"She is eating, right?" I asked worriedly as I knelt opposite Vadei's Mother. And, despite me just being around to talk with her, I couldn't help but glance towards Vadei's room. Since the funeral, she's been only in there and no one has been able to get her out.
Wastla sighs before answering, "Thankfully, yes, she's just..." she began to say before she frowned. Her gaze then took on a reluctant aspect which made me confused. Did she not trust me enough to open up about it...? I could not see why not, it was only a funeral, right?
"Is something wrong?" I asked her with uncertainty spreading across my face.
"No... I'm just worried you might call me crazy..." she sheepishly admits which makes my brow rise into an arch.
"I've seen a lot in my time from home, I doubt whatever it is will make me think you are deluded or something like that." I admit to her as I started to think of examples. I wasn't going to explain it, but, it was assuring to be reminded of such things. I had seen my homeland from an outside perspective, a hulking collection of metal islands held aloft by golden bolts. I stood in awe before the Thunder God's anvil on the way to Nin's home!
I've seen enough to know that what she had was not going to bother me, "The God of Death... Undwote... He, let us spend one final day with our recently lost family member... My husband, their father." she tells me as her eyes water while a smile grew on her face. She seemed to be happy that it happened, but, was still despairing over its end either way.
"Nin's done stuff with him too." I comment before taking a sip from my drink.
She then laughs very briefly, "I suppose that helps explain his unique circumstances."
"It is a reason, I believe, he was, after all, human once." I say before cautiously looking behind my back to make sure he hadn't heard that. I did not want him to get touchy over it.
"But, yes, Vadei is fine. She's just been inactive." Wastla says, bringing the discussion back to her daughter. I was fine with that, as maybe she just needed someone to talk to in order to reassure herself about them.
"I guess, so long as she is not acting like she was before, it should be fine..." I say with uncertainty as I was not really sure what to offer up. I've never felt what she has. I might, at some point, but, not now.
"If you want to try talking to her, go ahead. I've learned well that she might need consoling from one of you three." Wastla says as her head gestures towards Vadei's room.
And, happy about such words, I bowed slightly, "Thank you for your trust, Wastla." I try to say as humbly as possible while hiding my smile.
"Go on and get my daughter out of her room." she demands with a smile as she ushers me away from the table. And, when I got to her room, I knocked on the door.
"Come in." Vadei said in what seemed to be a fine tone. But, when you entered the room, it became a completely different story as she looked awful. Her hair was a mess and she was building up quite the stink. Not enough to encourage her sister to find another place to sleep, however.
"How are you feeling?" I asked first, and, with immediate hindsight... It was a stupid thing to ask.
"Awful." she laconically answered before she place a fancy letter by her pillow. But, something was off about that letter, as it was brimming with an impossible amount of magic. So much, in fact, I dropped it in shock after I picked it up to inspect it.
"W-Where did you get this!?" I asked her with wide eyes as I froze up by the fallen letter. I was not comfortable touching such a disproportionately powerful thing, yet, she was. And she quickly put it back on her bed before she looked at me with a blank stare.
"In exchange for Undwote letting me spend one final day with Dad... He wanted a favour from me." she rather easily admits compared to her mother when our discussion lead to it.
"I see..." I say with uncertainty before I sat down next to her. I was not sure if I could or was allowed to pass a comment on this. This was, after all, the action of a god. One of the most well-known ones, in fact. Would something bad happen to me if I said something unfavourable?
I mean, it might as unlikely as it sounded...
"I... I don't really know, Einervaene. I saw Dad again, but, it only made me want him back once again. And, I don't know if I can be angry at him. I was actually given a chance to see him again... The grumpy man who moved into a single room house... He lost his family to the osibindah and has been miserable ever since. He never got to see them again, as they once were... But, I did..." she lets out while staring at the letter.
"I think you should just feel about it however you want." I try to comfort her with before she shakes her head in frustration.
"No... I was given a special opportunity no one else here got. I saw Dad again... I saw him in a strange sense, alive! Yet, here I am, miserable and wasting away because I can't let go of the fact it was all because he wanted something from me..." she cried out with no tears, only anger.
"And what did he want from you, if you don't mind me asking?" leaning in closer just in case she wanted to whisper it as surely this was an important letter? It was from a god after all!
"Nin he said. Give it to him. I don't know what it says as it only opens for him." she says as she hands it over to me. Likely to see me fail in an effort to open it. But, I was going to believe her, that magic in such a simple thing was strong, absurdly strong. I don't think even a version of me at their strongest could even cut through it!
