Blue Shadow

“I am not your wife!”

Following that oddly casual declaration Midori had leaped to her feet and strode as far away from him as she felt comfortable being. Her heart was still racing after the encounter with the boar—at least she figured that’s why it was racing—and so felt it would be safer for her if she stayed somewhat close by; plus she could now at least learn a bit more about where she was.

“According to the Fated Quartet you are, or y'know will be,” he spoke so candidly while observing the enormous beast that lay dead in the crater. “And historically they've never been wrong.”

“Okay, but like… I don’t even know you!” She shouted, like that were the only issue.

“What’s to know?” He asked, turning and beginning to walk toward her slowly. “My name is Rune, warrior of Yanara Village and future Khan of these lands. I protected you from the boar, as I will from all future strife. I will be your shield and, should you need it, your sword.”

He stared at her with less than a foot of distance between them, his wine coloured eyes staring at her with an intensity that strangely did not make her nervous.

Midori felt warmth flood her face at the earnest declaration. No one had ever spoken to her that way, promised anything so earnestly.

“That’s…that’s not…look I can’t just-”

“How do you think I feel finding out my wife is a northerner?” Rune hefted the enormous boar with impressive ease onto one of his muscular shoulders.

“Okay I am not a northerner! My name is Midori and if anything I’m an…easterner I guess.” 

Rune laughed loudly.

“Okay maybe you aren’t a northerner. They at least know there’s nothing living to the east of these lands.”

He walked a few feet away before glancing over his shoulder and cocking his head for her to follow. She did so, gesturing wildly.

“But see that’s what I’m saying. I’m not like even from here!” Midori walked behind him at a brisk pace taking care to step over twigs and other forest detritus, her feet now bare after taking the sandals off and placed them into her purse.

“Oh? Where you from then traveler?” Rune spoke the final word with such sarcasm she had to bite her tongue to not respond to it in kind.

“I’m from somewhere called Tokyo, which is in Japan... I don’t even know where this place is. And I think…” She paused before letting out a sardonic chuckle, “okay this is going to sound insane.”

“I think we’re a bit past that," he giggled.

With a manic laugh of agreement Midori sighed.

“I’m from… another world.”

There was a moment of silence after that, broken only by the sounds of the forest. Briefly Midori thought that this other person might believe her, that maybe he would have some kind of answer.

Instead Rune simply fell over laughing.

“I’m not joking!” She kicked at him. It was like kicking a slab of stone.

Wiping tears of laughter from his eyes Rune shook his head, “I just never expected an Endless to be so normal looking!”

“Endless?” She tilted her head quizzically, perhaps that was what people from other worlds were called.

“Yeah. World travelers. They travel between worlds with the ease of walking through a door.” Standing up Rune hefted the boar over his shoulder again and looked Midori up and down with a mocking smirk. “Far less threatening than the stories made out. Where’s your second set of arms?”

"I left it back on the ship," Midori said mockingly, still trying to make sense of everything.

"I didn't know you could detach them," Rune said with complete seriousness.

They walked through through the forest trading insults with one another in between bits of information. Through that Midori came to learn she had arrived in a land known as Moana Mau’u, Rune told her it meant ‘green ocean’ in his language and described to her a verdant and seemingly endless sea of grass that swayed with the wind; and that this sea was traversed by caravans draped in colourful cloth led by pairs of large antelope.

“What about things like that boar?” Midori asked curiously. She could not imagine a pair of antelope doing much against the tank-like creature covered in spikes.

“The coloured coverings help a bit with that, boars sometimes confuse them from afar with drakelings. But antelopes, especially a pair of them, can do a lot against a boar. Enough to make it think twice. Plus they're a lot faster.”

It didn’t take long for Rune to lead her to his village, she had apparently been heading in the right direction before the boar sent her off course.

