Work Text:
A cool breeze gusted through the air as sunlight shone down over the countryside. Quiet swirls swept along the ground bringing pollen with its waves. It was beautiful. Winds stirred the grass and made a peaceful hum in the trees like the whisper of memories. Delano cracked opened his eyelids and sent his vision upon his fine square of land shaded from the clouds and a long white fence to keep it in. His home was a humble one built from hard work on years of dedication. This was the fruit of labor laid before him. His place of living, as well as his place of sharing. The house had become a much less lonely place since he took a new member of the family beneath his wing.
Delano checked the position of the ticking hands behind a scratched lens of the watch on his wrist. He smiled. The weather turned out even better this Spring than he expected, even after that considerable amount of rainfall. Tenebrae was in stunning shape this year.
The humble man scratched at the elongated bridge of his nose before getting to his feet. From the crooked wicker chair, Delano strolled leisurely towards his cottage house. The back porch would greet him first with its creaking wooden steps and chipped paint polish. It was time to head inside and see to the day’s needs. He crossed the soft ground while admiring ivory petals of stray flowers in their clusters as he went. His mind was active with thoughts. During those reflective steps did he catch sight and sound of a child coming from the south doors. It was his nephew appearing behind that heavy interior door, almost too big for his small hands to move, then through the rickety screen. The lad seemed to be in a hasty search for his guardian. Their eyes aligned. Contagious relief was instant.
Round green irises behind a pair of large spectacles lit up vibrantly. Little Ignis cupped his palm beside his mouth to amplify his voice and called out: “Breakfast is ready!”
The grin on Delano’s mouth widened. He sent an acknowledging wave to the boy. “On my way.”
Ignis beamed back eagerly in response before rushing those tiny legs of his back inside towards the dining area. There he would definitely be awaiting his uncle, proudly gushing at the decorative prowess of their future meal.
Ignis had been that way all his life. Ever since Delano could remember. Even at his tender age of eight, Delano noticed the child was talented, especially when it came to his culinary creativity. Smells of family recipes brewing in an oven never failed to attract the boy’s nose. Neither had an artistic dessert escaped his critical eye. That curious lad was born with quite the penchant for cooking. Ignis specifically delighted in simple things coming together to fashion new and fun ideas.
A gift, Stupeo called it. Delano’s brother wasn’t wrong. If only he could see his son now.
Once sheltered from the wind, Delano made his way past the sunroom and quickly adapted to following a trail of pleasant scents. He was wary not to graze his shoulders on the shelves like last time. His shoes tapped along floorboards muffled from the thickness of thoughtfully placed carpets, to where the bright lamp lights beckoned him forth. By the silence, he sensed there was excitement lingering between the walls, flowing past curtains and tangling in Delano’s clothes immediately.
“Could that possibly be…” Delano gave a whiff. “…Ah? Is that the cherry pie recipe I’m smelling?”
Delano arrived at last at the archway and gaped into the dining room. The table was completely set. Silverware, napkins and cups for two were already prepared, nice and neatly. Not even the chairs were unaccounted for. Ignis stood patiently beside the special step used to give the young one a boost into his seat. It was all looking rather lovely actually, if the boy’s uncle were to be honest with himself. He knew this was something Ignis loved to do. It was a pleasant treat to him each and every time.
“It’s still warm,” Ignis’ hands folded together above his lap.
“Aren’t I lucky?” the man laughed. “Let us have at this handsome presentation, then. Pull up your step. Be careful.” Among the tiny clatters and sounds of scooting furniture, Delano eyed cautiously after the young one. “I am surprised that you have not exhausted yourself. You must be tired.”
Ignis climbed up and nestled comfortably into his assigned seat and swayed the tips of his feet from the edge where his shoes could not touch the floor. “I’m alright, uncle. It’s fun to be in the kitchen.”
“Well, I am thankful for that… You’ve been more help to me than you realize.”
The pair grinned at one another.
