What a bulky guy: army cut, mustache, kerchief, cargo pants, gloves, apron, and a cluster of firewood cradled on his arms. "I haven't seen the likes of you. You new here?", he asked. Since when was this guy here? I didn't even sense him approaching.
"Ugh, yeah. I just came here, and a lot of things happened.", I stammered.
"I-I didn't even know how I got here. I just ran a-away from home a-and," I stuttered "just a lot of th—"
"Here, take this all with you" he interrupted as he tossed me the planks he once was carried. "Carry 'em all up. We meet at the opposite bank. Hurry up."
I just stared coldly at the logs. I admit that hurt. He cut me off midway; he didn't even bother to listen. I felt the remaining life in my eyes fleeting. It has always been like this: no one even dared to listen. I didn't even know what to do so I just impassively obeyed, bent and picked the logs when suddenly, I felt numbness in my head.
"Oy, kid, you good?", his words slowly reverberated in my head.
"Yeah, I'll manage"
"Hearthe! Chilo!"
The big guy sighed, "That lāmat really got you."
He rummaged something within his pockets and came with a vial on his hand. He handed it over to me, "Just open it and you'll know what to do"
"What? I don't know what you're talki—"
"Just open it!", he demanded. Ah... I forgot that no one listens to my end.
Out of resignation, I twisted the cap and opened the vial. The scent of oily, damp wood filled my nostrils. Hope this ends my suffering.
Straight right out of the blue, I drank what's inside the vial. "Oy, don't chug it all!", he scolded. Two fellows came right after I drank it. "Ooh, he emptied it?" remarked the one with surfer blonde hair.
"Lāmat?", asked the other fellow—a young woman with silky black hair; she must have just turned 20.
"Mmm." affirmed the bigger guy.
The big bulky chap discussed things with the young woman about this 'lāmat' thing because I kept on hearing it from them and how he ended up meeting me. The surfer-hair knelt down in front of me and took the vial, "Did you chug it?" , he examined.
"Don't press him any further, Chilo" commanded by a distant voice—yet another woman trudging on the river. As she nearly approaches us, I could now distinguish her on a racerback top. She reminded me of Sarah Croft from Indiana Raiders.
"Lihla, you're here. Just right in time", the big guy went to meet Lihla and they inched themselves away from us. They seemed to be conversing serious matters by judging their expressions. Chilo and Hearthe picked and carried the firewood that had been tossed before me, "We'll be carrying this.", Hearthe assured.
"Yeah, 'gotta pay the favor sometime", Chilo scoffed. Hearthe nudged and gave him the look. "Don't mind him," Hearthe confirmed with a sweet tone. "He's just got a few loose screws on his humor."
I could feel this dude's possessiveness over her. As if his breathing alone was already a gesture to assert dominion. Great. Another dude has marked me his enemy; thinking that I might steal his girl anytime soon. Tsk. Moments after, I felt some tugging on my abdomen. I tried to calm it down by just breathing heavily but instead, I spewed saliva along with tiny white bugs. Chilo, repugnant. Hearthe, retching. This caugh Rand and Lihla's attention and they hurried over to us. Lihla, saw our state and immediately understood the case as if it was a commonplace.
"Rand, what did you gave him?", Lihla questioned. Her eyebrows arched a bit as she crossed her arms, turning her gaze from us and to Rand.
"I handed him the vial since it looked to me that he really needed it when suddenly, he just drank all of it."
"What? All of it?", Lihla, disbelieved, gasped and shot a look at me then to the vial that Chilo picked up for examination and took it from him.
"We've never had someone drank all of it, did we?", she asked while examining the vial
"Negative. I am surprised as well"
"This should count as a bad omen. Right, Rand?", Hearthe blurted out of agitation.
Nilo reprimanded her while comforting and soothing her. I could see the worry from her countenance. To think that something could count as a Bad Omen—maybe I should just not be overreading things; she just had to witness my mess. Poor girl.
