing it had skin as cold as ice. Farimās eyes adjusted to the light, and then his eyes shot wide.
There in the darkness of that dusty old room in Alidasht, Farimās best friend lay on the cold wooden floor with eyes that lost what little spark of life they had remaining in them. Malikās eyes were oddly serene, as if seeing something beautiful for the first and last time all at once. His body had not yet gone into rigor, but its stiffness was unmistakable.
The young boy felt his world begin to spin. He clutched his friend's sleeve and grabbed onto his chestāragged breaths beginning to fill the silence. Farimās shaking eyes darted between the book, his friend, and the curtain leading to the outside.
āHelpā¦I canā¦I can get help, Malikā¦ā He quietly murmured.
Farimās hand finally let go as he crawled towards the door. He tried to stand, but his legs failed. It was as if the strength had been sucked from his bodyāa price he later learned to be the exhaustion of casting such strong magic. As he stumbled forward, his eyes moved once more to the book, and a peculiar sight caught his eye.
Where there were once simply pages and ink, there now rested a small teal crystal that pulsed with a faint blue light. Farim quickly grabbed it, and continued his crawl to the door.
āSir, we need helpā¦ā His voice called out, but it was far too soft against the bustle at the front door. The man continued placating the curious onlookers away from his shop, and could hardly take the time to perceive just what had occurred in the backroom.
Farim was just about to raise his voice when an image caught his eye. His eyelids raised in fear as a translucent image of Malik standing in front of him, equally as scared.
āFarim, where am I? Why am I laying over there but standing here? What is happening!?āFarim lay there in complete shock, unable to process what he was seeing.
āIā¦ I do notā¦.I can..notā¦Iā¦Iā¦.ā Fragmented thoughts poured from the boys mouth before he could even know what he was trying to say. It was not long before the see-through Malik ran to Farim for comfort.
āFARIM IāM SCARED! What is going on?! I DONāT KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON!!ā Malikās speech became frantic, and as he collapsed forward to cling to his friend and weep, he felt his body slip through Farim as if he were made of air. The realization began to settle in the pits of both their stomachs.
Farim was the first to scream. He could not hold it in any longer. His hands reached for Malik, passing through him helplessly before grabbing onto his own hair and curling up into a ball. Every ounce of strength left inside the young man was used for his voice. Farim screamed louder than any boy had in that moment. A mixture of sadness, regret, trauma, and so many other emotions came welling up from the deepest part of his soul. Tears streaked down his face and dripped onto the uncaring floor beneath him.
Malik knelt onto the floor, unsure of what he had become, but a glance at his corpse brought a surge of tears himself. He knelt beside Farim and cried his heart outāfor even if the boys did not fully understand what happened, one thing was certain.
Malik was dead.
There was no going back, and for whatever reason his spirit remained on this earth. Forever bound to the crystal spawned from the ancient ritual. The shopkeeper would later be discovered by the city guard and forced to walk into the desert in exile to never return. The book was never found in the chaos of that dayāwith how much foot traffic came in and out of that shop, it was only a matter of time before the book was erroneously placed somewhere else. Hopefully, it will never be discovered againāor else its secrets will continue to influence the world in chaotic and unpredictable ways.
As time passed, Farim would learn the nature of this spell, and just what he had done that day. He had created the Philosopherās stone he wanted, but it came with a cost so great he would live to regret it every day of his life. Every sleepless night like this one, where he tossed and turned before finally jolting awake. His voice rang out in the dead of night, with little to no response. Because anyone who slept near or around him knew that this was a normal occurrence.
Except for one person. A recent addition in his life that gave him a great cause to worry. His hand gently held the Philosopherās Stone while removing the cover to Tharaās cage. She had already been cooing softly against the bars when Farim he shouted himself awake, and nudged through the bars to softly nip at the beads of sweat crawling down his face. For a moment, he laughed, smiled, and returned her soft gesture with a gentle rub of his hand.
Farim stepped out onto the balcony of the guest house and leaned against the railing. Several thoughts clouded his mind at the moment, but one topic pierced through them all. The way her golden hair flowed along her frame matched with the glowing smile that seemed to dispel any troubles around them. Her fiery nature that captured that perfect blend of sassy and kindness. His concerned look shifted to a melancholy smile as he thought about her.
āI can only wonderā¦if someone like me is worth your time.ā He softly spoke, only himself to hear.
Or so he thought.
A spectral hand grazed his shoulder and a familiar, grown up projection of Malik crept into view.
āMy friend, if anyone is worth her time, it is you.Farim chuckled
āThanks old friend. I truly hope so.āIn this tranquil moment, the two shared a moment of silent peace together they didnāt often get. But as the sun rose, Malikās visage took its leave. It was time to start the new day, and tackle whatever new adventures awaited the Trade Prince of Alidasht.
RPM
princess
Not a Sayan
Redking0380
DWGJay
Inertia
Chrys
Potter
CitrusArms
