STARS. IT'S SOMETHING Umbra prayed upon, it's something she depended on.
Every night, Umbra ascended the magnificent roots stowed within the village's square. It was a difficult climb, considering her stubby nature and the tree's unending height. The brink of the redwood soured through the clouds, leaving her with a prolonged, wearisome journey, but it was the only way the stars could hear her prayers.
Thankfully, Umbra reached the misty layer, a few missteps and snapped limbs in her wake. It was as far as she dared go, for to travel any farther, death would certainly follow.
As her foot hit the last visible branch, the leaves ruffled with delight.
Head hung low, she lowered herself against the bark and spoke, "Stars, hear me now. What once was healthy is no more. Begging, I wish for your hand upon my brother. Heal him. Cure his disease, and may I never have to journey afar to your heavens. I will never again ask for your guidance or help 'less you wish it upon me as I have wished upon you. Please, let him heal."
Awaiting in the tree for an answer, it was silent. Perhaps she'd asked for too much. Was she not specific enough?
Doubt crept along Umbra's spine. The stars weren't fond of her. She didn't deserve such a request. She'd done her part- done what she could, with no physicians in her grasp.
With a sigh, Umbra descended the bark and landed atop the rough, terrain soil. A single tear fell from her bronze cheeks. She was well too aware the earth would pave itself as her brother's home, as his paled face would meet his fate 'less the stars healed him of his diseased state.
Sluggish, she approached the alley of which her brother rest upon. Eyes tired and weary, he hoisted himself from his sitting position, but Umbra refused to let her brother meet his death sooner rather than later. Like a thunderbolt striking the ground, she rushed to his side, urging him to be still. Reluctantly, he obliged.
"Where did you-" He couldn't contain the coughing fit heaving through his lungs.
"Hush," Umbra advised. "Don't waste your energy on mere words."
"Umbra," he urged, pressing her to answer his unasked question.
Though his face oozed worrisome, Umbra did not want to answer. She knew how her brother would respond were she to tell him the truth, but she could never lie to him, not to her brother, not as their parents would lie to them. With a lick of her lips, she muttered, "I climbed the sacred tree."
"Umbra!" Although it was meant to sound like a scold, his words were weak and unfitting.
Shifting away from the wall, she said, "I know of the consequences, Gaden."
"How could you?" he spoke above a whisper, his ruffled, black strands masking his pained eyes. "You may fall ill alongside me or worse-"
"Scorched by fire," Umbra finished for him. He hinted at a smile, amused by her unusual humor towards death. "I couldn't let you die. If the stars wish to throw flames upon my stunning figure, they may."
Gaden chuckled at her words. "You never change."
She shrugged. "Change is what got us into this mess. Our parents changed when they threw us out onto the streets. I despise change."
"You wish for change, yet you insult it." A distant voice boomed against Umbra's skull.
Umbra looked to her brother, wide eyed. She had expected to receive the same reaction, but instead, his face shifted to unease then worry after analyzing her strange behavior. "You don't hear that?" she asked.
"Hear what?" Gaden questioned, a frown on his lips.
Slowly, Umbra scanned her surroundings, searching for the source of the voice.
"Dear heavens," Gaden commented. "You're beginning to fall as ill as me...only mad."
She quickly hushed him and reassured, "Gaden, I'm not mad. Keep your mouth shut for one moment."
Once she realized the voice was nowhere to be found after scouring the empty roads of Renka, she figured it was in her head. "I apologize if I offended you," she uttered to the voice, glancing up at the heavens. Could it be the gods talking to her?
"Do you still wish to save your brother?"
It was clear who she was talking to now. They'd answered her at last. Without hesitation, Umbra replied, "I do! Please, save him!"
"Very well," the god declared. "You have been nothing but faithful. However, I can only heal his soul, not his flesh. You must save him yourself."
"How?" Umbra questioned.
"The cure you seek is beyond the Livid Sea. It lies within a forgotten kingdom, Vilashen. It's been intertwined with a dark magic, so be weary. You must go now if you wish to make it back on time."
"You want me to leave him?"
"If he leaves, he won't make the journey."
"But who will take care of him?" The voice didn't answer. Umbra set her focus back on Gaden. His face was scrunched into a ball as he reached for her arm with uncertainty.
"Are you well?" he asked.
Umbra gave her brother a soft smile and nodded. "Yes, and soon, you will be too. I must leave, but I'll be back."
Gaden looked even more confused than he previously had. "Leave? Where will you go? What's going on?"
"I'm voyaging to Vilashen. I'll explain the rest when I return with the cure."
"A cure?" Her brother's face lit up, but his eyes hinted at disappointment. "I'll come with you, then."
He began to shift upwards, holding onto Umbra's shoulder for support, but she gently placed him down. "If you come, you'll die. I must do this alone. For now, I'll fetch you a supply of food that'll last you the week. If anyone offers you anything more, you must take it. You need not be so selflessly stubborn anymore, you hear?"
After long consideration, Gaden told her, "Be careful. The world is a dangerous place brimmed with vile creatures. Trust no one."
"I've had my fair share of scoundrels." Umbra stroked at his hair and delicately placed her hand on his cheek. "And I promise I will." There was reassurance with the lingering words as she stepped away from her beloved brother and navigated towards the market.