Post by Orophin on May 24, 2008 9:52:35 GMT 1
The Past Returns: Part II
He was home.
V'icternus looked around, and saw the familiar buildings, the same houses, and even the Chi-Run estate at the top of the hill where the town leaders lived.
As everything came flooding back, he remembered all of his old hangouts, he remembered his old friends, and he remembered why he left...
He also remembered the date, and knew he had been gone almost two years to the day. Tomorrow was his birthday.
He had never expected to return here... least of all the day before his birthday, the very day he left his old life behind.
Looking around, V'icternus saw children running around, some play-fighting just like he used to. He saw older children, some even sporting swords. He saw them all stop to look at the stranger who had entered their town, as travellers here were rare...
Vic looked to the ground, almost afraid to see a familiar face, and kept walking...
He knew the next town was too far to walk without rest, and that he'd have to stay here for the night... this both increased the chances of meeting someone he knows, and would cause him to be here on his birthday. He wasn't very happy when he realised this, and was so distracted by his thoughts, he walked right into a man who looked to be eighteen or nineteen years old, knocking them both to the ground...
He had black, slightly shiny hair, falling down to his neck. He had a sword at his side. He had dark, glaring eyes. And, he was wearing the ring that used to be worn by Arud, the rich town leader.
As they both stood, looking into each others eyes, a flash of recognision went between them.
Then, the black haired man smiled.
"Vic? V'icternus? Is.... is that you!?" He said.
"Uh... hey, Anong..."
"We... we thought you were dead!" Anong seemed incredibly excited to see his old rival, and was smiling more than V'icternus found natural.
"Well, uh, I'm not..."
"I can see that! How... where've you been? We were all really worried, after..." Anong paused. "Idril was devestated, you know... eventually, we calmed her down... she set out to travel the world, or something... wanted to visit the Fire Nation..."
"I... um..."
"Well, where were you all this time? You've missed a lot..."
"Well, uh..."
"What? What's the matter, Vic?" Anong seemed genuinely concerned.
"I ran off, O.K? I just... ran off..."
"To where? You missed your parents funeral..."
"I know! I... I know..."
"The whole village showed up..." Anong looked sad. "They really were very well-liked... Jo cried like a baby..."
"Jo?" Vic asked, confused.
"Uh, well, l guess you forgot her... she's the girl with the crush on you, remember? Jo Lin? She lives just down the street there..." He pointed to a small house down the road. "She's really grown up since you left... definately not a little girl any more.She's fifteen..."
"Oh, her..." Vic replied.
"Yeah, her. Now, can I, uh, help you in any way? We never did re-build your house... it was a big job, and we have no idea how your father did it alone..."
"He was good with stuff like that..."
"Yeah... well, you need anything, you let me know. I'm the town leader now, you know... My dad retired, went with my mom to Ba Sing Se..."
"Well, is Lee's still open?"
"Yeah, of course. You remember where it is, right? That old guy will never shut that place down, till the day he dies..."
"Yeah... well, uh... see you later, I... I guess..."
"Yeah, I've got some work to do, anyway... good to have you back, though. See you 'round." Anong walked off.
V'icternus walked down the road to Lee's Inn, the only inn in the village.
Entering the building, he saw Old Man Lee, as he awas always called, standing at the desk, as he always seemed to be.
"Yeah? What'd you want? Wait... aren't you that kid? Yeah, you're Sovash and Valonia Levis's son... V'icternus, right? Hehehe, that Valonia always had a way with names..."
"Um, yeah... it's me... I need a place to stay for the night."
"Well, you can stay as long as you want. I knew your parents well... they stayed here while they were building their house. Good ol' Savash... real handyman. Fixed everything that was broke, and even built a few things... of course, Valonia was never as good with her hands. She used to be a noble back when they both lived in Ba Sing Se... tha's were they met. Of course, they probably told you that..."
"Yeah, they did... so, uh, what room do I..."
"Of course, they had to leave Ba Sing Se, as their parents... well, their parents didn't think they were right for each other. Seperate rings, you know... lots of seperation in Ba Sing Se."
