The air may blow away a candle's flames, but without it the flames will never burn.
Leofric watched the large candle on the table, its wax slowly melting down to the candle holder's plate.
Today on my 18th birthday, I had been recognised for my bravery as my time as a squire.
I am the golden child of the Godwinson family.
A single drop of wax dripped down from the plate and to the plank of the table.
My father is the Thegn of York, the Kingdom of Aquilon's second-richest village for its trade where we import goods from Francus and export our grains.
"So this is your lil' squire… No, our big noble knight of today eh, Thegn Leo?"
Leo laughed, holding onto a metal cup filled with wine with his cheeks blooming pink.
"Of course!" He placed his palm on Leofric's head with little aggression due to his intoxicated state. Leofric was startled then looked at his father.
"He's gonna be the Earl of York one day!"Laughed a group of middle-aged men and Leo.
Leofric exchanged glances with the eyes of the room, the eyes of drunken men smiling–awkwardly he smiled back and gave off forced small chuckles.
But I feel something wrong about this... do I hate it?
Leo takes Leofric's empty cup on the table, grabs the wine bottle across the table and pours more wine.
"Fa-" raised his hand but hesitated and so did his voice. His eyes were frozen as he watched the wine pour down—the silver reflecting a distorted worried face and a hue of red.
"This wine was brought back all the way from Francus through the hard work and prosperity of the people of York" Leo's voice boomed and raised his cup.
The other nobles followed suit with their cups gleaming against the room's candlelights.
"A toast!" raised everyone's cup but Leofric—lowering his head and glaring to the stare of the others towards him.
"Come on, be a man and drink!" With a cup lodged into Leofric's face.
I never liked the taste of wine, I'd drink for the sake of being more "manly".
Then he took the cup and drank it, his eyes watched the wine lower down into his mouth.
But then I hate this burning sensation throughout the tip of my tongue and down to my chest. The sourness and the sting… I'm getting sick of it.
Wiped his lips with a towel. "Father, can this be my last cup?"
"Last cup? Are you being serious? This is your only cup!"
"But I-"
"No, don't be a wuss. You have to drink! It's a day to celebrate your adulthood."
Then stood Erik–the friend of Leo who too has blushed cheeks—slams the table with a smirk.
"No, you must let the boy drink more!" He shouted and laughed.
"See? Go ahead and show them the man you are!" Leo then extended his arm pointing the cup at Erik while looking at Leofric slightly irritated.
"Alcohol is courtesy after all."
Courtesy….
Leofric could only smile nervously and stare at his now empty cup. Until the door creaked.
"Maybe you're being a little too hard on him honey." Perked everyone and turned to glare over the woman.
It was Edith, Leofric's mother. She walked to his chair and held him in his arms from behind— immediately she leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Mother, you're here." Leofric puffed his cheek and squinted his left eye.
"Look, Edith. He should present himself as the strong man that he is!"
"Oh he's a strong man alright, but he'll always be my sweet little baby." She chuckles and lightly grazes her fingers through Leofric's hair then gives him another kiss on the forehead.
"Motherrr…." Leofric groaned awkwardly.
She chuckled. "We spent a lot of time and effort in making this so just enjoy the food okay?"
"...Yeah" Startled, Leofric snags a piece of the whole chicken using his fork to tear up a strip of meat off its thigh.
"He used to be so strong and proud that he would ask to drink any wine that I was merely touching. Don't know why with the suddenly halt." Leo then turned over to Leofric—opening his arms in a sarcastic manner.
"Are you a girl now?" Scoffed Leo then turned his head away.
The room filled with laughter.
"It's not like that father." Leofric furrowed his brows.
"Agh. If only my son would have a woman already, then I'd be really happy!"
The air once again filled with laughter.
"Want me to introduce my daughter to him?" Shouted a noble raising his cup with a large smile.
"Oh that will be more than just a favour!" Raised Leo too in a prideful manner
Laughed Leo and the table obnoxiously again. Leofric on the other hand lowered his head and stared at his lightly stained trencher.
It all just… sounds so wrong. It's all the same. Getting married, becoming a knight, studying for the estate, drinking this distasteful wine.
Leofric grasped his hand by his lap in silence with his head down.
following my father's footsteps… I am not my father and will never be!
The laughter continued to omit the room, but to Leofric's ears they were becoming more faint and muffled.
Just how long will this go on?!
Leofric gripped his tunic tighter—his hands lightly trembling.
"So Thegn Leo—how does it feel to be the Earl of York next year?" Asked the noble wearing a purple robe.
Leofric's eyes widened.
"Of course it's wonderful! But now soon I'll have my son take part as Thegn!"
Chuckled the atmosphere, the purple robe noble responded with a smile of acknowledgement.
However, Leofric's heart pulsed throughout his chest—leading his eyes to widen out of anxiety. His blue green veins too popped out of his skin, opening his palm and drops of cold sweat began to rise out of his skin.
His face, pale, with sweat streaming down his forehead and down his chin.
"Leofric? My dear?" Edith rests her palms on the shoulder of her startled son.
"H—huh? S-sorry mother—I'm… fine. it's quite hot in here." But her eyes showed worry, looking at her own son's eyes unraveled a lie.
Then ends the party with the end of chatter and tipsy nobles with a few drunkard ones.
"Thank you so much for inviting us to your son's birthday Thegn Leo!" A noble wearing a purple robe waved while supporting a drunken Eric leaning against a wall puking.
"Eugh!" coughed and poured a vomit of red and brown.
"Le—o! Your son is goi–na ful–fil yow—legashe!" While crouched towards the wall.
A drunken Leo chuckled with his arms resting over Leofric.
"Hahaha! He is my son after all!" He lost a bit of balance tilting towards Leofric. Immediately Leofric—while already struggling—pushed his father back upright.
"Father, let's just go home. It's late already." As Leofric struggled to keep his father's balance
"You always want to go home early!" Turned his head–irritated.
Erik could be heard vomiting again in the distance.
"Bu-" Leofric could not grip his father's shirt for long, soon his grip broke and the drunkard Leo began to walk towards Eric.
"Honey, you'll fall." Rushed Edith as she laid her hands over his shoulder and stomach.
Leo continued to drag himself towards Erik and could barely stand upright like a snake. Leofric began to sweat, keeping his father from tripping and Edith supporting his back and wiping his neck with a wet towel.
Being drunk is such a burden, father you're such a fool. Making me and mother take care of you like some naughty child!
"Father, let's just go home, I wanna rest and so does mother." Leofric pleaded—holding onto his father.
"Rest? You—'re not gonna get th–hat much soon." Leo spoke slurrish and turned his his toward Leofric—his body starting leaning against Leofric.
"Father, please just help yourself and stay upright!" Leofric begins pushing his father back up.
"Uhhh– huh?" Leo continued to be helpless allowing his body to relax and lean over Leofric.
"Mother— help me!" Leofric struggled.
"Dear, you're going to fall!" Edith exclaimed—pulling her husbands shoulders back.
"Agh!"
However neither strength could stop him, the two crashed on the ground with Leo's body falling right on top of Leofric.
Leofric started to gasp for air, his chest being crushed by the weight of his father's back.
Alcohol is courtesy my ass!
