Hai laid on the soft, familiar beach sand she had craved for so long. Despite the wetness of her hair and clothes, she could only think of one more place more comfortable for her: The Crimson Coast. Usually, she would jump head-first onto the red sea and float amid the undulations of the soothing waves. But not this time. She was completely satisfied on the sand, enjoying the laughter of her tribal kin, who would not leave the sea themselves.
"So much happened so fast," Hai forced herself to remember the worst night of her life (yet). The multiple frights that made her heart stop, the tortured cries of her people, and the gore. So many people died in front of her, people she helped to kill. Even the monster that killed her own father fell that night. "And all because of him."
Hai wondered how her father would feel about Mac and how she was supposed to feel. On one side, he was absolutely unstable, going from a maniac avenger to a regretful soul, and on the other side-"I need to help him!"
A debt she felt unfulfilled. Even if Mac was partially to blame for the tragedies that struck her tribe, he made true of his word. Not only did he eliminate all of the invaders, but none of her people died. Of course, most of them were traumatized, especially the children, but in the end, they would have their whole lives to heal. And now the tribe had the Crimson Coast back. Hai felt the debt weighing on her mind.
As if in quicksand, she struggled to get up. Hai believed she had already done her part by bringing everyone that needed to the healing sea. Now it was time to find Mac and give him a hand on whatever he required. She only feared that Mac had lost his way amidst the forest.
But her worries proved unwarranted. From behind, she heard a clamor that made her look back.
Mac had already returned from his short trip. Hai saw how her kin swarmed him with greetings and thankyous just after he stepped through the remains of the wall she shattered. He was carrying something over his shoulder, but the adorable spider on his other shoulder attracted her the most.
"Oh, no. I took too long." Hai felt shame when her senses returned.
Somehow calming her people, Mac managed to slip away towards her while bowing to them. Unexpected for her since she considered Mac someone who would gladly drown himself in glory.
"Cool people you have there," He sat while throwing two dirty sacks between them. "Seeing their smile makes it almost worth the trouble in itself."
"I am glad you think that way." Hai controlled her curiosity and ignored the sacks to focus on Mac. The problem was that her eyes would divert to Arani since the spider was waving at her, all cutely. "They think a hero out of you."
"Do they now? Did you not tell them I am to blame for the attack?" Mac seemed to notice her affection for the spider. He wordlessly extended his arm for Arani to walk across and hop on her.
"No, I... I" Hai struggled to form a coherent sentence as her heart melted while Arani rubbed its head on her thumb. "I did tell them... what happened. But I think they blame you as much as they blame me."
"Well, the lack of consequences is a good enabler for my chaotic tendencies, so I should not complain." Mac rested his back on the smaller sack. "All is well then?"
"I would not say that everything is fine," Hai betrayed her words as she patted Arani cheerfully. "But we will be, thanks to you."
"Yeah. Keep enabling my actions." Mac made himself more comfortable while closing his eyes.
"You found your way through the woods, right?" Hai tried to change the subject. "Did you find the cave where the invaders were hiding?"
"Yes. Luterio led the way just fine." Hai noticed Mac flinching when he mentioned Luterio, but he continued as if nothing had happened. "I found two other guys there, but I made quick work of them, so no worries. And as you can see, I did not come back empty-handed."
Hai awakened from her brief bliss of having Arani playing on her hair with Mac's words. The shame returned to her when she realized Mac had fought alone in such poor condition. She could not even play support for him, so how was she supposed to repay the debt? "Not empty-handed, you say?" She commented, disheartened. She did not even realize Mac did not mention what happened to Luterio.
"I pillaged their entire worth in these soggy bags." Mac laughed. "The smaller one is mine, and the bigger one is yours."
"What?!" Hai reacted violently with shock, accidentally knocking Arani down her head. "No, no, no! I could never accept it!" She felt the weight of her debt increase. "You should take everything. It is your reward since you did most of the work while I stood back!" It shamed her greatly, those words, but she felt she could not live with herself if she accepted it.
"Hahaha, yeah. I DID most of the work!" Mac seemed to enjoy being enabled. "But never mind that. As you can see, I am a great guy, the greatest of all, if I may say. So, out of my kindness, I am offering this gift as a thank you for your support last night." But when Hai tried to argue, he continued. "Ok, I admit, I am doing this because I feel bad for your tribe, fine?! I don't care if none of you guys blame me for it, I will still lose sleep at night. So take your part already and use it to rebuild your tribe or something. I don't want it!"
Hai opened her mouth, but she hesitated. She had not thought about that. She considered her tribe a strong and proud people. The loss of their houses and belongings would greatly pain them, but Hai had faith they would rise and thrive again as long they had each other. And with the Crimson Coast at their reach, their path would be smoother. There was no need for Mac's money, but it could greatly help them. She also did not feel comfortable making such a big decision without consulting the rest of her people.
Mac seemed to sense her uncertainty, so he tried again. "How about this, then? If your pride prohibits you from accepting your part, let's change the narrative. Let's imagine that I am not giving you the spoils and that, in fact, you shamelessly stole from me while I wasn't looking. Doesn't that sound better?"
