Switching sleep schedules was always the worst part about being a huntress for Kaara. Just when she got used to being a night owl, the Siren Ceremony required that every child her age be awake during the day. How was it possible to sit in bed without falling asleep and then immediately want to go to sleep when she was supposed to be awake?
Either way, it meant that she could finally see Rorik and Arik again. She passed by the blacksmith’s tent, hearing the chorus of pings and twangs ringing out from within. She peeked inside, seeing Tulos who was busily manipulating numerous hammers and anvils with his magic. About ten hammers followed rhythm with his strikes, readjusting independently from each other. He was sweating.
Tulos had put on quite a bit of muscle in the past few months, but Kaara supposed he was just that age for a boy. That, or Xirxus were just naturally good at building muscle no matter what they did.
Kaara stepped in, yawning, “How’s the switch from night to day going for you?” chiming chorus stopped.
“Huh? Oh, it’s daytime?”
“...Did you not sleep?”
“Do I ever?”
It was true, ever since Tulos had gotten here, he would stay up for long periods of time forging away. Kaara estimated he only got about one sixth of a day worth of sleep on average, “What’re you workin’ on?” she said, leaning over.
Tulos resumed his synchronized forging, “Damascus blades. Easier to channel magic into than normal steel or stone. I’m in charge of the ceremony, so these will be the weapons we’ll all use.”
There was a stray hit on one of his strikes. He clicked his tongue.
Kaara could understand his nerves. Those blades would be the difference between life and death against the Malaki drawn to them this year. If he only knew how much worse this year would be.
“So it’s true right?” he asked.
“What is?”
“The Siren Ceremony. You offer your souls to bait out Malaki, and undergo a culling to determine who is worthy of a Tibur’s mark?”
Kaara felt a pit in her stomach, “It’s true.”
“I see. Well, I see why my father loves it so much… Do you think we’re ready for it?”
Kaara shook her head, “I’m not, but I guess that’s the point of it right? We’ve all been working tirelessly for this day whether we fully understand it or not.” She recalled previous years. It was just normal to her now. People would go into the forest, and not everyone would return. And no one would return the way they left.
It was the world they lived in. A world under constant threat of apocalypse thanks to the Malaki.
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Tulos took in a deep breath and smiled, fixing his mistake and continuing his work, “If that’s the case, then it puts me at ease knowing everyone’s going through it. If it was possible for previous generations, then it’s possible for us too right?”
The pit in Kaara’s stomach deepened. Would it be the same as before? Knowing her curse, she was the only one who knew there would likely be more Malaki this year. But has it been that way every year since she was born too? Or was it the case that, because she was offering her soul this year, that would only make it worse?
She wanted to tell Tulos, but would that only make him more nervous than he already was? Would it be the same way if he told Rorik and Arik?
“You know I’d never been hugged by my entire family at once until yesterday?” Tulos said in the long pause between them.
Kaara smiled, “Really?”
He nodded, “Yeah, they were worried about me I guess. Xirxus are pretty distant from one another, but out in these wilds… I dunno, it’s like they’re able to be themselves just a little bit more, y’know?”
Kaara giggled, “I know you opened up quite a bit after a few months out here.”
Tulos leaned back quenching his finished blades in oil all at once. “Oh come on now, I wasn’t that bad was I?”
“You were pretty bad after Arik rejected you.” she snickered.
Tulos huffed and crossed his arms, “Arik’s not my type anyways.”
“You ever have luck with Rorik?”
Tulos replied with a thumbs down, “His heart seems to belong to someone else. At least for now.”
“Really? Who?”
He shrugged with a smug grin on his face, “If you don’t know, then you don’t know. These lips are sealed.”
Kaara thought for a bit. She could see him getting closer to Arik, so maybe that’s what it was? Tulos had been the bridge of communication between Kaara and those two. His lack of a decent sleep schedule and his position as the blacksmith’s apprentice meant he met almost everyone in the camp these days.
“My brother, Amaro, has quite the love sickness too.”
“Does he need soup or something?”
“Perhaps from the one who’s afflicted him with the bug,” Tulos lamented dramatically, “Though that may only make it worse, who knows?”
“Yeah? Well I don’t like him all that much.”
“Oh, don’t blame him too much, Kaara. Call it a cultural difference. We Xirxus are born and bred to fight and rule, but when it comes to matters of the heart we’re complete novices. That’s something I learned shortly after coming here. I wonder if it’s something you Tibur are meant to teach us?”
“Yeah? Well I hope he learns quickly before I use my special kidney punch.”
Tulos laughed, “After what him and Deka did to you last week? I’m surprised you’ve held back as much as you have. You have my permission as his brother to punch his kidneys if he oversteps himself. You can even tell him it’s from me, I'm sure he’ll understand. He might even thank you for it!”
Kaara gave him a playful punch on the arm, “Well, make sure you get some good sleep before the ritual starts alright? I know you’re working hard for us, but I want you to survive, okay?”
Tulos wiped his hands clean and rubbed his eyes, “Will do ‘mother’. I plan on sleeping all of tonight, so I’m just going to push through today.”
“Do you need a kidney punch to stay awake?”
“Oh, I might.” He laughed, “Thanks for visiting.”
Kaara waved, “I’ll bring you some food later, you better not be sleeping!”
“Got it!”
Kaara took a deep breath, looking at the training grounds. She had put it off long enough. It was time to meet Rorik and Arik again.