Chapter -145: A Jewel Encrusted Heart
The following morning Sarajin awoke to the sound of Moses squawking outside his window. The bird's fluttering wings guiding his gaze towards him, nice and slow.
Sarajin immediately felt some kinks in his body as he lifted his head, especially coming from his limbs. They felt hard and stiff and most importantly, cracked with every move he made.
"Ooooh..." Was all the strength he had to groan this early in the morning.
After Moses flew off on his merry way Sarajin got up and got dressed, a bit of soreness coming through every step he made towards leaving his room.
He then went downstairs and found breakfast waiting for him at the table. Once more his dad wasn't around to eat, which was starting to happen a lot more frequently lately come to think about it...
But Sarajin didn't question it. It was nice when it was just him and his mother around to eat. Then he could tell her all about his time down at the surface.
She loved hearing what he had accomplished in Oreore so far, though her gaze got tender when his pain acted up. Her delicate fingers rubbed and pressed away at his palms and arms to help get his blood moving again.
Sarajin felt a little embarrassed to let her do this for him, even if it was no different from when she cleaned him when he was younger.
Her coughing acted up a bit too but she insisted she'd be fine. Sarajin stuck around a few extra minutes to help her clean the dishes, but he couldn't delay for long. He needed to head to the surface and fulfill Johnathan's other two Trials.
This time he departed for the south end of the city, where he'd usually sit and chat with Nimus. And as luck would have it he was there right now, feeding the birds some seeds from a small pouch.
"Oh you love these seeds don't you? Yes you do! Yes you do!" He was talking in a cutesy voice up until Sarajin walked up to him.
"Uncle Nimus?" Sarajin chuckled.
Nimus sprung up and the birds were scared away, "W-Whoa, Sarajin! What're you doing sneaking up on me like that?"
With a few coughs he swung the bag of seed behind his back and tried to be cool, grinning from cheek-to-cheek.
Sarajin just shrugged and slowly replied, "I...just happened to be coming this way, that's all."
He then peeked around his hip and remarked, "Are those seeds?"
Nimus sighed and then held the bag out, "Yeeeeah, you caught me. I've been a baaaaad boy again."
He rattled the bag around and chuckled, "Can't help it though. The birds love the seeds from Tanglefae."
Sarajin's brows slanted and with a more drawn out chuckle Nimus rubbed the top of his head fondly and told him, "Don't worry kid, I just picked these off the ground where they weren't being used anyways."
Sarajin smiled and brushed his hand away. Then Nimus took a step back and remarked, "So where's the wind carrying you today, cotton puff?"
"I'm going to Oreore again."
"Nice! Y'know, they got some real pretty rocks there," Nimus turned his head with a scoff, "Shame the people there can't stop making noise for one second."
"Well right now I'm undergoing their Three Trials, so I don't have much freedom to look around."
Nimus grimaced right back to face him and exclaimed, "WHOOOOA, the Three Trials?! That's some heavy stuff, kid! What're doing that for?"
"Well..." As Sarajin's thoughts went towards his reasoning, he came to recognize something odd and then looked Nimus straight in the eyes with a solemn gaze of curiosity, "Hey, Nimus...Did you know about the Rot? And the War?"
Nimus' eyes widened briefly then began to close, as he shrugged his shoulders and replied nonchalantly, "Yeah, I knew about those. And you're wondering why I didn't tell you, correct?"
Sarajin nodded, and Nimus shrugged again with a wily smirk, "Didn't think it was appropriate. You were so interested in the surface world I wasn't gonna just dampen that enthusiasm by saying there's vicious decaying beasts wandering the lands."
He then opened one eye and smiled, "I always tell you though kid, I'll be honest with you, but only if you know what to ask me about."
"I guess..." Sarajin said, not sure whether to feel satisfied with the answer.
Nimus then opened his eyes all the way and asked, "So how's this all relate to the Three Trials of Oreore anyways?"
"As I was about to tell you..." Sarajin then covered the events of the last few days for Nimus, leading him to gaze with wide and intrigued eyes.
"Oh ho HO, so you're going to try and unite the Tribes again, eh? That's a pretty major step up from wanting to visit them all," Nimus crossed his arms up and wondered, "Sure you're up for the task, cotton puff?"
