- more information about the Shi-World!
Magic technology:
currently, technological development across the Shi-World is still relatively new,
but there's been lot of invention of devices that run on magic that make everyday life easier.
these devices are almost the same in functionality with Normal world devices.
for example,
Hand-Mirror phone= cellphone.
crystal ball phone= a landline phone.
Memory-lens= a camera.
as for vehicles, most non magic users of the Shi-World use traditional ways of transportation that variates from Side to side, like ships, and normal carriages dragged by horses and trains.
as for the magic users, there's lots of transportations methods that are more useful than the traditional like magic carpets, Giant flying beasts like dragons and teleportation spells.
although thanks to development, an equivalent to a modern car was made recently as recent as the crystal ball phone,
based on far more complex design than normal wooden carriages that exists around the Shi-World, and made of harder materials and a more comfortable interior and exterior design, this transportation method is called:
Steel-ride, became well known among rich people across the Shi-World, and can be customized at will, the commons can still buy a Steel-ride but I'll cost a fortune.
steel-ride= car.
..... chapter begins....
-Date: 1 Januarrek year 2020: ( same day)
Ashrah and Sayf were walking together towards Ashrah's house, tired but happy
it was a long walk but they got each others to pass the time, Ashrah decided to take the chance to ask more about the trip Sayf was going to take in few months on his birthday,
" oh! btw about the trip! why do you want to go there? to the Saharms Kingdom. did you take a serious quest there or something? or could it be that you found your birth parents finally, since they're most likely from that area...well depends on what Maclop and Sheeba think, does Maclop knows about this trip?" Ashrah asked her friend worried A bit, they never left Mearanda island in their lives before, so when Sayf ask to go the desert side with her on his upcoming birthday, it definitely rang a bell or two in her mind.
"I did tell Mac about it and he does want to tag along with us on the trip as well...listen my dad isn't against the trip entirely However his advice to me was to not tell Sheeba about this at all, at least not until we're leaving...and for the record you're right it has something to do with my birth parents. That's why I was late coming back from my solo quest few days ago, something happened there." Sayf replied,
"go on Sayf tell me what happened? I'm all ears."
taking a deep breath, Sayf began explaining what happened days ago,
"in my last solo quest in Central Mearanda, I was supposed to catch a bunch of thieves that were terrorizing the area. During my work, I met a man in his forties I'd say, from his Skin only you can tell he's from the desert side. This man looks just like me, he has the same skin color as I do, the same white hair with fire colored tips as I do, even the same eyes color as I do! almost everything in our physical appearance is similar. According to the man himself, he came to the island to visit someone for business apparently and when I met him, he and his entourage were being attacked by a bandit guild I was supposed to stop, so I saved him and the group of people he was with! Instead of thanking me for saving him first, this man immediately asked who I was and who my parents are." Said Sayf
"that's a pretty strange behavior. So did you tell him, about you?" Ashrah inquired,
Sayf nodded with a yes, "I did. I felt pressured by his desperation, so I explained everything to him. I told him that I am currently living in Sirènesia and that I am adopted by My dad Maclop Feedmen, I did mention madame Sheeba khan as my mentor during our conversation and for some reason upon hearing her name his face twisted a little!"
"twisted, as in he got angry? do you think this strange man has something to do with Sheeba's Past? did he say that he knows her or something? She never spoke about anyone she might possibly know from the desert side to us before." Ashrah asked,
"possibly, but he didn't ask any further questions regarding Madame Sheeba, he just asked how I was living and if I'm having a good life, it was kinda weird if you'd ask me! he acted like he really cares." Sayf replied frowning his eyebrows together,
Ashrah took a moment to think before she spoke again, "Maybe he does care if he's really your birth father, what about you Sayf how do you feel? are you sure this man is your real father?"
"I mean, I think so, he thinks so, if you saw him with your eyes Ashrah you'd believe he's my father!.. but I'm not sure if I like him."
"Sayf, this is serious business, what if that man is dangerous? did he tell you who he is? why didn't he come with you here then? how come you ended up here in Sirènesia all those years ago?!"
