He was Almost Absorbed by the System

Chapter One Hundred And Thirty Four - Village In The Swamps

The village was not as Seven came to expect, but then he could not say what it was he was expecting. It was located within a swamp land. The houses were a mishmash of driftwood, clay and stone. One was even formed of the hollowed trunk of a long since deceased tree. Each property seemed to sprawl out on its own little island and the pathways linking them were wooden bridges held together with rope. There were still living trees dotted here and there, but the girth's of each declared their extensive years and just as Leif claimed, they were quite dormant. The sky above them was one of thick, black fog, clearly created by a form of magic for the sun could not penetrate it and therefore the small kitchen gardens scattered in pots and raised planters were growing quietly in the fire lights scattered around the village.

As Leif guided him deeper into the village, Seven's apprehension grew. Leif had been very blunt of the ways of the village, not only that the older men were the ones who claimed young people once they came of marital age, but that Male brides were also expected to give birth to their husband's children. However, he definitely did not want to wed anyone here, his heart belonged only to the boy with red streaked hair that held the soul of his forever husband.

"That is the village hall," Leif pointed out a large round building with a roof made of twigs and dry grasses. He then pointed to a large half uprooted tree, whose main trunk twisted upward midpoint in order to reach skyward once more. "And that is where I live."

Seven squinted as he vaguely saw the wooden wall hidden in the shadows of the thick roots. "The tree doesn't mind?"

"Ah well," Leif told him. "That tree and I have an agreement. You see, I saved its life after its roots could no longer anchor it to the swamp's loose soil. Come on, let's get you settled in."

"Welcome back, Leif," a baritone voice called out in strength. "And you have company?" The pair glanced back to see a tall man thick of muscle, with weathered olive skin and a straight back. He wore a loin skirt much like Leif, but also a thick cloak was draped over his shoulders and beads about his neck. When he caught sight of the boy with Leif, his dark eyes heated visibly.

"Greetings, Elder Calarook," Leif said respectably. "Yes, this is Seven. He is an Exile. Ah but he is only fourteen years of age, so I am taking him under my wing for the time being." He said this part quickly, leaving no room for argument.

Seven looked cautiously at the man, hiding his surprise, for Leif had called him an Elder, but he did not look more than fifty years of age. He watched as a clearly calculating expression drifted across the man's sharp features and decided that his age did not matter, he still did not like him. "That is good. I will entrust the child to you, then so you might teach him our ways and ensure he becomes acclimatised."

"Thank you, Elder Calarook," Leif said, before tugging Seven's hand. Elder Calarook took one last glance at the departing pair before making his way to his own destination. They did not meet anyone else as they made their way quickly through the village, the late hour working in their favour. Leif guided him into the small shelter, which was actually much larger than it first appeared. The house consisted of three small rooms. The largest and main room could be considered the living space with a small kitchen area, low table and stumps as stools. Attached to this was a stone chimney, carefully placed to be outside the shelter of the tree hollow and roots. The second smallest room was a sleeping area and the third room was filled with shelves, dry roots and herbs, bottles, pots and cloth pouches.

"Elder Calarook thinks he is so smart," Leif grumbled to himself. "As if knowing that I am sheltering you will give him an advantage to woo you before the other Elders come to know about you." He huffed slightly in irritation.

"Woo me?" Seven asked as he sat on one of the stools. He was struggling to concentrate, his tiredness and the flurry of events that had occurred that day now weakening his resolve. Leif's endless chatter was grounding and had helped him stave away the defence mechanism in built, but it would not do so much longer.

"Yes, I did say the Elder's will try to claim you for their own, right?" Leif said as he took the sap that they had collected and placed it into his workshop. "But its not like the target of their intention has no say. The Elders woo potential brides with pretty words of how well they will care for them, how they can provide them with jewellery and food and take care of them and any offspring. They also woo with gifts, beads that they made themselves, baskets of food. Those coming of age do love the attention, for the most part and it means they won't have to work hard to support themselves if they pick the right husband. It wasn't for me, like I said, but I am considered a bit weird. Growing up, I only ever spoke about my true soulmate, saying that I would know that person when I found them and they would only ever have eyes for me. I don't like the idea of sharing. Did you know I have eighteen older half brothers and half sisters, as my mum was my father's seventh bride!" He said these last words with a slight chuckle.

Leif glanced at the very quiet Seven and noticed the blank look on his face, the small smile and innocent, pale eyes. The Witch shuddered, waving his hand in front of Seven's face only to receive no reaction beyond him shutting those haunting eyes and reopening them a heartbeat later. It reminded him of something his Mistress had spoken of when he had first become her apprentice. She had gone to deliver a baby in the middle of the night, but had returned over a day later quite saddened. The baby had been still born after a long, difficult birth. The baby's mother had not cried, not one tear shed. Instead, the boy had retreated into himself, not hearing what anyone said in order to comfort him, not seeing the heartbreak of his husband, just silent in his own world. It had taken the Mistress several months to coax the boy into reality and even then, he was never quite right.

Leif glanced at the boy, wondering how alike his symptoms were and what exactly had set them off. He shook his head, he wasn't totally oblivious, he knew something was not quite right with the boy. His words were always quite, his sentences short. He was very distrustful of everyone except the person he claimed was his intended. Clearly he had experienced something unpleasant in the underground kingdom, Leif just hoped this 'intended' had nothing to do with it. He already felt protective over the boy, like an older brother.

"Will you come to sleep on the bed?" He asked softly to see if Seven would respond to him. The boy stood up and obediently made his way to the bed to lie down upon it. "Take your boots off!" Leif called out and watched as Seven did as instructed. He then lay upon the bed and immediately fell asleep. Leif let loose a relieved sigh, before heading to his workshop. He still had an aphrodisiac to brew.