“Can you tell me about him?” I ask quietly.
My knowledge of Hirovale and the rest of the Ancient Ten is rudimentary, though it has grown significantly from everything I’ve been reading in my travels. As a human, we’re all taught the basics about the Ancients and their history in the Old World, but that schooling always falls short of actually studying them in depth and in detail. I’m not sure how that teaching differs for the Discerni, but I suspect they regard the Ancients with a higher level of esteem then we do. I do know that the Ancient of Death and Exploration was the most feared of the Ten, and I’ve read enough in my travels to respect the nature of what he does and understand why his name brings fear to both magical beings and mortals alike.
The two brothers send eachother a silent look at my request, like they’re sharing a conversation without saying any words. After a moment of that look Holis turns in my direction, his blue-green eyes watching me quietly.
“What would you like to know?”
“Anything,” I shrug, “Morose seemed to think that the Ancient sleeps in Pyre. She said her and others were dismayed about the rumor that he sleeps in Disce.”
Mana’s lips curve up in a small smirk, as does Holis’.
“Pyrewouldlike to think that,” Holis nods with a sly grin.
“But you don’t think he sleeps in their lands?”
“No,” he affirms as a fact, “he most certainly does not.”
I remember Lord Daniel’s comment about the Ancient being rumored to sleep in the woods of Fumagalli… how it’s his breath that provides the sleeping air throughout the forest. Is he there now? Slumbering somewhere in those dark, moody woods.
I shake my head at the too many coincidences lately and look at the twins.
“What exactly was he known for?”
Holis and Mana exchange another side glance.
“He is the Ancient of Death and Exploration…” Mana replies vaguely.
“I know,” I nod, “but what exactly does thatentail?”
Holis eyes me again, his look questioning. “Have you always been this curious, Alexis?”
I don’t understand his question.
Of course I’m curious,havebeen curious. I’ve just been gifted the Ancient’s beast.
“How can I not be when I have the Ancient’s Bird of Ash now sitting daily on my shoulder?”
Mana looks at his brother and gives him a small, silent nod. Holis frowns in return, but he does provide more detail.
“The Ancient Hirovale is most widely known for helping souls reach their final resting place.”
“I know that as well.”
“Unless he claims them,” Holis continues without interruption, “then those souls are his to do with as he pleases.”
A small shiver creeps up my spine.
“And the exploration?” I ask in a whisper.
“The unknown,” Mana responds, “followers of Hirovale believe death is not finite, that what comes after is a new exploration of the soul.”
I recognize now, in this moment, why I chose to forgo the worship of the Ancients and left it to their followers. They’re too surreal, too fantastic to be true, especially for a human like me.
And that’s not to say I don’t believe in them… the history books all recount their presence on this Old World without a fault, but I do believe that they’ve gone to sleep for good.
It’s been well overthousandsof years since an Ancient has walked among us, and while I was taught about the time when they freely roamed the Kingdoms as protectors of the lands, the many years of silence has made it hard to believe it’ll ever be true again.
Though…
