#// so i sprinkle in some ground type and gave her type: null

[sheavoid]

"How did Kai'sa get a shiny Cubone?" asked no one.

WELL, I like to think she got it from Kassadin who gifted her an egg that would eventually be hatched into a shiny Cubone.

[brimmsedge]

Dream: Fire’s Fate

The dream starts as me being a small boy. I’m part of a small village from another world. Simple straw-like huts. The climate here is mild and damp. Not too hot or cold. Everyone has simple shirts and clothes. Hand-spun robes and dresses. There aren’t many other tribes for miles. It’s a very primal planet. Night time lasts a long time. If I had to guess about 20 hours. But day lasts 12, about the same as normal. But getting a full 8 hours as night, you wake to it being still night. The star-lit darkened cloth of night draped over the sky. The scattered sparkles sprinkled and glimmered between the gaseous neon pinks and blues of the nebulae that also creep around the twinkling lights. I do not recognize this sky. Since there are no city lights I see so many stars that I had not seen before.  The dream started at night so I had not expected what came the next morning. People from my tribe are magic users. Each one wears colored cloths to signify which school of magic they belong to. Green of the beautiful Earth. Red of warmth Fire. Blue of cool Water. Yellow of bright Lightning. Each one had duties assigned to each job. When the kids were of age they traveled in groups to the high mountain top. A journey to test their strength, stamina, and trait.  At the mountain top they would light an ancient magical fire to determine the magic of the child for their future. During this time in the dream I was a small boy around the age of 6 or so. They do it every 4 or so years after they get a small group of 4-5 kids. Since our tribe is small it takes a few years until they can all go together. 

The next question you’re asking yourself is probably the same as me. What about the kids who are 18 first, and the kids who they have to wait until they are 18. Do they get picked on? Yes. The answer is yes. The kids who are born late are called Weeds while the first kid to become 18 is called a Bloom. Teased as if they had any say in when they were born. 

There are also Sun and Star categories for kids born during the day vs at night. Our tribal Shaman thinks each kind is special. But I find it strange that no one mentions when I was born. When I ask they deflect the question.

I pay no mind to it. 

A few years pass. I watch each group goes. As I get old I get more anxious to use my powers to help our tribe grow. I work hard to do what I can as a non-magical user. Some kids learn magic before they even visit the Great Fyre’s Fate. That’s what the fire at the mountain’s called. ” 

Our tribe was founded by the first man who was part of another great tribe had gotten lost after being the sole survivor of a hunting party. Desperate to seek shelter he climbed the mountain to find his way home. Looking for a signal. He found nothing, instead made a fire and camped there for the long night. As he did the magical fyre of Fate gave him the powers he needed to survive. 

No one knows whether he prayed or asked for them. But he got them. The next morning he used his newfound powers to clear land. He decided not to find his village that he was going to be the predator and make his own land and live a free man. During the commotion of clearing the land it attracted a small group of others and the generous man showed them the mountain and so the tradition of the mountain’s Fyre began.

The older I got I would have strange nightmares. Which are signs of becoming a Shaman. Although, only one shaman is allowed in each tribe and we already have a shaman. So when I told my mother my dreams, she silenced me. Telling me to keep them to myself. If I tried to pursue my dreams that I’d be exiled. Forced to find a tribe with no shaman. 

Each dream showed me more and more pieces to the puzzle. Mountain. Black. Death. White. Anger. Sorrow. Happiness. Love. Peace. Rage. Lust. Fire.  By the time I was 16 I knew I was going to be a weed. Another kid from my generation, Kasper was already 18 and so was his twin brother, Rexa. Layli and her younger brother Yuli were close as well. We were going to be a group of 5 kids. 

Being a weed I learned to suppress my emotions and not give into the teasing. Others already thought I was different. I didn't’ need people whispering about my dreams. But they got worse. 

The daily life was simple. Dad would leave early for the hunt while mom would school the young kids. She taught me when I was a sprout. But now I’m schooled by another dad. I was really glad to see the village wasn’t sexist. Moms and dads hunted, while some stayed to defend and teach. I guess magic really balanced that out. I liked it. 

