Omnium's Fables

Omnium 21280:To Louis

Twenty years earlier, in 21280, Micheal's world was small, woven from laughter, dreams, and violet skies. He was only ten years old, a young Meynesian with wings as black as night and a heart as light as the wind that caressed the western coasts of Bramah, on the planet Osiris. He lived on the outskirts of Louis, a sleepy village that smelled of damp earth and sea salt, far from the clamor of the war shaking the continent of Marva. The Papacy of Meyneth dominated those lands, but to children like Micheal, the soldiers were merely transient figures—shadows in armor that appeared and vanished without disturbing the peace. Life flowed slowly, enveloped by the purple mist of the Mandrina, a plant that dyed the landscape in unreal hues, like a living painting. Its leaves glowed under the sun, and its Imprint, visible as a veil of haze, danced in the air, making Osiris a unique place throughout Omnium.

Micheal lived with his mother, Mariah, and his brother, Mathias, in a small wooden house at the edge of the Ventra forest, where the Mandrina trees intertwined like silent guardians. They were Ezralians, set apart from the other Meynesians by their black feathered wings, a sign of their ancient origin, linked to the Papacy's faith and the distant planet Atum. Their house, simple but warm, stood next to a small farm of Camos, docile creatures with curved horns that provided wool and milk for their survival. It was a legacy from his father, who had disappeared when Micheal was born—a man Mathias only remembered in faded fragments, and whom Mariah evoked with stories of legendary journeys and hunts.

Mathias, fifteen and with hair straight as golden silk, was Micheal’s pillar. Older, stronger, he protected him with the dedication of one who knows the burden of responsibility. The two resembled each other: the same blue eyes, the same black wings that quivered in the wind, the same smile that illuminated the dimness of their simple life. But where Mathias was cautious, Micheal was a whirlwind of curiosity, perpetually lost in his books of fantastic creatures or the comics he scattered around the room.

That morning, dawn painted the sky with streaks of pink and violet. Mathias rose silently, careful not to wake his mother, and slipped into Micheal’s room. The disorder greeted him as always: blankets piled on the floor, comics mixed with dusty old tomes—a chaos that spoke of his younger brother's restlessness. Mathias smiled, shaking his head.

"Look at this mess! He won't lift a finger when there's work to be done, but he’s certainly full of energy when it comes to sleeping," he thought, approaching the bed. Micheal was sleeping restlessly, his face beaded with sweat, his small wings trembling under the wrinkled sheets.

"Hey, Micheal! Quick, wake up, we have to go to Louis today," Mathias called, giving his brother's shoulder a gentle shake.

"Yeah, I know. I heard you come in, no need to shout. Just give me one more minute, please," Micheal replied, his voice thick with sleep.

"One minute, nothing! If you're already awake, hurry up and get out of bed, and tidy this room while I load the wool and milk onto the cart. It looks like a bomb went off in here!" Mathias scolded him.

"Alright, alright, I’m getting up! And it’s not my fault if I have a restless sleep," Micheal grumbled, yawning with watery eyes, trying to justify himself.

"But then, if you're lazy once you're awake, and don't tidy up like usual, that is your fault, you i***t," Mathias grinned, teasing his brother. "And you know. We have to go to Louis today, and we really can't be late," he added, his tone more serious.

Micheal shot up, suddenly wide awake. "Have you checked on Mom yet?" he asked, his voice cracking, his face shifting from irritation to a profound sadness.

"Yes, she's still sleeping, don't worry. Aunt Sophie will be here later to give her a hand," Mathias replied, reassuringly, helping him gather the last scattered objects.

The two prepared some food and water, then headed to the stable. The Camos greeted them with low sounds, their tails swishing the air. Mathias carefully loaded the cart, while Micheal stroked the animals, laughing when one licked his hand. They left the house behind, the silhouette of the Mandrina trees fading into the purplish mist. The road to Louis, half a day's journey away, wound beside the great river that flowed down from the Ventra mountains, its waters vital to the fields and people of Bramah. The fog was thick, but the brothers knew every curve, every tree, guided by instinct and memories of past trips with their mother.

Mariah had taught them everything: how to move in the mist, how to care for the Camos, how to survive. But that day, she was not with them. Her illness, the V, kept her confined to bed, and the weight of that absence bore down on the boys, even if they didn't speak of it. Micheal, sitting next to Mathias on the cart, looked at the landscape with dreamy eyes, but his silence betrayed a shadow of worry.

"Hey, Micheal, what’s wrong? You’ve had that sad look on your face since this morning," Mathias said, breaking the silence.

"It's nothing..." Micheal replied, his voice trembling.

"Ah... if you say so..." Mathias sighed, leaving him to his thoughts.

