Tiberius K. Ronos

I must find a way to cure her. I must find a way to save her. I must, I must try… She became sick two weeks ago. We entered this city when she got like this. Becoming nauseous and woozy, we called for the doctor right away. The doctor examined her and couldn’t figure it out. He called for a Midwife to, “Check his work.” And after she came and went, pregnancy was debunked. And the days turned to weeks, and the doctor didn’t know what this was. She was vomiting, writhing, and in serious pain. Eventually she confided in me that she isn’t human. Using the last of her strength she told me that she is from a forest fifteen miles from here. And that her home calls for her. Seeing her arms fall limp and her eyes shut for the last time, broke me. I cried, tore at myself, and curled up into a ball. I didn’t eat, didn’t sleep for three days. I spent all of my money to keep her body, saying I would go bury her in her home land.  As I left the town, I turned towards an abandoned windmill on the ridge. I would save her, I know I can, I just need to try. I poured spell after spell onto her corpse. I regenerated every part of her, revitalized her heart, poured every incantation I could think of. But nothing worked. I sought out more knowledge, returning to my college to access the library. I scoured for every school I could access. I would not fall for the trap of Necromancy. A rotting corpse is still a corpse, shambling or otherwise. Until I discovered it, Chronomancy. If I could return her soul back to a point in time where I could cure her of her curse, or treat her wounds, or even prevent it all together. Consuming as much information as I could I returned to her. And began what should be my last try. Speaking out the words; Anali dre tinind ludr fier dre silelk sun, eip biln dre rilir lire momelkal run. let kreselk fade aln futore selir, anwiln dre nie ali dre ozje-firelir. 

Having gained a glimpse into time I learned how I can heal her. She had no curse, she had a natural reaction to leaving her dryad tree’s range. She was telling me I could’ve walked her straight there so she would recover. But because I chose to be an idiot who thought he could revive a creature above himself. I sat there for a moment distraught about this revelation. Dismissing the spell I noticed I now had a beard. The spell increased my age unbeknownst to me. I looked at the woman who I fell in love with, and steeled my resolve. I would take her back to her tree, then revive the tree. After readying my belongings I picked up my love. Setting out for the Great forest to the west. The journey took me four days. I bore witness to the forest I met her and where we became entranced with one another. I dug forward into the thicket, watching as it grew denser, thicker, more filled with life. The air here was thick with pollen. I knew I was closing in on the home of the Dryads. I could hear the trees whispering to each other. The brush rustled as I walked by. It wasn’t long before something spotted me. This beast was monstrous and covered with feathers and mass. This thing will not stop me, it will not best me, I will not be stopped. Firing bolt after shot, the monster brushed them off. I had to use another temporal incantation. Anali dre tinind ludr fier dre silelk sun, let birrieil yural sepa tsirmfir afil.

The beast became a withered corpse before me. My beard has grown longer and my skin feels thinner. Whatever it takes, I must save her. Putting my things back on I kept moving forward. This god forsaken forest is far too dense, far too magical, and far too difficult to traverse. This place is cursed, it has to be. I pressed on and kept my pace swift. I felt her presence near a clearing. Turning towards it I found a wilted tree. The bark had grown pale and the branches were bare. The ground around it had dead leaves and seeds sitting untouched beneath her. I approached with held breath and placed her body onto the base of the tree. I then began preparing my spells to repair her tree, much like how I repaired her body. I had to set up camp near her since this process takes a long time. Resting up and preparing food for myself, I placed some in front of her as an offering. In some pathetic hope it would wake her. I will continue tomorrow. The morning of, I woke early still unable to sleep. I casted more of my spells and produced more results. The bark had regrown and the branches were returning to life. I ended today with progress. She is still asleep but her tree had a leaf growing when I finished. I will bring her back. My sleep last night escaped me again, but I’m rested. I went straight to work and managed to get her branches to bloom with new colors. Green has returned to her beautiful head and soon her blood will rush once again. Her skin has returned with some warmth and color as well. I feel like I am right on the brink of finally accomplishing my goal. The next day I will be ready to revive her. 

