Combing Vim’s hair, I felt ridiculously happy as he carried me through the salt flats.

I was sitting on his shoulders. Being carried as if I was but a child. Beneath my butt were our bags on his back. We now had three. We’d been forced to add to our luggage, thanks to the insistence of Landi. She had gifts for those we’d meet along our journey back north.

And I had a gift of my own.

The comb was about the length of my hand, but not as wide. It was very light, and although it had many little teeth and looked frail… it was actually rather resilient and sturdy. The ends had soft leather strips somehow sewn into the wood, making it easy to grip, and the rounded curve of the top of the comb had lots of little designs. There were several small scenes of small animals on each side of the comb.

It told a story. From one side, to the other. Of my journey. It started with a goat, crane, and turtle… then ended a small badger and cat.

The thing made my heart fill full of warmth, beyond anything I could describe.

Running the comb through his hair, I smirked as I watched his hair conform to the new direction… only to return to its original state a moment later. I’d been messing with his hair for a good long moment, and for some reason I found it utterly amusing that his hair would easily get combed to one side… but eventually go back to its original state shortly after. As if with a mind of its own. His hair wasn't very long, just long enough to grab at, but it still shouldn't reform so quickly. It meant it had something to do with his traits.

It was odd since his hair was actually really soft. It flowed in the wind too sometimes, so it was very strange.

“I think your hair is broken,” I said happily.

“It likely is, yes.”

Vim didn’t seem bothered at all. He was completely focused on his walking through the ankle high waters.

Waters that smelled strongly of salt.

I paused in my combing of his hair to look around us. Off in the distance, I could see mountains all around us… but they looked tiny. Distant. Impossibly far. The whole area was a flatland, impossibly flat, made even flatter by the water covering it all.

It was a little strange, honestly. Not only was there a bunch of water out here in the desert, somehow, it was also… rather still. Although basically a giant pond, the water wasn’t moving much.

We’d entered this strange pond of salt about an hour ago. It had taken us a couple days of walking to get here from Landi’s city, and it had required us to pass over a mountain too.

“Is the ground hard, Vim?” I asked as I glanced down, past his head. The water was a little murky, but I could see the cracks he was walking on. His bare feet looked like they weren’t sinking into the ground at all. Even though this area’s brittle ground should be mushy with all this water covering it.

As I leaned over, Vim’s hand grabbed onto my right leg. He held on gently, and honestly didn’t need to. I wouldn’t fall off from a little moving… but Vim was oddly protective sometimes.

“It’s harder than you think, yes. But there’s a layer of salt, that feels slippery,” he said, lightly holding onto my leg.

Salt…

“Can I taste it?” I asked.

He chuckled at me. “You may. But it’s actually very dirty. If you want the salt, we just need to boil the water. I’d honestly not recommend drinking it, but you can have a lick of a finger if you’d like,” he said as he paused… and crouched.

I lowered, and smirked as he lowered me far enough that I could reach down and stick some fingers into the water. I made sure to not let my tail get wet as I did so.

Surprisingly, it was colder than I’d thought.

Lifting my now wet fingers, I stared at them as I realized they now stunk a little.

Still, I went ahead and licked them.

And regretted it.

“Bleh…” I groaned as I went to wiping my fingers on Vim’s shoulder.

He chuckled at me. “I warned you,” he said.

“Not well enough,” I argued.

I could faintly taste the salt, but honestly I more so tasted stale water. Nasty water. As if it was more gunk than water.

As I ran my tongue along my teeth, to try and get the taste out of my mouth, Vim held up a water canteen for me.

Taking it thankfully, I made sure to swish the water in my mouth to get the taste out as much as I could.

Then I swallowed.

“Did… you just swallow? Why didn’t you spit it out?” he asked after a moment.

“And waste water?” I asked him back.

“We’ll be able to refill tonight Renn,” he said.

“Really…? Where?” I asked as I looked around again. The water seemed to on forever… Vim was walking at a good pace, but honestly I didn’t see how we’d be getting out of these salt flats anytime soon.

