[XASTOL CITY, IVAN'S HOME — TWELVE YEARS AGO]
Ivan set his hammer down with a gloomy sigh and studied his newest creation: a specialized baby seat he'd created for his newborn. It was designed with the hope of being able to rock his crying child to sleep. Almost four days had gone by since he'd last gotten a good nights rest and Ivan feared he'd soon collapse if something wasn't done soon.
"Awoo," baby Hidemi cooed, his lips trembling as he prepared himself to cry again. Ivan had stuffed him in between two pillows; a measure meant to prevent the baby from falling off the bed. So far, it seemed to have been working because Hidemi wiggled every five minutes to no avail in trying to escape the loathsome trap his father had designed to keep him safe.
"Nghaa!" he shrieked, finally slipping out.
Once he did, the large pillow on his left landed atop his face and trapped him underneath it. Slow to notice, Ivan picked up his baby-seat and turned to the bed to show his son what he'd made but dropped it immediately as his eyes set on Hidemi's unmoving body.
"GOOD GOD!" he yelled with a ghastly expression, eyes laden with horror. He dove into the bed and with a swift toss, threw the pillow off of Hidemi's head with a shaky inhale.
"Don't you ever scare me like that again!" he screamed with a pointed finger. "Do you understand?!"
Hidemi stared questioningly at his father's face for a moment before giggling; his tears receding instantly. "Eha! Ah, pfft!" he laughed, grabbing at his father's beard. Ivan winced and then let out a defeated sigh.
"...I suppose I do look a bit silly, eh?"
He smirked and tickled his son's chin. "I'm just glad you're okay."
The baby leaned forward and placed his open mouth over his father's nose, slobbering his saliva all over him with a wet, "Ghhfhfh!"
Ivan pulled him off with a deadpan look and grimaced at the link of saliva connecting his nose to Hidemi's mouth. However, not yet done with his antics, his son shook his head as hard as he could and splattered the gooey liquid all over his father's face.
"…Just perfect…" Ivan groaned.
He sat on the edge of the bed and placed the baby on his lap, wiping away the saliva as he did so. "Well, at least you're no longer crying. That's a first. Wanna tell me why?"
Hidemi offered no response.
"Guess not."
Ivan glanced at the baby-seat he'd dropped on the floor and flashed a comically irritated look Hidemi's way. "So that's how you wanna play, huh?" he smirked, coiling his fingers around his son's ribcage. "Coochie, coochie coo!"
Hidemi drowned in laughter, his face turning red before he stopped inhaling.
"I swear to Arsaes!" Ivan flinched as he thumped the baby's back. "Breathe! Breathe, dummy!"
He rested Hidemi against his arm and shook his head. "You're trouble… Just what am I gonna do with you?"
With his other arm, he picked up the baby seat and inspected it. The latch with buttons that helped the seat shake had come undone and a silver washer piece had fallen out of it. Sigh… I'm going to have to break it apart and remake it again or else that piece is gonna be a pain to set back.
He sat Hidemi in the chair and pulled down the straps in the seat so he'd be tucked in. Then Ivan ran a red belt buckle along the infant's stomach, securing him to the seat. "Well? What do you think? You like it?"
Hidemi beamed curiously and salivated on the seat. On the broken button below him was a letter that read "座位".
"I'll take that as a yes, then." Ivan chuckled, fluffing the boy's hair. "When you're a little bit older, I'll teach you how to speak with your hands.'
He rested the seat on the floor in front of him and sat back in his bed, leaning back as he ran his fingers through his messy hair. He had started to notice some greys. Being a father was not for the faint of heart.
Sometimes he wondered if it would be best to take Hidemi out of Xastol and forget his promise to Gwentyn. It would be much easier to take care of a boy somewhere he'd actually be accepted, but he knew what would happen should he leave the city limits — who would come for him.
