Bad Omen

From atop a naked willow tree, a black owl with a circlet of beautiful antlers watched on as her human bond toyed with a group of kids a few years older than him.

Per his strange request, Eset hooted three times before the match begun, something that would be known in the future as a sure omen of death. A dirge that needs no tune or chorus, the steady hoots alone demanding a pin drop silence of respect for all those who would inevitably perish.

At the start of the duel, the enthusiastic and self-proclaimed future hero was very active; swinging around the heavy wooden sword with much fervor and passion.

Elias on the other hand weaved and dodged seamlessly, missing the wide swings of the sword by a hairs breadth.

To provoke him further, Elias even clutched both hands behind his back and smiled mockingly every time Leo would miss.

"Come on 'Hero of the village' is that all you have?"

Leo's face scrunched up in frustration and his eyebrows furrowed deeply.

"AAAARGHHH"

With a feral scream, Leo took one last big swing towards Elias before dropping to the ground face up and clutching at his racing heart.

The aspiring hero's face was filled with sweat and his body sore from overexertion. He looked up to the heavens with scorn, as if blaming the gods for his own failure.

'Damn it, I'm still no match for him'

His view was suddenly obstructed when Elias peered over him the same condescending smile stretched across his face.

"Hmm... Is this it? Are you done?"

Receiving no answer Elias took out his heavy staff resting it atop his shoulders. His relaxed smile turned ferocious and his body oozed killing intent.

"Guess it's my turn then"

Slowly the absurdly heavy staff dropped to the ground slowly inching closer and closer to Leo's face.

Leo's life flashed before his eyes, memories rolling like a modern day slideshow.

His ill mother kissing his head fondly from atop her bed, tears dripping from her sky blue eyes. His adorable little sister frolicking in a field of flowers smiling cheerfully and calling him to join her.

His dead father's body, mangled by wolves.

His determination, hours spent practicing with the sword, the joy of finding a rival and challenging him…

Leo closed his eyes accepting his end, embracing it even. But it never came

'…Why?'

Opening his eyes slightly, he found himself a blink away from the wooden staff.

With a shivering face Leo peeked over it, meeting the cold face of Elias

"Scram"

Letting the staff fall heavily to the side of Leo's head, Elias cruelly sent him off.

Leo's eyes widened abnormally and his body moved mechanically at first. Once he was no longer under the guillotine he skittered away. Leo ran like the wind as if the exhaustion before was an illusion

"W-wait for us!"

With frightened faces, Patrick and the short boy, Lester, followed behind Leo.

Pulling the staff out of the earth's embrace, Elias slowly mended the web of cracks formed around it.

[Elias, that felt wrong… just wrong]

Eset was simply expressing emotions she was confused about. She was not hostile or judgmental, but Elias felt a burning feeling in his stomach when she spoke.

Playing it off, he sneered and quipped back at her.

[What do you mean by that? Don't tell me you've gone soft on me now]

[It has nothing to do with being soft, what you did was not right. It felt cruel]

With the same gentle voice that was more confused at her own emotions than anything else, Eset tried to reason with him, but it was no use.

Elias felt guilt after what he did, but he did not want to admit to that. He felt an instinctive need to protect his ego, thus he responded with anger.

[WELL GUESS WHAT! THE WORLD IS CRUEL! IF YOU ARE WEAK LIKE THAT BOY THEN YOU GET CRUSHED BY THE STRONG]

Eset stared dumbfounded, she could not even process where Elias was getting this anger, this desperation.

Her eyes, although carrying concern were only viewed as pity and judgmental by the boy.

The way her eyes looked at him were twisted in his mind, he saw not her worry for him, but the whispers in his head convinced him they were those of scorn and pity.

Just like how the others would look at him in his past life.

[DON'T PATRONIZE ME! THIS IS HOW THE WHOLE WORLD WORKS! WHY SHOULD I BE THE ONE BLAMED FOR IT!]

The whispers in his head got louder and he felt an instinctive rage washing over him, but he controlled it. He did not let himself fall into a trance like that time, his meditation practice have become advanced to the point that he created his own reset button. He drowned the whispers with his own willpower and pushed back the intrusive thoughts.

Stomping away, Elias stored his staff into the ring and walked back into the cabin.

###

I curled myself on the bed clutching my knees as I buried my face in the pillow. The more I reflected on that 'duel' the more I could feel the guilt weighing me down.

'They're little kids… Why the hell did I just do that.'

I pulled at my skin and bit through the pillow trying to vent my frustration somehow. But nothing seemed to work, right now I felt even worse.

Amidst my internal struggle, I heard a flutter of wings signaling the arrival of my feathery friend. And well her voice in my head gave her away too.

[Elias, what is happening to you? These few months you've been behaving strangely. Are you keeping something from me?]

I tried to ignore her, Isolate her from my thoughts. But after almost three years, Eset became very proficient at telepathy. She was able to bypass the wall I set between my inner mind and the channel I use to communicate with her; to explain it simply.

Breaching past my boundaries she pestered me endlessly, her voice almost as annoying as the whispers.

[Elias talk to me! Tell me what's going on!]

"…."

[Elias! Don't try to tune me out mister, you can't beat me with telepathy]

"…"

[That's it! I'm throwing out your books and I...]

"He's missing. Dad's missing"