Family in the Island
1091 Words
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“There is a selection for... a bride.”
“Whose bride?” asks Jasper with his mouth full. “Yours?” Then he drinks from one of his bottles of wine.
“No, it's for the new Warlord of Zhlozakia.”
“Mhmm,” he nods. “This could be interesting,” he whispers to Jack beside him.
“I think so too,” Jack answers.
“Oh, please continue.”
Ammar continues, “Zhlozakia is a vast wetland very far at the northeast. It is where the people of the God of Chaos hide because it's impossible to conquer. Even Silva has given up after her officers beg her to stop as they suffered great losses.”
“Then how did you get your hands on this information?”
“I work closely with them, covering them from this flank.”
“So, you're a traitor to Olympus...” Jasper smirks.
Swallowing, Ammar says, “It's not like I have a choice-”
“Don't worry, I won't tell. We're the enemies of Olympus too.”
“You are?”
“Yeah, that's why you have to keep it a secret that you met us. In turn, we'll keep yours a secret too.” He walks to Ammar and whispers, “Consider yourself lucky that our lady didn't hear what you said. If she did, your head would be rolling down this marble floor.”
It's as if Ammar has his neck sliced for real that he can't breathe anymore. The fear is choking him by the neck as he watches both of them leave the dining hall. Jasper brings with him four bottles of wine. He's holding the three in his left arm and drinks the other one with his right hand.
“Thank you for the meal!” he thanks.
Outside, Hyun's eyes glow red, holding out both of his hands. The guards have been healed completely. They stand up, fearing the four of them as they walk out through the gate untouched.
“Let's go home,” says Jasper before chugging his bottle of wine. It explodes when Sayuri sliced it with a flying dagger along with the bottles he's holding. “NOO!!!” he cries, kneeling. He witnesses how the wine is getting absorbed by the ground. Then he gets a glare from her over her shoulder. “I mean... yay?” She turns forward and continues walking.
“Come on, get up,” says Jack, lifting him to stand.
Jasper sobs, saying, “It's so sad watching such a slaughter...”
“It's gonna be alright,” says Jack, patting his back as they continue walking.
The sun is bright and hot as ever in the sky over the Serenic Ocean. It's always summer with white sand, fluffy clouds, and a steady breeze. Coconuts are getting slender and taller over time along the shores of an island where Enzo, Aiko, and their son live for almost three years.
“Dad!!” calls Dany as he rides a wave above the surface of the sea. He's only wearing swimming trunks and his hair is long. His eyes are wide open, trying to see where his father is underwater.
Then he sees trails of bubbles left by something so fast. It's his father, chasing a large tuna bigger than his body. Dany giggles, watching his father until he catches it. Enzo gasps for air as his head is finally above the surface of the water. His chest is bare and only wears shorts. The length of his hair is almost like his son's.
“Look at this, Dany,” he says, showing the big tuna in his arms, still wriggling trying to escape.
“Wow!”
“It's enormous, isn't it?”
“Yeah!” he smiles.
“Let's bring it to Mom so she can cook it.”
“Okay.”
Enzo pierces the tuna's head with this thumb and it stops moving. His son controls the water and brings them closer to the shore. They walk when the water is shallow enough. On the dry sand, Aiko in a white dress is smiling as she watches her boys walking towards her with a big fish. She's holding towels for both of them.
“Look at this, my love,” says Enzo. “It's larger than any then we've ever had.” She gives him his towel.
“Look, Mom!” Dany tries to catch her attention, pulling her arm and pointing at his father. “Dad caught a big fish!!”
“I can see that,” she smiles. “Good job!” She dries his head with a towel and carries him to their home.
Meanwhile, Enzo hangs the tuna upside down in a rope attached to a coconut tree beside their home. With a knife, he slices along the belly to remove the gut and put it in a bucket. The stench quickly goes away as the wind keeps blowing from the shore. It's taking him longer to slice the flesh because the knife he has is short.
“You need help?” asks Aiko behind him.
“I'm fine, my love. It's just that the knife is too small and I have to be gentle enough not to tear the flesh.”
“Okay.” She sits on a log behind him. After a minute, she says, “Dany has grown a lot, hasn't he?”
“Yeah, and I'm thank you for that. You're a great mother.”
“And so are you. You're a great father.” She stands up and hugs him from behind, feeling the back of his skin on her cheek.
“Thank you.” He lets her embrace him like that as he works on the fish. “What's Dany doing?”
“Doing his homework. He can write his name now, you know.”
“Really? That's great. You really are a great mother.”
“How about a wife?”
“You're the greatest wife in this Realm.”
“But we're not married.”
“We don't need a ceremony to pledge ourselves to one another. I love you and our son.”
“We love you too.”
“I know and that's why I'm always happy.”
“You are? You don't look like it.”
“It's just-”
“It's just how you always look, I know.” She giggles, letting him go and returning to sit. “Do you want another one?”
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- Writer
