Humans, such a complex species yet still so primitive. A young couple, and an unwanted child, this is where we begin.
A small scrawny little thing, just above the belt of being malnourished, a little boy. He hobbled along after his mother, a tall woman, beautiful chocolate skin, gorgeous curls, and charming pink eye’s.The small boy had the same eyes as his mother but there was something different, something like a extinguished fire in the woman’s eyes.
They were walking in what used to be a city, a big one by the looks of it, even though the boy couldn’t have been more than five he kept up with his mother. Jumping, sliding, swinging on whatever surface could hold him up and launching himself forward a few feet, a hyper young child.
The woman came to a stop at the front of a cobblestone house, the boy accidentally bumping into his mother’s back when she suddenly came to a halt. She peered at him over her shoulder with a look of pure disgust. The boys face drained of any joy there was, he stepped back and lowered his head. The women snapped her head back into position before opening the door.
The young boy was searching for anything out of the ordinary as he stepped in front of his mother and into their home. He was quite curious, his mother wasn’t that fond of him so she almost never took him anywhere with her so for her to have offered it well then there must have been something going on.
The young boy stopped in the middle of the room after hearing his mother lock the front door. He was starting to feel uneasy the reason unknown to him.
The boy felt his throat begin to dry “daddy” he yelled, voice cracking halfway through the word. His mother slowly approaching behind him.
She took ahold of both his shoulders and the grin revealing itself in her tone of voice “ you’re father is cooking dinner, why don’t you go get the table setup”
A feeling of relief washed over him, he did sometimes have weird feelings at random times, but he had his parents to help ground him.
He turned around with the most content smile. “Okay momma”
she then gave his shoulder a light squeeze and sent him to go prepare the table.
Soup was what they were having, vegetables and some small slices of pork. He loved it when his father made soup he would swear by it that he made the best broth. Soup always made him drowsy so he didn’t think much of it when he started to nod off at the table.
Next thing he knew, he was in some old structure…alone, completely alone except for a note. The boy could hardly read but he knew the word that was written down…the singular word…”stay”So he did. Why wouldn’t he, there was nowhere else for him to go.
Day’s past and there he sat like an obedient loyal dog. “ they’re coming back they just needed to get food” he muttered on repeat. Once natural instincts kicked in and he realized that he needed food and water he moved. He got up and left.
It was a small road, couldn’t fit a cart but a horse alone was no problem for Yuri.
Yuri was a young elf he had set out away from his village to see things to see the world. Project (20240616100833).jpg
He had set up camp somewhere not to far from the road but close to the stream. He was enjoying some potato’s when he heard rustling somewhere not to far from him.
Then in a blink of an eye he was tackled. In shock he was still processing what was happening. Once he came to his senses he was able to make out something by his fire grabbing at his discarded potatoes like it was the last thing on earth. Yuri tried to move closer, maybe to see what it was then *snap* a stick that was thrown to the side for being too small for the fire. Just as soon as the thing came it was gone. Yuri was left with the definition of curiosity, a few days off of the road wouldn't slow him down that much so he stayed.
It took him six days to get this close he was not going to let them get away this time. He launched himself forward in what was an attempt at a tackle, *smack* face first into the ground. He slowly raised his head to scowl and huff in annoyance.
Yuri had not originally planed on staying for a week, but that changed when he saw that the thing that came to his campsite was not some kind of animal, spirit, sprite or even a demon. It was a child, a human child. The poor thing was malnourished and unkempt, at first Yuri just thought it might have been some farmers kid who just spent too much time outside and away from society. After the first day he quickly understood the situation, the kid was feral.
Yuri didn't have the heart to just leave a child in need of help alone so he decided that he needed to catch him...Her? Yuri couldn't tell what gender the kid was, they had long matted hair, shorts that looked like they may have been pants at some point and the kid looked like they were seven maybe eight.
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The "catching" of the child was taking much longer then Yuri had thought it would. The kid knew the woods, knew how to move, hide and inconveniently for Yuri pounce. The kid would also snarl and make strange vocal noises that could only be described as animalistic. By the forth day Yuri was starting to doubt that even if he caught the kid he could do anything, the kid was already so far gone he wasn't sure if they could ever function in society.
He started throwing food at the kid, sure it may sound a tad...not professional but it was starting to work, by the forth day the child started coming up and taking food out of Yuri's hand so progress. When the kid grabbed food out of Yuri's hand he would quickly retreat, most of the time Yuri would not see them for the rest of the day.
On the fifth day the child came up to Yuri’s campsite and sat, just sat he was wary of course but he still approached.
Day six the child once again came to the campsite to sit Yuri noticed that he was less on edge this time as well. Yuri took his time slowly scootching over closer and closer to the kid.
