Chapter 48 - Busted

Chapter 48: Chapter 48 - Busted "There you are." It’s Yaci, who had just woken up. Everyone in our little camp is already stirring, and some are already eating breakfast. "Good morning, Yaci." "Good morning, Yaci. Let me introduce myself properly this time. I’m Lovelace. Pleased to meet you." "Pleased to meet you, Lovelace. So, that’s what you two were talking about." "Yeah, I came up with that name overnight. I’m happy that she liked it." "Welcome to our tribe, then, Lovelace. I’m pleased to meet you." "I’m pleased to meet you, Kwarah." The elder joined in the conversation as well, bringing some dried meat and fruits for us to eat. "Let’s eat and break up camp. We have a long journey to join the rest of the tribe again. And the earlier I’m far away from here, the better." "Of course!" We eat in silence, and then I and Yaci set up to help pack things up. Lovelace is not used to the beastkin way of living in the Barren Wilds. So she just stays there, looking at everything with curiosity. "Why is everything made of leather?" She asks at some point. "It’s because it’s practically the only harvestable resource in the Barrens." "The Barrens?" "The Barren Wilds. Where we live." "I’ve never heard about it before. I thought that we were by the Dragon Mountains, near the Green Hell." Green Hell? What kind of place was that? "You’re not wrong, Lovelace. I’m told that the Barren Wilds is what remained of the forest the humans once called the Green Hell, after the goddess unleashed her power over it." "The goddess?" The explanation Kwarah offered did little to ease Lovelace’s curiosity. It seems that there’s much for her to catch up on. But the awkward silence that followed her last question was enough for her to understand one thing. "That woman... Did she become an actual goddess after stealing my power?" "It seems so, Lovelace." "And that’s one more reason for us to get away as soon as possible. I don’t know how much she oversees this place, but I don’t want to be nearby when she learns you’re not here anymore." "It makes sense; I’m sorry for asking so many questions." "No, it’s okay. We can talk while we walk." ::: A few hours later, we are marching on the open wasteland. The formation is looser than it was in the dungeon, as the open plains make it easier to spot enemies. Lovelace had never ridden a camel before, so she’s on Kwarah’s camel. I’m on Yaci’s because I also haven’t learned yet how to ride one by myself. Still, we march close enough so we can talk. "Is it true that this wasteland is what remains of that ancient jungle?" "Indeed, that’s what I’ve heard. That the old forest where we beastkin were born became the Barren Wilds after a confrontation with the goddess." "Olivia was powerful, but this is a whole other level." I hear the different name and can’t contain my curiosity. "Olivia?" "Yes, that was her name before she started calling herself Juno." "I’m told that even among humans, people these days only know her as the goddess." Thirteen centuries is a long time, indeed. I can only imagine the amount of cultural shock that is waiting for her in the human world. While the three of us chat like that, Yaci is silent. I’m behind her on the camel, so I can’t see her face. I ask in a quieter voice so only she can hear. "Is everything okay, Yaci?" "No, it’s ok." I can sense in her voice that it is not. There’s something bugging her, and she doesn’t want to talk about it. But I won’t pry right now. I have a hunch that it’s about our mothers and this whole side quest, and that she doesn’t want to talk about it in front of Lovelace. So I’ll ask her about it when we’re alone. ::: Two days later, we arrive at the oasis where both tribes are camped. There is a meeting with the elders, in which it’s decided that Lovelace will live with the fox tribe. She is given a tent so she can set up near the one I share with Yaci, and then we’re allowed to rest. ::: "Now, tell me. What’s going on?" It’s night, and I and Yaci are lying on our shared bed. I haven’t turned our lamp off yet, so there’s a faint light that lets me barely see her face. "What do you mean? There’s nothing going on." "Yaci..." "Ughhh... Okay, okay. I can’t hide anything from you, can I?" "No, you can’t." She sighs, then looks at the ceiling of the tent. "Why have we done all that? I mean, Lovelace seems like a very nice person, and it was nice to rescue her. But what about our mothers?" "I know... But it was a request of the Loa, and we agreed to it." "I know we agreed. It’s just that... We could’ve come here after we rescued them." "I mean, you’re not wrong, but at the same time... The Loa probably knows something that we don’t." "The Loa... don’t get me started on them. You basically died down there. If we hadn’t found that amulet, you wouldn’t be here." "They probably knew that as well." "And doesn’t it make you angry? I can see that they were ready to sacrifice you." "It doesn’t, to be honest." "WHAT? How? Why??" "I went there knowing that. I chose it. And that was also how I knew that I wouldn’t actually die there. The Loa have a plan, which is bigger than us and our mothers." She suddenly sits up and looks at me with a very serious face. "Aurea... tell me the truth. Are you really seven?" Uh-oh. Busted. I don’t know how to answer that, and I know that this hesitation is answer enough. "How long have you been suspecting that?" "Just answer me." Gods, she is angry. Like, really, actually angry. Damn. "What kind of being are you? Are you really a human?" Okay, this is going too far. "Yes, I’m just a normal human, and I was born in this world seven years ago. It just happens that I remember the life I lived before this one. And those memories are the reason I sound and act older than I am."