"Thank you my dear, thank you!" a village elder tells me as I help her fix up the front of her house.
"It's the least I can do for putting everyone at risk..." I mutter as Lightning finishes restoring prized porcelain and other pieces of modest art. Nodding at her as it comes to an end, I step outside and look down at the lazy Brewbrt.
"Ah, Einervaene, come try this, it's good!" Brewbrt eagerly says as he shows off what looks like 'sea and air' soup.
"I hope you've actually been working." I go as I cross my arms and look down at the indulging old man.
"I have... It's just, I wanted to eat something, unlike you, I put in a lot of effort fighting that dragon."
Kicking him in the back of the head, "You liar!"
"I did!" he chuckles as I knock his attempt to put both bird meat and fish meat together in one chopstick serving.
"Eugh, fine, whatever. Finish that and let's get back to it." I tell him as I step down to go see if another house needs our help.
"Young lady! Young lady, please, it's not much, but I'd like to thank you for the help!" the villager elder I just helped came out to say. Looking at what she is offering, my expression softens up as I look at the sweets she offers.
"No, it's fin-" I start to say before Brewbrt flicks some magic at me.
"She will be happy to take it and she will enjoy them now." Brewbrt answers for me to which the old lady laughs with joy.
"Oh, wonderful! My grandchildren don't visit as often anymore since they grew up. So it's nice to find people willing to enjoy the sweets I make." she goes as the sweets are carefully placed into my hands.
"T-Thank you." I say as she rubs my cheek before going back inside.
"Come on, saved you a spot right on my gold-footed side." Brewbrt chuckles as he goes back to eating his meatful soup.
"I should be helping them, doing something..."
"Einervaene, this is what, the dozenth village we and our merry band of stranded sailors have gone to help? Take the moment and rest."
"But, Mother!" I tell him to which his expression goes straight. He sighs and taps his bowl through the greasy broth as the village lives and breathes around us.
"I know, Einervaene. I want to help her too. But your mother is fine, Eratheen is fine. She isn't going anywhere. I know, you miss her, I know you have spent so long impatiently waiting to get back to her... But take a moment and consider where we are, Einervaene."
"We're in a village." I say with a shrug.
"Not just any village, Einervaene, an Eusorochiian village! These people are your people! You are finally home, Einervaene! Enjoy it!" he clarifies as he gestures to my bagged box of sweets.
"I am glad..." I somewhat answer truthfully. While I was incomparably happy to finally be home, I just want to make sure Mother is okay. I left for her sake, at her behest, but now, I was ready to help her. All the problems my birth caused her, I can now resolve it all!
"Come on, Einervaene, what do you have there right now? Come on, experience it once again, let the nostalgia overwhelm you!" Brewbrt encourages as he gets ahead of himself and unpacks it slightly.
"Fine." I tell him as I start to pull apart the carefully woven, outstandingly beautiful furoshiki. Flicking off the simple lock, I lift the lid of the case and reveal the contents.
"So, go on, explain it to me." he tells me as I pick up a paper-wrapped sweet. Carefully unwrapping it, I reveal the smudges the sweet left across the paper. Flattening my palm out, I leave the unwrapped sweet on it like a tasty, crowning jewel for my gloved hand.
"It's an electrolysis delight..." I answer as I stain the fabric of my other glove clearly with the soft, jelly sweet's coating. Licking my finger once, I smile before I put the sweet into my mouth. Crushing the paper, I put it back into the powder sugar-filled box and I look at Brewbrt. Smiling all the while as noisily ate the sweet.
"Well?" he asks as a smirk comes to his face.
"This one isn't my favourite flavour..." I answer bashfully as I shake my head and laugh quietly.
"What flavour is that one?" he asks as he starts to eye my box dangerously.
Making a few, unladylike wet chams, "I think it's bronzeskinberry."
"Trade you some of my fish and poultry for one?" he offers to which I shake my head aggressively.
Chewing on the sweet delight some more, "No, I am going to enjoy at least one of each flavour and maybe more!"
"You'll grow fa-" he starts to tut before Lighting obliges my silent request to punish him for it. Closing the lid as Brewbrt shoves me onto my side, I laugh at him as I get back up.
"Stop being so mean!" I tell him as I try to go back to eating my sweets.
"Here I thought Ms Golden Hair would have thicker skin." he huffs as he starts to drink from the broth.
"Lightning..." I mutter and Brewbrt suddenly takes the bowl away from his mouth, hissing as he does so.
