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Chapter Four
Rain Feast
The driver was right. A few hours later the sun begins to set and there's still no sign of any towns nearby. And, just as he said, the temperature begins to drop the moment the sun disappears. Morgiana takes charge of laying out their bedrolls and she situates them close beside each other in order to conserve warmth. The blankets they carry are thick, but already it is colder than Morgiana had anticipated. She starts to think that they are underprepared after all and voices her concern to her companion.
Hakuryuu smiles and says, "Don't worry. We'll just start a fire and then we'll be fine."
Morgiana regards him oddly. "But we have no wood."
"No," he agrees, "but we're about to." He raises his halberd and commands, "Zagan! Dwell within me!" There's a flash of light and then Hakuryuu stands before her fully djinn-equipped. It's the first time she's seen him perform a full equip and the sight of him cloaked in black fills her with awe. He looks powerful and also a little terrifying. The memory of his equip in the pirates' base is still fresh in her mind.
"In this form I can take control of the pollen and bacteria in the air and form it into any shape I desire," he explains. He focuses the tip of his halberd on the bare spot of ground in front of him and right before her eyes a root takes form from seemingly nothing. In a matter of moments, they have a whole pile of wood ready for lighting. Hakuryuu releases the transformation with a sigh. "There."
They have no flint or tinder but Morgiana already has a solution for that problem. She's a member of Alibaba's household, after all, and Alibaba's djinn commands fire. Together, she and Hakuryuu are the perfect formula for an instant toasty campfire.
A few minutes later, they sit around their magically conjured fire and enjoy a meal of bread and cheese and dried meat before turning in for the night. At first Morgiana thinks that Hakuryuu will balk at the prospect of sleeping so close to her, but he slips into his bedroll without a word about it. She shrugs and lies down beside him. She's glad for the fire as she slips into dreams.
In her dream, she's in Parthevia. She and Alibaba and Aladdin are visiting Sinbad at his company headquarters. Aladdin thinks he's ascertained the true nature of destiny and he's shining more brightly than ever as he explains his views to Sinbad. His speech moves the hearts of everyone in the room and Morgiana is sure even Sinbad is swayed. She believes Aladdin is correct. She believes destiny is something created by everyone's wishes. She believes that a strong enough wish can alter its course.
Later, as they're walking back to their lodgings, Alibaba takes her hand. "Aladdin's right," he says. His eyes are shining. He's positively radiating self-assuredness. "It's up to everyone to decide the course of this world. Nothing's ever set in stone." He squeezes her hand. "If we don't like something, we'll just find a way to make it better. That's what it means to be human."
Morgiana echoes his smile and, putting one foot in front of the other, steps forward into her future.
When she wakes, the sun is just about to rise. It's still cold but she knows the temperature will shoot up quickly. Her back is pressed up against Hakuryuu's side and she figures she must have migrated to his bedroll in the night in search of warmth. She lazily sits up and looks down at her companion. Hakuryuu is still slumbering peacefully. His face is relaxed and his lips are parted just slightly as he breathes softly through his mouth. He looks very young—younger than she thinks he ought to look. For some reason she can imagine with perfect clarity what he will look like several years from now. His eyes will be sharper and his jaw more defined. He'll be tall and commanding and just as beautiful as he is now but in a harder, more world worn way.
She shakes her head and gets up to prepare for the day. Why is she spending time considering such things? There's no way to know for sure what her friend will look like in the future. She lets the thought fade back into her subconscious.
That afternoon, they find a town. It's small, but it has an inn and Morgiana and Hakuryuu are glad for it. They're mildly curious when they see the townsfolk busily putting up decorations and setting up an enormous tent over the town square. They also notice that clouds have rolled in and now obscure the previously barren sky.
"You kids come to see the rains?" the innkeeper asks them as he hands over their room key. Morgiana and Hakuryuu look at each other in confusion and then back at the innkeeper and shake their heads.
"No. What's that?" Hakuryuu asks for both of them.
The innkeeper grins. "You know the desert is dry and hot all the time, right? Well, twice every year we get a big rainstorm through these parts. It's a very important time for everyone who makes their home in the desert. Without the rains, we wouldn't be able to make a living out here. Because of that we always celebrate the occasion with a feast."
