[Chapter 09] - Gharfien - Part 1

Year 952, day 262, Elfen territory , Forest of the border town with Mercy , 16h.

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– Why weren't you there ?! – Whiger shouts, punching and kicking Roldi. – You should be there! Should ...

The gray-haired gentleman hugs him tightly while being hit by the boy's punches.

– Let me go! You are not my father!

He pushes himself back and hugs his sister, who is also crying, sitting on the floor.

Sobbing, crying, Kahyu says to his brother:

– The fault ... It's ours. Whiger , it's not Mr. Roldi's fault ... – She completes screaming. – It's our fault, Whiger ! Our! We sell the eggs! He forbade us to sell!

– Calm down children, please ...

– Just because he forbade the sale of eggs, is it our fault? He didn't explain anything! He just said not to sell! He didn't say that people could come and kill our parents for selling two eggs! It's not our fault, it's his fault! His! His! His!

Kahyu gets up, runs towards Roldi and hugs him.

– Sorry, Mr. Roldi! Forgive me and my brother! He's just nervous! – She cries loudly. – Please don't leave us either!

The gray-haired lord's eyes fill with water.

– You can rest easy, my dear little girl. I will not abandon you.

Kalui still sits in the corner of the house, sitting, with an empty look.

– What do we do now, Roldi? – Asks Kalui .

– Children, do you have any relatives to take care of you? Let it be far from the village.

– Do you want to get rid of us already ?! Don't forget that the fault is– - Whiger is interrupted by Kahyu .

– To Whiger ! Enough! Accept that it's our fault! Our parents ... Our parents are gone! – She says crying.

He stares at his sister, amazed, with tears streaming from his eyes, as he turns into a tiger. Upon completing the transformation, he runs into the forest.

Kalui gets up and runs to the door, trying to see his friend.

– Come back here, Whiger ! – Screams the boy.

– It's no use, Kalui . Then he comes back. My brother has always been like that. Ah, how funny that is. Was about to say I'm going to tell Mom when I get home ... I could not do anything ... I not even tried ... I– - Kahyu is interrupted by a strong embrace of Kalui .

– Boy. Take care of her. I'll get Whiger . – He smiles, with sad eyes. – I count on you.

With the speech of his caregiver, Kalui shivers and a sense of pride takes over him. However, this sensation is short– lived , as he feels Kahyu's tears running down his shoulder.

In the forest, Roldi tracks and chases the tiger boy's footprints.

After some time following the tracks, Roldi finds the boy crying at the top of a tree. He doesn't tell you he's there. Just watch, quiet.

– I know you're there. I also know that it's not all your fault, but ... If you had trained me as much as you train Kalui , maybe I would have done something. Maybe ... Maybe now everything was fine! Instead, you rarely train Kahyu and me , but you are always pushing Kalui to the maximum. Understand – - The boy is interrupted by the exaltation of Roldi.

– Boy! Your parents were great people and they definitely wouldn't be happy with you creating a fairy tale in your head! You two never wanted to train and I am not your father to compel you, as you said yourself, and even if you were the most powerful human being, what good would it do? You were asleep at the time that everything happened. Don't blame yourself for something that has never been under your control! You are smarter than that! No-

– Shut up! – Screams Whiger .

– Do not create a story to live! – He strikes the tree with a spinning kick, knocking it down. – Accept the reality, child!

The boy falls to his feet and kneels on the floor, crying.

– I know! I know! – He screams with all the air in his lungs. – I know!

The gray-haired man puts his hand on the boy's short hair.

– I can't imagine the pain you're feeling. Especially at that age ... But child, please, it's not your fault. – He kneels in front of the boy and hugs him. – Let's go back, okay?

Concerned, Whiger asks:

– Aren't you mad?

– I have no reason to be angry. – He smiled. – Let's go. Seeing the immensity of the sea will refresh you.

The boy dries his tears and walks back to Roldi.

At home, Kahyu and Kalui watch the clouds in the sky. The girl's momentary lull is short lived and she cries again. The boy doesn't know what to do. He looks from side to side repeatedly, until he decides to hug her again.

– Calm down, Kahyu . It's going to be okay ... We're all here together, okay?

Unable to answer, she just cries.

Whiger and Roldi emerge from the forest together. The tiger boy now has another posture, head held high and a determined look.

– Stop crying, Kahyu . Our mother lost her family all younger than us and managed to make it on her own. We at least are not alone.

Annoyed, she responds by shouting:

– Stop being ridiculous! You were crying just now! Leave me alone!

– Whiger , your sister has her time, you have yours. – Roldi enters the house. – I need your help to decide what we will take away from this house.

Everyone sits on the wooden floor. Roldi throws the clothes of the children who were in their home on the floor.

– Those are your clothes. I took it so you don't have to go back there. Gather your clothes, take this sheet and make a bag.

Sad, the couple of brothers bow their heads.

– Thank you, Mr. Roldi. – Says Kahyu .

Roldi and Kalui separate some clothes.

The four talk for a few hours. During this period, Kahyu calms down a little, even laughing at times. It was decided that they will take only their clothes, some tools in Roldi's backpack and a wooden sword in each one's backpack, for training that will now be daily.

After taking everything he intends to take, Roldi says:

– Children, I want to ask you a favor.

– Just talk, Roldi! – Kalui exclaims , excited.

The sibling couple just nods.

– It's very simple. Could they destroy this house for me? Whichever way you prefer, just destroy as much as possible.

The three children look confused.

– Are you serious? – Asks Kahyu .

– Yes. That includes the cart. We will travel with little and fast. We don't need it anymore.

Excited, Kalui asks his friends.

– I'll do just one thing and leave the rest to you. Okay?

Kalui raises his hands, sending a strong wind under the wagon.

"Now just let it go ... ", Kalui thinks .

Suddenly, the wagon flies and continues to climb until after a few seconds, it starts to plummet at high speed and collides with the roof of the house, throwing wood everywhere. The house is split in half and the roof is completely destroyed. Dust takes over the place.

Kalui's face turns pale. Shaking, he turns around and asks Roldi.

– Roldi ... It could already destroy, right? You didn't have to take anything else, right?

Laughing, he replies:

– Keep calm! Children, help me please and destroy everything!

A depressive air hangs over the sibling couple. Your eyes are lifeless and hopeless.

Worried, Kalui asks:

– Guys, aren't you going to destroy the rest? They are tired?

Hearing his friend's question, Whiger starts walking slowly, towards the house. It transforms your legs and arms, creating large claws, slightly increases your amount of muscle and cuts the logs. The damage he does is minimal, it just scratches the logs, but what he feels is something else.

Tears stream from your eyes with each blow. A simple smile from the corner of the mouth appears gradually in the boy.

After a few minutes of hitting what used to be a house, Whiger realizes that what holds the logs together are thick ropes. Then he cuts all the ropes, making what was once a destroyed house, now just a heap of scratched and broken logs.

Whiger's face is no longer so lifeless and hopeless, now he is just a sad child.

Kahyu spent all this time watching, caressing his own hands with anxiety.

– Let me finish, brother.

– Okay . – He answers.