Chapter 44: The Kind Man

The new people that have arrived and ventured inside the land has begun their first-ever built-in structures. Before, Ambroz's family and folks were the ones to have to do his during their time. Now, nostalgia knocks upon his head with all his father's recollections of the stories about them.

Elena's people had a lot on their plate; building wooden houses, searching for sources of goods, and making sure each being has a good condition. And he supposed this is what is distracting them from placing their focus on the shocking scenario he performed inside the cave as he was trying to hide himself.

Ambroz facepalmed. "That was too much to bear. What an embarrassment to my pride!" He exclaimed and ruffled his hair.

With the people from the other side, with all honesty, he never saw even a shadow from them. But, with the curse lingering in his system. The ability to feel their movements clasp his core. It appears that they are also doing their best to bring hostility and changes inside their tribe. However, there were no hints of them being part of the other kind, like Elena.

"They are all ordinary humans like I used to be," Ambroz muttered in his rusty voice. He was currently holding his bow on its edge and circling with it as he had nothing better to d after he had just eaten.

"If they put their trust in each other, wouldn't it be better as it will benefit them? I see no other reasons that they should build another of their tribe a bit far when they can all unite. Well, unless if there really is a reason for them to separate." He scoffed and shrugged off his shoulders. "Not that it's any of my business..."

Ambroz has only ever stayed beyond the cave's sides and sister areas. Since the woman named Elena suggested it to him personally. People among their tribe never crossed inside his tract. It seems as if Elena has stood over her plan and is calming her people. Whilst, he still can not grasp that they were accepted by the goddess herself.

"That witch, she must be powerful." He mumbled.

Then again, he remembered what Elena had told him about being able to cure him.

She sounded so confident. Not a doubt in her voice from him.' He thought.

It surely will take long as she just met him. But, he wonders if he could ever let himself to trust people again? Well, no one ever betrayed him but himself. So, putting that this matter led him to a white witch. She may look kind but what is with him still not fully trusting her?

"If what she says is true, should I trust her? Will this curse finally lift up? Will I no longer suffer from the consequences of immortality?" He uttered with a worried expression, brows arched and lips pressed. He then heaved a sigh before leaning on the tree that was behind him. "Thinking so hard is making me hungry. What is wrong with me? Am I just wearied? I don't know."

He made himself stiff a giggle with the thought that he has turned into such a complicated man.

"That woman, she looked beautiful but why has her presence never aroused me? Maybe because I am not a perverted type of guy? Or because she screamed so loud? Arg— that is not it!" He exclaimed and groaned. "Love just does not help with this eff-ng curse. At least I think of it that way, more power is needed, I suppose."

After he said those words, it made him slap his own face. "What am I saying as if I love that woman for just a mere glimpse of her? I am pathetic! Besides, there's this thought that I would never find love in this world anymore. Who would dare love a monster." He sarcastically laughed and covered his face. "Still, I hope that there would be a certain someone to change my mind." He whispered in a whim.

No wonder he could never pick someone before. Not even that lady named Meryl, who has Lucy's sister.

"Lucy," he uttered. "I missed my trainer."

If he at least gave himself the chance to love before. It will be horrible aftermath. Especially when later on he was already cursed.

He scoffed. "What a cruel fate."

He rested his body for a couple of jiffies before ending up on his feet once again. He was just outside of his cave and was about to go back inside when he halted midway. From afar, his ears slightly moved as rustling was heard.

"It looks like Elena's people are on the move again. What are they doing this far behind the forest?" He looked at his back where he supposed the rustling came from. Well, not that it's truly close.

He had a long standby mode. He looked back at the cave thinking whether he should just protect himself still and lessen the work on Elena's back or should he go there and learn more about these new people.

If he will follow his never-ending doldrums and decide to head towards that place, he surely will learn a lot of further information about what these people think and what they truly are. His trust issues would also be answered with a certain situation as that. However, a huge possibility of them panicking will not be ignored. That woman never hesitated to shout at his face with him in heat.

"Even I would panic if such obscenity would have brought upon my sight." He rubbed his forehead and heaved a sigh.

Knowing he is such an odd-looking guy, well he really is odd and...

"No, going there is too risky. I should just stay here. That's right, my sanity is still with me. Alright, let's get in." He exclaimed and shrugged.

"Should I just go and take a peak?"

"No, too risky."

"Should I?"

"I shall not! What is wrong with you, Ambroz! Let's stay here." He talk and shouted at himself.

In the end, he still followed his tedious self and answered it by going through his heart's content. And that is to watch over the people whom brought curiosity to his side at the very beginning. Yes, even when he just saw their ship he had finally had the guts to get involved with them. Not in the manner of hastiness, of course.

If it will be a future mistake, meeting new people will surely be a memorable one. Somehow, he is desperate. And he always has been desperate.

