The sun started to make its presence known as light began to shine on Ielos' capital, Phera. Its golden light washed over the stone streets on its way to the castle. The sun's warm rays returned the heat they had lost during the night.

  The magic lamp posts had responded to the rising sun by going out, letting the morning sun take over their job of providing the light for the city. Many of Phera's citizens could be seen waking up with the start of a new day; some chose to lie in bed, trying to spend even a few more moments in the whimsical world of dreamland in the warm embrace of their beds.

  But many rose with the sun and made their way to their place of work to set up shop so they could get a head start on the business the new day brought.

  A pair moseyed down through the streets, enjoying the fresh air of the new day. An old woman and another woman barely a third her age just chatted while the sun's golden light marked the start of a new day.

  But their morning wasn't going to be as peaceful as the morning sun made it seem like it was. Suddenly, a man ran through them both, knocking them both to the ground, looking to their side, panic rose in them both.

  "Someone help! That man stole my purse!"

  The sound of rushing footsteps was their answer, watching a brown-haired young man dressed in red and black run past them.

  "I'll get him!"

  From his back, he drew a gray blade with a black-colored edge. As he ran, the boy yelled at the thief to "Stop" and "Give that back," but while his words went ignored, he slowly closed the distance, something the thief felt. In the blink of an eye, the man drew his short sword with his free hand and lunged at the boy.

  A metallic clash rang out when the strike was blocked. The sound echoed across the street, enticing those who were still reluctant to wake up and finally get out of bed. Many of them opened their windows to see what the commotion was all about.

  The boy's expression remained focused, blocking every one of the thief's strikes. The thief's strikes were sloppy. It was more like he was a child flailing his arm as he tried to swat his opponent with his blade.

  Each swing was easy for the boy to read, blocking and evading each hit. The sound of metal clashing filled the air as the thief tried to look for a way out. But the moment he looked into the boy's fiery red eyes, it filled him with dread.

  Another strike was stopped, the red-eyed boy's blade met the thief's when he pushed against it, forcing the thief back. The thief's footing started to shake as the boy pushed him further back. In a desperate move, the thief pulled back and swung his sword at his red-eyed opponent.

  Crimson red eyes followed each motion; the closest any of those slashes came to connecting was when he felt wind move from the blade against him.

  The slow-growing crowd watched the thief raised his sword to the sky and brought it down. Only to have the red-eyed boy's sword collide with it this time, then the sword blades met, the thief's sword broke. The blade's tip was sent flying off before it struck the ground.

  Before he could recover or try to attempt to flee, the boy tackled him to the ground. He tried to get back onto his feet, only to meet the tip of his opponent's blade.

  The end was met with applause from those who watched the early morning display, causing the boy to finally see that he had made a spectacle of the scene. He grew flustered at the newfound attention.

  The boy in question was none other than Red Riser, a boy who over the years grew, only to find himself stuck in that awkward age of fifteen. Too young to be called a man and too old to be considered a boy.

  Reaching down with his free hand, he took back the purses the thief stole just as a knight dressed in white armor with blue cloth finally arrived. "Young Prince, what happened?"

  "You see, this man tried to steal these purses from a pair of ladies, and I—

  "I see well there's no need to explain any further, I'll take it from here." Without a second thought, the knight grabbed the thief and forced him onto his feet and cuffed him. The two started to walk off.

  "Well, I'd better go return these."

  As he returned Breaker to its sheath, he went back the way he came. It didn't take long for him to find the proper owners. The moment the two women saw him, they went to meet him. But the moment the younger one looked at his eyes, which could make the reddest of gems envious, her approach became slower. The old woman didn't care as she reclaimed her purse.

  "Thank you, young man, I don't know what we would have done had you not come along."

  Rubbing the back of his head with a smile, he watched as the other woman finally approached and took her purse back. "It was no trouble, ma'am, I just did what was right. You don't need to thank me."

  The response he got was when the old woman pinched his cheek before she opened her purse. "Oh, pish posh, you did a good act and a good act should be rewarded. Now let me see what I have in here."

  Rubbing his pinched cheek, he started to back away. "You don't need to do that. Besides, I gotta get home. I told my grandparents I'd be home before breakfast, and I don't want to be late. Have a good day."

  "Well, he was a nice boy." Watching him run off. "Why didn't you try and make a move?"

