First Meal

The Hall of Greater Beings cleared out, only Saif, Bron and Time stayed behind.

“Great Bron of Fire, Earth and Creatures,” started Time, sounding more relaxed. “You are the architect of this creature, correct? Would you honor me with its name? And, forgive my curiosity, though I must ask, why have you not given it the gift of speech?”

“I built the vessel with my own two hands. I gave it the ability to make sound in both the ways of insects and of us with intellect as well. Perhaps it is not yet trained for speech.”

“And its name? I don't think you intended to send it out into the world without one”

Bron turned somber. “We had lost it before my wife and I could decide.”

“Be sure its name is worthy, if it hadn’t picked a name along the way, that is.” Time’s smile grew fond as it talked to Saif. “Be careful, Hero of Time. The Greater Beings will be watching you.”

Time headed to the elevator, leaving Saif enveloped in the tendrils of warmth. Their smile upheld even as the doors slid shut. As the cabin rumbled away, Bron began to openly cry.

“MY CHILD!” He dove onto Saif, pulling him into a warm embrace. “Are you alright? Are you hurt? Oh, no, your shell is cracked here,” he lightly ran a finger over Saif’s eyebrow, causing a sting of pain to shoot through. “My baby. Your mother won't believe this… no, she will. She had so much faith in you. Even when taken with grief, she is far stronger than I.”

Bron caressed Saif’s face, “let's go home, my little hatchling. You can tell Hylfa and I all about your grand adventure.”

Saif collapsed, his legs unable to hold him up anymore, falling limp into Bron’s arms. Bron wasn’t worried, letting out an exhale of a laugh. “You must be exhausted. Don’t worry, I’ve got you.”

Bron carried him out of the Hall of Greater Beings, past the three bridges and the noisy waterfall, down the stairs and down the mountain. Even when Bron slipped on the 4,654th stair, his grip held tight, keeping Saif close.

Saif dozed away while Bron walked the long way home.

He woke up in a cozy bed, covered with sheets that smelled like the end of autumn. Saif remembered this feeling, lazing in bed for as long as he could before he needed the day to begin. He’d snuggle in the sheets, rolling and stretching and enjoying the plain fact that he was alive.

Back when he was alive. As a human. Which he wasn’t anymore.

The fact didn’t bother him as much as he thought it would. He was still distant from most of his emotions, though he realized that happiness had broken through the barrier. Saif turned to lay on his right side, running his finger over the soft sheets below him as he was lost in thought.

Saif didn't need to sleep much in this body. The only times he felt exhausted weren’t tied to a clock, the moon or any consistent variable. It happened randomly while he was talking to people… could that be the remnants of his old life? Back when he would break down at the idea of holding a conversation.

Sighing, Saif slammed his hand down on the bed and pushed himself up… wait- hand?

Saif looked at his hand, surprised to find a palm with four fingers and a thumb. He rubbed his eyes awake. Was he dreaming?

Tearing off the covers, Saif checked the rest of his body. It was normal and human. The torso, abdomen, arms, legs, feet, everything was there. Saif got out of bed and looked around the strange room for a mirror.

He found one beside the wardrobe, partially hidden by black clothes that hung on its sides. He carefully picked them up and folded them, setting them at the end of the bed. Saif hesitantly looked at himself.

Saif was human again. He had the same face, skin tone and features as before. He even found the same scar over his eyebrow when he pulled back his hair off his face. What was going on?

“Bron, I’m going to check on it, and that’s final. Opening the door won’t wake him- oh.”

A tall grey lady opened the door, bringing in the scent of cooking. She was shocked to see Saif by the mirror based on how she clutched the door handle.

“Honey, it was already awake.” She yelled outside the door frame before she walked inside. “Did you have trouble opening the door? It gets a little stuck sometimes.”

She walked in and took his pincer into her hand, gentler than she had back when Saif was a ghost. Saif looked down at himself, seeing he was the bug creature once more… Was he dreaming? Saif looked back at the neatly folded clothes. Not a dream then, but something strange. Glimmers of shadows echoed through the room. A hoard of ghosts filled the room for a second and dissipated by the next.
He tried asking Instinct, no response.

Saif was taken through a cozy house, decorated in dark and moody tones and lightened with various amounts of insect memorabilia. He liked the hive shaped lamp with a little bee at the end of its pull chain that he saw on an intricately carved wooden side table in the hallway.

The kitchen, which was similarly dark and detailed, had a bug-themed set of dinnerware already prepared on a small round table tucked into a corner. Hylfa took a seat, picking up Saif to sit on a stool that was between her and the second chair.

“I hope I made enough for breakfast,” Bron muttered, standing over the stove with a frilly ladybug-print apron around his waist. “My love, I should have gotten more eggs.”

