Chapter 20: The Snake Shall get Exposed

"So, a bad lady is trying to steal you?" said Erland, looking at Svend with big eyes while sitting next to him.

"Yes. Since you are a clever kid who wouldn't ask or spread out too many stuffs I want you to do something for me." said Svend.

"Ask away."

"I want you to go to my teacher and know what is going on. He is really good with kids and often slips off some stuffs about his close ones. That woman seems close enough to him so I think that if you somehow make a topic about her, he might slip out something about her. I might be able to use it." said Svend, resting his elbow straight on the desk and resting his head on the back of his hand.

"(He really doesn't do anything beside his work.) You can just ask great-granny Ase. She knows tons about everyone."

"She is amazing. But everyone has a limit. She handles the works of home not workplaces." Svend looked away and sighed.

"But actually she knows about both." 

"(Since he is already involved, Erik won't make much of a problem. Maybe we can give it a shot.) Okay then. Where do we find her during these times?"

"She went to the mall with a lot of hats and it's been like ten minutes. Dad knows where she might be right now."

Both Erland and Svend looked at Erik.

"She is still at the mall, where else? Have you ever seen a woman leaving a shop before an hour?" said Erik with a tired voice.

"Frida is a fast one then. Okay then Erland, we are heading over there." said Svend and lifted Erland up.

They reached the shop within five minutes. They didn't see the woman whilst they were about to leave. It was a worrying matter for the three.

"Is there anything you'd like to buy?" said Svend.

"No." Erland shook his head.

"Come on, don't be shy. Just tell me about it." said Svend. His cold voice had a reassurance in it.

"I really don't want anything."

"I get it. Wait here for a moment." Svend kept Erland on Erik's shoulder and left.

He later came back with some candies and a bottle of wine. He took a bag from a shopkeeper nearby and kept those inside.

"Did they run outta bags?" said Erik.

"Yeah. Let's go then." Svend started walking.

Erland's face lit up as soon as he saw a familiar figure "Look, it's great-" Erland couldn't finish his words.

"What are you three doing here?" said a woman who approached them from behind.

"Oh aunty Frida's here too. Hello!" Erland waved.

"It's my dearest employee I see. When are you going to join?" said Frida.

"I will when winter is over."

"Oh. I'm looking forward to it then." said Frida with a small smile.

Frida didn't even look at Svend. Suddenly, Ase approached them.

"It's you three, oh wait, three and a half!" said grandma Ase.

"Erland counts as a whole one!" said Erland with a frowned face and cheek pouches filled with air.

"Oh yes, my mistake." Ase laughed. "Why is Frida frowning today?"

"But she looks the same to me." Erland put a finger on his lips, trying to see the invisible frown.

"No no, her face has changed. Can't you see that little frown on the corner of her lips and eyes?"

"Uh...no?"

"Anyway. What does little Erland need today?"

"I want an hour long chat with great-granny Ase. Or maybe longer!" said Erland, looking enthusiastic.

Ase reached out her hands high to hold Erland. "My- why are you even asking? Great granny's always up for a chat."

"Uhm...it's crowded here. Please have a chat somewhere, where it's safe for him. We will be on the second floor." said Erik and held Erland in his arms.

"Oh course I will. Now come with me my little sugar coated peanut butter bread."

"(Wow what a name I've got...)" Erland smiled.

They both sat on a pair chairs of a clock shop since it it the quietest one among all. The shop owner stared at them without any clue. He just wondered why they were in his shop.

"How have you been recently?" said Ase with her usual wide smile.

"Fine I guess. uncle Svend is not doing fine. A bad woman is trying to steal him." said Erland.

"Oh Lords...So this is why Frida was so sad. I will help them out! But I have no idea how. I can't even say others about this since it is such matter."

"(Says the same Ase who can't keep her own secret for one hour) Um...I think that uncle Svend can work it out by himself. I want to help him. Can you please tell me something about a certain lady?" Erland looked at Ase with his puppy eyes.

"Well of course. Anything you want. Tell me everything." Ase leaned forward, eager to share.

"Okay so, the woman is pretty and mostly hangs around with boys. She wears torn off cloths but neatly torn. Uses a bucket of scent and has green eyes. She also wears a lot of makeup."

"Ah...I see. It's my little Sofia. Wait what-"

"Does she seems like a good person overall? The person I described looks exactly like that but has some issues inside."

"No no, you must be mistaken."

"Maybe *laughs* (She trusts people too much...) I once saw a girl who has the same eyes like me!(It's Hilda of course)."

