[Ties]Skirmish 3

Back when Malachi was a small child, he often woke up in the middle of the night. Due to being unaccustomed to his new life, having been reincarnated, he would sometimes idly stay awake or roam around the house in an attempt to fall tired and back to sleep.

For this night, he had awoken by the very same reasons.

"Darn it, " he cursed, "I'm still not used to this bed. Wish I could fix this, but I know nothing about making beds."

Malachi got off his bed and went towards the door. Opening it slightly, he took a peek at the dimly lit corridors illuminated by small pyrocite lamps. The pyrocite lamps, while not as bright as lamps using electrocite, had enough luminosity to light up a small area.

"As expected, " he muttered, "I always wake up when everyone's asleep."

Malachi left his room and went to the next one to his left. This was Arlianne's room. Malachi stood before the door, and thought for a bit.

'I wonder how Arlianne looks like when she sleeps?' he thought, 'I shouldn't enter without permission, but I really wanna see. To see or not to see?'

He reached for the doorknob, then lightly twisted it. Hearing a small click, he made a small gap through the doorway to peek inside. Arlianne's room was no different from Malachi's, not having too many belongings nor having too many furniture. It was simple, yet clean.

He scanned the room, looking for Arlianne's bed and her sleeping figure. Eventually, he found the bed, lightly illuminated by the moonlight through the window. Arlianne, despite living in a hot and dry climate, was bundled up in a blanket.

'Perlasian constitution is really strange, ' he thought, 'This climate is already enough for a heatstroke.'

He entered Arlianne's room and stood next to the sleeping girl. Malachi stared at Arlianne's visage and lifted a finger. Inching closer, his finger approached her cheek, but stopped when Arlianne stirred.

"No... Stop it..." said Arlianne in her sleep, "Young Masterrrrr... Stop poking meeeee..."

Malachi resisted the urge to laugh as his cheeks momentarily puffed.

'Dammit, now what?' he thought, 'Whatever... Poke.'

He poked her cheek, and Arlianne reflexively turned the other way.

'So cute.' he thought after, 'Sleep tight, Arlianne.'

Malachi quietly left Arlianne's room and went to the next bedroom. After Arlianne's room was another door. This door led into Ibrahim's room judging from the scent of medicines being brewed through the gaps.

'This smell, ' wondered Malachi, 'Ugh, an anesthetic? My head hurts. Doc must have gone out, then.'

Ibrahim, being a doctor on top of being an Eskur, had the capability to brew all sorts of medicine. Some of which were taught to Malachi as he grew up, aside from Malachi's tinkering with machineries. Malachi supported his already going dizzy self with the wall, and he struggled to go past Ibrahim's room.

'Ugh, gonna have to pass this night, ' he thought to himself, 'Let's have a look at door number four.'

If the first room was Malachi's, and the second and third were Arlianne's and Ibrahim's, respectively, the fourth would naturally belong to Bashia. Arriving at Bashia's door, Malachi stuck his ear onto the door, and he listened for any noise.

Silence.

Bashia's room was silent, prompting Malachi to reach for the doorknob. Twisting it slightly, the doorknob didn't turn, signifying that it was locked.

'Either Mama's asleep, 'or she's out and about... do I risk it?'

Malachi thought for a while, but eventually went towards the stairs. Leaving the second floor corridor, he went downstairs onto the hallway leading to the other rooms such as the living room, the dining room, the bath, and the door to the outside.

'Since my body is so small, everything around me is so big. It really is disconcerting once I've gotten used to being grown up back then.'

Malachi went from one room to another in the dimly lit darkness. As he passed by the pyrocite lamps that were reminiscent of incandescent light bulbs, he explored the quiet house not unlike a small child, though he is one at the moment.

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Gurgle.

Once he felt a gurgle in his stomach, he paused his "exploration," and went to the dining room and into the kitchen.

'Just right, hunger prevents me from sleeping and digestion takes a lot of energy. I should fall back to sleep easily after a light snack.'

Malachi opened each one of the cupboards he could reach with a chair, and sifted through the contents for a snack to eat. He went through nearly all of it, yet all he found were raw ingredients that would no doubt give him a bad night.

'Not even a single piece of bread. Huh? What was that?'

He suddenly felt a chill and snapped his gaze at the doorway leading to the dining room. Just slightly, he caught a glimpse of something white passing by.

"Ma... Mama?" he called out, "Are you there?"

No one answered.

Malachi stared at the doorway and waited for whatever it was to appear again. Nothing or no one appeared. Curious, he left the cupboards and went back to the dining room. Arriving just at the doorway, he grasped the frame and took a peek at the dimly lit room.

There was no one and nothing but the furniture.

'I can't be delirious due to the lack of sleep, right?'

Malachi turned back to the kitchen to resume sifting through it for food. However, once he turned his head, his face was met with another pale white visage staring directly at him. Rather than scream in surprise, he recoiled back and slammed his head onto the wooden door frame behind him.

With a loud bang, Malachi collapsed on the floor and the owner of the pale face before him stood up.

"Malachi, what are you doing up so late?" asked Bashia, "Are you hungry?"

"Ma... Mama? Ow..." uttered Malachi as he rubbed his head, "I... I, yeah, I got hungry."

Bashia lifted him up effortlessly and flipped him over to check his bump. Unnatural strength for someone with her build, not that well-toned and lacking muscles over her body. A mother's strength, perhaps. Feeling around his nape, Bashia inspected Malachi's injury.

"First, let's take care of this bump, " she said, "You didn't really have to slam your head so hard, right? Now then, sit down over there."

Bashia let Malachi down and went to a nearby closet. Opening it, she pulled out a few bottles and bandages, and brought them to where Malachi sat. Opening one bottle, the scent of antiseptics permeated the air.

"I doubt a bump would warrant cleaning, Mama, " commented Malachi, "I mean, there isn't an open wound."

"This is just to make sure, Mally, " she replied, "Now, let me see that bump."

Bashia applied the medicine on his bump, and Malachi drew in a sharp breath.

"See? There was an open wound, " said Bashia, "Now, hold still... There we go. Let's cover it up."

Bashia deftly applied the medicine and bandages on Malachi's injury. Malachi felt the back of his head, then faced Bashia with a gurgling stomach. Bashia made a soft smile, and patted Malachi's head.

"Just wait for the food, all right?" she said as she went towards the kitchen, "Since you will be going to sleep after this, I'll just make a little gruel."

Malachi obediently waited for Bashia, and only half an hour passed before she returned with a bowl of steaming hot gruel. Malachi received his bowl, and the two ate their light meal. Once they were finished, Bashia brought their utensils to be cleansed before she brought Malachi with her back upstairs.

In Malachi's bedroom, Bashia tucked him in and said good night with just a final message.

"Oh, and Mally, " she said, "Don't enter a girl's room without permission, okay? That's rude."

Malachi could only stare at her and lightly nod. Bashia nodded back and closed the door before returning to her room to sleep as well.

'When, where, and how?' asked Malachi, "Mama is scary..."