Bringing the dead back to life was not easy, up to impossible. But those who lingered between death and life were much easier to reanimate. Everything necessary was the arrival of an old friend and saviour in times of distress. For a long time already, Link knew that he had found his true family. But in the moment he was hugged by four people at once, he received confirmation. As Esra actually had lost an enormous amount of weight, she couldn’t harm him as much as usually anymore and also her husband found enough space on Link, whose legs were being besieged by their grandchildren.
“For Heaven’s sake, let the man breathe! We still need him!”, laughed Cremia, but thronged between them too.
Cheers and applause filled the whole settlement. Termina was no longer divided in tribes or regions, it was a land of many tribes which found shelter in its origins and now welcomed their white hope. He had always been a silent hero, who was just being spoken about. Yes, everyone knew what he had done, but still just a few knew him. Of those who had met him in person, the most people just met him briefly.
Here in Termina things weren’t much different. The great difference to Hyrule however laid in the fact that here he wasn’t treated like an outsider who was equated with the Gods. He wasn’t a God after all. He was just a simple Hylian with a task. A nondescript face in the mass. Yet here he was part of a mass in which every face counted, no matter how nondescript or distinctive it was. He was part of a big family, who all suffered the same destiny and wanted to fight against it.
They wanted to live in peace, like he wanted to. The biggest part of his life’s path he had went in Hyrule. Here however, was his real home. Here, in the land in which also his love’s home was. The love which begged his family for letting go of him as he really was still needed. A bit relieved though, Link smiled at him and the noise quietened down. But Link noticed something. Where were – in the same moment it also dawned on Kafei. Hectically he looked around but couldn’t find them either.
“My goodness!”, Anju clapped her hands on her mouth. “We forgot them!”
“Damn.”, spat Kafei and looked back down.
Link followed his viewing direction. From his position he could impossibly see the area where they had forgotten the two. Nevertheless Kafei raised an eyebrow. Now also the second. His eyes wandered to the left and the rest of his head followed a second later.
“What’s going on down there?”, asked Anju.
“What?”
“Come on. I know you can see them.”, he could what?
“I – eh?”
“Kafei. I’m not stupid.”, Anju warned and Link noticed how Dotour nearly exploded by trying not to laugh.
“Everything alright?”, Esra asked him but he just nodded childish and grinned inside.
“Fine, we’re not allowed to know when they go for each other’s throats as they wanted to better.”, sighed Anju.
“Oh yes. They go for each other’s throats.”, giggled Kafei and winked at Link in a way only he would notice. “They go for each other’s throats heavily and get carried away with it.”, his grin became broader and broader.
“What’s so funny about it?”, noticed Cremia; Dotour robbed his forehead, grinning not less broad than his son.
“It is indeed funny to see how Rim goes to Vaati’s throat.”
“What? But he doesn’t stand a chance against him!”
“I can’t fully agree with you.”, said Kafei.
He looked Link directly in the eyes. Suddenly a black and white memory was instilled into Link’s head. It was the memory of what Kafei; how ever he had done this; had seen. Link didn’t believe what was just playing in his mind’s eye. His look widened insanely too. Anju noticed where Kafei looked and when she discovered Link’s expression, she got slightly upset.
“What by all means is going on down there and why do you show it to him but not to us?”
“Because you don’t want to see this.”, sighed Kafei and Link confirmingly moved his head from left to right and back. “Fascinating, isn’t it?”
“Oh yes. Slowly I start to doubt the correctness of the universe. Is there something to eat in this piece of land that has taken leave of all laws of nature? I’m starving.”
“Goodness! Yes! Sure! Come with me.”, Kafei waved wildly. “Somewhere we must still have leftovers from yesterday. No worries. That sounds worse than it is.”
Kafei directed Link into the rebuilt castle, leaving all others behind carelessly. He hadn’t seen so many living beings in Ikana Castle before, though they weren’t many. All of them greeted Kafei friendly. He lead him into an underground room which turned out to be the kitchen. It was quite big but momentarily empty.