"My dad told me... but he loved that city. He... he always had such good stories about it... and about when he met mom..."
Lee nodded. "Yep... Valonia had snuck down to the second ring, and Sovash had snuck up to the second ring... they wound up in the same store, and... well, the rest you know."
"Yeah..."
"And your mother has never been called 'Lady Valonia' since..." He chuckled. "She hated all of that propiety... your grandparents kept trying to drum it into her... never worked."
"I know... that's were I get my etiquete, I guess..."
"And to think, she was arranged to marry some Lord or Duke or something before she ran off with your father... anyway, here's your key. Your room's the first on the left, right there..."
"Thanks..." He took the key, and went into the room. It had a small gold '1' on the door.
Looking around, he saw a nice room, that seemed almost too clean... the pine walls and bed... the size of the bed itself... the natural light shining through the open window. He knew Lee barely ever got any guests, as travellers here were rare, and he wondered if his parents had stayed in this very room... he looked uncomfortably at the large bed. Shaking his head, he took off his sheath, and hung it on a hook on the wall. After a moments pause, he also took off the coat he had been wearing for years and hung it on another hook.
Lying down on the bed, he began to think... about Anong and his new attitude... about Jo, and everything he could remember about her... about this room, and whever he was right about who had carved "S & V forever" into the wall... and whether or not he had been concieved on this very bed...
Turning away from those thoughts, he rolled over, and, tired, drifted off to sleep...
Waking up late the next day, he knew it was his birthday. He knew today would be terrible, being here, and it being the anniversary of him losing his parents...
He decided to visit the clearing next to the lake where his house had been, to say goodbye... it was only about two minutes out of town.
Getting up, he put on his coat, and, after a slight hesitation, his sword.
Checking his coat pocket, he found his amulet still in place, and so he went outside.
Walking down the road, away from the hill, he saw the mass of trees that had always been his place... he had walked through them every day to get to town, the other kids and him had hung out there, and there was the clearing... the clearing where the older kids tested themeselves against each other.
He went into the trees, and not long after, he emerged. He saw the lake that his mother had adored, and in the other direction, the mountain that his father had mined...
And then, he turned his eyes to the house itself. Or, where it used to be. The ruins still lay there... he saw the elaborate carvings in the supports, and he saw what remained of the fireplace. He knew how much work his father had put into it... he was a worker, his father. Always doing something with his hands... his mother, of course, wasn't as good at that, but she could design some of the most beautiful carvings and patterns...
V'icternus started to cry, remembering everything about his parents... and that they had died, right there, amongst those ruins.
Suddenly, he heard a noise behind his. Someone else was quietly sobbing in the clearing...
He turned, wipeing his eyes, to see a girl, younger than him, with brown hair all the way down her back. She was strangely familiar, yet he couldn't remember her name...
"I heard you were back..." She said, looking into his eyes.
Vic averted his eyes from hers, and looked to the ground. "Uh, yeah... I am. Um..."
"It... it's me. Don't you remember?" She looked hopeful.
"Sorry... I... no."
"Well, um, it's me... Jo. Remember?"
"Jo? Oh... right. It's been a while..." He remembered what Anong had said about her.
"I've missed you..."
"Uh... you've grown your hair out a lot..."
"Yeah..."
"It's nice..."
"Thanks..."
They both paused.
"So, uh, where've you been?" She asked.
"Well, I've been... travelling."
"What happened to your face?" She moved towards him, and felt his scar.
"I... had a bit of an accident."
"Oh? Well, it doesn't look accidental."
"Well, I suppose it..."
Before he could finish, Jo had begun to kiss him. After a few seconds, Vic pulled away.
"What are you doing?" He asked.
"I... I missed you... and, well... I always liked you, Vic..."
"I know..."
"Y... you know?" She seemed surprised.
"Well, Anong told me..."
"Well, I know you thought I was too young for you... but... well, I like you..."
"Wait, so... after the dance that one time, when I danced with Idril... is that why you were crying?"
"Um... yeah. I was just... well, obviously you two were happy, but... after seeing you dance like that... it was so..."
"I just never thought about it... I mean, you were eleven when I met Idril..."
