Once morning had come, the sound of obsessive pecking and tweeting at my window yet again being my alarm clock to a new day before the sun even had a chance to fully show up in the sky. It didn’t allow me much more time to simply relax underneath my silky soft blanket sheets before I was up and getting ready for the rest of the day while feeding him all the seeds and rice that the bird wanted!
But as soon as he was finished eating?
I didn’t waste too much more time before I went down to the kitchen to begin eating myself, after all, I had plans today.
“You’re up early.” I heard my Father snort from upstairs, a door closing behind him just as I started to pour my cereal into the bowl.
“Fidel woke me early.” I yawned, taking a piece of cereal and throwing it to the other side of the room to get him to quit attempting to fish out of my bowl.
“And this is the reason why I keep refusing to buy you an alarm clock, he’s already doing the job.”
“Yeah, for the price that I keep feeding him until he’s nothing more than a feathery ball.” I scoffed, rubbing the sleep from my eyes one last time before I sat down at the table.
However, that didn’t stop me from cocking a brow at Father’s outfit.
Usually, when it was the weekend, he was in comfortable clothes with messy hair! He’d carry a carton of milk in one hand while he was busy texting and snickering at his phone in the other!
Outside clothes with a watch?
I already had a mind to think he was going somewhere.
“Going somewhere?” I inquired.
“Yep! Me and your Dad are going to some places today." Father confirmed
"Furniture, groceries...y'know, the usual things to support a household of three."
I let out a sigh of relief, after all these weeks of eating nothing more than home-cooked food...I was beginning to gain a bland taste in my mouth!
Sure, Dad’s cooking was good in all but, it never hurt to have a little junk food from time to time, whether it was sour chips or maybe even lemon or lime cake!
‘Please Storm Empress, let them get some lime cake...’ I prayed inwardly with a grumble, my attention turning towards Father as soon as he sat down at the table.
I let out a small ‘Ah’ of remembrance.
“I’ll be going to Bunny’s house today,” I said, causing him to snicker.
“That former Playboy model? You know your Dad doesn’t like you going to her house.” Father hummed.
“Yeah but she’s the only other person around this ‘neighborhood’, besides, she’s cool. She's the only one who knows how to make cake sour after all." I sighed.
My brow rose at Father's cringing, causing me to place my hands on my hips.
"Problem?"
"Yeah, your tastes in food."
"Hey!"
"I kid, I kid." Father laughed.
"Old lady can cook, no lie about that."
However, Father let out a sigh. “But even still Chelidon! You know better than to tell me! Personally? I don’t mind you going anywhere so long as it’s not at night but...you know-”
“Yeah, yeah...” I interrupted with a slightly annoyed huff.
Dad always had an issue with the old woman and I could never understand why!
Sure, he respected her seeing as she was an old lady but the fact, she was a former Playboy model, something that Father needed to explain to him beforehand?
He didn’t like it one bit.
Always worrying and fretting over the stupid possibility that the old woman would try to 'coerce' me into 'being like her'.
I’ve been visiting her house since the day we first came to live in this empty countryside, hell Dad had even met her himself!
But...who was I to complain or cry over it?
I knew Bunny better than Dad and Father; she had the sass and spunkiness of someone in their twenties but she was sweet and loving like a mother.
“I’m ready. Let’s go to the city and come right back.” Dad suddenly called out from downstairs with a sigh.
A white button-up with some black jeans? It suited him!
More than Father’s need to constantly wear red tank-top shirts with beige shorts and flip-flops.
Well...at least it almost did, until I looked down to see the church shoes.
"You going to church Dad?" I teased.
"Leave my fashion sense alone Chilli, it's all I had."
My eyes narrowed as my cheeks bloomed in warmth at the nickname, the sound of Father erupting into laughter only serving to make me look up at my Dad with a grumble.
"Don't call me Chilli!"
"Ah...so you do prefer Little Bird? And here I assumed you said that it was a 'babyish nickname." Dad snickered as he patted my head.
