The Reincarnation of Alysara. Chapter 4: A Mother's Worry

AN: I'm not entirely happy with this chapter. Something just feels off about it, and I can't figure out what. Not too much was changed, and I can't keep reading it over forever, so here it is. I really hope the next chapter will be out faster. Again, I'll aim for next week or, at the very least, before September.

AN2: Got some editing suggestions? Suggest it on the Google Docs here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fp5WOP38WnPEgG4AsPAhhAtPHXqfmDOHVxxTlkd3cYE/edit?usp=sharing

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It’s been a week, and Alysárá hasn’t once opened her eyes, ever since she’s had that nightmare. But was it a nightmare? Feyan has never heard her scream in such pain before. There were no traces of spells having been used, and when the healer tried to look at her eyes, she started screaming in pain again the moment the healer forced them open. Nothing had been found in them to cause the pain, either.

Alysárá has been restless ever since and making slight pained groaning sounds. Feyan strokes her royal blue hair, wishing she would open her eyes. Feyan loves them: one sea blue, and the other a striking gold. 

The great mage and Old Soul Aymu also had mismatched eyes. Was Little Aly also an Old Soul? It would be amazing if she was. Aymu was a powerful mage even as a young child because she was reincarnated with her past life memories. Only time will tell if little Aly is the same.

Once Feyan senses that Alysárá has fallen asleep, she puts her in her crib. She stands above her, wearing a worried frown.

“We could take her to the Guardian,” Kánáto says, wrapping an arm around the shorter woman’s shoulders. 

Feyan rests her head against Kánáto. “We shouldn’t bother the great one with something trivial,” 

“Feyan, children don’t act this way. Something is seriously wrong.”

“We could see another healer. Perhaps Fynato island has someone else who can help!” Feyan shouts, desperation creeping into her voice.

Kánáto hugs her tightly and strokes her long blue hair.

“The best healer on that island is my sister, and she has already looked at Little Aly, Feyan. I’m beginning to think this might be a cursed skill.”

Feyan shakes her head. “She’s not even a month old! How can she have a cursed skill?! How would she gain one? She’s just a baby!” Feyan’s voice starts to crack due to her worry

“Calm down, Fey. Let’s not wake up little Aly.”

“I just—I don’t know what to do.” Feyan’s expression crumbled as she buried her head in Kanato’s chest. “What if this is permanent? How can she live a fullfilling life blind to the beauty of the world? How she craft art?”

“There are other ways to experience beauty,” said Kánáto, her face betraying her worry. “We’ll figure something out and help her through life.” Kánáto holds his wife tighter.

“What if it really is a cursed skill? How can we…” Feyan trails off. Little is known about cursed skills and all attempts to remove or replace them have ended in failure. There is simply no way to get rid of them.

“We’ll do what we can and love her all the same. I have to go to work soon. I’ll be back before the Lojyo.” Kánáto lets go of Feyan and kisses her on the cheek before gathering his tools.

“What are you working on that requires you to work from sunup to sundown?” Feyan asks, now that her mind has been distracted from Alysárá, she seems to have relaxed a little.

“Do you have something in mind for Little Aly’s Kyhosa?" Kánáto asks.

“Her life celebration gift? I… Every time I think about it, my mind just goes blank. I’ve asked for ideas, but nothing speaks to me—nothing seems to fit our little girl just right.” Feyan’s eyes start to well up in tears. “I’m a horrible mother! I can’t even think of something that fits Aly’s Kyhosa, let alone make it before her Kyholo!”

“Every parent has faced this issue, Feyan, you don’t need to beat yourself up so much. We still have half a month before her life celebration, and it’s good that your [Perfectionist’s Eye] Skill is telling you that those ideas aren’t ideal. Some parents simply give up and make an unfit Kyhosa rather than something that fits perfectly. The fact that you’re so worked up about it means you care.” Kánáto hugs Feyan again. “I’m sorry for not discussing it but, I found a nexus gem for little Aly’s Kyhosa.” Kánáto apologizes

Feyan gasps. “A nex—How?! You, we can’t afford something like that! Do you know how much those cost?! And why did you not tell me?!” Feyan rattles off, feeling betrayed. 

