Gifts and Road

Chapter 14
Part 1 - Gifts

“Wow, it’s so light!” I tell Heins while holding my new blade.

“Right! That’s why I chose Merlor ore. It’s light but can be sharpened thin. I think it’s even better than my first one,” Heins says proudly.

It has the same curved shape but is sharper and sturdier; the outer skin of my thumb shaves off at the lightest touch. With red thread wrapped around the handle, it feels so natural in my hand, though wielding it now brings back unsettling memories.
Dima snaps me out of my thoughts, grabbing my shoulder as he says:
“Thank you, Heins, and I think Elda likes her new spear.”

She is looking so happy, admiring the fine wood shaft with the sharp Merlor tip. At the bottom Heins added a crystal; he told us it’s for balancing out the weight. He truly is talented. He managed to make such adjustments just from watching our clumsy moves on the way to the mine. 

“Of course, it’s the least I can do! But are you sure you didn’t want something Dima?” Heins asked, since Dima had declined his offer.

“Yeah, I prefer fighting with these,” Dima answers, flexing his arms and grinning.

We spent around a week in the village. The villagers still glare at us, but it’s less animosity than guilt. When we went to the mine, the guards had already begun moving out the bodies and cleaning the place up. They didn’t stop us, they barely dared to look at us. Our days have been peaceful and our bodies are fully recovered. Björn and Heins kept us entertained with their bickering, constantly fighting about how to run the shop and Björn denying Heins’ innovative ideas. 

Last night we told them our story: how I started developing new powers and how Dima and Elda eventually did too. We told them about our story, freeing the siblings, walking through the jungle, getting caught and saved by the Danar. I left out that I’m from another world; it would only make them more confused. But I did ask them about the name Ziak, and if they ever heard anything about it. They had no idea.

I’ve been having strange dreams again—of hunting the Baiin man, of my mother and Siri, and of the white-haired woman. But it’s always the same, and I can’t truly remember anything else. I always wake up in a sweat, with a stirring, sorrowful anger in my gut.

Last night we decided it was time to leave—that we needed to go help our own. Björn hesitated about leading us into more danger, but I can tell he believes in us now. He gave us a map of the Baiin territory, showed us the different paths we could take to Haoul. Apparently there is a road running alongside the mountain valleys, which is the fastest way. But many avoid it because many beasts lurk in the area. We decided on that route; it’s better than traveling where people lurk.

Heins seemed a bit down when we decided, sad that we are leaving. Björn looked at him worried.

Yesterday, after our discussion, I heard someone run off outside the shop. I think they were eavesdropping. I wonder who it was.

“Thank you, old man,” Elda tells Björn with a cheeky grin as we stand in the shop front.

“I guess I will finally be able to sleep without your snores,” he teases her back.

He looks at us with our robes and backpacks on, ready to leave.

“Hey, I want to… thank you,” he then says, with his usual bravado.

We smile back at him.

“Thank you, for taking us in,” I say.

Heins looks to the ground next to Björn, avoiding our eyes.

“What are you doing? Can’t you see that they are ready, you fool?” Björn yells at him.

“Wha… Of course I do, that’s wh…” Heins tries to bicker back, but Björn interrupts him.

“Go pack then!” Björn yells and then looks the other way.

“Don’t make them wait…” he continues quietly.

Heins' eyes tear up and his lips shiver. He looks at us.

“Are you…”

“Of course! Who else is going to make Iris a new blade when he breaks it again,” Dima interrupts him and grins. I laugh uncomfortably.

Tears fall from Heins' face as he looks back at Björn. He hugs Björn’s broad stomach, and Björn puts a trembling hand on his back.

While we wait for Heins, we step onto the porch, but Dima blocks the doorway.

“What are you doing, nerd? Move!” Elda snaps as she kicks him aside.

Outside, the guards and villagers have gathered again. Elda walks towards them angrily.

“Wait! It’s not like that!” one of the guards cowers, waving his hand.

“What do you want then?” I ask them, frowning.

Another guard steps forward and stands with a straight posture.

“We have heard that you are leaving! So… we wanted to… show our gratitude!” the guard explains.

My brows lift and my body relaxes. I see the boy, Vernim, stand and smile from the crowd. His smile fills me with joy, as I understand that it was him outside the shop yesterday.

“We will give you a gift! Please bring it forward,” a guard says.

Some villagers push a carriage through the crowd, dragged by a creature I’ve seen before: bulky-bodied, long horns, a yellow mane and black hide. Its big hooves drag the carriage forward towards us, its tail whipping around.

“It might not be much, but it’s yours to use as you wish — including this Vorix,” the guard says with a smile.

Heins comes running out with a ridiculously big bag over his shoulder. He looks confused as he sees the whole commotion in front of him.

“Do you know how to ride that thing?” Dima asks him.

Part 2 - Road

Björn, Vernim, the guards, and the villagers wave us off. Heins tries to hold back his tears as he grips the reins and looks forward. Seeing them get further away, I’m truly happy we fought for them.
The carriage is filled with stuff. Food, water, and medicine from the villagers, and of course all of Heins' ore and tools.
“How were you planning on bringing all of this stuff?” Dima asks Heins.

“Hehe, well I just got a bit excited. I’ve never been far from the village before,” he answers.

