Valerius stood motionlessly as he watched his son coming out of the room. The tears in his eyes still looked fresh. Nowadays, August seemed very down to his father. It was like he was constantly blaming himself.
'Stupid child'
He might also be feeling alone after their short argument a few days ago. Valerius lowered the long tray he held in his hands and started to walk towards the room. The tray contained a bowl of warm water and a soft cloth of cotton perhaps.
Valerius was concerned after not being able to patch things up with his son after that day. But he also knew that he might have to tell him the truth. The truth …valerius wasn't ready to reveal yet.
No, more like August wasn't mature enough to understand the depth of the fact.
With these thoughts he entered the room and closed the door behind. Placing the long tray on the wooden table, he walked slowly towards the glassy window from which the gentle breeze of the rainy evening was flowing through. Making the atmosphere inside the room chilly.
Valerius shivered under the cold ambience of the wind and closed the glassy window.
The curtains however, he left undisturbed. Walking towards the bed he switched the elemental lamp on, placed on the wooden drawer beside their bed. The room was dark a while ago, got lit up with the gentle radiance of the artificial lamp.
He walked slowly to otherside of the bed where the tray lay still. Suddenly his gaze fell upon the new book placed on the bookshelf. He picked that off the shelf and looked at it attentively.
"Whispers of the fallen era ha?" He muttered under his breath, "i didn't knew our boy was so interested in history"
He placed the book back and picked the soft cloth. Dipping it into the warm water he gently brushed it against Sophia's face, "the doctor said this might help you ease a bit"
Washing her from the neck and the face, he placed the water and cloth aside and sat beside his wife gently placing his hand over her head, "I have to tell you something, love"
He swallowed and continued, "I think it's time to tell August the truth" he clenched his jaw, words barely escaping his mouth, "I can't watch him like that. Maybe after hearing everything, he might understand why we can't take you to the capital. But on the second thought, I can't watch you like this too." He finally released his long held breath and said, his voice wavering, "I also think, August is right. The doctors capable enough to treat you would surely be in the capital."
Valerius breathed heavily, his eyes tearing up, "I can't be so selfish can i? I should prioritize your health over us staying together." He wiped the tear and turned the lamp off, "goodnight, love"
— — —
Far …far in the west, the Sun was about to set behind the horizon. The green grassy valleys covered the place as far as the eye could see. The gentle breeze flowed endlessly, making the grass beneath sway accordingly. Patches of white and spotless clouds covered the endless sky. The whole vibe of the place was calm, quiet and …peaceful.
August found himself standing at the top of a grassy cliff. Grass beneath his feet moving with the gentle breeze. His vision was somewhat unclear. For a moment he thought he saw someone standing on the edge of the cliff. In the next moment however, there was no one.
He turned around, the confusion slowly building up inside him.
'Where am i? Is this a dream? This has to be. I think i've seen this one before'
"Isn't this peaceful?"
A feminine voice suddenly came from the edge of a cliff. A nostalgic feeling brushed against his memories. It was like he had heard that voice before. But who exactly was this? He turned back and tried to concentrate on his vision but couldn't make out anything of it. No matter how many times he tried to look at the person standing before him but the vision never became clear.
"Who?" August shouted at the distant silhouette, "Who goes there?"
"Alas!" Said the unknown voice in the same sweet manner, "peace never lasts long."
August was about to ask something but he suddenly felt a shiver run down his spine. It felt like the voice suddenly came from behind …no, she was close and whispered something into his ear. What? He couldn't make out the meaning of it.
Then the scene suddenly shifted. The very space around him was changing. The grassy endless valleys were nowhere to be found. In its place however, there was a mountain. The green rocky mountain.
From that a waterfall of clean water seemed to be constantly flowing. At the base of the mountain, the water gathered itself into a stream. A village situated at the bank of the shallow river. It was about dusk. The gentle wind flowed endlessly.
August closed his eyes smiling faintly as he took the calmness of that place in. The truth was nowadays he rarely gets the chance to free himself from the burden of thoughts so he wanted to cherish this time however he couldn't recall what kept him so occupied.
Then suddenly a warm breeze started to flow. Hearing numerous screams August flinched and opened his eyes. The village was burning, the flames reaching higher and higher threatening to burn everything and everybody along with it. The peaceful place some time ago was surrounded with a cacophony of cries and screams now.
August feared, as his limbs began to tremble. Some distant memories flashed in front of his eyes. A strong sense of deja vu came to him.
'What's this?'
His breathing became hoarse feeling the smoke and falling ashes of the human lives. Then he suddenly lost control and fell on the ground helplessly. Still not able to breathe properly. It was like this incident triggered a strong hidden emotion deep within him.