"With this, maybe the urge to die will lessen? I am not certain, after all, I don't hold my life anymore." He muttered and grasp the tree branch.

If you are wondering where this man could be. He is now sitting on a tree branch, a tall one at that. He was observing the humans associated with the forest. Cleaning it and arranging every bit of wreckage there is. Ambroz was interested in their work.

"Their new and yet they chose to take good care of the forest? They sure are kind." He assumed and tighten his grip on the branch. He is leaning in too much he might just fall.

The people cooperated and dirtied their hands with all the madness there is. Truly, it has been so long but traces of the past's stains on the future and now is his present. Instead of it being remarkable. The guilt still slashes inside his heart.

But, his attention was distracted by someone. It was a man with two lovely girls by his side. He was happily talking with them while youngsters had such a wide smile plastered on their faces. They enjoyed his company and so did he. Ambroz then decided to take advantage of his curse and used his hearing asset to listen to what they are talking about having them enjoy and be overwhelmed with contentment in their eyes.

"You see that, Lyzelle, my daughter? Don't you just love the sound of the birds singing?" The man asked the girl.

The girl then had a blissful expression. "Yes, father. I wish to sound just as the same as those birds. Can I do that?"

"Of course, you can, my dear. You would be much more pleasant to hear than those birds." He complimented and placed a kiss on her forehead making her giggle with such joy.

"F... Father," the other girl stuttered while calling her father.

Ambroz assumed that it was because she was f younger than the other one. "So they are father and daughters, I see,"

The man then faced to his stuttering daughter. "What is it, sweetie?"

"A-am I beautiful?" She randomly asked and it made his father burst into such a peal of joyous laughter. His daughter's level of cuteness never fails to make him happy. It always engulfs his entirety.

"You are indeed beautiful, Zynthia. Your sister Lyzelle, too. As well as your mother. You are both gifted with beauty and no one would disagree on that. If ever there will, father will destroy them." He playfully growl at them and they all then giggled.

Somehow, Ambroz was envious of seeing the bond between this family. Oh, how he misses his family so much.

"And do you know what else is beautiful, my daughters?" The man suddenly asked the two.

The girls had confusion on their faces when they are faze turned towards their father. They looked intrigued waiting for their father's say. Ambroz also was intrigued and he casually leaned in while still gripping the branch so he wouldn't cause a ruckus later on.

"What is it, father?" The two asked together.

"The forest."

"The forest?"

"Yes, my daughters. The forest."

"Why, father?" Lyzelle asked.

"Do you see those rustling leaves? The bewildering forms of noises garnering into such wilderness? The forest is beautiful itself. Just like how I fell for your mother's brown eyes, it resembles a land and it is where my heart goes home. It is our home." He exclaimed with vigour tinted on his voice. His mood lifted more as he came to be buoyant and uplifting.

"What home are you talking about?"

Ambroz looked at where the voice came from and it was from Elena, as he expected.

"Nothing, my love. I was just telling them how beautiful they are, you, and the forest." The man answered.

Elena crossed her arms over on the man's shoulders. He was sitting while she was standing and the two youngsters were settling themselves on his lap.

Elena was flustered and she laughed. "Are we talking about how the forest was your first love, now?"

The man's eye widened and he got excited. "Well, you see, my lovelies. The enchanted forest beckoned me into its pulsing heart. How could I resist such a lush Garden of Eden? The deep, haunting ballad of its ancient song called out to me. As old as Adam, the forest was still steeped in plushness and opulence.

With a light heart, I plunged into the overarching vault of leaf and limb." The man stood up and raised his hand while the other was placed on his chest. "It was not what I had expected. The exquisiteness of the dawn"s light had not yet lanced to the lush, greensward. Because of this, hoods of black shadow hung in the groves. Coils of vaporous mist enwrapped the shaggy heads of the oak trees. They writhed around them like a conjurer"s milky smoke, sensuous and illusory. Sieves of mist caressed the lichen-encrusted bark. Adding its phantasmal gas to the damp breath of the forest, it glided with deadly intent—"

"Now, now, settle yourself down. You just had your speech there. However, your daughters here can not seem to understand you." Elena interferes with him.

The man looked at his daughters and nervously laughed. Even Ambroz shook his head at how poetic that man turned to be. He never come across such a dreamy fellow before and it is such an eye-opener how simple aspects of the forest made him realize what he had not observed before.

"Father, anything else?" Lyzelle smiled and waited for his response eagerly.

Elena was surprised by the two who was interested in their father's obsession. His enthusiasm marked their tiny hearts and now the two was inspired by his words.

The man went towards the two. "Lastly, in this forest there lies a man, he is a creature and is settled beyond a deep place."

"A creature?"

"A... a creature?"

