Spirit Hero

Valley Crest was nestled at the southern end of the Wild Coast and was filled with rolling grassy hills save for the forest to the south before the Gavti Mountains took over the landscape to the east and south. The forest is where Brea and her son Galu made their home from a radial tent surrounding an oa tree. Brea was the Valley's Encyclopedist and grew the collective knowledge of things in the Valley's encyclopedia.

Galu grew hearing stories recorded by his mother or the previous Encyclopedist, Cur Dan. Stories of people from the past generations who accomplished great things though none greater than the Spirit Heroes. Masters of the Spirit Iconic who defended the valley from foreign invaders that used corrupted methods to manipulate and destroy helpless people. Galu hoped he could become a Spirit Hero but knew his path was set before him like it was for everyone else. Inherited Iconics dictated what most people in the valley, and the world, chose to do. Brea had done well to develop Galu's Encyclopedist iconic but one was not enough for Galu or the people of Valley Crest.

Brea was crouching in a field, feeding a few large rabbits that had emerged from a nearby hole. She finished throwing some corn she had gathered to the rabbits and began writing in her journal. Galu had awoken late and rushed to meet his mother. As he approached, he could see two iconics appear on Brea as she began to sketch the rabbits. The first was an intricate pattern of verdant vines and leaves with thin flecks of silver threaded through, appearing as a band a few inches tall across the back, arms, and chest below the clavicle .

He recognized the Encyclopedist iconic that he had inherited from her. The other iconic was second superficial set of eyes. They were the same color brown as Brea's regular eyes but on her temples and the irises were like a braided chord instead of a perfect circle. The clarity of the second iconic was startling to young Galu.

"Why do two of your iconics appear so clear to me?" Galu asked.

As he walked up the rabbits shot him a glance and all scurried back to their hole. Brea smiled as she closed her book, the Valley Crest Encylopedia.

"I am your mother aren't I? Where do you think you got your iconics, young elder?"

She spoke with laughter in her voice as if she had always just heard a joke or thought you were playing some kind of game with her. Galu almost thought she was playing a game but his worry over adulthood kept his spirit low. Galu hung his head before he spoke again.

"I wish to become an adult and perform my sacred duty for the village but I can only reveal one iconic with clarity, the Encyclopedist I got from you. I was hoping you could reveal my father's now that I am mature enough to summon them both."

"Adult you say", Brea gave a small laugh before she continued. "It is an great burden but you may already have your path. Another in Valley Crest's long history of Encyclopedists?"

He knew she would avoid any question about his father but he was expecting more than jokes. "Three in a hundred years isn't exactly long." Galu deflated as much as Brea's joke.

"More than any Spirit Heroes."

Brea was still joking but the remark struck Galu. "There aren't even Spirit Heroes to train you if you wanted to. I would have to invent an iconic flex as a novice and get myself killed. And besides…"

The longer he thought, the less it seemed like a possibility and he hung his head lower. He couldn't be a Spirit Hero. Not only did he have no heraldic right, what would a Spirit Hero in Valley Crest even do? The entirety of Valley Crest was boring. The most dangerous things were wild animals and almost never fatally. Any invaders would have to come from the coast which had high visibility. The mountains to the east and south required intimate knowledge and climbing ability to cross and any of the dozen or more villages to the north would send message of incursion.

Most people were gatherers or cultivators that crafted based on an inherited iconics. Bartering covered for the needs outside of a persons' skills and kept trade with outsiders possible. The most interesting person, in Galu's opinion, was Brea as she knew the most. Next would be the Cat Catchers. They bonded with a dog and would patrol the valley fending off boars from the coast or the large cats from the mountains. The Cat Catchers had a way of communicating without speaking. During festivals Galu had seen them congregate near one another only exchanging silent scowls with one another. The thought slipped out of Galu's mouth.

"Cat Catchers use a Spirit flex?" Galu met his mother's eyes and she was smiling, could she read his mind? Galu went on "is there anyone else?"