Upon arriving at their house, Leofric was catching his breath.
"Leofric." Asked Leo sitting on the chair while Edith started rubbing a wet towel around his neck.
"Hahh…–huh?"
"When you're done serving as a squire, I'm going to send you into a school to learn French. From there you're going to go with me from now on into meetings. I have one in a few days so you have to go with me."
Upon hearing those words, it struck Leofric with extreme anxiety. His eyes simply got lost in the gaze of the room's floor, his sweat building up over his forehead and palms, and his heart rate pulsing up to his ear.
"Hey! Are you deaf?" Leo slurred while shouting.
"N-no…" Leofric stomped then gulped.
"If you keep acting like this you'll never succeed— *hic* like me."
"Y-yes… father."
Leofric turned away walking up the stairs but after a few steps Leo spoke.
"It's clear that this isn't what you want, so what is it that you want to do?"
Leofric stopped, his eyes narrowed with his fist clenched. "There's no point in telling, you won't listen and say everything I do is wrong."
"Then what's the point? Do you want to become useless your whole life? Have I raised a loser son? You don't even drink wine, have no woman, and refuse to appreciate your nobility!"
Edith began to stammer. "H-honey that's too far.."
"Too far? He's being a complete wuss even since the celebration!"
I… have to stay calm…
"Leofric." Edith walked quickly toward her son by the stairs. "Your father is just trying to do the best for you. But it wouldn't hurt to know your true ambitions right?"
"Do what he loves? He doesn't even help me with work. How should he deserve to do what he loves?" Leo turned his
"I could only do so much!" Leofric broke out standing upright and turning his head back to Leo with a fierce look in his eyes.
"Do so much!? You're an adult now, what do you mean too much? It's your duty to contribute to this family, all you do when you get back home is go outside again!"
"I'm outside because I wanted to see Cuthbert!"
"And what does that contribute to? Nothing!" Leo spoke in an egotistical manner, giggling at Leofric's response.
"Father, it's not like I can't do the work, it's because I don't want to. I have no passion for any of that."
"But what I'm telling you to do is what's best for you!"
"No, It's what's best for YOU!" Leofric shouted.
"Leofric, don't shout at your father. That's not so polite." Edith laid her hands onto his arm and looked at him with pity.
"Mother… it's hard to calm down when you're dealing with this."
"My baby, what is it that you want to do?"
"I… I– I want to write stories, mother. I want my stories to reach the hearts of people, not just children." Leofric stammered, lowering his head on the ground.
"How does writing stories make you rich?" Leo exclaimed then laughed.
"Honey. That's enough." Edith looked over at Leo while she rubbed Leofric's back.
Leofric raised his head, tears filling up his eyes and his teeth grit harder.
"You only care about our status and money! It's not always like that! I'm not your slave nor am I your doll!"
"You don't even appreciate your own nobility, Leofric! Do you know how long it took for me to get us here?"
"It doesn't matter!" Leofric broke off from his mother's grasp and hurriedly walked upstairs.
"You're gonna leave again? Like always?"
"I'm leaving because I can't take this anymore!" Leofric kicked the side table then rushed into his room slamming the door.
He ran to his room, gripping his pillow, burying himself as he watched the window with his eyes still watery.
My heart, it's like it's… sinking back into the Earth. My soul—splitting apart.
The ceiling began to creak, then rain started pouring tapping the roof .
Are you listening? God?
"I…"
First there were three drops of rain tapping on the window, and now eight, until it was uncountable—each drop merging with others till they travelled down.
"...want to just die."
"Gotcha!" A red fox lunged over and sank its teeth into the white rabbit's neck.
It's sunrise, a peaceful day in the open fields of York by the trees roams a talking fox hunting for his lunch.
With the rabbit stuffed in his mouth squeaking and kicking its legs. "A fox always has a trick up their sleeve!"
The rabbit continuously squealed and kicked the air.
"Oh shut your arse up." The fox angrily bit hard cracking the rabbit's neck
Smoke rose up from the fire pit outside of its den placed right below a gigantic tree with a knife stuck into the stump. The rabbit now skinned—its red corpse lodged on a stick placed right above the flames.
Outside was a wooden table with a chair where the fox sat down scavenging its leather bag laid on the side.
"Now where is it… that- ah!" A book was pulled out of the bag.
"My handy craftsman book!" The fox patted the book with its paw, blowing away the little debris of thin sticks and crunched leaves on the cover.
The book had a well sewed leather cover containing pockets that held miniature utility: a small magnifying glass, a feather, a knife, and a bottle of ink.
"The Gate to Agartha. Of course… authored by the one and only—Otis the Fox!"
Echoed his voice throughout the forest, yet only silence remained afterwards.
"Eugh, well I knew that was gonna happen anyway. Nobody really knows what a fox says am I right?" Shrugged Otis.
He opens the book—inside of it comprises multiple sketches described with writing. Each page holds drawings of a golden tree, an elegant and shiny looking bird, clouds with unusual spirals, and…
"My nightmares…" Otis laid his paw on the page's rough sketch—a fierce man with large antennas sticking out of his head.
However he stops on a specific page that was yet to be finished, the page of the Golden Apple.
"This apple…" He grit his teeth and clawed into the table.
His ears suddenly perked up—turning behind him looking over at the skies of the forest.
"Don't tell me…" He quickly slammed his book, ran towards the deeper section of the forest on all fours quickly snagging the knife with his teeth.
His mouth continued to drool over his excitement and it started to drip down to the soil.
Soon after, a uniquely high pitched chirp echoed in the distance.
Hurriedly Otis climbed the tree scouting for the creature. And there was a bright shiny glint of gold standing out in the dark green forest.
It was not totally clear, but the figure was in fact of a small bird.
I can't believe it…
The bird's head turned around revealing its purely golden eye with no iris. It glimmered and immediately flew away.
"Y'aren't getting away tis time!" Grunted Otis, his voice muffled by the knife, turning his eyes crimson red—his fangs only grew longer and his claws now larger.
The bird chirped, right before it could fly away, Otis' teeth were already above and below its head.
But the bird's eye suddenly shone bright gold, flashing Otis and startling him.
"Agh, God fuckin' damn-!" Without realising, Otis had reached into the village, he came crashing down a house's balcony.
"That stupid golden bird! I'm gonna feed you to the wolves you piece of sh-!" Otis froze and turned his head towards the window.
It was Leofric staring at him with baggy eyes but wide as a frog.
"Did you… just… talk…?" Leofric stammered.
"he… heee… hee… heeeehhh…?" Otis grinned nervously, mimicking the noise of a fox—but it clearly sounded too human.
Leofric took a deep breath and was on the verge of screaming, Otis jumped through the window and leaped onto Leofric's face—hugged his head covered his mouth with his stomach.
"Mmmph! Mmm!" Leofric struggles to pull Otis out of his face.
"Kid, keep quiet and let me explain! I can't let you spill the damn beans!"
"Mmmmphhh!!!" Leofric screamed wantonly.
"W-wait-! Haha! Hah! Hahaha! That fuckin' tickles! Stop, stop, stop!" Otis began laughing uncontrollably, holding onto Leofric's head tighter.
Leofric walked behind and his back tapped the wall, he turned around and slammed his face along with Otis' body onto the wall.