"A feast?" Morgiana echoes, perking up. She's ready for some real food after camping out the previous night. Hakuryuu looks like he's thinking the same thing.
"You bet! I hope you two'll join us. Whether you make your home here or are merely passing through, everyone with the determination and resolve to face the desert are comrades in this town."
Morgiana and Hakuryuu exchange excited looks. A feast! It sounds like they've dodged one hell of an arrow by coming to this town tonight. If they'd spent another night in the desert they would've been caught in the storm. Instead, not only do they get a roof over their heads, they get to attend a party too.
They drop their things off in their room and an hour later the innkeeper leads them to the square where preparations have been completed and what looks to be the entire population of the town are gathering together under the humongous tent. Beneath the tent is a raised platform covered in low tables and carpets with colorful cushions. The man shows them to some free seats and the people around them greet them as they sit.
"Welcome, travelers!" an older man says jovially, raising a cup of wine. "Whereabouts are you young'ns from?"
A young woman to his left laughs and swats his arm. "You can tell just by looking at them, can't you?" She points to each of them in turn and says, "Kou and Cathargo, right?"
Hakuryuu scratches the back of his head shyly and Morgiana nods. "Probably," she answers. "I'm on my way there to find out."
The woman looks at her in surprise. "You're going there?"
"Better watch yourself if that's where you're headed, missy," the old man contributes, reflecting the warning of the caravan driver from the previous day. "Ain't such a safe place for a Fanalis to be wandering into these days."
Morgiana blinks. "But surely there are Fanalis still living there, right?"
The man shrugs. "If there are, they're doing a hell of a job of hiding."
Morgiana looks down at the table and frowns. So it's true. There really aren't any Fanalis left in their homeland. She won't give up so easily, though. She's determined to see her people's home for herself. She needs to know where she came from.
She feels a hand on her shoulder. "They're there," Hakuryuu assures her. "You're going to find them. Even if it's not tomorrow or the next day or even the next year, someday you'll find your people."
The woman looks skeptical. "You really think there are still Fanalis down there somewhere? You know that the slave traders wiped them out pretty thoroughly, right?"
Hakuryuu gives her a steady, confident look. "I know there are."
Morgiana looks back up at him in interest. She wonders again how he can sound so sure. There isn't a single doubt in his voice. He truly believes that her people are still living freely somewhere and she'll see them again someday. It gives her hope. She wants to believe him more than anything.
"Well, damn," the woman says. "If you believe it that much, then hell, I do too." She turns to the old man and nudges him. "Right, Menos?"
The old man, Menos, gives them a grin. "Stranger things've happened," he concedes.
Hakuryuu smiles down at her. Morgiana looks at him and then at the supportive faces of their two new friends and feels heat rise to her cheeks. She smiles back at her companion. "Thank you. I hope you're right."
Soon, food starts to arrive on heaping platters. There are meats and fruits that Morgiana has never seen before but everything looks delicious. Once the food has all been set out, a strong looking man who looks to be the town's leader stands up and calls for attention.
"Welcome, everyone!" he greets in a big voice. "The weather has become cool and the sky dark. It is time once again for the rains!"
A cheer goes up from the people sitting around them. Cups of wine and beer are being raised. Morgiana and Hakuryuu take their cups and follow suit.
"Tonight is a night for celebration," the man continues. "And what better way is there to start a celebration than with a toast!" He pauses as the people cheer again. "May our crops grow large and our bellies stay always full. Here's to our continued prosperity!" He raises his cup and everyone knocks theirs together. Hakuryuu and Morgiana toast Melos and the young woman and then each other. Both are wearing big smiles. After the toast, everyone takes a long, hearty pull of their drink and the feast begins.
Morgiana quickly notices that there is no water; only spirits. That's fine for her, but she looks over at Hakuryuu who is taking a long sip from his cup and touches his arm concernedly. "Hey, you'd better not drink too much or you're going to cry all night," she warns him.
