《Immaculate》 Prologue 2881 P.C., the First of Spring, Hylicia¡¯s Vale. Antares watches with curiosity from the bedside, where his mother is holding her newborn babe closely. The baby is the picture of health, cooing softly in its mother''s arms, maybe a little larger than most babies are. The pain of childbirth all but forgotten, Reia is calm and smiling warmly as she lovingly holds the infant in her arms. All is silent, save for the pitter patter of rain outside, and the distant rumble of thunder somewhere off in the distance. Antares climbs up onto the bed, his knees wobbling slightly, and holds his arms outstretched for the child, looking up at Reia earnestly. Reia looks back down at her older son, smiling softly. ¡°Do you want to hold your little brother?¡± she asks. ¡°Little¡­ bro-ver?¡± Antares asks, his voice full of wonder as he looks down at the newborn, who Reia places delicately into Antares¡¯s waiting arms, making sure to hold him securely up on the bed. ¡°That¡¯s right, he¡¯s your new little brother. That means he¡¯s your family, just like me.¡± Reia affirms, holding Antares to make sure he doesn¡¯t let the newborn child fall; though Antares is holding him, Reia is the one actually supporting either of their weight. ¡°As his older brother, it¡¯ll be your job to take care of him, too.¡± Reia asserts firmly. Antares stares down at the newborn, feeling a strange sense of warmth in his heart. His new little brother is nestled down in his arms, curling up next to his chest, yawning and mewling softly. Despite being newborn, the child already has a thin layer of hair on top of his head, as white as snow. Antares delicately brushes the baby¡¯s scalp, the thin wispy strands parting around his hand. ¡°Does it have a name?¡± Antares asks, looking back up at Reia soulfully. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Reia pauses for a moment. She had thought long and hard about this before, of course, but as she sits there, all those previous ideas melt away and a single word enters her mind. ¡°Alunya.¡± Alunya. The name engraves itself into Antares¡¯s mind as the infant shifts, wriggling around in Antares¡¯s arms, and opens his eyes- Bright silver, brighter than anything Antares had ever seen. He can see his reflection in them, but something feels wrong to him. Off. Acting on instinct, Antares squeezes his eyes tightly shut, and it''s like he can feel his brother''s presence next to him. Alunya. My little brother. My¡­ family? Unconsciously, he leans forward; Not his body, but some other component of himself that he can¡¯t quite place. It¡¯s¡­ Unfamiliar, a sixth sense, as a feeling of bewildering confusion sets in. It feels¡­ Stormy, chaotic. Tempestuous, like the storm raging outside. I¡­ Want to feel like that, too. I¡­ it¡¯s like some part of him is reaching out, grasping at the presence, pulling it closer to him. He feels¡­ Malleable, fluid. But his focus is interrupted, when he feels the arms around his physical body shifting and he falls to the side. His soul retreating back into his flesh, Antares¡¯s eyes blink open in confusion. As soon as he does, he is aware that something is off. Reia is staring at him, eyes wide in shock, and somehow the world around him feels¡­ Different. ¡°H-huh? Mamma?¡± Antares squeals, shivering as he wonders what he had done wrong. ¡°A-Antares, how did you¡­?¡± Reia slowly gets out, while Antares simply blinks up at her. Eventually, his mother points at the big copper pot full of water by the bedside. ¡°L-look at your reflection!¡± Antares stumbles back unsurely, looking as though he was about to cry, but does as Reia had instructed, letting go of Alunya and getting down on his hands and knees on the floor to peer over the edge of the pot. Yet as he stares down into the water, he blinks in confusion, not understanding what he is seeing. Because in his reflection, the raven-black hair that he had shared with his mother is gone, and in its place, is a head of pristine, snow-white hair, the same color as his new brother. Chapter I, An Idyllic Childhood 2890 P.C., the First of Autumn, Hylicia¡¯s Vale. Alunya¡¯s eyes spring open, a bright smile already on the boy¡¯s face. Throwing the blanket off of himself, he leans down from the top bunk and climbs down towards where Antares is sleeping, his hair dangling towards the ground. Holding himself up on the top bunk with one arm, with the other he reaches forwards and nudges Antares¡¯s sleeping form. Antares¡¯s eyes blink open, and he flops onto his side, meeting the excited face of Alunya staring at him. ¡°What is it?¡± Antares murmurs, rubbing his eyes sleepily. Alunya clasps his hands together excitedly, holding himself anchored to the upper bunk by his legs, upside-down, giggling. ¡°It¡¯s the festival day! C¡¯mon, c¡¯mon, c¡¯mon!¡± Antares groans and rolls back over to face away from Alunya. It is indeed the day of the fall festival, but that isn¡¯t until sundown, and it is quite apparently nowhere near sundown. ¡°Let me sleep in, I¡¯m tired!¡± Antares complains, throwing a pillow at Alunya before burrowing back down into his blankets. Alunya grips the upper bedpost and swings down onto the lower bunk, nudging Antares from behind. ¡°Aww, c¡¯mon Ant! I haven¡¯t gotten to play with you in ages!¡± For weeks, Antares has always been too tired from his chores to play with Alunya. But today is different; nobody works on the day of the festival! Antares delves even deeper into his blanket, grabbing one of his remaining pillows and hugging it close to him. ¡°Just lemme rest a little longer and I¡¯ll come play with you.¡± Antares pleads, his voice muffled by the pillow. Alunya looks down at Antares with his characteristic big doe eyes. ¡°Promise?¡± He asks, pleadingly. Antares rolls over, his gaze softening as he looks into his brother''s eyes. ¡°...I promise.¡± He replies earnestly. Alunya smiles and claps his hands together. ¡°Yay!¡± He jumps up and runs a lap around the room, holding his arms outstretched like wings, before rushing out into the kitchen, running two laps around the hearth before Reia manages to get him to slow down. ¡°Someone¡¯s in a good mood today!¡± Reia laughs as she picks him up and spins him around, eliciting a ¡°Wheee!¡± sound from the boy. ¡°Where¡¯s your brother? I made pumpkin scones for you two.¡± The table is already set with them, amber-colored biscuits with a very light amount of honey drizzled over the top, making it a real treat. ¡°He¡¯s being a big sleepyhead! He didn¡¯t want to get up yet!¡± Alunya announces, his legs swinging idly in the air beneath him. ¡°I¡¯m here, I¡¯m here!¡± Antares proclaims, dragging his blanket behind him as he trails into the room, yawning. ¡°Good morning, sweetie!¡± Reia sits down at the table and smiles at Antares. Antares sniffs the air, his stomach audibly growling. ¡°I heard you say¡­ pumpkin scones?¡± He asks, hopefully, as he climbs up onto his chair where he can see the tantalizing treats laid out on the table. ¡°Now, now, don¡¯t eat too many- You¡¯re going to eat plenty tonight at the festival, I¡¯m sure.¡± Reia lectures, though it is doubtful either Alunya or Antares hear her by the way they¡¯d already started stuffing their faces. Reia snickers and holds her hand up to her mouth while Alunya chews on his food, crumbs covering his cheeks. She reaches over to wipe them off, while Alunya blinks up at her with his big silvery eyes. ¡°Doesn''t your hair get in your eyes?" Reia asks, brushing it out of the way. "Do you want me to cut it so it''s not in your face?¡± Alunya shakes his head vehemently, whipping the hair in question from side to side. "Nuh-uh, I can see just fine! See?" He blows a huff of air up, clearing the strands from his face. "But don''t you want to look nice for the festival?" Reia asks. "Everyone else will be looking their best, you don''t want to stand out, do you?" "No, I like my hair!" Alunya protests, holding his hands over his head protectively as if worried she would steal it. It had grown out past his shoulders and over his face over the past year, Reia had tried to cut it several times but every time Alunya struggled too much. "Alright, alright!" Reia throws her hands up in mock surrender. "At least let me comb it out for you. Everyone''s going to be at the festival, you two need to look your best." Antares, of course, is largely left out of this, since his hair is quite short and he can brush it himself just fine anyways. Alunya struggles against Reia as she tries to brush it out. His hair would just get messy again by the festival anyways, so what does it matter if it¡¯s brushed now? Alunya looks desperately over at Antares for help, but Antares is just nibbling on his scones, watching his little brother and mother struggle with bemusement. Finally, Reia finishes combing out his hair, and Alunya sighs in relief. "I need to head out to get everything ready for the festival. Antares, take care of your little brother while I''m gone, alright?" Reia announces, standing up. The scones have all disappeared by now, with a coating of crumbs still over Antares''s mouth while Alunya''s is spotless after receiving Reia''s attention. Antares looks at Reia pleadingly and tugs on her coat. ¡°Aww, do you have to go? Can''t I come with you?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Reia hesitates. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°Ooh, me too, me too!¡± Alunya jumps up and down, waving his arms to get Reia¡¯s attention. Reia looks uncertain, but eventually relents. ¡°Oh, alright. I guess you two might be able to help. Alright boys, then follow me.¡± Reia swings the thatch door of their stone hut open before the entourage of three march off towards the outskirts of town. ¡°Where are we going, mama?¡± Alunya pipes up, prancing along following Reia as she puts up a good pace. ¡°Just out to the pastures, sweetie. I¡¯m not sure our old guanaco will survive over the winter, so it¡¯s best if we take care of them now.¡± Reia responds. ¡°It¡¯ll be alot of work to prepare the meat before the festival, so we¡¯d better hurry, alright?¡± When the three of them reach the pasture on the side of the village, Antares goes to find their guanaco- Watching the village¡¯s pasture was one of his most common chores, so picking out an individual head from the herd was a skill he had plenty of practice with. The family¡¯s guanaco is an old female, distinguishable by noticeably being the oldest of the herd, well past reproductive age. Most guanaco¡¯s were butchered well before this point, but since it is likely the family''s most valuable possession Reia has held off until now. Antares leads the old doe back to Reia, shivering a little at the mellow, tired look in the guanaco¡¯s eyes and averting his own. The guanaco is older than he is, completely oblivious of the fate that lays in store for it. Taking a deep breath, Antares steels himself; Reia thinks it¡¯s best for them to butcher the guanaco now, so that''s what they will do. Reia takes the guanaco from Antares, and leads it back with her boys, stopping only once they had reached just outside of their home. ¡°Alright, now watch closely you two! You¡¯ll need to know how to do this one day, too.¡± Reia instructs, removing a long, slender, single-sided copper knife from her satchel. Once the guanaco sees the knife, it goes stock still before trying to bolt, but Reia has a firm grip around it. ¡°Antares, help me hold it down! But watch its hooves, I don¡¯t want you getting hurt!¡± Antares nods dutifully. He had said he wanted to help, after all. The boy grabs the guanaco¡¯s hindquarters, restraining it while keeping at an angle where its legs can''t kick him easily. Once the guanaco is held suitably still, Reia carefully places the tip of the knife against the side of its neck, and pushes it in. The first attempt goes awry. Reia, not having had much practice in recent years, misses the vitals, the blade catching on a bone as the old guanaco makes a horrible screaming sound which can surely be heard over half the village. Antares blanches and looks away, a little bit sickened. ¡°Damn¡­ Come on, you¡¯re only making this harder on yourself.¡± Reia hisses to the guanaco. ¡°Ooh! Ooh! Let me try!¡± Alunya reaches up and wrenches the knife free, eager to help. ¡°No!¡± Reia shouts, sternly, and grabs Alunya¡¯s wrist with surprising strength, making him drop the knife. As the copper blade clatters across the ground, Alunya¡¯s chipper expression almost immediately gives way to crying as Reia¡¯s grip lessens, and she leans down to pick up the knife. ¡°I mean, don¡¯t pick up sharp objects, you could hurt yourself!¡± She says in a panic, half-scolding and half trying to calm him down. With a frustrated sigh, she places the knife back against the guanaco. ¡°Just stay there, I¡¯ll get it.¡± Alunya blinks up at her blearily and curls his legs up, his blubbering mixing with the guanaco¡¯s screaming to make an unholy cacophony. Finally, the guanaco¡¯s wailing is cut off as Reia drives the knife through the jugular. The struggling of the animal, already not very strong, as it was old and scrawny to start with, gradually diminishes as it loses consciousness before collapsing. ¡°Alright.¡± Reia sighs heavily, and gets down on her knees over Alunya. ¡°Come on, little ¡®Lunya¡­ I just didn¡¯t want you to get hurt. You¡¯re not old enough to use a knife.¡± Reia chides gently, while Alunya rubs his eye, his lip quivering. Antares hesitantly uncovers his ears. At least it isn¡¯t screaming anymore¡­ He sighs with relief, while Reia tries to comfort Alunya. ¡°Antares, can you help me stretch the guanaco out? I have to go take Alunya inside.¡± Reia asks. Antares bites his lip unsurely, looking at the still-warm corpse with a degree of queasiness, but uncertainly nods his head. Following Reia¡¯s instruction, the guanaco is lifted and placed on its front, stretched out so that it is easier to work with. Reia soon comes back outside to relieve Antares and take over. ¡°Go try and calm down Alunya, I need to make sure we get this thing butchered in time for the festival.¡± Reia instructs, calmly but authoritatively. Antares frowns. ¡°But, I can help¡­¡± He starts, but Reia wags her finger, interrupting. ¡°Now, now, what did I say about knives? I¡¯ll show you how to do it one of these days, but I don¡¯t have time right now, with the festival tonight. Plus, I don¡¯t want Alunya running off somewhere while I¡¯m working. Please, Antares, I¡¯m counting on you to be the responsible one, ok?¡± Antares puffs out a cheek, upset, but nods. Be mature. Adult¡¯s don¡¯t cry over silly things like this. Antares reminds himself, reluctantly heading inside. ¡°Alunya?¡± Antares calls out, finding the younger boy sulking in the corner by the fireplace. ¡°...Huh? Oh, what is it, Ant?¡± Alunya¡¯s voice is unusually dull for the normally indefatigable young boy. The corners of Antares¡¯s mouth tug down in an empathetic frown, and he slides down to sit next to his brother. ¡°Are you OK?¡±Antares prods, unsurely. This isn¡¯t really his forte, if anything Alunya is usually the one trying to comfort him when he gets upset. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Alunya crosses his arms, puffing out a cheek and looking off into the distance before replying in an unmistakably pouty voice. ¡°I was just trying to help¡­¡± Antares sighs. What would Mom do to cheer him up..? He doesn¡¯t really know. But then, he remembers that morning, and an idea pops into his mind. ¡°You said you wanted to play with me today, right? Mom¡¯s out worrying about the guanaco. If we are quiet, we might be able to get outside without her noticing, as long as we aren''t gone too long.¡± Antares suggests. Should I really be thinking this? I¡¯m supposed to be the responsible one. But when Antares sees how Alunya perks up at the suggestion, he knows that it¡¯s too late to take it back. ¡°Really? You mean it, Ant?¡± Alunya squeals. ¡°I mean, you did promise you¡¯d play with me today!¡± Antares hushes Alunya anxiously, glancing out the front door. ¡°Y-yeah, we should have at least a couple hours before Mom is done dressing the guanaco. But keep it down, we don¡¯t want her to hear!¡± Antares hisses out. Alunya beams up at Antares, throwing both arms around Antares, overbalancing the older boy. Despite the differences in ages, Antares notes with some discomfort that Alunya is nearly the same size as him now. ¡°Oof. Alright, alright, let¡¯s go.¡± Antares crawls out from under Alunya and up to his feet. ¡°Quiet now!¡± Antares hushes Alunya, as the two of them delicately sneak out of the window in the back of the hut. Where are we going to go play? Antares wonders, but Alunya has already taken his hand and drags him excitedly onwards. ¡°C¡¯mon, now that you¡¯re with me, we can go into the forest! Mom showed me what things are good to eat a week ago, I can show you now!¡± Alunya proclaims eagerly. Antares hesitates again. Should he try to talk Alunya out of going into the woods? Their mother is counting on him to be the responsible one, after all. But¡­ How long had it been since he¡¯d gone exploring? Alunya isn¡¯t the only one who was bored from Antares having chores every day, after all. Before long, the argument in Antares¡¯s head resolves itself in Alunya¡¯s favor, and the two boys vanish into the woods behind their home. [...] Alunya sprints up the hill with a yelp, arms outstretched as usual, while Antares jogs along after him. The white birch forest is a beautiful shade of orange and white this time of year, and thankfully the autumn means the underbrush has died down enough to make walking through the woods relatively easy. The woods are quite pleasant; Granted, even when the two of them are back in the village, nature is never exactly far off. But it still feels a tad different when there are no buildings or noises of people in sight. Getting lost isn¡¯t too much of a concern, since one can always just head towards the low ground and follow the river if they really need to find their way back home. As Antares caught up with Alunya, his little brother had started prying some mushrooms off of a tree on top of the hill, turning around to offer some to Antares. ¡°Here! Mommy said these were¡­¡± Alunya pauses for a second while he tries to remember what they are called, before just shaking his head, whirling his hair around. ¡°Uhm, I don¡¯t remember what she called them, but they¡¯re really tasty! Try them!¡± Antares stares down at the mushrooms dubiously. They are mottled brown with reddish tones, pretty wide and flat, shaped kind of like a pancake. ¡°Are you sure these are ok to eat¡­?¡± He mumbles, unconvinced. Alunya smiles back at him cheerily. ¡°Mom said they¡¯re good for you and will help us grow up big and strong!¡± Antares shrugs and takes a hesitant bite, contemplating the flavor before his eyes light up and he immediately devours another two. ¡°Let''s take some of them back home with us, we can use them to season the meat while it''s cooking!¡± Alunya suggests. Antares nods and helps him collect the mushrooms off of some of the trees. Once they have about two handfuls, Antares unslings his satchel from his shoulder. ¡°C¡¯mon, give me all you picked, we can put them away here.¡± Alunya offloads his collection of mushrooms onto Antares, and while Antares sees about stuffing them into his satchel, Alunya is already taking off again, running up to the slope at the far end of the hill. Only taking a brief look down the hill to make sure there was a clear route down, Alunya dives down into the leaves without hesitation and rolls down the hill. Antares looks over at the sound of Alunya giggling, and chases after him. ¡°Hey, wait for me!¡± Antares cries out, diving down into the leaves and following suit down the hill. As Alunya reaches the bottom of the hill and hears, and then sees, Antares following along after him, a mischievous smirk quickly finds its way onto his face. Diving down with his knees below where Antares is rolling, Alunya braces himself against the ground, forming a slope up with his legs, so that when Antares rolls into him, the momentum carries him up onto Alunya¡¯s lap. The force of impact slams against Alunya¡¯s abdomen, but he had braced himself properly, and didn¡¯t budge an inch. Antares blinks up at him in a confused, dizzy daze. ¡°Huh..? Alunya?¡± Alunya¡¯s smirk grows as he then reaches down to pet Antares¡¯s hair. ¡°What a time to take a nap, silly. But if you need my lap as a pillow, I¡¯m willing to provide.¡± Alunya pronounces in a mock serious tone. Antares blushes and hides his face, frantically scrambling to stand up. Alunya brushes himself off as well, blowing a leaf that was stuck to his face away with a quick motion. Surely, if Reia could see him, she would be terribly upset at how he had ruined the neat and tidy look she had given him that morning. None of that is anywhere in Alunya¡¯s thoughts, however, as he catches the sight of something enticing under the leaves near one of the trees and skips over to the specimen. Kneeling down and brushing away the leaves, he admires his find; a branch of a tree that must have snapped off in some windstorm, completely barren of leaves. Eyes shining, Alunya reaches down and picks it up. It really is a nice stick; something sloughed off the bark on one end, so it has a smooth grip. There¡¯s even a little notch in the wood, slightly higher up, that made it rest in his hand just perfectly! Holding it in both hands and twirling it in a flourish that looks far more elaborate in his mind than it did in real life, he can just about imagine himself holding a sword¡ªAlthough, given that he has never actually seen a sword, the imagery is pretty vague in his mind. His reverie is broken by another branch suddenly bashing against his, with a satisfying thud. Alunya recoils and looks up, to be met with Antares with a competitive smile on his face. ¡°En garde!¡± Antares pronounces, holding his ¡°sword¡± outstretched in one hand with a competitive smile on his face. Alunya yelps in surprise, falling back on one foot. Antares draws his stick back near his cheek and waits for Alunya to be ready. Alunya returns with a cheeky smile, and pulls his own stick back into a ridiculous overblown stance. As soon as Antares is satisfied that Alunya is ready, he swipes forward with his stick, which Alunya neatly blocks by raising the middle to where Antares¡¯ contacts it, holding his own stick at both ends like a quarterstaff. Antares shoves Alunya¡¯s weapon away and swipes forward in a horizontal motion with both hands, but Alunya just leans backwards barely enough to avoid the strike, falling back on his right foot before shoving his weight forward and swinging overhead. The blow strikes Antares on his shoulder¡ªit might have hurt, if Alunya hadn¡¯t deliberately softened the blow once he saw it was going to land home. Antares huffs in frustration while Alunya looks at him smugly. ¡°Haha, first blood is mine!¡± Alunya pronounces, gesturing dramatically up at the sky, although Antares is quite obviously not bleeding. Antares places both hands on his stick again, narrowing his eyes. ¡°Oh, now you¡¯ve done it! Time to show you the pecking order around here!¡±Antares announces, swinging his ¡®sword¡¯ in an uppercut from right to left, moving it quickly with his wrist rather than swinging with his whole arm. Alunya deftly ducks under the blow, but Antares follows up with another swing in the opposite direction, mostly horizontal to the ground but at a slight downward angle. Tucking in his legs, Alunya rolls backwards in a summersault, coming up quickly while Antares freezes in surprise. Smugly, Alunya quickly settles back into his elaborate stance, while Antares shakes his head in frustration. How is Alunya able to move like that¡­? Letting his passion get the better of his reason, Antares swings his branch in a wild flurry of blows intended to catch Alunya. First diagonally, which Alunya just barely manages to block, then a horizontal blow aiming at his head that probably would have done some real damage if Alunya hadn¡¯t ducked under it. And finally, he pulls the stick back behind his head and swings it around with all his might, Alunya crashing his own into it at full speed at the same time. There is a resounding crack as they both meet, and each stick snaps in half, pieces careening off into the underbrush, leaving the boys with just short, broken lumps of wood. Antares stumbles back and then falls down onto the ground, landing spreadeagle on his back in the leaves, panting heavily, while Alunya slumps down next to one of the trees nearby. There is a long pause while the two of them catch their breath, before Alunya sits up and looks over at Antares, thoughtfully. ¡°What does ¡®En Garde¡¯ Actually mean?¡± Antares ponders it for a moment, before shrugging. ¡°I dunno, I just remember it from one of mom¡¯s stories.¡± There¡¯s a long silence as Antares looks up at the sky, holding a hand over his eyes, before he sits up. ¡°We should get going, who knows when Mom will get home. We don¡¯t want her to know we were out.¡± Alunya strides over to be above Antares and offers a hand down to him, smiling. ¡°Aye-aye!¡± Antares takes Alunya¡¯s hand, grunting while he reaches his feet again. Looking at Alunya, he frowns slightly. Although he looks just as pretty as ever, Alunya is also completely messy, covered in mud, bits of grass, and leaves. Alunya cocks his head and looks back at Antares inquisitively. ¡°Hm? What are you thinking about, Ant?¡± ¡°You¡¯re all messy, if we go back like this then Mom will definitely know I let you run off into the forest¡­¡± Antares grimaces as he continues. ¡°She might even keep us home during the festival as punishment.¡± Alunya squeals in abject terror. ¡°Whaaaat? But it¡¯s the only day you have off!¡± Alunya protests, with his mouth agape and bright silvery eyes wide open. Antares rubs the back of his head. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go down to the river and clean off? I could brush the leaves out of your hair, too.¡± Now Antares is giving him trouble about his hair!? ¡°Not you toooo!¡± Alunya whines. Antares looks around the forest, as if embarrassed someone might have heard despite their obvious isolation, as he hushes Alunya. ¡°But wouldn¡¯t you rather I do it than Mom? I won¡¯t fuss over you as much, and you know she¡¯ll freak out if she sees you like this.¡± Antares points out, hissing as though trying to keep his voice down. Alunya puffs out a cheek, pouting, and crosses his arms, but relents. ¡°Fineee¡­¡± He grumbles. [...] By the time the two of them reach the river, Alunya has gotten over his mood and then some. Before he can jump straight into the water, Antares quickly grabs his arm and yanks him back. ¡°Wait, you don¡¯t want to walk home with soggy clothes, do you?¡± Antares asks, to which Alunya rolls his eyes up into his head thinking for a moment before shaking his head vigorously. Antares strips his clothes off and lays them out on a dry rock a ways above the stream before testing the waters, while Alunya simply jumps right in with a whooping shout as soon as his clothes have been thrown into a disheveled pile on the ground. The river isn¡¯t very deep, but he is still far from full grown and so it¡¯s enough that he can get about clavicle-deep; probably not safe to jump into, given the slippery and potentially sharp rocks, but Alunya seems to get by alright. Alunya looks back at shore, treading water. ¡°What are you waiting for, Ant?¡± He calls out, leaning back in the water. Antares gives him a sheepish look, standing just ankle deep. ¡°It¡¯s cold!¡± Still, he is the one who suggested it in the first place, so after a long hesitation he wades down into the water. He definitely won¡¯t be staying there for long;just enough to look at least a little bit tidy. Alunya is already down at the deepest part of the water, leaning back slightly with his feet just off the muddy riverbed so that he is treading water and not standing still. Grabbing Antares¡¯s arm, Alunya suddenly yanks him down into the deepest parts of the stream. Antares lets out an ear splitting screech. ¡°Ahhh! Coooold!¡± Alunya just giggles. ¡°C¡¯mon, Ant! You gotta get in the water sometime!¡± He announces, cheerily, moving around in the water without any seeming effort. It¡¯s perhaps impressive that the boy is such a good swimmer, considering a lack of any proper training; still, Antares feels nervous. Reia had told them not to go down to the river on their own, since they could drown. Thankfully, at this time of year, the water is flowing pretty slowly, so it isn¡¯t like he can get swept away. At least, as long as they don''t go too far downriver. Taking a deep breath, Antares dunks his head into the water, shutting his eyes tightly as the cold shocks him, giving him an immediate headache. As soon as he is sure he has been thoroughly soaked, he bursts his head back out of the water and rubs his face to try and clean it. Alunya, of course, is doing nothing of the sort, instead just paddling around the river, diving under and then splashing back out. ¡°Oy, Alunya, you¡¯re not going to get clean just paddling around, you know.¡± Antares calls out. ¡°C¡¯mere, let me try and take care of all that grime.¡± Antares reaches over and, after getting Alunya to hold still, starts working on cleaning up his complexion. Alunya¡¯s skin is actually already relatively clear, but there is still a leaf stuck in his hair that hadn¡¯t rinsed away easily, and some scraps of grass or mud are practically glued to his face. As Antares reaches forward to rub away the grime, he once again reveals the boy''s delicate jawline and small, upturned nose. There isn¡¯t much need to go over the rest of Alunya¡¯s body, seeing as it¡¯s submerged in the water already. And besides, it isn¡¯t like Reia would see it once Alunya is fully dressed again. ¡°You need to get clean, too!¡± Alunya announces. Antares nods and starts rubbing his own face down. But as Antares is distracted, Alunya¡¯s face coils into a mischievous smirk, and he slips away, creeping around his brother before suddenly surprising him with a huge wave of water. Antares yelps from the cold as he is doused, closing his eyes as his hair drips icy water. When he opens them up again, he is met with Alunya¡¯s smug smile, his face brightly shining in the midday sun. Antares narrows his eyes competitively, and stealthily swirls his arms around under the water. After building up enough momentum, he hurls a wave of water back at his brother in retaliation, but Alunya simply dives down below the water before it can hit him, resurfacing a second later with a cheerful giggle and huge splash. Antares'' breath catches in his throat for just a moment, spellbound, as the droplets Alunya had thrown into the air catch the sunlight, perfectly sparkling in front of his youthful frame and radiant expression. Dear Hylicia, I think my brother might be an angel. Chapter II, The Festival ¡°Quiet, we have to dry off before mom comes back inside!¡± Antares hisses to Alunya while they scoot up to the back of the hut. ¡°You climb in first, I¡¯ll follow!¡± Antares whisper-shouts, and Alunya nods affirmation, looking quite determined. Alunya scrambles in through the window, and Antares follows suit, hauling himself up over the ledge and rolling down the other side to land on his feet, staggering slightly at the impact before standing upright again¡­ Only to be met with Reia staring him down, her arms crossed sternly. ¡°Honestly, I can¡¯t let you two out of my sight for one moment, can I?¡± Antares cringes away from the sound of disappointment in her voice. ¡°Whose idea was this? And ugh, you¡¯re soaking wet! Did you fall in the river?¡± Reia continues, putting on her lecturing voice. ¡°Mine!¡± Alunya and Antares both announce in unison. Antares glances over at Alunya in surprise, who is standing stock-upright with a dead serious expression. Reia sighs and places her head in her hands. ¡°Ugh, well, no matter whose idea it was, you should know better, Antares. I told you I was counting on you to be responsible. Honestly, if something happened to you, I¡¯d¡­¡± She huffs. ¡°Well, whatever. You two are sopping wet and getting water all over the floor. Go dry off by the fire. Once you¡¯re dry, you¡¯ll need to change into new clothes.¡± Reia instructs, in a tone which brooks no argument. Alunya follows Antares as he sits down by the fire. Antares'' moping about the scolding he''d just heard is interrupted by the feeling of Alunya''s hand being placed on top of his and squeezing it reassuringly. Antares looks up at Alunya with mild surprise. "Thankyou for going out with me, Ant. It''s all worth it to get to play with you.¡± Alunya murmurs quietly to his brother, quietly enough so that Reia can¡¯t hear. Reia struts across the room, thinking. ¡°Honestly. Well if I can¡¯t take my eyes off of you, and you¡¯re going to be stuck by the fire while you dry off, you might as well make yourselves useful. I have to pack up the rest of the cuts of meat and throw out the offal, so you¡¯re going to have to handle the cooking. Do you think you can manage that?¡± Alunya salutes dutifully and nods. ¡°Aye-aye!¡± Antares gives a sigh of relief¡ªIt sounds like they are still going to get to go to the festival. Besides, cooking might technically be a chore, but it¡¯s fun all the same! Kneeling down by the fireplace, Antares arranges the kindling and slabs of firewood before lighting it up, while Alunya places the ribs onto the grate. Droplets of blood from the fresh meat drip into the flames, sizzling away into smoke that smells either nauseating or appetizing, depending on who you ask. But the two have a little surprise for whomever ate the meal, as Antares opens his satchel to spread the herbs the two had gathered while out and about earlier that day. The two boys carefully watch the fire, while Reia watches them in turn, interspersed with having to go briefly outside to properly store cuts of the guanaco which had been slaughtered. While waiting to dry off, Antares picks out the family''s brush. "Alright, lemme see what I can do!" He announces, kneeling down behind Alunya. The younger boy sits stock upright and hums idly, gazing into the flames while Antares begins combing out his hair, diligently working through the knots while Reia silently watches from the other side of the room. Alunya is being perfectly well behaved, letting Antares comb out his hair and make him presentable for the festival. ¡°How does he get him to sit still..?¡± Reia idly wonders aloud to herself, shaking her head in amazement. By the time the meat has browned on the outside, Reia just can¡¯t manage to stay upset at them any longer; all washed up from their time in the river, all dried out from being in front of the fire, and they had done such a good job with the ribs. Reia takes a deep sniff of the fragrant scent of the meat. It smells just about perfectly, despite being done by two boys with little experience or oversight. ¡°Alright, you two. Good job.¡± Reia admits, perhaps just slightly begrudgingly, as she appraises her two sons. They mostly look appropriately tidy for the festival that night, the only exception being their clothes, still dirty with grass and mud. Silently, Reia wonders just what the boys had gotten up to that left their clothes so messy but their skin comparatively pristine. "Alunya, come here, I have something for you." Alunya turns to look at her as Antares puts down the brush. "Yes, mama?" Alunya asks, a little anxiously, hoping he isn''t in for more scolding. Reia sets a basket down on the table. Both Alunya and Antares peer in with curiosity as Reia removes a set of slightly-fancier-than-usual tunics and trousers, fashioned from soft wool with a pattern embroidered around the trim. ¡°I made it for you just for the festival. Go on, try it on!¡± Alunya gapes at the clothes. ¡°Really? Can I?¡± He hesitates as he touches the fabric. Normally, nice things like this are just for looking, not touching. Reia beams and nods at him encouragingly, so Alunya changes into the new clothes, though on his first try, his head gets stuck in the neck of the tunic, and it''s put on backwards, so Reia has to help him sort that out before he is finally wearing it correctly. ¡°Oh my, you look so cute!¡± Reia squeals as Alunya rubs his arms, as if in awe of the softness of his own clothes. Alunya looks down and around himself, trying to get a good look at himself, swishing the bottom hem of the tunic around as he moves. The clothes are a tad oversized, probably as a gambit to last the fast growing boy longer. ¡°Um, Mom? What about me?¡± Antares asks, tugging on Reia¡¯s tunic and doing his best to mimic Alunya''s wide, pleading eyes. ¡°Oh, Antares, your clothes are a mess too, huh? Don¡¯t you worry, I have just the thing for you.