POV Aisha:
From Maikril to Argondis, it takes about an hour to walk, because that is where the Mother tree is, even if it is rare that a Mother tree is at the borders of the forest, this one was an exemption with a couple others. Mother trees are usually at the center to be able to extend their roots around them proportionally. To go across the forest to continue our travel, we needed about at least four days, then we would get to another village, the one on our passage. Since Kalatril was the one holding the map, I didn't feel like I needed to know the name of it, it wasn't really important, we needed to lie low, not socialize with every form of living being. Anything could happen at anytime anywhere, even if my form was hidden thanks to the magic I had used in my possession. Granny had insisted that I needed to master not only martial arts and all kinds of physical abilities, but also a solid base of the divine arts, even though I didn't excel in it.
-It's not important, I already told you. 'Lie low', you know what that means?
He mumbles something.
-What?
-I was just thinking.
-Develop.
He sighs and shakes his head.
-I am just wondering why the empire got that village burned to the ground.
I stop walking through the bushes around us.
-What's the village's name?
-Oh now you want to know. Well because you ask so nicely...
I grunt and send him a clear message thanks to my insistent look. Talk.
He gives me an amused look but continues.
-Numea. Emperor Blaze made sure it got destroyed about 9 years ago-
-Ten. Ten years, not nine.
He frowns but does not say anything and I am greatful for that, otherwise, I probably would have told him everything and I would have hated that. The problem with being in confidence with someone is that you trust the person more than before, and when something bad happens, it hurts even more. I am not dumb, I know we will finish becoming a bit closer, but I would like to avoid, if possible.
As we kept on walking forward, tree branches keep on crashing in my face and I spit out leaves, when as Kalatril just avoid them with grace.
I wonder how dimwitted and stupid he thinks i look like right now. I stand a bit taller so that I gain in credibility, it's probably useless but it's better than being hunched other. I can see Kalatril smile at me and I suddenly want to hit him on the head with a stick or something, I hated it when someone makes me feel a tiny bit more fizzy anything near happy-like. It made me feel weak and being weak was the worst kind of feeling I could ever have.
Suddenly, Kalatril stops.
-We are here. We have to get through and then continue through a wheat field. If anything bad or unexpected happens, promise me not to murder anyone.
He turns to me and I widen my eyes in a way that they almost pop out. Was he serious? I could master myself and my emotions perfectly. Perfectly.
-Excuse-me? You should be put behind the bars for wild accusations.
I scoff and cross my arms on my chest.
-Promise, he says, tone similar to the one a parent would use when asking their child to not break another vase.
-Yeah, yeah, let's just go, I answer without giving him what he wanted to hear.
I can feel him giving me a hard look but I won't make a promise that I probably won't hold. Not because of loosing control, but because it would be needed. If someone discovered our existence, I would have no other choice than to commit murder to shut them up.
I hurry to get out of the forest before anyone sees us. The village was long destroyed, it didn't even show on some maps, but there were still people that 'lived' there, in the ruins of a once magnificent village. My village.
Kalatril joins me shortly after putting the large piece of paper in one of his pockets, Granny had made sure that he got a new set of clothes, I had a few changes in my bag, in case. You never know when an extra pair of shorts are needed.
As we walk through the ghost village, all those that are there look at us. Some with questioning, some with malice, some mockingly, but mostly some with hate. Hate because those two young adults were in a better situation than them, they were jealous at the point where they would strangle us just for the pleasure of knowing that we did not live no longer. Those people with a haunted look in their eyes were probably good people years ago, but the world where we live is vicious. Hard moments and traumas could turn people into monsters. Suddenly, my eyes lay on a destroyed house. Some of its bricks had been displaced, the hay that should be at its top was absent, already burned away, one of the walls was missing as well as half of another. But I could recognize it perfectly, that house after all, had been mine.
-Follow me, I think I saw something, says Kalatril, quite low so that no one could hear.
He points with his finger what remained from my old house and before I can say anything, he pulls me inside.