Ignis intertwined his fingers over the surface of the table and his elbows shifted the decorative cloth just slightly, but his adjustment was as polite as it was fast. He knew to say grace before eating. “The pie will be ready when we finish. Is that okay?”
“Absolutely.” Delano situated into his own chair and followed suit, crossing his tired hands together and lowering his eyes for a moment. There was a passage of silence, then the collective sighs marked their permission to begin.
“Mom and Dad would make their plates look this way too, wouldn’t they?” Ignis scooped a forkful of fluffy yellow eggs to aim at his mouth. “I think I remember.”
“You’ve paid close attention to what they taught you,” Delano remarked. Ignis must have indeed. Though he was still far too young to be knowing about certain aspects of a kitchen of course, at this rate, he would grow fast and master those techniques. This was Stupeo’s child afterall.
The pair conversed over their plates graciously. The atmosphere was warm here much as it had been yesterday and every day since the elder brother of the Scientia family took in this youth and kept him in his care. The circumstances of the past were grim with only tragedy left in its wake, but the days beyond those were blooming into brilliance at steady paces.
Near the end of their breakfast, Delano and Ignis found themselves amidst a new conversation.
“You were awake early this morning, uncle.” Ignis stretched for what was left in his cup with both hands. He took one last sip from the rim. His throat glugged the fresh, cold milk down, and he appeared rather glad for the relief of its texture.
“Ah. Yes. Well, you see,” Delano started. He wiped at the lower edge of his face with one of the napkins lying on the table then slowly rose. “Today is going to be a very opportune day. The nearby villages have come together for a seasonal harvest. Not only that, there is also a wealthy family from Lucis that plans on visiting. Many folks have come to see them.”
“Oh. Are they here for the festival, too?”
Ignis shut one of his eyes as Delano approached him and landed one large hand atop his scalp. The sandy strands of his hair parted aside from his uncle’s affectionate jostle.
“It’s possible. Why don’t we head on down there ourselves and make use of all that marketing? We may find some rare treats.”
“Really?” The size of Ignis’ eyes widened with enthusiasm. “Then we should go soon so we don’t miss out!”
The man chuckled. “Yes, while the getting is good.”
After their plates were cleaned and their utensils returned to where they belonged – sparkling and ready for the next use – the uncle and his nephew proceeded to brush up for their own visit into the nearby town streets. Delano would be taking them to a place Ignis had only been a few times, and times were quite different back in those days… but there were plenty of people who lived or worked there whom the Scientia family was well acquainted with.
They ran their wrists beneath pouring water from the bathroom faucet. Fixed their hair for the windy day, predicting that organization wouldn’t be containable. Laced their shoes and tapped their soles against the ground. Delano and Ignis would walk side by side, close to one another, leaving behind the scene of their mossy rooftops, where steam faded from the shaft of brick chimneys, to travel on lush paths.
Eventually their feet led them to the stone walkways and onto the mainstreet roads. To people. To rows of established business buildings and decorated shop windows. Their beloved town on the humble countryside of Tenebrae.
Stationed in rows along the streets were hand crafted stalls and tents. Merchants came from far and wide to showcase their farmed goods. Colourful variants of vegetables, fruits and beverages lined the displays from the entrance gates all the way towards the square of their quaint town.
Ignis squeezed energetically at his uncle’s hand. He was ready for all of this. “It's fantastic!” he exclaimed.
“You will be safe if I let you roam ahead on your own, won’t you?”
Delano was hesitant, even as he weighed the surplus of people versus that energetic grasp tugging on his wrist… Ignis had wandered before, always alert and never irresponsible. Neither had any of the people from town lead him astray. Delano clasped the boy’s palm a tad tighter for just another moment in consideration.
“Oh, I promise. I will come right back to you?”
“…Okay. Come right back to Mrs. Stella’s, understand? I’ll expect you.”
“Just thirty minutes!”
“Thirty minutes, Ignis. Go on. Have fun.”
And with that, Ignis departed from his uncle’s company and sped through the market with free spirit. His shoes leapt in every step. He spotted a rack of peppers here, some cannisters of preserved roots there and …ah! Something new? He couldn’t wait to see what they would take home with them from this favorable event.