“You’ll see. Don’t feel like you need to ration the water. In fact it won’t be long and you’ll start seeing familiar scenery. We’re heading northward,” he said.

“Hm…” I didn’t doubt him, but I was going to have to wait and see how he’d prove it to me. The mountain we were walking towards looked… days away, at least.

Handing him back the canteen, I glanced at my comb. I debated going back to messing with Vim’s hair, but decided to just put it away. My own hair, and tail, had been brushed enough that any more would just cause issues anyway.

I slid it into one of the little pockets on my leather vest. There was one that was just the right size for it to snugly hide away. As if it had been made to fit.

Knowing Vim, he likely had carved it with such a thing in mind.

“Thank you, Vim,” I said again.

“Hm,” Vim no longer told me it was fine. Even though I knew he was tired of hearing it.

But…

I smiled at him as I put my hands on his head, and looked around again. “So I’m assuming animals don’t drink this stuff,” I said.

“No. Drinking this would just make you thirstier, like drinking from the ocean. Unless you're adapted to it... like the animals that live here,” he said.

“So… is this in a way, an ocean?” I asked.

Vim chuckled. “No. It’s just a lake. I suppose technically you can call it a dry lake,” he said.

“Doesn’t seem very dry… though I suppose that’s because you can’t drink it huh? Dry lake because it might as well be,” I said, happy that I understood.

Vim tilted his head. “An apt description.”

“Is it wrong?” I asked.

“Not really. The reason some folks call it a dry lake is because it dies out often. It’s actually dry more than not, usually. Most the time I come here there’s not a drop of water to be found,” he said.

“Huh…” I tried to envision it.

Odds are it looked similar… just with less reflecting, thanks to the lack of the water’s surface.

“One day you’ll see. Maybe the next trip,” he said.

For a short while I kept silent, just basking in the moment.

Vim likely had no idea how happy I was right now. Or how happy his little off-hand comments made me, either.

He understood me. He was learning. But…

Glancing down at the man’s head, I wondered if I’d be able to get him to carry me like this again someday. He was only doing it now so that I’d not ruin my boots, or get the gunk on my feet.

“Would you carry me like this if it’s dry, though?” I asked gently, hoping he’d catch the hint.

Vim tilted his head, and after a moment of pondering he nodded. “I suppose I could, yes.”

Giggling at him, I ran my fingers through his hair. “I can’t be that heavy,” I said.

“Hm. I carry thousands of souls Renn. Yours is mighty indeed, but... no, you’re not heavy,” he said.

I stopped messing with his hair as I decoded his words. He spoke of the Society, of course, but…

Before I could say anything, shadows disturbed the world around us.

Looking around, and finding nothing, I looked up. And watched as a large flock of birds flew past.

Squinting at them, since the sun was right behind them… I tried to figure out what they were.

“Some type of gulls?” I asked.

Vim glanced up a little. “Those are flamingos.”

“Which are…?” I asked as I watched them fly past us. There were a few smaller ones still overhead, but most were now leaving us behind.

“They’re actually who we’re going to be meeting soon,” he said.

I frowned and looked away from the birds. “Huh?”

He nodded. “We’re… making a small stop outside of our normal route. I’d like to introduce you to one of my friends,” Vim said.

Leaning forward, to see his expression, I smiled at him. “Really?” I asked.

He nodded.

Excited, I sat back up and found the birds again. They were now smaller dots in the sky, heading deeper into the salt-flats. They were going the same way we were, by the looks of it.

“Usually you’d ask about them,” Vim said gently.

“I want to be surprised,” I said.

He nodded again. “Should I not have told you?” he asked.

“Hm… maybe. I’ll be honest Vim, I’m still… trying to understand my own desires. Like the comb. I wanted to know, yet didn’t. I’m… really not sure what to think of it all,” I said as I remembered those weird feelings the other day.

I had wanted to know so badly, yet at the same time had wanted to run away the moment Vim had picked it up. It made no sense.

