Chapter 9 - Via

Via had always been a quiet and observant child, content to let her younger brother Torrack take the spotlight with his remarkable abilities. Unlike Torrack, whose path seemed almost preordained by his unique gifts, Via's journey was more subtle, unfolding slowly like the blooming of a rare flower.

Her magic had always been a gentle whisper rather than a roaring shout, manifesting in small but meaningful ways.From a young age, Via exhibited a strong affinity with plants and animals. Her connection to nature was almost uncanny. She could often be found in the woods surrounding Sirco, speaking softly to the trees and flowers as if they could understand her.

And perhaps they could, for under her care, plants grew healthier and stronger, yielding more fruit and blossoms than seemed possible. The villagers of Sirco began to whisper that Via had a "green thumb," but Torrack saw more; he saw the soft green aura that enveloped her whenever she was around living things.

This green aura, initially just a light shade that hinted at her potential, had deepened over the years, growing more vibrant as her connection to nature strengthened.Via's days were spent in quiet communion with the natural world, her hands deep in the soil as she tended to the garden she had cultivated behind their home. It was her sanctuary, a place where she felt most at peace. Here, she grew not just vegetables and herbs, but rare plants that no one in Sirco had ever seen before—strange flowers with healing properties, and roots that glowed faintly under the moonlight.

She spent hours studying their properties, testing their effects, and learning how to harness their magic. Her ability to nurture and heal was not limited to plants, however. Animals, too, seemed drawn to her presence. Birds would perch on her shoulders without fear, and even the most skittish of forest creatures would approach her for a gentle pat or a whispered word.

Though she was still young, just two years older than Torrack, Via had already begun to make a name for herself as a healer in Sirco, albeit in a different way than Torrack. Where Torrack's talents lay in diagnosing ailments and understanding the intricacies of the human body, Via's gift was in soothing and mending.

Her remedies were a blend of the mundane and the magical, herbs mixed with whispered incantations that seemed to draw on the very essence of life around her.Over time, Haron, the village healer, took note of her abilities. He began to teach her more advanced techniques, recognizing in Via a rare talent that went beyond simple herbcraft. She learned how to brew potions that could ease pain and calm fever, how to create salves that could mend even the deepest of cuts.

But more than that, Haron sensed in her a deep well of untapped potential—a magic that was connected not to the arcane arts but to the very life force of the world itself.As Via's understanding of her own abilities grew, so did her curiosity about the world beyond Sirco.

She often found herself daydreaming about what lay beyond the village's borders, imagining forests that stretched beyond the horizon, mountains that touched the sky, and rivers that flowed to lands unseen. Her desire to explore, to learn more about her connection to nature and the mysteries of the world, became a quiet but persistent yearning in her heart.Yet, even as she pondered these things, Via remained dedicated to her work in Sirco.

She felt a deep sense of responsibility to the villagers who had come to rely on her gentle healing touch. But there was also a restlessness in her, a feeling that her destiny lay elsewhere, beyond the familiar paths of her childhood. She began to seek out old books in the village's small library, reading about ancient forests, mythical creatures, and legendary healers who could commune with the spirits of the wild. She wondered if she, too, might have a similar calling, if there was a purpose to her gifts that she had yet to discover.

One evening, as she sat in the fading light of her garden, a stranger came to her, cloaked in the shadows of twilight. He was an old man, his face lined with age and his eyes sharp with wisdom. He spoke in a low, rumbling voice, telling her stories of a great forest far to the north where the trees were said to be alive with magic, where flowers sang under the moon, and where those who could hear the whispers of the wind might learn secrets long forgotten by humankind.

He spoke of an ancient order of healers, the Druids, who were said to possess powers that could shape the world, drawing on the life force of every living thing.The old man left as suddenly as he had appeared, leaving Via with more questions than answers. But his words ignited something within her—a spark of adventure, a longing to see this great forest for herself, to learn from those who might understand the magic she possessed.She knew she couldn't leave just yet; there were too many responsibilities, too many people who depended on her. But one day, she promised herself, she would follow the path that called to her, beyond the borders of Sirco, into the unknown.

Via's encounter with the old man lingered in her thoughts, especially during the quiet moments of her day. His words had awakened something within her—a sense of wonder and curiosity that she hadn't felt before. She began to notice things she hadn't paid much attention to previously: the subtle changes in the air before a storm, the way the leaves whispered secrets when the wind passed through them, and how the animals seemed to know when she was feeling troubled, often coming to her for comfort.

