The last time I told the truth, I was about seconds away from the business end of a spear and Nubi had the hairs on the back of my neck in a vice grip. I debated lying to the elderly woman but seeing as she did just save me from an even more awkward situation, the least I could do was try and reach an understanding. Lowering the prickleboar to the ground with a grunt, I rubbed my aching shoulder and tried to massage the pain out of my joints. The old woman watched me with hawk-like eyes, following my every movement with precision but before I could begin to explain, she sighed and reached into the pocket of her apron.
"You're just like my grandchild, always doing things the hard way," she tutted, pulling a small vial from her apron as she closed the distance between us.
Instinct told me to step away but she grabbed my vine-covered hands and slowly began to unravel them. The vial stuck out from the side of her palm and the liquid sloshing about in side glowed yellow. I tilted my head for a better look at it but with a stern glare from her, I immediately snapped back into place and stared up at the ceiling. She slowly returned to her task and looked away from me, and I dared to take even a breath. Looking around the room we were in, I was amazed.
What I thought was a house might have actually been an inn but it seemed so homely and well-lived in that I couldn't believe it. We stood in what looked like the living area, the prickleboar laid out on the wooden floors near a wide couch and a few other sitting chairs. There was a rocking chair by the furthest window which allowed sunlight to stream in, the fireplace empty with a few logs placed inside. An old carpet with a wooden table atop of it in the midst of the sitting chairs and the couch, several books and children toys laid out on the top, most of the toys wooden and faded. On the left of us was a flight of stairs, the walls adorned with pictures of the woman and several other people. Villagers, perhaps, or maybe travelers who'd come by at one time or another.
From the entry leading away from the living area, I could smell something spicy and my stomach rumbled. The last of the vines fell away from my hand, and the vial was placed in my open palm as the woman drew back and stuck her hands in the pockets of her apron.
「 STAMINA POTION 」has been acquired.
I closed my hand around the vial unconsciously then looked down, blinking at it owlishly. Stamina Potion?
"You don't know what that is?" She asks, her eyes narrowing at me and I raised my free hand in defense.
"No ma'am, I've never.. seen anything like it.." I tilt the vial from one way to the other, the cork keeping the liquid inside rough against my thumb, but the glass is cool to the touch.
"Well, drink up."
What?
I blink at her and she raises a brow at me, miming uncorking the vial and drinking then raising her hands as if to say 'understand'. No, I didn't. Why would I just drink something a strange woman gave me especially from her apron. When was the last time she put this thing in there? No, not even that. What was this thing?
"Don't worry, those adventurers use it all the time so you should be fine."
That wasn't my concern at all! Although, I didn't know the contents of it, if it was a stamina potion then it should do what the name says. But could I even trust that?
"Air," Nubi whispered from behind my ear. "A「STAMINA POTION 」will definitely help out in a pinch when there's no food sources near by."
By that logic, it would've made more sense for me to hold onto it.
"Uh, couldn't I just have some of what's cooking back there?" I ask, pointing towards what I assumed was the kitchen area and the old woman huffed.
"We don't freeload around here, kid. That's for people who work."
Well, she had a point and she already saved me once. I glanced down at the prickleboar and got an idea, gesturing to it with a jut of my thumb.
"I'll give that to you and two more like it if I can have a bowl of what you have cooking," I offered, sucking in a breath as she looked from the prickleboar to me then gave it a swift kick to the snout with the tip of her shoe.
She knelt down and rested her arms on her knees, eyeing the prickleboar quietly, and the seconds that ticked by only served to make me hungrier and even more fearful. I didn't know who this woman was but she brought me to a place out of sight and I was even wanting to eat her food despite it probably being poisoned. None of this seemed like a good idea. But if Nubi was right, then I'd need to hold on to this 「 STAMINA POTION 」.
"You kept everything in tack and didn't go all wild like those hunters normally do, or those adventurers when they actually get off their lazy butts to do something," the old woman grumbled and stood up, dusting off her apron and looking at me with a raised brow. "But how're you gonna get me two more of 'em like that?"
I opened my mouth to explain but no words came out. She did have a point. Shutting my mouth, I smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of my head. Her stony and skeptical expression melting into one of resignation.
