Marroway? No one knew them? How?
The name had died out. No matter how hard he tried, nobody remembered it. A legacy of a lineage torn to shreds, forgotten. How could it happen in a span of a few decades? People aren't one to forget. Guess they had to float out onto the rock once in a while for it to be recognizable, which didn't happen for quite a while.
Tinks kneeled down, closely examining the seashell by keeping it in his palm.
"Blast! Who told you that you can touch it?!" The shopkeeper screamed.
"Oh, I didn't know, sorry." Tinks put down the seashell on the table and lifted his hands up in the air.
"Be careful!" The man spat. He picked it up with his gloves on and used a magnifying glass to look at it. "You're very lucky, boy."
"Sorry." Tinks shrugged.
"How foolish, or are you… just new?"
The man tilted his head and looked at Tinks, closely examining him. Curly hair, skin as brown as wet sand, and a slim nose, certainly not one of his land, he figured at least.
"Which of the five are you from, boy?" Shopkeeper said.
"What?"
The shopkeeper sighed. This was a tough nut to crack.
"Which one of the five archipelagos are you from?!" he spat.
Tinks remembered. There were supposed to be 5 islands near the mainland.
'I don't know their names! What do I say? Wait, the seas!'' Tinks thought.
"My parents immigrated here from Crystalfish Isles. The land closest to it."
"Makes sense, but you ought to be well informed, boy, you look educated. What's your name?"
"Tinks Ma- I mean Tinks Mableforth. Nice to meet you."
"I'm Shea Shells. I know about my name, my father was a comedian, you see, so he made me a joke." Shea chuckled. "That aside, been a while since I've seen someone from Tracetta."
'Shea Shells, what a genius of a name.' Tinks thought and chuckled, as his eyes caught something.
"So, what brought you here to the market boy?" Shea said.
"Boy?" He called out again.
Only to see Tinks staring intently at a woman, near 30 one must guess, with his fists clenched.
"Mableforth!" Shea called out, bringing Tinks back to earth.
"Interested?" he teased Tinks.
"Uh, no. Just curious." Tinks said, eyeing the woman.
She was draped in a long silky white robe, from shoulders to knees, a hat with edges as sharp as a ship, and a seashell buttoned onto her chest.
"She reminds me of someone I know." Tinks said, looking at the woman who was now bargaining.
"That's my daughter. Though she's getting married in a couple of months. I'm trying to save up enough for her marriage you see."
"Ah, I see, she looks pretty... Either way, I need the siren, how much does it cost?"
"You down to business then eh? Thirteen hundred oreks for the siren, extra 300 for the sculpted ruins onto it." Shea said.
"Fine." Tinks said, and reached inside his pants pocket, pulling out a large gold chain, of around 100 grams perhaps.
"Keep the change, good luck with your daughter's marriage. I've got to move now." He stuffed the tattooed siren inside his pants pocket.
'Now I truly have no property, for I am exiled. I am nobody.' Tinks thought.
Shea thought it was one of the boy's foolish antics. He grunted and pulled out his magnifying glass, closely examining the molding of the chain.
"Wait a minute… that's pure gold. Are you foolish, boy?" Shea, said as he held the magnifying glass close to it.
"I can't have it, surely I'm not allowed to, boy, take it. You're young and need it more. It's wrong.."
He looked up, only to see nobody in front of his shop, but just the crowd walking.
Shea, bewildered, called out to Tinks, but in the bustling crowd he was nowhere to be seen. Where did he come from, who was he? He quickly began closing his shop down, the chain tightly clenched in one hand.
'My whole family can eat for years now! I don't need to marry Haph away to some noble crook now!' Shea thought while arranging everything in his briefcase, and trying to get the sand off his feet.
His daughter now walked over to the shop, her hands folded around her back, in a shy manner.
"Dad? I came to visit you, you're working too hard in the sun, you should come home." She looked down at the sand. "Mom's worried about you."
Shea laughed internally. Only if she knew!
'Of course she can know, she's my daughter.' Shea thought.
"Here's your lunch. Mom told me to give it to you in case you won't come home." Haph said while handing him a small cotton bag. "You know the Chaktri family had agreed to send some money right? You don't got to work so hard."
"It's not about pity honey, it's about honor. Don't want to be handed over charity for the rest of your life, do you?"
"Sigh, whatever. Make sure you eat your lunch though. I have some dresses to sew now, I'll be leaving."
"Wait, don't!" Shea shouted.
"What's the matter dad, you want me to stay with you?" Haph asked, concerned.
Shea contemplated. 'Do I tell her, risk it, or do I not tell her and pass it off?'
'Argh! Blast! I'd rather tell her than anybody else.'
"No, Haph. I'm coming home." Shea whispered to his daughter showing the chain to her, and put a finger over her lips, gesturing her to shush.
"I have something that's going to change our life! But no questions."
"That's… wow." Haph said as they both laughed at their fortunes.
"How about we eat in a luxury restaurant, for today of all days?" Shea grinned.
Haph nodded with tears welling up in her eyes.
She helped her father arrange the goods, getting ready for a good meal in a long while.
***
Kreya leaned back against the wall, she couldn't stand and work for too long these days.
"Mom! I told you I'd dry the clothes!" Abe said, walking over to her.
"It's enough if you just shut up and get a degree, maybe go somewhere outside here and get a job." Kreya said.
"It's completely unrelated to what I just said."
"I know." Kreya said, now sitting down on the stool, breathing heavily. "Your sister went out to meet your father around 3 hours ago, I wonder which boy she's roaming with."
"Haph isn't the type to do that," Abe defended her.
There were suddenly 2 knocks on the door, simultaneously.
Kreya went to open the door, seeing her husband and daughter with 2 large bags of… packed food in their hands, giggling and laughing.
"I.. can explain." Shea smiled.
The night was spent in tasting delicacies, exchanging laughter, questions and joy in the small house that shone even under the dark. They had eaten a full, satisfying, delicious meal after quite a few days. The food was devoured into like there was no tomorrow. Not just the food, but they had bought an entire new variety of clothes to wear, as they tried on everything.
Meanwhile, a certain noble house was being broken into…