The Shining Stars
Suggested Theme:
Main Theme- Fireflies by Owl City
Vlar is going to his hideout tonight to gather some supplies before heading out to raid Kaal's mines. His hideout is located by a lake enshrouded by trees as tall as Kiru and equally pervasive roots. It's far from the village and the judging eyes of OverWorlders.
There is no moon to light the way for Vlar. He has to fumble his way through the roots and saplings to reach the lakeshore. The silver pebbles crunch under his raggedy boots as he walks toward the lake's water.
To his surprise, he can see a figure with long, dark hair lying at the edge of the water. Vlar takes out a small dagger from his boot, so he can slit the figure's throat. When he draws closer, he realizes that the figure is actually a young man with blue skin and brown hair. It's the Muge's son.
"Afjak, what the Cothica are you doing here?" Vlar sheaths his dagger back into his boot. He can't kill Afjak without arousing the rage of Najarin. Frankly, the Muge terrifies him more than Kaal.
"Hello, Vlar, it's a lovely night for stargazing!" Afjak sits up and looks into Vlar's red eyes with his glowing blue eyes. Vlar resists the urge to scoff at the apprentice for his trusting nature.
"You realize that this Location is far from the village. No one will be able to hear your screams." Vlar lowers his voice, hoping it would frighten the apprentice away. Afjak grins at him like Vlar told a joke.
"That's wonderful! I could conduct all sorts of experiments without my Master finding out!" Vlar is not surprised that Afjak conducts experiments behind Najarin's back. Afjak's duties seem to consist of gathering kindle and materials for Mugic. Vlar has never once seen the apprentice even try to make Mugic. How can Afjak ever possibly learn to be a Muge if his father refuses to let him try?
"If this was your lake, then, yes, you could conduct all sorts of experiments. However, this is my hideout." Vlar crosses his arms and glares at Afjak like he's about to throttle the apprentice if he doesn't leave soon. Afjak is unfazed by the glare and lies back down.
"Have you ever watched the stars? No one can own them." Vlar is certain that the last part is the closest thing that Afjak has ever come across to talking back to someone. It amuses Vlar to know that Afjak has probably never talked back to his father. Only Vlar is privy to this side of Afjak.
"Yes, I have." Vlar could tell Afjak about how he was in utter agony while stargazing. It was nearly a season after he found the lake and he decided to rob some UnderWorlder. He got caught and his chest was burned while trying to escape the UnderWorld. He thought he was going to die and looked up at the nighttime sky for a miracle. He decides not to tell that part because it wouldn't get Afjak out of here.
"My Master told me that the light from a star is actually a world in its death throes. If he's correct, then millions of worlds are dying every night." Vlar finds the statement pretty dark for a Muge. Najarin seems distrustful and pious, but not pessimistic.
"Won't your 'Master' worry if you're hanging out with a thief like me?" Vlar hopes that by mentioning Afjak's "Master" would be enough to finally get the apprentice to leave. Instead, Afjak chooses to point at a particularly bright star.
"Do you think that the brightness of the star correlates with the amount of lives dying on the world?" Vlar should have just told Afjak to leave. Being subtle, or "nice", is clearly not working. He should just drag Afjak up from the shoreline and push him away. Vlar does not do that.
"You know you could answer my question better if you would just lie down with me." Afjak suggested innocently. Vlar knows he shouldn't. He should be on his way to the mines, so he can make it back here before dawn. He decides to lie beside Afjak and looks up at the stars painlessly.
"To answer your question, no. No, I don't think the brightness is tied to death. I think your Master is trying to make you as cynical as he is." Vlar expects Afjak to defend his Master after that obvious put-down. However, Afjak grins.
"My Master doesn't trust my abilities. I want to be a great Muge like him, so we can see the world together." Afjak's grin falls from his face and is replaced with a crestfallen look. Vlar doesn't like that sad look on the apprentice's face.
"Your Master could have learned from the Cothica, and he would still be wrong. I'm not a Muge and I go anywhere I want. You don't need to be or have a great Muge to see the world. You just need to have some guts and disregard everyone's disbelief in you." Vlar doesn't give a damn about what the villagers think of him, which makes him freer than those OverWorlders will ever be.
"Isn't it lonely to see the world by yourself?" Vlar is finally able to scoff at Afjak.
"Who cares? If you're having fun by yourself, why do you need anyone else?" Vlar is a thief, but not a liar. Especially to himself.
"Are you having fun talking with me?" Afjak asked with a smile slowly spreading across his lake-blue features.
"Yes." Why else would Vlar have not kicked Afjak out by now? The apprentice is fun to be around.
"Are you alone?" Vlar rolls his eyes. He knows how this conversation is going to end. It's going to end where he's wrong, while Afjak is right.
"No." Vlar shuts his eyes, mentally preparing himself for the "I told you so" line.
"You should open your eyes. The stars are shining quite beautifully tonight." Now, Vlar is surprised. Afjak could have declared victory, but chooses not to. Not many Creatures would do that when associating with Vlar.
"Yes, they are." There are stars that shine so brightly that they stand out in the nighttime sky. Those stars are impressive and grand, but seem quite lonely. Once in a while, two bright stars shine together. Right now, two stars are shining brighter than the sun.