"Yes. More than anything," Kairi said in a low tone.
Mother then sighed heavily. "Don't be afraid, overall it's your dream, but the problem isn't only the dream." She then looked toward Huweyn. "I'm assuming he didn't tell you?"
"Wait! I just didn't find time—"
Huweyn, feeling uncomfortable by the family drama, asked, "Tell me what?"
"That he's only 15. Sure, there's no age limit when it comes to Transcension, but he's still not an illegible adult."
Upon hearing this, Huweyn's eyes widened, and he fell silent, looking at Kairi. "W-Well, it sure is quite the predicament I found myself in."
Mother then glared at Kairi once more before rising from her seat. "Not only did he not tell you that, but he also wasted your time. For that, I'll make a cup of tea, and you can spend the night here."
Huweyn then cleared his throat before looking back at Kairi. "You know, I don't feel as though just learning that he's underaged is going to stop me."
Upon hearing Huweyn's words, Kairi's heart skipped a beat. His round eyes widened as he slammed his hands onto the table. "It won't?"
Huweyn then smiled at Kairi. "I know really young Transcender, and they're also a woman at that." He then looked back at Mother as he stood. "I'm sure I can always whiff him up into frame for the task of the job."
Mother, standing over the table, looked at Huweyn in awe. "You'd still help him? But why? You don't even know him."
Huweyn then cleared his throat. "Are you familiar with the Whispering Ash Clan?"
"Most certainly, they have quite a reputation among Transcenders, don't they?"
Huweyn continued, "They do. I come from their long lineage. Usually, we only do forgery work while swearing among one another to not be Transcenders. Our job is to provide for the Transcenders, forge them powerful and custom-made Spirit weapons, not join them."
Mother, brewing a cup of tea, could not hide her confusion. "So how does this tie into our situation?"
Huweyn, leaning back relaxing on a chair that hardly accommodated his size, looked up, recalling former days. "It's hard to grow up being told you can't do what you want to or be who you want to be. Kairi has had things worse than I have; my family was still well-off, but I can't even begin to imagine how shackled to this town he must feel. How he feels being different from everyone else."
Mother then carried over the cup of tea to Kairi, then made her way back to her seat. As she sat, tears streamed down her brightly colored eyes, showing a different side to her than her usual serenity. "I know. I know how the boy feels, better than anyone. I've watched him grow up, raised him for so long. He's never fit in with anyone; the townsfolk are never open to learning more about him other than the fact that he picks fights with all the children that insult him for being from here. The Oprhanage is more well off from the rest of the town, my husband makes good sure of that, and so they won't accept any of us.
Kairi was struck silent by Mother's sudden outburst of tears. All along, he had always thought her to be strict on him for no reason or maybe harder on him than everyone else because of his situation. He always thought that she never understood. He averted his gaze from her, fixing it on the table; he felt guilty.
Mother, with every glance at Kairi, was struck with sadness and nostalgia. His face reminded her of someone she once regarded as beloved. "Sister," she thought. His face had pained her due to a striking resemblance to someone she had once known. "So he's following in our path."
Kairi, wanting to ease the situation, said,"I've thought too much about my age, all I know is that I'll have to work harder than most around me."
Huweyn then smiled. "You know what they say, a man makes his own change." He then looked over to Mother. "Worry not, I'll serve as a Winger to him."
Mother then smiled back at the armored fellow. "Well, in that case, as a former fellow Transcender, as someone who knows our risks, I entrust the boy to you."
Kairi's face then dropped in awe. "Former Transcender? How long ago could that have been? She surely doesn't look that old to me. And what is it with these strange terms?"
Mother then looked back at Kairi. "A Winger means that he'll take you under his wing, under the condition that you pay him back in the future. It's a strange practice but otherwise common." She then walked toward Kairi before placing her hands on his shoulders. "Be both thankful and respectful that you are so blessed as to be provided with such a great guardian. Transcenders tend to be selfish, greedy personalities; one such as him is a rare find."
Kairi, feeling embarrassed after being treated like a child, responded, "Understood."
Huweyn, drinking his tea, said, "Well, we'll leave tomorrow morning. It's a long way, and I have something I want to teach him."
Mother, intrigued, asked, "Could it be Soul Synergy?"
Huweyn, surprised but not so surprised as before, said, "I'd surely expect no less from a former Transcender. What name did you go by then?"
Mother, suddenly feeling embarrassed, said, "Though it grieves me with embarrassment to confess it, if I must then—" Covering her face with her hands, feeling embarrassed, she muttered, "Flamboyant Strikers."
Huweyn then spat out his tea. "Really? You're one of those sisters? My Pioneer, Tevin, a longtime Transcender, never ceases to mention that name when he throws around his drunken tales. I haven't been around long, so I lack all the details, but I just know you were strange bunch."
Mother's saddened face immediately brightened with energy. Her eyes opened in shock. "Raven Tevin? How is he?"
Huweyn, scratching the back of his neck, said, "Still thieving as always. His trademark never dies. In fact, he stole some goods of mine and ran off all the way here. We had a sparring session at some tavern not too long ago. Oh, but how I still feel the joy I experienced when I sent the old coot flying. He should still be here in this town; I imagine he'll drink his already declining health away before taking on his next job."
Mother, angered by just the mere mention of Tevin in Huweyn's story, said, "Good, don't let him boss you around. Sometimes you have to knock some sense into the thieving old bastard."
Kairi, watching in silence and feeling out of place, thought, "They're connected by the same associate? That beat-up, musty old man, there's no way."
Huweyn, getting up from his seat, said, "It'd be good to get some rest before departing tomorrow, Kairi. As for me, I wouldn't want to impose or anything, so I'll just stay at an inn somewhere."
"Although some beg to differ, this orphanage was made beyond the town and the oasis for assurance of privacy and protection of the children. You'd have quite some ways to go again before reaching an inn anytime soon. Spend the night here." She then pointed toward a flight of steps. "Upstairs, the room farthest to the right, it's practically vacant right now."
Kairi got up as well, watching Huweyn as he walked off in the distance. He was curious to know more about Mother's past. Turning behind, facing her once more, he asked, "What happened to your sister?"
Mother then smiled at him, her tender, soft palm on her face. "I'm sure she's somewhere far away from here. Now, off to bed." As Kairi walked to the stairway, she muttered, "You happened, Kairi."
Kairi and Huweyn now found themselves walking over a shaky wooden stairway. With every step they took, it creaked loudly, sounding like that of some strange animal.
Soon, they found themselves standing in a hallway extending down to six rooms. Huweyn took a far left while Kairi made a far right.
Looking back at Huweyn, Kairi scoffed, "You're not planning to sleep in that armor, are you?"
Huweyn, holding his back, replied, "Definitely not." He then waved at Kairi. "Good night, charismatic lad."
Kairi, waving back, said, "Good night."