Hello everyone!!

Just wanted to remind you that this chapter and the next two or so chapter's will be Lumyryn's POV Also Known As the history of the origins of the Lumynos Clan! HAHA!

Hope you enjoy! Please feel free to tell me what you think and don't forget to vote if you're enjoying it! =D

THANK YOU!!!

-Luckycharms <3

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When Khi awoke the next day, Lumyryn took him out immediately to test his theory. Khi was skeptical. He had always been a little better than other people at what he did, but never to the same extent as Lumyryn.

     But Lumyryn had complete faith in him.

     And for some reason, that faith gave Khi some hope.

     Lumyryn sat with Khi in front of the abandoned home they were staying in. This home was in the middle of a dense forest so it really gave Lumyryn the environment needed to test out Khi's abilities.

     Lumyryn told Khi to close his eyes.

     And Khi did.

     He told Khi to focus. To tell him what he could hear.

     "I... I can hear my heartbeat..." the skinny boy said.

     "Try to reach farther," Lumyryn said, "try to focus outside of the forest."

     Khi shook his head immediately. "Nothing."

     Lumyryn nodded, calmly. Maybe he was pushing too far too quickly. "Okay, then try hearing my heartbeat."

     Khi's eyes opened, "well that's easy!" He said, "I can hear yours as easily as mine. You're sitting right there after all!"

     "No, no," Lumyryn said, starting to smile, "this is good. If you can hear mine at the distance we're sitting at then you're already better than an average person."

     He knew this because he had tested it out with his mother once before.

     His mother could only hear his heartbeat in complete silence, when she was sitting right in front of him. Lumyryn however, could hear her heartbeat clearly while he was outside in a stable and she was inside cooking.

     Khi hesitated, "really?"

     Lumyryn nodded, "Yes. This is good." He then turned and looked over at Mina, who was sitting a couple meters away on the porch of the home they were staying in, watching them.

     She had still said nothing to Lumyryn other than her name, but for some reason, she was curious to see what the to boys were up to. So she sat at the porch, watching them. Marv stood, holding his baby and watching them as well but Sheelah stayed inside, cooking the group a meal for lunch.

     When Lumyryn looked back at Khi, he said "try hearing her heartbeat now."

     Mina straightened up, feeling slightly violated at the thought that someone would listen to her heartbeat for an experiment.

     But when Khi looked over at her, she gave him a small smile.

     She knew just by looking at him that Khi was a very gentle boy. He looked sweet but had sad eyes and Mina could easily imagine that something horrible must have happened to him.

     Lumyryn was a little different. He looked fearsome, with his chiseled features and strong body. His back was always straight and his posture just screamed strength and pride.

     But... what was strange about him was that his voice was kind and his eyes were kinder.

     Mina could not ignore the kindness that she saw in his eyes. She also could not ignore the sweetness in that deep voice of his. Of course, it all vanished when he needed it to, like when he saved her from her supposed family. There was no kindness in his eyes or sweetness in his voice when he fought off the people who were supposed to protect her.

     But despite being certain that Lumyryn was not her enemy... something about him made her nervous. It was why she stayed away from him. It was why she looked away when his eyes met hers.

     Khi however, was a small boy and didn't make Mina feel nervous at all. So she smiled at him and steadied her breathing.

     Khi smiled back before he closed his eyes.

     He focused his thoughts on hearing Mina's heartbeat. But it didn't work.

     He looked at Lumyryn and shook his head sadly.

     Lumyryn just smiled, "keep trying, Khi," he said, calmly, "remember what I told you. I believe that whatever is inside us needs care and nourishment. So think of those who loved you for who you were. Remember to not be afraid of yourself. Remember that if we manage to understand how to control whatever I think we have in us... then we can use it for good and prove to the world that we are not evil."

     Khi listened to Lumyryn's voice. Like Mina, he too believed that Lumyryn had a kind voice, and it calmed him.         

     So he thought of his parents.

     His beloved parents.

     He knew more than anything that they loved him dearly. They abandoned everything they had so that they could keep him. He never knew his grandparents or aunts or uncles or cousins because his parents had to leave all of that behind in order to keep him.

     And the more and more he imagined his mothers lovely smile and his father's caring eyes, the more clear the third heart beat became.

     A smile formed on Khi's face and though he said nothing, Lumyryn knew that it had worked.

     Khi kept it going, reaching as far out as he could.

