Mrs. Quin looks at the boy once more and lets go of his hand as she pats him on the shoulder softly, "Alrighty, it seems we have a deal then. Just make yourself at home and relax, you have absolutely nothing to worry about, you're part of the family. Bee, please take him on a small tour of the place and show him to the guest room so he can get comfortable here."
Bailey looks at the two of them and notices the smile on Asher's face as she blushes lightly and puts away her red core messenger, "Y-Yeah, no problem mom. What's for dinner? I got startled before I could go look around, it smells really good."
Mrs. Quinn makes her way towards the kitchen as she feels Bailey's eyes on her, "It's a surprise, so you're going to have to wait till it's done. You're lucky the kids didn't want to eat until you got home or else you would be eating cold leftovers alone, and on your birthday nonetheless. Now get a move on you too."
Asher has a soft smile on his face as he looks around the place soaking in the warm and pleasant feelings that are radiating off the walls. Bailey notices and shakes her head lightly as she grabs his wrist and pulls him from the living room towards the stairs. Along the way they pass by the living room and see the children playing and laughing with each other without a single care in the world. Asher looks at the kids and notices they are all different species from each other and the Quinn's. Asher is lost in thought when Bailey brings him back, "You hear that? That laughter and carefree spirit is what my parents were trying to cultivate here. They didn't care who or what you were as long as you needed help they were right there standing by you. Well I guess it's just my mom and me at this point."
Asher looks at her and feels the pain driving into him like daggers just how they did when they were walking over but deeper than skin level this time. He was about to say something but the emotions from the children were starting to drown out the pain coming from her as his eyes lit up. He placed his right hand on her shoulder and subconsciously started to pour the emotions of himself and the kids into her, which calmed the pain she had in her heart. "Wow, that is really amazing what your parents are trying to do, and in a way it makes sense why you helped me the way you did out there. I won't ask what happened, but whenever you feel like your heart is cracking just remember what he did along with your mother and look at the smiles on their faces. You have a dream that is similar to theirs, don't you?"
She looks at the kids one last time as she gets lost in their innocence as Asher lets go of her shoulder and notices the smile on her face as she nods. "Yeah, my dream is to become a master of the art of healing and do my part to help anyone that needs it. In the end I want to live in a world of peace like the Angels and the Elves did before the Demon and Brimfell army began to rise and force them into near extinction. It is what I have dedicated my life to and I won't stop until that dream becomes reality."
Asher stops in his tracks and asks, "Wait, did you just say the Brimfell army and the Demons forced others to join them in the slaughter of the Angels and Elves? So those people I was running from were your people?"
Ashers notices a tear running down his left cheek and wipes it off without a second thought as to what is making him cry as Bailey looks at him and nods softly with an embarrassed look on her face. "About 100 years ago there was a war for control of the world fought by the Demon, Human, Elven, and Druid clans, or better known as Brimfell. In the end the Angels came to give help to the Elves and they only agreed to help if they wouldn't need to kill anyone but instead look for a way for everyone to live in peace. Thus came about the creation of the Theradin army. In the end the Brimfell army was too much for Theradin and they were slaughtered and scattered throughout the world. Since that war my little village has been a neutral zone for the military, merchants, or just about anyone that needs a home. It is extremely rare for them to come around these parts, so you are safe. Please don't think less of us."
Asher looks at his hands too stunned to speak or move an inch as he tries to process everything. 'What the hell!? Why do I feel so much anger and pain!? Shit, just calm down. No one will look for me here, and they have nothing to do with what happened. Just breathe.'
Bailey wraps her arms around Asher which catches him by surprise and brings him out of his own head. "I'm sorry that they did whatever they did to you, and no amount of words could make up for it. If for some reason you don't feel safe here I understand, but we really aren't associated with Brimfell at all."
