The Wicked House of Caroline

“But I don’t have a spirit core.” Beks furrowed her brow and looked at the man across from her with disbelief.

Jargal’s lips curled into a slight smirk. “You said you didn’t have a biha well either.”

“Even if I did, wouldn’t that mean that I couldn’t have a spirit core?” Beks replied. “You are either born with a well, a core, or nothing at all.”

“I’m sensitive to biha,” Jargal said as he lifted a hand and pointed his index finger over her forehead before lowering his hand and hovering it over his stomach. “One’s biha well is here. When it is controlled, biha comes from the torso. Depending on its location in the torso, it corresponds with an element, but a spirit core is located in what is called your third eye.”

Beks couldn’t help but wrinkle her nose and draw her head back. She’d spent a lot of time as a child reading everything she could on biha wells and spirit cores in hopes of finding some way to activate one in herself, but every book said the same thing.

“Then why haven't I been able to access it until now? There are no records of individuals discovering they have a well or a core as adults,” Beks said. “It’s too late. Even if a small child doesn’t show any sign, most children who come from families with strong biha well lines are given an immersion to check.”

She had one when she was one year old. Deo had shown an affinity for fire biha before he was one, but she hadn’t shown an affinity for anything at that age. Life, light, and shadow biha ability were known to be more difficult to ascertain, resulting in many children being identified late, so an immersion into a small pool of bihar rich water would assist in identification.

Beks had seen another baby immersed before she left Sagittate. The baby was placed in a cloth sling and dipped into a pool of water. The pool was usually made of stone and carved on all sides. When the baby was dipped, water would flow out into a narrow gutter and depending on what carving the water was pulled to, it would identify the affinity.

Children who had neither would simply have the water flow over without being pulled to any particular carving, as if they were in a normal pool with regular water.

Beks was one of those children.

“Miss Beks, do you really believe that simply because an event is not recorded, it never happened, let alone is possible?” Jargal asked as he cocked his head a bit. “If our being on this island was not recorded, is that to say we were never here?”

Beks frowned. “You know what I mean. You may not know this, but I spent many years studying the subject. My entire family has biha wells, with my youngest sister having a spirit core. I am the only one without one.”

“That’s right. You have both.”

“What proof do you have?”

The corners of his lips curled up as he stepped forward, his blue eyes never leaving hers. His voice lowered as he stopped in front of her. “Miss Beks, I saw it with my own eyes the night I found you.”

She opened her mouth to tell him that he must’ve been seeing things, but also remembered that the night he found her, she was naked in a pool of water. She clenched her jaw, reminding herself that it was an emergency and there was no need to be embarrassed for being caught in a vulnerable state.

After all, he saved her and had been working well with her. He cooked, despite his culinary limitations, and was respectful. He only came into her space when she wasn’t there and with her permission. Even when they were eating, he wouldn’t get too close.

It was her who had brazenly walked in on him taking a bath and then stopped to gawk.

I was just surprised and appreciative. Beks closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I am unconvinced. It was chaotic. You may have been seeing things.”

He let out a slight tired sigh. “Are you against having a biha well and spirit core?”

“Of course, not.” Beks turned around and began to look over the piles of stone tablets on the ground. “It’s just that it’s unbelievable. I’m twenty-three years old. By now, I should know whether I have a well or core.”

She walked around the perimeter of the chamber, examining the stone walls. There were grooves along the walls that appeared to have been shelves. Some still had whole tablets piled on them and she picked them.

Every single one seemed to be carved with a script she couldn’t read and she frowned. She’d never considered herself illiterate, but now that she was, the feeling filled her with discomfort and frustration, as if priceless artifacts were right in front of her, but she couldn’t get through the glass to access them.

“Do you feel any different?” she heard Jargal ask behind her.

“No,” she said as she placed her hands along the stone walls and moved them across various crevices. There were holes along the walls, as if something had once been attached to it. Perhaps some built in furniture? If this was a study, there must’ve been a desk at one point. She turned around and scanned the room. Her lips pursed into a frown. Even if there was a desk, it likely would’ve been made of wood and deteriorated by now.

“Then, how do you feel?”

Beks gave him a strange look. “I feel fine.”

“How did you feel when you got to the island?”

“Battered,” Beks replied in a dull voice. She avoided his eyes and kept her gaze on a stone groove that seemed to be bordered with metal. She touched the corroded metal and peered into the dark groove. It didn’t look like it went in too deep.

