It was a typical and beautiful day in Ponunnia, the village of plant magic. The sun glistened above, the birds chirped, and the sound of little children playing filled the ears of many. Even the blossoms and leaves on the trees danced in the playful breeze.
However, not everyone was enjoying the sunny weather. A red-haired man grumbled as he wobbled and stumbled his way home from the village’s bar. Once inside, he slammed the door, his eyes directed to his son. “Kecyl? What do you think you are doing?” His tone had a slight irritation weaving through his words.
“Sennalhi's friend's birthday party should be over by now. I am heading out now,to go pick her up,” a boy with the same shade of red hair and tan skin stated.
The old man breathed heavily, his words slurred, and his breath was scented with alcohol. "Why have you not already gone to do so then?!" he exclaimed.
Kecyl folded his wolf ears on top of his head in displeasure at the smell, but he then left quickly before his father could say anything else or get any angrier. Once the front door closed behind him, the red-headed wolf boy let out a sigh. Sadness was in his eyes, and he was definitely aware of the reason why.
Kecyl quickly covered up his distress as he walked through the village. His reasoning was that he had to remain strong for his little sister. She was too young to know of all the wicked things in the world, or at least the faults of some of the individuals that are inhabiting Pestelgia.
Walking up to a cute, cozy, and welcoming house, Kecyl knocked on the front door. The tall teen was greeted by a smiling face of an elder female harpy. “Well, hello there! You must be the big brother that little Sennalhi has been boasting about all day. It’s great to finally meet you! After all their time together at the school and in the village’s meadow, I’ve heard so much about you,” The women immediately welcomed Kecyl in, and he could see his sister laughing with her friend and throwing paper streamers at the other girl.
His smile could not be contained as he saw them playfully interacting and displaying their childhood innocence. “I am assuming she wasn’t too much of a hassle then?” He inquired, he already could assume her answer, but he just wanted to be positive.
"Oh, what nonsense! This little girl is such a sweet little blossom! The joy she brings is contagious! I am sincerely astonished by the raising that took place in sculpting her into being such a delight that she is today!” The woman said with a smile. With such an uplift, Kecyl's pride was boosted a little and he found delight in the praise of raising Sennalhi.
In no time at all, the wolf teen felt two little arms tightly wrap around him and cling to him. “BIG BROTHER!!!” exclaimed a little, higher-pitched voice. When he turned around, Kecyl kneeled down to her level and embraced her. The little wolf's reaction was innocent and accompanied by a cheerful giggle. “I had so much fun! And it’s not just because there was cake!” she playfully joked. The women behind them smiled in response.
"Well, I guess you'll have to tell me all about it on the walk home," Kecyl said, chuckling.
Sennalhi smiled and nodded in agreement. “"I also got a present from Mrs. Lavwind for my birthday tomorrow!!!”
A shocked expression spread across his face. He looked up at the woman, assuming she was Mrs. Lavwind. “I can pay you back in any way.”
“Oh don’t worry about that. The smiles she gives out and the fact that you let her come over for Margret's birthday were enough, if you must. Children are precious and must be cared for with love and shown that they matter,” she smiled. Her eyes slightly glanced at the boy’s body structure, which looked to be underfed and unhealthy. She then noticed Sennalhi’s healthy presence. “Son, are you hungry at all? I can cook something for you in a jiffy.”
Kecyl's eyes were filled with shock once again. After uttering a protest, he felt his stomach growl at the mere mention of it. Embarrassed at the way his body had betrayed him, he gave a meek smile in response. This response implied the affirmation Mrs. Lavwind needed, and she departed towards her kitchen. When she walked, her talons clicked against the hard floors and her wings were neatly folded, as she held them with pride.
Kecyl knew he should stay, but felt a little uncomfortable with an adult acknowledging a part of his predicament. He looked back at his sister who looked up at him with her big emerald eyes. “Kecyl, why do you look unhappy? Her cooking is amazing! Just as good as yours!”
Kecyl smiled and gently ruffled her hair, but then hugged her tightly. “Senna, I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Even though he chuckled, inside he knew she was the only light in his life, the main thing that reminded him to keep smiling through it.
The little girl just giggled, “Well, you won’t be a brother then, right?” she hugged him back as her head rested on his shoulder. She had a bright smile when she felt him pick her up and carry her in his arms. While his figure was small and thin, he had a good muscle build that enabled him to pick up on his sister regardless of how much she grew.
