“You’ve really never been inside the forest before? But it’s right there,” Kylan pointed towards the vast expanse of trees in pure disbelief in front of the little child that was next to him. They were a tiny red-headed kid, but their hair was a shade darker than Iden and Lian’s, who had hair the color of bright orange flames. Wren, on the other hand, had hair that was a very dark shade of orange that nearly looked red, with their eyes being the same deep hue. Kylan would think their eyes were a pretty nice color if the little kid ever used them, but instead they were always averted elsewhere or looking at the ground. Were all kids like this? Kylan just wanted to explore the forest a bit. Hm… oh, he understood now. He must be mature for his age. There was no other explanation.

  But Wren was tugging on his arm trying to pull him back, the small nine-year-old looking far too worried over a stupid forest. “No, Ky… Kylan, mom says never to explore the forest without an adult…”

  “I’ll be my own adult. She’s not my mom anyway. My mom lets me explore whatever I want and she says I’m the bravest kid she’s ever met. Which must be true,” Kylan nodded confidently to himself, finally affirming his mother’s words to be accurate after he’d seen proof with his very own eyes that the only other kid he’d ever met was such a coward. “Now let go of me. I’m gonna go see what’s in there. Lian says there’s a lake, so I’m gonna go find it. I miss water.”

  “Huh? Buhh, but… but you’ll get in trouble!” Wren wavered anxiously, wobbling on their tiny little pathetic legs before Kylan shoved them off his arm, not bothering to listen to them any longer as he started walking deeper into the woods.

  “You don’t have to follow me. Just stay behind if you’re scared.”

  “Ahhh, but… but, but…” Wren’s eyes welled up with fresh tears, watching as Kylan started walking ever so casually into the thick wooded area, before they shut their eyes tight and stared at the ground in terror.

  What should they do? Mom said to never go into the forest without an adult. That’s what she always said. She said Wren wouldn’t be allowed to go exploring by themselves until they were at least fifty. It was easy to get lost in there. And Wren didn’t like the forest anyway, which was why they’d never tried going into it by themselves. They did enjoy playing outside, and they liked building forts in their backyard, but going into the forest alone was dangerous! What if… what if they got eaten by a bear?! Oh no, what if Kylan went in all by himself and got eaten by a feral, rabid bear… or a moose! Their older sister, Iden, had once said that moose were very dangerous creatures with large, pointy antlers on their heads that could stab you and that they had venomous spit capable of paralyzing a grown man before they ate you alive! Lian had said she was lying when that vision had given them so many nightmares, but still! What if Lian had been the one who was really lying just so they wouldn’t be scared anymore, and Iden had actually been telling the truth and there really were monster moose out loose in the forest and Kylan was in a lot of danger?! Ahhh!!

  “Uh, um! Wait!” Wren squeaked, running forward on their short legs to grab onto the back of Kylan’s shirt. “I, I’ll go with you… to protect you from mooses…”

  “Hm?” Kylan glanced at them, slightly confused by that statement, only to quickly shrug it off and not comment on it. He didn’t care if they came along with him, they could do whatever they wanted. He didn’t really react to them clinging to him, either, or when they moved to hold onto his arm. It was fine. Because his mom had said he’d have people hanging on his arms once he eventually grew up into a handsome man, so this must be normal. Kylan had never been too sure what she’d meant by people hanging on his arm… he didn’t see what that had to do with him being handsome. But this must be it. His mom was never wrong. So he turned to Wren and pointed at himself, blurting out honestly, “Hey, do you think I’m handsome?”

  “Huh? Oh, uh… I guess?” Wren wavered, staring at him with a bit of confusion while Kylan stared blankly back. And Wren didn’t like how piercing his stare was. They’d only known each other for about a week, but they still hadn’t gotten used to Kylan’s face. He was so expressionless, and he wasn’t very sociable. He was really quiet and intimidating. He also said a lot of weird things, like this, for no apparent reason whatsoever. Wren should probably be nice to him though, they didn’t want to hurt his feelings. “Oh, ah, I mean yes! Yes, you’re very handsome!”