“Why battered?”

Beks took a deep breath. “A lot of things happened before I arrived on the island.”

“Are you running from something?”

She almost tensed up, but caught herself. She looked over her shoulder and raised a brow. “Are you?”

The two were at a stalemate. Jargal’s handsome face continued to hold a slight, amused smirk. His gaze became a bit challenging. “And if I am?”

She could hear the underlying question: would you be scared?

“What if I am?” She countered.

His eyes seemed to sparkle. “I’m not afraid.”

She narrowed her gaze and turned to face him. “Neither am I.”

His lip curled up. “Good.” He took a few slow, steady steps towards her and stopped less than an arm’s length away. Beks initially wanted to step back and open more distance, but she refused to retreat. She held her ground and met his eyes with confidence. “There is nothing for you to be afraid of, Beks.”

Twenty-three years and there hadn’t been a single sentence that provoked her the way his words did. No, it wasn’t just the words. It was the tone of his voice being both reassuring and teasing. It was the close distance between them and his eyes fixed on her.

It occurred to her that he was taller than she was now that he was so close. She’d thought they were roughly the same height; after all, she was considered rather tall for a woman, at least in Kadmium. Both Laurence and Luther were close to her height and the Third Consort was actually shorter than her.

She didn’t know if she’d be taller than Uncle Timur if he was alive, but she did recall he was significantly taller than the Third Consort. Aside from them, her brother and father were taller, which was expected.

As a result, she never grew up feeling physically intimidated by most men. Beks looked up at Jargal. In truth, what she was feeling right now wasn’t exactly intimidation.

Her own lip curled up. “How can I possibly be afraid?” she asked in a calm voice. “When I’m facing a face like yours?”

She saw a spark of surprise in his eyes before the tips of his ears began to redden. He may have controlled his facial expressions well, but could he control where his blood rushed? The lump on his throat rose and fell as he swallowed hard. Satisfied that he was speechless, Beks lifted her chin and turned around, continuing her examination of the chamber.

“Since when did you learn to say words like that?” She almost didn’t hear him.

Beks paused for a moment, her brows furrowing as she looked back at him. “What did you say?”

“I said your words are unexpected.” He crossed his arms over his chest and raised a brow. “Then again, you did take quite some time before turning away when I was bathing.”

“I was only surprised and didn’t know what to do during such an awkward moment,” Beks replied, turning back around so she didn’t have to meet his gaze. “Once more, I apologize. We’ll plan better next time to avoid such a situation.”

She heard him chuckle. “Just don’t watch me from behind the trees.”

“I’m not so curious that I’d do such a thing,” she said with her own laugh.

“Is that so? Then that must mean you already have someone,” he said. He didn’t move from his spot and lowered his head in an apologetic bow. “I should’ve maintained my distance. I apologize.”

Beks raised her hand as she examined the carvings in between each set of built in shelves. She frowned, still not being able to recognize the script. “Had. Past tense. I ended an engagement before I came here.”

She only noticed his head snap back up, but not the look of shock on his face. His lips seemed to pull into a tight line, but he averted his eyes and picked up a random tablet from one of the shelves.

“Why did you end it if you don’t mind me asking?”

“I don’t. It’s not a secret,” Beks said. What was there for her to be ashamed of except for staying in an unfavorable position for too long? “Amongst many things, my fiancé was sleeping with another woman.”

The sound of something cracking sounded and she looked over her shoulder. Jargal quietly returned a stone tablet with a visible crack back onto the shelf.

“That’s terrible. You had caught them?” Jargal’s voice was a bit uneven.

“It wasn’t exactly a well-hidden,” Beks said, almost wanting to laugh. That idiot Luther had announced the other woman as his Wife of Choice. “Our engagement was arranged and we had agreed upon a set of rules of engagement. One of them was that any outside affairs were to be kept private and should not interfere with the status of the other partner.”

The man looked taken aback. “You agreed to such terms?”

“Our relationship wasn’t romantic. It was a partnership. I wouldn’t deny him romantic fulfillment if I couldn’t do it myself,” Beks replied. It had also been a way out for her, as well. Though she didn’t plan on seeking such a relationship with another person, having the option was a good way to be prepared, as their situation would make it difficult to divorce. She didn’t know what would happen in the future, after all.

Beks frowned to herself. Considering where she was now, it was clear she really didn’t know what would happen in the future.

