Work Text
Somewhere deep in the forest, hidden from the eyes of travelers within the mountains the trees surround, there is a lone tower. When daybreak came each morning, it is within this place known by only three beings that a single person began a familiar routine.As the sun rose, the light from his small window always woke Ren from his slumber. It was the sign that he had to start his work for the day. The first of it, to clean himself up and get dressed into his proper clothing, no matter how much he didn’t want to. He always reminded himself that he would feel better once it was done. Though, making himself look presentable was only the first step him his day. The next thing he had to do was make himself breakfast. The meals he prepared being one of the few things that varied in his ritual. He would just make whatever he felt like with whatever food was available in storage. The only consistent piece of his first meal was the cup of coffee. If his favorite drink was not present, then his entire day would feel off.His chores where what followed after. While repetitive, he needed to make sure that his attic was as spotless as it could be. Any dust that came in through his window had to be swept back out, the sheets of his bed had to be made without a wrinkle in sight, all his books and charts had to be in perfect place. If his room wasn’t in order by the time his father returned home from work he would have to face the consequences.By the time his room was tidy; the last resident was waking to meet the morning. Ren found it funny, for someone who was always early to bed, Morgana sure was late to rise. Sometimes it made Ren let out a quiet laugh as he watched his friend wake up, but in cases where Morgana heard him laugh the cat would practically scream at him to quit it. Still, Morgana made good company in this lonely tower, even if it is a part of Ren’s chores to groom him after their bedroom was clean. There was only so much Morgana could do on his own and Ren would be lying if he said he didn’t find the task of brushing Morgana’s hair relaxing.With his cat taken care of, he would move to sweep the rest of his home. Though in this case there wasn’t much left to sweep. The main room was much smaller than both his and his father’s, the latter of which he couldn’t clean due to the lock he was never able to figure out, and the bathroom was tinier than all the others combined. Still it was the last thing he needed to finish before his father returned home for lunch. A meal that Ren also had to prepare before the arrival.His father would announce his return with a cry for Ren to let his hair down from the tower. With years of practice, it would only take him two minutes to gather all 70 unruly feet of it and throw it out the larger window located in the main room. As time passed, he stopped questioning how such an old man was able to climb it all with such practiced ease. Perhaps it was part of his work? Ren could care less. When he used to ask about it, he was never given an answer, so he learned to not bring the subject up. With his father’s ascent of tower completed, Ren would be greeted with a simple pat on the head before the family sat down to eat.Lunch in itself was never anything spectacular, much like with breakfast what was made daily was dependant on the ingredients stored. Though Morgana would always eat the fish they kept especially for him without a word. Sometimes father would make a comment on his food if it didn’t meet his tastes, but still eat it regardless. The remainder of the meal would be filled with various small talk between parent and child.
"How has your morning been?”
“Are the chores completed?”
“You aren’t pushing yourself too hard at work are you?
“Is the cat making a mess again?”
Mundane topics that would always be met with the same answers. A constant midday calm, one that started and ended promptly at the same time each passing day.Though the most tenacious task always followed the meal. Ren would sit at the center of the tower and wait as his father brush through all of his long hair. While Ren was confident he could take care of it himself, his father claimed that it was an excellent way to spend time with him. To give his child a break for all of the hard work he did throughout the day. All he asked of Ren during this time was to sing the lullaby his father taught him as a child throughout the grooming. So as his father brushed,Ren would pet the Morgana in his lap and sing,
“Flower, gleam and glow”
“Let your power shine”
“Make the clock reverse”
“Bring back what once was mine”
“Heal what has been hurt”
“Change the fates' design”
“Save what has been lost”
“Bring back what once was mine…”
“What once was mine.”