¡± His mother disappears into the other room for a minute, and Antares can hear her digging through the clothes, before returning with a well made, but fairly worn out tunic, about the right size for him. ¡°This belonged to your father when he was your age!¡± Reia tries to sound excited, but there is an inevitable hint of bitterness or wistfulness in her voice. Antares takes the tunic, frowning. ¡°Um¡­ Thanks¡­¡± He holds the outfit at some length, unsurely, before sighing and reluctantly putting it on. ¡°You look cute too, Ant!¡± Alunya beams up at his older brother, hugging Antares¡¯s arm ecstatically. Antares jerks away, blushing. Alunya frowns, cocking his head to the side and furrowing his brow in concern ¡°Hm? What¡¯s wrong, Ant?¡± ¡°N-nothing, don¡¯t worry about it. So, are we ready to go?" Antares brushes Alunya off, eager to change the topic. Reia nods at him. "Just let me put these on a platter, and we can head out." [...] Reia¡¯s family live on the outskirts of the village, where there are only a handful of scattered buildings without any clear organization, but as they descend towards the center the village becomes more organized, consisting of concentric rings of terraces around the large central plaza. Rock-hewn houses and cyclopean walls stood over the terraces between small stretches of farms. The empty houses are dark, their fireplaces all put out while the center of the village is filled with torchlight. As usual whenever Reia goes out, she attracts a variety of askance glances. Alunya is blissfully unaware, as he chatters on endlessly about something or another while Reia simply nods and mumbles placating responses, but Antares notices and stares back as they pass more and more people the closer they get to the center. The festival has only just begun, a few dutiful souls rushing around the array of large tables which had been set up in the plaza for the feast later tonight, while far more gather in small cliques to share the latest gossip, catch up over a pint of beer, or try and sneak in a bite or two of food before the feast. More slowly stream in from each side; Alunya gawks at the number of people, the most he¡¯s ever seen in one place. Singing, dancing, chattering, or just sitting back around the tables and enjoying the ambience. But what immediately catches Alunya¡¯s attention is the variety of games on display. Slipping away from his mother, he bobs and weaves through the crowd until he reaches a handful of men standing near the river that cuts through the plaza, throwing disks around pegs they had set up. ¡°Lemme play, lemme play!¡± Alunya announces his presence, jumping up and down to make sure they see him. A muscular black-haired man who Alunya recognizes as Gatrick, the village coppersmith, turns to the child, narrowing his eyes with a scornful look on his face. ¡°Aren''t you Reia¡¯s bastard? Where¡¯s your mother, kid?¡± Alunya shrugs. ¡°I¡¯ll go find her later, but I wanna play first!¡± He beams up at the man. The coppersmith groans, flipping over the disk in his hands. "Forget it. Get lost, brat." Alunya puffs out a cheek, pouting. "Aw, c''mon! Lemme go just once." A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "Oh, of all the... Shame you don''t have a father to discipline you. Get out of here before I do it myself." Gatrick growls out. Alunya crosses his arms, looking rightly miffed. "But, it''s a festival game, why can''t I-" ¡°-Alunya, there you are!¡± Reia¡¯s voice comes from behind, sounding exasperated, with Antares following behind. ¡°Honestly, I take my eyes off of you for a moment, and you¡¯ve already run off.¡± Alunya whirls around, smiling up at her. ¡°I just saw this game and it looked fun! Oh-¡± He is suddenly cut off when Reia whisks him off his feet, and he giggles, hugging her around her shoulders as she looks at Gatrick, who grimaces at her and turns away. ¡°Keep your bastard to yourself next time.¡± He growls out. Reia clenches her jaw, digging her fingers into Alunya¡¯s back as she tenses up, warranting a protest from the young boy. ¡°He¡¯s not a bastard, and he has a name.¡± Reia says, tersely, walking away without another word. Antares gives an askance look backwards before following her. It wasn''t usual to see her like that. Reia carries Alunya back down in front of the statue and sets him down, sighing loudly. ¡°Honestly, the nerve¡­ And right in front of Alunya, too¡­¡± She murmurs, absentmindedly. ¡°Mom, what was that man talking about?¡± Antares asks, tugging on her skirt. Reia ruffles his hair. ¡°Nothing, sweetie, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Despite her words, Reia looks quite upset. Antares frowns at her in concern. Even if he doesn¡¯t understand, he can still tell something is off. Reia takes Alunya¡¯s hand and forces a smile. ¡°C¡¯mon, why don¡¯t we go see what else the festival has to offer?¡± Alunya nods eagerly, and skips along after Reia. Antares hesitates, gives a look back at the disk throwing contest, then shouts ¡°Wait up!¡±, rushing to catch them. The trio wander the festival grounds, taking in the sights, her two sons waiting while Reia briefly chats with distant acquaintances or marvels at some of the crafts and art on display. Before long, they find their way before the raging bonfire in the center of the plaza, and by extension, the plinth behind it upon which rests a massive statue of the divine protector of the village, Hylicia. Alunya gazes up at the monumental structure with an awed murmur. It is made of some shiny material that looks a bit like the copper they use for tools, but brighter and less saturated, almost more like the color of his hair. It could easily be mistaken as some manner of abstract art if one didn¡¯t know what it really was, with long tendrils and coils coming out from a peculiarly shaped object towards the middle, giving the impression almost of a gigantic butterfly with massive wings and an elongated snake-like tail. I wonder how it doesn¡¯t fall over. Alunya ponders to himself. It looks so top-heavy. Presently, the monument is festooned in small lanterns, one from each family, mostly on the edges of the plinth or on top of the statue¡¯s tail, though some adventurous souls had climbed up to hang lanterns upon some of the other tendrils reaching down from the main body. ¡°Hey, mom? Can we go over there, next?¡± Antares pipes up, drawing both Reia and Alunya¡¯s attention away from the statue. The older son is pointing over to an alley between two of the buildings on the lowest terrace of the village above the plaza, where some adolescents had set up a space for throwing javelins. Reia turns back around to look at what he was pointing at, biting her lip unsurely. ¡°Doesn''t that look a bit dangerous? I don¡¯t want to see you get hurt.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be good practice for hunting, though?¡± Antares pleads, hopefully. ¡°I haven¡¯t gotten a chance to try!¡± Reia looks away, guiltily. Normally, a boy¡¯s father would have taken him hunting by now. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°Aw, that¡¯s no fun! I wanna go too!¡± Alunya pipes up on the other side, bouncing in place. Reia sighs and holds her arms up. ¡°Alright, alright! I can see I¡¯m outvoted.¡± Not needing any further encouragement, Alunya claps his hands together and bolts off, sprinting right up to the terrace wall and clambering over it instead of running the longer way around. "We wanna try!" Alunya announces his presence cheerfully, while Antares jogs along behind him, huffing as he catches up. One of the older boys turns around, looking the two of them up and down, and Alunya smiles up at him confidently. ¡°The whiteheads wanna play, huh? If you wanna embarrass yourselves that badly, I won¡¯t stop you. You¡¯re going to have to wait for Vekt and Kalith to finish, though.¡± ¡°14 meters!¡± One of the boys calls out, signaling how far the last javelin throw had gone. Alunya watches with keen interest, as the boy pulls the latest javelin out of the ground and jogs back to return it to the pile. They had set up little markers at regular intervals to help them estimate how far they were throwing. Another takes up position, picking out three javelins from the pile, and Alunya sits down cross legged on the path to watch, resting his head on one palm, while the boy runs and throws the javelins one by one. ¡°11 meters!¡± the runner calls out on the last throw, and the boy looks down, sheepishly, at his poor performance. He tosses the javelins to Antares. ¡°Here, knock yourself out.¡± He mumbles, as he walks off away from the proceedings in frustration. Alunya perks up now that Antares is throwing, and stands up. Just as Antares reaches the line drawn in the dirt to show where to throw from, Alunya claps loudly. ¡°You can do it, big bro!¡± He cheers loudly, raising his voice enough that it can be heard over the rest of the festival sounds. Antares¡¯s cheeks flush red as he looks back at Alunya, then away again, trying to act as if he doesn¡¯t know him. ¡°Ant-Ar-Es! Ant-Ar-Es!¡± Alunya chants, while Antares¡¯s blush progressively gets fiercer until it reaches his ears. Trying to ignore Alunya, Antares runs up to the throwing point and hurls the javelin. It flies straight for a moment, then wobbles in the air, and comes down to the ground some distance away. ¡°12 meters!¡± The runner announces, and Alunya cheers, clapping over his head while Antares turns to face away, burying his face in his hands. Alunya looks around, wondering why nobody else is cheering. Sure, it isn''t as much as some of the older boys, but it is really good for how old his big brother is, right? But, maybe Alunya is just distracting him, so Alunya with some effort silences himself and just watches on eagerly for Antares¡¯ next attempt. Before he can, though, he hears the familiar gait of his mother behind him, and whirls around to see Reia walking over with a tired expression. ¡°Hylicia, you two boys are fast.¡± Reia complains. ¡°Are the other boys being nice to you? Where¡¯s Antares?¡± Alunya nods, and is about to point out Antares when he hears ¡°12 meters!¡± and whips back around to see where Antares¡¯s javelin had fallen. ¡°Aw, mooom! You made me miss him! He¡¯s right up there throwing right now!¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. Don¡¯t let me get in your way.¡± Reia gives a mellow smile and stands by, watching. ¡°Ant-ar-es! Ant-ar-es!¡± Alunya resumes chanting, before elbowing his mother. ¡°C¡¯mon, you cheer too!¡± Reia gives Alunya a doting smile and gets caught up in his excitement, cupping her hands around her mouth and shouting ¡°You can do it, Antares!¡± Antares blushes uncontrollably, looking away. Alunya giggles, taking amusement at his brother''s embarrassment, and only cheers louder. ¡°Are you going to throw or not?¡± One of the boys calls out from the sidelines. Antares sighs, shoots a mortified look over at Alunya and Reia, and then takes a deep breath before charging the line and hurling the javelin with all his strength. The sharpened stick hurtles through the air, before curving and falling down to the ground at a sharp angle. ¡°13 meters!¡± The runner announces. Antares beams excitedly and then looks around, only to be met with a rather apathetic audience just watching nonchalantly. Except for Alunya, of course, who beams up at him proudly. Alunya sprints up and tackles Antares, making the older boy stumble in place with an ¡°oof.¡± Alunya glows with pride as he hugs his embarrassed brother. ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Ant!¡± he praises. ¡°You were like, woah, then threw it so far!¡± Alunya gushes, while Antares tries to wriggle out of his grip, shooting mortified looks at all the bystanders. Finally releasing Antares, Alunya grabs one of his javelins. ¡°Alright, my turn now! Watch me, Ant!¡± ¡°...Can you stop calling me that? It sounds demeaning, like I¡¯m a bug¡­¡± Antares hisses out, rubbing his arms self-consciously. Alunya blinks up at Antares. ¡°Oh, sorry.¡± Alunya purses his lips, contemplating for a moment, before snapping his fingers. ¡°How about Ari, then?¡± ¡°By Hylicia, stop with your drama and throw already!¡± One of the boys shouts, and Antares puts his head down, shifting off to the side to let Alunya worry about throwing. Alunya cocks his head at him as he leaves, but shrugs and takes up the javelin. It is a bit large and cumbersome in his hands, and they are probably too young to really even throw a javelin properly, but once he gets a good running start, he hurls the javelin with all his might, and it sails straight through the air, parallel to the ground, before clattering against the cobblestone. ¡°13 meters!¡± the runner announces. Antares flinches. Already, Alunya had thrown just as well as his best attempt? He''s still younger and smaller than him, how did he already throw that well? It just doesn¡¯t make any sense. Alunya beams over at Antares and waves at him. ¡°Did you see that, An- uhm, Ari?¡± He giggles as he uses his foot to launch one of the javelins up into the air and grab it. Before the older boys can complain about him wasting time, he jogs up and throws again. ¡°12 meters!¡± The runner announces, giving an approving look to Alunya. That performance is pretty amazing, considering Alunya¡¯s age and lack of experience. Reia, of course, is also cheering loudly, clapping delightedly with an elated expression. The only one who doesn¡¯t look particularly interested now is Antares, who is hiding behind a building as if embarrassed to be seen near Alunya. Alunya picks up his last javelin and skips back to his place, prancing forward and hurling the projectile once more. This time, it flies up higher and then comes back down at a high angle, landing just a bit before the previous javelins. ¡°11 meters!¡± the runner calls out as he retrieves the javelins. ¡°My turn!¡± Alunya crosses his arms, proudly, and looks up smugly, before turning around and running off to find Antares. ¡°Hey! Hey, big bro! Did you see? Did you see?¡± He chatters at him, before Reia pulls him away. ¡°Come on, Alunya, I think Antares needs a bit of a rest.¡± Reia says, looking over at the older boy cringing in embarrassment. Alunya pouts and crosses his arms. ¡°Awww¡­¡± He complains, while Antares gives Reia a thankful look. Drawn away, Alunya plops himself down by the line of throwers and impatiently awaits another turn. Chapter III, The Feast The boys continue cycling between javelin throws, although Alunya tires of sitting still and starts serving as the runner announcing the distance. That is, until Reia calls out to them. ¡°Alunya, Antares! C¡¯mon, the feast will start soon and there¡¯s something we have to do first.¡± Reia announces. Alunya looks over at her with a frown. ¡°Awww! Can¡¯t we go a little bit longer?¡± Reia looks back towards the center doubtfully. ¡°...I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s time, the feast won¡¯t be in too long. But alright.¡± Reia lets them go on a single other round of javelin throwing, and then, despite Alunya¡¯s protests, takes her two sons back down to the monument in the center of the village, where the preparations for the feast are almost all done. Tables have been covered in food, which Alunya stares at salivating, until Reia pulls him along. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my little ¡®lunya. It¡¯ll be time to eat soon enough. Here, I have something for you.¡± Reia states, kneeling down and opening the satchel she carries with her. Alunya watches curiously as she withdraws a small lantern, hanging on a cord, which she places in his hands. Alunya looks up at Reia, both excited and a little confused. ¡°Go on! You can place the family''s lantern on the monument this year!¡± Reia cheers, and Alunya¡¯s eyes widen in excitement. ¡°Really? Me?¡± Alunya asks in an awed tone. Reia smiles, ruffles his hair, and nods in confirmation, so Alunya bolts up, and scurries off to the massive statue. But instead of placing it near the base like Reia had planned, he immediately scurries straight up the statue, pulling himself up by every nook and cranny while Reia goes white in sudden fear. ¡°A-Alunya!¡± She shouts out, ¡°Get down from there!¡± But Alunya is already on the way up, and won¡¯t be stopped now. He leaps up to a higher handhold, one of the ¡®tendrils¡¯ that came off from the central orb, pulling himself up to stand precariously on top of it. Looking down at his mother from above, he wonders what has her all worked up, but just shrugs it off; he can figure that out after he finishes placing the lantern! So, once he reaches the top of the statue, he places the lantern, haphazardly balanced way up on top of the orb itself, before scurrying back down the statue head-first, pausing near the bottom before hopping to the ground while Reia rushes over to him. ¡°By Hylicia, Alunya, never scare me like that again!¡± Reia scolds, wrapping her arms tightly around Alunya protectively. Alunya frowns in confusion. ¡°Huh? What did I do wrong? I just placed it on the statue, like you asked!¡± He protests. ¡°I meant just place the lantern on the base, I didn¡¯t mean for you to put yourself in such danger! If you fell, I¡¯d never be able to forgive myself!¡± Reia admonishes, squeezing Alunya tightly. ¡°Mom- stop- can¡¯t- breathe-¡± Alunya forces out. After a long moment, Reia reluctantly lets him go, and he takes a deep breath in. ¡°Never do something like that again, ok?¡± Reia lectures, staring at the boy with disapproval . ¡°Um, yeah, ok¡­¡± Alunya mumbles, looking down at his feet. He still doesn¡¯t really get what he¡¯d done wrong, but he doesn¡¯t like being lectured like that. But before Reia can continue her tirade, the conversation is cut off by the ringing of a bell. Alunya perks up immediately, jumping up. ¡°Yay! Feast time! Feast time!¡± Reia looks frustrated, but relents after a worried look at Alunya, and takes her two boys¡¯ hands in hers as she walks toward the tables where the food is piled up. Reia and her sons are quick to the buffet line, given that they were already standing near the middle of the festival grounds, but even so they are not the first to reach the tables where food is laid out. Alunya hops from foot to foot, impatiently, looking around the festival grounds. Just then, he spots Yuvia, one of the family''s neighbors, already with a full plate of food¡ªshe must have started dishing it up before the feast bell even rang, allowing her to beat the crowds. And of more interest to Alunya, on her plate is a helping of guanaco ribs. Without warning, Alunya takes off to go see them. ¡°Alunya!¡± Reia calls, but Alunya is already gone. ¡°Ugh, not this again... Antares, can you go fetch him? I need to keep our place in the line.¡± Reia asks. Antares looks over at Alunya, nods, and heads off. ¡°So? So so so? What do you think of the ribs?¡± Alunya asks, beaming at Yuvia with an eager expression. ¡°Huh? Um, they¡¯re about as good as they can be considering how old the animal was, I guess.¡± Yuvia replies, clearly a bit confused as she pauses eating. Alunya beams up at her even more, leaning forwards against the table. ¡°I made it! Mommy was busy with packing up the other meat so I got to cook the ribs! Did I do a good job?¡± Alunya prompts. ¡°Oh, you did, huh?¡± Yuvia smiles at the boy endearingly. ¡°Well then, yes, you did a very good job.¡± Yuvia wipes off her hands, before reaching forward to gently pat Alunya¡¯s head. ¡°What a good boy, already helping your mother with chores at such a young age.¡± Alunya giggles in response and leans into Yuvia¡¯s hand. By now Antares has caught up, and listens in on the end of the conversation. ¡°Um, I helped too!¡± Antares offers. ¡°I helped slaughter the guanaco and roast the ribs...¡± Antares leans forward, a little bashfully, lowering his head slightly to put it in Yuvia¡¯s reach. But before there can be any response, Vekt¡ª Yuvia¡¯s son, a boy two years older than Antares, only very slightly taller but significantly broader in build¡ª snickers at him. ¡°Oh, great job, Ant. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll make a fine mother one day.¡± Antares blinks at him in confusion, taken aback. ¡°Wh-whuh?¡± ¡°Guess that¡¯s what happens when a boy doesn¡¯t have a father. You get to do all the girl¡¯s chores.¡± Vekt teases, before Yuvia interrupts him. ¡°Vekt!¡± Yuvia frowns, narrowing her eyes at him. ¡°Be nice! What an awful thing to say to someone.¡± ¡°But, dad says-¡° Vekt starts, before Yuvia covers his mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t care what your father says, he isn¡¯t here right now.¡± Yuvia states, looking mortified. ¡°I expect better of you.¡± Yuvia sighs, turning her attention to the two boys ¡°I¡¯m sorry, both of you. You should go get back to your mother. I¡¯ll talk to Vekt.¡± Antares cringes in shame, but happy to have an escape from the mocking, takes Alunya¡¯s hand. ¡°C¡¯mon, Alunya, you have to stop running off. Mom sent me to collect you.¡± This triggers a fresh fit of snickering from Vekt, and Antares storms away, red up to his ears, dragging Alunya with him. ¡°Ant!¡± Alunya complains. ¡°C¡¯mon, wait up!¡± Alunya jogs to keep up with Antares¡¯s fast walking pace. ¡°What¡¯s it matter what Vekt says? We did a great job on the ribs!¡± Alunya puffs out his chest, proudly. But Antares just shakes his head, and dully states ¡°Let¡¯s just go meet up with Mom.¡± After navigating the crowd of people around the buffet tables, Alunya and Antares manage to meet up with their mother, just in time to start dishing up their own food after Reia hands them both their plates. The diversity of food is shocking to the two boys, who usually live almost exclusively on cornmeal and potatoes. There are yam¡¯s, cornbread, berries, cheese, dishes made of some mixture of various cooked vegetables together, and of course, meat! Alunya makes sure to get a nice big rib from their old guanaco. Antares, on the other hand, avoids it. Soon enough, the family of three is marching along its way back to the tables. The seating arrangements mirror the placement of everyone''s homes, so Reia and her boys are positioned at the edge of the plaza, far away from the center, with only Yuvia and a couple other families nearby. Antares avoids looking at Vekt while he passes by his table, Vekt sticks his tongue out at him, and Alunya glares over at him. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Antares, come on!¡± Alunya prods while he sits down with his brother, on the opposite side from their mother, edging up right next to him. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t let him get to you! Mom says people who say things like that are just jealous!¡± ¡°Yeah, jealous of not having a father. How enviable.¡± Antares mumble-replies sarcastically. Reia leans over to look at her two boys, frowning. ¡°What are you two talking about? Who''s jealous of who?¡± Alunya puffs out his chest, looking proud. ¡°I was showing off our cooking, but some boy was-¡° ¡°We don¡¯t have to talk about that.¡± Antares hastily cuts Alunya off, squirming. Alunya frowns and stops, but Reia crosses her arms. ¡°...Well? What did he say?¡± Alunya shakes his head. ¡°If Ari doesn¡¯t want me to say, I guess I can¡¯t say.¡± he mumbles, stubbornly. Reia groans in frustration and sighs, placing her head in her hands. ¡°Honestly, you two...¡± There is a long moment of silence, before Antares finally pipes up. ¡°Can I eat yet..?¡± ¡°Not yet, honey, not until the sacrifice is done.¡± Reia replies. As if right on cue, the bell rings once again from the middle of the festival grounds, drawing everyone''s attention to the plinth above the bonfire. The high priest of the village, a withered old man named Rallic, is standing on the raised platform that the statue of Hylicia is placed upon. A few parents silence their children¡¯s chatter, while Rallic prepares to address the crowd. ¡°We stand here on this joyous occasion, on the 1593rd anniversary since Hylicia took us under her protection. As ever, we offer our thanks for our salvation and protection, by means of sacrifice!¡± Rallic gestures, and a sedated yak is carried forward on a palanquin by a squadron of adolescents, before being placed before the old priest. With a flourish somewhat diminished by his lack of flexibility and age, Rallic draws forth a long blade, one with an oddly bright sheen that more resembles the statue behind him rather than copper. Alunya gasps as he sees it, eyes wide open. The blade is longer than any knife, maybe half again as long as his forearm. It could only be¡­ ¡°With the sword of our ancestor, noble Talith, I offer this sacrifice to you, Hylicia!¡± Swiftly, Rallic puts the blade against the throat of the yak, and draws it back. The cry of the yak is cut off almost as abruptly as it started, the blood trailing down into the ground beneath the statue. Lifting the palanquin once again, the yak is placed somewhat haphazardly into the bonfire. As the flame catches at its hide, Alunya could swear that the statue glimmers. ¡°Eat now, while I tell you a tale of our noble ancestor, back in our ancient past, before our people found our great protector...¡± The priest starts. What follows is a long story, barely audible over the sounds of eating and crackling of the bonfire, telling of the adventures of that ancient hero in foreign lands. Of the journeys of the villagers'' ancestors, of the hardships they faced in the wider world. Alunya and Antares pay rapt attention, straining to listen in despite missing just about every other word. ¡°Mommy, when will I get to go out on adventures just like Talith? Maybe I¡¯ll get to fight a dragon!¡± Alunya asks Reia, tugging on her sleeve from across Antares with his eyes shining. ¡°Oh, sweetie. We don¡¯t need to go on adventures anymore! We have Hylicia to protect us. As long as we stay here, we¡¯ll always be safe.¡± Reia says, in a tone meant to sound reassuring. But Alunya only visibly wilts, crossing his arms across his chest and pouting. ¡°Quiet, you two, I¡¯m trying to listen to the story!¡± Antares interrupts, as he stuffs his face with another bite of vegetable-stuffed cornbread. The three of them settle into silence at Antares¡¯s urging, and eventually the story finishes, along with the meal. Reia takes up place on the other side of the table, and begins socializing with her neighbors, including Yuvia. Most of it is dreadfully boring to the two boys, talk of crop yields, of the almost certainly exaggerated size of the biggest fish another family caught, gossip and rumors from around the village. ¡°My husband swears he saw something in the forest out back behind the pastures. Something big, black, and flying.¡± One of the women gossips, in a hushed tone. Alunya¡¯s ears start straining to pick up the conversation; this is something interesting, now! ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure it was just a big raven or something. Nothing worse than that gets past Hylicia¡¯s barrier. We¡¯re all safe in this village.¡± Yuvia responds. The first gossiper glances over at Alunya, flinching away once she sees he is staring back at her. ¡°Then how do you explain Him?¡± She gestures. ¡°That hair and eyes of his aren¡¯t natural. And look what he did to his brother!¡± Reia scoots in front of Alunya, shielding him from vision. But at the mention of him, Antares¡¯s attention is caught as well, and he glances over at the group of women, furrowing his brow in confusion. Just what did they mean by that..? ¡°He just was born... Special. If there is something wrong with him, Hylicia wouldn¡¯t have let him be born, would they have?¡± Reia says protectively. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a blessing.¡± The other women scoff, rolling their eyes. ¡°More like a stigmata for a sinner...¡± Reia clenches her jaw further and glares at the other women. ¡°I told you already, he¡¯s not a bastard.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not having an affair, then why won¡¯t you just get remarried? Are you scared having a man around would make your girl¡¯s act properly? I know you¡¯re teaching them to cook, and just look at Alunya¡¯s hair. It¡¯s like you¡¯re trying to raise daughters instead of sons.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve tried to cut it, but he always struggles too much and I don¡¯t want to cut him.¡± Reia replies, defensively. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s none of your business-¡° Reia is cut off by Alunya himself climbing up onto the table, placing his hands on his hips and glaring down at the other women fiercely. ¡°I keep my hair nice and long myself thankyou, and mom has nothing to do with my cooking! I just wanted to help!¡± Reia looks like she¡¯s about to die, as she goes stark red and stands up. ¡°Alunya, I have it under control, please just go back to eating. This conversation isn¡¯t for you.¡± The other women freeze in stark discomfort at the boy¡¯s presence, but Alunya refuses to leave, instead crossing his arms and putting on a surprisingly fierce look for such a young child. As young as he is, he already is the equal of most of these women¡¯s heights, and from his vantage point on top of the table, towers over the lot of them. ¡°No! What¡¯s so wrong with helping you cook? Someone has to do it!¡± Alunya pronounces, raising his head proudly. Both Antares and Reia look mortified, but Alunya won¡¯t back down. ¡°And I like my hair! Antares told me it looks cute and pretty while he helped me brush it! Didn¡¯t you, Ari?¡± Alunya calls out, but Antares is busy hiding his face and cringing. The women all exchange looks and murmurs of unease at the white-haired boy¡¯s presence, leaning away as if the bare centimeters of extra distance between them would make a difference. A couple make signs of warding with their hands. ¡°Reia, get your son under control. And try to teach them some proper behavior while you¡¯re at it.¡± The oldest present demands, talking right past Alunya to his mother behind him. Alunya clenches his fist and scowls, but before he can do anything more Reia picks him up, removing him from the table. ¡°Come on, Antares, feast''s over, we¡¯re going home.¡± Reia pronounces. Antares needs no further prompting and, eager to escape further embarrassment, he runs along after Reia while Alunya sticks his tongue out at the group behind them. It is a fine enough time to leave, anyways; the bonfire has started to die down, and several others are already departing. Besides, the last ones there are the ones stuck with cleaning up the festival grounds. ¡°Hylicia, Alunya, don¡¯t interrupt me when I¡¯m talking with other adults.¡± Reia pronounces, highly annoyed as she rounds on the boy. ¡°But you were talking about me!¡± Alunya protests defiantly. Reia just shakes her head. ¡°You didn¡¯t help. I had it handled, you just embarrassed us all.¡± Reia lectures. Alunya stops in his tracks, wrenching his hand free from his mothers firm grip. ¡°That¡¯s not fair! I was just standing up for me and Ari!¡± Alunya stamps his foot as if to accentuate the point. Antares shakes his head. ¡°No, mom¡¯s right¡­ Please don¡¯t do that again, Alunya.¡± Antares sounds mortified. Alunya stares at the two of them agape with a betrayed expression. ¡°Ugh, I¡¯ll deal with this in the morning. For now, both of you to your rooms. It''s late.¡± Reia orders, tersely. Alunya casts a look to the side and grumbles, but it is indeed late, and even Alunya is somewhat tired after all the antics of the day. So, somewhat reluctantly, Alunya stalks off to his and his brother''s room, climbing up to the top bunk, pulling the blankets over himself, and laying down on his side facing the room''s sole window. I don¡¯t really see what I did wrong¡­ Alunya thinks to himself, watching the dying torchlight towards the village center just barely visible from the angle he is viewing the outside from. I was just standing up for us. Isn¡¯t that what family is supposed to do? Alunya sighs, and turns over onto his back, looking up at the thatch roofing above. Reia is gone now, and the door is shut, so he is a little tempted to try to talk to Antares, but he can hear from the sound of his brother''s breathing that the older boy has already fallen asleep, worn out from the day''s escapades. And so, despite all the fun that had been had that day, and all the good memories he had made, the day ultimately ends on a sour note for Alunya, as he finally closes his eyes and allows sleep to take him. Chapter IV, Winter The next day, and indeed the next weeks, are quite the bore for young Alunya. As the oldest male in the household, Antares is quite busy doing chores and working on the farm, leaving his little brother once again without his playmate. It isn¡¯t all boredom for the younger boy, though; he is now getting old enough that Reia starts putting him to work, and he would help scrub dishes, make meals, and even mend clothes, freeing up Reia to spend more time tending to their plot of crops and putting food on the table. It isn¡¯t play, of course, but at least Alunya got to feel helpful. Besides, if there is one thing Alunya isn¡¯t, it was ¡°lazy¡±. He put his all into every task, whether it was for fun or just work that needs to be done. But it isn¡¯t long¡ªeven though it feels like an eternity to Alunya¡ªbefore the harvest season tapers off. With less work to be done, Antares has more free time once again, and Alunya can spend time with him. The changing of seasons is first felt as a chill breeze in the air, and then¡­ ¡°Snow!¡± Antares exclaims, rolling out of bed with renewed energy. He¡¯d had enough rest by now to stop feeling sore from all the labor he had had to do last season, and is ready for the new season. ¡°Alunya, wake up! It''s snowing!¡± Antares pops his head up over the edge of the top bunk where his brother is sleeping, smiling excitedly. Alunya blinks and rubs his eyes sleepily as he sits up, but all semblance of tiredness vanishes as soon as he sees the blanket of white covering the ground outside. He springs up and rolls out of his bed¡­ On the top bunk. Antares yelps in fear as his brother falls from the top bunk, and without even thinking, Antares dives down and reaches his arms out, catching Alunya as he lands with a heavy thud right into Antares¡¯s open arms. ¡°A-Alunya! Be careful!¡± Antares scolds as he sets Alunya down gingerly. ¡°Heavens, sometimes I wonder how you haven''t broken every bone in your body¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, I knew you ¡®d catch me!¡± Alunya replies smugly, dusting himself off before racing over to the window. ¡°Woaaah, there¡¯s so much already this year! C¡¯mon, let''s go play outside!¡± ¡°Not so fast, you two!¡± Reia chides from the doorway where she had appeared, evidently attracted by the ruckus. ¡°Neither of you are going anywhere till you¡¯re properly dressed and finished your breakfast!¡± [...] Breakfast is a much less extravagant affair than during the harvest festival. The perishable leftovers from the festival have all been used up by now, and while there is still some salted meat from the old guanaco leftover from the festival, that is a rare treat that Reia was trying to make last. That leaves just freeze-dried yams and cornmeal, the typical staples of the village. Despite that, the brothers still eat with gusto, if for no other reason than because they want to get outside before the snow lets up. Fortunately for them, and unfortunately for most everyone else, the snow shows no sign of letting up; for the first snowfall of the year, it is really quite the impressive showing. As soon as they finish eating, Reia has the two of them bundle up in the warmest clothes they have lying around; a thick wool tunic and trousers, Alunya additionally wearing a cap with ear flaps while Antares has to settle for a simpler hat that just wrapped around the ears. Alunya races outside into the snow, feeling it crunch under his feet as he runs around, almost slipping but managing to stay upright. When it''s snowing, even just being outside is fun! He holds out his tongue, hoping to catch a snowflake¡­ ¡­And instead catches a snowball in his face, the cold powdery ball coming undone as soon as it strikes him, leaving him with a mouthful of snow which he promptly spits out, rubbing his face clear to see Antares already packing another snowball, a crooked half-smile on his face. ¡°Got you!¡± Antares proclaims. Alunya narrows his eyes competitively, and when Antares lets loose another projectile, Alunya dives out of the way to the side, rolling in the snow and covering himself in the white powder, the fine-grained snow cushioning the force of impact. As he rolls, he scoops up a handful of snow and flings it at Antares; it is not properly packed, and mostly just scatters in midair, but some of the snow still lands home as Antares brings his hands up over his face to shield himself. ¡°You got more snow on you from dodging than you would have if I just hit you, you know.