“I didn’t say anything because I wasn't sure if the Elder’s would approve. I didn’t want to get your hopes up so I wanted to get their approval first before saying anything. I found it last month when I was diving with Wimola. I’ve been working on it all this time, but I’m no jeweler, I’m just a gem cutter until I can develop a gem smithing Skill. You, however—you’re a jeweler.”

“I don’t think they will approve. Elder Opetu is really devoted to the faith and has expelled someone before for using a Nexus gem for something selfish. Do you have another plan just in case?”

“Nexus gems represent unlimited potential, Aly needs something like that now more than ever. But if that’s not possible, then a beauty essence gem will fit her Bond. Those essence gems are allowed to be usedfor something other than Devotion projects in special cases, and a Kyhosa for a child with a beauty Bond fits that exemption. In the worst case we can just move. Not all villages mandate that nexus gems are exclusively for devotion projects. Most in the middle and outer regions allow any use for nexus gems.”

“That would delay our plans for setting up our own shop” Feyan warns.

“It’d be worth it if we can make little Aly the perfect Kyhosa. Besides, my sister would be willing to help us in Fynato village, I already asked her.”

“You’re such a blessing, Kánáto, you’ve really thought of everything. Still, don’t you think a nexus gem is too much?”

“Ever since I started working on it, Myrou has been smiling. She’s been hinting at something ever since I found it. However, when I drew up a plan for Myrou’s devotion project, she frowned. This is her wish.”

“Myrou... Now that you mention it, she’s been smiling at me too, ever since Aly’s conception. Do you… do you think she might have been blessed by the goddess?” Feyan asks, hope in her eyes.

“Others have noticed Myrou’s been acting weird lately, and it all coincides with Aly’s birth. She’s special—that’s for certain. I think the elders will let this pass, although I may have to do some explaining. I plan to do that once I’ve finished the cutting.” Kánáto turns around to leave. “I best get going. I’m already running late.” With that, Kánáto kisses Feyan and walks out of the room.

Feyan turns back to Alysárá and smiles. If she’s blessed by the goddess, then everything will be alright.

  *

“You really poured your soul into this—it’s absolutely flawless, and even then there’s something more to it, as if beauty incarnate resonates within.” Elder Opetu says, putting the gem down. Although he gave a compliment, he still wears a frown. “However, it’s blasphemy to devote yourself to such a degree to anyone other than the goddess—you were right to come to us before you made a mistake. It’s not too late to change the purpose of your project.”

“It is as you say, Myrou has been hinting at something, but to say she actually wants such devotion to anything other than her domains... Kánáto, you should not misread her intentions,” Elder Tusile says, shaking his head. “I know you love your child, but, please, cease this foolishness.”

Kánáto holds a steadfast gaze even in the face of the Elders’ objections. “Elders, you speak wisdom, and I am truly grateful you care about me to set me back on the correct path—but, if I may suggest something...”

Elder Yukika sighs. “Kánáto, devotion to Myrou brings fulfillment to our lives. It is through her teachings that we can live this life without regret.”

“I know, Elder Yukika. That is why I suggest we test my interpretation of her hints.”

The elders glance at each other.

“And how do we do that?” Elder Tusile asks.

“We take my child to Myrou’s likeness in the temple and lay these gems on her. Surely the goddess will give us a sign.”

The elders whisper to each other for several minutes before Elder Yukika speaks.

“It’s a fine test. With this, we can ask the goddess directly, but Kánáto, you know the consequences. If she doesn’t like it…” Yukika trails off.

It’s blasphemy to ask mundane and especially trivial or foolish things of the goddess. If the goddess frowns upon his suggestion...

“I’ll take the Analysha,” Kánáto says, eliciting wide-eyed reactions from the elders. “If I displease the goddess, I’ll make a statue of her likeness.”

“Kánáto, don’t be a fool!” Elder Opetu exclaims.

