When Ren wakes up next, it’s to the smell of cooking. A delicious aroma wafts from the pan on the kiln, black smoke billowing from where the wood burns. Ren yawns, pumping his fists into the air and stretching. He glances over to where Gridel is preparing breakfast, with Vane helping, a bandage wrapped around his head. Penny, on the other hand, appears to be out of the house. Did she go look for Shih’van or something?
Well, no matter. She’ll be back eventually. Neither Vane nor Gridel look worried, so it should be fine.
The ache in Ren’s stomach painfully reminds him of what happened the day before. They thoroughly got their ass kicked by a fragile, old lady. After boasting that they had beaten three Horseman, too. How embarrassing.
He eases himself out of the niche in the wall in which he slept, rolling his neck and wincing at the crick. Batlings rest whilst perched from the ceiling, which kind of makes sense, so none of their houses have beds, or anything even close to it. He stretches his legs, grimacing at the pinpricks of pain shooting through his soles, like he just stepped onto a cushion full of pins.
“Hey.” Ren greets the duo in the kitchen with a wave. They echo a polite “Good morning”, and Gridel informs him that breakfast would be done soon.
“Where’s Penny?” he asks.
“She went to see Grandmother. Although, for what purpose, I have no idea,” Vane says. “Grandmother does not seem to be intent on inflicting lasting harm on her, or any of us, for that matter, so it should be fine.”
Ren nods. “Yeah, but she’s still pretty scary, though.”
Vane shivers, and Ren must say, that’s the first time he’s seen Vane even remotely be afraid. Then again, she did throw him against the ground, and he did get a concussion. “Yes, well… She is frighteningly proficient in that style of combat.”
“She said something about her daughter and her son-in-law being minions of the Horseman,” Ren says. “Do you think that that’s true?”
Gridel shakes her head. “I can’t say for sure, but after seeing those skeletons for myself, I’m inclined to believe her.”
So, they’d be up against skeleton warriors, huh? Warriors who are under the influence of the Horseman? And they’re as fast and as deadly as Grandmother? No wonder she said that they’d straight up die if they challenged the Horseman without beating her first. They would have been completely wiped if they didn’t know what they were up against.
That said, Penny did sign them up for a couple of days of training. Nothing to do with their fighting style or anything, just training their bodies, as Grandmother put it. To be honest, Ren dreads it somewhat. After all, he’s the kind of person who avoids all types of physical activity, unless Penny drags him out to do it. He used to call in sick for Sports Days.
Today is the first day of their training, and Ren can only pray that Grandmother would go easy on him.
Ren turns at the crunching of soil under soles, glancing over at the doorway to find Penny standing there, her entire body covered in sweat. She’s stripped down to her tunic, her coat discarded and draped across her arm. Her face is red, cheeks puffy from her harsh breaths.
“Where the hell’d you go?” Ren asks, already settled at the table, waiting for breakfast. Gridel’s done with the Duskbell sandwiches, it seems, plucking the bread off the stone pate and laying them out on plates.
Penny sits opposite him, her coat dropped to the ground and pooling by her feet. “I went to meet Grandma.”
“Yeah, I know that. But what for?”
“For some early training,” Penny says, wiping at the droplets of sweat beading on her forehead. “Since Grandma was offering and all… so I went to see whether she was up early, and if she was, I asked to begin training.”
“But why would you do that?” Ren asks mournfully, on the verge of wanting to bury his face in his hands. The thought of waking up early and getting some exercise done chips at his very soul.
“Because then we can beat the Horseman. Duh,” Penny says. “Look, it’s not an easy thing, you know? It’s not like we can train ourselves up for, like three days and expect to be super buff. But you know, the earlier the better.”
She has much more conviction about this than Ren does. Then again, Penny loves jogging, so the idea of training probably appeals to her much more than it does to him.
Gridel serves up their sandwiches, and the group tucks in. Ren munches down on the soft petals of the Duskbells, savouring their sweetness, and he welcomes the tanginess that follows. Along with the crispiness of the bread’s crust and the grill lines across its white fluffy surface. Delicious, a stark contrast to their meal of fried bug parts just yesterday.
