SGE His Darkened Heart (A Japaric Fanfiction)

CHAPTER 13 Stranger

—ARIC'S POV—

One Month Later...

The wind whistled through the trees as Aric crept through the forest, fallen twigs and dried leaves crunching beneath his boots. The sky was dark for midday and no sun lit his path as he made his way along.

At one point, Aric's boots became soaked and he came across a stream cutting through the forest. He knelt down and splashed some water on his face, and he found a family of wish fish living in the waters. They swam quickly away at the sight of him, and Aric didn't blame them.

Aric was forced to leave FoxWood three and a half weeks ago and forced to say goodbye to his only friend. Since than, he'd moved around, camping in the endless woods while catching food and traveling onwards. To where?

Well, Aric wasn't sure. All he knew now was that he was alone, on his own, like an animal in the woods with no companionship.

Aric felt his stomach rumble, and his gaze flickered back to the stream in search for the fish, knowing they'd help satisfy his growing hunger. Unfortunately, the fish had hid as if secretly knowing they would've been Aric's next meal.

Aric had heard rumors that wish fish could grant wishes, grant the secret desires in one's heart and make them a reality. Hence the name "Wish Fish." But Aric's only desire Now was to find his long lost mother and end her life himself.

But was that his Only desire?

Aric felt his lip curl into a sneer at the inner voice in his head, and shook the thought away.

Japeth had made his choice in not going with Aric when he'd asked him to. Besides, It was only a matter of time when Japeth would learn his mistake and realize he should've gone with Aric when he'd had the chance instead of choosing his rotten brother.

Still, something inside of Aric felt broken. It was a brokenness that threatened to override his mind, but Aric's anger managed to fight it off. But for how long?

How long could Aric go about pretending to be angry when secretly there was more to it? When secretly, deep deep down, Aric was just yearning for his lost friend?

"Boys don't cry," Aric muttered to himself, angrily trodding through the stream. "Be a man."

Yet, despite Aric's words of encouragement, he only felt the pain continue to linger deep within his heart, threatening to crush it into pieces. And the worst thing was that Aric didn't feel like a man, and instead he only felt lost like he were awaiting to be found by someone, anyone. Was he going insane?

Aric turned back to the stream to glare at his reflection in the water, and for the first time he saw that the three weeks being by himself had indeed taken their toll on him. His face was streaked with dirt and his hair was a mess, clothes torn and damp with sweat. But the thing that really caught Aric's attention was the troubled look staring back at him like he was no more than a boy seeking companionship.

He raked his fist into the stream, splashing water away to blur the face of the stranger staring back at him. Than, he stormed on his way, headed further through the woods.

Aric had been trekking through the woods in between sleeping beneath the treetops overnight and consuming berries and prey he'd catch. Using a map he'd stolen from a vendor back in FoxWood before he left, Aric was hopeful to learn he was just a few miles away from BloodBrook, the first civilization he would come across on his journey to the School for Good and Evil.