Jo sighed. "Yeah, I know... you two were made for each other..."
"Actually... I, uh, don't think we were... we've split up."
"Oh..." She seemed to be thinking.
"Yeah..."
Suddenly, she put her hand on the back of his head and started kissing him again.
After several seconds, Vic, once again, pulled back. "I... I didn't mean... I..."
"Oh... s... sorry... I... I thought you meant..."
"No... sorry, Jo, but... no."
She looked downcast.
"But," Vic comforted, "I hear that Jerrard kid likes you..."
"Jerrard? But he's just a k... oh..."
"Yeah... besides, I'm not... not ready for..."
"O.K...."
Both of them were now standing awkwardly in the clearing, Vic holding his arm, Jo biting her lip.
"Um..." Jo began.
"Yeah..."
"So..."
"Uh..."
"Yeah..."
"Well, uh... I'm leaving soon... gonna, you know, get back out on the road..."
"What? You're not staying? B... but..."
"I can't stay here, Jo, it's... it's too painful."
"Oh... I get it..."
She leant forward again, but Vic stopped her. "Jo..."
"Just... just once more? Please?"
"I..."
"Please, Vic? I've missed you... and you're leaving... I just want..."
"Jo..."
"Please?" Jo pleaded
"I... well... uh...
...
O.K." Vic relinquished.
"Thank you!" Jo exclaimed.
She lurched toward him and started kissing him. Vic slowly kissed back.
It took a full two minutes for Jo to finally pull back.
"I can see why Idril liked that so much... you may act different, and look different, but I think you're the same guy underneath..."
"Well, uh... thanks... I'm... I'm gonna get going..."
"O.K... well, next time you're in town... look me up. O.K?"
"Will do... but next time, no kissing."
"Well, alright... but no promises." Jo smiled.
V'icternus turned.
"Last time I left, I ran in that direction... I think I want to go that way again."
"See you when you get back... Vic." Said Jo, still looking slightly sad.
"Yeah... yeah, you probably will..." Vic walked off into the forest, in the same direction he had walked two years ago to the day... he was seventeen now, and at least one thing had not changed at all... he was still running.
He was home.
V'icternus looked around, and saw the familiar buildings, the same houses, and even the Chi-Run estate at the top of the hill where the town leaders lived.
As everything came flooding back, he remembered all of his old hangouts, he remembered his old friends, and he remembered why he left...
He also remembered the date, and knew he had been gone almost two years to the day. Tomorrow was his birthday.
He had never expected to return here... least of all the day before his birthday, the very day he left his old life behind.
Looking around, V'icternus saw children running around, some play-fighting just like he used to. He saw older children, some even sporting swords. He saw them all stop to look at the stranger who had entered their town, as travellers here were rare...
Vic looked to the ground, almost afraid to see a familiar face, and kept walking...
He knew the next town was too far to walk without rest, and that he'd have to stay here for the night... this both increased the chances of meeting someone he knows, and would cause him to be here on his birthday. He wasn't very happy when he realised this, and was so distracted by his thoughts, he walked right into a man who looked to be eighteen or nineteen years old, knocking them both to the ground...
He had black, slightly shiny hair, falling down to his neck. He had a sword at his side. He had dark, glaring eyes. And, he was wearing the ring that used to be worn by Arud, the rich town leader.
As they both stood, looking into each others eyes, a flash of recognision went between them.
Then, the black haired man smiled.
"Vic? V'icternus? Is.... is that you!?" He said.
"Uh... hey, Anong..."
"We... we thought you were dead!" Anong seemed incredibly excited to see his old rival, and was smiling more than V'icternus found natural.
"Well, uh, I'm not..."
"I can see that! How... where've you been? We were all really worried, after..." Anong paused. "Idril was devestated, you know... eventually, we calmed her down... she set out to travel the world, or something... wanted to visit the Fire Nation..."
"I... um..."
"Well, where were you all this time? You've missed a lot..."
"Well, uh..."
"What? What's the matter, Vic?" Anong seemed genuinely concerned.
"I ran off, O.K? I just... ran off..."
"To where? You missed your parents funeral..."
"I know! I... I know..."