¡± Antares teases dryly, as he runs back behind the side of the building where he can pack his snowball in peace. Alunya takes advantage of the reprieve to pack a large handful of snow together. ¡°It¡¯s the principle of it, Ari! You don''t just let your opponent hit you!¡± Alunya calls back, holding the snowball back and ready for when Antares finally comes out. Antares glances out from cover for just a split second to hurl his own at Alunya, and Alunya fires back, but by the time the snowball reaches Antares¡¯s position, Antares has already ducked back under cover, while Alunya gets another mouthful of snow for his trouble. ¡°Alas, I¡¯ve been stricken down!¡± Alunya bemoans, reaching his hand out for the heavens before falling onto his back dramatically, sticking out his tongue and closing his eyes to mimic being dead. Antares peeks out from cover. ¡°Aw, I didn''t hit you that hard!¡± Antares protests, as he leaves his hiding spot. Alunya spies one eye open, smirking. ¡°True!¡± He suddenly slams his hands together over his head, collecting another snowball, sitting up and hurling the snowball in one motion. Antares, startled, isn¡¯t able to react before receiving the massive snowball straight in the face and falling back, though Alunya isn¡¯t sure if he had actually struck him harder than he had meant to, or if Antares is just playing it up like Alunya had. ¡°Woe betide, I have been brought low by my perfidious foe!¡± Antares laments, while Alunya stands up and strides over to where Antares is, offering a hand. Antares accepts it and pulls himself up, shivering. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°It''s not per¡­ Perfidi¡­¡± Alunya struggles with the word before giving up and just shaking his head. ¡°It''s just called being cunning! Like a good hunter!¡± Antares rolls his eyes. ¡°Uh-huh, sure.¡± He sticks out his tongue at Alunya and pulls down on his eyelid. Alunya shoots Antares a competitive glare. ¡°Oh, now you¡¯re asking for it!¡± Turning around, he digs his feet into the gaps between the stones on their house and climbs up onto the roof, a probably altogether awful idea, considering how slippery it is. ¡°All hail Alunya, Lord of Snow!¡± Alunya proclaims, plopping down on top of the dome shaped roof and gathering a great ball of snow, hurling it down at Antares from on high. Antares yelps and holds his hands up to shield his face, looking around for cover, but Alunya¡¯s high vantage makes it difficult to evade him. Alunya bombards Antares with snowball after snowball, and Antares starts ducking and weaving trying to evade them. The first few snowballs Antares throws back in retaliation sail past Alunya, as it is harder for the boy to aim upwards. But he is nothing if not tenacious, so after narrowly avoiding one of Alunya¡¯s rapid fire attacks, with a more tightly packed snowball than before, he lets fly another projectile. ¡°I, Noble Antares, shall free the snow from the tyranny of Alunya!¡± Antares postures loudly. The snowball strikes Alunya right smack in the middle of his chest. Whether it is the impact of the snow, or just Alunya¡¯s typical overplaying of impact, the boy falls backwards¡­ onto the loosely packed snow on the roof, causing a miniature avalanche as he slides off the roof backwards, shouting as he did. ¡°A-Alunya!?¡± Antares panics, racing around the building to find Alunya on the other side, nearly completely buried in a big pile of snow which had fallen off the roof along with him. Alunya spits out snow and pops his head out of the snow, blinking as he looks around. Lucky me, if it wasn''t for all this snow that could have really hurt! As it is, he¡¯s fine other than a slightly bruised shoulder. Alunya blinks, still dazed, while Antares hurries to start digging him out of the snow. ¡°Are you alright, ¡®Lunya?¡± Antares asks, concern clear on his face. Alunya smiles sunnily up at him and jumps up onto Antares, knocking his older brother prone as they fall back on the snow together. ¡°Never better!¡± Alunya pronounces brightly as he rolls around in the snow, dragging Antares with him. Antares gives a relieved sigh, and holds Alunya tightly. ¡°Good¡­¡± He shuts his eyes tightly, squeezing Alunya before repeating ¡°Good.¡± With his head back against the ground, Antares¡¯s snowy white hair blends in perfectly with the background, intermixing with Alunya¡¯s own, as Alunya giggles softly and rubs his cheek up against his brother¡¯s affectionately. Though Antares¡¯s soft skin is cold to the touch after being pelted by so many snowballs, Alunya can still feel it heat up as his brother blushed. But despite his embarrassment, Antares doesn¡¯t push Alunya away and hugs him back gingerly, wrapping both arms around Alunya¡¯s waist. Alunya squeals happily. D¡¯aww, he¡¯s reciprocating! I should fall off of rooftops more often, Ari is so cute when he¡¯s worried about me. The moment is interrupted when Reia wheels around the corner. ¡°Alunya, are you alright? I heard a crash!¡± Reia frets, though she halts in her tracks when she sees Alunya draped over Antares. ¡°Hi mom! I¡¯m fine!¡± Alunya announces happily, propping up his chin with one arm to allow him to look at her. Antares¡¯ blush gets even fiercer and he shoves Alunya off of him, the younger boy issuing an undignified protest as he is unceremoniously pushed back onto the pile of snow he had made. ¡°Alright, that''s enough of that.¡± Antares mumbles, embarrassed, as he sits back up. ¡°Well I¡¯m glad you two are getting along, at least¡­¡± Reia mutters. ¡°Be careful, though! I don¡¯t want to see you getting hurt.¡± She lectures, waggling a finger. ¡°Yes, mom.¡± Alunya replies, perhaps a little sullenly. Reia arches her brow. ¡°I mean it, now. No more snowball fights, you¡¯re too reckless!¡± Alunya sits cross legged and crosses his arms, putting on his harshest pouting face. ¡°Yes, mom.¡± ¡°Don''t you Mom me, I¡¯m just looking out for you because I care.¡± Reia replies tersely, before looking back. ¡°You two behave yourselves now, I have to go make sure the food doesn''t burn.¡± Once Reia had left, Alunya sighs and falls over backwards with a thud. What a killjoy¡­ ¡°It¡¯s alright, I¡¯m sure we can find other things to do.¡± Antares suggests, encouragingly. ¡°Hrm¡­¡± Alunya ponders, before starting to swing his legs and arms out. Antares cocks his head at him, confused for a moment before it clicks. Oh, he¡¯s making a snow angel! Antares flops down above him, so that the brother¡¯s heads are pointing towards each other, and starts to do the same, though the cold snow has started to make his hands grow numb. Still, it''s been too long since he could just cut loose and have fun, and Alunya is enjoying himself too, so he has to prolong it at least a bit. Don¡¯t worry, you have the whole winter ahead of you! Antares thinks to himself, smiling brightly. With luck, there¡¯ll be plenty more snow until the dawning of spring and they can play outside every day. Snowmen, snow angels, snowball fights¡­ Maybe we can even go ice fishing. Antares idly thinks about all the fun they could have that winter while shaping his snow angel. With his hands going numb, he decides to give himself a break and stuffs his hands under his armpits to help warm them up, before hopping up to his feet, careful not to disturb the outline he had made. The two snow angels, his and Alunya¡¯s, are nearly symmetrical, with Antares¡¯ being just slightly taller and more robust at the shoulders¡ªThough, as Antares often noted, the difference in height is getting smaller by the day. Antares winces at the reminder that at the current rate, Alunya will be taller than him soon enough. Still, There is something beautiful about the symmetry, isn''t there? Glancing back at Alunya, Antares watches his brother flop around and draw a wide ellipse in between the snow angels with his finger. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Antares asks, curiously. ¡°Giving the angels their halo!¡± Alunya announces, clambering back up to his feet. ¡°There, now they¡¯re all done!¡± ¡°You should have put it closer to yours, then, you can¡¯t even tell which angel the halo belongs to.¡± Antares advises. Alunya shakes his head and smiles sunnily at Antares, holding out his hand in a thumbs up gesture and winking. ¡°Nu-uh! They share the same halo!¡± The snow he had been playing in clings to his clothes, blending in with the thin, pristine snow-white hair he shares with his brother. Despite the cold, Antares can feel his heart melt. ¡­Forget the snow angels, my brother is the real angel. Chapter V, Frost and Fish ¡°Keep your thumbs clear of the saw!¡± Antares instructs, while Alunya studiously drags the copper sawblade up and down through the ice. It¡¯s a few weeks after the solstice, now, and after an intermittent spell of clear weather following the first snowstorm a few weeks earlier, another cold front had moved in from the southwest and ensured the land remained blanketed in snow, as well as freezing the surface of the river. This was the main river not far from the village, much deeper and wider than the little stream the two had swam in last fall. ¡°Like this?¡± Alunya asks, hesitantly, trying to hold the saw like his big brother had shown him while cutting out a circular disk of ice from the top of the river. It was hard work, especially since they were just kids, but with some effort eventually Alunya connects the cut back to where he had started, leaving a jagged, vaguely polygonal chunk of ice- it was not very thick, and Reia had forbidden they go out onto the surface of the ice as a result, but that at least made it easier to cut. ¡°There, good job! Now we just need to wait for a fish to swim by. The cold water makes them slow and sluggish, so they¡¯re easier to hit.¡± Antares instructs, tossing Alunya a spear before laying down near his own hole in the ice. Although Reia had told him not to go onto the water, he is still lightweight enough that he reasons it would be fine. Antares shows Alunya how to hold and thrust with the spear, and then they lay down and wait, Alunya imitating Antares as he prowls over the icy sheets. It is slow going, as Alunya blinks staring down into the dark, frigid waters. Alunya clenches his jaw, doing his best to remain focused through the long wait. The cold slowly seeps through his clothes, and laying still there is making the boy progressively more and more tired, such that when a fish finally does come by the gap in the ice, Alunya had practically nodded off and didn¡¯t respond fast enough to even attempt a strike before the quarry vanished again. Alunya shakes his head in frustration and blinks his eyes, trying to rouse himself back to full consciousness. C¡¯mon, you wanna learn how to fish, don''t you? Alunya hefts his spear again and narrows his eyes, trying once again to keep focused. Eventually another fish does swim through and Alunya strikes, but it¡¯s like the spear warps as it enters the water and diverts below the fish. Alunya gawks in dismay. What? But I was right on! ¡°The water shifts your view of the fish, it''s deeper than it looks.¡± Antares advises. ¡°Here, let me show you-¡± He creeps over to where Alunya is¡ªA safer spot than Antares¡¯ hole, perched on a rock next to the fishing hole. Antares guides Alunya¡¯s hands, and prods at the river bed. ¡°See? Look how far down we have to reach to find the bottom.¡± It is deep indeed, and as Antares pointed out Alunya can see the shaft of the spear does indeed look like it¡¯s at a different angle than where it entered. ¡°Woah¡­¡± Alunya murmurs, entranced. Ari is so smart! Antares cocks his head to the side, so that he can speak in Alunya¡¯s ear directly while still guiding his arms. ¡°You want me to show you?¡± Antares asks, and Alunya nods emphatically. The two of them take up position on either side of the little water hole, and the next time a fish swims by, Antares strikes. From Alunya¡¯s perspective it looks like he is aiming below his target, but instead it strikes the fish in the fin. The fire-hardened spear point isn''t very good at keeping the fish though, and although it was a solid thrust the fish manages to slip off the spearpoint and flutter away in a mist of blood. ¡°Darn!¡± Antares complains, scratching his head and sitting back. Woah, he hit it on the first try! Big brother is so talented! Alunya claps, enthralled. ¡°Yay! My turn!¡± Alunya picks up his spear again and creeps over near the edge of the ice. Antares shrugs. ¡°Yeah, I guess that''s enough of a show.¡± He says sheepishly. Alunya frowns. Why is he upset? He hit it right on, it was just bad luck. It was a bit of a longer wait, and the two of them idly chatter on about different things; The new chores they¡¯d done last fall, mostly. That dialogue went on for some time, with Antares doing most of the talking, but Alunya still has some to share. ¡°...Mom¡¯s been showing me how to mend clothes!¡± Alunya boasts. ¡°Maybe once I learn how, I can make something cute for you to wear?¡± Antares sputters at the suggestion, as if he was choking¡ªat a bad time, since a fish had just entered his field of view, and by the time he¡¯d recentered and struck it was already gone. The splash of his spear entering the water startles the fish and it darts further along under the ice sheets, right past the other hole where Alunya is waiting. Alunya promptly strikes, aiming like his brother had told him, nailing the fish down to the riverbed. He blinks, startled at his own success, not knowing what to do next. I got it! I did just what Antares said and I got it! Ari is such a good teacher. Antares looks up, startled, to see Alunya had somehow caught the fish he had missed. How is he such a quick learner? I haven¡¯t even caught one fish yet! Still, he doesn¡¯t seem to know how to retrieve it, so Antares rushes over to his side, reaching into the frigid water to take a firm grasp of the fish and haul it up out of the water. Alunya watches in some awe while Antares holds up a knife and quickly runs it through the fish above the skull, wincing at the spurt of blood. It is not the most pleasant experience, but Alunya seems positively enthralled while Antares works, so Antares explains what he was doing. ¡°You just cut it open here to kill it, then you place the knife here¡­¡± Antares runs the knife in between the ribs on its ventral side. ¡°...Then you draw the blade up to its gills, here.¡± Antares makes sure Alunya can see while he draws the blade up, releasing the guts and viscera of the fish. With a few more steps, he finished processing it and stashes it in the snow, where the cold would keep it fresh enough. ¡°When did you learn to do all of that, Ari?¡± Alunya asks, wondrously. Antares scratches the back of his head, a little embarrassed. Although he¡¯d acted like he knew what he was doing, in truth he¡¯d just gotten most of what he knew from watching the men and other boys fishing while he was out doing laundry or other chores. ¡°Ehrm, just picked it up here and there, haha.¡± Antares pronounces, not wanting to directly admit he¡¯d never actually caught a fish before. Alunya nods. ¡°Ok, but next time you gotta let me try!¡± Antares nods back in acquiescence, and they return to their individual fishing holes. [...] ¡°Wow Antares, you caught such a big fish!¡± Alunya gawks as he lifts the largest partially-butchered fish on the back of the sled he is sitting on, while Antares grunts from the effort of pulling the sled forwards. Between the two of them, they had caught five fish total¡ªThree from Antares, two from Alunya¡ªway more than enough to be worth the time and energy expended on their day out. Stolen story; please report. Antares huffs with effort as he drags the sled, Alunya peeking out from on top of the sled curiously. ¡°Do you need my help, Ari?¡± Antares shakes his head stubbornly, trying his best to put on a strong face. ¡°Nu-uh, I got it! It''s just a little farther and then we can be home.¡± He insists, as he strains to drag the simple wooden sled up the hill. Antares stops, huffing and puffing, at the top of the hill to take in the sights. From here, he can just about see the whole village, all arrayed in concentric circles and terraces save for where the river cuts through the center, the same river they had gone fishing at, which winds around the hill and back down towards the middle of the village, with a couple of old wooden bridges quite a ways from Alunya and Antares¡¯ house crossing the river. On the far side of the village, perhaps a half hour walk away, Antares can just barely see a big rocky outcropping that jutted over one side of the village. Alunya hops off the sled and up to Antares, concern written on his face. ¡°Um, am I too heavy? Maybe I should take my turn?¡± Alunya asks, but Antares just shakes his head, standing upright, brushing his hair back, and grinning widely with a thumbs up to Alunya. ¡°Not a chance! Just you watch, get back on the sled, and get a good grip!¡± Antares instructs, and Alunya hesitantly does so despite his misgivings. Antares gets behind the sled and gives it a big shove- as it dislodges from the snow, he hastily hops on behind Alunya, one leg out on either side of him. It slides forward without much momentum for a second¡­ And then, as the front of the sled dips down onto the lower slope of the big hill, it picks up speed, the smooth underside of the wooden sled sliding on the fresh, fluffy snow. Alunya gasps with surprise as his heart jumps in his chest, while Antares wraps both arms around Alunya under his arms to keep a secure grip while the sled picks up more and more speed, rocketing down the hill. ¡°Ari, we¡¯re flying!¡± Alunya calls, enchanted, with his arms spread wide like a bird, feeling the air whip past his arms and his hair flowing backwards in the wind. Of course, the sled had not actually lifted off the ground, but that didn¡¯t change how it felt to Alunya. The two brothers'' excited whoops blend together, echoing across the valley as the sled speeds down the hill, before slowly bleeding off its momentum as it skids across the plain at the bottom of the slope, some of the fish flying off into the snow as it stops. Alunya jumps up to his feet, almost falling over as his legs felt like jelly. ¡°Again! Again!¡± He cheers, jumping up and down in excitement. Antares takes a moment to catch his breath, laying back in the sled, before opening his eyes and catching his balance. ¡°You like it, huh?¡± His eyes shine, but then he hesitates. ¡°...Only, I don¡¯t know if we have time¡­ If Reia catches us out playing too long we¡¯ll get grounded again.¡± Antares points out. Alunya puffs out a cheek and crosses his arms. ¡°Ugh¡­ Alright. I guess we¡¯d better get the fish back while they¡¯re still fresh, anyways.¡± Antares nods, and the two of them dig through the snow to collect the fish that had been flung from the sled, placing them back, before Alunya takes up the reins. ¡°I¡¯m pulling the sled the rest of the way back, though. You take a good rest!¡± Antares opens his mouth to protest, but the steely look Alunya shoots at him quickly makes him shut it again and just walk alongside Alunya as the two of them make their way back to their stone hut. Alunya pulls the sled up by the door and quickly loots its contents before running inside. ¡°Mom! We¡¯re back!¡± Alunya announces, running up to Reia, who pauses in her work to face her two sons. ¡°Lookie lookie! We caught these!¡± Alunya drops everything he¡¯s holding except for the two biggest fish, holding them up to present to Reia. ¡°Wow, those are some big fish!¡± Reia chuckles and leans down to pick up Alunya. ¡°Did you have fun?¡± Alunya nods emphatically. ¡°Uh-huh! Antares showed me how to prepare them for cooking, so we can eat them for dinner now!¡± ¡°Easy now, I don¡¯t think I have time to cook them tonight. I still need to make sure we have enough firewood chopped.¡± Reia states. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll keep if you leave them outside in the cold, as long as no animals find them, then I can try to find time tomorrow.¡± Alunya puffs out one cheek, standing up as tall and straight as he could- Almost 150 cm tall, tall enough that he just about comes up to Reia¡¯s chin. ¡°C¡¯mon! Ari and I can cook them! We did a good job on the ribs last fall, right?¡± Alunya pleads. ¡°Right, Ari?¡± Antares rubs the back of his head, embarrassed. ¡°But that¡¯s a girl¡¯s job¡­¡± He mumbles under his breath- quietly enough that nobody could hear him. Still, the thought of fresh fish for dinner is far more appealing than yet another day of dry, cold cornmeal. So reluctantly, he nods. ¡°Um, yeah, Alunya and I can cook it.¡± Reia pauses, the edges of her mouth twitching downwards. It probably isn¡¯t a good thing that Alunya is always so eager to do a woman''s chores, but she supposes that is just the reality of their situation; There is always more work than she can get done alone; There was a reason the firewood hadn¡¯t been chopped back in autumn, and Antares and Alunya were still a bit young to be using a hatchet unsupervised. ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll chop more firewood, you two can start a fire and roast the fish.¡± ¡°Yay! You got it!¡± Alunya winks and strikes a pose before rushing off to take what firewood had already been cut and placing it in the fireplace. Between him and Antares, the two are able to get a fire going, and by the time Reia has finished chopping a supply of firewood to last the next few days at least, three of the fish they had caught were being roasted over the fire, sans their heads and guts. ¡°Mhm, that smells good-¡± Reia remarks, setting the firewood down in a corner of the room. ¡°You got a good haul today, huh? That¡¯s plenty for dinner.¡± Reia reaches over to pat Alunya¡¯s head, causing her son to coo contentedly. ¡°We caught more than this!¡± Antares boasts, standing upright. ¡°There''s another couple of fish we stowed in the boxes outside! We caught five fish today total!¡± Antares announces, proudly. Reia blinks. ¡°...That many? And during the winter, too..?¡± She mutters softly, surprised. ¡°...Well, I guess we can eat some fish stew tomorrow with the leftovers. Make sure to collect all the fish bones from your fish today, I¡¯ll need them for the broth.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm! Roger that!¡± Alunya salutes his mother and nods his head, before removing the fish from the fire. Once all of the fish have been plated on the round stone tablets that serve as dishware, the family gathers around the table and digs in. By the standards of another culture, the fish might have been a tad bland, lacking in seasoning and being a little dry from being roasted over the fire, but to Alunya and Antares anything beyond dried cornmeal was a king¡¯s feast. After dinner, it was Alunya¡¯s turn to scrub the ¡®plates¡¯ clean, and by the time he is done the sun had disappeared below the mountains. He wasn¡¯t exactly tired, given how short the days were during winter, but there is precious little to do after nightfall, being too cold to spend time outside at night even with heavy clothing. But, at least the fireplace provides some heat and light. Antares had already gotten his blanket and curled up by the fireplace, and so Alunya runs off to grab his own from his bed, trailing it into the living room as he plops down right by Antares¡¯s side, leaning lightly against his older brother. Deep into the night, the two boys would recount the day¡¯s exploits and plan out all the other things they wanted to do that winter. But as the conversation eventually ebbs away, Alunya finds himself captivated by the flickering flames, curling around the wood as it slowly crumbles away to ash and embers. Alunya would not have thought he would be falling asleep anytime soon. It hadn¡¯t even been that long, he could swear. But before long, he finds himself nodding off, leaning up against his older brother who had already succumbed to restful oblivion. And so, another day filled with fun and excitement vanished, along with the boy¡¯s fading consciousness. Chapter VI, An Exciting Opportunity The rest of winter passes by in a blur of happy memories and play, and before long Antares is once again kept busy, as the snow melts away and the earliest part of planting season starts. To make sure the family had enough food, despite limited labor available, Reia always had to start planting as soon as possible- even if that meant being out in the miserable cold rain of late winter. Such a time was incredibly boring to Alunya, being left without a playmate and forbidden from going outside because of what a mess the poor weather would wreak on him. But there is one thing to look forward to. The spring equinox is not as important of an occasion as the fall, since food stocks are still weak after winter and the harvest holds more importance. But for Alunya, it is the most special day of all, for it was his birthday. 81st of Winter, 2891 P.C. [...] Alunya whistles idly to himself as he deftly maneuvers the sewing needle through the piece of fabric in his hands. There was precious little to do indoors, so he¡¯s taken to practicing his sewing with whatever scraps of fabric he can find. But as the door swings open, he just about jumps out of his skin and hastily hides the piece of cloth underneath himself. For whatever reason, even though Reia had asked him for help repairing some of the family''s clothes that had gotten worn out in the first place, she got awfully upset if she ever caught him practicing on his own. But as Reia enters the room, it seems she hadn¡¯t seen, and Alunya breathes a sigh of relief. Actually, that is rather odd, isn¡¯t it? What is she doing back? It hasn¡¯t been that long, has it? Alunya nervously glances out the window, worried the entire day had somehow gotten away from him, but it still looks no later than midday. Normally, Reia¡ªAnd Antares, who was following just behind her, bouncing from foot to foot with readily apparent eagerness¡ªwould be gone the entire day. ¡°I have some good news!¡± Reia announces, beaming at Alunya. ¡°I had a chat with Tavr; you know, Vekt and Risa¡¯s father? Anyways, he¡¯s agreed to take you and Antares hunting for your birthday!¡± ¡°Huh? Me?¡± Alunya blinks. Antares runs up to Alunya and takes his hands in his own, eyes shining excitedly. ¡°Yep! You and me! We¡¯re going to get to go see the mountains in person!¡± Antares squeals, barely able to contain his own excitement. ¡°I felt bad that you hadn¡¯t had a chance until now.¡± Reia adds on. ¡°So I pulled a couple strings here and there and did some talking, and now you¡¯ll have your first real opportunity! Plus, it¡¯s a good way for you to meet some more kids, maybe make some new friends.¡± ¡°Come on, Alunya! We gotta go practice!¡± Antares starts trying to tug Alunya out the door, and Alunya stumbles after him in a bit of a daze. ¡°Huh? What are we practicing, Ari?¡± Alunya asks, in an awed tone. ¡°We gotta go get ready for the trip! That means we gotta practice with the bow!¡± Antares proclaims. But before they could leave, Reia grabs Alunya¡¯s tunic, yanking him back again. ¡°Oh, no you don¡¯t you two! You still have chores to do today.¡± Reia tells Antares. ¡°And I need to make sure that you are presentable before the trip. You¡¯ve put off getting your haircut for long enough, the winter¡¯s ending so no more excuses about it keeping your head warm!¡± Reia dictates to Alunya. Alunya gasps in apparent horror and covers his head. He remembers last time Reia had cut his hair, the bizarre feeling of the air on his scalp. ¡°No, you can¡¯t!¡± Alunya protests desperately. ¡°I like my hair!¡± Reia puts her hands on her hips, sternly. ¡°You and Antares are going to be representing our family when you go, so I won¡¯t have you embarrassing me!¡± Reia dictates in a tone that brooks no argument. Alunya shakes his head furiously, whipping his hair around, but Reia is apparently at the end of her patience. ¡°If you don¡¯t sit still and let me cut your hair, I¡¯m marching right back over to Tavr¡¯s place and telling him I¡¯m canceling our arrangement.¡± She declares. Antares¡¯s expression projects pure horror as he hears this, and he gives Alunya a pleading look. ¡°Alunya, please, just this once?¡± He holds his brother''s hand in his own, giving him the big doe eyes he had learned from Alunya. Alunya bit his lip. He did want to go, and he couldn¡¯t ruin it for Antares either¡­ But¡­ Looking noticeably depressed, Alunya sighs and sits down at the table, puffing out a cheek and crossing his arms. ¡°Fine¡­¡± He grumbles.. [...] Alunya paws at his hair as he looks in the river, dismally. It feels so strange having his hair so short! Plus, now his scalp feels freezing cold. And when he shakes his head, he can''t even feel the hair flowing in the wind! What a disaster¡­ Alunya thinks to himself. Antares must have been able to tell what he was thinking, because as he sits down next to him he wraps one arm around his shoulders. ¡°Oh, come on Alunya, it¡¯s not that bad. I still think you look cute!¡± Alunya gives his brother a wistful smile. ¡°Thanks, Ari.¡± Alunya leans against Antares, staring down at both of their reflections. At least I look more like Ari now. Alunya thinks to himself- Their reflections are so similar now, to Alunya it looks more like he is staring at two copies of Antares than himself and his brother. Their heights were almost even, leaving the only noticeable difference a slight distinction in build and somewhat more mature features on his brother. Alunya finally looks away from the water and stands up, stretching. ¡°Well, you wanted to practice before we go hunting, right? We have time now, don¡¯t we?¡± Alunya cocks his head to the side questioningly. Antares nods vigorously in reply. ¡°Mm-hmm! C¡¯mon, follow me, we got something special for the trip!¡± Antares takes Alunya¡¯s hand and leads him back to the crates behind their hut, where he digs through them and pulls out a pair of simple ash self bows, which probably took some whittler no more than an hour to put together, with oval cross-section and strings made of rawhide. Antares hands one of the bows to Alunya, who tugs on the bowstring experimentally. ¡°No, look, you gotta pull it back like this.¡± Antares instructs Alunya, showing how to hold the bowstring. ¡°I¡¯ve seen some of the men using them, just follow my lead.¡± Alunya copies after Antares, pulling the bow back with three fingers. It isn¡¯t easy, and takes alot of his strength, but he manages to draw the bow back almost to his cheek. ¡°Ow!¡± Alunya yelps as he dry fires the bow, feeling the bowstring slap against his wrist. ¡°That hurts!¡± Antares frowns. ¡°Oh, you shouldn¡¯t fire the bow without an arrow. You gotta just relax your draw on it gradually, so that doesn¡¯t happen.¡± Alunya frowns back. ¡°...Aren¡¯t we supposed to have something on our wrists to protect them? I¡¯ve seen that¡¯s what the hunters all do.¡± Antares rubs the back of his head. ¡°I guess so, yeah. But we don¡¯t have any, so we¡¯ll just have to make do.¡± Antares handed a bundle of arrows to Alunya. ¡°C¡¯mon, we gotta practice our aim so that when we go out we can actually hit the broad side of a barn. Let¡¯s try hitting¡­ Hm. We don¡¯t have any targets¡­ Maybe we can just aim for that tree?¡± Antares points over to a medium-sized oak a bit behind the house, standing a little bit away from the rest of the forest. Alunya nods, looking determined, and draws back his bowstring¡­ Twang. The arrow flies off, landing some ways to the right of the tree. Alunya gapes in dismay. ¡°Huh? That¡¯s not where I wanted you to go!¡± He complains to the arrow, as if it had agency and was able to respond, before shaking his head. Twang. Now Antares¡¯s arrow flew, digging into the ground some ways before the tree, and Antares looks at Alunya sheepishly, laughing nervously. ¡°Eheh¡­ I think we might have alot of practice to go.¡± [...] The days between the announcement and the spring equinox pass quickly, and soon enough, Alunya and Antares¡¯s time to prepare has passed. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Alunya looks down towards the middle of the village, both excitedly and a little wistfully. Where normally he¡¯d be getting ready for his birthday celebrations, or maybe even the spring festival, instead he would be going out; Tavr always went out during the festivals. Maybe he doesn¡¯t like the crowds..? Alunya wonders idly to himself. ¡°Alright, you two. Remember, this might be a special event for you, but Tavr is taking you on as a favor to our family. So don¡¯t demand too much attention, and do your best to fit in. And Alunya, remember what we talked about!¡± Reia lectures her two boys, who both stand upright and nod dutifully. ¡°Roger that!¡± Alunya chimes in. ¡°Oh, Ari, before we go, I got something for us!¡± Alunya presents a simple vambrace made of wool with some scraps of rawhide on the inside, intended to help protect the wrist when firing the bow. ¡°...Where did you get that from?¡± Reia asks uncertainly, as Antares takes a look at the vambrace before sliding it onto his right wrist, flexing his hand to see how it feels. ¡°I stitched it together from whatever I could find, duh.¡± Alunya says proudly, putting his own vambrace on. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t¡­¡± Reia starts, before sighing. ¡°...Nevermind. Just come along, you two.¡± Reia takes her two boys'' hands, and after a quick check to make sure they have everything they need¡ªBows, arrows, fire pistons, satchel, snacks, hunting knives, and more¡ªthey set off for Tavr¡¯s residence. Tavr¡¯s residence is not far away, only a quick stroll. It is larger than Reia¡¯s abode, although not by much, and probably is more cramped if anything given that more people lived there. The first to greet Reia and her sons is Yuvia, who is sitting out in front. ¡°Good morning!¡± Yuvia calls out. ¡°Good morning!¡± Reia replies back, bowing briefly before the steps of the hut. ¡°Thank you so much for taking my boys in, I hope you know how much we appreciate the opportunity.¡± Yuvia smiles back at Reia. ¡°It¡¯s no problem. It takes a village to raise a child, after all. Go ahead and head on in, Tavr is getting ready inside.¡± Alunya looks around curiously as he steps inside; it isn¡¯t very often that he gets to see the inside of any building other than his own family¡¯s cottage. The inside is a cluttered if homey mess, considerably less organized than his own house, although that is in significant part just because there are more possessions in general compared to the fairly sparse cottage he calls home. And of course, there is Tavr. A stout and rather hairy man, with a greasy complexion and strong odor that had hit Alunya as soon as he entered the room. Alunya wrinkles his nose and grimaces in disgust, resisting the urge to say something snarky about the older man with some effort. He¡¯d not actually been in close quarters with an adult other than his mother, before. At least, not that he could remember. Do they all smell like that? Gross. As if the odor isn¡¯t bad enough, he looks altogether ungraceful, not at all the image of a dashing hunter that Alunya had formed in his head. Focus, remember, you don¡¯t want to ruin this for Ari¡­ Alunya reminds himself, glancing over at his brother, who is standing stiffly upright, nervousness plain in his body language. Tavr stops what he is doing, and turns to the newcomers, appraising the two brothers for a moment before standing up. ¡°Alunya and Antares, I presume?¡± Tavr¡¯s voice is gruff and low, grating to Alunya¡¯s ears. ¡°Name¡¯s Tavr, this here is my son Vekt and daughter Risa.¡± Tavr motions at his two children sitting at the table. Alunya recognizes Vekt from the festival of course, but he hadn¡¯t ever met Risa, who waves hello at him as Tavr continues. ¡° ¡­Now, which one of your birthdays is it?¡± Alunya raises his arm eagerly. ¡°Me! Me!¡± Alunya announces to Tavr, who stares back down at him, making Alunya¡¯s excitement lapse as he remembers who he was talking to. Thankfully, the adult didn¡¯t seem to notice Alunya¡¯s consternation. ¡°My, your mother wasn¡¯t joking, you are tall for your age¡­¡± Tavr mutters to himself, before turning to Reia. ¡°Alright. You can leave the boys here, we were just about to have breakfast before we set off.¡± Tavr says to Reia, who releases her boys¡¯ hands and bows again. ¡°Thankyou again for taking them. I don¡¯t know how they¡¯d ever have a chance to learn this kind of thing without your help.