Chapter 13

^^ Dining place in Penta Province.

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"How did it go?" Ayla questioned, looking at me with emerald eyes, squinted due to the sun. I finally turned my attention to her and we both began walking along.

"If you count this as good then it went absolutely marvellous." I joked, jutting the basket I created into Ayla's line of sight. I glared playfully at her when she began laughing loudly, stopping us in our tracks.

"Oh, Hanna- it's um- it's something." She said between laughs, looking at the basket. I glared at her again to which she put her hands up in surrender, making me huff loudly before walking forward at a faster pace.

"It's not that bad." I grumbled to which Ayla let out another chuckle, jogging slightly to catch up to where I had walked.

"Oh, I doubt it'd have any use, Hanna." She mocked and I scoffed before placing the basket on top of Ayla's head where it nested comfortably.

"Really? I have to disagree; I think it makes a great hat." I said in a joking professional manner. Ayla smiled at this, reaching her hands to touch the basket.

"You think so? Well, I trust your judgement, Hanna, so a hat it shall be." She joked before hooking her arm through mine and leading me through the crowds of people.

Some looked at me as though they knew I didn't belong and I shrunk internally into myself almost unconsciously. The looks weren't cold, but they were curious as to who I was. Ayla's hold on me tightened and I would have laughed at her 'hat' look if I wasn't feeling anxious.

"It's okay. They don't know who you are. When introducing yourself, for now, don't give your second name, okay? They don't need to know who you are right now" She whispered, her breath hot against my ear and I nodded to show I heard. Ayla spoke again, but this time in a louder more joyful voice.

"It's nearly time for lunch. Shall we round the others up?" She questioned, but didn't give me ample time to answer before pulling me along.

Weaving through the crowd, we moved to a muddier area, surrounded by jeering and cheering males who stood observing something.

"What are they doing?" I questioned, but Ayla merely just shoved her way to the front, pulling me with her.

"Look for yourself." She said before cheering loudly along the men to which I winced. I followed her line of sight to see a large circle drawn on the sand and, in it, stood Abrax and another man that was just as muscled. The chain-mail he wore was long gone and I blushed at the small linen shorts both males were wearing. They circled each other before throwing themselves into the centre of the ring and trying to push the other down, the struggling grunts were loud enough even over the sound of the crowd.

"Wrestling?" I said, grimacing slightly at the smell of heat and sweat that filled the air around us.

Ayla merely nodded before jumping loudly in place, her hands flailing above her.

"Show him what you can do, Abrax! Show that Hmar!" She shouted and I watched as Abrax's eyes found hers before he gave a small smile and then proceeded to pick his opponent up before slamming him down to the ground with a soft thud.

The crowd erupted into cheers and even I couldn't stop from clapping and cheering at the win. Abrax helped the male up before clapping his back and then made his way over to us.

"Ayla. Hanna. How are you both?" He said with a firm nod before reaching for a small towel hung on a low-set tree branch. His voice was gentle yet firm and I marvelled at the broad muscles of his back as he wiped at his skin.

Ayla gave a small smile before leaning closer to me, making the basket tip over one eye.

"We're good. We just came to tell you it's nearly time to eat, so get washed quickly." She said in a bossy tone.

Abrax nodded at this before turning his kind gaze to me.

"And you, Hanna? How are you finding it?" He said, his voice gruff but calm.

I smiled at his words.

"It's a little hotter than I'm used to here, but I'm liking how everyone here is so unified and together. If that makes sense?" I said truthfully, looking to the crowds of people all conjugated to helping with the festival.

Abrax let out a small deep laugh before strewing the towel over his shoulder.

"Just as unified as we must be over our cause." He said ambitiously, his fist clenched close to his dark bare chest. He then nodded again before stepping backwards.

"I'll be off to wash; I'll see you both when we dine." He said simply before walking away.

