Brothers at Arms

Masid's unusually controlled hostility towards Aela is ticking me off. I understand that he's taking caution but Aela has proven herself to be a friend and an integral foundation to this journey of ours. If it wasn't for her, we're still probably circling deep within the forest. Thanks to her, we're now at arms' reach of the town. We find ourselves sitting on a boulder next to a pond, hushed rush of water makes its almost steady water flow. The beauty of the pond reflects everything in the surroundings.

          "Tell me what your deal with Aela is." I try my best not to sound condescending in any way. "She's been good to us and yet you're having that attitude towards her."

          "Why are you so bothered? She isn't." Masid hisses back. "She probably thinks I'm friendly towards her. Ask her. You'll see."

          "That may be the case but I know what you really think and it's not good. You're my best friend and I don't want you and her having some kind of friction." My subconscious brought out the broach Mother gave me. I pass it from one hand to the other to ease the tension creeping up from the roots of my spine.

          "Look, Vatic. I will always keep an eye out for you and… for her for a totally different reason. I'm more than just your familiar. You're like a brother to me and I hope I'm the same to you. I stand by my words. That woman is dangerous. I can feel it in my bones. You can befriend her all you want but the least I can offer is to be civil towards her." He splashes the surface of the water he can reach, rippling his reflection.

          "Of course you're a brother to me. My world has almost gone array when the thought of you not coming back plagues me. I'm over the moon when you did and I intend to keep you by my side always." I pat his head, admiring his thick black coat that almost blends in the darkening forest.

          "I'm glad too. I couldn't thank your Mother enough for making me come back." He shoots an odd look at me. It's as if he told me something he shouldn't. He readies to stand up but I keep my hand locked on his head with enough force to stop him from fleeing.

          Muscles start to tick throughout his body. His gazes flick from left to right as if finding a way to escape somehow. His claws are revealing and retracting. He's panicking. I chant, "Reirrab." Heat seeps through my core until it envelopes the entirety of my body. A second later, a steady stream of thin steam escapes silently out of me and forms a dome around us, swallowing me and Masid inside. I did it as discreetly as I could so Masid wouldn't notice. I release my hold on his head. As expected, he quickly stood up and hastily jumped off the boulder but his attempt of running away was to no avail. The barrier of thin heat locks him inside with me.

          "Really? You used your magic on me?" He treads back to his spot next to me.

          "Nope." I look at him dead in the eyes. "I used my magic on us. No one leaves here until you tell me everything you know, Masid. We're best friends –no, brothers– so we shouldn't keep secrets." I point out, holding the broach tightly. "I understand if these selective truths are coming from Mother but not from you. So please, tell me everything you know." 

          He considers me for a couple of heavy breaths then looks at me back into my soul. "I died, Vatic…"

          My lungs cease to function. The air stops from coming in and out of my body. I can't breathe. My eyes widen with this unexpected revelation. Trembling overpowers my calm limbs. What does he mean he died? Am I just imagining him being with me all these years? Is he just a fragment of my lucrative mind? No. That's not it. Mother sees him, Calista does, and Aela too. They can all see him so what does he mean? This doesn't make sense. I unintentionally undo my barrier due to the shock. Masid senses the release of my spell but he stays with me.

          "I died, Vatic." He repeats to make sure I heard it right. "But, your mother somehow brought me back to life. When I realized, years have passed already."

          "H-How?" I struggle to bring any sentences out.

          "I'm not even sure myself but from what Calista told me…" He starts to explain.

          From what Masid can recall, he died the night we were forced to leave town a decade ago. When I hoped that he escaped on his own, he didn't –couldn't. He was burnt down along with everything else we owned. My heart aches for him. I left him there to die. We left him there to die. Sorrow becomes visible to the corners of my eyes but Masid comforts me by placing a paw to my head. I can't even imagine the hardships he faced during his last moments. Did he think we intentionally left him? Did he think that we forgot about him? I didn't. I will never. I was always thinking about him every passing second.

          "Don't cry, Vatic. I didn't think you abandon me. It never registered to my mind. Besides, I'm alive!" His voice is chirpier than usual, trying his best to uplift the situation.

          "Who's crying? No one's crying!" I retort, aggressively wiping off my eyes to prevent any tears from leaking out. I laugh to conceal my true emotions.

          Apparently, Mother found his body while doing one of her Harvests and she's been tending to him since. It turned out that every time she's out for subsequent Harvests, she's trying to bring him back to life. It took her almost half a decade to do so. The day I thought Dalakethnon was about to eat me back when I was ten was the day he resurrected to the mortal realm. Mother may be more powerful than I regard her to be. How can one bring someone back to life? That's definitely unheard of. Then, I wondered why she didn't do the same to the fallen residents of the town. I'm sure she's capable of it if she really wants to.

