Chapter Text
I unfurled the paper and, I don’t know what I expected, but it was definitely not this. I was at a loss for words. “What is this?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
I looked down at the paper and tried to give it another chance. He didn’t wait for me to figure it out on my own. The first idea
“It’s an advertisem*nt for a Great Chapaa Hunt.”
Then I saw the words, just under the giant number front and center, ten sizes smaller. “Why is there a bounty above the chapaa’s head?”
“That’s not a bounty. That’s the prize money.” His tone was turning sour.
“And the big “WANTED” below it is just…”
“I WANT people to hunt the chapaas. Is this unclear?”
I looked over the paper again and thought how few people would actually show to an event advertised this way. “I’ll put it this way. There is room for improvement in that department.”
Hassian sucked in air with a hiss. “Eshe said the something similar.”
“Forbade you from posting these, I’m guessing?”
He shrugged. “She was… less kind about it.”
I wanted to hug him, but I was scared he’d feel like I was moving too fast, so instead, I grabbed his hand.
“I’m not a child, I don’t need coddling. This is where I need your help. If I’m to successfully campaign, I’ll need better flyers. I don’t… know anyone else I could ask.”
He looked genuinely embarrassed.
“I know exactly who we need to take this to.”
He raised his eyebrow.
“Zeki!”
“The shopkeep? What would he know about advertising.”
I scoffed. “How many times have you walked out of his shop with more than you originally intended?”
He looked at me incredulously.
“Well, then you are stronger than most. I have crumbled many times. And it’s in no small part thanks to his flyers in his shop.”
I could tell Hassian wanted to be mad at me for suggesting the Grimalkin, but knew I was right.
“Fine. You ask him, then. Or whoever else is knowledgeable enough to handle this. I don’t care who.”
“You can count on me.” I smiled up at him. He returned one in kind.
On my way in town, I stopped by Tish at the willow tree under which she spent her mornings doodling new ideas. When she saw me, she closed her notebook and jumped up before wrapping me in a warm embrace.
“It’s so nice to see you!” She lifted her notebook. “I had some great ideas this morning! It’s amazing what good sleep can do for the creative mind. Would you like to see?”
“Always!”
She showed me her newest designs, all using the purple flow wood I’ve been collecting for her. It’s a little denser than the other woods, so carving an intricate pattern would be all but impossible, but she came up with some interesting designs that might work with the wood, taking advantage of its natural texture. Each design was better than the last.
“These are fantastic!”
“Oh, you really think so?” She squeezed me into a brief hug. “I’m so glad you like them! They aren’t finished yet, but when they are, I want you to be the first to see them!”
I was really starting to like having Tish in my life. She didn’t have a mean bone in her body and she was always so happy about things. I know that she has things that make her sad. The other day she told me about what happened to her parents. But even with the heartbreaking things happening in her life, she still found it in herself to smile.
Of course, that was until she leaned in to whisper, “Can I tell you as secret?”
“You know you can trust me.”
“This is my deepest, darkest secret. I’ve never told anyone.”
Now that was interesting. The look on her face… she seemed almost ashamed of what she was about to tell me. I was expecting the worst, so when she told me:
“… I … I don’t actually think chapaas are that cute!” She blurted out. “Everyone in the entire village except for Hassian thinks they are totally adorbs, but I… do not get it.” She sighed, releasing all the tension she had in her body. “There, I said it. I hope you don’t hate me now.”
I breathed out a sigh of relief. “That’s all?”
“What do you mean, that’s all?!”
“Here I thought you were about to tell me you were into some major crime or had a crush on Jel… it’s just… you are upset because you don’t like rodents.”
She huffed. “It’s a big deal! I’m lying to everyone.”
“You know you don’t have to right? They are not that cute.” I pulled out the flyer from my pocket. “Maybe this will lift your spirits?”
She opened the flyer and looked at it with the same confused expression I must have had when I first saw it, so to help her out, I said,
“That chapaa looks pretty ugly, doesn’t it?”
She giggled. “It really does. But also, what is this?”
“Oh, right there, do you see that? it’s a Great Chapaa Hunt that Hassian is coordinating. I’m actually on my way to Zeki’s to see if he can’t give some ideas on how to make it a little less…. Confusing.”
“Is it bad if I say I’m excited for this?”
“Not even a little bit,” I chuckled. “Well, what do you say, would you like an escort into town?”
She smiled and linked her arm in mine. “Of course!”