"i can't say for sure Ash, the man said that he's an important figure in Saharms Kingdom and that he need to go back to his place, he didn't tell me exactly who he is, even weirdly he asked for some of my hair strings as well, the funniest part was that his entourage of people that accompanied him treated him with outmost respect, respect you'd treat a Royalty with. When his servants saw me, they began crying and calling me Young master! it was super cringy to be honest! maybe this man is a super rich business man or something? I mean he owns a Steel-Ride!"
"Young master? Steel-ride! did this man give a name or at least told you about your birth mother? what else did you ask him Sayf? tell me."
"actually Ash, I did ask him for his name, he said I can call him Aziz, As for my birth mother, turns out she's dead and I'm not really affected by it, I lived without a mom for my whole life why would I care? he didn't tell me when or how She died, he just said her name was Insaf"
"Insaf? that's weird I feel like I heard about that name or seen it somewhere, maybe Sheeba will know, but then again you said that she shouldn't Know yet. Sayf is it really alright to hide this from Sheeba? what if this turned out to be all a big mistake?!"
"Ash believe me, I don't know what's best for now, I just I think we should avoid telling her till it's to late, Sheeba has always been sensitive when The desert side is mentioned, she might freak out if we told her we're going there for a long trip!"
"if you say so, I guess I could keep this a secret fire-tips."
"thank you Ashrah, I really appreciate it if you do so!" Sayf said,
Ashrah gave him a sad look, " I hope mister Feedmen is okay though, You're his adoptive son, what does he think about this stranger man Aziz claiming to be your birth father?" she asked,
" I don't care about this guy Aziz, I'm going on that trip just as a favor for him, I don't care if he's my birth father! Maclop is and will remain the father I love and care about even if we're not blood related. it was Maclop who poured his heart out raising me since I was a baby. I don't care about anything else." Sayf said giving a half-smile that soon faded as he zoned out for the rest of the walk, cutting the conversation short.
.....time skip....
the duo finally made it to the house by the bridge, Ashrah's house, they found Maclop coming back from his walk on the bridge.
" Hey there dad! " Sayf greeted him, he noticed how his dad wasn't looking as cheerful as he usually does, he didn't even greet them back.
"hello Mister Feedmen? did something happen? you look kind of paler today!" Ashrah asked Grabbing the doctor's attention.
"Oh, Sayf, Ashrah! I didn't see you children... how's the birthday girl?...and why you're wearing each other's outfits?" Maclop replied tilting his head a little,
" I'm as best as I can I be, thanks for asking! oh the clothes! we had a bet and I won, so we switched clothes. anyway... is Sheeba still cooking inside?! I can smell some tasty aromas coming from the house!" Ashrah said beaming at the thought of delicious food Sheeba is currently making.
"haha foodie as ever Ashrah, yeah your beautiful mom is still there inside cooking her heart out for you kid. go inside and greet her, I'll take Sayf here for a moment so we can talk." Said Maclop earning himself a double confused stare from the youngsters.
" okay I'll go... inside?" Ashrah spoke hesitantly rushing inside the house and leaving Maclop and Sayf by themselves to talk, she knew something was up.
the moment Ashrah was out of sight, Sayf pulled Maclop to the side speaking," What the hell dad?! you look like shit?! have you been crying or something...please don't tell me you fought with Madame Sheeba again?! *sighting* look dad, I know how hard it is to accept the fact that she keeps rejecting you but you gotta move on, it's been 18 years dad, the message should have being registered already."
Maclop on the other hand was fighting back tears holding his laughter in, grinning ear to ear like a child.
" you're not taking me seriously because of the dress, are you Prince Charming?" Sayf said glaring at his dad.
