Echoes from the Past
Entry One Point One (1.1)

Aegis found himself sobbing in the dimly lit, circular room again. Every day was the same. No matter how hard he had tried, he was always punished. They had even taken away his building blocks this time. He liked his toys, they always made him feel better after the punishments. But Tofha-otè had said that a boy who couldn't even find his Gift didn't deserve to play.

He wiped the tears away with the back of his hand before they streaked his face and tickled. Why was it harder for him? He had finally gotten his mark, Vilcība had promised him that the mark on his forehead meant he had the Gift too. It was still so hard to find it! He had really tried today, he wasn't lying! Why couldn't Tofha-otè just believe him? He didn't even get distracted today, but it still didn't work.

It was never going to work!

He sobbed uncontrollably as he made his way out into the foreboding white corridors that extended farther than he could see. But Aegis didn't look at the long, twisting halls or at the windows so high that only the grownups could reach. He bawled his way straight towards his room instead, wiping his nose with the back of the same hand until it was a gluey, snotty mess. Tofha-otè had also said that Aegis was going to spend some time in the White Room from tomorrow. He had no idea what that was, but it sounded terrifying. His whole morning had been scary and painful and he wanted to sleep. When he slept, he would dream of flying. He always dreamt of playing with Vilcība in a warm home, and they would fly like the bigger boys did.

Aegis stopped abruptly outside his room. The door was wide open and a boy about as big as him with dark hair and bright purple eyes was waving his wooden sword in the air. The boy playing with the sword may have been his best friend in the whole world, but Aegis suddenly felt very possessive of the sword. It was his sword after all, and if he wasn't allowed to play with it, no one was.

He snatched the sword away, ignoring his best friend's frown as he did. Aegis then scrambled up onto the impossibly high bed and curled there, clutching to his wooden sword like a doll.

"Do you want me to heal?" Vilcība chirped, leaning against the bed. He didn't sound like he understood his feelings.

"Go away!" Aegis choked back another sob, he didn't want Vilcība, he wanted to sleep.

"But we're friends!"

He could feel the bed shudder as Vilcība climbed onto it and sat beside him. But Aegis didn't move, he stared pointedly away from him.

Vilcība didn't seem to care how sad he was though, "Want to know the coolest thing?" And he didn't even wait for Aegis to answer before he spoke again, "The training room has real fire now! It's awesome!"

Aegis didn't respond, he didn't care about the cool fire in the training room. Only the big boys were allowed there anyway, and he had other things to worry about. He was going to the White Room from tomorrow, away from everyone.

"Please!" Vilcība insisted, shaking Aegis by the shoulders as he nagged on, "Please please please! It'll be so much fun!"

"Go away! I don't want to!"

Vilcība let out a huffy breath and moved away. Aegis couldn't see if he'd gotten off the bed because his back was still turned, but it made him unhappier to think that his one friend was leaving him too. It wasn't his fault he was in such a bad mood! It was the punishment's fault! But then ... why wasn't Vilcība as sad as him after his punishments? He knew his friend got punishments too.

"You don't cry after the punishments," he said accusingly, turning to face Vilcība, Aegis had never seen him cry even once.

Vilcība looked down and then away, "Punishments don't hurt me," he admitted, "I only pretend they do."

Aegis felt another pang of jealousy, "That's not possible!" He was lying! "You can only have one Gift, and your Gift is healing!"

"My Gift isn't just healing." He drew circles on the bed as he mumbled, "And I didn't make the hurt go away, my friend did."

"You have other friends?" Aegis asked, completely forgetting about the Gift, "can I see them?"

"No."

Aegis turned away from Vilcība and hugged his sword again, weeping hysterically into his elbow. It hurt that his only friend had other friends, but it hurt more that he wouldn't let Aegis see them.

"Why do you cry so much?" Vilcība sounded angry, and it only made him cry even more. "Okay fine!" he said with another huff, "Next time we play you can come too, okay?"

Aegis wiped his tears away, his eyes lit in the anticipation of it as he sat back up with a jerk, "Really?"

Vilcība smiled, "Yes, really." He jumped backwards off the bed, leaving Aegis to marvel at the coolest best friend he could ever have, "Now can we please go see the fire?"

He tossed the wooden sword aside, clambered to the edge of the bed and then jumped onto the floor below. He met Vilcība's giant grin with a grin of his own and nodded.

"Race you!" Vilcība shouted, running ahead.

Aegis let out a warrior's cry as dashed out of the room after his best friend, all woes of the White Room forgotten.