Otis gasped loudly, clenching his paw on Leofric's hair. "Ow! That hurts!"
Leofric slammed again.
"Gah! Wait! Sto-!"
Leofric slammed one last time staggering Otis, he fell on the floor with his tongue sticking out.
"Gahh… hahh… hey… you alive?" Leofric stared at Otis' passed out body.
Leofric then grabbed his chair using its legs to nudge Otis awake.
"Hey, foxy, you alive?" Leofric nudges at his head making Otis' tongue sway and drool down the floor.
Suddenly Otis laid out a large gasp. "I thought I was gonna die!"
Leofric screamed and fell back onto his bed.
"Leofric! What's the noise?" Shouted Edith.
"N-nothing! There was a bug!" Replied Leofric.
"Okay."
Leofric then grabs his sword from the wall and draws it towards Otis.
Otis then raised his paws up with a calm manner.
"Woah, woah, woah! Let's calm down a little bit alright? I'm not gonna hurt ya."
"You're a demon! Reveal yourself!" Leofric demanded point his sword deeper towards Otis.
"Demon? I'm a fox can't ya see? I lost my knife. I can't even hurt ya."
"How do I know I can trust you?" The sword began to shake from Leofric's trembling hand.
"How should I trust you? You have a sword on my face, idiot!" Shouted Otis.
"But you're a talking fox!" The sword now inches away from Otis's face, he stepped back towards the wall and started at the blade.
"Alright, alright! I get it. Just sheathe your sword and I'll answer you, alright? For god's sake my life is on the line here." Otis proclaimed.
Leofric then tosses a rope in front of Otis.
"A rope? What do you want me to do with this?"
"Tie yourself up."
"What? There's no way I'm doing tha-."
Otis eventually agreed and had his hands tied up together with the rope, he sat down on the floor grumpily with his brows furrowed.
"Look, I'm just trying to be safe here." Leofric then sheaths his sword.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, get to the point of what d'ya want?" Otis rolled his eyes.
"How come… you can talk?"
"I don't even know, maybe I'm a human in the past and I just got reincarnated. I already knew and thought like a human. Either way I'm still a fox, see?" Otis raised his paws—his claws sharpening.
"I-I see…" Leofric took a deep breath and sat on his chair.
"You got a name?" Leofric leaned forward from his chair.
"It's Otis, though… that's probably the first time I introduced myself to a human. Kind of odd thinking about that now." Otis lowered his head and giggled.
He then raised his head with a slight smirk.
"What about you kid?"
"Leofric, Leofric Godwinson."
"Godwinson…?" Otis' eyes widened and raised his head further, staring at Leofric.
"Is something wrong with my name?" Leofric tilted his head.
"No, it's just I think I've heard that last name before. But that's like centuries old, that's a really rare name I believe. You royalty? Or a noble?"
"Well my father's a thegn, he's gonna be earl pretty soon though." Leofric spoke while upset, looking away from Otis and staring at the side of bis chair.
"You don't look so happy at the thought of your father even though he's technically royalty."
"W-well…-."
"Your face says a lot, kid, I get it. You don't have to pretend you like it." Otis empathised.
Leofric stayed silent and kept his head lowered. Silence stayed in the room for awhile until Otis finally spoke again.
"Your ambition, what is it that you want to do, kid? You can tell me, I'm just a fox after all." Otis giggled.
Leofric's eyes widened and he raised his head.
"My ambition? W-well… It's to be a storyteller, but it doesn't make enough money. I'm thinking of quitting it."
"Quitting? Are ya insane? Hey, if it's what you want to do just try. Story telling probably aint that hard for ya since you probably liked stories don't ya?" Otis exclaimed.
"But my father hates it." Leofric lowered his head again.
"Hey, raise your head. Your father shouldn't force you on what you should like. It's your life and your choice, the more you let yourself be controlled the more your soul will collapse."
Upon hearing Otis' words, Leofric raised his head once more with an uncertain frown.
"Otis, tell me." Leofric asked with a serious tone.
"What is it, kid?"
"Is… magic real?" Leofric stammered with a stern look on his face.
"Lots of things are real, kid. More than you know in this day and age."
"So… is Agartha…"
Otis' eyes widened and slowly raised his head.
"…real?"
Otis' chest began pounding, his breath becoming more ragged and his saliva dripping down his mouth.
"Agartha… is real." Otis said, his voice barely a whisper. He took a breath and gulped.
Then Leofric's face grew a big smile, excited he was about to speak but was interrupted.
"But don't keep your hopes too high." Otis lowered his head.
"Agartha ain't for the weak to begin with, I've been trying to get there but it's like the universe is pulling me away from ever entering that place."
Suddenly a knife appeared in front of Otis' lap. Otis immediately gasped and backed his paws to his left shoulder.
"Calm down, perhaps we could try to find it together, Otis." Leofric offered his hand with a smile, the knife lowered, gesturing to hand over his paws.
"Alright kid, thanks." Otis then gently placed his paws on Leofric's hands. Following suit, Leofric starts to cut the rope with his knife.
"I'll bring you to my den, but you must never tell anyone about me or where I live alright? If you do, I'm gonna hunt you down and dig these claws up your ass!"
Leofric laughed. "Relax, I want to learn more from you Otis. I feel like my fantasies are all becoming real."
Otis then smiles back—his face softening. "A good number of those fantasies are reality, kid. You better brace yourself with what's to come."
Leofrics nods eagerly with a strong smile. Then a snap, the ropes on Otis' hands were free. Otis took a look at his paws, clenching and opening them.
Otis shifted his gaze to the enthusiastic Leofric, he let off a smile and nodded in return.
"Agh my fucking rabbit! It's burnt!" Otis placed a paw on his face with an irritated look.
"I'm sorry." Leofric apologised nervously.
"Nah I get it." Otis removed his paw.
"After all I was chasing that darn golden bird." He then walked over to his grill and proceeded to cut off the burnt parts of the rabbit meat.
"Golden bird? Like THE golden bird?"
Otis turned the rabbit on a stick upside down.
"Yeah, the one with the king's tree of a golden apple? Guess what, I'm the fox in there too." Otis grinned while stepping on his bellows on the firepit.
"R-really?!" Leofric exclaimed.
"Nah I'm joking, that was centuries ago, I'm only decades old." Otis laughed maliciously.
"Oh…" Leofric stammered.
Otis then stepped on the bellows faster grunting as he spoke.
"But hey don't get upset-… the golden apple is real, but none of em grow here anymore…" Otis took a quick breath.
"Well, at least… as of lately." With the final step the firepit's flame reignited. He then took the rabbit stick and started turning it momentarily.
Leofric then walked over Otis' workbench where his book lay on top. He took a closer look, and the title of the page read "The Golden Apple".
"Well speak of the devil, we speak of the apple and your book was left with the apple." Leofric giggled.
Otis raised a brow and turned over to see Leofric near his book.
"Oh… it's like fate was setting us up huh? Pretty crazy coincidence am I right?" Laughed Otis.
"Right, can I take a look at your book?"
Otis grinned and added more sticks to the firepit. "Be my guest, Leofric Godwinson."
