fnyantasy

The tiefling was spotted one day in the town of Talosia, behind an alleyway. He was covered in dirt, cuts, and darkness. He was muttering to himself over and over again. “Fae … Fae … Fae…” while holding himself tight, shaking.

It was all he had. A single sound. He gritted his teeth through the shivering, desperate to hold onto it.

How long has he been here? Alone in the dark?

Suddenly … He started to see.

By the act of instinct, he raises his arms in front of him, attempting to push himself further backward into the dark.

What he saw did not move towards him. It was warm.

He lowered his trembling arms slowly as he squinted through tired eyes. In confusion, the tiefling darts his head around with bared teeth and still shaking. All around him it was still pitch black. Heavy panting comes from behind his teeth.

The light stayed still, as his blinking began to slow and focusing more ahead, a shape started to form.

The form stayed still. A shadow and light standing still in silence, except for his ragged breathing. Fae could see details start to follow as well.

The first thing he saw was a white, glint reflection and again, attempted to back up tighter against the wall, trying to hide…trying not to be seen.

But still there was no coldness, no strike to prepare for; only warmth. As he began to lower his arm one more time, he could finally make out what stood before him.

They were small, but bundled with cloth. There were patterns this way and that, and her hair was kept two ways hanging on the sides of her cheeks. Her big eyes watched forward as she gripped a lantern in one hand and held loaves of bread in her other; close to her chest.

Everything was slow; even as she handed bread to him. It was at this point; he felt the pain of his stomach clawing at him. He grunted as he hugged himself tightly once more. “... Fae … Fae … “

It’s all you have. Hold on to it.

“Esta.”

Her voice reached his ears that he flinched up again; the bread just in front of him. He was frozen in place. She simply gestured once more.

Moving his hands still ever so slowly, his shaking hand taking the bread from Esta. She did not move; only watching softly and giving a single nod.

He quickly snatched the loaf and began to tear into it; and the feeling of hunger dimmed slightly.

One pain waning, yet so much still remained.

But under her watchful eyes and the warmth of the lantern, he felt something unfamiliar to himself, after all this time in the dark.