Winter’s chill burned off slowly as spring inched along the horizon. Just as the final packs of snow were melting into the river a new burst of energy seemed to ignite the calm that they’d familiarized themselves with in this new land. Burst of color filled the distant silvery forests as life restarted after its long hibernation. Birds unlike anything they’d seen before began roosting around the complex alighting the imaginations of all who saw.

A dull chiming sent a few fluttering away as the school day was marked as finished.

A low chattering filled the air as the former conference hall’s doors burst open. Now a month into the school semester the students had long grown comfortable with the new system and many had even formed new friend groups amongst their new peers.

“Kiya, you wanna go play WoW with us at Jim’s?” A student asks one of his exotic-looking classmates.

Seemingly restraining his answer the teen eventually releases a disappointed shake of his head. “Mom needs help getting the store ready.”

“Ahh,” The first boy says with a glance between two of the others in his group. “How long does that take? We really can’t get far without a tank.”

“It’s usually a few hours,” Kiya explains thinking of the previous year when he and his younger brother had done the tasks. “We have to unpack everything from last year and reshelve it. And then it's sorting and folding all the new stuff.”

“Could we help?” The party’s mage asks after calculating the amount of time they’d have to play in his head. “If we can get done in an hour, we could still do a few runs before dinner.”

“I’d have to ask mom, but I don’t see why not.”

“Eric, real quick question. Since when could you volunteer me for things?” The first boy asks throwing an accusatory glare behind him.

“Come on it’ll be fun.” Eric reiterates rolling his eyes at his friend's pettiness.

“Eh, what the hell. I’m in.” Jim says pulling a phone from his pocket and texting his mom their plan. “Tyler, make sure to tell your mom where we’re going. If she freaks out and sends out a search party your dad’s gonna be pissed.”

“Wh… F--Damnit.” Tyler eventually relents realizing his friends weren’t giving him the option. “If the leggings don’t drop tonight I’m burning this whole place down.”

Clear on the new plan, and with parents notified. The group headed towards the gates where the bus was waiting for the small group of village students.

“You boys headed out?” A security guard nearby the gates asks glancing down at a clipboard to check if he’d missed a notification.

“Yeah, we’re gonna go help with Kiya’s mom’s store,” Jim explains motioning to the pinkish-hued boy beside him. “We all notified our parents.”

Stepping forward and presenting a name badge to the guard, he swipes it across the backside of his phone and punches a few icons.

The rest of the boys, following suit, apart from Kiya, each present their card which the guard marks as ‘away’ along with recording the date, time, and bus number they were boarding.

“Ya’ll be safe.” The guard says after returning Tyler’s card and waving the kids off.

“We will,” Eric replies with a kind smile in return.

The rest of the group ignored the mention and headed towards the bus in hopes to get one of the few lucrative back seats.

A half dozen minutes later the bus collected the last of its passengers and began bouncing down the freshly cut road.

The road was first expanded a month prior with the need to bring the heavy drilling machinery between the village and the Arna and Reynolds Complex, but the improvements were expanded upon when an agreement was reached to accept a hundred students from the village to the new school.

A short ten-minute drive later the bus hissed to a stop and wrenched its double doors open unleashing the flood of kids and the half dozen adults who had joined out of initial curiosity.

Most crossed directly towards the main street while the few who lived out further ventured off towards the trails leading towards the outskirts of the village.

Kiya and his family lived in an apartment sitting atop the small clothing store his mother owned. It was a short walk from the bus stop to the alley entrance of his home. Brushing off their shoes as they crossed the threshold the group glanced around the shop with curiosity. They’d visited the village a few times before on field trips and even on their own before things got more strict. But they’d remained curious just like everyone else at the complex.

“Kiya, we're in the storeroom!” A voice shouts as the chime on the side door alerts the family of his return.

“Alright!” He shouts back before turning to meekly smile at his friends. “Come on, I’ll introduce you.”

Stepping off the landing and taking an immediate left, they follow the sound of movement down a dimly lit hallway towards a pair of doors. Choosing the right-hand side Kiya yanks up on a lever and pushes on the block-hinged door.

“We already sorted through the new…” His mother begins to fill in before turning to see the group standing behind her son. “Oh! You all must be…”

“Mom, This is Eric I was telling you about.” He explains motioning to the tan-skinned shorter boy beside him. Pointing to his left a moment later, “And this is Jim, he’s the one whose mom gave…”

“Ah! Those cookies! Right, I have to get the plate back to you for those.” Kiya’s mom explodes as she remembers the ornate plate of cookies Kiya had returned with a few days prior. “Let me go get it before I forget.”

“Ah, it’s fine.” Jim waves casually clearly thinking nothing of the dish. ”We’ve all got tons of those. We’re here to help. We’re hoping Kiya can come to hang out if we help you guys finish sooner.”

“Yeah!” Tyler reiterates excitedly hoping to waste little time so they can get back to playing the game. “Hey, wait!”

“Ah, yeah,” Kiya remembers pointing to the loudmouth beside him. “This is Tyler.”

“…That’s it?” Tyler initially complains, remembering the other two’s much fuller introduction. “Never mind, so can we help?”

