A Touch Remembered

“We have long believed in the existence of gods and goddesses, and have erected shrines and celebrated sacred festivals in their honor… . Our home is built upon their grace, so we daren’t destroy the mortal connection they have to this realm. This includes their pets, if they have them at all. Even if those pets are… of a great size.”

—Robin Benz

Mirei’s excitement lasts about five minutes before it dwindles and fizzles out completely. The moon dips farther behind the trees, far from its highest point. Exhaustion drags me down to the point where I’m stumbling over fallen logs and hunching over like many of the meter-tall plants we’ve passed. When I peer at my little sister through the night, she yawns and whimpers.

“Bro, can you carry me? I’m so tired…”

Her words stretch into another yawn. Idly, I wonder if I can. We still haven’t eaten and at this point, any berry bush we hop over looks like a delicacy. Hunger makes my very bones shake. I don’t even push away the strands of hair that fall over my eyes anymore.

“I don’t think it’s possible for me, sis. Sorry.” I clutch my stomach between heavy breaths. Mirei sniffles and hangs her head. She looks minutely at Roo before turning her attention elsewhere. She doesn’t know him well enough to trust him to carry her. And so, we continue trudging onward like this for a long time. I can’t tell exactly how long it’s been, but I’m able to discern the progress we’ve made simply by looking around at the scenery by moonlight and the glow of little critters. They meander in the air and around bushes in clustered dots of yellow, blue, and violet. The terrain steadily melts into mostly green and brown. I can almost pretend we’re back in Sendai, surrounded by zelkova and elm trees nestled in the mountains. Memories from my earliest years bloom behind my eyes in a myriad of smiles, toys, and outside adventures…

“Wake up.”

My attention snaps forward. I see Roo stopped in front of me, frowning. “You stopped walking.”

I shake my head lightly before murmuring, “I think I drifted off for a second, there. Sorry.”

“We’ll be there soon, anyway. You both stay here for a few minutes and rest. I’ll go look for some food,” Roo declares, as concise and to-the-point as always.

Mirei instantly drops to the ground next to my sneakers, groaning. I relinquish the weight of my school bag and sink down, too. I’m so bone-tired that I don’t even lift a finger when one of those glow-bugs settles on my nose. Its soft and green glow reminds me of Roo’s hand on my chest. I remember the way the crown of his head was so near that my breath, mingling with a subtle floral scent, shifted a few silky flyaways. That moment was everything I didn’t expect— no pain, no malice, no nothing. Just caution and searching, focused attention in those slanted eyes of his.

Mindlessly, unhurriedly, my hand finds my heart and settles there.

* * *

Tap, tap.

My consciousness stirs to life when something cold bounces off my cheek. When I open my eyes, I see two pale blue fruits the size of my palm settled in front of my nose on the spongy ground.

“Here are two malcinas for you, foreigner.” Roo’s voice rumbles close above me. It seems he’s crouched beside my head, looking down. “Your sister has already eaten through four.”

“They’re so good! You were asleep for so long that I couldn’t resist eating one of yours,” She declares. The sound of her munching on them is loud enough to stir me awake fully. I thought Roo said we would rest for only a few minutes?

He must have let me sleep for a while, I think. How merciful… and confusing. This guy is crude one moment and then considerate then next. I groan, rub my eyes, and then sit up. Her happy noises make me chuckle. “I’m glad you’ve been revived, Mirei.”

“Eat.” Roo remains next to me, gaze unwavering. “I worked hard to get those.”

I smile at him and reach for the fruits. “Thank you, Roo.”

When he sees me take a bite, Roo exhales through his nose and then sits down in front of Mirei and I. He takes out his own three malcinas. We eat quietly, punctuated by the occasional “yum” from Mirei. Eventually, though, Roo breaks the silence.

“Stop putting malcina pits in your mouth, little girl.” Mirei purses her lips and spits them out. “So, what name do the two of you go by?”

“Mirei,” She responds quickly.

“Haruki,” I say.

Roo cocks his head to the side, fruit juice slipping from the corner of his mouth. “Have you no family title?”

My brow furrows. “‘Family title?’”

“Mine is Benz. Are you without parents?”

Mirei instantly makes a noise of recognition. “Oh, you mean last name! No, we have parents. Our last name is Takahashi.”

Roo gives a half-smile. “Alright. I shall call you the Takahashi siblings, then.”

Well, I have no thoughts on that. As we continue eating the malcinas, the knot of hunger unfurls and my mood improves by leaps and bounds. I’m surprised with the wonderful flavor these fruits have. Not only are they sweet and chewy, they also burst with hydrating juices. If I had to compare it to a fruit back home, I would say it reminds me of a grape.

Once everyone finishes, we begin our journey anew. The sky is tinted green—perhaps due to one of the suns—by the time the trees spread out. They quickly go from tall trees to the height of skyscrapers, boasting wide trunks and wrangled tree roots. I’m so amazed that I hardly hear it when Roo says, “We’re almost here, it’s right up there.”

I look upwards and instantaneously my jaw drops. The distant din of voices and music come from far above, where a web of tree branches form a canopy of foliage. They belong to four huge trees rooted at the edges of a lake. They are at least three times the size of the ones near us right now.

“Wow…” Mirei and I say breathily.

Roo gathers his hair over one shoulder as he tells us, “Don’t be too excited yet. Just wait ‘till we board the Vine of Vera and get up to the city.”

After saying this, he motions for us to follow. I do so in a daze—partly because I think I just saw a hint of elf ears beneath Roo’s hair—and Mirei follows close behind, pointing out this and that. Her black hair swishes every which way as she looks around.

“Look at those huge bubbles rising from the lake! They’re floating up high!”

I see them too, completely mesmerized by their iridescence.

“And over there, high in the branches! There’s ribbons and hanging lanterns!” Mirei skips over whatever she wants to say next when her eye catches something else. “Brother, Roo, look at the fishies! The fishies!”

She yanks my ear in the direction of the lake, pulling a shriek from my throat. Just as I am about to tell her off, two massive fish fly from the lake and soar through the air, popping car-sized bubbles in a splash of milky white and aqua.

Words fail me. They are several dozens of meters long, rivaling the size of whales. This world is…

“…Magnificent!”

Roo shimmies into our line of sight. “Would you like a better view?”

He smirks and, before either of us can respond, sage green light sparks at his fingertips and he raises his hand, back in its magical form, high. The grass beneath our feet rumbles and groans, setting creatures a flight in a flurry. Then, the chunk of land we stand on ascends quickly under the force of one pillar consisting of braided tree roots and vines. Mirei and I stumble and fall to our knees, scared to fall off at such a height. I chance a glimpse at the scenery below.

“H-How many fish are in there?!” I gasp, staring at the lake as it swirls with shadows of white fish tails. Mirei squeals in delight, pulling an amused grin from Roo. I rip my eyes from the sight toward him. I’m met with a hint of fangs and crescent eyes.

“About nine. It is mating season…”

Just what awaits us in a city born from trees?