VM – Chapter 80

Vitae Memorandum

Dear Readers,

Thank you for reading our tale to the very end.  As the new arch-magus, I felt like it was my responsibility to keep a record of everything we had gone through to bring our world forward into the future.  I actually have other copies of these tales, but I made sure to have one written in English too, along with this letter.  It’s been a lot of work, but I’ve finally figured out how to close the veil for good.  The plan was, on the day of our twentieth birthday, we would meet up together to finally deal with the veil.  That’s only in a couple of days too, so I don’t have much time.

My plan is to compile these stories and give it back to the world that had helped ours to grow, the same world we got our memories from, and hopefully our stories will make it to the same internet that my father had taken all of his information from.  We still have no idea what happened to the lives we felt from your world, if they had kept going on their own after our memory had ended, or if they had died in that moment and had been thus as ourselves reborn, but whichever the case thank you.. everyone who had been a part of those memories.. whoever you may be.  It was by your strength that we have made it this far, and by that strength that we can have our world keep moving forwards.

The four of us had been working hard on these records for a while now, I actually lost track how long ago it was.  Mhyl has commented that the whole thing overall seems to feel like a Vitae, a resume in collection of all of our memories.. and yet also a Memorandum, a note and record of the duality of our lives.  I don’t actually think it was.. formal enough for something like that, but I know this record is important.  Once the veil here is sealed, the connection with Earth will be gone, and Celese will be left to continue on its own.

These last couple of years have been going well as is, so I’m certain the future will be at least equally as bright.  The citadel keeps taking in new students all the time, people seeking to learn how to use their newly found gift, and the whole thing has grown into a really formal institution.  Grandfather passed away last year, leaving me to run the place.  I’m not exactly lonely either, not long after Thanrie was married on our eighteenth birthday, I actually got married to Yuxzn.  Yuxzn has also shown such devotion, being immeasurable help in coordinating things at the citadel and making sure things keep moving forward.

I haven’t told the others yet, but the family might not end there, with another member of the family expected in about half a year’s time.  It will be even more responsibility, but I have the highest hopes for a promising future.  Such a child will have a lot of things to carry on into their future, but I plan to make sure I can pass off such a legacy while proud of its progress.  They might be left to continue the legacy of the arch-magus.. even to maybe inherit mother’s book, if the High-Seer doesn’t demand it back one day.. but I’m sure any such child will be fully capable to do what they must.  I even know to be proud of whatever they achieve, to share the extent of their entire legacy, because to withhold it would only do to serve the same injustice all four of us suffered.

I know though that such a child will also be a half-elf, one of very balanced blood in fact.  They will have senses better than my own, a focus that surpasses my own, but never as much stamina.  However, that will be the beginning and the end of the matter, I will ensure that my child is left to grow in a world of acceptance for who they are, who does not fear elf, human, or half-elf.  Already, between the work Mhyl and I have done in this time, I’m pretty certain we’ll be paving the way for far less fear in the future.  It might never be none, and the fact that bringing elves and humans together has only increased the fear of casualties in birth of a half elf…  Still, it’s already improved dramatically, a future of acceptance is right around the corner.

Even considering my own wedding, Qheria and Mhyl didn’t stay long in the dusts either actually.  Mhyl was in fact next after myself, herself getting married to Chyurae.  Qheria’s wedding got delayed because she was helping with the construction of the Hyxiri capital, but soon after that she married Rhyde.  That’s not even the whole of how much has changed, Hyxir is on the rise as being known as the center of gift instrumentation, and that’s totally been Thanrie’s fault.  Zyuixqs’ father in the end actually didn’t himself take the crown, he instantly passed it down to his son, making Thanrie now a queen.  Banditry in Hyxir declined dramatically after that, for reasons I could only guess, and many factions of the rebellion simply disbanded.  Even the Marauders had simply broken apart, having lost all sense of purpose.  Thanrie’s coronation then after was itself just over a year ago, not long after Qheria’s wedding.  It really was a lot, feeling like everything was just happening almost at once, especially since grandfather died soon after the coronation.

The Crystalline Blossoms have become something of a legend too, one that will probably pass down through generations.  We actually held a concert for our nineteenth birthday, like the musical sessions we had before.. but this time with some serious special effects because of our gift.  Mhyl even got to perform on a piano as she handled stage lighting and vocals while Thanrie provided us with some amps and microphones.  It seriously felt like we were using real electrical instruments there, ones of Celesi design.  Qheria was using her barrier to deflect sound, so that everything sounded awesome, leaving me with throwing around smokes and sparks and such to dazzle the audience.  Thinking about it, the only problem was.. that was the same day grandfather died…  Mhyl really thinks we’re cursed in that area or something.