  “Oh… I see. I knew it. My mom was right again.”

  “...really?” Wren blinked at him, completely confused, but they didn’t have the courage to question him.

  It was silent for a while after that, however. Wren had no idea where they were going, and was just following Kylan’s lead. Kylan didn’t know where they were going either, but he was determined to find that lake one way or another. He acted like he’d completely forgotten Wren was there, busy following his water radar that would surely lead him to the closest body of it. He’d been around the ocean so much, so he knew what it smelled like. He’d never seen a lake before, but water was water, right? It shouldn’t be any different.

  “Uh, so… do you remember the way back?” Wren asked tentatively, still clutching tightly onto Kylan’s arm, as they’d never stopped. They were way too scared. And they needed to make sure he didn’t run off so that they could protect him from mooses.

  But Kylan didn’t really have an expressive response. Or a normal one at all, for that matter. He just looked on ahead and replied without a care, “No, I have no clue where we are. But that doesn’t matter. The important thing is that we need to find this lake. I’m sure we’re close, since we’ve been walking for a while. Though I don’t taste any salt in the air, so maybe it’s not… hm…”

  “Oh… salt? What’s salt have to do with the lake?” Wren winced, Kylan not even sparing them a glance as he kept on walking.

  Of course they didn’t know what water was made of. The only reason he knew was because he was, of course, very mature and smart for his age. His mom always said so. But he was a nice person, so he would gladly explain the mechanics of water to this small child that was obviously not as mature and smart as him. So he kept walking with that blank look on his face, explaining his knowledge in a way he deemed to be helpful. “You see, water is very salty, so when you’re by the ocean, usually you can taste the salt on your tongue, or the breeze will smell a little salty, too. It’s not very obvious, but I’d know it anywhere.”

  “Ah, but… we’re not near an ocean?” Wren asked again, Kylan only continuing to think about how this small child knew absolutely nothing compared to him, but he would gladly be patient and explain, because he was very nice and mature for his age, just like his mom always said.

  “Well, a lake is still water, it’s just smaller. It should still smell like salt, so once I smell something salty, I’ll let you know.”

  “Oh… I don’t think that’s how it works, Kylan…” the small child winced, the older boy not responding to that at all. His expression didn’t even change. Instead, he just remained silent and kept trudging onward without even knowing where he was going or what to look for, Wren going back and forth on whether they should try explaining the concept of salt water and fresh water to the older eleven-year-old boy.

  He seemed so confident, but Wren liked to read and learn new things, and they knew he was wrong… but they didn’t want to offend him, either. Though, what if he never learned the truth, and then got humiliated for it later by a mean bully who knew everything about everything and wanted to destroy Kylan because he had such a dull face?! What would they do then?! It would be all their fault, because they hadn’t told him the truth when they had the chance! Kylan would get beat up and he’d get a bloody nose and a black eye and it would all be because Wren hadn’t wanted to offend him and thought they were doing the right thing! Ahh, they couldn’t let something like that happen!

  “Ahh, ah, actually Kylan! Lakes are different from oceans! They don’t have salt in them!” Wren squeaked out, their arms shaking around his, afraid they might get yelled at.

  But Kylan didn’t really have any extreme response to them at all, which they should honestly be getting used to by now. In fact, he didn’t even stop walking. “That’s not true. I’ve been around water all my life and it’s always been salty.”

  “Yeah, but… but lakes are different…”

  “Why? Water is just water. All water should be the same unless you boil it. Why would a lake be any different?”

  “But… but that’s not…”

  “Here, I’ll prove it to you.”

  “Oh, okay… wait, you’ll what? How will you…” Wren squinted at the boy, completely incredulous on what he was suggesting. Because you know, they’d actually been to that lake before, and it wasn’t salty at all! Their father was capable of teleporting only within the constraints of their planet, Buma, and he’d teleport their entire family of five to the lake every few times a year to have some family bonding time! How was Kylan planning to prove to them that all water was the same when it clearly wasn’t?!