In a corner on one of the long counters stood several pots and two glass terrines which were covered with dishtowles. Kafei locked the kitchen’s wooden door, went to the pots, heaved one of them onto the cooker and lit the fire. Then he asked Link to take a seat at the kitchen assistants’ table, sat down on his lap and started kissing him more than tenderly. Both enjoyed the starter. Unfortunately Link didn’t get the picture of Rim and Vaati out of his mind and separated their connection with a smile.
“Sorry.”, Kafei said. “I shouldn’t have shown you.”
“Doesn’t matter. At least he leaves you in peace now.”
“There’s something to it.”
“Since when does your father wear his hair loose? And a totally ordinary short full beard?”
“He thought it was time for a change.”, Kafei sighed. “But I don’t know what’s the change about this. He looked like this in my childhood already. Maybe I’m wrong, but I believe he’s – oh.”
The content of the pot bubbled and Kafei raised for stirring. Link followed him and placed himself behind the other, for peering over his shoulder obtrusively, so he could take the opportunity and wrap his arms around Kafei. The soup smelled wonderful and also looked like it. Kafei tilted his head to the left and smiled at him from an askew angle without stopping the stirring. Then though, the constancy of his movement began to falter, when Link started licking his ear.
With a quiet moan from his lips, the ladle slipped from Kafei’s hand, as Link had gone a bit too far with one hand. The metallic clattering tore them from their trance and they couldn’t avoid laughing, Link into Kafei’s shoulder. He mentally thanked him for locking the door and felt how his cap was pushed off his head teasingly. He looked up in the moment Kafei went on stirring. The soup bubbled already heavily and Kafei put out the fire with a little flick of his hand. He went backwards and pushed Link with him, who let go of him atrabiliously.
While Kafei went to a cupboard to get out two soup plates and spoons, Link picked up his cap from the floor for the second time on this day, went back to the table and sat down, placing his headpiece on the chair by his side. Finally he bound off sword and shield and leaned them to the chair. Kafei filled the silver plates and carried them to him. After he had put them down, he placed himself on the opposite of Link and they started eating.
The soup tasted as delicious as it smelled. The warm liquid felt good to Link. Even more wonderful was the view of this face, which he hadn’t been allowed to see for more than a year. Link laid his free hand onto the table and Kafei returned his gesture with a smile. There was much more connecting them than just a physical longing. Their souls were one, connected for eternity.
In silence and holding hands they ate up. Kafei hadn’t even swallowed his last spoon full when Link leant across the table and robbed his nose against Kafei’s. Little by little their lips met and melted with each other. Kafei playfully moved away from the the table with his chair, by which he forced Link to climb on the table. He pushed the plates aside, knelt onto the steady wooden plate, carefully pulled Kafei’s face close with both hands and carried on kissing him. Kafei didn’t let it be. He slid back another bit and forced Link onto his lap now. The latter followed without breaking the connection, what though lead to both of them falling over noisily with the chair, coming to lie uncomfortably on each other, laughing.
“Everything alright?”, Link calmed down.
“Yes. You?”
“I’m lying on you. What’s not alright about this?”
“I just hope nobody heard it.”
“And if.”, meant Link.
“It doesn’t mean a thing that the door is locked, if you can remember.”
“Yes. How I remember. And if.”
They nestled their cheeks to each other’s and tried to roll off the back rest. Now it was Kafei who laid on Link and had a go on Link’s mouth. Meanwhile something happened outside the door that proved the unconcern of the two.
“What happened? What do you see?”, Cremia whispered excited.
“Nothing.”, aspirated Anju. “The key’s in. Wait.”, she pulled out a reflective, silver dagger, laid down next to the door and stuck the dagger between door and floor, tilted. “Yes. The slit is big enough.”
“And? Do you see something? What are they doing?”
“Wait – ”, she pushed the dagger further in, “So. Now it fits. They lie on the floor, kissing – and pretty unabashed.”
“Next to each other? On each other?”, urged Cremia and tried to see something by lying halfway on Anju.
“On each other. Kafei on top.”
“Yes. Now I can see them too.”
“What is going on here?”, giggled Vaati.
“Sh!”, Cremia hissed backwards and Anju turned her head around as well. “Done with brawling?”, she whispered, the two men could hide their questioning expressions just in time before she suspected anything.
“Yes. We’re getting along again.”, sighed Rim quietly. “What are you doing here? Dotour said you four disappeared to the kitchen. Are they in there?”
