A Foreign Girl in the Seafaring City

The gentle sound of waves lapped against pale golden beach sands, the occasional bray of a seagull breaking its hypnotic lull. The sea breeze tasted of salt and carried a slight chill. Even in early September, the waters were cold, so nobody was swimming. Actually, there weren't many people here at all. Tourist season was over, and only a few stragglers stood around on the wharf, waiting for grizzled, old fishermen with tobacco tucked under their lips to arrive back with the daily catch.

The weather was overcast today. It might rain, Hana noted, watching seabirds dive into the ocean for prey. She didn't expect the town Zagiha found to be so far south. This place was a major detour from Tyressa, but Eastern Gesmaura was dotted sparsely with Worker villages even more isolated than Minumna, full of people who didn't speak a lick of Western Gesmauran and lacking a fulltime vet year-round. This port town was the only place that served their needs, and at the very least, Mica was around to translate.

Tyressa was a city on the border between Gesmaura and Eskana. As such, the majority language there was Eskanskaya, which none of them spoke except for Mica, whose knowledge encompassed a few stock phrases and the alphabet. If they continued further east, nobody would be able to explain they needed treatment for the dog.

And, as much as she wanted to get there already, she couldn't turn her nose away from helping the Samoyed that saved her life. Besides, their driver was currently at the vet clinic, leaving them stranded.

… Well, there were worse places to be than the beach.

Hana sat on a bench, rubbing her hands together to keep them warm. To her relief, Zagiha joined her a minute later with two mugs of coffee from a beachside kiosk. He sat down and handed her one, taking a sip from his own.

The warm drink was just what she needed. Blowing on the surface to cool it down a bit, she brought it to her lips. The coffee had hazelnut cream in it, her favorite way to take it. Zagiha had an uncanny ability to pick out things she liked.

He pulled out his copy of the constitution, opening it up. Right. Hana got too tired before they were able to finish, and then there was that rude awakening and all…

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"You know…" He shrugged. "You were shot at, so I wanted to make sure you were okay."

That was surprisingly decent of him. Seems he wasn't all talk, after all. He really was trying his hardest to be a better person.

"Hmm…" She inhaled the steam. "I guess I'm okay? As okay as I can be."

"You're surprisingly resilient."

"Uhh… I don't know about that. I just want to put it behind me."

"I see. Do you want to continue with this? I'm stumped." He waved the book a bit.

Hana nodded. What was with this awkward atmosphere? Chatterbox as he was, it's not like Mica was the backbone of their social group. And, oh… Mica wasn't here. They were sitting together at a beach on a chilly day, and they didn't have some ginger-haired third-wheel to ruin the mood.

Yep, this was an S-tier romantic situation!

From any stranger's perspective, it looked like they were on a date. There was no reason to interpret it anyway else. And they liked each other, didn't they? They might as well be on one for real. It was fine to make her move, right? He was over Astrid, so she didn't have anything to feel bad about.

And with Mica out of the way for now, this was her only chance.

She cuddled up closer to him. He didn't react. He just kept droning on and on about the text. But she didn't want to study. She wanted him. Hana rested her head on his shoulder. He tensed up a bit, but then continued.

Gods, take the hint, asshole!

He would struggle to pour water out of a boot if the instructions were on the heel! Was he so dense he didn't realize he had a ready and willing woman right next to him? Literally all he had to do was kiss her, and then they could go forward from there. Was that so hard? At the very least, he could put his arm around her or something. Hana failed to understand how he managed to mate with a female even once in his life if he was this obtuse.

Fine. If he were going to be stupid, she'd just do it herself.

Steeling her resolve, Hana closed her eyes, leaned in, and…

Whomp!

"What are you doing?"

A paperback book whacked her squarely in the forehead. Hana squeaked and fell back a bit, opening her eyes to Zagiha's distressed expression.

"Are you screwing with me?" he snapped, getting up. "Even if it's a prank, that's totally inappropriate!"

"U-Uh…" she stammered. She anticipated him maybe saying no, but she didn't expect him to get angry.

"What, am I baby's first crush or something?" he continued, narrowing his eyes.

"N-No!"

"Liar! Did you not want to actually study with me? Did you have an ulterior motive all along?"