  Although they were quickly at a loss for words when they watched Kylan’s entire arm turn to water, their dark orange eyes blowing out wide before they popped off his arm and stumbled backwards. The older boy turned to them, a small but rare and proud smile on his face as he waved the water in front of them, before he brought it closer to their mouth. “Here, taste it. It’s going to be salty, because that’s what water is. My concept allows me to turn my body into water, so that should be all the proof you need. Obviously, since I am water, all water will be like me, as well.”

  “Wha… wha… you want me to drink you?!” Wren screamed, stumbling further back before they tripped over themselves, falling over while Kylan only brought his water closer.

  “Yeah, so I can prove to you that all water is salty. Go on, have a taste.”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “But… but that’s your body! My brother told me about this, that’s! That’s cannibism!”

  “Huh? You mean cannibalism? No it’s not, it’s water.”

  “Water made from your body! What if I drink some and it ends up taking away some of your fingers, so when you return to normal your body is missing your thumb and you’re bleeding everywhere and then you bleed out and die and it’s all my fault, and then I’ll have to tell my mom that I killed someone, and then, and then… mmm…” Wren suddenly teared up, the consequences that would surely happen if they took this action beginning to overwhelm them.

  But Kylan was oblivious to their distress, merely giving the smaller child a defeated sigh while he looked at his arm, the entirety of which had been turned into salty water. “That’s not true. Even if you drink my entire arm, the water will just regenerate. I can’t lose any limbs like this. Trust me, I already tested it, so you’re wrong. Now go ahead and drink… uh… wait, why are you crying?” Kylan squinted at them, suddenly equally panicked as he watched Wren curl up into a ball, quietly sobbing into their knees while their back shuddered, their choked gasps for air being muffled by how they were trying to cover up their mouth. It left the black-haired boy staring at them in utter confusion, not sure what was happening. Was this his fault? Had he said something to make them upset? Were they sad that they were wrong and he was right? Wow, how immature! This was why he was so mature for his age. But clearly Wren was just being a kid, so he would cut them some slack, since he was so mature. Though, uh… he didn’t really know how to get to them to stop crying. His arm turned back to normal, and he carefully walked around the shuddering child like they were something to analyze, trying to get a look at their face before he mumbled mechanically, “Uh… um. Hey kid, it’s all gonna be okay, Kylan’s got you…”

  “Huh…? Whuhh… what are you talking about?” Wren looked up, Kylan not quite sure how to respond to that as he looked at their red and wet face.

  “Oh. Sorry. That’s what my mom always says to me when I start crying and it makes me feel better. Did it not work for you?”

  “I… that… you’re so, you’re so… stupid… so stupid, I hate you!!” Wren screamed, more thick tears flowing down their pale and freckled face before the older boy took a step back in shock. Wow… really, that was so immature. Good thing he was the mature one here. He wouldn’t let that bother him and would forgive Wren after they calmed down and apologized. Because that’s what mature people did. He was very forgiving.

  Though, all of a sudden, the two of them jumped at the sound of unfamiliar laughter, Kylan’s instinct being to step in front of Wren and face the sound, reaching for the knife he’d hidden inside his clothes. He’d lost his own knife after the shipwreck incident, but he’d stolen one from the Kavrill’s kitchen and kept it for himself so that he wouldn’t be defenseless. Because that’s what smart, mature kids did. Big kids needed weapons to defend themselves, his mom always said so. But in front of them walked a very… a very average looking man covered in nothing but rags. He wore thick pants covered in dirt and a loose tunic that barely covered his neck and chest, his peachy skin covered by a raggedy green cloak that was ripped and nearly torn to shreds, barely kept together. He had dirty-blond hair that Kylan couldn’t tell if it was blond or brown, and he had very lively emerald green eyes as he smiled at the two kids before him. “Now, now… it’s not nice to argue! You kids should try getting along… though, uh… why are you pointing that knife at me?”

  “Because you’re a stranger! I don’t trust strangers,” Kylan spat, the man staring at him like he was looking at some sort of enigma. Although, that didn’t last for too long, before he leaned over and started cackling, much to Kylan’s disbelief and anger. “Hey, what’s so funny?! What are you laughing at?! My mom taught me to defend myself!!”

