David was fifteen when he had first met Moss. He had been wandering for who knows how long and had finally given up finding his siblings. He accepted that he would never find his sister and baby brother. Now he just wandered around doing odd jobs and stealing to stay alive.
He had been hiding underneath a large oak tree from the sun when Moss had entered his life.
“Friken one eye hidden from the sun. C'mon Cyclops, there are funner ways of staying cool.” They had told him, plopping down in the grass next to him. He hadn't even noticed them approach him.
David had quickly gathered that Moss was not human. They had long pointed ears and short fluffy green hair.
Other than that they looked like any other orphan kid who lived on their own. Sun kissed skin, a big jacket that was far too big for them and patches covering each piece of clothing they wore.
David had smiled and put down the book he had stolen from a woman's purse that morning.
“Fine grass head, show me the fun ways.”
Moss had beamed happily at him and had grabbed his hand and they stood up, dragging them away from the shade.
After hours of playing in a nearby stream that Moss had named ‘Serendipity’ they found themselves lying in a large patch of long grass, watching as the sky changed to a pretty orange.
David had always liked orange.
“Why do you have an eye patch?” Moss had asked, rolling to their stomach to look at David.
David had shrugged. “Got hurt protecting my siblings, lost an eye.”
“Where are your siblings?”
David had shrugged again. “Don't know. Lost them.”
Moss had become quiet, a thoughtful look on their face.
“Lost mine too.” They finally had said. Suddenly they had grinned. “We could be each other's siblings now Cyclops.”
That was the moment David realized he had met one of his soulmates.
***
He had been sixteen when they had discovered magic. He and Moss had found a book about it in the library and stole it away to the little treehouse they had put together in the branches on the oak they had met under.
They had stayed up for hours reading all about spirits and god's and how to practice magic. Within a day their little home in the oak branches was covered in all kinds of stones and herbs.
David didn't know how long they had spent learning all the spells and enchantments together, wasting each night away and sleeping till late each morning.
Moss was faster at learning but David was alright with that even though he was nearly two years senior. Moss had always been better at everything anyways.
Moss had grown a bit, they were still much shorter than David but they had become sturdeir in the way they held themselves and now owned big round glasses that had little cracks on the left lense.
David learned that Moss’s favorite color was green.
***
When David hit his nineteenth year he was still towering over Moss, now often called Dwarf or Four-eyes as a tease from David. Moss’s jacket was still huge on them and they often rolled up the sleeves so they hung right underneath their elbows.
David and Moss had stopped stealing years ago and could hunt animals and edible plants well enough to never go to bed hungry anymore and we're now able to sell their spells and herbs to buy other necessities.
Then they decided to start traveling. It had been Moss’s idea. They wanted to share the skills with other kids who were on their own and share spells and blessings from the gods.
David had agreed with them, he wanted to help people and see the world, but he would miss Serendipity and their home in the trees dearly.
“Silly Cyclops, we'll come back!” Moss had reassured him, adjusting their big round glasses on their nose.”Don't you worry!”
David had giggled, relieved. “Alright, I won't worry Four-eyes.”
***
They had traveled everywhere. They stopped by villages, lone bars, hidden forest homes and some many other wonders.
But as they traveled David began to notice how badly people treated Moss. They would treat David fine and then act like Moss had done something to personally offend them, snapping at them and calling them things like ‘freak’ and ‘monster’.
David would defend Moss the people would seem taken aback, like it was a shock someone would come to their defence.
David soon realized it was because of what Moss was. Moss wasn't human. Their short fluffy green hair and pointed ears were proof of that. They were a forest nymph, David had known that for years, but he had never seen that as a reason to dislike them.
Moss was the best person out there. They were sweet and kind and could come up with the best nicknames. There was no reason to hate them but people still did.
When David had brought it up with Moss, Moss had just shrugged.
“Oh well, their loss.” They had replied.
David had agreed with them. He wanted to protect them by taking them back home but when Moss was doing something they loved there was no stopping them.
***
It was his twenty-first year alive when it all ended.
He could barely remember how it happened.
They had gotten in a fight with a gang of four or five men trying to ‘rid of the nymph’ and David had even summoned a deity to fend them off but it hadn't been enough.
When all the men were running away from him and the deity he had summoned left he had stumbled to Moss’s side.
Rain tumbled around them as David pulled his dearest friend into his arms, blood covering him as he did.
Moss was barely breathing, their beautiful face covered in blood and their glasses smashed on the ground besides them.
“No, no, no, no.” David had cried, holding his only friend, his sibling, close to him. “You can't leave me Moss!”
Moss had chuckled.”Sorry David. I guess you were right about people not liking me.”
David had let out a heavy sob. “I'm sorry I couldn't protect you.”
Moss stared at the sky above them blankly, rain washing the blood from their lips and oversized jacket.
“David... I don't think I'm okay.”
David had held back another sod. “I know Moss. I'll to fix you.” Tears tumbled from his eye.
Moss had smiled. “You're so good at that Cyclops.” They let out a sad sigh. “I promised you we would go back to Serendipity.”
David shook his head. “Don't worry about that! I'll fix you and we can go straight home!”
Moss had chuckled. “That's okay.” They had smiled one last time. “Just promise you'll visit for me.”
David had pulled Moss closer, their nimble body light in his arms.
“I can't lose you!” He had cried, his eyes closed tightly. “I would die before I lost you!”
He felt Moss go limp, their breathing stopped.
It was over.
It was done.
Moss, his friend, his sibling, his kindred spirit, his soulmate, was gone.
David didn't realize he was screaming till he had to come to a stop, his throat sore and aching.
***
A year later David found himself at the edge of a dried-out river. He quietly made his way through the dying forest until he was in front of a familiar oak tree.
David leaned down and placed a pair of destroyed glasses at the base of the tree and turned away.
He couldn't be here alone anymore.
Not without Moss.
***
David was twenty five when he died.
He was surrounded by his family. His missing sister and brother hadn't been far and now were at his side. His best friend Fawn, another kindred spirit and soulmate clung to his hand sobbing. Two teens that David cared deeply for stood above everyone, watching in shock. The little boy that David had taken in clung to him, getting covered in his blood.
A lot had happened during the past four years and David was grateful for every second of it but he was glad it was finally coming to an end.
He closed his eyes knowing all the people he cared about would now be safe because of his sacrifice.
David found himself standing alone in a train station, a place David had only heard of in stories.
He was alone, his only company tall shadow figures.
Suddenly a train came into the station, coming to a slow stop.
As the doors opened David smiled, his heart leaping from his chest in excitement.
“Four-eyes!”
“Long time no see Cyclops.”
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