(FOL)
Kisee, along with Anrhea, had been dragged under shelter by a servant, but his eyes remained trained on the two still standing out in the rain. He’d never heard his father laugh like that before. Usually when he laughed, Kisee felt a tingle in his chest and couldn’t help but laugh along. But Kisee didn’t feel like laughing. The courtyard’s ground was quickly turning into mud under the intense deluge. Kisee slowly looked over at Deo.
Deo barely looked human anymore. He looked like a soggy pile of dark hair and fabric. Only his face stood out, pale and streaked with rain water. But even it didn’t quite look human, more like those statues the Xul sometimes carved; calm, impassive, mighty.
Kisee finally understood his father and Wefyu. Their reverence for this Gifted One.
The crowd was quiet. After the initial rush of panic and energy when the rain started they had all fallen into hushed amazement. Kisee’s mouth hung open, eyes wide, watching as Deo slowly tilted his head up to the sky.
Something fluttered in Kisee’s stomach. A feeling that Deo was about to... ascend, or dissolve, become one with the Yelii... and Kisee didn’t want to lose his new friend just yet. In a sudden burst of desperation, Kisee ran out into the rain, his bare feet sinking into the mud. “Deo!” he shouted. Deo took too long to turn and face him, so Kisee was already scrambling up the rickety dais, “come on! Let’s play!” Kisee patted around that pile of soggy fabric until he found Deo’s hand and tugged on it.
Deo’s impassive face turned surprised and a little sad, “I can’t really run around in this outfit.”
Kisee rolled his eyes. Bending the Yelii to help It help Its Beloved, Kisee turned his nails into claws and shredded off bits of the outfit. He tugged once more on Deon’s hand, “come on.” This time Deo followed him, stepping out of the soaked scraps with pale, human legs. The two boys stumbled off the dais, Deo falling to his knees and splattering mud onto his face. His surprised look melted into a smile and, laughing, he dragged Kisee down to roll in the mud together.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
*
Wefyu wanted to cry when the ceremonial clothes he made for Deo were rather unceremoniously destroyed by that annoying brat. But... Deo was smiling and laughing as he stomped through the mud with Kisee. That smile was worth more than a few pounds of fabric and a few days of his time...
A small, warm hand slipped into his and Wefyu looked down in shock to see Anrhea smiling up at him. Without a word, she began to drag him out into the rain. He winced as his foot squelched in mud but Anrhea didn’t give him any time to adjust, pulling harder. Finally, she dropped his hand to grab Kisee and pull him into a wild dance. Wefyu grimaced at the state of his poor skirt, especially since Anrhea seemingly had no plans to actually include him.
“Wefyu? Will you help me get this off?” Wefyu blinked rain water out of his eyes then brought his gaze from the ground up to Deo7s face then lowered his gaze to where Deo was tugging on his Xul-style corset. Wefyu nodded and knelt without hesitation. Deo flashed him a bright grin before turning around to let Wefyu undo the ties. Once it was off, Wefyu folded up the expensive garment, tucked it under his arm, and started to turn only for Deo to catch his free hand, “come on, play with us!”
And so Wefyu was dragged into playing and dancing in the rain and mud with three children half his age and half his height. And eventually he was laughing along with them too.
He spun Deo in a wild stomping dance until the giggly Gifted One fell flat on his back. His laughter turned into a wheeze for a second but the giddiness quickly returned. Wefyu still laughing as well, reached a hand down to help the boy up.
Only for his shoulder to be grabbed with bruising strength. Wefyu was forcefully turned around, his throat grabbed by King Rakii, Wefyu’s hands immediately flew up to grab his father’s forearms and use what little air was in his lungs to say ‘I’m sorry’ Rakii hissed something at Wefyu that he couldn’t hear over the pounding of the rain and his own heartbeat. The hand tightened and didn’t loosen until darkness overtook Wefyu’s vision.