  “Oh, oh, yes… I’m sure she did,” the man chuckled, wiping a tear from his eye before he gave Kylan a wide smile. “Anyway, I really don’t mean you any harm. I’m a friend of Feather’s, you could say, and I came to check up on you kids. I realized the two of you were heading into the forest, so… I followed you to make sure you wouldn’t get into any trouble. And, if I do say so myself, you look a little lost, kid.”

  “Huh? I don’t care if I’m lost. I’m just trying to find the—”

  “Wahhh!!” Wren cried as they instantly lost all of their inhibition and ran up to hug the stranger out of nowhere, sobbing their orange little eyes out while Kylan stared at them, incredulous. How could they just hug a stranger like that? They didn’t even have proof he really knew Feather in the first place. How ridiculous. But they were crying really hard, and he still wasn’t sure if that was his fault or not, so he lowered his knife and stood there rather awkwardly before Wren started whining. “I, we… we’re lost… we’re lost, and I don’t know how to get home!! Please, mister, can you take us home… please…?” they cried, burying their head into the man’s dirty tunic as the tall fellow stared at them.

  “Oh… I mean, I can teleport, ya know? I was just gonna take you guys to the lake so you could play for a bit. I need to talk with Kylan, anyway. News about his mom.”

  “Huh?” Kylan squinted, not trusting that one bit. How did this strange guy covered in nothing but rags even know his name or who his mother was? Something was wrong, he could sense it. But at the same time, he… he really wanted to go to that lake. Hm. What a difficult choice. But he was very mature, as his mother always said, so the decision was easy. “Okay. Take us to the lake, then.”

  “Wow! You sure have your priorities in a bunch, don’tcha, kid?” the man laughed, carefully patting Wren’s head as he lifted his hand. And with a snap of his fingers, there they stood in front of a very large lake, that… didn’t smell anything like salt.

  It made Kylan stare at it in complete confusion, and he tiptoed towards the edge of the water with caution before he got onto his knees and touched it. He cupped his hands around the still water, and took a careful sip, but not too much, because ocean water didn’t taste too good… only to be completely flabbergasted. “Hey!! Something’s wrong with this water!! It tastes all weird and there’s no waves!!”

  “That’s fresh water, Kylan! I told you so, lakes are different!” Wren yelled at him from where they still clung to the stranger, the eleven-year-old boy looking clearly offended by that statement while he glared at them both.

  “Hey! Don’t get so cozy with him! He might be trying to kill us!”

  “But he said he’s friends with Feather… and he took you to the lake like you wanted…”

  “So?! He could be lying to us! Grooming us! Like a bastard!”

  “Woah there, kid… I seriously don’t mean you any harm,” the man laughed, casually patting Wren’s head once again before he walked past them, the small child stumbling as they watched him head towards the black-haired boy of the sea.

  And Kylan glared back at him, not trusting that smile on his face one bit, and quickly stood and pulled out his knife all over again. “I don’t trust you!! Why’d you bring us here to this fake lake?! You gonna kill us?!”

  “No, no, nothing like that… but I will say this, kid, you have very good instincts. It’s good not to trust people like me. Keep up the good work. In fact, I’d warn you that if you ever see me again, you should run,” the man smiled wryly, Kylan taking a step back as he walked into the shallow waters, heel digging into the mushy sand while he brandished his knife.

  “Then what do you want with me right now?”

  “Oh, nothing. I just came to give you some prime info, that’s all!” the man in rags smiled cheerily, clapping his hands together before Wren began to back away on the sidelines “Ah, you’re Kylan, right? I came so you could deliver a message to Feather for me.”

  “I thought you were friends!”

  “Oh, that was a lie. But I do know of him, and we’re not on bad terms. It’s just… complicated,” the man shrugged, chuckling a bit before he settled his hands on his hips and straightened his back. “Anyway! You can trust this version of me, at least, even though I know a kid like you probably won’t believe that. But I want you to know that if Feather comes across anyone who looks like me… to kill him immediately. There might be several people who look like me out there, all exact copies. It doesn’t matter how many there are, he should kill them all.”

