August woke up feeling the touch of gentle breeze on his skin. The morning seemed different than usual. He felt lighter, relieved, and fresh for the first time in a while.
The reason for this was that one of the biggest mysteries of his life had been solved yesterday. Therefore he didn't have to think and speculate about it anymore.
His dreams, the nightmares he kept having turned out to be the doing of a strange being who literally talks in a myriad of voices. August got to know that the being was searching for a human consciousness for their own goal, and August being an ambivalent was the best choice that could've been there.
Since he wasn't associated with any element, it was easier to form a connection with him than other people. Which kind of made sense. However August was put into a lot of misery in all this so he wasn't ready to forget that all so easily.
He understood how the pain and suffering he had gone through would seem senseless to the voices. A being who didn't have a physical form, someone who is not bound by mortal rules, someone who doesn't belong to anywhere— when he thought about dealing with someone like that, the reason why they did all that —started to make sense.
However, the pain doesn't go away when you simply want it to be. It's not that simple. The human mind happens to be a mess of intertwined emotions which constantly unravel themselves sometimes to express and to suppress sometimes. August understood that, therefore he didn't have a valid reason to blame the strange being, they were someone who wasn't supposed to have any emotions after all.
'Argh…my head hurts'
He stood up from his bed and left the room. Climbing down the stairs as August was about to call for his mother. Feeling somewhat sleepy, he rubbed his eyes,
"Mom.."
At first he didn't give it much thought but now he can't pretend to be oblivious about it anymore. She had a complicated expression on her face while her gaze was fixed on the sword she thought to be cursed at first.
The blade of the fallen star rested on the wooden table like a piece of decoration. However, August knew his mother might still have some lingering thoughts about him continuing to wield this sword.
"Ah.. yes?" her chain of thoughts seemed to have been interrupted, "good you're awake. Freshen up and I'll have your breakfast ready."
August could clearly see her emotions that she was trying to hide from him. There is no end to worries of a mother after all.
In truth, August never had a proper conversation with his mother after the battle with monster tide. He should've spoken to her about what he felt that time and made her worries lessen a bit now when he was alright. It was nothing more than lack of communication on his part.
After all she also would've seen him in that mindless state and gods know what would've she gone through at that time. Surely watching your child go berserk, devoid of reason and consumed by murderous wrath shouldn't have been a very pleasant experience to say the least.
— — —
After some time August was sitting at the dining table, having his breakfast. The meal was delicious like always. Simultaneously he was thinking about how he could make his mother worry a little less about him. However it was his mother who spoke first,
"You are going out geared up quite often nowadays, may I ask why?"
He took a bite then answered,
"Oh that? It's nothing much you know I am filling in, for dad."
"Are you now?" his mother said with a soft chuckle, "well, I guess it's good you are taking up the responsibilities of your father."
"You think sho?" he said with his mouth full, "Am I doing a good job then?"
"Absolutely" his mother replied ruffling his hair, "my son is the absolute best."
August let out a toothy grin.
"But your father never went on routine patrols then why are you?" his mother asked.
"Like I can compare to father or you in any sense" he said in a stifled tone, "he is powerful enough to exterminate the danger on the spot but me? I am not as strong as him so I have to look out for the danger before it happens."
His mother gave him a warm smile and took him in her embrace,
"Genius. As expected of my competent son. Just make sure to not overexert yourself. There is no need for a child like you to shoulder this much of a burden alone."
"How can I possibly slack off when that giant thing is still walking somewhere outside our boundaries?" he said with determination in his eyes.
"That giant monster? That isn't coming back" his mother spoke casually, leaving him a bit surprised, "ah.. You probably didn't know but it has gone into hibernation. Your father has confirmed it. That's why we don't have to worry about the arachnid for at least several years."
This piece of information was new to August. Come to think of it, he never asked his father about what happened with the giant monster. August just assumed the vile thing may have been fled to a faraway place. But after knowing the arachnid was gone into hibernation August didn't know how to feel about it anymore.
Well, it was a good thing that the biggest threat to their town was hibernating.
However it wasn't news that could have made him relieved. If anything, the giant thing had become a living time bomb which was recovering to its original state slowly. Only that the process would take over years was the only good part about it.
Whether now or after some years, the arachnid was bound to return. For the wounds it had received the monster would surely seek some payback.
But August wasn't worried about that, because by that time his father would have returned. Not to mention, August could himself grow stronger within the span of some years.
