Walking down the spacious tunnel, with a dazed and light feeling in his body, Estes staggered. Feeling too foreign from what he was feeling, there were no heaviness in his head or body, no blur in his eyes as well, he felt like all his worries about dying in his forty was lifted, that he thought he might just live for a hundred years.
A strong gust of wind blew.
'?...what?' He asked, confused. His eyes wandered in a clockwise manner, he was underground, and in a place without windows or openings, just a pressuring coldness and smell of moss and damp through the rows of cell. 'Where could the srtong wind come from?' He asked, but taking a few steps further, he shook his head. Accepting the thought that it was the coldness of the place that he had mistaken for the wind. Noticing the only cell with a light, he slowly approached the cell in which he found a very familiar figure.
"Mother?" Estes asked, opening the metal door and closing it back after he entered. He was startled by the scene that welcomed him. His mother's bloody hands continually supply crimson droplets to the wound of Tricen, in which every drop has healed the deep, gruesome wounds inflicted by the rusty nails.
"Shhh." His mother silenced. She then pointed her long slender finger towards a grey envelope with an opened letter. Estes who understood the message, quietly sat down to the chairless table and opened the folded high quality paper where the words written are:
[ Dear Honorary Duke Franches,
A good day to you my dear friend, it has been long since we have seen each other, 5000 years perhaps. The days has been passing fast in world of humans, I do hope you do not age too much.
As a fellow mother of three children, I am willing to let you borrow my title for a day in exchange for taking care of my son. It has been quite troubling for me to keep monitoring him from afar by myself as there are many problems here needing my full attention.
Of course you may tell him that you will return him back to his younger sisters should he show even the slightest of arrogance, you may hit (ONLY TWICE) him as well. For now, do protect him.
"If you become a crow, I will gladly act accordingly. If you are a dove, I shall reward you pleasantly. Do remember that both are still birds, show me a reason to remove your wing and I will gladly do so." : ) ]
The Letter was signed with nothing but little drops of blood and a single strand of orange hair. After Estes read the letter, he glanced at his mother. His mother's name was Franchesca and their current title is Baron, making her a Baroness. However, the letter stated that she was a Duke, and an honorary at that. Moreover, 5000 years, he now question how old his mother is. He waited for his mother to finish before he ask his questions, however when she did finish, she gave no time for him to speak, Franchesca tapped on her son's shoulder and let Estes watch as her wound quickly heal. Once it healed, she swiftly, quietly left the cell after she whisphered "You truly are my son. A good choice of pets, huhuhu" her laughter were soft, but schadenfreude cannot hide from the softness of ones voice alone, just as the cloud cannot completely hide the son at all.
With her absence, he can now focus on the weakened figure in front of him. There were no more wounds on the back of the body of a now teenager form. His eyes found the table he was sitting on and into the dagger and key beside him. He got himself off the table and took the key his mother left for him to free his pet. He knew exactly what his mother meant, and thus, not a single question popped inside his head anymore. He reached out to his coat pocket, pulling out a pocket watch after freeing Tricen. "I still have time."
He glanced at the sleeping Tricen he laid on the ground before shaking him up to wake. He shook and shook till his hand slightly numbed. 'This is hopeless,' he thought. Knowing that shaking him awake further will not work, he slapped him on the cheek. He would have not done so if only there a bucket of water in there and there was no knife in there which gave him the thought that it would have been better if the annoying sleeping existence was to never wake up. Surprised, Tricen awoke with the thought that it was his younger sisters that woke him up. Since no man would dare slap someone sleeping to wake anyone up. Yet there was, the person in front of him did, twice.
"Ugh, did you....slap me?"
His pet groaned and asked but he just averted his eyes and looked up over his shoulder, as though implying that he could not hear him because he's currently looking at the future.
"....."
"Listen, I'm sorry-"
(Blegh) both nearly barfed, disgusted by the word they heard and which Estes uttered.
"No, really, I'm not stupid. But I didn't correct my father's unavoidable thinking, so maybe I am..... but it was partially your fault too for getting hurt. I mean, what do you mean you sucked, you sucked what?! That's a forbidden topic between two guys in the land where gay people are killed. You just made father misunderstood."