"It's fine", Rand affirmed. "It's just only a matter of time till this fellow will seek the truth"
Lihla took a deep breath and paced towards me. She asked me if I was already good to take a walk. She told me things like I should come with them into the camp to recover and for treatment; and that beyond this river had already been deemed a not-safe zone to stay. She had said a bunch of things. It felt that there's something really off. I could only surmise that everything here is unknown to me; as if I had been transcended to an entirely different world.
"We'll have the elder see your condition once you have recuperated", she added. "For now, let's have you get paced."
Heathe and Lihla hauled me up and escorted me side by side in case I fell or loose strength while Rand and Chilo stayed behind; they must be investigating the area. I got worried for them. I know that the big hound could still be lurking out there somewhere waiting for the right moment to lunge at them.
"Aren't they coming with us?" I croaked
"They still need to do things", said Hearthe
"Refrain from idle talk until you get yourself washed. You reek", Lihla reproached.
I now felt sorry for Hearthe. Knowing that she was repulsed by my mess earlier, yet she still had to provide me some support. Do I really smell that bad now? I should better shut my mouth just like Lihla asked me to. We tried not to stride awkwardly together but I couldn't help having my weight pressed on them. I could still walk, yes; but I still couldn't shake the nauseating feeling.
After a few determined strides, we've reached the riverside. I asked both Hearthe and Lihla to slowly let go of me so that I could wash on the river myself. "Wouldn't I contaminate the waters here?"
"How good of you to think that you'd pollute the waters. This river cleans itself, so you don't have to worry about polluting it"
I smirked, "Yeah, like magic."
"Yes."
I paused for a moment there, trying to process what Lihla had said. I looked at them at their eyes only to a complete silence bestowed upon us. Other than the sound of the river, various chirps of birds and insects and the rustling of leaves were the only things I could discern.
I don't know if she's being rhetoric or what, but magic? What? Is she for real? No way. Well, maybe he also has that few screws loose on his humor just like how she had described Chilo; it's no wonder one would adapt traits of people they always hangout with. Anyways, I need to think of something in order to break the ice—but wait, is that really necessary now? Should I really be thinking of breaking the ice more than anything else?
I made my way in the river. It's almost icy cold that I could get cramps just from shivering. Looking upon the glistening waters, I saw my reflection. It's a good thing that I am still me—I still look like me. Despite all the incidents, seeing something from the usual brought me relief. I cupped the water with my hands then washed myself.
"Say, do you have a name?", Hearthe asked. It now kind of feels awkward washing myself while two women behind me that are most likely just watching me doing my business.
"Yuuji"
"Your name sounds Foreign." Lihla remarked. "Alright, Yuuji, as you've already known, I am Lihla and she is Hearthe. The one who gave you the vial was Rand."
"And the other fellow who was with me is—"
"Ah. Chilo, was it?", I interrupted Hearthe. With a slow nod, she lowered her head and barely contained her smile. Oh. I see it now. These two, Chilo and Hearthe are into each other but then, this Chilo guy is somewhat insecure and has already had the wrong impression of me.
"The river here really is cold, isn't it?", my attempts of not dropping the talk; I don't really like awkward silences with people I just met.
"Of course," Lihla answered "You bear The Spirit-Essence of the Felines".
I shot Lihla the 'I-bears-what?' look just when Rand and Chilo have caught up; both trying so hard to hide the grim on their face. Rand and Lihla locked their eyes, both nodded as if they had planned this ahead or as if they have connected and exchanged brainwaves upon seeing each other.
"Yuuji, was it?", Rand questioned while closing in.
I guessed it right! They really did some sort of telepathy there. I thought those things aren't possible for humans and yet here, another scientific breakthrough! "You seem elated", he added. He went closer to my face and asked, "Does hearing your name from a grown-up man give you butterflies?"
I shuddered. Geez, what a creepy fellow; he reminded me of those bizarre talking trees.
"Enough with your antics, Rand", Lihla intercepted him while yanking his ear, dragging him away from me and plodded forward, leading us to the camp, "You should stay with us, Yuuji". Hearthe and Chilo on my sides, pushing me to move forward.