10 - Good Morning

~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~

A heart that knew the misery of being alone.

A purity that was as sparkling as a gemstone.

A home to call his own.

~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~

Kairo and his company.

Sometimes he gets a bit annoyed by his company, but if he has to be honest, he actually appreciates and enjoys it.

Travelling alone can blunt your social skills and even drive you insane to the point of trying to make friends with animals, or worse, inanimate objects. This is because people are social animals, they need social interactions. It is also calming to know that he is never alone, that someone supports and cherishes him.

He oftentimes learns new things when he's with his company, and on the other hand, he also finds amusement in teaching his company about things previously unknown to them.

Someone to listen to him and someone he can listen to.

Someone he can rely on and someone who relies on him.

Someone who can confront and contradict him on decisions he could've hastily made, and someone who he can guide to make better decisions.

It feels infinitely nostalgic, staring at his company's face. He's seen it a hundred times during their travels, but it feels like he's seen it a hundred times more.

Even if that's the case, he can't seem to look at this person's face directly. Now that he thought about it, he doesn't know nor remember this face.

Each glimpse he took in each scene,

over the campfire's warm glow on the cold, dark night,

under the cool, blue, cloudless sky by the ocean,

within the noisy forest's green foliage,

The person's face remains blocked by a moving black blot. But he feels that this person is someone he cherishes, and so it upsets him that this blot is in the way. Every time he tries to think about it, he can feel himself slipping more and more, until...

~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~

Kairo woke up with a large gasp, sweating and panting on the double-sized bed. He found himself staring at the wooden ceiling.

"That's right. I'm at Grisia's residence."

His memories came flooding back in as he grabbed the side of his head, but what were those memories that were being washed away by his current ones?

"That was an odd and long dream. Maybe I do need rest just like Grisia said. I've travelled for so long that I started reminiscing about Remi," he laughed to himself, but he also smiled warmly because that name was familiar and made him feel good inside.

"Wait, who's Remi?" he asked himself.

Kairo sat up on his bed and stared off into his blanketed legs. He figured that he was still possessing memories from his dream.

After a few moments, he remembered his father ranting about something like dreaming a whole nother life. He heard from his father, who heard from some rumors, that a man had learned an entire language from living a whole life in another country in their dream, even though that man hadn't travelled to another country.

What's happening to him must be a phenomenon akin to that, merely residual memories from a dream made up by his brain.

He couldn't really remember much about his dream now, he felt like he had already forgotten a huge chunk of it after a few seconds, only remembering about having a travelling companion named Remi.

"I'll just have to thank this illusory Remi that was born from my mind for causing this short feeling of happiness in my heart. That person may not have been real, but what I felt earlier was," he smiled softly.

A gentle knocking on the door.

"They may be unsure if I am awake yet or not, which could explain why they're knocking so softly, yet audible enough for me to hear if I'm awake," Kairo thought to himself. "Come in!"

The door opened and from it came Esmeralda.

"Good morning!" she bore a beaming smile that was brighter than the morning light that shone through the room's window.

Kairo only noticed it now that there was proper lighting, but she had deep, friendly, green eyes behind those spectacles she wore. Her eyes were a pleasant sight in the morning. Although her face was mature and dignified, it was also quite warm and friendly.

"So, you wake up at this hour, eh, Kairo? It is already nearly noon, but I made sure breakfast is still warm for you," she said, but when she got a good look at him, her smile cracked as she saw the sweaty Kairo sitting on the bed with a slight smile, half-open eyes, and a crazy bed hair.

"What happened to you...?" she asked with a bewildered face that bordered on being creeped out.

"Oh, thank you, and... what's with that face, Esmeralda?" Kairo was concerned about what she saw to make such a face.

"You must've had a good sleep if you have bed hair that unruly and woke up smiling like a creep," she said jokingly.

"Oh, sorry," Kairo tried fixing his hair, but it kept on standing back up. "I was just thinking about the dream I had."

"I'm glad that you seem to have had a great dream, Kairo. Well, I gotta skedaddle now before you do something befitting of that smile of yours!" she joked as she started to leave.

"Oh, come on, was it that bad?"

"On its own, it's endearing, but in this context, no!" Esmeralda shouted as she left.

"Aw, man."

And so, Kairo stretched before leaving his bed.

He went to an area in his room that Aisia showed him last night. It was a small room with a short window, a bucket of water, and a stone platform with a hole on it. 

Aisia explained that he could use the water there if he needed to and the sink led to the ground outside. She warned him that it was not for private matters such as an indoor outhouse. He figured that out on his own since the stone platform was at the same height as his chest. It would be an awkward climb to relieve himself, he wasn't that much of a country bumpkin! He thought to himself saying that to Aisia. He should've said that to her then, but he thought of it too late, and so he sighed.

And so, he used the water from the bucket to gargle and wash his face. The water felt cool and refreshing which woke him up. 

He went outside and closed the door.

