Chapter Text
With the dying shadows of all things beautiful marshaling the arrival of dusk, the last glorious rays of golden sunlight kiss the scenic countryside landscape goodbye with its long brushstrokes of melancholic colors, bidding farewell to day and courting a sweet night of dreams upon the kingdom of Manzar. Dusk creeps in so slowly and familiarly, robbing the world of vibrancy and carrying on its back the scent of a fragrant springtime night.
Night springs to life inside the small, quaint orphanage as Akito finishes decorating the wooden ceiling beams with a long string of shining bright lights. The neglected thick beams were starting to develop a thick coating of gray dust and when Akito swats away at the dust with his hands the young moderately clean children playing down below stare with intrigue, perhaps remembering the pure white snow of last winter. “Hey! Don’t play with the dust, it’s dirty. Sister Maralissa is going to bring out the cake soon. Bad children who don’t listen will go to sleep hungry.”
Being the oldest child in the Children of the Clay orphanage it was only natural that at 10 years old young Akito was made to shoulder a lot of the responsibility of helping Sister Maralissa and Director Jun oversee the children in his role as “Big Brother.” Though technically Director Jun played no active role in managing the orphanage. He was just a poor old man who had lost his mate many years ago and was led by the kindness of his soul and what little money he could scrounge to help the pitiable children. He was gaunt in appearance and had a long graying beard. Each time he appeared at the orphanage, it seemed as if his small hunched back could very easily vanish into thin air at a moment’s notice. He only had a few short years left in him. No matter how hard he tried not to, Akito often thought about what would happen once Director Jun died, after all the orphanage did run on his charity. But he always shoved those chilling thoughts to the farthest corner of his mind.
Every month he would bring with him to the orphanage some bare necessities and if lucky, some luxuries like salt and sugar. The children loved waking up at the crack of dawn to wait for his arrival by the door, squealing out of control at the signalling clink clink of his boots drawing near. Then once his wrinkled face turned the corner they would pull at his sagging clothes, climb all over the tired emaciated man like a tree, kick and bite and drool all over him as he fought his way to the wobbly table in the drafty orphanage dining room to lay down the supplies.
On Akito’s part, having to mediate whiny complaints of “He stole my this” and “He hid my that” and “She hit me with this” had become a very natural daily routine in his life. The main culprits of whining being the inseparable 4 year old Saia and 3 year old Neelu who could never pass a day without fighting or making each other cry. Among the children in the orphanage, a majority were collected by the kindhearted Director Jun from the streets as wandering waifs with nowhere to go. Some were not even old enough to walk yet, rescued as infants crawling between the speedy legs of heartless passersby who ignored their existence.
After Mazar’s King Vidi had unexpectedly passed away from a severe fall off his horse on a hunting trip, the country was engulfed in a political war for succession between two leading factions: on one hand the loyal supporters of the rightful heir to the throne, the boy prince Azir, and on the other hand, the greedy and corrupt group of advisors who had dissented from King Vidi’s council headed by the dead king’s most trusted advisor and confidante, Hafizar Rani. There were multiple conflicting rumors that after Rani had seized control he ousted the boy prince and his loyal supporters from the palace, sparing them not even the clothes on their backs in the middle of the bone-chilling winter blizzard and other such tales that he had captured the boy in his sleep, tortured him to death, and eaten the boy just to further spite the dead king.
As for the common people, they did not care which version was the truth. All they had known was that the clouds above steadily grew darker and began to grumble loudly day after day as if the Heavens were trying to warn them of all the staggering hardships to come. The plentiful harvests of the fields had began to dwindle due to the floods and families could no longer afford to feed as many mouths. Thus, leading to young children being abandoned to fend for themselves and babies forsaken like burdens. The once prosperous kingdom of Manzar was in the early stages of drought and famine. The only place unaffected was the royal capital Heljener.
But in the orphanage, none of that mattered. Since most of the children had been here for as long as they were old enough to form memories, to them this was home, and these faces they woke up to every morning and fell asleep next to every night were family. That was all they needed and therefore all that truly mattered in their sheltered worlds. Akito rounds up the birthday children, practically bouncing with excitement at the rare treat of sugar to the wobbly but resilient table that held the meager cake Sister Maralissa toiled all evening baking in the makeshift outdoor woodfire stove. Since it was a given that the young children wouldn’t know their birthdays, Director Jun had decided to instead make their “birthdays” the day they were brought to the orphanage. Also, since it would be too much work to give each child an individual day, birthdays were grouped together by months and celebrated all together at once. Of course, since no one knew their real ages, Director Jun gave them their ages based on roundabout estimated guesses of how old he assumed they were.