“Wait.”, Vaati giggled. “I have a better solution. Move aside a bit.”
The women looked at each other shortly but skidded away from the dagger. Vaati went to them, sat down on the floor and created something like a soap bubble in front of the reflection. It became considerably bigger and made the peeping insanely easier for them.
“Vaati – ”, aspirated Anju, „Are you doing things like this often?”
“It happens, yes.”, the mage chuckled and the women sat up.
“Oh dear.”, ginned Rim, kneeling between Cremia and Vaati. „That’s almost as if they wanted to be watched.”
“One more bit – one more bit – come on. How slowly can one lick over another’s chest?”, Cremia gasped. “Doesn’t he run out of saliva?”
“Oh you have no idea.”, giggled Anju.
“Our hero’s pretty sensitive.”, meant Rim.
“I can totally comprehend.”, Vaati romanticized.
“Does he do this to you as well?”, this went from Cremia to Anju, when Kafei pulled Link close for kissing down his belly.
“I don’t want to hear this question here – and yes. Every now and then. He’s very versatile.”
Kafei rested his forehead on Link’s navel and pulled off Link’s pants; which were the only clothing he still wore; with closed eyes, while Link stroked him through the hair. Kafei continued his kisses downwards and it fell silent in front of the door when all four moved closer together with big eyes as if they could see better this way.
“He’s got talent, that’s true.”, aspirated Cremia.
“Sh!”, it came from the others now, as Link began groaning heavier and heavier.
Suddenly Kafei broke off and crawled up on Link again. This one carefully pulled the tiara off his head and laid it aside. Just now Kafei took off his cloak and spread it on the floor. Thanking him, Link comforted himself on it and tried several ways to free Kafei from his royal pompous clothing. Kafei however only giggled about Link’s unhandiness.
“Idiot. Don’t sit around here laughing. Help me a bit.”
“But it’s not so difficult. You just need to start at the right point. Here. This loop has to be loosened. You see? It’s so simple.”
“Oh fine! And now everything in one go or what? Couldn’t you have worn something else? That’s totally unero- ”, he had pulled off the elaborate tunic and found a red lace undershirt with thin rosa ribbons which were corseted crisscross at the front.
“Well?”
“Oh.”, giggled Link. “What would you have done if I hadn’t come? Run around in it the whole day long?”
“Wouldn’t have minded.”
“He doesn’t wear – ”, Cremia goggled when Link opened Kafei’s belt and loosened the cording of the loose trousers, revealing a fitting panty. “Lingerie, does he?”
“Yes, that’s my husband.“, Anju smiled and the other pulled him to his left side onto the cloak, where he examined the extravagant material with his fingertips. “My queen.”
“And I thought you were joking.”
Link stroked softly across his neck and kissed him slow. Kafei enjoyed every of Link’s loving moves and Link enjoyed every bit of Kafei. He closed his eyes with pleasure, when Link brushed the straps off his shoulders very careful and pulled his arms out, for then getting the ribbons out of the loops. Kafei had his arms almost crossed above his head.
This time Link pulled the tips of his fingers from the left hand of his love down to the axilla and, with a short excursion to the nipple, further down on the side of his upper body to the hip, where he lead his forefinger beneath the waistband of the panty and glided along it to the other side of the hip. From there he continued his course like he had begun from the other side. Though he moved from the axle across the collarbone to the neck and afterwards to Kafei’s right ear, where he only used his index finger again.
On the bottom edge of the ear he glided to the tip, on the top back to the cheek, across it to the lips and finally softly tapped on the tip of Kafei’s nose. At this point Kafei opened his eyes, turned right and cuddled himself onto Link, who stroked his head with the right hand. The other hand slowly glided down and searched its ways under the soft material, what for he had to push Kafei’s long hair out of the way.
“Already?”, giggled Kafei and looked up.
“What – already?”, startled Link and stroked Kafei’s bottom.
“That was a question to you.”, he gave him a little kiss.
“Or don’t you like this?”
“I don’t care where on me you put your hands.”
“Can it be that we don’t speak the same language at the moment?”
“Don’t you want?”, Kafei asked dreamily.