The clatter of hooves from sheep and cattle created a drumming sound which Ignis had come to recognize well. All around were the scents of hay and freshly sheered wools. The dirt gave way to the shoeprints of many men and women gazing at boxed stalls, conversing with their fellow townsfolk. Their voices shared gleeful stories – this or that gossip pertaining to their lives or the nearby cities. Ignis overheard news about the functions of growing factorial industries. Reports of Insomnia’s walls were perceivable as well throughout stray conversations, but Ignis’ ears were primarily tuned to the crunch of baked breads, trickling rice grains poured into woven bags, and the unexpected laughter of customers finding their perfect deals.
As he carried himself in strides, Ignis’ curiosity was caught by a glimpse of the distant sylleblossom fields. Their elegant hues of indigo stood strong and vibrant on the horizon. Every flower among the thousands were looking flawless this year.
Ignis sighed. “…Wow…”
On a whim, the boy passed through the crowds to find a place away from the path. Careful, just like he swore to be, Ignis distanced himself from the noise behind the trading festival and approached a long white fence outlining those gorgeous field-wide floral gardens. They were especially tall this season and stretched like a magnificent ocean. Ignis leant his palms against the wood and clasped to stay balanced. He was captivated… suddenly oblivious to avoid the potential gain of splinters. Eventually he found the will to extend his arm where he brushed through some of the blossoms within reach. Soft as cotton they were against the bare skin of his hand. Some stray petals floated from their frail stems then drifted into the vast air along the wind currents. Ignis followed them with his eyes, astonished.
Then, as he admired the ascension of those fragments into the skies, he saw something else in the field that was just as interesting. Once again, Ignis was locked into a stare. He quirked his head and ignored the way his lenses descended his nose.
There was a pair of people walking within the rows of flowers. A boy in particular stood deep inside the endless blue petals and breezes. Their arms were spread wide as they moved about wildly. It almost looked as if he were pretending to fly. The far-off child bounced beside the legs of a taller stranger who stood close, laughing all the while, watching them dance keenly through the blossom patches. Ignis too surveyed the dark-haired outsider as they pranced – then disappeared abruptly downward. Ignis fanned his eyelids with worry. He placed himself closer to the fence and scouted for the figure again. Where had he gone? It wasn’t long until the child got to their feet again before breaking immediately back into his sprint. They went on chasing butterflies and imaginary creatures.
Ignis’ cheeks rounded and he giggled to himself faintly. His observation lingered enviously there on the boy and his company. Ignis too would enjoy playing in the sylleblossoms. Calm and carefree—
“Ignis?” A voice summoned from somewhere behind. “Is that you?”
“Ah… I’m coming! Just a moment!” Ignis hastened himself, hopped from the fence post and rushed back towards the main roads. That’s right. He’d roamed a little further than expected. “Sorry!” he shouted, and aimed forward. Ignis gave a single glance back before thinking to himself that one day he would like to be just as free as those who frolicked blissfully in flowers…
Ignis reunited with the man he had come to recognize as his parent, and Delano’s hand wrapped fast over his petite shoulder to pull him close. The two turned and joined again with the groups of farmers, shepherds and traders as though crossing a bridge from one world to another.
The pair would spend some hours more there to meet with companions and converse over the weather, including the little things that changed in their lives since last year. Ignis enjoyed absorbing their stories. He learned from those adult tales, soaking in knowledge far beyond his years in certainty that their words could come in handy in his future – when he was as tall and wise as them.
Gradually retreating with sincere goodbyes, Delano and Ignis strode the same paths that brought them here.
“There are some materials I will need your help putting away once we’re home again. But others,” Delano lifted a finger to cover his lips secretively, “we’ll keep for special occasions.”
“Surprises, uncle?” Ignis sent his face upwards.
The man hummed. By impulse, he clutched the bags hiding treats and novels inside opposite from Ignis’ line of vision. “Haha. Perhaps.”