He cursed his life. He cursed his father and brothers for standing idly by as his wife was stolen unfairly from him. He cursed fate for giving his son a disability as if not losing his mother and being half-human were not enough; but more than all, Ivan cursed his own helplessness. Every day that passed felt like his life was grinding to a bloodcurdling halt.
If I were Malik or Runnulf, maybe I'd have found a way that helps Hidemi and my people. But I'm not… And that's so… Tsk!
"Awa…"
Ivan looked down to see Hidemi reaching for the fallen washer piece on the floor and moved to stop him from possibly swallowing it. "N-No, buddy! That's not to be eaten!"
His face became even more dejected as he glanced at his son. Maybe if Hidemi could Sanctum-Smi—
LRRRRRN!!!!
A brilliant golden glow erupted from the boy's hands. So brilliant that Ivan could barely see what was happening. His room was lit up from the inside and shone brighter than any light on the ceiling.
Th-This has happened before! Ivan noticing, thinking back to the day Hidemi was born. This same light had been expelled from Gwentyn's stomach when she was suffering with contractions. I-I had thought it was a mistake; that Gwentyn's energy was disrupted due to childbirth! After all, no living being can produce such clear and dazzling energy…
Hidemi opened his palm and the trinket floated upward, drifting back to where it had fallen off originally in the latch and re-attached itself like glue. Ivan could tell with one look that this was pure Sanctum Essence.
The glow faded, leaving not only the button fixed, but reinforced with the leftover Sanctum Essence pooling from Hidemi.
"Gehehe!" The baby laughed, smacking the seat playfully with no idea of what he'd just done.
"Awa, awa!"
"This — Hidemi — you.." Ivan spluttered. He brushed his finger along the button Hidemi had fixed and allowed a smile to slowly form on his face. Tears came again, but not of sadness or anger.
"My boy… not even six months old and yet… he can use Sanctum Energy?"
He laughed loudly and looked incredulously at the ceiling. "I can't even be shocked… This power will only make him more of a target!"
Disappointment. Every cell in Ivan's body rang with disappointment. He dropped to his knees and curled in front of Hidemi, thinking: Why must he suffer? Why not me?
He thought of Gwentyn and recalled her words before she had passed:
"Your goodness should never be corrupted by the thoughts of others. Your family doesn't define you. You do. And I can tell with just one look that that child right there — that ball of love that we helped make — He can change them. For the better."
Ivan raised his head and looked at Hidemi. But can he? To place all that burden on a child… It's unfair..!
Hidemi studied his father before reaching out with a stretched hand and a smile. He wanted to be held.
Ivan sniffled and unbuckled the straps, lifting his son and hugging him gingerly. They remained like that for a few moments before the infant lifted his hand and placed it on his father's cheek. Ivan smiled, his gaze softening as he stared into Hidemi's clear brown eyes.
But then again, he thought. It's his choice to make, isn't it?
He kissed Hidemi's forehead and said, "As long as I draw breath, I will always take care of you, no matter how hard it gets. I'll make sure you grow up loved and wanted, just as Gwentyn dreamed. So don't you dare ever give up, got it? No matter how life gets or how unfairly people will treat you as you get older, I need you to remember to smile! A smile can keep you going even when you're sad and alone! You must always love yourself, alright?! Because you're a dwarf, regardless of what anyone else says! And you are my son, regardless of your lineage!"
I made my choice when I promised Gwentyn, Ivan cried. So now I'll let him make his as his father! I will reaffirm his dreams and make sure his will never wavers, so please… Watch over us, Gwentyn! Watch over us and see what kind of dwarf he'll become!
And though he was a baby just a few months old with no recollection of her, Hidemi could feel the presence of his mother in the room; hugging both him and his father with her kindness.
And he could feel his father's sincerity make her presence feel all the more tangible with his next words; a serious sincerity meant for them both:
"You are free!"
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[XASTOL CITY, THE DWANIVIT — PRESENT]
Things were not good. The dwarves present in the Tulou, who were captivated by the Song Of Arsaes grew more and more restless. Many were growing angry with Hidemi, misplacing their frustration for the law with the fact that he was a half-human desperate to be seen as a dwarf.