"C'mon, you can't fight on an empty stomach and you're in debt to me, so don't think I'm gonna let you off easily," she said, motioning for me to follow her although she called over her shoulder. "And take off those water-logged boots before you track antleeches in here!"
I blinked slowly and did as she asked post-haste, hurrying after her in my bare feet, wiggling my toes against the wooden floors. Nubi clung to the back of my shirt and whispered to me, "Air, what about the prickleboar?"
Ah, that's right. If other people lived here then it'd be strange finding a deceased animal in the middle of your living room.
"Miss, what do you want me to do with that?" I asked, pointing over my shoulder.
She disappeared beyond the entryway, cutting the corner, her voice carrying over her shoulder. "Don't worry about it, the spirits will take care of it."
"Spirits?" I echoed back and glanced over my shoulder.
Nubi peeked from around my neck, floating up to rest on my shoulder, her hands fisted in my shirt. "Air, we should keep moving."
I wanted to argue but between Nubi's nervousness and the idea of spirits lingering around, I suppose it was best to keep moving on. I padded through the living room and stepped into the kitchen, stealing a glance over my shoulder. My breath caught and my eyes widened as I heard a few soft thumps and the prickleboar gradually slid out of view. What moved it, I wasn't sure of, but I quickly turned my head forward and saw the old woman standing over a cauldron in a fireplace with a wooden spoon carefully stirring its contents.
The smell of spices and meat filled the air and I sighed, my mouth watering at the idea that I'd get a chance to taste something that smelled that good. However, it didn't put out of mind the fact that something else was in this place besides the two of us. Looking around the kitchen, it didn't look like anything was amiss. There were a few tables pressed against the walls, sacks of what I hoped were flour nestled beneath them or to the side. There were shelves full of unlabeled jars, some see-through with contents that were covered in yellow, blue, or red liquid. I tilted my head and walked close to one of the shelves. A table sat in the center of the room with several apples, what looked like peppers and sliced pieces of oranges sitting in bowls. By the entryway to the right, two double-wide doors. and then to the far left was the old woman and her cauldron within a fireplace.
She hummed a jaunty tune then tapped the spoon against the rim of the cauldron, a loud clanging noise echoing off the walls. I grimaced and rubbed my ear, glancing in time to see one of the jars shift colors making me back away from it and hurry towards where the old woman was praising herself for her cooking. She clapped her hands together after taking a sip of the broth and sighed.
"There's nothing like a spiced fruit soup," she says, grabbing one of the bowls from off the fireplace's mantle and filling it up with meat, bits of fruit, vegetables, and soup. "Here."
Her arm shot out, making the contents of the bowl slosh and splash out of the bowl, some landing on her wrist while droplets of it landed on me or the floor. I stared at the bowl then gingerly took it in my and with a mumbled thanks. My stomach rumbling in protest to my confusion at the contents. Who would mix together meat, vegetables, and fruit?
I wasn't eager to know what it tasted like but with her eyes on me, I figured I had no choice. I brought the bowl to my lips and downed some of it, the meat tender and the vegetables were soft. While the smell was spicy, the taste was both sweet with a spicy aftertaste and I hummed pleasantly. From over the rim of my bowl, I could see her looking at me but her lips were curved up in a smile until she turned away to keep stirring the soup.
I took the chance to take as many sips as I wanted, even picking vegetables and pieces of fruit out to hand to Nubi. They smiled at me and tried to chew quietly, keeping their pleased hums low.
"Does your small friend want a bowl as well?"
Both Nubi and I froze, but the old woman continued stirring as if nothing was amiss.
"I've lived in Sinaba for a very long time, but I've never once seen one of the faefolk. Do they eat meat? There's enough for everyone."
I lowered the bowl and wiped some of the soup that smeared across my upper lip, trying to buy enough time for Nubi to hide behind me. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as I felt something or someone literally breathing down my neck. Their breath warming my back and I turned my head slightly, eyes widening at the sight of a hulking mass looming over me. It's body was translucent and I could see the room through it but it's outline was in a faint silvery-blue whispy fog. As if it was there but also not. Like a creature made out of just the air around it.