Leofric took a seat on the stump browsing through Otis' book. Flipping from page to page read, "The Golden Apple", "The Gate to Agartha", "The Golden Bird", "Symbol?", "The doll that tells no lies", until Leofric stopped on a certain page, "The Mantle".
"Where the tarnished lie..?"
Otis pulled the rabbit stick out and laid it on the wooden table next to him.
"Ah, the Mantle. Maybe the easiest way to put it for you is Hell. Except it doesn't entirely work the same way as hell." He began pulling the stick out of the cooked rabbit and began slicing the meat off.
"How so?" Leofric turned to look at Otis tilting his head sideways.
"Well, it doesn't always matter if you're a good or bad person, it's the nature of your soul that brings ya to Agartha or the Mantle."
Otis laid the slices of meat on the table and pulled small bottles of spices from the small pouch bag by the table.
"How do you know all of this anyway? Like you've never been to Agartha have you?" Leofric turns his head back to the book looking at Otis' diagram of Agartha.
Otis stiffined, his paw hovering over the knife. He didn't answer, his ears twitching.
"Otis?"
Otis stabbed his knife on the table, he funally muttered.
"No…" Otis shifted his gaze to the knife's blade.
"So… how do you know all of this then?" Leofric turns his head back to Otis.
The dumbfounded fox was stuck in a daze, staring at his reflection at the knife reflecting a fearful look.
"Otis?" As the fox continued to stare at his reflection, the sound of his surroundings muffled.
"Otiiiis?" The silence grew stronger, sounds of screeching, splattering and the whistling of a thunderstorm.
"Otis!" Leofric shouted.
"Ah- Eugh-! Ah!" Stammed Otis shaking his head and brushing his paws on his face.
"Jesus what happened to you? You look like a knight after a terrible war." Leofric leaned forward from sitting by the stump.
Otis laughed nervously while still panting. "Using the lord's name in vain huh?" His breath was still ragged.
"Hey, if it's a sensitive topic I won't pry any more." Leofric went over to the table, kneeling down and grabbed the pot of water. He poured it into one of the clay cups.
"Here, please. It'll clear your head for a bit." Leofric holds the cup with two hands offering it to Otis.
With Otis still panting, he took the cup and began gulping down the water.
"S-slow down! You'll drink endlessly if you do that."
Otis stopped gulping and drank the water slowly. Once finished he let off an exhale.
"Ahh~ Thanks kid." Otis let off a sincere but nervous smile. "Saved me a little over there."
"Are you really okay with talking about Agartha?" Leofric sat back down on the stump.
"Y-yeah. There's just…" Otis rubbed his face with his paw briefly.
He began opening the bottles of seasoning and dropping it to the rabbit meat.
"…I don't even know myself, kid. I don't remember most of how I know it either." Otis stammered.
Otis then walked over to a stone slate laid on the ground, he poured water over it quickly then placed two other rocks to the side of the fire and stacked the slate over the firepit.
"So it's like… you have repressed memories?" Leofric tilted his head.
"Something like that." Otis went back over the rabbit meat and rubbed the seasoning with his paws.
"But how the hell do we know this is all "real"?" Leofric furrowed his brows staring at the page of the Mantle.
"Like, are you sure, we're not just doing this all because it's in your dreams?" Leofric skimmed through the pages flipping through progressively becoming more abrupt.
"Hey, be careful with my book!" Otis slightly raised his voice.
"But then-…" Leofric starts to irritably look at the pages.
"Look… it's true they're all from my "dreams" bu-."
Leofric slammed the table abruptly, cutting off Otis as he looked at him angrily. "Dreams?!"
Otis raised his voice further and replied sternly. "That became real! I was chasing the golden bird god damn it!"
"How do I know you're not lying?!" Leofric raised his voice back sitting back on the stump.
"Oh for God's sake!" Otis runs to his den, returning with a golden feather clenched on his paw.
Angrily walking towards Leofric, he laid one paw on Leofric's lap, extending his arm, shoving the golden feather close to his face.
Leofric pushed himself a little back from the abrupt gesture. The feather was made of pure gold, reflecting off the sun. Polished so well that he could see his own reflection. He brought his hand close to the feather.
"Go ahead, hold it. Since you won't believe me." Otis said irritably—clicking his tongue.
Leofric took the feather sitting upright again and observed it, turning the feather—watching as the shine coursed through the calamus to the tip of the vane.
His eyes in awe, fidgeting the vane feelings of its stiff but smooth texture. Rubbing his fingers through watching as the strips of gold run through his fingers.
Leofric took a quick breath and lowers the feather down to his lap. "Otis… I'm-."
"I get it, it's hard to believe. You got a little too ahead of yourself." Otis spoke with his brows still furrowed. He picked up a bottle of oil underneath the table and opened it—pouring it over the stone slate.
Leofric watched as Otis placed the rabbit meat over the slate, quickly the meat began sizzling. He could not reply, only lowering his head and fidgeting with the feather.
"Ya want some?" Otis turned to face Leofric.
Leofric quickly raised his head and shook his head sideways.
"Oh come on, it'll taste great. Let's eat up real quick before we dive deeper." Otis said enthusiastically.
He went inside his den and brought out two trenchers and laid it over the wooden table. With a wooden carving fork, he flipped the meat and placed cooked ones over each trencher.
"They're good while they're hot. Eat up." Otis said with a sincere smile pushing the trencher towards Leofric.
"T-thanks." Leofric stammered walking to the table sitting on the dirt and proceeded to touch the meat.
"Ah, ah, ah!" Leofric shook his hand abruptly.
Otis laughed maliciously and handed him another wooden carving fork.
"You idiot." Giggled Otis.
The duo took their time eating the seasoned rabbit meat, Leofric's eyes sparkled upon his first few chews, Otis laughing at Leofric's reaction.
"This rabbit is so good! Who knew it could taste this good?" With food stuffed in Leofric's mouth.
"Talking with your mouth stuffed? Are ya really royalty?" Otis laughed.
"Can't help it. What'd you put in this?" Leofric then swallowed.
"Well ya never used oil and a stone to cook have ya? You should try it, it works wonders!" Otis said enthusiastically.
"I'll do it!" Leofric replied enthusiastically, stuffing another piece of meat in his mouth.
Otis chuckled back, but his laugh started to dissipate. "My dreams… they're more like fragmented memories."
Leofric slowed his chewing and looked at Otis with wider eyes.
"In these dreams, I felt like I was someone else—a human, an Agarthian of some sort. But they're all broken, like pieces of a mirror that won't fit together. No matter how hard I try… the answers are just outta my reach." Otis grabbed his cup with his two paws staring at the dark reflection of himself in the water.
"And I have to suffer… waking up with more questions but at the cost of my heart pounding off my chest and my mouth covered in drool." Otis lowered his head with an upset look on his face.
Leofric quickly chewed and swallowed his meat. "Is that why you're so obsessed with Agartha?"
Otis laughed. "You're one to talk." He then took a quick deep breathz
"I have so many unanswered questions, kid. And I'm always a step behind everything. Agartha ain't a place I want to find… It's something I need to find." Otis said upsettingly. He then grabbed a piece of meat and started chewing.
