A low trilling noise from the old record player clashed with the vocal sounds of Akira's frustration. Newsletters, records, and reports were scattered over Akira's old, molding wooden desk. The red-haired girl sat with her hands crossed under her chin, scowling at the items that were placed down neatly. None of the reports were helpful, they didn't even have a small clue. The records were scratched and barely salvageable, which was a pity.
Her head began to throb, and she rubbed her temples in response. The reports and records were supposed to be clues. They were supposed to help the redhead find answers.
"You won't find out that way." A low, raspy voice appeared, waking Akira out of her throbbing mind. "The sky is dark Akira, you can't keep doing this to yourself."
Akira sighed and watched as her Grandfather's small figure walked over to her. He handed her a tiny, mint green cylinder teacup with a faint smile. The waft of its herbal smell sent relaxation through Akira's body. The sky calmed slowly, "that's better."
Akira took a sip of her tea and began to speak before her grandfather cut her off eagerly. "The Zathura Tavern." His eyes lit with curiosity and eagerness, almost like a child. "The clues you've been wanting will be there."
Akira furrowed her eyebrows, "nonsense grandfather, you and I both know that Tavern is the most guarded in Lebberat."
"You, my dear, hold a cursed but beautiful gift. If there is anyone who can save this disregarded town, it would be you."
Akira scowled and dragged her free hand down her face, "I can't control my emotions, let alone fight while doing so. A miracle would be needed for me to get through Lebberat."
"Maybe, but even so, sitting here for hours a day won't bring our peace back."
Akira took another sip and looked out her slightly cracked window above her desk. She shook her head, "Trebond is nothing but a speck of dust compared to Elestren and Lebberat. You know that better than anyone, Grandfather."
"It wasn't always like this Akira. Before the war-." Akira set her tea down and began to grow impatient, "I know Grandfather."
"If you know, why aren't you doing anything about it?" Akira didn't respond. Instead, she held her tongue and brought her lips to the mint cup, she took a generous sip of the hot tea, flinching as it slightly burned her tongue. "She would have hated the way things are now.." Her grandfather's voice softened with each word until it became a mere whisper.
Akira was bubbling with despair as her grandfather spoke those few words. She was trying her hardest to bring peace to her nation, but without any clues to meet the ruler of Elestren, the most powerful of the other two nations, how would she restore balance? Impossible, it was impossible.
Lightning struck, shaking Akira's tiny cabin. "Don't."
Her grandfather didn't say anything, just stared at the powerful girl before him. "You know just as much as I do that nothing will get better if you don't do something." The red-headed girl inhaled sharply and dug her nails into her palm while making a fist. Her head was starting to throb again, and her grandfather's knowledge wasn't of any help to her. If anything, him continuously reminding her about the Zathura tavern, and how she was the only one to save her nation was enough to set her off. "Grandfather." She growled but was cut off again. "You are the only Trebond left with these abilities." He exhaled softly and cupped his hands around his teacup tightly, "I just want to see you, and this town smile again."
Akira went silent, along with the sky.
"I can't do it. I will never be able to get through Lebberat to Zathura, and even if I do, I will never be able to find the clues I need. Elestren is well hidden, they don't want to be found by our kind." She shook her head and scowled, before taking another sip of her now cold tea. She recoiled at the temperature change and pursed her lips. "It's not impossible Akira, you and I both know that."
"Alright." Akira huffed, settling back down in her rather comfortable chair. Let's say I do find the clues in the Zathura tavern, how will I convince both Lebberat's and Elestrens leaders to let us all live in harmony again?"
Her grandfather didn't respond, however, he looked as if he was trying to piece together a puzzle. Perhaps he was realizing that Akira was right. Traveling to the Zathura Tavern would only be the first step, the rest was a suicide mission. One woman against two nations? No matter the abilities she possessed, the odds didn't look great.
Akira was never one to quit, but being trapped in a tiny old room for days at a time, desperately trying to find answers was enough to make her come to a conclusion, "maybe it's time you bother someone else." Her voice was softer now, and she averted her eyes to the floor. A pang of guilt sprung around her body until it settled in her heart. She knew her grandfather pestered her with good intentions, but Akira was exhausted. Silence invaded the room and for a moment, Akira was slightly hoping her grandfather would say something encouraging or rather useful, but he didn't. He just blinked slowly and took a few sips of his own tea. Akira wondered if it had grown cold as hers had.