“Oh that. I do. More than anything else.”
“I hope this in the name of your wealth.”
“I noticed something.”
“Yes?”
“We’ve only been in a bed once.”, noticed Link.
“You want to be in bed?”
“No – not necessarily. That was just a conclusion. May I?”, he gave a hint on wanting to pull off Kafei’s panty.
“Always.”, Kafei smiled.
He turned onto his back and laid more on Link, who tried to pull off the clothing as playful as possible. When Link reached the middle of the thighs, Kafei stretched out his legs femininely and giggled because Link’s arms were too short. This one gave a slightly angry blow and Kafei bent in his legs again for easing Link undressing him. At the last bit Kafei grabbed the panty with his toes and sent it flying to the kitchen floor, before he turned around, sat down at the middle of Link’s body and smiled at him softly.
“We are in a kitchen.”, Link breathed.
“Yes, we are.”
“Do you eat salad in Ikana as well?”
“Very much, actually. But don’t you think I’ll stand up now.”
“Do you want to kill us?”
“No.”, he moved a finger beneath Link’s locket and dropped it again. “Come on. Open it. There’s really everything still inside.”
“You’ve actually looked?”
“Of course I have. What did you think? That I said this for fun?”
“No idea. I didn’t think about it.”, Link sighed, opened the locket for a moment and actually held the bottle with the Alga-Extract in his hand. “Fascinating. Erm – don’t you think somebody’s really going to hear us now?”
“Would you bother knowing whether someone hears us?”, aspirated Kafei artificially insidious.
“I don’t know. Honestly not.”
“Fine.”, Kafei grabbed Link’s clothes and hurled them to the door where they perfectly landed in front of the gap under the door.
“And you think this is enough?”, the watchers could just hold back their indignation enough for not being heard inside.
“Damn.”, Cremia hissed.
“They know we’re here.”, giggled Anju. “Come. Let’s leave them alone.”
“I quite think so.”, said Kafei, grinning inside himself and looked at the clothes only for having an excuse to check whether they were leaving.
“Come on.”, Anju pulled out her dagger and looked at the door very conscious, apologising in her mind in hope that Kafei would hear it.
“For sure.”, meant Kafei simply, nodded shortly and smiled, forgiving Anju inside her head.
“Unfair somehow, but I think we have deserved to be chased away.”, sighed Vaati and let the bubble burst.
“Maybe we should keep a watch.”, Rim suggested.
“Yes. So nobody else would come by.”, continued Cremia.
“No.”, said Anju. “We’ve been impudent enough already. He’s forgiven us so far, so we should grant them their time together. They just had so little.”
“Anju. You’re married to him.”, laughed Cremia a bit louder as they were one floor higher already.
“Exactly. Maybe you two can’t come up with so much understanding for each other. But this doesn’t mean that other married couples are like you.”
“What does this mean now?”, snarled Rim.
“I didn’t talk about you.”, they arrived in the castle yard.
“Me, or what? I’ve always forgiven Rim all of his secrets so far.”
“Fine.”, Anju said shortly. “You’ve got to know for yourselves what you talk about. I can’t force you to anything. I just point out the way it is like.”
“Rim?”, Cremia asked. “Do you know what she means?”
“No.”, he avoided all eyecontact and Anju nodded barely visible, noticed by Vaati however.
“If you don’t mind, I’ll go for a ride. Alone.”
“Alright. I wanted to care for my sister anyway. You come with me?”, Cremia asked her husband.
“Er – ”, he looked at Vaati from the corner of his eye, who made it clear to him that he should go with her for manners’ sake, “Of course.”
They separated in front of the castle and Anju called her horse; a brown stallion with black mane; with a whistle. She virtually slid off when mounting but Vaati pushed her back up. With a slight smile she thanked him, though didn’t ride off but looked at him pondering instead.
“I know I wanted to ride alone.”
“Does this mean you want me to come with you?”
“Maybe. I don’t know. Some company can’t hurt me, can it?”
“Alright.”, he also whistled for his horse, a bright white steed without saddle, and mounted.
