This is heaven on earth. Just me with the sky over my head, the strong breeze blowing through the trees and the gentle rhythm of the waves breaking onto the rocks. I fucking love nature. It's just so peaceful. Wish I could stay here forever, isolated from the rest of the world.
Ah, but soon I'll have to leave. Back to the hustle and bustle of the town, to the chaotic way of life. Even on this haven of an island, violence and strife exists. To think that we survived the apocalypse, and this kind of shit still happens.
I guess nature isn't that peaceful after all.
The boy heaved a sigh, summing up his disappointment in humanity, and proceeded to run his fingers through his gleaming, tousled hair. It was silver despite his age, and had been this way for as long as he could remember.
I really need a haircut. It's already falling over my eyes. Honestly, when was the last time I cut it?
The boy brushed his hair out of his line of vision and stared dreamily at the sea. The sun was just beginning its descent. As he watched, the sky became a myriad of colour, showing off the different shades of red and orange and yellow that only occurred in nature. The clouds were stained a pretty pastel pink. The shadows crept out of their hiding places and grew longer, glad to be free at last from the confines of light. Birds screeched their goodbyes as they flew back to the safety of their nests.
Eventually the sun sank behind the horizon but its final rays still lingered, giving the sky a soft purple colour. Night was creeping up around its edges eagerly. The early stars bloomed like white lilies, bringing light to the darkened world below. The earth stood still in these precious moments. The boy was unable to keep himself from gasping. Everything just seemed so mystical. His eyes, a darker shade of the sky, were wide open in wonder.
"Beautiful, isn't it?"
The boy nearly jumped.
Wasn't I the only person in this area?
However, he restrained himself in time, unconsciously crossing his arms over his body. Keeping his composure was important, after all. He managed a stiff nod in response.
The voice chuckled. The boy whipped around to his left and saw a man who was not there before. The man was facing away from him, looking towards the horizon. What could be seen of him was that he was wearing a black jacket with gold trim over a white shirt and blue jeans.
"Who are you and how did you get here?" There was an edge of suspicion and hostility in the boy's otherwise calm voice.
"Ah, but I was about to say the same thing. You haven't properly introduced yourself yet."
The man turned towards him questioningly. He had a youthful appearance, with his neatly combed black hair and short stature. However, the wrinkles around his bright green eyes betrayed his true age. A kindly smile formed on his chapped lips as he gazed meaningfully, waiting for an answer.
"Not a talker, huh? I can respect that. But I'm still waiting for your answer, you know."
The boy hesitated, but then sighed.
Why do I have to introduce myself to a complete stranger?
"My name is Emil Steilsson. I am seventeen years old. I come from Iceland, the country that caused the Great Cloud seven years ago. Most of the dormant volcanoes had erupted all at once, causing the towns to be destroyed by lava. But you've probably watched that on the news. I was separated from my family during that time. I don't know if they are still alive or not. Anyway, I hopped onto the last boat leaving Iceland and spent quite a lot of time in the refugee camps, having to relocate each time when disaster struck. Heard of New Pangea and decided to come here with my one surviving relative, Lukas Bondevik. I didn't know that he was related to me, I only found out when we went through DNA tests during the immigration process at Browning's Island two months ago. I now stay with him in Whitehaven."
He winced slightly as the words rushed out of his mouth, as if the sound of his own voice pained him. As soon as he was done, he clammed up and glared at the man, as if daring him to press further.
The man closed his eyes and nodded, ignoring this display of hostility. He looked back to the sky, admiring the constellations that dotted it.
"Glad to meet you, Emil. My name is Niko. Was one of the first settlers on this island, before the End occurred and people started flocking here for refuge. I must say I've led a fulfilling life so far. Had a stable job as a shopkeeper and raised a loving family. Now, I enjoy the fruits of my retirement, which include taking walks around the island. I love nature so I decided to take one today in this forest, which was how I came to find you here."
Emil nodded slightly as he listened idly, and uncrossed his arms. Yet he still kept up his taciturn attitude.
"I see that you appreciate nature too. Your reaction when you witnessed the twilight says it all. It's become a common sight for me but it still manages to take my breath away after all these years. The view of the sky here is beautiful as well, I must admit. It's perfect for stargazing."
Emil appeared not be listening, his gloved hands fiddling with the laces on his worn white boots. His eyes had a faraway look in them. Despite this, Niko continued on.
"I hope you don't mind the change in subject but now that I think about it, jobs have been scarce lately. With the recent increase of immigrants and more youths joining the workforce, people have been desperate to earn a living. The fact that the prices have shot up again doesn't make life any easier. My own son has to work two jobs to make ends meet. It's depressing to see him so tired. Yet he insists on giving me pocket money every month. I told him that if I'm ever in need of money, I can always start working again. I do know some people who are still in need of employees."
Emil immediately sat up straight at these words. His dull eyes now had a bit of shine in them.