“Kecyl? Butterfly?” she asked and Kecyl knew exactly what she wanted. He held her above his head and let her spread her arms and wave them up and down as she giggled. Her laughter was contagious to Kecyl as he began laughing as well, enjoying his time with her he began walking around but being careful of things that could be knocked over. Mrs. Lavwind came out with a plate of food in her hands and smiled at the scene. As much as she didn’t want to interrupt, she was worried for the boy’s health.
“The food is ready,” she announced, setting the plate at the table, where a few plates with leftover cake still remained. Kecyl gently placed his little sister on the ground as she still continued to giggle.
Sennalhi then suddenly gasped and rushed to the other room. Confused, Kecyl watched her run off and then run back in with her hands behind her back. Margret was beside her as the two of them giggled. His ears showed his emotion of curiousness as he watched the two little girls. “Kecyl!” Sennalhi said in a sing-song tone. “I got something for you.” Mrs. Lavwind chuckled and Kecyl kneeled down to their level once more. Sennalhi pulled out a long necklace of yellow-orange beads. “I made this for you,” she explained. Kecyl smiled and started to reach for them but Sennalhi snapped them away from his hand. “Ah!! I want to put them on you!” she pouted. The wolf boy chuckled and bowed his head. She put it around his neck and smiled when seeing the necklace on. “There!”
Kecyl drew back and realized she had to loop it around his neck twice because it was so long. He smiled at her, “It’s beautiful Senna.” They smiled as they hugged once again. He eventually pulled away.
“Can I still play with Margret for a little bit more?” Senna pleaded.
Kecyl nodded, “When I finish this dish Mrs. Lavwind so kindly provided for me, then we’ll go,” he explained. The girls cheered and went to the other room again, where giggles and the sounds of children having fun were heard once again. Kecyl went to the table, sat down, and smiled at the woman, “Thank you.”
“No problem. You look like you needed it…” she watched him before sitting down across from him while he ate. “Excuse me and my probing, but do you eat at home?”
Kecyl nodded, not wanting bad outcomes to occur, that may result in him being separated from Sennalhi if he was a hundred percent honest. Mrs. Lavwind knew he was fibbing to an extent and just decided to leave it be. "It's nice to see Margret finally having friends. A few years ago she was teased for being raised by and living with her grandmother. Sennalhi has really been a blessing.”
Kecyl looked at her, “What..” he hesitated, not knowing if this was okay to ask, “What happened to her parents?”
Mrs. Lavwind looked at him with a sad expression on her face. “When Margret was even younger than she is now, there was a bad house fire where she and her parents lived. She was the only survivor. She was in the medical center for weeks before they gave me charge of looking after her. She had to move to a completely different village, and the memory of my daughter and her husband still lives in our hearts.” Tears started to stream down the old woman's face. Kecyl stood up and went over to her and gave her a comforting hug. The woman calmed down with a smile, “Thank you. You are such a nice and mature young man for your age.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” Kecyl stated. He picked up his empty dish. “If you show me where the kitchen is, I can help you wash up the dishes.” He offered.
“Oh! Don’t worry about that, I already caused such a delay for you and Sennalhi to return home." She took the plate from his hand. “I am just glad I could help you in some way. Thank you for your help and allowing your sister to come over today, we very much appreciated our time with her.” She looked at the girl in the other room. “You know who she reminds me of? A nice young woman I once knew: Celvina Folook. She was a cream-colored wolf. She was so beautiful and kind and everyone loved her gentle nature. Her husband was a little on the odd side, but he still was a strong man that truly cared for her and would do anything for her. The glow she possessed when she was with child enhanced her beauty about 18 years back. By any chance are you two related to her?”
Immediately, Kecyl swallowed what seemed to be a sudden lump in his throat as he did his best to not cry or choke up. “Yes… she was our mother….”
Mrs. Lavwind went silent for a second, “Was?” she repeated
Kecyl nodded, “She passed during childbirth. It was hard on everyone. Our beautiful reminder of her is Senna, who looks like her spitting image.”
The elder woman gently placed a hand on him, “I see it now. You look so much like your mighty father,” Kecyl winced at the comment, yet he nodded as if saying a thank you but couldn’t bring it to words. The woman looked concerned for the boy, “Did… did he pass too?” Kecyl shook his head.
“Ma’am, pardon my rudeness, but Sennalhi and I both need to get home to help out around the house,” he stated softly. He went to his sister and gently picked her up, placing her on his shoulders. “We have to go now, Senna,” he explained.
“Bye Mrs. Lavwind!” the young girl called, waving at the woman when Kecyl headed for the door. The woman waved back, but when the girl faced forward, Mrs. Lavwind had an expression wondering if she said something wrong.