  "I can't believe you, Grandma." The embarrassed girl could barely look at her grandmother. "You saw he was a bloodeye and you still wanted to reward him? For all we know, that could have brought bad luck on us."

  "And here I thought I'd be the superstitious one. No wonder your parents complain about you not finding a man. You let superstition rule your decisions." The woman teased as she started to walk.

  "Grandma!" The girl groaned as she followed.

  —

  Running as fast as he could, his feet slamming against the brick road, propelling him forward with impressive speed. Red didn't seem close to tired as he ran through the city until the front gated walls of the Riser estate started to come into view. The sight only seemed to make him run faster, pushed further by the grumbling in his stomach.

  Going past the front gate, he felt the sun's morning warmth on his back when he reached the front door. Carefully opening, trying not to make any noise. He was met by a wave of smells ranging from pork, eggs, and something else. Either way, it was heavenly.

  Quietly closing the door behind him, Red took light steps as he snuck his way to the stairs.

  "So how was your run?" A gruff voice called out.

  He froze in place, slowly turning to see a one-armed man with faded, rusted scarlet red hair sitting in a chair, setting down his coffee.

  The man's voice not only alerted him, but it also caused a brown-haired older woman with hints of gray to grow a frown, her obsidian black eyes narrowed on him.

  "Hey, Grandma, Grandpa." With a nervous laugh, he greeted him. "It was good, I worked up a sweat, so I'm going to go change.

  "It looks like you had more than just a simple run." Hellia's words caused him to stop, an uncomfortable smile grew.

  "Care to explain that?" Pointing at her grandson's shirt, Red followed her finger down. Pulling down at the seam of his shirt, surprised to find a cut that ran along the shirt.

  Igneel just started to laugh quietly as Red quickly spoke up. "It's not what you think, I was on my way back and there was this thief who stole from these two ladies, so I—

  "We get it, Red," Igneel spoke before the boy ended up sticking his foot in his mouth. "Just go change before your mother wakes up and has a conniption. After all, you don't want to ruin the trip to Greenvaile she's been planning, do you?"

  He didn't waste a second as he shot up the stairs on his way to his room.

  "Helping out two ladies in need, he really does take after his old man, haha!"

  A hand quickly smacked him on the back of the head. Still smiling, he turned to see Hellia's scolding frown, with a spatula in hand. "Yes, but unlike you, I highly doubt he used the moment to flirt."

  —-

  Opening the door, he didn't even bother to flick the light switch as the light of the sun snuck its way past the dark gray blinds of the windows to illuminate the rather modest-sized room with walls that were mostly white with six stripes; two large and four small stripes running horizontally. The large stripes were a dark navy blue; the one closest to the ceiling had red stripes on both above and below it, while the one closest to the floor above was also the same navy color, but with orange in place of red.

  Unclipping the leather that connected to the stealth that held Breaker, he tossed the blade into a made bed. A damaged red shirt soon fell to the floor, showing off that despite his age, he had a well-built physique, and his body showed off the fruits of constant training over the years.

  Lifting his arm, he took a quick sniff before doing the same to the other side. "Ok, I don't smell, but a little deodorant wouldn't hurt."

  Going into his closet, he started to look through his options. There were simple shirts, mostly sharing a similar set of colors from red, navy blue, gray, and black. There were a few hooded jackets and even a few other more high-class clothing items for more special occasions. But in the end, he just threw on another simple red shirt.

  Leaving the closet with not only a new shirt but a bag, he shoved a spare shirt into it. Looking around his room, he then moved to the dresser, grabbed a spare pair of black pants, along with a pair of socks. Moving to his desk, opening one of the lower drawers, he pulled out a smaller bag filled with about 3,000 runes that was tossed into the bag as well.

  But just as Red took the step to grab Breaker, his bookshelf caught his eye. Dozens of books caught his eye, overlooking the family photos. Debating on which ones he should grab, if he should take any at all.

  "Why not? It'll give me something to help pass the time."

  His hand moved before he could argue against it and placed a few of them in his bag.

  Finally, his focus returned to his bed, grabbing Breaker's scabbard and reattached it to his back. Closing the door, he left his room and returned to the hallway.

  With his blade at his back and his bag over his shoulder, Red took a step forward.

  Only to feel something leap onto his back as a pair of arms wrapped around his neck.

  "Gah!"? Quickly turning to look behind him, he was met with a pair of royal blue eyes, scarlet red hair, and a mischievous grin. "Roy, did you really need to do that?"

