Spirited away to far off lands
“Oki, wake up.”
“Hmm, morning ane.”
“Good morning, come on, we need to go.”
“Already? Isn’t it still dark out?”
“Yeah, feel free to go back to sleep in the wagon but we need to go now.”
“Okay…Yawn”
Around four in the morning we get our things together and leave. Both Rayla and Sher Aka sit down at the coach seat while John and I quickly fall asleep again in the back of the wagon.
—-------------------------------------------------------
During the sunrise Sher Aka looks back at the inside of the wagon with a smile and whispers, “Look Rayla, they’re so cute when they’re sleeping.”
Rayla takes a look at Thoma Ahad and John who fell asleep sitting next to each other and chuckles, “They really are cute together, but John still can’t have him!”
“Pfft, I don’t think you have to worry about that. John likes him but not like a lover.”
—------------------------------------------------------------
When I wake up again it’s early noon. John has taken the reins while Sher Aka and Rayla are taking a break in the wagon.
Ane gives me a smile, “Good morning oki, have you slept well?”
“Yeah, I didn’t have nightmares!”
“That’s great.”
She gives me a big hug and we nuzzle our cheeks, “Haha, what was that for ane?”
“Do I need a reason to say I love you to my little brother?”
Getting serious, I answer, “Of course not!”
She chuckles, “Pfft, you don’t have to get so serious, I was just teasing you a little.”
Looking at Rayla up close, I suddenly feel a weird urge, “Hey ane, can I try something weird?”
“Something weird?”
“Yeah…You know how we always say ‘I love you’ in the Beastkin way? Can I try out another way?”
“Uuuh sure?”
I then start to lick her face, particularly focusing on the area of her mouth and nose.
“Pfft, Oki what are you doing!? Plah, no not the mouth, hahaha! Stop it oki, haha. Okay stop!” She pushes me away, “What are you doing? Have you turned into a puppy?”
“I…I’m not sure. It just felt…Right? Sorry, did you not like it?”
She looks away and awkwardly answers, “Well, it’s certainly something that I’d need to get used to…”
Now feeling weird and questioning my own actions, I answer, “I’m sorry, I…I’m not sure why I did that.”
“It’s okay at least you asked first, haha.”
Sher Aka speaks up, “Don’t worry about it Thoma Ahad. Some races have stronger instincts than others, maybe you just awoke something from your past. I hear that dog and wolf Beastmen do sometimes greet each other that way so it’s not too weird.”
Rayla's ears perk up and she laughs awkwardly, “Yeah, Sher Aka is right, I was just a bit caught by surprise so if you want to do that sometimes that's okay, just tell me first.”
“O-okay, thanks ane…Uhm, Rayla, Sher Aka…Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Of course.”
“Am I…Turning into a different person?”
They looks at each other with conflicted expression and Rayla answers in a calming yet somber tone, “Well…To be honest oki, you are changing a little but I don’t think you’re turning into a different person, you’re just having some different instincts.”
“I agree with Rayla, you are changing a little but it’s not something to be afraid of. You should embrace it. We all care about you and that won’t change just because you change a little.”
John, from the coach seat, yells back, “You can’t live a happy life by suppressing who or what you are!”
Sher Aka chuckles, “Did you even hear what we were talking about?”
“Only like half of it but that doesn’t change my opinion! Thoma Ahad, whatever happens, whoever stands in your way, always be true to yourself!”
“Thank you everyone…I’ll try.”
The next few days go by normally but it seems like Rayla is really hurrying, we only take short breaks, start early in the day and end late in the night.
When we make camp on the fifth day, Rayla sighs, “Alright, we should arrive in Murago by tomorrow. Thoma, it’s a full moon night today so make sure to charge your pendant. We’re going to need to buy a lot of meat tomorrow so I’ll say we use up to five silver. That way we still have about two weeks worth of money left. Depending on what happens on that mountain we’ll also have the one week of vacation money where we’ll decide on what to do next.”
I put my pendant out for the night and when I wake up, the moon inside it has gotten a bit more full once more. We then continue on our way and arrive at Murago shortly after the sun rises. As I look outside, it’s really weird because the architecture is completely different and there are many Elves walking the street. While the houses here are also made from wood they have slightly curved up tiled roofs and there are weird towers which I’m told are called Pagodas. People here seem to be wearing colorful tunics with beautiful images stitched into them and walk around in wooden sandals.
Sher Aka looks flabbergasted, “This is all architecture from my home. Rayla could you please pull over for a second?”
“Sure.”
—--------------------------------------------------------
Sher Aka jumps out of the wagon and asks a Highelf couple, “Excuse me, what is this place? Why does it look like home?”
The man chuckles, “First time, huh? Welcome to this little piece of home.”
“B-But how?”
The woman answers, “This town was built up by ex-slaves. When the western NU outlawed slavery two hundred years ago some of us went here and built this little piece of home, becoming quite wealthy in the process. We are both from the second generation so we haven’t seen our homeland but it looks like you have. Is it true that this place is like home?”
“Yes…I thought I was spirited away for a second when I looked out of the wagon…”
She smiles and gives her boyfriend a loving look, “How wonderful, perhaps we’ll visit it one day. Please enjoy yourself here, if you need work you’ll always find a place here.”
—-------------------------------------------
Rayla then shouts from the wagon, “Don’t forget to ask them about where the butcher is!”
The man chuckles and yells back, “Take the second street on the right and it will be there, if you reach the garden you’ve gone too far!”
“Sweet, thanks!”
Sher Aka seemingly says some more things and returns to the wagon.
She returns with her usual calm expression, “Apparently this town was built up by freed elven slaves which explains why this place looks like the flower kingdom.”
John looks around in awe, “So this is what your home is like. It’s beautiful and strange at the same time.”
Rayla interrupts, “Not to be a killjoy but we can marvel at all of this later. We have more important things to do,” and drives us straight to the butcher.
When we enter, a buff Half-Elf greets us loudly, “Welcome customers!”
Rayla walks up to the counter, “I’ll be straight, how much meat do you have for sale?”
“Excuse me?”
“I need half a wagon's worth of meat, we’re willing to spend up to five silver.”
“Uhm sure, what kind of meat do you want?”
“Doesn’t matter, I just need a large amount of meat of any kind.”
“Hmm, I can offer you eight whole pigs then for the prize of four silver.”
Rayla slaps down the silver, “We’ll take em.”
The butcher takes our money and as thanks for the big purchase even loads it all into our cart.
Once everything is loaded, Rayla asks, “If you had to say what is the mountain of Murago?”
He gives her a confused look and points to the left, “Uh it’s that mountain over there, why do you ask?”
“We need to get to the top.”
“To lover’s peak huh…I can’t say I recommend it. The path isn’t maintained during the winter.”
She seems both excited and stressed when she hurries us to go, “There’s a path? Perfect, better than I thought. Alright everyone let’s go!”
I cautiously put my hand on her shoulder, “Hey ane, are you okay? You’ve been really agitated lately. You can calm down again. We made it here with a week to spare.”
“Sorry about that oki…I just really want this to go well for you and I’m nervous about what we’ll find at the top and what will happen after.”
“Pfft, why are you nervous? Nothing will change between us, you will always be my big sister and I won’t leave you for someone else.”
Giving me a bit of a blank expression at first, she then starts laughing, “Hahaha, I guess you’re right. It’s dumb for me to be the nervous one. It’s your big day after all, not mine.”
“If it’s my big day then it’s your big day too, ane. Whatever happens with us we’ll do it together!”
“Kekeke, you’re right, as the big sister I’m of course included, haha.”