     Soon he could hear Marv's heartbeat as well, and even the heartbeat of the tiny baby Lumynos. Next, Sheelah's soft hum could be heard as she cooked their meal. He kept listening for a long time, reaching out as far as he could and his ears only started to strain when he heard someone hitting the trunk of a tree with an axe at the far end of the forest.

     His eyes widened, "it worked!"

     Marv let out a happy laugh and even Mina smiled.

     Lumyryn's smile grew, "how far did you hear?"

     "I think till the edge of the forest, I can hear someone chopping at a tree!"

     Lumyryn's eyes widened, Khi had managed to reach out even farther than he had anticipated. "Amazing!" Lumyryn said as he stood up.

     Khi stood up too and Lumyryn ruffled the hair on the young boy's head, "you did well!"

     Khi was grinning from ear to ear. He was so proud of himself and his heart was racing.

     Marv walked over to the two, holding Lumynos in his arms. "So your theory must be right," he said, "since I cannot hear your heartbeat one bit... but Khi can."

     Lumyryn nodded, "our next test subject will be this little one," Lumyryn tickled the cheek of the tiny six-month-old baby who giggled in return.

     Marv chuckled and allowed Lumyryn to take the little child from him.

     "I know it may be hopeless," Marv started, "but would you allow me to try?"

     "It's not hopeless." Lumyryn said, cradling the baby in his arms, "I don't think it is. So yes, it wouldn't hurt to try."

     Marv looked excited as he walked over to the same spot that Khi was sitting in and sat down.

     Lumyryn looked over at Khi and saw him sitting next to Mina and explaining to her how amazing of a feeling it was to be able to hear so much. She watched Khi with a smile and though she said nothing, she listened.

     She could also feel the gaze of Lumyryn, but ignored it.

     At least until he walked over to the two.

     Lumyryn knelt down in front of Mina, still holding Lumynos in his arms. "Have you held him yet?" Lumyryn asked her.

     Mina's cheeks burned up for a strange reason but her darker shade of skin made the red harder to see. She shook her head.

     "Here, take him."

     Mina's breathing hastened as she carefully took the baby from Lumyryn. When she had a good hold of him, she didn't know what to do.

     "I find that holding babies brings some sense of peace to the caregivers," Lumyryn said, "hopefully you feel that peace while you hold him."

     Mina's cheeks continued to burn but she looked away from Lumyryn and at Khi, who was nodding his head eagerly. "Lumyryn is right. I always feel happy when I hold Lumynos."

     Lumyryn smiled and watched for a moment as Khi gave Mina a lesson on why he thinks babies make people feel peaceful.

     And then he walked over to Marv to try and unlock his potential.

     Lumyryn was right. With some practice and coercing... Marv was also able to work whatever powers he had inside him. For Marv, all it took was the thought of his loving wife and his child. He just needed to remind himself that his past was no longer important... and soon, he too could hear his wife's soft humming in the kitchen. Of course, he couldn't reach out as far as Khi, but surely with practice he would get it.

     And with Sheelah, it came much easier. Even easier than it did with Khi.

     Though she was the most skeptical of them all on her own capabilities, once she thought of the love she had for her baby and her husband and her new friends, she could easily hear as far as Khi.

     Everyone was surprised, especially Sheelah herself. But Lumyryn wasn't.

     One thing he was certain of was that the love of a mother paled in comparison to any other form of love.

     Mina was the only one who didn't want to try.

     It was clear to him that she was scared.

     Scared that it wouldn't work for her.

     And though he wanted to... he never pushed her.

     But he knew very well that she had it in her too. Just like the rest of them had.

     Especially after the night where he saw her smile whole-heartedly for the first time.

     It was a few days after everyone had started to practice to improve this inner strength they had.

     Everyone was exhausted that night so they all fell fast asleep.

     They were staying in a very small home so they all slept in the same room and that was why Lumyryn was able to be awoken by the soft giggles of Lumynos.

     When his eyes opened, he turned his head and saw Mina playing with Lumynos, who clearly refused to sleep. That was one issue poor Sheelah and Marv had to deal with. Lumynos had a strange sleep cycle and often woke the two of them up from their sleep.

     But as Mina played with little Lumynos, Marv and Sheelah slept peacefully.

     Suddenly, Lumynos let out a loud chuckle, which startled Mina and made Sheelah flinch in her sleep, but Mina held her fingers over her mouth and someone, Lumynos understood to be silent.