Galu didn't enjoy the thought of joining Ustev and his Cat Catchers. They were rough and violent and always looked at you with this mix of suspicion and anger. Brea thought for a moment before opening her encyclopedia. Her Encyclopedist iconic began to glow slightly and saturate in color. As did her other iconic. She instantly flipped to a page and with two flicks of her wrist marked three other pages with her fingers.

"Skyla uses a flex to lure and calm her birds, incidentally she also uses an Encyclopedist flex to enable some basic literacy." Brea turned to the next page, "Grati and the Walkers make their maps at night and use a Spirit flex to guide their steps." The next page was denser and Brea sighed before continuing. "Hmm about eight people still use some flex to assist in daily life in some slight way: weather prediction, emotional sense, gambling luck. And lastly…" Brea turned to a page and showed this one to Galu. At the top it said Cat Catcher, it was blank.

"Not even Cur Dan wrote about them but this is his heading. Look in the margins. Even he signified their Spirit."

Galu looked and in the inner margins were several smudges. Between two smudges was a pattern of an eye with a braided iris, the same as Brea's. The Spirit iconic.

"But how can I see this? I don't have insight into Spirit, do I?"

"Why am I the Encyclopedist Galu?"

She asked as if Galu knew the answer. His first thought was literacy. No one but Brea and Galu could read or write. Galu was sure this was wrong. His mother usually asked questions that had several answers that added up together. Galu thought about how his mother worked. She inherited a robust encyclopedia from Valley Crest's most recent Encyclopedist, Cur Dan. Cur Dan died just shy of a hundred years ago but thoroughly documented the place, plants, animals, and people of the valley. Brea would add people's stories and names upon request as they died but her major contributions to the encyclopedia were her illustrations.

"Because you can fully capture the details of anything in the valley."

"Almost." Brea's smile was wide as she elucidated Galu. "It makes me happy. Adding details and pictures of the things in the valley fills my heart as much as these pages."

Galu closed his eyes and sat with the thought. He felt the same. He wasn't as gifted as his mother but he had begun a personal encyclopedia at his mother's request when he first started revealing his Encyclopedist iconic. When he added to the pages he was filled with a type of wholeness. He felt a personal connection to the object of his focus and could feel the spirit of a thing more clearly as he added details to his encyclopedia. A smile grew on Galu's face and his nose felt warm thinking of his connection to all the things resting in his encyclopedia. As he opened his eyes to ask his mother a question he saw his mother holding a polished piece of glass an inch away from his eyes. Galu's focus on his reflection and saw another set of eyes on his face. Eyes with braided black irises, the Spirit iconic.

"What was that?!" Galu couldn't contain his excitement. "Was I born with three iconics?"

Brea sighed through her nose, "No, you don't have three parents do you?"

"I have one."

"That's not what I mean." Brea frowned and laughed simultaneously, "You grow something within yourself as you grow your encyclopedia, right?" Galu nodded. "That is also what you connect to when you find something new or add to something old, right?" Galu nodded. "What would you call that 'thing'?"

"The Spirit?" Galu was uncertain but he felt things align in his mind and his spirit. Now he had its true name, the Spirit iconic. Galu felt as if he had always known its name. He focused and without effort felt the warmth in his nose. With a slight flexion he was able to reveal his own Spirit iconic. Galu was beaming he had two clear iconics before him and thus could approach the Chamber to become an adult.

"How do the Cat Catcher's use the Spirit iconics?" Galu asked Brea.

Brea wrote in the air as she thought and then waved her air writings away before she answered. "My theory is that they aren't born with it but cultivate their own Spirit iconic through their bond with their dog."

"Wouldn't I need the Dog iconic to be accepted by Ustev?" Galu did his best to avoid even thinking about the leader of the Cat Catchers for how frightening he was.