Asher stands perfectly still, not moving his arms as he says, "I know you don't and I believe what you both said about me being safe here. I am glad to have met you both, it just seems so unbelievable that all that pain, hatred, and fear are still running as strong as back then. Once I take my leave tomorrow I will do everything to figure out who or what I am, and learn my place in this world. Just know I would never blame you for those vicious men I saw."
Before he could finish the rest of his thought, Mrs. Quinn calls for everyone to the kitchen as Bailey lets go of Asher quickly as her face is just as red as his. "Okay children, dinner is ready so put up your toys and wash up before coming to the dining room. There is a surprise waiting for us."
Bailey looks at him and the moment their eyes meet she looks away and says, "I'm sorry, I got caught up in my own emotions. Uh, down the hall there are 3 empty rooms, the furthest one on the right side has more clothes for men so you should be able to find something there. When you're done, head towards the dining hall, it's past that room you saw my mom go into moments ago."
Bailey disappears into the room with the kids leaving him alone while she helps them get ready for dinner and he watches for a moment before heading to the room she told him about. He stands in front of the clothes and looks down at his own covered in blood, mud, and tears as he reaches in and grabs a white shirt, black pants, black hi-top shoes, and a forest green jacket. "I think these will look good, but what am I even doing here? I was tied up in the back of a wagon and now I'm sitting in this beautiful home borrowing their clothes and room, but I don't want to be rude to them, maybe I can still sneak out."
While Asher was in the room getting ready the children, Mrs. Quinn, and Bailey are sitting down as she says, "Wow mom, everything looks so good. Toris pot pie, Sporehorder sap glazed ham, and my favorite Nycran brownies. Thank you so much for this amazing birthday feast. I couldn't ask for anything better."
Mrs. Quinn smiles at her daughter as she walks behind her and puts her hands on her shoulders, "Well, you're turning 14 so I wanted to do something special for you. I know this past year has been extremely hard for the both of us, so it made sense to go big because that's what he would've wanted. Happy birthday, sweetie."
The children are laughing and talking amongst each other as one of them speaks up, "Mama Quinn, what is that surprise you were talking about? Was it the food?"
She smiles softly as she looks a little behind him towards the door and says, "Give it a sec, I think he should be walking in at any moment."
Asher slowly makes his way to the dining room and suddenly stops a little before and takes a deep breath and looks at them all sitting together with smiles on their faces. 'What I would give to have a life like this, one without so much worry and mystery. Should I just walk out that door and leave them alone?'
As he was trying to make up his mind a little human boy pokes at his leg causing him to lose his train of thought. The boy has such a sweet and innocent face and in a soft voice asks, "Hello mister, who are you? Oh, are you planning to eat with us today? It's Bailey's birthday so it's bound to be fun."
Asher smiles softly as a tear slides down his cheek and he picks the boy up and makes his way into the room, "Yeah, I am joining you all for dinner tonight. Let's head in before we're too late."
The entire table turns and looks at them walking in as the mother gestures for him to sit as he places the boy down on a chair and sits at the one next to him. On one side is the human boy and on the other is a dwarf boy who both have massive smiles on their faces. "Are you like Ms. Quinn? Where are you from? Do you like to play tag? After we eat, maybe we can go play hide and seek?"
Bailey laughs softly at the interaction because Asher looks completely overwhelmed by all the questions and as he's about to say something Mrs. Quinn speaks up, "Hey you two, how about we let him eat first and after you can ask him anything you want, okay?"
The table goes back to eating as Bailey and her mother are filling the children's plates and once they finish everyone starts to dig in as Asher just looks around and chuckles to himself, "I wish I could have this forever."
Mrs. Quinn excuses herself and heads over to the kitchen and brings back a box as Asher is whispering to himself and seconds after she comes back a piercing sound envelops his ears. A deep and gravelly voice echoes in his head, "No matter how far you run or how deep you go to hide, you Chybrid can never stay hidden from Brimfell for long."