“I don’t want to sound impolite, but I always ask myself how you do this. Not only that you can ride without a saddle – that’s what I ask myself about Kafei too. But – ”
“I know. I am not tall.”, with leisure pace they moved towards the door to the Hinterlands. „But there have been many people underestimating this.”, a short pause followed, but in the end both had to laugh. “Yes. This might sound macabre, but somehow it is true.”
“I understand. Just look at my children.”
“Yes. They are much smaller than me and will still take a while before they have overgrown me. But they have a wonderful father.”
“They have.”, Anju nodded smiling. “You really like him, don’t you?”
“He accepts me. You do it too, I know, but he understands me. Down there he told me that he really does.”
“Oh yes. Casually he’s quite hot headed too. If something makes him angry, it makes him really angry. Shouldn’t he be able to back in silently, it is better to do a runner. Fury doesn’t get along well with his power – but what do I say. You know it yourself.”
“Unfortunately.”, sighed Vaati and Anju opened the door. “Where do we ride to?”, he was astonished because of the lines and the rock that vanished in the ground.
“You’ve never been to the Hinterlands, right?”
“I have. I came from there. But I rode through so fast – ”
“Good. Then I’ll show you the Èthrienni.”
“What is this?”
“You will see. We have to go a fair way into Hinterlands to get to them. You will like them. Kafei had been there many times in the past. After Link was gone, he always rode there for clearing his mind. The place has its magic. Unfortunately I’m not good enough at diving for showing you the abandoned mines. So far I’ve only been able to get there with Kafei’s help, as he always lent me some air on the way.”, they had reached the highest spot on the hill and went back down to the road.
“I can not swim anyway.”
“Not? Honestly?”
“And I am ashamed of it.”
“You don’t need to be. I can teach you.”
“Really?”
“Yes. For sure. It’s not difficult.”
“Thank you. That means a lot to me.”
“Oh – not worth mentioning.”
“It is really beautiful here.”
“It is, yes. Though I don’t like the clouds today, but let’s hope that the weather is keeping up and doesn’t get worse. These days you can’t expect the sun to shine anyway. Never mind. Kafei has grown up here. At least until the death of his mother. Has he told you something about it?”
“Yes. The whole story. It has shone a lot of light upon my knowledge of Link’s position in the universe. Also has he told me everything about you. He said, you don not have a problem with it.”
“That’s right. Most people know about my past.”
“Have you actually banned your mother from Clock Town?”
“Yes.”, Anju giggled. “And we all are happy about it. Also I.”
“She must have been really horrible.”
“Be glad that you don’t know her.”
“Have you ever seen her since?”
“No. And it’s good this way. I don’t know where she went to and what became of her. I don’t want to know either. I don’t want having to deal with her anymore. So. Now tell me something about you. I know your story too, but that’s all I know. What do you like to do?”
“Reading.”
“Really? What kind of things do you read?”
“Please do not laugh. History books and myths.”
“Why should I laugh?”
“Most people do when they hear it. Not that I broadcast it.”
“Then you’ve grown up among the wrong people.”
“I can only agree with you.”, sighed Vaati.
“Why exactly history book? I mean, they never hurt. Still. Why are they interesting to you?”
“Though I don not need history books anymore to browbeat people better due to the their past, they are still utmost interesting. I like to rummage and acquire knowledge. Just for fun. I always liked to brood over maps and dreamt of travelling through all these places. In the end it turned into the wish of dominating over all these places – but now I would rather like to travel there again.”
“This is wonderful. So Ikana is a good start. Ever been to Hyrule again?”
“Since Link struck me down, no. Though – well – you can say, partly. When they brought me back. I was allowed to see the Temple of Time from inside. At least its ruins. Zelda was involved in my reincarnation. Afterwards she brought me directly to the border of the Hinterlands. With Sruna. I still have no idea how she did that. I myself can’t take living beings with me when I teleport. I once tried with a horse too. It was horrible. Objects and dead bodies, yes. Living beings, definitely no. I have talked myself out of the matter in front of Link with the excuse of Ikana’s protection. I probably did not need to, but I wanted to be sure, in case he would refuse to let me ride his horse. At first he was not really pleased either, but I think he survived it. Have you ever been there again after the death of your father?”
“No. Now that my sister isn’t anymore either, I don’t have a reason.”
