"How about now?" Nin asked as he held up the pre-made frame of a house still. Unlike everyone else in the village bar our friends, he had no trouble at all. In fact, now that my magic has been coming back, I've been able to do similar stuff. I just don't like to do so.
I was quite content to just enjoy a normalish life at the moment. Even if a certain event had yet to come. But, it would come, and until then, my friends would keep me occupied. Unlike before, I was willing to be patient about it now.
It still bothered me and thinking about it still got me upset, but I was easily distracted now. If I felt like I was shifting back towards how I was on the airship. Before we went and sorted out Dad's last present from me. I would just come and find these lot, or, just one of them was fine.
We could talk about everything we have done together. We could talk about the things that worried us and console the other as they spoke. We could even have some fun as we were the only ones here able to use magic. Well, magic of any notable scale as everyone here could do a certain spit-related spell.
And, when it got dark and the Orbital-Halo disappeared for the night, there was still stuff to do. Quiet strolls in the nearby forest or trying to spook the other over the bugs. For the most part, however, we just walked talked. Sometimes, however, I went on my own with Nin.
We steadily opened up with each other and we caught up. He told me about his time before Suhurlodst, and I answered his questions about Vapooliar. Who, I did wonder about from time to time. I may have not treated her like it, but, surely she was my friend, no?
I owed her many apologies, just like I did Nin. But, if the gods were happy to abide by my wishes. We can all just move on from those moments and work on making it better. It made me happy.
And, even though it hasn't really been that long since the loss of Nin's home. Since the city of Tobaballe, a place I despised so much was destroyed. It felt like it was a long time ago. And being with my friends made me happy for the first time in a long time.
"V-Vadei..." I heard my little sister call out nervously as they hid behind a building. And, upon hearing it, I turned to the noise. And, when I saw her, I moved over to her to see what she wanted. And I made sure we were on our own as she has changed since Tobaballe.
The cocky, snarky brat she used to be was gone. If Dad was still here, he'd be shocked out how reserved and docile she has become. It worried me a lot when you knew how much she had changed. A most obvious trait as well was how she treated her hair, she let it grow now.
No more short bangs or shaved down sections of it. She let it grow and she made sure to keep it well-brushed. Her tail was also brushed well. However, she was very protective of it, more so than anyone had a right to be.
I hope she is okay, she doesn't really talk to anyone now. But, she'll still pass on information if asked and come near those she knew. But, everything about her mannerisms now made one thing clear. Her time in that city had left her broken, she still carried the mindset of a slave.
Something I only knew because it was a behaviour they once tried to drill into me. Obedience, compliance, docility and submission. Those are the behaviours they tried to hammer inside of my head. But, I was able to copy my sister for just a little bit.
I was able to stand up for myself and set myself down the path to saving them. Yet, seeing her was just another reminder of how I could have done things better. If it wasn't for the fact her state kept me in a moody state, I might hang around her more. Just to see if she was alright...
"M... M-Mom wants to speak to y-you." she stuttered out like a young child as her tail slightly moved towards me. Only for it to shoot back into her arms when she realised what she had done. And it pained me to watch her shirk away from me with paranoia. It hurt a lot to see her like this.
We might have not got along before it all happened. Before we were all suddenly dragged out of our home by slavers. But, she was still my sister. She was still the one I shared a room with for years.
"Okay, thank you for letting me know." I tell her with a smile that disappeared quickly when she ran off. She wasn't lonely because those around her had abandoned her. She was lonely because she didn't think she had anyone to speak to. But, I can only hope she knows her big sister will hold her if she just asked.
She did not even have to use words, she just had to let out one tear. One contextless, out of nowhere tear was all she needed to let out for her sister to help her. So I can only wish she'd let me see her cry more often. I want to be there for my family and make up for our time apart...
I needed to be there for them, because with Dad gone, there was one less of us around. One less person who understood what we were on about. And that is why I felt so happy around my friends as well. They got it, they really did get it.
But, for now, I had to focus on finding Mom as she wanted something. So I sniffed the air and tried to separate the lingering smell from her actual smell. Yet, even as I tried to filter out her location, I still headed on home. I still walked along the low cobblestone wall and stretched my neck to see into the house quicker.
