Sweet home

Beta-read by written-tragedies.

The heat is scorching and it's only ten o'clock in the morning.

I glance up at the clear blue sky and quickly reach a hand to cover my eyes from the burning sun. The dried blood still itches under my clothes, and I reek of sweat and dirt. If it's already this hot in Medina, I can't imagine how hot it must be in Kabila which is way further into the southern part of the kingdom of Mamlaka.

"Khaled!" Raja calls out to me from in front of the Inter-Bab* leading to Kabila. "Is everything alright?"

I nod, snapping out of my daze, and Raja frowns worriedly. As I hurry towards her, the short statured woman leans away from the gate to Kabila patiently.

"Instead of waiting for me," she starts, "You should've immediately gone back to Kabila the moment you were let out of the Investigation Bureau."

"Hmm." I make a noncommittal noise, and the dark haired Tabib* purses her lips. On hindsight, I should've done exactly as she said but... I shake my head and tighten my hold on the red satchel hanging over my shoulder.

Raja inspects my troubled expression curiously. "Oh, I see, you're dreading going back to the village because of your lie." she states pointedly, her calculating eyes drilling holes in me, and I snap my head to look at her, eyes wide.

"N-no!" I blurt, and she huffs. "I didn't lie." I insist, but the Tabib* shakes her head at me.

"I can tell when you're lying." She exclaims, "I know you well enough to."

"Tha-that's not it." I stutter flustered. Of course Raja knew! Not only is she my mother's childhood friend, but she's practically my god mother.

The Tabib* huffs, "The villagers probably don't believe you either. You shouldn't have lied in the first place." She says firmly, and I jump to take hold of her hands before she steps inside the Inter-Bab*.

"You won't tell anyone though, right?" I whisper anxiously.

"I won't." she answers, and I manage to murmur a thanks.

"Not that there would be any need for me to." The Tabib* adds, shaking her head. "Now, hurry up. I'm teleporting first." she mutters and steps inside the gate leaving me a scattered mess of nerves.

"I killed the monster." my earlier declaration echoes inside my mind and I groan, burying my face in my hands.

Shit.

Let's calm down. I already got through the Investigation Bureau, what could be scarier than that? So what if I lied and the whole village know? What about it? I don't care if they give me dirty looks. They can gossip behind my back for all I care. Even if they share their suspicions with an Investigator, I wouldnt give a shit.

No. The last one is absolutely terrifying. I don't want to rot in prison, accused with practicing Founoun.* Raja might always insist that honesty is the best policy but in my case it would've caused more troubles than it was worth.

I stare flustered at the Inter-Bab's* gate. The circles of runes inscribed on the elder stone are glowing in a vibrant blue, a sign that the gate is activated and up for use. I groan. Just deal with it, I tell myself and then jump into the gate.

Just as I step into Kabila, I feel a large guff of hot air slap my face. My eyes burn and I shut them tight. At least this means, that no one sane would still be walking around the village's muddy roads in this weather. But when I manage to open my eyes again, I find a mob of smiling, bright eyed villagers surrounding the Inter-Bab* area. They all seem to have been standing there for a while, some staggering up from their sitting position when they spot me. Even children seem to have joined this weird crowd, wearing handmade traditional straw hats in different shapes, with a foot-long crown each, protecting their heads from the blazing sun.

I spot Raja just four feet away from me. We exchange confused looks and the villagers take that as their cue to cheer simultaneously, "WELCOME BACK: KABILA'S SAVIOUR!"

I gape, shocked and snap around to find Raja eyes wide and incredulously staring at the villagers.

"You're our hero!" one of the kids standing in the first row exclaims, and I can't help the wide grin pulling at my lips. Raja glances at me unsure.

"Don't let it get to your head." she warns.

I smirk, "That would never happen."

________________________________________

"…And that's how I defeated the beast." I finish, passing by a few dried good shops and reaching Tabib Raja's barrel roofed cot. Gasps followed by admiring claps resound around me. The villagers stare up at me with bright thankful eyes, mesmerized and not doubting the truth behind my elaborated lie. But as I bask in this momentary glory, I can feel the 50-year-old Tabib*'s Eyes burning holes in me. I swallow anxiously and glance around to meet her pitless black eyes.

"The things I do for you…" she mouths in exasperation then snaps around to face the villagers. With sharp dark eyes she starts, "I know that everyone's been waiting for few hours now under this screeching sun, just to show your gratitude to khaled for saving the village. But I have to ask you all to let him rest for the rest of the day. I hope you understand, he's exhausted and I still have to heal his injuries."

"I'm not injured though." I blurt and Raja fixes me with a murderous glare that drains the blood from my face. "...I feel so horrible. I'm in urgent need of medical attention." I correct.

The villagers, who were before full of buzzing murmurs and admiring gasps, hush at Raja's words. From amongst them, old man Brahim, the village's elder, steps up and nods sharply.

"Of course," he says then he turns towards me, "We shouldn't have bothered you."

"No, it's fine!" I begin only to be shoved inside the cot by Raja.

I stumble inside the long rectangular room past the three patients' beds located right at the entrance. From inside the dimly lit room, I can hear Raja express her thanks to the villagers and respectfully bide her goodbyes. The Tabib* steps inside, pulling the door shut behind her after a few minutes. Through the darkness of the room, she glares down at me.

"Are you sure it was okay, leaving everyone just like that?" I wonder out loud.

"You'll have plenty of time to sing your fake heroic adventures afterwards." She states and marches past the tall closet crowded with old books and a variety of jars on her right. With sturdy steps she makes her way to the window just beside the counter on the other end of the rectangular room, and feet away from the potion filled cabinet.

I groan as she opens it, light and a hellish heat seeping inside. "I told you I'm fine." I grumble and Raja snaps towards me face hard.

"Shut up." She snaps and I nod furiously.

Under her sharp gaze, I take a seat on the patient's bed closest to me silently holding my hands up in a peaceful gesture. For such a short statured old woman, she sure has a fearsome temper. A moment later the Tabib* signals for me to take off my shirt and pushes a bucket of water towards me with a dampened towel. I quickly clean off the dried blood sticking to my skin, my nose scrunching.

With that now finished, Raja nods sharply and takes a seat in front of me.

A/N:

*Inter-Bab: Teleportation portal connecting small neighboring cities and villages together.

*Tabib: healer.

*Founoun: banned arts.

*Riaf: the core of all living things, and what Hamis use to move the elements at their disposal.

*Rafik: familiar.