I rolled my eyes before I heard Father get up from his chair.
“Chelidon’s going to Bunny’s house,” Father said as he got up to begin looking for his keys.
Immediately, Dad shot a small glare at me. “What?”
“It’s just for an hour or two! What am I supposed to do? Stay inside the house and wander around all day?”
“Yes, you know there’s danger out there.”
“I can handle myself, I’m a really good runner!” I argued, downing the rest of my cereal before Fidel began to tweet and chirp at my Dad.
A heavy sigh left him before he mumbled something in his native tongue while he shook his head slowly.
“You always say respect my elders-”
“You respect that one from afar, her past is...disgraceful,” Dad grumbled, a chuckle escaping Father before he tossed his keys towards him.
“Your tribe said that about me when we announced we were getting married remember?” Father grinned.
“Never judge anyone by their past! It doesn’t determine their future nor current lifestyle honey!” Father continued, his grin only widening while Dad’s cheeks tinted a small shade of pink.
He scoffed. “Our marriage was different, we were given permission by the Empress."
“Your marriage isn't really different? ” I quickly butted in.
“Kid's got a point! Besides, the old lady keeps the kid safe enough when we’re away. She’s even helped us out a few times when we needed some time to ourselves remember?” Father smirked, causing me to immediately tune them out before I shook my head a little.
I didn’t mind their little moments of romance, it was sweet, but even still...that didn’t mean I wanted to hear Father’s attempts at flirting.
“Chelidon knows how to get there on foot and to never stop for any random stranger on the road. Besides, he had his loyal guard bird remember?” Father continued, Fidel letting out a small chirp at the mention of him before Dad turned his head towards us.
Once more, a sigh left him, causing him to cross his arms before he walked towards the front door.
“If our son is to go out and walk to this woman’s house, knowing that danger is out there then he can take my spear.” I smiled proudly as I watched Dad walk over to the front door where the spear rested against the wall, as Father’s eyes widened, wordless stutters leaving his mouth, I wasted no time to walk over to retrieve the spear from Dad!
The weapon was never used, only helping out from time to time when we needed to chase something out of the house or when I accidentally got something stuck in the tree. However, it was tended to and taken care of by Dad every day or so like religion.
The simple way of how he cleaned it was even drilled into my head! Dad had told me that he was given the spear when he was announced to be the next leader of his tribe.
It was hard to get his own Dad to part with it permanently when he announced he was getting married to someone who wasn’t of their culture but...he had managed it nonetheless.
The fact that it was still as clean as ever, almost as if it had been freshly made every single day, that alone told me the spear was worth something.
“You sure you want to give me your spear Dad? I already told you I’m a pretty good runner.” I chuckled lightly, my momentary pride quickly faltering as soon as Dad turned around to look down at me with the spear in his hands.
The weapon wasn’t as long as most movies tended to make them, it was, at the very least, as long as a short sword! The crimson-tinted blade at the end of the black wood was jagged and had multiple rows of ‘teeth’, an easy cut on the way in but a bitch to try and tear out if someone was unfortunately impaled! The wood was covered with small markings here and there while purple and gold talismans were wrapped around it.
It wasn’t much but...for someone who was previously going to be the next Chieftain of their tribe?
The fact that I was being given the spear of a former Chieftain?
How could I not get a small jolt of excitement every now and again?
“Anaku, he’s just going to an old woman’s house a mile down the road, not out hunting-”
“Ms. Bunny could use some fruit, she makes pies now and again right?” Dad interrupted, causing me to nod my head as he handed me the spear.
An infant could hold this thing!
“Go now and get some apples, there was a fruiting tree near the edges of the forest. Use this spear for defense and if there’s any sign of danger? Run straight back home, hide in a closet and call us immediately.” Dad continued with a sigh before he quickly placed a kiss on my forehead, causing me to nod my head.
He didn’t have to worry one bit, him nor Father. I knew how to judge my surroundings and whether or not something was too dangerous!
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