“You’re curious, yet love the surprise. It’s surprising you never wandered far from your home Renn,” he said.

“Hm…? Why’s that weird?”

“You’ve the personality of a wanderer. An adventurer. I’m surprised you don’t have the desire to voyage to the ends of the earth, as to see everything,” he explained.

“Ah… I’ll be honest I had wanted to. Once. But…” I shifted a little, and noticed how Vim also shifted… in a way that made sure I’d never lean too far or fall. As if he was willing to bend and tilt as much as possible as to keep me upright. It was a little gesture, but one that made me smile. “I got hurt. A lot. When younger. So I gave up trying to travel too much. I didn’t like getting hurt,” I said.

“Hm…” Vim’s thumb thumped against my right calf, reminding me he hadn’t let go. Even though I wasn’t leaning over anymore.

“We’re adventuring, Vim. Aren’t we?” I asked. In fact he was right. I was enjoying this beyond measure.

“Yes. But you’re still getting hurt,” he said softly.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Ah… so he had been thinking of the times I’d gotten hurt, or cried.

Before he or I could get too emotional over it, I patted his head. “Are you a Monarch Vim?” I asked.

He chuckled at me. “No Renn, I’m not.”

“Why the laugh?” I asked. I’d been completely serious.

“Because you had sounded adorable. Can I ask why you think I am?” he asked.

Had I said it oddly…? I had thought I had asked it rather seriously… “Landi believes you’re one,” I said.

“I asked why you thought I was one, not why she thinks I am,” Vim said.

I squeezed his head lightly, and kind of liked how he let me move his head around as I did so. “I mean… a lot of people do. Merit does too,” I said.

“So you think I am, just because others think so? I’d thought you possessed more self respect for yourself than to simply believe what you hear,” Vim said.

“Oh shush Vim… fine…” I grumbled as I grabbed two handfuls of his hair. He tilted his head a little, almost enough to rip the hair out of his head, but I made sure to not keep my hands too stiff. I didn’t want to hurt him to prove my point. “You’re as strong as one. You heal from wounds that no one else can… and even do so quickly. Your eye had only taken a few days to re-grow, Vim. Even my uncle, my great-uncle, a giant cat, hadn’t been that resilient. Landi had taken his eye… you’d not even flinch at such a wound,” I said.

“How big of a cat was he?” Vim asked.

“Huh…? Well… I guess pretty big,” I hadn’t actually meant to bring him up in such a way.

“Was he as big as that Monarch?” he asked further.

“Oh. No. but… he was likely closer in size to that thing than us, I suppose,” I said as I thought of it.

Vim hummed, and I sighed as I let go of his hair.

I had planned to tease him by saying if I yanked his hair out, it’d just grow back overnight. Now I felt a little awkward. “If you’re not a Monarch or something like it, I can’t imagine just what you could be,” I said. I wasn’t aware of any animal that could heal like him, on any level. Plus it wouldn’t explain his strength either.

He had fought that Monarch for hours, and when he finally showed himself… he hadn’t had any visible wounds at all. Not a one. Which meant he had either defeated it with ease, or had healed from all of his injuries from it in that short of a time.

Either made him unnatural beyond measure. Even if one included our kind’s strangeness.

Vim said nothing as he continued walking. He didn’t splash as much as a normal person would when walking, but it was still noisy when we weren’t talking.

“Though… can Monarchs be human? I mean, in shape and stuff? Seems they’re all animals, or big beasts. Was Tor an animal too?” I asked.

“Tor is a mouse. Though… he’s small or big, depending on his mood,” he said.

Hm… “So then you can’t be one, can you? Since you look so human,” I decided.

Vim chuckled.

“What…? Am I wrong?” I asked.

“Not at all. I just found it funny that you so calmly said aloud what so many have failed to notice over the years. You’re very right, Monarchs are usually not… human in appearance. However, their descendants can be. And although not a pure Monarch, a child of one can still be a Monarch all the same. Bray is a good example of that. She’s a daughter of a Monarch, but I’d never hesitate to call her one. She’s very powerful, and possesses odd abilities,” Vim said.