Speaking of liking. I had a crush on Layli from my grade. She was a year older than me. Already learning water magic from her mother. But she was so smart and cute. I aspired to be like her. Pushing myself to learn all that I can. But my dreams controlled me. Making me more emotional than I cared to be. Each trigger word came without warning. It seemed to stop me in my tracks and brand my skin with hot searing torment. 

LOVE. BLACK. The flash before my eyes of the Fyre. Screaming. I’d blackout and fall to my knees. Everyone around me staring with concern. I could even feel the images being burned into my iris. Others could see the magic unfolding in my eyes. But no one would speak up about it.  “Let the Fyre decide” is what the Shaman told me. If I refer to her as an Oracle forgive me. They are one and the same thing here. Oracle, Shaman, Dream-walker, Foreseer. 

The older I got the more I learned. There are two other types of rare magic that you can possess. Purple is a type of pestilence/disease magic. Mostly offensive, mind a few medicine techniques. Violet of blight pestilence. Orange of radiant Sun. Another mostly offensive type. It helps with plants growing as well. But mostly burning people and things. Which I guess is why it is rare. Tribe vs tribe fighting was frowned-upon. Didn’t often occur. 

Most tribes knew where the others were and left them alone. Maybe that’s just what we though. We only knew of 2-3 other tribes. The Oracle spoke of there being 7. Far from the mountain I can’t imagine how they got their magic abilities. The Shaman not all tribes need magic to survive. Or that they simply had another mountain or fyre to gift them their abilities. 

Both options seem to make sense. But I grew weary of the coming days. My crush on Layli faded in time. I guess after seeing her face scream in horror enough times would do that to someone. What had I done?  HATE. WHITE.

I help draw water from the stream nearby when I’m not drawing my dreams on parchment. I tricked my counselor into answering a question about my dreams without referring them to dreams. He said if I want to find out what they mean I have to be able to remember them better. Drawing them helped me.  My last few days before my birthday were a blur of drawing lines, shading. The sound of paper tearing. The warmth touch at the edges. The sounds of kids laughing at school during playtime outside. Shianna, another girl whom I found very attractive. Not a magic user like Layli, she was 14. Just a year short of being the new weed. So instead she’s the bloom of next generation. Shianna has brown hair unlike Layli’s blonde. Nothing to remind of the horrors to come. 

She would smile at me for too long. Stand in place, wandering eyes kept me in my emotional prison. Heart shaking the bars loose. The tantrum song of love. How could this be? She doesn’t know me. The longer I hide this from people the more I can’t let them in. Secrets don’t sit well in this community. I would see her face, painted on the back of my eye lids. Blinking softly in a moment’s heaven. Lying in bed at night in chilled comfort, my eyes begin to close.

BLOOD. SWEAT. 

The night before the trek there’s a giant feast. Celebration and most of the goodbyes. Not like they are going away but more like blessings of luck. Hoping they get the answers they seek. I eat and get along with others. Shianna the brunette girl younger than me keeps eyeing my down. Her tender gaze chokes the air from my chest. I quickly look away. Every time my eyes wander I catch her stare. I feel like the only one in town. 

I ignore the shadow cast by her regard. I continue my illusion that everything is content. My stomach curls. This populous stupor of happiness and socializing. So draining. I head off and try to find my comfort in silence. To me it speaks more than the chanting over-weight of constant uproar. 

I walk between some houses trying to let the dark lead me astray. Of course, to my surprise, Shianna steps out in front of me. This time her moves are not so subtle. She steps forward, inches from me. Her breath intoxicates me. Her eyes, and blood filled with lust. (Just so we’re clear in case you care about numbers, she’s 16 here and I’m 17, 18 the next day.) She pulls her bangs from her face and tucks them behind her ear. Biting her lip gently I lean down to kiss her. 

