".....oooooo"
"Flooooo"
"Wake up baby, don't you know what today is?"
"What?"
I woke up all groggy and sluggish. I tried to open my eyes, but it was tied by something.
"Today is your birthday, you are finally three years old"
"Oh! How did i forget. I've been waiting for this day for forever".
I face palmed.
"Get up dear we prepared you a big surprise"
"What surprise?"
"It won't be one if i tell you"
"Okay... I'm coming"
I walked with mom while holding her hands. What kind of surprise did they even make. There isn't that much thing to surprise in this damn forest. When I entered the kitchen, a wave of aromas filled my nose.
"You know, mom. If you are trying to make a surprise you need to hide the smell well too".
Mom chuckled,
"hahaha... Then Flo, can you guess what kind of dish did i prepare for you?
"Guess huh?".
I sniffed the air, and all I could detect was the scent of roasted meat. Well it's not like i was some grand gourmet in my previous life. Even if i was, the meat and seasonings here are very different. Then all i could do was just give up and let the moment come.
"I can't specifically say anything. I guess it's some meat".
"Exactly". Mom said with a chuckle.
"This isn't anything like you ever tasted kiddo", dad said in an arrogant tone.
"Oh! You are here too dad".
"What would you expect. Did you think that i would go to hunting in my son's birthday".
"Well, no".
As the conversation continued mom brought me to the table.
"Here we go", she untied the leather strap. I squinted my eyes and looked at the table. It was the first time in three years i saw this much food in the table.
Different kind of meat dishes was neatly arranged in the table. There are roasted meat, stew and bread all arranged in the table.
"What is this meat, it look so tasty"
"It's the meat of a young red-horned lamb. It looks, smells, and tastes delicious."
"Wow! I never ate this, then what about the stew"
"It's the meat of an aura rabbit"
"What rabbit?"
"Aura rabbit, it's kind of a big rabbit—faster and tougher than the usual kind. But the best part? It tastes even better. High risk, high reward, boy."
"Oh! The smell itself is making my mouth water"
"Then let's not wait. Sit and dig in"
"Thank you for the food". I sat near the table and took a piece from the lamb.
"Mm... It does taste good. When did you catch it'.
"Oh! Don't mention it. It was yesterday night. It was a tedious tas-". From the corner of my eye, I caught Mom's hand slowly creeping toward Dad's side.
"Ow...ow... Don't worry about it, it just came walking around our kitchen".
"Pfff…" I pressed my lips together, fighting to hold back a laugh.
"Anyway, thanks for the food and the surprise".
Mom and dad also sat beside me
"Oh! Now that i am three years old i expect both of you to teach me things i asked".
"There's no need to rush, young lad. Eat to your heart's content. Nobody is going anywhere."
Dad also took a piece of bread and started eating.
"To be honest, this is far too good. You've outdone yourself—though I must say, I don't recall such effort even on my own birthday."
"Oh! Dear, I think you have grown so old that you forgot the efforts your own lady put for your everyday life. This kind of memory loss is sign of growing old age. I don't think even high end healers can heal this, not that we got them on our streets, or maybe you're always dumb".
"Ow! That kind of hurts"
'These love birds are going at even at this age', i clicked my tongue turning my focus into my food again.
"Flo, did you think something rude?" Mom probed me with a gaze which said that she read my mind like a book.
"Eh, no way—never," I said, with an exaggerated expression, i quickly lowered my eyes into plate and started filling my mouth with bread.
"It seems our little boy has thoughts that lies his age".
"What?". I looked at mom again with the most innocent face ever.
"Never mind", mom left the topic with a wave of her hand.
"Uhmm..." I cleared my throat awkwardly.
*************
Thus came the most expected day of my life in this new world. I was looking forward to this day for a long time. It took me more than one year to completely understand the language of this world after i transmigrated. From that day onwards I pestered both mom and dad about everything i saw about magic and magical beings. But how much i tried, they never opened up about magic or the lives of people in the continent. I picked up little bit information here and there from their conversation, but that was nearly not enough to quench my curiosity.
Now that i sat infront of mom and dad and the opportunity is presented before me, I don't know what to start with.
"Are you sure about this, we can wait for a day and start tomorrow. Today is such a nice day, you don't need to rack your brain over the worldly matters today".
"Come on, you both know how much did i wait for today".
"Of course you nagged me so much that sometimes you come and nag me in my dreams".
"No, I didn't nag that much".
"So what do you want to talk about. How we ended up in this forest or where are other people, or how to breath fire early morning?"
"Anything".
"Then let's talk about the most important thing"
"What is that?". I got curious.
Dad started talking with an exaggerated serious expression.
"Flo, i don't know how to tell you this, but i should let you know".
"What?".
"Sigh... We are not your real parents"
"..."
I stared at his face for half a minute. 'is this the most important thing? Well i guess it is. But anybody can guess that right?'
Dad stared me back. His eyes narrowed.
"What? Are you not surprised"
"I mean, it is not that hard to guess"
"Well, i forgot you are a frickin genius".
"Are you that dumb or am i really a genius?"
"May be a bit of both". Mom said with a chuckle.
" You really are shameless, Flo"
"If i am not your real son, then where did you get me?" Well, not that i really cared.
"Now that's a story that to be talked infront of the dining table, with a tea.... Or meat"
"No more lagging, tell me now!"
"Now that wouldn't be interesting, right?"
"It is not that dramatic, baby". Mom interjected.
"I will tell you, if you are that curious".
"It was a summer night. Even though the sun has set, the heat was still lingering in the air. So we both decided to take a stroll and sit beside the sea. You know, just feeling the breeze. When we reached the shore, there we saw a ship. It was departing. We knew what it implied. It means a new member got dumped into the island. Some criminal or.... someone who got framed by the nobles. So we waited until it disappeared and searched for anybody. But we couldn't see any human beings nearby".
"Well, nobody ever thought that a little baby could be dumped into this island". Dad said with an looking into air, like remembering something that he didn't want. "I think we searched for a long time. So we decided to call it a day. Even my mood for sitting and watching the tide got ruined. Then i just ran my eyes towards the beggest tree near the shore, there i saw a little baby covered in clothes under that tree. Sleeping without any worry about the world and what awaits him in the future. So we both rushed towards the baby.
I wondered 'what kind of crime did a little baby commit that it got dumped into this hell' ".
"Unlike the people who left you there, we are not heartless. So we decided to pick you up".
"After picking you up, i searched the area. There was something written in the mud, very near to where you were lying. I scrutinized it and found it was a name. Kid, whoever the person that left you there, they was atleast kind enough to give you a name. The name is 'Florian', there was no middle name, no family name. Just Florian. So why not,we decided to give you that name. Then we picked that pitiful baby and then on he caused us trouble for the next three years and god knows how long in the future. End of the story. Are you statisfied now".
"Yes, a little".
"Boy, every life is not dramatic and well, not everybody desires a dramatic one".