"Yes, before you ask, he is always like that." Ayla playfully answered without prompt and I laughed at her words as we walked away from the sweaty kerfuffle of males that still continued to wrestle.

I heard the sweet singing lull of Arun's voice before I saw him and I followed the sound to see him sitting on a stack of hay, surrounded by children. He moved his hands almost delicately as he spoke, his voice an entrancing hum and a smile on his face. I felt as though I was drowning as I listened to the sickly sweet tone of his voice and I moved closer, entranced by his words as he spoke of a story of long ago.

"A long time ago, when time had only begun and our world was young, the earth was covered with only water. On the water, lay an egg. When this egg hatched, Ra came to fruition. Not wanting to bide his time floating around and doing nothing, he flew into the skies and became our sun.

In doing so, he dried up much of the water and that is what made our land. Yet, in his solitary, Ra felt lonely and so he made a wife, naming her Nut. To keep them company, he made many more gods and goddesses.

All the gods and goddesses were his children and, to Ra, one child was especially important. That child was called Osiris. So, Ra decided to make Osiris the first Pharaoh of Egypt. Osiris married a goddess named Isis, and the king and queen settled down, content with their son Horus.

Osiris had a brother named Set who was extremely jealous. In a fit of anger, Set murdered Osiris, chopping him into tiny pieces which he threw into the Nile River. Word got around and Isis soon got wind of what Set had done.

She managed to locate and gather all the pieces of her beloved, bringing them to the jackal-headed god, Anubis who was successful in putting all the pieces together again yet he did not possess the power to bring him back to life.

When the great God Ra heard about what Set had done, he was infuriated. He decided to give Osiris a new job, one that was better than any other job. He appointed Osiris as the god of the dead.

Isis was thankful to Anubis and to Ra for having helped, but nothing they could do could bring Osiris back to her. He was forever to stay in the land of the dead, and her place was forever to be in the land of the living. Isis knew that she would never again be able to see her beloved Osiris."

By the time he was finished, he was stood up, a dark look on his face and the children had shuffled closer, looking to one another. When a few seconds of silence passed, the look of ominousness on Arun's face dissipated and he broke into a wide grin. I shook out of my reverie at this before moving closer with Ayla.

"You like the story?" She questioned almost casually, but to me it was anything but and she knew that. The look on her face was evident of this. That story- it wasn't just myth to me anymore; it was a story of truth. And, the story was about my mother, if I could even call her that. About her life, a life I had no idea even existed.

I chose to ignore her question, focusing more on the turmoil inside my head and then we were right in front of Arun. He looked up at both of us, his eyes shimmering with delight.

"Hanna! Ayla! Did you hear my story? How'd you like it?" He asked in his usual sing-song voice before tucking his blonde hair behind his ear.

I let out a smile then because I knew that his phrase of questioning was more casual.

"You sure know how to entice the readers in. I couldn't stop listening." I complimented him honestly and his pale cheeks blushed slightly in response. He shrugged off the compliment before turning to Ayla.

"And you said no one likes my story-telling, basket-head." He mocked and we both laughed at her glare to which I pulled the basket down further over her face, making Arun laugh harder as he lay flat against the bundle of hay.

The children had long dispersed to play and join other various activities that were going on.

"If I had a bow drill, I would set that bundle of hay on fire so fast right now." Ayla muttered angrily before pulling me with her.

I laughed at her words before hurriedly letting Arun know it was time to eat as we moved away.

"He's taken a liking to you. He's never usually this talkative. He's always just reading books all the time." Ayla commented, nudging me playfully as she spoke and I shrugged, happy that was the case.

"I thought getting him to shut up was the issue." I joked as we both made our way over to a large sandy building, situated near the small 'cooking' area I had seen earlier, when I was with Emut.

Ayla laughed at my words before rubbing her groaning belly and making her way into the building where oak tables were filled in lines, topped with various different foods that had me drooling at the smell.

