...son?...

Chapter 4 : isn't it love?

Hollow woke up and saw the child next to his face and his mother "Hello son, welcome home" said Root while hugging Hollow. Root left with the child still in her arms, Hollow could feel the tightness in his torso, he looked down and saw his torso wrapped in silk, he cuts off the silk and look his back at a mirror and saw scars "what happened" he thought to himself, he did his morning (yes he had breakfast with more salt), then he trains with the knights and kingsmoulds, "hey Ogrim...what happened...yesterday?" asked Hollow "you crashed to a cave wall that badly injured you and you fell unconscious for a long time" said Ogrim "oh, sorry I...wasn't much...help" said Hollow "it's okay bud" said Ogrim while he pat Hollow's shoulder, "okay Dryya and Hollow, it's your turn to spar" said Isma, "okay Dryya you got this, you got this, just don't get distracted" Dryya thought to herself, Dryya goes to the left side of the arena, Hollow soon walks into the right arena, "he's so cute hehehe" Dryya thought "snap out of it Dryya! " she thought, Dryya changed at Hollow, Hollow blocked her nail with his nail, then for a short second She got distracted and staired at his face while she lightly blushed, then Hollow swung his nail causing her to fling in the air, she fell to the floor of the arena she jumped back up and fenced at Hollow but Hollow strikes his nail at Dryya but stopped near her forehead, "Hollow you're so handsome" she thought to herself while blushing, "Dryya, are you...okay" said Hollow, she snapped out of it "oh i'm fine" said Dryya "okay, it's just you've never been this easy on me" Hollow said while walking to the seat of the arena, the knights and kingsmoulds are going to train their agility so they are going to move past the obstacles as fast as possible "you're up Dryya" said Hegemol "Dryya don't distracted, you are not in love with Hollow, You are NOT in love with Hollow" she thought to herself "okay, GO!", Dryya parkoured through the obstacles, but halfway through the she got distracted by Hollow, she kept going and she hit almost every single obstacle and she fell, Hollow ran towards her "is it weird that Dryya is distracted" said Isma "Dryya are okay" said Hollow while helping her up, "he's holding my hand, HE'S HOLDING MY HAND!!! " Dryya thought while she staired at his hand holding her hand while blushing very hard, making her face red "you look a little red, are you okay? " said Hollow "yeah, yeah I'm fine, hehehe, oh look training's over I'll just go home" said Dryya nervously, "is it just me or is Dryya acting weird" said Isma, Ze'mer stayed silent.

Dryya was in her house sitting on her couch with her hands on her covering her forehead "what's happening to me, why can't I stop thinking about him, why can't I focus when I see him, why, why, why" those thoughts flood her mind, then she heard a knock on her door, she stood up, opened the door and it was Isma and Ze'mer, they came in and talked with Dryya, "Dryya, are you okay?" asked Isma "of course I am" said Dryya "are you sure, because you've never been this distracted, is something wrong" said Isma "I don't know, it's nothing serious" said Dryya "I sense romantic love" said Isma "what do you mean? " said "you found a soft spot in Hollow, you love him" said Ze'mer "what?! No no I don't love him that way" said Dryya "you must be true to your feelings to him and to yourself, so you can move on" said Ze'mer "alright fine I do have a crush on Hollow" said Dryya "but I don't know how to tell him" "hey Dryya, it's okay remember when you taught me how to tell my feelings towards Ogrim, now it's my turn to teach you"

(flashback)

Almost 3 years ago, the troop was doing a mission, when they were looking for something Isma slipped down from a cliff , then Ogrim heard her cries from the bottom of the cliff and tried to catch her, before she fell to the ground Ogrim caught her in his arms (bridal style), "hey" said Ogrim "hehehe hey" said Isma while blushing, Ogrim put Isma down and they continued the search during the whole mission Isma was acting strange, she was always distracted, nervous, delutional and her face had a red hue. They completed the mission, so they rode home with the carriage, Dryya noticed that Isma was acting strange now and during the mission and she became curios. when they made it back to the palace, Dryya told Ze'mer "have you noticed that Isma has been acting strange" Ze'mer stayed silent. Ze'mer and Dryya visits Isma, isma heared a knock on her door and opened it, Ze'mer and Dryya went in Isma's house and they talked "Isma, I've noticed that you are acting strange, what's going on, are you okay?" asked Dryya "no, I think i have a crush on Ogrim" said Isma while slightly blushing, "aww you two are perfect for each other" said Ze'mer "yeah, but I don't know how to tell him" said Isma "well just tell him" said Ze'mer "Ze'mer on moments like this it has to be special, so we should make a special moment for you, maybe you should go to somewhere beautiful, like Greenpath, you guys should sit on a bench talk a little and strike" said Dryya "yeah you're right, let's do it tomorrow". Dryya, Isma and Ze'mer talked about things and then realized it was very late, so Dryya and Ze'mer left Isma's house, Isma couldn't sleep, her thought were too strong, but eventually she got tired and slept. The next day Isma went to Ogrim's house, she knocks on the door trembling, and Ogrim opened the door and Isma blushed hard, "h-hey Ogrim, d-d-do you w-want to c-c-come to Greenpath with m-m-me? " Isma said while stuttering, "sure" said Ogrim "let me get ready first". Isma and Ogrim were walking in Greenpath, they were talking about some things while looking at the beautiful scenery of Greenpath, they found a bench and decided to rest a bit, "should I tell him now" Isma thought to herself, "hey Isma" Ogrim said "y-yes?" said Isma "I have to tell you something, something that you might not know" Ogrim said "um.. Okay" said Isma "through out these years training with you, it's one of the happiest things I've ever experienced, your strong, kind and caring, I wish i could be like you, Isma I.. I.. I love you, I love you ever since I met you" Ogrim said while blushing "I love you too Ogrim" Isma said while blushing, Isma and Ogrim got closer and closer, and before they realize it, they kissed, Isma and Ogrim had a date after walking on Greenpath, they had so much fun and they get to know each other even deeper, it was getting late so they decided to go back home, Ogrim walked Isma back to her home, "well here we are, Bye Isma" said Ogrim "Bye, I love you" said Isma while she kissed Ogrim's cheek "I love you too" said Ogrim.