¡± Reia affirms gratefully. Tavr gives her a pointed look. ¡°Well, you could just get remarried finally¡­¡± He mutters sullenly. ¡°But I guess you¡¯re a bit old for that now, aren¡¯t you?¡± Reia grits her teeth but does her best to keep a pleasant face on, laughing awkwardly. ¡°Aha, I suppose so.¡± She replies, her voice strained. ¡°Well, whatever. Rest assured, they¡¯re in good hands with us. We¡¯ll return them to you spick and span in a few days, and maybe they¡¯ll have picked up some more appropriate hobbies, eh?¡± Tavr laughs. ¡°Well, I¡¯d better get back to my chores. Have fun, you two!¡± Reia says to Alunya and Antares, giving them each a final pat on the head before turning on her heel and departing back towards home. Alunya watches Reia depart before turning back to Vekt and Tavr. As he looks at Vekt, he tries to avoid frowning. He still remembers how mean the boy had been to Antares during the festival, but now he and Antares were guests. Vekt had somehow resisted saying anything particularly venomous to the two of them now, though he has a bit of a self assured, smug look. ¡°Well, you two, go ahead and take your seats. Risa, go fetch us something to eat, and some corn wine.¡± Tavr announces, motioning for the two boys to take a seat. ¡°We want to have a full belly before we go out.¡± His daughter meekly nods her head and takes off. Alunya purposefully takes the seat across from Vekt, so that Antares doesn''t have to sit near the boy who had mocked him so last festival, while Antares sits across from Tavr. ¡°So, either of you boys know how to shoot a bow?¡± Tavr asks, and Alunya and Antares look at each other before nodding emphatically. ¡°Um, Mom got us bows in preparation so, we¡¯ve been practicing!.¡± Antares reports, puffing out his chest proudly. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a start at least. How about traps? You ever make a snare?¡± Tavr follows up. Antares awkwardly shuffles. ¡°Well um, no, I can¡¯t say I know how. I thought we were just going on a trip though, wouldn¡¯t leaving traps take alot longer¡­?¡± Antares asks, meekly. Tavr thinks for a moment, before shrugging. ¡°I suppose you have a point there.¡± Before the conversation could continue, Risa arrives, carrying a platter with bowls of potato soup. ¡°Thanks, Risa!¡± Alunya cheers, smiling sunnily at her as he takes his food. ¡°Did you make it? It smells good!¡± Risa looks startled, and Vekt glares over at Alunya. ¡°Huh? Oh, I helped mommy make it, but she did most of the work.¡± Risa replies self consciously, rubbing the back of her head. ¡°Now go fetch us four satchels and fill them up with biscuits and nuts for the trip.¡± Tavr instructs dismissively. Alunya blinks. Four satchels¡­ Wait, Four? Alunya counts everyone in the room. Antares, Risa, Tavr, Vekt, and me. Wait, that¡¯s not four! Alunya gasps in dismay, and Tavr and Vekt both look at him blankly, while Antares turns to him quickly with a concerned look. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, ¡®Lunya?¡± Antares asks before anyone else can react. ¡°Why only four? Am I not going?¡± Alunya protests, while everyone else just looks at him confused. ¡°...You, your brother, me, and dad.¡± Vekt responds after a pause, counting each one on their fingers. ¡°Hylicia, don¡¯t you even know how to count¡­?¡± Alunya blinks. ¡°Huh? But what about Risa?¡± Alunya furrows his brow in confusion. How was Vekt going to go hunting without his little sister? Vekt laughs, while Antares touches his hand to his temple in embarrassment. Tavr just sighs and shakes his head. ¡°No, Alunya, Risa does not come hunting. Her job is to stay here and learn from her mother.¡± Alunya quirks his mouth, not really understanding, but shrugs. At least that meant neither he nor Antares were to be left at home, so it wasn¡¯t anything to worry too much about. Breakfast begins in relative silence, save for the sounds of munching; everyone is eager to just finish eating and get on with the day. Antares elbows Alunya, who is presently slurping the soup down without a care in the world, painting the sides of his cheeks with starchy residue. ¡°C¡¯mon, Alunya, show some manners, we¡¯re not at home.¡± Antares hisses out through clenched teeth. Alunya rolls his eyes dramatically, but reluctantly slows down, wiping off his mouth. ¡°Stay here everyone. I just gotta go get a couple things so we¡¯ll be ready to go. We¡¯ll leave as soon as I get back.¡± Tavr announces once he has finished eating, standing up. As soon as he is gone, Vekt leans forward, looking suspiciously at Alunya. ¡°Don''t think I didn¡¯t see you trying to butter up my sister. I have my eye on you.¡± Alunya blinks at him in confusion. What is he talking about? ¡°Huh? What?¡± His brow furrows as he tries to figure out what Vekt meant by that. ¡°You think that just because my father invited you over, you can make a pass at Risa? How would a sissy boy like you protect her anyways?¡± Vekt clenches his fist, hostility in his voice. Antares jolts up from where he was sitting, gazing fiercely at Vekt, placing both hands on the table. In the meantime between the last festival, Antares had just about caught up with Vekt height wise, though he was still scrawnier. ¡°Don¡¯t talk to my little brother that way.¡± Antares growls out. Vekt flinches, startled by Antares¡¯s sudden ferocity, but quickly shoots back another venomous glare. ¡°Yeah? What are you going to do about it, mama¡¯s boy? You¡¯re just a kid not even old enough to have grown out your first beard!¡± Vekt smugly puts his chin out, showing off the fine stubble that had developed on it since the last time they¡¯d seen each other. He was, apparently, quite proud of it. Alunya blanches. Does he honestly think that¡¯s impressive¡­? Alunya wonders, almost in awe of the boy''s apparent stupidity. That''s like, the exact opposite of being cute. Alunya stares dully at the boy, but quickly decides he has to take Antares¡¯s side, even if the subject of the argument still eludes him. ¡°He¡¯s already taller than you, and I bet he knows how to-¡± Alunya cuts himself off when he hears the door close behind him, and Antares and Vekt hurriedly sit back down while Tavr returns to the table. ¡°...Everything alright here?¡± Tavr asks, suspiciously, standing over the table. There is something subtly off about his posture, a bit more aggressive despite a level tone. ¡°Yes, father. We were just chatting and got a bit excited.¡± Vekt reports. Alunya can¡¯t help but note that he looks a little pale. His father nods after a moment, placing the canteen Alunya just noticed he had returned with on a hook on his belt. ¡°Alright, I got what I needed. Let¡¯s head out.¡± Chapter VII, On the Prowl Once everyone has made sure they had their full pack of supplies, Tavr leads the group off. He leads through the village a ways, cutting across the uppermost terraced farms heading southwest rather than going straight into the forest. Tavr explains that the western end of the valley gets more rain, so they are more lush. Alunya gives an excited glance back at the village as the group reaches the very fringe of the forest, where the dirt footpaths that go to the edge of the cultivated fields end. Then, Alunya looks excitedly over at Antares, who shares his enthusiasm. But Tavr halts, and turns to address the two of them. ¡°Alright, you two. Your mother tells me you have a bad habit of running off without warning. Well, it should go without saying, but there will be none of that here, you will follow my lead and do exactly as I say, and anyone who thinks they¡¯re above my rules will be getting the back of my hand. I am not about to lose you two in the forest after I took you in.¡± Tavr dictates. Alunya stares up at the man, defiantly. It wasn¡¯t that he was planning to run away, exactly, perhaps more that he isn¡¯t used to being threatened. He has half a mind to run off then and there just to prove a point, but¡­ He had promised his mother to be on extra-extra good behavior. Representing our family, remember? So with that thought, Alunya reluctantly stays put and nods affirmation while Tavr finishes his monologue. Satisfied with Antares and Alunya¡¯s rapt attention and nodded affirmation, Tavr turns on his heel again. ¡°Alright, now stay close. We want to head up into the foothills, there''s plenty of water but a bit less vegetation there so it will be easier to spot prey. But keep your eyes peeled. If you see any tracks, point them out to me.¡± Steadily, the group forges their way into the forest. The vegetation is rather dense on this side of the valley, but Alunya and Antares¡¯ slight frames and flexibility make it pretty easy for them to follow along making minimal noise, ducking below branches and stepping over ferns or other plants. The thickest trousers and boots that still fit the two also help, protecting the legs and feet from stinging plants or insects. It isn¡¯t long before the sound of rushing water is heard, and the group finds their way to the river. The spring had brought meltwaters pouring down the mountain slopes to join the winding river that cuts through the valley, forming rapids in some areas while others are relatively calm. The slope of the hill is still gentle, but as they head further uphill it picks up, eventually culminating in a waterfall where a cliff rises above in the distance. Tavr glances back to make sure the two boys are still following along. ¡°We follow along the river- every animal needs to drink, after all. If we find droppings or tracks, then we track our quarry. Otherwise, we¡¯ll camp on the river bank come nightfall.¡± Tavr explains while they hike along after him. It has been easy enough to keep up so far, but only time will tell if the brothers will eventually grow tired. ¡°Why do you go hunting so often, sir?¡± Antares asks curiously. ¡°I never see you at any of the festivals.¡± Tavr snorts. ¡°Bah, festivals. That''s more my wife¡¯s forte, I don¡¯t need to see that smug bastard Gatrick or listen to the priest drone on. Rather be doing something productive with my day.¡± ¡°Hm? But don¡¯t you find all the games fun? Oh, and what about the food!¡± Alunya asks, prancing along after Tavr by his side. Vekt rolls his eyes behind him.¡±Hylicia, you¡¯re such a kid. Do you ever think of anything other than playing?¡± Vekt asks, dramatically. Alunya purses his lips for a moment, looking up as he thinks. ¡°Uh-huh! But there''s plenty of time to work the rest of the year. Not to say that I¡¯m not happy to be here. I¡¯ve never been this far in the woods before!¡± Alunya spreads his arms out and looks around the forest, enthralled by everything he sees. ¡°Hush now, you. You¡¯re going to scare all the prey away.¡± Tavr snaps at the excitable boy. Alunya makes a zipping motion over his mouth, signaling his intent to stay quiet, and the group continues walking alongside the river up to the base of the waterfall From here, it would be necessary to walk some ways away from the river to get up the cliff; it isn¡¯t a particularly tall waterfall, maybe seven meters, but still enough to be well beyond comfortable climbing range. The river pools out near the base of the waterfall, forming a pond with a rocky shore and a couple boulders scattered around. The lack of vegetation along the pond''s sides and rocky cliffs make it the clearest section the group had walked on in some time, and the fine mist thrown up in the air by the waterfall feels pleasant to Alunya, even if it would probably make him cold if he stayed for long. Alunya pauses to look back at the pretty scene, the light scattering of oak trees near the water''s edge blessed with the pallid green of new sprouts. ¡°Alunya, come on!¡± Antares calls out, quietly so as to not get Tavr¡¯s attention. Alunya turns back up toward Antares, who was climbing up the small rock shelf jutting out from the cliff wall, the first step up on the slope that runs parallel to the cliffside. Smiling, Alunya races up after him, practically sprinting up the treacherous rocky footing. After climbing up the side of the wall, the group loops back around the upper side of the cliff to the river, heading towards the western bound of the mountain valley, where in the distance can be seen numerous smaller streams and tributaries. As they continue following the river, occasionally passing over small creeks or streams that join up with it, Antares sighs with consternation. They''d been walking for a long while now... He had thought that hunting would involve more action, somehow. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Instead they were mostly just... Hiking. After the small waterfall from a while ago, the terrain had leveled out a little bit, with steep slopes on both sides, and with how much the river wound around he sometimes feels like they are making negative progress, though looking around he can see that they are at a noticeably higher elevation than they had started. The terrain is rougher here, further from the heart of the valley. At least Alunya is having a good time. Antares notes, smiling faintly watching his little brother, captivated by the sights all around. They had come across a nice, open glade just past a bend in the river, where the water is wide and shallow, with several large logs or branches having apparently fallen into it. "Alright, this looks like a good spot for a break." Tavr announces, stopping in his tracks. "Let''s eat a small lunch then get on our way." Vekt was already plopping down on a fallen log and getting snacks out by the time Tavr finishes the instructions. Antares works up the courage to go up to Tavr, fidgeting a little anxiously. "Um, sir?" Antares asks in an oddly formal tone. "Yeah? Something the matter, kid?" Tavr responds, sinking his teeth into a wafer of hard, dry cornbread. "So, um, how long does it take for us to start... you know, hunting?" Antares asks, earnestly. "We''ve just been walking so far." He didn''t want to say it but his are sore; He was fit for his age, but this is rough territory to hike through with no paths, and he hadn''t ever come this far from the village before. Tavr shakes his head. "We are hunting. There''s been no tracks yet. Not particularly unusual, there''s plenty of days where we don''t find hide nor hair of anything. If we don''t find anything by nightfall then we''ll set up camp and head back in the morning." Antares wilts with disappointment. He had hoped to have something to brag about when he got back, but instead it looks like he might not even see anything. Suddenly, his nose catches a whiff of a strong, acrid smell that almost makes him gag, as the potent smell of home-brewed corn whiskey reaches his nostrils, drawing his gaze down to the flask in Tavr¡¯s hands which he had just uncorked. "What''s the matter, never smelled a proper drink before?" Tavr asks, a little sardonically. Just for a moment, a little more of the family resemblance between him and his son stands out, at least behaviorally. "Um, not up close, really. Mom doesn''t have time to make any of that, so we just drink water at home." Antares reports. Tavr raises a brow in surprise. "Are you serious? That''s just sad. Nothing like some firewater to put some hair on your chest." Tavr shoves the drink into Antares''s hands. "Here, try some." Antares eyes the flask uncertainly. It smells far from appetizing, but with Vekt and Tavr watching him he is eager to please. So, he holds his breath to avoid the strong smell burning his nostrils, places the flask to his lips, and leans it backwards. "Firewater" feels like an appropriate name for the concoction, given that as soon as it touches his tongue it feels like it¡¯s burning. Antares tries to force it down, but he can¡¯t help but start coughing and sputtering, spewing out the drink on the ground. Had he swallowed any of it..? He can¡¯t tell, but his throat feels like it is on fire, so¡­ probably? Tavr just laughs and claps him on his back. "Haha, can''t hold your liquor, eh? Guess you need something a bit weaker to start with." Tavr takes his flask back while Antares scrapes his tongue with his teeth; there was a horrible, lingering bitter aftertaste. How in Hylicia''s name did anyone enjoy that swill? Vekt was snickering at him from where he was munching on his sandwich. "Ha, you''re such a kid! I could drink liquor when I was half your age!" Vekt mocks. Antares can feel his cheeks burn as he turns away. "Whatever. I need something more refreshing." Antares mumbles, wishing he had a better excuse, as he gets up and walks over to the riverside, taking a few gulps of cold river water to help wash out the bitter taste. As he leans back from the river, having at least mostly gotten the bitter aftertaste out, Antares notices Alunya standing up on a rock by the shoreline, staring out at the water with rapt attention. ¡°Something the matter, Alunya?¡± Antares calls out, questioningly. Alunya nods. "What''s up with those trees?" Alunya points at the wood in the river, where they had apparently snapped off and formed a pile up in the middle of the water, bottling up a small lake or pond behind them and only letting out a limited amount of water. There sure are alot of them. "What do you mean...? They must have snapped off in a windstorm, or maybe the snowstorm last winter, and..." Antares trails off and he frowns. Now that he looks at them, Alunya is right, they are rather odd, arranged in some kind of organized pattern "No, no! They didn''t snap off! Look, it looks like tooth marks-" Alunya points at the place where they had snapped off, then in a hushed and awed tone continues "...Do you think it was a dragon? Do dragons eat trees? Only the stumps, though, I guess..." The conversation had gotten Tavr''s notice now, who strolls over and casts his hand over his eyes looking out at the bundle of branches, twigs, and logs. "Not a dragon. Beavers. Good eye catching that." Tavr announces, sounding satisfied. Alunya blinks up at Tavr in keen interest. What kind of a monster is a beaver, that it can bite through a solid tree like that? "What''s a... ''Bee-furs''?" Alunya asks wondrously, pronouncing the unfamiliar word unsurely. "Why don''t I just show you? C''mon, Vekt. We should set up an ambush." Tavr motions for his son, but then turns to Alunya and Antares. "Alright, you two. Beavers can be dangerous, they''re very territorial. So Vekt and I will handle this. We''ll find you a good place to hide, so you can sit there and watch, but don''t you even think of coming out. Understood?" Antares pouts in deep frustration. They were finally going to find something, and he isn¡¯t even allowed to participate? But Reia''s message¡ªthat he is here representing his family, that he has to follow Tavr''s instructions precisely¡ª is drilled into his mind, and he reluctantly nods his head. "Yeah, I get it." He replies, perhaps a little sullenly, thoughTavr doesn¡¯t seem to notice. Chapter VIII, Spoils of the Hunt ¡°Lay the beavers out here, then you can go put away the supplies.¡± Tavr dictates. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure the corpses are properly chilled out here and get started preparing them. Just come right back, so I can show you how to skin the beasts." As soon as he is given the signal to put the beavers down, Antares sighs with relief and rolls his shoulders; even if the beaver got quite a bit lighter with the blood drained and viscera stripped out, it is still heavy for the twelve year old to carry. Following Tavr¡¯s instruction, the beavers are laid out, cut bellies facing skywards, on a large sheet with old bloodstains on it set aside for that purpose, presumably to keep dirt out of the meat. The carcasses look different than when they¡¯d started; all gutted and bled out, they look almost withered, as if there isn¡¯t enough flesh to fill out their pelts. Vekt motions for Alunya and Antares, some of his normally boisterous attitude having returned since his experience earlier that day. Antares sighs with relief as he rolls his shoulders; Even if the beaver got quite a bit lighter with the blood drained and viscera stripped out, it is still heavy for the twelve year old to carry. "You''ve never been hunting before, huh? You guys are in for a treat." Vekt announces, opening the door to the stone house and stepping inside along with his two guests. Yuvia and Risa were sitting down at the table, working over a belt loom protruding forwards from themselves. Alunya immediately forgets whatever else he is supposed to be doing and prances over to the table before they could say anything, eyes lit up. ¡°Ooh! Are you weaving? I asked Mom to show me how to, but she wouldn¡¯t show me anything beyond stitching!¡± Alunya announces, eagerly. Antares groans and places his head in his hand. Oh boy. Not this again... He shudders to himself. "Why would you want to learn to weave anyways? It''s boring." Vekt says, judgmentally, before hesitating. "At first I thought your mother made you do this stuff, or you were just too weak to do a man''s job, but you''re actually a great shot with a bow. Are you really just that weird...?" Antares glares fiercely at Vekt for the insult, but Alunya just looks up, pondering. "Well, it¡¯s fun to make things! You should try it sometime." Vekt crosses his arms, looking away. "Well, it''s not fun to me." He peeks out at Alunya with one eye, suspiciously. "...Is this just you trying to buddy up to my sister again?" Alunya just stares at Vekt. Man, he really is a pain. I really should''ve just let that beaver eat his throat. The cold, standoffish look Alunya gave must have had some impact on the boy, because he just flinches and looks away. "Alright, alright boys! Settle down!" Yuvia barks out. "I know you''re all excited from your day out hunting. Since you''re already back, should I assume you caught something?" Vekt pauses in thought. "Well... Yeah, we caught two beavers upriver." ¡°Oh, that¡¯s wonderful! I guess our two guests got to see my son¡¯s hunting prowess, then, huh?¡± Yuvia winks at her son, who shrinks away. ¡°Well... I mean...¡± Vekt starts, uncomfortably. ¡°I took one of them down!¡± Alunya announces cheerfully, completely oblivious to Vekt¡¯s discomfort. Yuvia blinks in confusion. ¡°...What? Don¡¯t be silly, you barely know how to use a bow.¡± She starts. Antares takes up his place by Alunya, who is trying to subtly edge his way over to where Risa is to see how the loom works. ¡°He did! After Tavr took down a younger one, its mother showed up and attacked Vekt, and Alunya got it in the throat!¡± Yuvia looks at the boys with consternation, as if suspicious. ¡°...Vekt? Is that true?¡± ¡°I-I mean, I¡¯m sure Dad would have gotten it! but... Yeah.¡± Vekt mutters in an increasingly low voice, hanging his head in shame. Yuvia¡¯s concern deepens as she hurriedly looks over Vekt, looking for any injuries. ¡°My goodness! Well it¡¯s a good thing Alunya was with you then, I don¡¯t know what I would do if anything happened to you! Did you get hurt at all? Those beavers have nasty teeth. It didn¡¯t bite you, did it?¡± She straightens out his outfit and brushes off the dirt. Vekt dodges away from his mother¡¯s attentions. ¡°No, mom, I¡¯m fine! Alunya shot it in the throat before it could do more than knock me over. I just got a little bruise, nothing worse.¡± He brushes it off, his embarrassment growing Yuvia sighs with relief and looks up at Alunya. ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯m glad you went with my husband, then. And you''re home early enough for me to make dinner! You two will be joining us, right?" Alunya glances at Antares, who shrugs. They didn¡¯t really know what the plan was, they just knew they were there to go on a hunting trip and now they had. ¡°Um, sure, I guess.¡± Antares responds. ¡°Good! I¡¯ll go talk with my husband, see what cut I¡¯ll be cooking tonight, then get a fire going.¡± Yuvia announces. Vekt makes sure that Yuvia gets the two blood gourds before she leaves, and then puts the supplies away. Alunya and Antares leave their own satchels by the door for when they would leave later. When Vekt returns from putting the supplies away, he finds Antares trying to pull Alunya away from studying the loom that Yuvia had left behind, trying to figure out how it works. Antares puts a hand on Alunya¡¯s shoulder and tries to pull him away. ¡°Um, Alunya. Wouldn¡¯t you rather go learn how to skin the beaver with Tavr? That¡¯s why we¡¯re here after all. And you did say... ¡®You killed it, you should be the one to take it apart¡¯, right?¡± Antares words his question carefully, knowing Alunya would respond poorly if he directly told him that he was being embarrassing again. ¡°Oh, right! Yeah, let¡¯s go, that sounds more fun!¡± Alunya announces cheerily. Vekt just stares at him in utter confusion. "I just don''t understand you. One moment you''re acting like a housewife, the next..." Vekt trails; Rather than just mocking, there was a note of awe in his voice at Alunya''s strange behavior as he follows Alunya outside. ¡°...There you three are. You sure did take your sweet time.¡± Tavr says to the group pointedly, as they step back outside. ¡°Um, Mom wanted to talk to me for a bit.¡± Vekt explains, but Tavr just shakes his head. ¡°Don¡¯t make excuses, boy, just own up and get over here. ¡± Tavr growls out, making Vekt gulp nervously. "Now watch me closely. I''ll show you how you skin the beast." Tavr apparently had gotten tired of the detailed explanations, as he simply set to work with gusto, tugging and slicing at the skin until he had pulled the whole thing from the beaver. It was already bled mostly, but there was still some liquid that leaks from it as he works. "Ooh, can I have the pelt from my beaver? Maybe I can make something from it!" Alunya asks, his eyes shining, but Tavr simply shakes his head sternly. "Are you kidding? I''m going to fetch a great price for this. Just because your mother roped me into watching over you two for the day, doesn''t mean you''re getting my quarry." Tavr rebuffs, almost incredulously. Antares furrows his brow and steps up. "But, my little brother was the one who shot it! He got it right in the throat!" Antares protests, while Alunya looks down glumly, disappointed. Tavr laughs. "And well he did, but who was it who gave him that opportunity? Just be grateful I agreed to take you two along." Alunya raises his head momentarily. "Can I at least try skinning it..?" He asks, almost meekly. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Tavr just shakes his head again. "Not a chance. I''m not having your amateur work ruining my pelt." Alunya visibly wilts, and he barely pays attention while Tavr removes the pelt from the second beaver. While there is more work to be done on the beavers to preserve them, cutting up all the different parts of the beaver for smoking, Alunya and Antares return inside to wait in a warm room while Yuvia cooks up dinner. Alunya drums his fingers on the table, pouting; Not only had he not been allowed to help butcher the beavers further than the initial slaughtering, but he wasn''t even able to help cook dinner! Not fair... When else am I gonna learn how to cook beaver tail... Alunya''s mouth scrunches up in disappointment. Antares was giving him a sympathetic look. "C''mon Alunya, cheer up- We came out here to hunt, and you did a great job." Antares encourages. ¡°I guess¡­¡± Alunya murmurs glumly. ¡°Wish they¡¯d let me do more though.¡± Alunya perks up. ¡°But, maybe when we¡¯re older you and I can go on our own and I can cook it up!¡± Alunya pauses, scrunching up his face. ¡°...If I can figure out how to without any experience, that is.¡± Antares sighs. ¡°C¡¯mon Alunya, don¡¯t be like that. We¡¯re gonna be having a tasty dinner tonight, don¡¯t be so glum. It¡¯s your birthday dinner!¡± Antares pleads, putting one hand on Alunya¡¯s. ¡°Yeah¡­ Alright.¡± Alunya acquiesces after looking up at Antares for a long moment. It¡¯s fine, we had a good time hunting. So what if I didn¡¯t get to try as much as I wanted? Alunya reasons to himself. Antares is right, I should just relax. Alunya makes a concentrated effort to smile. Just in time, because just then Yuvia traipses into the room carrying dinner for that day; Flame-broiled beaver legs and tail, still on the bone, plus some kind of odd dark red pastry. Alunya lights up at the sight, though it is still tinged with a bit of disappointment; So many exotic food items he¡¯s never eaten or even seen before, and he¡¯d been denied his opportunity to learn how they were made and expand his cooking repertoire. Yuvia places the dishes down around the table and everyone takes their places seated around the table; Yuvia and Tavr on opposite ends of the table, Alunya and Antares beside each other on one side, and Vekt and Risa sitting on the other; Vekt adjacent to his father, and Risa adjacent to her mother. Antares glances around nervously, not wanting to make any kind of faux pas. He¡¯d only had a meal outside of home a couple times before, and even then that was still with Reia and at the festival. And those couple times, he had not exactly made a great impression. It is somehow even scarier, being at someone else''s place, without his mother around, eating dinner he had never eaten before. He suddenly finds himself reviewing his etiquette; Did his mother do anything differently or weird? ¡­And of course, there is the problem of Alunya, who is already digging into his food with characteristic abandon and complete lack of table manners. Antares felt his heart sink in his chest¡­ There wouldn¡¯t be much chance of avoiding embarrassment as long as his brother was around. ¡°Alunya, cut it out, we¡¯re trying to make a good impression!¡± Antares hisses in Alunya¡¯s ear while nudging his side. Alunya just turns to look at him, unimpressed. Is there anything he could do that day that someone wouldn¡¯t tell him to stop¡­? What a pain¡­ Still, it was his big brother asking him. So Alunya makes at least a token effort to stop chewing with his mouth open, despite rolling his eyes so far back in his head that it hurts a little. ¡°What¡­ Is this?¡± Risa asks, poking at the bit of beavertail on her plate with confoundment. It seems somewhere between fish and bone marrow in texture, and the girl seems uncertain about putting it in her mouth. ¡°Did you go fishing..? I thought you all went hunting today.¡± Risa looks around. ¡°It¡¯s beaver.¡± Tavr states gruffly, not offering any further explanation. After the silence lingers for a moment, Alunya pipes up. ¡°Um, they¡¯re these furry beasts that live in the water! They kinda look like really big, fat rats with fish tails and squashed-in faces. They don¡¯t look that strong but they¡¯re actually pretty scary! They chew through entire trees!¡± Alunya explains. Risa looks at her mother, unsurely. ¡°Um, Mom? Is that really what we cooked today?¡± Risa sounds almost a little scared. Alunya shoots an indignant glare at her-of course she got to learn how to cook the darned thing¡­ ¡°Oh? You don¡¯t believe our guest?¡± Yuvia asks, a little coyly. Risa looks unsure, but Tavr nods his head sagely. ¡°You should listen to the boy, he was there. What''s more, he shot one of the things dead, straight through the mouth. Kid¡¯s a damn good shot, almost makes me wonder if his mother was lying about him not having gone hunting before.¡± Tavr barks out a laugh, while Risa looks on in awe. ¡°Just about saved your brother''s good looks, too.¡± Risa blinks at him. ¡°...Huh? What do you mean by that?¡± She asks, while Vekt rubs the back of his head uncomfortably. ¡°Um, one of the beavers got me by surprise after Dad and I shot the other¡­¡± Vekt announces, hesitantly, seemingly wanting to say it himself to avoid someone else describing it in a more embarrassing manner. ¡°But you should have seen him, even though he was further away he got it right in the throat. I guess even a sissy boy like him can be cool sometimes.¡± Vekt tries to play it off by focusing on Alunya¡¯s achievement rather than his own slip-up. Antares¡¯s mouth slips down towards a frown while Risa makes an awed murmur. Not fair, I just did what I was told, but Alunya gets all the praise for breaking the rules¡­ Antares thinks to himself. He knows that¡¯s selfish, and completely unfair, but he can¡¯t help feeling that way. It was his first time hunting too, but it felt like he might as well not even have been there. Alunya, meanwhile, is basking in the praise, keeping his chin held high smugly. ¡°Aw, shucks, it was nothing.¡± He says, although his radiant expression and self-assured tone of voice make it quite apparent he did not consider it to be ¡®nothing¡¯ at all. Risa looks at Alunya, a bit awed. ¡°Really¡­? You saved my brother..?¡± Risa still sounds a little uncertain. Alunya¡¯s smirk grows and he whips his hair back, looking about as self important as possible. ¡°Mhm! Antares saw the beaver before Vekt or your dad did, so I had to shoot it!¡± Alunya explains. ¡°I just fired at it reflexively and took it down in one shot! Didn¡¯t even mess up the pelt!¡± His tone becomes progressively more boastful as he continues. ¡°I-I mean, I¡¯m sure dad would have gotten it¡­¡± Vekt deflects, embarrassed, looking up to his father for support. ¡°Ha! You bet I would have, it¡¯s not like you were going to.¡± Tavr bellows. Vekt noticeably withers in place, gazing down at his food. Antares picks at his food, attention on the present conversation all but lost. Just more of Alunya getting praise for technically breaking the rules. The food is rather unusual, and Antares can tell why Risa was confused what it was; the texture of the tail meat isn¡¯t quite like anything he¡¯d had before; Soft, a little squishy, certainly rather greasy and bursting with flavor, too rich to eat too much of at once. And then there is the dark red pastry, which he isn¡¯t very familiar with. ¡°Pastry¡± is only a loose guess as to what it is; Moist, with an odd texture. Looking up, Antares questions Yuvia ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve never seen bloodloaf before..?¡± Yuvia asks in reply. ¡°It''s a good way to make the best use of an animal''s blood after you kill it. But it has to be made pretty fresh; it doesn¡¯t keep well at all.¡± Yuvia affirms. ¡°Blood¡­ loaf¡­?¡± Antares looks at the food, strangely engrossed. It is certainly solid, made of some mixture of some granular food substance with fat, viscera, blood, and an unidentifiable vegetative component. It didn¡¯t look like anything he¡¯d ever eaten before, that much is for sure. ¡°Well, why don¡¯t you give it a try? Your brother sure seems to like it.¡± Yuvia chuckles. Antares glances over at Alunya. True to form, he is digging in with a characteristically animalistic fervor; though to be fair, Antares isn¡¯t sure if it would even be possible to eat this particular food item without coating one''s face in blood. Antares skeptically raises the pastry to his mouth and takes a bite. It tastes rich and the texture is all over the place; he rather got the impression it is made up of whatever scraps were available, thrown together to not waste them, but somehow all the different flavors and textures when added together work surprisingly well. It tastes sweet, some odd mixture of crunchy and slick, with a definitive bloody, metallic aftertaste. Antares smacks his lips as he finishes the pastry. It was an interesting experience to say the least, but he was glad it wasn''t too large; it''s rich flavor would be a bit much if there was any more. Meanwhile, Alunya is devouring the rest of his own food, ripping the meat from the bones of the beaver''s legs. It takes longer for everyone else to finish their food; Risa in particular never finished the beaver tail, perhaps because of how odd it felt. ¡°Well, that was quite the meal, eh lads?¡± Tavr asks, yawning. ¡°I¡¯m just about beat, I think. And I need to have a talk with Vekt in private, so why don¡¯t you two scurry along back home now? I¡¯m sure your mother will want to hear all about your day.¡± Tavr tells Alunya and Antares, while Yuvia starts clearing the dishes from the table. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Antares starts. Was the day already over..? ¡°Yeah, alright. It''s just up the hill, I can take Alunya back.¡± Antares affirms. ¡­Better make sure he doesn¡¯t decide to run off into the woods again or something. Antares grimaces to himself. ¡°Sure, sure. And hey, Alunya, maybe I¡¯ll take you out hunting again some other time, and you can show my son a thing or two.