22 Another Dream

With a twitch, the boy's fingers trembled as his emerald eyes shot open before drooping again.

Above him, the orange fall leaves, speckled with scattered drops of crimson, rattled with the gentle whispers of the afternoon breeze.

Then he sneezed aloud, interrupting the pleasant atmosphere.

'Ah,' Kalani thought, awkwardly scratching at his slightly numb nose, 'I should head back home. If I catch a cold, Mom will kill me.'

With a groan, he propped his stiff upper body upright. As he worked on stretching himself, his gaze wandered around the clearing before glancing up at the lone tree.

Unlike summer, he could now glimpse the faint edges of Whistle's twig nest on the branches, but the bird was nowhere to be seen.

He was waiting for Whistle to return with a letter from his uncle, and occasionally, he would wait here in case the bird decided to drop the message here instead of at the cottage.

Only after several more checks around the area did Kalani confirm that the bird hadn't arrived here. As for worrying about the bird, he tossed it to the back of his mind.

"It'll be fine," he murmured before licking his dry, chapped lips. Then he strolled out of the clearing into the woods.

The forest— while intimidating to others— was nothing more than a trove of nostalgia for him: from the small nicks he made on the towering timbers beside him to the scents he had grown to love over time.

Other than the cottage, this was his second home, and truthfully, he was a bit reluctant to leave it. Yet at the same time, he felt eager anticipation sprouting in its place.

He could finally go to the capital, live there, and see things he had heard from Uncle's letters for the first time. This is why he needed to come back here— to this forest. He had to say goodbye soon; otherwise, he might not be able to with all the frantic packing his family was going through.

Kalani cracked a smile at the last thought as he trailed his fingers over the rough bark. Then he halted.

In his sights, a foot protruded from inside the bushy undergrowth. Then the frown deepened on the boy's face as he noticed the limb was lifeless and pale.

'Is the person dead?' Kalani asked himself, trying to be as calm and silent as possible while he crept closer. His hand reached into his wooly pockets for a small knife, which glowed a faint azure once taken out of its sheath.

His weapon was imbued with his mother's flame, and so far, he had never used it. Within a meter of the body part, he hesitated, wondering if he should even bother.

Then he broke the silence with a sigh and held the glowing knife in front of him protectively, "Who's there?"

Kalani startled as the limb hastily vanished into the bush, as though wishing to be hidden.

"I saw your foot already; show yourself!" he warned somewhat coldly as his emerald eyes narrowed.

The still atmosphere continued for a minute before a rustle came from the bush. Kalani stepped back strategically, but then his eyes blinked wide in shock.

Matted, blonde hair slightly covering those clouded, ocean-blue eyes— a lad around his age emerged from there. Well, at least his face did... barely.

It was more as if the unknown person wanted to peer at him, gage him like Kalani was doing right now.

Kalani's grip on the blade tightened as he asked again, "Who are you?"

There was a weak whimper from the person, "N—eil." It was broken and hoarse, as though the person wasn't used to speaking.

Kalani's frown deepened as he watched the lad crawl out of the undergrowth.

Numerous bleeding scratches on the lad's arms and legs exposed themselves underneath the chilled sunlight while dirt clung to the remnants of his clothing, which were unwearable rags at this point.

"Help— me..." the unknown lad pleaded, dragging his blistered feet toward Kalani, who flinched back.

Then the person suddenly stumbled forward, and Kalani subconsciously leapt toward the lad and managed to hold him upright.

Kalani's emerald eyes roved over the fainted person beside him before deciding. Sheathing his blade, Kalani lugged the lad through the darkening forest.

...

"Adeline, I'm going out to find Kal," Kalani's father muttered as he peered at the nigh setting sun. "He's normally not this late."

Kalani's mother paced around in distress before nodding.

"Wait!" she called out to her husband as he turned to leave, "Peter, take this." She rushed to their bedroom and back with an armored wrist brace, its metallic sheen giving off a vague hue of lime.

The man hastily equipped the brace and had only stepped out the doorway when his wife abruptly raced out the door.

"Adeli—" his cedar irises then lit up in relief as he saw the shadowy figure of his son in the distance. On his arm, the notched brace flashed a stronger shade of lime as the man flew toward Kalani and snatched his wife into his arms along the way.

"Kalani!" both of their distraught voices reached the boy within seconds. With a snap of her fingers, the woman illuminated the area with the blazing azure of her flames.

Both parents froze at the sight of Kalani carrying a battered lad— around their son's height— on his back.

"Mom... Dad?" Kalani murmured with labored breathes, wincing at the sudden brightness. His mother and father exchanged glances, one worried and the other still shocked.