Malnar was trying to keep herself awake, her eyes shutting and her head drooping forward while she sat, then snapping back and forcing her eyes open. Droka never bothered staying awake. He was fast asleep. Malnar\u2019s head snapped back and her eyes opened again…and were never burdened by sleep again as a figure stood in the light it generated. This light felt otherworldly, and Malnar knew the figure as if she had had continual contact with it. \u201c…Freemal?\u201d she gulped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGreetings, young Malnar,\u201d replied Freemal, one of the five Divine Ones that look after the element of earth. Her green hand then touched the curtain of Droka\u2019s bed and pulled it back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWHO IN THE DEPTHS?!\u201d snapped Droka as he woke up. \u201cMALNAR, TURN THAT LIGHT DOWN!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou cannot turn my light down so easily,\u201d interjected Freemal. Droka then got a good look and gasped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAre…are you the guide Calna told me would come?\u201d he gulped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI am,\u201d replied Freemal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cH…How are you here to guide me?\u201d whimpered Droka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTo help you remember your past,\u201d replied Freemal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c…That\u2019s all?\u201d remarked Droka. \u201cA trip down memory lane?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCome, we must see what began your current view of the world,\u201d directed Freemal. The scene changed into what looked to be outside a hospital room. Malnar gasped when she saw herself as a child sitting on the waiting bench.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDid…did you just…\u201d she spluttered at Freemal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are but shadows,\u201d assured Freemal. \u201cDo either of you remember this day?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is when my sister Twanmee was born!\u201d cheered Malnar. \u201cWinter Solstice Eve! I was so happy at having another sister to play with. This was just a few years before Mama died and Daddy remarried.\u201d A younger Orbak came out of the hospital room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMalnar, want to see your sister?\u201d he asked the child Malnar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes, please!\u201d cheered young Malnar. Then, her face went pensive. \u201cDaddy, why isn\u2019t Uncle Droka here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe…er…he\u2019s a very…troubled man,\u201d replied the young Orbak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI always found that to be an odd answer,\u201d mused the present-day Malnar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen let me clarify,\u201d grunted Droka. \u201cWhile your youngest sister was born, I was outside the cemetery, reminding myself that money is longer lasting than love, life, or holidays.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d asked Malnar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf it was as ephemeral as life,\u201d answered Droka, \u201cmoney wouldn\u2019t be necessary. Unfortunately, it lasted longer than my sister.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c…Oh,\u201d realized Malnar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy sister was the only light in my dark world,\u201d continued Droka. \u201cNot even my wife or son could jolly me out of it. I soon learned that money does not save, it only exists and we need to keep track of it for fear of losing our path.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat didn\u2019t serve your marriage well, did it?\u201d mused Freemal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDon\u2019t you dare!\u201d hissed Droka. \u201cDon\u2019t you dare show that Solstice!\u201d The scene changed into an old house as a Succubus woman sat down, looking sad. A younger Droka then entered the house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was quite a day,\u201d he muttered. \u201cThe Troondars tried to sue me for price gouging. They never had a case; the prices of houses are correct. It\u2019s their own fault that they couldn\u2019t pay on time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd yet, you cannot pay your debt,\u201d muttered the Succubus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI beg your pardon?\u201d asked Young Droka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019re barely here,\u201d explained the Succubus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, I have to brave society and the idiots invading it to avoid poverty for us,\u201d answered Young Droka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen I married you,\u201d countered the Succubus, \u201cI thought you were the bravest man alive!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHave I done anything cowardly?\u201d quizzed Young Droka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYour son feels no attachment to you!\u201d snapped the Succubus. \u201cYou\u2019ve become obsessed with gain that no other attachments matter to you, not even your family! Can you look me in the eye and say it wouldn\u2019t matter if we were rich or poor?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c…It would be preferable for us all to be wealthy,\u201d muttered Young Droka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo! Don\u2019t say that!\u201d hissed the present day Droka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh, what an answer!\u201d wailed the Succubus. \u201cThat proves it! The man I loved died with his sister and I\u2019m living with the shell of his former self! Well, no longer! I see no reason to continue calling myself your wife!\u201d She stormed out of the manor and out of Young Droka\u2019s life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c…You were married!\u201d hissed Malnar. \u201cYou had a family and let it slip away!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHis loss,\u201d remarked Freemal. \u201cLord Twandek Larkentha\u2019s gain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTwandek? Delga\u2019s cousin?\u201d quizzed Malnar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe same,\u201d replied Freemal. \u201cLet us observe the Solstice of 10 years ago, the day Calna died.\u201d The scene changed to Frigandor as the same Succubus was walking with a Frostik man, arm in arm as a Human\/Incubus boy laughed and played with a Frostik\/Succubus girl. There was a smile on all their faces. The Succubus then had her attention diverted for a bit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTwendrii, Wilcam, not so far,\u201d she called, kindly but firmly. The children listened<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLittle scamps,\u201d chuckled the Frostik, Twandek. He then remembered something. \u201cMy sweet, I passed by a place of business run by an acquaintance of yours during my stay in the Belsnath Citadel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWho?\u201d asked the Succubus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGuess,\u201d replied Twandek. The Succubus thought long and hard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI can\u2019t come up with an answer,\u201d she giggled. \u201cWhat\u2019s the place of business?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDroka and Calna\u2019s,\u201d revealed Twandek. The Succubus\u2019 smile faded. \u201cI know Droka\u2019s name causes you grief, but I thought I\u2019d tell you that his partner, Calna, was near enough to say that his soul was about to forsake his corporeal body. When he dies, Droka will be without a friend.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHis money has been a friend to him for some time,\u201d muttered the Succubus. \u201cSome would say, too close of a friend. Poor Droka, to be alone with no physical companion.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSpare me your pity!\u201d snapped Droka. \u201cI have no need of it! As for you, Freemal, get out of my sight! Stop tormenting me like this! I don\u2019t need a trip down memory lane to remind myself of how I became who I am! GO AWAY!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ll leave,\u201d replied Freemal. \u201cI must inform you, though, everyone needs a trip to remind themselves of what made them the way they are.\u201d As she vanished, so, too, did the scene until Malnar and Droka were back in the apartment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJust uninterrupted rest,\u201d pleaded Droka. \u201cThat\u2019s all I need right now.\u201d He then retired to his bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c…Pity is all you will get from me,\u201d sighed Malnar once she was assured Droka was asleep.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Malnar was trying to keep herself awake, her eyes shutting and her head drooping forward while she sat, then snapping back and forcing her eyes open. Droka never bothered staying awake. He was fast asleep. Malnar\u2019s head snapped back and her eyes opened again…and were never burdened by sleep again as a figure stood in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1462,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[463,466],"tags":[318,502,525],"class_list":["post-2643","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-standalones","category-ttr","tag-christmas","tag-malnar-emboramii","tag-stave-2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2643","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2643"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2643\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2644,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2643\/revisions\/2644"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1462"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2643"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2643"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2643"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}