"I don't think it'll be easy, but I'm going to try my best!" Sarajin proclaimed, triumphantly clenching his fists up by his chest.
Nimus raised a brow and smirked, "Then why're you wasting time talking to little old me?"
Sarajin gawked and his pupils shrank to pin needles. Nimus then rustled his hair one more time and transitioned into a gentle shove on his back, "Get moving, kid!"
Sarajin broke into a run off the side of the island and waved back, "Later, Uncle Nimus!"
"Yeah yeah, good luck, kid!" Nimus waved back and then whispered to himself, "Heh, you're certainly someone to keep an eye on..."
Sarajin was able to dive straight down to Oreore, making for one of the shortest flights he has had so far. At the entrance to the ravine though he was surprised to not only find Justek standing around waiting for him, but Johnathan and Ezekiel too.
Johnathan peeled off the ravine wall and chuckled, "'Ere I thought you had turned yer tail feathers and ran. How's yer body feelin'?"
"Kinda sore all over..." Sarajin remarked, finding it painful just to squeeze his fingers.
"Good," Johnathan replied bluntly, "That pain'll either make ya a man, or break ya in two."
"And if the pain don't break ya, this next Trial certainly will!" Ezekiel proclaimed ominously.
Sarajin let out a deep gulp and struggled to maintain eye contact with Johnathan, "S-So what's the next Trial?"
"Heh..." Johnathan turned to his left and gestured towards himself, "This way, kid."
This time they were going South away from the village. Sarajin had this terrible feeling in the pit of his gut that they were going to that spot again, but fortunately no, Johnathan was moving away from that towards a landscape where rock spires rose from the ground as tall if not taller than Twinbeak's tower.
Justek wandered close to Sarajin and whispered, "You actually made it, color me only...half-surprised."
Sarajin looked at him and wondered, "How about you? You had to have been up pretty early to get here before me."
"Well unlike some people I try to be on time," Justek said with a smarmy grin that caused Sarajin's eyes to narrow, "I just hope you used that extra time being late to prepare yourself, Sarajin. Because if my suspicions are correct..."
The ground began to tremble every second they walked, and got stronger and stronger until they could almost feel the force of them in their ears.
Then Johnathan and son came to a stop, prompting Sarajin to walk forward and see what they were looking at.
Marching through this spire filled wasteland was a herd of Argent Heavers. The tallest being half as tall as the spires, the smallest still being four times bigger than Sarajin himself.
They marched as one unit, moving the very earth under their feet, and leaving a typhoon of dirt and dust in their wake.
The largest of the Argent Heavers raised their trunk and let out a roar that knocked over the rock spire in their path. The other members of its herd then raised their trunks in a symphonious tribute to its leadership.
The leader stayed back as the others went to the fallen spire and picked up the rocks in their trunks for eating.
Seeing all these mammoths out in the open at once put things into perspective of just how small Sarajin really was in this world. Agape with awe, he was kept unawares of Johnathan's movements until the man was nudging him towards the herd with his hand.
"This is yer second Trial. I want ya to go and tame one of those beauties for yerself." He stated with an ease of tone.
Sarajin turned around and remarked, "T-Tame one of them?"
He put his arms against his chest and scoffed, "Of course, kid, whaddya expect? Argent Heavers are the cornerstone of our mining operations in the ravine. Their girthy trunks help carry stone and metal with ease and in exchange all it takes to make 'em happy is a few of our gems to nibble on."
"Now, once ye get on top of one yer gonna ride it all the way back to the ravine. If ya can manage that, ya'll have passed the second Trial."
"Though as a fair warning..." Justek interjected, causing Johnathan to pin his glare on him, "If you don't succeed, you'll become one with the earth."
"Hmph." Went Johnathan.
Sarajin's color left his face and he peered over his shoulder at the mighty beasts. One of them was stampeding around in place out of joy, each foot tough enough to smash a house to dust.
He swallowed deep and his trembling only stopped when Johnathan put a hand squarely on his shoulder. He loomed over him with his big, bearded grin and chuckled, "Well?"
"H-How tough can it be?" Sarajin chuckled back, sliding out from under his grip to slowly head towards the Argent Heavers.
