Rasze climbed up the stone steps towards the open field where the children learned and played. As he looked around he saw familiar teaching tools such as scrolls, story books, and chalk as well as children running around. Some were reuniting with their families others were playing games with each other.The teachers on the other hand, kept a vigilant watch over the kids, making sure none of them were playing too hard or in any danger.
The wind blew a cold yet gentle breeze as it carried the sound of children's laughter. The vibrantly painted wooden huts around the field gave a welcoming feeling. The sky was painted a warm golden orange as night approached. Meanwhile, Layhn The Elder, stood strong and regal as she watched the children with a fond smile. Her hair was white and her dark scales had lightened in her old age, but she was as radiant as he remembered.
He remembered when she wasn't the elder, when she was just a young teacher assisting her predecessor, when she showed him the wonders of the world. Oh, how he looked up to her then, the memory of it almost embarrassed him. But he was a man now and he hoped she would instill the same passion for learning towards his daughter, Serah. He was anxious and nervous for Serah, but mostly excited. However as his eyes glanced over the fields in search for her, he couldn't find her.
"Hello?" He asked as he approached one of the teachers, "Have you seen Serah around? I don't see her anywhere."
"Ah, Rasze." She said as she looked around, puzzled "I swear she was just here a while ago. Perhaps she's playing hide and seek with the others?"
"Well I suppose I'll look around then," Rasze laughed nervously "girl like her shouldn't be too hard to spot right?"
Before he could take a look around he heard a familiar voice call to him.
"Rasze, it's been too long!" the elder said before giving him a light bow, a courtesy he graciously returned. "I've been expecting you. Come with me."
Rasze followed Layhn into her home. It was a large wooden home made of red logs and stone, the inside was spacious but cluttered with shelves of scrolls and tomes passed down from generations of elders. He could smell the sweet scent of honeyed meat being cooked in her kitchen mixed in with the familiar scent of old paper. Meanwhile the fireplace crackled with fire and kept the home warm, a welcomed contrast to the cold breeze outside.
"What did you need of me elder?" Rasze asked.
"Bah!" She scowled "Rasze, did I not tell you to do away with the formalities? I've known you since you were a babe! You can call me Layhn, you forgetful busybody! Now sit."
He laughed and sat. Layhn sat down on a large chair opposite of him.
"I'm sorry Layhn." He smiled "I haven't been home in a while so I don't exactly know how to address the elders. I didn't want to overstep my bounds."
"Overstep?" Layhn shot him with a shocked face "If you cared about that you wouldn't have taken in that child."
"Is that why I'm here Layhn?" Rasze asked "This is about Serah?"
"You are a precious friend to me Rasze," Layhn stood up and rested her hand on his. "so believe me when I say that I'm doing what's best for both you and her. Don't bring her here anymore."
For a moment Rasze was shocked; his heart raced with a myriad of emotions. Confusion crept in his mind, rage seeped, but out of all of them sadness was what left his voice.
"Why?" he asked.
"The other children are scared of her" Layhn replied "She sat alone throughout the day, I even had to stop the other kids from attacking her!"
"Then send those kids away!" Rasze shot back "Serah has done nothing wrong."
"I know Rasze! Gods, I know." she knelt down to look at him "But do you have any idea how that would look to the other parents? Do you know how they would feel if their child was excluded from the circle and I kept the 'white devil' around? They would be livid!"
"This isn't fair! She has the right to be here!" Rasze protested and stood up "She deserves to be treated like everyone else! You can't send her away for something she can't control!"
"The others will hurt her." she said solemnly, as she stood up to meet his gaze. "She could hurt them. Regardless she will live a hard life here, it's better if she stayed with you. My mind is made up"
"Layhn, you know this isn't right!" Rasze shouted.
"Rasze!" Layhn shot back, holding in her patience. "If you really wanted her to be treated as an equal then why didn't you stay out of Verderis?"
Rasze was silent, he had more to say but he couldn't muster the strength, he wouldn't. He stormed out of Layhn's house passing by children, parents, and teachers who knew nothing of the situation he had been handed. What made it worse for him is that he knew he couldn't bring this up to anyone else. He had already made a big show of pleading with the elders to let him keep Serah, this was the consequences of his actions and he had to live with it.
Rasze would have to teach her himself because what were his other options? Go back to the human cities and raise her there? No, he couldn't do that to himself, not again. Homeschooling her would be for the best, at least for now, he thought.
Rasze searched around the field to look for Serah. He looked around houses, trees, and bushes but he couldn't find her. Eventually he went into the woods beyond the clearing, the sounds of children died down the deeper he went. Was it the distance? No, the kids were going home. Eventually he found Serah. She was hiding behind a boulder twice her size, her blonde hair and pale skin stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the shrubbery. She sat there waiting patiently to be found and although she hasn't seen him yet he could tell from her teary face that she was worried about never getting found.
"Boo!" he said. Serah jolted at the surprise and turned towards him.
"Daddy!" she said and ran to hug him.
"That's enough for today Serah." Rasze said. "It's time to go home."
"No!" She yelled and pulled him down towards the boulder. "You need to hide!"
"Serah, it's getting late" he said as he looked up towards the darkening sky. "We can play again tomorrow."
"But the others haven't found me yet..."