The girl's laughter were like quiet murmurs of the breeze. It radiates peace.
It soothes the soul.
At least that's what Zone felt when they first met.
"What are you doing?" She asked like it wasn't the only time he had seen her.
He was fixing the fence near their temporary shelter. They just moved here a month ago and Alasan told him to do it.
"Can't you see?" He said with some irritation. It was the middle of the day and nearing lunch. He very much rather preferred lounging in the shade of the old Acacia than tying these flimsy branches to an even flimsier rope surrounding the property.
"I can see but I don't know what it is. Isn't that why you people ask questions? To know the answer?"
He looked at her for some time but she did not show anything remotely resembling mockery. She stood there waiting for him to answer.
"You people? What do you even mean?"
"You are a person, aren't you? I meant your kind."
"My KIND?"
"If I may…" Alasan interjected. He was coming out from the hut, wiping his hand on a piece of rug.
"Ali!" the girl shouted and went to hug Alasan.
"ALI?!"
Alasan shrugged.
"This is Amihan. I called her to help us with something."
Zone politely bowed his head.
"And this is Zone as he likes to be called. He has another name, of course. He is a Manlalakbay from the Broken World."
"Glad to meet you as you are sure glad to meet me," Amihan giggled and Zone smiled back.
They briefly shook hands and Zone was taken in by how incredibly light Amihan's touch was. It was like touching a cloud or a very soft cotton.
"I asked him a question. He hasn't answered it yet," Amihan pouted. Her lips stood out like pink candies touched by a honey dew.
Zone closed his eyes. What is happening to him?
When he opened them, he found her staring at him. All at once, he was lost to her luminous, green eyes. He sighed and surrendered to the feeling.
She was incredibly attractive.
"He was fixing the fence. I asked him to." Alasan answered for him.
"What is a fence?"
"Uh, well, it marks the end of your property. It keeps others from coming in and some from going out," Alasan explained clumsily.
"So you own this place, then," she said.
"No, we don't."
"Why put a fence around it?"
"It's to...uh," Alasan floundered.
"Haven't you ever seen a fence before?"
"I might have but I guess I did not pay attention to it. What is fence to a wind?" she said cryptically.
"Never mind the fence. Come, have lunch with us."
"What are you having?"
"Frog Adobo."
"Frog? Yuck."
"Come on, you'll like it," Alasan beckoned for Zone to prepare the table.
---------------------------
The breeze whipped her face. It stung like crazy. It was worse the first time but she got used to it gradually.
The mountain stood before her like a vengeful, implacable god. One that punishes you for just looking at him.
She looked. The mountain looked back and mocked her.
"Are you gonna climb again today?" Isaru asked.
She is a girl not more than four. She has an older brother named Eladia.
Their family found her near the shipwreck.
It was the same wreck that brought their family to this island.
There were 30 or more survivors at first but now they are reduced to no more than 10. They told her they have been here for almost 15 years. Eladia and Isaru were born here.
Looking around, Ice wondered how they survived at all. This is by far the harshest place she had ever seen.
They are completely isolated by the mountain, surrounded by freezing water and as far as she could tell, there was no vegetation to be seen for miles. Just snow and the occasional rock jutting out.
They survive by fishing and trapping the random land animal that strays when the temperature gets warmer.
Ice saw Igloo in books before but she did not expect to actually live in one.
It surprised her that a dwelling made of ice could feel warm inside.
She quickly adapted to their way of life but there was always this voice telling her to get out of there.
When she couldn't bear the feeling, that was when she noticed the mountain.
She noticed it before. It was hard to ignore something that dominates the landscape but it was the first time she actually recognized it for what it was.
"I will, after breakfast. Tell your brother to come see me," she told Isaru and ruffled her hair.
The little girl giggled and ran to where her brother was.
Ice checked her Game Menu. She accidentally found out she still had it when Isaru got sick. They needed a medicine which the island unfortunately doesn't have. It was a simple infection that she got from a dirty glass. It cut her feet when she went to play in the shipwreck.
In desperation, Ice remembered her inventory when she was playing the game. Her pack had plenty of restorative items. She was a healer, after all.
Now, in the real world, she would be nothing more than an additional mouth to feed.
She ruefully hung her head and cried. She couldn't bear to see little Isaru suffering. Her fever is through the roof and her eyes rolled in their sockets as she weakly tossed in her bed.
Her family looked at her calmly. It was like they had already accepted it.
"Death is something we have welcomed a long time ago," the father said.
She understood. Without any means to fight something, you welcome it. However, part of her remembered the journey with the Manlalakbay. With John and Ora and Ash. No one gave up like this.
Everything can be overcome. Nothing is insurmountable.
She remembered riding on the back of a giant bird, pursuing a dragon.
Those things were real.
She tried familiar words she had not uttered for months.
"Cradle of the Valiant. Game Menu."
It took her a moment to realize what happened.
The menu hovered near her face.
She was locked into place.
Her heart thudded crazily.
Inventory: Healing Potion - 25
Revival Potion - 3
Cure Poison - 6
Heal-all - 1
Elixir - 2
Molave pills - 2
The Molave Pills screamed at her in big bold letters.
They are the antibiotics of the game world.
She wondered if she could take it out.
With a prayer, she imagined the pills in her hand.
She clenched and unclenched it. She tried again. No pills.
She looked at Isaru.
She tried again.
Stupid.
She was thinking in the real world way.
She opened the menu again. Near the pills is the word 'use'.
Use Molave Pills.
Use on…
Her menu did not show the name of Isaru.
She was not a party member.
She put her hand on her burning forehead.
"Menu. Add member."
Add member…
"Isaru."
Isaru added successfully.
"Use Molave Pills on Isaru."
Used Molave Pills on Isaru
Success.
The little girl stopped tossing and turning. She stopped moving.
She stopped moving!
She hugged her fiercely.
Isaru moaned. Ice sobbed her thanks.
Use potion on Isaru.
Her family stared at her in mixed wonder and fear. She left them alone to celebrate their newfound hope.