"Well if ya ain't back by nightfall I'll be sure to come scrape your corpse up with me shovel!" Johnathan guffawed heavily with that joke and then the next time Sarajin looked over his shoulder he was gone along with Ezekiel and Justek.
All that left for company were the dry dusty winds and the stampeding claps of the Argent Heaver's feet. They were continuing on their way across the rocky plains, leaving no stone unstomped.
Sarajin held his head back and breathed in deep, then with a "Hmm!" he clutched his fists by his hips and ran across the plains.
He was sore but that wasn't going to stop him. However, maybe the Argent Heaver's footsteps would be a bigger problem than he expected.
When he was getting within a few hundred yards of them their footsteps were combining together to create such incredible seismic force it made Sarajin leap off the ground.
"W-Whoa...!" He could barely hear himself scream before landing and stumbling forward, only to hop up again.
He stopped in place immediately after that and hopped. The beasts raised their trunks and blew hard, forcing him to slap his hands against his ears, but his whole body still rattled. It felt like his skeleton was being shaken up inside.
"...Maybe I should've thought this through a little more." He let out a sigh and then coughed some of the dust that flew into his mouth.
Gritting his teeth and looking high up overhead, he focused on the smallest Argent Heaver hanging out in the left of the herd.
"Well, he only said I needed to tame one, didn't say what size it had to be..." The smallest one would probably be the easiest...Whatever that was worth now.
He took one more deep breath and then, feeling about as relaxed and determined as he could've, he bent down and then took off with a burst of wind.
He gently descended towards the top of the smallest beast's head while motivating himself calmly "Easy does it..."
His grin tensed up as his bare feet made contact with the beast's sandy, wrinkled skin. He perked up with a smile and declared, "Made it! WHOA-!"
The beast stopped and immediately reared its head back to blow out its trunk in surprise. Sarajin rolled off onto its back and then continued tumbling when the beast raised his feet and then stamped down hard, breaking into a run.
"Whoa whoa whoa!" Sarajin nearly tumbled off the creature's butt before digging his fingers into the folds of its skin and pulling himself forward.
The other Argent Heavers started to blow their trunks too, all for the cause of panic over their kin being rode upon.
Sarajin pulled himself up by the grit of his teeth and then shouted, "It's ok! Calm down, I'm not here to hurt you!"
His cry was drowned out by the sounds of its larger kin. Sarajin tried to propel himself back towards the head with wind but it required multiple tries and by the time he was at his destination all that wind had unsettled the beast and caused it to rear its head back into his body.
"Oof!" He spat up before being forced back down along its back once more.
He stood up and, struggling to keep his balance, tried to walk towards the beast's head again. But at the rate it was going he was getting pounded by the air pressure.
The Argent Heavers escaped its herd, who continued to raise their trunks in sadness for their wandering kin. But now that their noises were going away, Sarajin felt comfortable trying to reach out to him again.
"It's ok big guy, I just want to ride you!" He found his footing on the center of the beast's back and then started to kneel down, using his hand to stroke the beast's skin, "See? Don't you feel that? I'm no threat to you."
He moved along towards the head while continuing to stroke the skin. The beast held its ground and then threw itself up on its hind legs to blow its horn as loud as humanly possible.
Sarajin stood there, holding onto its skin to stay in place and feeling an intense ringing in his ears. The beast continued to run towards the nearest rock spire, ramming its small tusks into it hard enough to crack it.
A small boulder dislodged from the top and with his heart skipping a beat Sarajin leaped and rolled forward before it could crush him. The beast then pulled away from the spire, unshaken by the boulder, and swung its head back and forth, trying to force Sarajin off.
He stood atop the nape and pressed his face and body against the back of its head, tight but not too much so. Even though he was holding on for dear life and screaming, he wanted his words to reflect the true feelings in his heart.
"I know you're scared! I-I'm really scared too! But...I want to be your friend! So please, stop hurting yourself!" He rubbed the beast's skin gently even when his grip was starting to loosen.
The beast's bellows weakened over time and it pulled away from the rock spire continuing to shake its head. Sarajin smiled and pressed against the beast's head some more, feeling a warmth buried underneath.
"It's ok, I'm here for you. You're safe. You're going to be ok, trust me."