For this particular birthday, six children were brought into the orphanage in the same month. It was getting increasingly harder by the minute for Sister Maralissa to keep the six birthday boys and girls from drooling all over the cake before it was even eaten yet. Sugar really was such a rare treat that was hard to time by in these times and more importantly a luxury expense the small orphanage could rarely afford. Gently lighting the six gasoline-coated sticks substituting for candles, one for each child, Sister Maralissa happily hums a soft tune, her warm expression very maternal and loving. “Okay, are you all ready to make a wish? After you make your wish you can blow out your candle.”
Sarina could barely contain herself from joy as she tugs on her nun habit, “Mama Marie, how many manies am I?” At first Sister Maralissa felt strange having so many children call her Mama when she was only in her early twenties, but now that she had settled into her role as a motherly figure she had especially grown to love the endearment and her nickname Marie. “Hmm, let’s see. Sarina is turning 5 today. You’re already a big girl.”
Sarina’s toothy smile with two missing front teeth just made her that much cuter to Sister Maralissa, “Wow! I have so many manies. I’m a big girl. Big girl” she excitedly yelled to her family. The children preferred to say “manies” instead of years. No matter how hard Akito tried to get them to change this cute habit it never worked.
Trying to quickly direct the children to blow out the sticks before they burned out, Sister Maralissa continues handing out their ages, “Yin, Tula, and Adat are now turning 4 years old, Jio is turning 3 and Baby Hamshar is turning 2 so I guess I won’t be able to call you a baby for much longer, huh?” Ruffling Hamshar’s mousy brown hair, Sister Maralissa couldn’t help a large smile escaping her lips watching the children growing up right in front of her eyes. “Now let’s make a wish.”
Directing the children to close their eyes to silently make their wish, Tula, an unrestrained loudmouth, bellows out her wish at the top of her lungs, “I wish everyone in the orphanage can be happy all the time and we can eat cake every day!”
Giving her the side eye, mischievous Yin and Adat snicker while a frowning and angered Sarina hurries to quiet Tula, “If you say it out loud, the gods won’t listen to you! Mama Marie always tells us you have to say it in your heart because your heart is truer than your voice. Now that the devils have heard your wish they will take it from you and do the opposite! Everyone in the orphanage is never going to be happy and we will never get to eat cake again!” Sister Maralissa felt that the young girl was more realistically displeased over the no more cake part than the will never be happy part but quietly kept her laughter to herself.
Sensing that tears and fights were going to break out over Tula’s careless mistake, Akito rushes to the rescue. Gently taking the small sobbing frame in a warm hug, “The gods always allow a do-over. Go on, Tula, make another wish. It’s okay, you’re a good girl and you meant well. Shush shush, you’re already 4 years old now. You have to be a big girl now, right?” Feeling her silent nod on his shoulder, “Then let’s wipe those tears.”
After wiping the wet tears, Tula blows out her candles. Akito was sure that this time too she made the same wish in her heart for everyone to live together in harmony forever as one large warm, loving family. Waiting for what felt like forever, he couldn’t help the feelings of love and protectiveness he felt over his siblings swelling as he watched them bare-handedly shoving pieces of cake into their gaping mouths. It was anarchy; pure mayhem watching them knee and elbow for the sugary treat. At one point during the fight to the death, it was no wonder that the wobbly table finally collapsed, ending its five year struggle. Sister Maralissa and Akito exchange cautious looks, both thinking in their minds to put a stop to this disaster, but neither fully willing to lose an eye to get between the sugar-staved beasts and their sweet dessert.
The next day after the birthday marked a significant turning point in Akito’s memory. He had woken up with an inexplicable feeling of nervous anticipation as if something that would change his life forever would happen today. The younger children merrily give chase with bright smiles in the green meadow fields behind the orphanage while the older children competitively send kites like warriors into the clear blue sky. It was another overpoweringly beautiful day just like the day before.
This was the day the tiny, severely malnourished 9 year old Hiran was brought to the orphanage and automatically became the second oldest child. Although Akito was only expecting Director Jun to deliver the monthly supplies, he was not expecting a new addition to the orphanage. Hiran’s entire body was covered with bandages and where there were no bandages there were dark bluish-black bruises. His left arm was held in a white cloth sling and his left leg was wrapped in a make-shift leg brace made of thick tree branches twined together by a rope. Because of his severe injuries he had to use a heavy wooden cane to support his weight when standing or walking.
