Meat and Thieves
It had been some time since Guhin last set foot in the village. The potent aromas of herbs and spices lifted his spirits, reminding him of his first journey through the towering, wooden gates. As he looked around, he saw a typical day in Aryan unfolding: the streets teemed with people haggling with traders for better prices, children played wherever they found space, and stray cats prowled the village like thieves, snatching any unattended food.
Despite the familiar scene, one market stand caught Guhin's eye, a new addition he hadn't seen before. It offered an assortment of masks, potions, and books. The owner, a man so emaciated that his bones threatened to pierce his thin skin, looked as if he were on the brink of starvation.
As Guhin approached, the frail man nervously traced the engravings on his wooden mask with long, bony fingers. He turned his back, attempting to quell the anxiety welling up within him.
A group of children gathered around the stand diverted Guhin's attention. Their joyful laughter filled the air as they took turns trying on different masks and scaring each other.
A grin spread across Guhin's face.
As Guhin moved further into the village, the man kept his gaze fixed on him, watching as he disappeared into the throng and onto the main road. Guhin followed the road for a while before stepping onto a wooden platform that served as a lift to the village's main plaza. From this elevated vantage point, he saw a girl in farmers' clothing, a scarf wrapped around her for warmth, running towards one of the guards by the gates. Her face was alight with joy.
GIRL: "Ijodan! Look! Look! Look at me!"
The guard, Ijodan, lifted the visor of his helmet and turned his attention to the girl.
IJODAN: Not now, Can't you see I'm working.
His words trailed off as he noticed what Thess held in her hand. An orb of fire hovered above her palms. As she tossed the orb from hand to hand, the crowd around her erupted into cheers at the sight of her magic.
IJODAN: Thess, That's... That's incredible.
THESS: I told you, didn't I? I felt it all my life, bottled up inside, and now, I can finally do it.
Another guard, dressed similarly to Ijodan, remarked on the girl's good fortune. In the vast continent of Valherya, only a select few developed their magical essence every few decades. She now had the opportunity to enroll in the academy in the capital of Valherya, the Holy City of Iyen. Located in the northern region, the academy was a place for those who had unlocked their connection to the magical plane to learn and refine their abilities for the greater good.
Guhin was happy for her, though he harbored his own set of bottled-up feelings. None of them were magic. The platform he stood on had long since stopped, and he turned to walk through the open corridors of the main plaza. Traders on either side boasted about their wares, claiming them to be the best in the land. They displayed an array of weapons, food, equipment, books, and anything else one might wish to buy. Guhin paid no mind to the enticing products on display; nothing there piqued his interest or altered his usual disinterested expression. That is, until his eyes widened as he took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on a meat stand across the road. The aroma of fresh meat, grilled over a fire fueled by wood blocks from the ancient forest of the hermit Cydreic, filled his nostrils. With each step he took, his mouth watered more.
He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the animal being rotated over the fire.
GUHIN: Horned cow meat...
This large creature was a rarity, having not been seen in the area for some time due to centuries of consistent hunting. Its size required four people to rotate it over the fire properly: two on each side and one in the middle, brushing the horned beast with a large broom made of herbs and spices. It was a sight to behold, watching the flames gently lick the fat as it rendered within the meat.
The stand owner picked up his large cleaver from the cutting board and ran it along the seared parts of the meat, carefully cutting off pieces to preserve the fibers within. He placed them on the cutting board to brush them once again with oil and spices before serving them to customers on a piece of wood.
But as the owner reached for the oil and spices, Guhin noticed a small group of stray cats closing in behind the meat stand. They moved so quickly that within seconds, each cat had a piece of meat in its mouth.
The owner, whistling joyfully, reached to pick up the pieces of meat, only to find his cutting board empty. His whistle stopped abruptly, and he gripped the handle of his cleaver tightly. Taking a deep breath through clenched teeth, he exploded with anger.
"That does it! I've had it with these damn animals! How can anyone make a living here while these... thieving fleabags roam around?"
The owner's shouting drew unwanted attention to the cats, but the crowd gathering around the meat stand out of curiosity provided the perfect cover for their escape. As they darted between the legs of the oncoming crowd, one of the cats was trampled and dropped the piece of meat it was carrying. Limping behind its fellow felines, the distance between them grew too great, and the injured cat decided to hide behind a couple of empty fruit baskets on the side of the road.
GUHIN grunted.
Weaving his way through the crowd, Guhin picked up the piece of meat the cat had dropped and walked over to the empty fruit baskets.
GUHIN: Oii-ooi! I think you dropped this.
He looked down at the orange-furred cat, which resembled a small fox due to its fluffy tail and pointy ears. Guhin offered the meat, only to be hissed at. Terrified of being caught, the cat bared its fangs and claws, letting out a terrible screech. But when it locked eyes with Fukujin, the large crow, all emotion drained from its body. It stared blankly, then slowly lowered its head, as if bowing to Fukujin.
"Alright, I'll take you to your friends."
Guhin picked up the cat by the scruff of its neck and ventured deeper into the village. The echoes of the owner's shouts followed him as he looked up at the sky, where a bright flash of white lightning crackled through the clouds.
"So soon, Something's wrong."
As he moved further away from the market and into the small, maze-like alleys on the outskirts of the main plaza, he heard a familiar voice.
"Where's Ikaja?"
The cat meowed, "What do you mean you don't know? Never leave someone behind, you got that! Alright, I'll go get him myself. You guys go share the food with the others. I'll be right back."
As the boy began his search for "Ikaja", Guhin stepped out from around the corner and blocked his path.
GUHIN: It's been a while, Ishu.
The familiar voice calling his name stopped the boy in his tracks. As he looked up at the man before him, his eyes welled up with tears of joy.
"A,… Aniki?"
Overwhelmed with excitement, the boy known as Ishu ran towards Guhin, who, to his surprise, had already found the cat named "Ikaja". The purring furball was tucked safely in Guhin's robes. As Ishu gave them both a warm hug, the echoes of the meat stand owner's shouts faded into the background.