Nephilims: Into the Wild

Chapter 1: Shadows of the Mind

Cold air washed through the white haired boy's exposed face, causing him to flinch and snug deeper into the animal hide blanket and the source of warmth behind him. He shivered, despite the soft, warm thing behind him, it's still not enough. He reached out his hand, grabbing blindly for the blanket to cover his face, but instead, his fingers landed on something...fleshy. The boy's violet eyes shot open, despite the cold, pea-sized rolled down his forehead as he looks down, a pale arm was wrapping around his body, a pale, tattoo-covered arm attached to a hand with long fingers tipped with sharp claws. A small gasp escaped his mouth, his eyes glued to the long tail covered in silvery white fur that just casually rested on his legs.

- YAH! - The terrified boy cried out in horror, swinging his elbow backward, trying to get away from the monster that's resting behind him.

- ACK!

A loud gag, then the arm lifted, giving Haru just enough time to roll away to the opposite side of the cave as whatever it was that was lying behind him. Panting heavily with his eyes wide opened, the boy watched in horrors as the owner of the arm and tail, a man with long, silvery white hair and amber eyes hugged his neck where the boy's just elbowed, coughing and gagging in pain as his raptorial legs scrape the moss-covered floor of the cave they're in. Then something snapped inside Haru's mind, another horrifying realizations of what he's done, of all the things that have transpired the last several days.

- Keto-san! - He yelped, clumsily tripping on his own hands and feet as he scurries toward the now calmed yet still panting man. - I-I'm sorry! I p-panicked! - He stuttered, feeling his face warmed from embarrassment in a vain effort to explain himself.

- How can...someone so small...elbow so hard...? - Panting, Quetz asked jokingly, still rubbing at the spot where Haru's hit him.

- Haru! Keto-san! - Another person rushed into the cave, a girl, older than Haru with black hair and brown eyes. - Is everything alright?! I heard screaming!

- I got...bwagh! ...Elbowed... - Quetz smirked, coughing and gagging as he does.

- I'm sorry! - Haru yelped guiltily, shivering in fear as the white haired man slowly sits up in front of him.

- That's quite a blow. - Quetz chuckled, leaning forward so close to Haru that their forehead touched in a gentle collision.

- I didn't mean to... - The white haired boy whimpered, shakily tried to explain his action, an instinctive response to cope with the countless punishments inflicted on him at the village.

Quetz's amber eyes dimmed, as did his smile which has faded as he looks at the boy. The older male looked up at the girl, Mitsuki, wordlessly asking her what it was that has made the boy so scared, only to receive a sad glance before she too turned her gaze from him. A soft, quiet sniffing sound made the white haired man's long, pointed ear twitch and caused him to look down. Haru wasn't crying as he's originally thought. The boy gave a single sniffle, and that's it, no retaliation, no emotion showing. He just...sat there, patiently waiting for the punishment that he's grown accustomed to.

- Haru. - Quetz called out, gently, quietly but firmly, his index finger brushed against the boy's jawline, then lifting his chin slowly so that their eyes could meet. The man took a good, deep look into those eyes, violet gems shone with fear and anxiety. He inhaled deeply, it pained and angered him so much, seeing the boy like this, so much so that he thought he couldn't say anything without yelling. But, he must do it. - Don't be like that. It's not your fault.

Something changed in those large, amethyst-colored eyes, gone were the fear, anxieties and guilt, replaced by surprise, confusion...relief. For a brief moment, Quetz and Haru just sat there, eyes locking into each others as both minds try to process the situation. The white haired boy looked down, then quietly nodded, still confused by the turn of events, he's never been talked to like that before, being told it's not his fault by someone who's not from his family. He scooted himself forward, then resting his forehead onto Quetz's chest, much to the white haired man's and Mitsuki's amusement.