New children were frequently brought in but often not as battered as Hiran was. As horrific as Hiran’s condition was, Akito could not explain why the first time his amber eyes met the lifeless forest green eyes of Hiran an almost scalding heat built up in his chest wracked throughout his entire body. He couldn’t help feeling dizzy and perhaps a little nauseous due to the burning heat’s effect. Director Jun’s words were becoming warbled and Sister Maralissa’s responses were becoming drowned out the longer Akito and Hiran continued staring at each other and judging by how Hiran himself was shaken from deep inside his core just like Akito was, it seemed like they were both experiencing the same intense physical reactions brought about by their meeting.
Director Jun discreetly pulls Sister Maralissa to the side as the young children curiously gawk at the pitiable Hiran. “Father Jun, this child… just what happened to this child?” she asks alarmed with overwhelming worry and pity.
The old man sagely rubs at the deep wrinkles on his face, the depth of each crevice had its own history to tell from a past life lived. Director Jun hums in thought first before revealing. “Around more than a month ago, I went to Jiendai to meet with one of my friends.” Director Jun usually went to meet with his friends in different countries for the sake of seeking funds for the orphanage. “This child is Hiran. He had that name sewn on the collar of his clothes. I first met him in a small border town as a wandering beggar. I remembered him for the fact that he was too weak to even hold up his tin cup. I gave him what little I had on me.”
Director Jun’s expression became distressed. Just recounting the events was resurfacing the trauma and disgust. It was hard for him to talk through the emotions but he painfully continues, “The next time I saw him a few weeks later, his body was lying in the middle of the street. I’d assumed he had died. The people in that country truly have hearts made of ice. Uncaring and loveless people.” Jiendai is a battle-hardened country of warriors. As Jiendai was surrounded by barren wastelands, infertile soil, and mountains on all four sides, its warmonger government was accustomed to fighting wars and invading weaker countries for their natural resources. It was a cold, heartless country where the savage law of the land was survival of the fittest and every man for themselves.
The senile old man wipes away the warm pitying tears dripping down into his gray beard. “Passersby were stepping on his unmoving body and when they felt that his body was blocking the path they would kick him to the side as if he was animal droppings blocking their way. Not one person checked to see if he was dead or alive. I don’t know how long he’d been heartlessly left for dead like that- maybe days or weeks. It was only when I was walking closer to pray for his soul before I buried him that I heard barely audible winces and faint breathing. When I picked up the boy, he was as light as air. I put him on my mule, fed him, and brought him straight here. Sister, will you please make sure that boy never has to know that kind of suffering here in this home?”
Sister Maralissa turns her attention to the lifeless Hiran whose eyes looked but did not see. He was dead in every way except for physically. She softly murmurs a prayer to the gods to resurrect Hiran’s spirit back to life. She turns back to Director Jun with determination and confidence. Maybe what or who Hiran needed to feel alive again was in this orphanage.
A long time ago, Sister Maralissa used to tell Akito bedtime stories about Alphas and Omegas who were fated pairs, lovers perfectly made for each other and no one else. Memories of being snuggly tucked in and gleefully listening to romantic stories of people who could feel their destined connection the moment they looked at each other peacefully lulled him to sleep and brought about warm feelings in his heart. He loved hearing about them. A pair that only existed for each other. That they knew they were predestined by fate to love each other down to the atoms as if it was in their very genes; that out of all the millions of people in the world it could only be this one person who belonged to them entirely in mind, body, and soul was astounding to his young brain.
But in this moment now, even though he could remember hearing romance-filled bedtime tales about fated pairs, encountering Hiran was much too overwhelming for the 10 year old to keep his rationality about him. He couldn’t tell if he was flying or falling. With a mild shaking of his stiff shoulder to get his attention, Akito returns to his senses. “We’ve run out of beds to spare. You and Hiran will have to sleep in the same bed. Would you mind sharing?”
The children were too engrossed in fishing out random supplies from the burlap sack on the partially repaired three-legged table to give any more attention to the frighteningly pale shivering Hiran in the corner of the dining room. One last peek at the pitiable Hiran who looked like he was just a day away from dying of starvation, feelings he couldn’t yet explain take course in Akito’s heart. Akito mutely nods his head.
In the beginning Hiran never involved himself with the others, instead preferring to blend into the corner of some wall, and due to this unfriendliness the other children would restrain themselves and only stare at him from afar. Although they wanted nothing more than to jump on him and invitingly integrate him into the family with a stream of welcoming hair pulls and probing pokes. But it couldn't be helped that it took the severely malnourished boy a lot of time to warm up to his new family. Through watching Hiran, Akito knew that this much was evident: apparently Hiran himself was also unable to stop his eyes from naturally seeking out Akito which meant that he felt that same inexplicably uncontrollable attraction, emotional resonance, drawing not just their bodies but their souls as well to each other.
