CHAPTER 2 : MEMORIES OF A FATEFUL ENCOUNTER
"Eraqus ! Eraqus ! Wake up !"
The door knocked off loudly. It was almost noon and the young 8 years old kid named Eraqus was just starting to emerge from sleep. His black hair were in a mess, he yawned a long time before standing up. The door was still making noises.
"Ahh..Coming, Master !"
The kid and his Master were the only ones to live in the building, and he rarely left it.
After all, his Master was the only person he knew.
He quickly changed clothes and ran outside the room.
The Master was here, hooded as usual.
"Come on, my son...It's quite late already..."
Eraqus yawned again, louder this time.
"Come on...You should learn to be less a sleepyhead sometimes..."
The man sighed, it wasn't the first time his apprentice wake up that late. Fortunately, he was his only child and he was still very young so training was slow.
Those days were peaceful, no darkness to fight and a small kid of light to train. It was almost too good to be true...
"Master ? Asked Eraqus walking alongside his foster father.
-Yes ?
-What am I going to learn today ?
-Well, my dear. I have a very special mission for you today.
-Really ? Asked Eraqus with bright eyes.
-Let's lunch. I will tell you after."
Eraqus happily nodded, he loved this idea ! Maybe that would be his first time going outside !
The little family took lunch then prepared.
"Well, well...
-What's my mission, Master ? Asked Eraqus with a huge smile.
-Well, I want you to go to the forest nearby, using this Portal."
The Master moved his fingers a bit, a portal appeared in the room, a large portal of light. The little Eraqus stayed agape for a few minutes.
"I want you to search for a special kind of fruit there. I need it for making a special potion."
The man handed a picture of the so-called fruit to the kid.
"That's all, Master ?
-Don't say that, it will not be easy. The forest I send you is a real labyrinth. But I'm sure you will find your way good.
-What if Heartless attack me ?
-This forest is Heartless-free. You will be safe. There is no dangerous animals as well."
Eraqus nodded, put the picture in his pocket.
"Do I go now ? Smiled the small boy.
-Indeed."
The small boy nodded again, and entered the portal.
"Good luck, Eraqus. May your heart be your guiding key."
Eraqus safely landed in a dark, gloomy forest. The whole place was cold, an icy wind was blowing. The only sound was the wind moving the tall trees' leaves. The sun couldn't be seen, it really was another world...
Eraqus swallowed his saliva, he wasn't the bravest, but he was determined to fulfill his quest.
He entered the massive forest, it was very dense, dark and silent. This was a very strange place, peaceful but threatening.
Eraqus was on guard, he was a bit scared, he didn't want to be surprised by a huge bear or a pack of wolves.
After long minutes of walking, he noticed he was quite lost. Luckily, his Master could answer his call so no need to be alarmed. He also understood that he was in a natural maze.
As he walked forwards, he noticed some animals : birds, squirrels, who were running away in the opposite direction. They all were trying to escape from something.
Eraqus himself started to feel weird, the dark atmosphere was more and more present and heavy. There was an ominous feeling in it.
Eraqus swallowed his saliva hard. He took a few steps when he finally saw the end of the maze, an entrance to an area with less trees.
But quickly, he noticed something...the trees around were scattered, some were lying on the ground, like something just violently destroyed them.
"Wh...whoa..."
Something was really off. Those trees were huge, no animal would be able to do that. The boy thought a meteor maybe did.
But he quickly saw why.
There was a hand.
At least, it looked like it. Huge white blocks.
Eraqus' face became paler, the gigantic hand wasn't moving but if it was about to, Eraqus would have been in huge troubles..
He recoiled a lot but his eyes soon landed on a tree, with the fruit he was searching for on it.
The tree was not reachable unless if he climbed this enormous hand.
The little kid was confused as hell but he didn't want to give up and upset his foster father.
He carefully climbed on the white mountain. It was soft, and he could feel some blood inside. It was surely a hand...
Eraqus didn't try to understand more, he carefully but surely reached the tree.
He caught a branch and took some fruits he placed in a small bag.
"Now...I should head ba-"
The white mass started to move, making him lose feet.
"Whoa !"
The boy fell on the ground, without major injuries but he was a little dizzy. The hand moved backwards, making the ground shake.
