Hide and Seek (a memory) Part-2

'Tania....' He said again. This time, his voice more pronounced. Assuring. Not vague. Others in the car looked at him astonished. They couldn't understand why he spoke that girl's name now. 'Was he day dreaming?' They thought. 'Dreaming about a girl!' Amelia's naughty mind joked. Aster saw them looking at staring at him. 'Oh God! Did I? Did I speak her name?' Aster couldn't help but regret his own foolishness. His eyes met theirs once. They were all smiling at him. Meaningful smiles. Naughty ones. He could feel heat spreading his face. 'Am I blushing? What the?' He cursed his body for being so sensitive. He chose it better to ignore them. He leaned back in his seat again, making himself comfortable and closed his eyes.

He went into his own word of memories. That day, Tania was wearing something blue. He wasn't sure. It was years ago. But now, years later, when suddenly that piece of long lost memory came back to his mind, he felt that, that day, Tania looked like a princess. He felt that his hunch was right. His mind assured him. Otherwise, why would those mages take her orders? After he said his name, she moved closer to him. The armoured mages had left her alone, so that she could move around on her own for some time. But they were close. They were still watching. She offered her hand.

"Hello." She said with a sweet smile.

Aster shook hands with her. He tried to smile too. But, was still confused about how he ended up in that unknown place. Tania asked him a lot of things. Normal pleasantries when two people meet for the first time. Aster just stared at her. He couldn't understand who she was or why she was talking nicely to him. Tania's smile faded when she saw Aster stare at her.

"Did you lose your parents?" Tania asked.

That was when Aster thought about home. He wanted to go back home. He wanted to see his mother. Aster sadly nodded.

"Yes." He could blurt out.

It was not a lie since he had really lost his parents and did not know his way back home.

"Don't worry. My father will find a way to get you back to your parents."

Aster could only nod. Tania called over to her guards and asked them to take them to her father. The guards looked suspiciously at Aster. They had never seen him around. But they did as were they told. A carriage was arranged for Aster and Tania. They traveled through the busy market roads. The white horse galloped fast. It stopped every time it saw a person crossing the street or another cart in the front. They reached a garden. A garden full of flowers. The garden fence was made of neatly pruned bushes. They entered the garden through an arch full of grape vines. The vine were rich in ripe grapes. Tania plucked one and ate. She was naughty. Suddenly, she remembered her guest and plucked and showed a handful of grapes to Aster.

"Sorry... I forgot you were there." She mumbled, teasing herself. Aster could hardly hear what she said.

She suddenly cheered up as if someone changed a TV channel.

"Take some. These grapes are delicious."

Aster's mouth watered at the site of those purple grapes. He didn't wait for her to ask again. He took some readily and started eating. The guards just laughed at the immature behavior ofthe two children. They walked along the paved regions of the garden. On either sides of their path were a variety of flowers. Only flowers. That's all Aster could see. He felt that he was in the middle of an ocean. A colorful ocean. Ocean of flowers. Roses, tulips, sunflowers, daisies... what not. There were flowers that he had never seen. As they moved, he could see many other kinds of flowers too. There were no leaves. If there were leaves, they were all hidden under the thick inflorescence.

At the center of the garden, he could see a huge fountain. A lot of birds crowded around the fountain for water. The fountain displayed a beautiful scene. Stone carved women drawing water, elegant swans swimming and little children running about, all these mixed ina unique way to add to the beauty of the structure.

Beside the fountain, there was a small area were people could feed pigeons. The group moved towards the spot. Tania chatted all the while they walked. She was delighted to show around the garden to someone. As they moved closer to the pigeons, Aster saw an enormous back. A man's back. He was wearing an armour too like the rest of the guards. But his armour was made of gold. The rest of then had either silver or bronze armours. Tania suddenly stopped chatting on seeing the man.

"Daddy....." She shouted cheerfully and ran towards him, arms open wide.

The man heard the sudden call and turned around to see his daughter running towards him. His face lighted up on seeing his daughter. He opened his arms wide bent low at first, lifted her off the floor and gifted some warm kisses on his daughter's cheeks. Tania returned some kisses too. He had jet black hair too, just like Tania. He was gigantic in appearance but warm at heart. He had a muscular yet large body. He saw Aster staring at them and put his daughter down.

"Aster Brown, right?" He asked.

Aster nodded, confused. Aster didn't understand how he knew him. It made no sense.

"I knew, you had arrived."

"You know him daddy. He is my friend. He lost his parents." Tania jumped in.

"Aster, do you want to go back home?" He asked.

Aster nodded again.

"But before that, there are some..." He was interrupted in between. A guard came running towards the place they were standing and whispered something in his ears. His friendly expression faded away suddenly. He looked grave.

"Dad?" Tania asked seeing her father suddenly turn grave.

He was shocked. Blood drained from his face. He was nervous. For one moment, he was not there. His body was there. But mind was elsewhere. Suddenly, he returned. He was still serious. Something had happened. He was in a hurry. It seemed as if he had to go somewhere, to do something...

"Aster, you have to go back now. I'm sending you back. Tania go with the guards. Go home. Don't come out. Stay with your mother." He said nervously.

"Why dad?" Tania did not want to go back. She didn't want her new friend to go back either.

"Just go." Her father said. He looked at her lovingly but strictly.

She left with those guards without another word.

Her father looked at Aster andsaid that it was time to go back. He lifted his hands in the air. The next thing Aster remember is that he was standing in that part of the forest where they were he, Eren and Sienna were playing. Sienna had just said 'Sixty'. She turned and saw Aster standing there. She had already won the game. An easy win. She never liked easy wins. Aster was pretty confused. Eren came down from the tree and scolded Aster for not hiding. They saw that it was time for them to leave and they left the place without playing another game.

Aster had forgotten all about this incident. Now, after so many years it came back to him like a wave in the ocean. The wave returned after a long time. Now, Aster wanted to know about that cave. About the other dimension. He had to get back to the mountains of Benzua.

He smiled and opened his eyes to see that the others were lost in thought. His sudden movement aroused the others from their dreams. With a smile still lingering at the corner of his lips, he whispered,

"I know a place to hide."