"no no I'm taking you seriously, it's just you look awesome buddy *explodes laughing* ahahahahaha! I'm definitely taking a picture of this" Maclop said pulling Memory-lens snapping a picture,
Sayf's face reddened a bit, "listen Mac Funzi, whatever happens just know I got you ok?! stop chasing that poor woman and focus on your life. I'm old enough to take care of myself! I'm gonna hit 18 pretty soon and you're gonna feel like an old man so stop waisting time. live! okay live... there's more to this world than romance!" said Sayf,
" ohohoh says the guy who's dressed in his crush's dress!" Maclop teased Snickering,
Sayf can feel the effect of blush creeping up on his face, he was glad that his deep dark skin wasn't showing any of it.
"DAD SHUT UP!! Don'tsaystufflikethat!!" the ebony skin boy blurred trying to hush the older man,
Maclop let a hearty laugh out of him, " Oh look at youuuu so Cute! young love! I bet you're waiting for that sweet 18 birthday of yours so you can take her and run away!"
" Dad pleeeease stop she's right there in the house!! she's gonna hear you!!"
Maclop wasn't done yet, he began running around and chanting in the garden, " Sayf likes Ashrah! Sayf likes Ashrah! Sayf likes Ashrah!"
" STOOOP!!" Sayf yell chasing after his father to stop him from embarrassing him anymore.
...time skip....after dinner.....
"I'm full...I ate enough, I don't...even have a place left to breath!" Ashrah whined patting her bloated stomach, she had switched back clothes before dinner with Sayf.
Sayf burped loudly, pushing words he said "ugh, I think I'm dying, I'm not eating anymore until the next month!"
"me too, I think I might throw up!" Maclop spoke covering his mouth slightly,
Sheeba rolled her eyes, "throw up and I'll make you three eat it right back up again! are you guys animals? you ate like there's no tomorrow!! Ayaaa so uncivilized... I'm not surprised but disappointed!" she said with a Down-mouth expression.
sensing the shifting mood, Ashrah stood up from her chair at the dinning table,
she walked away from the table barely concealing her delight, "let's forget about table manners for now. I wanna enjoy the best part of my birthday!... presents!" she said enthusiastically, she was bursting with joy.
Ashrah never expected anything for her birthday, inside, she was smiling because she was just happy that everyone is gathered up and having fun, she was treasuring every moment with the three people she love most.
" birthday girl got her priorities right!" Maclop joked, happiness crept over him
" I'll begin first, here's your gift Ashrah, happy birthday" Sheeba said kissing the girl on both cheeks, She handed Ashrah a jewelry box.
Ashrah slowly opened the box revealing a Golden fishbone skeleton pendant, "this is a charmed Pendant I've been working on for months, I choose the design to remind you of home here in the sea side if you ever went outside for a trip. I casted a strong shield spell on it, it can protect you from three fatal attacks." Sheeba said explaining her gift to the now adult girl.
"Sheeba you've already done so much this day, this is mind blowing...this necklace it's beautiful...so beautiful! I promise I'll keep it safe! I'll Wear it proudly everyday!" Ashrah spoke with tears in her eyes, she had no words for the gratitude she felt, she jumped hugging the Arabian woman tightly.
"oh you're going to love what I got you Ashrah!" Maclop stated with full confidence, "in fact what I made for you!" he added getting up,
Maclop left the room for few seconds and came back hugging something in his arms,
a pink sleeveless mermaid gown, Ashrah's eyes were wide open gasping at the beautiful dress, happiness overflowed as she Eyed the Beautiful design.
" oh MY HEART!! you made it yourself?! this is a work of an elite professional! Mister Feedmen...words cannot describe how I feel about this gift! how can I ever return the favor?!" Ashrah spoke dazzled by the dress now sitting in her lap,
satisfaction settled in maclop's soul seeing how happy the boysenberry hair girl was overjoyed with the dress he spent weeks to make, it was a side hobby for the aging gentleman to make clothes.
" Sheeba gave me your measurements weeks ago, I told her I wanted to make something you can wear at a formal event or a ballroom. Sayf mentioned that you don't have many articles to wear, I'm glad you like it!" said Maclop.