“And the other woman’s presence threatened your status?” Jargal put it together quick.

“He announced it in public. Can you imagine what that meant for me?” Beks asked with a bitter smile. “I had already been dealing with issues because of my ex-fiancé’s father. Much of my responsibilities were taken from me.”

Jargal’s brows knit together as he frowned. “It's difficult to be engaged in a noble family.”

She raised a brow at him. “What makes you think it’s a noble family?"

“It seems to be a political engagement, coupled with a power struggle. If not noble, then at least quite wealthy.”

“If I told you the family, you wouldn’t believe me.”

“I can guess.”

Beks chuckled. “Can you?” she asked as she turned around and picked up another tablet.

“Of course. It’s rather obvious, daughter with dawn in her hair.” His confident voice made her freeze. She stood in place, her entire body tense as he continued to speak. “Or should I call you Lady Rebecca Anastasia of Caroline?”

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Her hair.

It was the brilliant, undyed streak of orange in her hair that was so obvious and gave her away at a glance. Even a foreigner like Jargal had heard of her. Beks had forgotten in the flurry of things and had only been able to laugh it off. When she had turned around to face Jargal, there was no look of satisfaction or arrogance, just concern.

Why was he so concerned?

“I think this is going to be good this time.” Jargal brought over two recovered ceramic bowls with a thick stew. “It’s a root vegetable with boar meat. The peppers I ground the other day are still fresh. It brings out the flavor.”

He placed the bowl on the stone table top they’d salvaged and placed on rocks to function as a low table for them.

Beks looked down at the stew. “Why is it so thick?”

“I think I left the root vegetable in there too long and it got too soft. When I stirred it, the roots fell apart and became like this,” Jargal said, trying to explain it. “I tasted it. It’s not bad.”

Beks took the metal spoon and cautiously dipped it into the stew. It wasn’t as thick as she thought and she brought it to her lips. She took a small taste and then a larger one before nodding. “It’s not bad.”

“It’s a good change of pace from grilled meat, isn’t it?” he asked, appearing proud. “Trust me, Beks, I’ll keep improving with time.”

Beks let out a small hum and continued to eat. After she told him about her somewhat tragic backstory, if it could be called that, the gap between them seemed to close. He appeared more familiar, even dropping the honorific when calling her name. She didn’t mind.

She didn’t know how long she’d have to live with this man and his company wasn’t bad. Snowflake liked him, which counted for a lot.

“Have you seen Snowflake?”

“Not since this morning,” Jargal replied. “I’m sure he has things to do. Horned serpents are legendary beasts; he must be off doing legendary beast things.”

She could only picture the legendary beast basking in the sun, doing absolutely nothing except being cute. Beks sighed and continued to eat. “Do you think we’ll get off this island?”

“Yes, eventually,” Jargal replied, as if it were a fact that was so obvious, there was no need to question it.

Beks gave him a curious look. “You sound so certain.”

“I am certain.”

“Why?”

“From here we can see the mainland. It isn’t far,” he said. “I’m sure if we can figure out a way to attract the attention of passing ships, we can get rescued.”

“If you’re so confident, why haven’t you tried to find a way to attract passing ships yet?”

“Didn’t we confirm it in the chamber?” Jargal asked as he raised his eyes over his spoon. “I’m running from something.”

Beks’ lips pursed. They didn’t technically confirm it. It was more that she assumed it. “Are you going to tell me from what?”

“Obviously, people who want me dead.”

“What did you do that made someone want to kill you?”

“Exist.” His reply was so nonchalant, Beks stopped eating. He chuckled and continued to eat. “I really haven’t done anything wrong except being born in a position where if I’m dead, someone will greatly benefit.”

“Is this a matter of inheritance?”

“Yes.” Jargal paused and his eyes clouded over for a moment. “Although I was so far down the order of inheritance, it should’ve never gone to me. The fact that there was an assassination attempt on my life should’ve told me something had gone wrong. I didn’t realize what exactly it was.”

Beks took a deep breath and lowered her head. “Then you are hiding here.”

“Until I can sort things out. I’d hate to join a fray with no plan of action.”

She couldn’t help but smile and lifted her chipped cup to give him a small toast. “What a coincidence. Neither do I.”

Jargal smiled and brought his cup to gently tap hers. “Then what are your plans?”

