Elion is too quiet. Both Miros and Raha were busy chattering away.
“The kid seems unusually quiet.”
I said it out of worry, but Havi was just indifferent.
“Isn’t he just like that because he’s an adult? Hatchlings are naturally energetic no matter what species. Miros and Raha were probably like that because they were young.”
“Is that so?”
At Havi’s words, I tilted my head. Now that I hear it, it seems that way. At first, I was simply happy that he was modest, but as it continued, he’s so quiet that it bothers me. Why is that?
It’s not that he lost his voice. He said he forgot his name, forgot his past, and doesn’t know who he is, but he seemed to have no difficulty choosing words and constructing sentences.
Elion wakes up at the same time every day, washes his hands in the same way, walks out the same path to drink water, and sits in the same posture. His eyes move but his gaze is fixed, his breathing is regular, but the depth is uneven.
That’s how Elion stays in my nest.
In the place I made, being groomed by my Dryads, being decorated by me, and using Miros’s bed that I couldn’t bring myself to put away. Raha’s also remains, but it was a bit small for Elion to use.
I postponed dealing with Elion. Setting aside that he’s pretty, for now at least. Even if I showed reluctance at first, I like him now.
“Anyway, he looks good so that’s enough.”
When Elion had just been picked up, he seemed to try hard to avoid my gaze.
Now it’s a bit different. When he senses my presence, he turns his gaze. He still doesn’t meet it. He clenches his hands or tenses his body, closes his mouth and holds his breath. Looking at me means hiding fear, and I know that sensation well.
For some reason, Havi really didn’t seem to like Elion and was busy grumbling at everything.
“He moves well even though that must be uncomfortable.”
“He seems to dislike it, but there’s no resistance at all. Maybe I’m mistaken though.”
“Maybe it’s because his head is big, but he’s strangely docile.”
Havi and I watched Elion moving around well even while his fluttering clothes swayed.
Elion doesn’t approach except when I grab him to decorate. I chose the method of just leaving him be.
Not excessive, not lacking. The space the Dryads prepared was sufficiently organized. Water for the human to wash with, medicine for wounds, tea to drink, a bed comfortable enough to lie on.
Around the time when I thought he’d adapted somewhat, Elion began moving just a little bit more. He was diligent before too, but the pattern changed very slightly.
Elion was cautious. As if he didn’t want to set foot anywhere. However, at the same time, there was order in his footsteps that walked without certainty. He didn’t repeat the same mistake more than twice, and when he stopped while walking somewhere, he always didn’t lean his back against tree trunks or walls.
I didn’t touch where he sat. Elion shrank when I approached, and opened his eyes when I moved away. A being that responds to someone else’s presence, not his own.
Elion’s manner seemed different from the humans I knew. He desperately tries to hide and conceal. I don’t understand why he does such foolish things and watches carefully.
Does he need to be that sensitive? He was different from Miros and Raha.
One of the Dryads peeked around that area. Since it was trying to get too close, I gestured slightly to turn that kid’s direction. Elion is pretty and quiet. It’s natural for the Dryads to be interested. However, since Elion still holds wariness even toward a single eye, I told them to be careful.
—Be careful. He’s still fragile.
—Want to see more pretty things. No good?
—That one is scared of you. Humans die just from being startled.
—…Right, that happened. Raha’s breathing stopped when startled too. He did wake up again though.
The Dryad seemed dissatisfied, but soon understood. That’s right, this one is fragile. More fragile than ants. We must be careful.
But there were also kids who couldn’t give up.
—Will love just a little. Just a tiny bit.
—That one was quite sturdy. It’ll be fine.
Anyway, these things can’t resist pretty things. Actually, the reason I let that one stay is also because he’s pretty. Even if they resonate with me, there’s no need to be the same about this too. Somehow I feel mischievous.
—…Then just a little. Don’t pet too much.
—Isn’t that much okay?
—Some things die if handled too much. Don’t know what kind of personality that one has yet.
—He looks gentle though…
—Martens die if you touch them too much too.
At my words, the Dryads who had gathered together said they understood and went to Elion. Elion, startled by the Dryads swarming around him, flinched and tried to back away here and there, but eventually had no choice but to give up. That means he had to obediently receive the Dryads’ affectionate touches.
“From my perspective, it only looks like they’re poking his limbs with tree branches.”
Havi tossed out in a disdainful tone.
“They’re just showing affection normally.”
“Well, I guess his guts are good. From my perspective, it only looks like they’re slicing his flesh to make sashimi, but seeing how quiet he is.”
