"No, I keep the books for when you visit." Memor said sarcastically. He moved to his mattress, sitting down, relieving the stress in his muscles.
Spyro shut the book then placed it on the desk, he turned to Memor his smile ever so prevalent."I appreciate the thought, child." Then he scoffed,"that's something your uncle would never do." he said, breaking into a slight chuckle.
Well…he isn't wrong. Memor stared at Councilor Spyro with an even expression. It was a surprise at first to see him in his home, but in retrospect, during his time in the cabin, Spyro kidnapped Memor into joining them in the conversation, but never spoke to him directly. Maybe except for the last part where he made sure Memor would see the severed hand.
He turned around, picking up another book from Memor's desk, then spoke, his voice tinged with the sound of someone smiling"So we agree on your uncle being boring?"
"We don't agree on anything."
"Oh, don't be so serious, one can only live so long." Spyro flipped through the book,"of course, that is if you are Ceres's pupil."
Memor scoffed at his suggestion,"A pupil gets taught."
"I'd gladly teach you myself."
"Sorry, I don't take lessons from the possessed."
Spyro turned around having heard Memor's last comment. Making a hurtful expression he said,"what? Do I look too beautiful to be human?" He smiled.
Memor raised his eyebrows, fed up from Councilor Spyro's insistence on Memor betraying Ceres."I will consider it once you leave."
Spyro's smile widened, making Memor feel disturbed, he placed the book on top of the other and stood up."I appreciate it," he scoffed a bit then joked."You already resemble Ceres. Don't take too long, I'll be waiting."
Councilor Spyro's figure rippled and disappeared a moment later.
Sitting on the bed, Memor lowered his head and let out a long sigh.
It seems like he knows.
'He knows there is something wrong with you. That is fine.'
Alright. Memor stood up, blew out the candle, then set the books back to their places before he continued with his cooking. He fetched water from the well, some to use for his pot, the rest to whip himself of sweat. He let the soup cook while he cleaned himself, then he changed his tunic as the one he was wearing was stained with berry-tea.
Sat on his chopping block he ate his dinner in silence.
49 days until Memor becomes a Learner.
953AF Day 164.
Early in the morning Memor woke up with the same nightmare, vomiting flowers. He did his usual routine, except this time he did not eat a white flower, he left the pouch in one of the desk drawers and went out. It was the day Luni had planned for them to go on a hunting trip.
Memor walked through the dirt paths, watching as the citizens leisurely paced to their jobs, he would spot an old lady enjoying the morning sun on their porches, sitting on a rocking chair. They would grant him ceremonious smiles.
Most of the farmers worked in the east of the village, where wheat, potatoes, carrots and tomatoes grew. In a far corner of the farm, a field of white flowers grew as well.
East of the village a horse stable stood connected to a large field fence on the side of the street. Memor approached, looking at the mustang horses roaming its fields. At the back, where the horse stable stood, rows of wagons lined its side, they had leather bonnets as opposed to fabric.
Around some wagons people wandered, carrying sacks of items onto the wagons. Near one, Memor spotted Luni who wore a leather piece over his tunic. He was unfamiliar with most of the individuals surrounding Luni except for Calypso, Luni's older sister. She was a long brunette, above average height, sharp brown eyes, and had a strong physique.
Memor went through the gates, walking towards the groups, the horses around were unbothered by the passing person.
Luni turned his head to the approaching figure with a soft smile on his face and yelled,"People!" he sprinted towards Memor wrapping his arm around his shoulders, and said to the people at the wagon."This is my partner in crime. The Mori, The splasher of goo. The…uhh."
"Mori. Long time." Calypso said, standing up to greet him as they approached.
Just then, a voice filled with disdain came from inside the wagon."Wow, another white bunny joins the fray."
Memor, Luni, Calypso and the other two that were sitting near their wagon looked inside. A black haired man around his early twenties slouched on the wagon's benches. He had long limbs and an elongated face.
"Leave the kids alone, Haris." Theano came walking from the horse stable leading a horse in each hand, he looked experienced with his rough hands and stocky body, having short black hair and brown dark brown eyes.
"Oh of course, my dearest apologies if I had hurt your petite feelings." Haris said sarcastically.
Theano, the one leading the horses, shook his head. Ignoring Haris he told the other two Iro and Elena to tie up the horses so they could depart.
Memor was taken into the wagon, where he was fitted with a leather piece and a bow. They left soon after.
Passing through the village streets, the wagon caught many eyes. Memor looked through the exit from the back getting surprised looks of confusion from the villagers. He himself doesn't know of their reasoning nor did he really care.
Luni, near the front of the wagon, retold the story of how he and Memor pranked that drunk man at the bar."He came running out with his ass in shit! Hahaha."
Elena sighed, shaking her head as she stated." This is why I don't let Natalie hang out with you."
