Chapter 81: The feather's choice

When Talim joined her body she was expecting to open her eyes and see her brother, she was prepared for this and impatient to be able to cuddle him again finally. After so many emotions and adventures, she could not wait any longer, instead, there was a golden two-pan balance in a large warm room. She turned around and searched for where she was or where the dragon was. There was nothing around except for this strange object, the floor was made of sand and the walls were made of stone.

Talim fell to the floor and cried. She was emotionally exhausted and she started to beg loudly while weeping, "I want to be with my brother! Let me be with my brother! Please! I am afraid! And alone! I miss my brother!"

After an incredible amount of time that she could not define, she dried her tears. Venting out had helped her a bit and she regained her courage, she decided to stand up when she noticed she was bare feet, the sand slid between her toes and made her chuckle innocently as it tickled her.

When she came closer to the balance, a massive man stood in front of her, hidden in the darkness, she could not see his face. Talim could only perceive his massive shoulder and tanned skin. The man was a giant and his head was so high that it was invisible, hiding in the shadows of the ceiling. His loincloths were made of cotton with amazing blue colors and golden pendants. The man moved his hand in a calm way to the scale. Talim felt even more little than usual now that she was next to him, noticing that his hand was the size of half her face.

"Place your heart," He ordered in an ethereal voice.

Talim swallowed, she looked at his body and the scale, she suddenly was scared but before she had the time to think how to obey him, she saw a bloody organ on one of the pans. She almost passed out when she understood it was her heart that popped out by magic.

The man placed a feather on the other plate, slowly, the heart was elevating. Showing that it was lighter than the feather.

"You have been good in your life. I will allow your passage."

Talim was about to follow him but she sensed the feather Archanium gave her starting to burn her chest. The man turned to open a door in the wall but Archanium's feather took the space of the original feather on the plate discreetly, taking the shape of the first one in a perfect illusion.

When the man came back, he saw the heart at the bottom of the balance, incontestably heavier than the feather. The door closed immediately and he seemed irritated.

"What have you done? There never was any mistake in the psychostasis."

Talim scratched her head, she didn't understand what was happening, where she was, or why she was here but she believed in Archanium more than anything else and if his feather had chosen to change the original results, then, he must have had a reason.

She spoke shyly, "I did nothing, it just moved by itself."

The little one's cheeks were red, she never lied before and she was terrible at it. The man lowered himself and she could finally see his face. The giant had a jackal head over his human body and his piercing eyes were digging into hers. They both knew the truth at this moment and he had a hint of anger.

"Are you sure that this is what you want to say?"

Talim swallowed, impressed by his presence. She nodded timidly, hesitant to lie to such a creature but her faith in Archanium was complete. The man straightened himself back, his face returning to the shadows of the ceiling and his expression being invisible again.

"As you wish."

The feather disappeared from the balance. Talim took a step back, instead of coming back into her chest, she saw powerlessly, her heart turning to ashes instantaneously. She was shocked and terrified as she started to feel the emptiness in her chest. She joined her hands over the place her heart was and she cried. Talim didn't know why, she didn't understand what she was feeling, but she felt lonely for the first time in her existence.

Then, the man punched her in the stomach. She was projected out of the room, out of space and time, and landed directly inside her body. Finally, she could feel her fingers moving on the grass of the clearance but when she woke up and saw her brother for the first time after so many adventures there was no joy in her.

Tarim jumped out of surprise, he blinked frantically as he saw his sister standing up from the dead and tidied up her dress like nothing happened.

"Talim?! You returned to me?"

Talim nodded, "I did, my brother. I came back to you."

She looked at him for a long time, she knew something had changed in her at that moment. The memory of her feelings for him was fading in her mind. Talim took his head in her arms but it was now a cold embrace, as something that was expected from her and not something she desired.

Tarim noticed her behavior but he decided to not pay attention to it, too happy to find her back. He enjoyed the moment fully, cuddling her little body in his claw, pressing his massive head on her. The dragon was over her as if he would never let her go again, but deep inside, he knew he was alone to share this joy.

Talim was only waiting for him to end this embrace and finish taking what he needed to take. She was cold and detached when she always had been the one to be emotive and to need contact. Tarim had a flash of his sister as a child sneaking into his nest to seek reassurance and he felt a sharp pain to see that this one was not the same woman anymore.

There was nothing left of her joy of life, of her unconditional love. Tarim knew Talim died for good and it only broke his heart once more. She looked at him deep in the eyes while her fingers were touching his scales, caressing the dried blood he spread when he cried.

Talim smiled and spoke in a low murmur, "I can see."

The dragon stopped himself and pulled back from his embrace with an interrogation look.

"What do you see, sister?"

She started to laugh, glad of the power she discovered when she announced to him, "I can see your memories."

Tarim opened his eyes widely, not understanding what she said suddenly. The dragon knew his sister as someone fragile and sensitive, she never had any magical power and he started to wonder what she had become. Even her embrace felt stronger than what her little arms were able to do in the past.

Talim placed her hand flat over his blood on his cheek and her monotonous voice made him fear her.

"I can see the battlefield. I can feel the fire in your throat as if it was mine. There are javelins thrown in my direction and I narrowly dodge them. The sun is falling and the moon is taking its place in the sky. I can see my face in my thoughts and my smile guiding you to the battle once more.

I am you, when you plunged to the ground, you grabbed a man and his blood fluided your mouth. How good it was to feel his bones cracking under your powerful jaw. How excited you felt to see the faces of the other soldiers on the floor. It was your first time on the battlefield, you were experiencing the thrill of killing for the first time.

Then, you split your fire, drawing the enemy army into a bath of flames. The scream of the men came to your ears and I can feel the sensation of pleasure. Oh… I can feel your pleasure, yes."

Talim who had felt so empty was suddenly alive again, she had a large smile from ear to ear. Feeling every single moment of the battle Tarim lived five years ago. The dragon was shocked to hear so many details and to see her so happy suddenly.

"How? Talim, I never told you that," He stated, confused.

"I told you, I can see it. I love it. You make me feel so alive, brother."

Talim discovered her new power and she was excited to learn how to use it to its full potential. A simple touch on the dry blood over Tarim's scales could let her feel experiences she would never have imagined, and when a weird smile spread on her face, Tarim knew she was thinking about experiencing as many things as possible.

On as many persons as possible.

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