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A warm, gentle breeze carrying the salty aroma of the Benji sea cascades through the miles upon miles of luscious fields hosting an assorted collection of wildflowers. A passive wind of peace and tranquility blows through the beautiful country of Sarak, pleasantly gracing all with its refreshing warmth and the scents of summer. Nine diverts his attention back from the window where he had been drinking in the breathtaking scenery of Sarak and attempting to catch the formless wind in his hands to see his lively family reunite with his uncle’s small family of three. The afterimage of the visually exquisite landscape was still lingering in the back of his eyelids. And while he didn’t know it at the time, this summer six years ago was one he’d always remember because it was the first summer he came to know about love.
The adolescent 15 year old’s family was currently visiting the neighboring country of Sarak on a temple pilgrimage, though Nine himself was an anomaly in that he was a stout disbeliever in the power of so-and-so gods but he had no choice other than to comply to attending the pilgrimage or accept a brutal beating from his dad Iku’s deadly go-to weapon of choice-- his cooking ladle.
Sarak was a country deeply rooted in their colorful traditions. Everywhere that met the eye was decorated with loud vibrant colors that injected everything around them with a fresh breath of life. Mouth watering food stalls lined the streets, children playfully chased after one another through the crowded buzz, and everywhere Nine could see were bright smiling friendly faces speaking in an enchanting Sarian lilt. The people wore fashionable waist-length top robes secured around the waist with a matching sash belt and pants, the entire outfit finished by somber-toned sandals, which would evolve into high boots once the harsh winter came around.
Jokifar, his uncle Ermir’s Beta mate, who always took a little while to warm up to people was standing beside his mate’s side crading in the crook of his arms a new, or rather, their first bundle of joy warmly greeting Iku and Tai’s family with a bright heartwarming smile as they passed through the threshold of their cool, breezy cottage one by one. Little Milly was also happily matching her Beta dad’s luminous smile, her tiny hands clutching the fabric of Jo’s top robe, slumbering peacefully with her crescent shaped eyes lightly closed.
Even though it took Jo a little time to warm up to his Beta mate’s side of the family, it never took very long for him to warm up to Nine, his favorite “little brother,” latching on immediately to the teen in a tight hug as soon as their eyes met. He couldn't help remarking that Nine had gotten taller, which earned a scoff and a sarcastic “obviously” from the teen going through puberty. Probably miffed because his growth spurt started much later than all of his close peers back in Bima. But his snarkiness nonetheless did not keep him from reciprocating the Beta’s tight hug.
Nine had always thought that his name was very ironic in a comical way because other than when he was nine years old, it’d always seem out of place and nonsensical. He’d also noticed that he was sometimes a little too inexplicably sensitive to certain things, most likely a side effect of puberty. Now that he was a 15 year old teenager named Nine, he couldn’t help sighing in slight frustration watching his Omega dad Iku who had named him currently engaged in a bone-crushing bear hug with his Beta uncle Ermir. Though it was more accurate to say that Iku couldn’t escape from his younger brother’s crushing grip no matter how much he tried.
At some point during the hug of death Nine was sure he heard the crisp sound of his dad's ribs cracking but the teen couldn’t be totally sure and brushed it off as a figment of his imagination. The seemingly never-ending hug was definitely a testament to how the two brothers got on better than a gasoline-drenched house on fire and while Ermir was younger than the Omega Iku and nonetheless a Beta he had always been deeply protective of his older brother which was why he only had a brief greeting nod and a half-hearted handshake to give Iku’s Alpha mate Tai.
Although Iku was dad to four “annoying bastards” as he called them, if someone took a look at him and had to guess his age they would definitely assume much lower than his real age. He naturally looked younger than he actually was. He’d always had while Tai on the other hand was starting to sport peppered streaks of gray by his temples. Taking a good look at his brother’s face who never seemed to age, Ermir just had to go in for another bone-crushing hug of death. “This place really hasn’t changed, huh?” Iku manages to say as he recalls walking through the colorful city full of friendly smiling faces and brimming with romance once he catches his breath after he’s released.
Giving his brother a hearty laugh, Ermir answers, “Of course it hasn’t. And why should it? The people are content, our nation is flourishing more than any other country around and our gods have blessed us with a wealth of natural resources. What more could we ask for?”