"Councilors, say something!" the crowd clamored. "It can't be that he'll be allowed back into the city just like that, right?! There must be a punishment!"
"No dwarf is to have contact with humans, remember?! He has human blood running through his veins!"
"That's true!" another yelled. "He even came here with human guests! Tah! They must have somehow tricked the Council into letting them past the walls!"
Additional voices chimed in, growing stronger and stronger, and the city people's anger heightened. Aleximus feared that soon, a riot might break out, and not even the Council would be capable of containing the madness that'd pour forth.
Hidemi frantically looked around as more dwarves began to stomp on the ground and point accusedly his way. Some had spit flying out of their mouths as they insulted him. Others barked madly for him to leave and give up.
The other entrants that he'd helped averted their bashful gazes and cowered in fear of the outrage building up. It was only natural. Not only were they hesitant to say something due to who Hidemi was, but their thoughts regarding what was right and wrong were thrown into wack the moment he'd assisted all of them in forging their items.
What was the dwarven thing to do here? Was it to speak up against their people for someone they hardly knew? Or was it to be silent and allow it to happen?
They all hung their heads and chose the latter.
Hidemi's eyes bounced from face to face, hoping to find someone who'd be willing to change — to do the right thing and speak on his behalf — but everyone looked away. And then it happened:
THUD!
Something hard struck Hidemi's temple and landed at his feet. Leon jumped forward and bit the end of Aleximus's robe, struggling to hold the boy back from jumping over the rail and attacking whoever had done it.
Hidemi winced and felt the red skin around his eyebrow, slow to even register the pain, and glanced upward at the stands. A senior with balding hair and a fading beard stood at the edge of the rails with a scowl. Everyone next to him had already turned to face him, creating a small but noticeable gap between themselves and him the moment he had attacked the boy.
Violence. Something none of them were used to, yet understood perfectly well in the midst of all their anger. To throw something at someone else with the intent to cause them harm was not the dwarven way, and no dwarf lived with hatred in his heart towards his countrymen. What he'd just done was unacceptable and yet…
"Please… Just leave, you demon!" The old man shook. He, too, was coming to grips with the fact that he'd just attacked another person — a child. And yet tears of regret stormed down his eyes as he whispered "please" over and over.
"Someone like you doesn't belong here… It just doesn't make sense, you know?! We dwarves… we were fine before you showed up! None of this anger and rebellion would be happening if you weren't here! If it weren't for you, I'd have never—"
He cut himself off by covering his mouth. He was of an older generation of dwarves, much more engrained into the older ways than the current generation being cultivated. To see something as unprecedented as a half-human dwarf sow chaos in such a way that other dwarves found themselves disobeying law and fighting…. It just didn't make sense in the slightest.
And yet… he did it. To help keep Xastol the same, he broke the laws he cherished and acted like the detestable humans they had all been taught to distrust since birth.
"...Im sorry…." he whimpered. He fell to his knees and looked at the people around him. "Xastol is… it's changing. And I don't know… what will… be left for me… once it does…"
They all gave him awkward glances of agreement, but none were confident enough to speak up. How could they? No one had ever done this before.
But in truth, that didn't matter. Hidemi Murong was here to prove everyone wrong; to show them a different, new path for all dwarves in Xastol. And that began with Hisagi.
TMP TMP TMP
"What are you…" Hisagi tsked. He scrambled to his feet and huffed in and out of his nose, doing his best to keep calm. "Stay away from me!"
Hidemi did not listen. He approached closer and closer until he was within arm's length. He reached into his robe's breast pocket and took out a shard of black metal; the same substance his reading tablet had been crafted from.
Hisagi recognized it and scowled more intently. "Why you—!" he shouted before grabbing Hidemi by the collar. He pulled him in close and shook, hardly able to contain himself. He wanted more than anything to rip his head off then and there; to do unto him pain as Hidemi's father had done to him by murdering his. There was so much Hisagi wanted to do… but he didn't know if he should.
