The Rainbow and the Flame(A Vampireverse story)

Chapter 50: Growth, Love and Emptiness

Weeks later, Pente's POV

"Noble! Noble!"The children cheer

"Food! Food! We did it!"Some more kids cheer

"Higher! Higher! Easy!"Adult voices say

Clang! Thud! Thunk, thunk thunk!

I smile, seeing them carrying fresh crops over to me. They look so happy and proud, their eyes twinkling.

"Okay, let's go pack it in the food shelter."I say, leading them away

I glance over, seeing the adult group hammer a house together. Suave stood nearby, holding the papers he sketched plans out on. Through the weeks of hard work, we have helped stabilize their home and raise it from the ruins it was when we were brought here. Instead of broken houses laying in ruins, they stood tall in the sunlight, sturdy and safe homes to many. The animals have been rounded up and their pens or barns have been fixed. Now we have gathered food in a dedicated food shelter for anyone who needs food and to save up for when harvests get tougher like in the winter. There's also a medical center with a group that Suave trained in medicine and first aid to be qualified doctors or nurses. It has really risen from the ashes.

I couldn't help but smile, proud to see the success of it all and the happiness it brings.

We reach the food shelter and sotre the fresh harvest away to be preserved. Some have taught themselves how to bake or cook again, so they'll be busy with these crops soon. The kids quickly ran off to till and replant excitedly. I look over to the blacksmith's forge, seeig the glow of the furnaces from inside and the anvil resting outside. I was reminded for a moment of Mister Rufous, but then quickly got back to reality when I hear a scream. I look up, seeing a figure falling from the sky with an abnormally long, big brown scarf. As the figure fell closer, I notice that he remarkably looked a lot like Papa. But then he turned human and lost the resemblance. I reach out, catching him.

"Ugh....Stupid Chance....Screw E!Pap...."He mutters

"Umm...Hi? Who are you?"I ask

He looks up at me, his eyes blank white circles.

"W-Where am I...?"He asks

"You're in a village in the making."I tell him

"No, what AU is this?"He asks

"Au..? What's that?"I ask

He sighs, shaking his head.

"Nevermind....Who are you?"He asks

"I'm Pente."I reply, setting him down

"You can call me.....Ink."He says hesitantly

"Let me get you a room, Ink."I say, leading him away to a vacant house.

I take him inside and let him get settled.

"So...Why were you falling from the sky?"I ask

"....."He is silent, just staring at the floor

"Okay then...."I say, leaving

Over the next few days I followed what has become my routine of checking in on things, chatting with Suave, and helping where I could. I've already written a letter and used a quick spell to send it home, explaining things. I noticed Ink had already gathered within a few days of his stay a lot of paper and wrote with a feathered pen very fluently on many of the pages, seeming set on getting whatever he was thinking out onto paper. But he always hid the papers when someone came near him. He was extremely jumpy. He'd open up to me soon enough and we'd chat, but never about anything deeper than interests and how things are going.