———————————————
Zeki cackled at the sight of the flyer. “Oh, man. This is priceless!” He wiped under the mechanical eye as if it could tear up. “I ain’t never seen anything I liked more in my life.” For a cat, his face was very expressive. “Thank you for this, I’ll treasure it always.” He took a deep breath to get his diaphragm under control. “Ahh, didn’t know that guy was such a joker.”
“Oh. No.” I had to suppress a giggle myself, “He was totally serious.”
“That just makes it better! Hoo, you can’t make this stuff up! Did he draw it himself?”
“I think he did a great job with the chapaa itself.”
“Yeah, that’s one mean-lookin’ son of a gun.” Zeki appraised the flyer once more, thinking it over. “If you did want help fixin’ it up, I could whip up a redesign. For a nominal fee, of course.”
When you go to Zeki, you need to go into it knowing what he needed. I still owed Hassian for all the help he’s given and refused to accept any gift of repayment. Whatever Zeki’s fee, I could handle it. And still probably be in his debt.
“How much?”
He smirked and named his number.
I gave him a deadpan look. “Just cause you can swindle everyone else doesn’t mean you can swindle me.” I was not going to let that happen in my own dream!
“I like ya, kid. So, I’ll make you a deal. Don’t let anyone tell you that neither.” He stood straighter and taller — as tall as a four-foot tall cat-person could stand, “Got a certain reputation to maintain.”
I nodded at him gratefully, “So I’ll pick this up at…?”
“I’ll drop it off to him myself.”
“No.” I had a bad habit of interrupting people, I was learning.
“’Scuse me?”
I shrugged, and not willing to tell Zeki the real reason, I said, “I kind of told him I’d take care of the flyer. But, I couldn’t tell him I don’t know anything about these things. I just… Well, you can see.”
“That I can, kid. You got it. I’ll leave it here in the backroom for ya.”
“Thanks.”
Zeki really outdid himself with the flyer. It was catchy, highlighted the right information, and made the hunt look like a competition rather than a wanted poster. Not only was the design great, he made a few dozen flyers. More than enough to hit all the major hubs in Kilima and Bahari Bay.
I went around back to the porch to avoid walking past Reth. Not that I was hiding it from him per say, but more so because even though logically I understood it would not be a problem, I couldn’t help but feel like it would be a problem for Reth. Given the comments he’d made. For all I know, he was already aware, but that didn’t mean I needed to rub it in his face.
Hassian took a long moment to review the poster. “I suppose these will do,” he finally managed. He cleared his throat and cracked his neck. “Thank you.”
I felt my eyebrows lift, but my brain was having a second catching up.
“For helping me.”
“Don’t mention it.” I smiled at him.
“Fine. I won’t.”
That shouldn’t have hurt. But it did. And he didn’t notice.
“I have been making my plan of attack. If we are able to recruit enough people to our side, we may be able to make a significant dent in the chapaa's destructive number. I'll place these posters up in visible areas of the village. Hopefully the reward for the hunt will be enticing enough.” He adjusted his weight to his left leg. “I'd better get back to planning.”
He started to walk away, but turned his head to say. “Stop by later… if you like.”
He might be the most socially awkward person she had met in Kilima, but he had his redeeming qualities.
I felt a light tap on my right shoulder. I turned to check who was trying to talk to me, but no one was there.
“Hey, sweet-tooth.”
I jumped to see Reth on my left, staring out at the water. The sun was peaking between his house and the horizon, illuminating his hair, nose and cheekbone with a golden sheen. He turned back to smile at me, lighting his lips with the same glow.
I punched his shoulder before I let myself get too distracted. “Don’t do that to me. You freaked me out.”
He pouted in a very distracting way. “I’m sorry you’d rather be boring.”
“I’m not boring.”
He scoffed, “H’okay! Name one interesting thing about you!”
“I came out of a literal orb of light?”
He shook his head, and hair, in a brilliant array of golden orange. “That describes every human ever. Or at least, every human here in Palia.”
“Fine! How about this — I was among the first group of humans to find a grove!”
He rolled his eyes. “There were three of you right? That means there are two more of you running around.” He rubbed his chin. “Come to think of it, maybe I should go find them. Take them up to the gazebo.”
“You can take whoever you like up to the gazebo,” I said a little too sharply.
That smirk found its way back onto his face again. “I thought humans were into the whole one-at-a-time thing?”