"Oh? So that girl is a hidden twin? That works out! Maybe my Sophia has a twin too!"

"*laughs*. She sounds interesting. A hidden twin of her? That sounds cool. Let's dig in it and find out how same they are! I will tell you all, literally all I know about that woman and you will tell me all you know about.

"Hm? Do you like twins?" Ase sat straight.

Erland nodded. "I think that they look cool. Oh oh! And I hear they can hear each others' thoughts too!(It's bullshit)"

"Me too. Sooo here's what my Sofia's like- Sofia is a cheerful girl. She is pretty and has a reaaally good connection with everyone."

"Is she good with kids like me?"

"I don't see her with kids often. Maybe it's because of her devil eyes. She is an angle inside though."

"(More like the opposite. I'm still not sure if it is that woman but...) Here is what I know about the person who looks like me. She is really kind and gentle. Her eyes are greener than me. It gets greener! My eyes are slowly getting more and more brownish...I hate it." Erland looked sad.

"Oh...don't look sad. You still look handsome." Ase patted on Erland's head.

Erland's face lit up again. "Thanks. She isn't too tall and likes kids. She's pretty good with kids by the way." 

"That's nice. My turn now. Sofia has a lot of friends. Most of them are boys though."

"..."

"Oh. No no no, there isn't anything like THAT. You do know a lot about these HA HA HA."

"Hehehe..."

There was a long and awkward laugh between the two.

"The one I know, I mean the twin of Sofia takes care of people. She is kind towards almost everyone most of the time." said Erland.

"Oh? The one I know is nice with everyone too. She gives off a devil look but it's fine. Youngsters are like this these days. She is so nice that she got the job of a doctor. You know, she even got to marry a man so handsome...Too bad I can't meet him. He is from another country hehe. She left him there because she wanted to help the people here, how sweet of her..." Ase replied.

"Wow. She must be really nice. But, isn't it hard to come over without anyone? I mean, I can't take care of myself alone...Even daddy can't."

"She came with a friend of hers, of course. They both studies under the same teacher. I once met him once, he is sort of a pervert. I don't like him..." Ase seemed annoyed and discomforted by the thought of that man.

"Eh...heh...(So this is how things are...)" 

"Are you feeling uncomfortable?"

"It just sounds weird to my little brain...hehe..." Erland scratched his head.

"Then I will stop talking about that man."

"No, don't stop. I will punish the man who looked at you like that! You might be old but you are pretty! You barely have any wrinkles. And you talk like a sixteen year old girl- how can anyone  not fall for you!?" said Erland, plainly trying to flatter Ase as much as he can so that he can get out some information of her.

"You are such a flatterer. Don't hit on too many girls when you grow up." Ase laughed.

"I don't want to. I'm happy with what I have." Erland gave a small laugh.

Ase looked at a blank space in the shop and spoke with a warm and calm tone, unlike her usual cheerful and excited one. "You wouldn't get it now. The emotion that comes with it, a new family and new type of feeling...you wouldn't get it now."

"(Her tone suddenly changed...Aight it's no time for this.) Um...but I don't want to." Erland looked away.

"Of course you don't want to do it now! And who would lend over such a handsome boy at such a young age to anyone." Ase patted on Erland's cheeks.

Erland blushed slightly.

"S-stop it great-granny. I feel shy. Hey, I haven't forgotten about the old geezer yet! Tell me who he is!" Erland looked at Ase with a determined frown.

"He is just an annoying doc. Why pay him so much attention?"

"Are you sure that you are okay with it?" said Erland, tiling his head.

"I sure am! I don't care about such small stuffs Erland. Life is a long thing, you should take it slow, ignore some stuffs and cherish it!"

Erland was silent for a moment. He processed what she said and once again faint memories of his past life flashed by. He felt the same emptiness. His excited face went dull for a moment as a surge of thoughts went in his head.

"...(It is as if...this life is frequently giving my reminders of my past life...and the things I have lost and forgotten...)"

After a moment, Erland snapped back to reality. "O-Oh. I have to go. Mom would be worried...Sorry, I couldn't talk for that long. Can you please take me to where dad and uncle are?" said Erland and got off the chair.

"Come with me." said Ase and held Erland's hand. They both walked out of the shop, both filled with memories of the past and the shopkeeper left with questions for the present.

"...What the hell were they talking about the whole time?..." said the shopkeeper, despite listening in the whole time.