"Hey big brother, do you think we'll be able to find a vaccine for Mom in the village?" Micheal asked after a while, hope lighting up his eyes.

"Ah! Is that what you're thinking about? Don't worry, of course we'll find one. I have a friend who's holding one for me in exchange for a good price on the milk," Mathias replied, smiling.

"But how? Shouldn't vaccines be free for the Papacy's population?" Micheal insisted, confused.

"Yes, I know. In theory, the soldiers pass through village to village once a month to distribute vaccines to the population, but ever since Maverick repelled the Papacy in Calypso, supplies have been scarce," Mathias explained.

"But if supplies are low, why would your friend sell you a dose?" Micheal asked, even more perplexed.

"See... many people with mild symptoms often prefer to sell their monthly dose, and they do it for a high price, especially right now," Mathias replied, hesitantly. "Besides, you're still a child! These things aren't for you yet," he added, trying to close the subject.

"Oh, really? Since when are you a man, big brother?" Micheal retorted, ironic, bursting into laughter and infecting Mathias.

The cart jolted along the road, the river glittering to their left. But after a while, something changed. The brothers looked at each other, a shadow of unease in their eyes. They stopped the Camos, scrutinizing the horizon.

"Isn't that Aunt Sophie and Uncle Arol's house?" Micheal asked.

"It is! Actually, now that I think about it, we should have met Aunt Sophie quite a while ago by now," Mathias replied, frowning.

He urged the cart forward toward the house, which stood isolated near the river. "Maybe Aunt Sophie took another road, but since we're here, I say we stop and say hello to Uncle Arol," he said, tying the Camos to a post.

Micheal jumped down, running toward the field in the back, while Mathias approached the door. It was open, the inside dark and silent. "Uncle Arol?" he called, but there was no reply. "Maybe Uncle is out too. He must have forgotten to close the door," he thought, but a knot tightened in his stomach.

A scream tore through the air. Mathias ran toward the field, finding Micheal near the stable, his face pale. "Are you alright, Micheal?! Why did you scream?"

"Look, big brother!" Micheal replied, his voice trembling, pointing inside the stable.

Mathias drew near, a sickening odor assaulting his nostrils. Inside, the bodies of four or five Camos lay on the ground, torn to shreds. Blood soaked the floor, the flesh unnaturally ripped apart. Mathias held back a retch, stepping out to breathe.

"It’s okay, Micheal. Uncle and Aunt were just unlucky. It happens when you leave the stables unguarded from time to time. Some Luw must have devoured them. Anyway, it looks like they're both out, so I say we get back on the road," he said, trying to calm his brother.

But Micheal shook his head. "Luw kill for hunger; they would never waste food. But look, big brother! Those Camos don't seem to have been eaten. It just looks like something tore them to pieces. There are only cuts and no bites. If it were the Luw, there would only be bones left," he said, his voice firm despite the fear.

Mathias stared at him, struck by his logic. But time was pressing. "Come on, Micheal, now is not the time to investigate what beast did this to our relatives' Camos; they’ll deal with it. Now, let's hurry up," he said, returning to the cart.

They resumed their journey, the sun climbing in the sky. Little by little, Micheal regained his enthusiasm, the idea of the vaccine warming his heart. He talked non-stop, peppering Mathias with questions. "Hey big brother, why do you think we don't have the V? I read that so few people are uninfected that they are even considered miracles by the Gods themselves."

"Who knows! Maybe the Great Meyneth truly has a special regard for us, but don't think about it right now, Micheal," Mathias replied, his tone cold. He knew the V could strike anyone, at any moment.

Micheal fell silent, then asked, hesitantly: "Do you think Dad died because of the V?"

Mathias tightened his lips. "All I remember about him is that he wasn't sick with the V, while Mom already was back then. I don't even remember the day he left. One day he was there, and the next day he wasn't, abandoning Mom when she needed help," he said, annoyed.

"But Mom always tells me great things about him. It sounds like he traveled a lot when he was young and was a master creature hunter," Micheal countered, his eyes full of dreams.

"I don't know what to tell you. Mom always says he left for important things and that he’ll come back one day, but ten years have passed, and she still believes it!" Mathias burst out.

Micheal was about to respond, but something stopped him. "Hey big brother, what time is it?" he asked, staring at the fields.

"It’s almost noon, are you hungry?" Mathias replied.

Micheal raised his arm, pointing to the horizon. "We’ve been traveling all morning, and we’re almost at Louis. Doesn’t it seem strange that we haven’t seen a single farmer yet? Even in that field, like the others, there’s no one. How is that possible?"

Mathias frowned, a shiver running down his spine. "You're right, we haven't even run into Aunt and Uncle. It's strange, but look, Micheal! That's Louis, we've arrived!" he said, pointing to the first houses of the village.