"Something came up so I would be leaving. I don't think I will ever have the chance to come back here. Thanks for the friendship and thank you for liking me. It means a lot. I wish you the best in life going forward. You will excel."
Xaloc sent the message to Jude. They had been friends for close to ten years. If he leaves without warning or without letting Jude know that he had an idea of his feelings, the regret and guilt would weigh down his friend and Xaloc.
Jude's love for him was pure and beautiful. To think that there was someone who liked him in this world. He did not want Jude to suffer because of that.
"What are you still typing? Hurry, we are going to be late." His mother called from the front of the house.
Xaloc blinked his eyes. Just yesterday, his grandmother was telling them about a brand new world and today they had already sold their things to rush into the unknown.
He knew the driving force behind his parents' decision. What about him?
Atlantis. The world rang in his heart along with the complicated feelings the word brought.
His parents lived in the hospital when the twins' sickness started getting worse, however, Xaloc always insisted on returning home to stay in the empty silent house.
One Saturday, when he was ten around 9:34 am, his grandfather had taken him fishing. He had reserved the entire point so they could have a good time.
However, out of nowhere, a strange, large sea animal had cracked out of the sea and had attacked them. The end result was that his grandfather was rushed to the hospital and the police had felt that he was a child that was just hallucinating.
Thankfully that attack was not a lie. According to his grandmother had really been attacked, poisoned even and he went to Atlantis for treatment.
Xaloc's heartbeat with something akin to joy and he fought not to burst out smiling. If he finds his grandfather, he could pay off that life-saving grace.
"Xaloc!" His mother called again and Xaloc hurried outside, not even giving the place he had lived for eighteen years another glance.
His grandmother, Nyx, was chatting to two strangers. He studied them, their body language was meek, respectful.
His father pushed a stroller with the twins Orson and Oscar sleeping peacefully, not knowing that they would never see this mortal realm again. The obliviousness of children was something that he envied.
His other siblings, Maya and Mason were with his mother as they ran around a silver chariot.
Xaloc's eyes widened. The horses were beautiful. He struggled to recall their name before it clicked. Pegasus!
The two horses were majestic with their mass of grey wings that fluttered in the air. Even the silver carriage they pulled that had gemstones embedded in it still paled to their beauty.
Their feathers quivered along with Xaloc's heart. He reached for the horses and with slow, gentle fingers caressed the feathers.
He stared almost obsessively at them. The smaller grey feathers blended intricately with the larger ones as they rounded the delicate, narrowing curve toward the bottom tip.
Xaloc always loved wings. He did not know if it was the beauty or the freedom that he represented. The thought of just flipping them and flying away free and unfettered was beautiful.
Karen wanted to caution him but she paused when she saw the look on his face. Was Xaloc smiling? It has been so long since she saw him with such a beautiful, wide smile.
She glanced at Nyx, her heart settling a bit. Maybe going to Shangri-La would be a good thing for all of them.
The twins watched their brother stroking the horse and stopped playing with the colourful gem to come and join him.
Maya squatted beside him, her face a little pale. "Big Brother, Can I? They won't bite me?"
Mason choruses from beside her, "Big Brother? May I?"
Xakoc blinked as if he was worn up from a trance. he gazed at the two pairs of black eyes that stared curiously at him.
They were so like his, so similar. He shut his eyes not to think of other complicated issues.
"They won't bite." He ended up saying, but he had already lost all interest in patting the horse so he got up, only to move when he noticed that one of the men was standing behind him.
He had not even noticed when the man had moved.
"You like them horses? Ride, get one?" The man's accent was weird and he seemed to be struggling to form the English words.
"I think he likes them. Thank you." Nyx said with a smile before she turned to Xaloc, "He was asking if you liked the horses and wanted one."
"This is Bellerophon and his son Leon. They are the Pegasus keepers and the ones in charge of mortal realm travel in this district."
Son? Xaloc looked at both of them. They both look in their mid-twenties. This would need some getting used to.
"Nice to meet you, Sir. Thank you for your help." Felix nodded at the men.
"Nice.." Bellerophon spat something in another language that left the entire Night family staring blankly at him.
His son Leon said something in that same language to Nyx.
He took out a vial and passed it to Nyx, who hesitated and in turn, took out a vial of a green coloured liquid and passed it to the young man who looked ecstatic.
He quickly put the vial away.
Nyx crushed the vial and the content rushed into the air. It formed seven droplets and flew to their heads.
Xaloc could feel a sense of clarity overwhelm him but when he opened his eyes, nothing had changed.
"Mom? What was that?" His father asked worriedly?
"Water from the river of Eshu, you had such a good thing all this while and yet you hid it from me." Bellerophon scolded his son.
Leon rolled his eyes, "Of course. Do you want me to give it to you so that you can sell it for wine? Impossible."
Bellerophon almost smacked the boy on the head but considering the audience they had, he settled for coughing awkwardly.
Xaloc noticed he could understand them perfectly.
"I can hear what the uncles are saying." Mason said excitedly.
"Water from the river of Eshu. He is the god of languages. Drinking from his river allows one to hear and speak all languages. It is a good thing."
"All?" Felix asked.
Nyx chuckled, "Let's be on our way then. The fabric of space has thinned so the transport schedule is regulated."
Xaloc frowned. All languages. That looks like a very handy gift. The vial must be expensive. He needed to pay it back.