"The whole village showed up..." Anong looked sad. "They really were very well-liked... Jo cried like a baby..."
"Jo?" Vic asked, confused.
"Uh, well, l guess you forgot her... she's the girl with the crush on you, remember? Jo Lin? She lives just down the street there..." He pointed to a small house down the road. "She's really grown up since you left... definately not a little girl any more.She's fifteen..."
"Oh, her..." Vic replied.
"Yeah, her. Now, can I, uh, help you in any way? We never did re-build your house... it was a big job, and we have no idea how your father did it alone..."
"He was good with stuff like that..."
"Yeah... well, you need anything, you let me know. I'm the town leader now, you know... My dad retired, went with my mom to Ba Sing Se..."
"Well, is Lee's still open?"
"Yeah, of course. You remember where it is, right? That old guy will never shut that place down, till the day he dies..."
"Yeah... well, uh... see you later, I... I guess..."
"Yeah, I've got some work to do, anyway... good to have you back, though. See you 'round." Anong walked off.
V'icternus walked down the road to Lee's Inn, the only inn in the village.
Entering the building, he saw Old Man Lee, as he awas always called, standing at the desk, as he always seemed to be.
"Yeah? What'd you want? Wait... aren't you that kid? Yeah, you're Sovash and Valonia Levis's son... V'icternus, right? Hehehe, that Valonia always had a way with names..."
"Um, yeah... it's me... I need a place to stay for the night."
"Well, you can stay as long as you want. I knew your parents well... they stayed here while they were building their house. Good ol' Savash... real handyman. Fixed everything that was broke, and even built a few things... of course, Valonia was never as good with her hands. She used to be a noble back when they both lived in Ba Sing Se... tha's were they met. Of course, they probably told you that..."
"Yeah, they did... so, uh, what room do I..."
"Of course, they had to leave Ba Sing Se, as their parents... well, their parents didn't think they were right for each other. Seperate rings, you know... lots of seperation in Ba Sing Se."
"My dad told me... but he loved that city. He... he always had such good stories about it... and about when he met mom..."
Lee nodded. "Yep... Valonia had snuck down to the second ring, and Sovash had snuck up to the second ring... they wound up in the same store, and... well, the rest you know."
"Yeah..."
"And your mother has never been called 'Lady Valonia' since..." He chuckled. "She hated all of that propiety... your grandparents kept trying to drum it into her... never worked."
"I know... that's were I get my etiquete, I guess..."
"And to think, she was arranged to marry some Lord or Duke or something before she ran off with your father... anyway, here's your key. Your room's the first on the left, right there..."
"Thanks..." He took the key, and went into the room. It had a small gold '1' on the door.
Looking around, he saw a nice room, that seemed almost too clean... the pine walls and bed... the size of the bed itself... the natural light shining through the open window. He knew Lee barely ever got any guests, as travellers here were rare, and he wondered if his parents had stayed in this very room... he looked uncomfortably at the large bed. Shaking his head, he took off his sheath, and hung it on a hook on the wall. After a moments pause, he also took off the coat he had been wearing for years and hung it on another hook.
Lying down on the bed, he began to think... about Anong and his new attitude... about Jo, and everything he could remember about her... about this room, and whever he was right about who had carved "S & V forever" into the wall... and whether or not he had been concieved on this very bed...
Turning away from those thoughts, he rolled over, and, tired, drifted off to sleep...
Waking up late the next day, he knew it was his birthday. He knew today would be terrible, being here, and it being the anniversary of him losing his parents...
He decided to visit the clearing next to the lake where his house had been, to say goodbye... it was only about two minutes out of town.
Getting up, he put on his coat, and, after a slight hesitation, his sword.
Checking his coat pocket, he found his amulet still in place, and so he went outside.
Walking down the road, away from the hill, he saw the mass of trees that had always been his place... he had walked through them every day to get to town, the other kids and him had hung out there, and there was the clearing... the clearing where the older kids tested themeselves against each other.
He went into the trees, and not long after, he emerged. He saw the lake that his mother had adored, and in the other direction, the mountain that his father had mined...
