When Grandma Fu said it would be a little crowded, I think she might have under exaggerated a little. There were so many people that I had to sit on the window sill to find a place to eat without getting elbowed or knocked over. Granted, it was hard to know who was where when almost everyone who was in the room was barely visible. See-through creatures with silvery-blue outlines, their bodies changing shape even as they moved and gathered bowls for themselves, sitting in different corners of the kitchen and eating. There was the faintest whispers on the wind as if they were communicating with each other and although I wanted to listen in, I also didn’t want to pry. Especially when one of them had snuck up on me before and nearly scared the daylights out of me while breathing down my neck. I shuddered at even the memory of it, looking around for the offender amidst the “crowd”, then ducking my head as I ate the last bit of my soup.

“Want fourths, Air?” Grandma Fu called over the whispering wind, the light of the fire casting shadows over her face as she stirred the cauldron a few more times.

I looked down at my bowl then felt my stomach. I could’ve gone for more soup but she made so much for all of us. It didn’t seem fair that she kept cooking while I sat back and ate. Even if I knew she’d be working me to death later on.

“No, why don’t I get started on my work early?” I asked, hopping down from my perch though I was careful not to knock into any of the creatures sitting beneath the sill.

Grandma Fu stirred a bit more then tapped the spoon along the edge of the cauldron, “Are you sure, there’s plenty enough to go around.”

“No, I’m fine, really,” I insisted, handing her my bowl then easing the wooden spoon from her hand, stirring the soup myself. “Would you like some?”

She quirked a brow at me then shook her head, holding out the bowl wordlessly, and I must’ve been smiling like an idiot because she rolled her eyes at me as I filled it up. A bit splashed onto the back of my hand and I licked it off then rubbed my hand along the side of my trousers. Grandma Fu picking up a spoon and leaning back against the table in the center of the room, the weight of her eyes on my back as I stirred every so often. The whispering picked up in our silence and I could feel the weight of more stares on me and even close to me although the proximity grew and lessened as I kept up my task. Eventually, Grandma Fu spoke up with a light poke to the back of my neck.

“Seems as though you’ve got someone who wants another helping.”

I looked back at her confused then heard a clunk as a bowl hovering in mid-air pressed against the side of the cauldron. Blinking slowly, I looked up and saw the silver-blue outline of one of the creatures standing right next to me, the whispering on the wind a very low murmur and barely audible at all. I looked from the bowl to the creature itself and pointed at it.

“You want more?”

The murmuring continued and I strained to hear.

“If you want them to hear you then you have to speak up,” Grandma Fu shouted, brandishing her spoon like a weapon, flinging soup at both of us. “That goes for all of you. This kid is Air and they’ll be staying with us for awhile, so you’d best get used to it. No scaring them off because I’m gonna be teaching them how to cook and they’ll be helping cook your meals from now on.”

That’s right, I thought at first, nodding along. Then it dawned on me what she said. I’d be cooking their meals?

“Air…”

A shiver ran down my spine as a ghastly echoing voice sounded from beside me and the creature holding the bowl leant down, its maw opening, sharp teeth visible along with what looked to be a smile.

“What a pretty name… Air…”

I swallowed and nodded slowly. “Thank you…”

“May I have more, Air…?” They asked, holding out their bowl to which I nodded quickly and went to fill it without spilling any, trying to keep my eyes off their teeth.

I might have even given them a few extra pieces of meat. Seeing how many teeth they had and how sharp they were, I’d rather they have something else to sink their teeth into that definitely wasn’t me. After their bowl was filled, they slowly nodded and turned away.

“What a pretty name... “ Their voice droned off like an echo off a mountain peak and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. “Air…”

With that, they went back to join the others and I allowed myself to actually breathe.

“You’ve never seen a spirit before?”

I startled at Grandma Fu’s question then slumped my shoulders. Whenever she mentioned things like this, it seemed like it should be common knowledge but I didn’t know a thing.

“No, it’s just been me and Nubi for as long as i can remember.”

I looked to Nubi for some sort of help but they were snoozing away after eating all of their soup, passed out on the table in the shade of their bowl. So much for a guide.

“And how long is that?”

I winced. “A few hours?”

