"It smells so good!"
Although I'd eaten at least three bowls of Grandma Fu's soup, the smell of the boxed lunches almost made me wish that I'd agreed to a fourth. After saying goodbye to Grandma Fu and heading down the road, I couldn't help but feel a little lighter. My footsteps weren't dragging like they'd been earlier and my body didn't feel as heavy. In fact, my heart felt lighter too and I couldn't stop smiling.
"You're in a better mood, Air," Nubi smiled at me and zipped around my head a few times. "I guess you really needed that cry, huh?"
The heat rose to my face and unconsciously, I shifted the lunch to the crook of my arm and scrubbed my hand underneath my eyes. Although I knew that all of the tears had dried up and I washed my face before leaving, I could still feel the embarrassment creeping when I noticed the spirits looking at me and Nubi for that matter. Grandma Fu patted my head and ruffled my hair when I averted my gaze, giving me a thumbs up and assuring me that it took a strong person to cry.
Though when I asked her if she ever cried, she vehemently denied it before herding the spirits into the kitchen and sending me on my way. Pulling my hand away from my face and ensuring there were no stray teardrops on my skin, I sniffed and stuck my hand in my pocket.
"I guess."
Nubi giggled and did a flip in mid-air before coming to float by my head, their smile visible from my peripheral.
"Don't worry, everyone cries," they said. "Even the goddess cries sometimes."
I spared a wave to an elderly couple sitting on the stoop of their home who'd broken their conversation to watch as I passed, giving me a wave in turn. Dropping my hand to my side, I looked at Nubi and thought back to the woman that I'd spoken to in that void. The One Who Connects All, the Goddess, it struck me as strange that even an ethereal being could cry. What did they have to be sad about anyway?
My skepticism must have shown on my face because Nubi nodded as if to affirm my thoughts.
"When she found out you were coming back, she wept tears of joy and sorrow," Nubi held their hands to their chest and they glowed lighter the closer they came to the core of Nubi's being. "It was really hard to listen but she said that she was happy to talk to you... even if it was only for a little while."
I almost felt guilty at hearing that. Of course, I imagined that the One Who Connects All knew that I was coming. How else would she have greeted me in that bizarre place? But the thought that she was happy to see me was weird. Aside from Nubi and later on Grandma Fu, everyone I encountered was either hostile or standoffish. But the villagers that I passed by greeted me with quick words, introductions and then waved before continuing on their way. It was strange to think that there was someone who wanted to welcome me into the world.
"When I talked to her, she did seem to have a lot on her mind..."
Her words were often trailing off as if she was lost in thought and she had a habit of getting off track. It was almost annoying. But there was a familiarity there. When she asked me how long I would stay asleep, she almost seemed sad or impatient. As if she'd been waiting for me to wake up just to have a talk with me.
"But then she ignored me when I was falling..."
Plummeting to my doom was a more appropriate wording. I remember calling out to her and her reassurements was the only comfort I had although I wasn't sure if I could trust her at the time. Really, there was nothing else for me to hold onto. I glanced at Nubi and found that they were looking at me pointedly, enraptured in my words. Being under such heavy scrutiny was a little overwhelming but at the same time, it made me think. If Nubi was created by the One Who Connects All to help me and sent here to be with me, then didn't the One Who Connects All keep her promise to me?
Wasn't Nubi proof that she cared about me?
"Maybe I should have been a bit more patient," I sighed, my head drooping.
Somehow I felt that my impatience was becoming a trend. The more eager I felt to get into my duties, the more confused I felt, and the more confused I felt, the worst I got. I remembered getting short with Nubi in the forest and felt a wave of guilt hit me. Nubi had forgiven me but that didn't mean that it was okay. Maybe it was time to resolve to be a bit better, less abrasive and more understanding.
Easier said than done. What if I pissed off the One Who Connects All and she sent Nubi because she didn't want anything to do with me?
I sighed heavily and Nubi giggled, patting my cheek sympathetically.
"The One Who Connects All isn't the type to hold a grudge, Air," Nubi said. "Maybe she's giving you space like Grandma Fu did."