  "Of course, I did. Where's the fun in greeting you normally?" His younger brother answered. It has been over nine years, with a tenth approaching within the coming months, since the boy's birth, and the kinship between them only grew stronger during that time. "Now carry me to the dining room! It's time for breakfast!"

  Red could only laugh at the demand, moving his arms behind to support his 'commander' as he took a step forward. "So how'd you sleep, Roy?"

  "I don't know. I had this odd dream, something about you admitting that I'm better than you and giving me Breaker."

  "Yeah, right," Red laughed. "It must have been a dream 'cause that isn't gonna happen."

  "So how did you sleep, bro?" Roy leaned his chin on Red's shoulder as he spoke.

  "Eh, alright. Honestly, I had a hard time getting to sleep. I kinda woke up early and couldn't get back to sleep, so I went for a run."

  "But you're always up early, how is this any different?"

  "I don't know. It's the first time Mom is taking us anywhere other than when we meet up for a summit with the other kingdoms. I guess I'm just excited that we'll be going to see other places. On top of that, it isn't in Ielos, it's in Greenvaile."

  "Greenvaile, huh. Guess we'll know once we get there." Suddenly, the boy jabbed his heels into his brother's side, and he pointed his finger forward. "Hurry, onward to breakfast!"

  "What do you think I am, a horse?"

  "Naw, more like a mule."

  This time it was Red's turn to smirk, tightening his grip on his brother. Red ran through the house, coming to the stairs, but that didn't stop him. Sliding down the rail, the pair made their way to the dining room.

  Greeted by Igneel's laughter as they took their seats at the wide, round table. Crimson red and royal blue eyes locked onto the spread before them. Above them hung a chandelier with dozens of light magic stones that provided the artificial light that shone down onto a sight that made the two's stomachs growl.

  Glasses of milk sat in front of plates filled with bacon, and another was covered in scrambled eggs. But what stole their attention most of all was the plate filled with pieces of toast that had been bathed in eggs, with a white powder sprinkled on top. Bombay Toast.

  The brothers didn't hesitate to grab a plate. Only to watch a bowl of sliced fruit slid between them as a pair of hands came down on their heads.

  Reeling back to find their grandmother was behind them, an annoyed scowl marked her face. "How many times have I told you both, no horsing around indoors?" Watching the two bowed their heads, apologizing. "Alright, go ahead and eat, but don't just fill up on bread; make sure to eat enough meat and fruit. You both are still growing and need a balanced diet."

  As they filled their plates, Red couldn't help but wonder where they were going. His imagination ran wild as his mind was filled with different settings. From deep canyons and dungeon caves filled with sparkling gemstones and vicious monsters, to a vast ocean hiding unknown creatures underneath crashing waves, and wild open plains where animals could be seen grazing.

  He could have gone further had it not been for his brother. "Hey Grandpa, do you have any idea where Mom is gonna be taking us?"

  "Now that would be telling, and where's the fun in that?"

  "You're no fun, old man." The boy pouted.

  "That may be, but where is the fun in an adventure if you know the destination? The excitement comes from seeing the sights, facing beasts, and traveling with friends. That's the real fun." Finishing his coffee, Igneel kept going. "But I found that saving damsels was the best part."

  He was quickly smacked in the back of the head. He didn't react, only laughed as his coffee cup was refilled.

  "And it was a good thing I had a close friend with me to help keep you in line." It was odd to see her smile at the remark before she kissed the side of his head and took her seat at the table. "But those were the days."

  As they continued to eat their fill, another voice joined them.

  "I see you're both up. Does that mean you both are ready to go?" Lyndis spoke, Achilles followed closely behind her.

  "Are we going now?" Roy shot from his seat.

  "Let's hurry up!" Red's excited voice echoed through the room.

  The pair both looked at their mother with excitement. It made her heart skip to see them happy. It was rare for her to see Red this animated about anything that wasn't a hero story or when it came to this work ethic, but she understood his excitement after all, she was excited too.

  "Ok, but first go wash up. I will not be letting anyone think my boys are slobs."

  Watching the pair of brothers leave, taking their plates with them, the sound of running water started to be heard."

  "Lyndis, did you remember to pack a few spare clothes for the boys?" Hellia asked.

  "Come now, Hellia," Achilles spoke up this time. "They're fine, and we'll only be gone a day. Besides, Red is old enough that we don't need to pack for him."

