Chapter Text
A woman giggled, beaconing her little boy, only four-years-old, to her side, “My sun, come here, would you?”
At the sound, the boy cast his book aside, jumped out of his chair, and rushed into his mother’s arms next to the fireplace. He was warmer than the fire, face nearly swallowed by the yellow fabric around his neck, the flurry of golden calendula dotted with blue versions of it, perfect in its oddity. Big brown eyes look up at the woman in wonder, eager to hear another story her husband wouldn’t approve of.
To think, when she ran away to the insurgents, she never thought she’d tell these stories again. Yet, never had they been so important.
“Listen close, my sun, and I shall weave you a tale of beginnings…”
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At first, the world only knew Winter
And overtaken by their loneliness, Winter cut their essence to make new
To make everything they were not
To make Spring
And for a while, that was enough
The two of them together, their dance felt eternal
Until the land itself implored for mercy
The tug of war between them was too much for the land:
Animals would start to love, and then need to survive the cold
Plants would send out seeds, and then those seeds would freeze
Neither found the ground they needed all that reliable
It wounded Winter to hear this, but they complied nonetheless to the prayers
Summer was born from the negativity Winter held toward the land
Summoning greater heat than Spring to counter the cold
Autumn was born from the sorrow and hope for smoother transitions
Granting the land time to a slower slumber
Taking in these changes, the world sighed and relented
And thus, the Four Seasons were established, traveling the land together
But one day, even that became a problem
For you see, Winter had fallen for Spring
Enchanted by their color and gentle touch
And by some miracle, Spring had fallen for Winter in turn
Enjoying the tranquility and craftsmanship
A fact that made their domains more volatile
They were tortured by being so close, yet so far from the other’s embrace
So, Summer and Autumn came up with a solution: proxies
They would grant a fraction of power to the land’s creatures
And let them carry out the change in the Seasons’ stead
Allowing the deities to ascend to a point they’d no longer affect the world
Boldened by the idea, the Seasons tried several proxies with some success
First, the cows seemed well enough, but they were slow to work, leaving areas in year-long winter
Second were the rabbits, which seemed to fix the speed problem, but they were too easily hunted when alone, making the seasonal rotation unreliable
The third attempt were the birds, and they were the perfect proxies, but only for a year before they forgot their duties
Attempt after attempt
The Four Seasons were about to give the idea up
Then the monsters stepped forward, offering themselves to the deities
Monsters were birthed from the land’s magic, allowing them to handle the influx of power in a way other creatures could not
And as a race who relied on the earth to provide, they had motive to perform the rites year after year
Intrigued by the offer, the Seasons decided to try it
Creating the first Agents of the Four Seasons
As promised, the rotation of seasons turned smoothly throughout the land
But even the monsters had a problem
Monsters, while in-tune with the land and its magics, were rather fragile
Even the heartier Agents were dust to the wind after a few blows
Disappointed, the Four Seasons resigned themselves to their fate
Then the humans requested another chance in aiding this task
They offered, instead of changing the seasons, to protect those who did
Humans were sturdier than monsters, though found wanting in magical capability
Even so, they too wanted the seasons to turn, all they asked were bountiful harvests and peace
Considering the terms with their own wants, the Seasons chose to grant the request
Bestowing just enough magic to fulfill their role, lest they wither under the power once more
Thus, the Agents’ Blades were created, traveling in pairs across the world
The Four Seasons observed for years with bated breath
But this system held, at long last
And so, the deities ascended to the heavens
Finally allowing Winter and Spring to be together forevermore
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That’s where the legend ended, and the woman considered letting it be. But the story continued past that, and the boy needed to know that too.
So, with a brief pause, she began to improvise.
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For a long time, the system stayed unchanged
Villages dedicated to serving the Seasons developed
And the Four Seasons largely faded into myth
Barely anyone outside of the circles knew about the Agents and Blades
But not even the most elusive secret can stay hidden forever
Especially one so mobile as them
Gentle as the wind, rumors spread of people who could sap life from the trees
Summon the rains
Turn a field lush with life or blanketed in snow
These people were rumored to be gods, more so as society developed and caught glimpses of them
Of course, the idea was wrong, the Agents and Blades were as mortal as anyone
But that didn’t matter, outsiders wished to see them as other
Holding the Agents on pedestals and praying for help
Expecting them to help, to aid in every little inconvenience
And when the Agents didn’t, people got mad
A rage that was only stoked by tales of heroism over the centuries
‘Why them and not us’, those people thought
Consumed by this thinking, a fraction of the populous sought to correct it
By any means they saw fit
Those dedicated to the Four Seasons call them the insurgents
Insurgents have many different reasons for going after the Agents
Some don’t believe in the Four Seasons and wish to prove the seasons come without prompt
Some wish to remove their least favorite season from the cycle for as long as possible
Some want to persuade Agents to help people
Some want to use Agents for their own ends
No matter the reasons though, they all end in hurting the Agents and the land itself.
In one instance, a group of insurgents came together to attack a ceremony of the Agents of the Four Seasons
Summer and Winter’s duos perished in the attack
And Spring was wounded gravely
Upsetting the seasonal rotation worse than any other case before
But never for long, as the cycle always finds a way to continue
Come what may
The seasons dance for all eternity
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The woman’s smile strained a bit as she repeated the mantra her father liked to use, it felt like a weak ending. But the boy seemed not to mind, he looked like he was thinking. “What is it, my sun?”
“Why…” the boy paused, gaze coming back to hers, “Why do they want to make Winter and Spring sad?”
That was not a question the woman thought he’d have, “Why do you think that?”
“If the Agents and Blades fail, doesn’t that mean the Four Seasons have to come back?” he questioned, upset at the thought, “Winter and Spring are happy now, why do they want to tear them apart?”
“I’m not sure, my sun.” the woman murmured, holding her little boy closer as she rocked, “Maybe those people don’t even consider it, the cycle has gone on since long before either of us were born. Maybe they think it will continue forever, allowing many chances to get what they want.”
The boy’s cheeks puffed up, pressing, “What about now, though? The snow didn’t come, and the water at the lake was cold!”
The woman blinked, surprised that he cared that much. He was such a smart cookie for his age, kind too, she wondered if that would stay true as he grew older. The boy yawned, eyes drooping as his mother chuckled, “I’m sure it will work out in the end, but I think it’s time for the sun to set for today…”
“No… I wanna hear about… the cowboy again…” he protested weakly, losing the battle against sleep quickly.
“Tomorrow.” She promised, whisking the boy away to his bed. Her little one already off to dreamland by the time she laid him down and pulled the cover up.
Alone in the quiet house, the woman sighed. Carefully, she reached out to the spot on the boy’s, her child’s, neck where she knew a flame-like blade was carved. Good, she couldn’t see it, could barely sense it, the scarf’s spell was holding perfectly.
The woman had few things she regretted in her life, marrying her husband was not one of them, but… If she knew her child would be born in a viper’s nest instead of the safety he deserved, she never would have had a child.
Best case, they’d try to use him as leverage against Summer, only to kill him went they realized the village didn’t care. Worst case, they make him a loyal puppet within the system—if the binding magic allowed such a thing to happen. The woman hated both ideas passionately, hated even more that her husband would be directing it.
Still, she couldn’t help wondering what life he’d lead, if fate pulled the boy towards his duty. The woman could see him becoming a bright young man, fighting with all his heart for his partner, steady gaze sparkling in the sun the pair brought in their wake.
It was a part of her little boy’s life she’d never see.
But she prayed the stories she told him would light his future well.