Chapter Text
Winters were harsh in Wigaseya.
Eight year old Aegis Alver hated it. He hated how the snow clung to his boots and slowed his steps. How the cold and melted snow seeped through his hand-me-down jacket, doing little to keep him warm as he stepped through the weald. Even now, the sun was blocked by a perpetual layer of gray clouds, a listless feeling of melancholy seeping through the woods.
In the gloomy, fading light of the late afternoon, the familiar forests around the village looked creepy. As if monsters lurked in the longer, darker shadows, stealing sound and light from the very air around him, just waiting to pounce.
But well. Justice waited for nobody. Brave knights weren’t scared of the dark, were they?
Aegis took another step into the forest. No doubt the other children were playing games at the town square, bathed in the warm lights of the village. No doubt his mother was cooking stew from the food squirreled away in the cellar, all set for a comforting hearth when he returned. And it was for the sake of those around him that he trained to be a knight one day- even if it meant going into the wilderness when it looked far scarier than normal.
He wasn’t defenseless. The spear in his hand- more a stick with a makeshift stone spearhead on its tip- was something he’d been training with since he was old enough to. Since he was old enough to envision a future of being a knight, defending the weak and innocent from the evils of monsters and transgressors. And while he’d never actually seen or fought any big monsters, he was more than certain that he could handle a few stray beasts.
Not that he’d ever had a need to, but Aegis was sure all his training had to be for something.
Still, the adults had been on edge all week- as was the case when there was something terrible shown on Vision Central. While he hadn’t heard much about it, the tension had the other village children more incessant in their teasing, their laughter at him far louder when he was training in front of his family’s shophouse. Nothing that Aegis hadn’t experienced before. Which was why he’d slipped away after finishing his chores, to find some peace for himself.
A left turn once he reached the big boulder covered by moss. A few steps beyond the gnarled branches of the old oak. A slip past a trickling creek and- there.
Aegis breathed a sigh of relief. Despite the otherwise dim atmosphere of the rest of the forest, his clearing looked exactly like he remembered it. Faint sunbeams piercing through the clouds, illuminating the small space like some sort of holy sanctum. The wide arches of ancient trees, far older than Aegis or his village, stretching overhead like a protective guardian. And his own touch- a log set up as a dummy at the far end, next to a small, bubbling brook. Everything was just as he last left it, save for the blanket of snow that now covered everything.
It was far from what he imagined the hallowed training halls of the Medagal Knights were like, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.
Aegis took his place in front of the dummy, feeling all the more at ease here than he ever did with the mocking eyes of the village children on him. He tightened his grip on his spear, then stepped forward- just like Dad had shown him, just like the Medagal Knights did, when they had last came to Wigaseya.
Inhale. Step, exhale, thrust, pivot. Inhale, step, exhale, thrust, pivot. Watch his footing, ensure that he wasn’t over–reaching. Check his stance. Step, inhale, thrust-
Behind him, the leaves rustled.
Aegis frowned. He knew these forests well. Knew how to tell the difference between the sound of a deer’s footsteps and the flight of birds. To him, something about that sound didn’t sound like the wind brushing through the trees. Didn’t sound natural.
He whirled, spear leveled at the intruder- only for his heart to fall to his stomach when he saw nothing. No stray children, no monsters, no wild animals, not another soul.
Just the white snow.
His grip on his spear tightened. He wasn't scared. It could be nothing. Still, he scanned his surroundings again and strained his ears-
Then, through the silence from somewhere in front of him, there was a faint, human-sounding groan.
He frowned. None of the villagers, not even his parents, knew about his secret training spot. He stepped cautiously towards the sound, and no, his arms were not shaking. He was training to be a knight, and knights didn’t get scared from strange sounds in the woods. Knights protected those who couldn’t protect themselves, so they had to be strong and brave.
Nothing stirred. Maybe it was just his imagination- everyone was on edge lately, and perhaps some of it rubbed off on him.
Aegis shook his head. He drew in a breath and let it out, focused on the sunlight, on the leaves leaden with snow. Nothing else moved save for the faint breeze rustling his hair, the clearing looked just as welcoming as it always was. He let out a weak chuckle to himself. He was probably being ridiculous.
But then, just as he was about to lower his spear, there was another, soft moan.
This time, Aegis heard it clearer. He certainly did not jump, just shifted his spear to better protect himself. Still, the voice sounded so piteous, so… weak. Aegis stepped closer, and with the point of his spear, he shifted the bushes in front of him-
Revealing an injured boy.
