The Firstlings

The Second Son

He awakened the same as all his other siblings, in confusion and fear, hearing Mother’s call. Elder Brother tried to reassure them and give them comfort, if nothing else, to ground them to reality. Mother’s dreams still echoed in their minds, the only knowledge she could give them. He fell in line with the others, reeling in shock at the sight of Mother and her weakened state. Elder Brother had comforted them and told them what they needed to do. With heavy hearts and determination, they began to comb through the Cavern, securing nourishment for Mother.

When Mother allowed them to pick from her treasures, he found a small metal rod resting in the hands of one of the remains. Picking it up, he saw strange markings glittering across its surface. The remains had a finely made piece of cloth wrapped around their figure. Removing the cloth, he noticed it sparkling in the faint light and thought it was wonderous, so he took the rod and the cloth.

The cloth had some significance in his eyes.

When he slept, he would dream—the most amazing dream. It was always one of Mother’s memories. It was a dome high above his head, dark, with small nodes of light flickering as if talking. A large, glowing sphere floated in its depths. Mother had been frightened by the openness, but to him, it was liberating. His greatest wish was to see this place and feel its presence, but today he was reminded of the harsh truth.

He may never get that wish.

He watched, petrified, as Elder Brother fell to the ground, his lifeblood pooling around him.

Mother... poor Mother, who had given everything to them, was dead. The backlash from their souls being torn had brought them to their knees. Mother’s Bond had broken.

Their bodies spasmed as their souls took damage, many of them fainting. He was one of the first to shake off the pain and realize they had become easy picking for the Humans. He watched as their formations began to reassemble and move in, a whirlwind of blades and flames. His siblings started to fall one after another, screams filling the Cavern, and the stench of burned flesh rising in the air.

Elder Brother had been a fool, he thought bitterly, letting his desire to protect Mother cloud his judgment.

When Mother received the dreadful blow, a ripple spread through the Cavern. Silent and invisible, and only for her children. Mother’s final orders imparting a single wish.

Live!

He wept with the others at the thought of Mother's death and her selflessness. Even in her final moments, she was thinking of them. They had tried so hard to nurse her back to health, but it was all for nothing. Finding strength, he gritted his teeth and swore that no matter what, they would stay alive.

He would fulfill her dying wish.

Standing tall, he started rallying his siblings to fall back and regroup towards the back of the Cavern. Mother had shown them the escape tunnel, and though they had ignored it due to her size, they had to escape, or they would suffer the same fate as Elder Brother.

Though his words did not carry Mother’s Will like the Eldest, they still listened, as they were too shocked to have the will to disobey. They fell back towards the tunnel, many more falling to the humans’s sharp blades and fierce flames. Finally reaching the tunnels, he and his brothers began to form a wall to protect the others as they escaped. They didn’t have flying sticks with sharp points like the humans, so they improvised. They threw rocks, dirt, and even mushrooms at their assailants—anything to slow their advance and allow as much time as possible.

Elder Brother had imparted to them his knowledge of what he called the Truths and showed them how to see the nodes of others, and inside themselves. He was fascinated by the nodes and the way they reminded him of Mother’s memories, of the twinkling lights in the black dome. He had practiced looking inside, like Elder Brother had shown them. Having discovered how to nudge and pull at the power contained in his node, though his methods were rough, he had trained.

He pulled out the small rod and pointed at the nearest human. Power swelled up from his center, and he pushed with all his might. It began to resist as it traveled to the tips of his fingers. His understanding was still flawed and imperfect, but he had to try something. But his energies ran rampant, refusing to adhere to his will.

When the collected energies encountered the rod, an explosion burst from his hand, but not in the way he had hoped. Power split the skin of his hand, pouring into the air and breaking several fingers as it exited through him and not the rod. Crying out in pain and cupping his maimed hand, he fell back a step but held strong. He urged his siblings to stand for a little longer as he used his other hand to throw rocks.

The Humans were almost upon them when one of his sisters, the one who sang for Mother, stepped forward. She looked at the crowd, taking in a deep breath…and shouted.

That shout carried great power, and it rippled through the front lines, halting their advance.

He took an arrow to the shoulder and yelled in pain, barking at his siblings to fall back. They entered the tunnel and traveled further in before turning back and striking the ceiling. Trying to cave in the tunnel was dangerous, but it could block their attackers and allow them to escape.

One of his larger siblings ran forward with a metal hammer he had found in Mother's treasure. Swinging with all his might, he struck the ceiling with a powerful blow, and they felt the tunnel rumble as the ceiling collapsed.

They fell back, their breath coming in gasps, hearts racing, and fatigue finally setting in.

They had made it to safety.

Pushing their tired bodies, they walked a great distance and found a small cavern where they huddled together for comfort and safety. Sitting in silence, a look of fright on their weary faces, the same thought echoed through them all.

‘What do they do now?'