          "Not quite." Masid splashes the water again. He seems to be unbothered by all of these. For the love of Gods, he died and was brought back to life. He should be more expressive about this. Maybe he just came to terms with it already. "She can't. Her power of resurrection isn't omnipotent. It's just enough for a small cub like I was."

          "I see. Well, I'm just glad she did. I'm glad that you're here." I hug him. "I swear that I won't let something like that happen to you anymore. I'm way stronger now."

          "Don't ever think you're the only one who became stronger." He teases, touching his forehead to mine. "I have your back, you have mine. That's enough for me, brother."

          So that's what Mother was doing during her Harvest all those times aside from gathering materials and foraging. She's resurrecting Masid from his soulless state. Now, I know. I really wonder how she did it. Most importantly, will I be able to do it? I have a feeling that it doesn't have a direct affinity to flame magic so I won't be able to but it won't hurt if I try to learn it any time soon. I hope she guides me through that as well. However, if he already resurrected Masid on the fourth year of mending, what else was she doing during her Harvest within the next following years? There's still a mystery after all and I plan to unravel that.

          "I wonder what Mother is doing now." I change the topic, concluding our hearty talk.

          "She's probably locked herself inside her workshop concocting new potions." He banters. I laugh, placing both my hands on my stomach because I can really imagine her doing that at this time of day. "Well, we can always come back if you miss her."

          "Are you kidding me? The town is just literally right there!" I gesture my left arm to where the town is. "We can stay out here a few more days longer to explore more. She'll understand. If she's really worried or doesn't trust me, she knows where to find us. If she does, I can finally have Aela meet her. She's a fan after all."

          "I'm glad that after everything, your love for your mother is unwavering. I admire that."

          "You think so? Isn't that the natural way to feel? After all, Mother is just thinking about my welfare. I'm just happy that she allowed me to go out here. I may not be coming back sooner than she hopes but I will eventually once I've got all the answers I need. She'll understand."

          "I hope so."

          It's getting late so I had Masid go back to camp and help out just in case Aela needs any assistance. She's been sorting those kinds of stuff of ours for quite some time now. She's definitely someone dependable. I stay at the top of this boulder just to enjoy a little bit of peace for myself as I play around with my broach. Tossing it into the air, catching it, stroking the insignia engraved on it. I imagine how it felt while it was still in the possession of Father. I just smile at the thought. Suddenly, I hear the rustling of a nearby bush. I jerk up, hoping that it's either Masid or Aela since the rustling is in the direction of our makeshift camp.

          "There you are!" Aela exclaims, pushing the remaining bush out of her way. Her teeth shine brightly as her smile meets the lights of the moon. "I've been looking around for you."

          "Aela. Am I really out that long now?" All this contemplating makes me lose count of time. "I'm sorry."

          "No. It's not that late." She sets her glistening red hair back behind her ears, making her face properly lit by the moon's shine. I can't truly put into words how beautiful she is. "I'm just wondering where you are. Do you mind company?" She smiles, looking at the spot where Masid was at and back to me. Does she want to sit beside me?

          "No. Come on in!" I hope that didn't just sound too excited.

          I extend my hand to her so she can have something to hold on to as she finds her comfortable spot on top of the boulder. The moss covering the boulder isn't slippery at all. It helps with our grips actually. For a while, we're just exchanging smiles at each other. I'm contented that way really. No talking, just looking at each other's eyes with… joy. The first few stars reveal themselves as they twinkle in such a manner similar to how my heart beats at the sight of a woman as stunning as the moon's presence.

          "Is there something in my face?" She asks, wiping off any invisible smudge. Am I that obvious when looking at her?

          "Oh, no." I gesture, crossing my hands in the air. "Am I staring too much? Sorry." I scratch the back of my neck in embarrassment.

          "You're weird, Vatic." Her tone is as sweet as the twinkles of the moon and its stars up above. Her smile is as calming as the steady stream of the pond down below.

          "You really think I'm weird?" I grin, planning something really weird. "How's this for weird?" I snag a pair of daggers sheathed from each of my hips, one dagger in each hand. I place the tips of the daggers on top of the boulder. I maneuver my entire weight to only the weapons. Controlling my breath, I slowly raise my legs and feet straight up to the sky. I haven't done this for a while but here I am. I'm doing a dagger stand to impress a girl. A beautiful girl.

          "Get down from there, Vatic!" She reaches out but doesn't touch me. She's worried. "Your wounds aren't completely healed yet!" Her eyebrows furrow, worrying. 

          I brace myself, lowering my entire body until the tip of my nose almost touches the surface of the mossy boulder. Then, I jump. While airborne, I did a heart-racing front flip, landing proudly back on the top of the massive rock. I did what she asked. "I did scare you there, didn't I? My bad." I chuckle, placing my daggers back on the sheaths resting on my hips.

          "You did but you impressed me too!" She pats my back. "You're weirdly strong, Vatic. I like you like that."