Stream, Part I

Jesse

After a breakfast cooked by Chelo - one she actually let me pay for - we climb into Tyur’ma and rumble the short distance to the guild building. Once she’s parked, we head inside and approach the front desk.

The blonde receptionist brightens as soon as she sees us.
“Oh, hello again! What can I do for you today?”

I return her smile.
“Hello. I have a question about parties, Miss…?”

Her eyes go wide.
“Oh! Did I forget to tell you my name yesterday? I’m so sorry! I’m Zandra.”

She laughs a little, brushing off her mistake. “So, what do you want to know?”

I gesture to Evren - no, Cayti - beside me.
“I’d like to take quests with her, but she’s not an adventurer and doesn’t want to register. Is that alright?”

Zandra tilts her head thoughtfully.
“Sure, there’s nothing saying you can’t work together. You just won’t receive the split pay bonus on quests that allow it. Are you sure you don’t want to register?”

Cayti shakes her head, firm. Zandra shrugs.
“Suit yourself. So - are you looking to take on a quest today?”

I nod.
“Do you have any recommendations?”

She drums her fingers on the counter, considering.
“Well, you’re B-rank now, which means you’re eligible for escort quests. But since you’re a summoner, a dungeon quest might suit you better.”

I weigh the options. An escort means leaving the city but lets me use Tyur’ma. A dungeon keeps us close to home, but we’d be on foot. I glance at Cayti, who only shrugs.
“I don’t mind.”

That settles it. I turn back to Zandra.
“We’ll take an escort quest this time, but I’ll keep dungeon runs in mind for later.”

She nods, pleased.
“Alright! Let’s see… how far are you willing to travel?”

I shrug.
“Any distance is fine, but preferably within six days’ walking.”

Out of the corner of my eye, Cayti looks confused - until realisation dawns. She nods faintly. Right. I don’t want to be anywhere near Kaunis Village. Friendly or not, I’d rather not run into them again.

Zandra rifles through the stack of parchments.
“In that case, how about this one? It came in just this morning.”

She hands me a sheet of parchment. It’s an escort request from a merchant transporting a bag of wares to a town four days away. The reward isn’t bad either. I nod.
“This works. Can I accept it?”

“Of course! Lucky for you, the client’s still here.” She gestures toward a bald man seated alone near the door, a travel bag propped beside him. “Just hand him the parchment and you’re all set. Good luck!”

As Zandra moves on to help another adventuring party, Cayti and I cross the hall to the man. He notices us approaching, rises smoothly to his feet, and offers a professional smile.

“Hello. I’m Otto. Have you two accepted my request?”

I take his hand.
“That’s right. I’m Jesse, and this is Evren.”

He shakes Cayti’s hand as well, then hefts his bag.
“Well, it looks like you’ll need to pick up some travel gear. It’s a long road.”

I exchange a glance with Cayti, who shoots me a sidelong look that says, should we tell him? Otto looks uncertain at our silence.

I grin and shake my head.
“We don’t need any equipment. Here - let me show you why.”

As expected, Otto freezes when he sees Tyur’ma parked outside. I clap him on the shoulder while Cayti climbs onto the tank’s angled frontal plate.
“You’re going to have to get over it. This is how we’re travelling.”

He nods stiffly, still staring at the machine, and I walk a few steps ahead.
“Do you want your bag with you, or are you alright with it being stored somewhere else?”

He grips it tighter.
“I’ll hold onto it, thanks.”

“Fair enough.” I vault up onto the armor and beckon him forward as Cayti opens her hatch.
“Come on up.”

He hesitates, then shuffles toward me like a man walking to the gallows. I offer him a hand and haul him up. His legs wobble, but he manages to follow me up the sloped deck. I stop at the driver’s compartment, swing the hatch open, and Cayti drops into her seat. Otto’s eyes go wide when he realises what he’s being asked to do.

“Y-y-y-you want me t-t-to go in there?”

I nod, grinning.
“Yup. Don’t worry, she won’t eat you.”

He gulps loud enough for me to hear. I have to bite back a laugh. Carefully, he grips the hatch rim and lowers himself until his feet hit the seat. He looks at me, pleading for reassurance.
“You can sit down,” I tell him.