They drink from their waterskins—they need to ask Shih’van where to get fresh water soon. Perhaps at that well in the middle of the village—before grabbing their weapons and heading over to Grandmother’s. Most of the villagers are still asleep, hanging upside-down from the ceilings of their homes, from what Ren can see through their windows.
Dread fills Ren’s heart as he trudges up to Grandmother’s house, like how he felt back in Gravelle, when he was first told that he was the Luminary, and that he had to save the world. Now, he isn’t opposed to that idea anymore, compared to when he first embarked on this journey.
But exercise? Nah. His aversion to it will probably never change.
Penny peeks through the window to Shih’van’s house. “Hello? Grandmama?”
The boulder blocking the entrance is rolled aside, and Grandmother appears at the doorway, her hands behind her. She greets them with a scowl, and a claw on her lips. “Keep it down. Shih’van’s still sleeping. Besides, I told you not to call me ‘Grandmama’.”
Penny pouts. “But you are a grandmother, right? That’s what I always call Grandmama Mildred.”
Grandmother sighs. She turns her back on them. “In any case, make sure not to wake her when you come in.”
With that, Grandmother hobbles into the room. It’s still hard to imagine that an elderly lady like herself, still hobbling about and looking like she’s in need of a walking stick, was the one to hand their arses to them just the evening before.
They pass by the sitting room, making immediately for the tunnel at the back of her house. Ren clenches and unclenches his fists. Okay, whatever she has for them, he’s ready for it.
He’s got to be.
*
He was not, in fact, ready.
By the thirtieth push-up, Ren’s collapsed to the ground, panting with his mouth open and his tongue out like a dog. Grandmother watches him with the most disapproving look she can muster, with those wrinkles on her forehead and her furrowed brows, with that scrunched nose and those frowning lips…
“That all you’ve got? Even an old bat like myself can do more than you,” Grandmother huffs, squatting by his body, which is pressed flat against the ground. “Now, get up, and don’t let me see you slacking off.”
Ren sighs, pushing himself back onto his palms and toes, already wobbling from the exertion. Penny’s already done this earlier, and Vane and Gridel are, naturally, excelling at this. Maybe he should have had the foresight to complete this routine when it’s just him and Penny, then he wouldn’t embarrass himself in front of their friends from Gravelle.
It’s after a gruelling round of training that Grandmother lets them rest. Ren wipes his sweat with his shirt, already damp and sticking to his body. He reeks of sweat and odour, and he knows it. God, what he wouldn’t give for a cold shower and a change of clothes right now. At least P.E. class had those.
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He hears the sound of tapping feet, and he turns to find Shih’van approaching them with a tray of cups. Water. Delicious water that he can swallow right up. He gulps the water down immediately, the slipperiness sliding down his throat and relieving him of the sheer heat pooling in his chest.
“That’s fast.” Shih’van smiles. “If you’d like, I can always get more water for you.”
Ren nods, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “That would be nice.”
Penny and the others finish their water as well, before handing the glasses back to Shih’van. Grandmother then gets them ready to start their next activity—jogging around the perimeter of the village. Which Penny can sit out of, considering that she did it earlier in the morning already.
Penny whistles. “Have fun!”
Ren sighs.
*
“I thought I was going to die,” Ren mutters, downing the water from his waterskin.
“Yeah, I thought we were going to have to bury you,” Penny agrees. The two of them are resting back in their lodgings, whilst Gridel and Vane have gone to fetch water from the well. It must have been only half a day, but his thighs are shaking, and his arms wobbly. He doesn’t think he can take much more of this.
“How long are we supposed to do this for?” Ren wonders, lying with his back flat on the ground. “I don’t think I can last another day.”
Penny hums. “I have no idea. Maybe we can ask Grandmama. We shouldn’t spend too long here too. The rest of Zenthos is waiting for us.”
Indeed, after getting rid of this Horseman, all they have to do is to destroy Pandora’s Citadel, and they would free this world from its apocalyptic binds. Ren’s seen what the destruction of the Horseman did to each region—he liberated them from the Horseman’s power, after all, and returned the land back to how it was before, with the exception of the red sky.
The single barrier that stands between them and their home… and the way to remove it just had to lie at the very end of their journey. It’s as though the universe itself is testing them, just to see how far they can get in this endeavour. Pushing them to their limits and seeing how far they’d try to keep up.
