Into The Forest

Viron ruffled his hair because of how cute and adorable he was, "We will be together for eternity, hm?" he said.

"Together… for eternity," Ali repeated.

***

He felt his shoulders shivered while he looked back on his memories with him, "Aren't we supposed to fight together? Are we not going to fight together anymore?" he asked, yet never expected for an answer

He wiped the tears that formed on his eyes, "Ah, this… this is wrong. I can't just trust what someone just told me," he cheered himself up, but it was useless , he could still feel the sharp pain that struck his heart.

"It'll be fine… The sun hasn't yet set, there's still time for us to meet," he couldn't just bear to stay there all day long and let himself cry because of what Ross had said.

"Because, what if he was just bluffing?" It really was a bother for him that his friend knew about what the both of them had talked about 900 years ago when they promised not to tell it to others and that will only stay between them.

He shook his head off, "Unless you said it to me directly, I won't believe anyone else other than you,"

Ali made his way through the bushes as he was about to enter the forest that lies behind the lake, where he saw a pattern that would lead him to the inner parts of it. He didn't even think twice before doing it. He had already familiarized the outer parts of the forest that's within his reach.

He encountered a lot of beasts who are still beasts and also those who had a human form; they greeted each other normally.

Ali found himself in front of a beautiful and scented garden that was very familiar for him. Without any notice, he got in the garden and he was welcomed by the small pond and flower bed.

He started to wander around the big garden — but he found himself in front of the altar that's just beside the flower bed.

The altar has different kinds of flowers and all of those are one by one in a box shaped glass and its size varies on how small or big the flower is. But what stood about it was the flower of the King of Flowers — a lotus.

"Who?!" the sudden approach of someone made Ali flinched.

He turned his head to see where the shout came from, and the moment he did, there showed a familiar figure of a woman he hadn't seen for a long time. The person quickly got on her knees with her arms on the floor, facing where he stood, bowing excessively.

"Rise," he commanded. The woman that just got in seemed to have a hunch as to who this person is because of what she did.

"Your Majesty, please forgive my insolence," she apologized while she's still on the floor and refusing to get up.

"What you did was right, Flora. Seeing you taking care of it like that made me relieved and to give you the authority to look after this place for a long time in the future," he assisted her to stand up, afraid that if he let her be, she would just stay like that until he took his leave.

"Of course, Your Majesty. This place is important to our kind plus here remains the important relics and fragments of the Kings. Thus, needs to be protected," Ali can see the genuine happiness and determination in her eyes. She was just a kid when he left, but now, she has grown up.

He chuckled. "You've grown up," and patted her head. If ever he died, Flora would be the better choice to be the next King of their kind, she has the power and ability to protect them, and knowing that fact relieved one of Ali's worries.

"You flatter me, Your Majesty. I just simply said the fact that everyone knows," all flushed, Flora bowed. But unlike earlier, she's not kneeling anymore.

"All right, all right. When I set off later, I can finally ask you to look after and take care of them," he casually said, and it's enough to make Flora wonder.

"Your Majesty, do you mean..." said Flora. She didn't want to mention it directly, but she had a clue as to what Ali was talking about.

"Mhm. It's today," Ali was aware that a lot of them already knew about the occasion so it didn't really surprise him more. "It will finally begin," he added.

Flora was amazed by the expression he had when she gazed at him. Because from his eyes down to his face, the genuine happiness that he showed is too evident to ignore.

"This servant wishes you a successful journey, Your Majesty," she said while bowing to pay her respects.

Ali's worries came rushing back again, but because he didn't want her to notice it, he gave her his thanks.

After they chatted for quite a bit, Ali decided to take his leave, "This is where my visit today lasts, I'll visit again after things have settled, hm?" he simply told her.

"Then I'll send you off, Your Majesty," she offered, just like what the servants would do, but Ali refused.

"You don't have to worry about it. I still have somewhere to stop by, or else you want to join me?" he teased.

Flora's cheeks reddened because of the things he had said, "No, that's not what I intend to do, Your Majesty. May you have a smooth travel,"

Not long before that, Ali set off from their place. His route wasn't really that far from where he last went to, but for some reason, as he went near to that place, it felt like a long and exhausting walk for him. He could feel his legs almost giving up as it made him walk slower than he normally does.

After pushing his legs to function properly, he finally reached his final destination. But he didn't go near it, but he instead stared from afar, watching the bright red leaves fall down as the cold breeze passed by them.

That's when he remembered one of the memories he had with Viron again…

***

"Careful, careful! I'm always telling you not to climb up there! Didn't you see how huge this tree is?! What if you accidentally slipped and I'm not here? Do you even think how dangerous that is?" Ali received an earful sermon from Viron as this man helped him to climb down properly and now hugging his waist to add more support and to make sure nothing dangerous could probably happen.

Ali frequently climbed by himself on the tree, but after resting onto one of its branches he still made sure that it's safe before staying there. So, he wasn't really sure as to why Viron gets mad at him.

"I know, Viron. I won't do it again," he then chuckled as he saw how cute and worried his lover was.

Viron didn't even sense a bit of sincerity in his words, he knew it would happen again because this is just the same scene like the last time Ali climbed up.

"Hmp!" After making sure that Ali was already safe and sound, away from the harm the tree could bring him, he quickly let go of hugging him– annoyed.