A day in the boy's life

When the Gorgon opened her eyes again, it was daylight and she was alone in the bed. Fortunately, the old man didn't seemed to have noticed her. Yun's doing, she assumed. She carefully walked out of the bed and took a quick look outside from the eye of the lock.

"Good morning, Petra"

The forementioned flinched in surprise.

"You can come out, grandpa always goes out soon to make some errands"

She listened to the boy and slowly slide herself out of the room. She noticed the fact that the windows were closed and with their curtains drawn, probably to avoid any curious or passing bystander to take a peek inside by accident and seeing her. Yun was alone in the hall, brewing more soup. At least it smelled like soup. Does this people eat nothing else? Some meat or fish could be nice around here.

"Porridge" he explained, as he poured a generous amount of the dense content in a wood bowl and passed it to the Gorgon. Petra wrinkled her nose again.

"It smells weird" she complained.

"You've never ate porridge before?"

"THIS is food? I knew humans had issues to find decent nourishment, but I never thought it would go this bad"

"Porridge is good and nutritious, tt gives you energy for the whole day. And it's easy to make: we can reuse the remains of the harvest for it"

"What it's made of?"

"Oatmeal, mainly. And milk"

"Oats and milk..."

"Stop being so picky and eat"

She finally decided to oblidge. After all, she was in his house and it would be rude not to eat. Plus, it was a hot meal. When was the last time she even ate something that wasn't raw? However, her thoughts got in the way to enjoying anything at all. It's bland, she thought. And the texture is weird. But she ate nevertheless, thinking that maybe she thought that because it was the fist time she ate that dish.

"I know it doesn't have much of a taste" Yun admit "Maybe if we had something to give it that extra push to the tasty. Cinnamon, maybe. Or honey"

"I love honey" Petra smiled as she suckle the spoon thinking about it "Sticky, sweet and soft. It was always a treat to find a beehive to get some"

"The bees didn't stung you?"

"My skin is denser as a lizardfolk's. And even if it hit, it was worth the pain"

"Shame we don't have any. Noone around raises bees to make some"

"Aw" her expression soon got dusk.

"I know. Many say it's too expensive to make"

"Cheapskates!"

"Right?"

They both laughed. How come every time she was around Yun things were always so bright and fun? Her thoughts quickly came over the person upstairs. She remembered last night Yun and his grandfather talked about Yun's mom and got worried to wake her up, so she lower her voice.

"Don't worry; mom is not going to hear you"

"Are you sure?"

"Completely. Wanna meet her?"

"Huh? Wouldn't that be dangerous? What if she sees me or...?"

"She won't" the boy then put his bowl in the floor, grabbed his staff and walked towards the stairs "Follow me"

She obeyed, listening as Yun whispered numbers. One, two, three... He was counting the stairs as they rise. Once on the second floor, he opened one of the three doors upstairs.

"Hi, mom. Good morning"

Inside there was a single bed with a woman laying there. She looked like she was sleeping.

"Remember the girl I talked to you a few days ago? The same I said we had an argument? Well, we fixed things up and become friends again. I thought you'll wanted to meet her. This is Petra"

The woman didn't respond. Was she truly deeply asleep? Or there was something else?

"Don't mind me" Yun excused himself "Mom has been in a coma since I was borned, but I still like talking to her"

Oh. Now everything made sense for her.

"Yun..."

"It's fine. She's been alive this whole time, it's just... Things that happens, you know"

Petra looked at her. She was tall, black hair and fair skin.

"She's beautiful"

"I know right? My mom is the prettiest, most beautiful woman in the village. Grandpa told me once that when she was awake, every woman in town was so very jelous of her"

"I thought you didn't care about that kind of things"

"I don't, but I want to belive mom still hears me and is happy to hear me saying it"

Petra smiled and took a long look at the fair, sleeping woman. Similar to the princessess of old fairy tales. So pretty and ethereal. So unlike me, she thought.

"Petra?"

"Mm?"