Nine and his older siblings couldn’t hold back their laughter at how differently Ermir treated their parents. While he loved his brother Iku to the bone, on the other hand he could barely tolerate Tai, sparing him barely any more attention than necessary. Nine was the youngest out of his three other siblings consisting of two older sisters and one older brother and ironically his brother’s name was Seven. A few years ago when he confronted Iku about the meaning behind their names, Iku had only told him that during his prime back when he was a rambunctious unmated Omega who occasionally dabbled in gambling, his lucky numbers were 7 and 9.
Not only were the siblings blessed with lustrous black hair inherited from Iku and captivating caramel brown eyes inherited from Tai, but they also had glowing olive complexions that emphasized their dark features so nicely that they couldn’t walk anywhere without their looks drawing favorable attention. Although Iku pretended to hate when Tai always referred to his kids as their “artful masterpieces” he had to agree that they do make some ridiculously attractive kids.
While Nine was nonetheless overjoyed to partake in the surrealism of everything Sarak had to offer, this summer seemed to imbue in him an inexplicable calm sense of anticipation deep within him. However, the teen soon pushes those thoughts to the back of his mind, chalking it all up to puberty symptoms. The country of Sarak shares a wealth of rich history and culture with his family’s home country Bima. Much of this had to do with the history of Bima and Sarak and also the proximity between the two countries. Geographically speaking, Bima and Sarak were very close to each other. That contributed to the countries’ flourishing economic states as Bima was blessed with many freshwater ports for trade and Sarak was blessed with a surplus of natural resources and fertile soil for agriculture.
But more importantly, they had since long ago been intertwined by love. People from Bima and Sarak were destined to fall in love with each other. Generation after generation consistently passed down the tale of how long ago in the past when Bima was nothing but a small backwoods country, the ruler at the time was a lost and morally dejected King Wir who had been strolling among the common people in disguise around the putrid, filthy streets littered with rotting foods and animal excrements and rodent corpses in the royal capital. As he was wallowing over the miserable condition of the country and praying to the gods for blessings, he collided into a young peasant boy from Sarak with the sweetest smile. A deliverance from the gods.
From then on, the King and the boy had fallen madly in love with each other and he had become a pair with the boy. Shortly after, the gods had mercifully answered all of his prayers. Thereafter, the state of Bima improved rapidly and the country began to flourish as it annexed more and more smaller surrounding countries that quickly assimilated to the peaceful culture and religious open-mindedness of Bima. As the King’s beloved mate was from Sarak, the King himself displayed extreme political favoritism toward Sarak, seeing to it that the economy of Sarak began to boom by lending the country whatever resources and assistance his kingdom could offer. This was the start of the mutually beneficial relationship between the two kingdoms sharing much of the same language, culture, and traditions as well as the beginning of the love prophecy between the people of Bima and Sarak.
Even Nine’s parents were proof of that love prophecy as Iku was from Sarak and Tai was from Bima.
Much in this way, many generations have at one point astutely swore to themselves that they will break the cycle, but alas that was impossible. There just seemed to be something that drew Alphas, Omegas, and Betas from Bima and Sarak to one another. Of course, this was not always the case. It was not uncommon for someone from Bima or Sarak to fall in love with their fellow countrymen but the respective people of both countries regarded their fellow countrymen in a more brotherly or sisterly manner, rarely as romantic love interests. There have been countless instances of them falling in love with outsiders or with their own countrymen, but those cases were few and far in between. Not to mention, they almost always ended up in both parties eventually being unhappy or unsatisfied with their partner.
There are many reasons that could explain the fateful attraction. Whether it be the natural compatibility drawn from the fact that those from Bima had a sun-kissed complexion that complemented the fair complexions of those from Sarak, which meant that their offspring more often than not inherited an alluring golden complexion. This for a time led to Sarak earning the title “The Land of Golden Children” both for its abundant goldmines and its equally abundant golden-toned children. Or that those from Sarak were naturally more soft-spoken and timid while those from Bima were forthright in speech and bold in action. It seemed that the gods had already written their love stories in the stars.
But one such soul suffering from the throes of love was none other than Seven, caring only enough to give his Beta uncles Ermir and Jofikar a lackluster greeting before languidly passing by to enter the large spacious wooden cottage with something of a forlorn expression on his face. Apparently everyone knew the reason for Seven’s bad mood witnessed in the last six months and all had to carefully walk on eggshells around him to not further upset his turbulent moods. It had to do with him having to be forced along to Sarak because there was someone he definitely would rather prefer not to come across, someone special. The situation was rather sensitive so no one dared to aggravate Seven too much.