Well, now she felt bad, even though she wasn't sure why. Nor was she sure how to explain herself without dying from shame. "I just…" she said. "You were sitting so close to me, I thought you…"

"You thought I was coming on to you because I sat down?" He smacked his forehead and groaned. "Look, I haven't finished my coffee, I literally don't know how to handle this, and I'm frankly very uncomfortable right now, so I'm leaving. I'll check on Rebane. Don't… leave this spot. Just think about what you did, and we'll work it out when I'm not panicking. Bye." And he got out of dodge, powerwalking off the beach into town.

She watched him until he faded away into a little speck, mortified. Ah… Her first confession, and her first rejection. That was harsh. That was really, really harsh. First the shock washed over her, and then came the shame. And finally, the deep humiliation twisting and turning in her guts. Hana stared at the ground, hoping nobody noticed the tears rolling down her cheeks. Her feelings were equal parts heartbreak and abasement. Being rejected hurt enough, but for him to be so offended at the mere idea of kissing her shattered her already fragile sense of teenage self-esteem. Was there something wrong with her? Was she ugly?

Of course she was. Her face was mousy and her figure was unremarkable. No hips, no boobs, no butt. Even Astrid with her plain face had a sexy, womanly body. No man in their right mind would ever desire her, especially a handsome God who could pull supermodels if he wanted.

Idiot! She was such an idiot! It was on her for assuming there was more to their relationship than casual friendship, and now she didn't know how she'd bring herself to face him again. That is, if he was still willing to see her. She really screwed up, didn't she? Zagiha was Hana's greatest ally in finding Silvio, and if she lost him, she was back to square one. As much as she hated to admit it, she needed him for matters far more important than indulging her unrealistic romantic fantasies.

She wiped her tears away, but they just keep coming. Screw this! She didn't want anybody to see her crying. Hana got up. She wasn't beholden to Zagiha's commands, and she had much better things to do than sit around, like cry in a public bathroom.

That sounded like a good idea.

Hana scanned the beach for any stalls, but there were none. Of course there weren't. Leaving her coffee behind, she pulled her cloak around the bottom half of her face and made her way back into town, plodding along the cobblestone streets until she found herself in the main plaza, dotted with shops and stalls. From what she understood of the signs in the windows, she had to pay to use the restroom—and just her luck. She didn't have her wallet with her at the moment.

The alley, then. That was a good place to sulk.

Ducking out of the way, she dropped down to a squat and sniffled into her shirt, hoping not to attract any attention. But it wasn't meant to be as she noticed a presence looming over her. Hana looked up, finding herself surrounded by three men. They said something to her, but she didn't know what. Hana tried to signal that she didn't understand Eastern Gesmauran, but they didn't care about her words. One grabbed her by the arm, dragging her off.

No! Not again! These people were Workers, not Unforgivables… Great! Just great! She wasn't attractive enough to be loved, but she was helpless enough to become a statistic. Hana dug her heels into the ground, crying out when another picked up her leg.

"… Claras ardeat!" A shock of light whizzed past her and got one of the men straight between the eyes. He yelled out in pain and dropped her. Hana sharply turned her hips and broke free from the other one's grasp, stomping on his foot to stagger him. They didn't go after her as she scrambled away. Instead, they turned tail and ran.

"Thank… you…" she panted.

"Hana?"

She rubbed her eyes and looked up. Where did she know this person? She was obviously a foreigner. There weren't many Gesmauran citizens with dark skin, after all, and they definitely wouldn't dress in Uswanan garb.

Uswana… Uswana…

"Lydia!" she cried.

She was a lot taller now, but there was no mistaking her former roommate for anyone else.

"What are you doing here?" Hana asked.

"I could ask you the same." Lydia crossed her arms. "But are you okay? They didn't hurt you, right?"

She shook her head. "You came just in time."

"That was really stupid." Lydia frowned. She wasn't the type to beat around the bush. "I don't know how safe the cities are in Gesmaura, but in Uswana you never go into back alleys."

Hana sat and took it. She knew Lydia was right, but she was so upset before she wasn't thinking straight.

Lydia put her hands on her hips. "Well, I'm sorry you had to learn this lesson, but what matters is you're safe now. We should get back to human civilization."

Hana nodded, following Lydia back into the main stretch. She relaxed a bit as more people surrounded them. Lydia was really pretty. She was tall and had nice hair and an elegant facial structure. She walked a lot more confidently than Hana did.