Hai was ready to refuse Mac automatically, but when his words settled in, she broke down laughing.
"What?! No! That does not sound better, Mac!" She held her stomach while brushing. Hai had her guard low and did not expect Mac to make a decent joke.
While Hai tried to control herself, Mac leisurely rested his working arm on his small bag of spoils and watched Hai giggling uncontrollably with a genuine smile. He had finally made her laugh.
"Ok then, Mac. If this is what you want, I will accept 'my part,' and only my part." She inched for the smaller sack.
But Mac was faster, and swept the bag to his other side, away from Hai. "I knew you would do this. This one here is mine!" Mac held the bag of spoils in a similar manner to a soon-to-be father holding the soon-to-be mother's belly. "You take the bigger one."
"Come one, Mac. Let me have this one." Hai begged. "I also have my pride."
Mac looked troubled by her request, but then he smiled. "Well, I am sorry, but I can't. And that is because my stuff here is worth more than yours."
Hai tried her best to read Mac. Her logic told her that Mac was blatantly lying, but who knows when it comes to him? Certainly not her.
"So you are telling me that you saved the most valuable item for yourself?" Hai tested him. "The sizes of our bags are basically inversely proportional to us. What can you have that is worth so much? Don't tell me..." She was more swayed by her own line of thought than Mac. "It is a spiritual treasure?!"
Mac sneered before the absurdity of Hai's words. "I wish! There was nothing that worthy in their hideout, although..." he seemed to have realized something. "There is a chance that cultivator had one held somewhere else."
"Really?! There may be a spiritual treasure?" Hai gasped. She had heard stories before around the campfire that the elders shared. Stories about cultivators that could reign like gods, extraordinary weapons that could slay them, and treasures that could make them stronger are called spiritual treasures. She already had the misfortune of facing a cultivator, and now to think she could also find a spiritual treasure, filled her with a sense of adventure and aspiration. Hai did not even want to use it for herself, she only wanted to experience the wonders of the stories she heard by herself.
"I seriously doubt that, though." But Mac mercilessly shattered her dreams. "Spiritual treasures are exceedingly rare, even when compared to cultivators themselves. And even if the cultivator I killed had one, he would make sure to hide it far from where we could reach unless he was stupid."
Mac was heartless with her hopes. Feeling dishearted and confused, with a desire for distraction, Hai opened the bag by her side to see her share. The items inside consisted of multiple sets of tapestry and fabric, much of that were alien to her. "So much," She sighed. "Why are they so dirty, though?"
"Not my fault." He said in passing and inched for his bag. "Seriously, you would not believe how uncivilized and dirty those guys were. It surprises me they did not die from some disease or something. And to think they still had the nerve to call your people savages."
Hai could not by her life tell how the dirty bracelet Mac pulled from his bag was more valuable than hers. She watched absentminded as Mac scratched the dirt off his garment, thinking about her debt increasing.
"Anyway," She sighed as she closed her bag of worth. "After I bought my people here for healing, I went back to our hiding place, you know, under that big tree, and snatched Mr. Lapido and the child you ... I mean, we kidnapped." She tried to share the blame, at least.
Mac followed where Hai was pointing and furrowed when he saw the old man that wanted him to disciple. "Holy Hevi," He muttered. "What happened to him?"
"I don't know." Hai shook her head as she observed the somehow living corpse of the man that started this all. Lapido aimlessly floated on the sea, only skin and bones. What once was pale skin was now submerged in dozens of black stains darker than the night sky. "Whatever it is, it is getting worse, and the Crimson Coast can not help."
Mac only mumbled a response and diverted his eyes from the misery. He did not spare even a first look at Olito, the still unconscious boy being cared for by the tribals, not far from the dried Lapido.
"He asked for you, Mr. Lapido." Hai continued. "He asked me if 'everything was done already.' He wondered if you were ready to become his disciple. He would not let go of that bag of seeds you gave him."
In response, Mac laughed with his mouth closed, his eyes looking wearier than ever. Hai did not even notice when Arani had returned to him. "Can you do me a favor, Hai?" He asked without looking at her.
"Yes. of course!" She said, promptly and cluelessly, ready to help as always.
"Find Lapido a place with a nice view and bury him there for me, won't you?" And without the need for an answer, Mac grabbed his share and walked away.
Hai raised herself in surprise and looked at Mac's lonely heavy back. "Eh, where are you going?" She asked in a hurry following close behind.
"I am leaving. My friends are gonna get here any minute now. Better not let them waiting. See ya later, and thanks for all the help."
"Just like that?" Hai asked herself and stopped on her track, staring at Mac speed walking. She could not tell if he was in a hurry to reach his friend or if he was running from something. She felt like she was missing something important, and then she remembered.
"Your Small Orbis!" She screamed. "You came here to mend it, didn't you? Well, you have experienced the healing capabilities of our Crimson Coast that you got us back. You are more than free to try it."
Mac halted. He was silenced for a brief second but then only shrugged. "Nah, I am fine." And he made his way away.