"Would you like me to get Nin, then?" I offered, just in case that might help. Maybe she just needed the offending item gone and she would slowly go back to normal? I really could not tell with circumstances like this.
"N-No... I'll give it to him... When I feel like I can. I just don't know if I can give Nin this letter." she admits with a sigh before she stands up and moves to the door.
"Would you like me to leave?" I presumptuously asked her. I had not really spoken to her enough to convince her to leave. So I could only guess she wanted to be on her own again.
"No, but you can wait. I'm going to go clean myself up and then we can go do something, I don't know." she explains to me which leaves me smiling as it meant I had, in fact, succeded! And, when I stepped out into the hallway, I smiled at Wastla whose ears had perked up.
"Thank you." she quietly says to me with a cupped mouth. I only smiled in response and moved outside so I could wait for her to be ready. Which, given her state and my knowledge of how careful we women are... Might be a while. So, knowing that, I went back inside to speak to Wastla some more.
.
.
.
"Alright, finish up what you are doing." I ordered with a put on tone. I was not feeling alright, but, I could at least try to put on the facade of it.
"Do you not want something to eat before you go?" Mom asked as she jumped to her feet and came over to me.
"I'll have a dumpling if there are any..." I mumbled after some short-lived thinking.
Mom then sighs, "I guess you can have my ones then as they're the only ones done." and after that, I left the house with a small tub of them. Each one being quickly devoured with vicious vigour as we walked out of the garden.
"Right... Which way was it...?" Einervaene let out in thought as she likely tried to remember where the others were. But, in an effort to cheer myself up, I just sniffed them out.
"That way." I tell her while patting her back on the walk away from her.
"Oh, thank you." she tells me once she has caught up.
"So what have you guys been doing as of late? I've heard quite a bit of noise these last few nights."
"Well, a certain someone has been trying to take your position as the captain of our airship. And, truth be told, I preferred the old one." Einervaene explains before she smiles at me with a slight smirk. And, it nearly brought a smile to my face hearing that. At least, until I remembered why such a situation was happening. I still did not get my regrets regarding this decision...
Maybe I could ask Nin about it, surely he felt the same way back at Tobaballe? No, in fact, I'm pretty sure he did as that was a reason for our abandonment of the other two! He wanted to dispose of the emotional luggage that came with it! So, yes, when I had an opportunity, maybe I will ask him about it.
"So do you have any idea about how long it will be until help from the city arrives?" I then asked my friend as I came to a stop. The moment the soldiers we would hopefully be getting arrived would mean they'd be gone. Maybe they'd be quick, or, maybe we'd throw a party... I did not know...
"Unfortunately, no, we were given an estimate, but no actual date."
"And where would the estimate put us...?" I asked with a distinct paranoia in my voice.
"Let me think..." Einervaene pondered out loud as her finger twirled one of her tails, "In two days from now?" she then answered with uncertainty. But, either way, it made me freeze up in anger. That was so close...
"Best not waste this time, then." I then say with my head held high before I took her hand. Dragging her along to the smell of Nin and or the others.
"I think I see him!" Einervaene cheers as she excitedly points at the distant shadow in the sky.
"He's in a hurry..." I say as I began to move back slightly before he crashed into the dirt by the road.
"Shit, shit, shit! They really did come with a bill!" Nin exclaims with mock fright and laughter before he turns and waves back to Einervaene. But, when I heard his last words, I found myself frozen again. What did he mean? Einervaene's estimate was...
"Vadei?" my soon to be gone friend asked after I dropped the nearly empty dumpling tub. And, for the first time since I cried myself to sleep after I heard Undwote's request. I screamed in anguish before sprinting on back home.
"V-Vadei!?" Mom let out in shock when she saw how quickly I had returned. And, she then stood behind the door as I screamed into the pillow before I broke down sobbing. I wasn't ready for this... Yet, once again...
The day had come so suddenly...
"I'm going to be alone again..." I whimpered out as my hand covered my agape mouth as my face went red.
"No, you're not, Vadei." Mom said to me loudly through the door.
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"THEY'RE HERE, MOM! THEY'RE GOING TO BE LEAVING NOW!" I screamed at her before nearly running at the door. Stopping just short of it, however, so I could slam my palms against it.
"The only ones who are here are your friends, now, come on. Get out of your room." Mom said before I aggressively forced the door open.
