#i also don't know if i got varyyn's character right but whatevs

[ivyschoice]

Child of the Island

the day you’ve dreaded has come! Hide your kids and lock your doors - I have produced something for Choices Creates again! no really it’s been way too long, but moving on:

Story: endless summer

Rating: T

Plot: based on the theory that MC is half/ part Watcher: What if MC had grown up on the Island with the Wacthers? What would happen when the other Catalysts come to La Huerta?

I couldn’t hold back so this is way too long (sorry not sorry)

thanks to @catsrtheboss for hosting and to @hollyashton for bringing us #ChoicesCreates weekly for 21 times now like wow!

-

I’m on my way back to the village when Varyyn comes running towards me.

“Hurry up! You gotta hear this!” He grabs my wrist and pulls me with him so that I almost drop the fruits I’ve been collecting all afternoon.

“Woah, Varyyn, slow down! What’s going on?” “You’ll see!” He answers and accelerates. The trees seem to fly past us. Normally I’d assume we or the village were in danger if Varyyn was in such a hurry, but he sounded more excited than scared, like something good had happened.

We cross the first bridges and I notice that no one is to be seen. Where is everyone? My question is answered as we reach the center of Elyy’stel. There is a big gathering going on. Aunt Ximaedra is standing in the middle and is making an announcement. I’m out of breath, but I try to be quiet, so I can hear what she says.

“Scouts have seen them in and around the Hydra’s lair. They could be working for him, but we don’t know that, yet.” Is she talking about-? “It is important that we bring them here, no matter which actions have to be taken. Seraxa will lead a mission to keep a closer eye on them. We have decided that the following warriors will accompany her to watch them.”

Whispers go through the crowd. It’s the Vaalta carriers. I see it in the faces of the people around me. They’re here and we will get them to stop Raan’losti. My heart starts beating faster. I’ve dreamed of being one of those who get to meet them since I’ve been a child. I have to be part of this mission.

Everyone holds their breath as Ximaedra lists a few names. Varyyn is among them. I’m not. That’s not fair. Before I can stop myself I hear myself saying: “I want to go, too.” Dozens of faces turn towards me. As they stare me down I realize that I shouldn’t have opened my mouth. It’s not my place. Ximaedra’s eyes scan the crowd and find me.

“Moryin, I can-“ She’s cut off abruptly.

“You won’t go. That’s a final decision.” It’s my father. If he weren’t the Queen’s brother he would never get away with interrupting her.

I make my way to the center, till I stand right before him. “Why, father? You know I can do this!”

“No, you cannot. You don’t understand what’s at stake here!” He looks down at me and I see the anger in his eyes. But is there more? Worry? He seems more emotional than usual, not that guarded.

“I know you lost mother, but you won’t lose me, okay? I’ve got this. I’m as skilled as Varyyn!” He swallows. Suddenly it’s so quiet you could hear a butterfly’s wings. Mentioning mother is risky. Father never talks about her. I just know that she died shortly after I was born and that he still misses her a lot. And he’s overprotective of me because I’m the only thing he has left of her.

“Don’t. Argue. With. Me.”, he presses out and this time I’m smart enough to keep my mouth shut. Ximaedra puts a hand on her brother’s shoulder. “Let’s come back to important matters…” She’s trying to smooth out the situation and I’m grateful for that, but not even the Elyyshar can make being scolded like a child in front of the entire village less embarrassing. I back away and start running as soon as I’m out of sight.

“What is he thinking? I’m not a baby! And it’s just scouting! I wouldn’t even come in direct contact with them!” I let my frustration out loudly and let my fist crash against a tree. Which hurts me more than the plant, but I can’t help it.

“What has that poor tree done to you?” I jump. Varyyn has snuck up on me.

“Nothing.” I mutter.

Varyyn sighs. “Too bad that your father won’t let you come see them… I actually didn’t want to have to do this, but it seems like we have no other choice but to go by ourselves…” I stare at my cousin with wide eyes. Did Varyyn just suggest going rogue? The ‘Prince’? The mother’s boy himself? I don’t know whether to laugh or to gasp.