And then, he turned his eyes to the house itself. Or, where it used to be. The ruins still lay there... he saw the elaborate carvings in the supports, and he saw what remained of the fireplace. He knew how much work his father had put into it... he was a worker, his father. Always doing something with his hands... his mother, of course, wasn't as good at that, but she could design some of the most beautiful carvings and patterns...
V'icternus started to cry, remembering everything about his parents... and that they had died, right there, amongst those ruins.
Suddenly, he heard a noise behind his. Someone else was quietly sobbing in the clearing...
He turned, wipeing his eyes, to see a girl, younger than him, with brown hair all the way down her back. She was strangely familiar, yet he couldn't remember her name...
"I heard you were back..." She said, looking into his eyes.
Vic averted his eyes from hers, and looked to the ground. "Uh, yeah... I am. Um..."
"It... it's me. Don't you remember?" She looked hopeful.
"Sorry... I... no."
"Well, um, it's me... Jo. Remember?"
"Jo? Oh... right. It's been a while..." He remembered what Anong had said about her.
"I've missed you..."
"Uh... you've grown your hair out a lot..."
"Yeah..."
"It's nice..."
"Thanks..."
They both paused.
"So, uh, where've you been?" She asked.
"Well, I've been... travelling."
"What happened to your face?" She moved towards him, and felt his scar.
"I... had a bit of an accident."
"Oh? Well, it doesn't look accidental."
"Well, I suppose it..."
Before he could finish, Jo had begun to kiss him. After a few seconds, Vic pulled away.
"What are you doing?" He asked.
"I... I missed you... and, well... I always liked you, Vic..."
"I know..."
"Y... you know?" She seemed surprised.
"Well, Anong told me..."
"Well, I know you thought I was too young for you... but... well, I like you..."
"Wait, so... after the dance that one time, when I danced with Idril... is that why you were crying?"
"Um... yeah. I was just... well, obviously you two were happy, but... after seeing you dance like that... it was so..."
"I just never thought about it... I mean, you were eleven when I met Idril..."
Jo sighed. "Yeah, I know... you two were made for each other..."
"Actually... I, uh, don't think we were... we've split up."
"Oh..." She seemed to be thinking.
"Yeah..."
Suddenly, she put her hand on the back of his head and started kissing him again.
After several seconds, Vic, once again, pulled back. "I... I didn't mean... I..."
"Oh... s... sorry... I... I thought you meant..."
"No... sorry, Jo, but... no."
She looked downcast.
"But," Vic comforted, "I hear that Jerrard kid likes you..."
"Jerrard? But he's just a k... oh..."
"Yeah... besides, I'm not... not ready for..."
"O.K...."
Both of them were now standing awkwardly in the clearing, Vic holding his arm, Jo biting her lip.
"Um..." Jo began.
"Yeah..."
"So..."
"Uh..."
"Yeah..."
"Well, uh... I'm leaving soon... gonna, you know, get back out on the road..."
"What? You're not staying? B... but..."
"I can't stay here, Jo, it's... it's too painful."
"Oh... I get it..."
She leant forward again, but Vic stopped her. "Jo..."
"Just... just once more? Please?"
"I..."
"Please, Vic? I've missed you... and you're leaving... I just want..."
"Jo..."
"Please?" Jo pleaded
"I... well... uh...
...
O.K." Vic relinquished.
"Thank you!" Jo exclaimed.
She lurched toward him and started kissing him. Vic slowly kissed back.
It took a full two minutes for Jo to finally pull back.
"I can see why Idril liked that so much... you may act different, and look different, but I think you're the same guy underneath..."
"Well, uh... thanks... I'm... I'm gonna get going..."
"O.K... well, next time you're in town... look me up. O.K?"
"Will do... but next time, no kissing."
"Well, alright... but no promises." Jo smiled.
V'icternus turned.
"Last time I left, I ran in that direction... I think I want to go that way again."
"See you when you get back... Vic." Said Jo, still looking slightly sad.
"Yeah... yeah, you probably will..." Vic walked off into the forest, in the same direction he had walked two years ago to the day... he was seventeen now, and at least one thing had not changed at all... he was still running.