Offsprings

"What's up, Alby? You've been awfully distracted ever since we got back." Roy asked, staring at the man handing him a vase when he asked him to pass him his sword.

"Me? Distracted?" Alby said, looking at the vase in his hand. "Huh? When did I grab this?"

"He is definitely distracted," Roy whispered to Lily who was looking at the man with worry. "Are you sure it is not because he is about to become an adult?"

"Well …" He turned back to the man still holding the vase with a faraway look in his eyes. "Yes. I am sure that is not the reason. Alby!"

"I'm going to change," Alby said, walking into the changing room and closing it behind him, still a little out of it.

Sighing, Roy shook his head in annoyance.

"Something wrong?" Lily asked, putting her staff to the side. "You look more concerned about Alby than before."

"He is still a child. Still immature in a lot of the ways of the world." Roy ran his hands through his blonde hair. "I worry that bringing him out every night might lead to come problems with him in the future. Mentally."

"There really isn't an option though." Lily wrapped her arms around the man's torso. "If he does not prove himself 'useful', not even I will be able to protect him."

"I know." Roy sighed, gritting his teeth. I took him in because there was no one else that could but … am I giving him the life he deserves to live?

Looking at the man's expression, Lily placed a soft kiss on his cheek, instantly throwing Roy off guard.

"What was that about?"

"At least you're not frowning anymore." She said, sticking her tongue out at him. "Don't worry too much about the kid. You raised him well."

"I am highly unqualified," Roy said, chuckling as his fingers remained where Lily kissed him. "But you are right. There is nothing that can come about worrying right now. Survival is the most important thing."

"Yes, especially with the increase of the creatures running only on hunger." Lily frowned. "Why is that happening anyway? They are even more than last year."

"I can't understand myself. Just … keep this from Alby ok?" Roy scratched the back of his head, turning from the woman. "I don't want to worry him with unnecessary things."

Lily wanted to say so many things to the man but held herself back when she saw his forlorn expression, pursing his lips.

"Alright." She said in the end. "But you will have to tell him honestly if he asks anything about us. Keeping him in a bubble is not going to do him any good."

"I know. I know." Roy smiled at her gratefully. "Thank you, Lily."

"Yeah. Yeah." She said dismissively. "Go wash up. The sun will rise soon."

"Ok."

___________________

What am I so bothered by? Osbert thought, sitting in the darkroom. Why does my mind keep going back to that man?

He stared at the clothes he wore, remembering how he helped him wear them, every light brush of his has fingers against his skin, causing goosebumps to rise in his body.

I always thought that vampires were cold to the touch, why did he feel so warm thought?

And ... if he was warm, why did goosebumps come up in my skin?

This just doesn't make any sense.

"I take it back, you are pretty." He remembered Jel's eyes glowing as he said that, suddenly the image turned into a field of flowers and music started playing somewhere in the background.

"You're pretty." The Jel of his imagination said, reaching out and cupping his face in his hands.

Instantly, a blush crept up Osbert's face as he quickly slapped himself.

What is this? That was the first time someone called me pretty and I am turning to fantasize about him? What kind of desperate destitute am I?

Never mind that. He thought, taking off his clothes and changing more comfortable ones as he carefully folded the clothes Jel gave him, putting them in the back of the closet.

Those kids, they will need to eat and I am sure Jel will too. Will he be able to get enough food for both of them as well as for himself?

The first night I met him, he was already exuding so much energy that it was hard to miss him.

I don't think he comes out often, that is why I felt him only that night. That is good because he will not be in too much danger but ... he will need to come out more.

How is his morning life anyway? I don't think he can stay there because vampires are not really welcomed.

Pulling the gem he got from Jel out of his pocket, Osbert sighed. "I should have gotten his number."

Knock. Knock.

"Alby? Are you done?" Roy's voice came through the door, making him shove the gem into his current pant pocket once again.

"Yeah." He said quickly, opening the door for him. "Sorry. Did I take too long?"

"Na," Roy said dismissively, walking into the room with nothing but a towel on his shoulder. "Don't worry about it too much. Go eat something, I will get ready and eat too. Before the sun comes up."

"Ok." He nodded, walking out of the room silently, the man staring after him then at the vase he placed beside the clothes.

Roy had to cover his hand over his mouth to keep from laughing out loud. So he just stood there, trembling.

________________________

"Roy," Osbert asked, cutting into the meat on his plate though he was not eating a bite.

"Yes?"

"Do you think ... well, that there might be a place where creatures like us are able to live in a comfortable society? Like the humans are?" Alby asked, not looking up at the man.

Roy and Lily exchanged looks as Lily giving him a nod before Roy spoke.

"There are rumours going around that something like that exists," Roy said, thinking. "But it is more of a legend. I have not seen a place like that, neither has Lily and we travelled the world."

"Oh."

Lily's eye twitched as she stared at the silence between the two, annoyance filling her. "J-just because we didn't see it doesn't mean it doesn't exist, Alby."

"It is a fairy tale told by mothers and fathers to give their kids hope," Roy argued back, getting a glare from Lily. "But that does not mean it doesn't exist."

"Can you tell me about the legend?" Alby asked, finally looking up from his plate. "I don't think I ever heard it."

'Look what you did', Roy said with his eyes, glaring at Lily who didn't even back down.

'Talk to him.'

'Fine. But if his head is with any kind of fantasies, it will be your fault.'

'Fine.'

They are doing that again. Alby thought, looking at the two staring at each other. Talking without talking. I wonder if they are the only ones that can do that or I can do it too.

"The legend is quite simple. There was this powerful king that exists. Though, depending on who tells it, the king is that.

"For example, if a shapeshifter is the one that tells the story, the king is a shapeshifter and so on.

"This king wanted to create a harmonious world where humans and creatures like us could live in harmony. But humans could not even live with people that look a little different from them. So it did not end well.

"A divide grew and hierarchies were made between 'purebloods' and normal humans as well as mongrels.

"The divide grew and the normal humans started to grow in power. No one was sure how people with no special abilities gained so much power but it happened and the divide widened.

"To the point that the king took all the creatures with him and created a utopia where they could all live away from the humans.

"Some were left behind but they were sure they would be rescued and brought back. That is the end of the story. What do you think of it, Alby?"

The man stood quietly, contemplating his answer while twirling the spoon in his hands.

"It sounds a little farfetched," Alby said, licking the blood off the knife as he continued to think. "But ... that means that ... we can reproduce, right? If there are kids to tell these stories to."

Roy and Lily froze before looking up at Alby at the exact same time.

"What do you mean, Alby?" Roy asked, clutching the knife in his hands. "Reproduce?"

"If reproduction is possible ... doesn't that mean that there are children out there in this city?" Alby asked once again, not breaking eye contact with the two. "Why have I not seen a single child then? Where could they all have gone?

"Roy, Lily. Could you tell me?"