His vision was about to become blurry as he desperately clung to life fallen on the ground. Then suddenly he saw a giant rock coming at him from the mountain at very high speed.
The rock approached, threatening to crush him beneath. The rock hit him suddenly and August woke up from his sleep. Gasping for air sitting on the bed in the middle of the night. He felt a strange sense of discomfort being drenched in the sweat. His heart was pounding like crazy and limbs were trembling. August shivered and then suddenly heard the thunder raging outside.
He got a hold of himself and tried to recall the dream. But for some reason, he forgot why he became so tensed up just now.
— — —
Valerius got up early in the morning. Kissing his wife good morning at the forehead he moved ahead with the daily chores of the house. Since Sophia used to do all the housework before he now realised that he never realised before how hard the house work could be sometimes.
He took a sip of the tea prepared by himself and while preparing breakfast, he took a glance outside. The tree leaves were drenched in rainwater. Drops falling down from them continuously.
Valerius inhaled the fresh air after the recent rainfall. He stood at the window for some time admiring the greenery and beauty of nature.
He heard the sound of main gate of the house opening. Then after some footsteps he heard a familiar voice. The only refreshing voice which never loses its child-like expression.
"Good morning Lord Valerius" Shelly said, her voice never losing enthusiasm, "How are you, ah! And August of course. I am his big sister after all. I should know how my little brother is doing."
"Ah! Shelly" Valerius let out a chuckle, "yes, yes everyone is fine. You don't have to worry."
"Thank god" She replied in a hurry, "I am going to the teacher then"
Shelly ran out in a hurry, almost stumbling and falling on the wooden floor. But she managed to save herself in time and never stopped for trivial matters like this like the goofball of energy she is.
"Careful!" Valerius let out a worried shout but chuckled again watching that ball of energy go, "Oh! God, this kid"
'I hope she never change'
Then the thoughts from last night suddenly came to him as he saw August coming out of his room and sitting on the chair in the garden. The expressions on his face never changed. The depressed face of his looked more depressed today.
Valerius felt sorry as he never tried to patch things up between him and his son for the past few days. But he knew well what might come as the cost of that. He steel his resolve and muttered to himself,
"I have to tell him today."
— — —
August sat on the wooden chair placed in the garden by his mother. Not only this, but several chairs were placed in an orderly manner surrounding a circular shaped table. He always thought about these luxurious hobbies of his mother. That these were way too luxurious for some country noble like her.
But what do you know, his mother always acted dignified and not even once she let go of her elegance, like it was a part of her personality all along. Come to think of it, August never asked her seriously how she acquired this type of hobby.
All about her past he knew, as she used to teach mana basics at a school in the capital city –Crownspire. Maybe it was there she picked up this type of habit or maybe her parents taught her from the start. Well thinking About it now there were many things his parents never told him. Not that he bothered to ask them of course.
Like he never met his relatives from both of his parents' sides. Not even one. The only one he knew from outside of his town was a trusted friend of his father, Lord Victor whom he met at a very young age. August couldn't even remember his face now.
'Well, isn't that good. No relatives. I've heard that relatives are all problem people after all.'
The corner of his lips curled upwards in a faint smile. Which represented the seriousness of his situation nowadays that even a silly joke was able to make him smile.
August sat motionlessly for a while, gazing into the peerless sky. On his clothes, he could still faintly feel the sweat from last night but tried to take his mind off that horror of a night. The dream was too much for him to even remember, let alone thinking about the meaning of it.
Well, whatever it wasn't like every dream has a meaning. No, in fact none of them had any. Maybe for a mage having his elemental aspects related to dream perhaps?
August smiled again feeling the development in his mood from some of the past days.
Lost in his own thoughts, August suddenly heard footsteps on the green, moist grass. It was his father coming his way. Maybe trying to sort things out? Or to lash at him again? No, August can't possibly blame his father for last time. It was his own fault, he couldn't control his emotions and let it all out on his father.
August thought many times about apologising to him but there always felt something off about his mood. Like father was avoiding him on purpose. Maybe he was still angry at him or maybe there was something he didn't want to confront now.
August did ask some of the most heaviest questions to him which he knew father was keeping from him for a reason and also he accused him of not taking his mother to a capable doctor.
Well, now all that was coming back to him and August was prepared to fall on his father's feet to beg him for forgiveness.
When approached by his father August wasn't the one to speak first however. His father said the only words in a nervous sentence, "Son, there's something i want to tell you"
August felt a shiver run down his spine as his throat became dry. His instincts were telling him that he wasn't ready to hear whatever his father wanted to talk to him about.
However something strange happened at the exact moment. Shelly came running to them, fast even for her. Panting heavily she didn't even tried to catch a breath and said something none of them were prepared to hear,
"Awake …she's ….teacher's awake"
— — — — —