Let that yawn out

As soon as the cavern vanishes from sight, exhaustion crashes down on me. My body goes numb, slumping against the familiar. My eyes squeeze shut for a moment, just as the sun slips from the sky.

I feel myself floating in emptiness, weightless, the wind lashing against me—I’m falling! I snap my eyes open, roll onto my stomach, rooftops rushing closer and closer. «Laila!» The fall slows until I hover just centimeters above a roof. Then she lets the spell go, dropping me the rest of the way.

I sit up, dazed. Nadia is fast asleep. «Couldn’t you have landed us more comfortably?» I ask Laila as she sits down.

«Stop complaining. It’s a miracle you’re all in one piece!»

«What’s that supposed to mean? You were awake with Nadia, you could’ve done something.»

«Don’t say things you don’t know! I fell asleep not long after you did.»

«Why?!» I shout, scrambling to my feet and nearly slipping on a tile. «That wasn’t exactly the best time to laze around like you always do!»

She stands too. «Look, it’s your fault you drained yourself to the point I couldn’t stay awake!»

«My fault?!» I bark, stepping closer. «You’re the one who overdid it, trying to save all those people!»

«What are you whining about? You know full well you preferred it that way, after the mess that happened ‘because of us.’» “How does she know what I was thinking?” «Yeah, it was written all over your face—like a beaten dog.» She points at me.

«F-fine! But then why are you the one dozing off now, when I’ve passed out or gone to sleep so many times before?»

«Because fainting and sleeping aren’t the same as burning through every drop of energy, idiot.» She moves over to Nadia and scoops her up. «The amount of energy I use—and have outside of wishes—depends entirely on how much you’ve got.» Laila floats down from the roof.

«And where are you going now?»

«To find a place to sleep,» she replies, walking off down the street.

I glance around. It looks like a village similar to the first we saw—only this one’s inhabited. “The moon’s sinking… we must’ve traveled at least twelve hours.” I crawl toward the edge of the roof. “Damn it! How am I supposed to get down? Okay, it’s not that high, I can do this.” I turn, shimmy backward, and lower myself slowly. “This is a stupid idea! It’s too high.” Finally, I feel the ground beneath my feet. I let go and step back a few paces. “Hah, wasn’t that high after all…”

I catch up with them, keeping a few steps behind. We walk through the city for a while, until we reach a more urban area with houses like those in Bekov. At last, we spot a small inn. «You do the talking,» Laila urges.

«Mhm…» I nod faintly, stepping up to the innkeeper. «G-good evening.»

«Welcome to the city of Slapnik. How can I help you?»

«Could we stay for a day, in two separate rooms?»

«Of course. That’ll be two cori.»

“Cori… cori… The waitress at the tavern explained… which ones were they… Right! I only have copper coins. Cori were the silver ones! Even if I wanted to, I can’t pay.” I smile awkwardly. «S-sorry, I only have a fragment right now.»

The man sizes me up with a scowl. «We don’t do charity here. Go somewhere else.»

«R-right, sorry…» I return to Laila, head lowered. «We can’t afford it.»

She rolls her eyes. «How much is it?»

«Two silver coins.»

«Give me your hand.» I hold mine out. She places hers on top of it. «There. Now hurry up and pay.»

I rush back to the innkeeper, offering him the coins. «Here you go, my friend had some.»

Suspicious, he picks one up and examines it. «This coro is counterfeit.»

«What?»

«Trying to cheat me, are you?»

«N-no!»

«Then explain this.» He shows me Laila’s coin beside a real one. “Shit. The real coro has the queen’s profile. Laila has the king.”

«I’m going straight to the guards to report you for counterfeiting!»

«No! Wait—!»

«What’s all this racket?» asks an old woman, hobbling over on a cane.

«These three tried to scam us!» the innkeeper shouts. The old woman narrows one eye, scrutinizing us each in turn. Then she smacks the innkeeper on the head with her cane. «Argh! Why’d you do that, Mom?»

«Idiot! Can’t you see this family needs shelter?» her raspy voice snaps.

«But—»

«No ‘buts’! Dawn’s breaking—give them what they need!» She waves her cane around wildly.

«Fine, follow me,» the man grumbles, stomping up the stairs.

«Thank you,» I whisper to the old woman. She replies with a small gesture. “It’s good to know even in a kingdom like this, someone still has a kind heart.” The innkeeper pulls out a massive keyring, unlocking a room for Laila and Nadia first, then one for me.

I quickly unbuckle my belt, kick off my galoshes, and collapse onto the bed. “If I’m not mistaken, the innkeeper said this city is called Slapnik. Thankfully, Nadia went the right way—we must be kilometers northeast of Lake Slange by now.” A yawn escapes me, pulling me into sleep. “I wonder if Thyra and the others managed to make it out alive…”