“To be honest with you, considering how I told you I arrived on the island, signaling a passing ship seems difficult. The island is strange. It’s so close to the mainland, but there are only ruins and the animals don’t seem to have a fear of anything but their own predators,” Beks told him. “Returning to the mainland depends on if I can make it back myself.”

“Can you swim?”

Beks gave him a deadpan look. “Not well.”

“Sail?”

“I can’t even swim. What makes you think I can sail?” A small part of her felt ashamed. If her mother could hear her, it would break her mother’s heart, wouldn’t it?

Jargal drew his head back. “Then how do you plan on getting off the island?” Beks turned her head and looked towards a stout, broken tower in the distance. Jargal followed her gaze and his eyes widened. “You’re serious?”

“Yes.”

“You sincerely think that’s a viable option?”

“If Snowflake lets me ride on his back, why won’t Thunder or Tempest?”

Jargal looked at her. “You’ve named them?”

“The chicks are Cloud and Wisp.” What was wrong with naming them? How else was she going to refer to the? Rokh One and Rokh Two? She should have more respect.

Jargal closed his eyes and seemed to take a deep breath. “Beks, Snowflake is different. In addition, if you fall off Snowflake, it’s not much of a fall, but if you fall off one of the rokhs, you’ll plummet to your death.”

“What if they carry me?”

“In their talons?” Jargal opened his eyes and stared at her. “Do you have any idea how sharp those are?”

“In a basket!” Beks said, motioning to the pile of woven baskets by the entrance to the kitchen.

Jargal seemed unconvinced. “Baskets woven out of leaves may not...er...are not sturdy enough to...properly hold you.”

Beks stared at him. “What if they’re layered? Isn’t that what you did with some of the larger baskets?”

“They’re meant to carry what food we can forage,” Jargal told her with a frown. “Not people.”

“You don’t know until you try. I just need it to be strong enough to get me to the mainland’s shore. I can figure out a way back from there,” Beks said with a low breath. “As we’ve agreed, the mainland isn’t far. We can see it from here. Even if the basket isn’t the most durable, it should be enough to get me to the shoreline.”

“There is wind to consider and it’s cold the higher you go up.”

“I don’t have to go too high. In fact, if one of the rokhs fly low, even if I fall, it won’t kill me.”

“Fall into theocean? Says the person who can’t swim.”

“Can’t swim well.”

“Beks, have you always been this stubborn?” he frowned, almost slamming his spoon down.

She chuckled and continued eating. “You make it sound like you know me well.”

Jargal closed his eyes and let out a low breath. “I just don’t want you to take unnecessary risks. There are other ways to get across.”

“But none that are as fast,” Beks said. She looked back towards the horizon. “If the basket is sturdy enough, perhaps I can go further east.”

“Why east?”

“I told you I was exiled, didn’t I? My family took the blame for something. I can’t set foot in Kadmus territory.”

Jargal gave her a confused look. “Why not?”

She rolled her eyes and pulled up her sleeve. “Don’t you know about exile markings?” She held out her arm and turned it over, then froze. She pulled her arm back.

“I know about exile markings, but you don’t have one,” Jargal said with a slight scoff. “I think I would’ve seen such a marking on you when I pulled you from the pool.”

Beks narrowed her eyes. She ran her hand over the underside of her arm, where the bold black mark had been pressed into her skin. “Where did it go?” She rubbed her arm. “I had a mark!”

“Where?”

“Here! On my arm!” She shoved her arm forward to have him take a look. He looked down at it, unconvinced.

“What am I looking at?”

Beks scowled. “When we left, my parents, older brother, and I were given marks of exile here, on the underside of our right arms,” she said in a firm voice. “But...it’s not here.” She rubbed the space once more, making it redden. She lifted her head to look at Jargal. “When you pulled me from the pool, you said you didn’t see it?”

“I didn’t. You have the most flawless skin I’ve ever seen.” He looked down and continued to eat, but paused. “Not that I looked.”

Beks didn’t pay attention to him. She didn’t have a mirror, so she didn’t know if the scrapes on her face had healed. She began to check her arms, her legs; even pulling up her dress to examine them. Jargal didn’t say a word and held his bowl in his hand before shifting in his seat to turn his back to her.

“Nothing....” she said. She thought her body had felt great since she woke up and figured time had eased the pain of her bruises, but she didn’t notice that all her little cuts and scrapes were gone.