“If another human remembers more about their past than I do, I want to meet them. Maybe I can learn something. But considering the level of amnesia I’m experiencing, and unless I’m a major anomaly, chances are there isn’t a human out there who knows what our dating looks like.”
“Now that is an interesting way of looking at it.” He squinted which scrunched his nose in really adorable way. “You are really weird.”
“Says the guy with tracking runes on his arm.”
He shrugged his shoulders, unphased, bringing my attention to his lopsided smile. “What can I say, it’s not just my soup that’s popular!”
“You’re soup’s okay.”
He glared at me playfully, “Did you just lie, again? If I remember right, that’s not what you said the other night. In fact, I’m pretty sure your exact words were, ‘Reth, your mushroom soup is the best thing I’ve ever had since coming to Kilima. I don’t know how I will live a minute longer knowing this soup exists but unable to taste the flavor. I might have to start a new religion dedicated to your soup.’”
“Took a few creative liberties with quote, huh?”
“Eh, that’s the way I heard it.” He huffed, crossing his arms and shutting his eyes. He peaked at me, “You trying to tell me it’s not true?”
I took a deep breath, trying to mentally prepare myself for the question I needed to ask. “How many girls have you taken up to the gazebo?”
Reth’s expression slackened into genuine shock, but it quickly turned devious. “Are you jealous?” He suppressed a laugh. “You don’t need to worry about that. Behind this handsome exterior is one of the most disliked people in all of Kilima. I’m surprised you agreed to go with me, to be honest.”
“Why do you keep saying that? Why would anyone avoid you?”
“I’d like to get to the point I feel like I can tell you everything. But you seem smart enough to get the jist. I’m an idiot, is what it all boils down to. I can totally understand if you come to the same conclusion everyone else does.”
He looked sincere. He sounded sincere. I wanted to believe he was sincere, still, I had to ask, “I’m a big girl. I can handle it if you tell me you are seeing other people.”
The smile he shot my direction looked more sad than happy. “Nope. Just you. But it’s okay, I know you are still testing the waters. Like I said, I respect your decision whatever it is. But, for the time being, I’m going to assume you’re spending all this time with me because you can’t get enough of my charm.” He grinned at me, regaining his normal bravado.
“I do like being in your company.” I leaned my head on his shoulder for a moment and looked out to the water.
I wondered absently what it might be like to be a fish. They just spend their lives swimming, eating, laying eggs, repeat. That’s it. No funny business. They wouldn’t have any complicated feelings.
“I like being in your company, too,” he rested his head on mine.
On the way out of the inn, I saw Tish walking towards Jel’s. I ran over to her. “Wanna see the new flyer?”
“Oh wow, they’re done already!”
I guided Tish to the billboard by the stables. Tish looked over the flyer and her face brightened.
“Zeki did this?”
I shrugged, “I guess he’s not half bad.”
“It’s a lot more obvious what this event is. And I’m glad Zeki kept the angry chapaa.”
“Me too,” I said. “I used to think they were cute when I first got there. Now I just see steaks and soup.”
Tish giggled and sighed. “Seems like this event is going to be a little bit of a big deal. I don’t know if you noticed, but things like this don’t happen every day in Kilima.”
“Maybe tomorrow we can convince Jel to help us make outfits for the event! Mine will be practical and yours will be, well, I’m sure you and Jel can work that out.”
“Why not tonight?” Tish tilted her head, but despite the interest she was pretending to display, I think she knew more than she was letting on.
“I’m a little busy tonight. I’m on my way to Bahari Bay.”
“It’s a little early for the grove, isn’t it?”
As I suspected. But if she wasn’t going to be direct, neither was I. “I was planning to hunt a few chapaas before I go so I could eat when I got there.”
She put her hands on her hips, “I didn’t know you ate more than one at a time.”
Now she was forcing me to be honest, too? Why couldn’t anyone let me have my secrets. They had theirs?
“I’m meeting someone.”
“And would that someone possibly be the same someone who is running a Grant Chapaa Hunt?”
“How long have you known?”
She giggled. “Were you trying to hide it?”
“Well, yeah, seeing as, well… you know.”
“You haven’t accepted any pins have you?”
I shook my head.
“Then why are you worried?”
“Cause Reth’s your brother and I’m just some human you met a couple months ago.”
“You’re more than just ‘some human,’ silly! You are my friend. Sure, I love my brother, but as your friend, I want you to make choices that make you happy.”
“I don’t really know what I feel right now.”
She smiled, “That’s okay! I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”
