Centuries ago...

Dayan ran back as fast as he could. His little legs carried him towards the playground where he had forgotten his little wooden sword that his father had given him. On the way home, it had suddenly occurred to him and he was immediately turned around. When he arrived at the buildings of the playground, bright colors greeted him. Several swings of all colors, small and large obstacles where you can climb up and hide.

A small tower could be climbed with the help of a rope, from which a bridge led to a platform. A mesh of ropes moved diagonally downwards from the platform. Next to this was a large sphere, the only access of which was at the top. With the help of metal plates, you could pull yourself up there.

It had to be there, he was sure. As he headed towards the sphere, he suddenly heard beautiful sounds that filled the air around him. He stopped and closed his eyes. The melody wrapped around him and made him fly.

Fly up my little bird,

Fly up as far as possible,

But pay attention to my little bird,

Sink when the wind turns.

He saw the rich blue sky and felt weightless. Then, he spread his wings and flew. The wind ran through his hair and rustled in his ears. Then that beautiful voice suddenly fell silent and the image and feeling disappeared like a bubble bursting.

Dayan opened his eyes in disappointment and looked into two glowing rubies. Shiny black hair with a greenish shimmer blew in the wind that swept over the playground. Pink lips on alabaster skin. The being who looked at him from above was the most beautiful he had ever seen. Dayan couldn't tear his gaze away from him.

"What do you want here?" his melodic voice asked, but Dayan couldn't answer. He stood there, speechless, enchanted.

"I-I'm s-sorry," Dayan stuttered.

The boy slid down the sphere and stood in front of him. He was a little smaller than himself, but he didn't seem to care. "Who are you and why did you listen?" his counterpart asked him.

Dayan had to organize his thoughts. What did I want here? I was looking for something. Sword, my sword. "I was looking for my sword," he replied, without averting his gaze for a second.

The boy turned around and pulled out a small wooden sword from behind the ball. My sword. But somehow he couldn't concentrate on the sword that was held up to him. Absent-mindedly, he accepted this with a quiet "thank you." Then the boy turned around to leave. Without thinking, his body reacted and his hand closed around the alabaster arm. The boy turned around and looked at him questioningly.

"What's the point? Please let me go."

"Name." Confused eyes looked at him. "Sorry. May I know your name? My name is Dayan."

An enchanting smile appeared on these pink lips. "Latíz." With these words, the magical being disappeared.

"Latíz," Whispered Dayan. That day he had lost his heart.

At night he dreamed of the strange boy and his magical voice. I want to see him again.

Fifteen years later...

Latíz put on his shoes and drove his fingers over his chin-length hair again. With a sigh he gave up the idea that it would obey him today, as well as the last twenty-five years. What the heck. Today he would go to his new school for the first time.

His parents had finally settled back to their hometown after years of travel. His mother was a singer and dancer, while his father was a merchant. But now they wanted a familiar place for their son to grow up. Latíz had never minded traveling with them. He had visited numerous places that others couldn't even dream of.

Well, they would make the best of this situation. With a colorful bag on his back, he set off. The traditional clothes – black pants and a plain white top worn at school – fluttered a bit because he was still a little too small, but he would grow into it. On his neck was a white pearl necklace, which he had received from his mother. With brisk steps he walked along the streets of the village, past many houses and trees that told stories of the age of the village. Slowly the building of the school came into view. In the end, it was a large structure divided into three areas.

Depending on your age, you were in one of three designated areas. Behind the building was a large square of land, two-thirds of which consisted of sandy soil. The rest was covered with lush green grass. On the edge was a storage room in which games and exercise items were stowed away which was closed with a large lock.

The walls of the school were kept in a simple beige and the entrance door was also made of light wood. In front of the door, numerous demons from the village converged and talked. Latíz had no desire to join them at all, so he waited until they had all disappeared into the building. Then he went to the door that the tour leader had shown him yesterday. He knocked on the wooden door and waited for it to open. An approximately 5'11'' high lion demon opened the door and looked down. Latíz looked at him in silence, he was not afraid.

"You must be Latíz," said the demon. He just nodded.

"I am your Guro, Guro Rutienne. Well then, I'll introduce you to your new classmates."

Teachers were respectable in all places, which is why Latíz respectfully lowered his head and followed his teacher. As he raised his head, he looked into thirteen curious faces. Just as the Guro wanted to introduce him, a voice interrupted his plans.

"Latíz?!"

Surprised, he looked in the direction from which the voice had come and met mother-of-pearl eyes. Somehow the boy, who had jumped up as if stung by the tarantula and who had called his name, seemed familiar to him. The boy had short black hair and tanned skin. He was a good half a head taller than himself. How do I know him?

"Dayan, sit down!" he instructed the boy. He only followed after a few seconds, when he had torn himself away from Latíz's sight.

"It looks like you already know a classmate. That's nice," his Guro said with a smile. Not really...

