LMS VII: The Gateway To The Kingdom

I had an idea what to write for some time, and I'm happy that I can bring her into this competition.

Time zone: Central European Summer Time (CEST)

I'm looking forward to your comments, impressions and constructive suggestions.


Good day/night to you all, arr me mates


SylvanusGrace

LMS VII - Week 1 (June 15-21, 2026); Word count: 1047 words

​I.

They've fallen down on their faces when the Great Birth has happened. It was mesmerizing and stirring moment, their beings were shaken to the core. It was a new beginning, for them and for the future. The moving of the soil, shaking of the rivers, seas and trees, bellowing of the animals. All of it, all of them, was part of the Great Birth. And they, they were the Ones Who Stood And Looked. Lights flashed, night and day were changing rapidly and Time stood still. They've felt it.

"This is beautiful," she said.

"I'm afraid," he added.

And both of them felt each other. They've felt amazement and fear. They also knew that there are not enough words for this majestic event, and yet, both of them were full of impression. Furthermore, they've been made The Oshakad Companions. He wanted them to be there, to see, to follow, to witness.

"Why us?" he asked her.

"Well, I don't know," she replied to him.

The Great Birth had its own rhythm. It moved silently, it spoke loudly, it gifted abundantly. Life was given abundantly. Trees danced, rivers sang, seas jumped, and animals were looking at the Great Sky. Stars shone in the night, and during the day waved to the animals, and the animals answered with joyful cries. One would say that birth is woven with pain, but the Great Birth was different. There wasn't any pain, no tears, only joy. Both of them knew that, not by mind but by heart, and yet, their minds were enlightened. Everything is participating in the Great Birth. Even Those Who Stood And Looked.

"Something is resonating inside of me," she said to him.

"Yes, I can feel it. I can feel its pulse." His hand was on his chest, right in the middle.

"Listen," she continued. And they both listened. Amid dancing and joy and joyful cries of the animals was something. Silence. And peace. It was spreading around like calm wind. With their eyes closed, they've dreamed and in that dream they saw their destiny and the destiny of those who will come after them. Destiny of sacrifice, of bravery and of change.

The Ones Who Stood And Looked will always move forward. The Oshakad Companions must walk on the way that is before them. These puzzling words were spoken to them not from the outside but from the inside. It left them perplexed and with certain unease. They sat and put their faces on the ground. In that position they remained for some time. The words they'd heard still resonated with them. Both of them decided to build a small hut on a place where they were witnesses to the Great Birth. This small hut was a place of remembrance, of Companions, of the new beginning. Behind the veil of their closed eyes remained a dream, a dream of moving forward, a dream of walking on the way that is before Companions.

Both of them knew, the Great Birth was not a bad thing, and it was not just a beginning for someone else or something else, it was also the beginning for them. But a certain feeling of lingering threat stood, and it was not caused by the animals, nature, stars or sun. There was something else, something that stirred up the hearts of both Companions.

"Why do I sense the constant thread of incoming danger?" she told him worriedly.

"I think of something else."

"What?"

"We're no longer just The Ones Who Stood And Look or just The Oshakad Companions, we've become The Verontos," he replied calmly.

"Verontos? The ones who are guarding children of the Great Birth?" she added, yet she was visibly surprised.

"Yes, I think so. I can feel it. Can you?" he said while holding her hand.

She stood there for a moment with him while he held her hand, trying hard to feel it. And it resonated within her quietly and continually. She had felt the calling. Both of them felt it like a fire that burnt them, and the sensation of burning pain spreadon the upper side of their left trapezius closer to the intersection of the neck and the spine. The pain lasted for some time and then, suddenly stopped. She saw on his left trapezius symbol: two v letters joined together in the shape of a rhombus and in the middle of it the great letter O.

"You have this strange symbol on you," she said.

"Where?""Here, let me show you," and she touched him on the place where the symbol was.

He thought he would feel pain, but there wasn't any. She turned her back to him and asked: "Do I have one also?"

"Yes." He gently touched her symbol and, with a slow slide, went over her symbol with his hand.

"We have the symbol on the same side, haven't we?" she concluded correctly.

"Yes."

"This, then, must mean something?" she continued.

"I don't know."

"Well, I intend to find out," she said confidently.

