A Tale Of Fruits

Fyn.  

Fyn looked up at the demon's eyes as it pressed the jagged rock he was clutching near its throat.

Gritting his teeth once more, he clenched his jaw and his fist along the hard rock. This was an opportunity, wasn't it? Fyn was familiar with hunting, even though he rarely did it. He once hunted for small game, like rabbits, fawns, and sometimes even boars.

He knew that a slice to the jugular would mean immediate death.

And if he were to grab this opportunity, then that would mean the village of Gashea wouldn't experience any more misfortune under the hands of some malevolent demon.

Still, as he looked at the demon's eyes, Fyn felt like something was wrong. A powerful demon such as the one that was in front of him surely wouldn't look like they were ready to embrace death. Surely, even demons could feel fear. The demon's eyes looked welcoming, like it was waiting for Fyn to just kill him. He already felt as if the demon were human, and now, as he was looking at the being's eyes, it felt like the belief strengthened.

The demon of Gashea, looked oddly tired.

Fyn was curious, he wanted to know why.

And maybe that was the reason. A mere human's curiosity that made Fyn clicked his tongue in irritation as he pulled his hand roughly away from the demon’s clutches, and the reason why he let his hands fall limply to his side, dropping the jagged rock to the ground in the process.

Or maybe it was something else entirely.

Fyn wondered if it was empathy. But that would have been ridiculous, wouldn't it? This demon had brought upon such hardships to the villagers of Gashea that Fyn knew he shouldn't feel sorry for it.

And yet, as he looked at his reflection on the the demon's eyes, it made him remember something.

Fyn couldn’t help but compare. The demon looked like how he once did, especially in times where he was so fed up with loneliness back in his hut. His eyes showed a certain kind of pain, the type of pain that scarred deeper than one could imagine. Fyn wanted to laugh, but he found no strength to do so. He always felt distant and indifferent when it came to the villagers of Gashea.

And here he was, feeling like the demon and him weren’t so different.

Not even close. Not even a little bit. Not even at all.

The demon's hand stayed up in mid-air, its head tilted curiously.

"Why did you not kill me,” It asked, “Are you not a murderer like me?"

Fyn clenched his jaw, averting his gaze. He thought for sure the demon would let it go, but he was mistaken. After a momentary pause, Fyn felt a cool, sharp nail tip his chin upward, their gaze meeting once more. Fyn stiffened as he stared right back. There was something different in the demon's eyes now. Something he couldn't quite decipher, and, truth be told, he felt like he didn't want to.

It felt as if he somewhat understood whatever it was the demon felt in that moment, it would change Fyn's entire life completely.

"An eye for an eye," Fyn furrowed his brows, meeting the demon's gaze as strongly as he could. "Would make the entire world blind."

The demon's gaze softened, and Fyn felt something in his heart move. Letting him go, the demon took a few steps back, giving him space. With one last heated look in his direction, the demon looked down on its hand, the hand that just held him close. A look of contempt flashing in its eyes as it looked down on its hand in what seemed like reflection.

"Hn," The demon mumbled sardonically. "Mortals and their ridiculous beliefs."

And like how it did moments ago. In a blink of an eye, the demon disappeared from Fyn's line of sight. There, in its place moments ago, was nothing but a black trail of smoke. Breathing shakily, Fyn's knees wobbled, and he fell in a heap, his back pressed against the wall. His hand shot out, clutching his throbbing heart. Shuddering, his eyes fell on the place the demon had been.

Below where the demon had stood was a large leaf that had been turned into a rucksack.

Inside it were different colored fruits.

"Huh?" Fyn muttered under his breath.

Gazing around, he made sure the demon was truly out of the cave he was in. Once he was certain that it had left, and that he was alone, Fyn slowly crawled towards the makeshift bag and opened it, the fruits rolling out of the bag in a heap. He blinked, confused, but understanding dawned on him immediately.

When the demon had teleported in front of him, he heard something drop on the ground.

Was this what he heard?

There were some familiar fruits inside the rucksack, but most of them were fruits that Fyn hasn't seen before. They looked exotic and delicious. The sweet smell wafted in the air and Fyn sniffed greedily. His mouth instantly watered and a loud growl sounded from his stomach. With all that was happening, he can't even remember the last time he had a proper meal.

His hand moves before he could think.

The apple that was inside the rucksack looked scrumptious and all Fyn could think about was how tasty it would taste inside his mouth. He was just about to bite into it when he froze. This was the demon's meal. If he ate it, what would stop the demon from consuming him in retaliation? If the demon ate him, the other villagers won't see his body flowing along the river.

Then again, maybe that would work. If the demon ate him, the others would think that the sacrifice this time has worked. They would stop throwing away innocent brides, they would stop the sacrifices. The deaths would stop. Fyn would make a difference.