Outside the room, he saw a huge hallway with more doors leading to other rooms and windows that lit the hallway with natural light. There were vases in the hallway, some were decorative, he understood, and some had tall plants in them. There were also paintings hung on the walls. He couldn't see them last night, but he didn't feel like looking at them this early in the morning. He thought that Grisia must be a fan of art if he appreciates them this much.

Everything was the same as he remembered it when he walked here last night, guided by Esmeralda and Aisia. It looked and felt quite lively in the morning, which differed from how it was at night.

He started to wonder if he got lost in this maze-like mansion, but he remembered parts of Aisia's tour and started to march towards where he thought the dining hall was.

If the breakfast that Esmeralda mentioned wasn't at the dining hall, he could simply visit the kitchen or ask her the next time he sees her, or any other person in the mansion.

Kairo sighed. "I really could've used her guidance. I should've said something before she left, but maybe she seemed busy."

It was a long hallway, but the cool breeze and the occasional heat from the sunlight provided by the windows felt pleasant to his skin as he marched.

He made a turn and spotted a maid with short, reddish-brown hair using a feather duster to clean some furniture in the hallway. He walked up to her and the maid noticed him. It was one of the maids he first saw when he arrived at the mansion's yard.

"Io, ma'am. My name is Kairo, I was with Mister Grisia and Aisia yesterday?"

"Ee-yoh? Oh yes, the cutie Kairo! Good morning! You've been the talk of the maids all night and all morning, had a good sleep?" she smiled kindly, putting the duster behind her with both of her hands as she leaned towards him.

"I was being talked about? Uhh... thanks!" he said shyly. The maid giggled. "Yes, ma'am. The bed was really fluffy and soft, it's better than my bed at home."

"Oh, don't call me ma'am, you make it sound like I'm a woman in her thirties. Oho-ho-ho-hoh!" she laughed like the stereotypical aristocrat's mistress. "You can simply call me Alexandra or Alex. Preferably Alex!" she winked and made a peace sign with her fingers on her face, showing off her bluish-green eyes.

Her whole demeanor gave off a youthful and cheerful aura. She sounded as friendly as she looked with her expressive face.

"Alright. Alex. Umm, can you point me to the direction of the dining hall again? I'm not sure if I remember it right from Aisia's tour last night, and Esmeralda told me to eat my breakfast while it was still warm, but she left me immediately at my room and I wasn't able to follow her."

"Ah, yes. Lord Grisia and Lady Aisia already had their breakfast, I was wondering where you were since you didn't join them," she told Kairo, putting her finger on her chin as she pondered. She then gave him the directions he needed.

"Oh, so I was on the right track. Thanks for the confirmation, Alex!"

"Any time, Kairo-cutie! Eat well! Bye-bye now!"

Kairo waved good bye to her and she waved back, returning to her cleaning duties. Being called cute by someone who radiated an elder sister-like aura made Kairo's ears red. He was smiling the whole way.

It was pleasant to know that, so far, he hadn't met any troublesome characters. Maybe Grisia's criteria for choosing the people who work in his home included having a good personality? Kairo kept thinking to himself to distract him from his long walk.

He wondered, "Where IS Aisia? I haven't seen her at all. I hope she didn't go to town to steal again. I'll have to think of some games to play with her to keep her from doing that. Poor Mr. Fredrick..."

He was deep in thought when he made another turn and saw quite an extraordinary-looking maid watering a plant in a vase.

"A-A dark elf? An elf?!" Kairo saw her brown complexion, white hair that had the slightest hint of violet, and pointy ears. She immediately noticed Kairo and they made eye contact. Her gray eyes were cat-like and piercing, contracting and wary towards the surprising stranger that she met.

"I-I'm Kairo, I was with Sir Grisia and Aisia yesterday!" he said nervously, as if confessing his crimes under her stern glare.

"She's really tall!" Kairo thought.

After his shaky introduction, her sharp, cautious eyes started to dilate into a calm sea.

"So, you're the Kairo boy that they've been talking about. My name is Agata," she spoke with a quiet and reserved elegance. Kairo thought that her soft voice was soothing, but it was a bit hard to hear her by how quietly she spoke. 

"Oh! Nice to meet you, Miss Agata. I am very sorry to have startled you. I was walking around carelessly. I was trying to head to the dining hall."

"You're not... scared of me?" she asked. Kairo shook his head.

"I was startled at first because when I turned, there was a person. Then that person turned out to be an elf, I didn't know there was an elf in the mansion, let alone a dark elf! Then, I thought, perhaps you were mad at me because of your glare," he replied.

"I'm sorry for my demeanor, I was simply surprised. Does it bother you that I'm not human?"

"No, Miss Agata! I think you're really pretty!" Agata's eyes widened as Kairo said this.

"I'm from far into the woods, so I've only ever heard of elves and dark elves from fairy tales. I know that they're real though, but I didn't think I'd meet one so soon! So, I'm excited to talk to you more!" her surprised face did not move, so Kairo thought she might have not liked the idea.

