I entered the forest intending to find my crow of sui generis nature and a teenager with a frame yet to mature. Failing to find them, I held the hand of someone different. His hand was rough, overly colossal, and hot, yet I felt as if I was escorting a child through the woodland.
"Mister Skwak, what are you doing here?"
Skwak was wearing his mask again despite my persistence that it was not needed. He would trip on his feet and had a hard time keeping up with me which was a bit bizarre. Anyone and anything could have caught up with me.
"I did what Lucian said. I followed red hair," he replied.
Red hair?
My eyes widened when I figured out the real identity of Skwak.
'It was obvious really....'
"Squawkey?"
Skwak jolted, he nodded fervently.
"Yes, I Skwak."
"You should have told me sooner," I sighed.
'Nephew, I believe he did his best trying to tell you that.'
Squawkey's posture slouched. He visibly became saddened.
"Skwak is sorry..."
The corner of my lips curled a bit. I maintained a blank expression, rubbing Squawkey's hand with my thumb.
"I am merely kidding; however, what happened to Saint? Do you know where he went?" I asked.
He nodded and reported the result of his assignment.
"He met a gravid woman..."
I stopped at my feet. Questions poured inside my head.
"What would he have to do with that gravid woman?" I asked.
Will I have to deal with another being under the species of Wye Fye again? I was not willing to get shot for the second time. Perhaps I should take the initiative to shoot the arrow first for precautionary countermeasures. Even now, my ankle hurts but Sevor's medicine worked wonders.
"Skwak sure he is safe...No threat," he assured.
"I will put my faith in you then," I said.
Kox was waiting for us at the shrine.
"You have found your third little chick," he commented.
I turned around to study Squawkey's size and found no little on him.
"He is two feet taller than me."
The young boy chuckled. "I only describe them as chicks because men like him will follow you everywhere."
"Men like him?"
He turned around. "You'll figure out what I mean in the future. For now, why don't you build a more stable house for us while we stay here? Crowley's banana-filled muscles are too much for the shrine's floor to handle."
A loud crack resonated from the shrine. Three screams chorused and the floor's wail of breaking sounded. Three bodies lay beneath the shrine. I released a sigh to their groans.
"Crowley, will you do the honor to demolish the shrine for us?"
I built a much bigger version of the shrine as soon as Crowley fully toppled the old one. Ziru excitedly rushed inside.
"It'll be nice to have a mattress to sleep on," Crowley yawned.
Kox ripped one page out of his book and crumpled it. He threw it at one corner of the room and it became a mattress similar to what we had in the boonies.
"Woah! How did you do that?" Ziru asked.
"I stored some beds from our hideout. Don't worry about sleeping on the floor."
Crowley cackled heartily and crushed Kox to his side in joy.
"You should store beer in that weird book of yours next time!"
Rui sat by the entrance with a frown on his face. Everyone became quiet once Squawkey stepped foot inside.
The Hanuman was wary of him, Rui's scowl worsened, and Ziru was trying his best to become friends with him but he was intimidated. Although it seemed that Squawkey was not affected by their hostile gaze, I was not fond of how they looked at him.
"Squawkey is my friend. Do not look at my friend like that," I chided.
The Hanuman cleared his throat, crossing his arms at me. He avoided looking at my gaze, speaking carefully.
"Can we talk in private?"
"What is it about?"
"Let's take this outside," he urged.
"Alright then, Squawkey, please stay—"
"I would rather him stay where I can see him," Crowley intervened.
I gently pulled Squawkey outside. Crowley followed suit. I waited for Crowley to speak about what was bothering him, but he merely kept glancing at my new companion.
"What is it?" I asked.
"I would rather not have him listening."
I tilted my head. An uncontrollable frown graced my expression.
"You don't want him inside yet you don't want him here as well. What do you want him to do, hang himself by the tree?" I queried.
He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "Highness, it is not that I mistrust your judgment towards people, but I am also responsible for your safety. I am sure that your brother wouldn't want you to be hurt from...adopting strays."