“Hm… so… how distant does one need to be? You say that I’m likely a descendant of one… just where does the Monarch blood end?” I asked.

“The moment one is born without a heart. Sometimes it can be a single generation. Other times it can take many,” he said.

Ah. One of those little orb things… “And you can sense those things,” I said.

He nodded.

“Is it a smell? Or do you just… know somehow?” I asked.

“They give off a small hum. One I can hear. I can also feel their heat, their energy, if I’m close enough,” I said.

“A hum…” I tried to think of the heart that I’d given Landi. I remembered it pulsating, and being warm, but hadn’t remembered hearing it hum or make noise.

“It’s just something I hear. Think of it like hearing a heartbeat,” he said.

I nodded as I pondered it for a moment… but got distracted by a small breeze. It blew my hair around a bit, until it settled down on Vim’s head.

Brushing our hair, I eventually found myself focused on the spots I had just tugged and grabbed, I noticed my own hair laying all over his. My hair was getting really long.

“Vim… does your hair even grow? Do your nails?” I asked.

“Very, very slowly,” he said softly.

Slow. I’d known him for over two years now and… his hair was the same. I honestly don’t think it’d grown at all.

“It’s like you’re frozen in time,” I whispered.

Vim tilted his head. “It does, doesn’t it?” he agreed.

It really made no sense. I understood that we were… different than humans. We lived longer, and as such sometimes were stronger. Faster. We healed better. All traits from our time with…

“My family believed that we had hunted for our gods,” I said softly.

“That’s actually very likely. Somewhere up your lineage was undoubtedly a Monarch. So yes… they’re right,” he said.

“Why would gods need hunters?” I asked.

Vim chuckled, and I was about to grab his hair again. And maybe this time tug a little. But he shook his head. “You’re very astute Renn. I enjoy your mind. It’s odd isn’t? Why would Gods need help with anything?” he asked me.

Was… was this some kind of test? “Are you saying we’re all misunderstanding something? Or that the answer to that is what you are?” I asked.

“Hm. No. Maybe… rather I was just enjoying your journey to enlightenment.”

Enlightenment… “That’s an odd word, Vim,” I said.

“It means,” Vim started to explain it, but I patted his head to stop him.

“I know. I just… found your use of it strange. Who taught you Vim? Who was your teacher?” I asked. Maybe his strange way of thinking was sourced from whoever had taught him. I wonder if they still lived. I’d like to meet them.

Vim then came to a stop.

The water beneath us splashed, a little louder than all the times before, and I actually rocked a little thanks to how abruptly he had stopped walking.

“Vim…?” I glanced around, half expecting some weird threat to be nearby.

Instead there was nothing… just the same endless water. Though off in the distance, in front of us, I could see tiny black silhouettes. Likely the birds from earlier. They were wading in the water.

His hand gripped my calf, and I was once again reminded he hadn’t let me go yet. An odd thing, since he really didn’t need to hold onto me when he was just walking normally. Then he looked up at me, and I leaned forward a little as to meet his eyes.

“My mother,” he said gently.

Blinking at his answer, I found myself a little stunned.

Were his eyes watery…?

“She must have been very wise,” I said gently.

“Hm… she was. As was my father,” Vim said, and then returned to walking.

Feeling the awkward air, I wondered…

“Vim… you just told me about your parents,” I said softly, warning him.

“I know,” he said.

Smiling at him, I wrapped his head into a small hug. He tilted his head, either to try and avoid it or maybe to keep his eyesight clear, but I didn’t care. I squeezed his head.

Giggling at him, I felt him let out a heavy sigh.

Extremely happy, I kept squeezing his head for a long moment. It was a little awkward, thanks to how and where I was sitting, but it still felt good.

Vim and I would hug on occasion… but to be honest, I wished we did it more. I tried to always contain myself, since it seemed Vim really didn’t like physical contact very much.

