.𖥔 ݁ ˖3RD PERSON POV.𖥔 ݁ ˖
"Haha, I'm kind of tired of snakes. You know, mountains..." Mayumi lied awkwardly.
"Yeah yeah, we get it. Snakes were your only company in the mountain." Rykan said as he shoved her to the side and petted the snake.
Mayumi never would've thought she'd be thankful with Rykan's snarkiness.
The three kids took turn petting and admiring the boa constrictor while Mayumi sneakily moved herself as far as possible from them.
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Her extreme fear of snakes started when she was 8 in her past life. She was just walking towards the bed when she noticed something moving on the ground. As she bent down to get a better view of it, it stood up touching touching her nose.
She immediately jumped onto the bed and told her siblings to get rid of it. But they just laughed at her and opened the window, saying it will just go out on its own. It did go out on its own but her anxiety remained. She was afraid it will go back again the same way it went in and only God knows how.
That night, she slept with her blanket wrapped around her tightly like a burrito. It even haunted her in her nightmares. She also woke up occasionally that night overthinking every sensation she felt from under the blanket, fearing it might be the snake crawling on top of her.
Thankfully, Hezborn nor the kids never bothered her with the snake again. However, she was never fully relieved and she won't be until the snake's gone.
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She was busy gathering tomatoes for dinner when she felt something heavy on her shoulders. She froze when it moved, wrapping her tiny left arm with its body.
'Hell no.' she thought as she realized the situation she's in.
"Hey, why are you frozen? Won't you greet your friend from the mountains?" Rykan said snarkily from behind her.
Mayumi's heart was pounding hard as she began to tear up.
'Rykan, I'm not gonna forgive you for this.'
"Hey! Are you broken? H-hey!" Rykan's nervous voice echoed through her head as her vision was being swallowed by darkness.
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"Rykan, what are ya just standing there?! Go fetch Maila, quick!" Hezborn ordered after Rykan told him that Mayumi fainted.
He ran as fast as he could towards the village doctor's house.
"Rykan, you really went far this time. You should apologize to her when she wakes up." Chase said bumping onto his shoulders. Julius just glanced at him quickly before following behind Chase.
Rykan sighed and stood outside the door listening to Maila's assessment.
"Don't worry, she just fainted from extreme fear. Just wipe her sweats and give her this tea when she wakes up. It will help her calm down. She probably had a traumatic memory involving snakes so it's best to keep her away from it." Maila said giving them a sense of relief.
'Perhaps she tried eating a snake in the mountains and got traumatized by the taste?' the little boy thought.
'Did a corrupted snake attacked her too just like that corrupted wolf?' Hezborn speculated.
After Maila gave some tips to slowly alleviate Mayumi's fear of snakes, she went home.
"Rykan, I know yar there. Come inside." Hezborn said in a serious tone.
'He's not just disappointed, he's also mad.'
Rykan gulped and went inside with his eyes nailed on the ground.
"Ya really went far this time Rykan, ya know that."
"I... I'm sorry." he kept his head low as he don't want to see the old man's disappointed face.
"Ya should save yar apology for Mayumi."
He just nodded, still avoiding his eyes.
Hezborn put his hand on his shoulder. "Kid, look at me."
He reluctantly looked at his eyes. It's gentle but has a hint of disappointment.
"I know ya have yar reason for being so wary of her but that doesn't give ya the right to act rude and mean towards her. I get that yar afraid but think about Mayumi's feelings too, not just yar own. Everybody has their own circumstances they can't speak of. It won't hurt to be a little kinder." Hezborn lectured.
Rykan hate to admit it but Hezborn is right. He acted really rude and used his trauma as an excuse.
"I get it. It was my fault. I'm sorry for disappointing you."
"It's good to hear ya acknowledging yar mistake. I hope after this, Mayumi and ya can get along well. But forgiveness can't be given easily so ya have to work for it." Hezborn said before going out of the room.
"Don't blame yourself too much Rykan, you never intended for this to happen." Iriya said and patted his shoulder before following Hezborn.
Rykan stared at the unconscious Mayumi on the bed.
'Iriya's right, I never intended for this to happen.'
"I don't hate you, I'm just scared." He sat next to her and sighed.
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Rykan used to have doting parents. His dad was Count Everdale of Avissya so they lived a luxurious life. Despite his parents' duties and responsibilities as political figures, they made sure to shower him with love and spend enough time with him.
When he was 7, his Mom and Dad brought a kid home from their trip to the town. He was a bright kid so they decided to adopt him. They named him Rexter Jim Everdale. RJ is a nice kid so he and Rykan got along pretty easily. Rykan treated him like his real older brother.
However, the happy days didn't last. Four months later, Rykan's Dad was accused of purchasing Vashu, an illegal substance that causes madness and aggression when consumed and is created and distributed by a notorious terrorist group in Zonlu Region.
