hold fast to dreams,

for if dreams die,

life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams, for when dreams go,

life is a barren field —

frozen with snow.

‘I am Aeolus.’ The boy responded. And with his response also came a smile that if anything it seemed as though it was forced. Just what was bothering him? I wanted to know so badly. Knowing that there may be something worrying him made me worry about him.

Then he surprised me.

‘Was it the tiger that hurt you?’ Tiger? Was he talking about that monster that hurt so many people and killed one who the spotted stallion, Mauja, seemed to hold dear. Thoughts drifted to the sight of them in the distance when I awoke. Mauja was wailing, screaming over someone. I didn’t know the relation exactly but all I knew was that I didn’t want to get any closer to that mess. Then there was the white girl who got thrown across the land by the monster. Last I remember others were arguing whether or not she was good enough to move. Hopefully she would make a full recovery. That beast didn’t need to claim the lives of two innocent people.

“Tigur,” I pipe out curiously, “Is zat vat zey call zat monster?” I pause as a nervous chuckle clawed and climbed up and out of my throat only to die shortly after it touched the air, “No,” I spoke calmly as my mood began to change.

Zero.

He was my friend. I tried to help him. And yet he was the one who had hurt me. Blue eyes softened as my gaze shifted from Aeolus to the ground. I wondered if Zero knew what he had done. I wondered what he would do if he did find out. I wondered and wondered until I shook my head clear of such thoughts and turned my attention back to Aeolus, “No, I got hurt by sumone else. Zeir majick accidentally got me and zen my friend Tiamat helped me until I could go on my own.”

Ears pricked forward as Aeolus sighed and then spoke up his story. He was at the battle too? I hadn’t seen him there, but then again I was…er mentally preoccupied – aka freaking out. He mentions something about one of his friends and it seemed to be stumbling over whatever he was trying to say. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. A caring smile grew upon my lips as I looked at him. “Lots of people got hurt,” I whisper sullenly, “None of et should have happened, but et did,” Flashes of Mauja and Tia and the white girl and Zero all filled my brain as I quickly thought about everything that had happened, “Ve vere all lucky,” I start off slowly, “Vell, except for one.”

My voice grew somber for a moment as I tried to remember the person that Mauja was crying over, but alas I couldn’t. So, I shook my head in an attempt to stop thinking about such sad things. It was time to start thinking about the present and possibly the future.

“So,” I ask with a new found curious energy, “Vat are you doing out here?”


"Talk."
notes:: @Aeolus