Eidolon Earth: Candidate Author

"When he saw the salamander behind him, he ran like crazy," Tanni said.

"Pfft. What?"

One of my companions burst out laughing, nearly spilling his ale as he tried to hold it in.

The glowing stones cast a warm orange light across the room. The fireplace crackled quietly, keeping the evening cold outside.

We sat around the table with half-empty mugs and plates of fried potatoes.

I'd heard this story from Tanni countless times before.

But that was the thing about sitting with old friends.

It wasn't always about the story.

Sometimes, it was simply about being together.

Eventually, the room grew quiet.

One by one, my companions fell asleep.

I stood up and began collecting the plates.

That's when the door opened.

My younger brother stumbled inside.

He was crying.

I froze.

His arm was badly injured and hanging awkwardly at his side.

The plates slipped from my hands.

They crashed onto the floor.

Everyone immediately woke up.

"W-what happened?"

Tanni's hand moved toward his sword.

Then he saw my brother.

His expression hardened.

"How did this happen?"

Everyone gathered around him.

Questions filled the room.

My brother tried to explain.

I listened.

With every word, my anger grew.

"Everyone, get ready."

I wanted to leave immediately.

I wanted to find whoever had done this.

Tanni placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Calm down."

"How am I supposed to calm down?"

"If I understood him correctly, we're dealing with someone far more dangerous than we expected."

Tanni's voice was calm.

That alone was enough to make me hesitate.

I took a slow breath.

The others helped my brother into the back room.

I remained at the table with Tanni.

"So what do we do?"

A faint smile appeared on his face.

Then he explained his idea.

I'd raised my younger brother since he was eight.

He had always been a little different from the other children.

He struggled with things that seemed simple to everyone else.

But he was my brother.

The only family I had left.

Our father had been a mercenary.

He died when I was twelve.

Two years later, our mother left.

From that point onward, it was just the two of us.

When I was fifteen, I discovered that I possessed a strange ability.

I could sense the wind.

Not simply feel it against my skin.

I could sense its movement.

Its direction.

Its presence.

It was almost as though the air itself had become another sense.

Tanni was the first person who understood what was happening.

He found me after I got into a fight with one of his men.

Instead of punishing me, he offered me a place in his company.

He became my teacher.

"You're blessed by a spirit," he told me.

"The spirit of wind, most likely."

I'd never forgotten the smile on his face when he said it.

Under his guidance, I learned how to control my ability.

I improved quickly.

Soon, I was stronger than most of the other mercenaries.

Eventually, people outside the company began to know my name.

I earned enough money to live comfortably.

I made friends.

I had a home.

For once, life felt peaceful.

Then came my brother's mandatory service at Frostgate Hold.

Every young man was required to serve once he reached sixteen.

I worried about him the entire time.

When he finally returned safely, I couldn't have been happier.

I held a celebration for him.

For the first time in years, I believed everything would be alright.

Then he came through that door.

Crying.

And carrying a wound that changed everything.

We followed the trail quietly.

Our goal was simple.

Find the people responsible.

Confront them somewhere far from the border.

Then return home.

At least, that was what we believed.

We never expected the person waiting for us.

A sudden strike caught me across the jaw.

My vision flashed.

My greatsword slipped from my hand and disappeared into the darkness.

I immediately recovered my stance.

The wind stirred around me.

My spirit's blessing awakened.

The world seemed to slow.

My senses sharpened.

For a brief moment, I detected something nearby.

Then the stranger appeared in front of me.

I raised my arm.

His kick struck my guard and forced me backward.

Before I could recover, he attacked again.

I tried to defend myself.

He moved faster.

One moment I was standing.

The next, I was on the ground.

Pain spread through my body.

I struggled to regain my balance.

Then I looked up.

Grey eyes stared back at me.

The stranger stood calmly before me.

A pale white-grey aura surrounded him.

I'd seen many different kinds of spirit blessings.

Red.

Blue.

Green.

Brown.

But never white.

Could it be a spirit king's blessing?

The thought came to me.

But I quickly rejected it.

Even against a spirit king, I should have been able to resist.

This person was different.

Far different.

Something suddenly fell beside me.

I looked down.

My brother.

He wasn't moving.

My thoughts stopped.

For several seconds, I couldn't understand what I was seeing.

Then grief overwhelmed me.

My hands trembled.

My vision blurred.

I could hear my own breathing.

And then I screamed.

The wind exploded around me.

"I'll kill you."

My voice was steady.

I charged.

My fist struck him.

For the first time, he was forced to step backward.

I followed with a feint.

Then a knee strike.

He staggered.

An opening appeared.

I rushed forward.

"Dara, don't!"

Tanni shouted behind me.

I ignored him.

I stepped forward and prepared one final strike.

The stranger looked at me.

Then he smiled.

"Got you."

His hands moved.

A strike landed on either side of my head.

Everything became silent.

The world lost its sound.

My balance disappeared.

I couldn't tell which direction I was falling.

The ground seemed to rise toward me.

Darkness swallowed my vision.

And as consciousness slipped away, one thought remained.

I'm sorry, little brother.

I couldn't avenge you.