Iliana, the oldest of the children, sighs as she eyes Seven’s constant moodiness unbecoming of an 20 year old Alpha. Even though she herself was a 27 year old married Alpha woman, every time she saw Seven listless and ruined by love she couldn’t help finding his condition a little pathetic even if she did feel a bit of pity for Seven’s incomplete love story. Daria, the second oldest, and laziest rolls her eyes for who knows how many times just today as she views the crackling tension between Seven and Iliana. But the 25 year old Omega was not really in any mood to act as a peacemaker for the two.
Now that the children, warned beforehand to be on their best behaviors, had entered after hugging their uncle Ermir and lovingly squished and pinched Milly’s cheeks on their way in had each found a comfortable spot to lounge, Jo gave a soft smile to Iku. Being with Iku had always for some reason made him a bit nervous. Not because he didn’t like his brother-in-law but because his husband had always inappropriately gushed like a fountain anytime his older brother was mentioned thus also making Jo place him on a high pedestal which in turn always made him question if he was up to Iku’s standards to be with his brother. Which was why he’d sometimes avoid meeting the Omega’s eyes and keep his distance though Iku knew that Jo was a loving and caring person so he had never taken it to heart.
But Iku blasts all of those useless nerves and thoughts out of Jo’s mind in a flash. After Jo hands Milly to her father to be laid down in her crib, Iku suddenly draws his Beta brother-in-law in a warm, tight hug, letting the Beta get used to being treated like family. Watching from the side, the gathered family smile warmly when an innocently giggling Jo also wraps his arms around Iku after a short while. Though the ridiculously grin on Ermir’s face was threatening to tear his face in half watching his beloved mate and brother being so close. The two in-laws held onto each other so long and so tight like two lifelong best friends who were only now reconciling after a particularly vicious falling out that Nine was starting to wonder if they were having a competition to see who can go longer without oxygen.
After Iku and Jo’s hug had ended, the two in-laws had tried desperately and failed to get their mates to also hug it out. Now that hugs and greeting were out of the way, everybody got comfortable and situated in the warm home filled with family. Ermir was a somewhat renowned carpenter in this part of the city and had single-handedly designed and constructed this cottage on his own for he and his small family to live in.
As Tai looked around at the impeccably skilled craftsmanship and amazing details of the house he couldn’t help but be awed and full of respect. He finally pulls his mate closer to him, needing his loving care and affection after withstanding the bitter coldness of rejection from Ermir. He nuzzles his nose in Iku's neck. “It’s already been twenty years but your brother still treats me like this.”
Iku strokes and pats his childishly whining mate’s head- though his pats had some strong power behind them so they were more like smacks. Whenever they were home in Bima Tai had always complained about how he wanted to be closer with Iku’s brothers who always treated him coldly so Iku was already too tired from the horse carriage travel to adequately placate the Alpha. It just couldn’t be helped-he was the only Omega in a family of Betas and Alphas so of course his brothers would feel protective over him just as Tai would feel protective over Daria if she ever gathered enough energy or interest to secure herself a mate. Instead, Iku was more concerned about his self-made circus, feeling it appropriate to once again harangue them so that they didn’t accidentally kill anyone or burn down any houses.
Standing at the head of the table where everyone was gathered with his hands on his hips, his voice loud and clear, “Now I know I said this already but I’m going to remind you again: while we are temporarily staying here there will be no wrestling, tackling, grappling, fist fighting, sword fighting-I still have no idea where you annoying bastards even got those swords from last time we stayed with my parents-, name calling or street performing. In general, if it’s something I would see performed in a circus, don’t do it. Are we clear?” The children avoid eye contact with their dad immediately, hoping that he wouldn’t press further, but after more than ten minutes of that uncomfortable intense, unfaltering glare burning a hole in the side of their heads, they had no choice but to silently nod and agree to his conditions.
Somewhere through the winding list of strange do-nots, Jo with his eyes bulging from fear and confusion interrupted quietly, “Brother, are you sure that these are human children and not wild beasts?”
Iku turns to him with a super confident smile and a thumbs-up, “Don’t worry. I have them well-tamed.” Jo could feel the cold sweat sliding down his back trying to decipher what exactly those words meant.
Soon afterwards the mood got very jovial as fresh bread and fragrant chicken herb soup were brought to the table and devoured in the blink of an eye, Iku was watching his starving beasts barely giving themselves time to chew and swallow before shoveling their gaping mouths with a shameful amount of food again with a mix of restrained irritation and concern, unsure whether he wanted to admonish them for being absolute embarrassments or just give them up for adoption. He was conflicted because he was both worried they were going to choke to death but also just mere seconds away from wrapping his hands around their necks and strangling them himself.