“So you’ve never been to Haoul?” I asked him, surprised.

“No, but I’ve heard many stories from traveling merchants. I think I can help you with finding the way,” Heins says and smiles proudly.
“You think?” I ask, knowing it’s probably not going to be an easy journey.

I see the mountain valleys in the distance. The plains turn greener and some skinny trees can be seen further ahead. I’m hopeful for what’s to come, but something has been bothering me. I’ve hesitated to ask, but now is the time.
Dima and Heins are talking about something. I interrupt them:
“Heins, can I ask you something?”

“Huh, yes of course,” He answers.

“It’s just… I didn’t see any slaves, you know, in your village,” I say, not really knowing how to put it.

Elda and Dima look a bit uncomfortable, I know it’s been on their minds too. Heins looks ahead as he answers:

“Well, there used to be… they mostly worked in the mine. All Avi…”

“I see. How do you think they will react to us, in Haoul?” I ask him.

“I’ve heard that it’s a melting pot of different races. Baiin, Mir, Unda, and even some Estar and Felis,” he tells me.

Unda? Estar? I had never heard about these people before. I look over to Dima but he shakes his head.

“Don’t look at me, I have never heard of them either,” Dima tells me.

“The thing is… I’ve never heard about Avi walking around, free that is. Haoul is a massive trading center. The Mir have free rein because of their economic influence, same with the Unda and the few Estar. As for you guys…” Heins explains.

“They will see us uncaged beasts,” Elda mutters from the side.

I look at them all, they look worried, so am I.

“We will figure something out. Sorry, Heins, I didn’t mean to put you on the spot like that,” I tell them, and smile to Heins.

“Actually, I have an idea,” Dima says.

“Let’s set up camp here!” I say to the others. We’d gone far, stopping beneath one of the mountains. The air is cooler, grass and trees are growing around us. Not much wind since the mountain shields us. The trees are long and skinny, with big long leaves on top. Bushes have a green-yellow tinge of colors, and the grass shares the same hues. As the sun goes down between the valleys, the sky burns with beautiful red. We make a fire and sit and enjoy the calm atmosphere. Everyone relaxes except Heins. He looks nervous, arms wrapped around his legs.

Elda looks at him and teases him with a smirk:
“You never slept outside before, village boy?”

“Village boy? Doesn’t that make you like a wild forest woman?” Heins says, eyebrows raised.

“Wha…” Elda chokes on her words, not able to snap back.

Dima and I laugh.
Dima looks at me and pushes my shoulder a bit.

“What?” I ask him.

“Don’t you think you should tell him?” Dima asks me back.

I pause for a second to think, then I realize what he meant. Heins is looking intrigued at me, I guess I have no choice.

As I would have imagined, Heins went ballistic when I told him about me coming from another world. He had so many questions… How do you get around? What do you eat? What kind of tools do you use? How do you fight? How do you sleep? And on, and on… At the end, he only looked disappointed when I told him I didn’t remember much. Just how my mother passed and that I’ve had some dreams of my past life. I told him why I asked about the white-haired woman, how I saw what I think is someone else's memories.

“That sounds like a Mir, no?” Heins says.

“A Mir?” I ask.

“Yes, green eyes and white hair. That sounds like a Mir to me, never heard of another race with those traits,” Heins explains to me.

A Mir. I think I already knew that’s what she was deep down, but I didn’t want to believe it. I felt a deep love for her, even without knowing who she was. When I saw other Mir and fought them, I felt such rage and hatred. I don’t understand, it doesn’t make sense. I look into the fire and sigh out my anxiety.

“Sorry! I didn’t mean to…” Heins tries to tell me in worry. He stops as Elda suddenly stands up, holding her spear and staring into the trees. Dima and I feel it too, standing up and getting ready.

“Wha, what is it?” Heins nervously asks.

“Shh,” I hush him.

A creature crawls from the bushes, a low growl humming from it. Its big head comes through, baring its saber teeth. Its small yellow eyes glare down at us, sniffing with its nose holes. A reptile-like hide covers its slender but powerful body. It hunches down, ready to attack.

“What the—?!” Heins screams in panic.

The beast takes off. So do I.

Grabbing my blade, I slide forward. It throws its claws above me and I swing my sword. Slicing its neck, it goes right through.
The head rolls towards Heins as its body drops.

With Heins looking at me in shock, I swing the blood off my blade.

I tell him:
“This thing is amazing, Heins.”

The next morning, the sun is more orange-red compared to last night. Maybe even more beautiful. I slept well, finally without obnoxious dreams. Perhaps I’ve gotten too used to sleeping outside… The siblings also seem like they slept well, considering their long yawns and stretches. On the other hand, the dark bags under Heins' eyes tell a different story. I think that beast stole any possible wink of sleep from him. We Avi took turns on watch throughout the night to make sure nothing and no one sneaked up on us.
After eating some of the beast’s smoked meat we’d prepared overnight, we were ready to move on.

“You good to go Heins?” I ask him.

He slowly crawls up the carriage with no answer.

Elda chuckles from the back. Dima looks at me and shrugs his shoulders.

Heins whips the reins and gets us moving up the mountain.

“Iris?” Heins suddenly says.

“Yeah?” I answer.

“You have a good swing,” he adds, eyes forward.