After a moment’s hesitation, he lowers himself properly into the seat. I ease his heavy bag down to him, which he immediately cradles like a shield. I poke my head in.
“Alright. One rule - don’t touch anything you don’t understand. If you want to raise or lower your seat, just push these buttons here.”

I point to the controls. He nods quickly, clutching the bag tighter.

“Good. We’ll depart immediately. If you need anything, shout really loud, because I won’t be able to hear you otherwise.”

His confused look follows me as I pull away and duck under the gun barrel. Seconds later I’m in my own seat, flicking the switches to bring Tyur’ma to life. I can picture Otto’s expression as the screens around him flicker awake - probably convinced the whole thing is possessed. Cayti giggles beside me, clearly imagining the same thing. I grin at her as I wrap my fingers around the key.

“Well, this is going to be exciting for him.”

She giggles again. I twist the key, and with a vibrating roar Tyur’ma comes alive. I raise my seat, Cayti mirroring me, and release the brakes. We roll forward, rumbling through the streets until the front gate looms ahead. A few minutes later we’re out on open fields, and I finally ease the throttle open. Dust billows in our wake as we lunge ahead.

Cayti leans closer, shouting over the roar.
“We’ll take a wide left turn, then follow the road. We should be there in around… three and a half hours?”

I nod. She’s almost exactly right. Statistically it’ll take a little longer, but for someone who only learned about engines a few days ago, her instincts are incredible. She really is a fast learner.

I settle in as the dust trail stretches behind us. If we do this right, we’ll be back by nightfall.

The clouds roll in as we travel. The sun vanishes behind a grey ceiling, the light flattening into dull overcast. At least there’s no rain. The land shifts beneath our treads - from flat plains to rolling hills, then into narrow valleys. We thunder along a hillside track, scattering road travelers and sending wild animals bolting into the brush. Forests blur by. Streams flash beneath us. We don’t stop, don’t slow, not for anything.

Otto stays buried in the driver’s compartment, no doubt stunned beyond words. Cayti stays quiet too, but that’s expected - trying to talk over Tyur’ma’s engine will shred your throat. She only talks to give directions.

Three hours and forty-nine minutes later, the town comes into view. Nestled in the hills, it looks small against the wide sky. I ease back on the throttle as we approach the gate. The guards look ready to block us, then think better of it and step aside. I wave, but they only stare. Same as the townsfolk we roll past - dozens of pairs of wide eyes following us.

The sun never does break through. I bring Tyur’ma to a halt and shut her down. Cayti climbs out and stretches with a satisfied sigh. I duck under the gun barrel, pop open the driver’s hatch, and find Otto peering up, his face utterly blank.

Cayti smirks down at him.
“Yup. You’ve fried his brain. Well done.”

Suddenly Otto jerks to life.
“Oh! Have we arrived?”

I blink, thrown off. Surely he saw the approach on the screens?
“Yeah, we’ve arrived. Come on up.”

He passes me his bag first, then squeezes himself out onto the roof. Hands on his hips, he scans the town.
“So we are. I thought I was dreaming.”

Then his face drains pale.
“What’s the time?”

I scratch my head.
“Midday, maybe?”

He mutters like a man doing impossible math.
“Midday… we left only four hours ago then…”

Of course - he’s trying to reconcile a four-day journey turned into four hours. I pat his shoulder.
“Well, that’s our job done. Can you sign the request?”

He comes back to himself and nods. Producing a pencil, he scribbles on the parchment I hand over. His smile is shaky as he hands it back.
“Th-th-thank you.”

“Anytime.”

He eases himself down from Tyur’ma, hobbling off still hugging his bag. Cayti clamps her hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter. I grin.
“Well, should we head back?”

She nods, and we climb back into the tank. The engine roars alive, and with a quick pivot we’re rolling out again.

This time, the clouds break. Sunlight spears down through the gaps, god rays spilling like stairways to heaven. The grey lifts, blue bleeding back into the sky. I soak in the warmth as we race along a stream that chatters beside a thin wood.

Then Cayti calls out, sudden and bright:
“Hey! Let’s stop by the stream!”

The request takes me a moment to process, but I throttle down and guide Tyur’ma between the trees. Once parked and braked, I climb out. She’s already on the ground, dashing toward the water. At the bank she twirls, grinning.
“I’m going for a swim. Don’t leave or anything.”