"Where are the others?" I asked as I scoured the groups of people coming in, only to see unfamiliar faces.

"Negus would be holding a congregation at the temples and feasting with the priests. He's an avid worshipper. Maya would be there too. Demir and Emut are, no doubt, together, but they've been doing this long enough to know when lunch is." She answered as we both made our way through the tables.

I opened my mouth to answer her, but felt a tug only to see a small brown-haired boy, pulling at the bottom of my hair. I looked around, confused at how he was stood alone, but when no one came to his side, I leaned down into a crouching position with a small smile.

"And, what is your name?" I asked. The boy just smiled again before putting his two small hands in my hair.

Ayla chuckled from behind.

"His name's Khalid, but everyone calls him Babu. He can't speak English, they learn that at a later age. He speaks only his native village tongue." She explained and I turned to the boy.

"Babu." I tried saying the nickname and the boy smiled, showing a dazzling smile of baby teeth. His hands stayed in my hair.

"Hadha sahih." He said in a small almost squeaky voice and I giggled at how cute he sounded.

"His mother's probably helping with the cooking. Why don't I set our table and you take Babu over here back to his mother?" She suggested and I nodded at her words before standing up fully and reaching out a hand to lead him.

He shook his head at this and I frowned before he raised both hands towards me, beckoning for me to pick him up. I looked to Ayla for guidance to which she just let out another laugh.

"That's Babu for you. Hurry up about it, I'm hungry." She ushered me towards Babu and I reached down to pick him up, unfazed by the small weight of the boy.

"He feels like a bag of flour in my hands." I joked, but I was honestly surprised. I had never held a child before and I didn't know they would be this light. Ayla nudged me jokingly and I made my way to where the women were cooking.

Looking through the crowd and smoke was difficult, but Babu made it easier by pointing to a stout chubby woman who was stirring some liquid in a clay pot. When she saw us, she put the pot down before moving closer. She wiped her hands on her beige loose clothing before coming to a halt in front of us.

"'Ayn dhahabat?" She said, her voice only slightly stern before her eyes settled finally on me.

"You must be the new person here to help Negus's group?" She asked warmly and, seconds after I finished nodding, she pulled me into a tight hug. The little boy squealed from between us before jumping to the ground and running across the room, pretending to be a bird with flapping motions.

I laughed at this before turning to the woman who was slightly shorter than me, despite having her hair in a bun on the top of her head.

"I'm Hanna, and you would be?" I asked politely to which the woman rolled her eyes.

"I'm Faridha, but there's no need for these formalities. Come, help me with the plates here." She ordered and I smiled at her bluntness before following behind. We made our way into a storage room of some kind and I began helping with pulling out the required utensils needed to help the village dine.

"Now, you must tell me how you ended up with Negus. I've never seen you around these parts?" She questioned and I panicked slightly, remembering Ayla's words.

"It's okay. They don't know who you are. When introducing yourself, for now, don't give your second name, okay? They don't need to know who you are right now."

She was right, of course. I couldn't let them think I was the prophecy; it would give them too much hope. Especially, when I could do nothing for them.

"Oh, me? I'm not from around here. I heard about the cause and wanted to lend a helping hand." I answered vaguely, busying myself with putting the plates into a pile so as to not look suspicious.

Thankfully, Faridha chose not to press on it further and, instead, smiled at my words.

"Well, we definitely need to get more food into you. You're nothing but bones!" She exclaimed warmly, putting a chubby hand on my slender arm to reinforce her words.

I let out a laugh at this, shrugging her words off.

"I'm fine, Faridha. I've always been like this, no matter how much I eat." I said with a chuckle, putting a hand on her arm.

She tutted at this, grabbing metal cups to drink from.

"Call me Khala; everybody does. And, how do you expect to entice a man without some meat on you!" She joked, resting her own hands on her hips.

I shook my head at her words before relieving her of some of the heavy utensils she was holding. She smiled at this.

