Chapter 37：Heryan - Part 3

Heryan woke up. She felt exhausted and her head was warm, but felt cool as a wet cloth was placed there. She didn't have the strength to open her eyes. Her other senses worked alright. There was some pressure in her ears and her sense of smell was diluted.

There were people next to her. She could hear their whispers, but wasn't able to make out much more than that. Heryan was still disoriented making all her thoughts muddled.

She felt a set of hands that moved her body in a comfortable sitting position. She couldn't move nor really understand what was happening. The next moment her mouth opened up and a spoon carrying a savory thin soup. She could taste it, but she couldn't stay awake much longer before falling asleep again.

---

The next time she woke up, she felt strong enough to open her eyes. She looked at the ceiling. She wasn't in the crate. The ceiling was completely covered not allowing any rain to seep through. The dark interior made it hard to see. She turned her head to see some light: moonlight. There was a blue lizard-kin sitting in a chair sleeping and next to the window was an elf. She knew the various races, but never interacted with any of them.

She was thirsty, but due to her throat being dry it was impossible to speak. The noise she was able to make got the attention of the elf at the window. He walked over towards her and seemed to understand that she was thirsty. She tried to move her hands to accept the water, but they wouldn't move. She felt the familiar hands on her back as she was helped to sit up. The elf carefully helped her drink the water.

Heryan wanted to thank him. She still couldn't speak, but her face told the elf what she wanted to say. He gave her a caring smile as she drifted off to sleep again.

---

'Who's there? Where am I?' Heryan remembered the elf. 'He was nice.' Questions flowed in her mind. Her body felt normal and no longer hot; her senses weren't muddled anymore; she could understand and think much more clearly.

'It sounds like four people are talking right now. Who are they and why am I here? They can't be bad people if that elf is still here. That voice… wasn't there a wolf-kin that helped me? It's too hard to remember.'

She opened her eyes to see there was the elf from before standing next to the blue lizard-kin. They were talking with the wolf-kin and what she could guess was a little wolf-kin girl. The two wolf-kin left the room as the others walked over to the window.

She tried to sit up on the bed. There was a small noise from her shuffling as those two walked over towards her.

"Are you feeling ok?"

She looked at the blue lizard-kin. He tried to help her, but she flinched back.

'Don't hurt me please!'

The way the hands were moving towards her made her remember her 'parents'.

Heryan looked towards the elf. He had helped her and his warm hands made it feel like he cared her. She watched both of them back away from her. She was scared and didn't know what to do. She started to cry. There wasn't anywhere she could go and was she really safe here? Then she felt those hands again wrap around her.

'Safe.'

That was what she felt. Safety around him. She didn't really understand it, but she continued to cry into his chest.

---

After calming down, she noticed the blue lizard-kin was sitting away from her and the elf. She felt afraid of the lizard-kin because of the clothing and jewels that he wore. They were the same as her parents and she tensed up noticing him. She tried to hide behind the elf, her protector, from that lizard-kin.

'He doesn't talk, like me.'

The elf stayed with her as the lizard-kin left the room. Those two stayed together until her tummy started to growl. The elf looked at her with eyes that were like he didn't care, but she could see the care in his eyes hiding behind the indifference.

He started to get up.

'Please don't leave.'

She grabbed a hold of him. Holding on the last bit of safety before it left her for good. Heryan felt secure, safe, for the first time and she needed to fight to not let it go. She couldn't hope without him. The light started to cloud and darken for her. He was at the door. Darkness swirled around her as the last sparks of hope were fleeting. The door opened and the smell of food came into the room.

The elf turned around back into the room with a tray of food. The light shined once again for her. She was so afraid that he would leave her alone again that it scared her.

---

[Waq gave me this to write in. He is really nice. He and Kerelly both really liked my drawing of Kerelly. That made me happy.

I met my new friend Uy'lamear. Just like her dad she was a wolf-kin. Her name is kind of hard for me, but she spelled it out for me, but I like to call her Uy. For the past week we have been playing together. She draws with me and she is really good. I never had someone to play with and she is super cool. She helps heal people like her dad and that is just amazing.

I guess I'm a little sad that she has to work and we cannot play all day. I play with her for the rest of the night before she goes home.

Kerelly stays with me, sitting on the ground beside my bed. He let me play with his hair. Uy had taught me how to make our hair super pretty. Well Kerell-y, he doesn't like that, but I some when he turns away I can see the smile on his face, so I won't stop for now.

Well we have fun and it is really awesome.

