Daevas -I- ✔️

Chapter 7.3: Loss

Ari placed a wary hand on the reddening part of his cheek. Never once had Nolan ever hit him, until then. Had he found out so soon? Ari lowered his eyes to the dampened wooden floor he was sitting on. He could not have. Rein said he had not told... so how?

His eyes stay focused on the small cracks in between the floorboards. Water was falling into it, causing Ari to look to the ceiling. The thatched roof was falling apart, letting the humid air in. The hay from it was decorating the floor. It caused his skin to itch making him more uncomfortable than what he was already feeling. There was some in his hair and a few sticks of it that made it into his shirt as well.

Nolan had put him in the secluded hut to reflect on his actions, something he had always done since he was very young. His praise and acknowledgment was what Ari had strived for, for so long. It meant the world to him when he told him good job or I am proud of you. Now, he was only getting looks of disappointment and a heavy hand to his face. Of all people, Ari thought he would be the most understanding, but he was wrong.

Ari pressed both his hands to his face and squeezed his eyes shut. He would take any punishment given to him as long as Freir was not involved. Freir had tried. He had warned him and was against all of his actions until recently. Truly, it was not his fault.  

The door opened and crashed into the side of the flimsy, wooden hut walls. It made Ari jump and back against the wall out of reflex. It was dark inside as it was outside, but Nolan held a candle to his face as it lit up the room. His face contorted into a scowl and his lips were tightly drawn. As he came closer, Ari pressed his back into the wall as much as he possibly could. 

"Have you reflected?" Nolan's voice boomed. "Are you ready to repent and speak to me of your sins... and past transgressions?"

Ari kept his eyes trained to the floor.

"Ari."

"What had I done wrong?" Ari mumbled as Nolan placed the candle on the side of an aged and well-worn table. 

"What had you done wrong?" Nolan repeated. "Tell me, Ari, what do you think you had done wrong?" 

"... Everything."

"No, not everything. You had come back. That is something I can recognize. You know where you belong." 

As Nolan moved closer Ari noticed he was just dressed in a long-sleeved, black shirt covered by light leather armor. Dark circles were forming around his eyes and he had grown a beard. Ari did not notice it before. 

Nolan tried to reach out a hand towards Ari, but Ari only turned his head which showed his reddened cheek.

"In all my years of raising you, I had never raised a hand to you. Not even once. I did not mean to hit you. I was angry and disappointed with you. You had never disappointed me before. And you had never made me so wrought with anger." 

"You lied to me for all these years, and yet you are the one asking me what I had done wrong? I had not done anything, but learn to accept what I truly am. It was difficult... but I learned... so should you."

Nolan's eyebrows raised before they kneaded tightly together. 

"You are what you want yourself to be. I did not raise you to be like one of them. I raised you up as human and hid away your demon orgins for a purpose. I did not do it for selfish reasons."

"No... It is not that simple and easily put as you say it is." 

"So what is it you are trying to say, boy? You do not wish to stay here?"

"I appreciate everything you had done for me... I would like to believe it was all for me... You had raised me... after all."

"Raised you? I had saved your damned life! No human would have dared to ever do such a thing. The lesser demons would have ate you."