With dedication, they prepared themselves for the search for the answer. After all these marvelous happenings, after being witnesses to the Great Birth, they've become searchers, of answers, of destiny, of that path that was laid down before them. They've embarked on this journey not knowing what they will find or what it will ask of them to do. They did not know anything at all. And yet, the urge to find answers drove them forward. They must know the meaning of those mysterious inner words and the meaning of that symbol they carry on themselves.

"Do you know where we need to go?" he asked her curiously. It had been a few days since they'd left their hut. They have been walking for five days in the direction of her inner feeling, her inner navigation. She couldn't explain it rationally, and yet, somehow she knew and she was following it.

"I need to stop, I need to reach inside," she told him as she sat down on the forest ground covered with grass.

"Of course, do you need anything?" he asked caringly.

"I'm fine, thank you."

"I'll go and fetch us some more water."

"Alright, I'll be here."

And he went forward into the forest to find some stream with fresh water. She sat on the forest ground while listening to the soothing sound of nature around her, calming wind, whispering trees, joyful birds, buzzing bugs. Life was breathing abundantly in her and around her.

LMS VII - Week 2 (June 22-28, 2026); Word count: 1145 words


The stream was making a pleasant gurgling noise, and it was going forward on its course. He saw it and went to it. Something was special in this stream. Among its movement and its pleasant gurgling noise, there was something like a gentle whisper or more like a gentle whisper-greeting. At first, he couldn't hear it, but as time passed by, it became more clear.

"Hello and welcome, Verontos," it was said mellowly in a whispered tone.

He stood for a moment and was surprised by the events that had happened.

"Hello?" he asked with curiosity. The symbol on him was making a tingling sensation.

And there was a brief silence which mellow whispering voice broke.

"It is a honor to meet the Verontos, guardian of the children of The Great Birth," a mellow, whispering voice added.

"Who are you?"

"I am the stream, Agau, and you are looking at me." The movement of the stream became more lively, and the pleasantness of the gurgling noise became more appealing. It looked like a happy dance.

"Agau, it's my pleasure," and he bowed down deeply. "You wouldn't mind if I took some of your fresh water for my companion and myself?"

"Ahhh, yes, the great she. Of course, you can take fresh water. We are so happy that you two are with us. The great Verontos company is always welcome. And please send my greeting to her."

He took his wooden flask and put it in the body of Agau, taking some fresh water. First he drank the water and after that he refilled it again.

"Is this hurting you?" he asked with some worry in his voice.

The mellow, whispering voice of the Agau turned into laughter, but not into a mocking one. This laughter was one of joy when looking at someone's innocence.

"No, great Verontos, you are not hurting me. You are very kind. As you can see, I am always being renewed by the Great One," Agau continued. "Don't you worry."

He felt relief and some confusion mixed with amazement at the mention of the name "the Great One". He didn't want to ask who "the Great One" was.

"Thank you very much for your help." He bowed down deeply as a sign of gratitude to Agau.

"And please, be careful. Until our next meeting," said Agau playfully, yet in his voice there was something else mixed with playfulness and joy, it was a tone of vigilance, vigilance for danger. Both of them parted while he was waving to the Agau, who went on his way. He turned back and walked through the forest by the same way with which he found Agau. He was puzzled by so many things. Who is this "the Great One"? Careful of what? Isn't this a peaceful land, isn't this a paradise? Why did the symbol produced such a strange feeling while I was interacting with Agau?, his thoughts were jumping to and fro. He was trying to find an answer to these questions, which proved to be challenging.

His walk back to her was long, but it gave him more time to think about all these questions that were going through his mind. A gentle breeze was blowing, and he felt it on his face. It was refreshing because the day was hot. He could hear at some brief moments silent and mellow greetings: "Greetings to you, Verontos." All these greetings produced a tingling sensation which source was the symbol. It felt strange and yet, somehow, he understood that all of this, him, her — that all of it is in its rightful place. I cannot grasp it now with my mind. And what will the future bring? These thoughts were his comforting companions, little rays of hope from which he learned that some things can be answered, that some questions do not remain questions forever. At first, his steps after parting with Agau were faster, and with time they became slower. Mellow voice whispered again: "Full of care you must be, the enemy knows that you are here. Watch and beware." And the feeling of uncertainty jumped in this innocent heart of his. It made him scared, but he was able to control his fear and not give itself to it.