But I know that it won't last. Kerell and Waquell have been leaving more and more. Spending less time. I don't want them to leave.]

---

Heryan fell asleep. Kerell had woken up and picked up the little notebook that Waquell gave her. It was nice to see her drawings and doodles. Then he saw that she was starting to write about her days, including the latest entry. Sure there were doodles around, but in the end there were rain clouds pouring rain on a box.

---

The next day Waquell had another talk with Ty'marr.

"The parents were arrested yesterday?"

"Yes. It seems they were stealing money from their customers."

"They should be executed for what they did to her."

Ty'marr shifts his eyes to the ceiling.

"I know what you mean, but they have denied even having a daughter."

"WHAT?"

"They threw everything of hers away and everyone we talked to hasn't ever seen her there with them. Me and Kerell searched the house and we found a few places in the walls, basement and under the stairs with drawings. They claimed that those were from the previous owners and 'know nothing at all' about them."

Kerell starts kneading his forehead as well as Waquell. Even Kear and Naka are doing it in the void space. This was a tough situation and so far they have no way to prove it, unless they 'cheat'. It also seems like a great idea to ensure the parents have a hard life after this, but that goes against everything that Kear has wanted. Interacting with powers that can literally have no downside and are all powerful, goes against using her 'own powers' to solve this.

Ty'marr stands up and paces back and forth. He is thinking things over, trying to think of something. Ty'marr turns back and sits down across from Waquell.

"What is going to happen to her?"

"With their denial of their daughter and no proof, she won't get any money from them. Though with their debts that is actually a good thing as she won't have to pay money for their mistakes."

Waquell tries to avoid this part. He is taking advantage of the situation and manipulating Ty'marr to take care of Heryan. By asking this it leaves a bad taste in his mouth, but he cannot stay there for Heryan. So he continues.

"Since Kerell and I," he points to himself and Kerell, "will be leaving shortly, we cannot take care of her. So…"

"…you want me to take care of her. I know she and my daughter are becoming well acquainted, but feeding another mouth… I don't have the money to do it right now. I mean I care for her, but why not another family or the orphanage?"

Ty'marr knew, but he still asked. He didn't want to take this responsibility.

"She is still fragile. Another change like that could put her in the same position like when she got here."

Waquell moved his glasses in a more comfortable position and put on a grin.

"I actually have something that could help. You know that you owe me money right? Why not just change our contract. That 2% that you owe me, we will put it in a fund for Heryan. That will be her money and give her some stability for the future and it won't burden you with having to pay extra. Now I know the down payment I helped pay for this place of yours, I will put in some more money to help you raise her."

"Well that takes a lot off my chest, but that is another person. I have taken care of other humans before, but to raise her that is different. I know that she looks up to you."

He looks towards Kerell and speaks to him.

"I have seen you spend time with her and how much she cares for you. I also know how much you care for her."

Kerell looks away, but stays put. He needs to act like an angsty elf and he will be that way, but Kear cannot help but be a little persuaded by that. Kear stops time in the universe to think about it. Alone in the void room, well Naka is there, but that is herself in a costume, she starts to mull it over.

---

A camera floats above Kear. It watches her sitting in a chair alone with the dark grey walls of the room in the background. A lamp nearby giving off a small amount of light to keep her face a light.

"So I don't know what to do. I just wanted to help out the people in the world with my own powers. Well I know what I mean, but I am just too attached to Heryan. As Kerell I can sit there and watch her. I don't have to talk and I can listen to her."

Kear looks down at her hands in her lap.

"I thought I could stay out of their lives and just help them. I know I am lonely and looking at this," pointing to Naka sitting next on the couch, the camera turns to see Naka pointing at herself, the camera turns back towards Kear, "makes it seem really bad. I created costumes of people as different people to help others, but it just makes me creepy. I am literally talking to myself."

"Now if I stay with Heryan and help her grow up, then what about the others. Do I stay with them all? Become their friend, parents, or acquaintance? I guess I really want my family back huh."

Kear starts to sob with her hands covering her face. She doesn't cry for long, but she still looks down and away from the camera.

"If I stayed with her, then do I tell her that I was wearing Kerell as a costume just to help her?"

Kear looks at the camera, but looks through it. Not focusing on the camera, but a memory.

"For the past ten years I wandered about this world. Just that single planet, looking over everything as a traveler. I helped business and people alike. I made money and connected with others listening to their stories. That was fun even if I spent that time away from my family and the weird decisions I made back then."

She now starts to focus on the camera.

