For life and love
Ch 2
Victor
The hash, nearly acidic light of day pours through the castle windows, seemingly no amount of curtains and blankets able keep out the intrusive beams, seeking to see, to illuminate. Groggily I rise, sleep never coming as easy as it had in eons past, dreams void of color or meaning. Closing my eyes I see only pitch. Now, with only few fleeting minutes of night, my kingdom people sleep only when tired, schedules rampant, working ceaselessly. My duties have increased as wll, with Night now but a child, I tire to make peace with the creatures of the darkness, though no offering can bridge the wound I so carelessly left upon their kingdom. Without the protection their god offered, they must confine themselves to the forest of shadows. Some are able to leave such as the wolves and owls, though the Whisps must stay, for if touched by sunlight they too would perish, bodies fleeting into dust.
The grind of this insidious repetition goes on, rise, work, count the stars, repeat. As days blend into years, the nights grow longer. From fleeting minutes they stretch to nearly two hours. Much to my dismay I have been banned from seeing the child; however, Yurio is allowed to come and go as he pleases from the forest of shadows. He often returns telling of the child, of how he’s shakily taken his first steps, of how he plays with the fireflies and direwolves. With every tale the yearning in my heart grows to reach out to him.
Today, against the councils wishes, I find myself skirting the edge of the forest of shadows. Here do the trees and mountains reach to the sky, a hand extended to a lover, though through their roots they remain shackled to the Earth, drowning in life and sorrow they grow, the breeze caressing their songs of sorrow. Their voices hallow, they sing to the sky, ,their leaves drifting as cherubs discontented with unrequited love. Around me there shines little light, the tres so tall and vast in their expanse blocking any view to the sky, shrouding the world below in a comfortable womb of shadow. Underfoot rabbits and voles scurry, exhausting their short but playful lives. Behind me laughter echoes through the dense forest. Whipping around I am greeted by the small diety, hobbling on two chubby legs the little one waddles towards me.
“Hello little Night” Smiling I kneel in frong of him, outstretching a hand, I beckon him towards me. With little hands he grapples his way into my lap, pawing at my crown of light. “Its pretty , huh?” I hand him the crown to be greeted by fits of giggles and squeals of delight. Warmth fills my chest at the sound of his joy.
Once his fascination with my crown ends, the small boy begins to tug at my hair “yu-ri-o!” he squeals, his mouth struggling around the syllables.
“No. no I’m Victor. Victor. Can you say victor?”
“vi…Vi” slowly he repeats the syllables, until, finally with a look of triumph he proclaims “vii-chan!”
Laughing I hug the child tight “yes that will do.”
Slowly I let the child lead me on tottering legs around the forest, his chubby cheeks always pulled into a smile. Though he is small, the child is powerful. From nothing I watch him fasten small spurts of aurora, only for them to disappear moments later. unbeknownst to him the magnitude of the gift, he bestows upon me the smallest star. My breath is taken at the sheer beauty of the small iridescent star, though no bigger than a button, it radiates beauty, casting waves of silver in its wake. Though before I am able to give him my thanks, a small whisp snatches him away,shielding the small god from me.
“Yuuri are you alright” Frantically she look shim over and after determining his health, she turns to me, her words biting “You are not welcome here!”
“ You misunderstand, I was returning him-“
“ you shouldn’t be here. If you leave now then I will not breathe word of this to the others. For the sake of peace you must go.” With that finality she carries away the little deity, my heart shattering when little cries of vii-chan reach my ears, his pudgy hands grasping for my embrace..For The suns warmth, unknown to him in this womb of darkness.
With tears in my eyes and my heart laden with sorrow I wallow back to my castle, star clutched tightly to my chest. “Yuuri…His name is Yuuri” Silently I thank him for truly bringing light back into my life. Upon my return I begin the work of setting the star within a chain of sunlight. A necklace so that I may keep little Yuuri close to my heart even when he’s not near. A star to guide me back to life and love. A life outside of ignorance and a love of my kingdom and what lies outside of it. As I treasure the magnificent gift, I toil over what I am to give in return. Though the forest of shadows is full of life, little yuuri is the most jubilant of all. For such a joyful being I set to forge a flower of starlight. From the sun itself I shape it into being, its petals flow with fire as would the currents of a roaring river. The flower glowing with all the passion and hope that burns within me for the future of little Yuuri. With Yurio I entrust the gift, knowing he’ll deliver it safely to the whisps.
“Victor..will this burn Yuuri?” he whispers, entranced by the pirouetting petals.
“No. It only gives off little warmth. .. do you think he’ll like it?”
“ He’s a toddler victor..he can barely speak…But yeah. It’s shiny don’t kids love that stuff?’
“ I suppose so.” Chuckling I send off the angry fae and turn my attention to the setting sun. With no blades of obsidian and rays of sun to clash, the sky at sunset remains for the most part unpainted, save for the magnificent purple that overtakes the world. As night descends, I clutch my star tighter. Now I take a new oath, not to destrow the darkness, but to embrace its gentle beauty, to nurture the soft sounds and creatures that thrive in it. To look for new life and love around me. Though It may be many years until I am able to greet yuuri as a friend, a warmth blooms in my chest at the thought of his embracing me one day as a friend. For his life and the love of his friendship I strive to enrich myself. For yuuri my life has found new meaning, My eyes have been opened from their ignorant lenses. To hope and love I strive to build. For my kingdom and for the world I am to share him.