Life Beneath the Fires - Part 03

With Blythe sailing on the ocean for two days and with Chiaki still somehow managing to survive, the boat arrived at the sandy shores.

He wasn't in good shape, and Chiaki wasn't either. He tried to gather some energy by resting on the boat, but Chiaki's crying prevented him.

"Chiaki... urgh... I can't sleep in peace if you keep crying." Blythe slowly crawled up to his feet, gazing around him. "Hey! It's land! It's an actual land! Woo-hoo!" He quickly jumped to his feet and gently picked up Chiaki's body.

"Look, Chiaki! We found some land! Maybe we can find somebody to help us." His feet finally managed to meet ground again. "It feels so nice to have some sturdy ground." He squeaked in enthusiasm and gently spun around with Chiaki in his hands. "Come on... let's go find some food and fresh water."

He glimpsed throughout the entire area, trying to figure out where to go.

A woman with long-purple hair, braided together, held a basket. She was picking up fruits from the wild trees. She put one into her basket, spotting Blythe in the distance.

"Oh?" She wondered, covering the basket with a napkin.

Blythe looked around the unknown terrain and tried to find some town they could find help. "I hope wherever you are, mom. That you're living a normal life."

He gazed around but suddenly noticed an arm in front of his view, holding a white fruit. It was out of nowhere, and it startled him.

"You must be hungry," the woman said, sharing the kindest faces imaginable, "Here, try this one. It's called Silk Boquilla. It has a sweet taste. And it will melt in your mouth, especially fresh ones." She explained, drawing Blythe's head to meet her eyes. "And don't worry. If you make a hole in the middle, it'll squeeze right out. Even a baby can drink it."

Blythe noticed the woman puncturing a hole into the fruit's top and made a hole. The liquid had already gathered at the top a little. "Here, now you can both try it."

Blythe remained speechless but accepted the fruit and gently took a bite. The fruit wasn't squishy, nor was it hard. It was perfect to bite through without trouble.

His eyes sparkled in deliciousness, and his cheeks puffed from its graceful taste. "It's so good!" He moved the fruit's hole closer to Chiaki's lips and gently squeezed out a bit of liquid.

He tilted her head a little so that its liquid didn't get stuck in her throat.

Before even knowing it, Chiaki felt refreshed and stopped crying.

The woman chuckled and stood on her feet. "My name's Emma, and yours?" The woman questioned, interested to know more about them. "Um... I'm Blythe, and this is my little sister Chiaki."

He introduced himself as politely as possible, and Emma looked into the faraway sea. "Did you come here with a tiny boat like that? And what about your parents? Are they here too?"

Blythe blinked with worry and lowered his gaze. His silence was enough for Emma to understand their problems. "Oh... I'm so sorry." She took a deep breath and smiled. "Please, come with me. I can bring you to my home. I'm sure some delicious food and drinks would help you."

Blythe looked at Chiaki, then returned his gaze to Emma. "Home?" He looked a bit traumatized, and some memories of his homeland getting destroyed returned to his mind. "Yes," She chuckled, "There's a big city through this forest! It's where I live. It's vibrant, and there's a big pond filled with fish in the middle. You're going to love it."

Blythe gulped and shared a comfortable smile. "Okay!" He ran next to Emma, walking beside her while holding Chiaki in his hands.

They entered the forest path and walked through the welcoming greens.

"So, um... Emma," She looked at him, waiting to hear what he had on his mind. "Are you like a huntress or a warrior? Cuz... Why are you outside of the town?"

Emma laughed, slightly waving her hand. "No, no, nothing like that! I'm just a shopkeeper, and I came out here to gather some fruit for the shop. The Distant Refuge has one of the most delicious fruits you'll ever taste. It has Crochee, Shohiva, Atine, Zibberind, Gleotuce, and Silk Boquilla you tasted. But there are plenty more fruits and vegetables we use to eat for a living. You can pretty much make any dish if you use the right ingredients."

She continued exchanging glimpses with Blythe, and her kind and cheerful nature never dissipated. "Does that mean your shop's popular, Miss Emma?" He asked and hoped he wouldn't turn out strange.

"Pretty much. A lot of people come to visit my shop and buy ingredients for cooking or baking. So, I run out of fruits pretty quickly. That's why I'm pretty busy every Sunday gathering ingredients for the next day."

Blythe smiled enthusiastically and became more curious than he already was. "Oh, I forgot to ask. Isn't that flower a symbol from the Spirit Flower Agency?" She asked, catching Blythe off guard. "I... no... I mean... Yes! B-But... we... we don't want to cause any harm." He explained stuttering and clearing his throat.

"Don't worry," She giggled, leaning her wrist closer to her mouth. "I heard that some people at the Spirit Flower Agency had the power to link their souls with another human. I've read a lot of stories about them, even some of their history." She looked in front of her. "Yes... but... the 'good' people attacked the bad people. Our home... it was destroyed, and I don't know if our mother's still alive."

Emma's eyes shook in terror as she covered her mouth from hearing such a sad story. "You were on that island? I knew there was a war between pirates and the world government... but to be there and witness it yourself... It must've been terrifying for children like you. I'm surprised you made it out of there alive."

Emma noticed small tears gathering around Blythe's eyes. "I... I don't want to keep thinking about it. I'm not even sure what those people will do after they learn that my mother and her friends fought on the pirates' side."

Emma exhaled with whispers. "I'm sure your mother had a good reason to act in such way. I'm still astonished you survived in the deadly rain." She explained, sad and calm. "D-Deadly Rain?"

"Yes... it's what the people named the war between the pirates and the world government. It makes a lot of sense in one way, but knowing its name frightens me."

Blythe looked at the ground, suddenly hearing Emma's voice. "Oh... here we are. Arkala Town... my home town. Come, I'll show you around and take you to my shop."

Blythe removed some memories of his homeland for a moment but smiled and agreed.

"Okay!"

To be continued...