'Uhm...hello'
Rayla timidly approaches, but he shows no signs of acknowledgement, instead scratching the ground with a small tree branch.
Maybe he is shy?
She briefly thinks this is the first time she's come by mister Roman's house, its placement near the graveyard always gave her the chills.
'Hey, I'm Rayla, what's your name?' she asks friendly but he just keeps scratching the ground with the stick.
She heard old man Roman found the little boy unconscious deep in the Haunted Forest, but nothing more than that, and the fact no villager knows who he is, meaning he at least isn't a local. As such, mister Roman himself offered to keep the boy with him, until a long-term solution can be found.
She scratches her head thinking how to open a conversation, this is harder than she thought it would be.
He lookes just around her age, with short, dark blonde hair, wearing a simple, long-sleeved black shirt, having eyes only for whatever it is he's carving with the stick.
She suddenly gets it! It must be he doesn't know the language, of course! She has never gone anywhere outside Faugh, but she once read different places have different languages, so she simply has to talk in a simpler way.
'My, name, is, Rayla. R-A-Y-L-A, do, you, understand?' she says slow and clear as possible, and it actually works. He finally turns at her.
'Oi, get lost' he says annoyed.
'Yay!, you learned how to talk so fast!' she celebrates and gets even closer 'Oh, I'm sorry, am I talking too fast now? Was it easier when I was slower, or-'
'I understood perfectly every damn word you said. I just ignored you' he explains, frustrated.
'Hey, ignoring people is very rude, you know! It really hurts!' she scolds him, angry herself. If anything, mommy told her about the importance of good manners.
The stick breaks in his hand.
He slowly stands up, but now he's more than annoyed or angry.
'Listen here, you bastard'
He takes a step closer.
'I can take it no longer, especially from you'
His eyes open so wide, they seem ready to bust out.
He takes one more step.
'I want to be alone. Alone. What don't you get, what is so difficult for you, you pest'
His voice gets all the more quieter, as he's now right in front of her, and she can see it. Something like a black mist slowly flows around him, becoming all the more darker by the second. But it is only when she looks him in the eyes, she comes in the verge if tears.
'Please...' she manages to say, unable to finish her sentence.
'Shut up. You deserve no pleading' he whispers.
His takes a last step forward, just as his hand moves to-
She charges and hugs him.
'...please stop crying!' she holds him inside her arms best as she can, starts crying herself.
'Oi, what the hell do you mean stop-'
He just then notices.
The tears falling from his eyes.
'Oh' is all he manages to say, as he falls on his knees, sobbing.
.
.
.
Minutes pass, when he gently pushes her back.
'Thank you' he says, calm now.
'Are you sure? A hug solves all problems, Granny said so. She also says...' she wipes some last tears '...a cookie right after makes life better. I want a cookie'
He stands up and offers his hand, which she takes.
'Again, thank you for that. I didn't know I needed it that much'
His voice now sounds much more natural, calm and collected. Other than the slight redness of his eyes, there's no clue of his outburst.
'What are you talking about? One must never leave another to cry alone!' she answers with conviction 'Whenever you're feeling blue, a friend is always there for you!, that's my motto in life! I mean...if you want to be friends, of course' she adds, eagerly waiting his response.
He shrugs.
'Yea.
...
Sure'
'Yayy! You are my first official friend!' she celebrates happily.
'Weren't you supposed to be crying seconds ago...' he murmurs, but she doesn't hear him.
'Alright!, what do you want to do? Wanna go read some books? I have some great ones back home!' she proposes thrilled, almost jumping out of joy.
He immediately jumps backwards, with tension.
'Oi!, what the hell!'
'Huh?' she looks surprised 'Hey, what was that for?'
He silently points on her right, so she looks only to see her entire right hand is covered in a red, wild fire.
'Eeeeek!!' she screams waving her hand up and down, runs right and left in total panic.
'Oi'
'Eeeeeek!!'
'Oi!'
'Eeeeek!!'
'OI!'
He grabs her right elbow and holds her still.
'Calm. Down' he says calmly.
She's still panicked, but at least she stops screaming.
'Take slow, deep breaths'
She does as said, slwoly inhaling and exhaling, until the fire vanishes.
'Oh' she looks, amazed.
'Meeting a Natural was surprising enough, but one who barely controls her power...' he shakes his head.
'How do you know I'm a Natural!?' she asks surprised. She's had her mark covered, so how would he know?
'What do you mean? Same way you knew about me, I sensed you'
'You...what?'
'What do YOU mean! You...wait, you did sense me, right?' now he's the one looking confused 'Don't tell me you can't sense another Magikar?'
'Sensing a Magikar? No, I've never...wait!, are you saying you are a Magikar!!?' she answers in awe.
'Why...' he starts rubbing his thumb against his forehead '...why...are you...so...surprised...' he sounds like a man who's given up.
'Why would I not? That was so unexpected, you gave me no reason to believe as such'
'Then what did you think the black mana leaking from me was!?'
'Oh, yea...haha, I totally forgot about that! Really, what Magika element do you possess, and how does that sensing thing work?'
He sighs.
'Man, your stupidity really caught me off guard'
'Hey!, that was rude'
'I wasn't referring solely to you'
'Huh? But we are the only ones here-'
'My Magika element...' he interrupts before she finishes her question '...as you saw, but clearly do not get, is not one of the four the Four Gods of Magic Natures, fire, water, earth, air. Mine...'
He draws his right sleeve up the shoulder, revealing his pale, but otherwise normal hand.
'...falls outside their jurisdiction, so to speak...'
Out of nowhere, a triangular, black mark forms around his elbow from both sides.
Realizing what it is, Rayla is petrified in fear.
'Tell me, Natural...'
A hint of a smile appears for the first time on his face.
'...have you ever met an Abnormal?'