Laughter and Cold [Pov Tyler Krevan /Blood Legacies]

Words : 913.

Laughter.

They were laughing.

It was a group of five. Two younger, three older. Nobles. They glanced at him, some with disgust, while others whispered and laughed softly. They didn't care that they were seen. Or that he looked away. Tyler knew that if he looked at them the wrong way, he could be in trouble.

Even an air elemental, being a bastard, could still suffer unpleasant consequences if he were accused of something. Or even for no reason. A noble could come and say he should receive ten to twenty lashes, and it wouldn't be stopped.

Unless, of course, some Darian or even a Petrus noble... which was highly unlikely, interfered. Neither of those would happen anytime soon in his life.

But his uncle could intervene. Humiliate himself, and maybe Tyler would be spared, maybe there wouldn't be wounds that would take weeks or months to heal.

It's not as if Tyler had felt this from Petrunian nobles. Not from Petrunians. They're too busy mocking and feeling contempt for him to waste their time hurting him. Too bad his father doesn't think the same.

Another laugh, and a noble passing by with guards looks at him as if he were dung before going on his way.

Tyler felt like a black stain on a clean floor. It was ridiculous, he knew. There was no reason to care. Nobles were nobles, and bastards were bastards, and no matter what he did, he couldn't change these facts. But he could leave this place, the courtyard and the gardens, and go outside the castle and its walls, away from this den of elegance and arrogance.

And so he did.

He showed nothing as he moved toward the gates, but more precisely to the door beside them. The guard, Marki, recognized him and just stepped aside with a raised eyebrow, watching him pass. "Be careful, boy, you don't want to come back late. Your uncle isn't in a good mood today."

Tyler scoffs, walking away towards the road outside the wall. "As if I cared." He clenches his fists and continues on into the snow.

"Stay on the road, boy," Marki called out, but Tyler didn't turn around. "And be careful in the snow. You never know what you might find underneath it all."
Tyler didn't answer, though his lips curved into a faint smile. Great, he thought. I'm dying to bloody my fists on something anyway.

He walked and walked. The snow was thin on the road, as carriages, horses, and even people had passed, including some guards who had also cleared the road a bit. Not that it mattered. With every moment, snowflakes fell from the skies, and more and more snow accumulated as he advanced down the road. The cold seemed to penetrate his bones, making him feel like he was turning into a damn human ice statue. He didn't stop walking; if he stopped, he might not want to continue, and he didn't want to go back.

He wanted to go to the nearest town, find any old bar, and after warming up by a fireplace, look for some idiot to help him think of nothing but fighting.
It wasn't the same with others.

He couldn't just think about fighting with his father, nor with his uncle, much less with the nobles besides them. He felt more than just anger, and that made him angry with himself. He shouldn't. But he did. And Tyler hated it. Hated it so much.

It was then that he heard it. Hoofbeats. Just what he needed. Tyler lets out a sigh through his nose and turns with a speed and a stiffness in his limbs, but not from the cold, and though he's almost shivering, he doesn't let it show.

He clenches his jaw, crossing his arms and looking in that direction with disdain, as if he were judging someone, and not hearing heavy steps that could turn him into a bloodstain on the ground with a single move.

A shadow emerges from the snow and the darkness of the road. There are lamps around, but three of the posts were out, so he couldn't see who was approaching, nor could the person see him clearly, as Tyler had moved to the side of the road, into the trees and partial darkness. He didn't want to give a noble an excuse to "accidentally" run him over with their horse.

Not that staying to the side would prevent that much from happening, but if they couldn't see it was him, the less likely they were to attack him, whether with stupid words or with their hands. It was logical.

They couldn't do everything, even to Tyler, but they could still do something, and who could stop them but himself?

It was better to seem like a useless nobody than to be recognized. His elemental powers couldn't stop him from going to the gallows if the nobles thought he had tried to kill other nobles. The duke couldn't stop it. Maybe he could, but what terrible punishment would fall upon his head if he were allowed to live even after that?

Tyler sighs, and straightens his shoulders, but hunches forward a bit, yet, it was no use.

You recognized him. "Tyler?"

Your voice made Tyler blink and raise his gaze to meet yours. Of course.

Only an elemental could see another like that.

But did it have to be you? Tyler almost groans. Great. Why can't I have a shred of luck and get to town without anyone seeing me? The Celestials must hate me.