The immediate threat was gone. Now all that remained was to wait.
Suddenly he was reminded of his mother's worries as his gaze fell upon the Fallen star,
"Mom" he said, gaining her attention, "remember how you always wanted me to study alongside other kids?"
His mother nodded in agreement, "...and you always wanted to be alone. Away from children of your age and studied at home …alone." the last part she added in a plain tone.
August obviously ignored her sarcasm and continued,
"Okay so, Lord Victor spoke to me about separate classes their academy offers for students who only wanted to become warriors or scholars or anything else. He said the course excludes some parts of magic and focuses solely on the students who can't form any spells."
"So?" his mother asked, her eyes shining with curiosity.
"So, I thought of maybe I can also study there" his mother's eyes widened in surprise as he added in a hurried voice, "no… not yet of course. In a span of two years maybe, obviously after dad comes home."
"Really? You would do that?" his mother seemed happier than usual or maybe happier than he had ever seen her before, "Oh… baby you don't have any idea how many tricks I had thought of in order to convince you. I know you can study better at home by yourself but secondary education is not as important as the experience of it is. Actually I am surprised that you've picked just the place where your father and I have been willing for you to study."
'What?'
August was surprised, more than he ever had been in his life.
'Tricks? What tricks? You wanted to trick me for getting into school?'
"Two years you say?" his mother continued, "it's alright, students under fifteen aren't even allowed to study there. So it's one more problem solved."
August didn't know how to react when he heard all that. He thought maybe he could make his mother somewhat happy with a decision she had been always wanting him to take. As it turned out however, it was a set up. And god knows how many people were involved in all this.
His father, his mother and perhaps maybe Lord Victor?
Wait, can it be that August was under the influence of one of Victor's spells? Has he not decided this himself? August had a huge doubt in his mind, felt that he was somehow swindled into this decision.
He no longer recognised the decision to attend a faraway school as his own.
'Damn, it's more easy to haggle with an ancient being than your own mother'
Yesterday, August had successfully turned the deal of strange voices towards his own benefit and today he felt like he was being the one getting scammed. The worst part was that he was being manipulated into thinking that it was his decision which led him to be getting scammed all along.
August let out a sigh.
Not like there was something he could do about it now.
While it was true that August found peace in being alone, the fact that he was never lonely was also a truth, if not more.
He loved his home and its peace but he didn't know when he started to desire to see the world outside. Was it because of the letters May had sent him? Those really described the capital city as a wonderful place actually.
No, the desire was always within him. To roam free, to see the places, to feel life for himself. It wasn't like that he hated being inside the town his whole life. Totally contradictory to that, he loved it. More than anything else he loved his peaceful life. But even he didn't know when he started to crave for more.
It was true, he was greedy. He had been greedy this whole time.
A failure, a hypocrite, an irresponsible person and now ….greedy.
Well. It was okay. These were the human emotions and he was a human as well. The difference lies in individuals. Everyone has their flaws, therefore the thing which mattered the most was to work on them and make yourself a better person.
That is what it means to be a human after all.
Like August, he was starting to get better at swords therefore he wasn't a complete failure anymore. He had also agreed to shoulder some burdens of his father therefore he wasn't irresponsible anymore.
And greed was a very subjective emotion.
People have desires and when this desire exceeds a certain threshold, then only then it is right to call it something as ominous as greed.
Up to what August was concerned, he had done a great job suppressing his desire. He was not ignorant enough to let it become something as greed.
It was a desire. Simple, beautiful, innocent desire. A desire to see the world. There wasn't anything wrong with that.
And there was also the problem of dealing with other students. One more thing he wasn't very good at was dealing with people.
As he watched the smile on his mother's face he let go of his useless thought. August was ready to fight the world only to see his mother smile. How could a class full of moody and arrogant teenagers possibly harm his peace, he thought.
"Say August?" While caressing his soft hair with gentle touch his mother spoke, her tone somber, "the voices? …they don't trouble you anymore, do they?"
The question came out of nowhere, all of a sudden. August remained silent for a while, took a deep breath and then replied mustering up a fake smile and carrying the burden of guilt,
"No mom. I am alright."
A mother's intuition was spot on.
Even now he could swear that his mother has caught up to his lying. However she didn't press the issue much. She kissed his forehead and in return, he hugged her even tighter.
— — — — —