“I am sorry, by the way. I hope you know that I – ”
“Yes. You did everything that was within your power and I thank you for it with all my heart.”, she smiled timid. “But you’re neither a fairy nor a God. Mage or not. Healing and reanimation are not your speciality.”
“I can heal. But I guess, her injuries were too bad. These beast are really awful. I have never seen such wounds before. They are cursed, I was sure from the first moment on. But that they can cause such fatal injuries, I would have never dreamt off. Without Farore’s protection, Link would possibly had died ages ago already.”
“Very probably.”, conciliated Anju. “He’s tough and has enormous talent. But without this protection he wouldn’t have come far. Not even with an armada of fairies. The instability of the essence of life is underrated too often.”
“Whom are you telling this. I think, I was already dead before Link defeated me. Zelda also meant that my transformations and my hatred have mangled my soul. But with combined forces they could cobble me together again. At least this form of me, not my original one. I will never be able to go back home again.”
“I am sorry.“
“Oh – you don’t need to be. There is only one I miss and who cared for me as well. And of all people, I have transformed him into a cap.”, he shook his head self-contempting. “I would want to know how Ezlo is doing and whether he is still alive even. But I assume I will never get to know. I am way too big to be able to approach my home. I would trample them all before I even knew I was there. But never mind. I have a new home, a real home. A home where there is more than one person who at least acts as if they accept me.”
“And I’m happy for you.”
“Thank you. In Hyrule, I guess, I wouldn’t be welcomed so warmly. Even now that Zelda has forgiven me. Not everyone can forgive as good as she can. She truly has a good heart and an even kinder soul. It was more than wrong to harm her. She doesn’t deserve being treated the way I treated her. Ganondorf has done many horrible things to her country as well. Nevertheless she had an understanding with him when he died. She took care of his shattered soul finding peace.”
“What did you mean with trampling?”, they had left the first village behind, not without drawing interested gazes at them. “How small are you lot?”, Vaati showed it with a space between two fingers.
“Oh dear! Yes. This can be trampled.”
“You say it.”
“Where have you learnt riding? Sruna isn’t quite a tamed horse, but she seems to like you.”
“That with the liking is due to my origin and our touch with nature. We can gain the trust of animals very fast. And one who can ride a mouse, can ride a horse too.”
“Mouse? You rode on mice?”
“In relation they are considerably bigger than horses. One sits with legs wide apart and their spines are very active when they run. Rats are even worse. They are the dragons among the rodents. They are used for tournaments. Winner is, who can hold themself longer. But mice corner far worse. They are more difficult to navigate than little birds as they tend to slide into the bends uncontrolled – and that in every ever so small bend.”
“This sounds so unbelievable when I look at you. I mean, yes – you’re a head shorter than me, but you’re telling me what to be careful with when riding mice. Mice!”
“Yes.”, laughed Vaati. “This must sound utopistic.”
“And how. Now tell me.”, she lead her horse closer to him. “Do you even see something?”
“Why?”, Vaati’s expression became stern and slightly desperate, as he had expected everyone bringing up this topic one day.
“With all that hair in your face.”, she brought her horse to halt and Vaati did the same next to her. “Can you see even a thing through it?”, he said nothing on it. “Vaati? What – ”, she reached out her hand for his hair but he caught it shortly before. “What’s the matter?”, she moaned.
“Believe me. You don’t want to see this.”
“Why? What can be so bad that one has to cover it with such a lot of hair?”
“I told you that they could only recover this form of me. Unfortunately this wasn’t a request show. Either this way or no way.”
“Vaati – I think you should see the Èthrienni with both eyes.”
“Promise that you keep this to yourself.”
“I promise.”, he let go of her left hand and she wiped his hair behind his ear. “My goodness!”, she startled and held her other hand on her mouth. “Vaati – for Heaven’s sake! Who did this to you?”
“Can you keep another secret?”
“Yes.”, Anju aspirated desperately.
“I – well – in some way I am like Kafei, you understand? I – well – ”
“I think I know what you mean.”
“Yes?”, she nodded. “Well – that was before my transformation. The girls never let me get close to them because I have always been different. I have always looked different too. For that I have been bullied worst. Next to Master Ezlo I only had one friend. We really were the best friends. Until I told him that I had falle in love with Urila and that this was not only a problem because she refuses me, but because – well – at this point I have kissed him. He was so shocked that he slammed his claws into my face.”