Who would the anger truly be directed at? Hidemi? He was certainly upset with the boy, but had no personal grievance with him beyond his lineage. Hisagi was also displeased with the state of Xastol. Talent and tradition had taken center stage and no one cared to ask how he really felt. Demands were made and he was expected to meet them, else he would have been doing his people a disservice as a dwarf bearing the surname Murong. But was that right? Was that enough of a reason for him to suffer? If it was, then why wouldn't he take it out on Hidemi — the one person there would be no repercussions for facing? Why not?
"B-Banderd! We should stop them! If this continues, Hisagi will—" Gido started and rose to his feet. He found Banderd's arm placed on his shoulder and was locked in place by his brother's astounding grip. He may have looked thinner, but a powerful strength still slumbered underneath the Speaker's muscles.
Banderd looked at him and shook his head.
"We have no right to tell Hisagi anything anymore. We pushed that boy, whether we meant to or not, to the brink of physical and mental exhaustion just to cultivate his talent. Not one of us 'adults' consoled him after Ruo's death nor thought to ask if what we were doing was truly right." Banderd sighed. "How could we have been so foolish to continue leading others down a road we were unsure had an end? Our laws never let us change or grow. They kept us stagnant. And this is the result of that."
We… We all had a part in this. Every single one of us.
"Tsk!" Hisagi growled. He tackled Hidemi to the floor and raised his arm, causing hundreds to gasp as their young master's hand balled into a fist — something he had never done before.
Hidemi's palm was still open. The shard had somehow not fallen during the commotion and still stared at the golden-eyed genius in the face.
"Just what are you up to?!" Hisagi roared. "Are you mocking me?! Do you think because you can play the song of Arsaes, you're better than me?! Do you think you're a real dwarf?! You're nothing! Nothing but a loser trying to fit in with people who don't want you!"
His eyes burned hotter once he noticed Hidemi's expression didn't change. His cousin stared at him with a serious face. Not too serious to the point one might have thought he was angry, but just soft enough for Hisagi to know that Hidemi did not take any of his words to heart at all. And knowing that confused the boy even more.
"I–I..! I am Hisagi Murong! I am the prodigal son of Xastol! I am the son of Ruo Murong, descendant to the legendary Arsaes and the inheritor to all that Xastol ever was! I have to be! It's my fate! A nobody like you can't just steal it from me! I—"
Hidemi shook his head and wagged the shard in his hand, making Hisagi glance at it again. The sight of it brought back memories he thought he had repressed; memories of a time he had foolishly allowed himself to be happy:
Memories from two years ago, after he had befriended Hidemi for the first time and taught him how to read lips.
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[XASTOL CITY, GAN JIANG INTERSECTION, CITY CENTER, ARSAES NATIONAL PARK — TWO YEARS AGO]
Hisagi and Hidemi met every day at the back end of Arsaes National Park. Hisagi always made sure to teach Hidemi lip-reading in a place where no one could see them, or at the very least — they would see them first. It had to be this way. If his father were to find out or if people started to let rumors fly, it would be a blemish on the Murong family name to be seen socializing with their race's greatest shame.
Despite this, he never made mention of it to Hidemi because he knew it would hurt his feelings. Hisagi didn't want to admit it, but he had grown attached to his cousin in the short time they'd spent together, even if he didn't show it. And it was due to that that made their first four months of practice special.
Today, the pair found a secluded cave in the northwest side of the park to take cover from the unexpected rain. It was hidden by benches and just obscure enough behind the thick shrubs that surrounded it to look like an ordinary wall. He hadn't bothered setting up a lookout because of that.
He sat on the floor across from Hidemi, who's back faced the exit with his legs crossed and pointed from letter to letter while making a shape with his mouth.
