3rd September 2149
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Having left Divian and his group behind, we decided to track on, as we traverse the district to reach the exit gate. Having visited some of the lower class districts in my travels to visit Izel, I’ve noticed our district is very luxurious in comparison. It makes sense, considering the fact that it is reserved for the higher-class members of the clan, like the families me and Zyana belong to. Lower class members and the honorary Salviga members, also known as the Apis, live in districts separate from ours, as they’re generally closer to the edges of the island, while our districts largely cover the centre of the remaining land. The infrastructure here is ridiculously extravagant with far lager buildings with much more elaborate designs. The residents belonging to the many nobles here are also extremely far apart from one another, their property being huge. Having lived in this district for the better part of my entire life, it never occurred to me how different the living conditions were for the citizens of their respective status. That is not to say that they suffer under bad living conditions. Far from it in fact. Every member of the Salviga clan is provided with more than adequate livelihoods, as it is considered a basic right. From what I’ve learned in books and from the institute members, the same does not apply to the people in different countries outside our island. Apparently, there are even people out there who don’t have a home to call their own nor are they properly provided with other necessities. From that I’ve heard this also occurs in the districts belonging to the normal commoners that live in the other islands, belonging to the Salviga.
As we travel across the stone-paved road that seems almost endless, with the buildings and the gates separating each property looking the exact same it is probably difficult to navigate for outsiders. Thankfully we traveled this path many times, so we're able to find the right way without issue.
We finally reach the gate to the outside and approach the stationed guards. They notice us and immediately put on friendly smiles.
“Good morning! Please, state your names and intentions.” One of them asks in an excessively polite tone, in fear of offending us in any way. That’s a typical reaction when dealing with any high-class members here.
“My name is Mael Qinz.” I state my name first.
“My name is Zyana Demir.” Zyana states next.
“Alright, children belonging to the respective Qinz and Demir families.” He says, proceeding to check the list to confirm our identities. “So, your reasons for leaving?” He continues.
I explain concisely. “We are on an errand on behalf of the Research institute, issued by the chief, Leith Demir.
“Alright, may I see your permission papers.” He goes on, as we take out our papers, signed by our respective families. He checks them for a moment until he stamps them and goes to the side granting us passage.
We say our thanks and leave the district for good. After we put some distance behind us Zyana decides to finally talk. I was honestly amazed that she managed to keep quiet for so long.
“Whew, thank God the guards don’t ask too many questions. Makes sense, considering they could potentially piss off the wrong nobles, if they prod too much."
“True. It helps that I don’t have to tell them our actual intentions, either.” I say.
“You have my father and Phidelle to thank for that. Without giving you an excuse like that, it would be difficult otherwise.” She states proudly.
“Yeah, I’ll have to thank them the next time I see them.” I smile to myself.
“In case you forgot, we’ll pass by the institute after we head back anyway, so you can do that then.” She states with raised eyebrows.
“Oh right, visiting them wasn’t just an excuse.” I say, apparently having forgotten that detail.
“You promised to help with the library, remember? I swear, they should be able to handle that themselves.” She sighs.
“Hey, I enjoy doing it. It’s exciting to see what new books and other types of media arrive next, while I sort through them.” I say assuredly.
“Yeah yeah, I get it you love your knowledge, blah blah blah…” She says mockingly. “I swear, you, my father and the others at that place all share the same braincell, when it comes to your weird obsession! That’s why Phidelle is so quick to take advantage of you all!”
“Hey, Phidelle shares the same passion, you know. It's not like we're her slaves.” I correct her.
“Yeah, I’m sure.” She says. “At this point, they should just hire you as an intern or something to actually work alongside them instead of making you handle these small errands. They shouldn’t waste your talents.” She goes on.
I get startled by these words, as I recall the conversation, I had with Phidelle. After she refused to take me in as a member, even though I never mentioned wanting to be included anyway, she didn’t mention it in any other interactions I had with her. Not even once. She just carried on as usual to being the nice, yet aloof leader of the institute. So, it should be understandable that I am deeply confused by her words and actions, as I still don’t understand what she wanted to convey to me that day.
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I get pulled back to reality, as I notice Zyana’s progressively more concerned expression at me.
“Hmmmm, I guess they want me to continue testing me with these tasks until I’m ready. Well, there’s no need to rush, right?” I say, trying to sound as convincing as I can be.
“Sure.” She says, obviously not believing me, but deciding to not press the issue any further.
We travel for some time, riding along the massive fields of grass that expand endlessly in the distance, the wildlife brimming with all kinds of animals out in the open. Horses gathered around on a hill up ahead and dogs not far from us, chasing each other around. The only sign of human presence being the stone paths laid across the open plain. We travel along that path until we enter a forest. The trees here have covered most of the sky with barely any light passing through and the wildlife being less colourful as a result. Throughout this gloom, the only other source of light are the Aery butterflies that surround us on our travel. These creatures flutter around in huge swarms and emit crimson lights that provide the scenery of this dark forest with beautiful flickers of lights.