“That’s horrible! And then?”
“I immediately ran to Ezlo. He could clean my wounds but neither prevent scars nor – ”, he sighed and broke off.
“You can’t see the Èthrienni with both eyes anyway, right?”, Vaati shook his head exhausted, Anju’s hand still on his cheek.
“No.”, he dismounted, went away some yards and stopped with his back turned to her.
“I’m so sorry that I pressed this out of you.”, she dismounted as well, followed him and stepped in front of him.
“That – that doesn’t matter. Sooner or later – ”
“No. That does matter.”, she laid her hands on his shoulders and he briefly looked up to her. “May I ask further? I see, you somehow do have the need to get that off your mind.”, he only nodded limply and lowered his head again. “What happened to him?”
“I – “, he suddenly began sobbing heavily and Anju took him into her arms for soothing him. “I – have – k – kill- I – I killed him.”
“Sh.”, she stroked his head and he put his arms around her back too.
“I – think – this – was the – moment – I – freaked – out. When – I was – aware that – that I – would be – half blind – forever – I – I caught him – in the middle of the – street. At first I – only yelled – at him. There were people – everywhere – none of them – stopped me – they were too afraid. I – lost control and – I hacked – my claws – into him – until he – until he – was dead. Then I ran away. I’m a monster!”
“Sh. No. You’re not.”
“I am.”
“Maybe you were, but you had your reasons. This is over now. He ruined your life. Who wouldn’t have reacted like this in such a situation?”
“There was no need for – killing him.”
“And there was no need for him to overreact like this, you know it. Otherwise you wouldn’t have done that. Look at me.“, she gently pushed him away and raised his chin. „You are no monster. You’ve only been hurt a lot. This carries one to the worst acts. I have menaced my mother with a sabre when she cuffed Kafei in front of the whole town only because he confessed his orientation indirectly. I was close to cutting her throat. We all have this demon in us. Some are just too weak to keep it under control. This is no crime. But it does become a crime when we let it out on purpose to enjoy others’ suffering.”
“But I did – later.”, thick tears ran from both his eyes, even from the blind one and he avoided her look. “No wonder that nobody likes me.”
“This is not true.”, said Anju stern, though wiped off his tears. “Don’t say something like this if it isn’t true.”
“Then there are some people wo like me by now – what do I know. But this doesn’t change the fact that there will never be someone really loving me.”
“What are you talking there? You don’t know what your future looks like. Or do you?”, he shook his head. “There you go. So, don’t say that.”
“Rim earlier – he – I think – he just took advantage of me.”
“Rim? What did he do? What I think?”
“We – well – we kissed. And then – we – have – well – it was wonderful – but I don’t know – I don’t want this. He’s married and – ”
“Oh forget him. You’re right. He only took advantage of you for sure. Rim loves Cremia in a very strange way. He has needs she can’t please. I would think that he secretly is a bit sadistic. Kafei has given hints on this several times but hasn’t spoken about it more detailed. If you want someone for life, you should keep away from him. Yes, he’s a good man, but it’s only a matter of time. I see this marriage in ruins by two years. Cremia is tough, but sooner or later she plumbs loco. I know him for quite a while and Kafei knows him even better. Vaati. You need someone who really loves you. Rim can’t give this to you. Believe me. If you don’t want to be hurt again, no matter how, then keep your hands off him and make it clear to him that he is to keep his hands off you as well.”
“Thanks.”, Vaati took a deep breath.
“Look. Yes, you had a horrible past. But nobody would have given you a second chance if they didn’t know about the good in you. After all I know about you so far, you are an adorable man. Moody though, but not much moodier than Kafei. You are intelligent, talented and beautiful in addition. And don’t say no now. You are beautiful. Those who don’t see this, have a bad taste.”, Vaati blushed lightly. “You find someone, I’m sure. Come. Let’s ride on. I want you to learn swimming this very day. This goes down well everywhere and is shaping fabulous if you want to increase your chances of survival.”
“Alright.”, Vaati smiled timidly.
~o~0~O~0~o~
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