I did not find her in the house, however, the cellar wasn't open either. Instead, I found her out in the small field of grass we called a garden. I found her on her own, drinking something with drooping ears and a still tail. Some excitement came to her, however, when she caught my scent.
"You wanted to speak to me?" I asked her with a plain tone as I moved into the perimeter of our home. Standing before her until I found myself complying with her gesture for me to sit down beside her. And, when I did, she pulled me down and rested my head against her. It surprised me, just not enough to get a visible reaction.
"I just wanted to see how my Little Va was doing." she said in a rather peculiar tone that had something odd about it. I could only really compare it to how when I got in an argument with her and she was suddenly really nice to everyone else. Of course, this was for a clearly different reason. The way it sounded worried me, however.
"I was fine until Conquei came by." I answered, referring to how her state left me worried.
"She didn't do anything, did she?" Mom asked as she looked down. And I shook my head as she misunderstood my statement. Conquei didn't do anything wrong at all. But, I can't blame Mom here, us not getting along was the norm, after all.
"No, I'm just worried for her." I admit to Mom as I watched a little insect climb to the top of a blade of grass. Wondering every now and then if the winds that rattled the piece of greenery would ever knock the insect down. But, it held on, despite the trouble it might be facing. It kept on climbing until it reached the top.
"We both are, but, I asked you here so I could speak to you. So, what have you been up to?" she asked me as her nose was used for more than just smelling.
"I've been with my friends, helping them with the reconstruction of the village." I tell Mom as if it wasn't obvious. It was either that or I was here, at home. The only other thing I really did while they were here was join the other women in the communal kitchen.
And, after my words, Mom's grip tightened on me, "Vadei, I hope you have been doing what I have asked."
"Despite what you are currently doing to me, no, I'm not a child. I am not obligated to do what you ask." I tell her with neither hatred nor annoyance in my tone. I was just meaning to make the situation clear to her if it had been lost on her.
"I'm still your mother, Vadei. And I would like you to do as you're told."
And when she said that, I moved out of her grip, "I'm not staying away from my friend just because you tell me to."
"He's not your friend..." she nearly growled at me. And that was the moment I decided to go away. What right did she have to speak about my friend that way!? She did not know him!
"Don't ever say such a thing to me again." was the last thing I said to her before I walked away. Watching her initially with a flat expression before the makings of a glare came along. It brought me no joy watching fury build up in her. It did not make me happy, knowing the threats she was likely to come out with meant nothing.
What it did was make me upset, it made me angry and annoyed. Nin was a good friend and he did not deserve this kind of reaction from her. He's already made it abundantly clear that he was not just some bug. He was a good man dealt one of the worst hands out there.
I hated what she was doing, she was trying to stoke my fears of osibindah and have them apply to him. I pointed out how she was wrong over and over but she still did not listen. She was aware of Nin's part in saving her life from slavery. How he also fought to save our home from the bugs. Yet, she still spoke of him in such a foul way.
It was not enough for me to start disliking her, not trusting her or even hating her. But, I really had, had enough with these accusations of hers. And I was worried for Nin, all it would take is one comment from Mom and he'd be on the run. They'd all be on the run as they would not be able to stay here anymore.
They weren't in danger, but, I wasn't worried about that. I just did not know if I was ready to say goodbye to them yet. I wasn't going back to Suhurlodst once they were on their way. So I wanted to enjoy my last few days with them.
I wanted us to part on a good note, and, if they ever came back. I wanted to be able to recall those good times. But Mom's attitude put that all at risk! If she let one-word slip about Nin, she'd ruin it all.
We would never see each other again and our last moments would be awful. If Nin's words really have rung true, this would be a repeat of something he has handled before. And even though I was different back then, I had seen the results at Suhurlodst. He put on a joking facade a lot now because otherwise, he'd keep trying until the knife didn't break...
There might have been a time where my own worries made me cruel. Cruel to the point I would laugh it off without a second thought. But, Nin has given me many reasons to care now. And even if he hadn't, seeing him put that knife there that one night shocked me.
It was just so sudden when it all happened. And even now, as I watched him mess around and play how he could. I couldn't help but think about what it would take to make it happen again. He's already quick to anger over the mere mention of his home after all...