"I lived a normal life and I didn't stay with them. I just moved along once it had been time. That was why I thought I could just move on from this. It isn't just because she is a child and I want to take care of her. I met other kids, playing with them as a kid. So what makes this different? Is it because those kids still had parents? No, not all of them did. So then what?"

---

She pockets the camera after turning it off. She teleports to the room with Heryan in it. She is on the bed drawing a picture in the notebook.

Time is still stopped, but Kear unfreezes only her.

"Heryan, I need to talk to you."

Heryan jumps up and screams. She runs for the door. Kear made a mistake and wasn't really thinking. So she has Kerell, Waquell and Naka outside the door to come in.

Kerell opens the door and Heryan jumps into his arms.

"I'm sorry for scaring you Heryan, I really am."

Kear says that, while Kerell holds her. Heryan looked into Kerell's eyes, seeing that he was smiling at her, she relaxed.

'If Kerelly isn't afraid neither will I.'

Kerell sits her on the bed and the three costumes and Kear sit on the floor across from the bed in an apologetic manner. Kerell speaks up here and he is aware that it's for the best.

"Heryan I… er uh we, well I need to tell you something."

Shock appears on her face.

"You spoke!"

Then her face changes; confusion, embarrassment and fear all in one. She looks at them all and starts to hide herself behind a pillow.

"What's going on Kerelly?"

"I need to tell you the truth and once I am done I want you to tell me what you want."

"What do you mean?"

All at once, Kerell, Kear, Waquell and Naka all point with their left hand and point to their face.

""We are all one person.""

Heryan starts laughing.

"That was so cool! Can you do that again?"

The costumes and Kear do not change and keep all actions in sync.

""We are all one person.""

Heryan starts giggling without stopping.

"Say that you are a dog and start barking!"

""I'm a dog! Bark! Bark! Woof!""

"Stand on one leg and spin around while you keep barking."

Kear and the costumes spin around on a one while barking. Kear loses her balance and the others fall over as well in a pile. Kear has herself and the costumes separate like normal so they can fix each other up and sit back down. All the while, Heryan is laughing her butt off without stopping anytime soon, she starts to fall forward and is about to fall off the bed, but Kerell runs over to grab her before she falls.

"Aaahhhh!"

She looks up at Kerell in embarrassment to him and the others and stops laughing. But quickly picks it up again and the costumes and Kear give a small chuckle before putting Heryan back on the bed and they move back onto the floor. Kerell continues the conversation.

"Heryan I need you to know that we are all a single person. Do you understand that?"

"It's confusing still, but then if you are the same… like is there one person… this is confusing."

Kear speaks up, letting Kerell sit back.

"My name is Kear. To my right on the end there is Naka." She then points to Kerell to her right and Waquell on her left. "You know Kerell and Waquell. These three are my costumes. A costume, a disguise, an extension of myself…"

"I know what a disguise is. I read books where Orekka had to disguise herself to sneak into the ball to dance with the prince."

She had a smile on while she mentioned that.

"Yes, well that is… that is what I want you to know. That in a way Kerell and Waquell are just that."

"But don't you have to dress up?"

"Well in a way that is what I do, but we are just a single person."

"So why Kerell and Waquell walk the same is because of that?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well those two always walk a little weird, but I thought it was because they were friends."

"Well I haven't really been told I walk weird. Anyways, Kerell is me. Do you understand that?"

"I guess, but… that is weird."

She looks towards Kerell. She looked at him with a look asking him if it was true.

"It is true that I am Kear."

He points to Kear and nods while looking at Heryan. She gives a shocked look, but she trusts him.

"So you're really Kerelly?"

"Yes."

The silence takes over the room as Kear lets it sink in that the costumes are Kear. That though leads into a question from Heryan.

"Why is it so quiet outside?"

She gets up to look out the window. She is avoiding talking about it more. She looks out the window. Heryan is shocked to see that no one is moving and that they are all frozen standing there. The birds are just there mid flight, not falling. No sound comes out from what would normally be the bustling street.

"What is going on?"

She turns around scared.

"No one is moving! What did you do to them?! What did you do to Kerell and Waquell?!?"

She starts to run. Out the door, down the stairs, out into the world. She tries to ask for help. She tries to 'wake' people up. She is scared, frightened of what that evil Kear did to Kerell.

---

The sun is still not moving. A few times Kear had caught up to Heryan, even though she was 'hiding'. She would stand still in a ground of children, not moving with them. Pretending to be frozen like them, but Kear had caught up and found her. She ran and tried again in another park. Another house. She kept running, but she was tired. She was scared. She eventually went back to the room upstairs, the 'Herbs & Healing'. She tried to shake Kerell and wake him up.

