Mrs. Lazuli looks at him one more time and lets go of his hand as she pats him on the shoulder softly, "Alrighty, it seems we have a deal. Just make yourself at home and relax, you have nothing to worry about, you're part of the family. Sammy, please take him on a small tour of the place and show him to the guest bedroom so he can get comfortable here."
Samantha looks at the two of them and notices the smile on Asher's face as she blushes a little and puts away her red core communicator, "Y-Yeah no problem, I can totally handle that. Ohh yeah mom, what's for dinner? It smells really good."
Mrs. Lazuli makes her way towards the kitchen as she feels Samantha's eyes on her, "It's a surprise, so you're going to have to wait until it's done. You're lucky the kids didn't wanna eat until you got home or else you would be eating cold leftovers alone. Now get a move on you two."
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. Samantha 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 Lazuli's. Asher is lost in thought when Samantha 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 outside 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 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/Druid, Brimfell army began to rise and force them into near extinction. It is what I have dedicated my life to."
Asher stops in his tracks and asks, "Wait, did you just say the Brimfell army 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 Samantha nods softly with an embarrassed look on her face. "About 100 years ago there was a war for complete 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 army 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."
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.'
Samantha 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."
Before he could finish the rest of his thought Mrs. Lazuli calls for everyone to the kitchen as Samantha 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."
Samantha looks at him and the moment their eyes meet she looks away from him and says, "I got all caught up in that, that I forgot to show you to your room. Don't worry down the hall there are 3 empty rooms, so all you need to do is choose one and get yourself changed. When you're done, head towards the dining hall, it's past that room you saw my mom go into moments ago."
Samantha disappears down the stairs leaving him alone to go help her mother set up the table as Asher chooses the room at the end of the hall and walks over to the closet in search of new clothes that aren't ripped. He stands in front of the clothes hung up as he looks down at his damaged clothes covered in blood, mud, and holes as he reaches in and grabs a black shirt, black jeans, black hi-top shoes, and a forest green zip up jacket. "I think these will look good, but what am I 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 so maybe I will sneak out."
While Asher was in the room getting ready the kids, Mrs. Lazuli, and Samantha 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. Lazuli smiles at her daughter as she walks behind her and puts her hands on her shoulders, "Well, you're turning 13 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 this year 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 Lazuli, 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 as he 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 innocent face and in a soft voice asks, "Hello mister, who are you? Oh, are you planning to eat with us today? It's Sammy'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. Lazuli? Where are you from? Do you like to play tag? After we eat, maybe we can go play hide and seek?"
Samantha laughs softly at the interaction because Asher looks completely overwhelmed by all the questions and as he's about to say something Mrs. Lazuli 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 Samantha 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. Lazuli 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 never stay hidden from Brimfell for long."
Asher's body starts to react as he falls to the floor screaming out in agony as his eyes start glowing a bright green, and his fingers are being coated by a pitch black substance until he passes out. His eyes and body stop reacting but the black is still slowly inching up his fingertips as the children are freaking out. Samantha says, "Hey, don't worry he's going to be okay. How about you all just head upstairs to your room and let me and mom take care of him, okay?
The kids nod their heads and slowly excuse themselves from the dining room as they make their way upstairs whispering to each other. "I'm sure he will be okay, there is no one stronger than Mama Lazuli, right?"
Once they make sure the kids are back in their rooms, Asher starts screaming in pain again, clutching his head into his body as the black has completely coated his hands. They reach out to try and touch his body to make sure he is okay, and the moment they do they notice his body feels warm, and not temperature wise but more like it's full of life.
Mrs. Lazuli calls out, "Lato Mazu Ni."
Asher's body is lifted off the ground with a wind spell as it circles him and they make their way towards Samantha's room since it's on the first floor. He's still screaming out in pain as his body is floating behind them, and the moment they reach her room Mrs. Lazuli places him on the bed and they cover him up with the blanket. Once they do, a golden light is emanating from around his wrist so Samantha reaches out and touches it as a black watch with a golden timepiece drops to the bed. She looks at her mother confused as she lifts it up and notices that it isn't a normal watch but a culmination of hundreds of gears just spinning and spinning. Asher finally stops screaming as Samantha and her mother look at each other relieved and turn their attention to the watch when she turns it over and sees an inscription, "Lincoln, become the pillar for a better tomorrow, 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 trying to figure out what the meaning was behind the words as Mrs. Lazuli 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 Samantha to have a small scowl on her face, "I wouldn't say he looks like one, but if that's his name then I guess we have to call him that, but Asher is more fun."
Her mother chuckles lightly as she walks towards the room, "Well he must decide on what name he will go by, and whatever that message means on his own. None of this is for us to decide whether he keeps using the name or goes by the one on the thing. We need to make sure we don't pressure him because for such a young boy he's been through a whole lot already. Leave it right next to him, and when he wakes up let him decide what to do."
The black substance is sitting on his fingertips as it slowly goes away but the moment Samantha touches it, the black disappears fully but the girls don't notice it like that. "I think we learned about this in school. Dark mages back in the day were cursed by the Devils in order to be able to tap into his power, leading us to call them demons, until they slowly became one and ultimately died. Mom, is he a demon? Is he going to be okay??"