I stared out the back of the wagon, while my tears dried in the wind. Occasionally the wagon ran over a stray rock, while my head bobbed up and down. The driver did not say a word. Qawasumi and I remained with our heads low with the cargo as he sang a rural tune to the tap of the dragonborne’s hooves. I made myself into a ball.

The woman’s guards did not pursue us shortly after leaving Han’ei. Taqumi had held them back while we escaped through the crowd. Not before long Qawasumi had gotten a driver to take us to one of Waqwaq’s ports. As we continued to travel into the night, darkness already covered the caravan of carts hugging the mountain’s roads. Lights beamed forward by wagons using their skills to illuminate the path.

Qawasumi stood up to take a look outside, before setting back down. “We’ll be at Port Kohwan in a few hours.”

“...”

“Kawari?”

I stayed silent and nodded my head. At most, we had enough money to stay in Kohwan for a few weeks. I’d heard of the quiet coastal town a few months back, when I glimpsed at a world map on Sorah’s desk. Waqwaq was an insignificant island nation east of the main continent, where the next kingdom was an ocean away. Compared to my world… I couldn’t keep track of how many territories spilt onto that map. I only remembered Aquitaine to be the westermost, with Great Zhou being the closest country to Waqwaq.

“If I may ask, sir and ma’am,” The wagon driver interrupted my train of thought, “Why’d ya’ll decided to hop on?”

At first my mind went to taking precautions, not having any clue if he knew who we were. But I came to realize that those questions were used for him to entertain his passengers. It was just to break the silence. While I struggled to formulate an answer, Qawasumi kept her head high.

“We’re traveling to Kohwan port for the night. Can’t stay in Han’ei.”

“Oh, so you two want to be alone. Y’all runnin’ from ashinuke? Debt? Don’t worry I ain’t tellin’ nobody.” He looked back briefly and showed an earnest smile.

Qawasumi played with her fingers. “Well… Not ashinuke, but—”

“We’re just acquaintances,” I cut her off inaudibly. “No, maybe not even that.”

“Kawari…” She turned to me as her pupils went wide. Qawasumi rested her head back down. “We’ve known each other for a long time.”

“Ah, kids these days.” The wagon driver let out a sigh while keeping his eyes on the road. “I dunno what happened between you two, but y’all too young to be worried about quarrels. Sooner or later, whether you realize it or not, the world’s gonna gobble you up from down beneath. Not even the rooster can swim for a long time.”

“Is that so… Thank you sir.” Qawasumi nodded her head before stealing a glare at me. I faced my head away. I couldn’t help but feel guilt creep up my neck. I believed what I had said was true. Even though I spent half a year with Qawasumi and Sorah, I’d never gotten around to fully understanding them. I repeated that same conclusion, ever wondering when I could finally say I did. But my assumptions and ignorance led to situations like these.

Running away.

The resolve etched movement into my heart, yet I ran away. I couldn’t do what the voice told me to do. It claimed that I would only have one goal. It foresaw that I would be called the Devil of the Apocrypha. If we were going to be treated like this wherever we went, how could we attain our goal? We left behind the door back east. Taqumi had promised to guard it, but his innocence in our situation was compromised.

I clenched my chest without saying anything. I was putting my burden on others.

By the time the convoy of wagons reached Port Kohwan, no people stood in queue except for the night patrol eagerly waiting for us to complete our paper form to enter. They must’ve had family to come home to.

The lights of the port lit dimly in a quiet atmosphere. Only a few walked the streets, most likely people returning from some sort of work or frolicking in the midnight avenue. I sniffed the salty sea from afar. As the sea breeze whirred passed me I saw this world’s moon clearly for the first time. Void of clouds it stood illuminating from below, keeping the fraction of the sun’s radiance onto the solemn town. A couple of buildings kept their lanterns of light, some workers still visible sorting out documents and whatnot. I followed Qawasumi from behind while she turned her head to the still road.

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She suggested finding a nearby inn, so she did just that. After wandering around Qawasumi managed to find one still taking in late night travelers. The receptionist didn’t seem too happy, though. I didn’t help with anything.

The small lodging merely resembled something of a townhouse. Suites vertically stacked on top of one another, so a flight of stairs followed while the room key dangled in Qawasumi’s fingers. I lifted one foot after the other, wondering whether I made the next step.

