I admit that I feel a bit like a fish out of water writing something without a shred of romance. But given that I'm working with pint-sized Adepts, it wouldn't be appropriate to have them acting like love-struck teenagers. Still, there's something fun about making them little too. Isaac would have to be a really adorable five-year-old, wouldn't you agree? ^_^ Knowing that also makes the irrational fear the villagers have all the more perplexing…

*Rays of Hope*

The next morning, Isaac sat at the table eating the rest of his oatmeal as he watched his parents begin their days. His father was reading some important-looking papers while his mother started clearing the other breakfast dishes.

"Are those building requests?" she asked.

"Yes. The Mayor needs me to repair the sanctum roof and the inn needs some interior work. Always something to fix in Vale."

Kyle was a carpenter by trade. He constructed buildings as well as did general repairs, often with very little help. In the early spring and late fall, however, he gave up carpentry to help out in the community fields with planting and harvesting. Everyone in Vale helped maintain the fields, and everyone reaped the benefits of the shared effort. Planting would be complete within the next few days and then he'd be back at his usual work.

"That reminds me—our roof's been leaking."

"Again?" he questioned in surprise. He frowned. "I've got to find some better straw." He set his papers aside and stood up. "Well, I guess I should be going. Those fields won't get planted by themselves."

"I'll see you at lunch time then?"

"Of course." He kissed his wife then patted Isaac's head. "Be good for your mother, Isaac—like you always are."

Isaac tugged at his father's tunic as he started to leave. Kyle paused and looked down at him. "What is it, Isaac?"

Explaining things was often tricky, like playing a game of charades. Isaac had developed a few specific gestures during his short life, like the crossing motion over his heart, which his parents always recognized. But getting them to understand his requests could be difficult. Trying the best a five year-old could, he pointed out the window in the direction of the fields and then pointed back at himself, looking at his father in a pleading sort of way.

"You want to come with me?" Kyle guessed. Isaac nodded, smiling. His parents were generally pretty good at figuring him out.

"Is that a good idea?" Dora asked. "He might get in the way."

"I don't see the harm in it. Some of the other kids have tagged along before."

"Well, all right. Listen to your father, Isaac and try not to get too dirty."

Happily, Isaac walked with his father towards the outskirts of Vale. The huge fields seemed to span out for miles. Some of the citizens, both men and women, could be seen scattered amongst the plowed parts sowing seeds.

"See, Isaac? By fall, all of this will be overrun with our crops. All it takes is a little time and patience." He grinned a bit. "Of course, some of us can speed up the process." He stooped to one of the rows and his hand glowed a moment. To Isaac's amazement, a second later a green sprout appeared in the soil. "Someday I'll teach you how to do that."

Isaac tipped his head in a questioning glance. Why couldn't he learn to do it now?

"You're not old enough yet," his father answered, knowing the look. "Psynergy is tricky business and you might hurt yourself if you can't control it. Don't worry, Isaac. Your time will come sooner than you think."

"Kyle, there you are!" exclaimed a masculine voice. It was George, the Mayor's son and Ida's husband. "What kept you?"

"Ah, sorry. I've been trying to organize my projects for when the planting's done."

"I see," said George. "Well, let's get to work, shall we?"

"Right. Come on, Isaac. You can help."

George suddenly turned and noticed the little boy for the first time. "What's he doing here?" he asked, pointing at Isaac as if he were some disgusting thing rather than a living person.

"Something wrong with that?" Kyle asked. "You've brought Garet to the fields several times."

"My son is normal," George said with a tone of righteous indignation. "How can you compare the two? That…boy could curse our fields and force us all to starve over the winter!"

Kyle grimaced. "Do you even know how foolish you sound right now? And I'll thank you to not say such things in front of him. He's mute, not deaf!"

"He shouldn't be here," said George in a lower voice. "He's bad luck!"

Isaac wandered away a little so he wouldn't have to listen. Something stung him on the inside, a feeling that seemed to get worse every day. He went back to the sprout his father had created and studied it to take his mind off the hurt. He wondered if he learned to make these sprouts too if people would like him.