"Really? Can you tell me who?" he asked perhaps a little too enthusiastically.
Niko looked back at him, grinning broadly despite his surprise. Did the boy finally come out of his shell?
"Looks like I hit the nail right on the head. I honestly didn't know you were in need of a job. Well, I can't remember their names right now but I'll try my best to get you a position. Just give me three or four days. Maybe we can meet up sometime later-"
"EMIL! Are you hiding out here again?" Someone called from the dense forest behind them. A torchlight beam shone in their direction.
Emil's attention was immediately diverted at the sound of his name. He got up from the sandy ground, and dusted off his brown jacket and pants. He then turned around to face the person who had interrupted their conversation, screwing his eyes up against the bright light.
"Oh skít," he muttered quietly. "He's come for me."
A young man hurried out of the trees, torchlight in hand. It was apparent quickly that he was Emil's aforementioned relative. He had the same mysterious look about him, with their shared angular features and Nordic skin. He also had deep eyes, except that his was dark blue. His hair was blond though, and was much shorter. He presently wore a navy blue sailor top that was belted at the waist, with matching pants and sailor hat.
"There you are! You haven't been answering my calls. Do you have any idea what time it is?" he exclaimed.
"Time for you to fuck off? I'll go home whenever I want."
Lukas simply rolled his eyes in response to this show of rebellion.
"In case you've gotten amnesia, it's 7 o'clock. You should've been home two hours ago. All of us were worried when we realised that you hadn't returned yet. Honestly, what are you doing out here by yourself?"
"I'm not alone, there's this guy called Niko with me-"
"Hang on, where did he go?"
Emil paused and looked behind him, expecting to see the elderly man smiling at him. Instead, he was greeted with air. Panicking slightly, he snatched the torchlight from Lukas and illuminated the area, hoping that he had just missed him. After a few minutes, it became apparent that they were the only living beings on the otherwise deserted beach. There was no sign of his departure, not even footprints.
He can't just disappear like this! That's impossible! But then again, he did appear the same way...
Emil heard footsteps as he continued to stare blankly at the place where Niko had stood talking to him before. The torchlight was gently taken from his hand, which had been hanging limply at his side. It was switched off with a small click. Their only source of light now were the stars twinkling brightly above.
"Aren't you too old for imaginary friends?" Lukas' voice came from his immediate right.
"He wasn't imaginary, dammit!" Emil shot back. "Niko's flesh and blood... At least I think he was." He paused, recalling the elderly man's behaviour.
He's definitely suspicious. I mean, just happening to come across this secluded beach during a walk? Pretty flimsy excuse if you ask me. I would know. I've been coming here every week ever since we first discovered this place.
And who goes up to a stranger and starts a conversation, just like that? That takes some serious balls, man.
"You think? You mean you talked to somebody who wasn't even there? You must've ate some wild mushrooms on the way here then if you're being delusional. Come back home with me, Berwald probably has something that could cure you of that. Or I could feed you the delicious shepherd's pie I made for dinner, which you missed. But for that to happen, you've gotta call me big brother first."
Lukas smirked slightly as he watched colour rush to Emil's cheeks. It was rather amusing to see him like this, struggling and failing to keep his outward composure while boiling over on the inside. He made a gesture as if to pull the white glove off his right hand but he stopped himself and instead opted to give him a piece of his mind.
"Again with this big brother business! You've been bringing it up ever since we moved here. You even got the other guys reminding me about it! It's really starting to piss me off. Why can't you grasp the fact that we're just distant relatives?"
He laid a reassuring hand on the fuming boy's shoulder. Emil relaxed slightly at this, though he remained visibly angry. "But you do remember that blood pact we made? When we were about to set off for this place?" Lukas said, suddenly serious.
Emil looked at him, trying to understand this sudden change in tone. His face was unreadable as always, but he thought he saw a hint of emotion in his eyes.
"It was just a precaution. We knew that the journey on foot to the nearest airfield would be difficult. We had to travel fast, while fighting off wild animals. It was necessary for our survival to perform the Blood Brother Pact, to ensure that both of us got onto that plane. But why do you ask?"
But Lukas didn't hear him. His eyes were transfixed on the horizon, where the darkness of night was near indistinguishable from the expanse of sea. A few minutes passed in awkward silence, as Emil waited for his answer.
"When I first saw you in a refugee camp, you were just a kid. You were all bandaged up and crying for your family in your sleep. I didn't comfort you then, believing that you would cope with the loss in time. And sure enough, you did. But I'll never forget that moment when you were at your most vulnerable," he finally said. "It probably doesn't come across as a surprise to you but I've always wanted a little brother."
Now it was Emil's turn to be quiet as he tried to make sense of this new revelation. However, the only thing that he could come up with was a sharp retort.
"Yeah, but you don't need to treat me like a child. At least not anymore. In case you haven't noticed, I'm almost an adult now. I don't need curfews. I can take care of myself!"