“That’d be wonderful.” Kiya’s mother answers with a bright smile. “Thank you very much, boys. Kiya, how about you show them how to refold linens and where to hang up the different size sachis.”

“Yes, mom.” Kiya politely responds before leading his friends towards the totes of different dyed robes traditionally worn through spring and summer. Different from the thicker winter wraps, the outfits worn in warmer months were breathable and cut to a different shape than the winter variety.

“Is this my color?” Jim asks pulling a lavender sheet from a pile and holding it up to his face.

“No, I think this is better,” Tyler replies hastily yanking a pure white cloth from another pile. “Matches the paleness.”

“That’s a diaper.” Kiya chuckles throwing a glance at the pile Tyler had plucked it from.

“Ah!” Tyler yelps, dropping the corner he was holding as-if scaldingly hot.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

The rest of the group laugh as Kiya explains the obvious fact that it wasn’t a ‘used diaper’.

Although halfhearted, the task still sped up with the addition of the new workforce. Each of the boys finished their totes around a half-hour after they began and after carrying them to their respective shelves the store room was nearly emptied.

As Kiya explained the different sizes of Sachis and how to tell them from each other, his mother prepared glasses of water for the group as well as a simple plate of torn bread and salt.

Leaving the tray of refreshments on the reception counter with a joyful glance towards her laughing son she begins back towards the store room but the sound of a bell ringing stops her pace.

“Oh? New employees?” A voice asks from the front entrance of the store.

“Madame Matilda?” Kiya says in surprise. “What are you doing here? We still need a few more hours to set up.”

Chuckling the woman shakes her head, “I know, I’m not here to shop yet. I need to talk with Harrah about something.”

“Ah, Mom’s in the…” As he begins to point over to the stairway leading to the apartment above his mother’s voice cuts in.

“I’m here.” Harrah volunteers with a raised hand. “Come on in Matilda. I'll prepare some tea.”

Following the invitation, the mature beauty steps past Kiya and his friends and follows his mother up the stairs.

A moment of silence filled the air as all the boys glanced at each other to gauge their peers' impressions.

Kiya was the only one not entirely clear on the silent conversation being had but as the final step was crossed and footfalls began to drift above them. Tyler finally answered his confusion.

“She’s hot as hell!” He quietly shouts glancing at the stairs to make sure he wasn’t overheard.

“Okay, so I wasn’t the only one thinking it.” Eric sighs wiping some invisible sweat from his brow.

“You think?” Kiya asks glancing back towards the stairway as well as if trying to remember what the long-time family friend had looked like.

“Are you joking?” Tyler questions as if talking to a psychopath. “Dude, she’s like top 30 over 30.”

“I mean, you do have to consider what he’s being exposed to constantly. It’s no wonder his vision is a bit wonky.” Jim reasons as if offering an out to Kiya with a pat on the back.

“I’m confused.” Kiya eventually admits after enduring the looks of understanding nods from his friends.

“Your mom’s hot too dude,” Tyler answers nonchalantly as he notices the platter of bread Harrah had left and begins stuffing his face gratefully.

A pair of nods of affirmation met Kiya’s pleading glances. A part of him wanted to give up on the argument, but there was a much larger part that couldn’t ignore the assessment.

“Give him time,” Jim says to Tyler as he joins him around the platter. “He’ll come around.”

“Come around to what?!” Kiya cries out as he fails to distract himself by sorting the small Sachi’s from the mediums.

Another round of laughter fills the lower floor as the typically pink-skinned Kiya grows bright red with a mix of embarrassment and anger.

“Fine, I’m glad you convinced me to let him go,” Harrah admits after a bit of prodding by her friend. “You were right, he’s become completely different from before.”

“Truth doesn’t lie,” Matilda explains with an innocent shrug. “And really, I didn’t convince you, you know fairy blood doesn’t store well.”

The shade of pink shared between mother and son similarly reddened at the same rate when angered.

“I wasn’t as bad as him. Sure I got moody too but,”

“But,” Matillda fills in, remembering all the complaints she had listened to when they were teens. “You’re parents didn’t insist you stay home and take shifts at their Inn did they?”

“That and this are different. Yes they did give me more freedom in hindsight. And there are definitely things I could…” Cutting herself off as she realizes the pointlessness of it all she starts over. “All that aside. I am glad he is happier, even if that means more of the workload is…”

“That’s not his fault, it’s yours.” Matilda reminds her with a pat to the hand. “And besides, think about it this way. As soon as Kiya’s friends parents decide to sell those outfits they’re always wearing you’ll go out of business anyways. Especially the trousers.”

“Wh…” Matilda begins before considering for a second. Even Kiya was wearing a pair of jeans most days. Having washed them a few times she couldn’t deny the impression she’d gotten. If they really did put those on the market it would doom her in more than a few markets. Most importantly the salt and coal miners. For them, sturdieness is all that matters, and the only answer Harrah had for that was value in bulk.

A headache began forming in her head as she considered the possibility. Replicating them was an option, but the material wasn’t something she’d ever come across before from any merchant. And besides, even if she could envision the pattern in her head after seeing them a few times, there was the precision of the needlework. Harrah prided herself in her dexterity, but the stitching of the denim jeans were far beyond what human hands are capable of.