"Well, Latíz, introduce yourself. Dayan, you will show and explain everything to him after class." The boy nodded enthusiastically.

Well great... I hate being the center of attention.

Dayan could hardly sit still. The moment there was a knock at the door and the new classmate entered the classroom, Dayan could no longer hold it in. He really is it. The boy from his dreams, whom he had met fifteen years ago on the playground and had never seen him again afterwards. Even today, he heard his melodic voice in his dreams. And he's here. Here in my class. Awesome. Finally! He was even more beautiful than he was fifteen years ago. His shiny hair was a little longer and he had also grown a lot, not as much as Dayan, but still a few inches.

Latíz sat down next to him and he just couldn't take his eyes off him, he was enchanted. "Would you stop staring at me," he said with his eyes squinted.

"Oh, s-sorry. I didn't want to embarrass you," Dayan replied ashamedly, looking down. I upset him. Darn.

After the lesson, of which Dayan hadn't paid attention at any point, Latíz packed his things in his shoulder bag. Then he looked at him and said, "Do we want to get going?"

"What?" Dayan asked, confused.

"The school. You should show me around," Latíz replied.

Right, there was that. Dayan nodded and stood up. He showed the newcomer the different rooms and the library. Latíz stayed there a little longer and walked through the rows to get an overview of the collection. It was not as big as that of his parents, but still well stocked. "Do you like books?" Dayan asked.

Latíz looked at him and nodded. Yes, books were his favorite company. They didn't judge, did not say anything that hurt others, summarized, they didn't get on his nerves. He would take a closer look at the collection later, but he wanted to do that in peace and not when an unwanted appendage accompanied him.

"Well, then I'll show you the practice area and the equipment chamber," his classmate said – Dayan was his name, right? Silently, he looked at him for the first time properly. He was about a head taller than himself. His hair was cut short and functional, not as long as his own. But his mother refused to cut it because, according to her words, it would be a crime to cut such beautiful hair.

Dayan had sincere eyes and a smile on his face, which suited his open-hearted mannerisms. His skin was tanned by the sun and emphasized the tight muscles he already possessed despite his age. Latíz himself, unlike Dayan, was slender, which gave him a feminine touch. How he hated that, as he was often confused with a girl. "Well, let's go."

Dayan nodded and together they left this place of peace and knowledge and ran outside to the practice site. A group of older students were training with blunt iron swords or their fists. It was a mixture of combat as well as muscle and endurance training. Shortly afterwards, a whistle sounded and "break" was shouted. Cloths flew through the area, with which they dried off the sweat. They drank and sat on the edge to gossip.

Well, he had seen enough. Time to go home. Latíz turned around to set off.

"Well, who are you, you pretty flower?" a voice asked from about two meters away.

Dayan stiffened. Latíz turned around and saw a guy one and a half heads taller than him. He had tied back his dark brown hair and his gray eyes were glittering with interest. He flexed his muscles – as if Latíz was impressive in some way.

"Latíz, we should go," Dayan said. Dayan wanted to leave, that was Kato – the strongest student at this school, with whom no one messed with. And he, of all people, had an eye on Latíz, not good. But Latíz only looked at him with a disparaging look. Not good at all. Dayan didn't have a good feeling.

"No idea where you saw a flower. Maybe you're blind... or just stupid."

Dayan opened his mouth, as did the others who had gathered curiously behind Kato. He didn't say that. Please let it be my imagination.

Kato's smile disappeared for a second, but then returned. "Wow, my beauty, you have courage. I like that."

"I don't remember passing into your possession. So excuse me, I don't feel the need to waste my time here," Latíz replied, just turning around and leaving. He didn't feel like listening to the talk of an idiot.

Dayan looked at him stunned. He had simply slammed Kato a juicy rebuff in front of the dungarees and now left without giving him a chance to answer. Awesome.

But as expected, Kato didn't find it funny anymore. He wouldn't let himself be insulted by a little newcomer. So, he would teach him a lesson, after that... anyone could guess. He walked up to him and grabbed him by the upper arm. Ruby red eyes sparkled at him and before he could comprehend, he was laying on his back.

The moment the idiot grabbed his upper arm, Latíz' fuses were blown. Eventually he grabbed the idiot's wrist with both hands, then he spun under it, led the twisted arm once over his shoulders and brought the idiot to the ground with a sword throw. Finally he put one foot on his chest and looked at him with glowing eyes. "Listen to me, shitface, I'll only say it once. If I hear your voice again or your paws should touch me once more, I will blow up your face. Am I clear enough? So, pretty flower, take off."

Silence returned. Latíz turned around and went to Dayan. "Let's go," he said to him. Dayan silently followed him, while a shocked Kato and the rest of his bagage looked after him.

______________________

The story starts with Nix' and Dayan's past.

How do you like it so far and what do you think of the little Nix?

Did you imagine him that way?

Your Mouse Goddess