The Lands of Ralosia & Ranuulo- Short Story Collection

~Charred Chest Chapter 6- The Return~

Chapter 6- The return

~The Morning After~

The night after the first day of their visit, Razan disappeared with Hopper without telling anyone what he was leaving for.

"Is it okay if we stay until he comes back?" Aero asked, "Shouldn't be too long."

"Of course." Veena told him.

Aero and his family help built a new and enlarged pen for the pups, one more than big enough for them all. After they acquired the supplies, it barely took them an hour. They spent the rest of the day waiting for Razan to show back up and helping Veena with whatever she needed. They were nice company to have around.

Veena could only wonder what trouble Razan was getting into. She hoped it was something innocuous but couldn't help but think it would be nefarious. For better or worse, Aero didn't seem too concerned for his father.

They spent the whole day waiting for him to show up, but when he didn't, Aero grew worried. They stayed another night hoping that he'd show up then.

Veena woke before everyone else and went to tend to the puppies, cleaning up after them and feeding them. Once she was finished, she looked out on the horizon, and saw Hopper's silhouette approaching. They were back.

Razan was riding on Hopper's back towards her home, but two wagons were following close behind them, both pulled by sheep, a large wooly beast known for pulling cargo. The back wagon had a few workers on it and it had a caged enclosure in the back. Veena grew nervous as they approached, ready to call Aero for help if something bad happened.

They stopped near her home. Razan jumped off Hopper, and a blonde man wearing overalls stepped out the first wagon. Razan pulled a hefty container from the wagon and held it over his head. A familiar looking black chest that looked as if it had been charred by flames.

The blonde man approached, holding his suspenders as he did. He greeted Veena with a smile, "Hello maam, your name is Veena, isn't it?"

Veena cautiously answered, "Yes."

"Very nice to meet you. I'm Nolan." The man said. "Well, I was told you're looking to sell a few pups. I assume they're the ones in the pen behind you."

Quite the businessman, this Nolan was. Veena replied, "I'm looking for a good home for them, yes."

Razan approached, carrying the hulking chest over his head, setting it down gently beside Nolan. As Veena looked at it, she could hardly believe it. It was undeniably the same chest she had decades ago, hardly worn away by time...

Nolan spoke, "Razan here told me that this chest here is a valuable keepsake of yours. If it is, I'd be happy to trade you the chest for your litter of pups."

Veena glanced at the chest, and then to Nolan. Without any hesitation she said, "They eat three times a day and will need good housing. If you're planning on working them, it can't be too hard."

Nolan's eyebrows raised. At first, he seemed taken aback. Razan was equally surprised. But Nolan smiled and replied, "Understood maam."

Veena insisted, "I'll need to visit them often to make sure they're doing well. If you aren't treating them right, I'll take them back."

Nolan grinned, "Absolutely! I love on the Ech Ech Ranch up north. Do you know where that is?"

Veena nodded.

"Then come around anytime you like! I'll make sure those pups have good lives; I guarantee it."

Veena took a moment before saying, "Alright, you have yourself a deal."

Razan set the chest against Veena's house while Nolan boarded the pups onto the second wagon. He picked each of them up individually, even though their weight clearly made it difficult. But he held them gently, and they seemed comfortable in his arms. At the sight, she felt that she could trust him. She'd certainly be visiting his ranch soon.

Veena said her goodbyes to pups, holding them and giving each of them a kiss on the forehead before she allowed Nolan to head north with them. She smiled and waved as they headed out.

Once he was gone, Veena's smile disappeared. She turned back the house, where Razan was waiting beside the chest.

"So, this is what you took off for, huh?" Veena remarked, sharpness still in her voice as she addressed him.

Razan set a hand on the chest, "It took a bit of work to find this for you."

"Yeah, it took you a whole twenty-five years to bring it back." Veena rebuked. She placed a hand on the chest. "But thank you."

"Well, aren't you going to open it?"

Veena chuckled, "I lost the key for this chest years ago! I couldn't open it even if I wanted."

Razan groaned. He circled to the front of the chest, dug his fingers into the chest, flexed, and with a single powerful pull, he tore the lock apart and popped open the container.

Veena hurried and looked into the open chest. It was exactly as she remembered it. The chest was partitioned into two sections. In one was money, but not very much. Back then she had only just started to build up her savings, so there wasn't very much there.

In the other section were wooden toys, many stones of peculiar shapes and sizes, and a few notebooks. Veena's hand shook as she picked up one the toys and remembered where it came from.

"Th-That's it?" Razan muttered as he looked over her shoulder into the chest.

Veena smiled, "These were my son's."

She pulled out several of the toys, stowed away in there, still in good condition. He always took such good care of them. Veena opened one of the notebooks and saw page after page of notes, with some bearing chapter headings. He was toying with the idea of writing in the future.

He took an odd, shaped rock out of the chest that was long and oval like, with a few sharp edges protruding from it. She smiled when she remembered what it was from, "When my son was really young, he'd collect rocks that he thought looked like other things. He said this one looked like a fish!"

Veena showed off the rock to Razan. The man observed it and tried to find the resemblance. "I mean... it kind of looks like one."

Veena nodded emphatically, "Yes, it kinda does."

Veena gently placed it back into the chest and looked through the other things stored there, unearthing old memories every moment.

"Where is your son?" Razan asked.

Veena was about to answer simply what had happened. But then she realized something. A parallel connection they had. Veena replied, "Razan, would you mind taking a short trip with me?"

Razan raised an eyebrow, "Umm, where to?"

"That's a secret. Trust me, it'll be worth it."

Razan shrugged, "Well alright."

Veena called Hopper over. She and Razan mounted the great dog and took off to the southwest.