The Demon and the Elf (Book 1)

Chapter Ten pt 2

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Somewhere along the past several years, Eial's mind refused to remember his mother. The memories were burrowed deep in a well, keeping his heart away from boiling over. And just like that, he had passively convinced himself she would never be back to show herself in front of him.

Back in the present, the sun had risen to the top, covered loosely by small clouds. Inside the cabin sat the elf, leaning his back against the sidewall with his legs stretched out on the bed. The demon sat quietly outside the cabin, and the demoness had decided to hunt around the area where Eial could easily hear the crunches of sticks and see her if he chose to.

His current situation still felt surreal to him. How could it not? The matters with the demon were significant enough, but that felt like a blade of grass against the forest that was his mother's return.

He had almost forgotten his mother's face except for a vague recollection of a fuzzy silhouette. But as if his memories were splashed on him, he could immediately recognize her the moment he saw her. The pointed horns from her temple, her sharp eyes, even the way she walked brushed a stroke of nostalgia in him.

What was he to do now?

Eial hopped out of the bed and peeked out of the opening. The demoness was skillfully throwing daggers at prey and examining the plants around them. From the corner of his eye, he saw an edge of the demon's cape creep out from a side of the cabin. His hand gently soothed his chest as he found the determination in himself to walk over.

The demon was leaning against the wall of the cabin and staring off into nothingness. Fortunate for the demon's dignity, his forehead dent had eased. Noticing the elf, he looked up and stared for a moment before looking away to the side.

With careful steps, Eial walked over to the other side of the demon and sat a couple feet away from him. Glancing at the demon who had averted his gaze again, he shifted slightly closer.

After a few nervous blinks, Eial started. "You seemed to be acquainted. Do you know her? Mother, I mean." The elf had listened to their conversation through their vibrations while he trapped himself inside the soil dome. Much of it hadn't made any sense to him, but he could tell they were at least not strangers.

Though to this question, the demon could only scoff. "Know her?" He turned to side eye Eial. "You seem to be even more acquainted." There was a viciousness in his voice that the elf failed to detect. "Why do you call her 'mother'?"

"She is mother because she is mother..." The elf quirked his head in confusion before breathing in in realization. "Ah, because she's a demon? Well, she had taken care of me in my youngest years. Naturally, I came to call her, 'mother'."

"Naturally," the demon repeated in a mocking tone.

A silence took the air and Eial started to play with his fingers, pressing them against each other. He turned his head and curiously asked again. "How did you meet her?"

The demon laughed. But it wasn't a laugh of joy.

Just then, the demoness appeared, carrying the ears of several prey. "Eial, kindly do me a favor. Open the floor and make ice."

Eial immediately understood and stood up, Waving his arms around, soil lifted to create a rounded hole in the ground. And with another wave, water magic and cool air magic rushed together to make chunks of ice that filled to the top.

"Thanks, dear." The demoness walked over and buried the prey inside the ice. After, she carved an inscription with a nail on one of the ice blocks on top, keeping the ice from melting.

Eial looked over to the side to where the demon had been sitting and noticed what was left was an empty patch. Glancing side to side, he spotted the demon's back walking away. His eyes darted between looking at his mother and the demon until finally he decided to make quick steps towards the latter.

Their pace matched as the elf caught up, syncing their footsteps in rhythmic beats. The demon didn't care to look, and his face was expressionless. But his sarcastic voice showed more. "Why are you here? Aren't you going to spend quality time with your mother?"

Eial looked at the demon and then peeked back before looking down towards his feet, his hands clasped together behind his back. "To be honest, it has... been a while since I've seen her. I feel awkward. Not to say I don't wish her here! I really do! but I am just not sure how to act." Eial took a quick look at the demon once more. "I am happy you are here in this moment. It's nice to have someone... familiar."

The demon didn't say anything in return. However, his pace slowed and his footsteps dug less into soil.

Shadows of the trees covered the warmth of the afternoon sun and a small breeze carried a damp scent. A few steps away, Eial spotted a familiar green flower. With a pause in his step, he then rushed over to the flower, gently caressing it with a solemn look before plucking it. Right next to it was a yellow flower and a bulbous orange flower, both of which he also plucked. Presenting the yellow flower to the demon, he said, "For you."

Initially the demon ignored the elf, but when the elf hesitantly started to take the flower back, he grabbed it out of his hand. A sparkle came on the green eyes as he looked at the demon with anticipation. "Eat it."

"Eat it?" the demon looked at Eial in awe.

"Mhmm! It tastes funny."

Drokn rolled his eyes and bit on a petal in frustration, but the second the juices spread into his mouth, he threw the flower and spit out the petal. "What the fuck? Why is it so sour??"

The sparkle in the green eyes grew. "I told you. It tastes funny."

"You little!" Drokn's voice emitted anger, but the emotion was nowhere to be found.

Eial brought the orange flower to his nose while holding back a smile, twirling the stem back and forth with his index and thumb.

"And what's that?" The demon asked, eyeing the flower in the corner of his vision.

"Hmm? This?" Eial brought the puffy orange flower away from his nose to examine. "I like to call it a puffer flower. It smells really nice."

"Ha! You save the misery for me and enjoy the nice for yourself." Glaring at Eial, Drokn's creased brows began to grow playful.

Seeing the demon's change in expression, Eial let out a small smile. He caressed the stem of the puffer flower before biting his lip and shifting his eyes around. "You have been quieter than usual. Do you— are you perhaps not on good terms with mother? How do you know her?"

Facing forward, Drokn walked silently for a little while. Then, with a deep breath, he finally responded. "The witch you call 'mother' is my birth mother."

Before the demon could say anything else, Eial blew out a breath he was holding in shock. The force of air agitated the flower in front of him and a cloud of orange dust filled their surroundings, causing them both an unwilling coughing fit. "Oh jeez! Oh jeez! I'm so—" Cough. "—so sorry!"

The orange flower, although smells sweet, is a flower that puffs out spore if blown on. To which is why Eial had logically named it 'puffer flower'.