Chapter 8: The Feast
The situation had turned chaotic, I felt... overwhelmed. The women swarmed me, tears streaming down their faces. Their hands touched me, reaching out, while thanks and "Savior!" filled the air. They called me "What a handsome man!" I tried to smile modestly, though the truth was, I felt damn good.
A couple of old women, eyes red from crying so much, pinched my cheeks.
"Bless you, boy!" one said, while the other offered me a strange fruit. "You brought hope back to us!"
"A true hero," a young woman with green eyes commented. She was very thin and petite, but she had two massive assets that made me question the laws of gravity in this world. I bet the tits Lyra was supposed to have, she had them, hahaha, how amusing. It was hard to hold back my laughter thinking about that, while the girl kept looking me up and down. I winked at her, and she let out a giggle.
"See you later," I whispered to her, making her blush with embarrassment and run off.
Just then, Manaia approached. Her presence was strong, but now there was a certain warmth to her. She stood before the people and raised her voice.
"Listen!" Manaia said, and the noise quieted. "He is Jax. He arrived here by chance. While he is with us, you must treat him with respect. He is our guest, and we owe him more than we can ever repay. Let’s give him a strong round of applause to show our gratitude!"
The villagers nodded and began to applaud me. For a full minute, they didn’t stop; some had red, swollen hands from clapping so much. I really didn’t know where to look. I felt like a birthday boy being sung "Happy Birthday" to; you’re never prepared for something like that.
After they finished applauding, they set up a small table with what little they had left. Manaia gave me the best seat.
"Please, eat, Jax," Manaia told me, gesturing to the food. "It’s the least we can offer you."