Chapter 224 The Unexpected Visitor (1/2)

Rassa was running. Running so fast that the wind seemed to part for him. The scents of the forest permeated the air, soothing and invigorating him as he ducked and weaved around trees, over rivers and through valleys. He paused on one side of a meadow filled with flowers. It was beautiful even in the light of the full moon high above. He barely even flinched despite the exertion. Energy flowed through his body, a part of him. He was powerful here. Powerful enough to do whatever he pleased.

Rassa waited on one side of the meadow, watching with an unnatural stillness. So much so that when the animals in the meadow stirred, suddenly aware of a threat to their moment of peace, they retreated towards him. They dodged around him, running into the forest and disappearing from sight. The reason why revealed itself shortly after. On the far side of the meadow, a group of people slowly approached. They wore white clothes and masks that covered their faces. Even with those masks though, they felt oddly familiar to Rassa.

Rassa waited in the shadows of the trees, waited until they gathered in the centre of the meadow, and then he approached.

It took them a while to notice him. His footsteps so soft and ethereal that they barely made a sound. He came to stand before two individuals in the centre, noticing how aged their hands looked, how hunched their stature was as they leaned on each other for support. His own words broke the silence, though he hadn't expected them.

”Why do you wear masks?”

There was a pause as the group looked at one another, then the woman before him spoke, her voice so warm and familiar, if a little worn from age.

”You've been gone so long, we feared you'd forgotten”.

Rassa titled his head to the side, curious, ”Forgotten what?”

The woman who had spoke reached up and slowly removed the mask that covered her face. At first, Rassa couldn't recognise her despite how familiar she looked, then he met her eyes. They were piercing green, a colour he'd never forget given he'd first seen them on a night just like this one.

”Ebony?” he asked.

His gaze turned to the man beside her as he removed his mask, but the lavender eyes told him all he needed to know.

”Aegin?”

”You did forget, didn't you?” asked Ebony sadly as Rassa switched his gaze between them, ”You always forget when you're alone for too long”.

”Forgotten what?” asked Rassa.

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But he already knew the answer before she said it. He could see it right before his eyes though his being refused to believe it. Refused to believe that his family had...had grown so old and frail.

”We aged, Rassa. I don't think we can go with you anymore,” Ebony said, ”We could barely keep up when we were young, now...we are human, Rassa. We are not like you”.

Human. Rassa never realised how much he despised that word until he heard it from her old and thinned lips. He couldn't help it as the words tumbled out of his own lips.

”I'm sorry,” he said, ”I'm so sorry, I lost track of time, I-”

”It's okay, Rassa,” Aegin smiled, understanding in his gaze as he looked at his friend, ”You didn't want to share the burdens you held. And you've proven you can carry them alone”.

Could he? Rassa wasn't so sure.

”I...How did I prove it?” asked Rassa.

Ebony and Aegin looked at each other, a little confused before they turned back to him.