"Wanna get some crepes?" Lydia asked. "My treat."

Hana nodded dumbly. Lydia took them to a crepe stand and bought two pastries, ushering Hana to sit next to her. She took a bite and looked at her wistfully.

"Why aren't you in Komouruska right now?" Hana asked. She was beyond shocked to meet Lydia here of all places.

"You know our class graduated, right?"

Hana blinked. Was it really that long since she was in school?

"But that's the reason why I'm out here." A strawberry fell out between the folds of dough into her hand. "I had a student permit to stay in Gesmaura, but since I'm not in school anymore, I have to go home now." Lydia popped the strawberry in her mouth. "It really sucks. I wish I could stay here for a bit longer. But ever since the Unforgivables attacked Modrica, all train and boat lines out of the country have been shut down. So I have to go to the Uswanan Embassy to figure things out."

That made sense.

"And the Uswanan Embassy is… here?" Hana asked doubtfully.

Lydia scoffed. "Of course not! It's in Tyressa."

"Tyressa?" Hana laid her crepe down in her lap. Any fear she had leftover from her previous brush with danger was replaced with surprise. "That's where I'm going!"

"Really?"

"Yeah. We just had to take a detour here since…" She grew quiet and stared wistfully down at her shoes.

Lydia picked up on her mood right away. "We? But you're alone… oh. I see." She patted her on the back. "Did you have a fight with your boyfriend?"

Ouch. Straight through the heart.

"How are the other kids in our class doing?"

"They're doing well." She smacked her lips together. "C'mon. Tell me what's wrong. Maybe I can help you."

Hana didn't know where to begin. She wasn't sure how to explain she was enlisting the help of the Gods to fight a pre-ordained scourge on humanity due to a bet she made with Isaana. She should probably not mention that for now. She ought to speak of matters every teenage girl understood.

"Do you know about confessing to your crush?" she asked.

Lydia nodded. "I've been around the block a few times, sure."

"The person I'm traveling with is the guy I like. I messed up and we got in a fight, and then I ran off."

"So you got rejected, huh? And that's why you were in the alley?"

Hana folded her head into her arms. "He yelled at me. If I knew I was so ugly he'd get mad at the thought of me, I would've kept it to myself."

"Whoa." Lydia stood up and put her hands on her hips. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Ugly? Who said anything about you being ugly?"

"I…"

"Did he call you ugly?"

"No, but…"

"Hana. Hana, Hana, Hana. There is no way you're ugly. Look at that flawless skin. And that slender body! Hot or what? C'mon. Let's show him what he's missing out on!"

"Eh?" Lydia pulled her up, taking her to one of the shops. "Where are we going?"

"Retail therapy, duh! Shopping always helps me forget about some loser guy."

"But I don't have any money…"

"It's okay. I'll buy you something today as long as you pick me up when I'm down sometime, yeah?"

"Are you sure?"

"I insist."

Lydia practically pushed her inside one of the stores. Hana looked around, her face turning bright red like a tomato.

"This is a… lingerie store?" she stammered.

And now she was embarrassed in a totally different way. Nope, nope. This was way too adult for her! Were they even allowed to be in here? Nobody seemed to care. Lydia picked up a lace bra, holding it out in front of Hana.

"This is cute," she said.

Yes, it was cute, but she didn't know if she could bring herself to buy these sorts of things. And if her parents ever found it, they'd kill her! At least Lydia picking things out for her was less embarrassing than when Zagiha did. And now she had no choice but to imagine him picking out frilly corsets and panties and cajoling her into trying them on for him. And she probably would. That was kind of hot. And humiliating!

This was way too lewd! Her stupid, horny heart couldn't take it.

"I can't wear that in front of him!" Hana sputtered.

"Who said anything about wearing it in front of him?" She sighed. "That's not the point. What you do is wear it under your clothes, and it's supposed to make you feel more confident."

"And that works?" Hana asked.

Lydia nodded. "C'mon. Try on anything you like." She picked up the same bra, but in red. "I'll buy one, too. Twinsies!"

"Pass." Hana looked through the racks. Honestly, Lydia had a point. She probably would like wearing it, but she feared her mother's wrath more than anything. She ought to pick out something that was sexy but not too sexy so she had some plausible deniability should Eliza discover it. Browsing a bit, she found something more practical.

