"First stop, Arcea!" Semi announced as he threw his dainty hands in the air. "From there, who knows where we'll go!" He cheered with a laugh.
My stomach was in knots but Semi's smile was so soothing. His confidence and talkative nature reminds me of my late younger brother, Felix. My heart couldn't decide if that was saddening or comforting so I felt bittersweet about the whole thing. "Semi, how old are you?" I asked as we started our journey north.
Human kingdoms reside in the north, Elves in the east, Aviators in the west, and Dragonbornes in the south. I'm not sure why but that's how it's been since the wars started and the races scattered out. I've never been up north, I heard it's cold most of the time and doesn't see much sun. But I know the south is hot, that's why the Dragonbornes like it.
"I'm fifteen." Semi said while reading the wind. "How old are you?"
"Eighteen."
He stopped right in front of me and I ran into his back. Semi turned around and looked up at me. "Eighteen?! I thought you were sixteen!" He told me with a bashful look on his pale face. I noticed the two freckles under his left eye, they're cute.
"Is that okay? I didn't know that was such a bad thing..." I muttered while looking down.
"No, no! It's fine. I just..." Semi shook his head. "I thought you were a bit closer to my age." He started walking again and I followed close behind.
I touched the top of his head while examining his crazy hair again, it's so soft. The colors are divided right down the middle, perfectly even. "Hey, why is your hair two different colors?" I asked, I've never see a being with two hair colors.
Semi laughed and gently swatted my hand away. "I dyed it."
"You killed your hair?!"
Semi started laughing even harder. "What?!" He asked, stopping to rest on his knees. "No, Aero, I put dye in it. D-y-e. Not d-i-e." he explained while trying to resist laughing again. I was so confused. What does dye mean? "You know, when you color something with dye. I colored my hair."
"Huh?"
He brushed it off and started walking yet again. I followed him closely and adjusted the bag on my back while wondering what he meant. He colored his hair, with dye. Wait, dye as in clothing dye? "Oh! I get it now!"
"Hm?" Semi glanced back at me before chuckling. "I forget we're from different cultures."
I nodded. We're from very different cultures. I've never seen a being with colored hair like that. Elves usually only have brown or blond hair, it doesn't vary often. Hm...I wonder what this town, Arcea, is like. Semi grew up there so maybe the beings residing there are kind just like him. I thought about it for so long that I didn't notice we had left the woods. After taking a look around, I concluded that we had left Elven Territory. This is all new to me now, I have to pay attention.
"Don't worry, Arcea isn't that far from here." Semi told me.
"How close is it?"
Semi counted on his fingers before answering. "Two hours on foot."
No way, did he really just count on his fingers just to end up with two? That's...really funny. He must be bad at mathematics. I'm not too surprised, he doesn't give off the logical vibe. That's probably why he ended up in my village. I decided to ask him. "How did you end up in Ocin anyway?"
"Well, I was just traveling through and stopped to grab some food. I was wearing a cloak to hide my puny ears but some kid yanked it off and the rest is history." He groaned. "I hate kids."
"We call the younger Elves younglings." I randomly added as trivia.
Semi grinned at me. "Have you heard what Aviators call their kids?" I shook my head 'no'. "Hatchlings!"
I cracked a smile. "Oh, I get it." Because they're bird-people. Semi is humorous, that's for sure. Still, I had to believe what he said was true because I had never met an Aviator. The live the farthest from they Elves and are very secluded beings. I'm sure that even if they did come over to Elven Territory, they'd fly and not stop. Aviators are shrouded in mystery for a guy like me, a guy that's never left his village.
Semi led the way to Arcea and I grew more tense the closer we got. Things started changing and the land looked different. The smell, it was foreign. Instead of that woody and heavy aroma around me, it was cold and almost stale. It's the most Human smell I have ever smelt in my life. Not to mention the trees here. Instead of big pines with green needles and the occasional oak tree, it was mostly bare with few trees to speak of. The ones that were actually alive were a type I didn't recognize. I felt out of place and vulnerable. I quickly dug through my bag and pulled out the coat I brought to cover myself. It had a hood, perfect for hiding my ears from any being that saw me, and it was a deep color that mimicked my surroundings.
"Aero, is everything alright?"
My eyes darted away as Semi and I walked. "Yeah, I'm good." I bluffed as I pulled the hood over my head. "Just cold."
Semi left it at that and we continued or journey. We had an hour left and I was getting restless even though I was moving. My mind wouldn't let me relax and calm down. I was filled with the idea that these beings at Arcea may not be friendly like the beings I'm used to. It terrified me to my core. I'm not a fighter, I'm a mage. A weak, gentle citizen of Ocin of the Elven Empire. I can't defend myself!
"Hey, Aero." Semi put a hand on my arm. I never noticed that we stopped. "Are you sure everything's okay?"
I nodded. "Yes! I'm fine."
Semi looked deep into my soul, his golden eyes were all I could focus on. "You know, Arcea isn't a scary place. It's safe. I mean, I'm not banned there if that tells you anything." He gave me a light smile in place of his usual grin.
"Yeah..." was all I could manage. I felt relieved from the moment he grabbed my arm and I'm not sure why. Maybe it's his demeanor, maybe it's his tone, I can't say. But I feel...heard. It's been a long time since I last felt listened to. Even so, I didn't have to say anything at all for Semi to know there was something wrong. It made me feel warm inside.
"Come on, we're almost there." Semi urged as he grabbed my hand with that cheerful look on his face. Was it the warmth of his hands against my cold ones or his actions that made my face flush? I don't know.