Her legs were as smooth as any day she’d lived at the Old Tower. Her hands were fine with no traces of scarring from the sharp rocks. Her hands rose and she touched her face, carefully examining the soft plump skin for any scabbing. Nothing.

What was going on?

“Have you considered it was your biha well or spirit core?” Jargal still ate with his back to her.

Beks frowned. “It’s not.”

“Then have you considered the bihar-rich air, water, and food on the island that may have healing properties?” Jargal asked.

Beks was about to nod, but before she passed out for three nights, she’d been feeling terrible on the island. She felt heavy and feverish, her head and body aching, as if she were sick. The only thing that made her feel better was the pool.

Beks snapped her head up. Without a word, she pushed herself into a standing position and walked down the steps. Jargal looked up and frowned before calling out to her.

“I’ll be right back! I just want to check something!”

She quickened her pace, rounding the building and going up a ramp to get to the terrace where the pool rotunda was. Though the sun was just setting, the light pearls on each of the pillars had already begun to shine, illuminating the clear pool. Beks walked in and stood at the threshold.

The pool water came from stone spouts on the sides and excess water would run off the sides and on to the grooves on the floor that would feed into a drainage path directly across from her. The water was bihar-rich, likely coming from an aquifer deep beneath the island. Such sources were good carriers of bihar.

The water had always been refreshing and she never thought much about it. Beks removed her shoes and walked over the grooved floor to get to the edge of the pool. She knelt down and touched the water. Cool and refreshing in the war, humid air, but even with just her fingertips, the cool feeling spread through her body.

It was relaxing, as usual.

She narrowed her eyes. She’d played in the stream and the feeling was the same, though the water must’ve come from the same source.

Beks stood up and looked around. The stream was lined with stone slabs, so there was some human involvement at one point. She wasn’t sure if it was a natural stream and reinforced for humans or completely man made. However, the pool was obviously manmade. Shouldn’t natural things contain more bihar?

Her feet rubbed against the grooves in the floor stone. She looked down and stepped back.

Most floors with decorative work had repeated patterns that could easily be followed. If the pattern broke or varied out of place, it was jarring and would bother the eye.

The floor around the pool was made of stone and carved with grooves for both grip and drainage.

But the pattern wasn’t repeated. Beks walked back to the threshold and stood in place. At first glance, the pattern was the same, but upon closer look, there were variations in the lines. She cocked her head.

“Where have you seen it before?” a voice asked behind her.

She didn’t need to know it was Jargal. “You noticed?”

“When I saw the tablets,” he replied.

Beks ground her teeth. “It’s High Besup.”

“What else does it remind you of?” Jargal asked. “A pool of water surrounded by carvings that have meaning. Even if we can’t understand what the carvings say, the format is familiar, isn’t it?”

Beks drew her lips inward. She’d only seen one, but with her memory, that’s all she needed. “A biha immersion pool.” She turned around to look at him. “You know what it is?”

“I think it’s too big to be considered what we call a biha immersion pool, as all the ones I’m familiar with are small and built for babies and children,” Jargal said as he walked past her and looked over the grooves. “In the mountain palace of Langshe, there are decorations like these grooves everywhere, and were said to be carved or engraved into the buildings to fortify strength and increase luck. In places like the imperial study room, carvings were to calm emotions and focus attention. Although, those engravings were in an old script that those familiar with modern Langshe can’t understand.”

“What did you see when you found me that night?”

“I felt the biha from your body exploding out and then reigned in, but you were thrashing around when I first arrived. Thrashing and screaming as if you were being ripped apart.”

“It almost felt like it.” Beks shrugged.

He glanced up. “Was it very painful?”

“Do you know how it feels like to be burned from the inside out while your skull is being cleaved in two?” she asked. “That’s how it felt.”

Discomfort crossed his face as he seemed to grow a bit green from the thought. His hand moved to his head, as if thinking about his skull being split open. “Pain can make one pass out.”

“That I already know,” Beks replied. She looked back at the pool. “Was water displaced? Did it go to any particular set of grooves?”

“To be honest with you, I wasn’t paying attention to that,” Jargal told her with a serious look. “You looked as if you were being driven to madness and the bihar in the room overwhelmed me for a moment. From your thrashing and screaming, I thought perhaps you were being boiled alive or it was the water causing your pain. All my focus was on trying to get you out, but afterwards, I realized that the water had no negative effects, and it must’ve been related to your biha.” He let out a heavy breath. “Though, I admit, I’ve never seen such a thing before. I’m in as much of a loss as you are.”