"You may have to use some clever phrasing, Grati may claim you for the Walkers before Ustev can be convinced." Brea furrowed her brow and thought. Galu joined her and they spent the next two days strategizing and referencing the encyclopedia in preparation for Galu's Declaration.

Seven fourty foot poles supported a wooden canopy that shaded the area beneath but the open air blew freely through the space. Galu stood in the center of a poured stone ring that acted as the base for the seven wooden pillars. He stood before the Chamber of Valley Crest, the twenty representatives of active and collective pursuits within Valley Low. There were a handful of active pursuits that served the Valley but had a solitary member and were not present. Brea was the sole Encyclopedist and thus continued expanding the valley's encyclopedia.

Galu steeled himself, ready to declare himself as a Cat Catcher. He was as tall as the adults who formed the Chamber of Valley Crest, despite being ineligible for membership for at least 10 more summers. His brown hair was parted in the center and fell just before his ears. He wore a ceremonial poncho patterned with brown chevrons. Beneath the poncho he wore a vest and pants of tanned leather only a few shades lighter than his skin.

A week ago his words for this were short. Encyclopedist, by right of mother. He was exited for this work too. Recording the lives of various animals or plants or people and detailing their death meant that even when his hair turned white he would be able to serve the Valley. But not even two days ago his mother offered a path, not directly to becoming a Spirit Hero, but a detour.

"Cat Catcher, by right of spirit." Galu declared puffing his chest out. He expected gasps from the entire Chamber but was greeted with two groans.

The first he expected. It was from Ustev the Cat Catcher. He was much older than Galu and older than most of the Chamber by at least 5 summers. His hair was black but cut short and starting to whiten at his temples. He wore the same style of tanned leather vest and pants that Galu and most of the Chamber wore but his were sun-bleached and cracking. Across his chest hung a curved piece of wood with the motif of a dog carved shoulder to shoulder. The unexpected groan had come from Skyla.

Skyla the Cooper tended to Valley Crest's birds. She had cloth wrapped around her waist affixed with a strap over either shoulder and feathers of many birds were stuck into the cloth or under the straps forming a flowing gown of feathers. After hearing the other groan from Ustev she spoke before he took his chance.

"What iconica did you inherit from your mother?" Skyla asked Galu

Bewildered, Ustev interrupted, "Cooper! What about the father?"

"Do you mean to say that he should join you by his father's right?" Her tone became sarcastic with the question and a few other Chamber members chuckled.

"I mean to say ..." Ustev blurted out.

"You mean to reveal information about his father?" She had little patience for Ustev and this question trapped him in silence. After a moment, Skyla sighed and asked her question again.

"What iconica did you inherit from your mother?"

Galu swallowed before answering, " My mother serves the Valley as a Encyclopedist, by right of my birth I received the iconic."

"Then by what right can you claim Spirit?" Skyla asked.

Galu closed his eyes and focused on his neck and his nose. Brea had encouraged him to practice revealing all three iconics at once whenever he used his Encyclopedist iconic since revealing the Spirit. The braided iris eyes appeared and the vines of the Encyclopedist were still visible on his upper arm and shoulder. His father's iconic was still a mystery to Galu and appeared to be a shadow resting on the skin of his scalp which darkened his hair noticeably. Galu wondered if his father's iconic would always be there on the top of his head or if revelation would change its location.

A murmer spread between the rest of the Chamber. Skyla and Ustev were both silent as if they knew what was coming next. A confused look grew on the face of the youngest Chamber member, Grati the Walker.

"You claim the Spirit iconic not Dog, why then do you have a right to Cat Catching?" They wore a straw hat that shaded her face to obscurity and held a small paper fan in their hand. Skyla and Ustev both stirred in their seats before both attempted to answer simultaneously. The words jumbled together in an indecipherable cacophony.

Before either tried again Galu spoke up, "I wish to be a Spirit Hero. Valley Crest has no such tradition and the closest are the Cat Catchers," The chamber looked to Ustev who nodded with a grunt. "I give my Encyclopedist iconic in service to the Cat Catchers as well."