Hakuryuu gives her a pouty, affronted look. He opens his mouth to retort but then he stops short and his eyes widen. "Wait…what did you just say?"
Morgiana is taken aback by his shift in attitude. "That you're going to end up crying all night if you drink?"
Hakuryuu gives her a long, searching look. "How…how do you know that?"
Morgiana scoffs. "Obviously it's because you always…" She stops and her eyes widen as well. How does she know this? She's never seen Hakuryuu drink before.
…right?
While a second ago she'd been completely sure, now she doesn't know anymore. Why did she think she'd seen him drink many times? The two of them aren't even properly old enough to be drinking. She scratches her head. "I…I don't know. For some reason I just feel like I know that about you."
Hakuryuu looks down and his hand tightens around his cup. A moment passes. When he looks back up he's smiling like usual. "Well then, I'll just have to prove you wrong."
Morgiana feels like she's just missed something. But she can't put her finger on what it is, so she ignores it.
A few minutes later, they hear the distinctive pitter patter of raindrops on the roof of the tent. It's slow at first, but it only takes a few moments for everyone to notice what's happening. The storm has come. An excited hush travels through the tent as people stop talking to listen. It doesn't take long for the rain to pick up and in a matter of moments the skies open up and the heavens begin to dump. Large torrents of water crash down on the tent and a cheer goes up through the people gathered beneath it. It's almost scary how heavy the rain is, Morgiana thinks, but the townspeople are ecstatic. They all drain their cups and run to the sides of the tent, whooping and hollering, and as she watches they hold the cups out under the downpour. Now she sees why they weren't served water at the beginning of the meal.
She and Hakuryuu watch with fascination as the men and women of the town excitedly fill their cups and then down them like, well, thirsty men in a desert. The rain is coming down so hard that in a matter of minutes the streets have turned to rivers. It's an amazing sight to behold and Morgiana only now notices that the houses are all built on stilts. All around them, people have begun to jump from the platform and dance under the deluge. Catching the enthusiasm of the townsfolk, Morgiana turns to Hakuryuu and grabs his wooden hand. "Come!" she commands, giving the appendage a shake.
Hakuryuu looks at her in confusion. "What—?" he starts but she's already dragging him off the platform and into the rain. The water comes up to mid-calf and Hakuryuu makes a noise of protest as his boots splash into the stream. Morgiana is already drenched and she laughs as rainwater showers down on her. She throws out her arms and gives a twirl, delighting in the cool feeling of water on her skin and her dress clinging to her body. She feels her stresses washing away and her soul being cleansed.
Beside her, Hakuryuu is watching her unsurely. She grabs his hands and forces him to dance with her and soon he is laughing along with her, no longer giving a thought to his clothes or propriety. Together, they stomp around and twirl and laugh and just enjoy the novelty of the situation.
Oddly, Morgiana is very happy that it's Hakuryuu here with her. She suddenly has a feeling like she's been missing him, even though he's been with her since they first set out to capture Zagan's dungeon all those months ago. Maybe she's just feeling grateful to him for accompanying her on this journey. He's done nothing but support her and encourage her since the very beginning and somehow he already feels like someone she's known for a long time; far longer than just a few months.
She's feeling such exuberance that she sticks her hands in the water and splashes a large amount of water onto her companion. He splutters and looks at her indignantly which just causes her to splash him again. The townspeople see what she's doing and an all-out splash war breaks out. People are throwing water at each other left and right and Morgiana continues to assault Hakuryuu with a vengeance as he attempts and largely fails to retaliate. Finally, he gives up and simply throws his arms around her to immobilize her and she laughs at the harried look on his face. She could easily throw him off but she's starting to get chilly and his body is warm so she allows herself to be captured a little while longer. She can feel his heart racing in his chest from exertion. It's pounding against her own chest and somehow she's reassured by it. He smells like kind and warm plants. He's here, she thinks. He's alive.
A moment later, when he finally lets her go, she'll forget she thought such a thing.
oO0Oo
I hope you enjoyed your small amount of fluff. In the next chapter everyone dies. Ill timed comet. Real tragedy. Gotta watch out for 'em.