Footsphere at least has became an international hit, being played in tournaments everywhere.  The Crystalline Blossoms haven’t had time to compete though, we’ve all been busy with our own lives.  It’s still probably for the best, we don’t need more of a reputation than we already have.  Someone else can take up the mantle of being a champion, we’ve had enough of it for a whole lifetime.. even more than one lifetime if fate throws us for another loop.  Arch-Magus, Queen, Hero, Saviour.. all four of us have plenty to worry about as is.

This record has kept me pretty busy in its writing, going to the others constantly to get input from them as I kept going.  Even with it’s ending, there will be a lot else to worry about.  Mhyl has herself already produced several books, volumes covering so much of Earth’s knowledge, that I’m starting to feel like I’ve fallen behind.  Her first focus was on languages, including books on learning both Celesi languages.  She herself can write fluently in both, let alone speak both.  I’ve managed to at least learn to write Elaethyx, which was important for elven records of our journey.  Qheria has actually learned to speak a bit of Elaethyx, with Thanrie having fewer opportunities for lessons but still doing her best to keep up.  One day, they might actually take up the written work too, while I’ll check to see what other languages Mhyl has records of, and maybe learn something new for myself.

Qheria herself was also going places, starting a company that picked up the mantle of the Crystalline Blossoms that was established on the principle of what could only be called gift commerce.  This had her visiting all of them frequently, getting the latest in course development at the citadel for gift studies, while collecting information on the latest of innovation in gift instrumentation and records of any newly finished gift tomes.  The citadel itself has started counting on her company to provide us with information on any potential students, and even several of the citadel’s students come by recommendation of her company.  Meanwhile, the market treats her company as a life link to tools and books of the gift, as well as for any gift-related services.  None of us really expected this from her, we seriously thought she would do something a lot more like the Shieldbearer stuff she had done in the past, but sometimes people surprise you.

Thanrie herself has been pretty surprising, actually settling into the regal role way better than her past would account for.  Her rugged personality back then feels like a discarded past sometimes, although you can still see it return if ever she loses her temper.  Lately, she’s instead started on making the most interesting garden in Hyxir, an assembly of plants mostly selected for their practical contribution rather than aesthetic appeal.  Oddly, much like herself, she has turned this rugged collection of practical plants into something of refined beauty.  Not even the Elniri has a cultivated garden that could compare anything close to what Thanrie has developed, in far less lush conditions.

I know all four of us have set aside our old weapons, with the future no longer having a place for conflict.  Sure, we still make use of the old outfits frequently enough, the formal dresses getting stuffy after a while, but even our personal gadgets have been put away.  My glove itself.. I don’t think I even used it after that time I punched my father with it.  Our gift has been something we turn to frequently instead.  Thanrie usually has a coil of rope handy for anything she might need to use it on, but she is always wearing her bracelet too.  Mhyl is back to carrying normal ordinary books full time.. and isn’t using them to kill people anymore either.  Qheria and I always wears a pair of normal gloves, either silk or leather as the situation merits, so that we can do whatever needs to be done.

I’ve especially learned to not try to use the gift again without using a focus, one reason why I always have gloves handy.  Nobody else beyond the other three girls actually found out, but for several lunar cycles afterwards, I simply wasn’t able to use the gift at all.  It really felt strange, but it awakened the feeling that I know most people had gone their everyday lives with.  It was almost restful.. to feel so normal for a while at the time.  However, instead I had to rely on others to get a lot of the work done, stuff I could no longer do for myself without the gift.  I can still remember Thanrie dashing up the Citadel’s outer wall way faster than I could naturally for my parent’s funeral, putting memorial decorations up in my stead.  Qheria herself was warping around that whole day, being productive, while Mhyl’s levitation was also really handy.  All I could do was provide instructions, never getting to help even once.

The ruins of the Fortress still remain to this day, as if as a memorial to change.  Most people still don’t know why the world changed so much that day, many believe it was in my father’s death that the world was freed of its original chains and lead down a path of salvation, still without awareness of the choice I was forced to make.  Such would be a hard realization, that’s why I’ve ensured there was at least records about what had happened.  We will all grown after everything that happened, and we will find a way to make the future a better place as a result.

As for my predictions of the future.. I really have no idea what that might hold.  I’m not even sure the world’s flow is certain about it’s new future, not with all of these changes.  With everyone having access to the gift, there are far too many unpredictable variables, there is no longer any guiding factor that governs and controls anyone’s fate.  The future is only what people make of it.  All that I know of for the future is the fulfillment of my mother’s final wish.  I will be putting together this report and making sure it’s ready for the big day.  We will be making a huge ceremony out of the whole process, but it will only be the four of us, giving thanks to the gift given to us from another world.  I’ll be sending all of this work through the internet, then sealing it with mother’s core.. and then that will be that.  Nothing left to do from there but to keep going forward, doing my best to strive for a better future.

Lwynitsse (Yhseliahysse) Duxaeyhlit

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