"Honestly..." he remarks as he sticks his burnt tongue into the air. Giggling, I pass on some of my magic to soothe the pain as he looks at his armour.
"Will you need a cloth to dry your front?" I ask him before I pop another delight into my mouth. Making an O-shape with my lips, I cover my mouth with a hand as I chew this one. This flavour was very familiar and it was delicious! I just hate the fact the name was escaping me.
"You can give me one of these for ruining my soup!" Brewbrt growls lightly as he snatches one up while I am obsessing over the current flavour.
"Eugh... Why can't I remember the name for this one!" I whine as I close the tub and retie the furoshiki. Having Lightning make a hook on my outfit for it, I place it there and stand up.
"Well, I'm no help for you as I just can't figure out this flavour at all." Brewbrt explains with a pop.
"It looks citrusy." I comment as I huff in bemusement at his adjusting mouth.
"It's certainly a divisive flavour." he tells me as his tongue goes about his mouth to get more of the flavour.
"Divisive because it is strong or because you cannot figure out if you like it?" I ask as I tip my hat back to look at the sky. This was my native sky, what I often saw growing up. But, it feels strange to be looking up at the sky that was mostly shades of grey. Even the flashes of lightning and the cracks of thunder felt off.
I guess it just never occurred to me how open the sky was out at sea... I suppose the same can be said for Jherikra as well. There were clouds quite often, but, you just had to climb up to get a rather clear sky. And with all my friends back there...
"Einervaene, why are you so glum? You're home." Brewbrt reiterates to me as I start to idly walk down the road ahead. Glancing about at the village, I look at the houses and the myriad of colour that decorates them. Most of the land was just pure metal, so we Eusorochiians make a point of making our homes at least standout... Flowers of any kind, paint made from whatever we can grind.
"I guess... I just thought I would get back here with more people." I tell him as I watch some children run by as a grown-up happily chases them. Using polarised sticks, they were seeing how far they could keep his family shield rolling. It was hard to make out, but, along the rim in bright red was his oath to the local acropolis.
"Journies see a lot of people come and go, Einervaene." Brewbrt tries to explain with a shrug as we come upon the restoring market.
"I... I know." I tell him with a scoff and shake of my head as we head out of the village. Silently, we pass the rim of the market and the attempts to get it back into business. We pass by the last few houses and small, shed-sized storerooms and we come out on patchy farmland. Stopping by one of the soil-marking posts that make up the fence, I look back at my mother's friend.
"Are you ready to move on to the next place, then?" he asks as he looks back at the village with me.
"We might as well, we'll check in on the town. Explain it to the mayor, the harbourmaster or whomever it is we talk to about dead sea dragons..." I bitterly answer as I look away at the coastline. It was a shattered mess over there, but, as I had not seen any settlements. I wasn't going to fuss over it.
"You worry too much, Einervaene. Just learn to take your mind off of things once in a while."
"I am home with proof that I am not some ill-conceived bastard. Some mongrel proof of a whorish mother. I admit I do not know whose lands these are. But, if I am to take over from Mother at some point, I need to care for them." I explain to him as I let go of the post. Clasping my arm by the elbow, I caress it as one of my feet knocks its tip against the soft ground.
Feeling his armoured hand clasp my shoulder, I look away further, "You don't have to force your way through it all at once."
"With all due respect Brewbrt... You reign over an independent town, not an entire realm..."
"The scale is different, I know. But that's where its greatest benefit is, Einervaene! You don't need to do everything. You are expected and will be praised for having a vast and diverse array of skilled staff to handle it. The burden isn't just yours."
"All it's ever been since I left home is my burden..." I sniff as he brings me in for a hug. Returning it, I try to calm down.
"No... No... No. People are there for you, Einervaene. There always will be."
I try to smile despite that it makes me think of those who I have lost...
"Let's gather the crew, then, we can move on to help the next settlement. Fix our problems and all that." I explain to him as I try to leave the hug. But he will not let me leave.
"How about a promise, then, Einervaene?" Brewbrt asks suddenly as he picks up one of my braids by their end.
"We already have enough promises between us..." I try to tell him as he smiles and shakes his head.
"Tell you what, beyond what little lingering I was going to do anyway. I stay for a bit longer and help you get used to being the pampered noble again?" he offers, smirking slightly at the end.
Ignoring his responsibilities back in Jherikra, I nod and start to smile, "Okay."