Short Stories (ErrInk)

An Unlikely Love - Chapter 5

  Ink was knelt in front of a tomato vine in search of any that were considered ripe. The vegetables and fruits had been flourishing well which meant they had provided plenty of food for Lily and Ink along with enough to sell to the rest of the village.

  It was lovely outside that day. There was just a light breeze and the warm light of the sun was peeking through the mountain side. Morning dew caused the blades of grass to sparkle. Flowers soon became occupied by butterflies and honey bees that were collecting nectar. The market in the square was lively with villagers that were setting up shop and beginning their work.

  Error watched the villagers from afar behind a window of the cottage. Such behavior was puzzling to him. It was strange, the concept of actively selling your hard work instead of hoarding it. There were no fights and there were no harsh words. It was the complete opposite from what the elders had told to all the young demons.

  Where Error was from, his kind despised the mortals for being selfish with their land and exiling them to an uninhabitable realm. Then again, his kind didn't hesitant to kill to gain power or wealth for themselves. At some points, Error didn't understand his own native culture.

  Ink rested for a second on a rock. There were still many crops to tend to and the animals needed to be fed. Unbeknownst to him, Error was approaching and seeming to want to say something.

Error: Ink.

  The demon spoke with a natural deep tone, breaking the mortal from his thoughts.

Ink: Good morning Error. How is your wound feeling?

Error: Fine. Your grandmother told me to come out here and help you. She said "Can you be a sweetheart and help Ink? Sometimes he puts too much work on himself and needs some help from time to time."... or something like that.

  It took a second for Ink to understand as Error's accent was thick. Eventually, he looked at Error with a slight smile.

Ink: That certainly sounds like something she would say.

The farm boy laughed before pushing himself up from the rock. The demon was confused but decided not to comment as he followed Ink.

Ink sat next to a strange plant that Error didn't recognize. The fruit was a cluster of strange green spheres which made the demon hesitant. However, Ink was perfectly comfortable picking the cluster off its vine and handing one of the them to Error.

Error: What is that?

There was a confused expression on the farm boy's face.

Ink: You don't know what a grape is?

  Error shook his head. The demon was almost entirely a meat eater due to the living conditions back home. Plants weren't capable of growing in the Underworld because of the acidic rain and volcanic fire.

  The farm boy gently patted the ground next to him in a way to tell Error to sit down as well. Error reluctantly did so and observed the contents of the basket.

  Ink picked off a grape, handing it to Error to try. Error placed it on his tongue and was immediately surprised by the taste. It was like nothing he had ever had. Meat had a bold taste when cooked properly but this... had a tickling feeling which he wasn't used to. However as it set, it was rather quite pleasant.

The demon watched the farm boy place clusters of grapes into the basket before moving to other plants of fruit.

For the next hour they gathered crops, Ink teaching Error which ones were okay to get and which ones weren't. Then they fed the goats and chickens. Ink did the hard work as Error wasn't experienced with handling living creatures.

By the time they were done, it was around noon. There was no longer dew on the grass and the sun shown brightly above. Ink found a spot under a large tree to shield himself from the rays of light which Error did the same. The demon did so as he wasn't used to it yet.

Lily came out of the cottage, carrying a wooden plate that had a variety of vegetables and fruits. Meat had been cooked and pulled apart into smaller pieces. The food had peeked Error's interest as he remembered the soup from the day before.

  The old lady began to slowly sit down on the ground alongside Error and Ink. Despite Ink protesting that she might hurt herself, he helped her as she quickly shut up the farm boy with an authoritative look. They ate together in shade. Error listened to the conversations between the old lady and her grandson.

  Both of them had smiles on their faces as they shared gossip about the other villagers. Unknowingly, Error realized that not all mortals were terrible beings. He subconsciously thought to himself.

'They haven't done anything to wrong me. Maybe I'll spare them and their village when I leave to kill the rest of the mortal race. Unlike that hero girl...

Ink is kind and an innocent mortal