The idea of the ancient forest far to the north and the Druids who lived there captivated her imagination. She found herself drawn more and more to the village library, searching through its limited collection for any mention of the Druids or the great forest. The books in the library were old and worn, their pages yellowed with age, but they held a wealth of knowledge.

Via spent hours poring over the texts, piecing together fragments of stories and legends, trying to learn as much as she could about the Druids and their connection to nature.As she read, she discovered tales of Druids who could speak with the spirits of the trees and command the elements, using their magic to protect the natural world. Some stories spoke of Druids who could transform into animals or call upon the ancient powers of the earth to heal and nurture.

Via wondered if she could learn to do such things—if she could find a way to harness the deeper aspects of her magic and perhaps even speak with the spirits of the trees, as the Druids were said to do.But for now, her place was still in Sirco. Her garden became more than just a sanctuary; it became a place of study and experimentation.

She continued to work alongside Haron, learning more about herbs and potions, but she also began to explore her own magic more deeply. She experimented with different plants, discovering which ones resonated most strongly with her powers. She learned how to coax more life out of a single seed, how to encourage a plant to grow more quickly, or bloom more beautifully.

The villagers were amazed at the vibrancy of her garden, and soon her plants were sought after for their unique properties.Her green aura, which had once been a soft, pale color, now glowed with a brighter intensity. Torrack noticed the change as well. He was fascinated by his sister's progress and often watched her work, marveling at her ability to connect so deeply with nature.

The two siblings would talk late into the night about their gifts, sharing what they had learned and dreaming about what they might discover in the future. Torrack, with his gift of seeing auras, could tell that something was changing within Via, that her magic was growing in ways he could not fully understand. He encouraged her, knowing that her journey was just beginning, and that she had the potential to do great things.Despite her growing power, Via remained humble and dedicated to her work in Sirco.

She spent her days tending to the sick and injured, often using her knowledge of herbs and her growing magical abilities to help where she could. The villagers came to trust her more and more, relying on her gentle touch and calming presence. She was always there to lend a helping hand, to offer a comforting word, or to provide a soothing potion to ease their pain.But the longing in her heart never went away.

She knew there was more to learn, more to discover. She could feel it in her bones, like a call from the wild places of the world, urging her to step beyond the boundaries of Sirco and into the unknown. She began to save what little money she could, tucking away coins here and there, planning for the day when she might finally leave the village and seek out the ancient forest and the Druids who dwelled there.One day, as she was tending to a particularly stubborn patch of wildflowers in her garden, she heard a rustling in the bushes behind her.

Turning, she saw a small, frail fox limping toward her. Its fur was matted and its eyes were filled with pain. Via's heart ached for the poor creature, and she immediately reached out to it, her hand glowing faintly with her green aura. The fox hesitated for a moment, its eyes wary, but then it seemed to sense her kindness and moved closer.Via gently placed her hands on the fox's injured leg, feeling the magic flow through her.

She closed her eyes and focused, letting her magic seep into the wound, knitting the torn flesh back together, mending the broken bones. She could feel the fox's pain, its fear, and she sent a wave of calm through it, soothing its anxiety. After a few moments, the fox's breathing slowed, and its muscles relaxed. When Via opened her eyes, the fox was looking up at her with something that almost resembled gratitude.It stayed with her for the rest of the day, following her around the garden as she worked. She fed it scraps of meat and watched as it slowly regained its strength.

She named it Rune, after a story she had read about a mythical fox with magical powers. Rune became her constant companion, a silent witness to her growing abilities and a reminder of the connection she felt to the natural world.As the weeks passed, Via began to notice something strange. Rune seemed to be more than just an ordinary fox. He seemed to understand her in ways that were almost human.

He would tilt his head when she spoke, as if he were listening intently, and sometimes she could swear he was trying to communicate with her. She wondered if this was another sign of her growing magic, if perhaps her connection to nature was deeper than she had realized.She began to experiment with Rune, testing her ability to communicate with him through her magic. She would focus her energy, trying to send him thoughts and images, and to her surprise, Rune responded.

He would nod or shake his head, or sometimes even mimic the gestures she showed him. It was as if they were developing their own secret language, a silent communication that no one else could understand.This new ability thrilled Via and deepened her desire to explore her powers even further. She began to spend more time in the woods, seeking out other animals, trying to connect with them in the same way she had with Rune. Some responded, others did not, but she was undeterred.

She knew she was on the verge of something incredible, something that could change her life forever. She shared some of her experiences with Torrack, but kept the deeper aspects of her abilities to herself. She felt a strange protectiveness over her growing powers, a need to understand them fully before revealing them to anyone else. Torrack, for his part, was content to watch his sister's progress, knowing that she was finding her own path, just as he was finding his.