Beks frowned. “Well, you recognized that this may be an immersion pool. If it is, then if I can figure out what script corresponds with the Classic Esuser usually engraved around biha immersion pools, I may have a starting off point in translation.”

“Your Classic Esuser is good enough to do that?”

“No, but you’re here,” she said. “Didn’t you say you were well versed?”

“Isn’t it a bit difficult to try to use me as a translation point?” he asked.

“I just need a starting off point,” Beks replied. “Afterwards, I can study on my own.”

It was obvious that he didn’t believe her. “What are you studying?”

Beks pointed to her head. “Books I’ve memorized.”

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It was fine that Jargal didn’t believe in her. She believed in her, and that’s what mattered. Almost all the books she was able to get her hands on while in Kadmium had been relating to politics and government, law, or historical books. Not counting novels that she read for entertainment or books on ancient civilizations that she and Laurence read, there was little variation.

Those were the books she’d focused on and paid attention to, but after the late Queen discovered that Beks didn’t only read to understand, but could memorize an actual page character for character without knowing what was written, she set aside time in Beks’ busy schedule to memorize all sorts of random books on subjects that Beks would never have an interest in or need to touch.

She was constantly praised for being brilliant and someone who knew how to do everything, but really she wasn’t. She just knew how to pull useful information from her head and apply it, as if she carried a reference library in her head at all times.

And somewhere in her head were dictionaries and grammar books on different languages. She may not be able to speak the language - text could only give her so much, but she could figure out what words and characters meant, as if deciphering a code. Aside from the languages she was required or wanted to learn, Beks ignored others.

She only had so much time and energy to focus on particular things. In fact, she thought the late Queen’s obsession with training her to the point of making her memorize pages in books would be a waste of time. It turns out, it was useful.

It would’ve been even better if the late Queen had the foresight to have her study survival books and books on foreign flora, but the situation was what it was.

For two weeks, Beks had split her time between trying to decode Classic Esuser and connect it to the carvings around the pool, and day-to-day survival needs.

“If this is a biha immersion pool, then one of these carvings should point north,” Jargal had told her. “Since the mainland is north of us, I’m guessing it’s this one.”

He’d stood over one of the carvings and then took a step to the right. North was earth, east was wind, south was fire, and west was water. Light biha was identified if water was pulled east and west, while shadow identified north and south. Life biha was all four, and spirit cores triggered bihar-rich water to start to glow regardless of where the water went.

Jargal then used some pale stone and drew out the Classic Esuser characters for her that corresponded with the pools and what they translated to in modern Esuser.

While Beks wanted to test all this out, once a person had been immersed and evaluated, it could not be repeated. Both she and Jargal had already been immersed; their bodies wouldn’t work, so Beks tried the next best thing.

“Wisp, you are a good baby,” Beks said as she carried the rokh chick in her arms. “I promise you several rabbits once this is over for your hard work, regardless of the outcome. Snowflake has them ready.”

The rokh chick had a few large feathers on her head that separated her from her brother. Despite being as big as Beks’ leg, she was very light and there was no problem carrying her from the dilapidated tower back to the pool. Wisp let out a chirp and lazily rested her head against Beks’ shoulders.

As Beks climbed the steps into the rotunda a shadow fell over the pool and she looked up. A massive brown and black raptor perched on top of the building and looked down.

“You can’t fit in the pool, Thunder,” Beks told the adult rokh. “That’s why I didn’t have you or Snowflake get in.”

The father rokh cocked his head to the side. Beks carefully placed Wisp on the water, giving her gentle instruction to relax and that she would save her if she began to sink, which she wouldn’t. Wisp was chosen, as she was the lazier of the two chicks. Beks assessment paid off and Wisp floated towards the center of the pool without a thought in her head.

Beks stood up and watched the water disperse. First, the water displaced by Wisp went over the edge into a narrow ring surrounding the pool. The ring had notches that led into the grooved patterns.

As soon as the ring was full, all the water began to drain in two directions: north and south. Beks tilted her head and knit her brows together. “Shadow affinity?” If the water weren’t draining so precisely in two directions, bypassing the other drainage points, Beks would think her experiment didn’t work. “I would’ve thought you’d be air....”

Thunder let out a squawk, as if in protest. Beks rolled her eyes. “I said I thought. I didn’t say I was certain. I figured you’re birds who fly, therefore air.” Another squawk of protest. “All right, I apologize for my misidentification. I am not a master at this process, nor do I have much experience.”

