Chapter 7:

  Jade was hardly out of breath after another hour of walking. Shogai was doing mostly fine as well, though his feet were aching, and he was sweating. The sun wasn't being kind to them; it had been up all day with no clouds or rain.

  Harabel was their next stop, the closest settlement to Nomun. This was the furthest Shogai had ever gone from home, and it occurred to him how little he knew of the world beyond his village. The thought was both terrifying and oddly freeing.

  The gates of Harabel were guarded by two armoured men with spears. They crossed their weapons over the entrance as Shogai and Jade approached.

  "State your business."

  Jade spoke with practised confidence, as if reciting something she'd memorised.

  "An Aberrant attacked our village. We're just passing through to find a new home."

  "You're aware it takes family connections to live in Harabel?"

  "Of course. As said, we're just passing through."

  The guards grunted and let them pass. Jade let out a small breath of relief once they were through.

  Shogai leaned toward Jade once they were inside. "How do you talk to them so easily? They have weapons. What if they'd attacked?"

  Jade laughed. "You really don't get out much, do you? Guards at city gates always ask your business - it's standard procedure. They're not going to attack random travellers. Be cautious, but not every stranger is an enemy."

  This concept didn't make much sense to Shogai, though Jade seemed certain about it. As far as he was aware, even within Nomun, he'd had to watch himself. Outside the village, you had to be careful to survive.

  "Relax, Shogai. We'll be fine."

  "Did you read my mind?"

  Jade coughed. "That's impolite. My grandfather told me never to read minds unless I need to. I admit, I was... lenient with myself earlier. But I promise I won't read your mind unless I need to."

  Shogai was satisfied with that answer. The sun was starting to set, reminding him how long they'd been travelling. A break was desperately needed. But Shogai didn’t feel like stopping. He wanted to just… walk. Keep walking until his legs gave out and, if he was lucky, dropped dead. Jade didn’t respond to that thought, proving she hadn’t heard it. He appreciated that.

  “Fresh bread!” A baker called out. Shogai flinched. That’s exactly what Thomas used to say. “Two for one!”

  Jade stopped walking when she noticed that Shogai had frozen. She understood immediately. She abruptly walked up to the baker, with Shogai immobile behind her.

  “Are you travellers?” The baker had a badge on and was gesturing to the lack of badges on Shogai and Jade’s chests. Was the badge a sign of citizenship?” “You came at a good time. Some people in this place are stingy; you won’t get better offers than this. Where are you two headed?”

  “Gongadion,” Jade answered, rummaging through her pockets to fish out coins. Shogai ordinarily would have been surprised that she had a plan, but right now, he didn’t feel… anything.

  “I’ve heard rumours of the king’s guards patrolling that area recently.” The baker handed one loaf of bread to Jade. “Take care of yourselves, and stay safe. Sir, are you alright?”

  The baker had been holding out bread for Shogai to take, but Shogai was just staring at it, unresponsive. The bread was different to what Thomas used to make. All bread on the island would be from now on. Because Thomas was no longer-

  “You really seem to need this food.” The baker pressed the bread into Shogai’s hand and wore a warm smile. “There’s an inn around the corner. You should rest. Gongadion is a couple of days away on foot, and you won’t find another place to sleep until then. Please take care of yourself.”

  “We appreciate it, sir.” Jade smiled back, while Shogai stood stoically. He stared at the bread in his hand while Jade took his other hand and dragged him away.

  “I’m sorry,” Shogai mumbled. “I embarrassed you.”

  “No, it’s okay.” Jade steadied him and looked determined to get her message across. “You don’t have to pretend to be fine, so don’t feel forced to. No one is asking that of you.”

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  “I just… can’t feel anything.”

  “That’s normal,” Jade reassured him. “After trauma, even I-”

  “No.” Shogai put his hand up to quiet her, a bit ruder than he intended. “Sorry, I just don’t want to talk about it right now. The baker said there’s an inn nearby. If this next stop really is two days away, we need the rest, right?”

  She nodded, glad that he was focusing on something other than what had happened to him. But a knowing look was behind her eyes. Sooner or later, he’d have to feel something, or else he’d be in a terrible emotional state.

  They wandered into the inn, and Jade went to the counter to book a room. Shogai sat at a table to count their supplies.