Instant silence enclosed the forest for it seemed that she was not free, free to be herself, to be friendly, to be joyful. This silence wasn't the silence that brings peace and rest, it was, rather, the other way around. Unease crept into her. He knew something was odd. Yet he remained composed, he stood and watched what would happen next. He moved slowly and carefully, watching his every step. Then, after intense silence, the twigs broke. And there was a noise of ethereal steps violently stepping on the twigs and beating loudly on the forest ground.

Growling sounds were being made: "Where is he, Sylvana?" and growling continued.

"I don't know what you are talking about," Sylvana replied.

"Do not play with me, Sylvana The Forest. I will burn you down," a growling voice replied exasperatedly. "Tell me, where is he!?" the voice howled furiously.

He saw a burning sword. It was burning with fire of malice, fire that destroys, fire that devours. An ethereal figure with a growling voice looked like a man, but his head wasn't human at all. It was a black and white flame, hollow eyes inside the fire with no visible mouth on its face.

The ethereal figure thrust the burning sword into the body of a tree, and it began to burn. Sylvana cried in pain. He felt the pain, the anger, the fear, and he knew that he must remain hidden because Sylvana was protecting him.

"Ryfren, you couldn't hear even if you wanted to," replied Sylvana, panting in pain.

"Oh, I can hear very well. You know I can," a mad look was being poured out through his hollow eyes while the flame was burning wildly. He pressed his sword more deeply into the tree. Sylvana cried in pain.

"Where is the Verontos, Sylvana?" he asked with maniacal calmness.

He was hidden, feeling fear and pain more than anything. The symbol burnt more and more.

Move forward, you are the Verontos. He heard it clearly inside himself. Move forward, become the Helper. He started to move. Twigs snapped and Ryfren and his group sensed him.

"Find him, he is near," said Ryfren. And the hunters began their search for him. Ryfren pulled out his flaming sword out of the tree. Sylvana felt deep relief.

"Do not disappoint me, for next time I will kill you," and he cut a big branch of a beautiful, tall and slender birch tree which was then set on fire by the sword. Sylvana wept, for her pain was great.

He started running towards her, he wanted to help Sylvana, and yet he felt an obligation to warn the other Verontos. I must do something, I cannot stand idle, he thought to himself while he was moving through the forest.

Liminality wrote:

Spoiler

Hi there! Oh these excerpts are super interesting. The narrative voice feels unique, and I like the idea of the stream and the forest being named characters. Best of luck with LMS!

Thank you for your kind comment @Liminality I wish you great upcoming week arr me mates

LMS VII - Week 3 (June 29 - July 5, 2026); Word count: 1057 words

His symbol radiated pain through his body. I must move forward, I must do what is right. His resolve became stronger as fatigue was fading away. Strength and speed flowed through him. He could hear Sylvana’s crying, but in a different way, he heard it inside himself. His sense of direction was so strong that he knew where he was going amid all those trees. He returned to the place where a slender birch tree was wounded heavily by Ryfren’s sword. Sylvana’s crying was heartbreaking. Birch was still burning. Touch birch’s body, pulsated in his mind along with the pain from the symbol. He extended his right arm and touched the body. His hand was resting inside the fire that consumed one great part of birch.

Sylvana’s crying had stopped, and she spoke to him: “Why have you returned? It is dangerous to be here.”

He remained silent. His right hand was still in the fire. This fire did not burn him.

“Please, please, hide. We will survive somehow. You are in danger,” she begged him.

He didn’t answer her. Something strange has begun happening. Fire had a different effect, reverse effect. It began to heal damaged birch. Her bark was renewing. From the bottom all the way up to the top. Sylvana watched in amazement. The branch that was cut was growing again, young, strong and beautiful. He didn’t know what happened, he just felt the need to act, to touch and it had made all the difference.

