"Good morning." The young man named Aripo says, I stare up at him, eyes burning. "You stayed up all night?" He questioned raising a brow, leaning against a wooden pole with crossed arms. "Why?"
"I slept for 10 years. A little more sleep is not what I want right now."
"Hm." He snickered at my response and nodded. "Fair." He loudly smacked the wooden pole, "Twilie wants to see you. I believe Varin is already awake and waiting for you. Twilie thinks you can find something at the village you were in. Something to jog your memory." Ari informed me, tapping his head then disappeared from my view. He wasn't one for staying put it seemed.
"Good morning." Varin said, catching my attention. His long black hair was done into a bun and wrapped tightly.
"Good morning." I repeated, finding my footing and bit my lip seeing my legs shake. Varin held onto my waist and helped me walk out of the wooden hut. My feet felt like they were becoming one with the dewy grass that was trampled over from being frequently used.
"Varin...you are from... dragonheart isle? What was it like?" I asked trying my best to remember what Jaan told me about Varin and him. Jaan was originally from Wysteria but was abandoned when he was 10. Twilie has taken in kids because he couldn't bare to see them have to experience the world is such a cruel way. Varin smiled softly. His smile was always soft I found.
Something caught my attention.
"The smell..." I blinked, gently sniffing the fresh cool air. A sudden pain came from behind my eye and I winced in discomfort, rubbing my temple. "The smell..."
"What?" Varin questioned worriedly.
"It's roasted pig butt." Dad announced, plopping the roast onto the table.
"Ew, dad!" I laughed loudly watching as he patted the cooked pig.
"It is good meat though, my son." My dad was blurry...I could not see his face. He raised a butcher knife up and began to slice it up. I scooped roasted vegetables onto wooden plates and waited for the meat.
"Thank you for hunting!" I shouted trying to dig in but was stopped. My dad had gently tipped his forehead against mine. It was blurry. Why is he blurry? The small lantern above the table flickered causing shadows to dance on the wooden walls and dirt floor. The shed...we were in the shed. I closed my eyes and felt a smile come onto my face and my heart warm.
"You are my greatest treasure. I am so proud of who you are becoming. Your mother would be even more so." He said with a quivering yet hardened voice. I felt a lump forming in my throat. "She would be so proud. So, so proud of our wonderful son." He kissed the top of my forehead and sat forward to his plate on the table. I got to my feet and grabbed another plate, setting it down. "What is that for?"
"For mom. Let's set out a plate for mom's spirit. I think she would be happy to know that we can cook food that doesn't churn out tummys." I joked with a light laugh. Dad laughed out loud and I sat down beside him. The plate on the table between ours. We fixed it with food and he pulled me into a soft bear hug.
"You will do amazing things. I love you." He and I smiled at each other.
"Hey...Orii..." Varin stammered. I could feel something wet on my cheeks. Touching it, I stared at the clear warmth. Tears. My heart ached.
"What happened?" Ari asked, frantically pushing Varin out of his way. Our eyes meeting and I could tell he was concerned. I sniffled and lowered my eyes to the trampled green grass. "Orii?"
"I remembered my dad..." I said, voice straining from the aching that refused to stop. I bit my lip feeling embarrassed as the tears continued to drop from my eyes. "But he was blurry...why? Why couldn't I see my dad? I want to see my dad!" Ari gulped and stepped away. Suddenly I was enveloped in Varin's big arms. He held me until the tears became sniffles and rubbed my back helping me calm down. "I'm sorry..." I apologized. For what, I did not know.
"It is okay. We will help you remember. I will do my best." Varin whispered down to me, continuing to pat my back gently. I nodded having had buried my face in his black shirt. Which I'm glad he was wearing today as the cold crawled up my legs from the chilly ground.
The huts were adorned with papers of children's drawings and so many pretty things. My vision cleared up completely and I gazed up at the bright blue sky that was peeking through the big leaves from the tropical trees. The smell of the roasted pig brought back the lump in my throat. Varin helped me walk through the crowd of teens and kids. All of different races. Twilie couldn't stand to see so many kids abandoned so he made sure they had a home full of warmth and kindness. Garlands made from large leaves lined some of the huts and a small path was made and filled in with soft sand.
"It is like Neverland." Ari mumbled, approaching suddenly from behind. I popped up lightly. Varin sat me down on a log bench. I met those brown eyes with my own.
"What is Neverland?" I asked.
"Neverland. Peter Pan. My...Dad Canton used to tell us stories from the realm he came from." He crossed his arms leaned against one of the huts and tilted his head, his silver locks swaying on his forehead. He indeed looked like what a prince from a fairytale would be. A smirk shown on his light peach lips. "Peter Pan was a boy with the ability to fly and he never aged. He would come and whisk Wendy away to take her on adventures in Neverland. But he had a foe known as Captain Hook." Suddenly Ari was animated holding a large rock in his hand. Trying his best to tell me the story. "He had a hook for a hand after it was bitten off by an alligator. A big reptile that infested some swamp lands in my Dad's realm as well as Neverland."
"Continue!" The kids shouted behind Ari clapping from his sudden animated storytelling. He turned 50 shades of red and cleared his throat retreating...well trying to as the kids followed behind. "Aripo, pleeeaasse."
"Oh." I laugh escaped my tight lips. I covered my mouth in surprise. I laughed....was it okay? My eyes darted up to the caring dragonheart to find him and Jaan standing close together whispering to each other. A shared flickering of something in their eyes. I wonder what it is.
YOU ARE READING
Enda: Fallen Grace (BL BXB)
Fantasy"Wake...." A weary worn out voice pleas. "My son...wake...stay...." A voice called out to a young man who then awoke alone in a moss covered shed with no way out. What was he doing there? Why is he covered in dry blood? What happened? Who was he? E...