Before I can respond, she’s stripping down - thankfully, nothing too revealing. Just a simple white top with ruffled milkmaid's sleeves and matching bodyshorts. My face heats, and I turn away fast. She laughs at me, then - splash! - hits the water with a squeal.

When I glance back, she’s paddling happily in the clear stream, her smile radiant. The thought crosses my mind to join her, but I shut it down. We’re not even dating yet. Still, the idea won’t leave me. How does that even work here? Do I just ask her like back on Earth, or is there some custom? A gift? A ritual?

I pretend to fuss with Tyur’ma’s track until her voice calls out again.
“Where are you going? Come on in!”

The invitation freezes me. She’s grinning.
“The water’s nice!”

I take a deep breath.
“…Alright. If you say so.”

I walk down as she splashes around, still smiling.
“Don’t worry, I’ll turn around,” she says, and does.

I strip faster than I ever have in my life, down to my briefs, and dive in. The water is colder than I expected, but sharp and refreshing. I break the surface shaking my head like a dog.

“Told you it was nice,” she beams.

I nod, inhaling deep - and get a wall of water in the face. I choke, eyes squeezed shut, while she laughs.

Oh, so that’s how it is.

I sweep my arms wide, slapping them together. A spray erupts, hammering her back with a wave. She squeals and splutters while I grin. I wade deeper, dodging her return splash.

“What was that aimed at - the fish?” I taunt.

Her grin sharpens.
“Alright, that’s it. I’m gonna get you good.”

But then - wisps of white energy coil around her. My grin falters.
“…Uh. L-l-let’s talk about this.”

She smiles sweetly. Above me, water gathers into a massive sphere.

It drops. I gulp air just in time as it slams me under. I hit the rocky bottom and kick back up, gasping. She’s laughing.

“Hey! That’s not fair! I can’t do that!”

“Exactly! You can’t win!”

Another globe forms while I backpedal, sputtering.
“What even counts as winning?”

“Force the other person to surrender? I don’t know.”

Another deluge forces me under. I come up coughing, then change tactics. Instead of retreating, I lunge forward, swimming straight for her.

“Hey - hey! What are you doing?”

Another strike drags me under, but I keep going. She’s visibly rattled now.
“H-hey, let’s be reasonable…”

I push through another crash of water. She’s almost close enough to touch. Panic flits across her face.
“Okay! I surrender!”

I stop and grin. She exhales hard.
“Sheesh, that scared me! What were you going to do?”

I shrug, still grinning.
“Honestly? I hadn’t thought that far ahead.”

Her eyes widen.
“What? You charged with no plan?”

“Worked, didn’t it?”

She groans, shaking her head.
“Fine. But you won’t fool me twice!”

Her eyes glitter with fresh mischief. I raise both hands.
“Hey, I already won! Don’t start again!”

“Pfft. Why not?”

I look upwards. A new globe, comically massive, is swelling above me. She flashes that sweet smile again.

“Sorry. It’s far too late now.”

I give her my flattest deadpan stare as the ball slams down.

We lie stretched out on the riverbank, skin drying under the warmth of the sun. After the icy shock of the water, the heat feels blissful, like it’s soaking into my bones. The trees sway gently in the faint breeze, their leaves whispering above, while unseen birds sing lazily from their hidden perches. I’m conscious of my bare chest and legs, but Cayti is beside me, only half an arm’s length away, and I remind myself she must feel just as exposed.

She exhales softly.
“This is a nice place. I wish we could stay here.”

I murmur my agreement. It is nice - peaceful, untouched. For a moment, it feels like the world has forgotten us.
“Maybe one day we’ll be able to relax like this all the time.”

She shifts slightly, the grass rustling under her. I don’t need to look at her; I can feel the movement.
“So, what’s your plan now?”

She’s always looking ahead. It’s one of the things I like most about her.
“I’d like to get some decent funds together,” I say, “and then set out on a proper sightseeing adventure.”

Her lips quirk.
“Still want to see that dragon?”

I nod.
“Yeah.”

The thought sparks another question.
“By the way, what happened to your pursuers? Your bounty?”

“Oh, they’re still out there.” She rolls onto her back, looking up at the sky. “But my disguise seems to be holding up for now. It’s just a matter of time before someone recognizes me. Then we’ll have to run.”