     When Sheelah seemed to have returned to her deep sleep, the smiling Mina picked up Lumynos and carried the baby outside into the front yard.

     Lumyryn was smiling at the sight and was going to go back to sleep, but for some reason, he found himself getting out of his blankets and following the two.

     He stood at the door and watched as Mina cradled the baby and sang it a song that Lumyryn knew very well.

     It was a lullaby that his mother sang to him when he was a child.

     But despite Mina's beautiful voice, Lumynos refused to sleep.

     He giggled and giggled and grabbed a hold of Mina's long hair and tugged at it.

     And to this, Mina laughed.

     She laughed and held the baby up to face her, one hand behind his head and one hand on his bottom, pressing her forehead against his and giving him a silly smile. "Sleep you little angel, will you not?"

     Lumynos just kept giggling.

     Soon, Mina gave up and just played with him until she could finally see a hint of sleepiness in his eyes.

     Then, she sang him the lullaby again. And when he finally shut his eyes to sleep, the girl gave him a gentle look and then her pretty lips kissed his forehead.

     Suddenly, Lumyryn's heart skipped a beat.

     And Mina flinched.

     She turned around slowly to face the now blushing Lumyryn who knew well that she heard his heart.

     He swallowed back his embarrassment and looked away for a moment. When he looked back, she was walking towards him.

     "You sing... beautifully..." he said, trying to settle down the awkwardness.

     But without a word, she walked past him and into the house. She set baby Lumynos on the makeshift bed next to his mother and pulled her own covers over her.

     Lumyryn just stood there, embarrassed.

     And the more and more he tried to push the thought of her out of his head, the more his heart raced.

     Now, he didn't want to return into the room. Not like this.

     Because he knew well that she could hear his racing heart just as well as he could hear hers.

     But as he walked off into the forest, cheeks ablaze, he realized something.

     She heard his heartbeat... from that distance.

     So he was right all along. She did have it in her.

     And now, despite being embarrassed, he smiled.

 "Why do you not talk to Lumyryn?" Sheelah asked Mina as she prepared the dough to make bread for everyone.

     Mina, who was playing with Lumynos as usual, shrugged. "He makes me nervous." Mina simply said. Her and Sheelah had gotten very close within the past couple of weeks so Mina didn't feel the need to hide the truth from her.

     All the boys except for Lumynos were outside training with weapons now. It seemed like Lumyryn was a good teacher since everyone was getting the hang of things quickly.

     Sheelah nodded as she thought of what Mina said, "well, I can see why. The boy is very handsome."

     Mina blushed as she looked at her friend. "That's not what I meant!"

     At least, she thought that that wasn't what she meant.

     Sheelah looked shocked. "Then what else could you mean? Lumyryn is the sweetest man I've ever met! Even Marv isn't as sweet as him."

     Mina just shrugged.

     She really had no answer to that.

     So Sheelah just sighed and shook her head. "Go talk to him soon," she said, "the boy has his way with words and will know how to make you feel better if you're worried about something."

     Mina didn't respond to that, but did reflect on it in her head.

     After a full day of training, Lumyryn walked towards their temporary home with a somewhat worried look on his face.

     Sheelah, who was standing at the door, welcomed the three boys home but stopped Lumyryn from entering.

     "I think we should leave tomorrow morning," Lumyryn said, "I can hear a group of men slowly making their way in this direction to hunt for deer... but its still risky for us to stay."      

     "Okay," Sheelah said, "Marv and I will prepare all of our stuff to leave for tomorrow morning. But I want you to go and talk to Mina."

     Lumyryn hesitated, "what?"

     "Go talk to Mina."

     "Why?" He blushed slightly and Sheelah saw it with ease.

     "Because she has been a part of our family for weeks now and the two of you barely exchange any words. I don't like it."

     He swallowed and opened his mouth to say something but Sheelah held her hand out, "don't argue with me young man. No dinner for you until you do what I say."

     Lumyryn looked at her with surprise in his eyes, but then he let out a small laugh. "Fine."

     Sheelah smiled, then she got onto her toes and surprised him with a kiss on his cheek.

     Lumyryn blinked, suddenly reminded of his mother.

     "Good boy. Now hurry along." She said as she handed him a cloth to wipe the sweat off of his neck.

     He smiled at her and then turned around, following the sweet scent of Mina's hair in order to find her.