Sylvana was grateful to him for his noble deed as she began her song: “I will sing about the Verontos. Join me, ye habitants of the forest, sing with me. His hand was different, his touch was gentle. His thoughts were of peace, not of war. He did not abandon. Rather, he returned to mend what was hurt, renew what was destroyed.” And Sylvana sang this song joyfully in his honor. He felt peace. His calling pulsated in his being, his feelings were amazed by all these wonderful things that he is seeing. He took little rest in the shade of the renewed birch tree. Friendly crows brought him fresh fruit and some berries in their beaks. He ate and drank some water. He then stood up, bowed down deeply to Sylvana and the others, touched the ground and left in her direction.

Deep unease crept again around Sylvana as she sensed Ryfren returning to finish what he wanted to do in the first place.

“I’ve heard that you had a great celebration today. Isn’t there a cause for mourning?” Ryfren said sardonically as he approached Sylvana and the birch he hurt gravely.

Sylvana remained silent as she watched his eerie steps ignited a small fire on the ground. Ryfren stopped at one point of his walking. “Go and cut down that birch,” he said coldly to his subordinate. As his fellow companion moved toward the birch tree, at one point he was frozen in place. He couldn’t move or speak. “Ah, I see,” added Ryfren contently. “Who can now defeat the great and mighty protection of the Verontos?” he continued sarcastically. He then drew out his flaming sword. It was a dreadful sight. He then whispered some strange words to the sword and then threw it with great force towards the birch. It flew with great speed and then stuck at halfway to the birch in midair.

Ryfren’s flaming sword set the air on fire, and this fire started nibbling the invisible protective layer that was protecting Sylvana and the others.

“You think your evil magic can stop Them?” Sylvana spoke sharply to Ryfren.

“Give me your arrow,” he said to the other hunter who was there. Hunter pulled one arrow out of his quiver and gave it to Ryfren. He took the arrow in his flaming hands and started whispering evil magic to it. That arrow now became magically imbued with darkness and fire. He threw it in the same direction as before. Arrow struck the invisible protective layer and started to paint it darker so that it could be easily seen. Fire was now being spread by sword and arrow. Sylvana trembled with fear because she knew dangerous powers of evil magic.

“I will do what I’ve said. I will kill you,” Ryfren said coldly.

Sylvana panicked inside herself. This is the end, she thought to herself.

“When this protective layer falls down, kill them all,” Ryfren was looking with satisfaction the fear that permeated Sylvana and the others.

Help will come. These words resonated inside Sylvana and the others, and they fought a great battle with their fear and despair.

He sensed Ryfren and his darkness and felt the call for help. Move forward, become the Helper. Move forward, the Verontos. He started running in the direction of Ryfren’s darkness. His arrival was expected by the ones who plotted the destruction of Sylvana and the others.

“At last we meet, the Verontos,” Ryfren turned towards him. His ethereal figure was malevolent, his flames ready to devour the Verontos.

He stood firmly and watched, he didn’t answer.

“You’re not the talking type?” Ryfren continued.

“Let them go,” he answered Ryfren.

Ryfren put his flaming hand in the air and whispered words of dark magic. The flaming sword returned to his hand as he started to move towards him. Take water from your flask and put it into your hand. He opened his flask and did what he was instructed to do. Throw it in the direction of Ryfren and his hunter. As he made his throw, water split itself into small balls that flew at such high speed and with such strength, capable of destroying stone in a matter of moments. These balls hit Ryfren and the other hunters and did them great damage.

The symbol was pulsating during the battle. It somehow made him focused amid all his fears and his inexperience in battles. Shards of fire formed in Ryfren’s left hand. These shards had two sharp tip and edges, emitting fire. He threw them at the Verontos. The Verontos repeated the action from before and threw water at the shards. They collided and made such strong wave that threw both Ryfren and Verontos to the ground behind them.

LMS VII - Week 4 (July 6-12, 2026); Word count: 1097 words

Touch the soil beneath you, the inner voice instructed Verontos, which he obediently followed. He put his hand on the forest ground and, at that instant moment, the soil became a small dagger in his hand. The Verontos was now standing up and looking at Ryfren who was getting off the ground. The Verontos was full of dedication, ready to battle his dreadful foe. Ryfren was maliciously smiling at the Verontos. Ryfren’s flaming sword was ready for battle, emitting dark fire around him. Whispers of dark magic were told to the sword and a fast throw of the sword was being performed by Ryfren. Throw dagger multiple times, instructions were being continued. And Verontos did that, he threw a small soil dagger at Ryfren’s flying flaming sword. Dagger flew and ricocheted off the sword. The sword continued its flight towards him. He repeated multiple throws. All these daggers ricocheted off the sword again while the sword moved forward with great velocity. In the heat of the battle, he didn’t notice that in his hand was always a new dagger after his throw. All daggers that he threw were returning in his direction. I’m going to die for sure this time, he thought to himself. Sit on the ground, now. Instruction was clear and urgent and he did that. All these returning daggers now formed a protective line that blocked the straight path of the sword. Verontos looked at his hand where he held a soil dagger and there wasn’t one.