He gasped, dropping to his knees. Carefully, he brushed the snow off the crumpled form in front of him, surprised at how cold his skin was to the touch.
The boy was clearly not from the village. His clothes were outlandish, and Aegis had never seen him before in his life. He was probably a few years older than Aegis, laying half-hidden by the scarce underbrush. Undisturbed snow covered most of his body, as if he’d been laying there since the night before. His clothes were more rags than anything, revealing bruises and cuts all along his arms and legs, and what looked like a weird scar on his stomach. Dark hair fell over his eyes, and Aegis almost thought he must surely be dead until he groaned and they blinked open.
He caught Aegis’s gaze, and Aegis’s heart skipped a beat.
He’d never seen such beautiful violet eyes before.
The boy held his stare. Despite the state he was in, his gaze was sharp; alert and clear and watching Aegis. Having just gained consciousness, he stayed still. But his muscles were tense- as if, despite his injuries, he was ready to spring up and run at a moment's notice.
But this strange boy was obviously no danger. After all, how could someone so cold and beaten and buried in snow pose any threat to anyone ?
Aegis rested his spear on the ground, trying his best to look as innocuous as he could. The strange boy's eyes remained trained on him all the while. Judging him. Still, Aegis didn’t hesitate to reach out a hand.
"You're injured," he said. "Can I help?"
The boy pulled back. “Who-” He began, only to be interrupted by a harsh cough.
Immediately, Aegis leapt into action. He held the boy’s frail frame to his chest, just like Mom held him when he fell sick, patting him until the coughing fit was over. After a few strained minutes, the boy wheezed in a sharp breath, and Aegis only wished he’d brought some water.
“My name is Aegis,” he said, trying his best to smile warmly when he pulled away. The boy’s eyes flicked to him, incredulity shining on his face. “Can you stand?”
“I’m fine, I-” The boy staggered, and Aegis was thankfully prepared for the sudden weight when the boy toppled into him. He braced for the boy’s light frame, but he sure wasn’t prepared for the string of curses the boy uttered right in his ear.
The strange boy didn’t even flinch as he swore, and despite the glower he shot at Aegis, he didn’t shove him aside. Gently, Aegis helped him to his trembling feet, trying to ignore the wheezing breaths heavy in his ear. Aegis pursed his lips- it was obvious that however he got here, the boy was clearly injured, though thankfully not as bad as he had first feared. Still, judging by how he was barely skin and bones, and how cold he felt in Aegis’s arms, he probably needed immediate help.
“Are your parents nearby?” Aegis asked. It was strange. Travelers rarely passed through Wigaseya at this time of year, and Dad hadn’t mentioned anything about seeing new people around- let alone other children. How had this strange boy ended up in this state right outside the village?
Instead of an immediate answer, the boy stared at him, brows furrowed. “‘Parents’?” he echoed, the word slow and uncertain on his tongue.
Maybe vocabulary wasn’t the boy’s strong suit. Aegis did read a lot, or so his teachers said. “Your mom and your dad,” he explained. “Did you get separated from them?”
The boy huffed, averting his gaze. “Don’t have ‘em,” he muttered.
Aegis’s eyes widened. He knew, of course, that some children didn’t have a proper family- didn’t have a proper upbringing, not one with food on the table and safe beds to sleep at night and Mechaknight to read. Some of the village children had only one parent instead of both, but to meet someone without either, an orphan , with nobody to look out for them… It didn’t answer everything, but it did twist something in Aegis’s chest. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled.
A breath escaped the strange boy’s lips, violet eyes narrowing as he studied Aegis. Now, up close, Aegis could see how his hair was unkempt and wild, as if he hadn’t brushed it, and there was dirt smeared all over his dark clothes. More and more, it was obvious this boy needed help.
“We’ll head back to the village,” Aegis announced, shifting so that the boy could lean against him. Slowly, he began to walk, carrying the boy’s weight on his shoulders and bracing his steps with the end of his spear.
The boy’s eyes widened, even though he followed Aegis’s lead. “‘Village’?” he echoed again, and Aegis was starting to wonder if the boy had not had much in terms of education, given how he kept repeating the simplest words.
“There’s a doctor there, so they can take a look at your wounds. And I’ll ask my mom if we can find you something to eat-”
“Why?”