A group of imperial knights came rushing towards their estate and searched every corner of their house. They later found 4 boxes containing Vashu in the basement. They were in utter disbelief but nothing could've ever prepared them of what was hiding behind those boxes. It was RJ dressed in rags and full of bruises. He cowered behind the boxes crying for help.
He told the knights that the Everdales were abusing him ever since he was brought there. They tried to deny it but who would believe them over a kid full of bruises chained and locked up on their basement?
In the end, Rykan was arrested along with his Mom and Dad. Their estate's workers were all fired and his Dad was stripped off his title. His Dad was also accused of treason and conspiring with the terrorist group. No matter how much they proved their innocence, it was useless. A lot of witnesses showed up, they were clearly bribed or threatened. Everybody turned their back on his family the moment his Dad was stripped off of his title.
His Mom and Dad were sentenced to death by guillotine while he was sentenced to be thrown out of Avissya and was prohibited to come back due to his age. RJ visited them the day before their execution but not as the little kid they remember. He showed up as a boy around 18 years of age and turned out to be the illegitimate son of the younger brother of Rykan's dad. It became clear then, all of it was planned by his uncle to steal his father's wealth and title.
Rykan's Saintess mother apologized repeatedly for not noticing the magic device RJ was wearing before. Rykan felt so betrayed but he was more heartbroken seeing his Mom and Dad blaming themselves for ruining his future and for not being able to protect him.
They forced him to watch his parents being executed by making him ingest a type of mushroom that temporarily paralyzes the body for 12 hours. It was a sight that he couldn't forget which still haunts him deep at night in his nightmares.
They beat him out of his consciousness and when he woke up, he was already in a middle of a desert with his body aching all over. He swore to himself that he'd grow stronger and come back to avenge his Mom and Dad and take back what's supposed to be theirs.
Thankfully, a kind lady passed by and saved him before he died from dehydration and infection. She brought him on an orphanage and treated him there. It took him a while to get along with the kids but little by little, they managed to break down his walls. But just as he thought that everything's going to be alright, a tragedy once again strucked his life.
A petite kid around his age showed up on their door one rainy night. She was trembling and starving. She fainted so they quickly came to her aide. The next morning, she regained consciousness and was full of energy. She introduced herself as Anni who's also about to turn 8 in a couple of months like Rykan. They played with Anni all day and when it's dinner time, it's when things took a dark turn.
A few minutes after they all ate dinner, everyone felt lightheaded and sleepy. Well, everyone except Anni who was just watching them with a straight face and dead eyes. A group of tall people wearing crimson red robe came storming in. When Rykan woke up, he was already inside a small carriage cramped together with the other 10 kids from their orphanage.
They had their hands and feet all tied up and their mouths covered. It was really dark and the only thing they could hear was the rain outside, the horses' feet hitting the ground and their muffled plea for help.
Then all of a sudden the carriage stopped. Some people were shouting outside in agony and in fear which was followed by a loud terrifying roar. They were being attacked by a corrupted bear. Not long after, the beast rammed the carriage causing it to fall from the cliff.
The carriage was destroyed when it hit a rock. Some of them were unlucky and suffered greatly from the fall. They were unable to help each other as they're tied up tightly and had no choice but to let the strong water current take them wether to a safe place or to their death.
It was a miracle that Rykan was able to wake up on top of a log, floating in a strait. That's how Hezborn found him. Rykan was wary of him at first specially with the way he talk but he eventually found out his true nature as they're heading to his home which took them 10 days and 11 nights.
Rykan never knew nor dared himself to think of whatever could've happened to the other kids. It's something he surely couldn't bear to know.
He was also wary of the three kids at first, however their constant pestering broke down the walls he've rebuilt. He don't know if fate is playing a joke on him but once again a newcomer ruined the peace on his newfound home.
This time it was a 14 years old who called himself Caiju. Rykan didn't really like him. He was so arrogant and full of himself. On top of it, he's got some bad habit of gambling. Hezborn couldn't kick him out since he's his late acquaintance's only kid.
Caiju let them down by stealing Hezborn's hidden bag of gold and some other valuable things on the day they went on their village yearly gathering. He never went back after that. Hezborn had to go away for almost two weeks to make up for the loss.
Rykan thought Hezborn learned from it but he went home with a small kid 8 months after the incident. He was really infuriated by it so he went to confront him that night.
"Old man, did you already forgot what happened with Caiju? Why did you bring a new kid? Who knows, he might be deceiving you."
Hezborn sat on his bed and patted the space beside him. Rykan sat beside him with a pout.
"I know ya have a lot of bad memories with new kids but I hope ya would give her a chance. Everyone can be a bad person but not everybody chooses to be."
'Her? So that kid's a girl?! She didn't even correct me when I mistook her gender. I bet she cut her hair on purpose to deceive people into thinking that she's a boy.' Rykan thought to himself.