The beast's bellows became whimpers, and it started to pace forward with its head held straight. Sarajin then propped up on his knees and despite sweating and shaken, smiled and felt relaxed.
He then reached up and petted the Argent Heaver right atop their head, "See? You're a good boy, aren't you?"
"Mmrrr...!" The beast raised its trunk up and patted it around its head until finally finding Sarajin, putting a thin layer of dust over his body.
"Heh heh!" And their skin was ticklish there too.
When its trunk went away Sarajin rubbed it some more. It let out a more happy bellow and then started to walk forward at a delicate pace.
"This reminds me of when I used to ride atop the cows back home." The memory made Sarajin smile. It's been a few years since he had done so, and his dad was there with him...
"..." Sarajin's smile sank for a few moments.
He then put his hand down gently on the beast's head and said, "Alright big guy, can you go towards that ravine for me?"
He pointed straight ahead and was taken aback when the beast made a brief hop with its front hind legs, blowing its trunk twice in joy.
"W-Whoa, ok! Let's just take it nice and slow then!" Sarajin rubbed his head some more to help settle him down and then kept himself on his knees, letting the beast march at its own pace.
Without the fear of being crushed or thrown off this mammoth was as gentle as they come. Maybe it was because it was young, like him.
It took a bit of time but they arrived at the ravine and then Sarajin tried to guide them along it towards the west entrance. However, the beast had to stop and rest, using its trunks to scoop up rocks that were on the ground to eat.
Sarajin took this opportunity to lay back and look up at the sun for a bit. It was another nice day out, and now he didn't have to worry about the heat making him thirsty.
When the beast had their fill it rising jostled Sarajin around towards the back. Then it continued towards the entrance of the ravine, where Sarajin sat up and looked over to find Johnathan, Ezekiel and Justek waiting for him.
Johnathan's eyes were as wide as plates and Ezekiel's jaw dropped. The Argent Heaver raised its trunk and blew it as a show of dominance, settling down once Sarajin petted him on the head and began to head off.
"Good job buddy! Thanks for the ride!" He then slid off the side of its face to land by its foot.
He then walked on up to Johnathan grinning from cheek-to-cheek and proclaimed, "I did it!"
Johnathan was staring up at the beast's face muttering to himself, "Impossible..."
Sarajin tilted his head and then the man looked down at him, looking very grumpy. He tapped his fingers atop his elbows and announced, "Alright fine! Somehow, ya passed the Second Trial."
"Wow..." Ezekiel remarked with his mouth agape in awe, "Good job, Sarajin!"
"Mrrr...!" Growled Johnathan, flashing a disarming glare at his son. He then slowly creaked his head back and narrowed his eyes, "I'll admit you've got more strength up yer sleeves than I was expecting. But working in Oreore ain't just about how big yer muscles are. And for the third and final trial yer gonna learn just what that means."
"So do I need to come back again tomorrow?" Sarajin wondered.
"Nonsense! We're gettin' this over with now!" Johnathan proclaimed, turning right around and beginning a mighty march towards the opposite side of the entrance, "C'mon!"
Sarajin and Justek stood together as they followed the Gaias around the corner to the north side of the ravine. In the distance there were a few miners wandering around a solitary cave entrance leading into the planet's crust. It looked like the mouth of a yawning fish and had not an Argent Heaver in sight.
It was very sparkly too, with a rainbow of colors buried within.
Sarajin had more pressing matters to think about though, as he noticed Johnathan all tensed up and grumbling quietly to himself.
"Is it just me or is he getting even more hostile now?" Sarajin voiced his concerns low enough that only the two of them could hear.
"It's because you're proving him wrong," Justek nudged his glasses up and had a big smirk plastered over his face, "Adults hate it when that happens, especially if it's a kid that's doing so."
"But I don't want him to get angrier at me..." Sarain bemoaned.
Justek shrugged and brushed a hand up beside his face, "That's what happens when you face hatred this strong. You might want to be on your guard, should you pass his last trial..."
Taking that advice to heart, Sarajin felt a little tense as they approached the mouth of the cave. One of the miners dropped a few blue and red gems into a small metal box and then looked over at Johnathan.
Oh hey there boss, we don't see ya around 'ere much these days! What appears to be the problem?