     She had made her way deep into the forest with the hopes of gaining some privacy so that she could dance.

     She really liked to sing and dance. It helped her relax and feel calm and forget what was going on for that very moment in time.

     But when she finally got her privacy, she heard a twig snap.

     She turned around quickly and saw Lumyryn making his way into the clearing, "Hey."

     Mina hesitated and was going to walk away but then Sheelah's voice rang in her head.

     Lumyryn walked up to her and was surprised to see her suddenly sit on the floor and pick at the grass.

     He hesitated, but then sat down in front of her.

     "Did Sheelah tell you to come talk to me?" She asked.

     These were the most words she's said to him at one time, and for some reason, Lumyryn was happy. Her normal voice was as soft and pretty as her singing voice. "Yes." He said with a small smile.

     She sighed.

     "And... I wanted to apologize for intruding on you... that night. I didn't mean to startle you."

     Both of them were blushing. Unfortunately for Lumyryn, his skin was a little paler, which made his blush more visible.

     "You did not do anything wrong," Mina said, avoiding his eyes, "I just... you make me nervous." She said, honestly. But she immediately regretted it because when she looked up, she saw Lumyryn looking at her with surprised eyes.

     "Why?" He asked, "I'm sorry... I don't mean to­–"

     "You do not need to apologize."

     They were suddenly silent.

     Lumyryn hesitated, and then decided to make conversation. "Where are you from, originally?" He asked, rather cautiously.

     "South," she said, not seeming to take offence to the question, "well past the border of Raffyre. But I have not been there since I was seven."

     Well, that explains her copper skin tone. He heard from his mother that the southern countries knew no winter and that the sun was always beaming with heat. She also told him that the people of those nations had copper skin because darker skin protected them from the suns heat whereas lighter skin would easily burn within a few hours of that heat.

     He always wondered what copper skin looked like as a child. And now that he was seeing that shade up close with his own eyes... her realized it was as beautiful as he imagined.

     Mina felt his gaze and the nervousness increased, "and you?" she asked, trying to divert the topic from herself.

     "I don't know where I'm originally from. But I'm assuming its not too far from where I was raised," Lumyryn said, "my real mother abandoned me as an infant so I don't know who she was and where she was from."

     She looked at him, finally, with a steadier gaze, "I was also abandoned as an infant."

     "Were you?"

     Mina nodded, "I was found by a kind old man, who raised me until I was two... then he died. I was alone after that for years but was picked up by the group that ended up selling me when I was about seven. Apparently they heard me singing a song that the old man had taught me and they were impressed. But only now do I realize that they did not actually care for me."

     Lumyryn gave Mina a sad smile. "You have us now."

     She nodded.

     She had heard that multiple times since she joined these people.

     "Did the group you were with treat you well?" Lumyryn asked.

     She shrugged, "I spent most of my time alone aside from when we practiced and performed. On top of my eyes, my skin also made them nervous. But they did not hurt me really... I was just always alone."

     "Well, I'm glad you weren't hurt. And... when you were performing for the king that day, I was there."

     "I know," she nodded, "I saw you."

     A smile fell on Lumyryn's face, "you have a beautiful voice. And you dance very well too."

     Her cheeks got hotter, "How do you say such things with so much ease?" She asked, feeling embarrassed.

     Lumyryn chuckled and leaned back, using his hands to hold him up, "my mother told me that I should never be afraid to compliment people."

     And somehow, despite the embarrassment the two felt around each other, they found a way to talk to each other for most of the night.

     By the next day, the group had left the abandoned home and was heading out to a new place. Though Lumyryn kept checking, he hadn't found anyone else who needed help.

     He found that to be strange. He really imagined there would be a lot more people.

     Aside from that, he and Mina had grown past the stage of awkwardness. Mina had finally formally thanked him for rescuing her. And the two of them talked a lot more now as they walked through the lands to find a place to stay.

     Both Khi and Marv were becoming very good at sword handling and were improving very much on controlling that inner power they had, whatever that inner power was.

     They were nowhere near to as good as Lumyryn, but they were definitely getting there.

     Soon, they found themselves in a forest on the outskirts of another village. There was no home for them to take refuge in, so instead that had to make do with an abandoned campsite.

     And this would be their home for the next couple of says.

     Lumyryn closed his eyes, starting to get used to using his abilities now that he had so much time to practice.

     He focused his energy to his hand, and when it reached there, he transferred it to his axe. This was the hardest part.

