They were awakened by muffled voices just outside their tent. For a moment, Saia thought she was laying on the temple’s floor and those people were the assembly gathered around her. It took her a while to realize where she was. Aili was getting up in front of her, looking just as confused. Judging by the noise, there seemed to be more people outside than the six monks they'd met the previous night.

Daira’s voice called their names.

“We're here!” Aili answered, then looked at Saia and lowered her voice. “I’ll go greet them, you take the snakes.”

She nodded and slowly made her way out of the green blanket. The snakes were still hanging from the pole, peaceful to the point she forgot they were awake. When she touched the tail of the first one, it started swinging wildly to escape her hand.

"Yeah, we slept fine," she heard Aili say. “The animals left us alone.”

Saia only caught the words 'sentinel' and 'food' while she put the now asleep snakes in the bag. They were still bound with pieces of fabric, she didn't have time to unknot them.

She left the tent and almost bumped into Aili.

“Saia, good morning,” Daira greeted her. “Rough night?”

She shrugged, thinking about all the times she had slept on the cave’s floor.

“I’m used to it.”

She looked at the monks in grey tunics behind the prior: she only recognized Coram and Ebus among them. Haina, Cailes and Maris were probably busy with their jobs.

Daira looked back at the group. There were about thirty people in total, all adults of various ages.

“You five,” she said, pointing at the monks she was talking to. “Take down the tent and hide it in the forest, then follow us."

A smaller group detached from the rest. Saia and Aili stepped aside not to stand in their way. Daira turned toward them.

“We'll guide you until we reach the village, then you'll go forward alone. Tell the inhabitants that Koidan has requested our help and that they'll recognize us because we'll be wearing gray tunics. I suggest you take off yours, for now.”

They both obeyed. The air was colder than what Saia was used to, but she could endure the descent if it didn't take too much time.

“Let's go, then,” Daira said, with an ample gesture of the arm in the direction they had to take.

They followed the same path of black dots they had used to get to the tent. They moved together, without any visible hierarchy deciding who could walk on the front and who had to stay behind. Daira walked beside Aili and Saia, behind three monks who were talking to each other.

“If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them,” she said. “We have time.”

Saia thought about her decision in regards to the three groups of the monks.

“I have something to ask you.”

Daira nodded, inviting her to speak.

“Do you monks need a fisher?”

Daira looked at her with a hint of amusement in her eyes.

“You know, Maris had told me about your occupation as a snake fisher. You're the only one who specializes in that kind of prey.”

“Actually, it's not that weird,” Aili chimed in. “Lausune has a lot of dishes based on sea snake’s meat. We also have a family of sea snake people.”

“I know, but Saia is the only one who only catches sea snakes. Right?” she asked with a glance in Saia's direction.

She shrugged.

“As far as I know, it's true.”

“Well, to answer your question, we have a fisher, but she's an old woman who only manages to walk around with the force of her stubbornness.”

“She fishes at sea?”

“No. We don't leave the mountain unless it's strictly necessary. But there's a lake higher up, on Erimur’s side.”

Saia had the feeling that fishing on the mountain would be a completely different experience than fishing on the sea, with a boat and nets, or in the cave, in silence, with her hands. But it seemed one of the few ways to spend time outside. After all, if the monks' houses weren't visible from the villages, it meant that they lived somewhere inside the mountain.

“But you won't become a fisher right away,” Daira added. “There's a period of training where you'll be asked to help everywhere there's a need for it. I suspect you'll be spending a lot of time in the kitchens.”

“Is it the same for the scholars?” Aili asked. “Do we have to study something else before starting on the subject we're most interested in?”

“Yes. You'll need to know the general principles of pretty much all of them before you can choose on which one to specialize.”

Aili nodded.

They spent the rest of the trip mostly in silence. The other monks were talking to each other. Saia caught some pieces of conversation here and there, but every time she managed to understand some sentences, they were about someone she didn't know.

The line of white stones caught her by surprise. She stopped with the rest of the group, some steps before it. Straining her eyes to see beyond the moving vegetation, she caught a glimpse of the sea.

“We'll wait here until noon while you give the announcement. Come here if there are any issues, but otherwise pretend you have no idea of who we are and only know what Koidan has told you.”

Saia glanced at Coram, wondering how she could pretend to know nothing about people in grey tunics when everyone had seen her following one the day before.

“And after that, what's your plan?” she asked.

“We'll start by exploring your village to have a better idea of what needs to be done. But don't worry about us, we’ve had time to prepare.”

Saia knew that her words were hiding a search for Zeles’s sphere. She had to find a better place for him. If they found him in the cave, they'd have connected everything to her without hesitation.

She followed Aili out of the trees. They walked along the path that ran parallel to the beach, the same one where she'd crouched to spy on Coram.

“What are we going to say, exactly?” Aili asked. “We should choose the right words.”

“Why? The more prepared we seem, the less convincing we'll be.”

“I know, it's just... A lot of people are bitter that Koidan isn't dedicating his time to help them, when he used his powers to make the ship go away. I don't think they'll want to cooperate with the monks.”