As interesting as this is to decipher, Hisagi thought, it is no easy feat. How did Uncle Ivan build such a thing? Even ignoring the Sanctum web linking each word and object, you'd need a plethora of knowledge surrounding vocal patterns, speech, language, and context before knowing how to read lips. I've only been able to prepare a select few new words for him to learn whenever we meet, but he's been catching on so quickly. It's as if he can talk with Sanctum Essence.
He glanced up at Hidemi's innocent face. He was reading the letters as Hisagi instructed and smiling confidently to himself whenever he completed a new phrase.
But something about him irritates me, Hisagi scoffed, jealous. It's like everything comes effortlessly to him.
Hidemi noticed his staring and perked up, mouthing, "Owa?" before Hisagi pinched his nose. He blushed bright pink and shook off Hidemi's eyes.
"Shut up and pick your next word already."
Hidemi chuckled silently and ran his fingers along a letter, creating a trace of Sanctum Energy along his fingernail as he pointed to the next few letters. Then, he flicked his fingers together and signed to Hisagi, asking him to spell it out verbally.
"Huh?" Hisagi grunted. He shook his head and copied Hidemi, pointing at each letter before opening his mouth to slowly enunciate the vowels:
"BE… TR… AY… AL…"
Hidemi lifted his shoulders with a blank expression and a twinkle in his eye. Does he want to know what it means? Hisagi asked himself. "It means—"
BMF!!
Something blindsided Hidemi, knocking him over in an instant before Hisagi's eyes had time to register that he'd even fallen. He jumped to his feet nervously and collected himself at once. Someone had found them. Did they see him speaking with Hidemi? Did they see him touching him? Hisagi looked toward the exit, careful not to show too much emotion and took in the newcomers who'd just arrived.
"What's this?" a squeakily irritating voice rang. Accompanying it came a foot that stepped on Hidemi's back. "It's the half-breed, boys!"
Hisagi felt his heart drop. "Esi…" he breathed, praying that the boy hadn't seen him teaching Hidemi. Unconsciously, his body moved to help Hidemi up and remove Esi's foot, but he stopped himself as to avoid suspicion. Instead, he kept his eyes peeled on Esi Phizar, who had arrived with his young entourage. His arms were folded and his smile was smug with braces in his teeth.
Esi raised a brow, genuinely taken aback by Hisagi's presence and waved. "Hey, it's Hisagi! What are you doing here?"
A droplet of water rolled down the cave ceiling and fell onto Hisagi's neck, electrifying his nerves with a single gulp. D-Damn it …What should I say? I didn't think anyone would find us here!
"W-What are you doing here, Esi?" Hisagi asked. Esi smirked and nodded at Hidemi. "That half-breed's been coming into the park almost every day for the past four months! We figured he had to be up to something, even going as far as coming out here in the middle of all this rain. Looks like we were right! That black tablet he has was probably stolen or something! You're here for the same reason, right, Hisagi?"
Before he could answer, Hidemi grunted and whipped himself up, pushing Esi's foot off of him with a stern look. "Gah!" the bully jumped, startled. "S-Stupid half-breed! Get him!"
The other boys moved in and grabbed Hidemi's limbs, locking away his mobility. Esi smirked and approached him.
"No—" Hisagi whispered. Again, he moved forward and then stopped himself. I can't. T-There are laws — order. I am a Councilperson's son… I must show adherence to the rules. I must!
Rightfully scared, Hidemi's eyes frantically traveled to Hisagi's, pleading for help with only one look. Sadly, Hisagi turned his eyes away from him, silently apologizing to his cousin as he closed his eyes to it. I'm sorry, Hidemi. But I can't help you like this…
"You know," Esi spoke with a sly grin. "I used to have a Yula Dog when I was little. It died three months after dad got it for me, but it was my favorite pet ever. I mean, you should've seen it's fur and eyes — it was a real beauty."
Hidemi gulped and struggled against the others' grip.
"I later found out from dad, but apparently, the dog had been the offspring of two different kinds of mutts. They had found a way to sneak out of their cages and met up every night at a small riverbed because the pound didn't keep the locks on tight enough."
