"Or nothing, she is taking care of me, she is just a mother to me. I don't need any backstory you learnt on her anytime, nor your opinion over this matter, sir."
The man was astounded. Never before he saw a kid talking back while being held out. He withdrew his weapon and said.
"I see who you are now, you are a future warrior. Courageous and virtuous already ! You just need muscles to be a good one. I'll admit you surprised me. Come over here, I'll give you something."
Keith was hesitant. He remembered approaching strangers had brought him pain last time he did.
The man in front of him untied his high ponytail. Letting his savage hair invade up to the border of his face. He handed the kid a leather made curio.
Its shape was like a bracelet with three pierced drab pebbles.
"Take it. And defend your mother's honour."
Keith took it and looked more carefully. Its design was very basic, but it was robust and was a nice size to fit his wrist, though a bit oversized. He chose to wear it and bowed to the guard.
"Thank you mister, I'll take care of it. We'll go to sleep now, thanks for your guidance."
He returned to his dwell and directly went to the bed. The guard took a look around the house before mumbling to himself.
"That kid... he's not alone in his head, for sure."
Keith was laying under his bedsheet, thinking while touching the first gift he ever had.
'The forest is a no-no. Angering mother is a no-no. Talking with strangers is dangerous but not always bad...'
"Hey, Mister Show, why didn't you tell me about the night patrol? Things could've got worse. I am not supposed to be outside at night. We both need to hide from the village's sight. You know, things have became special lately for me. People don't usually eat raw meat."
"Hide."
"Sure! We'll hide from everyone. They must not know."
---
The next morning, his mother entered the house, slamming the door behind her and she fell on the bed next to her surprised son. He saw her closed eyes, dishevelled hair and dark circles under her eyes.
'Alright, let's go alone then. There's still weed on the trenches.'
The moment Keith went out, he saw something he wasn't expecting.
'Dark clouds! I hope it'll rain for the day.'
After weeks of dry weather, the temperature rising progressively, rain finally came. The clouds were going to the right direction, the wind was cooler. Thunder resounded afar, but the dense grey rain curtain dissimulated most of their length, and its size.
Keith fetched every bucket they had and the wheelbarrow, he aligned them between the pathway and the end of the roof. Then he chose to sit on his porch, waiting for it to arrive, discerning little by little thunder behind the curtains.
As the first drop fell, he could see the leaves moving on a more frenetic way, the soil darkening and the sound intensified. But he could not smell the petrichor.
He let his face uncovered and he opened his mouth. Closing his eyes he tried to discern things entering.
'Nothing. Just rain. What's the point of loosing all of this if even rain can't be my relief? What do I need?'
Keith felt sad. He had changed in a way he couldn't comprehend. And his mother's state worsened day after day. She was a liability. She was the restraint. Of course villagers were too, to another degree.
'I need to get out of here, I need to meet father for guidance, he went away by himself, so can I. The question is when?'
Rain became louder and louder. Its drop soon reached the size of a finger and mud began to form everywhere.
'Farming is off for today. Let's have a talk with Picco. He is always of good advice after all.'
He began walking under the dense deluge. Looking for a specific house or a person to ask his way. He was walking between the barracks, almost lost because they mostly looked alike. He saw someone walking nearby ant called him.
"Hey! Mister!"
The man tilted his head. Then he pointed Keith with his finger with a little step back.
"Ah! You again! Why are you walking here with such weather? Go home, shoo!"
"I don't know you sir."
The man had long and silky hair to half of his back, his wet clothes shaped his fat body and they were awkwardly adding weight to his entire body. He was panting.
"We know each other you short minded kid! I'm Randi! And you are Keith."
"I know no Randi."
The man was irritated but an idea popped out of his mind. He lifted his hair and held it knitted at the top of his head.
"That's me! The night patrol."
Keith was shocked, the man wasn't disguised, yet he failed to recognise him.
'Is my memory tricking me?'
He thought.
"I did not shower for long, that's how my hair looks when it is clean. So! What are you doing again?"
"I came here for chief's assistant's advice. Do you have any idea where Picco lives?"
"That's the brown roofed house over here! With the yellow marks on the door. See it?"
Keith nodded and while wiping his forehead from the water, he walked, determined. Who opened the door was a woman in her late teens. She had green eyes and deep black hair tied in a wide bun. Her shape were very mature for her age. She was beautiful.
"Yes?"
"I! Hem... I am looking for Picco."
"Come in young one."
She handed him a tissue to sponge water excess. The girl turned around to avoid Keith's astonished gaze. She opened her mouth wide.
"Honey! We have a guest!"
'He has a wife that talks louder than rain, and he dares to look at Domi's mother. What kind of adult is he!'
The short man appeared after a few seconds. Without any energy he asked.
"What brings you here?"
"I need a talk with you, it is about my father."
With a glance and a nod, his wife went next room, taking a few herbs on her way.
"Alright, tell me."
"I want to find him, as soon as possible. Mother is becoming insane and if she isn't able to take care of me at full time, why would she be able to take care of two kids? If I'm away, she'll live better. So, where is my father?"
Picco's finger tapped on the table, he was reluctant to let a kid exit the village by himself, and he had strong doubts over his mother's behaviour, but the kid wasn't all white either.
"Haven't your mother told you? He's in the northern city, the great one."
"Mother told me about it! Varnansans... Varis! The one a thousand-times bigger than Seoni."
Picco's laugh echoed in the room. He slapped his leg and cleared his throat soon after to look serious anew.
"Varanasi! And, you are way far away from the truth. I lived in this city for years before following Leton here, to land him a hand at leading Kodra. I apologies for this sudden laugh, the city is the most beautiful thing you could probably see in your life."
The quote piqued Keith's interest.
"How so?"
"Colourful stone houses, fruitful business, hundreds of boats scattered on the river bringing huge amounts of food and spices. And something you have heard off only... Temples. And whoever told you that, the city is always bigger than you would expect."
"Really? That's impressive. Do you think I can find my father there?"
"Such feat is some impossible task for a six years old kid alone. Plus you'll need to walk for a month to reach the city. No, no, and no, impossible. Grow older first. And if you ever need another family, I'll find you one. I promise. I know your mother's behaviour."
Keith's face went blank.
'Why does he knows, how much does he knows? Why do I never know?'
He bowed to his host and went back home. The rain was still intense and dripped on his face. He looked up, pensively.
'I am sure I could drown if I lived in this cloud. I wish to belong to a place where nothing can harm me.'
On his way, a black arm surged from his collar and pointed the direction he came from.
"What is it? Do you want to go back to Picco's house?"
But the pointed finger changed direction and neared Keith's eyeball, its claw was almost touching it.
"Hate."