Hidden amongst Blue Trees

Mia (39)

Khaz never really understood it, but he knew it almost indefinitely. There was something about this tree. First of all, it was blue. A Blue Tree with long branches that reach as low as Khaz's nose. It was very noticeable, yet it was never really noticed. It wasn't that big of an attraction or even a hang out spot for anyone but him and a few friends. You'd imagine a place like this would at least have some tables around, but it was always an empty spot by the Lake when they were there.

The second reason would have to be that something had always happened at this tree. Veja phased back in at this very area after his seemingly depressing trip from Fronima. Suro found his soulmate. Khaz, himself, was lucky enough to find some money hanging around the area. Regardless of how significant or insignificant the events that happened here, something always managed to take place there. Not to mention that no one else was ever there to experience it. Well, there were a few, but they didn't live too long afterwards.

Khaz picked at the remaining snow on one of its low-hanging branches. "Tell me, Mr. Magical Rloa Sjaa. Will something happen today? Will you bring more money on my doorstep? Will I get to find MY soulmate today? Oh please Mr. Sjaa... don't tell me I'm going to have to cut you open to find out. There just might be something inside you that can give me those answers.. Tell me your secrets." Of course, Khaz cutting through the tree was practically impossible. He was only carrying a thin blade and it was a pretty thick tree. It didn't matter much though. He was threatening a tree. It wouldn't answer back. Not this tree. Not normally anyway.

 

Khaz put away his blade as he took off two small twigs from the tree. He thought he might get Axis or someone to 'analyze' it. He smiled to himself. How silly is that? A tree with magical ability? Who knows. It could be a new scientific discovery. My face would be on the newspapers sent everywhere. Fame, fortune, and frisky females would be in my future. It'd be worth a shot. A pretty random shot, but at least it would give him a reason to travel down to the snowy continents again..

Bells.

Khaz's ear perked up at the sound of it. A single ring made his spine jingle to the dance of it. He refused to turn or move from his position. He kept playing with the branch. He was paying more attention to where the sound came from though. Whatever made the sound was still standing there. Looking. Watching him in front of the tree. It made no hostile moves but he couldn't let his guard down yet. Could it be a silent thief? A mere passerby wouldn't stop in the middle of their tracks for so long. There's only one way to find out.

He turned around swiftly, his hand reaching his blade and his legs ready for any incoming collision. As he looked forward though.. there was none. Just a little girl with a bell around her neck. Her head was tilted to the side making her look a little unnatural. Her pure white dress matching with the little number of snowflakes that were beginning to fall. It almost looked like she was causing it. Khaz reversed his position, standing up straight and walked about a step closer to her. "Shouldn't you be in school? Weekend classes are pretty important." He just remembered that he forgot about his own weekend classes, but it wasn't something she needed to know about. Her eyes were silent. Cryptic and puzzling like a mechanical box that Axis would make, but with less noise. He mimiced her position, tilting his head in the same direction. He shifted his eye coloring back and forth as he gazed into her own. "I can do that too, ya know."

 

She was amused. That's as far as he could describe it. Khaz was never a fan of many vocabulary. Many words, yes. Much vocabulary, not really. An occasional word like 'decorum' or 'verify' might slip out, but that was pretty rare. He got closer to her face so she can get a good look at the movement in his eyes. He had to bend down on one knee to get level with her. "Like it? It's a trick I learned to do in the light. I might show it to you one day, if I ever see you again. And classes? I don't need to go today. It's not like she'll be teaching I don't know for the next couple of days. Alchemy exams aren't something you can really 'study' for anyway."

He got back off his knee and dusted off whatever snow stuck to him at that point. "The name's Khaz. Probably the loudest-snoring living creature on this planet. So Ramya, what are you doing out here? No one ever comes out here unless something really important happens. Do you have an appointment with fate today or would you rather leave a message?" He gave his only impression of an evil smile which was almost a crooked stare with only the side of his teeth showing. He put a finger through her hair and pushed through. "You're much too young to just wander out and find this tree. Don't you know?" He said, stroking her hair once more. "This tree has magical powers.. Who knows what might become of you now that you've layed your eyes on it.."

Khaz had a mixed feeling inside of his stomach. Here he is creeping some little girl out of her mind while stroking her hair like some weird freak in the television. He was amused himself so much that the only thing that keeping him from laughing was the gut feeling inside telling him how cruel he was for mentally torturing this girl. Tha'll suca es fall.

