3 Years Later (1)

~ 3 Years Later

The calm and normally quiet town of Royal Oak is brimming with life as its residents go about their lives without any kind of worry, which wasn't afforded to most in this day and age. 3 hooded figures are seen making their way past the forest as one is moving slightly ahead of the other two leaving a black shadowy blur leading to him until he stops at the city sign. The person takes off his black shadow-enchanted hooded coat revealing himself to be Asher; taller, older, physically stronger, and his fingertips are completely black halfway up. He folds the coat and shoves it into his dark brown bag he wears on his shoulder as he's wearing a white long sleeve shirt rolled up to his elbow, a forest green hooded jacket, black jeans, black high top shoes, and the same blue ribbon on his left wrist which is slightly tattered. His eyes are a deeper green but seem to be moving from light to dark instinctually and his normally ash white hair has a black streak in it. "Damn, I didn't think it would take me 3 years to make my way back here. I don't look like that same vulnerable child anymore, but I really should've been back here sooner. I wonder if they will even recognize me?"

He makes his way into the village as he looks around noticing all the different changes that have happened since he's been away. His face looks like a child in a sweets shop marveling at all the different and new things that are around. "Oh this is new. That one too, Woah I have only ever seen one of those in the Northern District. Boy, am I glad they made it out here; the deserts were divine."

He is zipping to each new building while exclaiming different responses to each as his colleagues are looking at him embarrassed. 'This place has really changed a lot in those 3 years, huh. I wish I could've visited more often, but things kept getting crazier and it wasn't safe for them. I hope things aren't too different at the shelter.'

He turns to the left and is caught off guard when he notices Samantha standing over there laughing with her friends as she is holding some guy's hand. "Woah, she looks great. I guess it really has been a long time since I saw them. I guess life moves on whether we want it to or not and she has a boyfriend, why am I surprised it was bound to happen."

Asher hasn't taken his eyes off of her since he first noticed her, but eventually his friends caught up with him. One is a tall tree creature, Leka the Sporian, and the other is a shorter Druid, Lacey. Leka is taller and bigger than Asher and has the physical attributes of a tree as he wears green cotton clothing he fashioned to mimic the grassy floor. Lacey is an assassin Druid, and is wearing a blue fitted top and gray silk fitted pants that allow her to move around smoothly. Lacey starts talking to Asher, but the words are not reaching him, "Aye Ash, whatcha doin' standing out in the middle of the road for, did ya see a pixie or somethin'?"

Leka follows Asher's eyeline and reacts, "Lace, it seems that Ash is staring intently in that area over there where a group of Druids are talking. Could they be the reason he is frozen like a Toris when it's grazing in the morning."

Lacey smiles at the fact that Asher hasn't reacted to them in the slightest and takes advantage of the situation to slap Asher to get his attention. "Ash, get it together already you idiot. We are here to repay that debt you've been going on for the 2 years I've known you, right Leka?"

Leka nods in agreement as Asher reacts to the sudden slap about to hit him and catches her hand before it reaches his cheek and says, "You are going to have to be way faster than that if you are going to land a hit on me Lace. I'm sorry I got a bit distracted, but it's right up here, come on."

Asher starts to make his way to the shelter as his companions follow close behind him as they try to keep their interactions with the residence to a minimum. When they reach the building Asher has a giant smile spread across face which Leka doesn't react to, but Lacey blushes at the smile. "This is it, the place that saved me over 3 years ago when I lost everything. Let me do all the talking once we're inside because 3 years is a long time, and I want you both on the best behavior. That means you lady, no starting trouble like back in Agamel."

Lacey reacts to Asher's words with slight embarrassment as Asher walks up to the door and when he reaches for the doorknob slowly the door bursts open and Daisy Lazuli the shelter owner and Samantha's mother has an angry look on her face. She comes at him with everything as she yells at him, causing him to flinch slightly, "Oi! Who do you think you are showing up back here 3 years after you promised to visit every now and then? Do you understand how worried we all have been, since you left there has been an excess of Brimfell movement around these parts we thought you were captured or worse killed. We had no way to tell if you ever made it out of the village that day, and you are so lucky Sammy isn't here or she would rip you limb from limb."

Asher is looking at her with fear in his eyes as his two friends are looking at him laughing with each other as he tries to get any words out before Lazuli hugs him tightly. "I am just glad to see you're safe, you stinker."

Asher is confused by everything that happened but accepts the hug as he holds her tightly, "Ms. Lazuli, I am really sorry I have been unable to visit you at all during these past 3 years. I swear I had valid reasons for not showing up. I really wanted to come back, but as soon as I left the village I made a vow not to come back till I was strong enough to control my power, because I didn't want to harm those I value. Things kept escalating and at one point I figured it was too much of a risk to come back, but this time we can deal with whatever rears its ugly head."

Lazuli takes a deep breath as she pulls away from him and smiles as she says, "I am sorry for the verbal assault just now, but you deserved every word of it for never visiting. We kept waiting on something as small as a letter or a quick visit at the very least, but in the end there was nothing. How else did you expect me to react, kid? I understand your reasoning and I value your willingness to keep us safe, but really not even a little letter. We were so worried about you."

Asher looks at the floor utterly defeated by Lazuli, but looks up at her and says, "I know, I am sorry for these past 3 years. Speaking of Sam, I saw her in the townsquare earlier with a bunch of friends and some guy. She looks really happy."

Lazuli notices the little bit of jealousy in his voice and says, "Oh that must've been her and the study group along with her boyfriend. Her birthday is tomorrow and they are having a little get together right now. Also, who are those two people behind you?"

