61: INNOCENT START
"Lucian-onii, please smile!" Buck and Ziru tried to cheer me up. They pulled the edges of their lips widely in an attempt to squeeze a giggle out of me. They would have more chances of getting something from a dried up lemon.
"Are you okay, Lucian? You seem... quieter," Caleb commented.
When I didn't reply, the werewolf was about to show off his coconut advertising skills again but was whacked in the head by Slade.
"Lucian, don't think too much about it. Whatever happened to you and your people before was never your fault," Sevor comforted.
"Oi, it's not that I'm worried about you but you haven't eaten breakfast. Did the carrots taste bad?"
They fussed about me too much. They should be angered, vengeful, and hateful yet they showed me empathy that I didn't deserve. As soon as a fight sparked between Slade and Caleb, I took the chance to sneak away.
"Where are you going?"
I stood still upon hearing Peaches' deep voice.
"Nowhere…"
I was struck by a wave of dizziness. Before I could collapse, the reaper was beside me, holding me securely.
Right after the angel's revelation, he fell into a deep slumber, leaving me with the burden of knowing what my kind went through for me. All those lives were sacrificed for my sake and because of me, Queen Titia became a catastrophe. I had caused too much suffering to those around me. Why did they have to become the seed to plant my existence?
My uncle was wrongly accused of being a traitor when he was one of those who gave their life for me.
For why did I exist? Will more people die in my stead?
"I need to get away from them. It is safer. I only bring harm and disaster," I explained.
"You lied about finding a crater of food hidden in the camp. I saw you use your powers," he told me. The tone of his voice was meant to chide me.
He observed whatever I was doing without fail. I once caught him this morning watching me urinate and Caleb had to chase him off. I leaned my head against his warm chest. He wrapped his left arm around my back, making sure that he didn't touch the throbbing rotten wing behind me.
"The children were starving. I didn't want them to starve..."
He released an exasperated breath that overwhelmed my cold body with shivers.
"If you keep this up...you will die and your death will cause the suffering of many."
I flinched as my chest grew even heavier. I placed my hands on his shoulders to peer at his glowing vermillion eyes.
"May it be life or death, I have caused many sufferings. If I do not belong to the living and if I am not part of death, where do I really stand?" I asked.
I did not have the right to live yet I also did not have the privilege to cease my existence.
"Please go back. I will find my brother and see if he knows how to fix the rotting pinion growing behind me."
I pried his hands gently off of my body.
My eyes and his eyes glued to each other even as I walked away. The movement of his feet matched mine.
It was like I was holding a leash connected to a pet.
The reaper followed me. Whenever I stopped, he would stop. Whenever I'd turn my head to look at him, he'd do the same and look back as if he was not the one I was referring to with my stare.
How could I convince THE REAPER—the exact one who destroyed a God—to leave me alone?
"Why are you following me?" I queried.
It was not that I did not like his presence, but I expected Peaches to be... more distant.
"The souls of those children...I put them to rest," he murmured.
His words had an immediate wrap around my full attention.
"Are they still...in pain?"
"No, they are not. Unlike the creations of my God, people belonging to different races are not aware of their deaths. They will only remember the memory that they are fondest of as they ascend to their respective Gods. "
My shoulders relaxed for some reason. The uncomfortable stir in my stomach lessened.
"In their fondest memory, they were playing with you. That is their happiest moment."
Did I make them ecstatic?
"That is a relief to my ears..." I softly said.
"Will you allow me to accompany you now?"
"Did you only tell me that so that I would have a sense of gratitude to pay?" I inquired with a long stare.
"How did you know?"
The edge of my lip turned up. I brushed my nose against his chest.
"You're evolving..."
The deadly reaper had more confidence to saunter beside me now after gaining an indirect approval to his request.
"Do you know where your brother is?"
"He is probably in Black Crystal Mountain," I told him.
I didn't know which way it was but I trusted Peaches that he would lead me there.
"What if he isn't there?"
I stood still, licking my dry lips.
"Why wouldn't he be there?"
He merely stared at me before shutting his eyes.
"I know of a place that could help you but..."
"But?" I repeated after him.
"It is rather difficult to explain. I'll show you," he huskily replied, extending his hand for me to grasp.
The darkness consumed my vision. The air instantly became chaotic around us. Before I knew it, we were far gone from the lake.