The deep silver of his hair glowed brightly to the lyrics as the magic took root. All in the room felt relaxed as the weariness from each of them melted away. Father said this was a magical healing gift Ren had been blessed with from the gods. This made him special. He just accepted the fact. He saw it happen before his eyes each day, and if it helped what gave him the right to complain? He should be grateful for it. Each day he tried his best not to think about it as he sang.The process of brushing through all of his hair took hours, when father finished, it was time to prepare dinner after. Most days it was just another meal that was filled with familiar small talk much like lunch proceeding it.Though it wasn’t uncommon for silence to fill it as well. That never changed that Father was always tired and retired for the night after he finished his meal. Leaving Ren to his own devices for the rest of the evening.Much of his night was split between conversations with Morgana and reading through one of the many books in his large collection. He never seemed to be able too keep up with his increasing amount of literature. Father thought it was a great way for him to learn and enjoy his time, so when Ren finished one father would bring three more for him to read. It didn’t matter what type of book it was. Fiction? Nonfiction? Even books that described the workings of things such as animals and plants. Ren would read them all. It would fill the time until his father woke up, and prepared himself for his next day at work. All while Ren would gather his hair, throw it out of the tower, and wait until he could bid his father farewell for work.Finally, after all was said and done, Ren and Morgana would return to their room and sleep the night away. Sleep until the next morning and repeat the same routine again, and again.It was a simple and safe routine, one that he had been repeating for most of his life.For almost 17 years this is what he did almost every single day.It was dull and boring.Ren hated it.Yet no matter how much he tried to change it, he could never find an escape. He was forbidden from leaving the tower. It was all he had ever known his entire life. As a young child he never questioned it, but as he grew older his desire to see the world grew with each passing moment.When he first turned 7 he asked his father if he could leave, and was met with firm denial.That was when he was told the truth to why he was kept here. His hair, it’s healing abilities, he was the only one who possess them. While it brought great help to anyone who was hurt, it could also be exploited. If the wrong person was around, they would use him for their own means, all because of his power. If he denied them, the gift could be taken away in an instant. All they would have to do is cut his hair. Father had told him that he almost lost it once before, when he was too young to remember. The short lock of black hair that he hid behind his ear was proof enough. That’s why he must stay hidden, away from the dangers that would bring him harm.But even with all the risks in the world, it never stopped him from questioning what was out there and from wanting to leave.At age 11 a lost cat had climbed the tower, one that could speak and told stories of the outside world. Someone that sparked Ren’s curiosity and ambition to leave even further. He convinced his father to let him keep Morgana, deceiving the old man into thinking that this was a regular old cat. All while the two plotted and attempted their escape.No attempt was ever successful, father always caught them in the act.As time passed with each failure, Ren’s world only grew smaller.He remembered the tower having more rooms, there were one below the main room, several connecting from it as well. He wasn’t always sleeping in the attic, his old room was next to his father’s. He recalled when his hair wasn’t long enough for father to climb and had to enter the tower another way. Yet every time Ren acted out and tried to find an exit, father took away part of the tower. He locked doors and threw away the keys. And the one time Ren attempted to pick one of the locks? Father boarded up the walls in away which made them look like they never existed in the first place.His home felt less like home. His leash only grew tighter. At this point he might as well be chained up here. If it wasn’t for the reason to keep him safe, he would call this a prison.Maybe that’s why father kept giving him books, to give him access to the world that he would never be able to see otherwise. To give him knowledge of the things he questioned so often. Then again, maybe they were just given to him in attempt to try to stop his reckless escape attempts, to placate him into staying home since there would be nothing for him outside to discover.Still, each book resonated with him, whether his knowledge of the world grew, or he found himself reading the tale of people who didn’t exist on their journeys. They gave him an escape away from his dull life, a chance to be someone he wasn’t. Sometimes, as a child he would play pretend and behave like he was a character from one of the story books. A thief to steal the treasure from a corrupt king, a knight saving a noble from the maws of a dragon, an adventurer discovering a far off land, it didn’t matter to him. It gave a young child a chance to be something he was not. He had stopped playing pretend when father scolded him, but that inner spirit never faded away. Even now, nearing adulthood, he and Morgana would mess around, throw up their flare for the dramatics all while throw quips at each other. Though they’d always remember the setting of their reality. Acting and books could only offer them so much.Yet they could never give Ren what he truly wanted. His own freedom.Life was harsh, but his hope never died. He still had the windows of the tower, everything that he learned from his books, Morgana’s friendship and encouragement, and the fact there were things that couldn’t be explained by what he’s read.The lights were proof enough of that. Every year after the sun set on his birthday, mysterious lights from beyond the forest would rise up to the sky. They were too far away for him to make out exactly what they were. Father claimed they were always the stars, but that never made any sense. Ren knew from the star charts in his books that the phenomenon didn’t match them, stars didn’t rise up from the earth on a single day either. So his father was useless in his search. He couldn’t write them off as a trick of his mind either, Morgana always saw them as well. They’d mention to each other how pretty they were and that the show was always better with each passing year. The floating lights were a mystery, one that he was going to solve.Father always denied taking Ren to see them for his birthday each year, instead always giving him another book to add to his collection. For over ten years it was the same cycle repeating over and over and over again. Yet the lights continued to draw Ren to them like a moth to a flame. He would not be deterred from seeing them, and this year was going to be different. In a few days he would be turning 17, barely on the edge of becoming an adult, and before he became one he was going to achieve this goal. He was going to leave his prison.In the quiet of night when father was gone, lying in bed and unable to sleep, Ren looked to the other side of the room towards his furry companion.Quietly, he called out, “Morgana.”The cat’s head popped up from the cushion he was lying on, staring intently at his friend to continue.“We’re getting out of here,” Ren paused, taking in a deep breath, and spoke with determination, “No matter what.”And He was willing to break every single one of father’s rules to get there.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The days blended together following Ren’s midnight whisper of freedom, and ever since he plotted with Morgana. They spoke of their past failures and what they needed to prepare for, even down to the simplest of factors such as timing for anything. While they may be reckless and jump into things at times, they just can't afford that anymore. That behavior was exactly what drew them to where they are now. Of course they knew there were still risks with all of their preparations, but they couldn’t wait any longer. It finally reached September 13th, only two days until Ren’s birthday. They had to do this today if they hoped for the greatest chance of success.
