Page 13 of A Soul to Steal

“Well, I guess my first question for you would be... do you know how to read?”

“Read? I do not know what that is.”

“To read is to look at words on a page and know what they say.” He lifted his hand, this time with one finger visible. “You wouldn’t be able to use a library because you can’t read, but that isn’t your fault. No one has taught you yet, and that is just the first step. No one learns how to read in a day, and it can take years to be truly adept at it. It’s not that you have blank spaces, but that the equation for thought hasn’t been formulated yet. Your mind would eventually figure out a solution, even if it’s out of the box of normal. You would eventually learn and understand through repetition. At least, I think so.”

Aleron’s wings rose in renewed confidence, just as a strange warmth tingled his chest. Once more, he didn’t truly understand everything the male said, but it sounded like... he believed Aleron hadpotential. He liked this, would like to be smarter, and would like others to see him as such.

And it was true he was learning. Even this conversation brought to light many aspects, and gave names for tasks and activities he’d seen in humans. He knew what a book was, as the Witch Owl had once shown him and Ingram. He’d seen wiggly lines on those pages, but neither of them had been interested in learning at the time.

But that memory and Gideon’s information helped create a link of knowledge he’d lacked.

He rolled his shoulders and wings back, consciously brushing one against Gideon’s side to create the brief contact, before a spring entered his steps.

“Since we’re on the subject of learning,” Gideon said as they climbed over an incline with many large boulders – a hill made of rock rather than dirt, “could you tell me more about this world? Who created it?”

“Weldir, the spirit of the void, created this place,”Aleron answered, having no issues climbing whereas the human appeared to struggle due to the sharp, rocky inclines. Gideon often used his hands to steady or pull himself up, and lacked claws that Aleron had used to latch on and climb with.

“Was that the weird guy made up of black floating ribbon I saw earlier? The one who took Emerie’s soul?”

“Yes, but he does not always look like that. Usually I am able to see more of his form. He is weak currently.”

Weldir, when he often appeared to Aleron, had consisted of many forms. Sometimes a chalky mist all over, but if that mist disappeared, he would begin to appear as Gideon described. Sometimes Aleron could only see patches of his body, like a horn and opposing cheek, half his chest with no legs, or the opposite.

His form could be sporadic.

“Who is he? Some kind of reaper or god of the afterlife?”

When Aleron made it to the top of the hill that had become rather sharp in its incline, he reached down to grab the male’sfumbling hand as he tried to find purchase. He easily yanked him up until his feet were dangling in the air before setting them to the rocky ground.

“Thanks,” he bit out, looking down at his pants and wiping at them, despite their clean appearance. A muscled knot in his jaw pulsed.

He didn’t appear to like being picked up as though he weighed nothing.

“Weldir is a demi-god. His name means Warden of Shadows, and he is from the Elven world. He is also my creator – father.”

Gideon’s face shot up, his lips parted and his eyes wide. “Your father was that guy? What is your mother then? A skeleton?” Then, his features twisted up as he loudly blurted out, “An Elf? Elves are real?!”

Aleron tilted his head at his surprise.

“No, my mother creator is a Phantom. She was once human, and she is what Emerie will become. They both will have the ability to turn from physical into a Ghost at will.”When his mouth fell impossibly lower, Aleron chuckled at him for it.“Mavka are part spirit like Weldir and part human like the Witch Owl. When a human bonds with us, they become like us. And yes, Elves are real – I have met one. I thought you were smart, so how can you not know this?”

Aleron’s orbs turned bright yellow in joy.

He found it entertaining to know more than the human who had, just moments before, made him feel inadequate with his big human words. It felt nice to know that Aleron wasn’t as unknowledgeable as he originally thought.

“Ooft,” Gideon said with a wince. “What a way to take back a compliment.” He placed his hand over his chest as though wounded. “That stings, Aleron. I was being so nice to you.”

His wings drooped suddenly, as a coldness pierced his gut. His orbs turned a stark white, and he dipped his head in a submissive stance.

“I am sorry. I did not mean to cause you to sting.”His apology was sincere, and he feared that Gideon would no longer want to ‘go on an adventure’ with him.

I made a mistake.

The laugh that burst out of the human startled him, causing him to step back warily.

“I’m joking, Aleron! Jeez, man.” His elbow went high as he rubbed the side of his neck and then his nape. “I guess I better teach you sarcasm first before anything else. I use sarcasm as a way to play and joke around with people, but I’m pretty straight forward with it and it’s obvious.”

Aleron stepped forward as his sight returned to its normal pink.“You were playing with me?”

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