“No one ever successfully completed the Analysha since Kayafe created it, Kánáto!” Yukika exclaims. “You did well—no, perfectly with the nexus gems, but not even that will be enough for the Analysha; it is simply not possible for a mortal to capture the essence of beauty incarnate. When you fail, you’ll only be in more trouble!”

Elder Tusile remains silent until the other two are done. “If that is your resolve, then I will allow it.” he finally says.

“Tusile! You can’t let him throw his life away!” Yukika argues.

“I have to second Yukika. This is unreasonable,” Opetu agrees.

“Elders, I understand your worries, but I intend to attempt the Analysha regardless; the only difference would be when I do it.”

“Kánáto—” Yukika starts, but Kánáto raises his hand to stop her.

“I have obtained the [Mana Forging] Skill. It allows me to forge mana crystals into something more, a solid but not crystalized form of mana. I also have [Essence Sight] which allows me to see mana elements and essences. If I can refine these skills I should be able to recreate Myrou’s Likeness.” Kánáto finishes.

“...Very well,” Elder Opetu finally says after a long time.

“Opetu, you can’t seriously agree to this madness!” Yukika protests

“If Alysárá really is blessed then I owe Myrou a likeness” Kánáto says.

“But you—”

“Give it up, Yukika. Someone is bound to have the ability to pass the Analysha eventually. If it happens to be Kánáto, then the least we can do is support his choice in this matter,” Tusile says. “Come to the temple in three days, and we’ll test your child—if she really is loved by Myrou, you may devote the nexus gems to her Kyhosa.”'

“Thank you, elders,” Kánáto says with a bow and leaves.

  *

“I’m still not sure about this, Kánáto," Feyan says. She holds Alysárá while Kánáto rows the boat toward Temple Island. Kánáto hasn’t mentioned the test with the likeness of the goddess so as to not worry his wife, especially when she’s been so stressed lately.

“If anything goes wrong, I’ll take responsibility. Don’t worry about a thing,” he reassures her.

“Don’t worry? Kánáto! I don’t want anything to happen to you either!” Feyan chides.

“The Guardian isn’t cruel, Feyan. She sees us as children. The worst that will happen is forbidding us from her presence.”

“I hope you’re right, Kánáto.” Feyan returns to stroking little Aly’s head.

The boat docks at the pier, and Kánáto ties it off. He steps on the pier and holds out a hand for Feyan. “We have to make sure. Besides, we are here for another reason as well.”

“We are? What is it?” Feyan tilts her head with a frown.

“You’ll see, let’s meet the Guardian first so you focus on the audience with her before thinking about other matters.”

They walk along a stone path for several kilometers until the huge dragon comes into view. With horns made of actual sapphire, gleaming scales as tall as Kánáto, talons long enough to tower over houses, and long sapphire spines trailing down her back to the finned tip of her long tail. The immense mana pressure weighs heavily on them, making them stop quite some distance away, for fear of Alysárá’s health.

The dragon sits proudly and regally with her chest out. Her intimidating yellow eyes seem to stare into their very souls. Her very presence seems to warp the ground beneath her as it ripples like waves on a pond.

“Little ones, what have you come to me for? Do you seek wisdom? Guidance from your superiors?” the Guardian says with a gentle but commanding tone.

“You are very generous, Guardian. I am sorry to disturb your rest," Feyan says with a deep bow and Kánáto follows suit.

“It is our child, Guardian. Something ails her, something no healer has been able to figure out. Please, we don’t ask for healing—we just need to know what’s wrong with our child,” Kánáto says, still bowing.

“Hmm, I sense nothing wrong with your child, little one. No illness, no defect. The only strange thing is how unnaturally healthy she is,” the Guardian says.

“Every time she opens her eyes, she screams in pain,” Kánáto replies. “I fear it might be a cursed skill.”

The dragon goes silent for what feels like an eternity. “...It is difficult to see something like that, little one, but your intuition is likely correct. I’ll need to examine her more closely—bring her forward, little one.”