"DID YOU NOT HEAR A THING I..." I began to shout in her face before I saw my friends looking at me from the other end of the house. They were confused and concerned...
"Vadei, what's wrong?" Einervaene asked as she moved closer. Yet, before she could get too close, I shut the door again. And I moved to hide under my bedding, intent on waiting for them to leave for the final time.
"Vadei? Can you come here please?" they would repeatedly ask in one form or another. But, soon, it went quiet and I could smell the distance they soon put between us. And, when I felt like they had finally disappeared forever... I felt cold.
I was wrapped up in my bed in a room facing the village. I was fully dressed and yet, I felt as if I was suddenly frozen solid. Oddly enough, it was warm outside the blankets and quilts. So I moved towards it with a sniffle and shiver before I moved to my door.
My little sister, however, opened it, and she jumped back in mild fright before she noticed it was me. She said nothing, but she did make it clear she was not trying to offend. Not that I really cared either way, but I made sure she was aware of it before moving on by. I did not want to come back to a bedroom with her hiding in the corner...
"What's all this?" I found myself asking Mom before I looked outside towards the edge of the garden. I did not like what was there because I saw another oxfuine, dressed in armour and white cloth. It was a soldier from the city and if one was here, then there were likely many more.
"It's a collection of packed meals for you." Mom explained before she quickly assembled them into a package.
"Why do I need packed meals...?" I asked in confusion as my eyes blinked over and over.
"Because... My Little Va has places to be." Mom says to me before she pulls me into a tight hug.
"I'm staying here..." I tell her as my eyes began to water again.
She then sighs, "Well, at least spend a little more time outside, think it over. Okay?" she asks of me before she starts to nudge me out the door. Then, she closes it behind me, leaving me out in the Orbital-Halo's light with no one to talk to. So, with a scowl, I started to walk into the village. Confusing many of the soldiers who had come as I was making sure they saw my eyes as I passed on by.
Yet, I was surprised when I got to a more open part of the village. Because from there I could see that the airship was still here. Some soldiers had gathered around it, but Einervaene and Larishazza were speaking to them. And, going by Nin's words, he had likely hidden himself aboard it.
But, as they were still here, I moved towards the airship just so I could see my friends one final time. One of the soldiers, however, would stop me for some reason that made no sense. I did not, however, attempt to force my way past him as it was just not worth it at all. These soldiers were here to stay, for a while anyway...
Provoking them only caused my family issues...
"Vadei! Are you alright?" Larishazza asked after my appearance tore her away from the soldiers.
"You know her?" one asked before she got in the face of that soldier.
"Will you go away!?" she asked slowly and loudly before the soldier backed off uncomfortably.
"Make sure to tell us if you see the vandal about." another said before they headed back into the village. And, while my attention was following the soldiers, I noticed how everyone seemed calmer. I liked to see that.
"So, I guess this is it, then." I started off with once my gaze went back to my two friends.
"The it of what?" Larishazza asked as her head tilted to the side.
"You guys leaving..." I remind her as my ears fell down and my tail stopped. I couldn't even bear to maintain a gaze towards the pair. It felt off right now...
"Did we agree to leave now?" Larishazza asked, but, I wasn't sure if this was a joke or genuine confusion.
"It was discussed that about the time we'd get Vadei help in place of us that we would be going, yes." Einervaene reminded her which in turn made it clear to me. She had simply forgotten, just like I had hoped to do.
"Oh, okay. Want to come with?" the blue-haired idiot asked me with a smile as she began to tug me towards the airship. And, as much as I wish I could just run off with her... I couldn't. My family needed me, my home needed me...
"I..." I couldn't get out before I found myself stepping back towards the village with tears in my eyes.
"We'll come to visit!" Einervaene exclaimed in an effort to get a smile back on my face. But I just shook my head and carried on stumbling backwards.
"I'll miss you..." I told them before I sped off back home while trying to hide my tears. Yet, when I finally got there, I found a pile of my stuff by the door with said door being locked.
"G-Go away." Conquei nervously demanded as I stood before the door with a letter in hand. It was one Mom had hastily made and it was filled with her demands. She wanted me to leave... She wanted me to go elsewhere.
But, I had nowhere else to go...
"Mom!? MOM!?" I loudly said over and over as I began to slam a curled up fist on the door. But I heard nothing but muffled voices. Yet, I did not stay here to be angry, I just walked towards the stuff and put it on my back. I did not know what was going on so I decided it was easier to just go through with it...