I wondered for a second if they were telling me that to make me feel better but even if it was wishful thinking, I was happy enough to go along with it. The warmth of the boxed lunch stung my arm as it lingered there for a bit too long and I shifted it back to my hands, holding it at stomach-level as I walked.
Setting aside my inner turmoil, I couldn't help but notice that this world was beautiful. The forest was a sort of beauty in and of itself but Sinaba was a warm and almost cozy village. Houses with straw on their roofs, sliding wooden doors which opened every so often to allow the occupants to come and go. Shops with people sitting on the porches talking amongst themselves and exchanging pleasantries with those who came past, people milling about the streets, groups of children passing me by laughing and talking. Running circles around adults who were stopped in the streets talking before heading off, few of them stopped to spare me more than a fleeting glance and I liked it.
Hero or not, I blended in here and it was nice.
Until I realized that I had fairly little idea where I was headed to.
"Hey Nubi, do you remember where exactly Grandma Fu said to deliver this to?"
We wandered a ways away from Grandma Fu's place and she said the couple were a few doors down but there were so many homes and shops on this road, it was hard to figure which one. I felt a light tap to my shoulder and nearly jumped, glancing back to see a lady standing behind me. Her dark brown hair was curly and thick, falling along the slope of her shoulders and framing her face. Dark tawny skin discolored around rounded grey eyes, a broad nose and the lower part of her squared jaw, and her lips were curved upward into a smile.
She raised her hands and they were both empty though the left had a silver ring on her ring finger. I blinked at her and watched as she moved.
Raising one hand, she waved then curved her hands with her thumbs alongside one another, rolling them forward till her palms were up then pointed at me.
I wasn't sure what to say to that, opening my mouth then closing it, unsure of what words to put forth. Before I could ask what she meant, a voice called out from behind us.
"There you are!"
I looked over my shoulder as a woman about the height of Grandma Fu shouldered through the busy streets, excusing herself with a slight wave over the shoulder as she made her way towards us. A bandana tied around her forehead pushed back greying hair, her lips pressed together in a frown and hands curled into fists at her sides. Freckles speckled around her face from her forehead to her cheeks, across a broad upturned nose, and around upturned brown eyes. Her clothes were covered in soot and as she approached, the smell of ash and smoke clung to her like a second skin. Nubi tucked themselves into the back of my shirt as the woman approached and set her fists on her hips, giving me a side glance.
"I've been looking everywhere for you, Aramina."
The woman who'd been gesturing to me, Aramina, smiled faintly to her companion and made a few quick gestures that made absolutely no sense to me but the woman who'd approached us seem to understand. She sighed and shook her head, looking to me with a slight shrug.
"Sorry about that, you must be Granny Fu's errand kid," she said and smiled when I nodded. "Good to know, I'm Halide and this is Aramina."
I looked to Aramina and she gave me a curt bow, smiling warmly.
"You passed by our house and Aramina saw you, but you seemed lost in thought so you might not have noticed her trying to flag you down."
It took a moment for my brain to catch up with Halide's meaning but when her gaze flicked down to the lunches in my hand then my face, I gaped then smiled sheepishly. So much for my first job going well. Aramina moved her hands in various gestures as Halide and I looked at her, and Halide nodded.
"Are you new to Sinaba?" Halide said, glancing to Aramina as she continued to move her hands. "We're not here all the time, and usually Shali is the one who delivers our welcome home basket."
I nodded slowly and said, "I just arrived recently. I'm working for Grandma Fu or well, I guess you already know that."
They shared a glance that I couldn't quite understand but I felt the embarrassment creeping up my spine. Or maybe that was Nubi moving around in my shirt.
I scratched the back of my head and cleared my throat, looking down as I muttered quietly, "Uhm... I'm Air."
A hand appeared in my line of sight pointing upward and I slowly lifted my head to see Aramina smiling at me, gesturing from her eyes to my own.
"She needs to see your face to read your lips, talk slowly and evenly," Halide explained and Aramina nodded. "And don't worry, any friend of Granny Fu's is a friend of ours, especially one that brings food."
Aramina rolled her eyes and lightly slapped Halide's shoulder to which Halide chuckled warmly. Somehow, I felt a little better just watching them. Aramina stepped to my side and rested a hand on my shoulder, the other gesturing forward to a house a ways behind where I'd been wandering. Her smile was soft and reassuring, and I took the hint, following her as we walked back to their home with Halide falling into step beside us. Nubi rummaged around in my shirt and I tried not to wiggle too much but their wings were tickling my skin and it was a little hard to keep my laughter.
