A Rito named Midnight

Divine beast Vah Medoh

Quick note: In the next chapter (And there is also a paragraph or two at the end of this chapter), there will be suicidal thoughts and behavior. Please don't read if this triggers you.

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I leave Charles's hurt and take a deep breath of the refreshing morning air. Today seems like a good day. I think as I leisurely walk around the village, occasionally waving to a friendly face. The wound in my back has almost fully healed and I feel at peace. Maybe I should catch some hearty salmon at the pond and surprise Charles and Bruna with dinner. I make my way back to Charles's hut, grab a small bow and some arrows, then make my way to the pond. When I arrive, I peer at my reflection for a moment before pulling the bow and arrows out. I'm not the best archer out there but I'm pretty decent. I shoot into the water but miss when the salmon moves out of the way at the last moment.

I make a small grunt of annoyance and try again, this time actually hitting it. I smile and pull the fish out of the water. It's not a bad size and I know it's enough for the 3 of us. We may even have a little bit extra. I take the fish back to Charles and Bruna's hut. Nobody was there at the moment so I start gutting the fish just like my father once taught me once upon a time.

Once I finish gutting the fish, I place it in a small container for safekeeping until Charles or Bruna is ready to cook it, then decide to take a walk around the village. It's a cloudy day out with a faint breeze. Most of the village is out and about right now. I look around for Charles or maybe even Bruna but don't see them out and about, which I find a little bit odd. Usually, Bruna is talking to the other woman in the village or in the slippery falcon and Charles is usually at a Rito warrior meeting or teaching the younger Rito in flight school. I decide to quickly check those locations.

I first go to the slippery falcon where I'm surprised to find Bella working there. "Good morning Bella. I didn't know you worked here." I say to her. "Good morning Midnight. I volunteered to run the store for Pine since he and his family are out of town this week. They should be back before the archery competition though if you are looking for them." She tells me. "Actually, I was wondering if you have seen Bruna or Charles anywhere," I said. Bella thinks for a moment. "I didn't see Bruna today but I think I saw Charles flying away from the village early this morning. It was hard to tell though. It could have been someone else. Sorry, Midnight." Charles was leaving the village? That's a bit odd. I think to myself.

"That's okay. Thanks anyway. I'll see you later." I say. "See you around Midnight," Bella replies as I leave the store. I then travel out of the village and up to Warbler's roost, where flight class was training today. Bella said Charles left the village but she wasn't really sure so may as well check where he might be. Besides, why would he leave the village? Especially this close to the calamity. Warbler's roost isn't too far, maybe only about an hour walk? It's not like I had anything else to do today anyway.

When I arrive, I see a decent-sized group of small Rito trying to shoot a swinging target attached to a tree while a few older Rito were watching. Very few are hitting and even the ones that do hit the target are nowhere near the center of it. Watching them, I flashback to when I was a tiny Rito. When I could still fly, When my father was here, and when I had no worries. I was so naive as a child. I didn't know how tough life would turn out. I quickly turn away from the group of Rito before the rush of memories becomes too overwhelming. Charles isn't here anyway. I start to leave but stop when I hear a round of applause and an all too familiar voice.

I turn back towards the group and there he is. Robbie. Looking at him outside the village for longer than 15 seconds, I realize just how much he had grown. He was already taller than a few of the adults in the village and he had just hit a bullseye on the swinging target. The small Rito gathered around him and were begging him to teach them how to shoot like that. Robbie smiles and announces that the competitors of the oncoming archery competition had better watch out because he was ready for them. It was then that I remembered this was the first year that Robbie could participate in the archery competition. I leave pretty quickly after that.