The white-haired boy watches as the people in white uniforms walk past him. In quiet observation, he listens to the cluttering sound of the guns they carry, the thumping noise of their steps, and the whispers they share among themselves. The child knew they were speaking of him but remained not to call them out, but to simply observe. He thinks to himself if this was normal between the common people; gossiping about those close by, not caring about the emotions of the person they speak of.
"Lyno"
Said boy turned to the mention of his name to see a long wavy red-haired woman, taller than him, eyes of bright gold, standing beside him in a composed manner. The black suit that she wore along with the wide-brim fedora made her facial features stand out. To other people, including the boy, she looked like any other office lady. But to the marines who were just walking past, they immediately stood still and sharpened their posture.
"Big sister, you're here," the boy spoke in a surprised voice, he didn't even see her coming. He noticed the atmosphere in the room had tensed, "did something happen?"
The woman looked around her. Her eyes glazed upon the marines one by one, each stiffening up under her gaze. Pulling her right hand out of her sleek pocket pants, she changed her posture. "There's nothing to look at, move along." Her voice sent goosebumps to whom she addressed and the marines immediately apologized before scattering, leaving the hallway desolate with just the woman and the boy.
"Why were they staring at us? It seems the people here love to talk with one another." The boy chattered in wonder. His sister blinked at him as he stared at her, hoping for her to answer.
"That's just how people are, they are attracted to things they aren't supposed to," she explains coolly. "Pay them no mind. C'mon, let's go." She beckons him to follow her and the boy jumps from the chair he was sitting to trot alongside her.
As they walked, Lyno took a glance at the swords that his sister was carrying behind her back. He had asked about the weapons and his sister had explained that she needed them to protect both herself and him. That the world is dangerous and none can be trusted without at least one fight to determine it. He had asked if he should also get them and his sister stayed silent on the question and Lyno left it at that.
While Lyno is always curious, he never wants to force his childlike wonder onto other people. After all, he had experienced it firsthand when he questioned a stranger to the point a fight had ensued where the stranger was calling him names and such. Thankfully a few marines were there to hold the stranger down, restricting him from reaching the boy. As the fuss came about, Lyno still remembers the furious look that the stranger had as many curious questions came to his mind at the scenery happening in front of him.
"We're here."
Snapping from his thoughts, the door was opened from the inside, showing a woman standing near the doorstep. Her hair was shaped in an intricate way that stood tall adding roughly ten inches to her height, a bright smile plastered onto her face as she made a cooing noise before latching herself onto Lyno. The boy made a squeaking noise from the sudden tightness as the hug had almost prevented his lungs from retrieving the needed oxygen enough for him to breathe.
"My dears, welcome back! I'm so happy to see you two well and healthy!"
"Mom… I can't…"
"Ah! I'm so sorry," the lady backed away immediately, "are you okay, my sweet Lyno?" She proceeded to spin him around, making sure that she didn't break him or scratch him. After doing so, she smoothed her hands on his shoulders as if he was made from fragile ceramics. Lyno sighed as he looked at his mom, Magdalena Morgan.
"Maybe you should take off that heavy and thick suit when you're at home," Lyno explained straightforwardly. He never really liked the neighborhood around here that wears the same clothes as his mom. Every time he sees them, he feels suffocated. Thus, he was glad to know that his sister wasn't among those people and chose to wear breathable clothing– which helped him breathe a little easier too. When he tried the bubble headwear and the suit, he felt isolated from the world. People who saw him immediately avoided him as if he was a ticking time bomb ready to explode on them.
"Nonsense! This suit gives the best protection for us highly powerful celestial dragons! We are of the highest priority after all!" Her mom boasted loudly with pride as she stood with both of her hands on each side of her hips. Lyno couldn't help but glance at his sister. It was a slight shift, so small that others wouldn't notice, but after spending so much time being a people observer, Lyno could see the slight change of her expression to a discomfort look from his sister before returning back to normal.
He finds it amusing whenever his sister would give the slightest reaction. And he knows his sister was one to not show much expression. It does tell a lot of things about how one thinks about their surroundings.
They walked inside as his mom continues to blabber about the superiority of Celestial Dragons. What's so great about them? As far as he observes, they seem to be doing almost nothing but drinking tea and gossiping like those marines. While they do get to be invited to some of the most important events in the world, there were too many formalities and obvious phony that just make Lyno sick and bored.
