"Do it, or else we'll go home." (C)

A frown, which Ignavus didn't even bother to suppress, formed on his face as he studied his situation.

"Don't think cutely pouting will let you go free now." (C)

Ignavus' frown deepened.

"I wasn't—oh, never mind." (I)

It was pointless to argue with her—so very pointless.

"~Did you... by chance, think I was going to forget?" (C)

Slightly wincing, Ignavus answered back confidently.

"I would never doubt you... I know my aunt is a great, amazing, spectacular person; who wouldn't?" (I)

A clap sounded as an evil grin spread across his aunt's face.

"Alright, enough stalling. You practiced this countless times. I'm sure everyone else would love to hear your voice." (C)

Ignavus' cheeks reddened at the mention of those assembled. All ten eyes were fixed on him: the twins, their parents, and finally... his newfound hero. Truthfully, the latter was quite astonishing, and Ignavus was still puzzling over the reason—whether it be his mother's quick acceptance or the notion that this boy might be a gift.

'Ah, that doesn't matter now!'

What mattered now was figuring out a way to get out of this situation. Currently, Ignavus was expected to greet the people present, which wasn't a problem except for the fact he agreed to do it in Yalery. Given that he, like the average person, derived no pleasure from self-embarrassment, it begged the question: why would he agree to such terms?

Simply explained...

He wanted out.

Ignavus had been trapped in the palace for what felt like MONTHS. He has long since reached his limits. The arrival of his proclaimed "hero" had only further enhanced the feeling. He needed a break. A break from his overbearing mother, mischievous aunt, and annoying hero. So, when his mother proposed a visit to the twins as a reward for learning a single Yalery greeting—a 'gift' for maturing—he couldn't say no, despite feeling that it wasn't much of a gift if great effort was required.

Soon after completing the one requirement, his mother abruptly demanded that he demonstrate what he had learnt to others. Panic grasped him at that declaration. It was one thing present before her or even his aunt. Marie was pushing it but still acceptable. Complete outsiders though? Never in his whole existence! The main problem lies in the fact how ridiculous Ignavus sounds. Through repeated trial and error, Ignavus came to learn the only way he was capable of "speaking" Yalery was when he was using his more... natural voice.

'The nonsense I speak...'

Whenever Ignavus spoke, he always took care. Every word he said, he tried his best not to sound like a baby. Despite this though, he would still occasionally slip up. Resulting in what could be termed a baby babble. It was this very same babble speech he would produce when "speaking" Yalery. "Speaking" Yalery required one to express their Will to the world, but whenever he tried to do exactly that in a more proper way, he would fail. Broken speech and all.

'To do that in front of people is just so...!'

There were simply no words to describe the feeling. Truthfully, Ignavus had been betting on the fact neither Marie nor his mother would be here to remember. A hope ignited after his aunt volunteered once more to take him. It hadn't seemed like she took any instruction given to her seriously. Unfortunately, Ignavus was wrong, terribly wrong.

"After coming allllll this way..." (C)

"I'm doing it, okay? Just... one moment." (I)

With a step forward, Ignavus gathered his courage. The eyes that had been watching him appearing to increase the intensity of their stare. They still didn't know what this whole fuss was about.

"℘ℜ∃⊥ȲΞ!"

Silence descended as Ignavus concluded his little show.

A predictable chorus of inaudible voices responded, showcasing the world's adoration. Praises were sung and lauded over the little display.

'Don't they ever get tired?'

The zealousness of the surrounding world always made itself known. The ground, the trees, and the very air they breathed all seemed to collect, take a pause, and dance. Spreading their infectious joy at being greeted. When Ignavus first "heard" the response of the world, he admittedly was slightly frightened. After all, no one expects the walls and the very air around them to start singing praises.

'Those things shouldn't even be able to-!'

"Navy! You truly are the most adorable thing in existence!!" (T)

Suddenly smothered in a hug, Ignavus struggled to free himself.

"I'm not-" (I)

Pulled tighter into the hug, he lost the ability to speak. Now helpless, Ignavus was forced to endure a relentless barrage of soft head pats.