I frown.
“Where do we run to?”

“I was thinking of leaving the country. Heading into beastman territory. We might be able to hide there for a while.”

“Beastmen?”

Now that she mentions it, I have seen the occasional figure with animal ears or tails. Rare, but present. She nods.
“Yeah. You don’t think it’s a good idea?”

I shrug.
“I don’t know. I’ve never been.”

“Neither have I.”

A silence falls. My heart thunders in my chest, too loud against the quiet trickle of the river. The urge comes suddenly, fierce and unshakable: I want to tell her everything. All the truths I’ve been hiding.

I take a deep breath.
“Cayti?”

“Mmm?”

“Um… how much do you trust me?”

She turns her head slightly, studying me.
“Why?”

I stare at the sky instead of her eyes.
“There’s… something I’ve been meaning to tell you. About myself.”

Her eyes widen. Her voice drops to a gentler note.
“I trust you. What is it?”

Another breath, this one heavier.
“I… I’m not from this world.”

The words hang between us, heavy and raw. Relief floods me the moment they’re out, but instead of shock, she only nods. I glance at her in surprise.
“You’re not weirded out?”

She shakes her head.
“No. I kind of guessed. You’re not the first, you know. It’s rare - insanely rare - but there are records of it happening. And you kept asking strange questions. It became obvious.”

I let out a long breath I hadn’t realised I was holding.
“You have no idea how good it feels to finally say that. Thank you.”

She smiles, but it quickly fades, sadness and guilt washing over her like the stream’s current. Her voice is quiet.
“Um… do you trust me?”

I nod without hesitation.
“Of course.”

Now it’s her turn to breathe deeply. Her hands twist in the grass beside her.
“The reason I can use creation magic… it’s because I’m not human.”

My heart stops.

Her eyes are full of shame as she continues.
“I’m… I’m an experiment. A test conducted by a group of mages. See, there are these beings called ‘Spirits’ in this world. They’re the only creatures who can wield creation magic. But spirits don’t get along with anyone outside their own kind. So the humans tried to make a hybrid. The result was me.”

She’s not human? But… she is. Or at least, half-human. She goes on, voice trembling.
“They… they raised me in the King’s palace. Until… until things went wrong. Then…”

Her words cut off. Tears well in her eyes, her throat refusing to carry the memory any further.

“Don’t tell me any more,” I whisper, softening my gaze. “I understand.”

She sniffles, rubbing her arm across her face to dry her tears. Her eyes search mine desperately, as if bracing for rejection.
“You’re not… you’re not going to hate me?”

What? Where did that come from?
“Huh? Why would I?”

“Because… because I lied to you so many times. Because I’m not even a real human.”

I tilt my head, baffled but sincere.
“How could I hate you for protecting yourself from a stranger - and for being different?”

Her eyes brighten with surprise. Then tears slip sideways across her cheeks, glinting in the sunlight. Her loose hair fans across the grass, ribbons fallen beside her clothes. She whispers, almost too softly to hear:
“Th… thank you.”

I smile, turning my face up to the treetops and the wide, unbroken blue above us. The sun spreads its warmth across my skin. Then - something warmer, softer still.

It takes me a moment to realise Cayti has slipped her hand onto mine. My heart lurches. Slowly, I twist my palm, letting her fingers slide between mine, our hands locking together in a quiet, perfect fit.

The thought bursts out of me before I can stop it.
“What’s the dating situation in this world? How do you ask someone out here?”

My heart slams against my ribs. Why did I say that?

She gasps, then giggles, hiding her face for a moment.
“You just ask. Nothing special.”

Alright. Here goes nothing. I turn my head toward her. She’s already watching me, eyes wide, softer and more vulnerable than I’ve ever seen them. She’s fighting to hold back a smile, lips trembling at the edges.

I smile first. My chest feels like it’s about to burst.
“Well, then. Cayti… will you go out with me?”

For a heartbeat, silence hangs between us. Then her lips curve into the brightest, most dazzling smile I’ve ever seen. It’s so radiant it hurts to look at.
“Yes!”

Warmth floods my chest, overflowing as our eyes lock together. The world narrows to just the two of us, lying hand-in-hand beneath a sky that feels like it was made only for this moment.

Things are going to be different from here on out.