Halide leaned back slightly and squinted, and I held my breath. Grandma Fu was nice enough to be cordial to Nubi, heck she even had spirits in her own home, but this was a little dangerous.
"Got somethin' in your shirt, Air?" Halide asked and I knew it wasn't a good idea to lie. Despite being a bit shorter than me, I had the oddest feeling that if I moved the wrong way, she'd knock my block off post-haste. Nubi's shifting gravitated to the left and I wiggled, my elbow nudging Aramina who glanced at me and tilted her head questionably. I shrugged with a sheepish smile and tried to will Nubi to quit moving.
I could understand if they were apprehensive about meeting new people but I really didn't need the scrutiny from both Halide and Aramina. As we neared their home though, the wooden fence posts was where Halide stopped and turned to me with her arms folded across her chest.
"We don't usually have house guests since we're not here often," Halide began and stepped closer to me, and I felt the sweat beading on my forehead as she stared me down.
Why was it that every person I met here was so intimidating?!
I tried to formulate a response, anything that would get me out of this trouble but found that I had nothing. In fact, Nubi's squirming had stopped altogether. Halide's eyes dropped from mine to something lower and I tilted my head slightly to see Nubi peeking over my shoulder.
"But we can tolerate the occasional stowaway, as long as you're sharing your portion with them," Halide smiled and turned away, and I felt the tension immediately vanish from my shoulders as I nearly toppled over with relief. Aramina's hand touched my shoulder and she eased the lunches out of my hand before motioning with a slight tilt of her head, starting after Halide who seemed to be laughing herself into a fit from her joke.
"What made you hide from them for so long and only come out now?" I asked Nubi as they wiggled from my clothes and draped across my shoulder, their body cool against my skin.
"You're not the only one who can be shy, Air," Nubi huffed, folding their arms, their beady eyes narrowing at me.
"But you left me to talk to people I don't even know on my own!"
"Well, you'll just have to get used to it!"
We glared at each other and it was Halide clearing her throat and Aramina's polite smile that ceased our arguing.
"Your little friend's got a point, Air, and that might be why old Granny Fu sent you to us."
I tilted my head and Aramina opened the door, and my eyes widened. Inside their home was a trove of everything imaginable. From maps pinned to the walls with places outlined to books piled high against the walls, different tools from paper to pencils to swords and daggers were set on different surfaces. And it was messy but felt homely if not like a base rather than a place where someone actually lived.
"Mind the mess a little, haven't gotten around to cleaning up," Halide said as Aramina cleared off a table, her fingers deftly spinning one of the daggers before stabbing it into one of the maps. She seemed satisfied while I was both concerned and intrigued. "Don't mind her, she likes her collections and knives is one of them. Besides, we've been trying to plan where we're headed to next and I think she might have gotten it."
Aramina flashed a smile over her shoulder and Halide raised a hand, pointing to the lunches and then going to move one of the stacks of books from a chair off in the corner. I tried not to smile as Aramina pouted and started to untie the handkerchief.
"Close the door for us, will you, Air?"
I nodded and shut the door, Halide carrying over the chair and setting it by the table. Aramina taking the chair she'd been standing by and glancing back at the map pinned to the wall with a wistful sigh. Halide took another chair adjacent to hers and spared her a smile.
"After we eat, there's plenty to unpack here and we have enough time," she reassured, looking at me. "You have anywhere else that you have to be, Air?"
I thought about it and shrugged.
"I'm supposed to go by Uncel's later on today to pick up a weapon."
"A weapon, huh? Got any one that you're interested in?" Halide began to divvy out the boxes, Aramina accepting hers and I took mine with a slight smile, noting Nubi looking intently as I moved to uncover it.
I shot them a glare then shook my head. "No, not really. The only thing I've ever used was a tree branch."
Halide and Aramina shared a glance then looked at me curiously and I smiled sheepishly.
"Well, it all started when I fell from the sky..."
Y'know, for the first time, I actually felt excited to tell a story like this.
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