"I know, but I still don't trust her. I'm gonna expose her true colors." he firmly answered.
Hezborn patted his head. "Give her a chance Rykan, it won't hurt to trust her a bit."
"I won't trust someone that easily again, specially a sketchy kid like her."
'Unlike you, I learned from my experience.' he thought.
Hezborn nodded. "I know ya had it hard kid, but think of Mayumi's feelings too. We don't know how hard she had it surviving alone in the mountains."
'So she really is from the mountains. That's even more sketchy. How did she survive alone in the mountains where the 'corrupteds' are usually seen?'
Before Rykan went to sleep that night, he structured a plan. He called it 'Operation Eposing the New Kid'.
'I have to get on her nerves by doing and saying all sorts of annoying things. If she gets angry, she'll surely be aggressive and mean. That way, Hezborn will be disappointed at her and kick her out.'
He tried putting salt on her milk but Mayumi just drank it without any reaction.
'She really drank it all? Is she a goat in disguise or what?' he thought to himself.
Mayumi on the other hand was trying her best not to gag. 'I'm sure it's that Rykan brat's doing. I'm not gonna give you the reaction you're expecting you punk.'
He also served her with sugar on her beef stew but she just ate it all.
'Is her taste bud broken or what? I don't even want to know what sort of things she's been eating in the mountains.'
'Do beef stews really taste like this? I haven't tasted it before so I don't know. Whatever, I'll just ate it all. I don't want to hurt Hezborn's feelings. He was really excited to feed me his specialty.' It was later that dinner Mayumi came to realize that Rykan might've added something to her share.
Grossed out by Mayumi's taste bud, Rykan stopped messing with her food. Instead, he started bossing her around and nagged at her whenever she messes up a chore or whenever she asks about trivial things. But Mayumi just remained indifferent and unbothered.
In the end, his plan to get on Mayumi's nerves only ended up with Mayumi getting on his nerves.
He used a more wicked approach by giving her a rotten apple which ended up with him having to wash pots as a punishment.
Contrary to his response to them and to Mayumi's lie. Rykan was actually happy and thrilled inside.
'Yes! She lied, that means she isn't as innocent and good as they thought her to be. Just you wait, I'll expose your true colors.' Rykan was once again motivated to expose her.
Ever since that day, he started to annoy and boss around Mayumi more. She remained unbothered and that bothered him.
Rykan was more annoyed with his friends taking Mayumi's side and trusting her easily.
"Hey are you crazy?!" he yelled at Mayumi slapping the fescue off her hand.
"You really don't know anything don't you?! You're so annoying! Fescue is bad for pregnant mares! Why did that old man even brought an annoying kid from a mountain who can't even do anything right?!"
Rykan cared a lot about their horses so he was really furious seeing Mayumi fed the pregnant mare some fescue.
"Of course I don't know anything cause I came from the mountain! How would I know if you will just go boss around acting like brat instead of teaching me?!"
For the first time, Mayumi snapped. But instead of being annoyed, Rykan was thrilled.
'I finally found your weakness.'
"Rykan, you could've said it nicely. And you know she's right. You should try to be a bit nicer." Chase confronted him.
Rykan replied with annoyance, "Tsk, she isn't as nice as you think. Why are you taking her side?"
"It's because you're clearly in the wrong." Rykan just rolled his eyes with Chase's answer.
"I don't get you Rykan. We're all fine with her staying with us so why can't you be?" Julius asked genuinely but it only irritated him further.
"If you're all fine with it, doesn't mean I should be too!" Rykan answered with an irritated tone before heading out the stable.
Iriya followed him shortly. "Ryry, Julius don't mean it that way."
That night, Rykan dreamt of his parents' execution so he went outside to calm himself down. He heard some footsteps as he's staring at the night sky. He instantly knew it was Mayumi. He was far too familiar with his friends' footsteps.
'What's that kid even doing here late at night? Does she think she can break Hezborn's rules just because he's not here? Just you wait, I'm gonna tell Hezborn.'
"Here, eat this. The three including me are still alive so it's not poisonous."
Rykan decided to not pay her any attention but the food was just too aromatic for him to ignore.
'I'll only eat this because it would be a waste to just throw away.' He made sure no one's watching before taking a bite and it's one of the best desserts he ever tasted.
'Whatever, I still hate her.' he thought as he took another bite.
Rykan planned to leave Mayumi alone for a few days since Hezborn just came back but seeing her getting comfy and chummy with everyone, he was irritated.
"We shouldn't let this snake come close to Mimi." Iriya said.
"Why? Are you afraid it might swallow her?" the curious Julius asked.
Iriya answered, "No, I think she's afraid of snakes."
"Really? Are you sure?" Chase asked glancing at the agitated Mayumi in the distance.
"I'm pretty sure."
Upon hearing their conversation, Rykan once again planned a mischief. Not thinking about the possible consequences it might bring.