"You mentioned the golden bird right?" Why were you after him? Sounds like you were… trying to… "hunt" him down…?" Leofric spoke, stammering nervously.
"That's right." Otis replied straightforwardly, chewing on his meat.
"But… why? Should the bird be like a guide to where Agartha is?" Leofric raised a brow and tilted his head.
"It's rather the opposite." Otis closed his eyes and crossed his arms.
"He will do absolutely anything to stop you from going there. Moreover…" Otis reopened his eyes, furrowing his brows and swallowing the meat.
"He is probably the reason why we will never see a golden apple."
"But you said the golden apple doesn't grow anymore." Leofric replied, leaning his body towards Otis.
"They occasionally do, once in a blue moon." Otis wiped his paws against the trencher.
"Once in a blue moon?" Leofric replied confused.
"Oh, you've never seen a blue moon before?" Otis tilted his head, his right ear twitching.
"I have but what do you mean Once in a Blue Moon?" Leofric leaned back using his arms to keep him elevated.
"Well like the blue moon rarely happens, then finding a golden apple is extremely rare itself." Otis then stood up, placing his trencher in a wooden box right outside of the den.
"I see." Leofric followed suit and rubbed his hands against the trencher. Afterwards, he hands it over to Otis.
"Thanks, I'll use these to catch me some more rabbit." Otis takes the used trencher and walks over to the wooden box.
The sun began to set, the sky turning orange and darker by the minute.
"Well it's getting late. I'll be heading back now Otis. I'll come back tomorrow." Leofric stands up and pats his hands with his tunic.
Leofric then offered his hand to Otis. Following suit Otis returned with a firm handshake.
"I'll see ya tomorrow then kid. If I ain't there I'm just huntin'." Otis let off a sincere smile and let go of Leofric's hand.
"Bye for now, Otis the fox." Leofric began walking away waving to Otis.
"Bye for now, Leofric Godwinson." Otis waved back with a smirk on his face.
Then the night came, Leofric was walking towards his house. The street lit up with torches, a quiet and peaceful night with the crickets trilling. Leofric opened the door to his house and walked in.
"Leofric!" Edith stood up from her chair and ran towards Leofric.
"Mother. I-." Leofric closed the door behind him with a smile on his face.
"What did I tell you about staying out for too long?!" Edith frantically replied.
"I was just out by the woods." Leofric replied concerned.
"The woods?! Are you crazy?! Who knows what could hurt you? Is this ambition of yours of becoming a storyteller getting in your head?!" Edith laid her hands on both of Leofrics shoulders.
"Ambition? Of what? Being a storyteller?" Leofric replied confused.
"So that's what's making you act up isn't it? Then maybe your father's right!" Shouted Edith.
"I was just trying to get more inspiration so I could start writing stories!" Leofric said upsettingly.
"Inspiration? Next thing I know you're gonna get attacked by some animal!"
"Mother, I'm all grown and I've already served as a squire. There's nothing for me to-."
"Stop talking back!" Edith's voice cracked under the weight of her frustration.
"Maybe you're not so different after all! You never believed in my ambition didn't you?!" Leofric's voice rose, his hands clenched.
"I just want you to be safe, Leofric. You're my only child." Her voice softened, but her hands gripping his shoulders tighter with desperation in her eyes betrayed her.
Leofric turned his gaze away lightly gritting his teeth.
"Your father and I… just want you to succeed, you can't be going around recklessly for something that doesn't guarantee your success." Edith's voice softened further, with her voice pleading as she lowered her head.
"You won't even let me explain myself!" Leofric snapped, staring at his mother angrily, his voice trembling, and tears forming in the corner of his eyes.
"I'm your mother, there's no need for you to explain yourself—you're to listen to me and do as I say understand?!" Edith raised her head abruptly, proclaiming her words furiously.
Leofric frustratedly slapped her arms off his shoulders, his teeth gritted. "You only cared about money too, didn't you?! That look on your face… it's the same, you just want me to stop pursuing my ambition too, huh?!"
Edith froze, her frustration shifted into one of guilt. Her hands dropped to her sides, her gaze fell to the floor.
"I knew it." Leofric's voice cracked as he turned and rushed up the stairs. The slam of his door echoing throughout the house.
He curled himself in the corner of the room right where the moonlight shining through the window—Digging his head into her arms and knees.
Leo and Edith's muffled chattering could be heard slightly.
"That darn kid, he doesn't listen to us anymore." Exclaimed Leo
"Honey… not now I just—don't know what to say." Edith said frantically.
"I'm gonna go to him."
"Honey stop! Now's not the time."
"But he's been-." Leo was cut abruptly with the creaking noises of the stairs fading away.
Leofric peeked his eyes through his arms, in front of him was the full moon shining right out his window.
Once in a blue moon huh? Otis…
As he buried his face back into his arms, the hue of the moon turned blue. Leofric's room is now engulfed in the colour blue with the sound of the crickets echoing throughout.
But in his head, the sounds of his mother screaming at him, his drunken father ignoring his words, the sounds of cups clinging, the laughter of men. His hands moved to his head, squeezing them together.
Leofric's eyes widened, the scenery felt red. He looked at the sword by his window. But only thoughts of him shoving the blade down his stomach, slashing his throat. A lifeless Leofric bleeding out in his room.
I-… can't take it… anymore!
Gripped his hands sinking into the skin of his arms. Until the sound of chirping ringed his heart. He raised his head to look at the window. There was no bird, still the blue moon omitting his room. But a realisation grew into him, his eyes widened.
"The… apple…" Leofric muttered.
"I… must get the apple, and prove to everyone that I can be a storyteller…" his voice grew louder.
"No… I should be an adventurer, with Otis… A hero and his fox!" Leofric proclaimed, gripping his knee tighter with his fingers.
Until out of nowhere he heard rustling noises, they started soft to which Leofric did not bother. But they grew louder and louder until he stood up and walked by the window.
Suddenly, Otis jumps at his window, holding onto the window's frame.
"Kid the golden bird is here! Quickly, we gotta catch it!" Otis said through the window.
"What?!" Leofric exclaimed, opening his window and jumping out to the balcony.
"Look!" Otis points at the sky heading towards the forest, a chunk of gold shining on air towards the woods flying in deep upward and downward motions.
"Come on, we've got no time to waste!" Otis hurriedly climbs to the roof of Leofric's house.
Leofric nods and jumps out of his balcony, rolling his body forwards as he lands. With a swift landing, he shifts to run towards the golden shine towards the woods.
Otis on the other land grits his teeth, his saliva once again excessively drooling as his claws grew longer and his legs worked faster.
This time, Otis had something on his head, like a pair of goggles on his head. As Leofric ran right below where the bird was, Otis leaped onto tree after tree jumping side by side not letting him momentum flunk.
Leofric turned to see a stick on his path, as we ran towards the bird he swiftly grabbed the stick with his eyes locked on Otis.
"Ya ain't getting away this time birdie!" With one step off a tree, Otis leaps towards the golden bird pulling out a rope out of his belt-pouch.
The golden bird's eyes shined gold once more, but Otis had lowered the goggles. "You ain't flashing me today either!" The light shined as bright as the sun, but Otis managed to wrap the rope around the bird's neck and body.