Each touch of my hand on her body, is greeted by a new sound of muffled moans between our lips. We push back and turn against a house. She grins as she lifts up her dress. The blur of the night is mixing with the drinks and sounds. Each heartbeat that pushes against the rapid currents of my rivers of blood. Something is holding back. Fighting this. The moment, the air, is a single unity. I smell the grapes, the wine, the dirt on the ground. The stale bread, roasted meats. I feel the wet grass of spilled drinks, of dew. I see the paper lanterns, and lights. The dark alley in which I am hidden. I see her opened dress, her loose top. I see myself taking her body. I hear the laughter, the chatter of the crowds and kids.

Each thump of my heart nulls everything. Drowning the sound and feeling. Then the flashes come. This time painful screeching follows the sound and static pain jolts through my body. I pull myself away from Shianna, who is confused.  DEATH. BLOOM. 

My hearing and thoughts return to me after a moment. I look back up to see Shianna has left. I feel the warm liquid drip from my face and hit my hand. Turning it over in my palm and letting it flow in circles. A few more drops. I just stare at the crimson liquid in my hand. Blood. I realize how hot I am right now. Nervous of getting caught, nervous of never doing anything like that before. I’m sweating. Could it be... Blood and sweat. I head home for the night. I wash myself and lay in bed naked. Focusing on the sounds and images of the message. 

LIFE. WEED. The night’s dreams are only sound. Voices calling out to me. So distant. They sound scared, worried. Panic. Fear. Why can’t I understand these things? I guess there’s only one way to find out what will happen. Let the Fyre decide. I house my thoughts. Letting go of the failed night with Shianna, with the blood omen. I think of happy thoughts. Tomorrow is a big day. 

This is it. I’m 18 now. They scheduled our trip to the mountain. I’m nervous. I have most of the puzzle done. I know something will happen at the Fyre and who it happens to. I just don’t understand what type of demon thing attacks us. My dream’s point of view falters and sometimes I don’t see a body or form but they’re staring right at me. So it must not be from a fixed point of view. I never see the monster though. We live about a day from the mountain and since this trek is supposed to teach us how to be adults. It will take longer. No one will guide us, except ourselves. We pack our things and say our goodbyes. I tell my mother one last time about my dream.  “Are you sure there are no more colors the Fyre will choose?” I ask. “I’m sure, Caeles. Please don’t worry. Everyone gets nervous. It’s normal. You’re becoming a man after all.” 

Thanks for nothing mom. We gather near the edge of town with our things. The guardians who will escort us assemble. Just two hunters to make sure we don’t get lost or attacked before we reach the Fyre. I notice one man staring at me with fury. I stare back for a quick moment out of curiosity. Why is he so mad? Then I see her behind him staring back, almost apologetic. Shianna. She told her father. Exactly what, I’m not suire. But he wants to kill me. I brush it off and continue. He’s the least of my worries.

The tribal guard captain sends us off and the village waves as we head into the forest toward the mountain. His rage subsides, probably due to the fact he has to mind other things among the jungle than to worry about what I did or didn’t do to his daughter. The Jungle is boring. No worries and we make camp at the base of the mountain in no time. We left at dawn. We traveled most of the day and part of the night. We will sleep then scale the mountain’s path to the summit. 

The climb went so fast I have no memory of it. Each step that brought me closer made my mind race.  Mountain. Black. Death. Sweat. White. Anger. Sorrow. Bloom. Happiness. Love. Peace. Rage. Lust. Fire. Weed. Blood. Life. 

We reach the summit and everyone settles down to rest. The guardians make some food and prepare the ritual. The Grand Fyre is already lit. Who lit it? Has it been lit this whole time? I never had been bothered to check. I stare deep into its whipping tendrils of blazing red. Tell me what you want. Show me. I’m ready. But I guess I had to wait even longer. Because oldest goes first since they’ve had to wait the longest. It was midnight when we got started. The night sky painted a mural of colors for us. 

The first boys, Kasper, and Rexa shortly after him go. The ritual consists of a circle made of arcane sigils and runes that the person stands in. Arms open, ready to embrace the energy. They chant an omen of mystic energy and the flames grow to impossible size and shape a story of  legacy. Finally, changing color it reaches out and touches their heart. Their body is filled with the magicka now. 