Asher motions for them to move up next to him on the porch, "They are my friends who I met during the past 3 years, and I completely trust them both with my life. The angry looking Druid in the back is Lacey. She is a former guard of Brimfell castle, and the second best warrior I know. The loveable lug next to her with the wooden everything is Leka. He is a Sporian I met a couple of weeks after I left here. Leka helped me focus and strengthen the magic within myself."

Lazuli looks at them as she shakes their hands and says, "Thank you both so much for keeping him safe and bringing him back here alive. I know it seems weird since he only stayed with us once, but I love and care for every child that stays here regardless of how long. Although it seems like I had no real reason to worry about him, regardless, thank you both again."

Lazuli smiles at them softly as she gestures for them to enter her home, and as they all enter Leka and Lacey say, "Thank you very much we are honored to be invited in."

Once the words leave their mouths they look at Asher pleased with themselves that they were able to say their line perfectly as Asher looks at them and shoots up two thumbs up and mouths, 'Good job.'

Lazuli snickers to herself as she sees it from the corner of her eye as she doesn't pay it any attention and gestures for them to come inside, "No need to worry about anyone interrupting us the kids are at school, so make yourselves at home you too and Asher follow me to the kitchen."

Asher follows Lazuli into the kitchen as they sit at the table the same way he did the last time he was there and his friends follow in behind getting a good look at everything. Lazuli pours him a cup of herbal tea and she looks at him inquisitively, "I guess I can start with the fact that I found out what I am and why the Brimfell army is after me, I am a Chybrid. I am a hybrid of two powerful species, one part Demon and the other part Elf and my village was the last home of the Elves, but it's my fault it was purged because they were searching for me. I am someone they want to control and use to bring the entire world under their command, but I have no plans on letting them"

Asher taps the black streak in his hair and two small horns appear on his head as he continues talking. "The magic I use is called World Elemental or that's what I am calling it. The Demon and Elven soul are within me are both fighting for power, which means my mana is very unstable and if I use too much the demonic blood in me tries to take complete control."

Asher takes off his gloves and shows Lazuli the black on his fingertips and as his eyes light up a small tree appears out of nowhere. "See my magic is within me no spells or enchantments, magic just flows through every part of me. I can't use too much or the black will start to crawl slowly up my skin and at a certain point there is no way back. The horns are a different story; they will continue to grow no matter what and all I can do is just keep breaking them down. Ha…I guess they are my punishment for being born."

Lazuli looks at him with a soft sympathetic look on her face as she grabs his hand and gives him a smies, "Hey, there is nothing wrong with you in the slightest, and I will stand by that fact until the day I die. The horns or the black on your skin are nothing more than just who you are. The only thing that matters is how you hold yourself and choose to live that truly defines you. You aren't being punished for living, so stop thinking that way about yourself or else why would you still be alive right now striking back against the way they see you. Be the proof that peace isn't just a fantasy, but an ideal to strive for."

Asher looks at her tears building up as he smiles and she lets go of his hand and says, "So, I doubt the only reason you stopped by was for some therapy. What brought you back to Royal Oak after all these years."

Asher wipes the tears from his eyes and goes into his backpack and pulls out two items and slides them over. "The reason I am back is to repay the debt I owe the both of you for saving my life back then. I know it can't cover everything you did, but I brought you some gifts from my adventures. Yours is in the smaller box and is a pair of Blue Wave earrings I made using some blue sapphire I found at a shop in Clearwater. The bigger one is a scroll I found in a cave near the outskirts of Brimfell. It is a powerful healing spell that can be used to heal the deadliest of diseases and poisons. It hasn't been used in over a 100 years, so it was a crazy find. I just didn't want to come back empty handed."

He turns and looks at his friends as they drop a book and in a clumsy haste pick it up again and place it on the shelf, "If it wasn't for them I don't think I would be sitting here with you right now. These past 3 years have been full of fun, laughter, pain, and misery, but please don't tell that to Samantha when you hand her the gift please."

She looks at him with a hint of sadness in her eyes, but also some pride in how far that little vulnerable little kid has come in the past 3 years. She holds both items in her hands as she looks him in the eyes with slight anger in her eyes, "What do you mean when I give it to her? Asher, how can you show up here 3 years later and not give this to her or even see her? She missed you and has been worried just as much as I have, but don't you think you owe her at least a little hello after all these years."

Asher smiles softly at her response finding no wrongs in it as he embarrassingly looks at the floor, "I just think she has enough to worry about with the shelter, school, friends, her boyfriend, and getting her life started once school ends, so I feel like adding me to that list would be selfish on my part. I don't want to be a burden to the person who saved my life when she has so much already going on.

Overhearing the conversation Leka walks into the room and responds, "Asher, was she a part of that druid group we saw that made you freeze up in the middle of town?"

Asher has an embarrassed look on his face as Lacey has an annoyed look on hers. Lazuli smiles softly at him, "Wow, 3 years later and still you blush at the thought of her huh? Well if you really don't want to see her I understand, but was there anything else you wanted to say before you go?"

He looks at the watch on his wrist and fiddles with it slightly as he looks up at her, "I was curious if you or Sam saw the inscription on this thing, because I don't remember where it came from and when I woke up it was on my pillow."

Lazuli takes a drink of her tea and nods softly, "Yeah we saw, but didn't want to give you too much to worry about since you had just lost your memory. We assumed you would notice it later, but we wanted that to be something for you alone. Although I am glad to see you kept the name, I am sure Sammy will be happy to hear that 'Asher' is still what you go by."

A small smirk appears on his face as if he is remembering that day she gave him the name. He starts to stand up and heads out as he responds, "Asher is the name she gave me and not just some words on a watch, so of course I kept it. It also gave me a reason to come back here and thank you for everything you did for me that night. One day I will be able to look her in the eyes, but right now I don't think I'm ready. Come on you two. Goodbye Mrs. Lazuli."