"Look, I'm not in the position to start an argument right now. Let's just go home, okay?" Lukas answered wearily as he turned to leave.
Emil sighed, and followed suit.
Lukas led the way, the torchlight once again lighting his path. The sand crunched underfoot as it slowly transitioned into grass. Ferns and bushes threatened to entangle their legs if they didn't watch their step. The strong wind shook the trees towering above them, raining down sticks and leaves.
Presently, a small black thing fell out in front of them along with another shower of leaves. Startled, Lukas stopped and quickly shifted the torchlight beam onto it. Emil rushed forward to check out this sudden new obstruction.
He bent down and bent down and prodded the bundle of feathers lying on the ground experimentally. It stirred, shying away from his touch. A gleaming black beak could be seen among the varying shades of grey. A webbed foot was disentangled from under it and then another. It made an attempt to stand, falling back to the ground with a pitiful squawk. Its leg was held at an odd angle and when Emil looked more closely, he could see traces of blood on it. His brow furrowing in concern, he tried pick it up but it snapped at his fingers. He was just able to retract them in time. However, this did not discourage him. He used its fear to his advantage, making it back away from an advancing hand right into the other. As he grabbed it, he swiftly wrapped his hands around it to prevent it from escaping.
"Hey, I know this type of bird. I've seen it many times before in the Atlantic. That's a baby puffin. What's it doing in the forest?" Lukas said as he peered over his shoulder.
Emil didn't answer. He was too busy staring at the ball of living fluff that he was holding. It was obviously not used to human contact. Its underdeveloped wings flapped about uselessly as he gingerly tightened his hold. It struggled, twisting around to peck at his fingers at any opportunity it got. It was like holding on to a highly aggressive fish. However, he gritted his teeth and endured the pain, hoping that it would stop. And true enough, its energy was eventually spent. Its heart could be felt palpitating against its fragile little chest, a clear sign that it wanted to live.
"Where do you think its parents are?" he asked.
Lukas looked up at the trees, hoping to catch a glimpse of the nest that it fell from or a flash of black and white but the dense leaves blocked the branches from view. The fact that the moon hadn't risen yet only made it harder. There was little movement in their surroundings, mainly caused by the scurrying of rodents. Meanwhile, the baby puffin began to squawk loudly, its cries echoing throughout the forest. The only other sounds that could be heard as they waited apprehensively were the rustling of leaves and the distant hoots of owls.
"Uh, Lukas. I noticed earlier that the puffin is injured. I don't think he'll be able to survive on his own like this. Can I keep him?" Emil nudged him slightly.
He carefully weighed the consequences. How would they take care of it? Would it disrupt life at home? How would the others react? It'd definitely be a handful to take care of, he concluded. He opened his mouth to give his verdict but then he caught sight of Emil. He had loosened his grip on the baby puffin and was now petting it with one free hand. The faintest of smiles could be seen on his face as his finger moved over the grey feathers. The baby puffin's eyes were closed, enjoying this pleasing sensation.
The sight of them together was just so cute that he couldn't help but give in.
"Fine. But you'll take full responsibility for his care. I can't be bothered to monitor his toilet or meals." He sighed.
They then resumed their journey back home. The clear night sky gradually grew cloudy, heralding rain or possibly even snow. The wind became strong and chilly, whistling past their ears and biting at any exposed skin. Lukas in particular was highly affected by it because unlike Emil, he was not dressed for this type of weather. The normally steady hand that was holding the torchlight shook minutely. When Emil walked alongside him, a soft chatter of teeth could be heard. However, he kept a straight face the whole time and declined politely when Emil offered him his coat. Together they walked on without much conversation, focused on getting to their destination.
When the bright lights of civilisation finally came into view after an hour of brisk walking, Emil had a flash of realisation.
"He needs a name."
"Well, you better come up with one before we get home or else he'll end up with a name like Blood Flower Death Egg."
Emil tenderly cradled the baby puffin, covering it with his jacket to protect it from the wind. It was snuggled up against his chest for added warmth. It had quickly gotten used to him, a sharp contrast to its earlier behaviour. Content, it lazily gazed up at him with one black, intelligent eye.
"I'll call him Mr Puffin," he decided.
"Whatever that floats your boat, little bro."
Author's note: If you managed to read through this without sleeping, congrats! Now that I think about it a couple of months later, I must admit that this one-shot is immensely boring. Nothing much really happens here since it was meant to set the backstory of a Mafia AU series that I eventually gave up on. But with that said, I do hope that Nor and Ice don't come across as too OOC here. I'm still a novice at writing! Give feedback please. I would greatly appreciate it.
P.S Whatever that Ice says at the beginning of the story doesn't have much meaning or sense behind it. He just thinks that it makes him sound "mature", and he can be a tad pessimistic at times. It's really there to set the tone for the whole series.