The Emerging Part I: Dream

Desert glares into each and every eye of his former gang. He curses loudly at each and every one, turns on his heel, and heads back to Vaiqon and the rest of the group. He curses to himself, ‘Wasted time is right.’

Desert leads Vaiqon, Hawk, Fox, and Pork to his parents’ house. As soon as the group assembles on the walk before the house, Desert’s parents storm from the house, anger wafting from them in waves to an extent that even the children can feel the vehemence radiating heat.

Vaiqon winces inwardly as he briefly reads Desert’s parents’ auras. He quickly turns to Desert, “Desert, please go inside and select to take with you your most prized possession.”

Desert shrugs but takes off into the house, throwing off his mother’s attempt at an embrace.

Vaiqon then turns towards the rest of the boys, “Hawk, Fox, Pork, please allow me to speak with Desert’s parents alone.”

Hawk, Fox, and Pork nod slowly with eyes still wide at the display of anger from Desert’s parents. Hawk leads Fox and Pork to the other side of the street where they wait patiently while Vaiqon speaks with Desert’s parents.

“No!!” Desert’s father screams at Vaiqon. “I’ll not allow my boy to be taken by the likes of you!”

Desert’s mother attempts to calm her husband, “Honey, don’t be like that. Desert must’ve-”

“No!!” Desert’s father screams again effectively quieting his wife. “You took my best friend, a brother to me, Ragefier, long, long ago, back when I still lived in Rizq. I never saw him nor heard from him after he passed your so-called test.”

Vaiqon briefly reads the memories that play through the forefront of Desert’s father aura. Vaiqon’s memories then scorch through his mind. He remembers the day in precise detail, the day he met his finest pupil, his greatest mistake.

“Torox,” Vaiqon commands, effectively quieting Desert’s father. “I shall inform you that Ragefier grew to be a rather deranged and estranged figure. He left the Rniti and has not been seen in ages. You should consider yourself lucky he never maintained contact with you.”

Torox scoffs, but his wife answers, “What do you mean, Vaiqon? Why should my husband be lucky?”

Vaiqon bows his head low, sighs, and speaks, “Larosa, I am afraid that because you are not a Rniti, I am not at liberty to disclose to you the true darkness that has become Ragefier.”

Larosa nods in understanding, but Torox scoffs and screams, “Bullocks! Bullocks on you and your filthy Rniti! I was a boy in Rizq, a part of the same Order Ragefier was in. We were both excelling, and he became the coveted Shadow Runner. I was always his right-hand man. Then you took him away and the Order nearly collapsed with his sudden disappearance. His family thought I killed him for a chance to become the Shadow Runner. My family and I had to leave Rizq! The only home I’ve ever known. If I’d never met Larosa on our travels over to Dzrt, I never would’ve stayed! I will not allow Desert to be taken by you!!”

Larosa, not having heard the true story of why her husband left Rizq, gasps in shock. “But, I thought you and your family had always been agriculturists? That we became traveling agriculturists so that we could see the land?”

Torox glares at Vaiqon as if accusing the Rniti of forcing his secret to have been unveiled. Torox turns to his wife, a soft look in his eye, “I’m sorry, my darling, but that is not true. My family only became agriculturists only after we left Rizq. My family were warriors in Rizq, and I was well on my way to being the top fighter in my entire family.

“But once we left Rizq, Dzrt would not see my skills as worthy, so we did what we had to do. We became agriculturists and when I met you and began courting you, I sought to see the land before Desert was born.

“In fact, when he was born in Karacrross twelve years ago, and then Desert got in that fight, I knew my blood was awakening in him. This is why I returned to Dzrt, your home, and fought so hard to petition and campaign my way to our current position of authority. Desert does not need to be a Rniti to quell his blood. He can become Captain of the Guard of the King!”

Larosa, still in shock from her husband’s truthful tale, can only say, “Vaiqon, please guide my son to a life of pride and glory, a life of happiness that he does not feel the need to hide from anyone.”

Torox recoils as if Larosa has slapped him, “Larosa!” Torox pleads as Larosa treks back towards the house.

Desert exits the house at that moment, nearly crashing into his mother. Larosa takes Desert into her arms, wrapping him tightly, nearly embarrassing him. When Larosa finally releases her son, Desert is blushing beneath his scarf.

Larosa wipes away a tear that springs from her eye as she says, “Be careful, Desert. Remember your strength. Remember your knowledge. Remember your mother.”

Desert can only nod as Larosa then kisses his forehead and releases him for the last time. Desert walks to join Vaiqon and a statue of his father. He cocks his head to the side in confusion looking up at his father.

Torox shrugs, pats Desert’s shoulder, and says, “Be safe, son. May your strength protect you as I wish I could have,” then leaves without another word.

Desert watches as his father attempts to embrace with his mother, but is thrown away as his mother walks into the house singularly. Torox slumps and slowly walks into the house without another look back at his son.

Desert silently curses his father, a man he once admired, but now, after having witnessed his mother cast him aside, a black mark marring his father’s memory. Desert turns towards Vaiqon and says, “We leaving already?”

Vaiqon nods, “Yes,” then motions for Hawk, Fox, and Pork to rejoin them from across the street.