"I get it already. What do you want me to do?" Tricen said, being way too obedient.
"What's suddenly wrong with you?" Estes who was disturbed by his pet's sudden obedience questions in suspicion. But then, his suspicions reduced to none when he caught his pet trying to glance twice to the table where a grey envelope was seemingly saying its greetings to the two of them. "Are you curious?" Estes asked as he stood up and walking beside the table, he then grabbed the grey envelope and put its letter inside before extending his arm towards his pet, as though asking 'Want some treats?'
A loud nervous gulped echoed.
'Got 'em'
A piece of long paper fell from the table to the empty area between them, Tricen accidentally took a glance and went pale. A very, very familiar cursive handwriting wrote the words:
[Things that idiot do that can be considered arrogant:
. Bragging(He has nothing in his name)
. Interrupting(other's action, words, or even thoughts)
. Talking over others(when all he know is nothing)
. Ignoring instructions(he's stupiiiiid)
. Belittling others(he's small himself!)
. Dismissing ideas(when he has none)
. Boasting(he got nothing!)
. Refusing to share(he stole it anyway!)
. Acting entitled(he's weak!)
. Ignoring rules(he knows not to read)
. Gloating(the gall of that shit)
. Showing off(he has nothing to show off, even if he did, he stole it)
. Disregarding opinions(he's just being stupid)
. Talking down to others(when he's at rock bottom)
. Acting superior(inferiority complex)
. Mocking others (he's the one who should be mocked)
. Refusing to cooperate(he's lazy as f... Hit him)
. Being condescending(he's stupid)
. Disrespectful behavior(he's uneducated)
. Excessive pride(cause he has nothing but that!)
....see more.]
"....."
Silence echoed and covered the whole underground place.
".....When is the schedule for my death...? If possible, can you advance it to now.....?" Tricen looked at Estes in defeat. Estes who watch as his pet completely lose color and crumble in shame simply stepped outside the cell.
"Hurry up, we have somewhere to be." Estes said, pretending not to remember what had happened.
They left the mansion with no one stopping them, while Estes open the doors and gates. This time, they rode a carriage prepared, although unlike the previous one, the carriage they are riding on is quite old and noticably worn out.
"Where should I drop you off, young master?" The horseman asked with his rusty voice.
"Oh, please stop at any bread store and drop me off the winehouse the Baron used to work." Estes answered, although his tone appears to be calm, it was cold.
The horseman who felt his young master's true anger towards the Baron he served, he nodded and dare not speak more.
"Change into these." Estes ordered as he extend his hand which hold two pieces of peasant clothing. Tricen accepted and took off the white piece of clothe that Estes' mother lended him. Estes looked out the window of the carriage with a frown, he was expecting more complaints from the devil in front of him, but he was unexpectedly shown obedience.
" 'What? Why is he being obedient? Did he eat poison?' is probably what you are thinking. Even so, get used to it, I don't think I can change any sooner." Tricen sadly spoke with his eyes fixed on a shadow that is continuously following their carriage with one meter away distance. It was one of his people that was ordered by him to only show themselves once the woman Nero, his first love has breathed her last.
"....." Estes stayed in silence. Hoping for him to continue to vent his visible sadness.
"She was strong enough to live for a hundred year, but a mortal's life is like a page of a book—it ends while we were wanting for more." Tricen lowered his gaze. 'ah.... My hands are trembling.' He thought. He was hurt, but what can he do? He can't even offer her his tears for it has long dried up, he can't fly back to see her for one last time as his wings are gone.
"Could you do something about your appearance?" Estes asked. "Your pupils are vertical with different colors, it makes you look like an alien. Your hair is too red, at least make it orange. Your face is too beautiful as well, are you a woman? At least make it less beau- make it ugly." Estes pointed out without looking at Tricen. Tricen did not reply, he sat there as he stare at the human in front of him. Attempting to copy the image of a human possessing an average image. He then turn to the side and focused, head leaning on the closed window of the carriage.