When outside, Sennalhi looked at her brother, “Big brother? Why did we leave so suddenly? Is something wrong?”
“No Senna, nothing is wrong. We just need to get home to dad, before he loses his mind. If he hasn’t already.” He whispered the last sentence.
“Do we have to?” the little girl whined, knowing that, in that place, no one has fun hardly ever.
“Yes, you know what happens when he gets angry." He sighed and walked to their home near the village's back end.
Sennalhi glanced in the distance before entering the house, "Ohhhh! Kecyl, look at that flower in the forest. An Ixoyonia! It’s so pretty! I know we can't go into the forest, but can you imagine how pretty it would look in a vase on a windowsill?” She smiled. “Did you know that they symbolize hope, big brother?” She asked.
“No, I didn’t... Where’d you learn that, Sennalhi?” Kecyl questioned, smiling at her fascination with the plant.
“Well, yesterday at school, a doctor from Ezekia came and told us about different medicines and plants, and he let each of us look through his book before the end of the day. The Ixoyonia was in there and there was a lot of information on all the flowers out there…. Oh, well um... I think… or at least more flowers than I ever knew existed.” she giggled. “It’s also supposed to be one of the hardest flowers, if not the hardest, to grow in a garden, and even by magic. They grow the best in the rare spots they are found in the wild!”
Kecyl smiled at her excitement about just one flower. He slowly lifted her up and set her down when they reached the doorstep. “Let’s go inside now, ok?” she nodded and went inside and he followed.
Not even a minute into the door he was met with a harsh smack across the face, sent to the floor. His eyes widened as he glanced up and saw his father towering over him, his gaze furious. “WHAT TOOK SO LONG?! I AM STARVING AND NO FOOD IS READY OR EVEN BEING COOKED!” his father yelled. Kecyl touched his throbbing cheek and winced at the sting. “QUIT BEING LAZY AND GET YOUR LAZY BUTT UP!”
Kecyl wasted no time after this, rushing to his feet and immediately heading to the kitchen. He knew Sennalhi ran to her room after hearing the abuse of their father’s hand on Kecyl. He always knew she hated violence and she hid under her covers when it occurred. He let a tear fall as he made everyone’s dinner. He wanted to protect her from all cruel things, but knew he couldn’t protect her from everything. As long as their father only hit him and not her, things should be fine. As long as she remained innocent and didn’t see what happened outside her room, he was fine. He knew that she knew what happened, and it ached his heart. He wanted her to be happy, but to experience at-home violence was not what he wanted for her, but what was he able to do? Another thing that emotionally triggered him was he could remember the times his father wasn’t like this. Their father was happy before, but that was many years ago. That man was gone and lost his way home. He had left and never came back the day she left.
Kecyl had dinner ready within a few minutes. He then turned the stove off and placed the pot of food to the side. “Dad, it’s ready,” he said.
An irritated grumble came from the grouchy old man, “Finally!” His father went to the table after his food was set at his spot and started eating. Kecyl sighed when he went to get Sennalhi.
She looked up at him when he came in. She rushed to him and gave him a big hug. “Kee, are you ok?!” She asked when he kneeled down in front of her to hug back. She gently reached up and touched his very red cheek. The stinging in his cheek, made Kecyl shy away from it at first, but he gently held her reaching hand.
“Yeah, don’t worry about me, Senna. What matters is your own safety and health,” he stated with a kind smile towards her, hiding his pain and sadness. She hugged him again, burrowing her face against his chest. “Hey, dinner is ready. You should come out and eat,” he advised gently and she nodded.
He led her out to the kitchen table. He got to what was left and sighed. He got down two plates from the cupboards. He placed what was left of the food on Sennalhi’s plate and placed one small spoonful on his dish. He set the two plates on the table, giving Sennalhi hers. His father didn’t pay any mind to how much he had to eat, and he clearly didn’t care. After he was done, he belched, and went to his room. Sennalhi looked at Kecyl concerned, “Kecyl, do you want some of my food? You don’t have much..”
“It’s fine, Senna. I wasn’t that hungry anyway. You however is a growing girl, so you must eat.” he smiled at her to hide his fib. He, however, stayed seated at the table until she had finished her food.
He smiled at her and gave her a quick hug, “You need to get ready for bed,” he told her. “Once you’re ready, I’ll come to tuck you in.” When she ran off, he went to the sink and began washing the dishes.
