The woman shielded her eyes from the bright sun. It was midday in Manila. She was in a taxi with poor air-conditioning and she could feel the air practically sweltering outside. She felt like she was being roasted in a small oven.
Her skin was burnt to a nut brown color and her hair was in a thick braid that hung over one bare shoulder. She was dressed in a green tank top, cargo pants, and flipflops. She looked out the window and saw a boy selling water amongst the traffic.
She had the look of a backpacker.
She had, in fact, travelled to many places. Holland, France, Greenland, Kenya, Turkey, Brazil... She usually spent months in a country, if her visa permitted it. She went to all the lesser-known nooks and crannies of the lesser-known countries and even of the better-known ones. She would've had her own TV show on Discovery or something had she not A. hated Discovery Channel, and B. hated having to be in front of a camera, and C. had to keep on the down low in accordance with the vow she gave.
Just a week ago she had been traveling all over the islands of Luzon, learning about their indigenous tribes, climbing mountains, peering down volcanoes... and that was just one-third of the country. The other two-thirds would have to wait, however.
She took her phone out of her pocket. It was a very unassuming sort of phone, one that people wouldn't steal. She was not very fond of fancy phones, because she reasoned that a phone should be able to send and receive messages and nothing more.
She flipped to her e-mail, and re-read the latest message.
From: jiminywaters
To: miss-ardassnac
Subject: How's the weather in Manila?
At first glance, it looked like the person who sent it- Jiminy Waters- would only chat her up about her recent trip to the Pearl of the Orient.
However, it was something much more urgent.
You haven't replied to my messages in a while. Is it because you aren't getting them, or is it because you've been consulting with some other elders from some other tribe? Knowing you, it's probably the latter.
Anyway, we found You-Know-Who, and he's in shit shape as I type this, actually. Solar-Zero finally got him, though they only got away with a nick at the shoulder before we sent them howling. You better come home. He'll be wondering about you.
Cheerio,
Jiminy
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She inhaled sharply through her teeth, and exhaled.