[From Anino's POV.]
As Master Elyan's back faded into the smoke, I was left alone standing under the tree.
I would be far from lying if I were to say I was lost.
Ah! Not physically but- For the longest time, I hadn't known what to do with my life.
From my experience, when people are oppressed they single-mindedly chase after freedom. Clinging to an ideal future... their own utopia.
In my case, it was always money. Sacrificing my dignity and every other thing I had just so I could buy myself back from the ones who had unrightfully bought me. So that I could own myself again.
Ultimately I failed. In the end, my father was a person. He, being like every other pressed human, chased after freedom single-mindedly too. Even if that meant selling his daughter off.
After getting betrayed, losing all possession of my body, I was lost once again. I was worse than lost, even. The little while when all I could feel was absolute misery and not a single ray of hope.
In the depths of wallowing and hopelessness, it was Master Elyan who grabbed my hand and pulled me out to the world.
Am I still lost? Perhaps. I don't have the blinders guiding my sight anymore. But if nothing goes right, I can just spend my entire life praying for Master Elyan's safety. If nothing carries me, the immense gratitude towards that stranger I met only some days ago will.
The stranger who not only saved me but also laid out multiple ways to survive in this land- his town. I don't know exactly what went on between his family and him, but I could only imagine that it was bad.
But the fact that he had still at least tried to trust them was enough for me to put the slightest bit of hope on them. Though if things don't work out, he did lay out other suitable ways for me to live this life. But first-
"Let's look for those two."
I pushed myself off the bough and started to head into town to look for Master Elyan's mother and sister.
In all honesty, I would have rather stayed by his side, I couldn't understand why he would leave me. I was even prepared to do the menial labour those two weren't able to... But then after thinking for a while I realised...
.
.
.
Master Elyan wasn't planning to return alive. I wasn't sure if he left me knowing it was suicide or because he understood the probability of his death was very high. But it was apparent that I was left behind for my own safety, and that he knew his death would mean my death too. My thoughts were yet to be clear. I was rambling in my own head.
I was dead weight. After all, I was the one who got them involved with Luoris.
'It's safer to stay with the people who betrayed me than to stay with me...' Is what he meant.
As I got deeper into the town, the sound of whimpers and cries became clear. Broken houses broken homes. A few dead civilians and grieving families. A group of able-bodied adults were running around trying to salvage resources and rescue people. The group was gathered around the church. Children, elderly, adolescents, and disabled- survivors were being taken care of.
This town looked kind.
Master Elyan was raised well. No wonder he rescued someone like me while risking his life.
'If Master Elyan's family rejects me, these people are the ones I should turn towards.'
I was nearing the place where this mess began and within the confines of a demolished building two figures came into sight. A lady seemingly in her early 30s holding a box with all her might as a younger lady was holding her.
I immediately instinctively knew who they were.
To say that they were wailing was an understatement. The younger lady was gently running her hand across the older lady's back as whispers intervened in their cries.
I subconsciously hid behind a broken pillar.
"I-We we did g-good right?" The older one sobbed.
"Yeah..." While the younger girl tried to comfort her. "So stop crying already it has been hours now."
There was a lot of empty time between every dialogue. And all lot of meaningless fumbles. I could only make out a few of the sentences.
"Bu-But... El."
"We'll see him again soon, Mom."
Eh? What was going o- Eh?
Did Master Elyan reveal his identity? No, I was there with him for almost the whole duration before Rumie arrived. Master Elyan was only watching from a distance. He never once revealed himself. So what were they on about? Were they delusional? Was the mother getting manipulated by the sister?
It didn't look like it from what I was looking at. The sister seemed genuinely shaken too.
That can't be it. I couldn't make sense of the situation.
"We'll see him again..." The sister reiterated with full sincerity. As if she was trying to convince herself.
Slowly, very slowly, the cries turned to whimpers. A very long time. Hours even.
As I just sat there staring up at the sky. I didn't know how to feel, to cry with such fondness after selling their son off. What sort of family even was this? Their actions didn't make any sense to me... Not that I'm one to talk.