The two asked.

"Yes, indeed. He is a special one, not just a creature but a human just like us. Despite this man's hardships, he is kind and wants to be normal one day." The man replied.

Ambroz's heart thumped at that statement. He sure was caught off guard. Even though his name was not mentioned, he is sure that they are talking about his existence. And he comes to realize that apart from Elena, his man also knows his existence.

"Why, father? What happened to him? Is he hurt?" Lyzelle asked and her eyes had sadness filled with it.

"He is, my love." Elena was the one who answered this time.

"Yes, and do you think we should help him?" The man then proceed.

Lyzelle nodded multiple times and said, "Yes! Yes! Yes!" With full of enthusiasm while the little one followed her nodding.

Ambroz turned out to be such a sensitive fellow with all the bonds he sees in the family. He could have had that. Now, he just does not know what to feel. He was touched and hopeful for that scenario. Who would not?

Now he understands why the goddess not only accepted them but knows who they are.

"It's not just about the kindness in these people. But, also the leader of this man and Elena's." He mumbled and came to a conclusion.

After a moment of observing and eavesdropping with their delightful moments, they turned quiet and Ambroz almost panicked when the man raised his head and looked at him.

The tree he was on was too tall and no one would have ever imagined someone was sitting there, but this man is truly observant. Even Elena followed his gaze and looked at him up on that tree. They both gave him a smile and nodded.

He froze and never gave them a retort. With only a blank expression. Soon after, they had to collude their strength amongst other people and discuss a lot of different things.

While Ambroz already had to head back. He has seen enough to fill his curiosity.

"Who was I to distrust them when I am the one who looks more distrustful? What pride do I take? I have nothing but this pathetic curse." He exclaimed while tracing his way to his cave. "To protect this land with my curse? Not a single manipulation with the curse I have and remorse is upon its peak. Whenever I try it always ends up the other way around."

He slumped down and lean his back on the walls of the cave, he stroked his nape with his cold hands. "I feel on edge today. This long hair I'm carrying and cutting it is not even above the options. What do I do?"

Ambroz went again and complained, whimpering over his hair and how the curse existing- is making his life miserable.

"Pathetic!" He shouted and it echoed through the cave.

"If you think you are pathetic then think the other way around. Dwelling on this curse will only make the devil rejoice for your suffering. This is not how it should work." Elena came into the cave and handed a thin fabric of strap.

Ambroz who was covering and rubbing his face was actually very stunned inside. Elena's arrival in the tinge of seconds was a shock for him.

"You startled me. You truly are a witch, I could never have found out your presence without your voice." He commented.

Elena giggled while covering her mouth. "Is that supposed to heckle my perceptions?"

"Well, I mean in a good way. U-uh, a white? That's right, a white witch. Nothing more nor less. Just plain as that." He began to stutter in between his sentences. His eyes were waving everywhere for him to avoid hers.

Elena had another wave of touches of laughter and ended it with chortling. "You are one funny man, here,"

"What's that?"

"It's a fabric?"

"I know it is, in our times we are not so ignorant." He almost rolled his eyes but halted. "What I mean is, what will I do with a strap of fabric?"

Elena stretched the fabric with both of her slender hands and uttered. "I heard you complaining you complaining about how long and heavy your hair has turned out to be. With this fabric, you can tie your hair and you might expect some positive changes. Here, give it a try." He handed it in his hand and he accepted it with confusion plastered on his face.

He tried to twist and turn it over his hair but who would accept that he is worse than everyone thought?

"Not ignorant, you say?" Elena stifled her laugh and shook her head. "Turn your hair around and I will do it myself."

He followed as she say and turned his back towards her. The woman sat on top of flat rock and removed the fabric in between his hair.

"It's not as hard as you think it is. You just have to garner your hair to the top just like this," with both of her hands she gathered and gripped his hair, pulled it to the top and comb his hair with her fingers. "And with this fabric, all you need to do is circle it around like this and end it with tying a knot. There you go, feel any better?"

Ambroz felt fresh and cool in his nape. The heaviness lighten and he was able to move his head and not struggle.

"I do feel alright now. It's not that worse anymore." He remarked.

"I know. I do this a lot with my hair but not anymore because some man said so." She exclaimed. "Why, look at you. You are indeed a handsome fellow. Do this a lot and you will be hanging on with finest."

Elena stood up and head outside. Before she left, "Settle down for now and tomorrow will be the day that you will unite with my people."

"Unite? But, I am still cursed. Being with your people is too risky."

"Nothing is too risky when you planned to loosen yourself up a bit. Years, decades, and centuries passed. There is no better way than this. All you need to do is to talk with at least some of them."

Will it be alright?

Is settling with these people a good idea?

That day left Ambroz to think heavily about it.

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ABYSSCESS