"Lyno, why don't you go back to your room? Mom needs to talk with Lysandra for a bit," Magdalena said in a sweet voice and closed eye-smile. The boy nodded without many words before going up the stairs. As he was about to turn around the corner, he glanced behind to see both his mom and sister walking in the opposite direction. Their footsteps slowly got further and quieter. He watches their back disappear and continues to stare. He contemplated if he should follow them and eavesdrop on their conversation but shook his head before making his way upstairs. It had been in his instincts that something bad would happen if he had followed.
The Holy Land Mary Geoise was a place where celestial dragons, the world government, and the marine headquarters reside. The window to Lyno's room was open and he could feel the breeze coming into his abode as he watches the scenery outside. The land was so high up in the sky, he could see the clouds so close to the roof of his house. He closes his eyes, imagining himself in the air, blanketed in the clouds, limbs spread out, and the freedom that he could do anything that he wanted. However, as his mom had said, celestial dragons could do anything that they wanted unpunished, and yet, it felt different. Whenever he does what he wants, people seem to view him badly instead. Even as simple as trying to help somebody, they seemed all the more scared than before. "I wonder what's beyond this land," he sighs.
A whine was heard behind him as he glanced back to see an onyx-furred wolf pup laying nearby. "What is it, Yhorm," he asked out and the wolf pup lifted his head to look at him. Yhorm has been with him since he was birth. He wasn't sure where he came from but the animal stuck to him close. Even when his mom had tried to kick Yhorm out – saying that the wolf was dirty – the wolf pup would somehow make his way back to Lyno's side. At that point, the wolf pup was allowed to stay in the house but never to wander outside as his mom did not want such an animal to dirty the Holy Land's grounds.
It was a weird reason but Lyno was glad that Yhorm was finally allowed to stay even with such strict rules. He had seen many other celestial dragons trot around or bragged about the slaves they had bought from the auctions that his mom sometimes goes to. While he never considered Yhorm a slave, but more so a companion, he never understand the purpose of slaves. Whenever he sees another celestial dragon with their slave, it seemed the slave was despairing while the owner was laughing. The scene sent a certain wave of emotions that Lyno couldn't describe. Whatever it is, he didn't like it.
The wolf pup stood up, shook his body around before trudging close to Lyno, and rubbed his head to the boy's side. The boy patted the animal's head, "Maybe we can venture out of this place and explore the world on our own. What do you think, Yhorm?" In response to the question, the wolf barked confirming. An urge of adrenaline rushed through his body as he imagine, he couldn't put into words what the feeling was but he knows that he was more energetic now.
Just as he was about to walk towards the door of his room with Yhorm, the door opened from the other side revealing his big sister. "Ah, big sister, have you finished talking with mom?" Lysandra didn't answer his question but instead told him a list of things that he needed to do.
"Lyno, pack your bags, bring those collections of wanted posters I gave you, and meet me at the back of the house tonight at 9 PM sharp," she trailed off for a moment before continuing, "Make sure to bring Yhorm with you." As she finished, she took one glance at his room before turning around, "And be quiet." She closed the door leaving the confused boy in silence along with Yhorm to whimper.
A look of nervousness and anxiety adorned his sister's face, something he had not seen since before she had joined the marine corps. A rush of uneasiness blanketed him but he respected his sister and so he only looked at Yhorm and smiled. "Maybe our adventure is going to start sooner than we think?" The pup only barked in a delighted response.
Usually, at this time of the night, Lyno would be sleeping like the good boy he was. Having a rebellious streak was not something he thought he'd do often, but today might just be the beginning of it. A twinge of guilt pained him for disobeying his mom but it's not like he was alone, his big sister promised to meet up with him, and Yhorm was here too! As long as he was with those he know, he was sure that he is safe. After all, he knows his big sister is super strong.
Yhorm whimpered and Lyno looked down, the pup was standing behind him looking afraid. If his companion is afraid then the other should remain brave. Lyno bent down and picked up Yhorm and hugged the pup to his chest in hopes to comfort the animal. "It's okay, Yhorm, I'm here hehe." The wolf pup whined and further bury his head into the boy's chest. Lyno smiled before looking up to see his big sister walking up to them. The boy clutched to the sling of his satchel bag. He had packed not only the wanted posters that his sister had asked for but also snacks and bottles of water.
"Good, you're here. Now, don't panic, I'll wrap this piece of cloth and cover your eyes," she ordered in a whisper. Before he could even say anything, his sister was so quick and his vision had all turned black. Without the Yhorm's small and soft body close to his chest, he would have run home alarmed, even though his sister had told him not to panic. "It's okay, just hold onto my hand with your other one," his sister's voice softened and Lyno gulped before doing what he was told.