"Hey! Vadei! Help!" Nin called out as he tried to swat away Larishazza as she dashed around him and jabbed him with her fingers. Of course, she was laughing the entire time and making silly noises. And, it made me smile for a moment too. She was so childish at times but I only found myself enjoying it really.
"She's on my side as you can tell!" Larishazza let out when she caught onto the fact I was too busy watching the pair.
"Why won't somebody help me!?" Nin moaned with a strange cry as he tried to manoeuvre his large torso away. He was, however, saved by the eventual firm hand of Liadanann who did nothing but work.
"The pair of you, cut it out!" she demanded as she got up in their faces. I could not see Nin's face, but, I had a feeling a smirk was there. Larishazza, however, I could see, and she was acting like she had done nothing.
"So where do I put this bucket of nails?" Einervaene then asked as she quietly stood around waiting. She had been watching the pair as I had, she enjoyed it too. But she was also mostly waiting for Liadanann to notice her.
"Into the designated spots!" Liadanann nearly yelled in Einervaene's face before she stomped away to another part of the village.
"What spot...?" the confused woman asked as she continued to hold onto the bucket with uncertainty.
"Just leave it by some other supplies, I'm sure someone will take a few." I answer for her as I make them aware of my return.
"So what did she want?" Larishazza was quick to ask as she leaned her head on my shoulder. Her wide-open eyes stared intently at my face as I tried to look back at her.
I did not want to answer this question, honestly, however, "Nothing important." I told her before sitting down. My body reacted with some surprise as well when the planks I was on shook. Nin had copied me and was letting out a relaxed groan as he sat there.
"I really wish they weren't taking advantage of us..." Nin complained soon after he finished his groaning.
"Can you blame us? It's not every day we get some free labour capable of rebuilding our village and growing it." I say, not bothered one bit by how many new additions these three have helped make. I'm not sure how much Liadanann has helped, though. She seems to just walk around with paper being bossy.
"I can and I will. There's not even enough people here to fill up these buildings!" Nin complained as he pointed a wrapped-up finger at the front of these new buildings. They weren't properly connected to the main road like the older shops were. So they stood out a lot more and if one headed out to the mountain before us. You could see the village had grown a lot on the left.
The right side, however, had not really been touched. As those at the temple have made it clear they'd do it on their own. Not out of pride, but rather, from what I knew of them. Humility is what made them do it.
If you wanted to find people equally as thankful compared to me for these three, it was there. Everyone was thankful, sure, but, it was those at the temple that refused to push their luck. I did not know why, no one would think bad of them for it and no god or goddess forbade it. So I was a little curious as to why they did it all on their own.
They gathered up the orphans staying with them, and they painted their fence. They fixed the playset they had set up in an empty patch of grass. They covered up and filled in the cracks the main temple had. And it was all just them lot, and I had no idea why.
"I don't mind doing all this work. Putting some muscles on this body." Larishazza joked as she curled up her biceps. She even did a few poses that showed off how toned her body actually was. She wasn't like Vapooliar, but you could tell from a glance she was an active person. Assuming you did not catch her dancing or hopping about the place when you saw her.
"Eh, I suppose it is something to do." Nin let out as his eyes settled on the building they had been working on. It was quite a big one, it even had a large segment set aside for what looked like a garden.
"Did they say what this was for?" I ended up asking as I couldn't quite figure it out. These buildings could be anything, really, but, this one seemed different. Its size most certainly made it clear, but, there were also other details. Like how due to the lack of a wall, I could see a box of old toys in the corner.
"You'd have to ask Liada, she's the one who has gone around asking people about what they would like." Nin answered as his finger picked away at a plank of wood.
"Alright, I will." I say to him as I got up to go look for her. Not that it took long at all as she smelled very peculiar. Not in the bad way, she smelled very distinct is what I really meant. After all, like Nin, she stuck out in my nose, moreso, actually. She was something entirely new while Nin smelled like osibindah, unfortunately.
"Great, just great. I just had to listen to him about these stupid drawings." I heard Liadanann complain to herself as she scribbled away on her paper.
"Am I interrupting?" I asked first when she looked up at me.
"Yes, but not in the bad way." she sighed out as she threw down her writing and drawing tools.
"That's good, would you mind if I asked you something?"
"As long as it is not about this." she told me as one of her fingers slapped itself onto the paper.
