Family

Claire's hut was filled with weapons of all shapes and sizes. Mai looked in wonder at the walls- how had they not caved in with the combined weight of all that metal?

"Now, May," Claire claps her hands, "take out your weapon."

Mai looked in confusion at Claire. She didn't bring her fan with her, and Claire hadn't told her she needed it.

A few awkward seconds ticked by as Claire looked at Mai expectantly until Mai shook her head no. Claire looked at Mai in shock before she sighed. "If you're to be a true warrior, May, you must never forget to bring your weapon with you."

Looking sheepishly at her teacher before her, Mai nodded, blushing at her ignorance. It was the first time that she had been reprimanded with the intention to help her- even the voice hadn't reprimanded her.

Dir bursts in at that moment, his chest heaving as he had rushed into Claire's hut. He had heard from his grandfather that Claire wasn't a woman, and instead she was a Laor. She was neither male nor female and went for both males and females. As Dir thought of how beautiful Mai was, he quickly rushed to their direction, adamant to protect Mai.

Claire looked at the heaving boy in astonishment. "Why did you run here so quickly, Aldrich?"

Dir took a couple deep breathes until his breathing stabilized enough for him to speak. "I-I wanted to come."

Claire raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "So you just happened to have that idea?"

Dir's eyes whirled- he was a terrible liar. "Yes," he blurted out.

"I see," Claire nodded, crossing her arms. "And does this have anything to do with me being a Laor?"

Dir paled while Mai looked on in confusion. She did not know what a Laor was.

Coming to Mai's rescue, the voice quickly explained to her, "A Laor is another gender. They are neither male nor female and they can go for either gender."

Nodding in understanding, Mai returns to the grilling session of Dir and sees that Claire placed Dir in a headlock. After a few seconds, Claire noticed that Mai's attention was on her, so she quickly let go of Dir's head.

"She?" Mai asked, wondering what type of pronouns that Claire wanted.

"She. I prefer to be female, though I'm neither. And I go for males," she shot a glance at Dir, "but I think I might have to rethink that."

The voice snorted in laughter and Mai quickly followed suit with a slight smile. Claire looked at Mai in surprise. "You're not afraid of me? O-o-or disgusted?"

Mai tilted her head. "Why?"

"I'm neither a female nor a male. Most other people would have been disgusted by me."

Shaking her head, Mai pointed at Claire. "Claire is Claire."

Hearing this, Claire bloomed into a smile. "Come here," Claire said, "let me hug you!"

"No!" the voice and Dir had simultaneously replied, though the voice could only be heard by Mai.

"Oh come on!" Claire rolled her eyes, "I'm not going to eat her!" She quickly hugged Mai and kissed her cheek. "Thank you for being so kind," she whispered into Mai's ear. Nodding, Mai squeezed her back.

"Okay," Claire said, letting Mai go, "Let's get back to business." Turning her head to Dir, Claire asks, "Where is your weapon, Aldrich?"

Dir then promptly takes out the pieces of his spear from who-knows-where. Claire has a delighted look on her face.

Continuing on with the lesson, Claire taught the kids until the afternoon. Noticing how high the sun was in the sky, Claire paused her lesson to tell Mai and Dir that their next test was once again in the forest. Leading the way, Claire brings them back to the clearing.

"Why are we back here again?" Dir asks, unhappiness in his features.

"Because you guys are going to have to catch your own dinner," Claire responds.

Dir's mouth dropped open. "What? But we're not supposed to help with the hunters until we turn 12! And Mai is the sacrifice. She isn't allowed to hunt!"

"That's why you are going to hunt, and Mai will go harvest materials. I'm sure that neither of you would mind."

Dir and Mai shared a look, dismay on their faces. "But we're hungry!" Dir complained, rubbing his empty stomach.

Sending him a sharp look, Claire points at Mai. "Learn from May's example. She doesn't complain!"

"That's because she wouldn't waste her fifty words on complaints," Dir said under his breath. Mai giggled and tugged Dir's sleeve. She stuck out her tongue at him, mouthing the word 'weak'.

"Oh, see if I don't get you for that!" Dir playfully called out, chasing Mai with a stick that he casually grabbed from the ground. However, before the two could have fun, their collars were grabbed by Claire.

"Oh no you guys don't. Dir- go hunt, now. May, you too. Get to harvesting."

Dir gave one last look at Mai and Claire before he turned, grumbling as he went past the shrubbery.

"He's one stubborn boy, that's for sure," Teacher Claire sighed, a hand on her cheek. Mai nodded, though she grinned. "What are you grinning for, you little imp?"

"Funny."

"Yeah, I got that. What's so funny?"

"Family."

Claire grew pensive, staring at the girl before her. "Where's your mom, May?"

Mai shook her head. She knew that her mother was kept in a facility by the villagers, but she wasn't considered a part of the village anymore. She had lost her mind due to what the villagers had done to her.

"What about your dad?"

Remembering the village chief spitefully telling her the way she was conceived, Mai shook her head. She did not know which of the male villagers were her father.

Pity filled the eyes of Claire, and Mai felt uncomfortable with the unfamiliar stare. "Will go harvest," Mai said, hoping to redirect Claire's attention.

"Okay," Claire said, "just be careful."

Mai nodded.

Making her way through the forest, Mai stood before mushrooms of different sizes. "Which?" she asked, looking up at the sky.

"The ones on the left," the voice immediately replied to her. "Mai," the voice began, hesitant.

Mai looked up from harvesting the edible mushrooms. She tilted her head, urging the voice to go on.

"I can be your family, Mai."

Hearing those words, Mai stopped her collecting of the mushrooms. She stared even harder into the sky, and the voice thought that he could see a glimmer of tears in her eyes.

"Yes."