She turned her attention back to Wisp, who had drifted to the north end of the pool, as that was where the water current was taking her. Beks walked over and lifted the large chick. Wisp still had a lot of down, so she didn’t get too wet.

Wisp let out a little chirp and Beks nodded. She carried the chick down the steps, towards where Snowflake was coiled up, basking in the sun. When he noticed her coming, he moved his body and revealed a pile of dead rabbits.

“Here you go, Wisp, my good baby. As promised. Three rabbits for your hard work.” She placed the chick down and stepped back to let the baby rip apart the rabbits. She felt a nudge at her side and turned to see Snowflake looking at her, as if accusing her of favoritism. Beks smiled and draped her body over Snowflake’s head. “You’re my favorite, though.”

She waited until Wisp was finished before she carried the chick back to the nest. She rushed back before Cloud could figure out that his sister had eaten a snack without him.

Beks then returned to the rotunda to sit in the shade, close her eyes, and go through the library in her head to continue learning Classic Esuser. At dinner, she would write out what she learned and have Jargal check her progress. Her pace of learning was high, all things considering, but it wasn’t as if she spent the entire day studying.

In the mornings, she continued to explore the ruins, looking for anything that they could reuse or help decipher High Besup. So far, all she managed to figure out was that the carved grooves on the ground were the names of the cardinal direction and element.

She’d pick up what firewood she could on her way back to lunch, then retreat to the rotunda to study until the afternoon. Snowflake helped Jargal gather food and since Jargal cooked, she would clean up. Most of the time, she only saw Jargal at meals.

Today was no exception and she’d last seen him at breakfast. He said he was going to the shore to try his luck with a net he wove and would be back in the afternoon to make dinner, so she had some roasted bread fruit waiting for lunch.

A savory scent filled the air. Despite herself, Beks sniffed. She almost began to drool. It wasn’t that the food was exquisite, but compared to her bitter, charred attempts, anything was better. And true to his word, Jargal’s cooking had improved.

Her lips tightened into a line. It would be good if her cooking could improve, but she didn’t dare subject her one human companion to the tragedy that was her cooking. Why should they both suffer when he could make edible food? It wasn’t good to waste what little food they had.

Beks opened her eyes, the memory of a page filled with various characters vanished, and all she could smell was something delicious. Her hand lowered to her stomach.

How long had it been since she ate?

Bread fruit was filling, but she had been so focused on studying, maybe she’d used up all the energy from her quick lunch concentrating. It may have been just her, but she did often get hungry in the past when she was studying. It was why she had snacks in her study.

Beks rose to her feet and stretched her arms over her head. She looked out on to the yard and found that Snowflake was still coiled and sleeping. The sun had yet to touch the horizon, but it wasn’t abnormal for Jargal to start cooking at this time. She was more surprised that he’d returned so soon.

She headed out towards the kitchen, sniffing the air like a hound and almost licking her lips. She had to compliment Jargal. The food smelled amazing.

As she approached the kitchen, she could see smoke rising from the vents on the roof. The delicious smell grew stronger as she approached and she quickened her step.

“Jargal, when did you get back?” she called out as she walked up the steps, past their little table, and to the doorway to the kitchen. The kitchen only had one light pearl and it wasn’t very strong. It usually relied on light from the windows, but during that time of day, it was a bit dim inside the kitchen. The smoke in the air didn’t help. “Did you catch anything with your net?”

There was a clang that came from inside the kitchen and she froze. Jargal was standing by the stove, scrambling to pick up a wooden spoon from the counter with his left hand. Beks could make out some drops of liquid and bits of vegetable mush had splattered around the counter.

Beks immediately looked for a piece of woven leaf that they used to wipe up small spills. Before she could reach for it, a raspy voice stopped her.

“It’s all right! I’ll clean it up!”

Beks furrowed her brows and turned to look at him. “Is your voice all right?”

Jargal let out a small cough and stood where he was, as if afraid to get close to her. “A bit of wind from the shore.” He let out a small cough to clear his throat. “It’ll be fine. I found that the island has some sweet ash trees. Their bark can be made into tea for a cough.” He sounded back to normal.

Beks’ eyes lit up. “I didn’t know you knew medicinal plants.”

“Just a few that I picked up on my...er...travels.”