Johnathan planted his feet into the cracked ground and then affirmed his authority in his tone, "All of ya need to clear outta 'ere immediately!"
"Sure thing boss, but why-" "
Ya got a problem ya can take it up with me fists in the ring," Johnathan grit his teeth into a scowl and then shouted to the rest, "Ya heard me, get a move on, scram, GIT!"
The miners jolted upright and then picked up their tools and findings and marched away from the cave entrance in unison. Johnathan trailed them for a bit with his gaze and then grunted, "Alright that's the last of 'em. Now…"
He swung his arm out with a glare towards Sarajin, "March in there! Yer final Trial awaits in the Gateway to Glimmer."
Sarajin was made to take the lead with the others behind him. He had to be careful heading down into the cave because the slope was smoothed out and a little slippery.
But inside he was greeted by the beauty stretching far and wide. Crystallized rocks that he could see-through or see his reflection in glittered up this cavern with more colors than he could count. These could only be the "gems"" he had heard about.
His affection for this cave came to an end when Johnathan spoke up, "There's more to digging up rocks, metals and gems than having the muscles to do so."
Sarajin turned aside and listened intently to what he had to say. His voice calmed down as he too was feeling fondness for his environment, and smiled, "No two materials are alike around 'ere. Each and every gem yer lookin' at has somethin' that makes them special."
His ability to go from serenity to hostility in his gaze was enough to make Sarajin flinch, "I'll be givin' ya ten minutes to find the gem I want."
Justek spoke up immediately, "That's absurd. You can't expect him to-"
"I can,"" Johnathan replied coldly, squarely putting his gaze towards Justek, "And he'll do it by himself too! If ya even utter a breath his way I'll punt ya both all the way out of my city. So pipe your mouth, scale-breather."
Justek glared his way and then reluctantly stepped back. Johnathan then craned his head back, which increased his intimidation factor tenfold.
Dread swelled up inside of Sarajin's mind as he realized all the many colors he came to admire were now the many complications that could prevent him from succeeding in these trials.
"Find me the gem that represents love."" He uttered so certain of himself.
Sarajin's body started to relax, his heart fluttering at a rapid pace in tune with his growing elation. A smile grew and he clenched his fists up beside his chest to proclaim, "Ok! You got it!"
He then turned and ventured into the gem-filled caverns, leaving his audience perplexed at his cheery attitude.
"...Has he gone mad, pop?"" Ezekiel commented.
Johnathan narrowed his focus onto the boy and growled in antsy anticipation.
Justek crossed his arms and wondered to himself, "So, you know something after all, Sarajin?"
Sarajin weaved around the protruding gem spikes in the ground, avoiding the blues, the greens, the yellow, the purples and even the oranges.
He gasped in excitement when he found some dark red, somewhat see-through gems poking out of the ground like a small bush.
There!" He said, walking on up and pulling out his makeshift pick to start chipping away at one of the bits.
This gem was harder than any stone he dealt with and it felt like maybe his pick wouldn't be enough for the situation. He kept at it though, grinding down the pick's durability until he was down to two-thirds of its length.
He then grabbed onto the gem and gave it a hard tug, reawakening the dormant pain in his muscles. The gem snapped off and sent him tumbling back into a wall, where he slid down to the ground with his new gem in hand.
It was rough around the bottom but the top still glistened red like the setting sun. With a big grin he clutched the gem in his hand and made his way back to the entrance.
Back so soon, eh?" Johnathan's expression remained the same throughout.
Sarajin nodded and then held the gem out between his palms, "Here you go, one Ruby!"
Johnathan froze up save for his hand, which slowly reached out to pinch the gem between his fingers, "Where'd ya hear that name?"
"W-Well…"" Sarajin rubbed the back of his head and said in a sincere and heartfelt tone, "My mom has one of those on a ring. She told me it's the symbol of her and dad's love for one another…"
Johnathan put his hand around the Ruby and seemed to be checking it out. However, his expression got increasingly uncomfortable and he let out a rogue mutter of "Is this a joke?"" that spread his discomfort into the overall vibe of the cave.
He began to tighten his fist around the gem and the knuckles poked out of his skin. There was this series of cracking sounds before his fist fully clenched, and a fine red dust started to seep out of his hand.
