Kai lay inside the cage, breathing slowly as he waited for something to happen. However, even as the sun left the sky and the moon took its place, and even as it rose and hung within its center, nothing transpired. He let out a long sigh and looked at Onyx, who got somewhat comfortable, well, as comfortable as one could be stuck in a small cage. The Obborik stuck his front paws out from the cages’ grids, as well as his snout and tail, making for a very hilarious sight.
“Comfortable?” Kai chuckled to himself before laying back down on his back, watching the leaves sway with the wind. It was quiet, just the breeze blowing, tickling his scalp while he emptied his mind.
“Well, who do we have here?” An old, raspy yet pleasant voice rang inside Kai’s ears. Jumping up, his eyes widened in surprise as a sharp current flowed through his brain. “You are…?”
The woman before him seemed familiar, weirdly so as he didn’t recall meeting her. She had a head full of pale, white hair which went down a bit past her shoulder. Her emerald green eyes of a similarly faded hue looked at Kai with a mysterious light. Despite being an elf, as her long and pointy ears suggested, wrinkles and ridges covered her face. A sweet smile creased her lips as she walked closer to Kai, her hands interlocked behind the hunched back that showed age.
“Hoho, just a random old lady.” She laughed, briefly exposing her perfect teeth before stopping in front of the two’s cages. “Euphy called for me, saying she captured a weird guy with a disgusting beast. Got yourselves in a pickle?”
“Not really,” Kai shrugged after standing up. “I’m expecting someone, though honestly, I could have planned this better.” Awkwardly scratching the back of his head, he took a closer look at the woman, the feeling of familiarity intensifying with each passing second.
“Please forgive Euphy, she’s a little hot-headed but she’s got a good heart.” Smiling, she walked toward the Obborik, “You’ve got yourself quite a friend here”,She kneeled in front of Onyx, patting his snout before her lips parted again, “Who could have believed the boy I saw some ten years ago would come here and get thrown in the animal cage.” The old woman’s eyes shone with a mischievous glint as she observed Kai, whose mind reeled in shock. It was her! The elf lady that Elly brought over that day… her mother?!”
“You’ve got quite a memory, to remember me from the literal day you were born…” She remarked, a hint of incredulity hidden in her voice. “But that proves that the rumors I’ve heard about you are half true at least.”
“What rumors?”
“Genius.” Elly’s mother said. “Elizabeth said you were a genius, and even hearing it from her mouth, it was hard for me to believe. Natural mastery over all elements? It’s hard to think such a thing is possible.” Walking closer to Kai’s cage, her emerald eyes glowed with a faint yellow hue, “But the young man before me seems like the complete opposite of the image I had in my head.” Pausing, she glanced over at the snake’s corpse. “Although they may not all be fake.”
“Why did you come here?| She asked softly, “I can’t believe your parents sent you without a letter in advance.”
“Stuff… stuff ha-happened…” Kai’s voice struggled to escape his lips as he choked on the words. The old woman’s ears twitched upon hearing the pain within his tone and immediately took out a chain of keys. Her hands trembled as the door to Kai’s cage creaked open, and asked with widened eyes. “Kid, what happened?”
Remaining silent, Kai’s head lowered to the ground, and tears began falling through the holes within his mask. “Kai! Elena, Ray, where are they?!” She asked with a trembling voice as her hands flew to his shoulders. He shook as more and more tears fell on ground, soft sobbing sounds escaping his lips. “No… no, no, no, no!” The woman embraced Kai without hesitation, placing his head on her chest while tightly hugging his frail body.
Kai didn’t reject her hug, comforting himself in her warm body, he took off the mask before wrapping his arms around her waist. Taking on her warmth, he felt the faint feeling of a mother’s love for the first time in a long time, and he couldn’t help himself but become vulnerable. More and more tears fell down his cheeks, soaking the woman’s silky shirt in salty water. Her comforting presence seeped onto his skin, and her rapid yet soothing heartbeat rang in his ears like a drum. His sobs turned to light crying, then to anguished screams as all of his emotions burst out like a floodgate.
…
Some time passed before Kai finally stopped, his face red as a tomato as their bodies parted. An awkward silence descended upon them, and Kai scratched the back of his head while letting out a bitter laugh.
“Awooooo…” Onyx’s soft cry rang in their ears, his snout wet with tears as he stared at them with puppy-like eyes. A light chuckle escaped the woman’s lips, followed by Kai, who wiped the last of his tears. “Aha… sorry boy, I got uhm, caught up…”
“My name is Aina, by the way.” Elizabeth’s mom said while getting Onyx out of the cage, his fluff flying everywhere as he stretched his bones. Looking at Kai, the Obborik scoffed and turned his head, although his tail still wagged slightly.
What a drama queen… Kai thought to himself, his mind having calmed down with this light-hearted moment. Aina turned to him and grabbed his hand, a slight, reassuring smile creasing her lips.
“Let’s talk about it later, alright?” Her soothing voice sent slight shivers down Kai’s spine, and he only nodded softly in response. “Let’s go, I’ll take you to my house. We can talk after you rest.”
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Kai followed behind her, admiring the city’s beautiful architecture. The houses seemingly integrated the trees, almost as if they were carved inside their trunks. Leaves and vines decorated their exterior, and some of them even had small gardens with plants of all shapes and colors. Above him, wind currents blew constantly, from one massive tree to another. The elves used these wind currents to travel, using magic to make their bodies light and control the flow of hair, or simply force their trajectory by changing the way their bodies were.