  "Are you sure? Last time I took him out, his bag was filled with nothing but hero stories."

  "That was years ago, Father, and do I need to remind you what you let him do?"

  He could only laugh. "Well, it gave the boy a taste of the real world. He's no different from when you were his age, Lyndis."

  Hellia sighed and rolled her eyes, Achilles let loose a light-hearted laugh, and Lyndis shook her head in disbelief.

  The sound of running water came to an end as Red and Roy returned. The pair didn't need to say anything; their parents simply got up and made their way to the back door.

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  In the middle of their backyard, Lyn removed a black ring with silver markings from her pocket and placed it on her right hand.

  Holding her hand forward, she started to focus on a spot before her as magical energy made its way to the black ring, causing the markings to shine. The two boys watched in amusement as a portal appeared before their eyes.

  For her, the act was easy. She simply looked through her mind to find the memory she needed to use to lock on to the destination she had in mind. It was a day that caused her to shed joyful tears and made her heart race.

  Under the shade of a tree on top of a hill, in an open field during late spring, where bright, fresh green grass was painted with a rainbow of newly bloomed flowers. The sky was covered in the warm colors of the setting sun, and before her was a young man who held a small velvet box. The young man had just taken an arrow to the knee.

  It was a memory that had only been rivaled twice, the day Red and Roy joined her family. She could only look at Achilles.

  In that moment, the silver runes began to glow brighter as a green outline started to form, creating a circle, and in the blink of an eye, the view of a village with a massive tree in the center came into view.

  "Go on, you two, step through." Lyn encouraged them.

  Without a second thought, Red was the first to step through the portal.

  On the other side, the breeze against his face was his first greeting. The grass below him ran halfway up his calf.

  Looking out into the plains, his eye could only see what could be described as an ocean of flowers, bathed in sunlight.

  As the breeze picked up, it caused the tree branches above him to shake and the grass under him to sway.

  "It smells so fresh out here."

  Watching the leaves move with the wind, his gaze trailed down until it stopped at an old marking that was carved into the tree, but over time seemed to leave a permanent mark. Three letters trapped inside a heart.

  'L x A'.

  His gaze changed from the tree to a sight that shocked him. Struck by the beauty of a simple sight that he didn't notice his family following behind him.

  "It's beautiful, isn't it, Red?" Achilles asked him.

  Unable to respond, he was mesmerized by the sight; it was a village. They had arrived at the outskirts, from the hill, he could see the wood and brick houses that painted the area in front of him. However, there were also smaller trees woven in as well. It was like the homes grew naturally alongside the trees that ranged from oaks, willows, and pines.

  But what captivated his eyes was the tree in the center of the village. While its sheer size was massive, it wasn't what captivated him. It was the leaves. They looked like they were bathed in the colors of a rainbow. From Green to orange to purple and everything in between, it looked like you could find just about any color.

  "Well then, welcome to Eden Village now. Let's get going, there are some friends we'd like you kids to meet." Achilles said to the boys.

  As the three of them remained quiet, enjoying the view of the distant village.

  However, one of them couldn't remain still, and a warm anticipation turned into roaring excitement.

  "Well, then what are we waiting for, slowpokes? LETS GO!"

  Unable and unwilling to hold back her excitement, Lyn took off running towards the village, leaving her sons to play catch-up. Laughing, she took the lead. Roy wasted no time and hopped onto Red's back. "Don't let her get ahead of us, let's go, Red!"

  Giving chase, Red carried his brother as he tried to catch up to their mother.

  Achilles could only laugh. "Hey, come on, you guys, the village isn't going anywhere!"

  But even if his words could reach them, they would be ignored. Taking a step forward so he wouldn't be left behind, he started to run after them, but as he ran, something caught his eye, leaving him on guard.

  ——————————————————

  Soon, the family arrived in Eden Village. Red walked with Roy on his back, waving to nearly everyone they crossed paths with; many simply returned the young boy's gesture. Lyn and Achilles simply walked behind them, watching the brother pair take in the sights. There were homes, shops, and even a restaurant or two that caught their eye.

  But the biggest takeaway for the boys was the people. There were humans, a handful of dwarves, zoophians of many varieties, and even a few draconians, but elves and half-elves made up the vast majority of the population.