Eraqus was still lying on the grass, he slowly stood up but quickly lied down again, belly against grass, when an atrocious sound and earthquake resonated.
Another huge weight landed on the grass, Eraqus screamed by instinct, the worst reflection ever was reflecting in his eyes... Above him, there was a gigantic man, a true giant. He couldn't see well the rest of his body but the giant was at least several dozens of meters high, if not hundred meters tall...
"Eeeeeek !"
Eraqus panicked, he quickly stood up and ran in the opposite direction.
But in a few seconds, two immense fingers caught him by the hips.
"No ! No !"
Eraqus tried to struggle back, crying but in vain. Soon enough, he was lifted in the air, and ended up in front of a huge yellow eye.
It was staring at the young boy, who was totally frozen from fear, hands on his eyes.
The gigantic man was looking very old, bald with a beard.
He was looking quite scary, not the one who looked kind-hearted.
He smirked, but a painful smirk, with his other hand on his belly. Some blood was pouring from it, the titan was badly hurt.
Eraqus and the giant stayed quiet for a time before the little boy finally looked to him. His eyes were teary, he was terrified.
When the giant's eyes meet Eraqus' ones, he recoiled his hand holding the kid. Eraqus could see his whole face, he was truly scary as hell.
The boy screamed again.
"Don't eat me !"
The giant lose his smirk.
"What ?"
The booming old voice made a surprised, confused look.
"Why would I eat you ?
-H-huh...?
-Look at how tiny you are, you wouldn't make a nourishing meal."
Eraqus gasped, that wasn't really reassuring.
The old man sighed and suddenly coughed. He quickly put Eraqus down to put his hands on his mouth and stomach. He put his hand on the ground, coughing more.
Eraqus quickly ran away, and hid in some bushes, his heartbeat was fast, he had to calm down.
He could still hear the giant's coughs. He was sounding really in pain.
Eraqus walked away slowly, but he suddenly stopped and was looking confused.
He looked back, heard another cough...and walked back to the giant.
"I'm going to regret this..."
Eraqus hid behind a rock, stared to the giant, who was now sat on the grass, looking down, trying to catch his breath. His hand was still on his belly, and his white glove had turned red.
The young boy gasped and looked around for some plants. His Master had learn him how to find some medicinal plants to cure bad injuries...
But the quantity he had to gather would be insane, and if the giant planned to harm him, Eraqus better had to be quiet.
He started to look in a lot of bushes, and finally found, after long stressful minutes, some plants quite efficient to calm pain.
"That should be enough...Murmured Eraqus."
He gathered a lot of plants and put them together in a piece of tree's trunk.
He approached slowly the giant, making his best to not be seen.
He was planning to put the plants near him then ran away but...the giant noticed his presence.
He was now staring to Eraqus, who bowed slightly, put the plants in front of him and recoiled.
"Th-this will calm your pain...Said Eraqus with a shaking voice."
The boy recoiled again while the giant looked wary. He slowly picked the plants up and inspected them.
Eraqus hid behind the same rock as before, shaking like a leaf.
The giant finally swallowed some of the plants and put the rest on his injury. It wasn't perfect but it was still better than nothing.
He slowly stood up, covering all the surroundings by an imposing shadow.
Eraqus covered his head and closed his eyes.
He screamed as the giant picked him up again.
The gigantic man put him in the center of his hand. Little Eraqus fell on his knees, terrified.
"Thank you, little boy."
Eraqus nodded, agape.
"Y-your welcome..."
The man looked around, Eraqus was having a hard time to calm down.
"Huh...Mister giant?
-Hmm ?"
Eraqus panicked a little, he was truly scary !
"You...you aren't going to hurt me, huh ?"
The giant left an eyebrow.
"If I wanted to do so, you would be in troubles already, kid.
-Ga...gasp...really ?
-Indeed. So, you can relax."
Eraqus sat down in the giant's hand, a bit still scared but trying to relax.
"S-so...who are...huh...
-My name...is of no importance.
-What are you doing here ?
-Hmm..."
The giant closed his eyes and remained silent, he was looking either angry either troubled.
"So-sorry ! I didn't mean to upset you ! Panicked Eraqus.
-Oh...You didn't.
-Er..."
Eraqus calmed down again...at least he tried to.
"I just can't explain to you. It's a little...too hard to understand for a tiny brain like you."