“Varyyn, you never ever go behind Ximaedra’s back…” He cracks a smile that makes him look surprisingly rebellious.  “There’s a first time for everything, you know…” I role my eyes, but have to grin, too. He reaches into his bag and pulls out a mask. A green and blue chameleon. My mask. I reach for it and as he puts on his own I follow suit.

We make our way through the forest, setting our feet on paths we learned to see when we were young. I’m ecstatic and nervous at the same time. What if we get caught? Father is gonna be so mad, if he ever finds out… But we’ll see the twelve!

Varyyn nudges my side and when I look up I can see the top of Hydra’s lair between the tree tops. With a deep breath I keep following Varyyn. I’ve never been closer to the strange building – probably because of father, I now realize – and I really want to get a closer look.

It’s even bigger from close up. We have stopped and look up taking the whole thing in. I clench my fists and take a step forward, but Varyyn holds me back from crossing the tree line. He shakes his head. I want to answer, but he puts his finger over his lips to signal me to be quiet. This is the point where it get serious.

We carefully make our way through the underwood and up to a tall tree. Varyyn starts to climb with strong and graceful movements and after a moment I do the same. I’ve climbed trees a thousand times, but this time I can barely concentrate on grabbing the right branches.

When I reach the top, Varyyn is waiting for me with a smug grin. Show-off. He has taken off his mask for better sight and I push mine up, too. Sometimes I feel like all I ever do is imitate my cousin.

We have a perfect look on the area in front of Hydra’s building. But will we actually get to see them from here? I prepare myself for a long time of waiting, when the door flies open and a group of people storms outside. Humans. I’ve never seen so many of them at once.

I lean forward to get a better look. They all look so… different. Not only from us, but also from each other. So many skin and hair colors and the clothes they’re wearing are so colorful. I’m in awe. They’re beautiful. And they’ll stop Raan’losti. One of them especially catches my eye – the way they walk and move and how their hair shines in the sun. I really want to-

“They’re fighting”, Varyyn says. Now I see it, too. They seem to be shouting at each other and two of them are chest to chest ready to punch each other until one of the others steps in between them. This seems to be not the first time it happens.

“Monsters”, growls Varyyn and as I turn to him, I’m surprised by his hard expression. “They come here to a place they’re strangers to and the first thing they do is getting violent with each other…”

“But it’s normal to have disagreements”, I answer, because I feel like he is misjudging them. “We have fights in the village all the time.”

“Yeah, but with words and words only. What kind of person do you have to be to physically harm your own people?” His fists are clenched and his face is full of disgust. “Let’s go back”, he adds and it’s more a command than anything else. The normal Varyyn is back. The one that does as his mother says and believes that only we are good people.

Doesn’t he get that they are in an extreme situation? And they stopped the fight, so they can’t be that bad…

I take a last look down at them walking around, talking to each other and get the feeling that they’re more important than we know. They seem so small from up here and I want to be closer. Want to meet them. Be the one that brings them to the village. My calling. I feel it like a pain in my chest that tries to pull me down there. My whole body is tingling.

“Moryin! Your skin!” At the sound of my cousin’s voice I look down at myself and almost lose balance on the branch. My skin is blurry like it’s in motion. What is happening? Varryn’s eyes meet mine and I see the confusion and panic I feel in his face.

“Let’s get out of here!” He orders, suddenly the leader he’s born to be. He begins to climb down. I’m still staring at my hands. The blurring continues and brown spots start to appear on my fingertips.

“Come on!” Varyyn shouts when he notices I’m not following him. I snap out of it and make my way down.

When I’m on the ground I can’t even remember the climb down. I’m shaken. Why do I suddenly feel so strange in my own body?

“Hey”, Varyyn says, “breathe slowly and concentrate on me, ok?” I do as he says and focus on his face. A face I’ve known own my entire life. With blue skin and green hair – like it’s supposed to be. Slowly my skin stops feeling like there are hundreds of fire ants walking over it.

“See, you’re fine”, Varyyn says nonchalantly, but I can also hear the relief in his voice. I nod and smile at him. “Well, we better get back before anyone notices we snuck off”, he decides and guides me away with an arm around my shoulder.

I look back at the high building and shiver. Varyyn had not seen my hands, before I went back to normal. But I had – and they had looked… human. What is going on with me?