Chapter 11

Al was released from Anica's chide after they ate dinner. While eating, she's questioning his parenting skills and his ability to take care of a child. She looks at him with those judging eyes as if he neglected Maru like he was his child! He was in disbelief! Of course, he didn't know how to parent a child! He never had one until four days ago!

Anica knows it. Maru knows it. Everybody knows it! But Anica is giving him a look as if he's a failure in life, for not being a good parent!

Is it too late not to take Maru under his care? Al was questioning his life choices as they walk home. Al and Maru were walking because he doesn't have extra money for carpool. They were side by side alone in the dark street of the Slums.

After leaving Anica's house, Al can feel that Maru is mad at him. He won't talk and obviously avoiding him, he's looking at everything except at him. He still didn't know why is he mad at him but he felt guilty somehow. He even asks Anica what to do and Anica gave him some 'tips' to appease the child.

While walking he saw the bright light of a lone convenience store and had the sudden urge to eat something cold. It was snowing and cold that they can see their breath. Al had a weird craving when it was winter, he needed to eat something cold like ice cream.

"Let's eat ice cream." He dragged Maru to the convenience store and buy a twin popsicle. He didn't realize that ice cream is expensive so they ended up sharing a twin popsicle.

As they walk, Al noticed that the mood of the young master Maru was slightly lifted. He said, "It's really good to eat a popsicle in winter."

"Mm... next time buy each one of us."

(￣ ￣|||) "..." Al can't say anything else and only clear his voice.

"Isn't it more fun if you share it with someone?" He tried again for awhile

Maru looks at the other half of the twin popsicle in his hands. The popsicle is not really that good, it was so-so. He had tasted different kinds of ice cream, flavors, and freshest popsicles made from real juices of fruits and not a flavored one. But he had to admit, he never had someone to share it with. His father doesn't like sweet things. His servants are too scared to share something with him.

His family is very well-off, he never has or had to share anything with anybody. Toys, books, food, and even a person. If he wants something his father will give it to him without a word. He had never shared anything with anyone. That's why he felt very uncomfortable that Yda had something he doesn't have. Which is a gift from Al.

When Yda said it was her favorite toy, he ignores it but then she said it was a gift from Al. An inexplicable feeling of wanting the toy to himself surged from within. So he took it, but Yda grabbed the other hand and they pulled each other.

He doesn't want the toy. He just wants something that was given by Al.

"Maru," Al called onto him. He stops and leveled himself to Maru "I'm sorry if I neglected you. I'm sorry if you felt alone."

"I promised that it won't happen again." Al touches his head wanting to remove the fallen white snow off. "Will you forgive me this time?"

Al used his softest voice he could muster. Anica insisted that he should look at his eyes and say those words with sincerity. He waited for his answer but the child only nodded and turn his head away.

The oblivious Al didn't notice how the child's big eyes are red from holding back his tears. Al didn't know what the child felt. He didn't know how he felt when he left him with strangers. Although aunt Anica and Yda are good people, he just can't easily trust anyone. The last person he trusted was the one who poisoned him.

Now he's in a situation where his father agreed to a commitment and him being cursed. If he didn't trust that person, he wouldn't be here alone looking for a cure.

But now Al left Maru behind. All the anxiety he felt. The feeling of abandonment all gathers at the corner of his eyes. He wants to cry, that he was treated less than he deserves. He wanted to complain but he's too stubborn to do so.

Al sighed in relief, and gave two things to the child, 'as a gift of reconciliation' that's what Anica said. He waved his wrist and a plushie dragon appeared. It was so big that the dragon's tail wrapped around the small body of Maru. "For you." He then passes the necklace he had and made him wore it on his neck. It was a thin elongated whistle.

"Tomorrow, apologize to Yda and play with her." Al pointed at the dragon plushy wrapped on his body. "It is good to share good things with the people around you."

Maru didn't answer but nodded. So he does want to play with her. Al can't help but ruffle the soft hair of him but Maru doesn't like his hair messy so he turns his head to avoid his hands but Al chased him.

—plop—

The waddling boy fell face first on the snow.

After three seconds of solid silence. Al burst laughing, he already forgot the sincerity he felt before. He didn't help Maru he just watches him stand by himself. Yea, he's still learning.

