《Tame》Chapter 10: Bedtime Story

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Hearing that Wilt was going to tell him a 'bedtime story' Fay was rather uninterested. Not to mention Wilt's change of attitude towards himself really pissed off Fay. "He is going to beat me, tear off my fingernails, and burn my home before my eyes. He took away my family... and he wants me to try and understand his feelings? What about my own feelings? What about my pain!?" These thoughts had surfaced in his mind, he was furious inside.

In the end though he had to listen. He was not strong enough to fight back or argue with Wilt. Not mentioning the fact that he was tied to a post. So he listened after managed to swallow his rage. It felt to him as if the anger was tangible. It was as if fire was welling up in his chest, searing his insides.

With a large smile on his face Wilt began his story, "When I was very young, a bit younger than yourself..."

About twenty-two years prior to Wilt telling Fay about his childhood. Wilt was five at this point in time. He lived in a small village on the eastern border of Lance. His village was situated near cliffs that bordered the ocean. In the distance surrounding the village was also a fair expanse of mountains and forest areas. The village was essentially isolated from the world. It could easily be described by the phrase, "The towering mountains at your back and endless ocean before you."

The young seven years old Wilt was running around the village, albeit with unsteady legs due to excitement, with his friends. Laughter filled the air as the small children chased each other back and forth. They were enjoying the best time of their life. Wilt's mother stood in the doorway to their house. Her long brown hair draped down her shoulders. Her blue eyes shined along with her smile. She was wearing a cloth apron and the smell of food hung in the air as she called out, "Wilt it's dinner time."

"Bye guys!" Wilt waved goodbye to his friends with a smile before rushing inside. He quickly sat down at the table with a smile. A large cauldron was hanging over the fire in the fireplace. It released a comforting scent, the scent of freshly made stew. Along with the stew, already on the table, was freshly baked crackers. They let off a warmth and filled the air with the smell of freshly baked bread.

Wilt eyed the crackers with a devilish smile before shoving one into his mouth. It was crunchy, with a texture equivalent to burnt toast, yet the taste was sort of sweet yet at the same time salty. The crackers were made from a variety of plants and such native to the area. It gave them a certain charm and balance. While Wilt was munching away at the cracker in his mouth his father walked in.

He had short blonde hair and crystal blue eyes along with a stocky build. He was in charge of keeping an eye out for magical beast at the border of the village, a warrior. He snuck up behind his wife and gave her a gentle peck on the cheek. Wilt's mother jumped before turning around and embracing him. Wilt put his hand to his mouth to keep from spitting up his food, he was gagging at their display of affection.

Wilt's father laughed before practically jumping into his seat to get away from his red-faced wife. They were sitting down for dinner just like any other day. Wilt's mother put the stew into wooden bowls before placing them on the table. Wilt's father took a cracker and dipped it in the stew before piling meat, and some vegetables, onto the cracker before shoving it into his mouth.

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The dinner had went by with the only sound one could hear being the munching from chewing on the crackers and the slurping of the broth of the stew. Once everything was eaten and everyone was full they put the wooden bowls and utensils into a basket so that Wilt's mother could wash it in the stream the next day.

The sun was already set by this time so Wilt had stayed inside. His mother kissed him on the forehead before laying him down to sleep. Lying in his dark room he slowly drifted off to sleep. Suddenly he awoke to a crashing sounds, he could hear movement. Suddenly bright red lightt drifted through the cracks in the wooden walls of his room. There was a fire.

He could hear the splintering of wood and the stomping steps of a large creature outside. Suddenly his mother rushed into his room with his father behind her. Before Wilt could register what was happening they were already running through the dense woods. His father had unsheathed his short sword and was constantly glancing back.

Wilt glanced by for moment and through the branches and brush he could see the entire village in flames. Amidst the flames was a roaring figure that seemed like it was from the depth of the underworld. It appearing to be a large bear, it was standing on its hind legs. Standing there on its hind legs amidst the raging fires it stood at about fourteen feet tall.

Wilt seeing this enormous shadow was scared witless, nearly tripping over a tree root. His mother tugged him urgently to keep him from falling behind, practically dragging him. Wilt witnessing this realized he had never seen his mother so concerned. He did not look back after that moment.

They ran for a full ten minutes or so before they heard it. The crashing of trees. Trees were being brutally swatted to the side by the enormous bear. Its entire body was covered in flames, igniting the forest. Wilt and his family ran faster, Wilt was swept into his mother's arms because he could no longer keep pace.

A dead end. This what they had reached. It was a cliff. Down below they could hear the pitch black ocean waters crashing against the rock wall.

Wilt's father quickly turned around, putting Wilt and his wife behind him. Suddenly from the edge of the forest in the distance he could see bright flames. They got closer and closer until the bear's enormous figure crashed through the brush, meanwhile setting it all ablaze. The bear growled and released a deafening roar into the night sky.

It suddenly crashed its forepaws into the ground, lifting up a cloud of dirt and dust, before rushing at them on all fours. There was only a distance of about twenty-five feet between them. It cleared that distance in an instant. In a panic Wilt's father pushed Wilt and his mother off the cliff, flinging them with all of his strength put them a good twenty feet or so from the cliff wall.

