Frumas: Beginnings
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“Look at that cloud right there. Its shaped just like a tree.” The young and pale, red haired girl said with glee. There was no name for me to use at that time, as we had none. That was up to the tribal leader to pass down, not our parents, and that was only after we 'proved ourselves'. Whatever that exactly meant. It seemed random to me.
“What does that one mean?” I inquired back. Nothing in particular about it caught my eye at the time. She was always going on about reading the future, weather it was through tea leaves, which star we were orbiting or of course, clouds. She called this aeromancy, though you wouldn’t want to say such a word around the rest of the tribe. So she stuck with ‘guessing the future’.
“Lets find out.” She shouted and jumped to her feet; long, curly red hair flowing down almost to her ankles. The branch we were both sitting on bobbed up and down. She grabbed a handful of seed from the pocket of her light blue dress and cast it into the wind. The seed drifted to our right side, scattering over the pond below creating dimples that flowed outwards in a most graceful pattern. Finally, they joined and became one long line that dissipated at the pond’s edge.
She placed her palms on her cheeks and looked downwards, lip jutting out. “It could mean-”
She was cut off when a great gust of wind flew by, throwing her off balance. She gasped with one leg sticking outwards, and arms flailing.
I reached out in panic, but missed. She went tumbling backwards, surprise on her face, as I watched her pierce the water with a sizable splash.
I climbed down the tree with worried haste. A few moments passed and she didn’t break the water’s surface. All I could see was the lingering ripples. It hit me that neither of us could swim. Bubbles rose up and I knew what must be done.
I reached both my hands forward and focused hard, closing my eyes. I imagined her being lifted out the water, into the air, feeling a slight tug, then the whole weight at once within me. I raised my arms and pulled back, sweating hard. It felt like I was going to be crushed. I opened my eyes back up and there she was floating above me.
Only she was still encased in a cube of water. I let go and felt it pour over me like heavy rain, followed by a large piece of hail that drove me to the ground. Opening my eyes again I saw her safe and sound. Shaking her a bit, I witnessed her eyes peek open. Relief entered my soul.
“How dare you.” Relief then exited. It was my mum’s voice and she was furious.
I turned around and saw her stomping towards us with my friend’s parents in tow. She grabbed my arm and dragged me while still on the ground.
“I have told you time and time again to not use magic. It will bring a curse upon us.” She growled through gritted teeth.
“She was drowning and neither of us can swim.” I attempted to defend myself; grass burn starting to form on my leg.
“You should have gotten someone.” She retorted
“There was no time.” I dropped my hands in defeat. She dragged me all the way back to our house and scolded me. I was locked in the house, only being let out for my tribal duties.
However, when night fell I snuck through the dark paths as usual, to a wide wooden shack, called Arwita’s Alchemy.
“Hi Arwita.” I said looking through the window. The room was littered with tables going in all directions. Shelves neatly crammed with books, flasks and other equipment ran along the walls.
“Oh, my favorite customer. What a pleasure.” He replied with a smile. Arwita was a tall, slim man with a fine white beard and sporting a long purple robe, dotted with many pockets. Two little tufts of hair formed a mustache under his nose.
After jumping in the window I strolled up to him. Upon a small fire was a clay jar filled with bubbling orange liquid. “What are ya making today?” I asked.
“Some brumlo, the chief’s witches got burnt in battle today.” Arwita started stirring. The chief was his only actual customer. He made tools for war and nothing else.
I simply nodded and chin in hands, waited for the fun part.
Arwita without even a touch, lined up small bottles and poured the brumlo into each one cleanly topping them off. Then wrapped them in cloth and tied it all together with some rope.
Now thats what I was waiting for. The first time I saw that I knew what I wanted to do. Magic can be used in so many ways. This was the only place I could witness it firsthand.
“Now then, shall we?” He asked.
I sprung right into action, levitating and dusting using magic. Cylinders, beakers and bowls went flying into all directions back to their rightful places on the shelves.