The village was small, little more than a dozen or so domiciles bulging up from the ground like anthills, all built at the edge of a large lake and in the shadow of a small mountain range. As she approached Midori realized that there were likely more buildings than she had expected as they were built partially under the ground in the style of an earth-lodge or mud-home using the sod to cover most of the outside. It was a style of construction only in history books and she took great enjoyment in getting a chance to see it for real.

However there was an aspect that stuck out to her as strange. Log posts had been placed between the earthen mounds marking each home, with thick strips of fabric draped between connecting to another post further down, and so on. It was a strange and haphazard construction that stood out among everything else which seemed careful and deliberate.

“Come, you should see the Wise Mother. She’ll be able to make sense of your crazed story.”

She bit her tongue at the comment while the pair walked through the village. It was strange the way they looked at her, like an outsider yet not like she were some kind of exotic exhibit. Her cheeks flushed in angered embarrassment at the memories of sitting in class hearing the whispers being spoken about her.

"Do you think she's an army brat?"

"Do you think she even speaks our language?"

"I wonder if other parts are black too."

Brushing a strand of her mint coloured hair behind her ear she followed Rune paying the villagers, and her memories, little mind.

They walked toward one of the larger structures, a communal building at the village’s centre. Words had spread like wildfire and already some had gathered there, a young boy and girl who ran up to Rune with mischievous smiles.

“Nui kēlā puaʻa! ʻO wai ka ʻuhane?” The shorter, ruddy faced boy said with bright eyes.

“He lauoho nani kona” The girl said while looking at Midori with fascination.

Rune waved his arms as if dismissing a group of wild cats and the children scattering in similar fashion.

“Hele! Hele! Aia ʻo ia ma ʻaneʻi no ke kupuna wahine!” He turned to look at her before leading her inside.

He led her through the large open doorway and into the spacious open hall built within the earth itself. The air smelled of soil, the pleasant smell of smoke from a very lightly burning fire at the centre, along with a smell that was warm and faintly sweet. She realized it was coming from the multiple thick wooden logs and beams supporting the roof.

Seated by the fire was an old woman clad in the similar attire as other villagers—robes, tunics, shoes and other clothing made of various hide—yet the highly decorated headdress she wore signified her position of honour within the village. It was adorned with multiple feathers, beads, and at the top a crown of antlers.

“Grandmother, I’ve brought you something special.”

“Why do you speak this clunky language?” She took notice of Midori who stood utterly confused. “Ah, I see.”

The older woman gestured to one of the log benches that were situated around the fire, it felt like a space that emphasized the communal nature of the villages governance; each side sitting together as equals to find a solution.

Midori sit and gave her a small smile, trying her best to hide her discomfort at this entire situation; especially with the way the older woman stared at her with narrowed and intense eyes.

“Oho, I truly see now why you brought a northerner to our village.” She reached out wearing a warm and comforting smile before picking up Midori’s hand. The woman’s hand was rough and calloused from years of labour, yet her touch was gentle and kind.

“My name is Gilya, what about yourself dearest?”

“I’m…My name is Midori, and I am not a northerner! I’m not even from this world and I just need to find my friends so we can all get back home. I have like…a really important appointment this week that I need to keep.”

Her hands gripped at her pants nervously at the thought of the appointment.

“I see…” Gilya’s voice trailed off as several thoughts seemed to coalesce in her mind leading to several seconds of prolonged and heavy silence.

Midori took this moment to look around where she had found herself and the true complexity of the earth-home construction. Thick wooden logs and beams had been put in place to reinforce the dirt that had been packed so tightly it was tough like stone. The fire in the middle was large enough that it would cast large shadows on the walls, she wondered why the fire was not higher while noticing that her own shadow was a strange colour.

It was…a deep shade of blue?

“Hey Rune,” she said with a chuckle. “Look, my shadow is blue.”

What happened next was foggy, as Midori suddenly felt herself struggling to maintain consciousness. There was a strange scaly blue creature that leaped from the ground, from her shadow. She felt herself slump to the ground and then felt strong, calloused hands gripping her and she was looking in Rune’s stunning eyes the colour of wine.

But why did he look so scared?