Chapter 39: Going Out

Sarudei

[Meanwhile, in Soleon]

I groaned as I woke up.

Something felt off as I stirred from sleep. My body felt too comfortable, too warm. I groaned, trying to bury myself deeper into the softness underneath me. Wait. Softness?

My eyes popped open. I wasn't lying on the hard, cold floor of a cave. Instead, I was wrapped in a soft, warm blanket, resting on a mattress that felt like a cloud. I sat up abruptly, looking around in confusion. 

This wasn't the sparse, rocky interior of a cave I had grown accustomed to. Instead, I found myself in a modest but well-furnished room. The walls were painted a soft cream, and a small window let in the early morning light. A wooden bedside table sat next to the bed, and a small closet stood against the wall.

Right, I'd almost forgotten that we had gone to Arisa's underground city. Felt so odd to not be sleeping in a cave for once. I blinked. Did the rebels have indoor plumbing down here?

Wish a soft sigh, I pushed the blankets away and stood up.

I smiled as I realized my brother was sleeping peacefully beside me. He had wanted to share a room as we always slept next to one another in the cave.

Maybe it was best I left him sleeping. Tiptoeing away, I made my way to the kitchen. There was stone oven for making food. Although, I had no matches or rocks on me to start a fire. Nor any firewood.

I sighed, realizing my predicament. We were so used to living in the wild that simple household tasks seemed like a challenge now. I glanced around the kitchen, hoping to find something that could help me start a fire.

To my relief, I noticed a small box of matches sitting on a wooden shelf. Next to it was a stack of neatly chopped firewood. It seemed the rebels had thought of everything. I grabbed the matches and firewood, placing them next to the stone oven.

Carefully, I struck a match, watching as the tiny flame flickered to life. I held the match to the firewood, a sense of satisfaction filling me as the wood caught fire. The warm glow of the fire illuminated the kitchen, casting dancing shadows on the walls.

With the fire crackling in the oven, I set about finding some food. The rebels had provided us with a modest supply of food - some bread, cheese, and a few pieces of fruit. It wasn't much, but it was more than we had had in a long time.

I prepared a simple breakfast, the smell of toasted bread filling the kitchen. As I was setting the food on the table, I heard a soft groan from the room. My brother was finally waking up.

I couldn't help but smile as he stumbled into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes sleepily. "Morning, Sarudei," he mumbled, his eyes lighting up at the sight of the food.

"Morning," I replied, handing him a plate. "Eat up. We have a long day ahead of us."

As we ate our breakfast, I felt a sense of calm wash over me. While this wasn't our hometown, at least we felt safe for the first time in a long time. No fear of wild animals suddenly attacking us or anything like that.

"Want some fruit to put on your bread?" I asked, offering my brother some cite gokan. They were green fruit with spiked skin. One had to be careful when cutting them.

He smiled. "Thanks, Sis." His eyes went to my hands.

I hid them behind my back.

Night frowned. "Sarudei... Your hands..."

"It's okay," I said, showing them. "Just a few minor pokes here and there. I already got the barbs out."

He sighed. "Sis, you need gloves to cut this. That's what Mom used to always say."

I laughed nervously. We had no gloves around. Plus, I thought I was skilled enough to do it without gloves like Grandma and Dad used to do.

"I'll be more careful next time," I promised, trying to lighten the mood. My brother's concern warmed my heart, and I felt a pang of guilt for causing him worry. 

He eyed me skeptically, but nodded, taking a bite of his fruit-topped bread. "Well, it's delicious at least," he said, his words muffled by his mouthful of food. 

I laughed, ruffling his black hair. "I'm glad you think so," I replied, taking a bite of my own breakfast. Despite the early morning mishap, the food was good. The bread was fresh, and the fruit was sweet and tangy, a burst of flavor that was a pleasant change from our usual diet.

As we finished our breakfast, I couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment wash over me. Despite our unconventional living situation and the struggles we had faced, we had each other. And that was something I wouldn't trade for the world.

After cleaning up the kitchen, we decided to explore the underground city a bit more. The rebels had given us free rein, and it felt good to stretch our legs and see something other than the inside of a cave.

The city was bustling with activity, people moving about with a sense of purpose. There were shops selling all sorts of goods, from food and clothing to weapons. I could see children running around, their laughter echoing off the stone walls.

Hopefully, Night and the other kids could play like that as they grew use to life here.

Despite the circumstances that had brought us here, life in the underground city was surprisingly normal. It was a sharp contrast to the life we had been living in the wild, and it was a welcome change.

As we walked around, taking in the sights and sounds of our temporary home, I felt a sense of hope kindle within me. We had made it through some tough times, and while we had many challenges ahead, we were stronger than we had ever been.

Night stopped and glanced at one of the weapon stalls. He eyed a sword.

"Wanna buy one?"

He looked down. "We got no currency."

"Arisa have me some to spend on you and the others."

Night hummed. "Say, where are the others?"

"They're in the house beside ours. The elders thought we should live in the smaller house. But I think we might take in some of the other kids. I mean, the house they got is pretty big, but it's probably not big enough for all of them."

Night laughed. "True. Is it fine if I go play with them later?"

I smiled. "Need you ask?"

He giggled. "Guess not." He eyed the sword again. "Although, those funds are for everyone, so probably best we don't buy it."

I smiled. Night was growing up to be a responsible little man. It made this big sister very proud. Not that it was all my doing. Raising him was a group effort. Plus, he also had some of the credit. Kids had their own autonomy. Their decisions and such determined the course of their lives. Me and the older generations were only there to help guide him and the other kids in the right direction.

"Well, then. Let's see if they got any meat," I said.

Night giggled. "You really love meat, huh?"

"You do too, little buddy."

He chuckled, nodding in agreement as we continued our way through the bustling stalls. As we left the weapon stall, Night took one last look at the sword. I could see the longing in his eyes, and it made me smile. He was young, but he had the heart of a fighter.

We ended up at a stall selling fresh meat. The sight of it made my mouth water. Apart from yesterday's boar, we had eaten mostly fruits, bugs, and vegetables. A growing girl and boy needed some meat!

"We'll take a couple of pounds," I told the vendor, handing over a few of the coins Arisa had given us.

Night's eyes widened as the vendor wrapped up the meat. "Wow, that's a lot of meat," he said, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

I chuckled, ruffling his hair. "Well, we have to feed the rest of the kids too, don't we?"

His eyes lit up at the mention of the other kids. "Right! They're going to be so excited!"

As we made our way back to our house, the bag of meat in my hand and Night chattering excitedly next to me, I couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment. This was our life now - a far cry from the life we had been living in the wild. Although, who knew how long it would last. Commander Yusan had to be looking for us... Plotting to eliminate the last remnants of rebellion strong enough to pose a threat to Titanos rule on this planet.