Maru's face is so red that he looked like could explode. He clenched his small hands, forcing down the frustrations and annoyance from the way Al treated him. A lump or congealed emotions clog Maru's throat. He felt frustrated. He wants to make him stop but he doesn't want to look pitiful.

*sniff* he felt something liquid from his nose and instinctively sniff. Then he felt a warm line of liquid falling down from his eyes to the cheeks, down to his chin. It was too late to stop now and his tears had fallen.

Al stiffens, eyes widening in disbelief as he stares at Maru. Taking the tightly pursed lips and restrained expression, panic arises forth from him. This is the same face when he teases Yda too much that she will cry so loud and for a very very long time.

"Wa-what are you crying about? Are you hurt?"

When he asks the question the child brawled. He took the dragon plushy as he pulls him closer.

"Wuaaaaaaah!!!"

"Ah ah ah! Don't cry! Don't cry anymore! Tell me where it hurts!" Did he hurt himself when he tripped over? He can't help but look for where the wounds are but didn't find any.

Maybe because he had seen it, that if someone cries you have to touch the person and comfort them or Al is in panic and didn't know what to do and only do what looks like something a parent would do. Al reaches for the child and hugs him in his arms. While he hummed as he racks him in comfort as if a mother making her child fall asleep. "Shh... I'm sorry. I'm sorry for laughing at you."

Maru continued to cry in both frustration and relief. He's already crying might as well as continue. For a while, he sobbed and when he calmed down he suddenly remembered his half-eaten ice pop.

"Pop..." Maru said with his cute just cried voice that makes Al melt.

"What?"

Maru pointed at the thrown ice pop. "Popsicle"

"Okay," Al immediately took the popsicle on the ground and casts a time spell on it and immediately turn back to what it was before Maru fall.

"Here, don't cry now." He gave back the popsicle to him.

"I'm not crying *sniff* m-my eyes sweat a lot"

Al wanted to laugh but he was too exhausted. A crying child is a very stressful and soul-shaking situation. If possible he doesn't want to experience it ever again. When Yda cried there was Anica to comfort her. He really needed to apologize to both of them, for what he had done before.

"Let's go?"

Maru extended his hands and held onto Al's hand. The two of them stood together and head home.

Since it was winter, night fell early. Even though it was only seven o'clock when they walk home, the sky is already dyed in black. Al gazed at the night scene in front of him. Silently thinking.

The sky is cloudy from snowing but the moon could be seen. The cold moonlight spill through the gaps between the clouds, both beautiful and terrifying, giving the falling snow a scene of falling crystals.

The street was covered in a thick blanket of white, footsteps crisscrossed each other. The snow is still falling, flakes of snow drifting windlessly down, covering everything in white where it landed. Aside from the brown of the denuded trees, the only other color was the tree and shrub.

A cold wind hurtled past them, the cool air seemingly dragging their clothes forward with it. Al wrapped his navy blue woolen coat around him and also gave warm energy to Maru through their hands.

The night wind had blown his hair about messily.

"You want to learn how to do it?" Al suddenly asks. He's asking if Maru wants to learn magic. He just decided that he will teach Maru.

Maru nodded his reply.

"Then practice the breathing technique I taught you."

"But my body feels heavy if I breathe like that. I can't even move!"

"Exactly. If your body master how to move with as heavy as that, when you go back to normal breathing it'll be light as a feather. Then you can move faster and more agile."

Maru kept his silence as if answering Al and practice.

"Call me Master."

Reluctantly he breathes out in resignation "Yes, Master." Al gave him a side smile. Maru rolled his eyes and Al laugh. Maru then start the breathing technique Al's taught him and his body felt heavy while his movements are sluggish as his heart beats faster. He can't help but slow down his steps.

—Schunk!—

Suddenly, the sound erupted the silence between Al and Maru.

Maru heard it first before he felt it. A warm liquid splattered on his face. It was blood. Shock and fear could be seen in his eyes as he saw Al's hand that he just holding slowly falling out of him.

—Thud—

The arm of Al fall to the ground and made a sound. The next thing he saw was the arm created a pool of blood in the white snow.

"Found you." He then heard a familiar voice from the back as he felt an arm wrapped around his body.

He found me.