It bent low, and though I couldn't see its eyes, I could feel it staring at me. A gust of wind blew in my face and ruffled my hair and my clothes. Even Nubi squeaked and hung onto my shoulder as the creature opened its maw, sharp rows of teeth outlined in silver and grey were on full display and I could feel its breathing as it grew closer.
"Cut that out," the old woman ordered, slapping her wooden spoon against the top of the creature's head.
It recoiled and staggered backward into the table, whimpering and holding its head, sinking to the floor as she stepped past me.
"I'm sorry about them, they have a terrible habit of scaring others for the fun of it."
That made two of them. Nubi peeked over my shoulder and the old woman's eyes softened as Nubi cowered behind me when she took a step forward. Regret painted across her features as she lowered the spoon to the table and shot a glare at the cowering creature behind her.
"Don't be afraid, I didn't bring you here to harm you. I'm one of the elders of Sinaba and it's been some time since we've had some new faces around here. I just had to make sure you weren't one of those「 PLAYERS 」."
"「 PLAYERS 」?"
The old woman huffed, picking up her spoon and heading back to her cauldron to stir up the broth. With her back turned, the creature slunk out of the room.
"Hey! Make sure you're down here when I call and bring the others, or else you're missing out," she called over her shoulder then sighed. "So you really don't know anything. 「PLAYERS 」are what some of us call adventurers. They were said to be a gift from the Goddess, people brought through the 「 SOUL STREAM 」and reincarnated into our world to help us in our time of need."
She huffed, grabbing a handful of the peppers and the pieces of fruit in the bowls and tossing them into the cauldron. I tilted my head to one side. From that description, it sounded like they were heroes. Although I couldn't imagine the trio outside saving the world at any rate. But looks could be deceiving.
"So, why did you have to make sure I wasn't a 「 PLAYER 」?"
"Because nothing good comes from those parasites."
If my blood could run cold then it would have. Nubi gripped me by the shirt and I reached back to tap the top of their head with my index finger. We both looked at the old woman's back, the rise in her voice, the deep tremor, and the slight quake in her shoulders. Something happened. That was obvious enough.
"You're just a child, you don't know anything and while I'd like it to stay that way, they won't leave you be since you're a new face here. I'll try to keep you as safe as possible but— you'll have to work in exchange."
I was grateful for the most part. Even without the looming threat of someone being after me, I didn't have anywhere else to go and I didn't know anyone who could help me. Besides that, I needed money for equipment and to find a place that actually sold a world map.
"While I do appreciate it," I started, fingers drumming along the curves of my bowl. "Why are you helping me out? You don't even know who I am."
The old woman laughed, sharp and barking, then looked over her shoulder. The fire simmering beneath the cauldron burned in her eyes as she grinned at me.
"What's your name, kiddo?"
I blinked at her in disbelief and before I could stop myself, I said, "Air."
"Strange name for a strange kid, didn't your parents ever teach you not to look a gift horse in its mouth?"
I opened my mouth then closed it, looking down. I wasn't sure. I don't know if my parents taught me anything now that she mentioned it.
"...I saw someone in need and I helped them out, that's all," the old woman said and I glanced up. "Don't give me that pitiful look. Told you it wouldn't be for free, didn't I? You can have a room here, some meals, and I'll vouch for you but you're gonna be working to the bone."
I smiled faintly and nodded. "Yes ma'am."
With that, she took my bowl and filled it up, handing it back to me. Though before she could turn away, I asked, "What's your name, ma'am?"
She looked at me and I almost regretted asking. Her features softened, the corners of her mouth curving downward and her eyelids drooping as she looked down. She seemed so small. Different from the woman that carted me towards her home or scared the living daylights out of me.
Everything came into view. From her orange headscarf to her dark brown tightly coiled hair secured at the base of her neck, worn scarred skin with several nicks and cuts on her face and her arms and her hands, her dark brown skin and warm brown eyes that met mine with sheer determination and pride. She was strong, stocky, her arms and her hands spoke of someone who'd been working their entire life. She seemed so familiar and not at the same time.
"Futhacir Frowe, but everyone around here calls me Grandma Fu or Granny."
I smiled softly and nodded looking down at my soup.
"Their name is Nubi."
Grandma Fu nodded and found a small bowl, setting it on the table after filling it up. "Nice to meet you both. It'll get a little crowded in here soon so you might want to find somewhere to sit."
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