After some time, the sister left and the mother sat against the wall, her head buried in her knees.
After some more time, the day had already gone by. And the sun was starting to dip into the horizon.
"We should get our stuff ready, for Rottheim."
"!!"
What?! Rottheim?! I turned around to see the sister finally return to the building. I could see why they would want to move, but why Rottheim of all places?!
"Old man Gern said that he's moving there tomorrow and that he would take us with him."
"Hmm." The mother got up, composed. "I-I'll pack some cloth- I think they might have gotten burned."
"I guess so. Why did it have to happen today of all days? Well, we don't have anything left to pack do we?" The sister sighed.
"We don- Ah! El's necklace!" Instantly, the mother got up and ran towards a corner. She dug her hands into the rubble and started to pull the rocks apart. I could see the desperation in her eyes. "Before the sun goes down or we won't be able to--- able to..."
Her hands started to bleed but instead of stopping her, the sister joined in. After at least half an hour of rummaging-
"GOT IT!" The sister pulled a silver chain up. There was a locket in the middle. She held it up against her chest.
"Nice! We'll finally be able to give her gift to him. That little oaf would be over the moon!" The sister exclaimed with a bittersweet reaction. The sun set and the night came.
Watching them from the side almost felt like I was looking in on two delusional people living in their own world. One second they'd show a conflicted reaction and the next they would cry. It was too much to take in as a bystander.
Their emotions were almost out for public display. They had no intention of hiding anything.
Even more time passed by, as the two of them got seated together, with the sister's head on the mother's shoulder.
Today was passing by at a frightening rate.
"Say Mom, we'll be able to see him, right?" This time it was the sister whose voice sounded helpless.
Their mental states were clearly a mess.
"Of course, we will. We will be able to see him." And the mother seemed conflictedly confident. Convincing herself of its validity.
"He's still alive..."
"He is. E-El wouldn't die because of a little fall." The mother was clear.
"Mhmm. We did the right thing, right?" Her speech was almost childish as if she had returned to her mother's embrace. This scene hurt to look at. "I tried so hard to put up a front."
"You were very strong."
"I was scared that they would hurt us."
"Unlike me, you kept it in."
"But it was heartbreaking to deal with people like them."
"Yes... I wanted to act out. They were the people who harmed El... But both of us grit our teeth and made it through right? We had no other choice. As dirty as it may be... This money is important. Without it we won't be able to look for him, will we?"
!
!
!
My eyes widened in shock. A sudden surge of elation led my hand all the way to my mouth. I grabbed my own cheeks to prevent myself from squealing. Sudden. Instantaneous. Intense. Yes, intense.
It was an intense joy, one I didn't know I would feel on someone else's behalf.
This was the joy Master Elyan was looking for when he returned home. This was it.
This was what he missed. This was what everyone tried to hide from him. It didn't take too long for me to understand the situation. I was in his shoes a month ago. Having lost everything because of my father's greed. I got the chance to plead to him, but all I heard was a pathetic sorry.
But Master Elyan wasn't like that...
After all, he was- he wasn't left alone in the world. Clearly. He just saw what he shouldn't have. He never got to hear the story behind it. He never understood the context. He gave up before asking. He got caught in a lie that was told for his sake.
There were people still waiting for him at hom- No! There were people who would leave their home to find him!
I couldn't spend any more time just dawdling and sitting around.
I knew exactly what I had to do. I was capable of being of use to Master Elyan!
I pushed myself off the ground and ran toward the two ladies. I tripped but managed to regain my balance. Maybe I was blinded by the night or the words that still rang in my ears, but all I could see were those too.
Within their affection, I felt redemption. A family that wholeheartedly denied the world for their child's sake. I felt shivers. This was what I wanted all along.
I was glad I witnessed this.
They noticed me and turned around. The sister was the first to respond-
"Who are yo-"
"Excuse me!" I cut her off. To be honest I couldn't even hear what she said over the sound of my heartbeat. "Master Elyan, told me that you don't need to take care of his field anymore."