Kánáto and Feyan look at each other, then both step forward, Feyan holding Alysárá tighter as the mana pressure increases, so much so that she grits her teeth. It’s hard for her to even breathe, and she worries it might be too hard for her child.

“That’s close enough, little ones,” the dragon says when half the distance has been closed. “Hmm… So this is what Myrou meant. Interesting… very interesting.”

Feyan doesn’t dare question the Guardian—she wants nothing more than to increase the distance between them and get her child to safety. She feels Alysárá struggling to breathe under the pressure. She strokes her child’s hair and purrs for her comfort in this terrifying moment.

“...A mark of the Great Spirits, a blessing of beauty, and...one other, barely noticeable, applied more to her mind than body and soul,” the Guardian says, her words elating Feyan.

A blessing of beauty! Alysárá really is blessed by Myrou!

Kánáto sighs in relief.

“She does indeed have cursed skills, two of them, though I cannot tell what they do.”

Feyan feels her heart tighten. Two cursed skills?

“There is more, she is what you’d call an Old Soul, but a special variant of one called a Legacy Soul.”

“Legacy… Soul?” Kánáto asks, struggling to speak under the Guardian’s immense presence

The Guardian nods.

“Old souls have memories from their past life, the influence of their previous life is shown in their mismatched eyes, one color for each life they lived. However, unlike Old Souls, Legacy Souls need time to remember their past life, but their souls are more powerful for it. Your daughter is more special than you can even imagine”

“How… So?” Kánáto asks.

“Not even I know the full answer to that question. You have what you came here for now, you may retreat and recover.”

Feyan doesn’t waste any time and rushes to a bearable distance, even a little farther than they have started.

“Thank you… Guardian,” Kánáto says before joining Feyan.

“Thank you, Guardian! We are in your debt.” Feyan bows again once she has gotten to a safe distance.

“Yes, you are. One you can repay.” The dragon says with a calm tone, always retaining her regal presence.

“What do you ask of us, Guardian?” Feyan replies.

“Bring your child back to me in a year’s time, and every year thereafter so I may study her soul. It is not detrimental in the least, but I have never once in thirty thousand years seen a soul like hers.”

Feyan looks ashamed for mentioning a debt in the first place. But the Guardian merely asked to examine Alysárá, nothing else; and if she can make it out of this ordeal as an infant, then she can when older.

After the meeting with the Guardian, they go to the temple and, to Feyan’s surprise, meet the village Elders who are talking with the Temple priestess.

“Are you sure you want to do this Kánáto? Now’s your chance to back out,” Elder Yukika says upon their arrival.

“Kánáto?” Feyan looks at her quizzically. “What’s this about?”

“You’ll see soon, my love. There’s nothing to worry about.”

Yukika sighs “Very well. Follow us.”

The group walks up to a magnificent statue, the most beautiful thing in the world, a divine beauty, something beyond mere physicality. A warm presence envelops them, like a mother embracing her child.

Kánáto motions for Feyan to give him Alysárá. Feyan hesitantly does so. Kánáto kisses Alysárá’s head and places her on the altar in front of the statue. 

The wait with baited breath then the Likeness of Myrou smiles warmly.

Murmurs erupt among the elders and priestesses. Kánáto then places the nexus gems on Alysárá and bows to the statue.

Feyan doesn’t interrupt—she doesn’t dare. She knows now what this is. The Elders won’t accept the nexus gems to be used for anything else other than for the devotion to Myrou, so this is to get acceptance from Myrou herself.

The Likeness of Myrou nods once, and light envelopes the gems, imbuing it with an unworldly beauty and...something else—creativity itself. After blessing the gems the Likeness returns to its normal position and expression and Myrou’s presence leaves.

The whole room is dead silent. It feels like a dream to Feyan. Her child, blessed and loved by Myrou herself. She wants to pinch herself to make sure this is all real.

Noise erupts among the elders and the priestesses. but Kánáto ingors them and leads Feyan and Alysárá out of the temple.

Feyan remains silent the whole way back, still unable to believe the day’s events. Although the day is young, she’s completely exhausted.