However, the bird was strong, still flying upwards while struggling to fly with Otis hanging onto him with a rope pulling him down.
"Agh, fuck! He's tryna kill me!" Otis grunted while pulling his rope tighter and holding onto it.
The bird started gritting its beak, flapping its wings more aggressively, furrowing its brows until it was hit by a stick in the head—causing its tongue to stick out and the shine to fade almost instantly. The bird's flight was disrupted, Otis and the golden bird began descending down.
"Nice shot, kid!" Otis exclaimed then screamed as he and the bird fell.
Leofric rushed to the scene laying his arms out and caught the two. "Gotcha!"
Otis immediately wrapped the rope around the bird tight and started panting. "Good…" Otis gasps. "…Job… kid… hahh…"
"We…" Leofric laid the two on the ground. "did it! We caught the golden bird!" Leofric exclaimed, jumping and raising his fists up in joy.
Otis laughed tiredly while still panting shifting his gaze towards the tied up unconscious golden bird.
He then quickly swallowed. "Now… look up."
Leofric stopped wailing his arms and looking up. At first he just saw leaves, until he turned his head and found something shining hanging among the leaves…
"Is that…?" Leofric's voice softened.
"The golden apple… two golds, one stick. You're gonna be a legend, kid…" Otis chuckles while panting.
Leofric's eyes furrowed as he began climbing the tree, using his arms and feet to climb the steep trunk. Through his determination, he reached the branch that had the golden apple. Though it was night time, the apple's skin's reflection was clear as day. Leofric could see the blue moon and the stars reflecting on the skin and his own distorted face.
Shit… I've been outsmarted…
The golden bird woke up, opening its eyes slowly but his sight was still heavily blurred. He shifted his gaze to an extremely blurry fox as the blur slowly disappeared.
"Wakey, wakey lil' sunshine!" Otis laughed maliciously—muffled in the golden bird's ears.
The golden bird's eyes were still squinting, still gritting its break.
"I finally caught ya, you shining piece of shit!" Otis laughed maliciously again as the bird's hearing and sight returned.
"Y-you… Otis the Fox…" The golden bird spoke in a stern voice whilst grunting.
"You could speak?!" Otis exclaimed, leaving his jaw open.
Leofric turned his gaze down at the scene.
"Y-you fool… don't you dare take the apple!" The golden bird grunted.
"No!" Both Otis and Leofric replied.
"I worked my ass off to chase you and get it!" Otis laid his hands by his waist.
"And I'm not letting my dream be taken away so easily!" Leofric shouted as he reached over and gripped the golden apple with his fingers—furrowing his brows.
"No! Stop! You don't know what you two are doing!" The golden bird started grunting as he nudged himself making him roll sideways.
"Like hell we would!" Leofric finally pulled the apple down. His own reflection at the apple's skin, amazed he looked. He smiled as he dropped down from the branch.
"Oh, God!" Otis frantically walks back as Leofric lands with both feet.
"You scared the shit outta me!" Otis screamed.
Leofric laughed with the golden apple in his hands, he squats down showing it to Otis.
"We got it Otis… what do we do?" Leofric smiled warmly, his eyes squinting as he gazed over his own reflection.
Otis too looked at his reflection on the apple's skin, though his face was full of uncertainty.
"Kid… as much as I wanna eat it… my instincts are telling me-"
"Stop! Don't you dare eat the apple!" The golden bird frantically spoke, nudging himself against the ropes more aggressively.
"Or what birdie?" Leofric replied irritably.
"You're…" the golden bird hesitates.
"Or what?" Otis replied, his face full of concern.
"You'll… gain powers… but in return you'll cause another havoc between the surface and Agartha." He hesitantly spoke.
"Wait… we can go to Agartha with the apple?" Leofric shifted his gaze to Otis with a surprised look.
Despite Otis' original hesitation, his eyes widened as he stared back at his own reflection in the apple.
"Kid… when we eat this apple, there won't be any turning back. Our lives are both going to change."
"Stop! It's not worth it, are you really gonna cause chaos due to your own selfish reasons?!" The bird grit its teeth while struggling to break itself free from the ropes.
"I know… but Otis, I'm so… tired of my life. I want everything to change, I can't stand being a noble anymore. I want a new beginning." Leofric replied with an upset tone.
"Me too, kid. Are you really… ready to take on this gradual step?" Otis raised his head and looked at Leofric in the eyes.
The golden bird started to become more frantic, using its beak aggressively nibbling on the ropes, grunting as he watched the two converse.
"I've always been ready." Leofric replied furrowing his brows with a smile on his face.
With the moonlight shining behind them, Otis nodded to Leofric, following suit Leofric nodded back and held the golden apple with two hands.
"What the hell are you doing?! You…!" The golden bird aggressively spoke while muffled as he ripped the small strands of the rope with its beak.
Leofric positions his hand with both the base of his plan and his fingers at the top and bottom of the fruit. With a strong pull, Leofric rips the golden apple in half, with some of the juices dripping down to the grass immediately blooming a patch of daffodils on the ground.
"W-woah…" Otis exclaimed, his jaw slowly dropping at the sights of the golden apple.
"…Imbeciles!" The golden bird shouted.
The insides were the same as any ordinary apple, except there were no seeds. Only its golden flesh and the juicy apple meat.
"Here you go, Otis the fox." Leofric handed one half of the golden apple with a warm smile.
Otis receives the other half with his two paws, smiling back. "Thanks, Leofric Godwinson."
The golden bird's actions became more aggressive, his feet begging kicking the air and the ropes were constantly being nudged. He baegam grunting more and more with his eyes furrowing the closer the apple got to being chowed.
"To new beginnings, and to discovering your past." Leofric raised his apple as if it were a wine glass.
Otis followed suit, raising his apple. "To new beginnings, and to relearn about my past."
"Stop!!!" The golden bird screamed, his words still muffled by the ropes in his beak.
Nobility… is not a reward, it's a curse that locks me into a path of legacy that I'm not built for…
My past… I want to know who I am, who I was, what these nightmares mean. Who… am I really?
As they both bring the apple closer to their mouths…
I'm not my father, and I never will be!
I'm not just an ordinary fox, I am more than that!
Together, the fox and the human took their first bite of the golden apple.
I am Leofric Godwinson!
I am Otis the Fox!
the juices falling down to their hands with a bite and dripping down to the grass.
"That's enough! Stop!" The golden bird continued to scream.
But the two continued to chow down, savouring the apple, with the grass below them growing daffodils as they ate.
"No…" The golden bird spoke, defeated. He began to stare at the scene watching as the flowers bloomed below their feet.
"Wow… that tasted amazing!" Leofric exclaimed.
"Right? This thing was bloody sweet and the texture is just so… irresistible!" Otis exclaimed too.
"How come I'm not feeling any changes?" Leofric stands up touching his chest.
"Me neither." Otis too began touching his chest.
Suddenly the rope bursted and flew away with a strong wind. The golden bird began flapping its wings hovering over the air, gritting his beak and furrowing his brows.
"You leave me no choice…" The golden bird brought its wings up, then with one large flap, he twirled and dashed towards Leofric at immense speed. His wind blowing strongly towards Leofric, blowing the leaves in the way leaving rustling noises.
"Kid!!!" Otis shouted.