“The honest answer Renn…” Vim then said.

I blinked as I sat back up, brushing his hair again as I did. Why’d I find feeling his hair so enjoyable?

“I am, yet am not, a Monarch.”

Hesitating, my fingers lingered near his ears. I’d been about to grab them. “Vim…?” I asked worriedly.

He sighed and nodded. “I know. Sounds stupid. But it’s the truth. I’m the closest thing there is to a Monarch, without actually being one,” he said.

Unable to believe what he was saying, more so because he was actually saying it aloud in the first place than what it was he was saying… I felt strange.

Should I smile? Cry? What should I do? He likely had just revealed something he’s never told anyone else before. To me.

Several minutes went by, and Vim finally glanced up at me. “You okay Renn?” he asked.

I nodded. “I’m just stunned. I don’t know what to say.”

He scoffed. “I know, isn’t it weird? Maybe I’m sick.”

I finally smiled as I leaned forward a bit, to smirk at him. “So… do you have a heart?” I asked.

“No. I don’t. That’s why I’m technically not one. I lack that very qualifier,” he said.

“Then… how could you be one, without the thing that is needed?” I asked.

“Because that’s… well…” Vim went silent, and I enjoyed watching the way his expression changed. He was now struggling, internally.

“You’ve told me a lot of secrets so quickly; I think it’s fine if you keep some for later Vim. Don’t want you passing out on me,” I said happily.

He took a very deep breath, and I actually felt it. I noticeably shifted thanks to the movement, and he released it with a very heavy sigh. “Thank you. Yes. Let’s do that. We’ll continue next time,” he said, happy to be granted permission.

I giggled at him.

“Since we’re being all personal… can I ask one too?” Vim then asked.

“Hm? Of course you can,” I said. Honestly at this point there’s likely nothing I’d not tell him. Even the stuff that would make me want to crawl into a hole I’d not hesitate to share right now.

“Are you happy Renn?”

If I had been walking too, this was when I’d come to an abrupt stop.

Absolutely shocked by his question, I felt oddly uncomfortable as I stared at his upturned look. He looked worried. Upset. Bothered. He was genuinely apprehensive of my answer.

“Isn’t it obvious, Vim?” I whispered.

How could he not know? How could he be asking me this? With such a serious expression? After saying what he had just said? After doing what he’s done? Just the last few days alone should have proved to him how happy and content I was.

Was I not laughing enough? Maybe I didn’t smile as often? Had I not giggled like a little girl the other night, when he had handed me the comb? Hasn’t he been listening to the all-night-long conversation between me and Landi, full of tears and joy? Even now, today, hasn’t he been hearing my happy hums as I brushed my hair or his? Can’t he hear in my voice just how much bliss I was in?

Wasn’t it obvious…?

This man of all people in this world should know full well how happy and content I was with my life. Yet he looked as if it was not only in doubt, but…

“I’d like to know, Renn. I’d like to think you are, but…” Vim paused, his walking coming to a stop. His hand on my leg gripped me tighter, as if in worry.

Before he could say more, I bent forward and kissed him.

It was awkward, thanks to our positions… but no amount of clumsy misalignment kept me from doing it right.

After a moment, I sat back up a little. Staring at his face, I couldn’t help but laugh. “You should see yourself,” I said.

“I’m sure…” he mumbled… then coughed, and returned to walking.

Giggling happily, I couldn’t help but fight back the urge to kiss him again. That look on his face was precious.

“I’ll admit, I had not expected that at all,” Vim said.

“I can tell,” I said with a grin.

He went back to walking, making splashing sounds again, and I was a little surprised to feel… a small hesitation in his steps. As if he was suddenly stiff in his legs.

And he called me adorable.

“I’m very happy Vim. Beyond any way I can explain… can I ask why you’d ask such a thing?” I asked him. Hopefully by now he had gotten his mind under control. Usually he was so stoic… so such a shock had probably been painful for him.