"You're sad again"

"I..." she then got silent for a moment.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. But if I can help, please tell me"

Yun then lift up and shake off his clothes.

"Well then, shall we?"

"Huh?"

"You can't stay here. It'll be too dangerous for you. If the townsfolk see you, panic will ensure and I can't even think of what would happen if grandpa sees you. Even though I'll wish he meet you. So it's better if you return to the forest... If that's what you want"

She actually wanted to stay more. But...

"I have to"

"I mean, you could always hide in the basement... Then again, It'll be too lonely in there. Yeah, better back to the forest. I'll visit you again soon"

She really wanted to stay there with him, but she knew it was impossible.

"I'll get you out of the town in the carriage. I'll use the excuse of going out for some wood"

"Would it be okay? Aren't you going to get into trouble?"

"Not at all. I always do this at the morning. You just make sure you stay hidden under the cloth so nobody can see you, okay"

"O-Okay, then"

"Don't worry, It'll be okay"

After finishing their meals, Yun took his friend to the backyard and prepared to fulfill his plan. Everything went well, but still Petra was nervous and uneasy under the blankets. She couldn't stop thinking the worst; if the wind lifts the covers, I'm done for, If someone notices me moving under it, it's over... She was a nervewreck.

"Hey"

The unexpected voice of an stranger made the Gorgon flinch in surprise, almost revealing herself. But she relaxes as Yun's answers him.

"Hello, Tirian. Lovely day we have today, isn't?"

Through a small hole in the side of the wood Petra manages to see a tall boy not older than Yun and four more boys with him, a scrawny guy, a fat boy, one that looked like a weasel and the last one who she could have belived was more Goblin than human according to her.

"How can you tell? You're blind"

"It's warm and the breeze feels nice. That's all I need to know"

"Yeah, sure. The village is in big trouble, my dad got kicked out of the job yesterday again and mom is desperatly trying to get more food on the table despite being pregnant with my little brother or sister, but the day it's nice"

"Well, I was refering to the day, not your life"

A bunch of guys lightly laugh before shutting down inmediately by the leader, who stare at them meacingly.

"Oh, I'm sure everything must be nice when you have no real family to bear you, right?"

Petra never had a bigger need to punch someone in the face so hard. It was pretty obvious the leader was trying to provoke him somehow, but Yun seemed bored. This obviously hasn't been the first time.

"I have a family"

"Who? The old man? Or do you mean that sleeping..."

"Tirian"

Suddenly Yun's tone got more serious and made a strong attempt to stare in his same direction, like he was looking at him right in the eye.

"You know pretty well the consecuences of insulting my mother, don't you? I don't need to remind you, right?"

The tall boy was practically sweating bullets. Something in that cloudy stare seemed to make him uneasy.

"You... You also know pretty well what will happen if you try that again, don't you!"

"I do. But unlike yourselves, I wouldn't care"

"I'll tell the mayor! And then you'll have nowhere to go! Neither would your mother or your grandpa! Do you want that, huh? To be the cause your family is out in the cold?"

"Wouldn't be the first time, to be honest. But the mayor is all talk. He can't prescind grandpa's expertise to train the guards and until one of them can be as strong as him, that's not going to happen anytime soon"

"He's getting old and senile! No guard need to try! In a few years, he'll be gone for good! And then so do you, cursed child!"

"Cursed child! Cursed child! Cursed child!" the kids repeated in a chorus.

"That's right! Never forget what you are, you useless trash!"

He then punched Yun in the head, causing him to stumble. Despite this, he didn't even trembled or complain, appearently unfazed by the hit. But Petra was trembling of rage, ready to jump at Tirian's head and bite it off like it was nothing or strangle him to death. However, Yun maintained his stare.

"Don't look at me! You hear me!"

"How? I'm blind, doesn't it?"

The monotone and emotionless expression of his words appearently provoked the fear in the bullies, who took a step back and finally decided to retire.

"Pah! You...! You're not worth the trouble! So...! Since I'm so nice, you get a free pass this time, but that's all! Next time, you'll be...! You'll be done for!"