Luni retorted,"well it's her loss."He raised an eyebrow mischievously" I sure she will be glad that I invited her if you'd allow me t-"
Calypso smacked him in the head, handing him a look of anger.
From the front of the wagon, a chuckle came through, it was Iro. He was a short man with a bald head, and dazzling blue eyes."Don't bi soo hard on him Calypsoo, mee wish me daughter is as pranky as Luni. All she does is read read read." He sighed in disappointment.
Theano chuckled,"It is rare for us village people to truly get an education. Give her some credit, she might be chosen by the church of Mnemosyne someday."
During their conversation they have moved to the outer edges of the village, seeing this Calypso was reminded of something, she reached into one of the pouches on her belt and picked out a white, rose like flower and offered it to Memor."Here, a Bayel flower."
So she didn't forget, huh? Memor made a confused expression."Isn't it fed to babies?"
Calypso from his response realized her mistake, Memor didn't know what Bayel flowers did. She laughed awkwardly then started explaining."No no no, for children it is to protect them from Passion's Curse, because they can't handle the pressure the Fragment Shield puts on them…"
I should have worded my question properly. I know what the Passion's Curse and Fragment shields do, they…I don't know. All I know is that the Fragment Shield somehow protects our village from Passion's Curse, which was cast by some vengeful powerhouse.
"...As for why you have to eat it, well we are going out of the village and you are not a Learner so…" She awkwardly pushed the Bayel flower a bit closer to Memor.
He tilted his head in skepticism. Seeing this, Calypso pointed at the horses and said,"They mix in Bayel petals into their food when they are sent out of the village. So?"
In the background, Elena finally laughed as she couldn't hold in her laughter any longer." Just tell him he is going to die if he doesn't eat it."
Hearing this, Memor instantly reached for the Bayel flower and said,"Don't mind if I do." Making the people in the wagon chuckle a bit except for haris, who still held a long face.
"Oh, and don't worry Memor, you will just feel a little tingling in your stomach." Elena comforted.
Memor nodded at her and ate the Bayel flower. A soft heat began rising from his stomach and esophagus, spreading, intensifying, then hurting like a knife. On the outside, he made a slight expression of discomfort and rubbed his abdomen, not like the times he did in the mornings, where he would gasp and yelp in pain.
Soon after, the pain subsided, Memor's expression fell as well, to a colder, more emotionless front.
The wagon finally escaped the confines of the village, reaching a hilly plain of lush green and yellow daisies. In the distance, one could spot a Bur Oak forest, in another direction, a forest of blue trees called Aplaires danced at the horizon.
It was like that in the region Memor lived in, two opposite biomes could be separated by a thin streaming river, and it would be considered normal.
Inside the wagon, as there was not much to do, they chatted. Elena complained,"ugh, Iro, how do you make your daughter listen to you? Natalie never does what I tell her."
At the front of the wagon, Iro laughed,"me don't know neither."
Hearing his reply, Elena sighed. Just then Luni asked hesitantly."Uhh, Elena, you have a child?"
She raised her eyebrows, surprised, then her expression shifted to a sly smile."What? Do I look too young?"
Luni tilted his head,"well, no…"In truth, Elena and Calypso looked very similar, same color of hair, matching builds, the only differentiating factor was their faces, which Elena had a softer looking one. "...It's just, I thought Natalie was your little sister."
"She is." Elna said, her sly smile twisting even higher.
"Huh? Oh tsk."Luni stared at her in confusion, befores he realized he had been tricked and clicked his tongue.
Luni looked away, his ego as the village prankster had been horribly hurt. Elena nudged her head closer to Luni, her smile still present,"Oh has the village prankster been finally dethroned by such a cheap trick?
Luni didn't even attempt to retort, he fully ignored her. Seeing his reaction, she pushed no further, then leaned back onto her seat, before asking,"You do such meticulous planning for your pranks, but I only hear about you from time to time?"
Luni straightened himself, free of his shame of loss, he explained elegantly."Well you see Elena, as an amateur, of course you wouldn't understand, if one becomes predictable and common, they are but a part of the ecosystem…"
Calypso rolled her eyes at his display.
"...A prankster is the one that upsets the harmony. If I were to be so commonly found, what kind of prankster would I be." Luni proudly smiled.
Just then Iro from the driver's seat called out,"we here peple!"
The party member disembarked the wagon, each holding a bow while Calypso strung a quiver of arrows over her shoulders.
Memor glanced around, it was not much different from when they started their journey, a hilly plain dotted in yellow and green. He turned to the direction they came from, there was no village in sight. From the edge of his vision he spotted movement, a pack of beasts as large as cows, carrying tawny brown fur. Their faces like that of a goat, two horns grew from the skulls swirling in the direction of the eyes, they were Randerkse.
Chipping at the lush weeds, they stood around a hundred meters away, and were the prey of that day's hunt.