Loto's past

The boy was hesitant but soon started retelling his life as he started making his way into the backyard with overgrown vines and weeds where only a narrow path that seemed to be used frequently lay.

Loto was just young and barely started talking and walking when he remembered his first memory with his family. It was a normal family with laughter, chores, fights and love. Nothing explicitly out of the ordinary.

He cherished this memory heavily.

His life had been normal as can be or to Loto's understanding of it at least but one day it all just disappeared.

He didn't understand very much as one night while he and his family were living together. There was some noise outside and his father and mother became vigilant. They usually had these habits to keep the community safe as well as their own so it wasn't too out of the ordinary but that night was frightful night.

The atmosphere was heavy and downcast as though a dangerous presence was about roaming. There was a shout from the neighbour that the adults were to gather at the town center.

His parents had become very frightened as it was late and usually, this sort of thing wouldn't happen without clear reason. They immediately shoved Loto into the cellar and told him to hide and wait until they came back and to not answer anyone no matter what.

Being a young boy Loto was very afraid but he couldn't go against his parent's demands even though he wanted to stay with them.

Nodding while silently crying the boy's parents hugged and kissed him and told him everything will be alright before putting on their cloaks and leaving after having settled any traces of Loto being in the cellar and ensuring the boy understood what to do.

That night was terrifying and Loto only remembers crying and hearing rough winds breaking apart the house and some rough yelling for only a moment but he wasn't sure.

All he knew was that when he woke up after falling asleep under the oppressive night that the house was like this, though in a bit better shape and that his parents were never to be seen again. When he eventually had enough courage during the day to find out what happened.

The villagers only looked at him sadly, when one of the elders he recognized who had some relationship with his parents came to him and told him his parents had to go away for a while due to an emergency in a special place.

Not understanding anything, he wasn't the only one either. A few other children and younger folk were distraught at the morning news as they had someone leave as well.

Although they all asked, the elders and villagers weren't keen on explaining it and only advised them that this was a very important task that had to be done and could only be done by those who left.

However, the ones who were keener could tell there was something fishy about the explanation because it didn't feel like this was the truth but none dared to bring up the truth as though they were afraid.

Until this day which was only two years since they had left, Loto didn't know what happened.

The boy was now standing in front of a mud statue hidden in the weeds and vines of his backyard. It was a man and woman holding each other but the features weren't the most aesthetically pleasing, yet it looked like it had been crafted with much care, love and longing.

Daede was surprised at the mysterious disappearance.

"Did any of the other ones find some truth to that day?" He asked curious about the development.

"None that told me at least. There was one boy and girl who had been a little older and were very insistent on knowing, eventually one of the elders brought them somewhere and told them what the rumours mentioned but they immediately set off the next day while those who knew only said that they were going to travel to everyone else."

"Huh? Aren't you curious? Why haven't you asked to find out?" Daede questioned further as this was getting odder by the second. He was surprised at what could be kept such a secret even with a whole town involved.

"I have tried but everyone just said I was too young or too weak and that it was better I didn't know. Eventually, I had to give up as some adults started getting mad at me and even treated me worse because I kept asking." Loto sighed as he mentioned this.

This was only the beginning of his bullying as some of the kids around him thought because he was alone that they could do whatever since even the adults were fed up.

"What about the others who didn't know?" Daede asked further as this wasn't making any sense.

"They were also treated poorly but most of them still had relatives around that somehow kept them from asking all the time. I didn't have anyone and nobody wanted to tell a kid like me." The boy teared up as he looked longingly at the statue he had crafted.

"Tsk that makes no sense either. How are you still alive if nobody is looking after you?" The rock retorted.

"The elder I had mentioned would give me food and take care of me in my parent's place, but I got mad a few months ago because he wouldn't tell me the truth and ran away. So I came back to our house. He still forced me to go to school though where I was provided food since he said one can't stay in the village and be useless." Loto explained.

"What a tight-lipped group." Daede was just shocked at how tight-lipped these people were. It didn't make sense to him how people could keep such a thing a secret unless it either involved their lives or they had conspired together to do something regrettable.

However, he doesn't think it would be the latter as a commotion would have came about from whoever knew the truth and lost somebody that night which didn't happen aside from two leaving and the rest being placated to remain unaware or simply lied to.

Since it's an outside source, it can be a boatload of things but Daede couldn't think of every scenario.

"Little Loto, you know how to read?" Daede asked.

"Somewhat but I am almost done memorizing every letter." He answered.

"You try and look into the books lying around this place or the town to get some clues?" Daede added.

"Well I did try but most of the stories I had were about basic survival, making common stuff and combat. Nothing that was able to explain that night." Loto answered.

"Hm.. nothing out of the ordinary at all? What about from history books?" Daede continued as this was clearly going to bother both Loto and now him.

"Well there aren't many history books around here, just a few stories of the old ages and how large creatures roamed and powerful beings fought them at least those are the only ones I have heard of," Loto answered.

'I thought the kid was smart... what kind of idiot is this.? Or am I the idiot for thinking he was smart?' Daede just looked at the boy and was actually popping a metaphysical vein.

"GET ME THESE BOOKS!" Daede roared within a respectable range so as to not explode a child's brain after all the boy isn't all at fault since he lost his family and nobody told him anything important.