Grati winced. They wanted that iconic to bolster their map makers. Grati gathered themself before speaking but not even a second passed before Ustev affirmed the choice. "The Cat Catches accept Brea's son Galu."

Ustev clapped twice before declaring, "Galu!" He let the name hang in the air a moment before the rest of the chamber joined in,

"Galu the Cat Catcher!" The Chamber of Valley Crest affirmed Galu's Declaration. Each of them summoning their own iconica. They all had dozens. Galu thought his three would be impressive but every person before him had almost too many to count, and most of them obscured to him. Ustev had seveal shadows including one on his lips. After several moments of scanning Galu realized. None of Ustev's were the Spirit iconic.

The sound of his name being shouted hit Galu harder than expected. His arms felt light and cold, the hair on the back of his neck stood on end and he felt terrified. His iconics fizzled out and knees began to quiver. Galu the Cat Catcher was frozen in inexplicable fear. After the ceremonial shout from the Chamber everyone dispersed, returning to their duties and colaborers. Ustev and Galu were the last two under the canopy. Ustev pulled out a rope and began walking towards Galu, who was still frozen.

Ustev locked his black nearly lifeless eyes with Galu's and began to intricately tie his rope. Ustev was at least a head taller than Galu and moved only an arms length away. Galu would have to look up to keep eye contact but now he was focused on the rope. Ustev had tied it to resemble a leash. The fear gripped Galu's eyes and what he saw was a noose. He snapped his eyes back to Ustev wanting desperately to scream but terror clamped his throat shut.

Ustev broke his gaze on Galu with a firm blink. Galu felt more relaxed after the gesture and could see Ustev and the leash more clearly. After a moment of silence, Ustev put a hand on Galu's shoulder and spun him around before pushing him forward and speaking again.

"Go." Ustev commanded.

The sound of his voice shook Galu and without thinking he bagan marching forward. Galu marched out of the Chamber's meeting hall with Ustev carrying his rope leash in tow. The way to where the Cat Catchers met and trained wasn't a secret to anyone. Galu had never been there himself and began walking in the general direction he would see them move. He was surprised to find that he had somehow chosen the most direct route. Without changing direction even slightly he walked briskly straight to a clearing beyond a small wooded area where three other young people in their leathers stood together, each with a rope in their hands.

It was a unique place in Valley Crest. Most people kept to secluded single family domiciles but the Cat Catchers congregated near each other. They lived out of the caves that form naturally in the mountains to the south. Every full moon and new moon the Cat Catchers performed a ceremony with their dogs that could be heard on the coast even over the waves.

They continued walking towards the other Cat Catchers here. Two young women and a young man. Galu thought they must be at least three summers older than him. They locked eyes with Ustev as he approached with this unexpected guest.

One of the young women spoke first, "I wondered who the Declaration was for but I didn't think it would be us. Wait who is he? What's going on?

She was the youngest of the three and her face was unfamiliar to Galu. Most peoples' were. He had spent many years with his mother which kept him mostly isolated outdoors or with grieving spouses, typically at least twenty summers older than Ustev. This young Cat Catcher had long chestnut hair in a tight braided ponytail and her skin was paler than Galu's, as if she spent all her time inside and away from the sun. In fact only Ustev looked as tan as most of the tribe, these three were some of the lightest Galu had seen.

Ustev held up a hand before the young man had a chance to chime in. This one kept his hair like Ustev's but his leather pants were cut off below the knee.

"He does not hurt your chances with any of our pups. I would sooner bark and roll over before one of ours went to anyone without at least inheriting the Dog iconic." Galu's mind burned but he kept quiet hoping for more information that he would record later. "But any wild mongrel that you can't take first will likely never follow another."

With all the courage he had Galu focused on speaking, "That isn't fair."

