Written for Sormik Week 2017 Day 1 - Prompts: Elysia, Innocence, Beginnings
"One day, Sorey will leave this village," Gramps announced, almost cautiously, peering out from beneath his giant brows at the young seraph before him. Just as he suspected, violet eyes widened as a swarm of emotions leaked into them, as clearly as black ink sinking through thin parchment. The old man sucked in a breath through the end of his pipe and released a puff of grey smoke through his wrinkled lips, merely watching as Mikleo continued to sit there as calmly as he could manage. His hands clenched his knees a little tighter as he knelt on the floor, but other than that, he was doing well to remain polite and keep his cool.
"But Gramps, Sorey has never been among other humans before. We Seraphim are the only family he's ever known," Mikleo started. His voice cut out after that, as the first sting of reality hit him. The villagers had all worked so hard to make Elysia feel like Sorey's home, even going so far as to eat, sleep, and build houses—all things seraphim didn't need, but did for the sake of giving the human child a normal upbringing. But this wasn't just about the villagers—this was about Mikleo's own feelings, as selfish as it may have been.
Sorey was a part of him, and had been ever since he could remember. They had been raised together since infancy, and even once they were old enough to choose whether or not they spent time together, they remained v ery close—attached at the hip, as some of the villagers said. Sorey had become an extension of Mikleo's own being, and if that piece of him were to break off, Mikleo wasn't sure he could recover from the injury.
I know, Mikleo. But he is human, and one day, his curiosity will lead him to seek out others like him. As you know, he has quite the thirst for knowledge already." Gramps' gaze remained on the young seraph, watching to see how he would react. He was testing to see just how strong the bond of these two boys was, though he had little doubt that it was in any danger of fa il ing. Everything pertaining to these young men had been set in motion years ago, and it seemed everything was still going according to plan. Mikleo was made to be Sorey's seraph, and his loyalty and concern for his friend were strong and clear as he sat there with worried eyes.
"How will he know what to do and where to go?" Mikleo started, but Zenrus held up a hand. Mikleo lowered his head, as well as his voice. He stared at the intricate patterns painted on the floor of the house and let out a sigh. "I worry about him, is all."
That is why you are to accompany him," Gramps said with a hint of a smile, and watched with satisfaction as Mikleo's eyes lit up with joy and relief.
Several years later...
Mikleo sat cross-legged on the floor of his own home, a book in hand as he sat by the fire, close enough so that its soft, orange glow warmed his arms and face. Several other texts were scattered around him—explanations of the land, histories of the nearby cities, teachings on social conduct and interpersonal relations. He was reading pretty much everything he could get his hands on these days, at least the things that pertained to the outside world. He would take another good look through the Celestial Record, too, whenever Sorey decided to put the darn thing down. Mikleo would probably have to pry it from his hands while he was asleep.
Reading wasn't all he was doing to prepare, either. He'd polished up his staff and started practicing more spells out in the forest, which was a good place for him to toss a little water around anyway; the plants never seemed to mind. When he was feeling especially confident in his skills, he would invite other seraphim to spar with him, but had them swear never to tell Sorey. He didn't want to raise any suspicions, nor did he want to put the idea in Sorey's head that he could leave this village whenever he wanted. It may have been selfish, but Mikleo wanted him to stay as long as possible.
"Knock, knock," Sorey announced from the doorway. Mikleo had forgotten he'd left it open. He spun around as if on a swivel, and took in the sight of his companion, who looked like he'd just woken up from a nap. His hair was slightly tousled, and his green eyes—although still full of their usual joy and excitement—looked slightly tired, the skin beneath them still puffy from sleep. Mikleo's heart caught in his throat, partly because Sorey looked so good, no matter what state he was in, and partly because he was afraid he would question the mountain of books around him.
"Oh, you don't look like you're ready for exploring ruins," Sorey chuckled, making himself right at home. He kicked off his boots beside the door, before padding across the floor on his bare feet. Mikleo inconspicuously closed the book that had been open in his lap, and pushed forth a smile as Sorey sat down behind him. It was nice and cozy by the fire, but Sorey still wrapped his arms around Mikleo's waist for extra comfort. Gently, he rested his head atop the seraph's shoulder.
"What'cha reading?" he asked innocently, but Mikleo slapped the book down on top of the pile beside him, and turned his head back to smirk at Sorey.
"Nothing you need to concern yourself with."
"Huh? You keeping secrets from me now?" Sorey blinked.
"Only because I know it drives you crazy," Mikleo came back, slyly, even despite his pounding heart. Sorey sighed, completely accustomed to Mikleo's teasing.
"You're right. It does." He tilted his head down and buried his nose a little further in against Mikleo's shoulder, his eyelids falling gracefully closed. It seemed his curiosity had faded already. Mikleo hummed peacefully, simply enjoying the closeness. He listened to his friend's long, steady breaths and wondered if his companion might fall back to sleep right then and there. He raised his hands to cup around Sorey's, hoping the contact might keep him awake.
"You still want to head into the ruins?" Mikleo asked. He felt Sorey shake his head against his back.
"Not yet. Think I need to wake up a bit more first."
"Let me guess. You were nose-deep in the Celestial Record all night?" A smirk appeared on the water seraph's lips. "I know it's a fascinating read, but do you have to exhaust yourself all the time?"
"I just want to learn as much as I can," Sorey smiled sleepily against Mikleo's shoulder, his eyes remaining softly shut. Mikleo's heart clenched a little at the sound of those words. Gramps had been right; Sorey longed for knowledge, and it probably would lead him away from Elysia sooner than later. Mikleo knew that day was approaching, and while he wished things would never change, he was embracing the fact that they would.
"Sorey?" Mikleo asked, voice low and tender. He could feel the pressure increasing on his shoulder where it carried more and more of Sorey's weight as he became drowsier. Mikleo turned his neck enough to nuzzle his head against Sorey's, silver hair falling in against chocolate brown. "You can lie down here, if you're still tired."
"Thanks, Mikleo," Sorey murmured, the other boy's voice rousing him from his almost-slumber. "That's probably a good idea." He smiled and let go of Mikleo, making the seraph almost regret saying anything as the contact was broken. Mikleo turned back to look at his friend as he stood and headed down the tiny steps to the bedroom.
"But after that, we hit the ruins," Sorey pointed back at Mikleo, giving him a grin before flopping down on the bed.
"You got it," Mikleo nodded, staring fondly at the blue-clad boy who was curling up on his bed-covers. He watched until Sorey had settled, then he turned back to his stack of books, and skimmed a hand over the one he'd been reading. This is all for you, Sorey, he thought to himself, but his brows twitched as he realized that pretty much everything he'd ever done had been for Sorey, or with Sorey in mind.
They had always shared a special bond—first as playmates, then as friends, now as more-than-friends—but Mikleo felt that there was something even deeper between them. He wasn't a huge believer in destiny, or even in soulmates, but he had an inkling that something else must exist between them. Something must be tying them together this way, as he'd never seen any other two people share as close a bond as he and Sorey did. And as he thought about it now, he realized that just maybe, exploring the outside world might help him understand what that bond was.
With another adoring glance at Sorey, he returned to his book with newfound determination. He was prepared to follow Sorey wherever he went. He was ready for this new beginning, whenever its path found them.