"Do you like that one?" asked Lydia.

Hana nodded.

"Okay, let's go with it, then." She folded her arms. "You know what, let's make the guy jealous right now."

"And how are we going to do that?"

"I saw my favorite makeup shop has a branch here. Let's get you some."

"My parents don't let me wear makeup…"

"Your parents aren't here. Stop being such a goody two-shoes. I'll show you how to do it."

It's not that Hana really wanted to; she was mildly curious about makeup, at best. But it beat waiting in the cold with a battered ego, and this might be the last time she got to see Lydia. The older girl was working so hard to make her feel better, and she had some measure of success. Besides, she didn't want to be alone in case those guys came back…

So she agreed, and the moment Lydia paid for their stuff, she dragged her out the door to the next shop.

--

Back in the dark alley, three men loitered in the shadows, licking their wounds and cursing the prey that got away. One lit a cigarette, passing his box of matches around to his buddies. They would try again at night, he assured them, when there weren't as many people around. Surely there were still tourists around who didn't know about the dangers lurking under the town's seedy underbelly.

The others agreed. If they didn't get a girl, then they had the numbers to jump a man and take his valuables. If they were lucky, maybe it would be a Sorcerer and they could steal his enchanted gems.

The man inhaled, but forgot to exhale as he caught sight of movement further off in the alley. The smoke tickled his throat and he broke into a coughing fit, dropping the cig on the ground.

"Pardon me," came a voice from the same direction. It was a very pleasant voice, smooth and gentle, but also cold and detached. It wasn't the sort of voice that would raise anyone's hackles, but the three of them found themselves rooted in place, cold sweat rolling down their backs. If they were predators, they knew now they were only in the middle of the food chain—this person was far more dangerous. The bigger fish, per se.

Finally, one of them managed to pull himself together long enough to answer. "If you want a light, you can have it," he said. "Then you need to beat it. This is our turf."

"That's very generous of you," said the voice, "but I don't smoke." It drew closer to them, the scant sunlight barely illuminating a thin silhouette. There was no reason for a person like this to intimidate them so much, but they had them transfixed.

"What do you want?" asked another guy.

The voice answered with a musical chuckle. "Excuse my interruption, but I saw you harassing a young girl a few minutes back, right?"

"What are you, a cop? Rass off."

"You don't even deny it." The shadow sighed. "This is a beautiful village. I don't get to see the ocean often, but I think it's so lovely. Why is it, then, that such disgusting pieces of filth are blocking my view?"

"You need to get lost right now, pal…"

The shadow held up a hand. "I'm still talking. There's something especially heinous about people like you. Those who bring nothing but suffering shouldn't be permitted to exist. And that girl… that girl means everything to me, so I can't allow her to come to any harm. You understand, right?"

"What do you mean?" One of the men pulled out a switchblade, cautiously advancing on the stranger.

"What I mean is those who have forsaken their humanity don't deserve to be called human. So, won't you kindly just die?"

--

Before they knew it, it was afternoon, and the sun briefly made its appearance before retiring back behind the veil of clouds. Hana and Lydia exited the makeup shop, bags in hand. By now Hana felt a lot better, the incident of that morning fading into nothing more than an unpleasant memory.

But of course, she couldn't run from it forever. There were things to do and places to go, and no amount of drama would change that. She felt her Message Crystal vibrate in her pocket. Hana sighed and took it out, ready to face the music. Yep. It was from Zagiha. Opening it up cautiously, she lifted it to her ear and took a deep breath.

"… Hello?"

She exhaled in relief at the sound of Mica's soft voice. "Mica?" she asked. "How are you talking on the Crystal?"

"Sorry. Zagiha-sa's next to me, and he activated it. He thought it might be best if I approached you first."

Even Hana wasn't sure whether that was true or not.

"Listen, where are you right now?" he continued. "When he came back, you weren't at the beach anymore. We've been lookin' all over for you!"

