Ephemeral Affairs [MXM]

Rejects

To Fiona who is lowering her head trying to avoid Artemis, I say, "Thank you for bringing Asahi to me. I think he's not feeling well."

"If you don't mind, you guys can stay with me inside the library," Artemis places a hand on my shoulder.

"No! My mama!" Asahi quickly pushes Artemis's hand away.

Artemis makes an odd surprised face like he is unsure of what to do next.

"Sorry. His aunt has been teasing him," I try to explain.

"Oh. I was more surprised he could talk," Artemis combs his slick dark hair with his hand.

Then he pinches the little boy's cheek, "What a cheeky little boy we have here. Must be like his father."

"No." Asahi pouts and hides his face.

"Okay. Okay. Stop teasing my son. He's not feeling well," I smack my lips. Then I refocus the topic, "And we would love to stay with you in the library. It's the one in Enzumin, right?"

A corner on Artemis's mouth curls upward and he nods.

Then we return to the campfire where Grandmama and Nien are arguing over something.

"Don't start acting like a parental figure for me now. I will be friends with whoever I want to!" Nien galls at the elderly woman.

The elderly woman twitches her nose and slaps the bald woman, "You hag! Listen when your elders are giving you guidance!"

"Grandmama! Nien!" Asahi and I fly in between them. "We are a family. Let's not be vicious to one another."

"Move Maeve. It's about time I teach this hard headed child a lesson!" Tears rapidly squeeze out of Grandmama's aging blue eyes.

Before I could calm Grandmama, Nien adds to the fire, "Yes. Move Maeve. If she thinks being old gives her the right to beat me up for my beliefs then so be it. I'm not scared!"

"Stop it!" Fiona says in a strong posture, but her eyes are at the brink of tears. "Prince Nien, I'm not your friend anymore."

She quickly gathers her stuff, "I'll be returning to my family."

But I know Fiona's family cut all ties with her, so she has nowhere to go.

"Don't fucking lie to me," Nien stares death into Fiona's soul. "If you're leaving, then just fucking take me along. If I have to listen to another of this old woman's 'ancient' guidance, I'll rather never be redeemed."

Artemis glances at me, who looks extremely stressful, and rolls his glowing red eyes, "How about we all calm down in the library? There's no rush right?"

He places his hands on his hips, "Right!"

The rest of us jump, but Asahi cries loudly, "Mama!"

Artemis carries Nien and her portion of our stuff to the said library, while Grandmama's is split between Fiona and I (which isn't much to begin with).

We walk around the explosive moss until we see an old futuristic arches carved into the wall of heavenly trees.

As we walk through, there scores of blood stains and of murderous weapons among nothing else.

"I tried to clean it up as best as I could," Artemis holds in a breath. "The image of ambush is still here though."

Then we are greeted by a magical city carved into the roots and truck of the trees; and straight ahead is a bay area created by a strip between the tight trees that reveals the ocean beyond.

The most amazing aspect of this magical city is that it looks like nothing have been touched and only abandoned yesterday.

"Most things here are coated with a Dawerilium alloy, so the Aarthian couldn't do much damage on the city," Artemis reads my thoughts.

I offer a firm nod that I listened to Artemis, but to Asahi, I point to the city, "Isn't it pretty?"

We take a gradual left until we are in front of a giant building with five equal size holes as its entrances.

The first hall of the building showcases groups of desks with each own crystal lamp.

(I believe it is the same exact crystal lamps that my dragonic family used.)

Each side has study rooms and rows of bookshelves that also conforms to form five pendentives.

The ceiling of the pendentives increase in height as they move away from the entrances; and each pendentatives have oculars. Directly below the oculars are forest like gardens.

At the back wall is seventeen semi-domes with a statue of something, or perhaps someone, in each.

And the walls are heavily and heavenly decorated with patterns of squares.

"Wow. And we erased them off the surface of the earth?" Nien comments.

She's not wrong. It's hard to imagine such a civilization that built 'this' lost to another that is like a toddler in comparison.

"I'll be in one of the study room," Fiona mumbles behind me and walks toward the left side.

"Brother-in-law," Nien winces as she grabs her legs. "Mind taking me wherever Fiona is going?"

Artemis is about to roll his eyes until he sees my indifferent face staring at him that he answers, "Why not."

When they're gone, I suggest that Grandmama and I should have a talk.

We sit in the desks with our stuffs lying all over the floor.

I recall how Fiona said Asahi is not eating enough and take this opportunity to feed him.

"I hate how stubborn that girl is," Grandmama begins venting to me right away. "How could she choose her friend over her family?"

"Maybe it's because her mother is just as stubborn," Grandmama makes a disgusted face like she knew it all along.

"If I wasn't the son of Master Sihipe, would you also detest your grandson and my relationship?" I focus in on her eyes, trying to convey the sadness inside me.

She looks away with a loud sigh, "What kind of hypothetical is that? You're the son of Master Sihipe, are you not? I don't see the need for that hypothetical."

I see that she is stubborn, so I decide to change the subject.

"Nien is still very young. Don't pressure her too much so soon," I offer a small smile for comfort.

"Because she needs to learn. Her father never taught her how to be a girl, so I doing it now."

"Then allow me... Even though I'm a man," I heave out a breath of stress.

Grandmama quickly glances at me with disappointment, "No. I need to do it because she doesn't have a mother; so as her grandmother, I must. And you're too lenient."

"So you don't think I'll make a good mother for Asahi?" I try to guilt trip her.

"Child!" She scolds, "Don't use my words against me. Just let me do it my way. I'm dying soon anyway."

This makes me feel like there's something fishy about her sudden change in action and wordings.

"What's wrong? Where does it hurt?" I try to create a soft attitude so she'll feel comfortable.

Grandmama stays really quite for a while, before scoffing me off, "It's nothing."

"Grandmama. Please tell me what's going on?" I suck in my lips.

She clicks her tongue, "You talk too much. I need to rest."

And so she leaves toward where the other three headed.