“As always, we get greeted with this beautiful scenery. It’s a sight I can’t seem to get sick of.” Zyana sighs in awe.
“Yeah.” I agree. “Although it’s a shame that we need to avoid them as always, too.” I continue.
“Yep. Nature can be really stupid, sometimes.” She grumbles.
Although Aery butterflies are revered for their beauty, they are also known for being pests that stick to living beings like a parasite. Although the cause is still unknown, contact with these creatures tend to leave you feeling incredibly lethargic. Unlike many other creatures on this planet, they haven't been researched enough for us to properly understand their nature. They almost seem magical. Like they're not even supposed to exist. But they’re mostly harmless and serve to be nothing more than a mild inconvenience. Thankfully they are practically blind, so avoiding them is pretty easy.
After traveling for an hour or two, we decided to take a moment of rest, as we started looking for a decent spot. We soon find a pair of boulders that are thankfully not covered in moss, so we could sit down without having to worry about staining our clothes in the process. I take a deep breath and try to relax my feet for now.
“Alright, we crossed a bit of a distance. It won’t be so long now. Hey, would you mind passing me the water bottle? I forgot mine at home…” She says apologetically.
“Sure, no problem.” I say, tossing the bottle in her direction as she catches it perfectly.
“Thanks.” She takes a big gulp and tosses it back to me. Before I try to drink a bit too, I suddenly flinch and put the bottle back in my bag. She looks at me with a puzzled expression. “Aren’t you going to drink? We’re still some distance away.”
I look to side, trying to suppress the blush on my face. “I’m not thirsty right now.” I say as an excuse. Thankfully, she doesn’t press me any further.
“Suit yourself.” She utters a simple response. “Although don’t push yourself too much, okay?” She suddenly says in a gentler tone. “If you push yourself too much, just to keep up with me like last time, you’ll get a pinch by the cheek from me. Got it?" She adds a bit jokingly.
“You know, I could say the same about you.” I counter, imitating her tone. “We both know you can travel this entire distance nonstop without a sweat, so why should you try to match me?”
“That’s different, idiot.” She scoffs at me mockingly. “Your body can’t handle as much strain as the rest of ours can, so you shouldn’t needlessly hit a breaking point out of sheer stubbornness. Between resting a bit and pushing oneself too far this is much better.”
“This coming from the girl who ruthlessly has me train against my will.” Thinking to myself, I chuckle a bit, trying to keep this irony to myself.
Instead, I half-jokingly say. “You shouldn’t try to match me like this so stubbornly either. Nor should you constantly follow me on this errand. You have your training to think about, you know. You shouldn’t waste your time on whatever I’m doing. Unlike me you have a future you passionately pursue right now, so…” I go on until I feel a sharp pain, as she’s currently pinching my right cheek.”
Having successfully stopped me from talking any further, she lets go, as I rub my cheek in pain.
“You deserved that one.” She says amused but also a bit upset. “I do this alongside you because I want to. Whatever other goals I have don’t mean anything in that regard. If I want to tag along, that’s what I’m going to do. Not unless you explicitly refuse me. We’ve always done the important stuff together and I sure as hell don’t intend to stop anytime soon if I have any say in the matter. You’re stuck with me.” She says in the end with an encouraging smile on her face. “Any further stupid comment of that nature will be met with the same response.” She adds, her hand inching dangerously close to my cheek again.
“Understood. Message received. Sorry for saying something unnecessary. So would you please move your hand away from my face, please?” I say, continuously sounding more nervous.
“As long, as you’ve learned your lesson.” She smirks, pulling away.
“Anyway, I’m feeling refreshed, so how about we go on our way?” I say, as I’m standing up and dust off my pants.
She eyes me suspiciously, so I add nervously. “I’m well rested, so please, don’t look at me with such murderous eyes!”
“Alright, I’ll hold you to that.” She says jumping off the boulder towards me.
She pats me on the shoulder and reassuringly says. “Whether you like it or not I will always be behind you. I’m not letting you shoulder everything by yourself, and I will make sure to reprimand you for even trying. Not to mention I have fun tagging along! Haven’t we always done everything together?”
“Thanks.” I sigh in defeat, smiling without meaning to. “So, I trust you’ll read the next edition from “The Harellian mythology” series, so we can talk about it together, right? You did say you’ll tag along in anything.” I cheekily say, to poke fun at her.
She slightly flinches at my comment until she cockily smirks at me and responds. “Of course, I will! If you thought you could turn me into a hypocrite that fast, just because I hate reading, you’re dead wrong! That also means you’ll gladly join me in my next training regiment, right?” She asks with a smirk, as I’ve realized, that I just dug my own grave.
“Well played.” I say in defeat.