Canlanma Tales, Part 2 [Repost]
2: Fetching
Hani looks down on Animus’ chocolate hair and sighs. He knows not to ask what he is about to ask, but he does anyway. “What did you need, Novel Writer?”
Animus smirks. “I need you to go find Amethyst for me. I don’t know where she went.”
“I thought you had a tracker on your Time Walker.”
“She’s blocking her energy signature from me. You’re the next best person to find her.”
“And you want me -of all people- to go find her.” Hani raises an eyebrow.
“Without question.” Animus grins. “Besides, she likes it when you go find her instead. It’s more fun, according to her.”
Hani rolls his eyes again and shifts his weight. He gets rather annoyed when he becomes Amethyst’s hunter. He recalls the many conversations before this. Too many to count. Too many times that Animus gave her cloy smile and tried to make her requests as cute-sounding as possible. He looks to her and wonders how many times Animus asked him to find her pet Time Walker when it -sorry, “she”- disappeared. “Fine. I’ll go find her. I want something in return.”
Animus’ grin fades slightly. “What would you like?”
Hani tilts his head back and forth before he leans down and whispers something in her ear. She blushes but recovers quickly. “That is fine by me.” She reaches out her hand. Hani takes it and kisses it instead of the handshake she expects. “She’s probably with the nomads again. I haven’t seen her all month.” Animus comments.
Hani gives a mild chuckle. “That only makes this game more fun.” He gives a gentleman’s bow and leaves to retrieve a few things.
Amethyst sits among the tall grass as she watches men and women. They are leaving the nearby forest with baskets and laughter as they link arm in arm. Amethyst smirks at this sight. The life they can afford, with all its laughter and simplicity. Amethyst cups her hands together until she can see the strings again. Each thread a little different than the others, but all point to the same moment.
“You know, if you keep looking at alternating realities like that, you will lose your humanity.”
Amethyst looks up to see Hani as he rests on his haunches. Her still expression curls into a frown. “What do you want?”
“Ani sent me to retrieve you.” Hani answers.
“What? Am I one of those chew toys for guard dogs now?”
“Who said I was a guard dog?”
Amethyst looks to Hani with a newfound smirk. Hani shakes his head as he realizes what he has just gotten into. Amethyst chortles and takes her attention back to the nomads. They enter their tents and the smell of firewood wafts through the fair-weathered skies. Hani looks to another group of Arrunta as an older adult leads a combat lesson with smooth sticks. Each student seems to understand the lesson, but the older one seems to take his time to tweak each of their stances. Hani recalls his own lessons. The time in Ludum flutters toward the forefront of his thoughts. At the sight of his dazed look, Amethyst elbows him in the chest. Hani flashes back to the present moment as he grabs his chest in annoyance. “What did you hit me for?” Hani glares at the pest of a woman.
“To bring you back.” Amethyst answers. She stands and brushes her summer dress off. “Let’s head to Ludum then. Unless Ani wanted me to meet her somewhere else.”
“Dunno. She wasn’t specific.”
“Fine. Let’s go to Ludum then. If she wants me somewhere else, she can come find me.”
Amethyst waves to the Arrunta as she passes them and hops aboard The Blackwing. She muses at the thought of Hani’s glee as he gets to command the vessel, even for the shortest amount of time. “So, you got the mini-ship, eh?”
“I didn’t need the big one.” Hani answers. He takes a crystal out of his pocket and goes below deck to the navigation crystal. It’s menacing size glows as a familiar destination crystal clinks against it. The ship stirs and begins its pre-destined flight to Ludum.
Amethyst takes the lull in conversation to tie her hair up with the flower band an Arrunta child gave her. The flower smells of musk and lillies as she adjusts its red petals off to the side. Her hair begins to absorb the color and scent of the flower, leaving only the woven band in her hair. Alright, Animus. What are you planning? Amethyst wonders to herself as the ship zooms through the air toward her favorite city.