-What are you doing!, I keep a reasonable tone, just like he did.
-Oops, I was wrong, there is nothing here, oh well, guess we will have to stay a moment and look around!
I stop fuming and take a moment to realize, Kalatril had understood my little secret not so secret anymore. But he didn't want to talk about it because he knew I would have denied it. So he had found a clever and weird way to let me see the inside for what would probably be the last time without looking for to much information.
I let go a 'thanks' with my most serious expression and he smiles slightly.
-I have no idea what you are talking about.
My serious face immediately drops and I give a chuckle.
-How did you know?, I say as I pace towards a corner of the 70 square meter rectangle, we're used to be my bed.
Probably destroyed by flames or stolen by somebody desperate. I stop wondering in my own thoughts and focus on him.
-I just did.
I suddenly stop walking across the room and look at him weirdly. What if he could read minds?! I wasn't yet sure but I felt as if I were exposed.
-Let me reassure you, no, I don't read minds, he says, in a confident way.
I take of my guard for a moment but I don't sight, it was to early for that, I had a way of knowing when something unusual was about to happen.
-I read feelings.
Hourra! Award for 'guessing what kind of stupid thing your travel companion was about to tell you' won by Aisha!
-Oh thank the gods you said that, I am totally reassured know, anything else? You can talk with plants?
It was easy to sense my evident sarcasm and Kalatril's smile grew wider.
-No, plants don't 'talk', they 'communicate', there is a difference.
I look at him trying to hide my completely aghast face and try to see him confirm what he just said. In answer, he just nodded.
-As well as making wood turn to berries and jam.
As soon as he finished his phrase I answer.
-Nah. This time you're tripping me, I say.
He shows a sorry and upset doggy face.
-What gave it away?, he asks, though he probably already knew the answer.
He was so funny I almost burst in tears of hilarity.
-The jam, I simply say.
He shrugs in evidence.
-Knew I shouldn't had said that.
I let out a laugh before checking the room again.
The wall that had been burned and destroyed had the door on it, about the size of a small ogre. The opposite wall, a bit towards my left, had the remmenants of a once beautiful and warming chimney. I smile sadly thinking back at the day I had last seen my father. He was a blacksmith, and to my eyes, the best. Some would say that it is only normal to feel admiration for one's father, but he really did earn that reputation, even some young, voyage-thirty gnomes would come to our village to receive his teachings. Gnomes had a surdemensioned ego and admit that one was better at crafting was one of the most difficult things to say for them. That's how great he was. Except that Emperor Blaze is a bloody racist, so, when he saw all those dwarfs and gnomes heading to villages on his territory, creating bonds, he couldn't take it. He just had to order the burning of the village I grew up in, no ultimatum, no warning, just, destruction. That's all he caused anyway, and by the way he was and still is damn good at it.
A loud sound comes from the wall that-wasn't-really-existing we came through. I am about to tell Kalatril to shut it when I realize it wasn't Kalatril at all.
I clench my fists, the person standing before me, I knew exactly who that was. Even after ten years, he had kept his same way of looking at people from above, with an impression of judgment. His once blond hair was now striped with whiter locks and hairs. His clothes looked more ragged than mine but I don't stare, it is better not to.
What on earth was he doing here?
-Who are you?, a simple phrase, but the way he said it was so much more densely layered.
I could feel fear, anger, confusion, as well as other strong feelings. I see Kalatril open his mouth but I speak before he can. He would definitely say something we would both regret, so, I used one of my greatest gifts: acting.
I immediately cover my face with a surprised expression, trying to make my eyes look rounder, and I mentally give myself an impression of what I should sound like. The voice, intonation and what would cover us from any suspicious thoughts.
-Dear gods! You must be the famous lord Admir! I am so pleased to finally meet you!, I squealed.
I can see Kalatril lift his eyebrows up to the ceil that no longer exists. My voice was so high pitched that it must have shocked him. But that wasn't an excuse! If we were not in a serious situation, I would have already knocked him on the head.
