Field of Flowers
Original



It was a wondrous day in Aurora. The new summer breeze still carried the faint hint of spring. Blossoms were in full bloom now and their smells burst forth with clarity, each aroma filling the air with its sweet blissful scent. The song birds whistled and crooned lovingly back and forth to each other as they hopped about in excitement or took flight in a cloud of color. The sun was high in the sky now, leaving the cloudless azure above to bask in its flawless glory. 

Little Raif, having become the age of five a day earlier and now convinced he needed no parental guidance frolicked joyfully down the gravel road leading away from the magnificent castle of the city Aurora. He hummed as he went, occasionally stooping to pluck a dandelion from the grass and add it to his limp dandelion bouquet. He swung his little collection of “flowers” proudly. His father, Ankei, would be very pleased by this generous offer by his youngest son. Raifs’ smile was unsurpassable by none until his skipping halted suddenly, his lips forming into a thoughtful frown.

The Starboon stared down a little rocky ravine that ended in a tiny river that was barely as wide as the half-elf was tall. Raif could just make out the tiny cluster of bright yellow dandelions somehow managing within the twisted rocks. The Prince looked down into his hand that clutched the limp wilting bouquet, then back at the little haven of “flowers”.

The boy veered off the path and padded across the grass while his lips twisted into a small pout. He came to the edge of the rocks and craned his neck in hopes that the angle would help him find an easier way down the terrible looking “cliff”.

Clutching his dandelions in one hand the young boy slowly made his way down the rocky slope. He placed each step slowly, until he became more confident. Then, letting his feet skip hazardously across the stones he threw all caution into the wind. He grinned widely at the excitement… until his tiny foot caught into a little crevice.

The Starboon lurched forward as his ankle twisted painfully sending him into a tumble down the ravine in a fit of loose rocks, dirt and thorns. Raif screamed, tucking himself into a ball and abandoning the dandelions. They lay scattered behind him in a sad path that marked his decent. When he came to a stop he was nearly half way down ravine. He lifted his head, aching everywhere but mostly in his ankle and scraped elbows. He was scuffed and bruised in many places, but nothing serious enough to cripple him.

Silently crying from the initial shock the five year old sat up, blinking away his tears. He moved about his limbs experimentally. He whimpered at the pain in his ankle, but fearing he may waste away waiting for help the boy struggled to his feet. He tried to brush the gravel and dirt embedded in his skin but the feel of his blood caused him to cry harder—even if it really didn’t hurt much.

Raif looked up to the edge of the grass-line, seeming so far away then back down to the patch of dandelions. Raif sniffed in despair, abandoning the flowers and crawling back up the ravine. The little Prince pondered if he was going to die, as did most imaginative young children, but just when he thought for sure he was a goner his fingers grabbed into grass. The boy laughing with relief crawled onto the grass, gripping it between his fingers and resisting the urge to nuzzle his face into its lush greenness.

In the distance not so far away Raif could see his other father, Yami, sitting beneath an old oak tree reading quietly. Raif frowned… Yami would be his last choice to go to for help. Wiping away his tears of frustration the boy limped forward, looking about desperately for Ankei. The blond was no where in sight. Tears welling in his eyes, the boy even sought out Kaelin, the one that was always relentlessly nice and overwhelming with hugs. But still, he could find no one other than Yami.

Crying still, the boy limped towards the darkly clad Prince, his dirty face streaked with tears. As he came closer, Yami slowly raised his head and stared. The half-demon slowly closed his book and set it aside, his face an emotionless mask as he waited for his son to reach him.

Raif stopped several feet away, crying and saying nothing as he stared at his father who was still looking blankly at him.

“Come.” Yami said softly, lifting his arms and motioning slightly with his fingers. Raif shuffled forward, just out of reach. A hint of annoyance touched the beautiful mans face, but it melted away after a moment. “Raif…” The mans voice held a tinge of emotion. Raif shuffled within reach, dropping his gaze and wiping away his tears with the back of his hand.

Yami ran his fingertips across the boys’ arms, brushing the gravel from it and testing a few spots that bled or seemed particularly bruised. Raif whimpered quietly, biting his lip and fighting back tears.

“How did you acquire these injuries?” Yami asked. Raif mumbled a reply. “Pardon?” The half-demon said, tilting his head.

“I was getting flowers…for…daddy.” The boy mumbled again.

“For Ankei?” Yami confirmed quietly. Raif nodded. Yami sighed softly, “Next time, don’t go down the ravine.” Raif glanced up at him sharply, as to which Yami replied with a sigh, “Yes, Raif, I watched you go down there. I thought it appropriate you learned a lesson.”

Raifs’ lip quivered and he tried to pull himself free, but the five year old was no match even for the frail young half-demon. Yami reached up to brush a few twigs from the boys jet-black hair; hair like his own and smiled kindly at the boy. Raif swallowed, staring with uncertainty back at his father.

“We’ll fix you up just fine, my son.” Yami said softly. He stood, picking up his book and tucking it under his arm. He stared at Raif whose head hung shamefully. The man took his sons hand with his free one and the boy’s head jerked up. Yami never held his hand. “You’ll be all right, dear. I won’t tell Ankei.”

Raif smiled shyly up at his father. “Can…can you then come and pick flowers with me after?” He inquired in a tiny voice.

Yami frowned softly, and Raif was afraid he would say no. Yami nodded slowly after a moment, “Of course. But first, we need to clean you up.”

“Can’t…you… just heal me like Kaelin always does when someone gets hurt?” Raif piped tilting his head.

“If I did that, my son, then you would be careless once more.” The man lead his son to a bench that overlooked a brilliant fountain with the sculpture of an elegant angelic woman whose trumpet showered the fountain with crystal clear water. Her wings spread upward in a graceful arc and the water droplets traced down her white porcelain skin leaving it glistening in the summer sun. Raif stared in awe at the fountain—he always found them intriguing. “Raif.” Yami’s voice called and the little boy snapped his attention back to his father. “Sit down.”

Using both hands to pull himself up onto the bench, the boy settled down and brushed dirt from his pants, awaiting his fathers’ attention. He watched his father as he sat at the fountains edge, having abandoned the book beside his son, the man was free of excess charge. He dipped the corner of a white handkerchief into the cold water then returned to his son, gently brushing away the dirt and blood. Raif’s lip quivered and his eyes watered with tears, but he dared not complain in the face of his stoic father.

When Yami found the cleaning of the wounds adequate he sat back, both hands on his sons shoulders as he leaned back to stare concernedly at his son. Raif blinked back at him. “Father…?”

Yami caught himself after a moment, and mouthed a few incoherent sentences. He stood, flustered. “You are fine then.” He stated, more then asked. Raif nodded, slipping off the bench. Yami stooped over to pick up his book then looked at his son who stared pleadingly up at him. “…What? Are you still hurt?” The half-demon asked, frowning at him.

“Can…we…get flowers for daddy?” Raif inquired softly.

It took every ounce of his strength to not tell his son that dandelions were not flowers, but were in fact a weed. The half-demon let out half a sigh before he caught himself and offered his son his lithe hand again. Raif snatched it and letting out a giggle of delight began to tug his father off into the green fields that surrounded the Aurorain kingdom. A hint of a smile graced Yami’s lips, even as he squinted his crimson eyes at the painfully bright sun above and knew that he was in danger of a light tan. The half-demon mentally sighed—he would miss his pale porcelain skin. His gaze dropped to his son who clung with both hands to his arm and nearly hung there babbling nonsense about some irrelevant factor of human life that only children took interest in. And for some reason, Yami didn’t mind.

[Ramirez]



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