It was hard for Viral to adjust to waking up in a house at first and there were a few nights that he spent outside. Yet, little by little, he grew more or less accustomed to living with Genome. What had been a one-night offer turned into an indefinite invitation to stay. A little more than two weeks after coming to the village, Viral had not once had reason to think that he was wearing out his welcome. What's more was that he found a friend in the blacksmith who was well-learned and more than happy to spend an evening sharing his knowledge. The village, named Chougin, was a little slower to welcome the newcomer.
Deciding to make himself useful, Viral spent his time searching and doing odd-jobs. The first week he found it difficult to work as the villagers, who weren't used to outsiders lingering amongst them for so long, stared openly at him. A bath and a change of clothes helped quite a bit, but his own wariness and short temper kept him from fitting in. A few jobs were also lost because of his tendency to snap at his employers and walk out on them. Despite all of this, he felt no desire to leave and continue traveling. For once he felt calm and at peace, enjoying a daily routine of waking, eating breakfast with Genome before finding that day's work then returning home and spending the evening listening to the blacksmith tell him more about the world he had walked through but never really knew.
One day, he was moving furniture for an elderly antique seller when a young woman entered the shop. The seller had left on an errand, promising to return promptly, leaving Viral to move chairs and dressers in silence. When he heard the door open, he looked up and caught his breath at the woman's beauty. She had long, sun-kissed hair and dark eyes. On either side of her head a velvety cat's ear grew, a curious trait that made him look down at his hands which were thick and tipped in claw-like nails. "Excuse me," her soft voice made him look up again. She was looking at him inquiringly, perhaps thinking that he was employed in the store. "I was wondering if you could help me," she said, taking a step forward.
"I don't work here," the words tumbled gruffly from his mouth, "I'm just moving some things for the owner, he should be back soon." He turned away, thinking to go back to what he was doing while she left. He found himself wishing that he was better at talking to people; he would have liked to have at least asked the beautiful woman's name.
"Actually," he turned, surprised to see her still there, "my cart broke and I was wondering if you could help me carry some things." She waved vaguely in the air, "I live outside of town and I can't carry everything by myself. I can give you a little money if you want, so will you help me please?"
"Ah…" he stood uncertainly, then nodded, "yeah…I can help you." He glanced at the furniture that still needed to be moved and shrugged before exiting the store. He'd be back soon enough; the old man would just have to wait until then.
Outside he saw the broken cart. It was delicately painted with abstract designs and loaded with various groceries and household items. Looking at it closely he saw that one of the three wheels had split in two. The vehicle itself was tiny with a seat only big enough for one person and a strange set of levers and cranks at the front. He touched the levers curiously, wondering how they worked and what they were for. A tiny silver peal of laughter made him turn around to see the young woman cover her smile.
"It's a strange machine isn't it?" She asked.
"Machine? This?"
"I know it's strange to see one so far from Kina city, but it's so useful," she slid her hand lovingly across the side. "I can load it up and drive it to and from town so quickly, it's really amazing. All I have to do," she held out a strange looking object, it was shaped like a spiral cone about the size of a finger, "is use this. Here," she leaned forward abruptly and placed the cone into a slot on the lever panel which caused the machine to light up and hum quietly. Viral felt his face flush as he caught a glimpse of her cleavage and then was given a first rate view of her rear.
He cleared his throat, "Well…we should get these things…" he moved quickly to the bed of the cart and began unloading the items into his arms.
The woman looked up and looked embarrassed for a moment, "Right…I'm sorry, this is probably uninteresting to you, let me help." She retrieved the cone and pocketed it before picking up the lighter groceries.
"What about the cart?" Viral wondered.
"Don't worry," she shook her head, "it'll be safe until I can return for it. I just want to get these things back right away."
They walked in silence through the town, then out of it, away and through the fields until they came upon an old house. It looked worn down and as though it needed repairs badly and he couldn't help but wonder why she lived in such a place. He waited without saying anything until she had opened the heavy front door and bade him follow her.
Once they entered the kitchen she placed her bags down and fished around until she had found a packet of paper. "Thank you," she nodded to him, "I need to get this medicine to my father. Oh and let me give you something—"
"Don't worry about it," he cut her off, "it wasn't a big deal after all."
"You're too kind," she smiled, "may I ask your name?"
"Viral," he fidgeted uncomfortably, starting to feel awkward.
"Thank you, Viral," she bowed a little, "my name is Elera, I hope that I can repay your favor some day."
He nodded a little and turned to leave. The walk back to the antique shop seemed longer than it should have been and when he got back he wasn't surprised to see the old man waiting for him, more than a little annoyed by his disappearance. He listened to the seller's angry blustering before snarling, "Well if you can do it by yourself, go ahead!" With that he left and returned to Genome's house, his mood becoming darker with every step.
When he reached the smithy he sat down on the front step and scowled at the ground, angry at himself for ruining a means of making money and angry at nothing in particular. There had been no reason to snap at the old man. Nor had there been a reason to walk out on those other jobs. Since coming to the village, though he felt more peaceful and content, he also felt constantly on edge and resentful of the villagers. It made no sense, but he couldn't push away the feeling of being suffocated whenever he walked through the village, of being targeted every time he looked at one of its residents. Looking up he saw a little boy staring at him while his mother spoke with another woman nearby. "Piss off, you little brat," he spat at the child and stood up, scaring the boy. The mother rushed to protect her son and glared fiercely at him, but he didn't care as he turned and entered the house.
"Welcome back," Genome greeted him from a table where he was drawing a design for a weapon.
Viral let himself fall onto a bench and stared at the coals of the forge fire. After a moment he asked, "I keep wondering why I'm here, Genome. Why am I still in Chougin?"
The blacksmith shifted in his chair, making it creak. "I know how you feel, Viral," his deep voice filled the room, "you feel as though you have no purpose, that you are just floating. Let me assure you, that is not so. If you are patient, you will understand what you must do when the time comes. You're here for a reason, just wait a little and you'll see."
"Genome…" Viral frowned, "what are you saying? I don't understand at all."
"What do you want to eat tonight?" The other man had already risen and disappeared upstairs where they lived. "I have some fish we can cook," the bass voice called down and there was a clatter of pots and pans.
"My purpose," Viral stood up as well and looked out one of the windows, "what is my purpose?" From the window he could see up the street and for a moment thought he caught a flash of sun-colored hair and heard the hum of a machine being started up. "I guess I have to wait a little more," he told himself, the image of Elera's quiet smile in his mind.