All eyes snapped to Galu's. He didn't know where to look so he looked to the ground. Just like when he heard his name for the first time and when Ustev spoke to him afterward, Galu was gripped with terror. This time it shook him physically and he fell to his knees panting. He began to sob as the feeling overwhelmed him.

"Enough." Ustev commanded and the feeling vanished from Galu. As he looked up he saw shadows disappear from their lips.

"Do you think I didn't show him what his admittance gets him?" Every word was clear and cut the three young Cat Catchers like daggers. "I showed him what a Cat Catcher does to mangey mutts. Why should pups know better than me?" Shadowed iconics appeared on Ustev's lips. The question shook the air and the three Cat Catchers fell.

Now everyone but Ustev was on their knees. The two young women's faces contorted in pain and the young man was sobbing worse than Galu. He was struggling for air. Galu knelt there as they writhed in pain. The spirit fear wasn't gripping him just normal human fear at the sight of this power. After a few moments the Ustev dissolved his iconics and the three fell limp.

Ustev turned and spoke to Galu, "Encyclopedist's son," Galu was a Cat Catcher now but not to Ustev, "I assume you had a reason for choosing today to declare your ways."

Galu swallowed then nodded.

"You must know the cycles of the moons?" Ustev inquired, his tone indicating he knew the answer.

"I watched my mother, yes. I observed the cycle and know the moons many faces." This answer intrigued the three Cat Catchers, each of them rose from the ground and looked toward Galu.

The eldest was the first to be fully standing and she brushed off the back of the young man as she spoke, "Why the new moon and not the full? You wouldn't be able to bond today even if you had the Dog iconic."

Galu thought his ruse was already up. Did they really not know? "The next full moon will rise during the daytime." Everyone save Ustev gasped.

"A day bond hasn't happened in a generation!" The young man exclaimed. The tears had mixed with the dirt on the ground and he was wiping most of it off. He turned to the younger woman and they exchanged gleeful toothy grins.

"It's true. I bonded with Mountain Top twelve years ago and we haven't had a day bond since." Galu took mental note of this for later. "I will be taking a new pup alongside my Mountain Top." Ustev's own glee broke through his tough demeanor and he thought about his new potential pup. This news pleased Galu but the day rise was not his reason for choosing this day as his Declaration, not solely.

Through his recent studies under his mother he learned of phenomena that hold spiritual significance. New moons and full moons both held spiritual potential and the Cat Catchers were known to use them both frequently to grow their own iconics and their bond with their dogs. However amongst spiritual phenomena there is one that magnifies and exudes spirit like none other.

"When the next full moon rises, after 3 hours…" Galu pointed to a spot in the sky to the northeast. "The moon will stand in front of the sun. The word my mother used was eclipse."

The younger Cat Catchers were as mesmerized as Galu was when he had learned of eclipses. Ustev's face furrowed in contemplation. After many moments of silence he looked to the east and saw the new moon peeking over the horizon. 

"We can talk about all that later for now…" Ustev snapped his fingers at the young man. "Nino! Run fast. Take him to old lady Jupi."

The young man, Nino, looked both confused and heart broken but he had defied Ustev once today and that was enough for a lifetime. Without another second he grabbed Galu by the wrist and started pulling his arm.

"Why am I going to see some old lady instead of the new moon?" Galu's inquiry came right before he realized he might receive more terror torture just for speaking. Galu winced with his arm being pulled harder as Nino winced too.

"Her husband is dying. You are going to put whatever he wants in that little book of yours and if you're quick you might see the end of the new moon ceremony."

Galu's ears were burning. He was a Cat Catcher and Ustev was using him as his personal Encyclopedist. He might as well joined his mother if all he does is record whatever Ustev wants. 

"If you don't run I will drag you." Nino was glaring at Galu for a full second before he broke into a full sprint. Galu was yanked and if he hadn't been warned he would have been pulled across the ground by a crazed Cat Catcher. Galu was able to steady himself and in a few strides kept pace with Nino. Ustev's laughter stung Galu as the two boys ran towards the mountains.