Chapter 11: Limits that should not be crossed.
The Wendigo came to its senses, its red eyes wide with pure terror. "Shit! Shit! SHIT! What the hell is this?!" It tried to flee, but Lumien fixed his gaze on it, quickly assessing if Tomas would be affected by the magic. Once assured that his mentor was out of danger, Lumien murmured a single word: "Burn."
A hell of white flames erupted from his hand, engulfing the Wendigo. The creature tried to resist, its claws tearing through the air in desperation, but the flames were relentless. "AAAAAAAAARGH! No! This can't be happening! I am immortal! I can't die like this! I fought and survived that hellish hunt! I can't die so uselessly!" The Wendigo screamed in despair, looking at Tomas and then at Lumien.
"You damned abomination! If I'm going to die, this scum is coming with me!" The Wendigo attempted to drag Tomas with it in one last act of defiance, but before it could fully extend its arm, the flames reduced it to ashes.
Lumien let his hand fall, his eye aching as if a needle were embedded in his iris. He rushed to Tomas, who was looking at him as if he had grown a second head... which was possible, given his past transformations.
"You... you really killed that thing?" Tomas asked incredulously. Not just anyone could kill a Wendigo of that age in such a manner.
Lumien nodded. "I... just did what you taught me."
"He... what I taught you? I only showed you a spell I use to light my cigar." Tomas tried to stand up but staggered, too injured to maintain his balance. Lumien carefully supported him, steadying him on his shoulders. "Are you... alright?" Lumien asked, worried that Tomas might faint at any moment.
"I've been better," Tomas replied with a forced smile. "Just a few broken ribs, bruises, and these cuts, nothing serious. But back to you, how did you cast that spell? I understand you transformed into an elf to use the magic system, but how did you know how to cast the spell?"
Lumien thought for a moment, then shrugged. "I... just did what I felt. Something inside me told me what to do. I don't know how to explain."
"Of course, as always." Tomas was used to Lumien's peculiarities, so he treated this as normal. "Let's head back, we've been out too long."
As they walked slowly back to the village, Lumien was discontent. The Wendigo had turned to ashes, and he hadn't had the opportunity to transform into a Wendigo and absorb its memories. Additionally, his golden eye was throbbing with pain, its pupil now shaped like an eight-pointed star.
"It hurts," Lumien murmured, massaging his eye gently. "Why... did it change like this?"
"I noticed your pupil changed," Tomas commented. "But let's discuss this later, when I'm not so broken."
"Don't die on me, old man." Lumien tried to make a joke as Marian had taught him. "I'll... help you walk."
Tomas was surprised for a moment but then burst into laughter and placed his arm around Lumien's shoulder. "HAHAHA! Now you're making jokes, kid? Marian is a bad influence on you."
As they walked, Tomas couldn't help but ponder what had happened. 'White flames, huh...? That shouldn't be a law or concept, right? It didn't seem sacred... was it just the concentration of mana that made them like that?'
Upon arriving at the village, the lights of the houses illuminated the night, and a group was already waiting for them. Mara, Tomas's wife, was the first to run to them. "Tomas! What happened? You're hurt!" Her voice was a mix of relief and concern.
"It wasn't a ghoul... it was an ancient Wendigo," Tomas responded, with effort. "But we're alive, or almost, at least."
"Idiot!" Mara helped to lead him to the doctor, who was waiting for them in a small clinic. While examining Tomas, the doctor, an obese elderly man who seemed perpetually out of breath, murmured, "These cuts are deep, but you'll survive. You need to rest, and no moving around much in the next few days."
Mara thanked him, relieved. "Thank the gods... I thought it could be more serious."
Tomas glanced at Lumien, 'Gods, huh...?'
Later that night, after Tomas had been treated, Mara and the girls prepared a special dinner. The table was full of food. Marian and Emma, curious and impressed, fired off incessant questions.
"What was the Wendigo like?" asked Marian, her eyes shining. She had never seen or heard of a Wendigo.
"Was it big? Did it have claws?" insisted Emma.
Tomas smiled tiredly but responded good-naturedly. "Big, scary, and full of claws. But your father is the strongest! I faced that thing head-on!" Tomas embellished the story a bit, trying to impress his daughters. "Oh! And Lumien helped a little too, he torched the Wendigo, but only after I wore it down."
Marian and Emma looked at Lumien as if he were a hero from a fairy tale. "You're a hero! How did you do that, Lumien?"
Lumien averted his gaze, unsure how to react. "I... just told it to burn, and it burned."
The girls looked incredulously at Lumien while Tomas smiled, because that's exactly what happened.
After dinner, Tomas called Lumien for a private conversation. "We need to talk about what happened today," Tomas said, more seriously.
"About... what?" Lumien asked, sitting next to him.
"First, about that look you gave the Wendigo when I explained that they absorb the memories and experiences of those they devour. What were you thinking, Lumien?"
Lumien hesitated but finally responded, "I wanted... to learn. I wanted to understand what it knew."
Tomas frowned. "Lumien, that's dangerous. Transforming into something like a Wendigo just to 'learn'... you can't let your curiosity consume you like that. There are limits you shouldn't cross."
"But I want to get stronger," Lumien replied, frustrated since the fight with the Wendigo. "If I just took its memories for myself, everything would be simpler... I don't see why I can't do that."
Tomas sighed, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "There are other ways to learn, Lumien. Other ways to get stronger. But it takes patience and control. You have incredible talent, but you need to learn to use it responsibly."
Lumien looked at Tomas's hand on his shoulder and then into his eyes. After remaining silent for a while, he responded, "Alright... I'll do as you said, Tomas."
Tomas sighed in relief. He was afraid Lumien would be tempted by greed and do things he might regret or put his life in danger.
"Alright, kid. I trust you won't do anything wrong." Tomas gave his vote of confidence as he sent Lumien to bed. "Go to sleep, kid. I might not train with you tomorrow, but I can still assist you."
Lumien nodded and went to his makeshift room. After lying down, he stared at the ceiling for a few moments until a sudden thought came to him, 'I wonder what Nyx thinks about this...?' Closing his eyes to sleep, one last thought came to mind, 'I want to see her again...' Then he fell into unconsciousness, appearing in his dream world.