He took another intimidating step forward. "What they didn't know, was that the river they would meet at had a boat-load of fleas. So many fleas that the Councilors sent in my dad and his men to close off and fume the area. Anyways, the fleas got these dogs so sick that they died after a couple of months. But not before they had the baby. The council didn't find out that the dogs were sick until the dogs that had been in contact with those two mutts all passed away from an unknown disease. Of course, that meant the baby eventually died too."
"Mn!" Hidemi yelled, understanding where the story was going.
"You get it yet, Menark?" Esi laughed, stopping in front of him. "Dozens of dogs died because those two didn't stay away from each other. Because they didn't follow the rules and stay in their cages."
"Esi!" Hisagi interrupted meekly. "I don't have to remind you that fighting is prohibited, do I? Do not hurt him!"
The other boys snickered. "Oh don't worry, young master," Esi snorted. His eyes traveled to the black tablet on the ground. "…We won't touch him."
He picked it up and studied the small inscriptions. "What the—"
"OWA!" Hidemi pushed, tears swelling in his eyes.
"Hold him tighter!" Esi barked.
The boys all grunted, struggling to hold Hidemi back. H-He's strong..! they thought.
Esi held the tablet up to Hidemi's face and smiled. "So, mutt, is this supposed to be some kind of reading tablet? You think you'll be normal with this?"
The others cackled but Hisagi refused to watch. Hidemi's face flushed red with embarrassment. Though he couldn't hear their laughter, their faces and Esi's words crushed him.
"You remind me of my old dog," Esi smiled. He grabbed his chin and said, "Just a nuisance who took too long to die. Luckily, I hear your filthy human mother didn't have that issue, did she? Maybe daddy will drop next!"
Every word he said was torture. Hidemi wanted desperately to not be able to read their lips. Somehow, being able to understand made the insults and pain worse.
His reddened eyes searched Hisagi's face for compassion and help once more. Please, Hisagi shook, …Don't look at me with those eyes. I can't…
He stepped to the side and fixed his eyes to the floor, abandoning Hidemi.
Hidemi's arms and legs loosened, relaxing as the thought that Hisagi wouldn't save him set in. He, too, was scared.
CRAAAACK!!
The tablet crashed down in front of Hidemi and shattered into dozens of fragments. Hisagi flinched, eyes widening as he glanced at Esi's hands. He had thrown the tablet on the ground and let it fly. Small wisps of Sanctum Energy from the metal dissipated from the wreckage, draining life out of Ivan's work.
"T-The tablet…" Hisagi's voice trailed off.
He looked at Hidemi. He hadn't made a single noise. Instead, tears gushed from his eyes and ran down his face. Esi's entourage let go of him and allowed him to collapse on his knees.
"Remember this, mutt," Esi laughed, turning for the exit. "If you know what's best for you, you'll keep away from us real dwarves, got it?!"
One after the other, the young boys left the cave, high-fiving each other as they stepped into the rain.
"You coming, Hisagi?" Esi asked as he walked. "It'll be cold soon."
Though he didn't see it, Hisagi's mouth trembled for a moment before he also made for the exit. He stopped just outside of it, getting soaked in water, but didn't turn around. He wanted so desperately to say "I'm sorry," but he knew he didn't deserve the boy's forgiveness. There was nothing he could say to Hidemi to make up for what just happened. In fact, after today, he probably wouldn't ever speak to him again.
Hisagi regained his pace and left without a word.
Hidemi stayed unmoving and planted on the floor of the cave. Though he wept, he willed himself to keep his tears silent. He feared that if he made his weakness and sadness known to them, that if he let out the wail of grief from a voice he could not hear — the voice from his own mouth — that the boys would come back. That Hisagi would come back.
It was much more comfortable knowing that he had the silence around him to keep him company. Had his cousin returned with his bullies, he knew that his cousin would be forced to make a choice he'd have never made before: to choose him and defy the adults. Hidemi loved Hisagi too much to allow that.
