Notes from the Present: Orphans of a Lost Cause
Featuring: Elodea, Beatrid, Marius
“Are yah’ sure we didn’t miss anything pops?” Beatrid stepped forward in their brisk walk back to the orphanage. The streets of Ala Mhigo much louder than normal today. “I thin’ so, Shoul’ las’ everyone a couple’a weeks if I don’ fin’ yah’ eatin’ thirds again.” Elodea couldn’t help but chuckle, the fire headed young woman shooting him a glare through her glasses. “Not my fault my cookin’ is just that good. Besides isn’t it habit for all the women in your life to devour food?” Beatrid shot her father a bright grin, the highlander looking up at her “Father” knowing he wouldn’t be able to say anything against that one.
Elodea’s ears twitched in thought, all the gil he’d spent on food for Arha and Khojin alone was a nightmare if he didn’t properly fund his new lifestyle; Thank the Rhalgr Zurri at least just had a black hole of a stomach for sweets. “Loo’, jus’ cause mah loves got a bottomless pi’ don’ mean mah daugh’r needs on-” He was interrupted by shouts and chanting, something about an execution if the fuming words to be believed. At the entrance to one of the many alleys that lined the quarter’s streets was a mob, the inner ring of angry Mhigans throwing stones towards the stone buildings.
Had a beast gotten inside? He hadn’t seen his people riled up like this in a while. “Hol’ mah’ bags. They’re gon’a need ‘elp if a monster go’ inside.” Elodea practically threw his bags towards Beatrid, the young woman letting out a brief shout as Elodea shoved his way through the crowd. What they were focused on became all the more clearer once his height could help him view above the mob. A small figure bundled in messy robes, it couldn’t be larger than a couple fulms tall. “I go’ it I go’ it!” Elodea roared over the crowd, waving his burly arms to get the careless tossing of stone to stop. They’d practically thrown a whole masonry at whatever this was.
“Don’t get near it Elodea!” He heard from one of the street urchins that recognized him, another shouting that it was a monster. “I’s a whole three fulms, can’ be tha’ bad..” Elodea crouched down next tot he shivering bundle of fabric, claws gently tugging at that tunic that hid it. The thing gave resistance, but not for much long as he tugged it off with a firm pull. Elodea instantly felt his blood boil, fangs baring between his cracked lips at the sight of a frightened child shaking with his hands covering his head. “Wha’ in the ‘ells is wrong with all’a yah-” Elodea had turned partially to try and view the crowd but his blue hue had caught onto a single feature onto the pale child’s face. “See it ain’ no kid it’s a monster!” Shouted a member of the crowd, numerous shouts ringing through the streets. Elodea himself was frozen, breathing hitched and rough at the sight of a developed third eye in the center of the scared child’s forehead. Every nerve in his body had rung into fight or flight mode at the sight of that third eye, Why was he getting this response? He’d been around Octavius for over a summer by now, maybe it was because he glamoured over that symbol of the garleans. “Moved aside Elodea, Kid ain’ human!” The tug in his core grew worse, it felt like his body was going to collapse onto itself until nothing was left of his existence. “ ‘Ells yah really do test me Rhalgr..” The words slipped from Elodea’s cracked lips low enough that the garlean child would probably the only one to hear it. “Come’n kid.” Elodea pressed his forehead to the top of the child’s own, arms wrapping around the lost child. “Elodea don’ tell us yah’ actually pity the monster. Let him grow up and he’ll kill all’ve us. It’s in his blood!” Had it been a few years back Elodea probably would’ve agreed, but he’d already taken a Garlean’s help on more than one occasion.
“Shu’ up!” Elodea growled, lips snarling as he stood up slowly, arms helping the child rest against his chest with his free arm to cover the battered young. His tail was erratic, rattling at it’s tip as it swat at the crowd; Finally it was on his side for once. “I’s a bloody kid! Yah’ thin’ he’d be able tah’ ‘arm any of yah!.” Blue and gold eyes darted about the crowd, slitted pupils tightly shaped in focus. His breathing was ragged, worked up into a confused rage before Beatrid finally had broken through the crowd to help cover the child. “We’ve got it handled fol’s!” She shouted, arms waving franticly with the cloths bags full of grocies.
Both sides fell silent, the angry mod processing how two of the more generous folks in Ala Mhigo were actually siding with a Garlean; Elodea and Beatrid processing exactly what they were getting into by helping a child of a monstrous race of folk. “I’s on yer’ hands Elodea. The kid screws anything up, i’s yer head.” One of the folks grumbled before the mob had finally settled on a decision and broken apart. Elodea stood in place, looking at the shaking bundle of a boy in his arms in silence. “Well, I guess tha’s one more for the orphanage huh pops?” The question was met with silence again, Beatrid not quite sure what to say to her father for a moment. “I know wha’ you’re thinkin’, You’re righ’ too. A kid can’t be hel’ responsible for wha’ his paren’s or kin did.. Let’s go get him fed, he looks hungry.” “..Yeh’.” Elodea’s heavy hand patted softly at the child’s back, rubbing into it gently as he buried his head into his black and gold mane. “Le’s ge’ ‘im some food..”