“You’ve not cried in awhile,” he then said.

“Cried…? Shouldn’t… shouldn’t that mean I am happy? Why would you think I wasn’t just because I haven’t cried?” I asked, now a little worried.

Vim’s shoulder shifted beneath me, and I recognized the motion. He had just tried to roll his shoulder.

“Well… I guess I was just worried. People stop letting emotions get to them when they’re depressed. You had gotten teary eyed with Landi, when you gave her the heart… but you hadn’t cried. Even when she did. So…” he mumbled as he spoke, as if he wasn’t even sure what he was saying himself.

I mean… did he? Surely he did?

He just proved how deeply he cared for me. How much he understood me, and… how much he watched out for me. Even something like that had not gone unnoticed. Between such a reveal, and his beautiful gift… I couldn’t believe how this man could prove his affection for me in any greater method.

Falling for the Societies Protector again, I grabbed his head. It felt warm in my hands. “You really do love me, don’t you?” I asked.

“Isn’t it weird?” he asked back.

Laughing, I nodded. Yes! It was!

“I just worry Renn… I worry this life is too harsh for you,” he said after a moment.

“Thank you for doing so… but I’m doing okay. Thanks to you. I’ll be honest, I guess you’re right… why hadn’t I cried with Landi? It had been very emotional… I even felt very…” I shifted a little, and wondered if I should say it aloud. “I related to her,” I decided to just admit it. Especially since Vim and I were suddenly being very open with one another. I didn’t want to ruin the moment. Plus…

Well…

If anyone would understand me… I guess I’d prefer it to be him.

“I figured,” he said softly.

“I think part of the reason is Landi herself. She cried, yes, but… only for a short time. Then she got all happy and boisterous. It made me want to be the same,” I said.

Vim nodded, seemingly understanding.

Unable to resist, I sniffed.

“Aw Renn,” Vim moaned.

I laughed as my eyes actually began to water, and I started to cry.

“You’re actually crying…?” Vim asked worriedly, looking up.

I nodded. “Mhm.”

He sighed, but didn’t seem willing to yell or chastise me for it.

“It’s your fault,” I complained.

He nodded.

I let my tears drop to his head, and disappear into his hair. “You’re pulling my heart every which way. It’s not fair you can do it with just a few words, and I can only get you with a surprise kiss,” I said, complaining further.

There was no way to explain it, but it was as if he kept on giving me gift after gift. Each one making me swell with emotion. It wasn’t fair that his words alone could be something so precious and lovely and…

“My heart damn near stopped… so I’d say we’re even,” Vim said with a chuckle.

Oh. Good.

Sniffing, I smiled as I quickly got my tears under control. Maybe there was something wrong with me. I felt as if I wanted, and needed, to weep in his arms. Yet…

Then something blocked out the sky.

Quickly looking up, I frowned at the dense and dark cloud.

Where had that come from? The sky had been clear this whole time and…

Then the cloud moved, and light came back to the world.

My eyes narrowed as Vim glanced up as well, and I felt my whole body go cold as I stared up at a giant bird flapping its wings.

Yes. Those were wings. Connected to a bird. What had looked like a giant dark cloud, was instead a monstrous bird of unbelievable size. When its wings returned to being outstretched, it once again blocked out the sun and sent the world into an evening dusk.

Soaring high above us… yet blocking out most of the sky, was a bird beyond reason.

Stunned at the sight, I watched as the massive creature flew ahead.

I knew how birds could appear small in the sky. The pet hawk I had long ago had been huge, yet had looked tiny up there. So tiny that sometimes I lost sight of it even as it flew overhead.

Yet this thing… it was impossible to lose. It was just simply that big.

“Vim….?” I asked worriedly. Was that a Monarch? It had to be. It was huge. Too huge. If it looked that big up there as it was, then…

“Say hello to Miss Beak. Monarch of the Salt-Flats. One of my oldest friends,” Vim introduced me… and picked up his pace, heading for the spot the giant bird was descending towards.