     But the second he felt the warmth leave his fingertips he smiled.

     He spun his axe with his hand, as if it were as light as a normal sword, before smashing it into the side of a stone wall that once belonged to an already destroyed home.

     It crumbled to dust in seconds.

     Lumyryn's smile grew.

     "Excellent." He said to himself.

     "Lumyryn."

     Lumyryn dropped his axe, startled and shocked by the sudden voice.

     He thought he was alone.

     He turned around quickly and looked at Mina, who was standing behind him, staring at the axe that was now on the floor.

     "Mina, you startled me."

     Mina looked at him, "I did?" She questioned, "I did not know you could be startled."

     Lumyryn did all he could to try not to blush. He blushed a lot around Mina. "Well, you're light on your feet. It's hard to hear your steps... it might be because you're a dancer, which would make sense..."

     He blabbered on and Mina just stared.

     When he noticed her stare his blush let loose. He looked away. "What can I help you with?"

     Mina smiled and held her hands behind her back. "Your theory..." she started, "do you think it works with people like me too?"

     "Yes." Lumyryn said as he picked up his axe. "Of course."

     "Do you really think?"

     Lumyryn nodded. "I do." In fact, he already knew she could do it after that night many weeks ago.

     Mina's smile grew. "Then... can you help me?" She asked, "I want to learn... I want to accept myself for me."

     He smiled at her. "I'm glad to hear it." He said. "and I'd love to teach you... but I think it has more to do with you accepting yourself. I don't think I can help you much in that sense."

     She hesitated, "why not? You helped Khi and Marv and Sheelah?"

     "Yes, but after they learned to accept themselves." He said, "once you learn to accept yourself, I can help you."

     She looked slightly offended and looked away, "But..."

     "It takes a lot of strength to be able to accept yourself," Lumyryn said.

     "Then it won't work." Mina said, "I'm not strong. You know that, surely."

     "You don't get it." Lumyryn said as he stabbed the axe into the ground and walked towards her.

     Mina looked at him, hugging herself tightly, trying to ignore her heart that was beating so fast.

     He stepped in front of her and looked her right in the eyes.

     The red eyes that were so similar to his own.

     "I don't think you're weak," Lumyryn said, "I never thought that. Not once."

     Mina wanted to look away, but she couldn't.

     "In fact, I think completely the opposite. I think you're strong. All of you are strong, much stronger than me for that matter."

     She hesitated, "what?"

     "You've all gone through a lot more than I have. Compared to you, my life has been a walk in the park."

     Mina narrowed her eyes.

     "You've gone through hate and terror and betrayal... Aside from being forced out of my home, all I had to deal with was love. Lots and lots of love." Lumyryn smiled, "your strength comes from pain... mine comes from love."

     She let out a small laugh, realizing how true his words were.

     "But... Mina, if you could learn to trust and to love... you could easily become much stronger than I. Someone who gains strength from both love and pain is truly a force to reckon with."

     She blinked.

     Lumyryn took a step back, "try to remember that you have a family now," he said, "a real family. We, as a family, give each other strength. Remember that and try to focus your energies to your hearing."

     Mina took a deep breath, but did as she was told.

     She relaxed herself and looked at Lumyryn. The gentle expression on his face helped her relax, but at the same time, it made her heart beat faster.

     "Relax, Mina." He already knew she could do it. So now it was time for her to realize it.

     She nodded and closed her eyes.

     "Focus on my heartbeat," Lumyryn said, "calm yourself and keep focusing. Focus until all you can hear are the crickets and my heartbeat."

     She steadied her breathing and did as Lumyryn said.

     She had a family now.

     These people... who were so kind to her.

     But it was when she started to think of Lumyryn and his gentle smile... that was when his heartbeat became clear to her.

     She was startled when she heard it so clearly, her eyes shot open and Lumyryn was still smiling. "Did it work?"

     She stared at Lumyryn with wide eyes.

     She didn't know she was grinning, but she was.

     She closed her eyes again, picturing Lumyryn's gentle smile but focusing on the voice of Sheelah and then she could hear her humming a lullaby for Lumynos.

     She laughed as her eyes widened again. "I can really do it!"

     Lumyryn chuckled as he walked over to her.

     And then to his surprise, she jumped into his arms.

     She hugged him tightly and continued to laugh.

     After a moment of shock, he hesitated, before hugging her back.