After some time, Erland and Ase reached the second floor and kept looking for them.

"Where are those youngsters..." said Ase.

"Hm...Oh, where does that twin work? Is it the same hospital as the one I was talking about?" said Erland looking up at Ase.

"It's called Sykheus. Where does that person work?"

"The one I know? She isn't even a doc. She works somewhere else. At the hospital Svend stays in most of the time."

"Ah...I see. That woman must be a shameless wh-" Erland stopped himself from saying the last word.

"Shameless wh? What is that?" Ase looked confused.

"It means that someone is reaaally shameless. Haha!" Erland was clearly embarrassed but he managed to hide it. "Oh...Oh, there they are. Daaddyyy!" Erland rushed towards his father.

"Why did it take so long? What did you two talk about?" said Erik.

Ase chuckled. "It's a secret. I will go back to the ladies then. They should be at somewhere near there. Goodbye. Come to great-granny more often." said Ase and bid farewell.

Svend suited his hat and asked,

"What intel did our little detective get?"

"That's a lot of compliment coming from uncle Svend...So, great-granny Ase knows about the woman. It's the same one I think. She came to Gaion with a friend and has a husband. She is close with boys and isn't good with kids."

Svend let out a quiet chuckle. "So this is why she was hesitating to fill the form in...She filled it in with lies.(That filthy woman is married then. I can use it as a weapon against her.) Erland, you can go home now. I can take care of the rest. Your assistance will be remembered."

"Yeah-" Erland froze in all of a sudden. He felt like someone was watching him keenly.

"What is it buddy? You don't look so well." Erik held Erland close.

"I'm fine. It's just freezing here."

The three of them left the mall, talking about the woman on the way and how Svend plans to get rid of her.

There was a figure in dark green robe standing behind a pillar, smiling. His eyes were not to be seen. He disappeared as if he was a shadow lurking around and as the light of the mall fell, he was not to be seen. The old man standing there, became confused about what it was since he could not see anything more than a shadow.

After Erland and Erik reached their home, they both fell on the couch.

"Whew. It was a looong trip. I'm tired, I need a nap." said Erland, looking exhausted.

"Yeah. Aren't you gonna take a shower? You haven't taken one in three days." said Erik while holding Erland close.

"Yeah. I must stink. Let's go..." Erland got off of the couch.

"We have to wait for quiet a while then. Hildaaa." Erik called out.

"Yes dad?" said Hilda who has just appeared in front of them. She looked at them from the door of Hilda's room.

"Me and Erland's gonna take a shower. Don't burn your hands, be careful okay?"

"It's not the first time I have done this. I'll be fine. I'm just gonna heat some water up that's all." said Hilda, preparing the hot water.

"Still, be careful. Call me if you need help."

"Okay okay I get it."

Gunhild came downstairs while rubbing her sleepy eyes. Her hair has grown quiet longer and her skin has gotten paler. Yet she looks radiant as ever.

"Mommy, do you need help?" said Erland.

"No baby. Where is Randi?" Gunhild smiled.

"She is outside."

"That girl. Always pushing herself. She got one eye left and yet she pushed herself this much...I'm gonna have to ground her."

"Yay!"

"Is my little Erland happy? I will ground her for more days then. She needs some rest anyway." Gunhild held Erland up.

"M-mommy..." Erland looked down.

"Yes?"

"You once talked about someone once. Who is he to me?"

"Who?"

"(Is it okay to ask her...)His name was Arne."

"Who are you talking about?" Gunhild looked confused.

"You once said something like this once while talking with aunty Frida. 'The one who something will something...I don't remember. Then you said his name.(It was literally the second time Arne was mentioned ever in my memory. I couldn't even hear them well but maybe they did mention him?)"

"It's a young man. We don't know him but I heard that he is a good at heart. He has done a lot of good things you know?" said Gunhild as she kept Erland on the couch again and sat close to him.

"Really? What has he done?" Erland looked slightly expectant.

"You don't want your mommy's mouth to hurt! I will get some food now. I am starving."

"Okay mommy."

Erland was once again left with many questions. He gazed upon his mother and wondered about many things. Why doesn't Randi call them mom and dad? Why don't they talk about Arne? What was Svend's ambition? His mind was stormed with questions along with his oldest question, who is the person he has been longing for?...Why does he remember about it faintly when he gets close to any dead being?...

These all lied in his head, even in his sleep, until the time he woke up and found himself at a bemusing state, bringing a temporary end to his surge of thoughts.