Kasper saw a rabbit in the Fyre, and he was chosen for Red, the redundant Fire magic. Powerful and fitting because he was a jock of sorts. Only destined he became a hunter next. His brother twin, opposite got water. Cliche and boring but we all clapped and cheered at his acceptance. Layli was next and got water just like her mother before her and as she had been practicing. Like she knew it was coming. She had shown us some simple water tricks before she stepped up. And afterward she impressed everyone with her enormous increase in power. The small splash of water was nothing compared to the tsunami she could now muster. 

Her brother Yuli was next. He was a stag and was touched by green flames. Uncommon but not as rare as violet or orange. I’m next. I told myself. I looked to everyone who seemed to radiate their colored energy. I eyed each one. They nodded and encouraged me. I eyed the elder guardians. One nodded, the other filled with rage again but showed some respect for now, forcing his nod. 

I stepped into the ring. I closed my eyes and relaxed my mind. Seeing the ritual work four times over by now. Red Hare, Blue Fish, Blue Whale, Green Stag all touching their hearts. I have the easy part. I just stand here and embrace my future. No sweat. SWEAT. I opened my eyes and let the Fyre change and tell my story. The flames wicked and danced. But for awhile, no story was told. The Elders had nearly finished their verse looked at the fire with concern. I tried to force my eyes shut to ignore the thoughts that crept in. Mountain. Rage. Fire. Lust. Shianna. Everything was coming. Something’s wrong. No. NO. 

I let the Fyre continue even though they were done chanting. They stood up in wonder. Neither elder and prepared for this. The fire grew in size, but changed to a white color. No story was being shown. The tendrils of the fire seemed to whisk  and snap. Then the Fyre focused on two large tendrils one white, the other now black. No. One of the elders talked to the other: “What is this? I’ve never seen this before. Something must be wrong. There’s no story.” the calm one said.

“This is taking long than normal.” the other one replied. No one looked at me. All eyes fixed on the fire’s large dance. The white large vine seemed to twist and mingle with the black then violently fight it. Everyone was confused but only I knew what was happening.

This was my story. Light and dark. The balance. Fighting for tranquility. This is the story. The fire’s nature, its consistency changed. From a soft, thin, flame to an almost hardened, sharp, lightning. Not quite, but rigid and tempest. The struggle became more obvious. The Elders told the others to pack their things immediately. That we were leaving. While I remained motionless in the circle. 

Finally just as the others had started to finish gathering their things the branches of white and black mixed and twirled together into a one large singular coil. The flames along the outer edge of the fire died out. Just one pillar of twisted light. It seemed to stop. But how? The others had been touched. Why must I claim my future? Choice? 

I stepped forward with an out stretched hand. Only a Kasper and Layli had turned to look at the sudden silence. Both Elders were concerned with gathering all their things hadn’t paid any attention. When one did it was too late. 

“NO!” One elder called out as he looked up, both hands pushing deep into his pack to make room for everything. He was too tangled up in his mess to make any attempt to stop me. As my fingers reached the pulsing beam of light it was warm to the touch. Peaceful almost. I could hear it’s hum and my own heart. Nothing else after that. 

Then, the pain came. The light etched its way into my being. Black and white bolts coursing through my veins, over my skin. I dropped to the dirt grabbing at my sides, clawing at the dirt. The others who had stepped forward were shouting something but had now stepped back. Layli had tears in her eyes having the twins pull her back. 

I could see the energy dye my hair white, flood my eyes with a white light. While painting my skin black at my hands and face. White tendrils of cracks seeped out white light against the black contrast of my forearms and hands. My hair defied gravity. Flowing like water in the air. My heart beat fast again. This power. I could never control. I let loose a white and black mixed lightning bolt into the side of the mountain that streaked up into the night sky. The sound of thunder cracked open the sky. Restoring my once muted sound. 

“Elder! We have to do something. Layli, do you think you can encase him?” She looked back at him with concerned eyes, fear for harming me, but nodded in agreement. One elder grew vines and dirt to cling to me as I started to float into the air, levitating. The vines grounded me strange as I looked around to see my own peers working against me. But why? Is this not what they wanted? Then to see Layli’s ice barriers come out of the ground and encase me in a pyramid of thick ice walls. 