(end of flashback)

The next day at training, Dryya walked up to Hollow while trembling, "H-h-hey Hollow, d-d-do you want t-t-to go to G-g-greenpath with M-m-me?" Dryya asked while stuttering and blushing "sure, i'll ask my mother" said Hollow. It was the afternoon, Dryya went to The white palace to get Hollow, she knocked on the door but there was no response, she asked Hollow's mother (the queen) "your majesty, where is your son?" Dryya asked "he is at Greenpath" said the queen "thank you your majesty" said Dryya. Dryya was walking at Greenpath at dusk and saw Hollow sitting on a bench.....with another girl, it was one of the mantis lord sisters from the mantis village, Dryya hid behind a wall and watched and listened to Hollow and the mantis lord, but before the mantis lord go, Hollow and the mantis lord kissed, Dryya felt tears flowing from her cheeks to the flower she was holding, she didn't confront Hollow, she went back to her home and cried in her bedroom, Isma and Ze'mer came to her house and heard Dryya crying, they knocked on the door, but no one answered, "Dryya, can you let us in so we can talk about it?" Isma said, Dryya opened the door with tears in her eyes and cheeks, Ze'mer and Isma went inside, Dryya explained everything, "it's okay Dryya, you'll find someone else" Isma said while hugging her, Ze'mer and Isma decided to go and give Dryya some space so they went home. Meanwhile at Greenpath Hollow is still waiting for Dryya on the bench, he watched the sun set but Dryya still hasn't come, he waited more, he saw Ze'mer and Isma walking on the path, "hey, do you...know where...Dryya is? "Hollow asked "she's not coming" Ze'mer said "why?" Hollow said, "she's going through some things" Isma said, "should we visit...her? " Hollow said "no, it's best if we leave her alone for now" Ze'mer said, Hollow came back to the palace.

Hollow laid down on his bed, but he couldn't sleep, he was worried about Dryya, but why. The next day at training Dryya was acting off, when it was Hollow and her turn to spar, she fenced Hollow with an unusual violence, her attacks were a lot faster and stronger than usual, she raised her nail and thrust it to Hollow's nail shattering it, the shock wave of Hollow's shattered nail pushed Hollow and Dryya to the opposite sides of the arena, Dryya got up and saw Hollow unconscious on the floor of the arena, she ran to him and froze in shock, a piece of Hollow's nail badly fractured his mask, Dryya fell on her knees and cried helplessly while the kingsmould came and took Hollow to the infirmary. Root and the 5 knights were sitting outside waiting for Hollow's treatment, "your majesty" said Dryya with a sad tone "I'm sorry for causing this mess" Dryya said, "no, it was just an accident, you didn't mean it" said Root while sheding a tear, "well, Hollow should be fine, he will be unconscious for another day or two, that nail piece really did a number on him, it's a good thing the crack didn't meet" said the doctor, the knights and Root rushed to the room and saw Hollow unconscious and resting on the bed, Root sat next to his bed while holding the sleeping child in her arms, "can I please have some space" said Root to the Knights "of course my queen" Hegemol said while the knights leave the room. The knights were outside the room, Dryya's mind was flooded with the feeling of guilt, she has never felt so bad in her life, "Dryya are you okay? " Isma asked "I'd be lying if I said yes" said Dryya in a guilty and sad tone, "do you want to talk about it?" Ogrim asked, Dryya explained everything including why she striked unusually violent at Hollow, Isma hugged Dryya, comforting her, "thanks" said Dryya cheered a little. The knights went home, accept Dryya, she was sitting next to Hollow in the infirmary, "Hollow, I'm sorry, I caused all this because of something you didn't do" said Dryya while sobbing. Dryya went home because it was getting late, she went to bed without the intentions to sleep, her guilt was too strong, she didn't sleep all night. During training she was more vulnerable, due to her guilt and her sleepless night, the 4 knights (Isma, Hegemol, Ze'mer and Ogrim) talked "guys, we need to do something" Isma said "yeah I agree, Dryya can't be in missions with a state like this" Ogrim said, "maybe she just needs space and think about it herself" Hegemol said "no, in times like this, space isn't enough, she needs her friends" Isma said, "what are we going to do, to cheer her up?" Isma said "perhaps a day off with her friends will be good" Ze'mer suggested, "yeah that sounds good" Hegemol said "that'll be nice" said Ogrim, They went to the queen and asked for a day off "hmm...I suppose you knights have been working very hard and a day off with her friends will be good for Dryya, Very well, you may have the whole weekend off" Root said "thank you my queen" said Isma while the knights leave.

(this chapter was made possible by Sm0l_King and his girlfriend Mia Lewin, give a big hand for them)