Anali eif aln bone aln tsid ozje werm, eip kol yiar name biooln dre kirm. let dudr ansul lat ut shienal kromed, let silelk likal sepa lit, re-namil. an lole, an kore, kien bialn ali eipa, rise nie, eipar lole-retorn aln ludre. Her face, her beautiful face has regained its luster. Her beautiful eyes met my gaze before looking around. She shot up, and I wrapped my arms around her. I embraced her with all my emotions until she shoved me off of her. She had an almost annoyed expression on her face before she met my eyes and said, “Why am I here? I was comfortable and warm back home. Why was I brought back here? What have you done?” I brought you back my love, I used my magic to revive you! “And who said that is what I wanted, I was happy and home.” 

But dear, I worked as hard as I could to bring you back to me! “And for what! You took me from my tree mother! I cared about you but I wasn’t your dear! You took me from paradise, just to be here for a man who’s sacrificed himself to take me from there.” But, I love you, I brought you back with my love! “You brought me back for your own desire.” She sneered at me with those venomous words. Can’t she see what I was put through? Can’t she see how hard I tried just to save her? I just, I just wanted to love her… I have one more spell I can do. 

Rek yiar hul lire ut falal mok drien, let eipar name sepa dre lole yia’le tsien.  Kila ludr tialk kur, let ut tsak agon. “You’ve… You just tried to control me?” I-I just wanted you to love me the way I loved you. “You just tried to control my mind into loving you. You truly are a sad pathetic individual. You’ve lost your way sweet Tiberius. You were such an innocent and kind man. You sought a better education, sought a life of wonder and joy. And you placed all that joy onto me. Why? What caused such a change in you?” You did, you changed my view of the world. All of our conversations lead me to such wondrous thoughts. You brought me such joy in my life. All of my time in school made me lose my joy. And when I met you in that meadow, everything changed. Your sweet smile awakened me, made me feel whole again. It’s why I came back at the end of every week. I’m sorry, it changed me so much and I couldn’t cope with you passing on without me. I considered following you. “Tiberius, you had your own joy in yourself, you just needed to find it without me. I cared about you, it’s why I wanted to return home at the end. So I would have the strength to at least say goodbye. I followed you to the human villages with one of my own seeds. I could’ve followed you anywhere, had I not lost it. I’m sorry for putting you through this. You need to find yourself, I’m sorry. Please, leave the meadows. And don’t come back until you can find your hope.” I blinked my eyes and watched as she cast me out. In one motion I was back at the entrance of the forest. I’m sorry my love. I will do my best to save him. I promise. I know of a spell, one more that could fix all of this. One to send me back before she became ill, one that can save us both. Time for one final trip to the school that began this whole story. 

The college was in view, the roof glinting above the other buildings. I marched my way to the library, storming past all of the eyes staring at me. I entered the library and went straight for the chronomancy section. I was stopped by a woman demanding to know who I was. She hadn’t recognized me. I handed her my library card thinking it would be enough. But she took it and told me to leave. “You are not Tiberius.” I insisted I was and I just needed one more book. She refused, leaving me no choice. Anali dre silelk sun, let kindir born. Her form burst into flames and reduced into dust. I walked over her and went straight for the section. Grabbing the tome of Chronomancy written by the strongest of the arcane seers. I flipped it open and began reading, searching for the exact spell. In a matter of moments it was burned into my mind. I could hear the incantation exit my mouth before the words entered my own book. Anali dre silelk sun drat watthal lab, eip name dre fier, eip krom dre fan.  Let nie sepa eif aln memiryl drin, kresirle dre kak lire eip sepagin.  Anlite dre riil eipar halnal hale lerred, rekire dre ludr eip ozje dilerdil.  Let drial wirlk sepaln, let eipa sepa thanded, let futore’al detr sepa rukandil.  Eip vina agon—unmade, rekromil. I must find a way to cure her. I must find a way to save her. I must, I must try…