"Okay, Khala, I'll eat whatever you give me then." I promised and, with a last chuckle, we exited the storage room and walked back into the heat of the kitchen.

"Now, go sit and eat, ya danaaya And, make sure you try the lentils, I made that." Khala ushered me out of the kitchen and back to the dining hall.

"I'll definitely try it! Bye, babu." I waved at the small boy who waved back before continuing to dance around the kitchen.

Upon entering the hall, I scoured the area for a familiar face and smiled when I saw the enthusiastic waving from Arun as he stood on his chair to usher me over. Laughing, I moved closer, maneuvering through all the different tables of chatting villagers.

Now, as I got closer, I could see that the table was the only table on a higher platform and was adorned with flowers across the frame.

Ayla looked up as I approached, a smile gracing her face. She patted the seat next to her and I sat now between her and Arun.

Opposite, I looked to see Abrax who gave me a small courteous smile before proceeding to eat.

"Why'd you take so long?" Ayla whined through a full mouth and I grimaced jokingly at her.

"You couldn't have waited to swallow before asking?" I joked, an eyebrow raised and Ayla rolled her eyes before swallowing, rather loudly for effect before opening her mouth in my face.

"There, empty, see?! Now, answer the question." She asked, shoving her open mouth closer to me and I laughed before pushing her off. I opened my mouth to answer but was interrupted by the clang of metal and looked up to see Demir and Emut had now joined us. The sound of the metal being Demir placing his long weapon, or glaive as Emut had taught me, onto the table.

Arun whined loudly in his usual soft voice.

"Demir, I'm trying to eat! There's still blood on it!" He said, inching away from the weapon to which Demir rolled his eyes.

"That pheasant you're bringing to your lips was pumping with blood just hours ago yet you shy away from this?" He stated in a matter-of-fact tone before proceeding to shove the glaive into Arun's face, making Arun retch and Ayla laugh loudly.

"Enough, Demir." Emut let out with a small smile to which Arun glared at all three of them.

Demir sighed before moving the glaive back slowly and onto the floor.

"At least, the blood on my glaive was entertaining to spill." He muttered before settling himself down opposite Arun. Emut shook his head at his words before sitting down between Demir and Abrax.

"How did the wrestling go?" He asked Abrax with a slap on his back to which Abrax let out a deep laugh.

"It went good, but I wouldn't have won without Ayla and Hanna cheering me on." He said with a kind smile and I smiled back at his words.

Demir scoffed at this, not looking up from the food on his plate.

"Since when did pig-calling guarantee a win?" He questioned before drinking from his cup. The boys laughed at his words and I heard Ayla scoff beside me.

"If we were calling you, why didn't you come?" I questioned sweetly and nonchalantly which caused the laughter to increase two-fold and for Ayla to slap my back as she chuckled. Suddenly, his cool grey gaze was on me and I watched as he leaned his head into his palm, his hair falling into his eyes.

"I'd compare you to swine, but there's a certain threshold value of beauty you have to meet and you don't quite cut it." He countered, an amused smirk on his face. I laughed sharply at this.

"Oh? What I'm hearing is you find pigs beautiful? No offence, but they're a little bit out of your league, don't you think?" I snipped back to which Arun let out a shriek of laughter.

"A little? You're being too kind to him, Hanna." He said breathlessly, giving me a small nudge with his elbow.

Emut tutted to himself, smiling at Arun.

"Careful, Arun, he just put his glaive down." He warned to which Ayla snorted loudly, her mouth full.

"Yeah, Arun! I think he's had his eyes on your lovely golden locks for a while now." She teased to which Arun raised his hands defensively over his hair, glaring at Demir who only rolled his eyes in response.

We all laughed at this and lunch went by in the same manner of bickering and teasing. I felt a brief warmth fill through me at the feeling of being a part of something; being acknowledged. I found myself smiling as I revelled in the feeling, however brief it may be.

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S. A. A