Tales of Astora: Legacy

Chapter 113: Strange visitors

Chapter 113: Strange visitors

"Once upon a time, there was a young elf boy. Being an orphan as far as he could remember, the boy had no family nor loved ones and relied on the leftover food he found in the streets as well as the kindness of strangers to survive. However, unlike what many would have thought, he desired something else. There was a reason why he always peeked into the houses of others through their windows, not to steal food or money but to watch the warming family scene.

The kind mother who cooked the most delicious of meals for her loving family. The caring father who supported his loved ones. And the cheerful children who received all that love from their parents. The seemingly common scene of a family gathering around the dinner table, whether they were rich or poor, was what the boy has always aspired to have: a family, people who would love him.

Alas, for such an orphan whom no one was even aware of his existence, a dream remained a distant fancy delusion, one of a boy who had nothing. But it all changed the day he went into the woods to find food. That day, not only the boy's life took a different turn but also the world.

On that fateful day, in the deepest part of the forest where no one dared venture in, the boy decided it would be the perfect place to find some wild fruits. He has not eaten for days and only lived by with water. The cold winter has not been kind to the people of the city. It would be a miracle to find something to eat these days when not even the bones were thrown out. To many, they were trash but to the boy, it would be an extravagant treat thanks to the tiny pieces of meat stuck on those bones. And yet, he could not find even a single piece of trash. Without a choice, he turned to the dangerous forest in hope of finding something, anything to fill his empty stomach.

The icy wind seemingly froze his thin cloak as he slowly took one step of a step to cross the blizzard. How long has he been walking like this? One hour? Two hours? He could not remember anymore. His limbs were starting to feel numb. It was too much for such a frail boy. But he kept going. True, he might die in this blizzard but if he didn't have anything to eat at the end of this day, he would surely perish. And so he continued his pointless struggle until he fell. Perhaps because of the snowstorm blurring his vision or simply because his eyes were too tired due to the starvation, the boy did not spot the chasm ahead and he slipped. Hanging onto the wall until he hit the floor, he finally reached the bottom unharmed. Maybe not totally unharmed since one leg was broken, twisted. Looking up through the crack, the boy realized this was the end. There was no way he could climb out of this hole, not with this broken leg.

What did he ever do to deserve this? He has never stolen from anyone. He has never harmed anyone. He only wanted to live. Was that too much to ask? But what the boy feared the most was that no one would ever remember him. He would simple die without anyone knowing he even existed in the first place. To fall into oblivion, that thought terrified him.

But there was nothing he could do but to slowly close his tired eyes and hope it would be a quick death, one that he would not suffer from the pains. Maybe this time, the Gods would grant at least this trifling wish of his...

Then suddenly, as his head lowered to the ground, the boy spotted something that has escaped his sight lying on the ground on the other side of the hole. From a glance, it looked like some kind of large egg the size of the boy's head in an oval shape but with what seemed to be veins of fire on the shell. Emitting a faint warmth, it was only now that the boy understood why this hole was not as cold as above. It was thanks to this strange egg.

Curious, he decided to find out what it was. Maybe he could even eat it to help passing this painful hunger.

It was so warm, perhaps the warmest thing he has ever held in these frozen hands. A single touch and he already felt so rejuvenated already. If he ate this, he would surely survive.