The mouth watering fragrance of the stomach-filling food wafted through the air, the windows were opened to taste the salty aroma lingering in the free-spirited gentle breeze, and the scenery outside was picturesque. But no matter how many times he furtively glanced at Seven between dangerously large mouthfuls of food, Nine couldn’t catch even a sliver of a shadow of the old carefree and always smiling Seven in the dejected older teen nibbling at his bread like an overstuffed aristocrat. Neither the food nor the scenery could cheer him up.
His family was planning to stay a few days with Ermir’s family and then journey to the Divine Temple of the God of Fortune, the official family god worshipped on Tai’s side of the family, before journeying back to Bima. Nine, being the youngest, wasn’t really one to snoop and stick his nose into his siblings’ businesses but he had heard snippets here and there of what was ailing Seven from Iliana, a blabbermouth who had a hard time keeping anything secret for long.
According to Iliana, “Seven has a broken heart. Haven’t you noticed how lifeless he looks? Going around every day looking about as emotionless as a corpse, no appetite, eyes so dead even the god of death would flee the other way, snapping at the smallest things. In my experience there are only two things that can make someone like that: either he’s in love or he’s dying.” Hearing this from his sister, at that time Nine had to wonder why love and death would resemble each other this closely in Seven’s case. When he looked at his parents or his uncles or any other loving couples he came across in Bima and Sarak they never carried that lovelorn expression. But the adolescent 15 year old had only just come to acknowledge romance after spending his boyhood prioritizing mischief and friendship so he had no answer.
Although the children rarely liked to brag, Tai’s side of the family had a lot of money and land which was rare in these times and Tai’s parents -their grandparents on that side- had always loved to spoil their grandkids. This much was apparent because as soon as each child was born and named they would present them with a personal piece of a scenic lot of land but Tai himself had never wholeheartedly relied on his family’s wealth and Iku also could never get comfortable with their wealth given his modest upbringing.
One sunny day, when Iku was just a young unmated vegetable seller- and occasional gambler-vending in Sarak’s bustling outdoor food market, a haggard Alpha who had an obviously strong Bima accent approached his busy cart with something of a sour look. He later learned that Tai was a wandering temple student who had exchanged the restraints of monkhood for the freedom to roam and flirt. Approaching his cart of fresh red tomatoes prickling with flavor with something of an attitude, Iku couldn’t help but rudely reciprocate with a dour expression. “You stand there and peddle these crappy tomatoes for such a high price. If I pay to buy just one tomato from you, the only other thing I would be able to afford to eat with it is sand.”
Iku had to stop and wonder what sort of nonsense this was right off the start at the start of such a nice day, “Crappy? Sir, you must be blind so let me enlighten you. You will not find tomatoes like this anywhere else even if you search this whole country from top to bottom and if I am confident to death of the quality of my produce then why shouldn’t I be allowed to sell them at whatever prices I set? Who are you to haggle with me? If you don’t want to buy them then don’t.” Arguments breaking out over the price or quality of the products in the marketplace happened every other minute so as this was nothing out of the usual, passersby kept on with their business as the two people continued to lash each other back and forth with their tongues.
Tai, frown deepening, “Haggle? Who is? I am only here to warn others not to be ripped off by you.” The more nosier of passersby purposely walking slower to catch parts of the conversation snicker to themselves. A handsome Alpha from Bima intentionally bothering a beautiful Omega in Sarak in the middle of a marketplace could not be a mere coincidence. If this wasn’t the beginning of a love story then they didn’t know what else it could be.
Eventually, after thrashing each other verbally, Tai turned his nose to the exuberantly red tomatoes and Iku brushed the tip of his nose as Tai was leaving, which either meant he was washing his hands of the nuisance or cursing the nuisance to never return, and worked hard to sell the rest of his produce before dark to earn money for his family consisting of five brothers, three sisters and his parents.
What Iku thought was a one-time encounter with a troublesome customer became a daily thing. Even if he was only a young man, through his long experience as a market vendor, he knew that the Biman Alpha had a charismatic charm. But that still did not mean he would lower the prices of his vegetables for him. They had become famously well-known for their daily routine of “dog barking at cat.” Tai would come to the market the minute it opened in the early hours of dawn and the vendors had begun to set up to the minute it closed and all the vendors had packed up for the night just keeping Iku busy with nonsensical arguments about irrelevant things. They had really become that uselessly famous.
This routine went on for two whole years. Iku began to complain that because of Tai keeping him occupied, he often missed dinner, which as almost everyone expected, eventually led Tai to ask him to dinner to “discuss lowering the prices of these damn vegetables.”