"My brother had always taught me to help the unfortunate. Caleb was one of those people that my brother took under his care. If my brother wasn't in favor of the act of absorbing people into his faction, the Scums wouldn't have formed in the first place and you, along with Ziru and Kox, would not be considered as Scums."
His expression settled down. He bowed in apology.
"Forgive me, I must have sounded preposterous. Perhaps I was still relying on Lucius' judgment of people and failed to acknowledge that His Highness was the next in line for leading us."
"My abandonment had already cost me my status of being a Prince. I am no more or less than any of you. Please do not consider my position in the past as a standard for leading people."
He grinned. "Do understand me but I see something in you. I have been a soldier in the great war and served many leaders. I see the spirit of leadership in your eyes and words."
"Do not flatter me, I have no richness to offer back," I said, causing him to cackle.
"Yes, you are young indeed. I just hope that no war emerges that would cost you your youth."
My conversation ended with Crowley. He returned to the shrine to continue his rest. Darkness clouded over the skies. I sat by the stairs with Squawkey while waiting for Saint to come home. Squawkey turned into his bird form once he felt the presence of Rui coming closer. The bird soared towards a tree and watched from afar.
"Hey...Mister," Rui called out softly.
I tapped the space beside me without looking back; Rui took the offer.
"How...are they?" he asked.
"Your family?" I clarified.
He scoffed and pretended to be indifferent.
"They are not my family. I just owed them a debt."
I hummed monotonously. "You must have inherited Slade's denial personality."
His face became flushed; his hostility became worse.
"Shut up! You don't know anything about them."
"Then why are you asking me about their welfare?"
He became increasingly frustrated and embarrassed.
"That's because you recently saw them."
"Then that would mean I must know a little thing about them, am I right?"
The child groaned and yanked his hair.
"Just answer the damn question!"
I ruffled his hair. He slapped my hand away from annoyance.
"They are doing fine. They have gone through a lot from what I can tell, but the twins are doing the best that they can to protect everyone. You do not have to stay with Sin. Just return to your family. They are worried."
Rui rubbed his nose and remained resistant.
"They are not my family."
"Then is Sin your family?"
He made puking noises and waved his hands in denunciation.
"There is no way I'm related to him. I'm only staying with the boss because...he promised to cleanse the world from all the pain and sadness. Once the boss completes his mission then I won't owe anything to them anymore."
"What is it that you have to pay back so badly?" I queried.
Rui fell silent, pulling his legs towards his chest.
"It's none of your business. Just do what the boss says. You're getting in his way of work. Give him your butthole maybe, that will shut him up."
I blinked in confusion and slid my hand towards my lower back.
"I don't get what my butthole has anything to do with this."
'The man fancies you in a perverted way,' the voice in my head tried to explain. 'It's best to keep your guard up, nephew. Men like him are predators.'
Rui scoffed and rose on his feet. "You're an adult. You should know better than me."
The boy returned to the shrine, leaving me with many questions. Squawkey screeched. I looked down at the bottom of the stairs and found Saint. His legs were trembling; he was breathing heavily. My breath hitched when he collapsed, but Squawkey was quick to pull on his shirt as he flapped his wings even harder. I gathered Saint into my arms and petted the bird.
"Well done."
I listened to Saint's shaky breathing and waited for him to calm down.
"I'm sorry...I did the best that I could. I still couldn't...save them..." he whimpered.
"Understood, I don't know what it is that you had to do; however, if you did the best you can, then you are not at fault for what your power cannot cover."
Saint embraced me, burying his face into my chest.
"If only I had more power. If only I wasn't born sickly. Both of them could have had a different fate."
The boy sobbed, holding me tightly.
"Why am I serving the same God as them? They damage our Father's good reputation. They do what is wrong even though they were taught what to believe in."
I should take a look at what was upsetting Saint so much. Perhaps I could trick Vincenzo into stopping whatever disgrace the village was doing.
