A Village Revealed

“Touch means everything to those who dwell in the Land of the Living.”

—Robin Benz

Roo seems to notice the violence pulsing behind my eyes, because he gathers his hair over one shoulder protectively. I raise my eyebrows at him in a challenge. He thinks I can’t grab at least one strand of waist-length hair? This isn’t the first time I’ve been underestimated.

Just as the tension between us is about to explode, Mirei tugs my uniform back by the railing. “Brother, you should get your bag before the fishies eat it.”

Sure enough, they’ve advanced from curious nibbling to full-on chomping. They looked like cute little goldfish, but they’re actually vampire-fanged! They gnaw viciously enough that I hesitate to even go near that area. Reluctantly, I look back at Roo.

“Hey, uh… can you get my bag?”

Roo sniffs once. He doesn’t move or deign a response.

I sigh. “Please?”

Roo nods. “Of course.”

He leaps right from his spot over my head in a whoosh of wind. He splashes inside, spraying me in the face. I try to block it with my forearm, but it's no use— locks of my hair droop sadly over my eyes, completely soaked.

“Got it,” Roo announces from down below. My gratitude is sparse.

After getting my (sopping and tattered) school bag back over my shoulder, we trod down the gravel path. We pass barns that look strikingly similar to those on Earth; the only difference is that they are painted either white or teal, never a familiar red.

“Are these farms?” Mirei questions, speaking my mind. Roo nods.

“Chekagi is home to many of this country’s producers. We export out raw goods while other countries send back manufactured goods. However, this doesn’t mean we don’t have manufacturers. That kind of working class is often found in Ydros Tree and some parts of Chekagi.”

“Ydros Tree?” I echo. Again, I wonder if the word Ydros has any meaning.

“Yes, that is the other large district to our right. Their colors are red and gold.”

I hum. The barns become more and more sparse until none can be found at all. Hilly tilled land and baby trees dot the landscape, but besides the usual canopy of massive leaves above us, I would’ve thought we entered a new terrain. That is, until I catch sight of a gleaming mountain of buildings in the distance.

“Is that a small city?” I ask.

Roo shakes his head. “No, that’s one of the rural villages. It looks like a city because there are not just homes there, but also academies, shops, and restaurants. They must gather all in one spot like that because the farmland squeezes them together.”

Until now, there has been a faint din of music swirling around us, but now, it has gotten slightly louder. It must be coming from that village contained by stone walls. It takes a good ten minutes, but once we get near the massive gates, they burst open. A group of children no older than thirteen fly out on the backs of an exotic avian species. They zoom so close above our heads that the green talons of those colorful birds nearly slice me a new part in my hair. They leave behind a whistle of wind and mischievous laughter, soaring far into the farmlands.

I blink several times, shaking my hair back into place. “Were those kids flying on birds?”

“They were huge!” Exclaims Mirei, bringing her hands up to her eyes in the shape of goggles. “They looked like green eagles but with the feathers of a parrot.”

Roo pats his hair down. “What are ‘eagles’ and ‘parrots?’”

“Birds back in our world,” I explain.

“No, no. Those are Xilios.”

We have all been looking at the soaring kids behind us, but now, we return our gaze forward. With the gates open, the full glory of this village shines before us. Mirei and I gawk at it all.

Seas upon seas of people drift around jolly food stalls and glittering water fountains. The scent of steaming vegetables and simmering meat wafts into my mouth, giving me a taste of paradise. Hunger rears its ugly head once more. Just as my eye catches on a shining purple fruit hanging from a food stall, a large bird like the ones from before waddles in front. It turns out that the main road houses streams of Xilios either walking around or flying above with humanoids sitting on top. Many of them resemble Roo, with their long hair and elvish ears. However, the colors and textures of their skin vary from scales to bark to human. Some have gems embedded in their skin from the knees down, others have flowers sprouting from mossy hair. Truly, if the forest were people, this is how it would present.

Many voices shout and sing amongst the pounding drums and tinkling of bells. One of them comes from just beyond the gate and beckons us inside.

“Welcome, son of Chief Pons! Come into Chonti Village!” A man with stones dotting his humanlike skin says, looking quite disheveled.

So he’s the son of the chief? I think. I assumed Roo was a prince and never found reason to doubt that. I wonder if his position is similar to the duties a prince has. But again, I refrain from asking.

The guard of the gate is dressed in chestnut robes with one sleeve. His left arm is bare, save for a thick ringlet around his bicep with a white circle symbol over a black shield shape. He bows down and presses four fingers to his forehead, pointer finger touching just between his eyebrows. Roo mirrors the greeting briefly before both he and the guard straighten back up. The guard’s elf ears twitch when his red eyes fall upon Mirei and I.

“Who might these two passersby be?”

“The Takahashi siblings. They are under my supervision.”

The guard jolts to attention and nods obediently. “Of course, anyone under your supervision is allowed access to wherever you deem appropriate. Please, enter.”

“Be sure to prevent children from busting the gates open like that in the future.”

The guard nods frantically before stepping aside in a flourish. Roo saunters ahead, leather sandals tapping the cobblestone road. We follow as always. As soon as we pass the gates, the flow of people sweeps us up. Dread crawls its way up my spine and into my fingertips with every brush of a shoulder against mine.

I must not let anyone touch my hands, not even a fingernail.