  While they did draw a few curious glances, for once, Red didn't feel their gaze on him, seeing that they were looking at his mother, who proudly walked in front of them. But most of them just ignored them as they continued with their business.

  "Mom, why are the trees here all so green?" Roy asked, pointing to one of the trees.

  "Well, that's because of the Rainbow Tree." Achilles answered.

  "That's right, no matter the season, even if Eden Village was covered in snow, trees would remain green and flowers would still grow." It was like Lyn could read Roy's mind. "No one knows why, but some say that it's because the Rainbow Tree protects the beings that live here."

  This only caused the brothers to stare at the massive tree as they kept walking. But soon Red noticed a small park and stopped.

  "Hey Mom, Dad, would it be ok if I go look around?"

  Lyn thought it over with a smile. "Sure, if I recall, there are a few fun areas. So we can make a small detour."

  "No, what I want to know is can 'I' go look around."

  His parents looked to each other, quietly exchanging words. Red and Roy shifted their gaze back and forth between them, waiting for an answer.

  Until they both turned to face him, and Achilles spoke up. "Sure, go have some fun."

  "Thanks, I will, Dad."

  The moment Roy hopped off his brother's back, Red was about to take off until he felt a hand grip his shoulder.

  "Red, just be safe, ok?"

  "I will, Mom."

  Watching him take off down the street, Lyn was tempted to follow after him. The only reason she didn't was that Achilles took her hand in his. "Let him go see more of what's out there on his own. He may take after you, but he isn't reckless like you were."

  "Maybe, but I'm his mother. It's kinda my job to worry about him."

  "Come on, Mom, he's my brother. He knows how to handle himself. After all, you seem to forget he gets a daily beating from Maryan."

  A small chuckle escaped. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Anyone who can survive a training session with her should be fine in the village like this. Well, we'd better get going; it would be rude to leave them waiting."

  ——————————————————

  Walking down the gravel street, the further he went, the more shops came into view, and as the area continued to be dominated by those of elven heritage. And the more he seemed to stand out as he felt numerous pairs of eyes fall on him. With each step, a new set of eyes would lock onto him.

  'I guess it makes sense, after all, it's possible not a lot of people come by. Especially someone armed.' Or at least that's what he thought, maybe hoped, was the reason why.

  There were fruit stands, weapon and clothing shops, and even an outdoor jeweler stand.

  The jeweler was busy; his back was turned, so he didn't see Red approach. Crimson's eyes looked over what was on display. Wooden bands stained black with different colored gems that mirrored the leaves of the Rainbow Tree, simple silver rings with elven markings, and necklaces with black and white beads that seemed to shine.

  'There is so much here, they all look well made and the pricing doesn't seem too bad. Maryan might like that.' His gaze fell to the black-stained wristband, it had a vine-like pattern running from end to end with four green and purple gems connected to it. Even the price didn't seem too bad. 'It's only 650 runix.' "Excuse me, sir, how much for this?"

  An elf with brown hair with hits of gray that showed he was growing in years turned away from his prior work at Red's call. Offering the old man a smile, he pointed to the band.

  "Well, then let's see what I can..." he paused the moment the two made eye contact as he looked to the band. "Oh, that piece. That's going to be 1,750 runix."

  "But the sign said it's only 650?"

  "That sign is outdated. I meant to change the price on all of them. So are you still going to buy it?"

  Looking at his bag and the sudden price change, Red could only give an apologetic bow of his head. "I'm sorry, but that would be more than half of what I have with me."

  "Really, someone like you with a blade like that can't afford a little trinket like this? I figured you were cheap, talk about wasting my time." The frown on the elf didn't leave as he glared at Red. "Then you need to leave. I don't take too kindly to window shoppers or loiters."

  Walking at the man's 'request', Red continued down the street, feeling that with each step, another person looked at him, ready to react to some kind of disaster.

  At a bookstore, a half-elf woman barred his entry.

  At a drink stand, just like with the jeweler, the prices seemed to almost double.

  With every step, he was met with worried looks.

  Every time he approached a store to even just look, he was insulted and told to get lost.

  'A few of them could at least pretend or at least make some kind of attempt to hide it.'

  Slowly, the further he went, the more trees started to overtake buildings, by childlike laughter started to echo. Turning to the noise, I found that there was a park. Kids ran around, chasing each other as they played games, others slid down slides, and others swung on swings. They all seemed to be having fun.

