Walking through the dunes, past the stretching expanse of sand, with sunlight blazing on his smooth, pale skin, was Huweyn. His eyes were heavy with exhaustion, small bags underneath, and his skin was tanned by the harsh heat surrounding the desert.
He walked with a large cloak over his body, his face covered by a large hood to shield himself from the harshness of the radiant sun.
He walked slower than usual, weighed down by the added burden on his structure. Over his shoulder was a strange creature, similar to a wolf yet different. It had a large frame and white fur smeared by the sand. Its limbs and joints were strangely stretched, with dreadful jaws and claws massive enough to snap a person in two.
The creature was frail, its bones protruding through its skin; its skeleton was quite clearly visible even on the outside. With every step Huweyn took, the creature's neck swung around, back and forth; its neck was brutally twisted.
As Huweyn approached the stable, with the sunlight blurring his vision, he rested his palm above his forehead, squinting his eyes in disbelief. "Kairi?"
Kairi, clearly hiding his excitement to see him, exclaimed, "You're finally back?"
"And you're finally awake, huh, sleeping beauty?" Huweyn smiled, expressing his relief. "A lot happened, but it's good to know that you're fine."
"Out of everything that happened in Sworning Caverns, I have to say, the weirdest of all encounters—weirder even than the Spirit Beasts themselves—would be," he then stretched his lips with his fingers to form a wide smile, "that weird smiley collector fellow."
Huweyn scoffed, "You're right indeed." He then focused his gaze on Kairi's hair, as the imbalance of colors began to bother him. "I have to say though… your hair looks terrible."
Kairi sighed, "I know."
"Well, it tends to happen to most Transcenders. It's a sign that appears when there is damage between the soul and the body. Soul Lapsing is like training a muscle; you need to train it to build experience, and soon the connection between your soul and body will become even stronger."
Kairi sighed again, "I guess I rushed it then."
"You sure did."
Kairi then noticed the hideous creature hanging over Huweyn's shoulder. "What's that? Is that supposed to be for food?"
"Sure is, lad, it sure is," Huweyn remarked as he walked towards the stable, leaving Kairi outside.
"There's no way I'm ever eating that thing," Kairi muttered.
---
Sitting at a small wooden table meant for four, only three seats were occupied. Kairi was one of them. On the small wooden table directly in front of him was a small plate. Atop this plate was a small share of meat, mostly bone, with some herbal leaves on the side.
Kairi stared at the food in horror, barely blinking for even a moment. His face was all scrunched up in disgust as he sulked. Don't tell me he made this… He then gulped. From whatever was hanging on his shoulder earlier.
Noticing his reluctance, Huweyn asked, "Not going to eat? You do remember that you're still healing, right?"
"I'd eat it if it wasn't made from whatever you were carrying earlier," Kairi pouted.
"Desert Crawlers make quite a delicate delicacy, not only that, but the herbs add to the flavor, right, Mr. Ibnir?" Huweyn asked, turning to face the elderly man.
The old man, amidst eating his share of food, did not respond nor pay any attention to Huweyn. He just ate silently, adding nothing to the conversation.
"Still quite shy, huh?"
Kairi, looking at the food, gulped. He closed his eyes and cleared his mind, trying to muster the courage to eat Huweyn's self-proclaimed delicacy, but as he did, he could not stop recalling the scornful appearance of the Desert Crawler. I'm not eating any of that.
"Alright, since you insist on not eating despite your injuries." He then crossed his arms. "You won't train."
"That's not fair. Do you really expect me to feel comfortable eating whatever this is after seeing whatever that was?" Kairi sulked.
"Well then… I won't train you," Huweyn retorted.
"Fine… I'll eat it."
The meat was dark, nearly black, with a glossy sheen that reflected the light of the lamp. Desert Crawler meat was derived from a beast found in the barren wastelands, proclaimed by Huweyn to be a delicacy.
It had been roasted over an open flame. Its skin was crisp and tough, but the flesh remained juicy and tender. Kairi, still hesitant, picked up a piece of meat, feeling the warmth on his fingers.
The meat had a soft, sticky exterior despite its tough hide from whatever sauces were added on top. He brought it to his lips. The smoky scent filled his nostrils. He paused for a moment, then took a bite.
The taste filled his mouth immediately. The flavorful, juicy sauce ran down his lips. The smoky, crispy exterior and the juiciness of the meat perfectly complemented one another, and the herbal greens served as a delicate side dish.
Kairi licked his fingers and immediately went for another bite, wasting no time, devouring the meat aggressively as the sauce ran down his pink lips.
Huweyn, watching him, felt proud. He scoffed, "I knew you'd like it, but slow down, will you."
Kairi didn't even respond. He continued eating, wasting no time. He had not eaten well in quite a number of days; all he had was dry pieces of bread and leftovers stored for him from Mother.
He didn't even know Huweyn could cook as well as he did; he had assumed differently of him.
Still stuffing his face with food, Kairi looked up at Huweyn, licking his fingers with sauce all over his mouth, and smiled. "It's so good… I didn't know you could cook—at least not so well."
Huweyn then sighed, "Have some modesty, will you."
"You can't blame me; I haven't eaten this well in days," Kairi retorted.
Kairi then leaned back in the chair, feeling elated. The food was both sufficient and tasty; it was almost addictive. He savored every bit of it.
As he got up from the chair, Huweyn followed. He then looked at Kairi. "I have a lecture for you."
Kairi sighed, holding his plate in his hand. "Alright… I understand—I did overdo it in the Caverns."
Huweyn then leaned against the door frame. "It's true that I was angry with you before, but my lecture isn't what you think it is."
"You mean you won't complain and be all angry?" Kairi questioned, confused.
Huweyn then smirked, "No, I actually plan to show you all the components of Soulweaving tomorrow, some you haven't even seen, and have you start to strengthen your connection with Soul Lapsing."
"Really?"
So there's even more to Soul abilities that I don't know about. Huweyn's words resounded constantly like a reverberation through Kairi's mind, rendering him excitedly impatient. I can't wait, he thought, a nervous smile on his face.