¡± Tavr cracks an unsettling grin, his voice slurring as he speaks. His attitude is somehow more relaxed, yet also unnerving, less inhibited perhaps. Somehow, Antares feels glad to be going about then. Chapter IX, Curiosity Summer 63rd 2891 P.C., The village center, Hylicia¡¯s Vale Alunya whistles, jaunting down the cobblestone paths around the village. After his birthday that last spring, his mother had finally started letting him walk around the village more. Alunya has a sneaking suspicion there is more to the decision than simply his aging, but that¡¯s neither here nor there. Of course, his mother probably doesn¡¯t know that he is going all the way down into the village center, or that he will be gone as long as he is; But, Antares and Reia will both be gone for hours, so he has time to make sure he gets back. And there is so much more to learn about or do down here. Not least of which is what has taken Alunya¡¯s attention at this moment, the smoke rising from the chimney of one of the largest houses in the center of the village, second only to the priest''s residence just a little behind the large central plinth. From inside, the clamoring noise of copper on copper rings out, along with shouts from inside. Alunya strides up to the entrance to the smithy- It¡¯s readily open, to accept whoever needs copperwork done. There is always a little bit of work, but never that much; Mostly repairs to decades or centuries old copperwork. Sometimes, old copper was melted down to create something new. Alunya had been here briefly before, when Reia had run errands down here, but he¡¯d never actually been inside. He¡¯d always been curious about how it¡¯s done, and today he¡¯s resolved to find out. ¡°For Hylicia¡¯s sake, boy, you''re going to scratch the gem using the file like that!¡± Alunya can hear the voice of Gatrick before he sees him, peeking around the corner to find him and a boy-older than Alunya but younger than Antares-standing by his side, cringing backwards at Gatrick¡¯s shouting. The two of them are huddled over a small, delicate piece of jewelry, performing detail work on it with a thin, long tool with fine teeth on one end. Alunya prances on in, taking a look around the shop while tuning out the other two people present. There is a handful of conical structures at the back of the room, which to Alunya look a little bit like one of the village houses but shrunk down and made of clay rather than stone, complete with a small window at the front. There is of course the anvil, just a little behind a long table, and racks of tools hung up all over the place, with a few seats out in front for customers to sit while talking to Gatrick, a couple doors leading to other rooms, and finally, a stairwell leading upstairs on the far right side; the smith¡¯s house was one of only three buildings in the whole village with a second floor. "Reia''s bastard..? What are you doing here?" Gatrick scoffs, eyeing Alunya suspiciously. Oh, looks like the jig is up! Alunya hops up on one of the chairs, putting on his sunniest smile. He had somewhat been hoping the man would keep not noticing him for a bit longer so he could poke around a little more, but that¡¯s apparently not going to happen. "Um, Mom wanted me to bring you this to ask if you could repair it!" Alunya offers one of the family''s only pieces of cookware, with a rupture on the underside. That is... not entirely a true statement. It is true that his mother had wanted to bring the pan down to Gatrick for repairs, but she had absolutely not asked Alunya to take it down; he had done that on his own initiative, so that he would have a logical excuse for why he was there. "...Fine. I''ll take a look at it when I have time." Gatrick grabs the pan out of the boy''s hands, who stares up at him expectantly, eyes shining a little. Gatrick pauses, a little put off. "...Well? What are you waiting for, brat? Scram." Gatrick hisses out. "Don''t mind me! I just want to see you work." Alunya announces, cheerily. Gatrick is pretty hostile, but he is the only one in the village who could make things out of metal; That is pretty cool, and makes up for his deficit in personality. Gatrick sighs heavily and places his head in his hands. "Oh, for the love of... Lyrin, you go deal with our ''guest''. I don''t need any more distractions. And I especially don''t need your sloppy work." Gatrick barks out. The younger boy with him scurries over to Alunya at Gatrick''s demand, keeping his gaze low. ¡°Um, come on, I can show you some of the tools if you like. Let¡¯s just go¡­ Please.¡± The boy looks up at Alunya, pleadingly, giving nervous looks back at his father behind him. ¡°You don¡¯t want to be around him when he¡¯s angry.¡± Alunya rolls his eyes-It rather feels like a convenient excuse to get him to not get to watch Gatrick work, which is the whole reason he had come down. But, he had netted himself a guide- Maybe Lyrin could tell him how it all works! So, he nods his head in agreement and follows while Lyrin practically drags him through one of the doors into one of the back rooms. ¡°I guess I should thank you for showing up when you did.¡± As Lyrin speaks, Alunya notices him tracing a bruise on one of his arms with his fingers. Alunya glances at it briefly, but thinks nothing further of it; he probably just fell down or something and is still sore, right? ¡°Um, if you say so! I just thought it would be fun to see how the metal smithing is done. I was thinking about it ever since my mom mentioned needing her pan repaired.¡± Alunya explains. ¡°Can you show me?¡± He follows up, eagerly. ¡°Well, father did ask me to ¡®deal with¡¯ you¡­ I guess that''s permission.¡± Lyrin says, uncertainly. ¡°Um, I¡¯m Lyrin, by the way.¡± The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°I¡¯m Alunya!¡± Alunya affirms, nodding eagerly. Lyrin laughs a little, smiling for the first time since Alunya had met him. ¡°Yeah, I know who you are. That hair of yours doesn''t exactly go unnoticed, you know.¡± Lyrin remarks, dryly. ¡°Come on now.¡± Lyrin draws Alunya through a back door and outside; a small open area, almost like a courtyard, is bounded on two sides by short walls about as tall as Alunya, with the other boundaries being formed by the river and the back wall of the smithy, respectively. There are a number of conical structures here too, of slightly different forms; some resemble the ones from inside, but larger and with ceramic pipes on the back that connect to a round structure made of wooden sticks. Others are much simpler, resembling little more than mounds of dirt. ¡°Ooh¡­ What are these?¡± Alunya asks, looking around the former type of structure. It¡¯s made of clay, but the inner sides are vitrified and hardened. ¡°Weren¡¯t they also inside?¡± Lyrin shakes his head. ¡°Um, this is the bloomery. Whenever something is broken too badly to fix it, we melt it down here. The waterwheel back there runs the bellows to pump air in, because stagnant air doesnt let the fire burn, and the shape of it keeps it hot enough to melt down copper. I guess if we found any more ore we would smelt that here, too, but nobody has found ore since before I was born.¡± Lyrin explains. Alunya nods along in interest. ¡°Um, but, once it melts, how do you get it? It''s like¡­ um, ice, right? Where once it''s heated up it becomes¡­ water?¡± Alunya struggles for a minute, not knowing what to call it. ¡°Molten, it''s called molten copper. Not water.¡± Lyrin states, crouching down near the window of the smelter to show Alunya inside, where there is a ceramic rack. ¡°You put the coals down here and light the fire, then the crucible goes up on top of the rack. It gets really hot and then the copper melts, then you pull it out with the tongs here and pour it into a mold to make an ingot.¡± Lyrin explains, showing off the tools for each step. The conversation goes on like that for some time, Alunya asking questions and Lyrin explaining bit by bit. Plenty of the words used are unfamiliar to Alunya, who has to ask what they mean. What is ¡°slag¡±? What does ¡°molten¡± mean? Lyrin explains not only the smelter, but some of the tools around too, and the big mound in the back; a charcoal burner, necessary to provide the fuel used in the smelter. By the time they finish looking around the things outside-Not too much, since most of the real work is done inside-the sound of Gatrick working has faded away. ¡°Let¡¯s go see the forge inside, now! I wanna know how that works, too!¡± Alunya affirms, cheerfully. Lyrin¡¯s blood drains away from his face as Alunya peeks open the door to see inside. ¡°No! Please, don¡¯t disturb father, he¡¯ll-¡± Lyrin starts, desperately. ¡°He¡¯s not there right now!¡± Alunya announces, looking back at Lyrin. ¡°Do you know where he went?¡± Lyrin sighs with relief, leaning over his knees. ¡°Oh good.. So he¡¯s already retired upstairs. Um, ok, I guess we can go look around inside¡­ I mean, father did tell me to deal with you¡­¡± Lyrin reasons to himself, uncertainly. Alunya frowns slightly. He¡¯s having fun, but it seems like Lyrin was upset. Sure, he does want to learn more about coppersmithing, but if his guide is miserable that puts a damper on his mood too. ¡°Um, Lyrin? Is everything alright?¡± ¡°Huh? Um, yeah, it''s fine.¡± Lyrin brushes it off, rubbing the back of his head self consciously. ¡°Um¡­ It''s better than alright, actually. I should thank you for showing up when you did. It got father''s mind off of me.¡± Lyrin laughs a little awkwardly. ¡°Why was he upset at you?¡± Alunya asks, curiously, as he steps inside the smithy. ¡°Oh, I¡­ I didn¡¯t do a good enough job filing the details on the priest''s new talisman.¡± Lyrin professes with shame in his voice. Alunya blinks at Lyrin in some confusion. ¡°Really? It looked to me like you were doing a good job, and you seem so at ease around the forge!¡± Lyrin shakes his head. ¡°Um, I¡¯m ok with the smithing¡­ But it¡¯s really hard to get the filing down right. My father says that I¡¯m going to ruin the piece by pushing too hard and slipping out of the filing channel.¡± Lyrin hangs his head in shame. Alunya quirks his mouth in mild concern, but shrugs it off. ¡°Well, he¡¯s not here now. Can you show me how you do the actual smithing, now?¡± Alunya asks, and Lyrin smiles a little bit. ¡°Um, sure! Father probably won¡¯t be here for a while, so we should have some time.¡± Lyrin leads Alunya over to the tools; Files, hammers, the anvil, tongs, chisels, awls, and grindstone. ¡°These are what we use to make etchings in things. I don¡¯t get alot of chances to try, since there''s not alot of work that needs that much detail.¡± Lyrin explains, before making a short demonstration of how it works for Alunya, using a piece of firewood; obviously, messing with any of the copper in the room would get him in trouble again. Alunya nods sagely and follows along while Lyrin continues showing him different things and doing his best to explain their functions. Somehow, Lyrin seems more relaxed the more he gets into talking about his work. ¡°...This is mine. I work on it sometimes when father isn¡¯t watching. I think he thinks it''s just scrap copper.¡± Lyrin explains, showing Alunya a bracelet made of two copper bands twisting around eachother, with a fairly intricate pattern carved around the edges. The work isn¡¯t perfect-there are a few scratch marks outside the bounds of where the main pattern has been filed away-but it is surprisingly elaborate. ¡°Woah! That''s amazing!¡± Alunya gawks, eyes lit up. ¡°Do you think I could ever be that good?¡± Alunya asks, earnestly, looking up at Lyrin. Lyrin shrugs. ¡°I dunno. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m that good. Dad certainly doesn¡¯t. Probably, I guess.¡± He gazes down at the bracelet melancholically. ¡°It just makes me feel good to have something just for me. Working on it by myself makes me feel¡­ I dunno. Steady.¡± Alunya frowns, cocking his head to the side. ¡­If it makes you feel steady, why do you sound so upset..? There¡¯s a nagging feeling that Alunya was somehow bugging him, but Lyrin wouldn¡¯t say as such, so¡­ Before Alunya can follow up on that thought, the door swings open. Lyrin gulps nervously and hastily hides his bracelet, keeping his gaze down, as Alunya looks up to see Gatrick stomping into the room, flask in hand and resting scowl on his face fully intact. Chapter X, The Brute ¡°Really? You¡¯re still here?¡± Gatrick sounds both disappointed and surprised. ¡°I really would have thought you¡¯d have gotten bored and run back home by now.¡± There is a little bit of hopeful tone in Gatrick¡¯s voice as he suggests that, but Alunya just perks up as he returns. ¡°Heya! I¡¯m still learning all about your work, it seems really impressive!¡± Alunya states, acting as though he hadn¡¯t caught onto the obvious aggression in Gatrick¡¯s voice in hopes that he would just drop it. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Gatricks eye twitches as he gazes at Alunya, as if debating whether to do something drastic. After a moment of contemplation he just sighs. ¡°If you want to stick around, you¡¯re going to make yourself useful. Lyrin, go fetch me a trough of water with your new ¡®friend¡¯. Nathi from up the hill needs a new scythe, apparently the corrosion on his old one has gotten so bad that the blade has thinned down from all the sharpening it needs.¡± Gatrick demands. Alunya suppresses a squeal of victory with some effort. This was even better than he expected, not only would he get to watch Gatrick work but he¡¯d even get to help out! ¡°Aye-aye, sir, leave it to us!¡± Alunya salutes Gatrick. Alunya is able to follow Lyrin without any further instruction to where the trough was, remembering where it was kept. ¡°Are you really going to stay..?¡± Lyrin asks Alunya once they were out of earshot of Gatrick. Alunya pokes Lyrin in the cheek with his free hand and winks at him. ¡°Of course, silly! How else am I supposed to learn how he makes things? He¡¯s the only coppersmith in the village, after all.¡± Alunya pauses momentarily to think. ¡°Um, present company excluded, I guess.¡± Lyrin looks down and away. ¡°Mhm¡­ And what a shame that is¡­¡± He sighs and leans over with Alunya to fill up the trough with water from the river, just behind Gatrick¡¯s house. ¡°Not that I don¡¯t appreciate the company. Father¡¯s less likely to act up if someone else is around.¡± The two boys trot back with the trough, to find Gatrick currently dumping a bag of charcoal into the smelter and grunting. ¡°Lyrin, start up the bellows.¡± Gatrick demands, before turning to look at Alunya, a small amount of surprise that he was still present. ¡°...You think you can stoke the fire, brat?¡± Alunya nods emphatically. Wow, I didn¡¯t think he would be this lazy. Alunya thinks to himself. Not that he was complaining- if anything it was convenient, since it gave him a chance to learn. Thankfully Lyrin had instructed him somewhat in how this worked before, so he is able to get the fire going inside the bloomery. The heat coming out from the front once the fire got going was intense enough that even Alunya had to keep some distance, laying down in front of the bloomery to stare into the intense flames. They were certainly brighter and more vibrant than the fireplace back at home, bathing the entire inside of the bloomery in a vivid orange light. Meanwhile, Gatrick pounds a bit of copper scrap, including the corroded old scythe blade he was replacing, into pieces that would fit in the crucible, a ceramic cup that he held with tongs. Alunya watches him place it into the fire. It''s a bit hard to see inside the crucible- if Alunya holds his head at a precise angle, he can just about see past the lip of the crucible through the narrow aperture that provided access inside the bloomery. Alunya isn¡¯t quite sure what to expect; he¡¯d never seen anything melting in real time after all. But he was to be disappointed when Gatrick got up and headed back inside. ¡°Huh? Why is he leaving?¡± Alunya asks Lyrin as he follows his father inside. Lyrin pauses for a moment to explain to Alunya. ¡°Oh, the copper will take a while to melt. Think about how long it takes to cook a hunk of meat, and how much longer it would take to heat it up a dozen times hotter.¡± Alunya frowns slightly in disappointment. Watching the copper melt in real time sounded fun. But he doesn¡¯t want to miss whatever was going on inside, so he hurries after the two coppersmiths, wheeling around the corner and skidding to a halt in the entryway to close the door behind him. As he hops back to the forge where Gatrick was settling down, Gatrick was shouting at his son who was sprawled out on the floor, cowering away from him. ¡°No you daft guanaco! I said the scythe ingot, not the knife ingot. You¡¯ve been living here your whole life and you still don¡¯t know where things are kept?¡± Gatrick storms over to the storage next to the forge, replacing the ingot in his hands with another, almost imperceptibly larger replacement. Alunya rushes over to Lyrin and helps him back up to his feet while Gatrick was going back to the forge. ¡°Oh no! Did you trip, are you alright?¡± Alunya asks, noting a brand new bruise below his eye. Lyrin was tearing up, but held it in, putting his hand over his eye. ¡°...Yeah, tripped, lets go with that.¡± Lyrin utters. ¡°Enough, go get a fresh bag of charcoal for the forge.¡± Gatrick demands, settling down by the anvil. Alunya glares over at him. You¡¯re on thin ice, mister. Your work might be really cool, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can just act like a jerk all the time. Alunya pats Lyrin on the back, as Lyrin quickly rushes to go find a bag of fuel to start a fire. Gatrick stares at Alunya for a long moment. ¡°You know how to work the bellows?¡± Gatrick asks. Alunya nods; The bellows for the furnaces were just a larger version of the fire pistons used for starting fires, and were rather simple to use. Now we¡¯re getting somewhere, I¡¯ll get to actually help him make something! Alunya smiles eagerly. ¡°Mhm¡­ I guess you can stay as long as you can pump the bellows. Lyrin! Get in here with the charcoal and break them up, I want to get a move on!¡± Gatrick shouts out. Alunya helps break up some of the charcoal with a couple axes while Gatrick just watches. Good thing he¡¯s so lazy, or I probably wouldn''t even get to stay here. Alunya giggles to himself. Before long, Gatrick barks for Alunya to man the bellows instead, while Lyrin keeps breaking up chunks of charcoal, and Gatrick himself dumps small pellets of charcoal into the furnace. It takes a couple strokes of the piston bellows before the fire starts, the rush of compressed air igniting the charcoals in a bright flash. Alunya watches on enthralled as Gatrick begins his work, heating the ingot in the furnace, and then begins striking it with his hammer; a misshapen lump of copper with one flat end, placed on a short oak handle. Alunya casually wonders how the hammer didn''t bend when he struck the ingot beneath it. Pumping the bellows is hard work, but Alunya quickly gets into a rhythm with it. Just like with the smaller fire piston, the trick was to slam it shut as quickly as possible to keep pouring more hot air into the fire, if you did it slower then it wouldn''t produce as much heat. Soon enough the entire room felt hot, and sparks flew both from the coals in the furnace and Gatrick hammering the copper workpiece on his anvil- a cylindrical boulder of solid basalt with a flat top, convenient for hammering on. Alunya grunts with effort. The piston was tiring to work, but at the same time it was somewhat exciting to him; Every time he snapped it shut, he could feel the pulse of heat and sparks in the furnace as the coals were exposed to a new burst of air. The furnace was not nearly as well insulated as the smelter, so it didn''t get as hot, but instead the heat spilled out around the room. The charcoal in the air and on their skin made Alunya itch, but Alunya resists the urge to scratch with some effort- he had to make sure he kept pumping the bellows well, so that Gatrick wouldn¡¯t kick him out. The ingot in Gatrick¡¯s grip heats to where it is hot, and much to Alunya¡¯s surprise it glows with the heat just like the coals. With every stroke of the hammer, its form changes, the rectangular ingot becoming flattened and elongated, while Gatrick sometimes would use the tongs to place the ¡®edge¡¯ against the anvil and hammer it in, making the curved shape of the blade. To keep it all in one piece, the scythe blade was in an arc, which would later be transfixed parallel to the handle, simply curving forwards to form the characteristic scythe shape. And then, of course, he had to place it flat against the anvil again to flatten out the piece of metal once more. When Gatrick finally tells Alunyathat he can stop pumping the bellows, Alunya¡¯s eyes and arms were burning, both from the smoke and coal in the air and the ache in his arms. But even so, his eyes gleam looking down at the product of Gatrick¡¯s work, the curved scythe blade, still glowing a dull orange-red. I helped make that! Alunya grins with pride, even though he hadn¡¯t actually hammered it himself he still was involved. ¡°I guess even a bastard can put in some good work now and then.¡± Gatrick grunts, reluctantly. ¡°You hear that, Lyrin? If this scrawny kid can pump the bellows that long, what excuse do you have?¡± Gatrick grumbles, before dipping the blade in the trough of water by the forge, releasing the heat in a great hiss of steam. Alunya sighs and leans back, his tired arms relieved from the break. Lyrin was similarly tired, having been cutting up pellets of charcoal for the flame- cutting up extra, for any further work that would need to be done later on. But the work was not done yet, as Gatrick takes the blade- little more than a flattened, curved piece of copper at the moment- and places it on the grindstone. There wasn''t much in the way of additional help needed here, so Lyrin- without prompting- starts cleaning the area around the forge while Alunya watches the work. The inner side of the scythe blade was ground down to hone it to a fine edge, by placing it against a cylindrical mass of gritty rock and spinning it with a foot pedal. The sparks fly everywhere- one singes Alunya¡¯s hand, and he resists yelping out with some difficulty. At least Alunya is free to sit around and watch as Gatrick performs the final touches of more precision work, using an awl to pierce holes in the tang where the blade would later be transfixed to a pole. But before Gatrick could finish, he pauses in his work to look up at the two kids. ¡°Go check the copper.¡± Was the only thing he says, before dismissively going back to work. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Alunya frowns slightly in disappointment- he had hoped he would get to stay long enough to see the blade actually be completely finished, so he would have been there start to end. But, at least he¡¯d get to see what the molten copper was like. So he jumps up to his feet and follows Lyrin outside. It was starting to get colder, a welcome change from the blazing heat inside the smithy, though it was still quite hot in front of the smelter. Lyrin fetches the tongs and cautiously lifts then pulls the crucible out of the smelter. Alunya gapes in interest at the contents; Molten copper, brighter than the scythe blade had been when heated. ¡°Careful now, keep your distance.¡± Lyrin cautions, holding the tongs outstretched. Even Alunya was somewhat cautious with the blistering heat emanating from the crucible, as Lyrin pours the molten sludge- slowly- into one of the ingot molds, which were simply placed at the foot of the furnace. There wasn''t much need for more than a single set of molds, given how little copper was usually processed at a time. Alunya couldn¡¯t even tell which mold was supposed to be the mold for the ¡®scythe ingots¡¯ and ¡®knife ingots¡¯, as Gatrick had said. ¡°Wow¡­ So that¡¯s how you make ingots? It just um¡­ Freezes there, like ice on the river in winter?¡± Alunya asks, crouching at some distance watching the ingot mold with curiosity. ¡°Why is it glowing? Is it magic?¡± Alunya asks, curiously. ¡°Um, no, it''s just hot.¡± Lyrin says, sitting on the other side across from Alunya and sighing. Both of them were incredibly messy, Alunya¡¯s normally pristine hair and complexion covered over in a layer of soot and coal dust. Lyrin stares at Alunya in consternation. ¡°...Why are you here, Alunya? I don¡¯t have anywhere else to go, but why are you here working for my father?¡± Lyrin asks, wearily. ¡°This again? I thought I told you, I wanted to see how it was done! It looks fun! Maybe one day I can learn how to make something¡­ I could make something cute for Antares, like a necklace or maybe a knife!¡± Alunya says, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. Lyrin looks away, hesitating before responding. ¡°I mean, I get being curious and all. But even when he¡¯s barking orders at you, and doing all that hard work.¡± Lyrin sighs and rubs his face. ¡°Well, I guess I should thank you¡­ He¡¯s less abrasive with you here. And it makes the work a bit easier. Thanks, even if it wasn''t your intention.¡± Sighing heavily, Lyrin falls over backward, gazing towards the heavens. ¡°You¡¯d better get going soon, though. I¡¯m sure your folks will be worrying about you.¡± Alunya freezes up. He¡¯d completely forgotten to go home at a reasonable time, it was almost sundown now! Ugh, now his mother would almost certainly ground him for at least a week! Well, he¡¯d better at least get to see the scythe finished before he heads back for all his trouble, so he hops up to his feet. ¡°Uh yeah, I guess so! Let¡¯s go see if your dad¡¯s done, I¡¯d like to see the product of all our hard work before I go.¡± Alunya offers. Lyrin lets Alunya go in ahead, and they enter just as Gatrick was screwing in a rivet to affix the scythe blade to it''s handle, leaving the scythe completely constructed. Alunya eagerly stands before Gatrick, expectantly, eyes shining as he stares up at the gleaming blade of the brand new scythe. The brand new metal of the blade gives it a sheen not seen on any other piece of copperware around the village. Gatrick looks down at Alunya, almost suspiciously. ¡°What in Hylicia¡¯s name are you still sticking around for?¡± Alunya shakes his head. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, I was just going to go home for dinner! I just wanted to thank you for letting me help out, mister Gatrick sir!¡± Alunya announces. Gatrick stares at Alunya for a moment, then shakes his head. ¡°Whatever you say, you brat. At least you made yourself useful. If you want to work more, then you can pump the bellows some other day. But for now, scram, I¡¯m not feeding a bastard.¡± Undeterred, Alunya simply hops back on his foot, bows slightly, then turns around and prances off¡­ [...] ¡­Immediately into his brother Antares, who was just around the corner outside the smithy. ¡°Oh, hi Ari! I was just on my way back! What are you doing here?¡± Alunya asks cheerfully, feigning obliviousness to how long he was gone. Antares gives Alunya a deadpan look and, placing his hand on his head, ruffles his hair. ¡°You¡¯re such a troublemaker, little bro. I''m here looking for you." Antares explains, tapping Alunya on the nose. "Come on, let''s hurry back home. Preferably before mom pops a cork." Antares takes Alunya¡¯s hand in his. Alunya was already heading up that way, so he dutifully follows along as Antares starts heading back. "How did you know where I was?" Alunya asks ponderously. Antares glances back. "Oh, that was easy. As soon as I saw the ruptured pan was gone, I knew where you''d gone. You''re so predictable." Alunya giggles a little. Heh, guess I can''t pull a fast one on Ari. He willingly trots along with Antares back towards home. "Well, I was coming home now! I promise!¡± Alunya exclaims. ¡°Uh-huh, I know. Doesn''t mean you wouldn¡¯t have gotten distracted by ten things on the way back, though.¡± Antares flashes a bit of a coy smile back at Alunya, and winks. ¡°Need me to keep you on track.¡± Alunya blushes a little and he rubs the back of his head. ¡°Eheh¡­ Maaaybe you have a point.¡± The tip of his tongue sticks out of his mouth playfully as he prances after Antares. As the two brothers get near home, Antares turns to Alunya. ¡°Let me do the talking, alright?¡± Antares asks Alunya, and Alunya makes a zipping motion over his mouth to signal agreement. Reia was standing on the footsteps leading up to their home, her arms crossed sternly as she had her characteristic lecturing stance fully deployed. As her two sons approach up towards the entrance, her voice issues from the huts door. ¡°And just where have you been?¡± ¡°He just went down to the smith to drop off that pan you said you wanted repaired.¡± Antares affirms, hopefully. But Reia just shakes her head and taps her foot. ¡°I asked Alunya, not you. Thankyou for bringing him back in one piece, but he¡¯s the one who ran off, not you.¡± Alunya looks at Antares as if seeking permission to respond, and Antares just gives a nod of his head, sighing. So much for getting Alunya off the hook that easily. ¡°Um, I just went to go get your pan all fixed up! I know you said you needed it fixed so, I thought I¡¯d do it for you!¡± Alunya offers, taking after Antares¡¯s lead. Reia was unimpressed, crossing her arms and looking at him pointedly. ¡°And how did you get coated head to toe in soot and ash, then?¡± Reia inquires. ¡°Um, he just wanted to help out to repay Gatrick for his work¡± Antares pipes up again, trying to cover for Alunya. Reia just shoots a glare at him. ¡°I said I want to hear from Alunya.¡± She says, crossly. Alunya pouts a little, but tries to keep up the cheerful look. ¡°Um, there was a nice boy who offered to show me around the smithy while I was there.¡± That¡¯s basically true, right? Alunya thinks to himself. Somehow he figures that if he reveals all the work he¡¯d done, Reia would be more upset. Reia sighs heavily and touches her hand to her forehead. ¡°Ugh, enough out of you. I don¡¯t want you talking to that man any more, ok?¡± Reia demands. ¡°And I certainly don¡¯t want you running off all day again. You¡¯re grounded.¡± Alunya whines, pouting. ¡°But moooom!¡± That was so unfair! Just because he¡¯d helped someone from the village with their work? ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®mom¡¯ me! It¡¯s for your own good, anyhow.¡± Reia insists. ¡°Now go get inside and clean up with the wash basin. It''s too late to take a bath today but you¡¯re at least going to scrub your face and hair before dinner.¡± Alunya grumbles and pouts as he enters their home, slumping dejectedly. Antares looks after him , worriedly, and makes to follow but before he can enter, Reia wraps him up in her arms. ¡°Thankyou for bringing Alunya home, safe and sound.¡± She offers. Antares frowns. ¡°Did you really have to ground him?¡± Antares asks unsurely. Reia tuts in annoyance. ¡°When did you learn to backtalk me..? Honestly, you¡¯re getting as hard to manage as Alunya these days.¡± After a moment, Reia sighs and her expression softens. ¡°I¡¯m just worried about him, honey. You know how reckless your brother can be. It''s for his own good. Now, you need to go wash up yourself, you look at least half as filthy as your brother, and I¡¯m not having two dirty rascals at my dinner table. Move along, now.¡± Reia lets Antares go, and he hesitantly steps inside. It was probably for the best, right? After all, his mother knew more than him. If she said it was for Alunya¡¯s own good¡­ Antares finds Alunya haphazardly trying to scrub away the charcoal dust and soot all over himself. Antares stares down into the wash basin, skeptically; he had to question if the water, already dirtied from Alunya, would actually clean him at all. But there was nothing for it but to do his best, so he took the soap and did his best to tidy himself up as well. Certainly both of them would need an actual bath tomorrow; it was a good thing that it was summer, and the river¡¯s temperature was a bit more bearable than the rest of the year. Alunya was in quite the mood, from how he was sitting over at the other end, staring down into the soapy, now-muddied water with his still partially stained skin sudsy and glistening. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t keep you out of trouble, Alunya. What were you doing down there to get so filthy, though, anyhow?¡± Antares asks. Alunya perks up when Antares asks. ¡°Oh, the coppersmith let me help out around the forge, so I got to help him make a scythe blade! He might be a huge jerk, but his work is really cool!¡± Alunya exclaims. Antares raises one brow skeptically. And by ¡®let you¡¯, you mean he took advantage of your enthusiasm to get free work out of you, I assume? Antares decides to keep that thought inside rather than ruin the boys enthusiasm again. ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you had fun. Hope it was worth it.¡± Antares replies dryly. Alunya scrunches up his face, looking frustrated. ¡°Man¡­ I¡¯m not allowed to talk to him anymore, mom says. How else am I supposed to learn..? Nobody else in the village does copperwork. As if it wasn''t bad enough that she gives me trouble whenever I try to practice my sewing.¡± Alunya laments, flicking water off his hands as he finishes cleaning as well as he was able- the wash basin is now dark with soot and ash, but Alunya was at least somewhat clear, though his hair in particular still was a nest of particulates. Once the two boys were suitably clean- at least, as clean as they could be given the circumstances- they sit down at the table with Reia. The mood is rather dull as they eat, Alunya moping from being grounded. Antares wants to ask Alunya about what he learned, but doesn¡¯t want to with Reia present. Oh well. Maybe another day. Antares laments internally, taking another bite of dry cornmeal. After dinner, the two boys are made to head to bed early. The following weeks are dreadfully boring for Alunya, though he does at least get to entertain himself sharing his experiences with Antares. After a few weeks, Reia relents and Alunya is free to wander once more. Not that his grounding was particularly enforceable; All Reia really had was her word, since nobody was home with him most of the time. Normally, a boy¡¯s father might beat the rules into him, but Alunya had no father. Chapter XI, The Talk 2891 P.C., the twenty-seventh of Autumn, Hylicia¡¯s Vale. Antares stares, blinking, into the clear water of the river. A few stray leaves drift downstream, carried by a slow current, the earliest falls of the season. Later that season, the river would be choked in the mass of leaves, but not yet; now, it was still clear enough for Antares to see his reflection. Antares frowns, a bit put off. Where his skin had been clear just a few months prior, little speckles of red and puffy skin had started to appear, contrasting with his otherwise monochromatic visage. Pawing at his face, the boy attracts the attention of Alunya, sitting nearby wringing his hair out to help dry it, having just finished a bath to wash up with his brother. ¡°What is it, Ari?¡± Antares shakes his head. ¡°Nothing, Alunya, don¡¯t worry about it. Let¡¯s get back home.¡± Alunya watches the older boy, who was acting oddly pensive, as they return home. Alunya watches Antares acting glum all the rest of the day, up through the family¡¯s meager dinner and bedtime. He may have just been worn out, given it was the busy season, but it felt like more than that to Alunya. So, as Antares is brushing his teeth getting ready for bed, Alunya clings to his back, resting his head on his brother''s shoulder and cocking his head to the side curiously. ¡°Are you alright, Ari? You seem sad.¡± Alunya notes, sympathetically. Antares spits out the gross-tasting, tanin-rich saliva that accumulates in his mouth while brushing his teeth with the customary filed twig brush. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just have some kind of¡­ rash or something that won¡¯t go away.¡± Antares grumbles, rubbing the breakout on his skin. Alunya peers at it somewhat curiously. Antares looks over at Alunya, sighing. Alunya never seemed to deal with things like this, his skin was as clear and soft as the day he was born. ¡°Hm¡­ I don¡¯t think I can help with that.¡± Alunya apologizes. ¡°But maybe I can help cheer you up, at least!¡± He offers. Antares just stares at Alunya for a moment, before giggling lightly. His brother was always so earnest. Alunya blinks at him in confusion, not knowing why Antares was laughing. But laughter was better than moping, so he counted that as a success. Sitting down on the bottom bunk of the bed, Alunya opens his arms for Antares. ¡°C¡¯mon, I¡¯ll sleep here tonight! Hugs always make me feel better when I¡¯m down, so they should help you too!