"That building the other three are working on, what is it?" I asked after ignoring the way she treated the drawing. If she did not want me probing, then I'd oblige.
"It's a school. Most of the parents and the... Priests... Requested it." she answers, and, were it not for my surprise at it, I'd be annoyed at her tone towards the end.
"A school?" I repeat as I looked back at where I had come from. Out of all the things here, that was perhaps the one place I could have used when I was younger. We didn't have a local school so me and my sister were largely taught by Mom or Dad. It might have been one of the reasons Conquei got on everyone's nerves so much as well.
None of the other pups went to school either, so they just followed what their parents taught them. And in the case of some of the boys, they learned carpentry or hunting skills. And Conquei just preferred it to being stuck inside in the quiet doing little tasks with her hands. Not that I really enjoyed it either, but, we had plenty of time for playing.
It's not like we had a strict schedule or anything. We just did it when either Mom or Dad felt like it as they were mostly preoccupied. Dad had his job on one of the farms and Mom had all her chores and us two to worry about. But, we were pups back then, doing anything but playing was boring.
However, I did sometimes wish I could have gone to school. Because it would make Mom's life easier and we could have done something new each day. But, unfortunately, the only school nearby was in another town. So we only saw one if we went along the main road for a day trip or something else.
Dad did often let us tag along, after all when the farm's began to sell their goods. Money couldn't really be made here, so they shipped what was left elsewhere. That money in turn went into our few shops which brought some more people into our village. But, we oxfuine were a close lot.
We liked to stay with our clans so we often avoided travelling on our own. It just felt unnatural to leave on our own and join up with another. Thankfully, I was able to avoid most of the uncomfortableness during my travels. And it probably helped that I recognised those three as my friends, not a means to start over.
"So do you know who's going to teach there?" I asked once my gaze returned to Liadanann.
"No, nor do I care. If they wanted one built, they probably have a plan already." she answers with a shrug. Leaving me on my own to contemplate an answer inside my head. And I just went with the assumption that they'd rotate parents in and out to teach skills pups might need. Assuming they weren't working alongside the parent.
If I had a brother instead of a sister, for example, Dad would probably have taken him to the farm. Or, the pup of a hunter would be following their dad as they tracked game. But, for us daughters, we'd probably end up in the school anyway. Less burden on our Mom's after all.
Which made me smile to some extent, as Mom had done that a few times. Just shoving me and Conquei onto Dad so she could enjoy the breeze or chat with the other moms. Not that Dad minded, he enjoyed spending time with us... And I enjoyed it too, despite how different it was to our time with Mom.
"Is there anything else you have planned?" I then asked her, leaning closer to her drawing so I could see it better.
"No, we're actually nearly done. I'm just trying to see what I can sneak in." she sighs out.
"Why would you want to sneak stuff in?"
"Because this place is just so lacking... I don't like it." Liadanann admits.
"I hope you don't change too much, this is still my home." I say to her half-seriously. I was grateful for the things these lot were doing, but, some of these changes might cause issues. After all, some of these buildings might motivate greed from others. Squeeze out more taxes and all that nonsense...
"At the rate things are going, I won't be able to change much at all. You just don't have the tools I need for the job." Liadanann says before she draws a large cross over her paper.
"Well, good luck with whatever it is you plan on adding." I say with a slight nod before I returned to the others somewhat. I did not go to them directly, instead, I went straight into the building so I could look around. I stopped and picked up some of the toys and I looked at the barren rooms. It was unfinished, clearly, but, I liked what I saw.
Our village had been through a lot and here it was, getting a little better. It made me selfishly smile a bit as well because it was my friendship that did this. The people I made friends with had greatly helped out my home. I just wish that I would not be thanking them under such sad circumstances later.
But, I did not like to think on that day, I wanted to enjoy my time with them. So, I left the under-construction school and went back to my friends. Standing around and just smiling until I felt like I had an opportunity to get involved. I did not mind how long it was I had to wait.
I just enjoyed their company too much, "I'm done for the moment, can we do something else?" Nin let out as he began to slack off on his work.
"To the forest!" Larishazza would declare randomly, but, no one had any objections to the suggestion.
"If you're headed out that way, I know a few good spots." I tell them as I move to the front so I could lead the trio. Returning each smile they gave me as we headed out into the shadows of the trees.