The hour had grown exceedingly late, teetering on the precipice of morning's arrival. Deciding to forgo an intended brief stop at the shopkeepers, the Rustler had offered his willingness to take the detour. However, the mysterious Dae Odoe girl swiftly insisted on following him, leaving no room for involving the shopkeeper in their predicament. Thus, with a collective understanding, the Rustler and the group made a beeline towards the Den.
Despite the late hour, the Den buzzed with a vibrant energy. Illumination spilled forth from within, signaling that many denizens still roamed its halls. As they approached, a familiar face emerged to greet them at the entrance. It was Benji, one of the Den's children who, from the Rustler's understanding, acted as a second-in-command to Kae.
"Kae, how did it go?" he immediately asked upon seeing Kae and Rae, casting a doubtful glance at the Rustler.
"It... it all went well," Kae responded hesitantly.
"You're sure?" he inquired, seeking confirmation from Rae with a quick glance.
Rae, in turn, swiftly glanced at the Rustler and nodded, conveying her agreement.
Throughout his years spent with the Den, the Rustler had come to recognize an undeniable truth. If there was one individual who consistently exuded an air of antagonism towards him, skillfully avoiding direct confrontation, it was none other than Benji.
"Yeah, I'm sure," Kae replied, her tone cutting. "So where is Lei'lah?"
"Asleep, obviously," he replied, before finally addressing the lingering question, "So, who's she?" pointing at the tall young woman standing beside the Rustler.
“She’s… you know what we’ll talk about this inside,” she explained before promptly proceeding into the Den’s within.
***
“Can you see, with that thing covering your face?”
“I… I can.”
"You're really from the Southern continent?" one of the children asked.
“Did you cross the continent to get here?”
"Yes, I am," the girl answered without hesitation. “And yes I did cross the continents.”
As soon as she confirmed, a collective "wow" spread among the children.
"Those golden flowers on your head, are they truly connected to your skin?" another one asked.
Once again, without attempting to hide anything, the girl replied, "Yes, they are. It's called a crown. Can you see it?" She asked, showing them her head.
Another wave of awe swept through the children who had gathered around her.
"Can I touch it?" asked a bold voice from the crowd.
"No," she answered firmly.
A sense of disappointment spread among the children, but it was quickly interrupted by the next question, "Do you have golden scales like they say in the legends?"
"Alright, I think we've had enough questions for tonight," Kae interrupted. "Everyone, leave the room and go to sleep."
“Oh…”
The children reluctantly dispersed, casting longing glances at the girl with the golden crown. Kae, their caretaker, ushered them out of the room, her voice filled with gentle authority.
As most of the children evacuated the room, Kae's gaze turned to the two who remained seated, clearly intent on witnessing the end of it all. "Rae, Benji."
"What?" Rae replied, slightly annoyed.
"My words didn't apply to the children alone but to both of you as well," Kae stated firmly.
"Oh, come on," Benji grumbled.
"Kae," Rae said, sensing the seriousness in her tone.
"I'll hear no complaints. Out," Kae asserted, determined to maintain order.
In spite of their reluctance, the duo reluctantly left the room, Kae closing the door behind them, clearly intending to stay and listen to the remainder of the conversation.
"You don't plan to leave like you ordered the others to?" Men'ma, the Odoe girl, asked.
"No, I plan to stay and act as an observer here," Kae responded. "I have to ensure that the two of you don't confront each other and tear this place apart. So, I hope you won't mind my presence?"
"I don't," Men'ma simply replied.
"I was hoping so," Kae acknowledged. At that moment, both Kae and Men'ma directed their gazes towards the Rustler's, who sat at a remote corner of the room, far from attention.
Realizing that they were waiting for his response, and also understanding that Kae had no intention of leaving the room, the Rustler's way nodded after a moment of silence.
A new moment of silence enveloped the room, but it was eventually broken by Kae. "Say, are you really fine with all of this?" she asked, directing her question to the Odoe girl.
"With all what?" the girl replied, slightly confused.
"This," Kae clarified. "I'm not sure what your exact goal is, but from how you introduced yourself, shouldn't you be more discreet about your identity? Being a Dae Odoe, like in the legends, here in the central continent is a big deal. Shouldn't you at least try to hide who you are? You might attract unwanted attention and get into trouble."