"Look out!" came a sharp cry in the distance. One of the more unruly plow-horses had broken free from its harness and was wildly galloping around the fields. George immediately went to aid the men that were trying to catch it and bring it under control, but it was too wild and too fast. It blindly ran at top speed through the expanse of soil, trampling everything in its way without a pause.

Kyle saw that the animal was coming closer, though not in his direction. Then he came to the horrid realization that Isaac was no longer beside him. Glancing around, he spotted him right in the wild horse's path! "Isaac!" he shouted in terror, certain he was about to see his son get trampled.

It seemed to happen in slow motion. Isaac stood frozen in fear as the horse approached him at breakneck speed. When it was nearly on top of him, his body pulsed with golden light for a millisecond—so brief that no one even noticed it, and the horse suddenly reared back on its hind legs and came to a halt. And it just stood there before him, snorting placidly. A split-second later, his father had hoisted him up, which brought him out of his frightened stupor.

"Isaac!" Kyle exclaimed in relief, looking him over. "Are you all right?"

He nodded, though he still trembled slightly from the shock. The horse inched a bit closer and bumped his arm with its nose, as if offering an apology. A moment ago it had been a raw force of nature, and now it was completely docile. Isaac tentatively petted it, meeting its big brown eyes, and then smiled at it.

Kyle was equally amazed. "I don't know what's gotten into this animal, but that was a little too close for comfort."

"What happened here?" George asked as he and another man approached. "I thought this thing would never stop. How'd you catch it, Kyle?"

"I didn't. It just suddenly stopped right when it was about to trample Isaac. Some sort of miracle, wouldn't you say?"

George and the other man, Simon, regarded the boy and frowned. "That kid again, huh?" Simon questioned. "What's he doing out here in our fields? He'll ruin our crops!"

"That's what I said," George agreed.

"Stop that!" Kyle said angrily. "He just helped you get your horse back!"

"I'd bet my teeth he caused the whole thing," said Simon. "It doesn't matter now. No doubt it's been tainted by that devil. Have to destroy it before it turns on me." He led the animal away.

"Kyle, do us all a favor and take that boy away from here," George said. "Preferably before something else goes wrong today." He went to join Simon.

Kyle frowned at the men, then sighed in resignation. "I'm sorry, Isaac, but maybe it's best if you stay with your mother for now. Let's go." He set Isaac down and started walking slowly. Isaac followed closely and then heard the sickening cry of a dying animal. They both glanced back at the fields to see that the men had killed the horse. Isaac stopped to stare at the spectacle and felt something stab at him. His eyes watered as he looked up to his father for some sort of explanation, but there simply wasn't one to give. Kyle very gently turned him away from the fields and led him the rest of the way home.

"Back already?" Dora asked in surprise.

"I'm just here to drop Isaac off," Kyle said sadly. "I'll be back later." He turned to go but his wife caught his arm.

"Kyle…?" She met his eyes and understood far too well. He left the house without another word and she looked back at her son, who had his head down and was visibly upset. She got down on her knees and hugged him tightly. "Oh, Isaac. I'm so sorry."

Isaac clung to his mother as she soothed him. Why had they killed the horse? Why did those men think he would ruin the crops? Had he done something wrong? He tried so hard to be good and to fit in, but still everyone hated him. He just didn't understand. All he knew was that it hurt and that the hurt wouldn't go away. A few silent tears escaped from his eyes and soaked into his mother's shoulder. She kissed his head and tried to reassure him.

"It'll be all right, sweetheart. You'll see. One day they'll understand."

Would they?

************

Isaac sat outside of his house digging at the dirt path with a stick. He tried not to think about what had happened with the horse earlier, but it was a struggle. He'd stayed at home with his mother and helped her around the house instead. Home was the only place where he was loved, the only place where no one called him bad names. He tossed his stick aside and hunched over, feeling very alone and very depressed. Then a gray tabby cat that had been wandering around the area sauntered over to him and bumped his arm, mewing plaintively as if it wished to console him. He petted it idly, feeling slightly better knowing that at least the town animals liked him. The cat wiggled its way into his lap and kept rubbing against him affectionately. He inwardly hoped that no one would see him touching it lest they decide to kill it just like the poor horse.