Sarajin widened his eyes and watched as he let the rest of the broken ruby sprinkle to the ground like sand. He then turned his back to them and went halfway out of the cave before planting his hand against the wall, using the other to grab hold of his shaking head.
Sarajin took a few steps closer and asked, "D-Did I pass the Trial?"
Johnathan froze completely for a few seconds. When he turned back around his eyes were watering and he thrust his finger outside.
"Get out." He said, echoing the cold tone he took two days prior.
"W-What?""
"You will never be one of us."" Johnathan remarked, his face slowly turning red.
"I...don't understand,"" Sarajin approached him and waved his hands down, "Did I get the wrong gem?"
"That can't be it,"" Justek intervened, glaring straight at Johnathan without a hint of submitting to his authority, "The ruby is the gem of love. Sarajin passed your Trial."
"I-Is that true, pop?"" Ezekiel stuttered, looking to his dad all glazed over with confusion.
Johnathan's face got redder and he stamped his foot down in combination with thrusting his finger outside harder, "I'm the leader of this bloody village, so what I say is law! You're not welcome here, and ye never WILL be!"
"Whatcha sayin' pop?!"" Ezekiel shouted, pained by his father's words, "The Trials were put in place by the Gaia family founder, ya can't-"
"Do NOT talk back to me, boy!"" Johnathan lashed his hand out as he roared, which rattled the innards of the cave.
Panting rapidly as he watched his son cower in terror, Johnathan then grit his teeth and glared right down at Sarajin, "Look at what ya've done! Ya poisoned my son's mind with yer mockery!"
"Mockery?"" Sarajin looked him in the eyes, those feral, throbbing eyes, and though he felt weak in the knees by the strength of his gaze he remarked, "That's not what I'm doing."
Johnathan's hand began to curl into a fist, which he beat into the wall like a thunderous hammer as he marched one step towards Sarajin.
Sarajin began to retreat in tune with the man's advance. Johnathan grit his teeth, scowling like never before, his tone rigid and cold, "No, that's right...Yer here to bring 'peace'."
"And what of the dead? Where's their peace, eh?"" He pulled a pile of gems out of the wall and then tightened his fists by his hips as he continued marching forward, "Ya didn't gaze into the abyss like I have."
Sarajin continued to retreat, until he found himself backed into a column with no way to escape past Johnathan's muscular width. And just to be sure, the man slammed his hand above Sarajin's head, rattling out any last bit of courage he may have had.
"I was there that day with me pop. Those icy and fiery bastards riding up to our doorstep, ready to trample our pride just to get a few gems off us!" "
"We were gonna fight to our last man if that's what it took to repel them, but we never even got the chance…""
"Our skin went cold as that inhuman monstrosity strutted upon our territory, with bones that creaked like rusted metal…"
"I watched as I ran, narrowly avoiding the limbs that tore friend and foe apart, burying them in a sea of black and red. My dear pop, strongest man I ever knew, died screaming and begging for a mercy that'd never come."
"And my eyes still burn every sleepless night with the memory of that day. Hundreds of our men, slaughtered in a minute. And as everybody fed their appetite, they smiled. The dead screamed and the sky bled, and they smiled."
So..." Johnathan tightened his fist above Sarajin's head, "Aa come to me blabbin' on about peace and I don't see some glimmer of hope in those words, I see a brainless oaf come to mock those who fought and were slaughtered in the name of 'peace'."
Sarajin trembled all over, his face frozen as joyless tears trickled down the sides of his face.
Johnathan's brows slanted and he muttered, "Oh boo-hoo, cryin' ain't gonna do ya no good."
"I...I..."" Sarajin sniffled, his tone a jumbled mess of sadness and heartfelt pain, "I-I-I didn't know you had...lost your father."
Johnathan's expression relaxed subtly. Sarajin wiped his tears on his poncho but they just kept coming.
"I...know I'm not that smart, or strong. But...I'm me, and you're you,"" Sarajin faced Johnathan straight on, "And just because we've had different experiences in life doesn't mean we can't get along."
He clenched his fist against his beating heart and looked down, "I want to show all the Tribes that we can get along in spite of our differences...That we don't have to let our hate control us."