A thought formed as Harrah glanced down at the elaborate beaded Sachis both she and Matilda wore. They weren’t something she made herself, they weren’t even made in the village. They were the craftsmanship of a country neighboring them to the west. A trader that often came between the two countries had brokered the deal and considering the different economies of the two countries, Harrah was able to acquire them at a steep discount.

What made that work was a well-versed merchant. And when it came to the mysterious group of unknown origin who’d taken up residence. There was no such merchant. Hell, half the merchants around didn’t even realize a group lived there. Which only lead to further speculation about the group’s origins. But leaving that aside, Harrah knew that what she needed was someone well-versed with Arna and Reynolds.

“Mom, the Sachis are sorted do we need to lay out the new inventory?” Kiya asks rounding the top of the stairs with a quizzical expression.

“Ah,” Harrah muttered under her breath as she realized her opportunity as if finding it stumbling into her lap. “No. It’s okay. You can go play with your friend if you want.”

“Thanks, mom!” Kiya shouts loud enough to elicit a few cheers from below. “I’ll be back on the last bus, promise.”

“Alright,” Harrah smiles with a wave of her hand. “Have fun.”

Barely catching the wave, Kiya bounds down the stairs to rejoin his friends. Within the blink of an eye, the women heard the sound of the side door slamming shut and the voices of the kids grew distant as they joked about who would be what if they were the last to the bus stop.

“Think of something?” Matilda asks casually after noticing the loosening smirk on Harrah’s lips.

“Hmm?” Harrah asks, feigning ignorance as she waits out the timer in her head. Eventually finishing the cup of tea that sat in front of her, she gasps as if a thought had only just occurred to her. “I forgot to return that platter!”

“Platter?” Matilda patiently asks, understanding that she is supposed to follow the silly script her friend envisioned. Asking her to get to the point would just complicate things, dozens of years together had taught her at least that much.

“This.” Harrah exclaims, plucking a platter from the side table and doing her best to sell it. “One of the parents of Kiya’s friend gave us these delicious biscuits and I’d meant to give it to Kiya before he left. Oh, but im sure the bus has already left, darn it.”

“Darn indeed.” Matilda sighs, “Well, you have fun with that.”

Just as her friend rose to gather her belongings and depart, Harrah scrambled to block her path, clutching the platter with whitened knuckles. “No, you have to come with me.”

“Why?” Matilda asks with impatience dripping from her face.

“Urh…” Harrah stumbles, not planning this far into the conversation in her mind. Eventually turning her eyes back up the meet her friends she sheepishly chuckles, “Cause I’m scared.”

A thousand different responses and the one Matilda dreaded the most just had to arrive. It was hard for anyone to turn down the pleading eyes of a pitiful girl. Added to her lingering curiosity, Matilda knew she had no choice but to give in. “Fine, But let me at least stop at home first, I can’t go dressed like this.”

“Ah! Yeah,” Harrah mutters noticing her work clothes. “I’ll be at your door in twenty minutes.”

“Yeah, yeah” Matilda sighs gripping her handbag and separating from Harrah as the blushing woman rushes off to find her finer threaded clothing.

There was little that could stop her once she’d put her mind to something, and besides Matilda had been looking for an excuse to visit the mysterious complex so as usual things felt as if they had gone well for her.

Ever since she offered that innocent reading to the stranger who curiously entered her bar she felt drawn to the mysterious people. She’d watched cautiously at a distance at first, but as they proved her mind’s eye right again and again she could no longer stand idle.

Arriving back at the bar, and ignoring the strong smell of Catrank smoke, Matilda waves to the few regulars and sends a nod to the part-timer she’d been employing the past few years. After making sure things were going well, Matilda heads into the back room and retrieves a box from a shelf of medicinal supplies and oddly shaped carved bones.

Retrieving the topmost wood chip she once again gazes into the abstract splatter of blood. It had barely struck her when she first read it for the young man, if not for his aura she likely wouldn’t have thought anything of it after the man left. But after a second and third re-reading, she realized its complexity was simply beyond her skills. Her master perhaps would understand it but finding them, if they even still live, is next to impossible unless the stars align.

Giving up with an impatient huff, Matilda returns the drip to the box and sets it back into its place. Opening an attached door she enters her bedroom and begins unfurling her soft lavender outerwear. Once only sporting a thinly wrapped gauze band and the bundle of cloth pinned at either side of her waist she begins browsing through her finer outfits waiting for the one that would speak to her at that moment.

Twenty minutes became an hour for both women before they knew it. But fortunately, the bus ran every half-hour so even with the delay they arrived just as the bus was unloading.

The route wasn’t exactly drawing full bus stops, but the curious types were often getting on and off from both stops. This time, around a dozen passengers got off. A couple were students finishing extended study sessions, while the others were assorted tourists either looking forward to dinner in the village or happily returning from one of the guided tours of the complex.

After they unloaded, the five waiting passengers boarded and found their way to their seats. A handful of minutes later, the bus departed back down the road to repeat its route.