“They were ready to do this even without us. They must have a way to make people listen.”

She glanced at Aili as she said that, and found that she was doing the same.

“Magic,” she murmured, and Saia nodded.

“That might be why…” Aili started, then paused and squinted as if she was trying to read something in the dust of the road. “That might be why we don't remember much about floods and other events, why they were passed on as stories and not anecdotes. Do you know of any tricks that could do that?”

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

Saia shook her head.

“Only the sleep one.”

People started to approach them as soon as they entered the village, talking over each other to voice their requests. The further they went, the crowded the streets became. The post office’s square was already occupied by a long line of people who’d been waiting in front of the doors since dawn. Walking past them seemed impossible, so they detoured toward the docks.

“Listen, please,” Aili said, standing on a stool that someone had passed her. “Koidan summoned us to reveal what will happen today.”

Saia sat on the border of a coil of rope, glad that she wasn’t the one handling the public speaking.

“He said he has heard your prayers, and that in light of recent events,” she seemed to look for someone in the crowd, “he decided to send someone to help us in his stead.”

“Another god?” someone yelled.

“No. Or at least, I don't think so. He only said that they will arrive at noon and that we'll recognize them by their gray tunics.”

“Who are they?”

“Again, I don't know. If you have any inquiries, please wait until after noon. We'll be at the post office to welcome them.”

There were more shouted questions, but Aili ignored them. She turned toward Saia.

“Let's go. We can wait inside, staying here is pointless.”

Saia stood, let her step first into the crowd, then stopped.

“I just remembered,” she said, doing her best to pretend she was actually remembering just at that moment. “I’ve left some of my equipment in the cave. Be right back!”

And she ran away, taking advantage of the fact that Aili was stuck between two walls of people. She only slowed down at the beach, walking as fast as she could, aware that both the monks on the mountain and the ones waiting in the forest could see her. She could find an excuse later, the only thing that mattered at that moment was to get Zeles away from there. And her snakes. She needed all the snakes she could get.

She only relaxed once inside the cave. She looked around first, half expecting a monk to be waiting for her inside, but it was calm and beautiful as usual.

She knelt next to the pool that Zeles had created for her. She caught the two snakes swimming in it and made them fall asleep, then lowered herself inside the pool to take out the bundle, straining her arms not to put her head under the water. She finally reached it and jumped out again. She put Zeles inside the bag, careful to only touch him with her gloves, then left the blanket under the sand. She walked out with a snake in each hand to make the monks think that she had entered the cave only to fish one last time before leaving the village.

She walked fast on the beach, straining to look at the clock tower to make sure there was still some time left before noon. The village seemed empty, probably everybody had gathered at the square. That meant she could go home undisturbed, but also that the sentinels' attention was all on her.

She entered her house, leaving the door half-open, then thought better of it and closed it. She put the two snakes inside the bag and fished the remaining ones. She had to rearrange the contents a couple of times to make sure she could carry them all, even if the tails were dangling from the borders and Zeles was on top of a pile of sea snakes, in easy reach.

She left the house and headed to the opposite side of the village. Dan and Morìc's house was just at the edge, like hers, even if completely inside the border and not on top of it. Saia approached it slowly, hoping to catch some movement inside. She knew Dan was probably at the city square; he was always asking around for extra jobs, so he was one of the first to know when something unusual happened. But she didn't know much about his brother’s habits.

She knocked. No sound came from the inside, so when the door opened she jumped a bit. Morìc looked out, messy hair and a hand in his pocket. He looked at her without saying anything, only a small nod as a way of greeting.

“Hi, Morìc. Is Dan inside?”

“No, he left a couple of hours ago.”

“And I guess you haven't heard?”

“Heard what?”

Saia sighed.

“Can I come in? I have to leave something here, but I'd prefer if nobody saw it.”

Morìc nodded and stepped back inside the house. Saia entered, closing the door behind her. The house was slightly bigger than hers, divided into three rooms. The central and biggest one was a mix between a sitting room and a fabrics shop. There were carpets and rugs of various sizes, colors, shapes and stages of completion laying on all kinds of surfaces, together with balls of yarn and books. They were little more than pages kept together by sturdy strings. Most of them were open, allowing her to see that the words weren't printed, but written by hand in a calligraphy often interrupted by spots of ink.

Saia approached the only area that was free enough of the woven madness: the loom on the left corner of the room. It was occupied by a green and white carpet, and judging by the thread slowly dangling from the shuttle, Morìc had been working on it until not so long ago. She also saw a sheet on a wooden bench covered by two big red pillows. It had to be the spot where Morìc slept, since Saia knew that he rarely spent the night in the room that he shared with Dan.

While she was observing the carpets, Morìc had disappeared in the room on the left, a kitchen, and by the sound of it he was trying to maneuver a chair across some obstacles.

“Don't worry,” Saia said, loud enough to be heard over the screeching. “I’ll be quick. There isn't much to say.”

She told him of the announcement. When she mentioned the people in gray tunics, Morìc reappeared on the kitchen's door, without chair, eyes wide.

“Has he told you where they come from?”