In our room was a similar setup to the ryokan in Hakone. Low tables and chairs and barely any walking space. Apart from the bathroom, the main room functioned as a place for leisure and sleep with a small balcony overlooking the narrow street. Qawasumi lit the only candle as we dropped whatever was left of our belongings onto the floor. Luckily we had no home, so packing light was a given. Not much clothing nor any equipment for me. Qawasumi had her bow and quiver, along with a change of clothes. The money pouch from the tournament fell flat on the table with a jingle.

We never spoke for a while. After the encounter with her mother, I could do nothing but stay silent. I’d never seen someone speak of the obscene so lightly, nor met a person who’d lacked that much care for their child. I didn’t know how Qawasumi felt, what she thought at that moment and afterwards.I wanted to know, but I couldn't bring myself to say a word.

The night was getting darker, while a couple of stars lit up the window. We hobbled around the flickering candle flame, as I rubbed my hands together and blew into them with an exhalation. Qawasumi gazed into the fire.

"We should leave this place and continue traveling tomorrow," she said to me quietly, her voice drowned out by the constant creaking of wood.

"To where?..."

"You already know."

I knew yet I denied it. It was my fault that we ended up on the run. With the assumption that our name wouldn't spread if we lied low in the outer districts of Han'ei, we continued to live there while the Royal Marshal set a bounty on my head. Now that Qawasumi and Taqumi had been caught with me, they would be on the hit list by association. Why wasn't I prepared? Why wasn't I aware?

I shook my head and stared at the floor. "I'm sorry, Miss Qawasumi."

"Call me Ruri."

"Oh... People could recognize your last name." I scratched my head, perhaps messing up again. I'd forgotten that I couldn't use her family name in public or where it could be heard. "The walls must be thin—"

"I don't want you to call me Qawasumi anymore. Call me Ruri."

Was this a mistake? I reached out my hand. "Miss Qawasumi—"

"It's Ruri."

I shook my head again. "I can't call you that. Sorah, sure can. I don't think I've gotten that close to you—"

She put her hands on my shoulders and pinned me to the floor. The candle burnt out. I could feel her breath on my face. Her hair caressed my face as long locks brushed against my eyes. My body tensed up from the suddenness, and I wondered if I should just pretend to sleep. For a minute we stayed like this in the darkness, while her gaze poured some strange emotion into mine. My breathing slowed. She blinked a couple times.

"Am I that close to you now?"

"Well... Yeah."

"Then call me Ruri."

My words choked in my throat.

"Call me Ruri."

Her warm breath grazed my lips, so close to my face that I couldn't help but gulp. "Ruri."

She pulled back and returned to the table, relighting the candle. I could see her shoulders heave. After a few moments, she looked over her shoulder. "It's been half a year, Kawari. And it's not just me. Sorah's been calling you by your name too. Are we close?"

I sat up. "I wouldn't say close. Are we... even friends?"

"What are we to you?" My question was ignored by another one.

"I don't know," I said honestly and hung my head. "I'm sorry. For everything that’s happened. Everything was my fault."

"No one ever blamed you in the first place." She sighed, her back still turned. "We're all adults, Kawari. It's just you and me here. Even when it seems the world starts to hate us, I don't care what others think. I think I've learned quite a bit from you."

"Sooner or later, whether you realize it or not, the world’s gonna gobble you up from down beneath. Not even the rooster can swim for a long time.”

The wagon driver's words resonated within as I raised my head to her. "This world... Right. We have only one goal."

She finally turned around and moved right next to me. Placing her hands on mine, a weighted smile came across her face. "Exactly. Kawari, let's search for Sorah's family. It's my turn now after you shouldered the burden for us. We're not running anymore. We're going to find Lyo and the others."

The weight on my shoulders lightened as I looked into the spark of hope in Ruri's eyes. The candle wick continued to burn. For the first time she expressed her resolve to find Sorah’s family. Something we’d been working towards this entire time. Ever since our return.

“I look forward to continuing our friendship, Ruri.”

Her shoulders perked up. I couldn't read her face. She let go of my hands and grabbed one of the futon-like sleeping bags in the corner. "Right. Well, let's sleep."

"Wait."

"What?"

"Nothing. Good night."

Ruri settled in the corner, while the candle light flickered and died.