  It was enough to last them a few days, but that was it. Some coins - not enough to spend carelessly. And some food that wouldn't last long. For a normal journey, this was fine. But searching for a secret organisation could take weeks, if not months. Even just this coming two-day walk was going to be tough because they had no way to carry a large stock of food. And if they got one, that’s just more weight to drag with them. They were going to need a plan.

  "Hey there, hon, need a hand?"

  Shogai’s eyes shot up to the counter to see a drunk old man bearing down on Jade. That confirmed his thoughts. The outside world was dangerous.

  A long-overdue emotion overcame Shogai. He couldn’t quite understand it, but seeing that man trying to intimidate Jade caused something to shift within him. An overbearing sense of duty, similar to what he felt during Aberrant attacks. He became overcome with a need to stand up for her.

  "Hey!" He stood, attracting the man's attention. The drunk turned toward Shogai and laughed at his thin figure - the body he’d been neglecting for the past day.

  "Mind your own business, kid. Or else."

  Two men appeared behind the drunk, crossing their arms. Shogai wasn't intimidated, but he noticed some people gathering their things and hurrying out before they got caught in a brawl. It reminded Shogai of who he was - a protector. He had to settle this with words.

  "This very much is my business, sir, so back away from my sister."

  Shogai stepped forward threateningly, and the men inspected both of them, turning back and forth between him and Jade. They looked nothing alike. Even Shogai couldn’t believe his own words as he said them; it was just supposed to be a lie that made him back off. He didn’t know what he thought of Jade, but a sibling sure wasn’t accurate.

  "A likely story!" The drunk laughed. Shogai felt anger rising. He didn’t even know Jade. Why was this what made him feel something? The man continued.

  "Well, if you're so worried about me stealing your girlfriend, why don't you just-"

  The drunk man fell to the floor, snoring loudly. Jade made a face of mock surprise and raised her voice at his followers.

  "Look at him! Way too many drinks. Take him home. Now!"

  Without their leader, the two men stupidly hobbled around and dragged him off.

  "Now then, one room, please. Two beds."

  "You sure you don't want a double, ma'am?"

  "Two is fine, thank you." Jade flushed red.

  Shogai averted his gaze as the innkeeper shrugged and tossed them a key. Shogai left a coin on the desk.

  "One night. Enjoy."

  The room was small but cosy, with a bed on each side and one window. Jade tossed her bag on one bed, and Shogai did the same.

  "Why did you wait so long to take him out? You could have dealt with him immediately," Shogai asked. He was so exhausted, and yet his eyes were more open than before.

  Jade took a breath, pondering how to explain. "All minds are different. They feel different. His mind - a drunken, disgusting mind - was unpleasant to say the least. I didn't like being there, so it took a while to subdue him. I won't let it affect me in emergencies, but your distraction helped. Thank you."

  "Handy power. What's my mind like?"

  "A fortress. Hard to get in, but safe. It's better than most minds I've encountered."

  Shogai was… glad Jade felt that way. An emotion. Ever since the confrontation downstairs, he’d been more aware of how he felt. The emptiness was still there, but something was slowly filling it up. Maybe he wasn’t broken after all.

  "Now then, I've shared my tricks. You share yours. Some kind of super strength, clearly, but is there more to it?"

  Shogai shook his head. "It's just a basic form shift. I get faster and stronger. I only use it when I need the firepower - I take hits way worse in that form."

  Jade’s eyes appeared to be asking for more, so Shogai continued.

  "Well, I guess there is a bit more to it..."

  He clenched his fist, and it became surrounded by a red aura. This felt wrong… or awkward… that he was just showing off as if they were having a friendly conversation. Well… were they having a friendly conversation? It did feel like it.

  "Don't get caught in this. Very destructive. Very damaging to me. But a direct hit ends any fight."

  Jade gave Shogai a small round of applause, which made him smile. Then Sekara's face appeared in his head.

  "Well, almost any fight..."

  The tone of the room darkened, and Jade spoke up.

  "It wasn't your fault. You did everything you could. More than the people who ran away. Get some rest. It's been a long day. You'll feel better in the morning."

  Jade extinguished the candle and tucked herself in, facing the wall. Shogai did the same, and he didn't realise how tired he was until he closed his eyes.