The boys left in a hurry, almost like they were running away from a monster of sorts. The pair retake their stroll.

"I don't know how you didn't punch that brat"

Petra finally decided to talk to him once they left the village and noone was around them.

"I did once"

"You should do it again. He obviously didn't learned"

"It's not that simple, Petra"

"And what's with all that cursed child thing they were talking around before?"

"It's quite a long story"

"Well, we have some time to spare"

"Hide"

"Huh?"

"I sense an adult nearby. Hide, quickly!"

The Gorgon obeyed and looked for a hole how a man with a mustache approached him.

"Hey, you. My boy told me you threatened him again"

Threatened? Now that's the misunderstanding of the century if there's one. The little runt lied to cause him trouble.

"I don't care what your grandpa is doing for the village since it's the least he can do having that daughter of his; if you dare attacking my boy again, I'll tell the mayor to kick you out. We all had it hard enough without your kind crawling around like pests"

Hard enough? Petra lived in this forest for a long time and not even once monsters came to this land. Neither noone ever attacked the crops since bandits were more focused on bigger cities with a lot more to get from. In other words, this place was not important enough to call anyone's attention at all.

"Are you listening to me? I know pretty well you're blind, not deaf. So stop ignoring me"

So annoying... Did Yun had to whistand this kind of trouble every day?

"Jeez, what a brat. No wonder your mother got pregnant from a demon"

What? Petra could saw how her friend was clenching his fist around the carriage's handle.

"I mean, because that's what happened, right? That..."

"Mister Ilman"

The serene yet still and angered voice of Yun's grandpa surprised everyone the second it appeared. There he was, tall as a castle and with a neutral but obviously angered expression, so intimidating that even the animals would run in fear.

"Do you have anything to say to MY grandson about MY daughter?"

The man inmediately desired to vanish in that precise moment. Pale as a corpse and stiff like a board, he run away in fear after muttering some incomprehensible words. The old man simply sighed.

"It seems I've arrived in the best moment" he turned at Yun "Or you could have broke his jaw right were he stand"

"It's nose would have been better. To make it look like the pig he is. Or his balls. After all, it's better to prevent the fact that that sad excuse of a man spread his seed further than he has already"

"Yun..."

"I don't care"

"We talked about this. The townsfolk are still using that punch as a way to make our lives harder"

"It's not my fault"

"I know"

"Then stop making it sound like it is!"

The air got dense. Yun's expression softened and sadened.

"I don't... I didn't mean... I'm sorry..."

"I know" the man put his hand against the boy's shoulder "Don't be. I know how hard it is all of this for you"

They both stayed silent for a while. Even Petra felt the pressure in the air.

"You're doing great, Yunnan. One day, we'll find a way in life. I know it"

He didn't replied. Simply nodded.

"I'm going now. Take care"

As the old man walked away, Yun slowly strolled in the way of the forest. Sad and down on his spirits.

Yun...

The Gorgon discovered that she hated seeing her friend like that. She never wanted to see him like that again. Ever again.

"We're here" the boy told her "I think we're deeper enough"

Petra left after making sure noone was around and slowly walked to his side to put her head against his shoulder.

"What is it?"

"Why... Why do everyone call you cursed child? And what does that jerk meant by getting pregnant by a demon?"

Yun noticed that she wanted to tell him something else, but just didn't find the words to do so.

"I'm sorry, forget about it"

But before she could go away another inch, Yun hugged her.

"Y-Yun?!"

"I hate them"

The way he simply said that made her understand that he just wanted someone to listen to him.

"But I have you now. I'm not alone anymore"

Petra hugged him back and layed her head against his'.

"You found me" he said.

"I found you"

She hoped tomorrow things will go back to the new normal for her. However, life was about to gave her a stern reminder.

"Are you sure you saw it over here?"

"No doubt. Should we tell everyone?"

"Wait. Not yet. I have an idea..."

A reminder covered in shadows and with wicked smiles in the distance.