"I know, I know! You're a fierce warrior who could never be adorable." (T)

A murmur so faint that Ignavus doubted his own hearing followed shortly, something akin to "but that doesn't make you any less cute." Feeling a little defeated, he resigned himself to his fate. An act two more hands took as an invitation to join the head pat party.

"Alright kids! That's enough. You don't want to overwhelm the princess now, do you?" (Ch)

The hands that had been holding Ignavus finally begrudgingly let go. Causing him to unconsciously give thanks.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

'Rotten kids!'

Although he knew the consequences of greeting them like that, he had still hoped to be wrong. As Ignavus slowly got his bearings, he made eye contact with the twin's mother, Charish. She wore a surprised face that slowly turned into a bright smile.

"No problem, Princess Navy." (Ch)

She was her usual commanding gentle self, but something was off...

Ignoring that, Ignavus walked back to his aunt, stopping just right before her.

"W-Well... see you later then." (I)

Seeing his aunt not budging a bit, Ignavus added,

"Bye-Bye!" (I)

It might've been a tiny bit overly cutesy, but Ignavus had no choice. He knew how much his aunt was a sucker for such things. If he wanted her to leave fast, it was best to give her some encouragement.

"Say that again." (C)

Having no reason to decline, Ignavus did it again.

"Hmmm... I see." (C)

'See? See what!?'

His aunt raised a hand to her chin as a contemplative expression drew on her face.

"Anyways, I'm staying; it's been quite a while since I last had the chance to chat with my friends here." (C)

Ignavus felt his heart drop. Remembering the repercussions of his last visit were almost too much.

"Now... since we both want a good time, why don't we make a deal?" (C)

A tail slithered up on Ignavus. Lifting him off the ground and placing him in the hand of his aunt, close to her ear.

"We can have a really good outing where you were so well-behaved, or we can have the opposite..." (C)

With her free hand, his aunt pointed her own cheek.

"You know what you have to do, right?" (C)

Ignavus' face darkened.

'To go this far....'

If there was one thing Ignavus could ever hope to hold over his new family, it would be affection. They had their ways of forcing him sure, but that did not deter their desire for him to take the initiative. Particularly, as of late, his aunt has been trying various methods to get him to kiss her cheek. From pretending to be injured to pretending it was part of training, her shamelessness knew no bounds.

"Only... only if it's in secret." (I)

Should his mother find out, it would threaten to expose their shady dealings.

"If it's in secret, then you must add "I love you so much" with a smile." (C)

Deciding that was acceptable, Ignavus started to voice his agreement before his aunt suddenly added,

"Plus, you have to do it two times." (C)

This was starting to become extortionist.

"I-I'm not doing it twice." (I)

Why would he increase the chances of them getting caught? Ignavus needed to stand his ground.

"Once, or no deal!" (I)

His aunt looked at him with a sour face before gradually relenting.

"Fine." (C)

'Success!'

"You can head and play or whatever." (C)

Although her tone sounded rather bitter, Ignavus chose to ignore it.

"Thank you!" (I)

After being set back on the ground, Ignavus found himself being dragged away by the twins.

"We are finally alone once more!" (NX)

Standing in an open field, an excited little puppy danced happily in front of Ignavus.

'Ugh... Why are they taking so long?'

As the twins left to grab toys or something of the like, Ignavus had seriously contemplated begging to accompany them. The main reason being this little nuisance. In the palace, they hardly ever got to interact, making his presence around bearable. The young boy was normally so engrossed in hero training that Ignavus hardly saw him. It was a great outcome but unfortunately resulted in the boy being even more energetic the few times they crossed paths.

"Let me show you the fruits of my labour!" (NX)

'Gah, why is he so dedicated?'

If Ignavus had the point to the one redeeming thing about the boy, it would be this. For reasons Ignavus struggled to fathom, this boy was extremely dedicated to becoming his hero. He spent most of his time just training under the instruction of his aunt. Day in and day out. Marie, despite Ignavus telling her he didn't care, often updated him on the boy's progress. It was clear as day she had quickly grown fond of the boy despite her initial misgivings to him.

"Okay, fine." (I)

"Yes!" (NX)

If only by Marie's subtle urgings, Ignavus continued to at least not treat the boy too harshly. This included talking to him, standing next to him, and not ignoring him.