I don’t know what he dislikes so much about this. If he hated it, he would have said so. Elion didn’t scream or resist. Havi, who was watching that, said indifferently,
“He seems to have adapted a little.”
Havi looked together toward where Elion was sitting. I replied nonchalantly.
“His senses seem fine.”
“His eyes have changed a lot.”
“Right. When I first saw him, he acted almost like a rabbit being chased by a forest beast. Now even if he met an ordinary beast, he wouldn’t flinch.”
Havi tossed out such words without even laughing. When I didn’t bother to react, Havi lay down flat on his belly and sprawled out.
“From my perspective, he’s a rather peculiar type. He’s scared, but the type who doesn’t accept it as fear.”
I tilted my head slightly.
“You mean he’s scared but doesn’t know he’s scared?”
“No. He knows he’s scared, but he erases it from his actions. Common among soldiers. The ones with real combat experience.”
I fell into thought for a moment at those words. The combatants of human tribes are called soldiers. Then shouldn’t he be more belligerent? Ants, wolves, the combatants of pack creatures are quite fierce. Especially originally fierce animals are even fiercer.
Even though he’s so pretty. The Elion reflected in my eyes had no expression or change. However, the focus of his eyes was still far away. Eyes that weren’t looking at something, but constantly recalling something.
“So? What is he?”
“I don’t know.”
“You just acted like you knew?”
“I said it because that’s how he seems, but I don’t know precisely.”
Havi replied tossing it out in a somewhat annoyed tone. That’s right. Who would know what he himself doesn’t know?
I thought it was simply good because he’s pretty and gentle. Now that I’ve watched more, I know. He was scared. Of me, of us, of now. So I plan to be kind. That said, I didn’t give up on decorating him prettily.
That can’t be helped. It’s even stranger to decorate him all up and not look, right?
***
Elion fears me.
However, that fear isn’t sharp. His reaction when he first woke was like that. He opened his eyes wide, gasped for breath, and lost his mind for a moment. To be precise, I should say he didn’t even have time to be properly scared. He was quite good for a human.
Most die instantly, and usually go crazy. It just ended with losing his mind briefly, so this much is impressive. At minimum, he has the qualifications to do something like transcendence.
Anyway, that was only at first.
Fortunately, as time passed, Elion changed the grain of his wariness. In a way that seemed to think it would be more dangerous not to acknowledge my existence, he always keeps me somewhere nearby.
Yet for all that, he doesn’t get very close.
—Like a cat with a nasty temper.
—Huh? Humans aren’t cats.
When I expressed pointless spite, one of the Dryads asked back as if puzzled. I grumbled while looking at Elion who was still on guard.
—I know. But he acts like a cat.
—You’re right. That pretty thing acts annoyingly like a cat.
I can’t give up on decorating him prettily, but I gave up on other things. Havi said so. Humans die if you worry about them too much. I’m being careful too. Miros and Raha were like that too. They broke down just because I loved them too excessively.
Whether fortunately or unfortunately, Elion doesn’t trust me.
Right, it’s rather fortunate. This is natural. Right now, I’m just observing. I’m doing my best to really be careful this time.
Even so, my twisted insides don’t unwind. Because while he’s so scared of me, he doesn’t refuse the Dryads anymore.
—White flowers suit him well.
—No, yellow flowers.
—We decided on red today!
The Dryads fight among themselves. Now that Elion is starting to adapt to the Dryads, they’re pestering me saying they’ll decorate Elion too. Saying it’s unfair that only I’m having fun. When I can only decorate him a little because I’m worried the human will suddenly die from stress!
Havi actually didn’t sympathize. Rather, as time passes, he only shows more and more that he doesn’t like him and picks at faults constantly.
“You, have you seen those eyes?”
At Havi’s question, I thought for a moment and shook my head.
“That’s neither fear nor interest.”
Havi said while resting his chin on his hand.
“But he keeps looking at something. With a face that says he himself doesn’t know.”
At those words, I looked at Elion again. Those words were accurate. Elion’s gaze wasn’t looking outward. It seemed like he was rummaging and searching for something. I have no idea what or where he’s trying to find.
Havi stretched his arms out beside me and slumped his back.
“He’ll last longer than expected.”
At those words, I didn’t nod. If possible, I’d like him to stay a long time. But in one corner, I was also fully prepared to send him out anytime. I don’t know how Havi took my silence, but he made a disgruntled sound.
“You, are you planning to keep him for a long time again?”
Havi’s words sounded light, but I knew it wasn’t a simple joke.