Admittedly, it felt like days since I first met Nubi but in all reality it wasn’t that long now that I thought about it. With all of their nagging and insistence that I do this and that — it was as if we’d been together my whole life. Considering I didn’t know most of my life, I suppose a few hours was all I had. Grandma Fu tapped her spoon along the inside of her bowl then sat it down beside Nubi’s, looking back at them without a word. As the seconds stretched on, I couldn’t help but wish that the Goddess had given me some sort of mind-reading powers. This feeling of unease was not doing me any favors and I was sure to snap the spoon at this rate.

“Friends with the faefolk but don’t know anything about spirits,” Grandma Fu said, a slow drawl to her words as she looked at me from the corner of her eye. My grip on the spoon tightened until she sighed and smiled. “You either have someone looking out for you or you’re really unlucky.”

I laughed nervously and moved to scratch the back of my head with my free hand until her pointed glare had me slapping my hand against my thigh instead. Clearing my throat, I shifted from one foot to the other as I spoke.

“Well, that boar I caught tried to kill me after I took a nap in its drinking water.”

“Unlucky it is then,” she said, eyebrow raising then shaking her head, walking over to take the spoon from my hand. “Well, Mistre Unlucky, I can’t have you out here dying on me.”

Before I could ask what she meant, she pointed the spoon dead center at my face and said, “So I’ve got three tasks for you to do.

I wanted to say that it was sudden but from the way she was holding that spoon, I think that I was going to die if I said anything. Instead, I mutely nodded and folded my arms across my chest to keep my hands from shoving in my pockets. It felt like an old habit but I wasn’t sure from where exactly. Grandma Fu nodded and gestured to the doorway.

“The first one is to go upstairs and get situated in your room, cleaned up and all,” she looked me over and hummed low, shaking her head. “I don’t think I have any clothes in your size so we’re just gonna have to make some alterations.”

“I don’t know how to—” I started and she pointed the spoon at me again, immediately shutting me up.

“Number two, you’re gonna earn your keep around here, so I want you to do a delivery for me.” She stepped aside and crossed her arm, gesturing to the boiling soup in the cauldron with a tilt of her head. “You’re gonna take a batch of this to the couple a few houses down from here.”

I nodded slowly and waited before asking in a soft voice, “And number three?”

Grandma Fu eyed me, looking me up and down. I felt like she was constantly appraising me as if looking for something and then realizing that I came up short. My skin crawled at the thought and something twisted in my stomach. I didn’t have any need to impress her but I wanted to. Kind of. Expectations were already high enough already.

“Do you know how to use a weapon?”

I blinked at her and she waved around her spoon in different poses.

“A sword, an ax, a dagger, even a shield?”

Opening my mouth, I thought to say ‘yes’, but then remembered the cruel fact that even if I was a “hero” — my only experience was with a piece of nature and a few mishaps with my skills.

“Not really...” I grumbled, head drooping.

“Then how’d you take down that boar?” Grandma Fu asked skeptically, and I thought about telling her the truth but it even felt too strange to me. Though it seemed better than her thinking that I was lying to her this whole time. If she was just threatening with a spoon, who knew how threatening she could be when she was coming at me for real?

Taking a breath, I steeled myself and looked her square in the eyes.

“It got stuck in a tree and then I started whacking it with a tree branch,” I said in my most serious tone, hands fisted at my side and bracing for what came next.

Grandma Fu stared at me and the whisperings around us died down one by one. I looked around at the creatures and found that they’d even stopped eating. It felt like a thousand eyes were on me and I tried not to sweat or freak out but it was getting harder by the second. Eventually, Grandma Fu spoke up but her voice was light and airy almost amused.

“....You whacked it with a tree branch.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“And it died?”

“Yes ma’am.”

We stared at one another for a few minutes then her lip quirked and she let out a loud guffawing laugh, nearly dropping the spoon as she threw her head back and wrapped her arms around her stomach. The whisperings from before had become louder, a raucous noise that swept throughout the kitchen, nearly jolting me as I stumbled from one foot to the other. Even Nubi popped up from their sleep and looked around at the sudden change in atmosphere. It almost felt warmer, cozy, like home. I smiled faintly and felt a strong hand clap against my shoulder and take hold, Grandma Fu smiling at me with a glint to her eye.