From then on, they would have dinner together. Dinner eventually extended to include breakfast. Breakfast eventually extended to include lunch. Meeting at the marketplace eventually became living together in the same house in Bima. It was only after their first child was born that Tai admitted that from the beginning he was attracted to the tall Omega’s brunette locks and serious hazel eyes that he wanted to bother him a little with a show of dissatisfaction over his prices.
After the feeding frenzy had concluded, Iku stood over his self-made circus, directing them to clear the table and wash the dishes for their uncle who’d only given birth five months ago all the while threatening them with his trusty wooden discipline ladle in his back pocket. He had unabashedly carried it all the way from Bima. Meanwhile, Tai capitalized on the opportunity to deepen his relationship with Ermir. Iku and Jo sat around the now quiet and cleared exquisitely carved mahogany dining table simply relishing the peace and quiet. Iku had a satiating cup of steaming hot dark black tea cooling in front of him and Jo was nestling a hungry Milly in his arms, removing one side of his top robe while guiding the infant to his nipple as he coos to his five month old daughter with every drop of love in his heart.
Iku watches with nostalgia tugging at his heartstrings, remembering when his children were as young and cute and...human...and less like they were raised in the wilderness by coyotes. “Everyone’s ate already so now it’s little Milly’s turn. You were sleeping so soundly today. Were you happy to meet your cousins again? You were so small the last time they saw but little Milly got to show them how big she grew.” Milly was an agreeable and easy to manage child, not the type to throw tantrums and as Jo cooed sweetly to her she happily giggled and clutched his finger as she fed greedily, the edges of her mouth tricking with small drops of white milk. Meeting Iku’s heartwarming eyes made Jo feel a little embarrassed but he still returned a small shy smile. Iku could see why his brother had fallen for the pure and wholesome Beta.
On the other side of the house which were where the children’s rooms were, Daria had already found her way into her bed stuffed full of soft hay to collapse on after the hearty meal they had just consumed. In the next room over Iliana’s soft hums drift melodically throughout the aerated room, the oldest following the example of her younger sister and also relaxing on her own soft bed as she twists the golden band on her ring finger with a pleased smile on her face. With all the peace and quiet, she couldn’t help missing her feisty mate back home who would probably welcome her back with an iron pan at the foyer. Not that they were in the middle of a lover’s quarrel, just that her Alpha mate wanted to spend some romantic time alone with her but Iliana had decided to accompany her family on the temple pilgrimage since it’s been a staple family tradition since she was old enough to walk. But imagining that once the iron pan assault had passed there would come a barrage of kisses made her heart feel so light she couldn’t control herself from chortling every now and then.
Nine lays on his back on his soft hay bed, staring at the high ceiling, his mind and body totally after ease now that his stomach was full. Drawing constellations and images with his pointer finger keeps him entertained for some time but he eventually grows tired of it. He ventures down the wide hall and stops in front of Seven’s room. Seeing Seven’s reaction when he’d noticed Nine standing across from him, one would think he was extremely inconvenienced with Nine’s terrible timing. Which he really was as he glared, taken aback with his one foot dangling out the window ready to leap out.
With their parents and uncles on the other side of the house now drinking merrily and the nosy sisters resting off the long journey in their rooms, Seven had planned to sneak out. But now he was caught red-handed by Nine. Not wanting to upset his brother, Nine quickly turns back around to generously leave and pretend he never saw anything. He and his siblings had always had a close relationship; well, more accurately he had always had a close relationship with Seven as they were both just bullied prey to two older sisters. However, just as he’s about to leave, Seven pauses, thinking long and hard for a short time then calls out to him and waves him over, “Come on. You’re coming with me.”
Although Seven’s demeanor was still unlike his usual self, but at least he didn’t mind or hate being with his younger brother. As Nine thinks of it from that perspective a huge smile breaks out on the younger teen’s face. Within the next minute they both jump out a few stories and land on the solid ground. Feeling the excitement of going on a secret adventure without anyone knowing making the experience all the more irresistible sets his heart throbbing. “Where are we going, Sev?” Nine squeaks out in a cracked voice. Noticing that his voice cracked, he rubs his throat, feeling a little self-conscious and embarrassed.
But Seven seems to find it amusing, and soon replies with, “Just shut up and come. If you don’t want to, then don’t.” Nine can tell Seven was smiling because there was mirth and teasing in his voice even though he was trailing behind his older brother as he’d always done and could only see his back. Soon after the jolly happiness gave way to fear and trepidation of their dad finding out about their late night adventure. Cold sweat soaked the back of the Nine’s top robe.