“That should hold him. Rexa. You run back to warn the others. Tell them to evacuate the village. Something has gone wrong.” 

But before he could move I stole all the light from the sky. The stars dimmed. The Fyre’s flame went out and so did the lanterns and candles placed for the ritual. It was the blackest of nights. The others stopped being that they could no longer see the edge or the path down. They turned back to me my eyes opened shining out the white light of the fire. Moments later a blast of arcane energy blasted open my prison. 

I restored the light to sky and flames to the equipment. I walked over to my peers. My hair like white fire. My chest bare now, clad in charred shirt. My eyes glossed over each one. Kasper, fear. Rexa, worry. Layli, sorrow. Yuli, concern. One elder, peaceful yet cautious. The other, rage. I focus on him. His energy swirling inside him. A tempest storm. I feel myself feeding from it. I grin. I can feel their battle positions readying. 

I reached out as a few of their spells went out. The fire hit me again in the chest. Which I had missed before, the pain was nulled. Now I had noticed my shirt being charred. The water spike piercing my skin. Nothing to concern me. My out stretched hand pointing at Shianna’s father. My eyes burning in his. I spoke. 20 octaves lower than normal and with the voice of a thousand screaming souls. Dark twisted torment, the deep voice no longer recognized as my own but familiar in sense spoke.

“ANGER.” and with that, the bones within him popped. His face wrecked of pain and agony as his body transformed. His veins snaps and sizzled white and tears in his skin shined the black under surface. He grew in size, screaming along the way. He slammed his hand to the ground spraying white twisted acid in the direction of everyone. Knocking back some of the group while the others ran. They no longer minded me only my beast. The Sha of Anger. 

My dark twisted monstrosity of shade and shine. Black skin, and tendrils with white tips, and white light pouring through the cracks and crevices of its skin. It was a personification of anger. Taken back from its host. Much like the symbiote of Venom. 

I left after the battle was over. It didn’t take long for my peers to fall to my beast. However, it stayed behind. Lingering forever on the summit. Tales forever told of the birth of my Sha. I jumped to the bottom of the mountain catching the others off guard. I tried to speak but was immediately assaulted. My wrath turned the trees that once hid them from my sight into ferocious enemies for them. The tree’s lifted their legs of tangled roots from the dirt and began to chase their prey.

I continued my way to the village. I looked back for a moment. I had not seen Layli with either group. But I paid no mind to it. After I reached the village most had begun to evacuate anyways. My head spun too much to recall whether Rexa had made it or not. I was greeted by my mother and a counselor.

“Caeles.. my god.. What happened?”

“The Fyre. It... something went wrong. It changed things. Forever.” My voice still stung with the echos of the deep. The counselor immediately took a step back and nearly readied his magic. Trying not to make enemies where none exist, he waited for me to explain further. 

“The others.. where are the others?” he asked.

“They... are dead.” I replied. Trying to sound sorrowful but remembering that they betrayed me. My mother began to cry.

“I’m so glad you’re safe, Caeles.” She tried to reach for me but was stopped by the counselor. 

“He might not be your son anymore, Myiami.” Her eyes shook wide in fear at his words and then to me. The glazed over my new appearance. Fixed on my white ember eyes. The fire-like hair. She believed him. 

“I’m sorry Caeles.” but before she could turn away or speak more. My heart had broken into a million pieces. I felt it explode. And so did I. White shrapnel trailed by black wisps  of the wind behind them impaled both my mother and the counselor- who tried to dodge it but had underestimated the power I now possessed. I ran over to my mother who was bleeding out. 

“Mom.. I’m so sorry. I... can’t control these powers. I’m so sorry. I love you.” she didn’t reply. Only try to comfort me the best she could as she bled out from the injuries of my shards. “Mom, I told you. I told you something bad would happen. And you didn’t listen. Did you!?” I screamed. Gritting my teeth. Biting down hard fight against the anger. Remembering the dance in the flames. Balance. Then remember the Sha of Anger I had created moments ago. Not wanting to create that again. I bowed my head into her chest. Crying. 