For now, Ren thinks they’re doing pretty well, having gotten rid of three of four Horsemen. But out of all their troubles so far, Grandmother’s trials have got to be the worst.
“Hey.” Ren waves to the duo who have returned, their waterskins filled to the brim. Vane hands him his, and Ren takes it gratefully, resisting the urge to down the newly-filled waterskin in one gulp.
“Well, I’m pooped,” Penny says. “Maybe we should rest up for the day. I gotta go ask Shih’van for the dinner arrangements.”
Speaking of Shih’van… there’s something that Ren would like to inquire of her as well. She wasn’t as cheerful as she was the day they met her, and he wonders just what’s happened.
His gut tells him that something, or someone, is worrying her. And his gut also tells him that he knows just what it is.
“I’m coming with you,” Ren says.
Penny tilts her head. “Yeah, sure. Why not? I could use a friend.” She turns to Vane and Gridel. “Well, I guess we’ll see you back here, then.”
Vane nods, and Gridel waves them off. Ren’s not sure if they noticed it themselves, but they no longer seem too apprehensive to leave them be. It’s almost as though… they see them not as people to protect, as messiahs, but as people who are similar to them. Sure, maybe a tinge of the former may remain in their minds, but for the most part, the trust has been built.
Penny and Ren leave the house, heading out into the quiet Batling village. He must admit, it’s rather relaxing to have a change in pace once in a while. This place is far from bustling, unlike the Marketplace, and it’s not as bureaucratic, unlike Beville. It’s a tranquil stroll up to Shih’van’s house.
Penny calls out from outside the house, peeking through the open doorway. From inside, Shih’van shuffles out, patting her dress down, and greeting them with a forced smile. Ren frowns. He can see the troubled thoughts behind that smile.
“Can I help you?” Shih’van asks, bowing low.
“Um… I’m just wondering what dinner would be like,” Penny says. “It wouldn’t be a feast, right? It’d be—”
Shih’van shakes her head, almost mournfully. “No, it wouldn’t be, and I apologise for that. To show such disrespect to the Sun people—”
“No, it’s no disrespect at all!” Penny holds up her hands. “I was just curious about it is all. Just making sure that we wouldn’t have to make our own food.”
At that, Shih’van brightens, her smile more genuine than before. “That’s great to hear. I’d be starting the preparations soon, so not to worry, if you’re hungry. I will personally attend to you during your meal.”
Ren chuckles. “It’s fine. We have enough people ‘attending’ to us as it is.” Gridel fusses the most, and Ren does not miss the glares she shoots them when she notices that they’re not eating enough vegetables, and Vane often asks whether they’re thirsty. Several times during a meal, in fact. They’re good on… wait staff.
“Are you sure? I—”
“Two’s more than enough,” Penny insists. She turns to Ren. “You had something you wanted to ask, right?”
Shih’van perks her ears up. “Yes?”
Ren peers over the top of her head, immediately noticing her Grandmother fast asleep, her entire body upside down. She latches to the ceiling with her claws, her wings wrapped around her petite body. He’s never seen a Batling sleep before. At least, not this close.
“You… Has your friend returned? Af’rik?”
At the mention of his name, Shih’van’s face falls, and that’s when Ren knew he hit jackpot. She fidgets nervously with the hem of her tunic. “Why do you ask? Grandma said that she would help you out with her All-Seeing Eye, right?”
“I’m not doubting Grandmother’s ability,” Ren assures her. “I just thought to ask, because you’ve looked pretty stressed.”
“It’s…” Shih’van bites her lip, her fangs digging into her rosy skin. “I haven’t heard from him since he left a few days back, before you arrived. It’s rare that he’s gone for so long. I can’t help but worry that he’s got himself into a spot of trouble.”
“You mean, he’s out there in the overworld?” Ren asks.
Shih’van nods. “Yes. He may have gone very far out this time, and I fear that he cannot find his way back…”
“In that case, we just have to go look for him, right?” Penny says. “Like, what if he met with some kind of trouble and has been trying to get back since?”
“But I certainly can’t ask the Sun people to accomplish such a task. You have much more important things to be focussing your time on—”
Penny places a hand on Shih’van’s shoulder, and the Batling jumps. She peers up at Penny with wide eyes, sparkling with unshed tears. Poor Shih’van. She must have been worried sick for Af’rik, and yet, being the mayor’s granddaughter… “This concern’s a person’s life, Shih’van. It will never be unimportant.”