Saia was surprised by that unexpected burst of energy.

“Not exactly, but he hinted at the fact that they probably come from the villages.”

He nodded. Saia couldn't tell whether it was the answer he was looking for.

“You said you had to leave something here?”

“Yes, but it's for Dan. And I have to explain to him what to do with it.”

“I can tell him, if it's not too complicated.”

“It's about snake fishing. I prefer to be sure he knows everything, before he goes around being careless as usual.”

Morìc nodded.

“I’m a bit worried about that. He said he was bitten.”

“Yeah, but Koidan healed him almost immediately.”

“I hope he'll do that again in case it happens a second time, but I'd prefer if it didn't happen anymore.”

He looked at Saia, as if asking her for a promise. She was about to tell him she was leaving the village, when the door opened.

“We have to go,” Dan yelled. He started to cross the room before seeing Saia. “Hi. There's a huge super important meeting and we're going to miss it.”

He said the last words while glaring at his brother.

“I have to finish the carpet. You'll tell me the details when you come home, but I already got the main idea.”

He nodded in Saia's direction.

“Why are you here?” Dan asked her. “Aili seemed pretty done with everyone, she closed herself in the post office and said she will only come out once the monks show up. What is a monk?”

Saia felt a shiver and grabbed her bag. Dan's eyes followed the movement.

“Are those snake tails?”

“Yes, they are. Look, I need to give you a thing, and I'd very much like if you didn't show it to anyone.”

She glanced at Morìc. He shrugged.

“I was about to cook lunch anyway.”

And he returned inside the kitchen, leaving the door almost close. Saia sat on the edge of the bench, bag on her knees. She picked out her house keys and gave them to Dan.

“I’m leaving for a bit. I was wondering if you could make sure nothing happens to my house while I’m away.”

She also took out ten vissins, almost everything she had on her. She had a feeling she wouldn't have needed money, up on the mountain.

Dan held his breath when he saw the coins.

“Take them, keep them for yourself. Consider it a payment for staying out of the cave while I'm away.”

“It's a lot,” Dan said as he took them and slipped them inside his pocket. Then he took the key and held it with both hands for a moment. “Are you actually leaving?”

Saia wasn't prepared for the trembling in his voice. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to keep her family at bay, in the corner of her mind where she had tucked them.

“Yes,” was the only answer she could give.

“Will you be back? Sorry, I'm not crying, it's just... I don't like when people go away. Even if I know they'll be back, it always feels like it's forever.”

“And I don't like to leave. I don't know if I'll be back, but I really want to, and I'll try to.”

“Where are you going?”

Saia thought of a place, but she didn't want to lie to Dan, and saying 'at my village' would have made her cry too.

“On the mountain. These people in gray tunics live there. But I can't tell you anything else, and you have to keep this a secret.”

Dan quickly passed a sleeve on his face and nodded.

“One last thing.”

Saia took out the sphere from the bag, flinching at the sensation of cold glass on her skin. Zeles would have hated for her to hold him like that, after the way she shut him down.

The blue light reflected in Dan's brown irises.

“What is it?”

“I can't tell you, but it's extremely precious.”

“It’s a jewel?”

“No, not precious in that sense. It's important. And I can't take it with me where I'm going.”

“So I have to keep it for you?”

“Yes. You'd make me an enormous favor. Don't show it to anyone, not even your brother.”

“Not even to Koidan?”

Saia almost smiled.

“No.”

“And to the people with the gray tunics?”

“Not even to them," she answered, trying to convey how crucial that part was without being too forceful. “They'll probably want to examine all the houses for some reason they'll make up on the spot. So carry the sphere with you, or hide it in a place you're absolutely sure they won’t find. And if you bring it outside, keep it hidden.”

“Aili said that the people in gray tunics are here to help us.”

“They are. Mostly.”

“But you don't seem to trust them all that much.”

“No, I don't. Especially not when it comes to this.”

She held out the sphere. Dan took it carefully.

“If you’re on the mountain, I can come to visit you.”

Saia sighed. She was so bad at this.

“Don't go around looking for me. There are demon-sheeps in the forest and the monks don’t appreciate uninvited guests. You’d get both of us in trouble.”

He passed a finger repeatedly on a spot on the sphere's surface. Probably the scar left by the monks when they took the glass shard.

“Don't worry,” he said. “I won't. I don't have time.”

“But now you could rest a bit, right?” She said, pointing at the pocket where he had put the money.

“I can't risk losing clients. If people don’t find me when they need help, they'll call someone else.”

Saia wanted to insist, but his tired eyes made her give up.

“You know what to do.”

“Thank you.”

He headed to his room and returned with a bag. He filled it with pieces of cloth, put the sphere in the middle, and covered it with a pile of others.

“This is the best I can do, right now. I'll find a better place later.”

Saia nodded. Dan opened the kitchen's door.

“Are you coming?”

A deep sigh.

“Sure.”

They left together, Morìc closing the door behind them. Saia tried to slow down, enjoying the sight of her adoptive village for the last time. Then the clock tower began to toll and they broke into a run.