The giant said that in a teasing smirk, poking carefully Eraqus' head with the tip of a finger.
"I..I'm not a tiny brain, I'm Eraqus ! Blushed the kid.
-Sure, sure, little boy. Smirked the giant."
Eraqus blushed and pouted, he didn't really like the giant's attitude but he could understand that, because he was literally holding his life in his hand, he had to be polite and respectful.
"Well..well...now I could crush the life out of you...
-Eeeeek !
-But I have other business to do. Besides...I owe you one, somehow. Lucky kid."
Eraqus remembered that he had help him not so long ago. He somehow managed to forgot cause of his fear.
"I...er...I have been taught to help others in need... Murmured the boy. It is just...the way I am supposed to think."
The boy was kindhearted, he didn't like seeing pain in other people but at this moment, he was cursing such a caring heart of him.
No escape, this was terribly stressful for such a youth.
But in the same time, it was quite...comforting. He could see why, who would bully him with such a man holding him ? For the first time since forever, he was literally feeling in good hands.
He made an awkward smile thinking that. This wasn't making any sense after all.
The giant put him on the ground carefully.
"Taught ? You're not a citizen of this place ?"
Eraqus tilted his head.
"N-nah...I live in another place with my master...
-Hmm...Interesting."
Eraqus gasped, he was a little confused...
"I...I should go home...My master is waiting for me...
-Wait, little boy.
-Y-yes ?"
Eraqus became worried, he froze, looking up.
"Do you know a way to leave this place ? I suppose you do.
-Y-yes...I do...But you...you need a Keyblade to do so...
-A...Keyblade ?
-Yeah...It is a special weapon used to protect light...I'm training to wield one one day...and a Keyblade can make you travel in all the worlds."
The boy was happy to tell how much he was understanding the stuff around the Keyblade but he quickly stopped when he noticed the giant was smirking. Not in a very reassuring way.
"Boy, I would like to meet your Master.
-I...I can't ! I mean...you're big and stuff...besides what...do you want from him ?
-I'm curious about the Keyblade you mentioned. It might be the thing I'm searching for.
-Er..."
Eraqus was lost in his mind for a moment..
"I...I can bring him here but...
-Hmmm ?
-Can you promise me...that you aren't going to harm me or him ? Please... Said the boy with an anxious voice.
-So you're still scared... Smirked the giant. Fine, I promise, I won't hurt any of you."
Eraque smiled and mentally called his Master, a portal appeared.
"I come back in a few !
-See you, little boy.
-I'm not "little boy" ! I'm Eraqus ! Smirked Eraqus.
-Well...well...Laughed the giant. See you, little Eraqus."
Eraqus came back safely to Scala Ad Caelum. He made a long sigh.
"What happened, aaa...I need water..."
The boy returned home, drank a big glass of water and went to see his Master.
"Welcome home, Eraqus. I can see you came back with your mission successful.
-Yeah..Here you go, Father."
The kid gave the plants to the Master.
"Congrats. You did very well.
-...Master ?
-What's wrong ?
-Can you come with me ? If you aren't too much busy...
-Well, sure. Where do you want to go ? In town to buy ice cream ?
-N-No ! Blushed the kid. I want you to follow me in the forest...
-Strange request...
-I just...wanna show you something, er..."
The Master nodded, even if he was still curious about such a request. He opened a portal and both landed in the forest.
Eraqus was guiding his foster father, trying to find the giant man but the forest was still a huge maze...
"Tell me...you aren't leading me to a new friend of yours, right ?
-Er...I don't know...somehow ?"
The man sighed. Eraqus was a friendly kid but he had no friends. He was often bullied outside their house, so he wasn't one to often go out.
He was a good kid, maybe too good for his own safety, who was sometimes trying to befriend animals in the town.
"What is it this time ? A squirrel ?
-Er..."
Eraqus was anxious, he was lost again. And no trace of the giant. He stopped, looking down.
"I'm sure he left...
-Hmm ? He ?"
Suddenly, the ground started to shake. Soon enough, a looming shadow was above the little family.
"What the-"
The Master recoiled, but understood when he saw his foster son being quite calm.
An hand reached for them and caught the kid.
"Eraqus ! The Master yelled, summoning his Keyblade. Release my son !"