¡± Alunya beams at Antares, expectantly. Antares sighs in bemusement. His brother was so precious it was almost saccharine. Unable to refuse him, Antares sits down on the bed next to him, immediately being dragged down by a giggling and squirming Alunya, who messily throws the single blanket on top of the two of them, clinging tightly to Antares¡¯s side. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to be sad when I¡¯m here!¡± Alunya announces, fiercely. Antares shrugs, resigned to his fate, and smiles wryly staring up at the now-empty bunk above him. He knew from past experience that after Alunya eventually runs out of energy, he would stop the excessively tight hugs and transition into a more comfortable light cuddling position when it would be possible to actually sleep; Antares merely had to wait until Alunya grew tired. [...] Antares opens his eyes lazily. It was unusual for him to wake up before Alunya, who was snugly pressed up against his side. He¡¯d been having a dream¡­ What was it..? But before he could remember, his attention was drawn by an uncomfortable wet spot in the bed. Antares flushes red with shame and shrieks in dismay. Alunya immediately perks up in a panic, looking over his older brother. ¡°A-Ari! What¡¯s wrong?¡± Antares looks away, feeling the blush of fierce embarrassment reaching up to his ears as he tugs the blanket away from Alunya. ¡°J-just stay there, I need to go wash this.¡± Antares states. Alunya eyes the stain on the blanket and flops away from it onto his front, placing his head on top of the backs of his hands. It was good that Antares was taking it away from him, he didn¡¯t want to touch that¡­ It didn¡¯t look like any urine Alunya had ever seen, and just looking at it he was worried he¡¯d get a disease from touching it, it looked more like snot than anything. Was something wrong with his brother? Was he sick? Alunya watches Antares with concern while he heads out the door. Though before Antares could leave the house, he is halted by Reia calling out to him. ¡°What¡¯s the commotion about?¡± Reia asks. Antares clenches his jaw in humiliation and holds the blanket at some distance from himself, taking a deep breath. Staring down at his feet, he mumbles ¡°I, um, think I wet the bed¡­¡± Reia cranes her head over. ¡°What? I couldn¡¯t hear you. Stop mumbling and speak clearly.¡± She instructs authoritatively. Antares takes another deep breath and shuts his eyes. ¡°I think I wet the bed.¡± He announces with some difficulty through clenched teeth. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Reia takes the blanket from Antares, and frowns in clear discomfort. There was indeed a wet spot, but it was formed by a pallid, slimy fluid, not urine. Reia places her hand to her head. She knew she¡¯d have to have this conversation sometime, but wasn¡¯t looking forward to it- The boys didn''t have a father to explain these things to them, so it fell to her. ¡°...You didn¡¯t wet the bed, Antares. Get changed and come out to breakfast, I¡¯ll get these washed. I¡¯ll explain it to you and Alunya after we eat.¡± Reia informs Antares. It would be easier if she only had to have this conversation once. Antares nods, staring down at the floor in shame. Reia reaches over and gently pats him on the head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Antares, it''s nothing to be ashamed about. It''s perfectly natural for a boy your age.¡± Antares grimaces, looking at the stain out of the corner of his eye. She could say that, but if it was nothing to be ashamed of, then why did he still feel so humiliated? Seeing the gross, slimy texture of the stain on the blanket, Antares silently thanks Hylicia that he wasn¡¯t the one who was going to have to clean it, and scurries to put on fresh, unsullied clothes. [...] Alunya leans back in his chair, his mind whirring with confusion. He- and Antares, sitting beside him- had just received a lecture from Reia on all manner of things; Where babies came from, the differences between girls and boys, why Antares¡¯s skin was getting red marks all over, how their voice or gonads or body hair would change. But there was one thing that stood out to Alunya the most. ¡°But I love Ari lots and I don¡¯t wanna do any of that to him.¡± Alunya protests, furrowing his brow. ¡°I mean, we¡¯re both boys, so I wouldn''t be able to anyways, but even if I could I don''t think I would.¡± Alunya continues, every word making Antares¡¯s blush get fiercer. ¡°The love you¡¯ll feel for a nice girl you meet outside your family is different. True love between a boy and a girl is alot stronger, you¡¯ll understand when you¡¯re older. You¡¯re still young and inexperienced, just hold on. For now, just remember that you have to wait until you are married to a nice girl.¡± Reia chides gently. ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­¡± Alunya mumbles dubiously. Injecting slimy bodily fluids into someone else he loved¡­ He got a mental image of blowing snot from his nose into Antares¡¯s mouth, which almost made him gag. That was the closest equivalent he could think of. Growing up put all kinds of weird ideas in people''s heads, he guessed. I suppose that explains why all the adults smell so gross and look so ugly. Actually, could he think about that for a moment? If what she said was true, then the girls just had a hole in their body which started bleeding every month to facilitate having kids? Gross. Not that the men were much better¡­ ¡°Adults are gross.¡± Alunya finally declares. ¡°You¡¯re gross too. Sorry mom, it''s just the way it is.¡± Alunya states matter-of-factly, nodding his head sagely. Reia stares at him aghast, as if stunned. ¡°A-Alunya, don¡¯t talk to me that way! Honestly, where did you learn to talk to your elders like that¡­¡± Reia huffs. Antares is leaning back, still trying to wrap his mind around everything while Alunya and his mother bicker, conflict waging in his head. It¡¯s good to be growing up. Maybe if I look more manly, I won¡¯t get teased so much. Antares tells himself. But¡­ He thinks back to how Alunya had looked at Tavr, the look of unmitigated repulsion writ on his face. He didn¡¯t want his brother to look at him that way. As much as he hated to admit it, he liked when his brother called him cute. He wanted to grow up and have other people take him more seriously, but, would he have to stop being ¡®cute¡¯ to do that? He¡¯d have to figure that out later, because his attention is called back to the conversation when he hears his name. ¡°...And Alunya, you have to stop sleeping with Antares. It¡¯s not appropriate for a boy his age.¡± Reia was lecturing Alunya. Alunya shrieks in dismay. ¡°Whaaat! But that¡¯s so unfair!¡± Alunya protests. ¡°No buts! If I catch you again, I won¡¯t feed you that day.¡± Reia instructs harshly. Alunya puffs out one cheek, grumbling fiercely and crossing his arms sourly. But Reia simply turns to Antares. ¡°Now, we should get to work.¡± Alunya grumbles and pouts even fiercer, if that was even possible, but Reia places a hand on his shoulder. ¡°You too. You¡¯re old enough to work in the fields with your brother and I, now, and we¡¯ll need the extra help to make up for lost time. And don¡¯t you think of running off, I¡¯ll be keeping my eye on you.¡± Alunya jumps, surprised. He might have been excited on another day- getting to spend the whole day with Antares and see what he did all the time?- but he was a bit too grumpy right now. It had been a long time coming; His chores and responsibilities had been increased gradually over time, not just housekeeping but also further processing of food, like shucking and grinding up corn. But he hadn¡¯t actually been put to work outside, even though Antares had been helping his mother with field work since he was seven. But as it turns out, the work out in the fields was not much more interesting than the boring chores back at home. There wasn¡¯t really even much opportunity to play, since Reia kept her eye on him the whole time. She was being a jerk today. Having said that, the low-effort, repetitive tasks are good for thinking, which he had plenty to do today. Based on what Reia had said, Antares would keep changing more and more. Becoming more like the other men of the village. Alunya frowns at the thought as he digs through the dirt for potatoes. Would he lose his cute, amazing older brother? Would that mean he¡¯d have to get married off and he wouldn¡¯t see him anymore? ¡°I don¡¯t want us to grow up¡­¡± Alunya murmurs to himself, slowing down a bit in his work. There was so much more to do, to learn, to explore. Doing it all alone just sounded so drab. Reia had tried to make all those gross changes sound ok by telling him it was just natural, but why did it being natural make it ok? Rotten meat was natural too, but it would still make him sick if he ate it. That thought dragged on Alunya¡¯s mind, and his first day in the fields was one only of solemn contemplation and introspection. Chapter XII, Snowfall 2892 P.C., the first of Winter, Hylicia¡¯s Vale. Unlike the other seasonal festivals, the winter solstice was not an occasion for feasting and the village to get together; The cold meant gathering outside was not the most appealing, and food had to be conserved to last until spring. Instead, fires lit every home and households celebrated in a more humble way, proportionate to their means. But to Alunya, the day holds little joy as he beholds the outside gloomily. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Alunya?¡± Reia asks, lightly placing one hand on his shoulder and looking down at him. Alunya looks back up at her indignantly. ¡°Theres no snow! It''s supposed to snow in winter!¡± Aluna protests, pointing outside. It¡¯s true; despite the weather having gotten colder, there had not been a hint of snow, merely frigid overcast skies. Reia kneels down next to Alunya, glancing outside. Truthfully, the lack of snow was preferable to her, but she still wanted to say something to make her son feel better. ¡°There there, I¡¯m sure there will be snow in short order. It''s just the first day of winter.¡± Alunya didn¡¯t seem particularly cheered up, but Antares, who had just gotten out of bed and left the bedroom he shared with Alunya, traipsed into the room, surveying the outside from behind his mother and brother. Seeing the glum mood his brother was in, he places a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Hey, Alunya, I know a place we can go, but only while it''s not snowing.¡± Antares offers. ¡°Oh, no you don¡¯t! We need firewood for the winter, and it''s better to chop it before it''s all icy outside!¡± Reia interrupts Antares. Alunya¡¯s pout gets even bigger, and he tugs on Reia¡¯s tunic, looking up at her with the big doe eyes he had mastered for when he wanted to get his way. ¡°Aw, mooom! C¡¯mon, he¡¯s busy enough the rest of the year! Won¡¯t you let him show me?¡± Reia looks down at Alunya¡¯s big doe eyes, and then away, as if flustered. ¡°I mean... I... Oh, alright, fine. But you had better not stay out too long, you two!¡± Reia finally lets out, caving almost immediately. Alunya pumps his fist, triumphantly. ¡°Yessss! C¡¯mon Antares, what were you going to show me?¡± Antares watches the interaction between the two of them with something resembling contempt, shooting both of them a dark look before responding. ¡°Just, follow me, I¡¯ll show you.¡± Alunya looks up at him, questioningly, but he would receive no answer as Antares opens the door and stalks off. Alunya glances back up at Reia, who shrugs, before he takes off after his brother. ¡°Big bro, wait for me!¡± [...] Alunya jogs after Antares, catching up with him as he enters the village at a brisk pace, quickly catching up to walk side by side with him. ¡°Where are we going, Ari?¡± Alunya questions, taking hold of his brother''s hand just to keep him from walking off again. Antares huffs. ¡°Just you wait, you¡¯ll see it soon enough.¡± Antares looks back forwards for a moment before looking back at Alunya, his expression softening. ¡°...You¡¯ll like it. Well, I mean, I think you will, anyways...¡± He trails off with significantly less certainty than he had started with. Alunya nods eagerly, wondering what it could be. A flight of fanciful ideas flash through his head- Did his brother make a treefort? Maybe he¡¯d taken down a vicious monster or found a magic sword? Alunya quickens his pace as he continues thinking up increasingly fantastical and unrealistic possibilities. Antares struggles to keep pace as Alunya bursts first into a brisk walk and then into a jog, dragging Antares along. ¡°Hey, you know, I¡¯m the one showing you where to go!¡± Antares protests dryly, as he yanks back on Alunya¡¯s arm, who had tried to just scamper off forwards towards the town center instead of off around the corner where Antares was trying to go. The pair crosses the village, heading down to where the river bisects the village near the center then crossing the ancient stone bridge to the other, less populated side of the village, and up to the rocky ridge, where Antares motions for Alunya to follow as he treads off the beaten path. ¡°C¡¯mon, it''s just up here!¡± Antares points forward as he weaves through the underbrush, until they come upon a large boulder striking up from the ridge, which Antares climbs up onto, offering a hand down to Alunya, who promptly ignores it and just jumps up to the rock lip where he scrambles over the edge. As he stands up on the monolithic precipice, his eyes widen while Antares watches his reaction. ¡°Woah...¡± Aluna murmured, taking in the view. From that place he can see the entire village from a perspective he never had before, perfectly framed with the mountain in the background and the river just before the village. With the forest stretching past beyond them, it looks small by comparison. He had never had such a high vantage point to look out from in his life, so the experience was entirely novel to the boy. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Antares breathes a sigh of relief that Alunya likes the view. ¡°It''s nice, right?¡± Antares dangles his legs off the edge and scoots up next to his brother. ¡°I come up here sometimes when I want a spot of peace and quiet.¡± A flicker of doubt crosses Antares¡¯ heart as he realizes that he had just let his very energetic, very not-peace-and-quiet brother know where to find him in those times. Alunya smiles brightly, and after he has taken in the view fully, he turns to the side and takes Antares¡¯s hand in his own, silver eyes shining brightly as he looks into his brothers. ¡°It¡¯s really pretty! Thank you for showing me, brother!¡± Antares blinks, and the feeling of doubt vanishes as he warmly smiles back at Alunya. ¡°No problem, I¡¯m glad you like it.¡± The moment is interrupted as Alunya gasps and springs up to his feet, somehow kicking off the rocky cliffside to land in a stable position on top of the ledge. ¡°Snow! Antares, it''s snowing!¡± He exclaims, holding out his hand to pick a little snowflake, which was quickly followed by another, and another. Antares climbs up to his feet too, looking up at the sky with some difficulty- the white clouds covering the sky were rather bright to look at. A darker series of clouds was steadily moving in, bearing falls of glistening white snow. ¡°Let¡¯s head back home, I should get my chores out of the way! I don¡¯t wanna be stuck chopping firewood when the snow¡¯s all settled.¡± Antares replies, as he remembers that he had put off his chores to take Alunya out here. Alunya looks up in alarm, and nodded emphatically. ¡°I can help! Then you¡¯ll get done faster!¡± Alunya offers. Antares makes to leave, but Alunya simply jumps forward, off the boulder. Antares whirls around in a panic, kneeling over the edge. ¡°A-Alunya!¡± The boulder was some fifteen feet off the ground, way too far to safely jump down. But Alunya had just slid down a small part of the boulder which was sloped enough to serve as an impromptu slide. Antares breathes a sigh of relief and quickly scrambles down the boulder, climbing down more conventionally but still in a rush to get down to the ground. ¡°By Hylicia, please be more careful. Heavens know what a scolding I would get from mom if I let you hurt yourself...¡± Antares protests, dusting Alunya off. ¡°You¡¯re alright, aren¡¯t you?¡± Although it never ceases to cause him to panic, Antares had by this time become somewhat used to Alunya¡¯s constant reckless behavior, and apparent penchant for coming out the other side unscathed. ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Alunya pokes his tongue out and winks at Antares mischievously. ¡°Gosh, you¡¯re such a worrywort!¡± [...] Alunya looks around in the stone hut they call home, curiously. ¡°Mom?¡± He calls out, dashing between each room before returning to Antares. ¡°Mom¡¯s not here! She must¡¯ve gone out for something.¡± Alunya announces. ¡°That means she¡¯s not here to tell us to do our chores!¡± Antares gives a deadpan look at Alunya. ¡°She¡¯ll still know if we did them when she gets back¡­¡± He replies. ¡°Plus, the firewood needs to get chopped if we wanna eat.¡± Antares shivers slightly in the cold- It also probably helps that firewood would keep them warm. Alunya hangs his head, disappointed. ¡°Awww¡­ Alright! Let¡¯s get chopping!¡± Alunya runs over to the storage chamber- Not so much a closet as just an indent in the wall where they kept tools and supplies- and picks up the small hatchet. ¡°Sooner we get started, sooner we¡¯ll be done! Right, Ari?¡± Alunya beams. Antares hesitates. Was it really safe to have his kid brother using something like that..? But, Reia wasn¡¯t¡¯ home, and looking at the pile of uncut wood gives Antares a sense of dread¡­ ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get started. Here, you cut the kindling, I¡¯ll cut up the bigger pieces, ok?¡± Antares picks up a bigger axe- oversized for himself, even though he was reasonably tall for his age. This was probably dad¡¯s, before he died¡­ Antares gives the axe an experimental swing, then sets the firewood down. It wasn''t the first time he was doing this, but it had been some time. Raising the axe, he swings down and splits the first piece of wood. [...] By the time Reia got back home, Alunya and Antares had just finished setting up the fireplace, and lit it using Alunya¡¯s fire piston. It probably wasn¡¯t the greatest idea to have the kids in charge of lighting the fire without any oversight, but it wasn''t unusual; Reia just couldn¡¯t be home all the time, and fire¡¯s needed to be lit. The two boys are huddled up in front of the fire- Seemingly, even Alunya got cold sooner or later. Reia shuts the thatch door behind her and breathes a sigh of relief, carrying a bucket of milk in her other hand. She looks exhausted. Setting the bucket down on the counter, Reia barely has time to catch her breath before she is mobbed by Alunya and Antares, each clinging to either side of her. ¡°Mom!¡± Alunya shouts, maybe too loudly- it makes Reia¡¯s ears ring as his voice echoes in the stone chamber. ¡°You¡¯re home!¡± Reia gives a tired sigh and leans down to pet both of the boy¡¯s heads. ¡°Well I think someone saw the snow falling.¡± Reia chuckles. ¡°And I see you did your chores, finally got cold enough for you?¡± Antares frowns slightly. He¡¯d done his chores to get them done, not just because he was cold. He lets go of Reia and steps back, smoothing out his tunic and clearing his throat. ¡°What¡¯s for dinner, Mom?¡± It was after all the winter solstice; Even if the time of year precluded a large feast with everyone of the village, the families of the village still celebrated according to their own means. If nothing else, the fresh yak milk was a treat. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I was out longer than I thought I would be and I still have to clean the dishes.¡± Reia states, exhausted. Such was life in a single parent household; With Reia always taking care of providing for the two of them, chores around the household tend to pile up. ¡°If you want food, maybe you can help with the dishes and we¡¯ll see if we have time to cook dinner afterwards.¡± Antares flushes deeply. ¡°Mom, that¡¯s a girl¡¯s job...¡± He mumbles. It was bad enough that he was always hanging out with Alunya, but if the village kids caught wind of this, he¡¯d end up with the same reputation. But, as anyone probably could have guessed, Alunya wasn¡¯t taking it. ¡°I¡¯ll help! I¡¯ll help!¡± Alunya finally lets go of Reia and jumps up and down. A few dirty dishes wouldn¡¯t stand between Alunya and his dinner! Chapter XIII, Solstice Antares is left to his own devices as Reia digs through storage to find food for dinner, and Alunya carries a set of dishes down to the river to clean them off. Antares frowns, feeling a twinge of guilt; He should have been helping, right? It wasn''t fair that he was the only one not doing anything. But if Vekt catches wind of him doing a woman''s chores again, he would never live it down, so instead he keeps his mouth shut and stays in front of the fireplace. Alunya gets back at about the same time Reia emerges from the ¡®pantry¡¯- again, really more of just a pit in the ground where smoked or dry-freezed food was kept dry and cool- with that night''s food. It might not have been the most traditional of winter meals, given that the family didn¡¯t own any guanaco¡¯s so meat was not on the table. But Reia had brought out the vegetables that kept well over the winter, pumpkin and zucchini, and through trade had acquired some milk. ¡°Alright, who wants to help me cook?¡± Reia asks. Before Antares even has time to reject her, Alunya was already up. ¡°Me! Me!¡± Alunya shouts-again, a pinch too loud, causing both Reia and Antares to wince from his shrill voice. Antares watches as Alunya scampers off, eager to help as always, and shakes his head. Maybe it was a good thing that the boy was rather uninterested in playing with the other village kids, Antares was sure he¡¯d be bullied mercilessly. Antares on the other hand... He slumps over, letting out a hefty sigh. Maybe now that Alunya is old enough to help with chores, he would get something of a break...? ¡°Come along now!¡± Reia motions for Alunya to follow, as she carries the families heavy copper cauldron- probably the most valuable possession they had, though Antares and Alunya had rarely ever seen it. Alunya scampers off after her, as she walks down to the river; thankfully, the riverside wasn¡¯t too far away. Ice had formed on the banks, but the whole river was still flowing, so it hadnt been able to freeze over entirely. Reia steps out onto the stones on the river banks, carefully watching her step but still almost slipping. Thankfully, she catches her balance, carefully going out to the water. Dunking the cauldron down into the water, she lifts it back out with some effort, visibly straining under the weight. The cauldron was heavy enough empty, let alone half-filled with riverwater. Alunya runs up to help steady the cauldron from the other side, oblivious to the bumpy icy rocks under his feet. ¡°What''s this for?¡± he asks, curiously. ¡°We¡¯re making... Stew!¡± Reia announces. ¡°Help me carry this back so we can get it on the fire!¡± Alunya takes the opposite side of the cauldron and lifts it up. Most boys his age probably wouldn''t have been much help, but, Alunya¡¯s unusual stature for his age came in handy, and though it was somewhat difficult, the two of them manage to awkwardly carry the cauldron back as they walked around the terrace back to the paved road up to their hut, spilling splashes of water over the side of the cauldron as they walk, Alunya walking backwards carrying one end while Reia carries the other side. As the two of them return home, Reia calls for Antares to open the door, then as soon as they are inside, sets down the cauldron with a hefty thud and grunt of effort, another splash of water spilling down onto the earthen floor. Reia collapses down into the chair next to the table, groaning. ¡°Antares, help your brother put the cauldron up onto the fireplace.¡± Antares hesitates, but nods and goes over to the other side. Alunya smiles at him. ¡°Ready?¡± Antares nods, and the two young boys lift the cauldron,hauling it in place onto the small hooks on either side of the fireplace. ¡°Now what?¡± Alunya chirps, wheeling around to face Reia. Reia laughs a little, leaning back. ¡°Heavens, give me a moment to catch my breath!¡± She shakes her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know where you get all that energy from...¡± Alunya ponders, but as he did, his stomach growled, and Antares snickers from over near the fireplace. ¡°Well, I think I know why he¡¯s so eager to help-¡° He teases, reaching over to poke Alunya in the belly, who giggles uncontrollably at the action. ¡°We need to wait for the water to boil. In the meantime, I guess we should cut up the vegetables.¡± Reia gets up from her chair and goes over to retrieve the cooking knife from its rack, where Alunya had just put it after cleaning. The two of them set about preparing all the ingredients- at first, Reia just does the work while showing Alunya how to do it, but soon enough, Alunya takes over, and Reia retires to just telling him what to do while resting next to the table. [...] ¡°Dinner¡¯s ready!¡± Reia¡¯s voice immediately rouses her two boys from their stupor-even Alunya¡¯s boundless energy had tapered off a bit when hungry and waiting for food. But as soon as Reia had tasted the food and announced it was ready, he was of course on his feet and over near the cauldron in a heartbeat. The roughly carved stone bowls are soon enough all filled up, and the boys sit down at the table with their mother. Alunya stares down at the soup curiously; he doesn¡¯t remember the last time he¡¯d had something similar, though it seems to basically just have whatever Reia had on hand. Pumpkin, potato, corn, and onion had all found their way into the stew, with a broth steeped with guanaco bones. ¡°Can we eat yet?¡± Antares asks, wiggling from side to side antsily. Antsy ant~ Alunya thinks, giggling a little at his inward joke, prompting Antares to give him a confused look. ¡°Not yet, we have to wait until the sacrifice is done down in th-¡± Reia is interrupted by the sound of a bell clanging out, right on cue. Even if the winter solstice wasn''t celebrated in the village center, the sacrifice still was done right on schedule, and not a soul would eat first. The gods always get first supper. Alunya thinks, nodding sagely. ¡°Alright, dig in!¡± Reia announces, though she needn¡¯t have bothered; her boys had started hungrily wolfing down his meal as soon as the bell had rung. Cold weather and lean winter meals built up quite the hungry appetite! Alunya slurps up a mouthful of soup. It was quite a bit different from what he was used to even if the ingredients were mostly similar; There was a big difference between the extremely dry food they were used to and food made mostly out of water. The broth was positively bursting with flavor, mostly the pumpkin which overwhelmed most of the other ingredients. Antares stifles a laugh looking at Alunya¡¯s face as Alunya puts the spoon down, and Alunya blinks at him curiously. ¡°What is it, Ari?¡± Alunya cocks his head to the side questioningly. Antares tries to suppress a giggle as he shakes his head. ¡°No, nothing.¡± He snickers while Alunya blinks at him, confused. ¡°Alunya, here, you¡¯ve got it on your lip-¡± Reia finally informs him. ¡°Just wipe it off.¡± ¡°Aww, you ruined it. He had such a cute little mustache going there.¡± Antares ribs, elbowing Alunya lightly while he wipes his face off with his wrist, then licks it clean. ¡°So, how do you two like the soup?¡± Reia asks, lacing her fingers together and leaning forward. Alunya and Antares both nod enthusiastically before exclaiming ¡°It''s really good!¡± In perfect sync. The two of them look at each other in surprise, then burst out laughing. When the three of them finish eating, Reia stacks the dishes and stands up. After placing them on the counter- it was too dark and cold out to go wash them right now- Reia presents a small handful of beans to Alunya. ¡°Now, since we made a good harvest this year, I was able to barter for some cocoa and milk this winter.¡± Reia starts explaining. ¡°Do you want to try to make hot cocoa? It''s traditional for this time of year. You know how, right?¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Alunya nods eagerly. He had seen other people making the beverage before; it wasn''t complicated. But he¡¯d never gotten to try it himself. While he gets to work grinding up the beans, Antares runs off at the same time, announcing ¡°I¡¯ll go get our blankets!¡±. Once he had thoroughly mixed the ground cocoa paste into the milk- which was quite warm, since it had been left by the fireplace- Alunya takes an experimental sip. ¡°Blech!¡± He makes a worried face as he tastes the bitter beverage. ¡°Mama?¡± Reia comes to his side, looking at him questioningly and placing one hand on his shoulders reassuringly. ¡°What is it, sweetie?¡± ¡°Why does it taste so bad?¡± Alunya asks. ¡°Did I make it wrong?¡± Reia shakes her head. ¡°No, you did it perfectly! It''s just a bit of an acquired taste is all. It''s a special drink for special occasions.¡± She affirms. Alunya hesitates, looking around to make sure Antares was still not in the room, then leans forward and whispers in a very loud and easily audible voice ¡°It¡¯s not a¡­ ¡®special drink¡¯ like what Tavr drinks, is it?¡± He mumbles, concern plastered over his face. Reia furrows her brow, concerned. Why would Alunya be so worried about that? ¡°No, Alunya, it''s not alcohol. It¡¯s a traditional beverage the priests usually make for important events.¡± Alunya pauses for a minute, then hops down from his perch and runs off into storage. ¡°Where are you going, honey?¡± Reia calls out to him as he disappears. Alunya comes rushing back with a small jar of honey and places it on the table, unscrewing the lid with some effort, poking his tongue out on one side of his mouth and half-grunting, half-squeaking as he strains until the lid pops off. ¡°It''s too bitter, mama! I need to make it taste better!¡± Alunya announces, before emptying a couple of big globs of honey into the cups before Reia can stop him. ¡°Alunya!¡± Reia protests, taking the jar back out of his hands. ¡°That stuff is hard to gather, and the drinks were already made the right way!¡± She lectures sternly, wagging her finger. Alunya puts on a rebellious face and takes a sip from his new concoction, before beaming up at her. ¡°But mama, it tastes much better now! You try!¡± he offers the beverage to her, and she reluctantly takes it, sipping from it. It was hard to deny him; The bitter hot cocoa might be traditional, but it was also a mite hard to swallow. Alunya¡¯s concoction was much more palatable, keeping the distinct ¡®cocoa¡¯ taste but masking the bitterness behind the tangy sweetness of wildflower honey and milk. Reia sighs frustrated, looking at the jar of honey, but it was too late now anyways, so she might as well let him go. ¡°Alright, but no more using the honey without permission, unless you want to gather it yourself next time!¡± Reia lectures, returning the jar to the pantry while Alunya rushes over next to the fireplace, setting the two cups down. Antares returns as well, trailing in his blanket, and plops himself down side by side with Alunya in front of the fire, wrapping his blanket around both of them. Alunya giggles and leans in close, saddling up as close to Antares as he can manage, resting his head on his brother''s shoulder. Antares smiles down at him warmly, and picks his hot cocoa up from the stone floor by the fireplace. He looks upwards towards the heavens for a moment and braces himself, before taking a sip of the beverage- And his face lights up. ¡°H-huh? What''s this?¡± Antares asks in some amazement as he looks back down at his beverage. It certainly looks like normal hot cocoa, but the flavor was altogether something else; The rich, earthy tones of the cocoa blend together with the tangy sweetness of the honey to make it more palatable, creating a complex profile that left a warm, wholesome feeling even after he¡¯d swallowed. ¡°I improved it!¡± Alunya announces, cheerfully beaming back at Antares. ¡°Yes you most certainly did.¡± Antares mumbles before taking another sip, now giving himself a chocolatey milk-mustache. It was a filling drink, which was good since there was not much to go around. Alunya and Antares sip slowly at their respective beverages, huddled up closely together watching the fire, the only source of heat in the dead of winter night. Antares shivers a little as he takes the last sip of his drink. The sound of howling wind and snow is loud, counterbalanced only by the crackling of the fireplace. ¡°It looks like it''s gonna be freezing tonight. That''s a proper snowstorm outside.¡± Antares observes, setting down the empty cup. It was good that the hot cocoa and soup had helped them stay somewhat warm, but he wasn¡¯t looking forward to going to bed; The fireplace¡¯s heat didn''t reach their room very well, and the single blanket he had on his bed was hardly enough insulation. ¡°Oh! Do you want me to sleep with you tonight, Ari?¡± Alunya asks. ¡°It¡¯d be warmer!¡± Antares blushes and gives a panicked glance around. ¡°Alunya! Mom said we weren¡¯t supposed to do that anymore, remember?¡± Alunya rolls his eyes. ¡°Oh boo-hoo, so what? She doesn''t come in to see us until sunrise and that''s so late in winter that there''s plenty of time to get up. She¡¯ll never know. Plus, it''s cold!¡± Alunya points out. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t leave me to be cold all night, would you, Ari?¡± Alunya gives a cheeky smile to his older brother, fully confident in his own charms. Antares gives Alunya a deadpan look and groans. ¡°Mom and I really need to stop spoiling you so much, it''s clearly going to your head.¡± Antares sighs, shaking his head. Alunya puffs out a cheek, looking at Antares indignantly. ¡°Oh, come on, you were the one who was talking about how cold it is!¡± Alunya puts on his best doe eyes and looks at Antares pleadingly. ¡°Pleeease?¡± Antares flinches away, blushing. There was, after all, a reason Alunya got spoiled so often¡­ It was really hard to say no to him when he put on that face. ¡°Ah, fine. But only because it''s cold out, and not because you asked.¡± Antares relents, in the most unconvincing tone of voice that man had ever heard. Alunya pumps his fist victoriously, smiling ear to ear cockily as he hops to his feet and runs a couple of victory laps around the room in his customary pose, arms spread wide like wings. ¡°What is the commotion out there about?¡± Reia shouts from her bedroom where she had retired. Alunya halts in place, almost overbalancing and falling over before correcting himself. ¡°Um, nothing!¡± Alunya replies, in the second most unconvincing tone of voice that man had ever heard. Reia stood at the doorway with an expression that reads ¡®what in Hylicia¡¯s name are you two up to¡¯, but with her eyes drooping from tiredness, she sighs and gives up. ¡°Whatever you say, Alunya. Just keep it down, you might not need to get up early but I can¡¯t say the same. And don¡¯t you even think about going outside, I will hear if that door opens.¡± Normally the windows would be an obvious escape route, but with the snow covering over them that wasn''t a realistic option, so the door was the only thing worth worrying about. With the fire slowly losing its brilliant luster, and the brothers¡¯ eyes both growing heavy, Alunya finally manages to drag Antares back away to their bed, where he flops down on the far side of the bed, holding the two blankets if only using the bottom bunk, there was no need to leave his own blanket on the top bunk, after all-up for Antares to get in. Antares blinks down at him, doubtfully, questioning once again how he always lets Alunya talk him into things. But it was too late and he was too tired to argue again, so he flops down onto the bed, laying face down into the pillow. Rapidly, Alunya wraps the blankets around him like a spider wrapping its webbing around its prey, making sure it was fully covered before going in for the kill; or in Alunya¡¯s case, for a close, affectionate hug, wrapping both arms around Antares¡¯s shoulders and nestling one leg between his. Antares reluctantly reciprocates, wrapping both arms around Alunya loosely, eliciting a squeal of delight from the younger boy. Alunya never seemed to get tired of cuddling, and if anything the long gap from his mother¡¯s forbiddance had only intensified that need. Antares sighs in resignation to his fate, smiling lopsidedly as he shrugs and nestles down into Alunya¡¯s domain. It certainly was warm, Alunya¡¯s skin was always borderline hot to the touch. If he hadn¡¯t been familiar with it already, Antares might have thought that he had a fever. Just as Antares is getting settled in and slowly sinking into sleep, he hears a soft voice- familiar, but uncharacteristically meek and quiet. ¡°Hey, Ari?