In the aftermath of a long but wonderful experience, they concluded their journey and retired back to their lodging with shopping sacks of samples in tow. New recipes were waiting to be made from these excellent finds. They were fortunate not to have missed the chance of learning new crafts, and the town street had exceeded what Delano had seen there in a long time.
In time, the sun also retreated from their valley and made way for nightfall.
The golden light of the standing lamp in Ignis’ bedroom cast its soothing round glow as Delano helped him to prepare for sleep. The winds were whispering across the vale again by the time the boy finally crawled up into his bedsheets. He relaxed beneath the layers of blankets, relieved from the efforts spent in town and on their land. The man and his nephew were both quite content with themselves.
“Goodnight uncle,” Ignis smiled and nuzzled his cushions.
“Goodnight, my boy,” Delano answered fondly. He found his heels lingering there in the doorway a moment longer. His eyes were soft. His heart, tender. When he withdrew from the cracked bedroom door, he moved vigilantly and counted as he went. One. Two. Three…
~
…Three. Two. One. At last, Delano found the courage to open the door. To his surprise, he found Ignis inside, already standing and dressed. The clatter he overheard from across the hall had not been a mistake then, and neither had the alarm clock lied to him. The last of his nephew’s belongings were lined beneath the window as his final bag received extra care from Ignis’ grown hands. The dressers were emptied. Even the restroom down the corridor appeared barren. His shelves were unoccupied and the bedding cleared off.
“Oh…” the older man murmured indistinctly. His tangible sadness caught Ignis’ attention. “You’re already prepared?”
“I’m conducting one last check through my articles to be certain I haven’t missed anything,” Ignis responded swiftly. He faced the elder in his doorway directly, no longer craning his neck just to find him, but almost overlooking the top of his head with his height. The voice coming from him now was firm, mature, and deepened.
Ignis wasn’t the child he’d been what felt to be only a night ago. Standing before Delano Scientia was a man: a man who wasn’t skipping the next trip to Insomnia this time, no matter what anyone did to stop him.
Delano nodded, then ensured Ignis that the horse carriage would be arriving at the station at precisely ten o’clock today. Not a moment later…
There would be no mistakes in this arrangement. No reconsiderations. The decision was permanent.
Helping the one he’d come to treasure away from the home they shared all these years brought heavy hardships, and Ignis was not oblivious to the silent indications. He found his palms inadvertently clutching tighter around the handles of his luggage.
“Now uncle,” he started as considerately as possible, “I would appreciate it to have this matter taken seriously. I will be fine.” When he fixed his glasses to a proper sitting point upon the bridge of his nose, Delano found himself amused.
Weakly he smiled. “I believe you, Ignis. You’ve been ready well in advance… Those lenses look mighty fine on you. They will serve you well.”
“The spectacles are indeed fit for my vision. However, that is not what I wish to discuss.”
Delano ignored the professionalism taking place and laid a hand onto Ignis’ shoulder. They began to walk together side by side as they had done so many times before, only today, they would not be together when it was time to return.
“Did I ever tell you how much you look like your father?”
The question hit a sensitive spot. Ignis gapped slightly, thinking inwardly on the matter.
“He said to me just the very same things you have; right before he went into the Capital. It seems… you are chasing his footsteps afterall.”
Before Ignis could say anything else, the space around them was occupied in full by the harmonious ringing of the nearby chapel bell. Ignis turned his gaze following Delano’s direction of sight. They knew this sound for the entirety of their lives. One could never forget its chimes. Ignis knew he would miss it… and any reminiscence of them would draw his heart back to this place.
“Very well then,” Delano exhaled under his breath. It didn’t stabilize him as much as he thought it might. “It’s your time to shine.”
The two viewed the skies at the edge of where dirt and grass drew their lines of division. Away from here, there would be no more hillsides of endless green grass. There would be cobblestone streets. Jungles of construction. Each, demanding Ignis to tread on his own.
Delano could only hear the birds from where he was standing, but his chest was pounding louder behind their songs. “And, you know exactly where it is you’ll be going?”