He teleported us in front of very thin yet towering trees. Their branches produced gossamer strings which were lengthy, plentiful, and reached just above the ground. The strings were so abundant that we may not be able to find our way out if we proceed yet I was the master of direction. I purposely got lost because I had found it boring to know the way all the time.
"Where are we?" I asked him.
"We are in front of the String forest," he replied.
"But what are we doing here?"
"There are people that have hidden for a long time. Your kind knows them well."
The reaper knew more of my kind than I did. We ventured inside the forest and parted curtains after curtains of strings. They were lightweight; their fibrous bodies were polished much like hair strands but thicker.
There was a small body lying on the ground with the ends of the strings swirled on top of him. He was a dwarf. He had a disfigured face and a missing arm.
"What are the creatures that settle here?"
The reaper looked up in thought.
"Mantikhoras, ghouls, griffins, typhon, kappa, death worms, and aspergers. They aren't much of a problem so we are safe," he assured as if those beings didn't bite people's heads off.
Anywhere was safe for the reaper. He was practically the being who brought danger to danger.
I looked at the dead dwarf and then back at him. The dwarf had a missing arm, a leg that was broken, and deep gashes that made his face unrecognizable for the people who knew him.
"We are safe indeed," I sighed.
A flash of happy and singing dwarves and a memory of the crying Farah sprouted in my thoughts that made me stop in my tracks and look at Peaches.
"Before we continue, let us bury the body."
Peaches was very handy. Not only could he teleport us anywhere, but he could also do things that didn't include us lifting a finger. The soil moved on its own and dumped itself on top of the dwarf.
Peaches, although had always been the more silent type, was even more serious. The ground he was staring at collapsed which created a small circular pit that emitted a bright, scalding, and orange light.
The man raised his hand, making a fist before dumping something in the hole. That something appeared to be only visible in his eyes.
Either that or my companion was losing his mind.
"What was that?"
"The dwarf's soul," he replied. "I sent it to hell for interrogation. But from what I can see, there was no need for interrogation. He did unspeakable things."
I cocked my head at him. Peaches wasn't the kind of man who made up stories.
"How did you know?"
"I examined his soul."
I blinked at him as I tried to process the information.
"What can you see in my soul?"
Was my soul vegetarian as well?
He sauntered closer, grasping my arm. He closed his bright red eyes. His calm face distorted from being calm into confusion and into total shock.
Well, this was new.
"What did you see?"
He pursed his lips which gave me an indication that a great revelation will be made.
Has someone finally discovered my secret? I was keeping it for so long. What will I do? How could I explain to him that I didn't mean to stab Wye Fye with my carrot in my deepest and darkest desires? How many people would he tell? Shall I silence him before he blows the whistle?
"Your soul is...there is like a parasite in it. I cannot tell much as I have not seen anything like it," he replied.
"I do not seem to be getting your point."
He shrugged.
"I do not seem to be getting myself either."
So I had a parasite in my soul...was it the outcome of dying and being brought to life?
We continued to stroll in the endless maze of strings. Peaches would subtly ask me things that indicated that he wanted to carry me.
"You seem to be tired, I am not, you see?" he told me, showing me that he could float. He hit his back, assuring me of its sturdiness.
"I am astonished Peaches, not many can float like you do. Slade's brain can float somewhere too. I wonder where it went?"
"You are hungry. I don't get hungry. Hunger can cause weakness. Weakness can cause you to collapse on the ground. I am strong, you see?" He extended his bare, well-toned, and tanned arms out of his cape to flail them up and down.
"You have a beautiful physique Peaches"
If a person had a weak mind, he would have been driven into insanity not long ago from seeing nothing but strings. Peaches and his constant self-praising to get me to ask him for a lift in his strong arms occupied my mind from being snapped.
I stopped walking. Peaches stopped with me when we heard the sound of a deep purring.
It was close. It was very close.
My eyes widened when the strings in front of me were separated by an unrecognized beast.
Its eyes were big and predator-like. It had the same color as the reaper's eyes. Its upper canine teeth outgrew its upper lip and surpassed the lower lip with its length and sharpness. Its pointed ears were black yet the majority of its fur was cerulean blue.
I blinked at the creature and the creature blinked back.
It didn't look perilous at all. Its teeth were dripping with fresh blood. There were splatters of the bright red liquid on its fur. Not a danger, Peaches had said so.
"Domo (hello)," I greeted it.
I was shoved away by the reaper. He lunged at the beast with the intent to snap its neck. The curious creature became hostile and bellowed. I placed my hands on the soil and vines shot out, coiling around my companion.