But, when I got onto the main road, I saw the airship steadily rise before it headed off. And, with a sudden surge of panic in every crevice of my body, I chased after it. Letting my magic flow as much as possible as I desperately tried to catch up with the flying vehicle. Yet, I soon stumbled about and fell once I reached the top of the hill the road lead to.
"W-Wait..." I called out pitifully quiet as I held out my hand, hoping to grasp the increasingly distant airship. I tried to walk after it for at least a few more moments, but, I was forced to give up. And I fell to the ground crying as now I had nowhere to go. Mom did not want me around for some unknown reason...
After all I had done fo-
"SHIT! SHIT! HOW DID THEY NOT!?" Nin screamed ecstatically behind me before he turned to me.
"Wh-" I began to ask before he suddenly picked me up.
"Did you miss the airship too? Don't worry, I can get us on to it, no charge at all, stranger." he cackled out with a laugh before he charged us towards the increasingly closer airship. And soon, his laughter passed on to me and I hugged him excitedly as his steps began to boom like thunder. Each sudden jolt his explosive steps took shot the sadness right out of me.
Then, we flew high into the sky once he leapt off the mountain he had been bringing us up. And, as we flew through the air, the wind rustled through my flapping ears and closely-held tail. I felt happy. For what felt like the first time in a long time.
But, we soon began to fall back to the ground, yet, I had the full confidence that Nin could get us up there. It, however, turned out that he would not need to do any such thing. Because Larishazza was right on our tail and she was sending out magic to serve as steps for Nin. Her laughter soon joined ours as well.
"THIS IS FUN!" she screamed like a manic child as she began to hop and bounce between solidified water and stone.
"HOW FAST IS THIS STUPID THING!?" Nin screamed in response as the airship began to gain speed and move faster once again. And, unlike before, I did not dread it disappearing, yet, it still made me nervous. What if we did miss it!?
"GRAB ON!" Einervaene suddenly screamed once she suddenly materialised before us. And, before I even registered it properly, the other two grabbed onto the former lightning bolt.
"Nice to have you back." Nin then quietly said to me. His words, for some reason as well, managed to provoke my tears right back out.
"Y-Yeah..." I tell him before we found ourselves on the airship once again. Not standing triumphantly over the fact we made it. But, rather, we were sprawled all over the place. With nearly all of us clutching our guts in agony.
"STOP MAKING MY TUMMY DO THIS!" Larishazza demanded as I slowly got up before dropping my stuff. A wide smile on my face as my gaze locked itself on the increasingly small speck that was my home.
"Thank you, Mom..." I uttered quietly as I moved towards the railing. Now that I was here, I could understand properly what she and Conquei had done. I just wished they went about it better as even now, I was still on edge and shaking. But, that might as well just be my current excitement.
I could go on more adventures with my friends! I could go back to Suhurlodst and see Vapooliar and Dandel'lhia and her son again! I could become stronger and learn new ways to use my magic! Mom and Conquei would not see me again until I was the mightiest oxfuine witch to have ever existed!
"Wastla wanted me to give this to you by the way." Einervaene said to me as she handed me over a wrapped up package. All the while, the other two stayed on the ground clutching their guts and moaning.
"It's flimsy." I commented as I moved the present around so I could try and guess what it was.
"Well, open it!" my friend encouraged as her fingers gently grasped my hands as they held the pacakge.
"O-Okay..." I say with nervous excitement before I used one of my nails to carefully tear into the package. Then, I tore it open with reckless abandon while letting the wrapping paper blow off into the wind. And my mouth went agape when I saw it, I also started to blush slightly. I was very glad about not being near Mom right now.
"Now, I know you still have your old one, as I can see it right down there. But, Wastla wanted something that had her input." Einervaene explains with a small smile full of pride as I put on a leather flight jacket similar to my old one. Differences this time, was it had flower patterns on the inside, my name in my own language and a picture on the back. It was not entirely personalised to me and it made me happy and then sad...
"Maybe Mom should've seen me put it on..." I let out in regret before a smile started to come back.
"Don't worry, I have." Mom said with a bright smile, and, I was shocked to the point of breaking down.
"W-W-Why're you here!?" I demanded to know before I latched onto her in order to hug her.
"I'm making sure my precious Little Va is safe and sound." she explains to me and she hugged my shivering, crying form.
"Mom..." I let out with a desperate whine before she let go and moved away.
"Now, don't come back until you can keep us all safe, you hear?" she told me before Einervaene took her back home in a flash of lightning. And, for the next few moments, I counted until my friend came back.