The grown boy was quick to produce a folded sheet of paper from the breast pocket of his vest. “Yes. I’ve marked the location and made efforts to memorized the area. All that is left is to see it for myself. There are markets nearby and an accessible district within walking distance. Police stations are not far either. I’ll find plenty of resources there.”
“It’s not too expensive?”
Without changing expression too much, Delano noticed Ignis’ features stiffening. “Uncle. We already confirmed-”
“I know, I know.” Ignis’ uncle waved his hand whilst nodding. “Forgive me. It is simply that…”
“…You’re worried.”
Fulfilling the unfinished statement was as easier to say than it was to confront. It was sensible that the man who raised him should worry. There were plenty of other reasons, but most of them Ignis assumed were rooted in what happened to the last family of Scientias who boldly chose to live in a city as grand and challenging as Insomnia.
“It isn’t palace life,” Ignis continued. He couldn’t afford to get too sentimental. He would be going regardless. “But the move is affordable. Once business begins, things will change for the better. I just know it. I have that feeling.”
“The heavens know I couldn’t prevent you. There may not be a single thing that could.”
Delano struggled to admit how alike Stupeo Ignis really became. He too was pursuing the bustling city of riches and smoke. Ignis would mirror those choices by searching for new opportunities, urban living, perhaps even discovering love as well. All he knew was that he needed to let him go for better or worse. Withholding Ignis was as unfair as it was impossible. This was the boy’s heart and soul. His burning passion. A dream insatiable without trying to capture it like a wishing star in a glass jar.
And so, Delano reached for that broad shoulder one more time after the luggage was stacked together to give his boy an encouraging squeeze. Supportively, the man bowed his chin. “There is always a space for you here again in Tenebrae. No matter what happens.”
“I won’t fail, uncle,” Ignis assured him. There was a special spark shining in his eyes. “Thank you – for all you have done. And I promise to write.”
Ignis sighed slowly. This was it.
The man who raised him stepped from the tracks and back towards the direction they had come from. Ignis chose to check his posture and fixed his glasses again. This touch had become something so special. It reminded him of what his uncle mentioned as well as how Stupeo might have actually thought of him if he were alive. The way he stood in that moment, how he clutched at his possessions with encroaching nervousness and stalled his next breath – what would his father claim of his son? What advice would he give? Were there any warnings left unspoken about the city he was born in? Would there be tears falling from his mother’s lashes? What would they look like if she were to cry for him, and would Ignis manage the courage to wipe them aside for her?
Perhaps his uncle was right. Maybe Ignis was going forward too quickly. All headstrong and no second guessing. It was possible he’d forgotten—No. He could never forget. Never completely.
Though… reflecting on it, whilst staring down at himself, he must have been far too stubborn a man.
It was simply that…
“Insomnia.” Ignis stared slowly out towards the distance. Beyond those town hills and the edge of this dirt road far from here was the place he came from. His birthplace. His destiny. He could simply feel it, and that was all he thought he needed. One more scan of his pocket watch told him that the wait was almost through. The sea was past these green country fields, the white picket fences and rows upon rows of indigo blossoms.
The glittering city – the realm in which his mother and father came to pursue their own futures, before giving Ignis the hope to follow one of his own making. It was whispering on these familiar winds like a scent from another side of the world. Calling him.
“Excuse me,” someone spoke beside Ignis. He turned his shoes and straightened his neck to find a horse carriage pulled to station right where it was expected to be. The warmly dressed fellow situated on the bench stretched his hands around the reigns of his steed and elevated his brows. “Are you Mr. Scientia?”
“Yes, sir. That is me.”
“I’m bound for the docks at Tenebrae’s Southern Port. Might I transport you there?”
No, Ignis would not be forgetting the fate befallen those before him, nor the beauty of this land he held lovingly in his heart. To his uncle who looked back for him, Ignis waved one last time and showed his brightest smile to prove his confidence lying underneath to the surface.
It was time to answer that call.