Something suddenly landed in the grass next to him. He looked over and saw that it was a rag doll, obviously well loved by someone since it was quite worn. "My dolly!" a small voice exclaimed timidly. Isaac raised his head to see three kids standing a short distance away. He recognized them as Garet, Jenna and her older brother Felix. He'd never actually met them face to face before, but he'd seen them playing together from afar. Jenna was on the ground. Presumably, she'd tripped on the path and her doll had gone flying.

Jenna rose and took a step towards him, but Felix held her back. "Don't, Jenna. You can't go near him, remember? Dad said so!"

"But my dolly!" Jenna whined in protest.

"Mom will make you a new one," Felix said.

"No!" she declared stubbornly. "I want my dolly!"

Garet crossed his arms. "Why can't we just go get it? It's no biggie."

Felix glowered. "You dork! That's Isaac! He's the demon-child, remember?"

"Oh yeah…" Garet trailed absent-mindedly.

Isaac hugged his knees and turned away from the group, not wishing to hear anymore. It was always the same. It always would be the same. He continued scratching the cat's ears and it purred happily. The others looked at him quizzically, taking in the contented cat cuddled against him and his rather obvious melancholia.

"What's so bad about him anyway?" Garet asked.

Felix faltered. "Well…uh, my dad always says that he's evil, that he's different from all of us."

"He looks like an ordinary kid to me," Garet observed.

"He looks lonely," Jenna added quietly.

"Shouldn't a demon be more fearsome?" Garet questioned. "You know—flaming eyes and huge fangs or something?"

"Well how should I know?" Felix scowled. "That's just what my dad said. Didn't your parents tell you to stay away from him too?"

"Yeah, but they never really said why. I remember Mom saying he was a mute though."

"What's a 'mute?'" Jenna asked. The two boys shrugged. She looked back at Isaac. "That kitty trusts him. He can't be all that bad."

Isaac flared with hope and decided to take a chance. He picked up the doll and cautiously walked towards them, the cat following him so that it might continue to receive attention. They backed away slightly at first but then held their ground. Isaac extended the doll to Jenna. She looked to Felix for approval and he just shrugged in uncertainty. She carefully reached out and took back her doll, smiling slightly.

"Thank you, Isaac," she said. "I'm Jenna, and this is Garet and my big brother Felix." He nodded, also smiling a little. They weren't running away or calling him names! It seemed too good to be true.

Garet circled him slowly, inspecting him more closely. "He is pretty normal looking. Hey Isaac, are you a demon?"

He shook his head vigorously.

"Then why does everyone say you are?" Garet continued. Isaac shrugged, and Garet frowned. "What's with all the gestures? Say something!"

Isaac shrank, looking down at his feet in shame. The others studied him a moment, waiting. "I don't think he can," Jenna finally said. "That must be what a mute is—someone who can't talk. Is that it, Isaac?" He nodded slowly.

"That's a bummer," said Garet.

"So that's why he's different," Felix said. "But how does being mute make him a demon? That doesn't make sense."

Jenna and Garet nodded in agreement. "Do you think Mom and Dad are wrong about him?" she asked.

Felix looked unsure. "They've never been wrong before. But…he looks OK to me, and the cat likes him. I think it's safe."

Isaac smiled, since that was about the nicest thing anyone had ever said to him before. The other three kids smiled in return.

"You should play with us sometime, Isaac," said Garet.

"Yeah," Jenna agreed. "It's kinda late now, but there's always tomorrow. We'll come back then."

He nodded with enthusiasm, grinning broadly. They waved goodbye and he watched them disappear down the path, Garet turning at the hill to go to his house. Isaac had never felt so happy before—he'd actually made a few friends! Already he couldn't wait for tomorrow to come. He scooped up the cat and hugged it as a thank you, since it had helped show the others that he wasn't fearsome. The cat meowed as if congratulating him and settled contentedly into his arms.

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Heavy "Awwwww" factor, huh? ^_^ You knew there had to be at least one other person willing to give little Isaac a chance, right? Chapter 3 will come shortly. Please tell me what you think because as I've said, I feel rather deracinated (rootless) working outside of romance!