The beast scampered with opened jaws and sharp claws.
Ah, danger, we meet again.
As my face was nearing to be disfigured, Peaches kicked the beast and sent it far away. He looked at me with furious eyes as he disliked being stopped from committing murder.
"You have a death wish," he commented. "What were you intending to do by sparing an asperger?"
"It wasn't going to hurt us. You scared it," I answered him blankly. "It didn't deserve to lose its life by attempting to defend itself. Do not be barbaric."
He scowled. "I was created that way."
I stepped closer to the reaper, challenging his gaze.
"If you are what you say you are, then take my life now."
He gave me a look of confusion. "I refuse to do that for no reason or orders."
Orders? So he'd do it if he was commanded?
I glanced up only to see the thickened unity of strings. My lungs expanded as I took a deep breath to raise the volume of my voice just a little bit.
"To Peaches' father, command him to take my life! Order him to take it heinously and spare no mercy!" I shouted.
I honestly did not know why I was doing this. What will I gain? But messing with him gave me satisfaction.
"Kill-"
He cut me off by placing his hand over my mouth. He looked up as if anytime now, his father would command him to do something that he did not want.
"Do not ask Him that!" he chided, with a thunderous emotion grasping his voice.
I removed his hand.
"Why? You are barbaric, aren't you? You would favor my death," I blankly told him.
He covered my lips once more.
"I would not!" He snarled.
His panic was new to me. He was very much shocked by his excessive concern as well. A smile spread across my lips. I attempted to soothe his panicked nerves by stroking his hand. Although it was unplanned, it was nice to see this side of the reaper.
He lowered his head. A blush spread across the tan expanse of his skin. His tensed body relaxed and he stepped back from me.
"Forgive me peaches, I was only trying to defend the rights of that asperger."
Hopefully, it didn't die from the reaper's kick.
"You defend others but you can't even defend yourself..." he rebutted. He was sulking like a child.
"You are wrong, I do defend myself, it's just that...I seem to have a magnet for danger," I explained.
He stared at me deeply before nodding in approval. "You are correct, after all, you attracted me."
The danger wasn't so bad. It came in the forms of Caleb, Sevor, Slade, and Peaches. Who knew they could stay in one place and take care of lovable children?
We arrived at a spring that did not have any strings. Peaches and I decided to rest for a bit. He still hadn't explained the kind of people that my race knew, but he was not one to waste time.
He sat quietly on the grass and found a string instrument that he was very immersed in learning to play. The instrument was accompanied by an arm that belonged to the dwarf. He must have been chased starting from this point.
I lowered my legs and slowly sat on the ground, but I jolted forward to my knees when an electric feeling surged through my spine.
I softly yelped that made him teleport behind me to see what had caused that reaction.
"What is it?"
I waved my head, rubbing my bottom to soothe it. However, rubbing it only made it more sensitive.
Perhaps the pain in my pinion radiated to my bottom. A cold bath will soothe this.
"Does it hurt here?" he asked, tightly gripping my left butt cheek.
I bit on my lip, preventing another yelp from escaping.
Was he doing this on purpose?
"I am fine. Please continue with your profound talent," I assured, immediately springing up.
As I walked, my bottom proceeded to throb. Something sticky was threatening to come out.
I removed my clothing and immersed myself in the cold water. Shivers upon shivers caused the hairs on my body to rise and my teeth clatter. The water was clear with the moss giving it a greenish color underneath. The coldness of the temperature calmed the uncomfortable feeling I had, but it wasn't enough.
I let my arms venture behind me. I kneaded my bottom cheeks, but the action only intensified the sensitivity. I leaned my head against a moist rock.
Why exactly was this happening to me? This was the same feeling I had when Sevor acted strangely, but this was multiplied to a hundred.
The cool water helped in soothing my ling that became as stiff as Caleb's, but my bottom remained pulsating. Caleb must always be in pain. Whenever we were alone together, his thing was always up.
I tried to focus on the sound of Peaches' amateur play. It worked for a while until I saw the man remove his dark cloak and exposed his tanned smooth skin.
The cloak was in his way of playing but his bare chest became a hindrance to my self-control. His eyes met mine. My breath hitched when my bum decided to pulsate even harder. I cannot take it anymore.
"Peaches, touch my butt."
The man stopped strumming and gave me an innocent stare.
"What?"