"Hello? Anybody home?" Mirai's father called out, his mind puzzled to the lack of response. Both him and his son stood outside a hut in a village, tree's stood tall around them with houses and huts nestled at the roots, the plants luscious and pure, the sound of birds chirping happy songs at the crack of the new dawn untainted by the hand of man.
"We should just go home-" Mirai muttered, a bit anxious by being this far out the village, their heads were covered with robes and eyes casted in shadow, for fear of being discovered.
Though the fear in the young boy's voice was evident, his words fell on deaf ears as his father scratched his head with a confused expression.
"She should be here by now-" he muttered to himself, the sound of footsteps approaching from a distance catching him off guard.
"You're a bit early, are you not?" The voice of an old Elvan woman danced by their ears, her cane pushing through the grass to keep her up, the bags under her eyes weighed with the passage of time. Iris's of gold and a soft smile blessed her features as she approaches.
The sound of a crackling flame echoed throughout the hut, a cozy orange glow emitting from it and ran up the walls, displaying their silhouette as giants compared to their actual forms as they spoke over tea.
"I'm really grateful you're willing to see us today Lady Elaris," Mirai's father thanked, his eyes filled with gratitude and hopefulness.
"You have no reason to thank me," Elaris muttered, her voice coarse yet sweet, her gaze lifting to watch the man in his eyes. "I owe this to a friend of mine who had long passed."
"Well maybe you can relay that message for me?" He pondered, with a playful smile, the old elf chuckling at his words, then looking down to her cup with a look that was almost reminiscent. Her reflection shifting and changing within the ripples of the green tea that remained in it's confines.
"Renmar, one day your tongue will get you hanged," Elaris said, her voice laced with nostalgia within her buttery smooth tone. "Fern had no business falling for an inconsiderate man like you."
"H-hey! hat's a bit hurtful don't you think?" Renmar feigned defense, Elaris chuckling once more at his antics. The man watching on with a fond smile.
"It's been a while since we spoke like this," he muttered, a bit found of the memories of the past.
"It wouldn't hurt to visit more," Elaris commented, taking a sip of her tea.
"I've been busy with other things, you know, my son actually got in to the academy, though the fee for it is quite hefty."
"Breaking your back for a kid with no magic? It's bound to fail," Elaris muttered, Renmar letting out a sigh before looking into his own.
"He want's to be an adventurer, and for humans its our only option, we cant exactly join a guild like everyone else, it's stupid... and I want to fix that-" He murmured, his reflection rippling in it's tiny waves. "That's why I'm doing this in the first place,"
He looked up to Elaris, her gaze softened to his words.
"S-so, how's Ayla doing these days?" He pondered trying to change the topic.
"She awakened her magic not too long ago," She mentioned, her fingers idly pushing the cup, watching as the tea jostled and turned inside.
"That's great! What element is it?"
"That's the thing," She muttered, "It wasn't an element, I believe she might be the reincarnation of Falneir."
Shock rippled across Renmar's face as the words left Elaris's lips. His mouth fell open, and his hands gripped the edges of the table tightly as he processed the revelation.
"What..."
Mirai sat outside as they spoke, his head lifted to the trees that would block out the bright cyan sky, the clouds hiding behind the branches as the soft morning breeze blew against his hood.
'What could they be talking about, I know he told me not to move but-' He thought to himself, his head raised to the sound of children laughing and giggling, his gaze was beckoned by the noise, watching from where he sat, kids playing with a ball without touching it with their hands, their eyes squinted closed in focus their tanned skin glistened from the heat and sweat of their efforts.
Their bare feet tread the grass around them, attempting to keep the ball from touching the ground, among them stood a girl with long white hair and cyan blue eyes that rivaled the sky above.
Her wrists were wrapped in beads and her dress to her knees, made from luscious silk and adorned with golden floral designs that would follow the fabric as she kicked the ball, her gaze soon drifting to his and their eyes would meet.
Mirai promptly looked away, the ball falling in the girl's hand as her gaze lingered a moment longer.
"Hey Ayla! Hurry hurry!" the kids called out to her, her focus brought back to the game as she chased after them with a wide grin.
"i wish..." He muttered, hiding deeper in his cloak, his face completely hidden from sight. "I wish, I could play too..."
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As time passes and the moon and sun shift their positions another opportunity dawned as they visited the village once again, and once again Mirai sat outside waiting for their conversation to be over, accompanied by the soft cry of wildlife and the gentle whistle of the air around him.
"Hey," He heard a soft voice, his head raised to see the girl from the other day, staring down at him with a smile and the ball in her hand.
"What's your name?" She pondered, crouching near him, Mirai shuffling a bit before muttering impishly.
"Mirai..." Ayla looked at him with a curious face, her big blue eyes staring into his as he pulled the hood more around his face to hide, the two kids sitting in silence.
"Can you play football?" She asked, breaking the tension between them with a playful smile as she backed up and stood in front of him with the ball.
"Oh- uh i never played." Mirai muttered, getting up too, making sure his hood is secure on his head.
"Here, i'll show you!" She announced, dropping the ball to the ground and kicking it with her foot as it bounced up, her feet juggled the ball, lightly kicking it up in the air as it fell.
"See? Now your turn!" She announced, kicking it over to him, expecting him to do the same thing.
He was caught off guard by the sudden action, stumbling on his own feet in an attempts to catch it and tumbled to the ground.
Ayla burst out laughing at the sight, her hand raising to cover her lips as she tried to contain herself. Mirai's face beet red.
"S-shut up!" He muttered, his voice defensive.
She continued to laugh, wiping the tears from her eyes as she looked down to him.
"I'm sorry but that's really funny!" She laughed, her joyous roar contagious as Mirai soon felt a giggle beckoned from his lips soon joining in the festive noise.