"...if you would like to talk to me sometimes, that is..." he added while looking down as to not sound forceful.

"Of course. Talk to me whenever you want, Kairo," she said with a relaxed smile and a blush.

Kairo looked up to her and his eyes were filled with enthusiasm. "I will!"

Kairo waved her goodbye and she waved back, returning to watering the plants.

After a while, Kairo finally reached the dining hall. At the long dinner table, there was a single silver tray with a pitcher of water, a ceramic mug, and a round tray lid.

He removed the tray lid and hot, white steam rose from it, followed by a savory smell. He averted his head from the heat and fanned the steam away.

On the plate, there were two sunny-side-up eggs over a huge cup of garlic fried rice, two pieces of small anchovies, a good serving of vegetables, a bowl of pumpkin soup, and a single dry bread. But most notable of all, he saw three pieces of crispy fried bacon, glistening in their oily glory.

"Holy meaaat!" he shouted quietly. "I suppose this is my meal that Esmeralda mentioned. If it isn't, then this looks like it's worth committing a crime."

The food looked and smelled good, and so, he sat down, clasped his hands together, said "Thank you for the food!" and dug in.

He cautiously tried out each food first before actually eating. In his first bites, he thought that everything was very delectable and well-made, nothing felt off. The person or people who cooked these must be professionals, he thought. As much as he wanted to gorge on it all, it was so delicious that he wanted to cherish it as much as he could. 

"I'll be eating food like this in my stay here? This is so good! So, so good!" be that as it may, he still decided to take his time eating, even if he knew that he'd be eating more of this from now on and could be eating faster.

The garlic fried rice was flavorful, a bit of salt was probably added to make it so. The eggs were nice and salty, but more importantly, it was dippy, meaning that the yolk was runny and you could dip your bread in it.

The green and orange vegetables were fresh and thinly sliced so he could eat them with the rice, even picky kids would want to try them out with how they were presented.

The anchovies were salty and filled with umami, the fresh water and rice helped balance it out by mellowing out the taste and making it enjoyable.

The pumpkin soup was sweet and hot. When Kairo dipped the dry bread in it, it soaked in the soup and made the bread soft and flavorful.

Finally, the crispy bacon slices. He preferred it not too fried and instead soft like ham, much like how his parents used to make it, but with how it was not hard at all, and was instead thin and easy to bite into, it made him appreciate crispy bacon.

He continued eating and once he was done, he drank more water. Even though he had room for more and wished for a second helping, he very much enjoyed what he had.

He leaned back on the chair, satisfied, caressing his tummy.

"Oh, yeah. That's the good stuff," he burped. "Oh, excuse me," he said even if he was alone. It was a habit of his that was pounded into him by his parents as basic etiquette and respect.

This really was a good morning. Probably the best morning he ever had.

He met new and interesting people and had great food after having to cook for himself for so long in his travel. Grisia helped when he joined late in his travel, but now he understood why he didn't call himself a chef, because compared to the person who cooked this, even those who cooked for a living would be humbled. 

He wondered what else could happen during his stay here.

After resting, he finally sat up, gathered the plates, bowl, and mug he used, and placed them neatly on the tray. He covered it with the round tray lid.

He picked up the tray and proceeded to go to the kitchen to put the things he used for dishwashing. He remembered from Aisia's tour that the kitchen should just be near where the dining hall was. A very convenient placement, he thought.

As he neared the kitchen, he started to smell something good. He took a better whiff and it smelled different from what he had. He figured that it must be preparation for lunch.

He saw the kitchen entrance and when he entered, he nearly bumped into a maid. The maid was so tall that he had to look up to see that she had her red hair completely enveloped in a hair net. He realized that she also had a brown complexion.

"Another dark elf?!" he yelled in his head.

"Ah???!" an aggressive, rough sound came from her, as if questioning what the hell he was doing in this place. 

Kairo squealed but made sure to have a firm grip on the tray so as to not drop it and make a mess.

"Oh, boy. Here we go. This may be the troublesome person I was looking for. Why did I have to think it into existence?" he thought to himself.

Kairo felt like they were in a standoff. She was simply standing there with her muscular arms crossed as the lids of numerous pots behind her rumbled over the boiling pressure. She bore an intense stare with her cat-like eyes; wary and contracted like when he first met Agata, but this person's eyes were glowing yellow, like a tiger's, and much more striking.

It reminded him of Grisia's yellow eyes.

Her ears weren't as sharp as Agata's, and her brows were furrowed as if she was genuinely mad at him for existing.

He felt like his neck was already in her jaws and he was just waiting for the crunch. But amidst the intimidation, he felt like this was going to go nowhere if he just stood there, frightened. And so, he closed his eyes, mustered his courage, and shouted,

"Io! My name is Kairo, nice to meet you!!!"