¡± ¡°Mhm?¡± Antares drawls out, sleepily. After a long moment of silence, Antares hears Alunya¡¯s voice again, low and anxious. ¡°You don¡¯t hate spending time with me, right?¡± Antares frowns. This was very unusual for Alunya. Taking his brother''s chin, he raises his head so that he can see his eyes- albeit very dimly, given that only reflected firelight from the other room provided any light at all. ¡°Alunya, what brought this on?¡± Antares asks, his voice equally as soft. Alunya shifts, looking down and to the side. ¡°Um¡­ It''s just that I¡¯m always making you spend time with me¡­ I don¡¯t wanna be a drag on you.¡± Alunya murmurs. Antares feels a twinge of pain in his heart. What had he said that would make Alunya think this way? ¡°Of course not, Alunya. I love you, alright?¡± Antares feels Alunya smile-he can just about see it in his head, the characteristic radiant smile of his little brother was practically emblazoned into his brain-and bury his face into Antares¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Mhm. Thanks, Ari, I love you too.¡± Chapter XIV, Spring Showers 2892 P.C., the twenty-second of Spring, Hylicia¡¯s Vale. The first clear sign of the approaching storm, before the rain starts, is the distant rumble of thunder in the clouds above. The storms in the vale are seasonal; There aren¡¯t always thunderstorms in spring, but it is not a rare occurrence, either. That was good, since the lightning and rain were beneficial for the planting of new crops in the growing season. Alunya stares out the window at the flashing lights and arcs of lightning occasionally echoing out, his eyes wide in wonder. The rain was picking up now, complete with howling wind. The center of the village often flooded during storms like this, but up on the slope where they live, Alunya¡¯s family''s house was fairly safe from such danger. Antares throws an arm around Alunya¡¯s shoulders, squeezing up to be beside him and watch the spectacle unfold. There is a devastating flash and crashing sound, as a bolt of lightning strikes a tree not too far distant from the house, momentarily illuminating the valley, otherwise dark and dusky from the heavy clouds overhead. Inhaling deeply, he can faintly detect the scent of ozone from the nearby lightning strike. Antares closes his eyes and focuses on the feeling as the rumbling thunder passes through him. ¡°You feel the thunder in your bones, too, right Alunya?¡± Antares asks, smiling. Alunya looks up at him, tearing his gaze away from the thunderstorm for a moment to nod, before quickly looking back up at the sky in rapturous enchantment. ¡°It feels so powerful, like how I always imagined a dragons roar would feel!¡± Alunya comments, as another twisted arc of lightning branches through the sky, highlighting the dark and light contours of the stormclouds above. There was something mystical about the experience, it felt like so much more than just pretty lights and rainshowers. ¡°You know, mom tells me that you were born on a day like today.¡± Antares affirms. ¡°She told me last time there was a storm. You were probably too young to remember it.¡± Alunya looks curious. ¡°Do you remember when I was born, Ari?¡± Alunya cocks his head to the side curiously. Antares scratches the back of his head. ¡°Um, sort of. I remember holding you, and being there. I remember Mom freaking out about something, but I was really young, so it''s really blurry.¡± Antares explains. Alunya nods in understanding. ¡°Oh, I have memories like that too! Like I remember waking up with you on the top bunk one time when you were still taller than me, but I don''t really remember anything else about it.¡± While the two of them were talking, Reia came up from behind, frowning as she stares outside. ¡°I hope the storm lets up soon. It¡¯s going to keep us from planting until it does.¡± Alunya frowns. Is that all she ever thinks about? Good thing she doesn¡¯t control the weather, it¡¯d be so boring¡­ ¡°But we¡¯ll have Alunya to help us out this year, right mom?¡± Antares points out. ¡°So we don¡¯t need to rush as much!¡± Reia looks unsure and shrugs. ¡°I suppose¡­ I just hope it clears up by tomorrow.¡± As it turns out, Reia¡¯s prayers would be answered, and she would not need to wait long. By an hour or two after midday, a gap in the stormclouds had appeared towards the west, and by dinnertime the sun had appeared in the western skies. ¡°Antares, look!¡± Alunya points out the window eastwards. Where the eastern side of the valley was still being hammered by rain and illuminated by infrequent tongues of lightning, the sky was illuminated by multiple crescent bands of colors above the mountain peaks, contrasting with the dark stormclouds. ¡°What is it?¡± The young boy asks his older brother, looking at him in ecstatic amazement. ¡°What, you¡¯ve never seen a rainbow before?¡± Antares asks Alunya incredulously. ¡°Whenever there''s rain and sun together in the sky, Hylicia weaves them together for us into a rainbow.¡± Antares explains. ¡°It''s so pretty!¡± Alunya whirls around to face Antares and takes his hand in his, beaming eagerly. ¡°C¡¯mon, let¡¯s go for a walk! It''s such a nice day! With the rainbow and thunder clouds and sun in the sky, it''s just perfect!¡± Antares looks to Reia, who shrugs noncommittally. ¡°Go on ahead, you two, it''s too late to get to work anyways. But watch your step out there, the rain will make it muddy and slippery. And do try not to get too messy.¡± Not needing any further encouragement, Alunya tugs on Antares¡¯s hand, leading him out for a romp around the village, the effervescent scent of petrichor in the air. Their moccasins quickly beome clogged with mud, so the two remove them before they get far, and continue on barefoot. Alunya lets go of Antares¡¯s hand to prance up ahead, leading the way up the large hill near their house, the same one that the two of them go sledding on in the winter. The crown of the hill some ways above was rocky, poor soil with few trees, giving it a view of the valley second only to Antares¡¯s favorite boulder on the far side of the village. But the slopes here below are covered in a light cover of underbrush, birch trees, muddy slopes and rocky outcroppings. Alunya smiles, spreading his arms wide like soaring wings as he runs up the slopes, feeling the loose mud and gravel under his soles as he scampers uphill, toes digging into the fresh mud. Given the slippery, potentially treacherous terrain, it was a good thing that he was barefoot, where his feet could feel the ground beneath and maneuver to find purchase on every bit of rock, root, or firm soil he can navigate. Alunya glances back to see Antares jogging up after him to try and catch back up. ¡°Oy, Alunya, wait up!¡± Antares calls out, hiking up towards him. But Alunya just waggles his head from side to side, grinning ear to ear, and winks back at his brother. ¡°Nu-uh, just try to catch me!¡± Alunya shouts back, springing back up the hill at full sprint. Narrowing his eyes competitively, Antares gives chase, half-running, half-climbing up the slope wherever he can find purchase. Alunya ducks through the underbrush as he runs past another stand of white trees, bark scarred by myriad holes from woodpeckers, the leafy green of new shoots starting to poke through the scraggly bare branches from winter. While Alunya has a good head start, and maneuvers the rocky terrain with finesse, Antares was not one to back down from a challenge, pulling himself up by the root of one tree and then, as soon as he has gotten to his feet again, taking off in pursuit of his white-haired quarry. Alunya¡¯s attempt at going up one muddy slope fails him as the ground slips back down underneath him, and he is forced to attempt to go up another way, affording Antares a precious few meters of gain on his target. Antares pushes through the pain of his lungs struggling to keep up with the strain he was putting on his body, coupled with the discomfort of running on the occasionally uncomfortably rocky ground, as he gains on his target near the top of the hill. He was right in his sights, now, there was no way he wasn''t going to catch him.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Even Alunya is a bit tired- sprinting full-stop uphill for a prolonged pursuit had that effect. But seeing that he was basically at the summit of the hill, where a small indent in the poor soil of the hilltop had allowed the ground to turn into a soft bed of mud, Alunya suddenly pivots on one foot, forefoot digging into the mud as he whips around, sloshing to a halt in a crouch, and then springs back into motion in the opposite direction, pouncing on Antares just as he enters range. Antares lets out an unearthly screech just before Alunya suddenly collides with him, knocking the wind straight from his sails. The sudden impact makes Antares¡¯s posture fail him, and his feet lose their grip on the ground, slipping up from under him as he lands on his back on the thankfully soft, squishy ground. Alunya was hovering over him, expression sparkling and eyes shining with excitement. ¡°Good job Ari, you caught me!¡± Alunya announces, before flopping down onto his brother''s chest, just as Antares had started to regain his breath. Antares¡¯s vision swims as the blood rushes through his head, leaving him dizzy as he breathes heavily, trying to recuperate from the exhilaration of their chase up the hill, arms lazily draping over Alunya as he snugly fits on top of him, smirking with the characteristic satisfaction of a habitually spoiled younger brother. Antares reluctantly pushes Alunya from his chest onto his back to make it easier to breathe, Alunya landing back with an ungraceful ¡®oof¡¯ as he lies side-by-side with Antares, staring upwards at the sky. The heavens had turned a brilliant spectrum of blue to pink as the sun shone dimly from behind the western mountains, leaving the only trace of its presence in the scarlet hues on the edges of retreating storm clouds. The previously brilliant rainbow which the two of them had kept in their sights ascending the hill had faded to a barely visible red arc on the horizon, only barely recognizable against the clouds. Although twilight had begun, it was not yet very dark, especially as the moon was waxing gibbous in the skies above; Even so, some of the brightest stars had begun to appear in the skies above, twinkling high above them, far beyond the world the two of them knew. As his lungs finally stop aching for more air, Antares raises one hand up to the sky as if reaching to grasp at the moon. It had been a while since he¡¯d gotten to look up at the night sky like this, the hilltop summit was a good place to see the sky above, far enough from the village that there was no light or noise to speak of to distract from the sublime silence. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here with me, Ari.¡± Alunya is smiling innocently at Antares, as he rotates his head to see him, resting his cheek on the muddy soil. Alunya is covered in mud, staining the fabric of his tunic and soaking into his brilliant white hair, but somehow the bright exuberance that the boy always displayed still shines through, as he places his hand on Antares¡¯ and interlaces their fingers. ¡°Me too, Alunya¡­¡± Antares trails off, feeling the declining temperature of the air on his skin. After a moment of soaking in the dead stillness of the night, eyes gradually marking more and more pinpricks of light as stars pierced the dark veil of space overhead, Antares clears his throat. ¡°Hey, Alunya?¡± Alunya looks at him again, propping up his head with one arm to look over at Antares. ¡°Hm? What is it, Ari?¡± Alunya asks. ¡°What do you think it¡¯ll be like when we grow up?¡± Antares responds, dipping his head over to look at Alunya. Alunya blinks at him, pursing his lips in thought for a moment, before perking up like he had just had an epiphany. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll go for adventures, of course! Maybe we can make the coppersmith make us swords and we can go slay a dragon, or even better I can make us swords and-¡± ¡°...Seriously, Alunya?¡± Antares cuts him off. Sighing heavily, he rubs his face, looking back upwards again. ¡°Ah, I should have known you¡¯d say something silly like that.¡± Alunya looks offended, flopping over onto his side. ¡°What''s that supposed to mean, Ari?¡± he sounds offended, hurt. Antares just rolls his eyes at him. ¡°It means I¡¯m being serious. There¡¯s no dragons in Hylicia¡¯s Vale. Where would you even go?¡± Antares¡¯s voice softens. ¡°I mean when we grow up and get our own households, get married. You know.¡± Alunya doesn''t respond for a long moment, and when he does, his voice comes out crisp with a tone of fear. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Antares, I don¡¯t like thinking about it.¡± He shakes his head. ¡°Growing up is scary. I don¡¯t like thinking about having you get married and.. Being all alone.¡± He finishes darkly. Antares frowns in sympathy. He could relate, change was scary. But it wasn¡¯t a matter of choice, and thinking about the future was important. ¡°Come on Alunya, you won¡¯t be alone. I¡¯ll still be your brother, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get married too.¡± Antares tries to cheer him up, but Alunya wasn¡¯t having any of it. ¡°No I won¡¯t.¡± Alunya shakes his head and crosses his arms stubbornly. ¡°And I don¡¯t wanna start smelling weird and being gross, either!¡± He states firmly. Antares was silent for a moment, before sighing in frustration. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll change your mind when you¡¯re older.¡± He mumbles. Alunya yanks his hand out of Antares¡¯ and crosses his arms, pouting. Why do people always say that? Now even Antares is talking down to him! Antares frowns, unsurely, feeling a twinge of doubt in his heart. But it isn''t a question of what either of them wanted, anyways; Growing up was just a part of life, something he can no more stop than the rain and thunder. Kids grew up, then had kids of their own; It was just the way of things. So why not look forward to at least having people take him more seriously? The silence hangs over them uncomfortably long, staring up into the firmament as it darkened further and further. The sunlight has vanished, the sky a blanket of tiny pinpricks of light; every moment, it seemed, Antares and Alunya¡¯s eyes picked out more and more faint stars, while the brightest and most vibrant were readily visible. It was a good thing the moon was out that night, Antares thought; it would have been rather dangerous to try to get down the hill in pitch darkness. ¡°Well.¡± Antares finally broke the silence. ¡°I imagine I¡¯ll probably get married, then you¡¯ll come live with us. Maybe if we¡¯re lucky we could barter for some animals so we can have milk and meat on the table.¡± Antares suggests. Alunya just looks over at Antares like he was an alien. Is that really all he aspires to in life..? Alunya shakes his head, sitting up. ¡°Even if you¡¯re not going to go on any adventures, don''t you wanna do more with yourself than just that? I mean there''s a whole valley to explore. And so many things I¡¯d like to learn how to make, too.¡± Alunya affirms. Antares frowns. Alunya was so naive, but then again maybe that confidence came with the territory of being so good at learning new skills. Antares was not so blessed, he probably couldn¡¯t expect any more than just scraping by. ¡°Easy for you to say, mister big shot hunter.¡± Antares says gruffly, feeling a hint of remorse though he isn¡¯t entirely sure of why. ¡°I don¡¯t have alot of skills, I¡¯m sure it''s best for everyone if I just stick to what I know I can do. And not get myself killed, so my kids can grow up with a father.¡± Antares hadn¡¯t even realized he was thinking about that, it just sort of came out. Alunya frowns, looking at him for a long moment. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean, Ari, you¡¯re great at learning new things. And we turned out great, father or not.¡± Alunya beams. ¡°...You plan to have kids, then..?¡± Alunya follows up hesitantly, a hint of fear in his voice. Antares hesitates again, blushing somewhat. ¡°I-I mean, it¡¯s my duty, right? I¡¯m sure mom wants to have grandkids someday.¡± Antares says, unenthusiastically. What was with Alunya, anyways? Adults had kids, it was just the way of things. His own preferences didn¡¯t seem like they figured into the equation. It was just the way of things. Alunya just snootily puts his nose up in the air, crossing his arms. ¡°Hmph. If she wants more kids she can have them herself.¡± He announces, self-assuredly. Antares sighs. Alunya was always so self-confident. It could be annoying, but it was also charming. But that was neither here nor there. The conversation had seemingly run its course, and judging by how the western mountains are pitch black and even the faintest stars plainly visible to the two siblings, it is well time for them to head back- Antares groans, thinking of the tongue-lashing they are sure to get for getting home so late after dark. ¡°C¡¯mon, Alunya, let''s get cleaned off in the river then go home.¡± Antares says, hopping up to his feet. Alunya pouts. ¡°Aww, but the stars are so pretty¡­¡± Still, he reluctantly stands up and follows Antares as he begins descending the hillside. Chapter XV, Fertility Rites 2892 P.C., the first of Summer, Hylicia¡¯s Vale. Each of the four festivals of the year has its own role; the spring festival celebrates the equinox, the prime point to start the planting season and celebrate the end of winter. The winter festival celebrates the gradually increasing lengths of the days of the year, and is a chance for families to spend time together. And the autumn festival celebrated the largest harvest of the year, the ideal time for a large feast with plentiful food, warmth, and alcohol abounding. To Alunya and Antares, though, the summer festival stood somewhat separate from the rest; According to Reia, the summer festival was for grown-ups, and not children. Oh, it still had its place in agriculture; It was the fertility rite, where the town celebrated the bounty of the earth given to them, so they believed, by their gods. But first and foremost, the fertility festival celebrated the bearing of new children into the world, and the couplings that made that possible. As such, Antares and Alunya had never been, too young to think about matchmaking. But Antares was old enough now; Just a couple weeks until his 13th birthday, the age at which boys and girls would normally start fraternizing in the hopes of finding a match in the upcoming years. And of course, there is no force in this world that can keep Alunya from his brother''s side on a festival day. Alunya and Antares are sitting in the living room, Antares brushing out Alunya¡¯s hair. The two of them had gotten up early; Unlike the other festivals, the summer festival is celebrated at about midday, which makes sense when you consider that, on the longest day of the year, there isn¡¯t time for both sleep and festivities on the same night. There was plenty to do to get ready; They had gotten breakfast, washed their clothes, bathed, and dried off. Now Antares was just brushing out Alunya¡¯s hair so that it was at least comely. Reia had tried to cut it again, of course, but Alunya had hidden from her for something like thirty minutes before she eventually relented. Every festival warranted at least a token effort to clean up and look good, of course, but Reia had repeatedly stressed that this one, in particular, was very important; Making a good first impression on potential future brides was vital. ¡°Alright, I think it¡¯s good now!¡± Antares exclaims, looking over to Reia for confirmation. She sighs, putting her hand to her forehead. ¡°I suppose it''s the best I can do, since he won¡¯t sit still long enough to cut it. Thanks for your help, Antares.¡± Alunya was just smugly sitting in place, swinging his legs back and forth while looking at his reflection in the pot of water. Now my hair looks really cute, Ari did a great job. Alunya gloats to himself, hopping up to his feet. Antares shrugs. ¡°I dunno, I like his longer hair, it''s pretty. I bet the girls will like it too.¡± Reia sighs heavily. ¡°It¡¯s not them I¡¯m worried about¡­¡± She mutters darkly. ¡°Whatever, there''s nothing to be done about it now. Come along.¡± She beckons her two sons, and the three head down towards the village center. [...] Alunya barely recognizes the village center compared to the last time he had been there; Tents are set up all over the place, and a new statue was placed in front of Hylicia¡¯s plinth. Compared to the metallic sheen of the statue of Hylicia, the new statue was more roughly constructed, made of solid granite. The subject matter also looked far more mundane; rather than the rather abstract form of Hylicia above it, the statue portrayed the likeness of a nude adult with long flowing hair, arms splayed out displaying the palms facing forwards. Alunya blinks in confusion at what he is seeing. The statue is a bizarre fusion of male and female traits, with muscular, wide shoulders, large globules of fat on its chest that would surely be the envy of half the village''s women, wide hips, a swollen abdomen suggesting pregnancy, and a strange looking long, straightened penis jutting from its groin. ¡°Um, mom? What¡¯s that?¡± Alunya asks, pointing at the statue, a little unnerved. Reia blinks back in surprise. Somehow it had never occurred to her that her two sons were so sheltered they had never even seen the statue before. Even Antares was looking just as confused. ¡°This is Malay, the god who birthed our people.¡± Reia explains. She wasn¡¯t exactly an expert on theology, but still, she had let down her sons to not even tell them of one of the principal gods of the village. ¡°Their womb births the crops of our land giving us food, and their semen falls from the sky as rain to fertilize our crops and give us water to drink.¡± Reia continues. Alunya stares at the statue, nonplussed. It was not nearly as impressive as the statue of Hylicia, the metallic, grandiose visage of a god given form, while this was¡­ Just, a person. And not even a very pretty person, in fact, a rather gross looking one, with their grotesquely oversized gonads, swollen belly, and mismatched proportions. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. And the rain sure doesn''t look like¡­ ¡®semen¡¯. Alunya wrinkles his nose in disgust. ¡­oh dear Hylicia, I hope it¡¯s not, that¡¯s so gross. A surreptitious look at Antares showed his older brother was almost certainly thinking the same thing. Reia seemingly hadn¡¯t noticed, though, as she bows before the statue. ¡°We throw the summer festival in Malay¡¯s honor, to thank them for their gifts that feed us and give us new children. And then, we pray to them to be blessed with easy childbirth, and to be spared from venereal disease.¡± She continues. Alunya cocks his head to the side, curiously. ¡°Ven-ear-ee-al?¡± He asks, sounding out the unfamiliar word. Reia pauses. ¡°Oh, goodness, of course you wouldn¡¯t know what that means. It just means diseases that people can contract when coupling.¡± Reia elaborates. Alunya grimaces. ¡®Coupling¡¯... That was the word Reia usually used for having kids. So in addition to being really gross, you could even get sick from it? Why would anyone ever want to do something like that? Alunya wonders privately. His thoughts are interrupted when his attention is called to the high terrace behind the statue, where the sacrificial pyre usually was on other festivals, as the old priest Rallic rings the bell to call the attendees attention. As soon as the gathered crowd are paying attention and quieted down, Rallic spoke as loudly as his admittedly frail voice could manage. ¡°It is good to see you all again, my children. We come together on this auspicious occasion to celebrate the gifts given to us by our mother and father, Malay, and to shepherd in the next generation.¡± Rallic begins. ¡°On this joyous occasion, we have four young couples ready to consummate their love for one another.¡± The proceedings begin apace, Alunya barely paying attention as he looks around antsily. Rallic was introducing the couples, all 15 or 16 years old. ¡°...And young Dali and Kuzir¡± Rallic was introducing the last match, showcasing a girl who very obviously did not want to be there, her match¡¯s hand clamped down around her arm with a vise-like grip. ¡°When they emerge from their embrace, they will be truly wed, ready to begin a new life with us, as man and bride.¡± Rallic declares, stepping aside to allow the couple into the tents behind Rallic. Alunya looks over at Reia curiously. ¡°What are they doing in there, mom?¡± He asks, cocking his head to the side. Reia¡¯s cheeks flush a little as she looks away, embarrassed. "They''re... celebrating..." She replies, simply. Alunya blinks. What kind of explanation is that supposed to be? Meanwhile, Antares was grabbing Reia¡¯s arm and pointing to the food. ¡°Mom? Why are people eating already, there hasn¡¯t been a sacrifice.¡± He asks, confused. Reia just shakes her head. ¡°Malay doesn''t ask for any sacrifices, just to honor their name and carry on our lineage. So the summer festival doesn¡¯t need any sacrifices.¡± She shrugs. ¡°Besides, the festival lasts all day, so people need to be able to get food. Are you hungry?¡± Antares nods, so the three of them make their way to the buffet table, where a fantastic variety of food is laid out; Guanaco meat, sweet corn, potatoes cooked in every way one could imagine, pumpkin seeds and bread, rye sandwiches, squash and zucchini. Alunya darts from table to table, heaping up oversized helpings onto the ceramic disk that served as a plate. ¡°Hey, Antares!¡± Vekt was waving at the boy from where he was sitting with his sister and mother. Antares hesitates, trying to think if he had done anything that day worth being made fun of for. Hesitantly, he goes up to the table, pausing some distance away. Yuvia gives a stern look to her son. ¡°Now, Vekt, remember to be nice.¡± The boy rolls his eyes in response, before replying with a sarcastic sounding ¡°yes, Mom.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t sass me, or I¡¯ll have to tell your father.¡± she lectures, which elicits a gulp of dismay from the boy followed by a much more serious sounding ¡°Yes, mom.¡± ¡°So what did you want, Vekt?¡± Antares asks, nervously. Vekt gives him a coy grin, shoving a mug across the table to him, sloshing the dark colored contents over the rim. ¡°Have you still not gotten anything to drink?¡± He asks, concealing a smirk under faux sincerity. ¡°I was just thinking about what a shame it was that you¡¯re nearly 13 and still can¡¯t manage to hold your drink.¡± Vekt watches Antares as the younger boy flushes. ¡°I-Yes I can!¡± Antares exclaims, stammering, and then as if to prove the point he takes the mug and downs the whole thing, trying to ignore the bitter taste. The fiery spiced beverage burns as it goes down his throat, and he feels nauseous, resisting the urge to vomit with some effort. Squeezing his eyes shut, he forces the beverage to stay down, before belching and opening his eyes, looking at Vekt fiercely. ¡°There! See? I-¡± Antares was interrupted by belching again, as he gazes out proudly. Vekt leans back, cracking a grin. ¡°Good job, Ant, you drank as much as my sister.¡± There is still something of a mocking tone to his voice as he pulls his sister over to give her a playful nuggie, Risa rolling her eyes but going along with it. Yuvia frowns at Vekt. ¡°What did I say about being nice?¡± Vekt rolls his eyes. ¡°Oh, come on, I¡¯m doing him a favor. Dad said it would put hair on his chest. You want some hair on your chest, dontcha Ant?¡± Vekt looks up at Antares, who pauses in hesitation. ¡°Uh-uh-huh.¡± Antares stammers out, not wanting to look weak or soft, nodding his head. ¡°Thanks for the drink, Vekt. How about¡­ Another?¡± he smiles encouragingly, and Vekt cracks a grin back. ¡°Now you¡¯re getting it!¡± He whoops. ¡°Maybe there¡¯s hope for you yet!¡± Chapter XVI, Discomfort Alunya looks around, confused. Somehow in the jostle of the crowd, he¡¯d lost track of both Antares and Reia while getting seconds from the buffet line. Before he can find any trace of either of them, he feels someone else''s hand on his shoulder, hot to the touch. ¡°That¡¯s a pretty head you¡¯ve got on your shoulders there. You¡¯re Alunya, right? Reia¡¯s kid?¡± The slurred voice is asking him. Alunya whirls around to see who it is- A man Alunya doesn¡¯t recognize, middle aged, a tad portly with a slouched posture, looking at him with an odd, uncomfortable intensity. Alunya just nods in reply, not knowing how to take it. The man took in a sharp breath. ¡°Mhm, and what a pretty little thing you are, too. Such a shame you¡¯re a boy, with looks like that.¡± Alunya shivers uncomfortably. There was something altogether wrong with how the man was looking at him; He couldn¡¯t help but notice his eyes were not meeting his own, instead looking him up and down with interest. There¡¯s a distinct smell of alcohol on his breath; Though, granted, to Alunya¡¯s sensitive nose, everyone in the vicinity had that same unpleasantly acrid smell. ¡°I¡¯m Tanith, I run the mill. I¡¯m friends with your mother.¡± Alunya jerks backwards, removing Tanith¡¯s hand from his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mister, is there something you want?¡± Alunya asks, eyes darting side to side looking for an escape. It was harder to run away when surrounded by people like this, and he¡¯d rather not start a scene and get another scolding from his mother. The man leans forwards, hiccuping. ¡°It''s so noisy out here, isn''t it? You look overwhelmed, why don''t I show you a nice quiet spot where no-one will bother us?¡± Tanith tries to lift a lock of Alunya¡¯s hair, but Alunya feels a sudden burst of anger at the attempt and bats his hands away, falling back on one foot in a defensive posture. For a fraction of a second, Tanith¡¯s flushed face contorts in anger. ¡°How dare you treat your elders this way? Kids these days don''t know how good they¡¯ve got it.¡± He growls out before remembering himself. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m sure the crowd is just getting to you. Come on, I¡¯ll help you find your mother.¡± He offers. Though he can¡¯t explain why, every fiber of Alunya¡¯s being wanted to be anywhere other than where he was right now. He glances at the table, pondering his chances of getting a knife through the man¡¯s throat before he could react. The drunk didn''t seem the most coordinated, he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to stop him¡­ But before Alunya can do anything of the sort, his brother appears from the side. ¡°May I ask why you¡¯re bugging my brother?¡± Antares asks brusquely. The man staggers back and looks at the new arrival surprised. ¡°C¡¯mon, I just wanna show him something.¡± He insists, holding his hands up disarmingly. Antares suddenly stomps forward and barks- like a wolf, teeth bared. ¡°¡±Alunya¡¯s mine, you got it?¡± He snarls. People were starting to stare at the interaction. Seemingly, Tanith didn¡¯t like that- As soon as he gets his bearings from being startled by the boy''s sudden aggression, he looks around and groans. ¡°Alright, alright, I guess I¡¯ll just show you sometime later.¡± He mutters darkly. ¡°Dumb kid, he¡¯s practically begging for attention looking like that¡­ Would be such a waste¡­¡± He mumbles sourly as he stalks off, glancing around. Alunya frowns and looks at Antares. ¡°U-um¡­ Ari, what did you mean by that..?¡± he asks, wincing as he recognizes a now unfortunately familiar scent¡­ The usual, distinctive smell of Antares, like fresh rain, was now tainted by the smell of alcohol on his breath. Antares seemingly didn¡¯t notice Alunya¡¯s concern, as he grabbed Alunya around the neck and gave him a nuggie, eliciting a protest from the younger boy. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Come on, follow me.¡± Antares drags Alunya through the crowd back to their table. As soon as Alunya is seated, Antares shoves a mug into his hand. ¡°Here, try this!¡± Antares prods, grinning mischievously Alunya takes a single whiff and poked the surface of the liquid with his tongue before recoiling, coughing and sputtering. Alunya looks at Antares with a betrayed expression. ¡°Blech! Where¡¯d you get that?¡± Alunya asks, pawing at his tongue and spitting, while Antares just sniggers at him. ¡°Vekt gave me some and showed me where to find more! He said I could hold my drink well!¡± Antares boasts. ¡°I downed a whole cup in one big gulp! Here, you try!¡± He pushes the cup back into Alunya¡¯s hand, who knocks it over, spilling it onto the ground and shaking his head. ¡°Nu-uh, it tastes gross!¡± Alunya protests. Antares puts on a smug smile. ¡°Well this is what all the grown-ups drink so I guess it¡¯s only fitting that your big brother would be more grown up!¡± Even though he didn¡¯t particularly like the taste, he takes another swig to prove it. Alunya crosses his arms, scowling. ¡°Well, I never said I wanted to be a grown up, anyways.¡± he puffs out his cheek. Antares crossed his arms smugly as he took another swig. At least he had finally found something he was definitively better than Alunya at. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be like that. There¡¯s plenty of boozehounds around already, your brother will make a better husband than most if he keeps himself sober.¡± Interjects a lady across the table from them. Alunya looks disconcerted and mumbles ¡°I don¡¯t wanna get married, though¡­¡±, prompting Antares to throw his arm around Alunya and drag him over against his shoulder, smirking. ¡°Yeah, Alunya needs someone mature to watch over him, so he¡¯s stuck with me!¡± Antares teases, snickering. Alunya wrinkles his nose in protest. ¡°Ari, your breath stinks!¡± Antares looks up at Alunya sardonically before purposefully breathing in his face, making the younger boy gag and cover his mouth. ¡°Aww, does my baby brother not want to be near me?¡± Alunya averts his gaze uncomfortably. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that¡­¡± He mumbles. Antares grins widely, perhaps amused at Alunya¡¯s discomfort. ¡°You know, you¡¯re right. You¡¯re too immature to handle this, you¡¯d better leave the drinking to your big brother.¡± He proclaims boisterously. ¡°Here, you need me to feed you too? Say ¡®ahhh¡¯.¡± Alunya perks up, and does exactly as Antares said, completely oblivious to the fact that Antares was making fun of him. ¡°Ahhhh¡­¡± he holds his mouth open while Antares blinks in some surprise, giggles, then places the bite squarely in his mouth. The mood is ruined by the sniggering of a youth sitting nearby- Alunya recognized him as one of the boys introduced by Rallic to get married earlier. Kuzir, Alunya thought his name was. His new wife was sitting beside him, looking down with an expression somewhere between shame and discomfort. ¡°Now that''s a sight. A virgin snot-nosed brat here thinks he¡¯s a real man.¡± The youth sneers, looking awfully confident for some reason Alunya couldn¡¯t fathom. ¡°You call that drinking? I¡¯d drink you under the table in two mugs flat, you¡¯re just a boy.¡± Alunya opens his mouth, wanting to argue, then second guesses himself. On one hand, Kuzir was being incredibly rude to his brother¡­ But on the other hand, he didn¡¯t actually like Antares drinking, so he wasn''t about to start defending his ability to stomach the bitter beverage. Antares was looking shocked, maybe a bit ashamed, and stood up- He was tall enough that he was eye level with the older boy despite the difference in age. ¡°I¡¯m mature for my age! I have to be, since I¡¯m the man of my house!¡± Antares protests. This only triggers more laughing, and Kuzir grabs Antares in a headlock. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s real sad. You¡¯ve never even felt the touch of a woman, how can you call yourself a man, unless you mean to say you¡¯re a mother fucker! Hylicia, you whiteheads are pathetic.¡± He sneers. Antares yelps and struggles but can¡¯t get free until Alunya leaps up and rips Kuzir¡¯s arm away.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°Leave my brother alone!¡± Alunya shouts, standing by him protectively as Antares staggers back. Kuzir rolls his eyes dramatically and crosses his arms. ¡°Relax you brat, I¡¯m just having some fun. What would a virgin like you be able to do about it anyways?