The Non-Human Society

Chapter Seventy - Vim - A Floating Moment

      One of the lanterns bumped up against Renn's foot. She giggled as she carefully pushed it away, back towards the center of the river.

Letting her foot splash back into the water, she sighed with a happy sound as she watched it float away.

"What a nice moment," she whispered.

Was it?

The sun was setting, and the sky was red. Thick clouds rolled over us, giving the sky a luminous shine... but as of yet there was no rain or wind.

Matching the reds above, there were reds below. Hundreds of small lanterns floated along the river Renn and I sat next to. A fleet of small wooden and paper boats sailed past us. Most were small, carrying only a small candle of wax. But there were a few like the one that had just bumped into Renn that were sizable. The bigger ones were made of finer materials, and carried more candles.

We weren't alone. Like us, many people nearby were sitting on the banks of the river. Although most didn't have their feet submerged as Renn and I did. Though that was probably because the river was a little cold.

Most weren't sitting as close with one another as we were, either.

"Are those prayers?" Renn asked, pointing at one of the lantern boats nearby. Her thigh and arm rubbed against me as she moved, making me feel the eyes that looked at us. Were they staring because they saw something odd, or because of jealousy? It was odd that most that were staring were women.

"Looks like it," I said. The cloth that made the sails had words sewn into it. I could make out a few of the words, and they were mostly religious in nature.

"Humans are... neat sometimes," Renn whispered softly.

"Hm," I agreed with her.

Watching a young pair of humans walk past, on the other side of the small river, I wondered how people always had similar festivals.

The same style of festivities could be found at all corners of the world. Even the two that have yet to really mingle with the others. Those who didn't even know of the other side of the world yet shared similarities that transcended language and beliefs.

A little town was to our right. We were sitting right at the edge, where the two rivers that passed through the village met and converged into a smaller one. It was here that one could see all the boats and lanterns sent onto the river. Odds are every citizen and even visitors had put at least one onto the river, based off the amount passing us by.

There was a small part of me that wished we could have gotten here a little earlier. Renn probably would have enjoyed making one for herself.

"Where... where do they end up? How long will they float?" Renn asked.

"Not all do," I said as we watched one float by. Its candle was long extinguished, and the thing was half sunk. It was one of many like it.

"You know what I mean," she said.

I nodded. I did. "Littered all over. Most will catch fire, burn up and then sink. The rest will just bundle up down river at whatever bend has the softest current. Odds are someone in the city will be sent down river to collect them all as to properly dispose of them later," I said.

Probably a young servant or a criminal paying their dues.

"Hm..." she hummed but didn't further question it. Maybe she hadn't even wanted such a detailed answer.

While watching a man far off up the river, near the fence that made up this towns boundary... I blinked when she laid her head onto my shoulder.

Glancing at Renn, who rested against me... I wondered what the hell I was going to do with her.