Basically, he would entertain nonsense.

The boy, now with the go ahead, pulled out the short sword strapped to his side. He stood afar from a semi-tall tree, his target. Slowly but steadily, an aura descended around the boy. One Ignavus grappled to assign to him. It felt foreign to the usual cheekiness of the boy. With a quick slash, the boy executed a fluid movement unknown to Ignavus.

Staring at the tree and witnessing no damage, Ignavus sighed.

'He nearly got me with those movements'

The boy had only relatively started training recently.

'To think something would is asking a bit...'

A branch slowly fell from the tree Ignavus was staring at. It was followed by another, and then another, and finally one more. Soon there were none left. A broken husk of a lifeform lay at the edge of the field. Contrasting the vibrant life around it.

Ignavus had just witnessed a live tree decay before his eyes.

'Amazing....'

"How was that, my princess! What do you think of your great hero!!" (NX)

The boy ran up to Ignavus and stared at him with starry eyes.

Not really in the mood to give compliments, Ignavus diverted the conversation.

"I've been wondering... how are the others able to see you now?" (I)

Ignavus still remembered the boy claiming some absurd things. If he hadn't had personal experience, he wouldn't have believed a word of it. There was no forgiveness for those who made a fool of him.

The light in the boy's eyes darkened at Ignavus words. Wordless, he took off the black gauntlets he wore. Exposing familiar golden bracelets on both hands.

"It... was part of the training." (NX)

A small pang of sympathy bloomed in Ignavus. He knew better than anyone what those things meant. Nobody deserved such treatment. Feeling a budding comradery at the works, Ignavus pulled up his sleeves.

"Don't worry. It gets better... kind of?" (I)

The boy stared at Ignavus silently, then shyly asked,

"You... you know what this means?" (NX)

Giving the boy a wide smile, Ignavus replied,

"Of course, we'll get through this." (I)

The bracelets might symbolise various things, yet for Ignavus, they have become an emblem of perseverance. It was likely the same thing for the boy. The boy meekly nodded then smiled at Ignavus.

'Huh, I guess this kid is not so bad after all'

The sound of rustling brought their attention to the edge of the clearing.

Teen and Gol had arrived carrying an assortment of goods.

Laying down, staring up at the clear sky, Ignavus felt oddly content.

Playing the twins had been rather enjoyable. It was pleasure that had been greatly enhanced due to his "hero" joining midway and aiding him.

'I guess having a "hero" does have its uses...'

Letting out a sigh, Ignavus let his thoughts wonder. Despite having what many would call a great day, he still felt a little empty. Like something, or more accurately, someone was missing. Honestly speaking, Ignavus did miss Vultur. His best friend was so close yet so far. Trapped inside his body, unable to leave.

It was so unfair.

'When had it ever been?'

Rolling over to his side, Ignavus entered a more comfortable position for his tail and wings.

Since he was born, since he could even remember, things had always been unfair. Complaining about it seemed like a waste of time. The life of a poor orphaned boy was never meant to be fair. The dreams of such a person were never meant to be granted; the hopes they carried were rendered void by the world's Will.

Deep down, Ignavus knew; deep down, he intrinsically knew. It was maybe perhaps for this reason he always struggled. He didn't—he couldn't accept such a reality. He fought it. Where others despaired, he rejoiced; where others anguished, he hoped; where others stopped dreaming, he dreamt.

He dreamt of a good future—no, great future. Such a dream, however small, propelled him and drove him to move with mad abandonment. No matter how scary or how dreadful things became.

At heart, Ignavus was a coward. He desired much but was unwilling to risk a lone hair.

'The mark of a hero'

It was a phrase Ignavus remembered being at the receiving end of. Said to him by a mentor who he struggled to remember. Despite his unwillingness, despite his repeated losses, Ignavus continually still risked the lone hair.

Looking around would see where that got him.

"Navvvvy! It's lunch time!!" (T)

Slowly getting up, Ignavus took in his surroundings.

He had risked it all and gotten this.

That was okay.

Ignavus was still a dreamer; he could still dream of a better future.

...

....

.....

Not that this one was all bad.

{THE END}