"Ah…" Hana shriveled up in guilt. He DID tell her to stay put, and only now did she realize how stupid it was to leave, especially when she was alone and had a great brush with danger. "I'm sorry. I'm at the town square right now. I met up with a friend, so…"

"A friend out in these parts? That's good to hear. I'm just glad you weren't all by yourself. I heard from the vet this area gets a little rough off tourist season. And I hope this doesn't embarrass you… but Zagiha-sa told me what happened." He paused, and Hana cringed. "I should apologize, too. When you asked me for advice last night, I kinda figured that was the case, but I didn't know what to say. I wish I could've guided you better… Listen. You're not in trouble with either of us, and Zagiha-sa definitely doesn't hate you. He didn't mean to hurt your feelings, but he'd like to talk it out with you in person. Is that okay?"

Having Mica talk definitely was the better choice, because whenever Zagiha opened his mouth, he chose violence. Mica was the most tactful of all of them, and therefore also the one least likely to scare people off. He'd probably be able to lead a horse to water AND make it drink with his unwaveringly reassuring tone. And, well, he made sense. No hormonal anxiety was able to stand in the mighty presence of such homegrown practicality.

Hana nodded. "Okay. I'll talk. Where are you right now? Should I come to you?"

"No, no, that's fine. We're close to where you are. Just stay in plain sight. See you in a few minutes."

The Crystal blinked off, and as promised, the wagon came into view moments later, pulled by three dogs. Cherry, the injured dog, was in the lead, bandaged up and taking his time, but walking well. The next moment, the back of the vehicle flew open and out came Zagiha, zooming over to Hana.

"Oh, thank the Gods you're safe!" he cried in relief. "I was so worried when I couldn't find you. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left you alone. I…"

"All's well that ends well," said Mica. He got out of the driver's seat and folded his arms. "Good news! Cherry is clear to walk. It might not be running, but it's still faster than making the trek to Tyressa by foot. And you must be Hana's friend!" He beamed and took Lydia's hand. "I'd like to thank you for keepin' her safe. I know! Ice cream! Let's get ice cream for everyone! Can you help me carry it?"

"M-Me?"

Mica leaned down close to her. "Let's give those two a bit of time alone, okay?"

"Oh. Ohhh." She nodded and went with Mica to the ice cream stand, leaving Zagiha and Hana by themselves.

They stood staring at each other for a few awkward moments. Zagiha scratched the nape of his neck. "Something's different about your face," he said.

That was it? That was all he had to say to her? And to add insult to injury, he didn't even notice she had makeup on… just that something was different?

"Ugh… I feel naked out here. Can we talk somewhere more private?" He looked at the chuck wagon, and Hana nodded in agreement, climbing into the back. She sat on a big bag of rice, while Zagiha leaned against the wall. "All right, this feels a bit better. Okay. Where do I even begin?"

Good question. Normally she'd chastise his denseness, but she didn't know what to say, either.

"I guess I'll start with an apology." He bowed to her. It was a strange sight, a God bowing to a human. "I'm sorry I freaked out on you. I lack experience in dealing with delicate situations like these, so I didn't know how to handle it. Making you cry is the last thing I want to do, so I regret hurting your feelings. That said…" He put his hands on his hips and shook his head in disapproval. "I was genuinely uncomfortable back there. You don't just plant one on people without asking, not to mention I'm wayyy too old for you. You're still a minor. I'm not. There's laws against these types of relationships for a reason."

Hana nodded along. She didn't understand what sort of reason that might be, but it was like Zagiha to follow the law to a tee. "So it's not because I'm ugly?" she asked.

"Ugly?" He gave her a surprised look. "Did you really think that? I know I tease you sometimes, but that's all it is. Teasing. You're far from ugly, even if your fashion sense is questionable. If my teasing hurt your self-esteem, I'll stop."

"No, no… I know you don't mean it." Hana stared into her lap. "I don't want things between us to be serious all the time. And you let me roast you back, so it's fun. Sorry…" She sniffled and collapsed into herself. "I really, really love you. You're an asshole sometimes, but in a good way? When I'm with you, I feel like I'm where I belong. It's like I've known you all my life. I've never had this sort of feeling before. I don't know what to do." She pulled her legs into her chest, curling up into a defensive little ball.

"I've got bad news for you, then," said Zagiha. "You never know what do with it, no matter how many times you feel it."

"So I'm not ugly?"

He shook his head. "No, no. Objectively, you're kind of pretty. You look… good, whether you're wearing makeup or not."

