20 Child's Play

"What do Midnight Sunflower Seeds do?" she asked Rayvad when they left the dwarf's tent.

She knew there were a lot of plants and species in Robenrain that one could not find in Selgonfield. Simple People could not grow plants with magical properties, but such plants grew in abundance in places like Robenrain and Fleriden, where the residents possessed Elemental Powers. The Land of Flowers was famous for its magical forests and gardens. There was no Elf in Fleriden that wouldn't die to protect a tree. That was why Elves and Fire Demons were natural enemies.

"They have light properties," Rayvad said.

"Which means?"

"They glow in the dark. Larrysel uses them to make weapons. The effect is basically just for show, but younger warriors like them. There's a big demand for them," he explained with a shrug.

"But can't your enemies spot you if you carry a glowing weapon at night?" Brightise asked.

"Slorigans never hide," said Rayvad in a firm tone. "We face our enemies head-on."

By the time he and Brightise caught up with Clober and Syd again, they found Clober playing tag with a group of eight boys. When she saw Brightise, Clober's eyes lit up. She ran up to her sister fast, touched her arm, and then dashed away again.

"You're it!" she yelled at her. "Catch us, Brightise!"

Amused, Brightise shot a look at Syd, who was squatting down next to a tree.

"Don't look at me!" he told her. "I already played three times. They wore me out!"

Without a second thought, Brightise took a deep breath and ran after her sister. She hadn't seen Clober laugh and enjoy herself like that ever since they had left their hometown after that Fire Demon had burned down her school and abducted their sister. If all it took to make her happy was a children's game, Brightise could make that sacrifice. She had been too focused on keeping Clober alive during the past week, that she hadn't realized that she should have spent more time making her smile.

"You're too slow!" Clober yelled at her.

It was easy for her to taunt her, but Brightise had to make an effort to look like she was doing her best to catch her, even though she wasn't. Playing with children had some unwritten rules. One of them was to let them win without making it obvious that you weren't really trying.

"Come on!" Clober shouted.

The little boys around them zoomed past Brightise, trying to slow her down. Brightise suddenly sped up, making it look like she was finally going to catch Clober, only to slow down again after a few seconds. Clober was running in circles, moving in a zigzag pattern between the tall trees.

When Brightise made another exaggerated effort to catch her, Clober stepped on a low branch and started climbing up a tree.

"Clober, no!" Brightise yelled. "Is that even allowed?"

"Yes!" yelled the little boys.

"Apparently, it is," Syd told her.

Brightise stopped running and let out a deep breath. She looked up at Clober, who was moving like a squirrel between the branches, with a critical expression. "This was not a smart move," she told her. "If I climb up, I will catch you. You have nowhere to go."

"I can jump!" said Clober bravely.

"You are not jumping," Brightise said firmly. "When I come up and get you, it's game over."

Clober pouted, but when she noticed the distance of the branch she was standing on from the ground, she didn't object.

"Wait right there!" Brightise cautioned.

Then she pushed her worn boot onto the first branch she could reach and started climbing.

The trunk of the tree was big and sturdy, but the branches were thin and very dense. Brightise had to twist her body in every way imaginable to fit through them. This was a good reminder that she was not a child anymore. Unfortunately, she did not weigh as much as a child anymore either. After climbing up a couple of meters, she stepped on a branch that was too weak to support her weight. The branch snapped under her feet, causing her to fall.

It was the first time she was experiencing free fall in her life. In her opinion, the worst part wasn't the falling sensation or the hard landing against the ground. It was the branches that scratched her arms and face as she fell and the agonized screams of her sister.

"Brightise!" she heard Clober shout from her spot up on the tree.

Brightise whimpered on the ground. Syd, Rayvad and the kids rushed up to her, forming a circle around her.

"Someone go get Clober!" Brightise told them.

Syd turned and walked to the tree right away. Rayvad bent down towards her, shielding both Syd and the tree from view.

"Where does it hurt?" he asked Brightise. He did not seem to know where to touch her, so he didn't touch her at all. Brightise was thankful for that.

"Everywhere," she whispered in a pained voice. She had scratches of all sizes all over her body, some of them bleeding profusely.

"Go get the Healing Master!" Rayvad instructed one of the boys.

As the boy ran away in a hurry, Syd approached with Clober in his arms. Her sister had tears in her eyes.

"Are you okay?" she asked Brightise.

"I'll live," Brightise said with a forced smile. "Someone has to teach Rayvad what real farming work is like," she joked.

"Someone has to teach you how to climb a tree," Rayvad said angrily. Then he turned to the boys still around them. "Which reminds me... New rule: No climbing trees until you know how."

The boys nodded solemnly and then made way for an old man with a walking stick who was approaching.

"What happened here?" asked the Healing Master.