Ren only shook in anticipation, they were going to succeed. He’d finally be free from this place, to see the lights that filled him with hope… After that, he didn’t know what the future would bring. Only that he and Morgana were going to have the world open to them. Free to do whatever their hearts wanted for once in his life.
Yet, a small amount of dread lingered in his mind. His father would not stand for this once he learned the truth. No doubt they’d have to spend every day aiming to evade father. If they didn’t, they’d end up right back here with Ren on the receiving end of his most severe punishment yet. One he didn’t want to linger thinking on.
If his foolhardy impulsive escape attempts caused father to seal off rooms and made his tower smaller... What would a successful escape lead to?
However, the suffocation of his entire home, Morgana being his only company most of the day. It grew more and more maddening every single day. His only choice was escape.
With the knowledge of their failures, their first goal was to create distance between father and the two of them. They couldn’t accomplish that in a few hours. They’d had to send father in the opposite direction, with at least a few days between them in distance. As long as they did that, hopefully they wouldn’t be caught the instant they left. If things took a turn for the worst, that distance would ideally be enough for them to keep their freedom.
Even then it’s impossible to keep him off their trail forever. Once father found Ren disappeared he’d search tirelessly for his missing child through whatever means necessary. Nothing can keep them safe when simple things like their appearances were enough to tip him off. Ren knew his hair was far too distinct to be forgotten, and with how long it was? He couldn’t tuck it under a hat like some of those characters in books did. So they had to minimize how many times they’d go into any towns to avoid that. Worst of all, even if they do all of that work to keep hidden, if he got it caught on something he’d risk getting stuck in place if they couldn’t remove it quickly. Morgana can’t help without hands, and they couldn’t trust anyone else to help them out without the possibility of Ren’s hair being cut short. If his father caught him in that kind of state? Ren was sure he’d be good as dead.
Despite all of the dangers, he still chose escape over solitude. He wanted to feel like he was truly alive for once in his existence.
For now he just had to go through his day like he normally did. Any deviation from his scripted routine and they’d be caught before they even began. So Ren let the hours pass, motivated by the thoughts of the outside world as he prepared today’s breakfast. He didn’t know when he’d be able to eat a hot meal again, if he would at all, and prepared his curry. After all, he might as well eat his favorite meal if it was going to be his last real one. Maybe he could consider it an early celebration reward.
Once he finished the cooking, he took a deep breath and walked to the window with Morgana right at his heels.
As if on perfect cue, the pair heard a faint yell from below, “Let down your hair!”
While they gazed out the glass to the man below, Morgana uttered a simple question, “Are you ready for this?”
Ren smirked and gave his friend a small nod as he threw his hair onto the hook outside the window. It was now or never.
Father’s climb was always quick, in mere minutes he was outside the window. Despite his circumstances, Ren still was concerned for the old man’s health. Like every other day he offered his hand to help the older man enter. However Father never took up the offer nor thanked him for this. All that was uttered from the man was a simple, “Is breakfast finished?”
With a nod Ren pulled away from the older man and gathered his hair back. He didn’t bother with any conversation as he walked to the counter while Morgana made his way to his cat bed. As quick as he could manage he placed the curry and rice onto dishes and presented one to his father before he quietly took his own seat at the other side of the table.
Silence crept into the air as they ate, it only broke once Ren muttered, “Was work okay?”
“It was the same as always,” Father responded with a huff, “Have you completed your chores for the morning?”
“Yes, sir.”
The quiet returned and the day continued on script. A small part of Ren’s mind had hoped father would at least have had a more interesting day. Those days always lead to more conversation and it would have been easier to steer the discussion towards the plan. Yet, he knew not to put any hope into that. Those days were the outliers, these were the norm.