When he was just about finished he heard a small voice call him, “Kee, I am ready,” He turned around and smiled when seeing Sennalhi peek her head out from her bedroom door.
“Let me finish this last plate and I’ll be there,” he told her. She nodded and disappeared behind the door. He had a small smile on his face, admiring how she managed to always stay so happy and pure no matter the surrondings. He couldn’t understand how, maybe since she's a child and it is just a child thing.
After he finished, he did as he said and went to his sister’s room. He gently pulled the blankets over her and kissed her forehead softly, “Goodnight, Sennalhi. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Goodnight big brother. I pray that the spirits give you good dreams tonight,” she said to him before curling up under her blankets and hugging her bunny stuffed animal.
“You too,” he whispered back. He then left and made sure all lights were turned off in the house.
Kecyl had a plan. Sennalhi deserved something for her birthday. He went closer to his father’s room, taking a small and hesitant peek. He sighed, seeing that his father was sound asleep. He quietly, yet quickly closed the front door and left the house. He pulled up his hood and began to travel outside the village border.
He stopped in the forest and stared down at the flower that stood out among the rest: the Ixoyonia. He smiled softly and gently picked it. He then began heading back to the house.
Once back, he grabbed a small cup. He quietly filled it with water and placed the Ixoyonia inside. He went to his room and hid the flower out of sight, just in case some little girl decided to come to wake him early. He smiled gently, feeling encouraged that the next day was going to be pleasant, more so than what this day was. Even if not everything went well, at least it was a time to celebrate someone’s birthday. All that mattered to him in life anymore was just the happiness of Sennalhi; he felt she deserved to be happy on her birthday.
Pleased with the birthday gift he got for his sister, he crawled into bed and covered up under his sheet. His tail comfortingly wrapped around his body as he curled into a sleeping position. Slowly, the teen wolf drifted into slumber.
At the crack of dawn, Kecyl was abruptly awakened when he felt a weight plopped onto his sleeping form. “Kecyl, wake up! Wake up!” cheered a small voice. He cracked open his eyes to see Sennalhi. He rolled onto his back, and she sat on his stomach as he laid down. “You promised, remember? You said that for my seventh birthday we would get a cake somehow,” she smiled innocently as she slightly bounced. A low chuckle came from the boy as he watched his sister with a brotherly love.
He sat up and wrapped his strong arms around her and gave her a tight hug. “Good morning to my sweet little sister, who I love so much! Happy birthday!” He playfully cooed. For a small moment, his wolf tail wagged behind him.
Sennalhi giggled and tightly wrapped her own tiny arms around him. “I love you too, big brother!” After they hugged, she happily jumped off and bounced up and down as she waited for him patiently.
He nodded and gathered a few things before going to stand, and then pulled out five copper torvohns. Immediately, Sennalhi tugged at his sleeve with a grave expression on her face. He noticed and concern immediately occurred towards her, “Sennalhi, what’s wrong?”
“Kecyl, that’s the money you earned by working around the village and helping people over the months. It takes you a month to get just one. That’s all you have,” she explained, expressing her dislike for him using his hard-earned money on her.
He only smiled softly and placed a hand on her shoulder, “Sennalhi… First, you’re too young to worry about money. Second, every torvohn is worth spending on you. I was saving up specifically for your cake today,” he chuckled and gave her a quick side hug. “Now, what do you say we go get that cake?” he smiled. Immediately, Sennalhi’s ears and tail perked with excitement.
“Yeah!! And when we come back we can surprise Dad with the tasty treat!!” she giggled, and her tail wagged voraciously.
Kecyl led the way out of the house, the little girl following closely behind. Silently, he could hear her sing, “I am seven. I am seven!” repeatedly, which he couldn’t help but chuckle at.
When they made it to the small bakery, they immediately headed for the cakes. Kecyl found a small area of cakes priced as five copper torvohns or under. “Sennalhi, any of these cakes here you can get. Just pick one.”
She smiled as she stared at the different flavors she could pick from. Her eyes filled with amazement as she tried to think of one to choose. She then pointed to one dark brown cake. “I like that one!” she stated giggling, “Because it matches your hair!” She pointed at his reddish-brown hair that covered his head.
He chuckled, taking this as just another cute symbolization of her love for him as a brother and friend. He carried it to the merchant and asked to pay for it. When Kecyl gave him the money, the merchant looked up at him, “Sir, this cake is on sale since there will be a replica to replace it tomorrow. It only cost four copper torvohns,” he stated kindly.
