Long Forgotten

Chapter 2) Unanswered Questions

Time Skip----- Eleven years later-----
Celest POV-----
Morning light streamed in from my window. I slowly sat up, yawning. Mmmmm. I smell breakfast. I quickly glance at the clock. And blinked. "Oh shoot! It's already 8:00!" I screamed, "Ichal's gonna kill me!"
Ichal is our foster parent. He took us in after he found us sleeping by some stream. I don't know why Esula and I were there, but we were. Sister doesn't seem to remember either. Anyways, Ichal invited us to his hut in the woods. Since we were young and hungry and lost, we eagerly agreed. Ichal was probably around forty years old and he looked kind enough. He has taken care of us for fourteen whole years. Just seven months ago, he decided to teach us some sort of self-defense because he said we were getting too old for him. Talk about rude. But I get that he wants to move on with his life.
Enough with memories, I'm late to today's defense lesson! Again! This is like the fifth time this week! I quickly changed, made my bed and grabbed my lesson equipment before I sprinted out the door.
"-That's it! Well done Esula!" Ichal praised. He glanced up to see me burst through the back door, panting. He crossed his arms, "Celest."
I sighed. "I'm truly sorry that I have not arrived on time once again and I promise that next time I will try my very hardest to do so," I recited.
Ichal paused, then nodded, "Fine." That was all we said before telling Esula to teach me what she learned. I smiled and happily agreed because Esula always supports me and even though she is only two years older than me, she acts like my mother.
"Today what we learned so far was how to use nature as a weapon," Esula started once Ichal had walked inside. She gestured toward a pile of sticks, rocks, and other things that we could easily find in the woods. We practiced using sticks to shield and rocks to evade. After we finished, Esula decided to mess with me, "So how did you manage to skip half Ichal's lesson this time?"
I pouted, "Hmph. I slept in. Why didn't you wake me up?" Esula just laughed. "You just wanted me to get in trouble didn't you, Sister?" I said in a fake upset voice.
Esula just smiled, "Who knows?" I love my sister if I'm honest. I idol her. I want to be just like her. She was like... perfect. Esula had beautiful pearly white hair and the kindest face I've seen. Not that I've seen many faces in my life, but that isn't the point. She is nice to everyone and made the wisest choices. I'm so happy to call her my sister.
Esula always said I was pretty, but I never really believed her. My hair is a pinkish purple mess and I'm not very good at making friends.
"Celly. Celest. Celest!" Esula snapped me out of my daze.
I blinked a couple of times, "Oh! Um, yeah? Do you need me?"
"I need to tell you something important. This is our last lesson here. Last meal, last night, last day someone is going to be watching over us. We have exhausted Ichal. We'll be fine, 'kay?"
My eyes widened, then started watering. No more protection from the outside world? Esula and I are terrified of the outside world because we were found nearly dead by the stream. But we were found by Ichal. But Ichal isn't going to be there for us anymore. But he taught us so many survival tricks. I had wondered why. But now I know. To prepare us for this. Living by ourselves. But why? Why were we found by some random stream. Why were we found half-dead? Why-
"Stop!" Esula said while shaking me.
I stopped and realized what I was doing. I was snapping all the twigs off of the tree branch we were using for today's lesson. The ground was scattered with splinters of wood and my hands were red with rashes. "Again?" I asked. I always end up doing stuff like this when I'm either nervous, or thinking too hard.
Esula sighed, "One of these days, you are going to seriously hurt yourself with this habit of yours."
"I know. I'll try to stop," I said, I'm uh just going back up to... my room."
Depressed, I dragged myself up the stairs and flopped onto my bed. Too much is going on. I'll just take a nap. I buried my head into my pillow... for the last time.
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~Next~ Chapter 3) A Hint of Magic