Asher's body starts to react as he drops the spoon of food he was about to eat and falls to the floor screaming out in agony as his eyes turn pitch black and his hands and arm start to get a blacking coating on them as it travels further up him. Mrs. Quinn and Bailey rush over to his side and try to pick him up but his body is radiating a heavy amount of heat that causes them to jolt back. The children are crying and freaking out watching him in pain, but Bailey comes over to them and says, "Hey, hey don't you worry about him okay we will help. How about this, you can take your food and eat together in the play room and once we're done helping him we can play whatever you want, okay?"
The kids nod their heads trying not to focus on the mysterious man still writhing in pain as they all excuse themselves from the dining room with their food making their way upstairs whispering to each other. "I'm sure he will be okay, there is no one stronger than Mama Quinn and Bailey, right?"
Once they make sure the kids are situated in the playroom Asher starts screaming in pain again, clutching his head into his body as the black has completely coated his arms and is inching its way up his neck. They reach out to try and touch his body again to make sure he is okay, but the moment they do they notice his body feels warm, and not temperature wise but more like it's full of life.
Mrs. Quinn calls out channeling all the mana in her body, "Lato Mazu Ni."
Asher's body is lifted off the ground with a wind spell as it creates a platform for his body and they make their way towards Bailey's room since it's on the first floor. He's still screaming out while his body is floating behind them, and the moment they reach her room Mrs. Quinn places him on the bed and they cover him up with the blanket. Once they do, a golden light begins emanating from around his wrist, Bailey reaches out and touches it as a black watch with a golden timepiece drops to the bed. She looks at her mother confused and lifts it up, noticing that it isn't a normal watch but a culmination of hundreds of gears just spinning and spinning. Asher finally stops screaming as Bailey and her mother look at each other relieved and return their attention back to the watch. Bailey turns over the watch and notices an inscription on the back of it, "Lincoln, you are so much more than you think you are. Become the shining light we know you can, Love Mom & Dad."
They look at the inscription and back to Asher just laying on the bed sweating as the black is starting to recede while they are trying to figure out what the meaning was behind the words as Mrs. Quinn says, "Lincoln huh, I guess he does look like a Lincoln wouldn't you say sweetie?"
The mother is doing her best to make light of the horrible situation that has just transpired causing Bailey to have a small scowl on her face, "I wouldn't say he looks like one, but if that's his name and he chooses to go with that we will call him that, but I like Asher more."
Her mother smirks and says teasingly, "Oh you do? I mean you only just met him less than an hour ago, that's moving a little quick, honey. Should I call him son in law instead of Lincoln or Asher?
Bailey drops the watch and shoots an embarrassed look at her mother, her face a deep crimson and then back to Asher hoping he didn't hear anything, "W-Wh-What are you talking about, mother? I just….I just meant…"
Mrs. Quinn laughs and pats her daughter on the back, "I know sweetie, I'm just messing with you. Regardless of what he chooses only he can decide what name he will go by, and whatever that message means on his own. None of this is for us to decide for him and whether he keeps using the name or goes by the one on the thing we can only go along with it. We need to make sure we don't pressure him because for such a young boy he's been through a whole lot already, so for now just leave it right next to him, and when he wakes up let him decide what to do with the information."
The black substance is sitting on his fingertips as it slowly goes away but the moment Bailey touches it, the black disappears fully as she thinks to herself before saying, "I think we learned about this in school. Back in the day during the Crimson War Dark Mages would enter contracts with Devils in order to gain access to their abilities, leading us to calling them Demons. Eventually they started to resemble them and became the Demon race and after a while gained their own abilities and didn't need contracts anymore, but it makes no sense because he looks nothing like them. Mom, is he…a demon? Is he going to be okay??"
Mrs. Quin grabs her hand softly, "I don't know, but for now he seems to be doing a little better and that's all we should focus on. He traveled a long way, went through some horrible things, so we should just let him rest and watch over him. That's really all we can do."