Wilt's father was not so lucky. In that moment he made his decision to give his family a chance to live. In that moment for Wilt it was as though time had slowed. As he was falling all he could see was his father being engulfed in flames before smashing his skull against rocks protruding from the cliff wall. His father had died a pitiful yet honorable death.

Wilt and his mother were instantly submerged in the murky water. Although Wilt could swim well this was ultimately different. Against the rough current trying to pull them toward the sharp rocks near the cliff his small body could not be considered to have enough power to fight it. On the other hand his mother, who had lived in this area since she was a girl, would often go cliff diving for clams and other crustaceans for food. This was a common practice amongst women in the village, who were all known for being strong swimmers.

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His mother kept Wilt firmly under one arm, being careful to keep his head above water, she kicked off strongly with her slim legs and paddled with her other free arm while using it to steer. Even she didn't dare fight the current however due to her years of experience in the water she knew to swim to either side of the current to escape it.

With her back to the cliff wall she swam to her left with all of her strength while trying to stay afloat. She was familiar with this area. There was a small sandy beach towards the North. It took her nearly two hours of hard swimming in the dark nonstop to reach it.

By that point in time she was simply moving on pure willpower. Wilt was shivering from the ice cold water as his mother dragged him to shore before collapsing.

When Wilt opened his eyes he clenched his teeth, trying to keep them from chattering. He was shivering cold and had sand sticking to his wet clothes and skin. He looked to his side to see his unconscious mother. She was pale and her skin had a bluish tint.

Due to the immense stress on her body from trying to carry her son to shore while swimming in the dark allowed the cold to seep into her body after she fell unconscious. Her body wasn't in the condition to fight back the cold in her sleep, she died.

Wilt desperately tugged at his mother's corpse in an attempt to wake her up, but she would never wake again. With his small body he grabbed his mother's wrist and dragged her body closer toward the tree line. He gasped from fatigue due the fact that he was cold and putting his back into pulling her. With no other option to think of he out himself under her body, despite the cold, and supported her corpse on his back. He walked slowly up the beach as his mother's legs dragged trenches into the sand, as if asking him to leave her behind.

With Wilt's strength it took about two hours to drag his mother's corpse to the tree line. He placed her back gently against a tree before cuddling up next to her and falling asleep.

Over the next week he tried his best to construct a shelter. It was a poorly arranged shelter made from some sticks and branches he had found nearby, he didn't want to leave his mother's side. He had believed to be simply unconscious. It's not that he was ignorant about the concept it is simply he had never seen someone die before, let alone someone close to him. Deep down in a forgotten corner of his mind he had buried the thought that she had died.

To keep him and his mother warm while she was 'asleep' he tried his best to generate a fire. He had never done this before but he had heard stories of people rubbing dry sticks together to create it. He sat near the entrance to the poorly built shelter with two sticks in hand. He stuck one in the ground and held it near the top with his left hand to keep it steady. Then he took the other stick and rubbed it repeatedly against the side of the other stick.

He had done this till his hands were sore. On several occasions he even broke the sticks due to excessive force. His hands were now covered in splinters and bleeding, blisters were also taking shape on his palms.

Before this he had lived a relatively carefree life, he never thought he would need to learn such survival skills. He sat in front of the pile of broken sticks and hugged his knees as he cried himself to sleep.

He had awoken to a pungent odor and the sounds of buzzing insects. He had ignored the growing smell but when he just woke up he had yet to steel himself. In a childish fit of anger he kicked over the walls of the makeshift shelter, that his mother was inside and screamed as he shooed away the hover flies.

He kicked the the grass and punch tree trunks in blind rage. Tears trickled down his childish face. He, in the end, could not deny his mother was dead. In his heart he already knew the truth, she was dead.

Suddenly he stopped his childish fit and simply stood there, terrified. There was movement in the nearby bushes. He didn't even try to move, his entire body tensed up. He was scared that perhaps the noise along with the stench of death had attracted a magical beast, but he was lucky.

From out of the bushes appeared a man. He had scraggly white hair. He wore a plain brown robe and had a pack slung over his shoulder. He also was armed with a long sword that was sheathed at his hip. The only thing out of place was the silvery emblem on his chest. It was in the shape of a triangle that had four smaller triangles within itself.

Stopping his story at this point Wilt took a deep breath, he was actually quite serious when he told Fay his story, and that breathe seemed to release the pressure in his chest at that moment. He had obviously stopped because there were some things he wished to hide about his past.

He then concluded, "That man was the one who took me in... I became an orphan adopted by the order... raised by the order to exterminate monsters, like the one that killed my family. And for the record, I know you can't sympathize with me, I am the same... I will never give you my sympathy... however I do understand you."

Saying up to this he dusted off his knees before standing up, looking down at Fay with a certain a glint of pain in his eyes. While turning to walk away he said simply, "This is goodbye for now Fay. Be nice to the girl will you, were aren't all that different..."

Fay hearing this was confused but was even more confused when he heard Wilt mutter under his breathe, with a hint of sarcasm, "Try not to die at the Sky Well will you?"

Before Fay could even ask what was going on, Wilt was already gone. He was utterly confused, why did Wilt tell him all this...

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