a guardian and an Angel

chapter 7

As the now romantically acquainted duo, walked along the ever-changing horizon, Natalya was able to identify some fairly familiar sights, while the beast by her side, grew less familiar with their surroundings.

Both, were in fact, anxious. Viran was moreso than Natalya.

They were approaching a place where they both knew that neither one would truly feel accepted. But from this moment on, they only sought out such acceptance in one another. And in one another, that acceptance was found.

They strolled the nature filled trail, hand in hand, each lost in their own thoughts. yet they were closer to each other than any thought could ever explain. the sun followed them, in a seemingly obedient manner. Perhaps if the son were a God, like many guilds believed, this God was blessing them with good graces.

Maybe this would be ok. Of course it would be, as long as the two were never departed. Viran's soul was disabled. After all, Viran needed her. He couldn't live without her, that is,  after knowing that life before her was not fit for him.

He was only content with her. And until he met her, he never knew just how it felt.

Maybe it was like poetry, sang from the stones, carved into shapes of the extinct animals, now revered as transparent stars. Maybe it was like the music of nature he'd only experienced when waking up next to her.

Maybe it was love.

This girl, Natalya, she had become his source of stability. She was his rehabilitation. He felt happiness flow through him, powerful like countless pounds of water. This happiness crashed through his sad memories.

But it didn't quite destroy his fear of the future. Their future. And that was a conflict.

Heavy guesses of foreign unacceptance collided with flickering beams of hope. And he did not know which side would consume him first. But soon, he was typically pushed out of his trance, by the angel's whimsical voice. This time, not talking, but singing a song he'd never heard

Burying interests alive
Villages known to capture the youthful souls
They throw those souls into wells
they throw their souls into wells
All the play times become work in the yard
We trade Jacks in boxes for rakes
Brown eyes melt to light blue
I can see the dead in you
I ask if you can see the dead in me too
Lucky we're only drops of gold that fell from a thief up in the sky who stole from the Lord
On the way that he ran, he dropped us through the clouds, we landed in the soil
And as gold we sprouted into what we are now
Grew voices and began to speak
Strayed away from our symmetry
Vocalized a lack of diversity
We built great walls
They only signified the segregation between us all
Oh but if I could stand on the tallest mountain, I would say to the world, don't you ever forget that we were all once just pieces of gold that fell from the same theif's bag

Viran quite practically fell apart, as the angel's voice sounded like a harp, made only from the ripples of the deep ocean. "I.. I...wow" he breathed out.

"Hm?" The angel squeaked, a bit shyly. "oh! hahaha, that was just a religious song from my village. It gives a description of what we're taught to believe"

"The belief that....?" Viran understood the lyrics of the song. He just simply didn't know how to relay the meaning back to her, from his understanding.

"We believe that over two million years ago, a thief broke into the kingdom of heaven. Almost immediately, he found mounds and mounds of gold pieces, each and every one of them, was the size of a baby tooth. He gathered as many as he could, in his bag. Then the guards came. He ran and ran with the bagged gold, hanging over his shoulder and almost fell over a ledge at a dead end. That dead end was the edge of the sky. And his only platforms were the clouds. He riskily sprinted across each cloud, as they offered him very little measures of balance. And because so, he spilled significant amounts of gold along the way. Those pieces of gold, they fell from the sky and landed into a world that at the time, was nothing but soil. Those pieces of gold sank into the soil. And in time, rain came. And life sprouted from the soil. We are that life."

"W-wow... that's......" Viran couldn't seem to find words to say, that would describe the sense of amazement he felt.

"Hey, we're here!!" Shouted Natalya in a sing song voice.

Viran nodded and smiled a bit, following her as she led him into the village.

Before long, many guards rushed over to Natalya, interrogating her, worriedly. 

"Where have you been!"

"I went for a walk"

"It's been two and a half days!"

"Got lost. Sorry."

"Wh-why are not wearing a shirt!"

"Giant bird kidnapped me and ate my shirt"

"What?! Th-this is why you need a guardian with you at all times when leaving this village, do you understand?!

"Ditto"

"You're lucky to be alive!"

"I know"

Suddenly, the ruckus died down and the crowd departed, soon revealing that the king was making his way to the angel.

"Mind telling me where you've been all this time?" His voice pushed out, tiredly.

In response, Natalya finally humbled herself "y-yes sir. I went out, without telling anyone and regretfully put myself in danger. B-but someone came and saved me and protected me and made lo- I mean and brought me back!"

The elderly king lifted an eyebrow "and who was this...someone..?

"Viran, come out!" The angel called and Viran came out from the shadows, earning predictable gasps.

"Natalya! That is a-"

"A kind hero, who has kept me safe and accepted me for who I am."

"He is a troll, Natalya" the king grunted.

"Yes. And I have accepted him as well. I'm asking you to do the same. Because I trust him." She said confidently

"Trust a troll?"

"Yes. And not judge him before getting to know him"

The king gazed at Viran, suspiciously for a while. "true that you brought her back here, and kept her safe?"

"Yes sir" Viran answered

The king nodded. "I'll trust you, so long as you continue to protect her. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir." Viran responded evenly, and Natalya began to cheer. Viran stood silently, but on the inside, he was more emotional than ever before. Was this really happening? Had he truly been accepted for who he was? He looked around at the crowd of people, looking at him approvingly. This almost felt like a dream. He'd have pinched himself of Natalya hadn't already been grasping his hands, tightly enough to pinch, as she jumped up and down, in joy.

This was quite a wonder for them both. They had finally, truly been accepted.  By others. By one another. They were home. For the first time in each of their lives....

they were home.

The end.