Despite Tziporah appearing the same, she definitely changed. Beneath her blank gaze was a silent challenge to the world, as if she wanted to dominate it. Well, he would not judge her. After all, she wasn't the only one who changed.

Who changed more, however, he couldn't tell.

Nevertheless, she was always his family. He grinned brightly as he absorbed every word she spoke. Instead of trailing behind him, she firmly held his hand and pulled him through the bustling streets.

Tai almost forgot how attention-grabbing his hair was. Eyes trailed his every move, but he didn't care.

Eventually, they reached the city's edge. There, another city was visible, atop the elephant trailing behind.

"That city over there, is where all the other competitors are. Do you want to take a look?"

After a moment, Tai decided against it. "I'll pass"

"Yeah, you're right. Tomorrow we might have to kill some of them. No use acting friendly now."

Tai looked at her side-profile, a bit shook. "Kill? As in....kill other thumblings?"

...

Tziporah was confused. She met his wide, emerald eyes with a slight frown. Didn't the infamous chief Tenma teach him all this? Well, it didn't matter. She'll explain.

"Sure we all found shelter in the villages for the same reason, but in the end...there is only one Tom Thumb." After a slight pause, she continued, "sure I won't kill everyone, but if they stand in my way, I'll have no choice", she slightly chuckled.

Tai seemed..speechless? She had never seen that look on his face before.

Tai finally spoke, "We can compete without killing each other. This is a competition, not genocide."

She frowned, "Tai....this is not a fairytale, or some happy bedtime story." She looked at his innocent eyes, the same ones that comforted her over two months ago, at the kingdom. She admired those eyes so much back then. Nevertheless...times have changed, and obviously Tai had not changed along with it.

"Our lives are stories. That is who we are." Tziporah gave him an incredulous look. He fished around in a bag strapped to his waist, taking out a pocket book with the blurry title 'Folklore' written on it. "This book...it's very important. You should read it too."

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Tziporah frowned. She grabbed the book and skimmed through its contents. Her frown deepened. "You've been brainwashed."

Seeing his expression rapidly changing, she quickly said, "I haven't seen you for ages Tai. Let's change the subject," she pleaded. She didn't know how to feel about this, but she knew they were family. She would change his perspective eventually.

She quickly grabbed his hand, suppressing her feelings. She introduced everything there was to know in the mini-village, and how much better it is than the Thumbling kingdom. Tai was alot less talkative, not that he had been speaking much in the first place.

They both changed, but she changed for the better.

...

Tai waved goodbye to Tziporah who seemed more reserved after she made that remark. Though they took divergent paths while separated, he was happy to spend time with her again. It felt like a missing piece of his life was found again.

Instead of going to the inn Tenma claimed he was staying—he didn't believe him—he climbed a random building, laying on its flat-topped roof. He took in the passing scenery above, enjoying the gentle rocking of the elephant below.

The elephant's gentle rock brought an air of leisure, calming his heart. He opened the book Tenma gave him. He didn't know when, but it became a source of comfort for him.

...Tziporah didn't think the same.

Tenma hadn't mention anything about killing thumblings, only other animals. He will figure it out eventually.

"Woah! You must be sick in the head like me to be up here!" A mop of orange hair and crazy smile popped into his vision, completely unwelcomed. "Call me Troy. What to they call you greenie?"

Tai cringed at the nickname, "Tai, my name is Tai." He noted the blue parallel lines on his cheek. They were from the same village.

"I've been around all the villages—no other villager in training ever did that— and I've never seen you around. What hole have you been hiding in?"

"I've been with Tenma." Tai responded casually. He looked curiously at the eccentric Thumbling before him. Though ginger was a normal hair colour, his had a shocking flavour to it that mirrored his personality.

"Woah! Chief Tenma! What's he like? I heard that he lives with rats in a deep, dark cave, and he drinks the blood of any animal or Thumbling he defeats."

Tai exploded in laughter after picturing Tenma living with rats. "If that's true, then he eats other villagers?"

"No! The guards from the kingdom! Sometimes many of them come out here. No one tells me why they're out here, though."

Tai doubted if guards really came out here, especially since it's coming from the same guy who believed that Tenma lived with rats.

"I must look like I live with rats too."

"Uh...no."

Tai couldn't help but burst into laughter again. He'll stay with this guy for a while.

...

Tai returned to the rooftop after frolicking around with Troy.

The crescent moon didn't give much lighting, but the glow from the streets below reached the canopy of leaves above, giving the forest a warm hue.

"I know, it's beautiful," Tenma's voice sounded behind him. His steps were silent, as always. "Tomorrow, you will be competing against your fellow villagers. The top five will then compete against the other villages."

"I heard you live with rats," Tai looked at him with mirth in his eyes.

"I do," Tenma said, giving him a pointed look. Tai bursted into laughter.

"Anyways," Tenma continued, "Taylor, the chief of the sky village, gave me an earful because I 'brainwashed' you." Tai immediately remembered what Tziporah said to him. He remained silent. He didn't believe Tenma lied to him.

Tenma laid atop the roof beside him. They stayed there for the entire night.