I could hear her heart slowing. More and more the memories flooded into my head, the dam had burst and now emotions filled me up to the top. Pouring over the sides. I pulled my head back. “No. I won’t lose you too. I can fix this mom. You’ll never die.” Putting my hand on her stomach. I focused on healing her wounds. I focused on her living forever. Never-ending. 

But my thoughts were ill-placed. And ruined. Her body began to convulse and shake. Then I watched the same transformation occur again. This time more peacefully but still just as horrifying. A different beast this time. She moved more gracefully than the Sha of Anger. Thus, the Sha of Love was born. Still just as violent though. She began to destroy the houses and set them ablaze. Roaring in terror, the land had started to become a distorted fissure of my mind. The same black and white mixed magic. 

Days pass. Sleeping alone under the stars. I don’t feel anything anymore. Nothing worries me or saddens me. One night I feel her crying. Layli. I follow the thoughts of her sorrow. I find her north of the mountain instead of west. Maybe she got lost on her way back home. I see her in a small cave, following the sounds I make it there with no worry. Even the jungle leaves me alone. Still at my presence. 

 I step into the cave and approach her. Her cries muffle when she hears me enter. She’s scared. “Fear not, Layli, for I am not here to harm you.”

“Liar!” she screams, throwing a rock in my direction. “You don’t even sound like him. Or speak like him.” Her words sit and stir in my head. She’s not wrong. “You killed them, didn’t you?”

“It was never my intention to create such a beast. Nor did I know what he’d do after.”

“You didn’t answer me.” she replied, lips trembling.

“Yes. They are dead. I don’t know how many.” She gasped and began sobbing once more uncontrollably. “Come here.” I said reaching for her.

“Don’t fucking touch me, you monster!” she screamed and kicked. I stepped back. Sadness took me. Had I done this wrong? I’m trying to make things right. I’m trying to fix this. I can’t control this. No one told me this would happen.

“Layli, please. let me comfort you. I can help you find the others.” 

“NO!” she cried. louder and louder. Rocking back and forth. Endless stream of tears poured from her face. There has to be something I can do. To heal her pain. Stop her suffering. All these powers to take lights, destroy. Some part of me has to heal. 

“Don’t worry Layli. I’ll save you.”  I reached out and focused on her. No pain. No anger. Only hope, and healing. No sorrow. No sorrow. NO SORROW. Then there was silence. It worked! I thought. “Layli?” Her body lie motionless eyes closed. Silent. “I’ll leave you alone now. I just wanted to help.”

“GET OUT!!!” Roared a monster. As she got up to scream her mouth elongated a black mess of skin and eyes white and glowing like mine. Oh no. Not again.. Her body had taken form. Churning and folding into itself. Layli had become my Sha of Sorrow. Bright white crying eyes of white tears. Flowing from the cave entrance down further into the cave lighting it as it went. 

The dream fast forwarded years, and out of my Point of View. travelers coming to the foreign lands. Speaking of the Sha of Anger, Sorrow, Love, Pride, Fear, Lust, and Happiness. 

The traveler was speaking of my tale. And how I tracked down Shianna and turned her into the Sha of Lust. And each of my tribe members. Turning the shaman into a Sha of Pride. The thing that haunts them the most and their relation to me. Pride. The shaman could have listened to my foresight and we could have prevented this. Instead, her foolish pride and honor of being this tribe’s shaman filled her. She didn’t want to leave and find a new tribe. So she denied my rights. I had found out later that it’s not the young new shaman that finds a new  tribe without a shaman, it’s the older one. 

Had she told me, I would not have been on that mountain side. None of this would have happened. All the tales of my corruption on the land. And how they must kill each Sha to weaken me and bring me down. Each Sha would reveal a piece of the puzzle to the location in which I sealed myself away. The camera panned over the land of my corruption. Nearly unrecognizable, and closed to black. Then I woke up.