It Started with Slime - Part 1

Chapter 111 - Unforgivable Weakness

Part of Aarav had always known that he would likely be among the weakest beings, like a miniature Slime. I mean, he wasn't even born with teeth, let alone any other handy weapons, and he had needed to acquire all of them. He had formed from Slime to his teeth and claws and paws from the club. Everything he had gained after besting something or lucking out.

Wings, fins, legs, everything he had gained after being born and fought for them. He wasn't sure if eating insects qualified as fighting, even if he had almost been eaten alive that one time. Aarav just sat there in the lab with the two humans looking worriedly at him in his silence.

"Resh? Everything alright?" Marasa was the first to speak, Haemish still trying to work out what he had said to make the Slime so reflective.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine." Aarav said, a little flustered. "All the food is probably getting to me now. Haha." It was the best Aarav could come up with, but it was a pretty bad lie. Thankfully neither pried further. They seemed surprisingly happy to let him keep his thoughts to himself for supposed captors. They seemed content to let him work things out for himself and allow him his privacy when needed. Was this what it felt like to have parents?

Aarav shook off the thought and resumed his grin, "Just went somewhere just now, food coma hallucinations, you know?"

"Of course," Haemish said kindly. Aarav could feel the outpouring of emotions at the kindness these people were showing him at this moment. Argh, what is wrong with me, they capture me and say a few nice words, and now I am all over the place with my emotions! But a deep part of Aarav couldn't help it. Of all the people he had met in his previous life, he had never been shown any kindness, save for one person. Ami...

Cruelty or kindness followed by betrayal had been his whole life. He had been so weak in his past life that he failed to protect those few things he loved. His contemplation took him back.

Fourteen Years Ago

A year had passed while Ami and Aarav had been in the care of Ms Carva. It was hard to call it in her care because she was hardly there while they were well fed, clean and dressed. For the past year, Aarav had been living his best life, as far as the necessities were concerned.

But Aarav couldn't be happy because it was just another type of prison. Both children had their education, clothes, and food to eat. But they couldn't leave. The front doors remained guarded, no one got in, and no one went out, except for Ms Carva, of course, and that sweaty manservant Bachu. She followed the woman around like a particularly obedient dog. Aarav wondered if they were ever apart and if the man ever stopped sweating.

On the other hand, Ami had lost the glass-eyed look while in Shoony's care and seemed to have moved on. While awake, at least. But in the quiet dark of the night, Aarav could hear her sniffles and sobs in her sleep. Thankfully they had not been separated when they moved here, and he could keep an eye on Ami while she slept. He would crawl into bed with her on particularly horrible nights and hold her tight to him until her talking and sobbing subsided. Even in her sleep, she held onto him like he was the last piece of driftwood from the Titanic.

Each time it happened, and that was most nights, he reconfirmed his resolve to get them to safety. A place to live out their lives quietly and safely, away from cruel people and their evil deeds.

He learned more about Ami in a week in this new place than he had in their quiet talks in the cellar of Shoony's mansion. He loved this side of his friend, and finally, she was shedding the fear and darkness that had hovered over them in the basement.

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A few days before Ami's ninth birthday, things started to change a few weeks before Aarav's own. It was subtle at first. Ms Carva would come home and spend time with Ami instead of simply going to her study, the same room off-limits to the children. Sometimes Ami would accompany her there while she left Aarav to his own devices.