Now it was Aegis’s turn to stare. “‘Why’?” he repeated dumbly, and mentally kicked himself for it a second later.
But the strange boy didn’t seem to notice his slip. “Why are you… helpin’ me?” Despite the breathlessness in his voice, there was something iron hard in his tone. The boy jutted his chin out. “I ain’t… I got nothin’ to offer ya.”
Aegis blinked. A second passed where he tried to make sure he didn’t mishear. “You’re injured,” he explained at last, “and alone. And it’s the middle of winter. It’s not right to leave you on your own like this.”
“Even though… this is a hassle for ya?” The boy narrowed his eyes. “I’m surprised… you didn’t- just scarper, the moment you saw me.”
That was the first opinion Aegis had heard out of that strange boy. He huffed, readjusting his hold on his companion’s shoulder. “A knight wouldn’t leave anyone in need.”
A tilt of his head, a deepening frown.
“Are ya… a knight?”
Aegis almost tripped over his feet.
His cheeks blazed at the questioning tone. Defiantly, he lifted his chin. “I want to be,” he answered.
The strange boy frowned. “Why?” he asked again.
“Why not?” Aegis retorted with a sharp huff. “Knights protect the innocent from the transgressors and evil monsters, just like Vision Orbs do. It’s because of them that there’s justice in the world and people can live happily! They bring peace and happiness to everyone, fighting against evil so that others don’t need to.”
Violet eyes remained fixed steadily on him. “That so?”
Aegis nodded vehemently. What kind of life had this boy lived, to be so clueless about how justice was maintained? “It’s because of them that my village’s around at all,” he said. “The knights- they chase away the bad people that would hurt us, even though we’re so far away from their kingdom. They saved us from bandits two years ago,” he added.
The strange boy’s pursed lips were far from the reaction he expected. “I see.”
Aegis frowned. “You don’t like knights, do you?”
The boy’s gaze was distant, a gentle sigh escaping his lips. “They don’t… really like me,” he explained. He flashed Aegis a smile, but somehow it looked cold and twisted. “Nobody does.”
His words were a soft echo, barely audible. But they sounded so sad and something in Aegis's chest twisted at the thought.
“You don’t look that bad to me,” he answered quietly. Aegis ducked his head, readjusted his grip on the boy, hefting more of his weight on his shoulders. Ignored the way violet eyes bored into him.
“I don’t… want to be.”
A soft mumble. The strange boy kept his gaze ahead, but he leaned more into Aegis, a small shudder shaking through his body.
Aegis tightened his grip on the boy’s shoulders. Regardless of what he said, he found it difficult to imagine the boy being anything like the transgressors on Vision Central. He couldn’t imagine someone so frail could do anything that would make the knights actually hate him.
But maybe- based on what Aegis knew, maybe the boy just never had anyone else. Anyone to believe him, to take care of him.
“Do you have a name?” he asked quietly.
The boy flinched. “No,” he said sharply. He pursed his lips as he turned away from Aegis.
There was an unsaid story there. But there was so much pain across the boy’s features that Aegis didn’t ask.
“Well then,” he said, standing up straighter, “That’s okay.”
“What?”
The boy wasn’t really quick on the uptake, but Aegis probably couldn’t blame him. Instead, he smiled.
“You’ll be safe in the village, I promise," Aegis said. “I’ll find you a name. I’ll protect you. And you won’t have to be bad.”
Violet eyes widened. And though the filtered light did nothing to really pierce the gloom around the forest, it illuminated those violet eyes with something tender.
Aegis truly hadn’t seen eyes quite so beautiful before.
“Thank you,” the boy said.
“Of course,” he responded, his cheeks warming.
The boy didn’t say anything more. But the smile he flashed Aegis then- it warmed him through his jacket, soaked deep into his bones. Aegis giggled, and the corners of the boy’s eyes perked up with mirth. Suddenly, the forest wasn’t quite so gloomy and cold anymore.
“Yer a strange one,” the boy said at last.
“Takes one to know one.” Aegis stuck his tongue out at him. The boy’s responding laughter bubbled unbidden from his lips. It was still weak, but not so shaky anymore.
Aegis grinned. Tentatively, the boy grinned back.
Later, Aegis wouldn’t know exactly how to explain why he had carried the boy that day, why he so willingly held him. All he knew was when he looked at the boy- it stirred something familiar within him. And in those violet eyes, Aegis saw himself all too well- alone and just searching for someone to reach out to him.
So he reached out to him.