So, it was in that silence that he found understanding. Understanding of what loneliness was, and the sort of people who brought it about. Understanding about the forms that loneliness took, and what made loneliness necessary so others would be happy. Even if that meant he'd be sad.
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[XASTOL CITY, THE DWANIVIT — PRESENT]
Hisagi let his balled fist fall to the side. Something wet slid down his cheek and landed on Hidemi's forehead with a slick pop.
Hidemi felt his cousin's body tremble with pain, a wave of sadness emanating from him unlike any he'd ever felt before. Even after everything had happened, Hisagi still couldn't bring himself to attack Hidemi; the first person whom he didn't have to pretend and behave formally. He was his first true friend — his family. No matter how he felt about Ivan's hand in his father's death… It was not proper to strike another. It was not becoming of a real dwarf.
Hisagi's bangs hung low, veiling Hidemi's face in the blur of his tears. Damn it, he cried. I… I'm still worthless — pathetic! Everything I do always ends up half-baked. Why..? Why do I always have to make these decisions?!
He sobbed in front of his city. He paid no mind to how he looked because he was too overwhelmed with emotion to realize. Hisagi felt alone; that no one could understand him or even attempt to. Everyone expected. Everyone took. No one ever cared. And what was worse was that too Hisagi… he'd become just like the elders who'd done it to him; the same people he was slowly beginning to detest.
And then… it happened. Hisagi Murong feared that uttering this wish, which he'd kept repressed for so long, would destroy him from the inside — alienating him from his countrymen: those who demanded so much from him in return for so little. But his lips came together against his will, forming a single, soft whisper. A sentence murmured so low that no one in the Tuolou could hear:
"Please…" he weeped, "...Help…me…"
TWOOSH!
Hidemi jerked up and threw his arms around his cousin. He embraced him with tears in his own eyes, leaving nothing hidden about how he felt. Hidemi more than anyone else there today could feel Hisagi's heart — understand it. Perhaps it was due to that that Hisagi has whispered his silent prayer; hoping that someone — anyone — would reach out.
Well, someone did; and it was the person he had forsaken in his pursuit to fit in. Hidemi loved Hisagi. He held for him the love he held for his own father and mother. The same love he now carried for Jacender and Aleximus, and even the city of Xastol, which hated his very being:
A fondness for understanding, even in the silence they all individually suffered from. How could he bear to watch someone agonize over something that was not his fault? Hidemi Murong refused to live in that sort of world. He wouldn't!
"Owa!" he cried with Hisagi. "Owa!!"
Hisagi buried his face into his cousin's shoulder and hugged him back as tightly as he could. Their chests rose and fell in unison as they wailed, finally able to communicate with the other. The onlookers watched in silence; not a single person daring enough to interrupt the display. For the first time since Xastol's founding, a dialogue was being had between their people. Words were not needed. Nor were Councils, guards, or weapons of any kind.
All one needed was compassion in their hearts and a willingness to see past the walls the other had put up. Then — and only then — could one see the truth:
Indeed… this was what it meant to be a true dwarf.
The moment was beautiful for all involved. And it would have stayed that way had it not been for—
THUD!
Hisagi and Hidemi flinched, along with the eyes of everyone else in the crowd and the rest of the participants. Something had crashed against the railings of the audience section and fell directly in front of them both.
"Huh?!" Aleximus gasped while peering over the railing. A familiar flash of blue and white has caught his eye.
Hidemi let go of Hisagi and faced what had fallen. It wasn't just something, but somethings.
Three people had fallen before the two of them and were sprawled out on the ground. However, what caught his attention more than anything else, was the man in the middle who sported dirty dwarven-wear and a ragged beard. His eyes were brown and it seemed the expression he had made just before he'd fallen was one of shock or horror, because he was still caught in it.
Hisagi's eyes widened, too. "Impossible…"
There, somehow, in front of the entire city of Xastol…
Ivan Murong had appeared.
[SILENCE IN UNDERSTANDING [III] ]