¡± Alunya glares at Kuzir, standing in front of Antares with his fists balled up. ¡°Why do you keep calling us that? What even is a virgin?¡± He asks defensively. He couldn''t exactly protect Antares if he didn¡¯t even know what he was being accused of. ¡°It means you haven¡¯t been inside a cunt since you slid out of your mommy, shit for brains!!¡± Kuzir spat. ¡°You¡¯re just a stupid fucking kid who hasn¡¯t been taught how to talk to his betters.¡± Alunya grimaces. He didn¡¯t know what half the words the youth had used meant, but he was able to piece it together¡­ So that is what Reia meant by ¡®celebrating¡¯. What kind of a disgusting worm is that proud about something like that? Alunya can¡¯t help but be incredulous, almost stunned for a moment. Apparently Kuzir takes that as a victory, as he smugly stalks off to go brag about his ¡®conquests¡¯ to someone else. ¡°Smug bastard¡­¡± Antares mumbles. ¡°Thinks he¡¯s better than us just because he¡¯s married now¡­¡± He mutters, darkly. Alunya watches Kuzir disappearing, before quickly returning to Antares¡¯s side, looking at him with concern. ¡°It''s alright, Ari, he¡¯s gone now.¡± Alunya frowns. Antares looks back at him, still glowering, and Alunya shrinks away. What gives? He¡¯s not¡­ Angry at me, is he..? That thought would be interrupted, as Reia had finally found the two of them again. ¡°Of course I¡¯d end up looking all over the festival grounds for you two then find you back where I started.¡± Reia laughs, but quickly sobers up once she sees their mood. ¡°...What''s wrong? Something happen while I was looking for you two?¡± Alunya pauses, gently holding his older brother around the shoulders. ¡°Nothing worth mentioning¡­ Just some jerk was being a jerk.¡± Alunya replies, never taking his eyes off of Antares, who was still sulking. Reia sighs, looking frustrated, and sits across from them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t around. I thought you¡¯d run off somewhere to play festival games again.¡± Alunya giggles, shaking his head. ¡°Nope! Just got lost in the crowd for a minute! Everybody is being really weird and gross today.¡± Reia gives Alunya a long look, frowning. ¡°Well, you didn¡¯t have to come. Maybe you should have stayed home.¡± She says. ¡°You''re not old enough to look for a match, anyways.¡± Alunya frowns back. What is it with how everyone is acting today? This is not the kind of mood I want at my festival! Besides, it wasn''t like he could have stayed home- Antares wasn¡¯t there. But before the conversation can continue, the trio is interrupted by a bell clanging out, signaling the beginning of the next phase of the festival. Reia looks up at it, alerted, and smiles at Antares. ¡°Ah, and there¡¯s the bell¡­ Come on, there¡¯s someone I need to introduce you to. You think you can stop sulking for long enough?¡± Reia asks. Antares looks away. ¡°I¡¯m not sulking¡­¡± he mumbles, while very obviously sulking. ¡°Come on. I found a potential match for you, and it''s time for the dance. Remember what we talked about with making a good first impression- Shoulders back, eyes straight ahead. No slouching, and no sulking, either, she¡¯ll think you hate her.¡± Reia instructs, adjusting Antares¡¯s posture. He looks uncertain, but, as he understands Reia¡¯s words he peaks up with interest. ¡°You did?¡± he asks. ¡°I mean¡­ Yeah, of course you did.¡± he seems to cheer up and gets up to his feet, standing a bit higher off the ground than his own mother. Reia takes his hand-and Alunya¡¯s, making sure to keep the latter securely gripped in her own-and leads the way. As Reia approaches with her two sons, the target of her search waves at her. ¡°Oy, over here!¡± A middle aged couple was standing around with their children. Five of them, though one is presently leaving with another adolescent in tow. ¡°This here is Nathi. She¡¯s the one I was telling you about.¡± The mother presents the youngest of her present children, a fairly short, plain girl with straight black hair and brown eyes. Alunya has some trouble telling her age, since she was significantly shorter than either him or Antares, but didn¡¯t look as childish. The girl bows her head slightly, remaining unexpressive. ¡°Hello. It''s a pleasure to meet you.¡± She announces, cordially. ¡°I take it this is Antares?¡± ¡°Um, hi.¡± Antares replies, awkwardly, bowing back unsurely. ¡°This is the match I found for you, Antares. You¡¯ll be spending the rest of this festival getting to know her.¡± Reia affirms, squeezing Antares¡¯s shoulders. Alunya meanwhile was spacing out of the conversation, looking around at the proceedings. Music had started being played by a handful of simple instruments from near the plinth, and pairs of adolescents had joined together and were currently moving along to the rhythm. Alunya¡¯s eyes light up as an understanding of the event clicks in his head; It was a dance! Turning to Antares and ignoring Nathi, he tugs on his sleeve, eyes shining. ¡°Oh, it''s a dance! C¡¯mon, Ari, let¡¯s go dance!¡± Antares blushes and pulls his arm away. ¡°What? No, Alunya, I need to dance with Nathi.¡± He replies, brusquely. Alunya looks at Antares with big, hurt eyes. ¡°You mean you didn¡¯t save the first dance for me?¡± He whines, then glares over at Nathi. Who did she think she was, Antares was his brother. Antares blushes more and bats Alunya away. ¡°No! I mean, yes, I mean, you don¡¯t get a dance, boys don¡¯t dance with each other! Especially not brothers!¡± Antares exclaims. Alunya¡¯s expression becomes even more dramatic. ¡°I don¡¯t even get to dance with you at all?¡± He shrieks, horrified. By now, the blush in Antares¡¯s cheeks had just about reached his ears, and Reia pulls Alunya away. ¡°The dance is to help young couples get to know each other so they can find a match.¡± Reia explains. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for you and Antares.¡± Alunya huffs and sulks. Did everything have to be about getting married here? ¡°Well, I¡¯ll leave you two to it. We need to go find the rest of our kids'' matches, now.¡± The father states, taking the rest of his children- all older than Nathi as far as Alunya could tell- away with him. As Antares and Nathi leave together to the dance floor, Alunya is left alone with his mother. ¡°Why don¡¯t you find someplace to sit down?¡± She suggests, pulling Alunya away. ¡°I need to go talk to some other adults, you would just find it boring.¡± Alunya puffs out a cheek. ¡°No fair¡­ I wanted to dance¡­¡± he pouts, stalking over to the seats. Sitting all alone without even any food sounds extremely boring, yet he couldn''t just run off to go play and leave Antares. So, he scans the seats, and finds a single person he recognizes; Risa is also sitting alone, looking rather bored. So, he hops over there and takes a seat nearby. ¡°Oh, hi, Alunya.¡± Risa greets him, and Alunya greets her in turn. But not knowing what else to talk about, the conversation quickly vanishes, leaving Alunya uncomfortably restless. The awkward silence lingers for a long moment as Alunya sulks, until finally it''s broken by a simple statement from Risa. ¡°...I really like your hair.¡± She comments. Alunya¡¯s demeanor instantly changes, puffing out his chest proudly. ¡°Thanks!¡± He beams. ¡°My big brother helps me brush and wash it to keep it all shiny!¡± He announces, proudly. ¡°Your brother, huh?¡± Risa asks, a bit wistfully. ¡°Vekt wouldn¡¯t be caught dead doing my hair.¡± She giggles, lifting up her braids. Alunya looks at her sadly. ¡°Aww, that¡¯s too bad. Antares is always helping me with all sorts of things.¡± Risa shakes her head. ¡°No, it''s fine! He does alot of work to help our family, anyways. He helps us keep food on the table and shear wool for our clothes. So he has plenty of chores. It''s the least I can do to take care of myself.¡± Risa affirms, then laughs a little. ¡°Maybe I should do his hair. He certainly doesn''t brush it out.¡± Alunya claps his hands together. ¡°Oh, you totally should! That¡¯d be so cute!¡± He cocks his head looking at Risa. ¡°Where is Vekt, anyways? Why aren¡¯t you together?¡± Risa points out at the festival, where Vekt was dancing with some other adolescent. ¡°He¡¯s out there. Your brother isn''t the only one old enough to start looking for a match now, you know.¡± Alunya puffs out a cheek, upset again. ¡°Hmph. So you got left by the wayside too, huh?¡± He asks, disheartened. ¡°Hm? I mean, he¡¯s just dancing. He¡¯ll be getting married in a couple years, so he needs to find a good match.¡± Risa sounds unsure what Alunya was upset about. For his part, Alunya just pouts more. Why is she so nonchalant about that..? Won¡¯t she miss him? Risa apparently notices Alunya¡¯s moodiness, and an awkward silence once again overtakes the conversation. Chapter XVII, Seed of Despair Antares stares awkwardly at Nathi across from himself. He¡¯d never been dancing before, least of all with a girl he¡¯d never met, and he is feeling awfully sloppy and uncoordinated. His mind strains to think of something to say, but instead draws a dull blank, and he can feel himself growing steadily more embarrassed, as he flubs another move in the dance. If he had more presence of mind, he might have noticed that Nathi was doing at least as poorly-She is substantially shorter than him, making it somewhat difficult to match their moves together. But Antares¡¯s mind in that moment is little more than a dull buzz of half-formed thoughts and alcohol-fueled spontaneity. Desperate to impress, he attempts an overblown maneuver and ends up sweeping Nathi¡¯s legs out from under her, collapsing both of them onto the ground in a heap. ¡°U-um, sorry.¡± Antares mumbles, staggering back up to his feet. ¡°I-I¡¯m just feeling jittery. Are you ok?¡± He asks, offering a hand down to Nathi, who bats it away as she stands up to her feet. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± She replies shortly, sighing in irritation. ¡°Let''s just keep going until my parents let me leave.¡± Antares doesn¡¯t know what to say, so he tries to settle back into the rhythm¡­ Not that there is much rhythm to the irregular beat of the drums and music that can barely be heard over the clamor of festival sounds. Eventually, unable to bear the awkwardness any longer, Antares does his best to do what Reia had told him to¡­ ¡®get to know the girl¡¯. But the only thing he can think of right then is Alunya, and how upset he had been to be left on the sidelines¡­ Alunya. My little brother. Family. Wait, that¡¯s something I could ask about, right? So he coughs to clear his throat and then mumbles ¡°So¡­ What''s your family like?¡± He can feel his words slurring together as he speaks, and ends up having to repeat himself before Nathi actually hears him. Nathi looks reluctant to speak, but eventually responds. ¡°I¡¯m the second youngest out of seven kids. My parents'' farm isn''t that big, so I think they¡¯re eager to have some of us move out.¡± She explains, shortly, not offering any additional details. Antares tries to imagine what that could be like- He feels like having six Alunya¡¯s running around demanding his attention would give him a heart attack. Of course, that probably isn¡¯t what it is actually like¡­ Even he was aware that most people¡¯s relationships with their siblings aren¡¯t as close as him and Alunya. So eventually, he asks, ¡°How do you feel about them?¡± Nathi just stares blankly for a moment. ¡°They¡¯re fine, I guess. It sure is noisy. I wouldn¡¯t hate moving out either. But my parents don''t have alot to spare for a dowry, so I guess that''s why I¡¯m here dancing with the likes of you.¡± She barks out a laugh. Antares looks at her, confused, not understanding what that meant. There is a subtle pounding in his head, and further thought seems difficult, so he just ignores the statement and does his best to keep ¡®dancing¡¯ despite the slow, sloppy nature of it. [...] Alunya¡¯s silent vigil with Risa is interrupted when Vekt comes calling, finished with his dance. The adolescent squints his eyes at Alunya, suspiciously. ¡°...What are you doing here, whitehead?¡± He questions. ¡°And why are you hanging out with my sister?¡± Risa sighs. ¡°Ugh, lay off of it, bro, we were just chatting.¡± She stands up, stretching. Alunya looks up at Vekt as well. Normally he might be fairly hostile to the boy who was normally such a jerk to Antares, but today he just feels exhausted from how many weird and gross people had been out that day; it isn¡¯t like Vekt is near that bad. So instead of retorting hostilely, he just responds ¡°Ari is out dancing, and she¡¯s the only other person I know that I could find to talk to.¡± matter-of-factly. Vekt looks at Risa uncertainly. ¡°He didn¡¯t try to get you to dance with him, did he? You know you can do better than the likes of him.¡± Risa rolls her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re as bad as dad. No, he didn¡¯t ask me to dance. Besides, didn¡¯t he save your life on your hunting trip last year?¡± Vekt finds himself blushing. ¡°That¡­ We don¡¯t need to talk about that.¡± Vekt replies, harshly, taking his sister¡¯s hand. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go, we should go catch up with mom.¡± Risa looks at Alunya and shrugs, before going along with her brother. Alunya finds the corner of his mouth tilting upwards. Maybe Vekt isn¡¯t all bad, at least he¡¯s watching out for his younger sister. But, that does leave him all alone again. Reia had simply left him and Antares at the dance to go gossip- presumably she was happy to have a chance to do so without Alunya interrupting. And Antares is¡­ Alunya looks around in confusion. Where is Antares? He isn¡¯t on the dance floor- His previous dance partner is chatting with one of her parents. Hopping up to his feet, Alunya looks around, and finally spots his brother, stalking away from the festival grounds, looking around anxiously as if worried someone would see him, before ascending up the stone steps away from the festival grounds. Alunya furrows his brow. What is his brother up to..? For a moment, he considers going to fetch his mother and tell her, but decides in short order to go see what is up himself. [...] Antares takes a swig from his mug, feeling the warm, bitter alcohol rush through his body. His dance partner had gotten away from him as soon as she had the opportunity, and left to go back to her parents¡­ So much for making a good first impression. Antares sighs and leans back, looking up at the sky- now a midnight tone of blue broken only by the stars. ¡°Maybe I should have let Alunya dance with me...¡± Antares mumbles. He can¡¯t really remember why he¡¯d refused, his memory was getting a bit foggy, and he was feeling sick, swallowing to try and keep from throwing up. As if¡­ He thinks back to his ungainly and sloppy movements while trying to dance, compared to Alunya¡­ His brilliant smile, the unerring balance and precision with which he moved, the way the wind caught in his hair. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. While Antares, conversely, couldn¡¯t even dance without tripping up some poor girl. It¡¯s not fair, why is he so much better at everything than me? I¡¯m the older one... Antares'' lip quivers and his eyes tear up. Snarling, he struggles to hold them back, but he can¡¯t help it; even as he scrunches his face up trying to control it, he feels his nose stuffing up. So much for acting like a grown up¡­ Grabbing his drink, getting up, and looking around to make sure no-one is watching, Antares slips further away from the festival, walking some way up the pathway before halting on one of the terrace¡¯s, only dimly lit by torch light from the pathway. It should have been cold, but he feels warm and fuzzy with the alcohol in his stomach, so he takes another swig before collapsing against one of the stone houses. Now that he is finally somewhere private, he relents and lets the tears flow, curling up and hugging his legs as he begins sobbing uncontrollably. It¡¯s dark and forlorn up here, but that feels appropriate; hopefully, it would keep everyone else away. The last thing he wants is someone to catch him crying, and give the likes of Kuzir or Vekt yet another reason to make fun of him. And it is for precisely that reason that when he hears someone climbing over the rocks in front of him, he just about has a miniature heart attack as he bolts back up. But he quickly recognizes the signature pristine white hair of his younger brother, as Alunya clambers over the side of the terrace, raising his arms disarmingly. ¡°I-it¡¯s just me!¡± Antares stiffens in surprise. ¡°A-Alunya? What are you doing here?¡± He demands, more gruffly than he meant to. Am I imagining things..? Somehow, Alunya looks even more perfect than usual, his bright silhouette standing out against the darkness. He still had the same narrow shoulders and hips that gave him an even, pole-like silhouette, and the same upright, effortless posture, but in recent years, Alunya¡¯s active lifestyle had graced him with a lean, sinewy kind of athleticism, despite his slender form. Coupled with his unusual height for his age (He was somehow still keeping pace with Antares, despite Antares having entered his growth spurt), he was left even more graceful in appearance than ever. He¡¯s like an angel. Antares thinks to himself, bitterly. Yet nowhere is that more clear than the deep, loving concern presently writ upon his face; His big, emotive eyes behind pristine white lashes high on his face, the small forehead hiding behind a curtain of silky, slightly wavy snow-white hair. The way his cute nose was upturned just slightly, the delicate, refined jawline tapering to a narrow, recessed chin that gives him a very slight overbite. All above that slender, elegant neck blending down into his shoulders, hidden beneath that cashmere tunic¡­ ¡°You just looked really sad leaving the festival¡­ I wanted to make sure you were ok¡­¡± Alunya frowns, looking up at Antares. There is something decidedly off with Antares¡¯s expression; not because of his tear filled eyes nor the way his features were all scrunched up, but because of his flushed cheeks and unfocused gaze roaming over Alunya¡¯s face. Antares blinks, trying to call himself back to reality, cheeks turning even more red as he rips his gaze away and stares off into the distance bitterly. ¡°I can¡¯t even sneak away without you noticing, huh? I really am hopeless¡­¡± Antares mumbles, although Alunya can barely tell what he was saying through his slurring. Alunya gasps in shock. ¡°H-how can you say that Ari, you¡¯re so amazing! Did someone say something mean to you? You shouldn¡¯t listen to them, they¡¯re just jealous of how great you are!!¡± Alunya desperately tries to reassure his brother, holding one of his brothers hands in his own. What''s gotten into you, Ari? This isn''t like you¡­ Antares stares at Alunya with a dim expression as if looking at a stranger, before bursting out laughing and hiccuping. ¡°Ha! Amazing¡­¡± He cuts off his own laughter by snarling. ¡°You¡¯re so graceful, while I can¡¯t even dance without making a fool of myself. It¡¯s not fair!¡± He spits out with vitriol. ¡°I was embarrassed to dance with you! Ha! You should be embarrassed to be seen with me!¡± Alunya¡¯s mind scrambles for something to say, wanting to make Antares feel better but not knowing how. ¡°P-please don¡¯t say that, big brother¡­ I love you¡­ I¡¯d never be embarrassed by you, you¡¯re the most amazing person I know. Who cares if you aren¡¯t a good dancer?¡± His voice issues forth in a low, almost scared tone. Antares¡¯ stare at Alunya intensifies, making the younger boy shrink in place. ¡°Why?¡± He demands. ¡°H-huh?¡± Alunya blinks, confused. ¡°Why do you love me? What''s so amazing about me?¡± Antares challenges. ¡°I-I mean¡­¡± Alunya stammers out, not sure what to say. ¡°Exactly¡­ hic! You can¡¯t even think of a reason¡­¡± Antares reaches to take another swig from his drink, but Alunya- with surprising strength- seizes his arms and holds them back, clambering up in front of Antares to make sure he holds his attention. Antares shivers looking at Alunya¡¯s serious expression, his jaw set and brow fiercely furrowed; Antares doesn¡¯t know if he¡¯d ever seen his younger brother look so somber before. ¡°...You work so hard to keep food on the table for our family, and you always take such good care of me. You make me feel better whenever I¡¯m feeling down and always do your best to protect me, no matter what it is. You¡¯re so cute whenever you smile, and you show me all the coolest places in the forest and village. You always take the time to play with me, even though you could go play with the older boys that are your age instead. All of my happiest memories are with you, like when you showed me how to catch fish when the river was icy, or when we got to go hunting together. And I miss you so, so much whenever you¡¯re busy helping Mom. I love you more than anything, Antares.¡± Alunya recites in a soft, pensive voice, his grip on Antares¡¯ arms tightening until it hurts. ¡°...You¡¯re like an angel. I don¡¯t deserve you¡­¡± Antares mumbles huskily. ¡°I must have been born into the wrong family¡­ One day you¡¯ll learn and you¡¯ll leave me¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Alunya shouts suddenly, hugging Antares fiercely and rubbing his face against his chest. ¡°I dunno why you¡¯re acting so weird, but shut up! Nobody talks to my big brother like that, not even my big brother!¡± Alunya¡¯s lip quivers and he feels tears leaking out of his eyes as Antares freezes in shock. Not wanting his brother to see him crying and feel even worse, Alunya buries his face down into Antares¡¯s shoulder and tries in vain to hold the tears back. Slowly, Antares'' arms wrap back around Alunya, and he can feel his older brother sobbing in turn. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Alunya. I didn¡¯t mean to make you upset.¡± Antares mumbles remorsefully. Alunya pulls his head back and looks up at Antares fiercely, his round, silvery eyes narrowed while tears run down his face. Antares¡¯ ruddy face was the same, blubbering with not just tears but snot running from his nose inelegantly. ¡°Say sorry to yourself, not me. You¡¯re the one you¡¯re being a big meanie to.¡± Alunya wipes his tears away, sniffling. Antares nods hesitantly, then moves back, wiping his face off and making a strange sound, a combination of sobbing, laughing, and sniffling at once. ¡°Heh, I think I got my snot in your hair¡­¡± Alunya shrieks in distress and looks around. ¡°What!? Where!? Get it out!¡± He wipes at his hair, while Antares snickers in amusement, smiling bittersweetly. ¡°Here, let me get it for you.¡± Only once he¡¯d gotten Alunya to stop moving for a moment and he was able to wipe Alunya¡¯s hair off with his sleeve, does a calm silence overtake the two of them. For a long moment, Alunya closes his eyes and just relaxes against his brother, holding Antares¡¯s hand in his own, before finally opening his eyes up widely and sitting up in front of him. ¡°Antares, let¡¯s go back to the festival. There¡¯s still some time left. We can dance together!¡± Alunya pleads, holding Antares¡¯ hand with both of his and looking up at him. Antares looks away, blushing, but try as he might, he can''t remember the reason he¡¯d said no to Alunya originally. So, he smiles down at Alunya poignantly and, gently petting his hair, nods. ¡°Alright, we can go.¡± Alunya beams up at him, giggling, and swiftly gets behind Antares, clambering up onto his back and pointing forwards. ¡°Haha! Onwards, noble steed!¡± Shaking his head in amusement, Antares lifts Alunya up on his back and carries him back towards the lights of the festival. Chapter XVIII, Primal Bloodlust Many of those present had already stopped dancing but it still isn¡¯t too late to start, as Alunya takes up position in front of Antares and grins at him widely. Though he might not have been as old as any of the other dancers, he is able to keep up just fine as he spins around Antares, his hair whipping about his face as he smiles ear to ear. Even Antares, surprisingly, is able to keep up; Unlike just a half hour ago, he finds himself moving more fluidly, some manner of gut instinct taking over. There is little complexity to the dance, mostly just being composed of Alunya spinning and twirling around him, ducking under Antares¡¯s arms and generally making him look significantly more competent than he actually was; Though, even in his inebriated state, Antares began to jive with the rhythm as well, prancing from leg to leg in synchronization with his brother, a random mismash of different moves which, somehow, came out alright. Alunya blinks up at him, happily, as he had finally gotten a chance to spend time with his older brother, captivated by the silvery shine of Antares¡¯s eyes matching his own. So captivated, in fact, that he doesn¡¯t even pay any heed to the numerous weird looks and muttered insults that were now surrounding them. ¡°What a disgrace. Reia¡¯s son dancing with his own brother.¡± One of the men shakes his head. ¡°What do you expect of one of Reia¡¯s kids? If his mother would just get married again, then maybe he¡¯d have someone show him how to be a man.¡± One of the man¡¯s friends replies, dismissively. ¡°Dumb bitch, doesn¡¯t know a good thing when she sees it. Probably wanted a girl so she tried to raise one of her boys as one.¡± The first retorts, sullenly. ¡°Maybe she¡¯s alone because no man wants a lying whore like her.¡± Antares, thankfully, was too out of it to even pay attention- The background noises of the festival had completely faded to just a dull, meaningless commotion in his mind. But the same did not extend to the sneering, ugly face of Kuzir, as the older adolescent stood directly in front of him, arms crossed in a judgemental pose. ¡°What the fuck do you Whiteheads think you¡¯re doing? I knew you were pathetic, but I didn¡¯t think you were this sick in the head.¡± Kuzir shakes his head in false sincerity. ¡°I guess being a mother-fucker wasn¡¯t good enough for you, huh? Needed to add brother-fucker to the list too?¡± ¡°...Huh?¡± Is all Antares manages to get out, his brain still not moving very quickly. ¡°You know, fucking your brother won¡¯t make you a man no matter how many times you do it. Assuming he really is a boy at all, that is. With how effeminate you are, I guess it wouldn¡¯t surprise me if you had a pussy hiding in your trousers.¡± Kuzir spits out with vitriol, shoving Antares back a couple steps, where Alunya catches him, holding Antares around the shoulders protectively while glaring fiercely at Kuzir. ¡°What are you even talking about?¡± Alunya demands. It was always kind of hard to tell what Kuzir meant by anything, with how many obscenities he fit into every sentence; Alunya still isn¡¯t sure what half of them even mean. ¡°I¡¯m saying¡­¡± Kuzir presses his finger into Alunya¡¯s forehead. ¡°That letting your brother fuck you in the ass won¡¯t make him a real man, shit-for-brains. What, was jerking eachother off under the sheets not enough for you anymore?¡± Alunya grimaces, at least a vague understanding of what Kuzir was accusing him of finally clicking, and growls out of a mixture of resentment and repulsion. ¡°Take it back. Ari would never hurt me like that.¡± Alunya stares down Kuzir, every muscle in his body tensed. ¡°We can all see you wanna, why don¡¯t you just go somewhere we don¡¯t have to see it, you disgusting pigs?¡± Kuzir retorts. ¡°I¡¯d tell you to shack up in one of the tents, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯d want you tainting the ground I became a man on.¡± ¡°I said,¡± Alunya repeats, his voice cold as ice. ¡°Take. It. Back.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t ya make me, bitchboy?¡± Kuzir taunts. Gritting his teeth, Alunya had just about heard enough. ¡°Gladly.¡± An animalistic snarl that he wouldn¡¯t have thought he could make issues from his throat, and he lunges forward with all the speed and strength his body could muster, if for no other reason than to make the older boy- Man, whatever- just shut up. His head collides with Kuzir¡¯s abdomen before he can react, knocking the wind from his sails and staggering him momentarily, leaving Alunya free to follow up by striking with his knee directly into Kuzir¡¯s groin with all of his might, taking a certain sense of satisfaction in the nausea and pain apparent on Kuzir¡¯s face as he struggles to catch his breath. Alunya¡¯s respite doesn¡¯t last long, as Kuzir comes out swinging even before he¡¯s managed to gulp down a breath. His right fist comes out first, flying with exaggerated swagger from the drunk adolescent, and Alunya darts left, then right to avoid Kuzir¡¯s left fist as it follows up. Alunya is only dimly aware that everyone around the fight is watching- Some in shock, some in horror, some- particularly Kuzir¡¯s friends, but also Vekt and Risa- jeering on the fighting. Alunya growls like a rabid wolf. None of them matter right now; All he wants to do is rip that smug grin off Kuzir¡¯s face. In the brief space where Kuzir was overbalanced from his drunken onslaught, Alunya bends his knees then launches himself full-bodied forwards at the older adolescent, like a pouncing cat. He collides with Kuzir, but though he had thrown himself with all his strength, the older boy, substantially stouter in frame, was quite a bit heavier, and absorbs the impact with little more than an ¡®oof¡¯. Kuzir grapples at Alunya¡¯s shoulders and shoves him towards the ground, lining him up for a perfect strike- As strong as Alunya is for his age, he still couldn¡¯t compete with an adolescent half a decade past him.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. But Alunya is slippery and fast, and as Kuzir tries to bring his knee up to hammer Alunya in the face, Alunya releases all resistance, dropping all the way to the ground and allowing Kuzir¡¯s leg to flail, simply striking blank space, while Alunya grabs his other ankle and yanks with all his might. The already precariously balanced drunk¡¯s legs fly up in front of him as he lands on his back, hard. Alunya is all over him before he can recover, jumping on top of Kuzir and pinning him with his knees. Dimly, he is aware of one of Kuzir¡¯s friends coming to help him, but by the time he glances over at them, Antares has intercepted him, tackling him to the ground from the side. Alunya¡¯s attention is brought back to Kuzir just in time to see Kuzir seize his arms and shove him to the side. The two struggle against each other, rolling in the mud, as Alunya twists and coils around trying to break free from the older male¡¯s vice-like grip. Kuzir climbs up on top of him and pins Alunya, raising up his other arm to strike at Alunya. Before he gets the chance, Alunya wriggles free of Kuzir¡¯s grasp and then chomps down onto his forearm with all his might, drawing blood. Kuzir screeches in pain and shoves Alunya away, desperate just to get rid of the boy. Alunya rolls backwards, getting to his feet nearly instantly while Kuzir is still trying to recover, holding his injured arm. Alunya licks his chops. ¡­Tastes metallic. Like copper. He is right next to the tables now¡­ The cutlery is within reach, the handle of one of the copper knives poking off the edge of the table nearby. He could reach it before Kuzir could catch up, if he tried. For a moment, Alunya imagines it- It would be so easy, to grab that blade and push it in through Kuzir¡¯s throat, leave the drunk to choke on his own blood. He can almost hear it in his head, the bloody gasps as he would struggle to breath; He wouldn¡¯t even be able to scream like the guanaco¡¯s did when slaughtered, his face would contort in a death grimace, and Alunya would never have to see that ugly sneer of self-superiority ever again. It would all be over, so easily¡­ But even through the bloodlust coursing through his veins, Alunya knew he couldn¡¯t do that. If he killed someone in broad daylight¡­ Surely they¡¯d take him away from Antares, maybe kill him. He couldn¡¯t leave his brother alone, no matter how much he might want to put the miserable wretch in front of him six feet in the dirt. So instead, he pulls back his leg and plants a kick directly on Kuzir¡¯s face. There is a visceral crack as Alunya¡¯s foot meets with Kuzir¡¯s nose; Alunya can¡¯t feel the pain through the haze of adrenaline. Kuzir flops over onto his back from the force of the impact, and Alunya leaps on top of him, digging his knees into the drunk¡¯s shoulders. Face twisted into a mask of rage, Alunya lets out a howl of bloodlust before slamming his left fist down into Kuzir¡¯s face, hard enough to hurt himself. Kuzir coughs blood and opens his eyes dimly just in time to see Alunya¡¯s other fist raised to strike. Another blow hammers Kuzir¡¯s head into the ground, and then another, and another, alternating each fist blow after blow, staining Alunya¡¯s hands red with Kuzir¡¯s hot blood until at long last he finds himself being pulled away by strong, muscular arms. Alunya snarls and looks around, teeth bared in a primal grimace, as two of the village men are dragging him off of his victim. Kuzir moans and rolls over, bleeding from the nostrils and mouth, his nose twisted sideways at an unnatural angle. ¡°Let me go!¡± Alunya screeches out, gnashing his teeth and struggling in vain. He can see Antares, and even Kuzir¡¯s companions, are also being restrained. Finally, as one of the men adjuststheir grip, Alunya weasels his way out of it, ducking and yanking his way free of the other one, retreating over to near the table where he surveys his surroundings like a cornered animal, feeling the still-warm blood dripping down his fingers.Voices echo from all around; Most quiet, worried murmuring, but Alunya can detect Risa and Vekt cheering him on as well. Coming through the crowd, the wizened old priest of the village, Rallic, enters the clearing. ¡°What is this commotion? Why is there fighting on this sacred day? Are we not all children of Malay?¡± Rallic asks rhetorically. ¡°Please, calm down. I am sure our mother and father will forgive you if you repent now and make amends.¡± Alunya narrows his eyes suspiciously. As if he was going to ¡®repent¡¯ for attacking that degenerate. If anything, Kuzir got off easy¡­ Glancing over at the youth whimpering in the mud, Alunya can¡¯t feel the barest hint of remorse in his heart¡­ Only satisfaction at a job well done. But¡­ He was surrounded by village men who seemed quite eager to do something about the unstable child, if Rallic would just give the word, and Alunya did not like the looks on their faces as they looked at him like a dangerous animal. And they still had Antares restrained- His brother certainly hadn¡¯t gotten the worst of it, but he still had a nosebleed, suggesting his opponent had at least gotten one good hit in. Perhaps it would be best to play along for now, even if it went against all of his instincts. And so, with great difficulty, Alunya forces his tense muscles to relax, and he lowers his head, trying his best to feign regret. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, please forgive me.¡± Alunya wasn¡¯t sure what else to say; Surely that performance was laughably obvious to those watching, but what else could he say? Thankfully- or not, depending on your perspective- Reia burst through the crowd just then, together with Yuvia, who had gone to fetch her. ¡°I-I¡¯m so sorry for my son''s actions. I will be sure they are disciplined properly.¡± Reia was frantically promising to the priest. ¡°See that you do. I expect you to make a suitable contribution to the town''s sacrifices to seek forgiveness from Hylicia.¡± Rallic speaks in a grave, serious tone. Reia¡¯s face is fiercely flushed with shame as she grabs Alunya¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You, home, now.¡± Reia demands in a tone that brooks no argument. The journey home passed by in a blur, as the crowd parts to let Reia and her sons through, eliciting a multitude of stares. Alunya can hear muttered insults directed at the ¡®savage whiteheads¡¯ as he leaves. When they got home, Reia just pointed at their bedroom. ¡°To bed. Now. We¡¯ll talk in the morning.¡± She demands in the most authoritative tone she can manage, her voice wobbling slightly. Alunya glares at her. Kuzir had it coming. None of these adults understand anything. For a moment, he was tempted to run off into the forest, right then and there- He could catch fish and forage for plants, did he even need this stupid village? But it was late, and even Reia didn¡¯t want to have this conversation right now. All he can do is glumly return to bed, lay down, and sulk until he eventually falls asleep.