  "Why did you throw it up there!?" That was until a frustrated groan grasped his attention as one of the small groups started to turn on each other.

  "I told you to go long, it's not my fault you couldn't get it!"

  "That's because it's in the tree, you idiot!"

  The arguing between the two kids soon caused their whole group to join, leaving them oblivious to Red's approach. Only one of them took a moment to acknowledge his presence and even answer his question as to what the trouble was by pointing to almost the top of a pine tree that looked to be about sixty feet tall.

  Looking closer, he found that an orange frisbee was stuck in the branches.

  Feeling their nervous gazes grow on him, without a second thought or a single word, Red set his bag down, went to the tree, and started to climb.

  It was not a fun climb.

  He practically hugged the tree during his ascended. He couldn't even look up unless he wanted a face full of pine needles to jab him in the eye. As if they weren't already jabbing him.

  Each time he looked up to see where he would move to next, only to find that each branch was covered in small spines. Every time his hands left one spine-covered branch he had to grab another, then another, and another. Every damn time his hands got some relief from the poking needles, only to have to grip the next branch and have the annoying pain return.

  "Why did I do this?" A little more than halfway up, looking down to see the small group of kids cheering grow louder the he got closer. "Oh yeah, that's why."

  Continuing the climb, he started talking to himself. "Helping people is what heroes do. It doesn't have to be saving the day; it can be as simple as lending a helping hand."

  Making his way to the item he was up there for, he gained the attention of a hidden watcher with curious blue eyes and watched as this new visitor grew closer to the disk.

  Finally, the frisbee was within arm's reach. Trying to grab it, it was just a finger's length away. Gripping the branch, leaning towards it, the distance slowly closed until he finally grabbed it.

  "I GOT IT!" Calling down, the kids started to cheer, but as he waved the item down to them, a breaking crack was heard... "Oh no..."

  The branch he was hanging on to snapped, and he had no time to fix his grip.

  'This is gonna hurt.'

  All anyone would do was watch as he fell down the tree, crashing through each branch. The whole time, each time he landed on a different branch until he hit the floor, each kid winced and looked away until the final thud.

  "Ah, mister... are you ok?" One of them questioned.

  Much to hotter surprise, Red shot up to his feet, brushing off any pine needles and dirt that was on him as he handed off the disk with a smile. "I'll be fine, believe it or not, I've taken worse hits than that."

  The group didn't leave once they got their item back; they only surrounded Red as they started to bombard him with questions.

  "Really, you've taken hits worse than that before? Are you an adventurer?" A brown-haired elven boy was the first to ask that question, which led to a flood of others.

  A draconian girl quickly followed. "Yeah, are you an adventurer? You don't look much older than my big sister."

  "Where are you from? Have you seen a lot of places?" This time, it was the boy who pointed out the frisbee.

  "Yeah, I've been to a few places. But I haven't seen much." Rubbing the back of his head, he answered their questions, watching their expressions light up, and he was bombardment of questions continued to fly. 'Huh, so this is what it's like to be on the receiving end of this.'

  "I'd try not to get too close to him kids or else that tree might fall on you."

  A black hair elf led a group of five towards them. To his right was a zoophian girl with cream colored, rabbit-like ears, to his left, a draconian with tan scales, and two other elves followed behind the lead elf.

  The sudden appearance of the group drew the attention of not just the group, but the presence of this elf seemed to agitate the pair of distant blue eyes.

  "What do you mean, Yodei?" The frisbee holder questioned.

  "I mean, it's clear, isn't it? Just look at him. But make sure you look at these." The elf known as Yodei finished by pointing at his own eyes. "After all, that should tell you why someone like him seems to be traveling on his own."

  Slowly, all but one of the kids started to walk away the moment they took the time to look at Red's eyes. The only one to hesitate was the boy who held the frisbee.

  "Come on, get away from him, you don't want to suffer this outsider's bloodeye curse, do ya?" The rabbit girl spoke up, her expression, let alone her tone, held any hint of concern. If anything, she seemed to be enjoying the taunting.

  But before anyone else could move, Red watched as this Yodei fellow approached. "Now that I think about it, it might be better if you just leave, after all, the longer a bloodeye stays in one area, the more likely something bad will happen. At least that's what my parents say."

  The two seemed to lock eyes, Red looked away, only to see that this elf's group. 'This guy is looking for a fight at this point.'

