Chương 18: Flo's Tale of the Past (pt. 1)

Flo found himself running around the giant green woods of the forest, sparkflies flashing their magnificent blue light on and off under the setting sky.

Rains of orange lights poured through the thick canopy, lightly playing with Flo as his tiny body ran around in circles, seemingly trying to catch the sparkflies floating lazily around the still air. The sound of the insects started to flutter, with the breeze of the early night coming in.

"Flo, look at this!" One called out to him. It was Rhu, a dir-child sporting a pair of buds for horns on his forehead. He had a line of white cloth wrapped around his neck and bare chest, the common attire in the tribe of Zatt.

He ran towards Flo, eager to show off his accomplishment. "I caught one!"

"Catching sparkflies is boring," Flo said, masking his inability to catch even a single one. "Why don't we see who can run faster?"

"You're on!" Rhu shouted, letting the sparkfly in his grasp fly off. "Race you to the herd!"

Two figures ran on all-fours as they skipped the many small surface roots and undergrowths creeping below, racing under the green canopy as orange rays marked the start of the night.

"I win!" Rhu said, coming to a stop as his curled purple hair glistened against the orange light raining down from the canopy.

Flo then followed to stop, seeing the herd of royal elks out in the distance, with their manes and back fur gleaming with blue lights. They grazed in a small clearing, eating their fill of greens until they were satisfied.

"Let's see who can bond with a stronger elk." Flo said, taking out a sort of wooden flute, being emblazoned with the insignia of the Zatt tribe -a single leaf perched on top of a small tower.

Flo then crafted a tune, seemingly calling for an elk from within the herd. Flo knew this certain herd of elks was already domesticated by the many herders, and so they were trained to answer the calls of the dirs -if the one calling knew how to cast the song just in the right tune.

A small one then came running out from the herd, its glowing blue fur dancing in the wind as it then came to Flo's side, answering his call.

"I can't ride you," Flo said to the small elk, patting its head as he then caressed its pair of horns. "You're too small."

Rhu then, with a whistle of his tongue and fingers -not even needing an instrument, called out to an elk from within the herd. A large, strong adult then came rushing about, stopping right in front of Rhu. "I win again, for like, the hundredth time now."

"These games are stupid." Flo muttered in stubbornness as he sent off the small elk.

"Flo, come home now!" A voice hollered in the distance, seemingly echoing along with the giant trees and tall canopy. The two boys then faced each other, giving a slight nod as to say goodbye and went off on their own, back to the family they loved.

"So, how was your day?" A dir-woman asked. It was Flo's mother, sitting across him on the wooden table, with the table adorned with crisp food and water. The house was small, just like an earthen burrow bleached white with sand. The walls were a mix of white mud and grainy sands, giving it a feeling of comfort and warmth. A small fireplace stood out in the corner, lighting up the room with a yellow flicker.

"It was fun playing with Rhu."

Flo's mother then gave a big smile, a smile befitting that of her mature face. Her gleaming white hair complimented her slightly tanned skin, with a pair of reddish-brown horns branching out majestically from her forehead.

"You know mother," Flo said, trying to press himself. "I want to know more about father."

An awkward silence then befell the room. Only the crackles of the flames by the fireplace were heard, with the endless cricket of the insects resonating along the very walls inside the small place. It was all too quiet, and it was a sort Flo was very uncomfortable with.

"Some other time then." Flo surrendered. "Sorry."

Flo awoke to a grainy white ceiling adorned with simple paintings of elks and dirs. He roused from his sleep, sitting upright as he unfolded his rag blanket.

A ray of light peaked through the small window as the sun came along, telling the tale of the morning day. Flo awoke from his bed, although it felt more of like a piled if rugs than a legitimate bed.

There were only two rooms present in the house: a small one for the bedroom, and another, larger one for the kitchen and main room. It wasn't exactly what you'd call fancy living, but it wasn't that bad either. Waking up to the smell of cooked lake bitefishes and the singing voice of his mother never made Flo regret his circumstance.

"I'm off, mother."

Flo opened the small wooden door as warmth flushed Flo's senses, the rays of the morning sun dancing cheerfully upon his dark skin and strips of white clothing, preparing him for the day's venture.

A bird zipped past as it sang a tune with the leaves rustling above the canopy, with a cool morning breeze greeting Flo. He then started to walk along a dirt path cutting through the thick forest, leading to the city proper.

As Flo went down the mountainside, passing over the fields and farms, and walked the small wooden bridges hanging over the small streams down below, he was met with a three-meter white wall separating him and the city of Zatt.

After a few checks here and there with the guards, he entered the wooden gates and went inside the city of white. As he strode by, he felt the glares of the people passing by, giving a clear message to Flo that he wasn't wanted in any way around these parts.

He overheard the murmurs of the dirs around him, talking of things behind his back.

"It's that hybrid again."