"You heard her!" Einervaene says with a grin before we start to step over the other two. And, when they were behind us along with my home. I took a deep breath and prepared myself.
"GET OUT OF MY CHAIR!" I demanded confidently as I hopped out and shot my finger at the redskin. She did not, instead, she cocked her brow and looked at me with disgust.
"I'd like to see you try." she scoffs at me dismissively. And, with the challenge uttered, I marched up to her with a knowing smirk. She might have had her fancy magic necklace, but I had actual magic. So I just picked her up and roughly sat her down at my side before I took my rightful place.
"It feels good to be back in charge." I say with a grin as I childishly bounce and shake in my chair. My snuggly new flight jacket tightly zipped up against me with a clean tail at my side.
"HEY!" Liadanann shouts shortly after I made myself comfortable. But, despite how she flared her nostrils and inflated her size, I was not scared. I was not the weakest one here, she was. And, unlike Einervaene, crying to Nin would not work on me.
"Alright, knock it off you two." I quickly commented just after Nin stumbled into the pride-bruised creature.
"Where are we going!?" Larishazza asked no one in particular with her usual excitement. Even if her movements were tempered by her clutched stomach.
"Where else would we go?" I asked her with a specific before I started to giggle briefly.
"Somewhere where I can get a new stomach..." Nin moaned from atop Liadanann's chest. For a moment, as well, it was almost as if we had two redskins on the airship.
"I'm sorry! I didn't me-" Einervaene began to profuse before she was interrupted.
"Learn to not, then!" Liadanann snapped at her which in turn made the pair clash heads. Or, rather, gazes. But it was Nin who decided the victor, for his position kept taking Einervaene's gaze.
I then rolled my eyes before I began to go through everything. Yet, when their arguing began to encompass my immediate area, I was forced to shrink the data. Suddenly, I felt claustrophobic despite myself only being surrounded by arcane projections... Thankfully, however, there was enough to keep me engaged.
"Huh, that long, really?" I let out quietly once I read the flight data. According to the airship's in-built sensors and other machinery of relevance... We have been away from Suhurlodst for a few months. Granted, it all began to make sense when I looked into the stops we took.
There was, of course, our stops at the towns, my home and the various makeshift ones we did. Interestingly enough for me, most of our stops occurred before I got stabbed by the airship. Which made me happy. Mostly because it meant I was just that good!
"It's very boring sitting here with so few people aboard..." I then let out once I put the data away. Quite frankly, I was astonished by how I was able to sit on this chair after Dad died. I spent nearly my whole day here each time if I wasn't sharing his old bed. Then, with what must've been a learned reflex, I opened up a screen to show me the medical area.
And, I felt calmer seeing that no one was in there. Dad was gone, much to my anguish, but, I was glad he was not injured in that bed. I was glad about many things regarding the airship right now. It was so much quieter...
"WHY ARE WE SCREAMING AND YELLING!?" Larishazza let out in between the two conflicting women.
"Correction..." I sighed out before I smiled slightly. Then, I got up and left the bridge and just wandered about. While I did so, I played with any loose bits and I looked at the strange engravings Liadanann had made. And, when I found some of it, I ran a nail along the welding marks caused by our efforts to repair the airship.
It wasn't just us that had been through a lot, this had too. Yet, I had no name for the vehicle that took me and Nin home. I had no name for the machine that helped save my family and village. It was just an airship to me.
But, maybe that is all it needed to be. A reliable airship that could get what I needed to be done, done. It had done its job well. But, as it had helped me, I only wish I could thank it, as strange as that might be.
"Ah hah! Got it!" Nin exclaimed when his hand grasped the end of my tail as I moved outside to the open deck. To my surprise, however, my tail did not move until I registered the shock of his touch.
"Why do you have to..." I groan as I protectively clutch my tail for a brief moment. And, it soon found its way back into his hands. Only this time, he stroked it rather than grabbing it.
"I don't know." he shrugged out before he took the lead. He eventually brought us to the most damaged part of the airship. If he had a reason, I wasn't keen on hearing it right now. I just wanted to stare into the distant setting of the Orbital-Halo.
But, I would turn to look at him before I put a grin on my lips, "Any more outings planned?" I asked my friend as he clutched the edge of the airship.
"None that are planned, but, that's fine by me if I have you lot with me." he says after he takes his mask and hat off. A grin on his face with excited chitters leaving his mouth.
"I'd like that." I said with a smile and slight blush.