━━ ━ melody in the rain

i. pouring rain and snapping twigs

The loud shouts and demands from different voices filled his ears as the battle comes to its start and to its end, "Blood for the Blood God."

It was a title he had managed to obtain — from the voices inside his head to the people he came across with, accompanied with the shushed whispers of his name, Technoblade. Maybe it was for the fact that he was seen by the people only when he is about to go to a battle only to be back with blood tainting his red cloak - almost seeming to be just the natural color in the eyes of someone so innocent and clueless but the people who knew him and heard of his rumors knew better. "I have heard he's an immortal being, cursed by the gods." One of the many vendors shares as they chat with their customers. Rumors do spread fast yet no one has once solved the truth behind the mystery his in.

The rain started to pour down, softly pattering to the soil. It was a rare sight to see rain around this parts, perhaps because they were covered in snow almost all year with the sun seemingly glaring at them. Technoblade didn't seem to mind though, feeling calm and relaxed in the rain. He continued his journey back to Arastia - a land he swore to protect with his own hands.

Not until a snap of a twig alerted Technoblade as he pulled the reins of his horse to a halt, looking around the sorroundings. Carefully he climbed down his horse, resting his hands in his hips to where his sword is - a reflex he had mastered upon going to countless of battles knowing full well that some has the guts to attack in a surprise whenever possible.

He walked closer to where he heard the movement ready to attack whatever was making them but what baffled him was the sound of faint crying that accompanied the snapping.

There sat a boy, desperately pressing himself to a tree finding any sort of shelter from the rain pouring down, his feet coming in contact with the small twigs snapping them in the process.

Technoblade stood there for a second, torn between asking the poor boy on what he is doing or listen to the voices who are demanding him blood in this second. Coming to a decission he finally spoke ignoring the loud voices ringing in each side of his ears, "Hey child, what are you doing in the outskirts of this forest?"

His deep monotonous voice catching the attention of the boy. Now catching a glimpse of him, Technoblade has noticed that his eyes are two different colors along with his hair. His cheeks stained with tears as his arms were wrapped around his body. Having sympathy to the boy he scroutched down holding the side of his cape, raising up his arms to the side. It looked like a shelter to which the boy had contemplated to, until a thunder had erupted causing the boy to yelp and immediately run to the side of Technoblade where he was sheltered.

The tears from the boy beside him poured harder with the rain. Sighing he let his arms hug the boy and gingerly lifting him up with the cloak still protecting his body.

"What's your name, boy?" calmly looking at the boy beside him. Silence took over before the boy had finally answered. "Ranboo. My name is Ranboo. I was abandoned here in the forest by them." The boy carefully said, stumbling at some words as he gingerly looks up to the older man. To the Technoblade's surprise the boy has managed two of his question - the first question when he found him and the question now.

"What about your parents?" Suddenly questioning, taking a moment of silence he mentally slapped the back of his head not knowing why he have blurted that out. "I don't have any memory of my parents nor do I think they are still alive."

"An orphan, huh? He can be of good use, he has done nothing mischievous so far in our little interaction." Technoblade thought to himself as his eyes twitched, voices now becoming louder as they demand blood from the abandoned orphan. Shrugging them away, he walked back to the direction of his horse. Silence lingered between them — not an awkward one but a comfortable one to which Techno is thankful for.

Finally finding the horse, he hoisted himself up as he got a hold of its reins — signaling his horse to move forward, fast. Looking down, he found Ranboo now sleeping peacefully in his arms covered with his red bloody cloak. Scrunching his nose from the thought of blood he focused on the path going back to the peaceful land of Arastia.

This is a start, a change far from what everyone has been accostumed to - slowly but surely unravelling a mystery deep within it's hiding.