A Dreaming Boy

"Humans were the apex species millions of years ago, dear Arvex." A soft feminine voice rang out in the warm, dark room. "They started small, and grew to create prosperous cities and made many advancements." The voice spoke slow, a slight sad tone rising up at the end of her words.

"However, they grew greedy." Sadness was all that was heard now in the woman's voice.

"What do you mean, mama?" A young boy asked with a tone full to the absolute brim of curiosity.

The woman chuckled. A nice, sudden change to the mere seconds of almost eerie silence within the dimly lit room. Only a small fire at the center of the space.

"They eventually grew to hold hatred towards each other. They fought wars, killed thousands, and stole land and resources through force." The woman continued her story slowly, her words still floating in the air for the boy to comprehend.

"Was there ever an end..?" The boy had a solemn tone. His head down and his black messy hair covering his eyes.

"The end was one they brought upon themselves, Arvex. Humans fought tirelessly until..none were left." The woman let out a sigh as she stroked the hair of Arvex, a possible attempt at straightening it out.

"Now, it's time for bed, my son. Tomorrow, we pick the fruits we've been tending to for so long." The woman planted a soft kiss atop her son's head, followed by a sound of recognition from Arvex.

The two layed down together, holding each other tight to stave off the cold of the night. Only a beast could pry the two apart.

Morning appeared to come early today. The sun snaked its way past the primitive thatch curtains and awoke the small boy.

Arvex sat up and rubbed his eyes, slowly opening them up to reveal a golden iris, and a slit black pupil. If one were to look, you could see the small scales along his neck that came in an assortment of deep blues and blacks, but he still had a very fleshy face, except for some scales creeping up along his cheeks like freckles.

The boy stretched his arms as he awoke, the top of his arms covered in those small scales, and the underside appearing like the skin of what his mother described as humans.

"Today, we pick." He smiled softly as he spoke, stepping outside, his small black and blue tail swayed slowly.

"Arvex, don't start working without eating breakfast." His mother called out with her always close soft voice. She appeared to have woken up minutes earlier, as the smell of meat and eggs being cooked started to fill the boys nose.

"How could I ignore your cooking, mama?" The boy laughed jokingly and ran to the small hand carved table. As he sat, he watched his mother prepare the food with seamless precision.

A dash of pepper there.

Some salt there.

He saw a light red powder be dropped a few times, but didn't know the name of it.

How could he? He was a peasant of the Tilia Kingdom. Education was a rarity for those of his status.

His mother eventually turned, revealing her reptilian head with black hair going past her shoulder, almost mid back in length. Her eyes the same as her son's greeted the boy and they both smiled.

Mother and son.

So alike, yet so different.

The woman came up to the table and set both her own and Arvex's plate down as she sat across from him. Her hand only had 4 fingers. What may have once been a pinky has long vanished from their skeletal structure, except for Arvex.

Arvex appeared mostly human except for the scales and the tail he has, and the small bone growths on the side of his head that symbolized the beginnings of horns.

His mother, Tianna, looked him up and down and appeared sad, but kept her words to herself as she ate. Who would be willing to ruin their child's happiness?

"Done!" The boy smiled as he finished his food rather quickly and got up to clean his dish, ready to start the day early.

Tianna didn't stop him, instead she finished her food and got up to help him with a soft smile.

"Arvex, go get changed and put on your hood. Let's try to finish everything early today, hm?" She spoke softly, but that tone of sadness crept up again.

Arvex nodded a few times and jogged to his chest of belongings, opening it up and changing into a pair of black crude pants and a white shirt, he slipped a hand-sewn jacket on and pulled the hood up that covered his entire face.

The hood, although seemingly very view obstructing, he walked as if it was nothing.

"Mama, I'll go get started first. See you out there!" Arvex ran out of the house with a grin, as his mother couldn't help but shake her head at the antics of her son.

Arvex picked up a basket that was left at the entrance to his home and walked out into the fields. The large expanse of strawberries and blueberries came into view, however they seemed rather large.

The small boy started to inspect only the strawberries carefully, and picked ones that he deemed as the best through his few sniffs and light squeezes.

"I may be small, but one day I'll grow strong to get mama into a better home." The boy chanted in his heart with eyes full of hope and determination.

A dull sound is heard from the bushes nearby.

Arvex looks up and rubs his eyes, feeling groggy.

The boy turns to see his mother with only a slight look of sadness in her eyes, but was quickly replaced with a smile as a rather large Tilian hands her a bag of what appears to be coin.

The reptile like man gets close to Arvex, a harsh look in his green, slit eyes.

"You lesser Tilians disgust me. Fleshy bits and frail bodies, only thing you're good for is a bit of fun or slaving away, pest." His rough voice and cruel words brought tears to the small boys eyes.

'What did I do?' He wanted to ask, but could only helplessly ask himself.

'Mama..sold me?' Arvex could only come to this conclusion.

Tilians. A reptilian-esque species that forced the more human-like ones to slave away, or be used as toys for the highest bidder.

The world is cruel.

The people even more so.

A fleeting dream.

A loss of innocence.