Kecyl’s tail swayed a few times happily. “Thank you so much sir,” They received the cake in a nicely wrapped box to help secure it. They left and were on their way back home again.
When they got back Kecyl smiled, knowing his father was still sleeping as he normally does on his day off from work. Kecyl placed the cake on the table and gave his sister another hug. “You are growing up so fast,” the look of pure happiness on his face.
“Someday I may even be as tall as you!” She cheered, giggling more and tapping the top of his head when he was kneeling down to hug her.
He looked at her, “Sennalhi, I have a gift for you. Do you want to receive it before or after the cake?”
He didn’t have the chance to say anything else as she burst with her answer. “Before!!!” she exclaimed, jumping up and down with excitement, her tail wagging. Kecyl smiled and left to go to his room, and then brought out the ixoyonia. Her eyes went wide as she stared in surprise. “The ixoyonia?!!! For me? How did you get one?”
“Yeah, it’s for you, and don’t worry, Senna. I know it was what you really wanted so I got it for you. Now you can water it and keep it for decoration in your room.”
She smiled and hugged him, “This is the best birthday ever!” she giggled and held the flower close to her, clearly loving it. “A symbol of hope.”
All the commotion awakened their father, and he stormed out of his room, slamming the door. “What is wrong with you two?! Am I not allowed to get some sleep in the morning?!”
Sennalhi smiled gently and hugged her father, “Dad, it’s my birthday! Kecyl bought some cake for today,” she cheered.
The grown man immediately looked at the dessert on the table and glared at his son, “A cake? With what money? Boy, you better not have stolen that. I will not supply shelter to a thief!” He pushed his daughter aside and pushed Kecyl against the wall.
Kecyl winced, and his eyes widened, “Dad, no, I didn’t steal. I bought it with my own money.”
“What money?! You don’t have a job!” Their father yelled.
“Dad, for months now I’ve been working to get money so I can save up for Sennalhi’s birthday,” His voice was reduced to a murmur and his ears were pulled back at the confession.
“All these months and you never thought of helping with the food around the house?! Never helping with the bills?!” He violently swung his hand and Kecyl winced when he felt his other cheek get struck with pain.
“Dad…” He whispered. His honey-brown eyes watched his father; they were moist, and he wanted to cry, but he refused to show the emotion. Sennalhi, actually, went to their father and gently tugged on the bottom of his shirt.
“Dad, leave him alone! He did nothing wrong! He did it out of the love in his heart!” she cried, trying to help her big brother.
She was ignored and pushed to the ground. “Scram!” She immediately began crying. Her flower was dropped and landed beside her. Their father noticed, causing anger to grow inside him. “You became a thief too?! Where did you get that?!” He began advancing on her, but Kecyl rushed to her side and picked her up away from their father, then set her down behind him and glared at his father.
“Stay away from her! She did nothing! I was the one to get the flower for her birthday! She mentioned how she liked it yesterday when she saw it in the forest, so I went to go get it!” Kecyl was then shocked to be lifted and thrown against a wall. He let out a small yelp and heard his sister crying in the background. He winced when he tried getting back up and was forced against the wall again.
“You disobeyed me!! You traveled into the forest! Everything I do is for this family! You’re just a selfish canid child that cares only about your dang self. You hid money, you disobeyed! You are nothing like your mother!” His father’s furious expression had planted more fear into Kecyl. The teen couldn’t help but let his tears begin falling after this. The man started to turn around and head towards the girl, but Kecyl grabbed his arm.
“Don’t touch her!!” he yelled protectively. Once again he was slapped.
“Don’t you dare start demanding things from me! I can do what I want.” His hand went to Kecyl’s hair and yanked it back causing Kecyl to look directly into his father’s eyes. “You are no longer my son. Get the hell out of my house!” He shoved Kecyl to the door, “Get out! And I never want to see your pitiful face again! If you do, your sister will be sent away to the Land of Forgotten!”
Kecyl’s eyes widened. With his tail tucked he slowly, he glanced at his sobbing sister. His own tears were flowing constantly. “Sennalhi... Please know I will always love you and always be thinking of you,” he choked out, trying to form words through his crying and the growing lump in his throat. With one more yell from his father, he hesitantly left his home. He pulled his hood over his head as he ran out of the village crying.
He continued running until he ran far into the forest. He fell to his knees and was sobbing uncontrollably. He turned into his wolf form and he looked up at the afternoon sun. A low, but sad howl left him. The depressing sound of a wolf being kicked out of his pack. Loneliness immediately welcomed itself without an invitation into Kecyl’s mind.