Turning her chair around back to its original spot, she went back to analyzing the useless reports, hoping she would find something, even though she knew she wouldn't. Mainly, they were just old reports of before the war. Letters, warnings, maps. She had recovered them from the facility that was kept in the middle of Trebond. It was slowly deteriorating and well, the nation of Trebond slowly was too. She fiddled with the edges of the old pieces of paper, causing a slight tear near the top.
"You give up too easily."
Akira exhaled softly and stopped playing with the piece of paper. She dropped it back down on her desk, "I don't give up, I accept my losses and move on."
"There is no moving on Akira! Look outside your window." She straightened her back at the sudden rise in her grandfather's usual soft voice. It made her clear her throat as she stood up and looked through the dusty glass. There were a few other homes the same size as hers, and some that were even smaller. All of them looked like they would crumble apart in an instant. With straw roofs and cracked stone walls.
When Elestren, Trebond, and Lebberat split, half the population lost steady income. The fields were starting to dry up and the production of meat was starting to thin. With the lack of temungs, no leader, and barely anything left to salvage, their nation was doomed. Akira's eyes caught onto a few children who were running around on the stone street in beat-up clothing. Yet they were still smiling, despite how hungry they probably were.
Guilt, anger, and a sudden hunger for revenge swirled around Akira's heart. However, she just sat back down, pursing her lips together. Her fists dug into her leather pants, "I'm not a savior, nor am I someone people would want as one."
"Why?"
"What do you mean why? Just look at me grandfather, I'm a single person who cannot save a whole nation." Akira gestured her hand towards herself as she locked eyes with her Grandfather. Her stoic expression remained hard, but her grandfather shook his head and set his cup of tea down on Akira's desk, scattering a few papers to make room for it. "Perhaps you're right." He picked up one of Akira's hands and clasped it in his own. It was cold. Colder than the air blew through the house on occasion. He lifted her hand towards his forehead where he pressed it against. A smile inched its way onto his face, "there is nothing left for us here. There is nothing left for anyone."-His voice was soft, soft enough to just barely hear, "If you try to make peace, you might fail. But you're strong, you've always been. The damage will be worse if you don't try rather than if you did." He dropped her hand back down and simply waited for her to speak.
But Akira didn't know what to say. She knew he was right, but deep down, she was fearful. Not of the people she may have to kill, but of the burden she will carry if she fails. Trebond will cease to exist if she fails. It wasn't like the other two nations would help them out. They were the weakest nation of the two. It was only a matter of time before Trebond ceased to exist. "They will kill me the minute I step foot on their land, It's impossible."
"It's not impossible if you blend in." Akira glanced down at her red hair that reached down to her abdomen. She held a strand between her fingers, "you don't suppose I could blend in with red hair, right?" Her grandfather let out a breathy laugh, "I'm thinking something darker. Lebberat is known for their light-colored hair, and Elestren is known for dark." Akira furrowed her eyebrows, glanced up at her grandfather's barely visible brown hair, and pursed her lips. "What are we known for exactly?"
"Not red. But I suppose a mix of the other two nations."
This confused Akira even more than it did before, "so then why should I cover my red hair? It doesn't belong to any nation, which means I should be able to flaunt it around freely." She dropped the strand that was still laying limp between her fingers, "I suppose you could…" Her grandfather cleared his throat, "I don't recommend it though." Akira crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back further into her chair, "why? They won't be able to trace me back to Trebond so I see no concern for worry."
"You will get stares, and those stares will spark talk, and that talk will most likely end up with some sort of interrogation." Akira bit her bottom lip and shook her head, "but isn't that a good thing? I will have to meet a nation leader eventually.. Perhaps my hair could lead me right to them." Akira's grandfather sighed and reached for his tea cup. Akira slid it towards his hand and recoiled as he took a sip. Surely it was cold by now.
"I wouldn't advise it Akira, but I know there is no arguing with you." Akira opened her mouth to retaliate but was cut off, "however, you must swallow your pride at times. Don't be so eager to be captured. You have to remember at all times that your life's on the line." Her Grandfather stood up and glanced down at the girl before him. He smiled, a genuine smile and shuffled towards the door. He turned the knob and stopped, turning to face Akira one last time before whispering, "you're starting to look like her more and more every day."