Leofric was startled, but instinctively stretched his arms out and closed his eyes looking away. But he could only hear grunting, the golden bird's grunting while the wind continued to aggressively blow against him.
"Kid… you…" Otis stammered.
The wind continued to whistile towards Leofric, he opened his eyes and saw the golden bird frozen in the air, the wind continued to gush against Leofric.
The golden bird stared at him whilst grunting, his eyes locked on Leofric, furrowing them as his eyes started to shine gold.
"How-… you just ate half an apple!" he grunted angrily.
Leofric took a quick breath and began laughing joyfully. But that took a quick turn, the golden bird broke free from his telekinetic grasp and shot himself towards Leofric's stomach.
"!!!" Leofric grunted as he and the golden bird were pushed back deeper into the forest.
"Kid!" Otis began leaping from tree to tree towards them, but his agility was different, he was more agile and faster than his initial chase.
I can feel my body, it's so light! I could easily catch up to that birdie when I gotta chase him another time!
A smirk grew on Otis' face, he accelerated at a fast rate and was quickly catching up to Leofric and the golden bird.
"Gah-!" Leofric coughed, landing by the tree stump on his back. The golden bird had pushed him within Otis' den, stunning Leofric temporarily.
"Ya gonna make a mess of my home birdie?" Otis leaped from the sky with his arms wide open—maliciously laughing.
With Leofric stunned, the golden bird looked up at the descending fox, gritting his beak again. The golden bird raised its wings, about to send another powerful gust of wind through his flap, but was interrupted when a paw touched his wing.
The bird turned around and gasped, it was another Otis touching his wing.
"You piece of shit!" The golden bird angrily grunted and used his free wing to stab "Otis", but to his surprise "Otis" disappeared.
"What-?!" The golden bird exclaimed.
"Didn't think that'd work!" Otis screamed, landing on the golden bird with a kick to the bird's face.
"Hahaha! Gotcha again you shitty piece of gold!" Otis laughed holding the golden bird on a chokehold.
The golden bird furrowed his brows at Otis' response and used his wing infused with to slap him on the face.
"Ow-!" Otis fell and rolled to the side.
The golden bird flapped its wings bringing himself to stand upright. Otis on the other hand crawled himself back up, standing on one knee wiping his blood stained mouth with one paw.
"That's one strong slap ya did there. What are ya gonna do now? Fly away? We both ate the apple already, there's nothing ya can do about it, birdie!" He laughed while smirking, finally standing up on his own two feet.
The golden bird first hesitated then spoke, clenching his wings. "Sagitta. That's my name, Otis."
"Sagitta? Huh… finally, you got tired of being called birdie?" Chuckles Otis.
Sagitta at first did not reply, nervously looking away. "I can't let you two go to Agartha, I will not let the surface and Agartha ever have to cross paths again!"
Sagitta opened his wings, but this time they grew bigger, sharper, and shinier.
"Hoho! Your wings are like daggers?! That's sooo sick!" Otis laughed unsheathing his knife.
Sagitta began ascending to the sky and flapping his wings, he looked at Otis with his eyes gleaming gold.
"It didn't have to end this way if you had listened!" Sagaitta flapped his wings, sending a rain of golden feather daggers at Otis. The feathers stuck deep into the soil, but when they hit Otis, he "disappeared" again.
The real Otis was creeping up behind from the sky with a knife ready to strike Sagitta.
"Think I wouldn't catch on? You sly fox!" Saggita exclaimed, turning his wings and blowing a gust of wind surrounding him.
Otis was pushed back against the strong wind, quickly he stabbed his knife onto the tree, holding onto the hilt while the wind continued to blow against Sagitta's surroundings.
Leofric gasped and woke up, the wind blowing his hair and the grass beside him, the tree protecting him from Sagitta's rage. He began rubbing the back of his head.
"Agh… it's… so…-" he grunted but his sight slightly changed. The world around him was slightly glowing. There were waves of glow flowing within the sky, these waves were all leading towards one place, Otis' den.
"What…? Otis!" Leofric quickly turns back and sees Otis clinging onto his knife for dear life. Leofric quickly gazed at the golden feathers stuck on the ground, seeing that the feathers themselves had a strong glow.
"Maybe… My power is to control these glowing things!" He reaches his arms out focusing on one of the feathers.
"You can't hold onto that for long Otis! You're gonna be exhausted and eventually blown away! Like one of the pigs of the big bad wolf!" Sagitta proclaimed sternly with his eyes glowing gold even brighter.
"Gah~! I'm- not gonna- yield! You- birdie!" He grunted gripping onto the hilt tighter.
"I told you, my name is Sagitta!" Sagitta furiously shouted, his winds growing ever more aggressive, whistling louder.
Otis' grip began to loosen, one of his paws grew weak and his claw was clinging onto the hilt's cloth.
"I-… can't- hold-… this any- longer-!" Otis grunted, pulling himself closer to the hilt.
He stared at this reflection on the blade, it was not of determination, it was fear. His fangs grew more evident, the wind blowing strongly against his fur.
Leofric focused on the golden feather, stretching his arm out further. The feather begam to nudge, first it was light, then it began to wobble and push away from Sagitta's wind.
Is this the end of it? My entire life, dedicated to this moment… only to be crushed by Sagitta?
"I'm gonna protect you this time, Otis!" Leofric shouted, Otis' eyes widened and looked down.
Sagitta turned his head back to see Leofric peeking behind the tree.
"You-!" Sagitta was quickly cut off short.
The golden feathers all were plucked out of the ground and wrapped around Sagitta like a vase. Sagitta gasped and could not nudge out of Leofric's grasp.
"What?! How are you capable of doing tha-?!" Sagitta's head was hit with the hilt of Otis' knife, leaving him unconscious and resting his head against the golden feathers that had caged him.
Otis lands on the ground with his two feet, he sheathed his knife and stares at the unconscious Sagitta. Leofric then brings the suppressed Sagttia down on the ground, laying him down on the dirt below him.
"You hit him so hard… I don't think he's gonna wake up for a while." Leofric turned his gaze down to Otis.
Otis then with a smirk "Who knew your powers would be that interesting? Telekinesis? Never seen that before."
"Telekinesis? Is that what you call it? To move things around with my mind?" Leofric tilted his head sideways.
"Yup, anyways would ya look at that! We make such a great duo!" Otis exclaimed, extending his paw out, laughing.
"Of course we do!" Leofric claps Otis' paw, only making a light sound.
"But we got to be quick before he wakes up, how the hell are we gonna find that gate?" Otis began scratching his head furiously.
"Maybe… I have the answer to that." Leofric stammered.
"What do you mean?" Otis raised his brow.
"Well, after the bird-"
"Sagitta." Otis interrupted.
"Y-yeah Sagitta, pushed me to the tree, I hit my head and everything's… slightly glowing… but it's starting to fade away." Leofric began squinting his eyes as he followed the "wave" in his eyes.
"Well don't waste ya time kid, get straight to the point!" Otis quickly started tapping Leofric's thigh with his paws.
"A-alright! I see these waves all heading towards one direction, it's in your house Otis." Leofric pointed towards Otis' den.
"What?!" Otis hurried, ran to his den and opened the door. "But I don't see anything!"