“But what about your training? With Grandma?” Shih’van asks. “She would be so displeased if she realised that you were gone…”
“Nah, she wouldn’t mind,” Penny says, though Ren isn’t sure whether she’s trying to convince Shih’van, or him. “Besides, a day wouldn’t hurt, right? And we can treat it as part of our training schedule.”
Shih’van dips her head. “I’m so sorry that we had to—”
“There’s nothing to be sorry for,” Penny says, tousling Shih’van’s hair like one would a younger child. “We’ll set out in the morning, and we’ll return by evening. And we’ll try our best to find Af’rik.”
Ren isn’t sure if Penny knows this, but she sounds like she’s making an impossible promise. All around this pyramid is nothing but sand, sand, and sand for miles, discounting the very active volcano that just erupted. Not to mention that skeletal creatures roam about freely aboveground, all under the command of the Horseman.
“Do you have a general idea of where he would be?” Penny asks.
Shih’van stares at the ground, shoulders sagged. “I don’t. Af’rik never tells me where he goes, and I have never left this cave. I’m afraid I cannot help on that regard.”
“In that case, we might have to ask Grandmama for help,” Penny says. “She has her All-Seeing Eye, right? If it’s really as omniscient as you’re making it out to be, then she’s got to know where your friend is.”
“But Grandma… she doesn’t like Af’rik,” Shih’van says. “She might not want to help.”
Penny purses her lips. “What kind of chieftain would let their fellow people suffer? If she has the means to help, then she should.”
“She’s warned him a lot of times not to go up to the surface, but he went against her anyway. I’m not sure she’d want to… be involved in his affairs any longer,” Shih’van mumbles.
“Even so, it’s better to try than not at all,” Ren says. “Your friend’s life is on the line here.”
Shih’van worries her lip between her teeth. “Yes… I’m sure you’re right.”
Without hesitating, Penny pushes past Shih’van, and she strides up to Grandmother. Shih’van hurries after her, just as Penny is about to shake her awake.
“Wait,” Shih’van says. “It’s rude to wake up a Batling with physical touch.” She parts her lips, exposing her fangs. For a moment, nothing happens. Then, Grandmother stirs. Did Shih’van just emit ultrasonic waves or something?
“What is it now?” Grandmother asks, her voice heavy with both sleep and her natural grouchiness. She blinks at them, her eyes darker than usual. With a sigh, she dislodges herself from the ceiling and lands deftly on her feet.
“Grandmama—”
Grandmother glares at Penny. “I thought I told you not to call me that.” But her words hold no bite, and she meets Penny’s gaze with a stern expression. “What is it? You sound like—”
“It’s Shih’van’s friend, Af’rik,” Ren starts, but he trails off as soon as Grandmother twitches her nose, scrunching her face up. They’ve certainly ruffled her feathers. “He’s missing.”
Grandmother turns her nose up. “That boy never listens to reason. Always breaking the village rules. Well, what do you want me to do about it?”
“You have your All-Seeing Eye, don’t you?” Penny asks. “Why not use it? Can’t you tell where he is?”
Grandmother looks from her, then to Ren, and then to Shih’van. “Are you sure he’s missing, and that you haven’t dragged the Sun people into an elaborate prank?”
Shih’van shakes her head. “No. He hasn’t returned for three days.”
Grandmother dips her head, and she sighs. “I suppose this does call for some… drastic measures. The boy isn’t usually gone this long.”
“Wait, you—” Shih’van starts, but Grandmother cuts her off.
“You think I don’t know what goes on in this village of mine? Silly child. You and Af’rik leave your mark everywhere.” Grandmother’s right eye glows, the black orb shining with sparkles. It kind of makes Ren wonder what she’s seeing. She holds up a hand. “Now, let me concentrate.”
They wait in silence for the longest time. Ren plays with a fraying thread at the hem of his tunic. Grandmother’s face has gone hard, her fingers clasped around her cane as her eye continues to shudder at a frightening speed.
Then, she furrows her brows. That doesn’t look good.
“Af’rik…” Grandmother snarls. “He’s in danger. That fool.”