In the tranquil Valley of the Wind, where gentle breezes played with the golden stalks of wheat and slow-turning windmills stood like silent guardians, Ketcha walked alone. She had been traveling for months, crossing the Tanor highlands, skirting the Inland Sea's coast, navigating the Sea of Corruption, and bypassing the deserted plains near Acid Lake, to reach this ever-windy valley. The setting sun welcomed her on her arrival evening, painting the sky in vibrant hues of orange and purple.

She had returned to find Asbel, the Pejite prince, who was now helping to rebuild the Valley alongside its survivors and those from Pejite. Rumours of his presence had reached her ears, and something deep inside her yearned to see him again, two years since their ways parted after the destruction of the Holy Crypt of Shuwa.

As she approached the heart of the Valley, she spotted Asbel in a small crowd of villagers, lifting what seemed like a large screw-like drill mounted on a tall wooden structure from the ground. They deposited the drill onto the grass, its shiny tip forged from Ohmu shell shining in the last sun rays. "Enough for today, I will take care of the rest. Thank you and good job, everyone", he called turning to the villagers dressed in a combination of traditional valley robes and the plainer Pejite tunics. The impulsive young prince she had known had grown into a man in the two years she hadn't seen him. He was now taller, his shoulders broad, his build more muscular than before. His skin was dark tanned from days in the sun. Ketcha's heart skipped a beat as she made out his unmistakable figure as the villagers began to leave to their homes.
"Asbel!" she called out, her voice breaking the silence.

He turned, and for a moment, it was as if time stood still. Recognition dawned in his eyes, followed by a joyous smile. "Ketcha! You're back!" he exclaimed, rushing over.

"I had to," Ketcha replied, her voice barely above a whisper, her eyes not quite meeting his.

They shared an embrace, a connection of two souls who had journeyed through trials and survived. Asbel's eyes searched hers, finding the shadows that lurked there. Ketcha had crossed half of the Periphery - through scorching deserts, the Toxic Jungle and lawless territories ruled by slave catchers - on foot with little more than a woven rucksack, a short dagger and a strange instrument. Her tunic was patched together with purple threads of Dorok cloth, but showed unmistakable signs of a long and arduous journey. 'What had happened to her?', Asbel thought.

You must be exhausted. Come, let's have a meal," he offered warmly.

Asbel was quick to start a fire and roast a handful of purple yams left over from lunch in the ashes for the hungry traveller. They sat together around the fire, sharing Pejite flatbread with sunweed cheese and sipping warm yakkul milk.

p class="MsoNormal"As they spoke, the evening turned into night around them. "The plant cheese has a punchy fragrance, but I promise it tastes better than it smells," he smirked. But Ketcha couldn't care less, her hunger was hard to conceal. As she tore the now dark and crispy yam skin, Asbel caught a glimpse of her fingertips and palms - they were coal black.

They reminisced on shared past, painful and happy, and the many friends they found along the way - and the many they lost. As they shared the meal under the starlit sky, their conversation flowed effortlessly, yet Ketcha's heart was heavy with unspoken secrets. The tranquillity of the evening belied the turmoil within. As the night grew deeper, Ketcha's demeanour became ever more evasive. She seemed distant, her gaze often drifting to the rocks that lined the path.

Asbel sensed her unease. "You don't have to share your journey's burdens right away, Ketcha. But if there's something you need to tell me..."

She hesitated, her eyes reflecting the flickering lights of the nearby campfires. "Asbel, I... I had no choice but to find you here. There is something I can tell to nobody but you".

He leaned closer, his fiery eyes searching for hers.

"They... they speak"

This is my first attempt a at a fanfic of any kind. I make a meagre living by writing stuff nobody reads so I figured why no do it for free as well. At the end of the day, who wouldn't want to be immortalized by having their writing scraped off the web and fed to a god-mighty AI to become a tiny piece of the computer consciousness mosaic forever before it takes over the world. So yes,thanks for introducing me to this strange medium way back when, Vito.

Guys and girls, let me know in the reviews what you think. I was just so enchanted by the Wind Valley tale and felt like many of the side characters don't get enough space in the original work (yes, at 2000+ pages I still wish there was more). I was so happy when my lovely girlfriend bought me the manga for Christmas, even though the text was all in traditional Chinese, so I might get some details wrong here and there.

I focused on this couple that I feel doesn't get enough love. Both are amazing characters and I wish to explore that a little in this story. That said, I don't own the characters, so please don't sue me. The story is inspired by some of my own experiences, albeit I don't play bass.