For a while the cave is shrouded in silence.
The two kids just stood there, one with her eyes wide open and the other one is snickering beside her.
The opening and closing of the mouth of the girl does not escape Lyron's eyes. The girl must have something to say but can't find the right word to it or she might be speechless from the way how the events turned.
"Pretty."
The two kids might have a different reaction when seeing a Loreley for the first time but what their impression of him is completely similar that it leave Lyron with a blushing face.
The girl blinked once, twice until she seemed to snap out of what she's thinking. She staggered backwards and holds her brother's hand in a tight grip. "I-- Are you-- Are you taking my brother?!" She asked suspiciously.
"What?! No!" He denied immediately while shaking his head in the process.
What the-- How can she accuse him right of the bat?! Did all the people of Nast have this kind of mindset because if it is I can bid my eating habit goodbye and stay here forever eating sea grass!
"Really?" She raises eyebrow while looking at him.
"Yes really."
"Then prove it!" She demanded while crossing her little arms.
Lyron nodded absent-mindedly, completely mortified that he can't help but to follow the little girl's demand. He never deals with kids before, much less a brow-raising, arms-crossing mean little bully kind of a kid. But how is he supposed to prove something like that?
"Cut it!" Paju suddenly intervenes, knocking her sister's forehead with his knuckles.
The girl scrunched up her nose while rubbing her forehead. "What? Why?! She is a Loreley! She will take you away! Brother you should run now! I will distract her!"
Paju cannot help but to roll his eyes. "Stop your drama--"
"He-- I am a man." Lyron interrupted drawing the attention of the two.
The girl look up at him, up and down that it makes him feel like an item in full display.
"No waaay!" She exclaimed, her voice drawing longer.
"Wait really?" She draws closer, observing him in a close distance.
He nodded, sighing. He can't help but feel a little bit of regret meeting these kids. He can't help it, dealing with people is not his cup of tea. The uncomfortable feeling, how to respond to them, how to talk, behave, and all is draining what little energy he have.
The two seems comfortable now seeing that his 'harmless' and does not intend to take away anyone. They walk closer until they're right in front of him.
"I-- We don't know what you like so we bring fruits." The boy speak, looking shy while stretching his arms that holds a basket of fruits.
Lyron smiles and takes the basket and settles it beside him, thanking the heaven that he don't need to eat sea grass for the whole day.
"Thank you."
Lyron didn't even have a time to appreciate the fresh fruits when he's already drowned with questions thrown by the girl.
"So do you really take boys away? Do you eat them? Do you have a house? Where's your mama and papa? Do you talk to fish? Are you friends with the monsters? Can you walk?" Hela asked with much enthusiasm that it's blinding. Girl how about you take a deep breath and relax?
"Hela please slow down." Her brother pleaded.
The presence of the kids are a welcome disturbance for him. Amidst the chaotic character of Hela and the feeling mature Paju, he found it pleasing, their presence is a noise he so much needed. It distracts him from thinking too much, for a home he can't go back, for a family he can't have, and for a life he can't get back.
They talk a lot, the girl prove to be much of a chatterbox and won't stop talking, hopping from one topic to another, her questions unending just like a kid she is, curious and full of questions.
"You see, father seems to be a little bit busy these days." Hela suddenly said, her short legs dangling near the water.
Her brother shrugged, "We can't help it. Father is busy because the festival is near."
Hela nodded slowly, a little 'hmmm' escape her lips before she suddenly sat up looking brightly at him. "Why don't you go? Our town's festival is near and it is so fun! There's lots of people and I heard from father that a performer from Cenia is coming!" She blabbered excitedly, her brother nodding along agreeing to what his sister is saying.
"You cannot missed it for the world! My teacher said that the people of Cenia are very refined, their elegance is second to none! And they're a very good performer! Beautiful too!" She added.
'Festival? That would be uncomfortable.' Is what he think first but after a while he thinks the idea seemed plausible. With so many people going around nobody will notice me and will just overlook any abnormalities they can find and just think of me as a person from other kingdom. Yes that might be good indeed.
Under the hopeful gaze of the two he shifted in his seat and look directly at the older one. "The festival, how many days before it will be held?" He inquired.
Both of them visibly brightened and excitedly answer his question. "Five days from now! We promise you will love it!"
Lyron does not mind not having fun in the festival but he can't ignore the excited faces of the kids before him so he just nodded it off and smile at them.
It was nearing sunset when he urge the two to go back home, both of them reluctant to leave and intend to stay until the sky is dark. They just leave when he promised them that he will wait for them tomorrow.
They go out from the cave and he watch the retreating figures of the two walking in the sand barefoot, their footwear in hand. When he can't see them anymore he turn around and swim back to the cave.
It was a long day, all the talk they made exhaust what little energy he have. Hela is the little culprit, she talked and asked a lot. Her curiosity unending that it leave him tired from all the talking but he gain something from it, an information in land, the people and the two kid's presence.
From the talk they have he learned that the two kids are the children of the lord of the town, which is evident from the way they talk, the clothes they wear and mostly from Hela's spoiled rotten personality. The town, Pheco, is a part of Nast that takes at least three days when using carriages as a form of transportation but only a few minutes when using a transportation gate. A transportation gate, from what he know cost a lot. It needed magic stones, energy stones and a higher tier magician that is skilled in space magic which is according to the kids only the royalties of the Kingdom and important individuals have the privilege to use such transportation.
The festival which is fast approaching is something that Lyron looks up to. He can finally walk on land and talk to people without having to worry about his health and safety. He never have this kind of opportunity before, with his poor health and constitution, his family never dare to take risk.
But being on land is still a journey that needs preparation, a little assurance perhaps. Something that he can count on when trouble arises, maybe the kids can help but what little help he can get from them should be his last resort as it was better to count on yourself when something came up because yourself is always your best ally to begin with.