Chapter 12: The Talk

2891 P.C., the twenty-seventh of Autumn, Hylicia’s Vale.

Antares stares, blinking, into the clear water of the river. A few stray leaves drift downstream, carried by a slow current, the earliest falls of the season. Later that season, the river would be choked in the mass of leaves, but not yet; now, it was still clear enough for Antares to see his reflection.

Antares frowns, a bit put off. Where his skin had been clear just a few months prior, little speckles of red and puffy skin had started to appear, contrasting with his otherwise monochromatic visage. Pawing at his face, the boy attracts the attention of Alunya, sitting nearby wringing his hair out to help dry it, having just finished a bath to wash up with his brother. “What is it, Ari?”

Antares shakes his head. “Nothing, Alunya, don’t worry about it. Let’s get back home.”

Alunya watches the older boy, who was acting oddly pensive, as they return home. Alunya watches Antares acting glum all the rest of the day, up through the family’s meager dinner and bedtime. He may have just been worn out, given it was the busy season, but it felt like more than that to Alunya. So, as Antares is brushing his teeth getting ready for bed, Alunya clings to his back, resting his head on his brother’s shoulder and cocking his head to the side curiously.

“Are you alright, Ari? You seem sad.” Alunya notes, sympathetically. Antares spits out the gross-tasting, tanin-rich saliva that accumulates in his mouth while brushing his teeth with the customary filed twig brush.

“I’m fine. Just have some kind of ... rash or something that won’t go away.” Antares grumbles, rubbing the breakout on his skin. Alunya peers at it somewhat curiously. Antares looks over at Alunya, sighing. Alunya never seemed to deal with things like this, his skin was as clear and soft as the day he was born.

“Hm ... I don’t think I can help with that.” Alunya apologizes. “But maybe I can help cheer you up, at least!” He offers. Antares just stares at Alunya for a moment, before giggling lightly. His brother was always so earnest.

Alunya blinks at him in confusion, not knowing why Antares was laughing. But laughter was better than moping, so he counted that as a success. Sitting down on the bottom bunk of the bed, Alunya opens his arms for Antares. “C’mon, I’ll sleep here tonight! Hugs always make me feel better when I’m down, so they should help you too!” Alunya beams at Antares, expectantly.

Antares sighs in bemusement. His brother was so precious it was almost saccharine. Unable to refuse him, Antares sits down on the bed next to him, immediately being dragged down by a giggling and squirming Alunya, who messily throws the single blanket on top of the two of them, clinging tightly to Antares’s side. “You’re not allowed to be sad when I’m here!” Alunya announces, fiercely.

Antares shrugs, resigned to his fate, and smiles wryly staring up at the now-empty bunk above him. He knew from past experience that after Alunya eventually runs out of energy, he would stop the excessively tight hugs and transition into a more comfortable light cuddling position when it would be possible to actually sleep; Antares merely had to wait until Alunya grew tired.