“Amazing, isn’t it?” Aina said, a proud smile manifesting on her lips as Kai took in the sight. “It took us a few centuries to develop this system, as funny as that sounds. A long time ago we were attacked by…” She took a long pause, glancing at Kai before a light cough escaped her lips. “By a few nefarious people. Back then all of our buildings were on the ground, bases, houses, shops… hospitals. However, the enemy took advantage of the terrain, they hid in the shadows and ambushed us. Many died, and many more were captured.” A tinge of sorrow and helplessness appeared on her face, however, she continued as they walked through the paved roads.
“After our enslavement ended, and magic became more common among the masses, we decided to use the forest’s massive stature to our advantage. We tore down every single building and created new ones atop the canopies. We used Air Crystals and a mechanism to create wind tunnels which we can use to travel between trees. By making use of Air Magic, Modifying our mass with magic or sheer brutality, we can freely travel anywhere in the kingdom via these Wind Wakers. Although you can’t see everything from here. After all, we haven’t even entered the kingdom yet.”
“We haven’t?” Kai looked around with an expression of disbelief.
“No, this is just the Southern Gate’s Public Place. It’s mainly used to sell and buy products from the outside, trade mostly. But sometimes we also get some interesting fellas who look for trouble, that’s why we have some animal cages in the outskirts.” She chuckled, eyeing Onyx with the corner of her eye.
“I don’t think you’re aware, but this guy’s ancestors really drove a nail through our skulls at some point. Without going into the nitty-gritty details, they put a lot on our plate.”
Onyx’s ears twitched and looked at Aina with a curious expression. “Huh, What happened?” Kai asked, just as curious as his companion.
“It doesn’t matter now, just know that he may not be welcomed. Not to mention… you’re not that much different.”
“Ah? Oh yeah…” Kai nervously fidgeted with his fingers before reaching for the mask. Aina’s voice rang in his ears as he placed it over his face and made sure it doesn't fall off.
“Smart choice, silver hair is rare but not a vampire trait. However, only your race possesses eyes like yours. They’re a sign of danger, everyone is cautious of them regardless of race or background.”
Kai inhaled deeply before letting out a long, heavy sigh. The words of the other Kai, the one he met back in Nivero stuck to his brain like a leech, making him question his own identity. Did I want this?... I- I wish I could remember. Damn it!
His distress didn’t go unnoticed, but Aina remained silent as they slowly walked forward. Leaves and branches crunched under their feet, and the gusts of wind blew their hair back slightly. More and more elves, dwarves, humans, and demi-humans appeared as they approached the gate. A good number of them looked at Kai and Onyx with bewilderment, some with disgust, but shock and awe manifested on everyone’s faces upon seeing Aina.
“Greetings, Matriarch!”
“Long Live the Matriarch!”
“Greetings Great Healer!”
“Greetings Madam Aina.”
Regardless of race or background, anyone that they passed by stopped in their tracks and respectfully greeted Elizabeth’s mother, much to Kai’s surprise.
“I didn’t know you were such a big shot.”
“Hoho,” Aina laughed. “It’s no big deal, let’s hurry up, I’m sure you must be tired.”
“Mhm,” Kai grunted, still observing his new environment with awe. To think that they managed to make such ingenious contraptions… maybe I should stop looking down on this world.
They finally arrived at the gate after a few more minutes, and, just like the day Kai arrived, it was eerily empty, in stark contrast to the inner and outer parts they just walked through. Suddenly, the voice of a woman rang in his ears, and he turned toward its source with widened pupils.
“Madam Aina, what… what are you doing with this man?” The woman was the guard captain who captured Kai in the first place, the one Aina referred to as Euphy.
“It’s fine Euphridia, he’s an old friend.” Aina smiled as she walked forward, unbothered by the guard’s attitude.
“Old friend?” She looked at Kai with a bewildered expression, and her face reddened in shame upon realizing that he had told the truth.
“Yeah, can you go and grab his hunt and backpack? My old bones can’t carry all that and I don’t want to have my guest do it.”
“Yes ma’am!” Euphy replied, her tone slightly annoyed, and she grumbled while walking back toward her squad. Shortly after, she departed with three other elves.
“Isn’t she a sweetheart?”
“Yeah,” Kai replied. “Got my heart racing…”
“Fufu, then you better prepare. I don’t want to boast, but my clan’s women and men are one of the most beautiful.”
“I-” Kai’s face reddened, as well as his ears which the mask failed to hide. Aina laughed softly at his reaction, and her eyes sparkled as she stopped in front of a seemingly empty space.
Without waiting for Kai to say anything, she took out her wand, which resembled a twig more than it did a wand. Its body was long, and, much like a branch, it was in the shape of a “y”. From its tip sprouted what seemed to be leaves, but upon closer inspection, one could see countless crystals glued together in a pattern. As she waved it around, they moved along with it just like leaves, and they glowed softly as she chanted under her breath.
Suddenly, the space before them morphed and crystalized. A portal-looking circle manifested in front of Kai, its surface riddled with cracks that formed a pattern, like Church windows. The pattern formed a beautiful, intricate painting, depicting a world filled with lush vegetation, a blue sky, and countless, beautiful Elves.
“Shall we?” Aina asked, grabbing Kai by the arm and walking inside the painting.