"Then maybe someday...We'll no longer have to bury our friends and family.""
All was silent.
Johnathan squeezed his eyes partway shut and then stared up at his fist. He slowly pulled it away and when he opened, it trembled.
He stared down at Sarajin's moist cheeks and then panned his gaze around the room. There were cracks all over the walls. His son was frozen, looking at him in abject fear.
He then stared at his rough, open palm, covered in ruby dust...
His eyes wandered elsewhere, sad and tender in their gaze. He then put his fists down to his sides and walked towards the cave entrance.
Sarajin slowly followed behind him until he stopped. Johnathan put his arms against his chest and tapped his foot at the base of the hill.
"...Ya ain't the first I've heard those words from,"" He glanced over his shoulder and seemed to be halfway between tranquility and regret, "But when ya spoke them...It felt like it came from somewhere genuine.
He turned around and muttered, "Maybe I was too rough on ya, lad. Despite all my efforts I couldn't break ya. Yer made of tougher stuff than any metal, yet inside ya's a heart of gold."
"If ya think yer way can make a difference in this world, then fine...I suppose I've failed to stop ya from tryin',"" He firmed up his stance and looked him straight on, "But there're people out there who've closed their heart to warmth and embraced the cold reality of war. Even knowing this, ya still want to unite the Tribes?"
Sarajin slowly nodded, ""...I do."
Johnathan closed his eyes and whispered in content, ""...Alright."
"Then…"" He opened his eyes and with a big, welcoming grin said, "At least know yer welcome to come back here anytime ya need to let off some steam, ok?"
Sarajin's heart sprung out of his chest and he did a tiny leap, "R-Really? You mean it?!"
"A-Are ya serious this time, pop?!"" Ezekiel joined in.
"He passed the Trials. He's a man of Oreore now."" Johnathan said calmly.
Ezekiel immediately jumped Sarajin and grappled his arm over his shoulder, "Ha ha! That's wonderful, Sarajin! Or...guess I should be calling ya brother now, eh?"
"H-Huh?!"" Sarajin said, pulling back in shock.
Johnathan socked Ezekiel over the head and remarked, "Don't be daft boy, it just means he'll get to come and go as he pleases."
"Though..."" He put his arms against his chest and softly remarked, "Ya sure ya wouldn't consider making this place yer home?"
Sarajin thought about it for a few moments then shook his head.
"Eh, fair enough,"" Johnathan shrugged, "Then can I at least ask ya to come have lunch at my place?"
"Oh boy, really?! I'd appreciate that very much, sir!"" Sarajin exclaimed, then bowed.
"You go on ahead, I gotta get the men back to work 'ere."" Johnathan then brushed his hand towards the entrance, and with Ezekiel as his guide Sarajin ran on out of the cave feeling light as a feather.
Johnathan smiled fondly at them and murmured, "Heh, his cloud ain't casting your shadow…"
He then raised his brows as he saw Justek hanging behind, taking his own pace out of here.
"Hey, you. Hol' up a moment."" Johnathan walked towards him and he turned around with a curious hum.
"Oh yes,"" Justek pinched the sides of his glasses and adjusted them into place, "Guess all's well that ends well. No hard feelings, and all that."
"Nice try, kid,"" Johnathan crossed his arms against his chest and armed his voice once more, "Look, I'm sure ya mean well tailin' Sarajin as his help...But ya need to clean that mouth of yers."
Justek's eyes narrowed.
"That kinda disrespect to authority's gonna land ya in trouble one day,"" He gave his hand a light gesture and remarked, "So maybe learn a thing or two from yer friend and loosen up."
"Hmph…"" Justek grunted and then turned away, letting out a drawn out sigh, "If you say so…"
He then left the cave with Johnathan following close behind, chuckling in amusement to himself, "Kids these days, I swear…"
On his way out as well he watched a shadow flap their wings atop the cave. Slowly glancing over his shoulder he caught a four-winged, peach-colored bird taking flight towards Arc Hurricanos.
"..."" With a brief, discontent look, Johnathan went on his way forward.
There was a lot left unsaid this day, but for now...This was Sarajin's first major step forward. But little did he know, the road of good intentions is never paved smoothly...
Next Time: The Eyes of a Father