"Oh. You noticed." She couldn't help cracking a faint smile. "So my age is the only reason you won't be with me?"

"Pretty much, yeah." He averted eye contact. "I told Astrid I wanted to be single awhile to work on myself, too, and I meant that. But if not for that, and if you were older, if you asked me out, I'd say yes. I can't speak for everyone, but you have lots of good qualities. You're nice, you're smart, you're pretty, you're sensible. I'm sure there's lots of boys your age who'd want to date you."

"Boys my age are stupid," she huffed. "You said yourself I'm mature for my age."

"Yeah, but you're still your age." He massaged his temples. "Sometimes I forget you're fifteen, and then when you act fifteen, I'm somehow surprised. Look." Zagiha frowned. "I'm rejecting you because I respect you. This is the sort of complex thing that only becomes clear with age, but I want you to be safe, and I'd never want to take advantage of you in any way. I admit I've probably crossed some boundaries beyond what's appropriate for us, too, so it's good we're having this talk now."

"So we can't hang out anymore?"

"No, no, I still want to be friends." He paused. He was trying his best to be considerate, and Hana appreciated the effort. "I'm just saying we shouldn't be so codependent anymore? We can spend time together, but not all our time. Try hanging out with other people too, you know?"

Hana understood. When she thought of it, perhaps it was a bad thing to be too attached to someone. After Silvio's disappearance, she didn't have time to make friends or keep the ones she already had. Of course she'd get clingy the second some sort of human connection entered her life again. As much as it hurt, Zagiha's proposal sounded like the healthier option.

"I don't trust Rebane as far as I could throw him, but at least he's nice to you. And that girl you were with… you should try spending time with her, too."

"I see. I agree to try, but…" She bit her lip, not enough to draw blood, but enough to feel pain. "But I still love you. I can't help that."

"I know. Your feelings will fade eventually when you're busy with other people. It's for the best."

"But what if they don't? When I'm eighteen, will you go out with me then?"

Zagiha sighed. "That's also… also controversial, but maybe? Depends on a lot of things. But I'm sure you'll have forgotten about me by then. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Try to meet other people. Just know I want the best for you. You're important to me, so…"

"Ice cream! I bought ice cream!" Mica's voice drew nearer.

"Seems we're out of time," said Zagiha. "I know this probably wasn't the conversation you wanted, but thanks for being honest with me."

Hana nodded. She had a lot of things to think about. She knew he was right, and this was just a puppy-love crush, but her feelings now still mattered. She wasn't hurt anymore, but disappointed… maybe also a little relieved? In the end, she decided it was a conversation worth having.

Hana and Zagiha exited the wagon to find Mica and Lydia talking to each other.

"You mean you've been hitchhiking your way through Gesmaura?" he said. "That's so dangerous, Lydia!"

She was? Hana took an ice cream cone and licked it. Lydia had some nerve lecturing her on being stupid, when she was doing something stupid herself!

"But I really need to get to Tyressa," Lydia answered. "If I'm deported, I won't be able to come back for ten years!"

"Hmm… why don't you ride with us, then?" asked Mica. "What do you think, Hana?"

She looked at Zagiha, who nodded. "Well, it's been years since I got to talk to Lydia. But is it okay for the dogs?"

"You're both so small, I don't think it would be a problem for them." Mica smiled. "I'm always happy to make room for one more. It's no trouble since we're goin' to the same place. Plus, it's good to have a girlfriend around, isn't it?"

Hana sighed. "I guess I owe you one for the shopping. And you did save me earlier…"

"What?" asked Lydia.

"What?" echoed Hana.

"What did I save you from?" asked Lydia. She looked genuinely puzzled. "From moping around?"

Hana scowled. "That's not funny, Lydia! You saved me from those guys in the alley this morning!"

"You were attacked?" said Zagiha. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Lydia's blank expression persisted. "… Alley?" she repeated. "Hana, we didn't go in an alley today. We've just been shopping on the main road."

"If this is a prank, I don't like it!"

"Are you okay?" asked Mica. "Do you have a fever…?"

"Hana…" Lydia stepped back. "You're scaring me. No one ever attacked you."

"Three guys!" she hissed. "There were three guys! Two had brown hair, another was blond! You shot them with Claras ardeat!"

"… You're on something. I've never met those people in my life."