“You must be pretty strong,” she said, raising her hand and ruffling my hair.“Alright then, seems I don’t have to start you out with a kiddy weapon. You might just be the type that learns from experience. So go see Uncel down by the potato fields, okay?”

I nodded slowly and tried to ignore the light fluttering feeling in my chest. Even though everyone was kind of laughing at me or at least what I said, it felt natural. Almost like the tension in the air had alleviated and I could breathe again. I smiled and nodded but then it dawned on me, I don’t even know where anything is in this town. I didn’t even get a map. The panic must’ve shown on my face because Grandma Fu sighed, her smile soft.

“He’s right across from old Ysmur, you’ll know you’re close when you start smelling fire and burnt wood, there should be a bit of smoke coming from the chimney but it’ll be a strange color no doubt,” she explained, her voice taking a teasing edge as she nudged my side. “ You know what that smells like, right? Know when fire doesn’t look it’s usual?”

I laughed and rubbed my side, nodding. “Yes ma’am.”

“Good kid,” she said, ruffling my hair again then gently nudging me aside by my shoulder. “Now, off you go.”

“Are you sure you don’t need any help here?” I asked.

It didn’t seem right to leave her on her own after I promised to help. Especially when there were this many mouths to feed.

“No, no,” Grandma Fu said, waving her hand as she turned back to the pot and gave it a stir, then with a wicked look in her eye she smiled at me and said. “You did say you were starting your work early so hop to it.”

So that was her game. I sighed and nodded my head, looking down at the table where Nubi peered up at me curiously while wiping sleep from their eyes.

“Alright, c’mon Nubi.”

Nubi yawned and I turned away, watching my step as I went to the doorway, bidding each of the spirits a goodbye with a nod of the head or a wave.

“Can’t I finish my food first, Air?” Nubi whined, floating behind me.

“You were napping, that’s different!” I called over my shoulder, heading back to the foyer, ignoring the light kick Nubi gave to the back of my neck before settling on my shoulder.

I paused in the spot where the prickleboar had once been. I wonder how they managed to carry it so effortlessly. A shiver ran down my spine and I told myself I was better off not knowing. The spirits seemed to like me and they didn’t seem to pay any mind to Nubi. I should’ve been grateful for that. Though, I wonder what they did with it. I didn’t see it in the kitchen.

“Hey Grandma Fu? What room is mine?!”

“One on the far left at the end of the hall! Bathroom is on the right!”

At least if I went up here I’d know what room was mine and which ones to avoid. I started climbing the staircase, glancing back every so often to make sure one of the spirits weren’t following me or waiting behind me.

“Okay, thank you!”

Heading upstairs, there were more pictures along the walls and tables adorned with flowers, a wide mirror on the right side of the wall that reflected me as I walked past. I glanced to one side then looked away, hurrying down the hall. There were several doors, each one looking about the same but the one on the far end to the left was my destination.

“This is us, Nubi,” I said to them, turning the knob and pushing it open, peeking inside.

A sharp gust of wind raced across the back of my neck and I jumped, turning with my back to the wall and spying a shadowy figure enter one of the rooms, the door slamming and rattling on its hinges. My heart hammered in my chest and I looked down for Nubi, seeing them peek over my shoulder with wide eyes.

“Did you see that?” I whispered, glancing around and easing away from the open doorway.

“There’s so many of them,” Nubi whispered back, pressing closer to my skin.

“Yeah.”

We shared a glance then looked towards the room door, entering slowly. I shut the door behind me and pressed my back to it, taking in a deep breath then exhaling throguh my nose to calm my nerves. When I opened my eyes, I looked across the room and saw someone with silver hair looking back at me.

“So that’s what I look like...”

I stepped away from the door and the person stepped away from the door as well, the mirror reflecting me being a full-bodied one that set neatly beside a dresser. It was a little grimy around the edges but as I approached it, the person got clearer and clearer. I stood in front of it and looked at… myself.

“You don’t know what your own face is like?” Nubi asked, peeking over my shoulder.

For a second, I felt stupid. Almost idiotic to not know what my face looked like. But then this feeling overwhelmed and bubbled up inside of me. I didn’t know a lot of things about myself. My name, where I came from, and I’d accepted it but looking in the mirror — seeing a face I didn’t recognize.

“No,” I said, looking into my own silver eyes. “I don’t know anything.”