“Bronnie sweet, this is more than enough. If we need more, we can take the hatchling with us to the shops.”

“I suppose,” Bron didn’t sound convinced as he brought over several plates stacked high with all sorts of breakfast foods. Saif recognized the golden brown triangular samosa, the scrambled eggs with onions and the bacon, though the rest seemed a little strange. He made another trip into the kitchen to bring out a thermos and even more plates of food that were new to Saif.

“Still, what if it doesn’t want anything I made? What if my cooking isn’t delicious enough? Or not nutritious enough? What if it doesn’t eat our food? Hylfa, I knew a breakfast feast was silly-”

“Bron. That’s enough, you’re spiraling.” The edge in her voice proved that she was worried too. “Take a seat. You haven’t eaten anything since before your last meeting.” Bron gave in, sitting on Saif’s other side.

To an outsider, it would seem like such a happy little family… Wait, were they a family? Saif’s just barging in their house and taking their word for it. Although Instinct has yet to react or pick up any signs of danger, could Saif really find a home in these two?

The food looked and smelled appetizing. Saif hadn’t eaten anything since he tumbled down the mountain… actually, he hadn’t eaten anything the day he died either. He had no idea what his last meal was, but he now knew what his first would be.

They ate in comfortable silence.

“You know, I was thinking, why is it that you can’t speak, hatchling?” Hylfa asked once they were done eating. Saif shrugged.

“My dearest, I gave all the vessels the ability to speak, a mouth and vocal cords just like our own. This one tried to speak earlier in the Hall, though I could not hear it. The others had uttered some words before-” Others? What others? Saif looked around the room, thinking he could spot another bug like him. “Ah, no. There are no others. Not anymore.”

Saif tilted his head. Bron heaved a heavy sigh, pouring another mug of spiced milk tea for Hylfa and Saif before serving himself the final drops. “Some had passed on, others disappeared, and others still never hatched at all before you came along.”

“- still,” Bron continued, putting his bee-printed bug up to his face, staring into the drink. ”I believe that this is my failure. If I’d been there when it hatched then maybe-”

Hylfa reached over Saif to comfort Bron, taking the mug away from him. “It's not your fault, nor is it too late. We can help our hatchling now. We have our hero now.”

Saif noticed that Bron’s mug was only half full and stained with the inedible sediment-like remains of the spices and tea. He pushed his own towards Bron, switching them around. Bron was the one who wanted another mug, and Saif liked to chew on the used up tea leaves.

With one hand, Hylfa dragged Bron over Saif’s stool and pressed them into her side, hugging them both. Hylfa planted a soft kiss on Saif's forehead scar, then another on Bron’s lips. “Kindness personified. Saving a Greater Being through sheer willpower, with only its soul to guide it. Our hatchling hero.”

Is this what it was like to have parents express their love? Feeling all gooey and shy, Saif hid his face behind his pincers. “Aww, look at it, Bronnie, it’s shy! Just like you!”

Bron flustered, “no more teasing the hatchling, Hylfa.” Getting up, Bron started stacking the dirty plates to rush into the kitchen. Hylfa followed, bringing more dishes along. “So I can keep teasing you just fine?”

Saif balanced the empty thermos’s handles between his pincers, slowly following them along.
He bumped into the back of Bron’s legs, asking him to take the thermos away. When he did, Saif returned to the table to see what else he could carry.

“We should register it. Officially, I mean,” Hylfa said, soaping up the dishes. “Greater Family’s underlings would be happy to help us.”

Bron sighed over another few dirty plates. “I’m afraid we won't be able to until the Greaters finish their meeting about the Vessel, my darling. They’re taking time to deliberate without us Greats. I know it.”

“That’s ridiculous! Greats are on the council as representatives of the absent Greaters. They can’t make a choice without half the council.”

“I know. The other Greaters will throw a fit, I’m sure, but there’s nothing we can do now.” He placed his head on Hylfa’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry Bronnie. Hatchling will be alright. It’s a fighter.”

“I know.”

Instinct was drawn into the kitchen, and Saif allowed it to take charge. It squeezed itself in the space between them and hugged both their legs tight. It was meant to be reassuring, but Saif didn’t know if it was for them or him.

“I have to check on the project on the farm, my love. See how it’s fairing.” Bron said as Hylfa yawned. “I’ll finish the dishes, you go to bed. I know you had a long night at work.”

“No, no, Bronnie sweet. Duty calls. Why don’t you take the hatchling with you.”

“The last time I did that, I lost our child!”

“No, the last time you did that, you saved Greater Time. Who knows who our hatchling will save this time.”