  Looking back at one who was trying to provoke him, something else drove his decision as he walked passed them.

  The excitement that painted his mother's face when they arrived, how she ran towards the village, he didn't want to ruin it. So walking past them, Red made his way further into the park.

  Wandering into the park, he followed the stream. The chirping of nesting birds filled the area; they almost seemed to be singing in tandem with each other, creating a chorus of songbirds. It was a nice melody to walk to. Red soon came to the outskirts of the park as the summer sun continued to beat down on him, crimson eyes quickly locked onto a simple oak tree. He didn't even waste a moment, taking shelter under its shade, he got off his feet as he fell to the ground, leaning against the tree.

  It was nice and quiet, but sometimes when things are quiet, it allows the mind to wander. And did his mind wander, replaying the events from today, each insult seemed to echo.

  'Is Raiden right? Are my eyes really that bad?'

  Before he knew it, his hands slapped against him, breaking that line of thought. Opening his bag and pulling out one of the books he brought, opening it to the first page, gave him something else to do as his eyes started to go over each word.

  "You know what, forget them, forget Raiden. I'll be a hero just like those whose legacy lives on in these books." He called out, trying to convince himself.

  His words caused the chirping to stop as the sudden outburst made them flee, so he simply returned his attention to the book and continued reading. However, the birds weren't the only ones to hear this declaration; the individual who followed him, who was currently hiding, only grew more interested in the boy's statement. Using another tree for cover, she just watched the fiery-eyed boy.

  At first, she was curious about the new arrival, but after seeing the prior event unfold, she grew concerned.

  So she followed him, wondering where he was going. So she continued to follow him until they left the main area of the park. Tailing the boy, she darted from tree to tree, hiding in the brush, she followed him. Her curiosity only grew. Once the boy finally stopped and sat under the oak tree, he didn't move as if he was stuck in his head. She wanted to go see if he was ok, but her feet stopped when she heard him say, "I'll be a hero."

  Simply spending a few moments just watching, doing her best to stay hidden. It was easy due to the boy's attention being solely fixated on the pages the book held. But as time passed, she decided that the time for waiting had passed, so she started her approach. She started to get a better look at the distracted boy as she got closer. At first, he honestly didn't look like much; in fact, her gaze was more drawn to the sword at his back and the book in his hands. However, that started to change when she got closer; his distracted eyes started to command her attention. They weren't just red, they were a bright crimson that reminded her of a red-hot fire that refused to go out.

  Each page of 'Golden Light' drew him into the story like it always did. No matter how many times he read this book, it always captivated him and left him oblivious to the world around him. With each turn of the page, the further he hooked, and just as one page ended as the next was about to start...

  "Hey, you doing alright? I've never seen you here before. Are you new?" The soft voice called out to him. It was like a warm breeze.

  An outside force pulled Red out of the story's world, causing him to look up and see that the one who called out to him was a girl, around the same age as himself.

  He was quick to recognize that she was an elf; her pointed ears were a dead giveaway as they stuck out from her golden blond hair that was tied into a short ponytail with a blue ribbon. Two strands followed her hair down, ending just slightly at her shoulders.

  Her bangs were visible going down her face. He could feel her soft, sky-blue eyes staring at his crimson red when he looked up to meet them, an act that simply made the boy's face grow warm, slightly turning a light shade of pink.

  She wore a dark blue sleeveless shirt that seemed to contrast the color of her sky-blue eyes, like that of the sky and sea, with two white stripes rising from the bottom of the shirt and over her shoulders. Her light green shorts ended halfway above her knees; their color mirrored the grass that covered the ground. She wore a pair of brown boots, knee-high black stockings, and a light, friendly smile that only seemed to make her face glow.

  With all of these details, he was at a loss for words. Red couldn't help but find her cute as he stared at her, unable to say a single word for what minutes. 'Is this what the stories meant?' He thought, recalling how the stories described the beauty of elves. He couldn't avert his gaze, and no words could be formed. 'But I've been around elves like Morgen before, so why—

  His thoughts were interrupted when the voice changed, losing its soft introduction as her gaze grew sharp.

  "Hey, I asked you a question, are you ignoring me!? It's rude to stare, you know!" She gave an annoyed cry as she scolded him; clearly, she didn't like the thought of being ignored. Her smiling face was replaced with an agitated one; he felt her eyes turn sharp as she stared down at him, and her change in tone made it clear.