As Leofric kneels down and takes a peek inside, he sees that these waves were sinking into the floor of Otis' house.
"Down there, in the ground." He points.
"Well… time to go digging." Otis huddiedly uses all four of paws and uses them to dig the dirt out of the floor.
With Otis' new agility, the dirt was spitting out of his den, with some getting on Leofric's face.
"Ple- plegh-!" Leofric wiped his face and backed off from the spitting dirt.
"Hey, I think I found something!" Otis' voice echoed through.
"No way, did you find a secret room?" Leofric kneeled down to keep inside his den.
"Oh hell yeah I did! Come check it out!" Otis jumped inside the hole.
"Thank god you're a larger fox." Leofric exerted as he jumped into the hole.
Otis laughed in the background—his voice echoing. "Holy shit! Look!"
Leofric lands into the hidden room, it was quite large but it was just made of dirt with tile flooring. The waves were leading towards where Otis was, another room straight ahead but it was shining gold. However, the glow was starting to fade out of Leofric's sight.
He then walked into the room that was shining gold. "Oh… my…" his eyes widened, the shine of gold reflecting off his iris.
Inside was a seal of energy shining gold, cryptic symbols hovering over the chains binding the gate together.
"The gate…" Leofric softly stammered.
"To Agartha!" Otis smiled but quickly rubbed his chin.
"But how do we break it?" He stared at the symbols as they traveled throughout the seal.
"I… can't read the symbols but that part of the seal is not glowing so strongly compared to the rest." Leofric pointed to one of the seals' corners, the top right corner.
"Why don't we try striking it? Lemme give it a shot!" Otis then leaped towards the corner and used his hilt to smack the seal.
"Hiya!" But he quickly bounced back and landed on the ground with his two feet.
"Well… that didn't work… lemme take a closer look at what these runes are tryna say." Otis takes a closer look at the runes.
Leofric vision on the other hand was slowly returning to normal. "Otis, I have a slight bad feeling about opening that seal."
"Hmm, I get ya kid, but I'm about 90% sure this is definitely the gate to Agartha. There is nothin' to be afraid of." Otis began lightly tapping the hilt of his knife to every spot on the seal—each tap rings the sound of glass being tapped.
"Yeah but… if this seal is like… it's sealed for a reason is it not?" Leofric scratched his head nervously.
"Did ya forget the story Cuthbert told ya?" Otis asked while still tapping the hilt on the seal.
"How do you know about-."
"Yeah, you got ya answer." With one final tap, the seal made a longing echoing noise. "Now this has gotta be the spot!"
Leofric was about to rebuttal, but quickly nodded his head. "Right, I think we should overwhelm the seal."
"Overwhelm? Haha! Smart idea! Let's do just that!" Otis laid his paw on spot with Leofric following suit.
"We focus our energy here, on the count of three." Otis exclaimed, placing his other paw together on the spot.
Leofric nodded back, placing both his hands as well.
"One, two, three!" Together, the both focused on the spot of the seal, a strong shine of gold glowing where their palms and paws touched. It glowed brighter and brighter, vibrations began to omit and rumble the whole room. It continued to grow until the corner was about to be filled with the golden glow.
"Leofric!" Screamed Edith in the distance.
"Mother?" Leofric turned to his back with his palms still on the seal.
"Don't lose focus kid! We're almost there!" Otis exclaimed.
"Stop! You don't know what you're getting into! Please just get out of there and come back home, I'm so sorry sweetie!" Edith pleaded as she jumped down into the room.
"Mother… you and father have been controlling me my whole life. I'm done! I'm tired of being a noble and it's time for me to pursue my dream of being an adventurer!" Leofric gritted his teeth pressing his palms deeper into the seal.
"You-! I thought you wanted to be a storyteller! Like Cuthbert!" Edith exclaimed.
"Well my resolve has changed and so have I! You pushed me to do this mother, it's time for me to be free, free from this family, free from you and father!" With Leofric's vigor, the glow finally took over the entire seal—glowing immensely, nearly blinding Edith, Leofric and Otis.
All of them squinted their eyes as the seal began shining abruptly. Edith began to use her arms to block the light, Leofric and Otis both looked away from the seal. With the light filling the wrong room, the seal dissipated and the sounds of birds chirping could be heard from the pit the seal once protected.
"Perhaps… Agartha is where I was fated to be… after all the past days have been… coincidental." Leofric turned to face his mother, his fists clenched tightly.
"Leofric…" Edith stammered and tears began flowing in the corner of her eye.
"Kid… she's your mother, at least give her a proper goodbye even if you think she doesn't deserve it." Otis then lays a paw on Leofric's thigh with a sympathetic look on his face gazing towards Leofric then onto Edith.
"Y-you! You fox! You tricked my kid into joining you into this— crazy journey to Agartha!" Edith shouted furiously.
"Mother just stop!" Leofric demanded shouting.
"You always blamed everyone else when it came to my decisions. I chose to do them! I wanted to do this all on my own! I wanted to leave!" Leofric shouted his voice slowly breaking.
"You're—." Leofric gulped. "Making it so hard for me to even tell you goodbye. I'm just going to on a journey, for myself! I don't even know who I am or what I am with…— how life has been around the hands of you and father!" Tears began to flow out of Leofric's eyes.
Edith could not answer, she looked away with a face of guilt, tears flowing down her cheek. She covered her face with her two hands and fell on her knees.
"Kid…" Otis then rubbed his thigh soothingly.
"Please… take your time… you clearly need to discuss things with your mo—." unsuspectedly, an unknown force dragged Otis down into the pit, his voice could be heard screaming as he fell down inside.
"O-otis?" Leofric stammered, as he felt something grab onto his ankle—pulling him down.
"M-mother!!!" Otis screamed as he reached his hand out to Edith.
"Leofric!" Edith stood up and hurriedly ran to Leofric. But then then seal grew back separating the two with its golden barrier.
Edith laid her palms on the seal, slapping and pounding on it as she screamed.
"No! No! Don't you dare take my child!" Edith pleaded with tears streaming down her eyes.
Leofric frantically laid his palms by the seal. He took one last look at his mother while the unknown force was pulling down on his ankle.
"Mother!!! Help me!" Leofric pleaded, holding onto the seal.
However, the unknown force eventually took over, pulling Leofric down further but he quickly gripped onto the dirt ledge.
"I'll do everything in my power to come back! Please, just trust me once!" Leofric pleaded as he held on.
"Leofric, stop speaking nonsense! You're getting out of here!" Edith began punching the seal and she grunted with each punch.
"I can't hold on much longer, I'm… just gonna deal with it!" Leofric looked at his mother in the eyes with his face now calming down.
"Goodbye for now… mother…" He let go of the ledge with a warm smile. Now falling into the pit with his arms still reaching out to Edith.
"N-no!!!" Edith screamed pressing onto the seal as she watched him fall into the pit slowly disappearing.
As Leofric watched his mother disappear from his sight, his final tears rolled from his eyes and into the air of the deep dark pit.
The birds chirping became louder, instruments were being played, the sound of a harmonising choir and Otis' screams echoed throughout the pit.
"Agartha… I'm coming for you."
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
—2 Corinthians 5:17