"Give him back to me. Kerelly wake up!"

"Kear and I are the same person. She was just acting, with me as a disguise."

Kerell tried to calm her down, but she never did. She wouldn't give up. So Kerell, no Kear, gave up trying to have a calm conversation.

Kear teleported back in the room and sat down far away from Heryan, while the others teleported away. Leaving just the two in the room.

"Heryan, I am giving you a choice. Right now your parents went to jail. They did some bad stuff to other people and to you. They cannot hurt you any…"

"GIVE KERELL BACK!"

Kear was hurt. It wasn't because Heryan talked about Kerell and not her, it was the fact that she was angry. Angry that Kerell was no longer here. She hurt this little girl. Kear didn't do this right.

Kear disappeared and Kerell took her place. Heryan ran over to him and into his arms and started crying.

"Heryan I wan…"

"DON'T LEAVE ME!"

She screamed. She cried.

---

She started to calm down, but she was tired.

"Heryan I am going to leave and I'm sorry. I thought I could tell you the truth and then maybe we could live together or something. I wanted to leave that part up to you. I care for you and that was all I wanted to do, was to help you and others like you. Maybe it is best if I stay away from here."

"Please… don't leave."

"I am so sorry. Sorry. You won't remember this Heryan. You won't have to know the truth, but I will leave and that will hurt. Ty'marr will take care of you and maybe you and Uy'lamear can be sisters."

"You are Kear. I said it, so please don't leave!"

"I did this wrong and it was my fault. I know you don't believe that. I can see it in your eyes. I was wrong and I did something bad to you. This was about making you happy and Kerell won't be there, I would be Kear for the most part. Either way, I was wrong. I wanted to use you as someone to stay by, to protect, to not be lonely. Maybe you understand or you don't, but that is wrong."

The look on Heryan's face was one that had lost all hope. One that knew the end was coming and there wasn't anything she could do.

"This conversation, this time since Kear has been here will be gone: Erased. None of this will have happened and Kerell and Waquell will leave you in the care of Ty'marr. I know you can survive. You will be happy with them and I will watch over you from afar. Goodbye Heryan, goodbye!"

A weak smile and a small wave, Kear ended the conversation. She placed Kerell and Waquell back in the positions they were in. Removed Heryan's memories and placed her back in the same position drawing in her notebook. She cleaned the tears off of Kerell and the rest of the costumes. Kear left tears on herself.

---

"I know it will be hard for you, but I cannot take care of her."

Kerell stood there looking down and away from Ty'marr. He spoke with the gloom and sadness of losing someone close to him. Ty'marr looks back towards Waquell and nods to him.

"Alright."

"There is an officer that will be coming soon to talk with us about Heryan. His name is Heruff and he can help you finalize everything you need. Until he gets here, let's talk about how much would be good to help you."

---

"Don't you think that is too much?"

Ty'marr looks confused at Waquell.

"You are a businessman and this is just a start, that 2% will be set aside for her future. This jumpstart can be used for your business and daughter."

"I get it, but what about you. That is a lot of money on that girl, on us. You are spending an awful lot on us. What's the catch?"

"Like I said I'm a businessman and you are my investment."

*Knock Knock*

Ty'marr walks over to the door and Heruff walks in. Everyone greets each other. Kerell walked upstairs as Heruff walked in.

"My shift is ending soon, so let's get this done shall we?"

The horses outside were happily eating some apples.

---

Kerell walked upstairs and into the Heryan's room.

"Kerelly you're here, look at this!"

She showed him a picture of her and him standing next to each other. Kerell smiled at the picture and at her.

He sat down next to her bed letting her do his hair and talk. He didn't say anything like normal, just letting her talk and play around. Later that night when she fell asleep, Kear had drawn a picture of Heryan and Kerell playing together. It was bad, compared to Heryan it was really bad, but it was colored. Along with the picture, there were colored pencils that would never break or run out. A note on the back of the picture was a goodbye and that maybe in the future they could see each other again.

---

That night Kerell and Waquell left the city. The stars were out and it was a clear night. Once they were far away and made sure no one was watching the cart, horses, Kerell and Waquell disappeared.

Kear sat on her couch in the void room. The camera was floating above her, recording her for her diary.

"Helping others is nice, but maybe I was going about it the wrong way. I got too attached to one little girl. I don't know what I will do next, but maybe I will take a break."

Kear looked away and decided to take a nap. It was a tough day for her and she needed time to think.