  “Huh? What are you talking about? Are you suicidal or something?” the black-haired boy of the sea spat in return, although he only received another bright laugh at the accusation.

  “Hahahah! How funny! You know what, maybe I am. Though honestly, whether I want to live or not is now irrelevant, because the truth of the matter is that I need to be killed. I’d rather die a painful and gruesome end than continue having my clones hurt people. Oh, and also, one other thing before I teleport you back home,” he smiled dangerously, Wren’s legs going weak before their entire body weight dropped to the ground, knees caving inwards. “Your mom is alive, Kylan, I can promise you that. She’s alive, and I’ve seen her with my very own eyes. She’s traveling with five other people, one of which Feather is quite familiar with. And I want you to tell him… he must find Hera. He must find your mother. He must make that his top priority. Because she’s traveling with someone who absolutely must not go down the wrong path… and we’re all running out of time. And, sadly, I can’t meet with Feather directly, as I’m not allowed to… which is why I must go through such shady measures to talk to him, like isolating and cornering young, innocent children like yourself. Trust me, I wouldn’t be doing it this way if I had a choice,” the man sighed sadly behind his smile, Kylan giving him nothing but an incredulous stare as the cold water swirled around his ankles.

  “I don’t trust you.”

  “Good. Keep it that way,” the man in rags smiled one last time, raising his two fingers back up in the air as he prepared to snap, before he met Kylan’s ocean blue eyes once again. “Now run along home, and don’t go into the forest unsupervised again. It’s not very smart of you, boy.”

  And with a final snap of his fingers, the two children were teleported back to the Kavrill home’s front doorstep, the man’s smile fading from view the moment they left. And they both arrived sitting on the ground, Kylan’s shoes still wet as Wren looked about ready to burst into tears all over again. And the son of Hera of the Sea immediately shot to his feet, pointing his knife at Wren on impulse before he started yelling. “This is why you should never trust strangers, no matter what they tell you! That guy totally threatened to kill us the next time we meet, Feather’s friend my ass!”

  “I… but, but I… you… you’re the one who wanted to go into the forest in the first place,” Wren sniffled, curling their legs into themselves once more before Kylan finally realized he was pointing his knife at them, and put it away. “Also… that knife isn’t yours… it belongs to Lian…”

  “Huh? But I need a knife.”

  “No you don’t, you’re eleven…”

  “You don’t know anything. You don’t even know that all water is salty.”

  “But...! Kylan, you literally just learned for yourself that lakes aren’t! It’s fresh water, they don’t have salt in them!” Wren cried pathetically, tears streaming down their face even harder while Kylan was forced to freeze.

  Hm. Perhaps it was his fault, maybe. He just hadn’t thought anything bad would actually happen inside a forest on such a backwater planet like Buma… Lian even said that the crime rates were low around here because of Feather’s powerful presence among the royalty. He hadn’t expected to get ambushed at all, and yet… and yet they had. And who knows if they’d really been in danger or not. That guy seemed to be trying to get his message through to Feather, but Kylan really couldn’t make any sense of it… it was all just too confusing. So that guy had other guys who looked like him who were evil who he wanted Feather to kill? And his mother was traveling with someone dangerous that Feather needed to find? What was all that supposed to mean? Why couldn’t that crazy guy just go tell Feather himself?

  Ugh, none of this made any sense. Whatever, Feather said he’d be visiting them soon anyway, so he’d just wait and tell him the entire story then. Until that day came around, he’d apologize to Wren and… hm, if someone realized the knife was gone, he’d sneakily return it without them noticing so he wouldn’t get in trouble. It was a perfect plan. He truly was mature for his age, it was so obvious. There was no other explanation. And when he finally reunited with his mom, she would surely tell him the exact same thing.

  Fun fact: Kylan was specifically written to have autism, just like myself! I was officially diagnosed when I was 9/10 years old, and Kylan is around that age too. Let me know what you think of his portrayal in the comments! And also... what you think of the man in rags.... hoohoohohohooo....!! Who could he be???