My little show hadn't had a lot of effect on the man in front of me.
-Who are you?, he repeated.
I don't discourage myself and continue, praying this was going to work but I am interrupted before I can even start.
-Oh, pardon my sister, dear lord, she has a big mouth and doesn't know when to shut it.
I turn, surprised, at Kalatril looking at him in the eyes, if I didn't know better, I would have said he was upset with me. I had no idea he would react that fast.
I bring my hand to my mouth and imitate an ashamed face.
-Sorry, I add, lowering my head to complete what Kalatril said.
-Me and my sister are—
-Storytellers!, I say, before he can add anything.
Admir's expression spoke for itself, I could see Admir's eyebrows raising in questioning. It's true, most people calling themselves storytellers had experience, weather it was before a king or a lord, it didn't matter, the only thing that did was that they were really well received.
I start think if I shouldn't had said so but Kalatril acts before me.
-Diana! Do not tell such things!, he shouts before turning to Admir, the truth is that we actually are aspiring to becoming some, we are not yet. I am sorry if we took advantage of your hospitality, we shall go.
Before the old lord could add anything, Kalatril took my hand and carried me to the far end of the village, to the opposite of where we came from.
-What were you doing? The first part was well thought, he said, referring to the dumb idiot girl idea, but 'storytellers'! Are you out of your mind? Why not anything simpler?, he yelled, his face white.
-What about your sanity? Diana? I don't like names that start with 'd', I retort.
I cross my arms on my chest, raise my chin and look at the other side. That's when I notice a little red-haired girl, about 5, looking right at us.
-You know, I expected more reasoning coming from you in this kind of situations but—
I elbow him and before he can protest, I lean toward the child.
-Hi. What's your name? Mine's Diana, I say, as gentle as possible.
I am slightly surprised by it being kind and all but I just smile.
-Vactia, she responds, her voice quivering a tiny bit, not because she was scared, but because she was cold.
I smile a tiny bit more, surveying that my face does not look hysterical, because it sometimes took that appearance when I made an effort.
-Alright, Vactia, would you like to see a magic trick?
First hesitant, she then shakes her head with approval.
I lift my hand and a blue bird with shiny feathers flies right into it.
Vactia looks at the bird with interest and I then hand it over to her.
-His name is Gabe, say hello to him, would you?
She nods her head again and, marveled, strokes the birds glossy neck.
-Hello Gaby, she lifts her head to me, is it okay if I call him Gaby?
I nod my head in approval. I shake my hand and she tilts her head to say thank you and goodbye, before scurrying off into a clearing.
To my greatest happiness, Kalatril does not evoke my act of kindness towards a child, but instead, asks about Admir.
-How do you know him?, he asks.
I shrug thinking back at the days I was still living in that place.
-When I was younger, the actual lord that held this land lived in another of his villages, he needed someone to look over this one, he chose his brother, lord Admir, this was the first territory he had in his grasp. Much more incompetent and boring, much less rich and famous than his brother, that was all he was. He was also a debt collector, I can't even count the number of villagers that got ruined because of his cruelty and greed as well as attempt to impression his sibling.
When the village got burned, Admir's brother got warned but he didn't take the time to tell his very own brother the news. Guess nobility is like that, competitive. When this village crumbled down, Admir's title went with it. He didn't get any help or pity from nobles or his kin.
I could see Kalatril from the corner if my eye, expect him to ask other questions, but he doesn't, he just says something that makes me smile.
-The fact that he isn't a noble anymore explains the miserable state of his clothes.
I chuckle. I just love dark humor.
————————————
Valacta reminds Aisha of herself a tiny bit which is in part the reason why she helped her bring her morally up.
————————————
Hi!
Hope you are all having fun whatever you are doing (I just received my super extra special warm so I am over the moon).
Here is another chapter, hope you liked it and are excited for the next one!
😊
(2668 words)