  Panicking at her sudden change, it startled him when she seemed to change, like the flip of a coin. It was the first time someone approached him, and given his past encounters, he was more nervous than before. It didn't help that she seemed to be upset at him.

  Shaking his head he he quickly spoke. "Sorry, my name's Red." It was a surprise he didn't trip over his tongue at that moment.

  "So you can talk, that's better, I thought something bad happened when you fell."

  Her annoyed expression vanished, and her smile returned as she extended her hand towards him. Red responded, slowly lifting his hand to meet hers. He didn't even get the chance to fully reach out as the elf shot forward and grabbed his hand with a smile. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Red. I'm Lucina Starfall."

  "I'm sorry for staring." Red spoke sheepishly.

  "It's water under the bridge, after all; it's only natural that someone like myself would leave someone awestruck." This girl seemed as confident as the sun was bright. Even when she sat down next to him, that confidence didn't waver. "So why are you all by yourself? Are you on a journey?"

  "I wish, but my family made plans to visit some friends in Eden today. So I wanted to go take a look around and see the sights, but things didn't go exactly as I thought they would." A light laugh tried to cover up the disappointment that filled his voice.

  "Well, then it looks like your day just got a little better because now you have the honor of being friends with none other than myself." Lucina proudly informed him, leaning over his shoulder. "So whatcha reading?"

  This action from the elf continued to catch him off guard, given the actions of the other. However, not wanting to ruin the moment, he told her what he was reading.

  "They're hero stories, I always bring a few when I leave home." He said, smiling as he looked back at the book.

  Then mere mention of the tales he had only piqued her interest. "Really, which ones do you have?" Excitement filled her voice, and her blue eyes started to shine like stars in the dead of night.

  "Well, I have Heroes' Will, Sea's Conquest, Rise of Roland, and The Serpent Maze. But this one is my favorite." He told her, and he looked at the cover of Golden Light.

  "Those are good ones. My favorite is Journey of Choice. Have you read it?"

  "Yeah, I like that one too, I almost brought it with me."

  Smiles soon colored their faces as the conversation continued; they happily shared their favorite parts of each story, wondering if either one of them would end up in the pages of a storybook. They even laughed, wondering if any of these heroes ever met each other and how those larger-than-life people would interact with each other.

  However, amidst these happy moments, a thought entered Red's head. It was the same one from earlier.

  "Hey, Lucina. Are you sure you don't mind hanging around me?" His voice grew quiet, looking at the ground.

  "What do you mean?" She asked, confused, not understanding where this train of thought came from.

  "Do you even need to ask? I mean just look at my eyes, this isn't the nor is it going to be the last time they've caused me problems. Still, it doesn't get easy having to see false smiles or hear those words."

  Lucina could hear the slight disappointment in his voice before he paused. Even she knew of the tales of how people with red eyes have often been seen as a marker of calamities, bad omens.

  "So are you sure you—

  Before he could even finish, Lucina interrupted him.

  "I don't think your eyes are weird; they are a part of you. So ignore Yodei, his parents are always saying crazy things. He's always looking to try and start a fight." Lucina began to speak. At the start, her voice was agitated with the realization of who had caused her new friend grief, only for the tone to become soft as she took hold of his hand.

  Red lifted his head, turning to face her, wondering what she said. "What?"

  She couldn't help but grin at him.

  "What did you lose your hearing for a sec? I said I don't think they're weird. My mom tells me that when you look into someone's eyes, you can see part of their real self. And I've never seen someone with red eyes before, so if you ask me, your eyes look like a warm flame, and that makes you special." Turning her head towards him, her smile was almost blinding.

  That warm feeling returned, and along with it, his cheeks showed the return of a reddish tint. His family had often told him countless times that his eyes made him unique, but for some reason, this time, that comment. It made him happy.

  "Hey, are you ok? Your face is turning red. Do you feel sick?" The back of her hand made contact with the boy's forehead.

  "No, I'm fine, it's just..." His words trailed off, trying to change the subject. "...which one would you like to read?" He couldn't help but look away from her.

  Much to his relief, it was an easy task as Lucina's gaze soon left him and returned to the books, trying to decide which one they should read until she finalized her gaze.

  "I don't think I've read this before. Is this one ok?"

  She had chosen 'Heroes' Will.'

  He could only nod his head in agreement with her. They started from the beginning of how a small group banded together to do what was right.