(Read the next few capters while listening to this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a-FnIqM0rI&list=LL1YF6XH0lyyEXNK5z5AeSOA&index=2
I heard this while writing and it perfectly sets the mood imo!)
......
It was late in the evening. The sun was just about to dive into the ocean, coloring the clouds in the fiery red that signaled the end of the day. It wouldn't take long anymore for the sun to disappear completely and get replaced by the ocean of stars and the moons, once again were the sisters, Lunaris of ice and Tiramis of fire, trying to hide from their husband, Ignatius of light, and his blinding brilliance. It was said that the two could only look at their husbands back, or else they would turn blind. As such, the sisters would come out at the end of the day from their hiding place to take a look at their beloved only to search for a new place to hide before their husband would come to search for them again. Just like that, did their eternal chase continue.
A group of seven children was sitting on the roof of a house, watching this spectacle.
"Tonight will be a good night! Tiramis has shown herself already completely, that means she is at her brightest tonight. Like this, we won't have a problem seeing!", one of the boys exclaimed.
"What do you mean, Jayden? Who is Tiramis?", The only girl of the seven asked, her hair was of the same color as the seemingly burning clouds above them.
"The red moon, Tiramis of fire. Did you know that they say that Tiramis can come out of their hidingplace first because fire is closely associated with light, so she can bear more of their husbands brilliance? But if Tiramis comes out at the same time as the blue moon, Lunaris of ice, that means that Tiramis is protecting her sister, so that she too may take a closer look at their husband."
"I never heard of this story before! Can you tell me more?", the girl asked the boy.
"Later, right now there are more important stories to tell.", another boy interjected.
"Then what is this about? You were the one who didn't want to tell me, Alex!"
"It's our own stories. Its already kind of a tradition, whenever a new member joins our group, everyone tells their own stories as a way to introduce themselves.
The first generation thought, and I'm of the same opinion, that there are certain things that you need to know about each other to be able to trust one another. The guardians have always been a small but strong group, but even if you put the strongest individuals together, they will be weak if they aren't capable of trust.
And the first step that has to be taken to be able to trust someone, is learning more about that person. So we tell each other the story of how we ended up living on the streets and what we did until we met, you can learn surprisingly much about a person through this.", Alex said.
"It is as he said, in the end, your own story is always the best, and also the most important on.", Alice mumbled and continued louder: "Then let me begin, it may not be the story of how I came here, but it may be even more important!"
"Hmm, normally your turn would be last, but if you want you can tell us this story first and the other later, OK?", Alex agreed, and one by one the other five boys gave their agreement as well.
"Let me think... I happened about three years ago. I was just about to meet up with a friend of mine who lived in another village close to mine. Her name was Cathy and we were almost like sisters...", Alice began to tell her story.
It wasn't some grand tale, there weren't any heroes, no dragons or even a fight. Her story wasn't in any way dramatic, a story without any twists and turns and no sudden or unexpected surprises. It was but a simple story about a young and naive girl meeting an old man who told a story to the girl, talked to the girl, and then left. It was a story about stories.
Not long after Alice had started talking, was all the attention of the boys focused on her story. As if they were enthralled by her voice, the listeners didn't make a single sound slowly drifting away into a different time and to a different place, it felt as if they themselves had become a part of the story.
When the story suddenly ended with the old man leaving, the boys were still in a daze for a while, caught up in and thinking about the story. When they started realizing that there wouldn't be any more to come, they started feeling a mix of regret and emptiness, they wanted the story to continue, but at the same time, they knew that it wasn't possible, it was just a story about two people meeting. When they parted ways, the story would be over.
"Did you ever meet him again?", Eric broke the silence that had lasted for a while.
"No, I haven't. But if he is still alive at that point, I want to meet him again to tell him my own story. And if he isn't, I will look for his grave."
"I... can kind of understand now why that staff means so much to you, it wasn't just a memento of your father but also the 'sign', right?", Jayden asked.
"Yes, and that's why I definitely have to get it back!"
"You definitely have talent as a storyteller, thank you for telling us.", Alex said.
At that, Forster put together his palms and gave Alice a deep and meaningful nod, showing her his gratitude. In a way, it was the greatest reaction Alice had every seen him showing. Normally, the boy was very absentminded and expressionless though he was a kind person and would always do his best and help the others out, this was the first time Alice had seen him act like this.
"OK, who is next?", Alice asked enthusiastically.
"In that case, let me."