Plus, he was really, really, hungry.

Ignoring the smart side of his brain, Fyn raised the apple to his face. Sniffing greedily once more, he sighed with content feeling his mouth water. There were no more trees that bore fruit outside the forest of Gashea. Apple trees had been homegrown by some villagers in town, but they sold them for such a hefty price. With the taxes and having no proper source of income, Fyn couldn't even trade them with the herbs he found near his hut.

"Screw it," Fyn muttered. "It could eat me for all I care."

Without wasting any more time, Fyn bit into the apple and he couldn't help it, he groaned in delight. The taste of the apple exploded in his mouth. The sweetness coating his tongue like a second skin. As he expected, he started biting into the apple like a deranged man who hadn't eaten in days. Slobbering like a pig. Swallowing like it was the best meal he had in days. Honestly, it was. The best thing he had ever tasted.

He knew what apples tasted like, but this apple tasted like it was his favorite food.

Before the demon could arrive, Fyn grabbed another apple and devoured it. Fyn didn't even leave the core, only the seeds that came with it. The seeds he placed inside his pockets. He could probably give it to some villagers, that is, if for some miracle he managed to escape the demon's clutches. He would instruct them to plant it near the river, that way the tree could always have water and it would bear tasty fruit.

When all the apples have been consumed, Fyn's eyes fell on the other fruits inside the rucksack. There were mangoes and strawberries. The other fruits, he couldn't possibly name. There was a large green fruit with bumpy rinds. It was bigger than Fyn's head. There was also a bright magenta fruit with green elongated peels. There was even what looked like a small yellow melon with deep white stripes.

But the most interesting thing that Fyn saw was a fruit that oddly looked like an orange. Yet he knew it was anything but. The smell was different, the texture was different. It was a pear-shaped orange fruit that had smooth skin. When Fyn bit into it, he was surprised that it split in half, showing two large brown seeds in its center.

"That's a loquat."

Jolting in place, Fyn let go of the fruit and hurriedly crawled to the wall he was pressed to moments ago. He hadn't realized the demon was back. Fyn’s eyes reluctantly strayed towards the rucksack. Shame crossed his features once he realized he almost ate everything. He knew he should be full, but his stomach seemed to hunger for more. The loquat, or whatever the demon had said, left him wanting for more.

"Why did you stop?" The demon asked. It was leaning against the wall, its arms crossed against its chest. Its tail wagging non-stop. "You ate ravenously moments ago, don't stop just because I’m here."

Fyn tipped his head down, "I apologize."

The demon momentarily blinked. Once.

"What for?"

"It...” Fyn clenched his fist, his nails digging into his palm. “…wasn't mine."

"Hn," The demon flitted its gaze over to the rucksack. Unconsciously, Fyn did so too. His eyes falling on the loquat. It tasted like a mixture of peaches and apples. Fyn wanted more. His mouth watered at the thought. With the demon watching, he couldn't so far as reach it. When the demon moved towards the rucksack, Fyn heard himself take a sharp, shocked intake of breath. "A good fruit such as this would be wasted, if not eaten. And it’s not like humans ever asked permission before taking something that were not theirs to begin with."

Before Fyn could process the demon’s accusation and taking offense, it surprised him.

Grabbing the loquat, the demon threw it over to Fyn's direction. Clumsily, he barely caught it with his hand as it landed on his lap. He frowned, furrowing his brows as he met the demon’s gaze, a question in his eyes.

"But," Fyn started, looking down at the fruit in his hands. "This is yours."

The demon's eyes stayed on the remaining fruits inside the makeshift rucksack. Gingerly, it started wrapping the fruits that had escaped the rucksack back inside. Fyn blinked with confusion when the demon did the entire thing with utmost care and precision. Its sharp nails were careful not to damage the skin of any fruit, it eyes looked as if it was in deep concentration. With furrowed brows, the demon continued its task.

Feeling a little ridiculous with all his staring, Fyn let his eyes fall on the loquat on his hand again and sighed. Forcing himself, he bravely crawled towards the rucksack and started picking up the remaining fruits that the demon hasn't picked up yet.

If his action surprised the demon, Fyn wouldn't know. The demon was quiet, but from his peripheral vision, Fyn saw it flinch and stare at the side of his face. Feeling blood rush to his cheeks at the sudden attention, Fyn cleared his throat. The demon's tail cast a shadow that was constantly moving. Grabbing one of the bigger fruits, Fyn pushed it gently towards the demon.

"Just like you said," Fyn whispered softly, "Good fruit would be wasted if not eaten."

Beside him, he could hear the demon shift in place.

Then, with a barely audible whisper, the demon replied.

"I do not eat fruits."