The same thought and question occurred to the Rustler, the way she so casually revealed her identity to those children left him icky as to how careless and carefree that girl could be, especially so with how she proclaimed to be.
Upon being asked that question, the girl fell silent, deep in thought. After a moment of contemplation, she responded, "I guess you're right. Initially, I did hide my identity, especially after witnessing firsthand how some people on this continent can be quite rude. But now that I've found that for which I left my home for the central continent, I no longer have a reason to hide who I am."
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"I see. And the reason you're here is for the Rustler, right? Alexei," she uttered the name, staring at the Rustler, as if anticipating a reaction. "That's what you called him, right?"
The girl nodded, her gaze fixed on the Rustler. "Yes, that's correct. Alexei, Ethereal Breeze, those are all names he goes by. But from the way you call him, perhaps I should also refer to him as you do, the Rustler,” she said with a hint of defiance in her voice. “I'm here because of him. More precisely I've come all the way to the central continent for something in his possession that shouldn’t be.”
The girl's next words were directed to the Rustler himself. "Show me your arm."
"Why would I do that?" he retorted, his voice laced with skepticism.
"Because I am ordering you to, and because you're hiding something under that hood that shouldn't be in your possession in the first place," she responded firmly.
The Rustler hesitated, a hint of reluctance evident on his face. "I don't see how that would compel me to comply with your order."
The tension in the room grew palpable as the girl and the Rustler locked eyes, their intentions and secrets hanging in the balance.
"Enough, you two," Kae interjected, her voice firm yet calm. "Did you forget why we are here? Remember, we're here to talk things out. I'm sure you both have questions for one another. Why not answer each other's questions, reasonably, without jumping onto each other's throats?"
"Fine by me," replied Men'ma, her tone reflecting a willingness to engage in a more constructive conversation.
“Hmph, ”The Rustler grunted in response, nodding slightly to indicate his agreement but quickly came to regret that decision.
“Perfect, if so then I'm sure you won’t mind showing your arm?”
A sense of tension returned to the room as the girl's request hung in the air, awaiting a response from the Rustler.
"Fine," the Rustler reluctantly agreed, his voice laced with hesitation. With a careful motion, he removed his glove, followed by pulling up his sleeve, gradually revealing his left arm to the girl.
As the Rustler bared his arm, an unique sight greeted the girl and Kae. Instead of a normal arm, his limb was entirely composed of a golden substance: Odo.
The girl, filled with a mix of surprise and determination, swiftly rose from her seat and took a step towards Alexei. Her hand extended instinctively, reaching out to touch his unique arm. Curiosity and a sense of urgency blended in her expression.
“This arm, can you wield it?”
“What—”
Before the Rustler could respond, she continued, "Not just move it like a normal arm, but wield it, as Odo can be wielded."
Confusion flickered across the Rustler's face, but he reluctantly complied with her request. With a subtle shift of his focus, along with the typical sound of rustling he is known for, his Odo arm transformed into tentacle-like appendages that reached towards the girl's arm.
Reacting swiftly, the girl withdrew herself from the Rustler's touch, her reflexes praiseworthy. A sense of tension returned to the room as the unexpected display of Odo manipulation unfolded before them. The girl's expression shifted from curiosity to caution, perhaps realizing the untapped potential and danger that lay within the Rustler's arm.
“Satisfied?” the Rustler asked, as he made his arm retrieve a normal form.
“That noise, how?”
“How, what?”
“This isn’t normal,” the girl muttered as if encountering a reality she was not yet ready to face mentally.
Her voice trailed off for a moment before she continued, her words laced with a sense of disbelief. "This isn't normal. It shouldn't be possible. How can you have—no, I should be asking how you acquired Odo in the first place."
The weight of her words hung in the air, intensifying the mystery surrounding the Rustler's connection to Odo and raising numerous questions about the origins and implications of his gold-like arm. The tense atmosphere that enveloped the room revealed the Rustler's reluctance to reveal the truth behind its existence.
As the tension thickened, Kae and Men'ma became acutely aware of another presence in the room. A young Odoe girl, ethereal and unnoticed by all except the Rustler, silently crossed the room. She seemed to move like a ghost, unbothered by the physical obstacles in her path. Her words cut through the heavy air, directed at the Rustler.