"Saint," I called out to him. "You are tired. Let us get you rested," I told him.
Saint pulled away from me, glancing at me with frightened and desperate eyes.
"I mustn't. I must do what I can to—"
"Perhaps God gave you that body because he knew that if he had given you a much stronger one, you would abuse it. Rest and learn to treasure yourself," I gently advised.
Squawkey stood on top of my head. Saint fell limp in my arms.
"I am tired. I am really tired."
"Can you climb the stairs?" I asked.
He licked his dry and chapped lips.
"I have crawled once. I think I can—"
"I will have no choice but to carry you then," I cut him off.
A tint of red appeared on his pale cheeks. I knelt on one knee and offered my back.
"Please do not kick me. I have witnessed such a terrible act committed to such a valiant deed."
"Why would I do that?" He stuttered.
'Do not put him in the same category as you, nephew. Those poor men…'
"Please, my offer will expire tomorrow."
Saint panicked and hesitantly got on my back. I rose unsteadily at first, but due to his light weight, I managed to stabilize.
"Tha–thank you," he shyly spoke.
"Thank me as soon as I get you safely to the shrine," I replied.
Saint's breath tickled the back of my neck.
"Once I get stronger, I promise you, I will carry you like this."
"Do not recklessly throw words like that. I happen to abuse opportunities," I warned him.
He chuckled, appearing to forget his problems earlier.
"If I was born differently perhaps my loyalty would be...elsewhere."
"Having a mindset like that makes me think that your loyalty is wavering," I commented.
"Perhaps..." Saint croaked before coughing out. "Perhaps I dreamt of meeting you differently. Not like this. How I wish I could proudly stand by you."
"What is stopping you?" I asked him.
I released a breath of relief when I got the two of us safely through the stairs.
"What's stopping me is...who I am at the moment," he replied.
Before entering the shrine I gave Saint one last piece of advice.
"Then think of who you could be."
Saint wasn't able to meet the others because he fell asleep as soon as we entered the shrine. He fainted from exhaustion. Crowley took Saint from me and laid him in bed.
"I never thought you do heavy labor," Crowley joked.
"I would have never believed it either," I responded.
Ziru climbed on my back in envy; the Hanuman hit him on his head.
"Ow!"
"Brat!"
We saved a meal for Saint and ate our share of food. I stared outside of the shrine and noticed a blue feather on our doorstep. I placed a piece of bread on the entrance in exchange for the feather. I hooked the feather to my crown, glancing at the moon.
"Are you watching us again?" I asked. "You are welcome to join us anytime. My name is Lucian," I introduced myself.
"I know..." a soft, gentle, and kind voice of a man whispered. The voice didn't come from my head. "I have known that for a very long time, Lucian."
I looked everywhere yet I still haven't found him. When I thought that he wouldn't talk again, I went back inside of the shrine and prepared to sleep.
I'll figure out his identity soon.
Morning came and Saint was gone along with the bread I left at the entrance. The others were still sleeping except for Kox who was already outside. Squawkey flew to my head once I got off the bed.
"Prince, you are awake," Kox greeted.
"Have you seen Saint?"
"He left to tend to his mission," the boy replied.
"What is his mission exactly?"
Kox smiled. I have never seen him this excited before.
"To prevent the resurrection of a fallen God named Garmir..."
There was that word again.
"I keep hearing Gods, what are they?"
He shut his clouded eyes.
"They are superior beings known to create and destroy. They are born just like you and me but of course, you wouldn't know any of that because the God of your race is not with you."
I followed him and descended the stairs
"Where is he then?"
He stopped in his tracks.
"It's too early for you to know. In the meantime, familiarize yourself with the Gods we are currently dealing with: Akros and Garmir."
==========================================================
Bloopers:
Kox: "It's too early for you to know..."
Lucian: "Why is that?"
Kox: "Because this is just the first book..."
Lucian: "..."
Kox: "..."
Coco: "Why don't you just spoil everything?"