Boys of Freedom

[8] 𝕲𝖔𝖓𝖊

(Gone)
★
Hey, this is not real. I hope someone's reading, though.
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"Easy girl, it's just a bit of water."

I tried to get Fungus to walk through a stream, but she tossed her head and neighed loudly, unwilling to go any further.

"Guess I'll have to lead you through then."

I dismounted, grabbed her reins, and tried to lead her through the ice cold water. She neighed, only taking a few steps forward, before rearing. I let go of the reins, and tried to find out what was making her act like this.

"El!"

The sound of hooves trotting in the distance made me lift my head up and I turned around, wondering who called me. Usually people didn't call me 'El,' but there were no other people around, so I guess it was me, they were talking to.

A chestnut horse with a white streak down it's forehead was approaching. It had a short, neatly trimmed mane, and two different coloured eyes. The right one was brown, while the left was light blue. I couldn't see the face of the person riding, but their voice revealed that they couldn't be much older than me.

"Who are you?" I asked, scared they were someone my mom had send out to find me.

The person took their hood off, running a hand through their messy hair.

"Liam Grayson Vennorin."

They had streaks of teal in their blonde hair, and wore black boots and a leather shirt, tucked into their patched, worn out jeans. I didn't recognise them. They looked like someone straight out of Sapphire Clan, a clan that I had been wanting to be a part of since I was little, but they couldn't be... That clan had split up, and had probably also been hunted down years ago, and how would they even know my name, if they were from another clan?

"I mostly go by Gray, though, but call me what you want. Oh, and please use he, him and his for me."

He dismounted, swinging his leg elegantly over the saddle.

"Your name's Elion, right?"

"Who send you and how do you know my name?"
I fumbled with Fungus's reins, and bit the inside of my cheek.

"Chill out, half-elf boy. I was send by your dear friend Goren." He rolled his eyes at me, took a piece of parchment out of his pocket, and began reading it.

"He knew I was here?"

"He's not stupid, Elio," he chuckled, slipping the piece of parchment into his pocket again.

"What's with the nicknames?"

I scratched my eyebrow, clearly very uncomfortable in this situation. Who was this guy?

"What do you mean? Goren always calls you 'El' or 'Elio,' when he tells me about you."

"Oh. He does? Wait- are you friends with him?"

"Yup, I'm from Sapphire Clan. Well, I'm what's left of it, but it doesn't really matter, I'm here because he told me to find you and give you this..."
He handled me the piece of parchment, shaking slightly.

I took it, and read it over and over again, tears forming in my eyes.

Dear Elion,

They're coming and they're stronger than ever. I may be dead before you read this, but I promise you, that it's going to be okay. I'm going to reunite with my dad, and it's going to be amazing!

I know it's hard, and I know you're going to miss me, but you'll be okay.

Please, hurry back.

Goren

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The grown elf from Malachite Clan snarled and pulled his muscular arm back to swing the sword once again. The silver blade swept towards me, but I dodged just in time.

"Why don't you just give up?" he roared, his white stallion rearing in terror, when I shot an arrow after it's leg with my bow. "You little shit!"

I heard shouting in the distance, and turned around in my saddle as much as I could.

"Elion!"

My heart was sitting in my throat, when I realised that it was Goren, who called my name. I kicked my heels into the sides of Fungus. She flicked her mane and started to gallop in the other direction of the Malachite warrior.

There he was. On the ground. In a pool of his own blood, with a knife in his stomach. I dismounted, grabbed him by his shoulders and pulled him into a hug, getting blood everywhere.

"He...stabbed me."

"Don't open your eyes," I stuttered, tears streaming down my face, "it's bad."

"I know, just...don't go, don't leave me," he begged.

"I'm staying, I'm right here, Goren," I said.

"Elio, Elio, Elio... I love you," he whispered, then took his last breath.

★

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"You really loved him, didn't you?"

I nodded and leaned against Goren's mom's shoulder.

"He loved you too," she smiled and hid her face in her hands, trying desperately not to cry in front of me.

I cried, I couldn't stop. I didn't think, that I would ever be able to stop, actually. You were supposed to cry, when someone died though, right?

"I got his favourite flower," I whispered, and curved my fingers around the twin-thorn in my hand. It was a rare flower, only growing near Amethyst Clan, with stunning dark blue petal leaves, and two big thorns. The leaves reminded me of Goren's eyes, and my hands began to shake.

"Oh, Elion..."

Goren's mom squeezed my shoulder and I let out a weird sound.

"Go put it on his grave, yeah?"

I didn't sense all the people around Goren's grave at all. It felt like it was just me and him. But he was gone of course, he wasn't coming back. I was all alone in this fucked up world.

Tears made my vision blurry, and I nearly tripped over my own feet, when I walked over to place the flower on Goren's grave. There were already lots of beautiful flowers in all sorts of colours, but no one had brought twin-thorns. I gently placed the flower on top of his grave, cutting myself slightly on one of the sharp thorns.

"Good bye, Goren," I sobbed, and took a step back.

Another twin-thorn was thrown on top of Goren's grave, and I looked up to see who threw it. I was met by two dark brown eyes, and froze, when I realised who it was.

"Gray?"

"Elio," he nodded, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"You brought him a twin-thorn too, you little half-elf boy," he said, and wiped the tears away.

"I did," I whispered, and ran my hand through my hair.

We stood there in awkward silence for a bit, grieving together.

"I'm gonna miss him," I stuttered, my legs beginning to shake.

"Me too, El, me fucking too."

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