Still he had to bear it. If he asked the question too soon father would pick out any irregularities. He just had to focus on eating. Remain complacent and find the best opportunity. As long as he did that his patience would be rewarded. Though every second that passed made him feel anxious, all he could do as time ticked on was eat. Only eat and drink until there was nothing left.
After nearly thirty minutes had passed, Ren took one final bite and finished his meal. Without another second wasted, he faced his father with all of his attention and asked, “Father, can I ask something?”
“What is it now?” His father never met his eyes as he spoke.
“I need coffee beans.”
“You already have plenty.”
“I’m tired of the kinds we have now.”
“And why does this matter?”
“My birthday in two days.”
“Ah yes,” Father groaned, bringing a hand up to massage his forehead, “you’re not about to ask for the same nonsense that you do every year? I have already told you countless times before! You must
remain
here!
”
“I wasn’t, I want some new coffee beans as a present. That’s all.”
“You are aware that it'll take at least three days to go to the market and purchase them?”
“I’ll stay here and keep up with chores.”
“And if you do not?”
Ren took a deep breath as he averted his eyes, “Then I’ll have to face the consequences.”
Father remained silent as he pondered the request, and Ren dared not look up to face him. Morgana had moved from his spot to rub his face against Ren’s leg as he purred. It was hard to tell if the cat was doing it out of comfort or if he was proud of him for not backing down. If it was up to Ren, he’d like to say it was both. The two of them knew this was the most unpredictable part of the plan to account for. If Father said no then it would be the end, Ren couldn’t ask again without drawing suspicion. It was another waiting game and there were only two outcomes at the end of it. He’d either gain his freedom and feel like a person for once, or remain a lifeless prisoner.
With a frustrated groan, father broke the silence, “Very well, first we must keep your hair up to standard then I will grant your request.”
It...worked. It actually worked. Morgana had let out a gleeful meow in success. To Father, he wouldn’t know the true meaning behind it, but to Ren it meant so much more. He couldn’t suppress a small smile when he looked up to the man and gratefully replied, “Thank you father.”
“Yes, now clean up the dishes and let’s begin fixing you up. My star can’t be a mess.”
Ren simply nodded and gathered up the empty plates. It only took mere minutes for him to scrub down them. As they began to dry he made his way towards the center of the room and the routine repeated again. He sat and sang for father as his hair was brushed with Morgana on his lap.
Father took his time grooming Ren’s hair, and he sang for as long as the session lasted. He could tell father lingered with each stroke of the brush, as he often did when he was going to be away for more than one day. In the past, it annoyed Ren to no end when all he wanted was a chance to breathe on his own without a watchful eye on him. However, he didn’t mind it today.
After all, he was going to make sure this was the last time he would ever sing for that man.
It had been a scramble since his father departed, but Ren couldn’t waste any time. More time spent here meant less time for him to find the origins of the lights, not to mention everything else the outside world had to offer. Once he gathered all of his hair back inside he nearly sprinted to the kitchen, not even giving Morgana’s startled yelp any acknowledgement. The first thing they needed to take care of was food.
He couldn’t take anything that went rotten quickly, meat and fish were out of the question. If anything, Ren hoped Morgana had some hidden skill with catching fish in any body of water they came across. Vegetables would fare much better. So he grabbed the first few he saw from their container on the counter…some carrots, and various other greens? He hardly had time to process what exactly he took before he moved on to another cabinet. He needed at least one pan and a kettle of water. After that, he grabbed as many spices as he could. If he was stuck eating only greens for the time being, might as at least make them taste good.
Next off, he needed supplies from his room. He made his way from the kitchen to the attic as fast as he could while disregarding Mona’s plea to slow down. Once inside the first thing he focused on was to grab the two baskets he had hidden under his bed. He didn’t own any bags so these would have to do, one for food and one for clothing and books. They had to travel lightly but Ren was hopeful they’d pick up more as they went along.
He didn’t own much clothing so that helped to keep packing light. It was a simple grab of the two other sets of clothing he owned from a drawer. All of it was stuffed into the essentials basket without another thought beyond that he’d have to pick up something warmer once the colder months grew closer.
The hardest part though came when he had to decide which books to take along. Truthfully, he’d love to take them all, there were too many he could count that captivated him to no end. He knew though, that taking too many would only be unnecessary weight on their journey. He’d regret that he had to leave so many behind, but all the books in the world would not prevent his long sought freedom from coming to reality.
He definitely knew he had to take his journal to keep track of things, as well as his book of star charts so he could keep track of the time of year, but outside of those…what else was important enough to take? He had to pause to think for a few minutes, were there any books he knew he couldn’t live without?
