Mystical Saga - The beginning

42. Coming together (F)

A/N

This story is unedited so apologies for grammatical and spelling errors if any.

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Fiora (POV)

"What's going on?" the old man asked gently, embracing me and stroking my head. "Are you okay, child?" My cries dwindled into sniffles.

"Marcus?" my aunt asked, utterly confused, "Is that you, Marcus?" I stepped back, trying to comprehend the situation.

The old man smiled and said, "How have you been little lizard?" My aunt broke into tears and hugged him tightly.

Samragyi's eyes glistened with tears, while the other comrades stood in shock. I turned to Theo, whose expression was unreadable. As I walked up to him, he conjured ice arrows and aimed them at me, making me stop in my tracks, too afraid to approach further.

When my aunt's sobs subsided, the old man respectfully bowed at Samragyi. Samragyi stepped closer, still maintaining a respectful distance. "You were alive all this time and didn't think to come back?" Samragyi asked, her tone laced with a hint of reproach.

"It's not that simple, Samragyi. After that incident, I lost all my memories. An old maverick nursed me back to health. It took nearly a year and a half for me to fully regain my memory. During that period, I even lost my wolf."

"You could have returned after regaining your memory," my aunt interjected, her voice tinged with accusation.

"I wanted to return so badly," the old man began, his voice heavy with longing, "but after regaining my memory, I saw that you all had moved on with your lives. I didn't want to create chaos. Moreover, there was nothing left here for me to nurture. The old Maverick who helped me was the leader of the pack and gravely ill. I couldn't abandon him in his condition, so I stayed."

My mind struggled to keep up, a whirlwind of confusion and emotions.

"Welcome back, legendary Beta," Ruup said, a teasing note in his voice. The old man smiled warmly, responding, "Thank you, Ku-ruup."

Ruup immediately retaliated, "I'm Ruup, not Ku-ruup. You're Ku-ruup," and everyone laughed at their playful banter.

The old man hugged Ruup tightly, while the others bowed respectfully, their gestures filled with reverence.

"What's happening here? Why were you all scolding Fiora?" he asked, concern etching lines on his face.

"Your daughter has betrayed us," Samragyi said, her voice dripping with venom.

"Who?" the old man asked, his eyes widening in shock. My ears perked up. Daughter? Whose daughter? What is going on? I wondered.

"Marcus," my aunt said gently, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Fiora is our Aakshi."

I looked at him, confusion and realization dawning on me simultaneously. "Is he my father?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper. My aunt nodded, tears glistening in her eyes.

"Hmm, that explains why your scent felt familiar," the old man said softly, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Though you've grown, you still carry a hint of your childhood fragrance."

The atmosphere was thick with tension and awkwardness. I was torn between wanting to hug the old man and cry or feeling ashamed for having to meet under such circumstances.