Reki

"Reki," the old man repeated, shaking with the muscular boy. Abruptly, Reki opens his bright blue deep-set eyes and straightens his bare chest. The warm sheepskin blanket slides off his muscular body. A razor-sharp dagger adorns Reki's left hand. His knuckles are white. He holds the hilt, covered in black leather. "Calm tiger," chuckles the old man and looks at the silver French Lilly that adorns the dagger. Smiling, he puts his hand on Reki's broad shoulder. Reki, drenched in fear sweat, tries to catch his breath. His chest rises and falls violently as he pins his gaze on the old knight next to him. He blows, annoyed between his narrow lips. The knight, still looking at Reki with a broad grin, taps his shoulder twice. "It's just me", he laughs, and then scratches his gray round beard. Reki blows, partly relieved, partly annoyed, and puts the cliff dagger back under his pillow. "Damn you Ward" curses Reki in a hoarse voice, resting his upper body on his elbows. Innocently, Ward raises his hands and steps back. The skinny knight, old and gray, smiles at his much younger fellow knight. Ward's shoulder-length gray hair curls over his white garment that rests under his shiny chain mail. A thin white line runs across his forehead. Reminders of a battle, long ago. His narrow lips clench as his smile fades. "It's time," Ward announces, lifting the white blouse from the mango wood dresser. Reki sighs again and rubs his young face. His black, wavy, shoulder-length hair curls over his pointy Elf ears as he takes the blouse from Ward."Reki, how old are you now?" Ward asks and looks at Reki's unshaven chin. "24", Reki replies absently and sits up on the narrow wooden bed. "You've been with us for almost 18 years. Goddess young that's almost a lifetime! And you still scream in the middle of the night. Or you try to attack us when we wake you." Reki ignores the question and pulls the blouse over his head. Ward sighs and follows the lines of the Z scar that adorns Reki's lower back. "Reki" he starts, but Reki interrupts him. "Ward, not now." "You've been saying that for seventeen years," Ward protests and hands Reki his white garment. "Reki I can't help you if..." "I'm not asking for help Ward" interrupts Reki, taking the garment. His voice is louder than desired. Ward nods and looks at the barren grass beneath Reki's bare feet. "I will send Matthis," Ward proclaims with a face of disappointment and opens the soft yellow tent. "Ward wait" Reki sighs. Patiently waiting, Ward stops. His silver eyes were focused on Reki. The young lad before him, whom he had found on a stormy day all those years ago. Alone and defenseless, wounded on the beach, he had grown into a strong and heroic bear. A wounded but pure soul. From the start, Ward saw what Reki could become. It is for this reason that he had taken him under his wing, educated, trained, and finally knighted him. Reki had worked so hard to earn that honor. And Ward was as proud as a father of his son. But now... Now that he sees Reki like this. Tormented... Breaks his heart. Not because Reki is so broken. No, Ward knew that from the start. Because he couldn't help him. Won't let him help. Twelve knights are in their group, including Reki, and Reki was the most mysterious among them. Yes, it's true, he often cursed and growled at Reki. Especially if they have to flee an inn earlier than expected. This was mostly, no always, because Reki was once again caught with the innkeeper's daughter. But he's grown attached to the kid. He even dares to say that Reki has become like his very own son. And it's not the first time that Ward wants to have this conversation with Reki, but time and time again Reki pushes him away. And this time Ward is determined. He wants to know what torments Reki in the middle of the night. "Reki, look. I'm not judging you," Ward begins, closing Reki's brown leather straps on his thick cotton garment. "But I just want to help you. And in order to help you, I have to understand you. And I can't understand you if you don't tell me." "It's not that easy, Ward", Reki sighs, and rubs his tired eyes. Blowing, he pulls the black leather boots over his feet. This time, Ward was the one to sigh. "It is indeed not easy if you trust no one. Trust me now, Reki." "I trust you, Ward." "No, you don't, Reki. And that's okay, that's who you are. And I'm not asking you to change. I'm asking you to let me in. I just want... to help you" Ward sighs and walks to the exit of the tent. "And that's why I have to understand you. And I already don't understand why you still wear those pirate boots,". Reki sniffs amused, as he looks at the black leather boots on his feet. The folded top betrays that these are from a pirate. "No, you don't, Reki," he hears again in his head. He's so eager to tell Ward everything. He sighs and places his hands on the wooden dresser. He stares into the mirror above it and swallows. His Adams apple goes slowly up and down. He looks into his eyes, crystal blue skies... He can never tell Ward. He can't tell anybody. His past, who he is. He looks at himself. He barely recognizes himself. His soft pink downward-turned lips, light-skinned, rectangle-shaped face with deep set, clear blue eyes. Long ink-black hair that waves over his pointy ears. his thick straight eyebrows and Roman-shaped nose. But that's not everything that he sees. He sees what Ward sees, the emptiness, the pain, the sadness that lays deep in his eyes. But he cannot open up. Nor can he ask for help. He just knew... He knew the knights would turn against him if they knew what he had caused. What had he done? Or rather, what he hadn't done... His little brother was dead because of him, and that's something he could never change. And something that no one should know. And not just his little brother... No one should know the truth about how he landed on that beach.