Mytri lay hunched over Luna, his face burrowed into the white duvet that covered her.
Luna lay in bed, panting for air and covered in sweat. She reached with her left hand over to Mytri and caressed his head saying "I'm f-fine… Master"
"No… I know you're not…" Mytri answered and thought for a while, "Luna… I'll take you somewhere, would you mind?"
Luna slowly rose up groaning and looked at him warmly, she sat hunched forward, with a gentle smile she said "N-no"
"Then…" Mytri stood up slowly and put his hands under Luna, and picking her up closely into his embrace. He tightly hugged her head to his chest, placing her hand across her body and secured her properly.
"Is this fine?"
Luna nodded.
"It will take a few minutes until we arrive there, so please bear with it," Mytri walked up to the doors while Luna had her eyes closed, sweat dripping onto the floor and her whole body felt like it was burning up against Mytri, like a campfire.
Walking out the room he said to Theia who sat by the wall, " Theia, could you prepare food for Luna? We'll be back soon enough, no less than thirty minutes, will you?"
Theia jolted upright and noticed Luna, she nodded as her hands shook.
Luna frowned in Mytri's arms as she muttered to herself "...stop"
With a straight look at Mytri Theia said "I will do what I have to,"
With a lingering eyes on Theia Mytri exhaled saying "Thank you," and walked out of the home, leaving Theia with an important task to fulfill, she decided to put everything she has to support and show her sincerity to Niv (Luna) as she ran into the kitchen,
***
In the summer morning, under the rays of light breaking through the crowns of the trees, spilling onto them like patches, they walked under them, wind blowing past them gently.
Many birds jumped along the path, pecking at seeds and worms, oblivious to them or deliberately ignoring Mytri, who walked with Luna in his arms past them,
"So nice…" Luna said as warm wind blew on her face,
But Mytri stayed silent, trying to recall the exact tree, he looked around and found it, marked with 'X' etched onto the bark.
He turned gently towards it and walked in that direction. Through bushes and tall grass, Luna was confused, perplexed. But she couldn't show it on her face, all she could do was frown. Her whole body was in terrible shape.
I knew it would hurt… B-but not this much… If this is just the beginning… I'm scared.
Sweat poured in rivulets down her cheek, Thank goddess, wherever you are — The voices stopped, that female voice was nice… but went somewhere, now… The stupid unrecognizable voices kept shouting before to kill Theia… why.
Where are we going? Luna thought
"M-master, where are we going?"
Luna looked up at Mytri's face, but saw his sharp but disheveled black beard with graying hair strands popping out across.
"To explain," Mytri answered.
Ah, yes that… Okay Luna inwardly added.
Mytri stopped, his eyes shooting wide open before calming down with a longing look. "Oh, here we are," he said, "we've arrived." And he walked towards it.
Slowly Luna turned her head forward and saw a tomb, overgrown gently with a hedge, and a sword struck into the ground with a helmet placed onto it, its red cloth on top waved in the wind.
"Not again…" Mytri said as he walked up to the tomb and ripped the green hedge and threw them to the side. He sat down in the soft grass before the stone, then carefully arranged Luna on his lap, letting her lean against his chest.
"Do you know whose tomb it is?" He asked, but Luna muttered "N-no?"
"Of course, I will answer you now why I lashed out at you in the guild… Honestly I shouldn't but … Well you'll understand, hopefully"
"I will…understand"
"Thank you" Mytri smiled gently as he caressed her pink hair.
Mytri pointed at the barely recognisable text, "His name was Luetri Vol Makkalen, short Lue, he was a good boy"
"Lue?" Luna asked
"Yes, he was my son… adopted son but the same… I loved him"
"I'm… sorry" Tears welled up in Luna's eyes as she slowly connected the words that people spoke around her, roughly understanding why Mytri shouted at her.
Mytri chuckled as he tightly hugged her saying "You're such a compassionate child, did anyone tell you this?"
"N-no"
"I see, they were a cowards, they should've"
"There is so much to tell, so listen carefully" Mytri said as Luna nodded, "This is a story of how I failed as a Master and a Father,"
***
"It happened years ago, so long ago that I've forgotten. It's about a year after Theo left for the capital of the empire, We were walking into the guild…"
Mytri was clad in a suit of shiny, silvery armor, a tattered white cloth wrapped around his waist to his knee. He tightened his thick gauntlets into fists.
Wind flew past as a length of red fabric glided on the air; he and Lue had arrived at the guild door.
Mytri glanced at Lue as he wore almost identical armor to Mytri, instead of a cloth by his waist, he wore a red cape on the back his armor,
Mytri exhaled as they arrived. The door hinges creaked open as the guild full of elven crowds fell silent as the metallic steps echoed through the room, slowly they made their way towards a guildswoman, Merry. Stealing everybody's glances.
Merry's beauty was still awe striking, her long silky brown hair and deep green eyes always infatuated every man in the guild.
Today, the line was nonexistent, so Mytri and Lue easily got their way, with a strong strife on Lue's shoulder he placed the guild task with a thud onto the table and from behind, strapped to his waist a big bag soaked with green blood, "Here, Merry. Our quest was perfectly done in a record time, Isn't that cool?"
Merry smiled professionally as she said "Yes, indeed, just perfect as always,"
"It was everyday for Merry, she always expected Lue to arrive and greet her, she felt happy each time he visited… a routine I always called it. She never forgot to prepare the subsequent quest for us, such a great woman…" Mytri related this to Luna.
With a shimmer across his whole body, Lue jolted upright as he asked with urgency in his voice "Right, right? Is there something just perfect for us? Just the right quest!"
Merry sighed as she looked with pity at him and bent behind the reception and took out a sheet of paper, 'Suspicious Bandits Residing In The Rural Forests Of Capital'
Merry leaned forward near Lue, covering her mouth with a back hand as she whispered to him "you see… They said that the bandits are strong… therefore…"
Lue leaned in as well and whispered back "...Therefore, It's perfect for us… Right!"
He grabbed Merry by her hands and said "Thank you, Merry! you are the greatest, you should get a raise!"
Mytri chuckled at that, a warm chuckle.
Merry giggled to herself as she blushed slightly, placing her hands behind her back, tightly gripping the back of long thin white skirt. "Yes! Thank you" She said as a blush engulfed her long spiky ears.
"Right! Thank you! We'll go now, but I'll be sure to invite you to dinner later!" Lue said as he ran towards the front door's in a jog past Mytri.
Mytri followed Lue with his head as he exhaled, slowly turning into a chuckle and walked after him, with the back of his hand he waved back saying "Thank you, Merry, work hard"
"Thank you too!" Merry said as she followed Lue with eyes until he disappeared, and so Mytri did too or so she thought, he stayed to watch her through the crack of the opened doors.
She fell to her knees, her whole face flushed with red, the violent beating of her heart took over her ears, blocking every sound.
She hid her face in her hands and while gripping the very bottom of her stomach she felt a deep flutter. The whole guild erupted into laughter as one said "Good for you Merry, Good for you… could be me."