Chapter 13: Focus

A Chapter by Anonymous

“Here you go,” the hooded girl said as she poured Ewa and Realms some tea from an oddly-shaped teapot. Beside the teacups were various plates on the table, piled high with delicious-smelling foods that Ewa had never seen before. There were steaming roasted animals and mashed-up vegetables of some sort that were dressed with a reddish sauce and tiny bits of spices. There were bowls of exotic-smelling soups, topped with sliced meats and cheeses; a tray of a freshly-baked loaf of bread lay next to the soup. Ewa’s mouth was watering and she could barely resist grabbing everything on the table and digging in. She glanced over and saw that Realms looked as if he was about to faint from the marvelous food that sat before him.
The girl dropped some cubes of sugar into the teacups and bowed. “Go ahead, you can eat,” she said. Ewa and Realms lashed out and fought over the roasts first, then the soups, along with the bread and mashed vegetables. They ravaged the food like animals, delighted with the feeling of warm, solid, edible food filling their bellies and being welcomed by their taste buds. The girl smiled as she left the room, her face still hidden. When she was gone out the door, Ewa spoke up from behind her mouthful of food.
“She’s a mystery, eh?” she mumbled, gulping down her soup. It rushed down her throat and warmed up her stomach, making her smile. Realms chewed slowly for a second and swallowed.
“Yeah,” he replied rather weakly. Ewa put down her empty bowl, licked her lips, and shot a confused stare at Realms.
“What’s the matter with ye?” she asked. Realms glanced quickly up at her and then back at his food. They were both quiet.
“What are we doing out here?” he said after a long while of silence.
“Huh?”
“What’s the point of doing this? Will anything differ from our ‘journey’ here?”
Ewa glared at him and sat way back in her chair, her arms crossed behind her head.
“Realms, have ye not realized what in the Spirit’s name is going on in Odanes?” Ewa spat. “The kingdom’s fallin’ apart.”
She got out of her chair and walked to the window, ripping open the shades to reveal what was behind the glass. It was dark outside. Much darker than usual. Ever since Ewa, Realms, and Weïnyu had escaped from the Underworld, it had been heavier and much darker than usual in the kingdom of Odanes.
“You know why we were sent to find the Benders?” Ewa said, her hands on her hips. “To have enough power to defeat the real enemy: the Darkness. And you know why wer’ fighting the darkness?”
“Y-yeah-” Realms started.
“To protect the Six Spirits, the ones who provide for us all! If the Spirits are dead, we’re dead, Realms. You wanna die?”
“N-no.”
“So, the reason we’re on this ‘journey,’ Realms, is to find the other three Benders and kill the bloody Darkest One. Only then can the Darkness be overthrown!”
Realms gasped.
“That’s it!” he exclaimed.
“That’s what?” said Ewa.
“That’s our focus!” Realms tore into another piece of bread as he beamed. “Now this goose chase will be ten times easier now that we know our motive.”
Suddenly, a shuffling noise came from behind Realms. Ewa and him both looked over to see Weïnyu standing at the doorway, rubbing her eyes and yawning sleepily. She wore nothing but a brown leather bra-tunic that left the rest of her torso bare and a pair of unusually short cotton training shorts with a holster hanging off of the belt. The hooded girl must have changed Weïnyu’s clothes for her while she slept.
Ewa saw Realms’ face turn red; her ears burned as she punched him for ogling over her.
“I’m trying to sleep,” Weïnyu yawned, opening her big, glistening black eyes. The bright light in the room didn’t even seem to bother her anymore. Ewa noticed suddenly that Weïnyu’s eyes were actually a glowing scarlet as they shone in the light. Her silver skin glistened like lead would reflect light. She looked as if she was literally sparkling.
“Bloody hell, Weïnyu!” Ewa said, a grin on her face. Weïnyu looked confused.
“What?” she asked. “What’s wrong?”
Realms glanced away, his face still beet red.
Weïnyu looked down at herself and saw her lack of clothing; she almost jumped ten feet into the air.
“I... I... I d-d-don’t!...” she stuttered, trying to cover herself.
“Don’t ye worry, girlie,” Ewa laughed. “It’s not like yer Underworld clothes were any more modest, eh?”
Ewa slapped Realms on the back with a smirk. “She’s way outta your league now, eh, Realms?”
“What?” he demanded.
“Never mind that!” Ewa declared. “There’s a reason to celebrate, Weïnyu, my friend.”
She slung her arm around the silver girl’s shoulder and tugged her closer.
“What’s that?”
Ewa and Realms explained to Weïnyu how to fulfill their focus and save the Spirits eagerly.
“That’s wonderful!” chimed Weïnyu.
The three were cut off by the hooded girl entering again through the door.
“Ah, I see you’re awake,” she said to Weïnyu, dipping her head a bit and smiling.
“Yes,” Weïnyu said. She stood up from her chair and bowed from the waist down, her hands clasped together. “I want to give you my eternal thanks for saving my life.”
“There’s no need to thank me,” said the girl, touching Weïnyu’s shoulder as she resided from her bow. “I was only doing my job.”
“Whaddya mean, ‘job?’” Ewa asked the girl.
“I’m a traveling Healer,” she replied. “I roam Kiarach, healing the sick and the wounded.”
“Well, we could use one of those on our little quest here,” said Ewa. “How’d ye like to come with us, girl?”
“I could perhaps consider it.”
“What’s your name, anyways?” Realms asked the girl. Ewa, Realms, and Weïnyu almost gasped as she lifted her hood.
“My name is Demii.”

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