They walked in silence, too silent for Lyno's liking. Maybe being blindfolded had made the feeling worse but he trusted his sister enough that she would never do any harm to him or Yhorm. As they continued on, he realized that it was the first time that he held his sister's hand. While it's hard for him to admit it but he actually quite liked the feeling of it. Even if it was cold, Lysandra's hand was tight around his and it gave him a sense of safety. He thought to himself that the next time they walked together again, he should ask if he could hold her hand again. At the thought of it, he couldn't help but smile.
"Hey, the missy is here."
"Shut your mouth," Lysandra snapped back towards the pirate thug sitting on top of a barrel. "I see that your crew is here too," she stated as she glared at the other pirates stationed in the huge pirate ship behind the man. With her right hand holding Lyno's hand, her left was on her side, ready to grab her sword if a fight were to happen.
"Of course! Would you even consider making a deal with a celestial dragon? If I hadn't come with my boys, who knows if there are hidden marines going to show up and put a bullet in my head?" The man snarked back, his words laced with disgust. Lysandra only stayed silent before sighing.
"This was a last-minute decision, you better keep your promise to me," Lysandra trailed, she tilted her head upward and glared at the man, "Even as I am a celestial dragon, I don't need others to bite my enemies for me." The man stiffened up as the atmosphere had turned cold, enough to send the small wolf in the boy's hand to shiver at the pressure.
"Geez, I know who you are, I won't even try, so this is the one that you want me to bring with?"
"Yes, and the animal too."
"Hey! You said it was only one, you're crossing over what you promised here. That little mutt ain't so important are they?" At the question, a sword was already pointed at the man's neck before he could even say his next words. The other pirates on the ship screamed in panic at the scene, calling out their boss' name. "Holy shit."
"I'll double the money. Just shut your mouth, do as you told, and get them to where I ordered you to."
Without many complaints, the man only clicked his tongue and nodded. The sword was lowered down and before the man can order his fellow pirates to get Lyno, the woman disappeared along with the boy and reappeared on the foreign ship's deck. The pirates let out shocked screams and moved away from the sudden appearance of the newcomers. Lysandra kneeled down so she could look at Lyno whose tears were running down his cheeks, dampening the cloth that was covering his eyes. Yhorm continues to whine and rub his head into Lyno's chest in hopes to comfort the crying boy.
"Lyno."
With hiccups clogging his throat, preventing him from getting the words out, Lysandra took off the cloth around his eyes. Lyno stared at the blurred face of his sister and hugged Yhorm tighter than ever. He doesn't know why he was feeling this way, he never felt it before, but he was overwhelmed. "Big sister, what's happening?" He managed to ask between his hiccups.
"From here on out, you will be on your own with Yhorm. It will be only for a moment but soon you will meet people that you could trust. Just check on the wanted posters I gave you." She stopped for a bit before putting on a soft smile, a rare one that she would never show to anybody. "You are strong, Lyno. Stronger than anybody else in this world. You can do this," she assured with a determined voice.
"What about you, sis? Can't you come with us too?"
Lysandra's eyes widened for a bit before she gave her younger brother a bittersweet smile. The smile held so much deeper meaning that Lyno couldn't assess but something in him had wanted to reach out to her and never let go. "Unfortunately, big sister can't come with you because she has other matters to attend to." The boy could tell – for the first time, he sees his sister putting down her usual cold mask and showing what looked like a broken child's face wanting for something but couldn't. "Maybe when this is all over, big sister can join you," she whispered.
"But I must leave now. Any further that I'm here, there won't be another chance." The red-haired woman stood up, her long wavy hair dancing across the dark sky, making her stand out all the more. She glanced back to see the man before had come up to the deck, looking furious at them but didn't say anything.
"Leave this land immediately. Anything that happens to them will reflect upon you and your crew," she threatened to the pirate. The man grunted and put his right hand out, Lysandra tossed a bag of money over to him. She took one more glance at Lyno and Yhorm, the two were still in a mess. Lysandra gave one last smile before disappearing.
"Everybody, open up the sails, we are moving!"
Lyno watches as the other big man chomps down on the cherry pie. The boy was holding a certain wanted poster up as he does a comparison between the drawing on the paper and the man in front of him. The white-haired boy squinted his golden eyes, "According to this wanted poster and my sister's mark here, you're a bad guy so I should avoid you."
"Zehahahahaha! Well, I would listen to your sister if I were you!"
Yhorm whined as the man continued chomping down on his food. A thought came to Lyno's mind as he continues to observe the man, he thinks whatever his big sister had planned, things definitely didn't go the way she wanted.