Bab 8: Farewell
"Grandpa Ouwei! I am home!" Aezir shouted. His voice reverberated throughout the small village. 'Woah.' Aezir thought. He was surprised by the volume of his voice.
Every single person from the village got out of their houses to see what was going on. All of them looked at Aezir in bewilderment. Aezir could not help but bow a little in embarrassment.
[Good kid! Like a true barbarian!] Affirmed Khavahk
[Ugh. I do not want to be like you!]
The bewilderment of the villagers turned into shock after recognizing Azir.
"This is a miracle," Katen said. "Call Ouwei!!" He shouted.
The villagers were flustered. This was the first time someone came back alive from the forest after the night. What Aezir did was even more incomprehensible since he was out for five whole months. Of course, they did not know that he was in a safe environment at the time.
"A-Aezir-r. Is that you?" Granpa Ouwei asked as he slowly walked to Aezir.
"I am, grandpa. I missed you." Aezir said. His eyes turned watery, but he could not afford to cry. The norm of Earth where a man should not cry was further strengthened by his Grandpa Ouwei's beliefs. He refused to show it to everyone.
When the two reached each other, Aezir quickly hugged his grandfather. "I am sorry for leaving you in worry, grandpa."
"Silly child. What could you have done? I am just thankful that you returned alive. Come, why don't you rest first."
The pair merrily chatted with each other. They were laughing and catching up like two old friends. This showed the other side of their relationship. Although he viewed his grandpa as an authority, they shared a healthy relationship since his grandfather was his sole friend.
The two stopped in front of Aezir's nipa hut. "Enter first; I will get food while you rest." Grandpa Ouwei said.
"Why don't you let me help this time, Grandpa?"
"The villagers will surely flood over you since you were the first to come back alive. You rest first and deal with them later."
"Thank you, grandpa."
Aezir slowly walked to his nipa. His eyebrows raised when he touched the handle of the door. He then rubbed the door itself. Afterward, tears could not help but flow.
'Damn.' this was the only thought that filled his head.
He could not believe that his grandfather cleaned and maintained the house for five months with full knowledge that he was dead. He sat on his fresh bed and wept.
During the past five months, Grandpa Ouwei would always visit his nipa and clean it out since the old man knew that Aezir never wanted things dirty. The villagers constantly discouraged him from stopping, but he did not falter. He did it not because he was expecting Aezir to come back but as a tribute to the memories of Aezir.
Aezir knew this full well, hence his tears. He realized just how much his grandfather cared for him. So much so that he tired himself out day in and out just to pay honor to Aezir's memories.
Even Khavahk inside the Mystical Space of the stone refused to comment on the situation. He knew that what Aezir was feeling right now was big.
After his grandfather came back, the two spent the entire day together. They talked and laughed. He even introduced Fluff to Grandpa Ouwei. The latter was not well-versed in terms of the Classes of Beasts, so he was just happy that Aezir got an intermediate beast. Grandpa Ouwei never once questioned how Aezir got back alive since the only thing that was important to him was Aezir being alive.
It was already morning, and the two were eating in Aezir's house. Aezir needs to eat no more since the Universe's Essence is enough to sustain him, just like what they did in the Mystical Space, but this is a tradition they have. Whenever they had a chance, they would eat together.
"Grandpa, I am leaving to see the world. Do you want to come with me?" Aezir said. He had been looking for an opportunity to bring this up since last night, but he did not have the heart to do so until now.
"You go on by yourself. I am old now. I just want to leave the rest of my life in peace. I can settle down now knowing that you have a good handle on your life." Grandpa Ouwei said with a smile.
Aezir did not try to convince him further since he knew that his grandfather would not change his answer. This was something he learned from growing up under his wing for 13 years.
"When you are out of the forest, be careful. You never know what the outside world has in store for you. I'd love to tell you more details, but I have not experienced the outside world. The same goes for the rest of the villagers. Just like we said, no one has ever come back from the Lost Forest after dusk." Grandpa Ouwei reminded. "However, I am sure that you will succeed. You are extremely gifted after all."
"Thank you, grandpa. I will not disappoint you! Do not worry; I will definitely come back here. When I reach a position of comfort in the outside world, I will come and pick you up."
"You silly kid. Think about how you will succeed there first."
"I will be staying here for a week. Let us make the most out of it." Aezir said with a sad smile. He felt a strong attachment to the village and his grandfather.
The days went by rather fast. Aezir made friends with everyone in the village. They shared laughter, and even a banquet was held specifically to celebrate Aezir's return and departure. Finally, the day of the departure came.
"Grandpa, I will miss you. Remember to take care of yourself. Also... Thank you so much for everything. I wouldn't have made it without you!" Aezir shouted in embarassment. "So long, everyone!" He quickly followed up as he ran to the Lost Forest. He did not give his grandfather any time to respond since he was shy about what he said.
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