That protective line of daggers crashed with the sword. The force of that crash stopped the sword’s movement in midair. Protective line now entangled swords all around his handle and blade. There was great shaking of the sword and now the daggers morphed into some kind of hand that took the sword’s blade and slowly pointed it in the direction of Ryfren. Throw the water from the flask at the sword. As the small balls of water hit the sword, it flew right past Ryfren with great force and speed and pierced his magical pauldron on his left shoulder. The magical pauldron flew away and was disintegrated in mid-flight. Ryfren looked at his left shoulder and then back at the Verontos.

“Seize him now, would you!?” he barked at his subordinates. No answer or action came forward. “Where are you!?” Ryfren was furious. “You are not bad, young Verontos,” he continued composedly. “Such a waste of your talent,” he put up his hand in the air and the sword returned to its own master. He started to move really fast towards the Verontos in order to murder him. At halfway, he was flung back so hard that he froze in place for some time.

“You must warn the other Verontos, go now!” Sylvana urged him. He listened to her and went forward to find her. The battle was over. And Ryfren, he had just vanished into the unknown, planning revenge, planning a new hunt.

He did not hesitate, his running was now different as he felt fatigue from the battle and pain from the symbol that was being decreased as time went forward. Tiredness came over him. His running became sloppier. During the run, his right foot slipped on the forest ground, and he fell on his back. It was an unpleasant experience. Well, it’s not that bad. I need to rest, he thought to himself as his eyelids were slowly closing down due to his exhaustion from all these events before. At the edge of falling asleep, he was struck hard from inside. Inner blow to his being. Get up! Find her. Go now! These instructions gave him energy amid all that fatigue, and he got up and continued to move forward towards her.

Her breathing was slow as she was feeling the surrounding nature, all that vibrant life that was pulsating around her and inside her. She felt connection. Connection to the world, to herself, to the Verontos. In and out, out and in, her breaths were doing slow walks and dancing to her rhythm. Soft forest ground was touching the tips of her fingers as her relaxed hand rested on it. The world now seemed bigger as the vivid green eyes of Verontos looked at the tips of the forest trees. She was resting and feeling while lying on her back. The forest ground was a good place to rest, she felt no threat from it.

A slow feeling of sensation came from the symbol. At first, it was tingling. Small, almost pleasant tingling, but as time passed by she felt the pain that spread throughout her body. It stung her, and she couldn’t get up from the ground. She just laid there in pain, unable to move. All her efforts to move resulted in a spasm that made everything worse. One pain is shared between the two. These inner words left her confused. “Shared between the two”? “One pain”? What does that mean? Her connection to him was still a mystery to her, and yet, the feeling was there, the feeling of elusive truth, the feeling that connection is real. The words “pain” and “shared” occupied her mind and anxiety started to creep in. Is he all right? Is he hurt? This “one pain” must mean something? And this “sharing between the two”, if I’m feeling it, does that mean that something happened to him? Feeling of anxiety did not falter. If only I could move. I want to find him. Her resolve was fighting off the feeling of anxiety. I want to move. I WANT TO MOVE!!! Her will was making move doubled by her resolve. Inner strength was battling anxiety, pain and the effects of spasm. She felt the return of physical strength in her body. She, now, was able to sit on the ground, although it was not easy.

The pain was still there, crawling through her body. But her senses were getting better as they could feel more both from the outside and the inside. Only at that moment did she understand how crippling the pain was before. The sound of running was echoing in her ears and in her mind. Turning around her did not help her because she was limited by the position of her body and by the pain. She could not see much. Her focus shifted to hearing and on the inner sense. Loud running steps, this was the sound that she heard.