”okay, this is gonna be a bitch but this is closest I’m gonna be able to get before the sun sets” Yuri thought as he considered the outcome of what he was about to do.
Yuri crouched down calf’s to thighs standing on the balls of his feet, he swiftly pivoted his weight onto his left leg flew out his right and quickly tipped himself down to his left side. The child had to pause to process the leg holding him down. Yuri had brought them down then secured the child with his right leg, in the moment the child paused he was able to wrestle himself around the child, he was basically cradling the thing.
“OW! I’m trying to help you ya’lil shit” Yuri muttered under his breath. The child was thrashing in his arms while making guttural snarls, they kept trying to bite and claw there way out of Yuri’s hold
Yuri had grabbed the kid by their head not to do damage but to adjust the position, he pinned the child down face first into the ground.
“Okay I know you probably can’t understand me but I am trying to HELP you, let’s face facts I am much bigger than you taller and not malnourished so it is in both of our best interests” he let out a sigh of frustration “foryoutojustcooperate” he hissed as quickly as possible words jumbling together.
He then had the leverage to hoist the child up. The kid still kicking and punching as Yuri sluggishly carried them to get him over to his horse who had his medical satchel.
Then to Yuri’s shock, “NOUGH”
He stopped dead in his tracks, only for a moment to think “ broken English…that’s good”
Yuri then quickened his pace to the best of his abilities with a flailing child in his arms.
The second he reached his horse he was fighting to actually get into the satchel. Once Yuri had managed to pull out what he needed he was praying to the gods that elfen medicine worked on humans, the chances of it not were low being that elves evolved from humans but there was always a possibility.
There was rustling of what sounded to be some being taken out of a packet and then filled with something. A small sticking noise was the last thing the child completely processed.
Yuri had stuck them with a needle full of some kind of anesthetic, and just like that Yuri’s job was much easier.
Once Yuri got back to his home village, he was more exhausted than any English word could explain. First thing he did was go to his girlfriend, she was a healer in training, a bright young woman with auburn hair, green eyes and a kind face.
“Evvvvvveeeeeee” Yuri dragged out the word in a way that can only be described as pathetic. Yuri was so busy with keeping the kid from getting away that he completely forgot to tell her that he was coming, not that the letter would have gotten there in time but still.
“YURI! What are you doing back so soon”she yelped out in a mix of shock and excitement.
Yuri who just realized, now In front of someone having to explain the situation, that he actually had to explain. Any ounce of energy he had left drained on the spot.
After much explaining and scolding, Yuri and Eve were hauling a child out to Yuri’s home.
Yuri lived a tad farther from town than Eve, he was out in the woods. Yuri’s home was one main structure that was something of a treehouse. It had 4 flights of stairs that wrapped around the trunk of a giant tree, they led into a part of the structure that wrapped around the tree. The building part of it was kind of two stories, the part that was somewhat the main room stuck out past the stairs, it was held in place at an angle by beams. The main room then had openings that led out to wood rope bridges that were attached to other small structures on other trees.
”So we got him here what do we do with him, it’s not like we have any kind of human behavior specialist anywhere around here” Eve questioned her partner.
“I don’t know, I just…I just couldn’t leave them out there” Yuri replied in a small voice.
Eve sighed a sound of defeat “ him” she corrected “he’s a boy I’m pretty sure” she said after a moment.
“ I think he was around humans on a constant basis at some point, he has said a few words they were basic and quite broken but I could still make out what he was saying.” Yuri murmured.
“That’s good, that means there’s a chance he can catch on. Once you learn something you can forget it but that just means it will be that much easier to pick back up when relearning it” Eve explained as she turned her head to look at Yuri, a bright smile on her face.
Yuri gave a bittersweet smile in return.
*Thud* Was all Yuri heard before his face fell in to a look of annoyance. “Ugh Stop thumbing through the house with those clodhopper’s” he yelled out. He turned away from the window to peer behind him. “ if you’re going out don’t do anything stupid and take onyx” he said. Looking at the young boy who winced the second he heard Yuri’s voice.
“ yeah yeah yeah I will don’ worry your pretty lil’ head bout it” the younger boy stated quite mater-of-factly.
Yuri rolled his eyes in response. “ I’m going to be in town today okay I probably won’t be back until tomorrow I’ll stay with Eve” Yuri sighed.
The boy looked at him with a very bored expression. “ Kay…?” He said sounding unsure. Yuri was about to say something else when he was interrupted by the loud stomping of boots and a snarky voice that faded the farther it went “ use protection” the younger boy yelled back as he ran down the flights of stairs.
Yuri stepped out to yell over the railing “ Don’t do anything stupid I mean it Ame…and be careful” he was met with a distant “ I know bye”.
Yuri sighed fondly.