This is the one place I was allowed to use magic without worry. Sometimes Arwita would even teach me new motions, however he would never let me near the chemicals or mix them.
Pointing here to there and laughing with the warm comforting burn of magic in my chest, I thought to myself. ‘I wish I was free to practice this everyday.’
——————
8 seasons later…
The sun was shining bright, which made the forwan beans much easier to find amongst the wet rocks. Digging and prowling amongst mud is never fun. My basket was only half full at the time, and if I didn’t have a full one, I’d get an earful from the group leader.
Getting desperate I went further and further from the pond into the woods until I stumbled upon a small clearing dotted with spots of tall grass. Near the center was a short, yet very wide tree stump. The sun was shining upon it with otherworldly prevail, casting a golden bloom.
I walked up to it and noticed some circular fungi on its edge. I picked it hoping it might pass for the beans. I was scratching my head in frustration when a bird came hopping out from behind the stump, looked at me and then flew off into the sky.
I felt both a sense of wonder and jealousy for that bird. Free to come and go as they please, no one to answer to, and could hide away all day if they so wish. Come and go at their own leisure.
Just as I looked down another mushroom popped out of the stump. ‘Mushrooms don’t do that.’ I thought to myself. Another appeared in an instant. I shrugged it off and kept picking until my bag was full. Little did I know what I had uncovered.
———————
“Your gonna need to get two basket fulls next time. I’m tired of you always lagging behind. You think these are beans?” The group leader said while pointing at the mushrooms.
I did get the earful I predicted. “Well, both are technically mushrooms.” I tried to plead with a coy face.
“I’m gonna report this to the tribal council if this keeps happening.” She shouted and threw the mushrooms at me. “And get these out of my sight.”
‘Ick, that would be bad.’ I thought to myself while getting pummeled by food. With a nervous smile I said “I’ll be sure to do that miss. Sorry.” I gave a bow, collected the mushrooms, opened the door and almost sprinted out.
With the building out of view I pulled a mushroom out of my satchel. It was deep blue with tiny red speckles on it. Putting it in the sunlight, the red areas shined like a jewel. I placed it back in my pocket and headed home.
My house was a modest abode. Built out of wood with a straw roof. I opened the door and was greeted with the largest room, the entry area. It was wide open with a table and storage in the corner. A large fire bowl sat in the center to generate heat in the winter.
“Welcome home, darling.” My father bellowed with large, wide arms stretched out towards me.
“Welcome? She still ain’t doing her job scavenging. You need to have a talk with her, Articus.” Word travels to fast around here. As you can guess that one was my mum.
“She just doesn’t like the job right dear? Why don’t you try coming with me tomorrow?” He smiled towards me.
Mum’s brows furrowed. “She can’t be working such a dangerous job. She’s already been placed.”
“Dear, come now. She can’t change her job, no, but a change of pace might be just what she needs.” He stood up and flexed.
“Sounds good, father. I’ll go.” I wanted to end the conversation and honestly enjoyed spending time with him anyhow. What little I got to.
He raised his arms to the ceiling in triumph. “Glorious.”
Mum just shook her head as I made way to my room. It was small with just a bed and table. I sat down and started examining those mushrooms. I took it, gave it a poke with my finger and felt something a bit sharp. Strange.
Next, I grabbed a knife and started to cut, but was met with no progress. It wouldn’t go through the red areas. I took to scraping off the blue fungi and was left with what looked like tiny red jewels. ‘They sure don’t seem edible.’ I thought.
“Ohhh whats that?” My little brother had run in and was staring at the jewels (or mushrooms?) on my desk while jumping up and down.
“A weird plant I found.” I replied while poking them still.
“Can I have it?” He said bouncing with excitement.
“Go ahead.”
“Thank you!” He shouted while running away as fast as he came.
“At least it got someone excited.” I mumbled under breath while my eyes drifted out my window and saw busalin was back in season.