"So, what are you going to do? Are you going to tell them what happened that day in the middle of nowhere?" Her voice carried an otherworldly quality, echoing with a hint of teasing. “Will you tell them that that day, in the middle of nowhere I became an integral part of you? Will you tell them how you got that arm?”
As the ethereal Odoe girl's words hung in the air, the Rustler's response cut through the tension like a blade. His voice carried a firm resolve that left no room for further discussion.
"No," he replied, his mind made.
The room fell into a heavy silence. Kae and Men'ma exchanged glances, their expressions reflecting a mix of curiosity, concern, and frustration.
The ethereal girl seemed unfazed by the Rustler's refusal, her translucent form shimmering slightly as she moved closer to him. Her eyes locked with his, and her voice took on a more somber tone.
“The girl looked as stubborn as you are, I doubt she'll take a simple ‘no’ as an answer.”
“Then so be it,” Alexei declared, , his voice laced with finality.
Alexei's expression hardened, his resolve unyielding. He remained steadfast in his decision, convinced that he could proceed without having to share these secrets to anyone, except he and the ethereal girl who never leaves his side. But the Dae Odoe girl’s next words shattered this belief, causing a crack to form in his armor of firm stubbornness.
"I know you weren't always an Odo-wielder. You've always been problematic, but at the end of the day, you were just a mage. And I also know that for a time, you had an Odoe girl—traveling by your side. It was she who was the Odo-wielder. One day, she disappeared, and out of the duo that you were, only remained, and from that day, you’ve had that arm, have learned to use Odo a power that was not yours to wield. It was also that day, four years ago, that you’ve gone without ever changing or aging, marauding from city to city like a ghost with that forever youthful appearance."
The room seemed to hold its breath, the weight of the revelation sinking in. The Rustler's eyes narrowed, a flicker of anger crossing his face as the ethereal girl's words cut deep. Memories long buried stirred within him, evoking a mixture of resentment and pain. "You think you know everything?" he retorted, his voice tinged with bitterness. "If so, then why bother asking me those stupid questions when I am in no mood to answer?"
"I don't believe I know everything, which is why I have come to ask you. That's why I left my homeland, and I will not leave until I get an explanation as to why things are the way they are," she declared, summoning her staff made entirely of Odo, a clear indication of her readiness to do whatever it takes to obtain the answers from him.
In response, Alexei tapped into his pranakinesis, causing gusts of wind to swirl around the room while sparks of electricity crackled in the air around him.
The tension reached a breaking point, escalating to the brink of a clash between their powers. However, just before it could erupt into chaos, Kae swiftly stepped forward, positioning herself once again between the two adversaries.
Her presence alone seemed to diffuse the volatile situation, demanding attention and respect. "Stop!" Kae's voice resounded with authority, cutting through the charged atmosphere. "Can't you two just stop with the threats and taunting? We agreed to ask each other questions and seek understanding. He may be refusing to cooperate, but for now, let's try a different approach. Rustler, you also have questions, don't you? Put your staff away, and you, calm those winds and lightning."
Men'ma and the Rustler exchanged a wary glance, the tension slowly dissipating as they considered Kae's suggestion. Reluctantly, the Dae Odoe girl dissipated her staff made of Odo, and the Rustler eased the gusts of wind and electrical sparks surrounding him.
"Fine," Men'ma replied with a hint of resignation. “Ask your questions, Ethereal Breeze.”
The Rustler's expression remained guarded, but he nodded in acknowledgment. Though he wasn’t really a fan of this interaction as a whole, he had two questions he needed an answer for.
“How did you find me?”
The Rustler's guarded expression didn't waver as he posed his question. Men'ma met his gaze, her own expression serious yet contemplative.
"I have been on your tracks for two years," Men'ma clarified, her tone resolute. "So I wouldn't say it was an easy task, but when rumors of a peculiar individual wielding an Odo arm here on the central continent reached my ears, I knew exactly what I had to look for. Once I had that knowledge, finding you became comparatively easier. All I had to do was follow the trail of destruction left in your wake after each of your expeditions. It was your latest one that, through a process of elimination, brought me to this city. And when I saw half of its slums being on fire, I knew I might have struck the jackpot. And I did."