 

"Please. Call me Khaz. Saying sir makes me feel like an old man." He gave her one final stroke before taking his entire hand and clasping it on her head. You sure you'll be fine? Well, I doubt you've ever passed by here. You find this blue tree as startling as the words I'm telling you. I don't think you ever came by here before. It's a whooooole different ball game in this neck of the lake. Khaz smiled a bit more. His gut was going to burst with the ending. He knew it. Unless this girl had some great telepathy, she would be in for the letdown of a lifetime. Then again, she could just kick him in the shins. Either way, something was getting hurt.

He bent down to level with Ramya. "Let me give you a bit of advice." Khaz rolled straight towards her ear and let the two words out gently. "Just... kidding!" He got up laughing. Not as much as he thought he would, but enough to make the air feel warmer around him "Hah.. wow. You should've seen the look on your face. Marvelous. Your bones looked like they would implode on itself if your nerves contracted anymore. Man.. I haven't had that large of a laugh since my sister was alive. Khaz let out a bit of a stretch and turned around to the tree. He cut off another thin branch no longer than his fingers. He twisted it between his fingers before turning back to her.

Don't worry. Nothing bad'll happen to you here. Still, the fact remains. No one ever comes out here unless something happens. It's almost like the tree turns itself blue when it senses it. He plopped down on a small pile of snow. Wanna wait and see what happens with me?

 

It was safe to say that she was angry. Khaz didn't care that much though. He still found it kinda funny. He sensed her move quickly, but didn't expect a ground trick. It caught him pretty offguard, but she seemed pretty reckless and careless at that moment. Apparently, either because the ground missed or forgetfulness, Ramya forgot to tie his hands down to the ground along with his legs, allowing him the chance to block his face and body from the majority of punches and kicks that would've proved painful in this gradually decreasing weather.

Khaz looked at his feet tied up in one seemed to be a knot made out of dirt and grass. "What do I have to say for myself? I'd rather speak more on your behalf. First, I think you were pretty careless. Your skill with magic is good but you pay no attention to detail. What if I had been smart enough to draw out my blade in time? My arms seemed pretty free at the moment. You could've been killed. I think you're lucky enough to be attacking such a nice guy. And you wanna know what else? You hit like a GIRL." Khaz pulled his neck back and made little swings with his arms as if to slap the wind, imitating the actions of a little girl in a fight.

After his little show, he rubbed his hands together and blew them to keep warm. He drew a little circle and some squiggly lines on his bondage links of dirt and grass. With a firm press, the spot gathered heat and the dirt and grass melted into clay. "You see?", he said rubbing his ankles, "The one who really needs to be in class is you...and don't be foolish. I like to bite back." he ended with a tooth-filled smile.

 

In all his verbal mind games and adventures, Khaz loved a young female's mind the most. He loved them the most because their thoughts and moods can easily sway side to side. She stood their playing with the end of her dress and wiggling her toes like she had an important question to ask. As she stood there silently, Khaz looked upon her like a spirit. Standing there in almost all-white, with her eyes low to the skies and her dress blending in with the constant drop of snow that continued to fall. Her somewhat depressing statement turned Khaz's teethy smile into a silent sigh.

"I don't see why? Being short and silent is a very important feature in most cases. Take Spy Ops for example. They aren't really.. small.. but they do need to fit into small places, and sneak around quietly. How you'd manage to fit Spy Ops in with Biokinesis is beyond me. Maybe install some sort of tear gas mechanism in your flowers. I'd buy that... Besides, you look no more than nine. You shouldn't worry about your height just yet. You'll grow into it." It was a similar speech that his parents gave him. Khaz was pretty small as a kid. In fact, he's still smaller than normal standards. He was still growing though. That's all he wanted to know.

When she gazed at the tree, Khaz took notice. He looked behind himself staring at its blue and white mesh of snowleaves. He was reminded of his sister from looking at it. It had the essence of her, always sitting there waiting to help out or to be helped. As he turned around back to Ramya, he began to smile again. The tree found him a new friend. "I like you. You remind me of someone I used to know. Are you cold? You're all twitchy and itchy and stuff. I think I have a jacket somewhere. That is, if you want it anyway."

He began to think how long it'll take her to get around his mind games. That didn't matter much though. If time allowed it, he'll play with her as much as he wanted to... Tha'll suca es fall, indeed.