Eventually, he settled on two books, one on a great thief known for his theatrics, and the other a collection of myths. It felt just right, one of his favorite books he never got tired of reading, and the other had variety to keep him entertained. With a content smile, he placed the four books in the same basket as his clothing and made his way down the ladder with all his stuff in tow.
Morgana sat at the bottom of the ladder, already waiting for Ren to make his exit, the cat yowled at him, “Geez, you sure wasted no time sprinting around like a maniac!”
“Well, someone has to do the packing,” Ren only huffed as a smirk formed on his face, “Last time I checked I was the one with the thumbs.”
“Yeah, yeah rub it in why don’t you?” the cat groaned and followed him into the kitchen. All he could do was watch as Ren put in the assorted food related items he gathered before into the second empty basket. He could only assume Morgana was a bit impatient as well, since what other reason was there for him to jump on the counter. “Got everything packed up?”
With a smile and a pat to the cat’s head, Ren nodded. Of course he gave everything a second glance though. He had to make sure there would be as little problems as possible for as long as he could.
“You know…” Morgana interrupted his thoughts, “When we leave, we’ll never come back here. Are you sure this is what you want?”
With a quick movement, Ren shut the basket closed. He understood his friend’s concern. This would be the last chance to back down. To stay here in the safety of this place for the rest of his life, but he couldn’t accept that. “I don’t plan on returning unless father drags me back here with his own two hands.”
“Still I worry about you. The coot can cause drama, but there is only so much you could learn through your stories, you’re
sure
you’ll be able to handle things out there?”
“Hey, how hard can it be? Besides,” He chuckled before he lightly poked the cat’s nose, “I’ll have you to help me out if things get out of hand.”
“That is true! With my skills no one will be abl-“
Morgana’s proclamation was cut short with a flick of his ears, which only confused Ren. It always took forever to get Morgana out of his own ego on a normal day. Yet in the silence that slowly crept in, it was easier to hear some kind of noise from outside...it sounded almost like grunting?
That had to be the cause, “Do you hear that too?”
Now it was Morgana’s turn to ignore questioning it seemed as he sprinted over to the open window as fast as he could. Ren tried to keep his anxiety in check as his friend investigated. It couldn’t be Father. It didn’t sound like him, but no one else knew about this place… So what was it???
“Ren there is a man climbing up the tower.”
That wasn’t the answer he was expecting at all.
Yet sure enough, when he joined his friend at the window, up the side of the tower with what appeared to be...Some kind of stone? It was hard to make out any details besides the stranger’s blond hair and constant pulling out and pushing in some kind of small objects into the wall.
This was going to complicate things…
Morgana broke the silence first, “Do you think the old man sent him to keep us in place?”
“No,” Ren was quick to shoot down that line of thought, it just didn’t seem right, “If that was the case, he would have sent someone to keep an eye on us every time he left...”
“Then
how did he find us and
what does he want?
!
”
That was the question of the year wasn’t it?
Still, they couldn’t just hop out the window when someone was able to see them escape in plain sight. As much as it agonized him to not be able to rush out of here as quickly as he wanted, he could not risk this stranger blabbing about them to the nearest person. Especially, when that person could very well be his Father. No, they had to approach this as carefully as the circumstances allowed. They were just so close and now whoever this was could ruin all of their hard work for nothing.
His frustrations must have shown on his face. As before he could even convey his own thoughts, Morgana preached his own idea, “What if we throw him out once he gets to the window!”
Ren couldn’t suppress a chuckle at the outrageous idea, “Morgana, we’re not going to go
that
far.”
“So what?” The cat scoffed, “You don’t honestly think we could swear him to silence? That monkey looks like he’d blab his mouth off the first chance he’d get.”
Swear to silence, like in a negotiation? “That could work…”
A pause, “Ren you can’t be serious?!”
“Just hold on, I need to grab something. Keep an eye on things, then stay hidden once I’m back.”
Without waiting for a response, he ran back up to his room. He knew exactly what would do the trick. He can’t risk damage to any of his supplies to his journey in this plan, but to an oversized politics book Father gave him two years ago? Yeah that would be just perfect.
He grabbed that book from the dusty shelf and rejoined Morgana. He quickly motioned for his friend to remain silent and lean against the wall closest to the window. As much as he wished that one of them could monitor the stranger’s ascent, they could risk suspicion. So it was time for another waiting game. Trying to keep track of time was pointless as the grunting and huffing only grew louder and louder as it went on.
Finally, the stranger pulled themself through the window. They took a few steps inside to catch their breath as they smirked.
“Heh, this outta keep ‘em off my ass for a-”
Before the stranger could even finish their grumbling. Ren swung a book against the back of their head and knocked them out cold.