"I don't just like it I love it!! you guys are the best!!" Ashrah screamed in pure excitement,
Suddenly, Sayf cleared his throat grabbing the attention of everyone in the room to himself.
" well, I guess this leaves me to be the last one standing, this year because it's a special day for you Ashrah...my best friend since childhood...I got you two gifts!" Sayf said avoiding eye contact with Ashrah , he stood up unable to sit any longer, and pulled his first gift out of his magic inventory.
" I knew that Mac was working on that dress for you so I bought these pair of pink stiletto, I think they match the dress perfectly." Sayf said handing his best friend the pair of shoes.
" for real! these match the dress perfectly Sayf! thank you guys so much...these gifts are expensive I feel unworthy!" Ashrah spoke inspecting the cute shoes with a wide open mouth.
" Don't say that girl! you're totally worth it!" Sayf said reassuring her, he then pulled the second gift he had prepared.
the one he truly hopes that Ashrah falls in love with, A jar or memories.
" this is a jar of memories, this might be the simplest gift I've ever made or gave but, this jar contains pieces of enchanted paper, I wrote my favorite memories about you and us so far on each of those pieces of paper. whenever you read one, you'll get a flashbacks of that memory from my perspective...I know it's a silly gift but I put a lot of thoughts into it, I wanted you to know how much I really care about you Ash" Sayf says explaining his gift, he handed the purple lid jar to Ashrah.
the girl's purple eyes welled with tears, her lips forming a trembling smile.
tears began to slowly mark her cheeks,
"this is so beautiful Sayf...I'm speechless *giggling* I really am, I'm sorry to say this but this jar made me feel excited than the dress or the shoes" Ashrah said touching the jar with her thumbs,
Sayf lifted his hand to her cheeks wiping her tears away, "I'm really happy this gift suited you" He tried sniffing discretely, as he smiled brightly for the first time in a while, he was Also fighting his own tears.
Maclop and Sheeba sat there watching the two best friends in complete awe.
"we're third wheeling here aight!" Maclop whispered bumping Sheeba next to him,
"yeh I feel like I'm in a cheesy romance play... when did Sayf become this emotionally involved? it's dangerously adorable" Sheeba whispered back,
" like father like son, we're both adorable!" Maclop sheepishly said wiggling his eyebrows together causing Sheeba to roll her eyes on him.
.....time skip..... midnight....
Ashrah and Sayf were already asleep, Sayf decide to stay in her house for the night,
both were exhausted and drained from today's events they hit the bed sleeping like babies, Ashrah slept peacefully on her small bed while Sayf laid a mattress on the ground next to the bed and rolled himself like a worm with the blankets.
meanwhile, Maclop was outside in the garden chilling with the night breeze.
Sheeba walked towards him with two mugs, she made some tea for herself and the Blue eyed doctor.
" so when is he going to confess, even the gibberish speaking infants of Sirènesia know that Sayf has something for Ashrah!" Sheeba whispered asking the blond man next to her while handing him his tea mug.
" I bet he's waiting for his upcoming birthday... maybe they'll turn out to be fates mates?" Maclop replied,
" fated mates what a bullshit legend... there's no such a thing!" Sheeba scoffed.
"maybe you see it as a lie but for some people like Sayf, that legend is something they hope for everyday... don't go around shattering other's dreams Sheeba."
taking a sip of her tea, Sheeba spoke again "you meet someone and you fall in love, lucky enough you'd get together or married, not so lucky enough you'd break up and that's it! love doesn't last forever...even after marriage love will eventually disappear! this whole fated mate thing is trash... people tied together by destiny to love each other till eternity...what a load of crap that is!"
" I swear Sheeba, can you ever be positive for once in your life when speaking of love?! why do you always make it seem like love is a waste of time?!"
" duh?! because it is, at least the romantic one, you put some much thought and work into it, for it in the end to end up being nothing more than a liability?! " She replied taking another sip.
Maclop pouted at her answer, " whatever you say, I'm not arguing with you anymore... I'm too tired for this." he replied drinking his cup slowly.
.....chapter end....