She nodded, impressed. “That’s great! It’s useful to have such knowledge.” She paused and then grinned. “Is that why tonight’s dinner smells so good?”

“What?” He gave her a confused look. Beks walked towards him and he took a step back. She paused as soon as she noticed his tense actions.

“Is something wrong?”

“Wrong? No, nothing. I just...don’t want you to catch whatever I may have caught.” He threw her a bright smile and she nodded. In the few days she’d known him, she figured he was concerned about her health. She couldn’t blame him if the first time they met, she was screaming to death in a pool.

“Then, how long until it’s done?”

“Soon.”

“What is it?” she asked, craning her neck. She unknowingly licked her lips. “It actually looks good.”

“Some wild vegetables and salt and pepper jungle fowl.”

That sounded like a real meal. Beks eyed the clay pot and its savory bubbling contents. “Can I have a taste? It smells so good.”

She was sure he’d sigh and send her out, telling her to wait just a bit longer and then they’d eat together, but when she looked at him, she saw a hint of indulgence in his eyes. His lips curled up and a warm smile and he put the wooden spoon back into the pot.

He turned to the countertop next to him, where their bowls and utensils were in a little pile.

“Just a little,” he said.

Success! A small triumphant voice yelled in her head as she greedily snatched the spoon from the top of the small pile and got a bit of the stew on it. She brought the spoon to her mouth, but his left hand rose to stop her.

“Blow on it first. It’s hot. Don’t burn your tongue.” For a moment, such nostalgic words filled her with warmth.

Beks smiled and paused. The heat of the stew could be felt though she hadn’t touched it yet. Somewhat embarrassed that she’d almost burned her mouth for the sake of flavor, she blew on the spoon a few times before she actually put it in her mouth.

Her eyes dilated as the rich taste filled her senses. Her eyes closed.

She was exiled not too long ago, but it felt like ages since she had anything this flavorful. She immediately took out the cleaned spoon and prepared to get another spoonful.

“Beks,” his voice was firm. “One spoonful is enough. We’ll eat soon.”

“Fine.” She was so hungry. Hungrier now that she’d had a taste. Filled with reluctance, she put her used spoon on a bowl, claiming it as her own, and wandered back outside. She took a seat on the steps and let out a heavy sigh as she put her hand over her stomach.

As she watched the sunset with occasional hopeful glances back at the kitchen, she snacked on some remaining breadfruit. After what seemed like an eternity, she heard footsteps and Jargal came out of the kitchen with two bowls.

“I’m sorry it took so long,” he said with an amused look. “Didn’t you eat lunch?”

“I had a busy day. Half a bread fruit will hardly suffice,” she replied as a bowl was placed in front of her. She waited for him to sit down before lifting her spoon to eat. After taking and savoring two bites, she looked back at him. “I take it you didn’t catch anything at the shore?”

Jargal let out a small defiant snort and lifted his chin. “How little you think of me. I’ll have you know; I did catch something.”

“Then why didn’t you cook it for dinner?” Beks asked with a slight chuckle.

“It requires time to marinate.”

“Oh, you’re marinating now.” Beks pretended to be more impressed than she was. “It looks like you’re an expert now.”

“I wouldn’t call myself an expert....”

“Even if you don’t, this is the best thing you’ve cooked since we’ve met!” She praised him as she ate with gusto, but he seemed to frown a bit at her words.

“I...I’m glad you like it.” He took a spoonful of the stew into his mouth, but didn’t seem to enjoy it.

“What’s wrong?” Beks asked. “You’re not satisfied with your own cooking?”

“I’m not.” He sounded annoyed. Beks chuckled.

“Don’t be so critical of yourself. You’re improving every day. Compared to when all you did was grill and under cook meat, you’ve improved greatly!” She beamed to encourage him, but could only see the corner of his eye twitch. Her smile faded a bit. Perhaps she’d misread him and Jargal was one of those who didn’t like to bring up their past failures. She returned her focus on her food and knew it was time to change the subject. “So, how was the trial with the net?”

“I didn’t expect too much. The net isn’t very large, after all, but I managed to get two fish. I couldn’t stay for long, since it’s quite a trek back,” he said.

“If we’re able to get a rokh to carry us, it would be much faster.”

Jargal let out a small snort and grinned. “You really want to fly, don’t you?”

“It seems very convenient. Who wouldn’t?” Beks said. She looked down at her bowl and almost wanted to lick the remaining strew off. Her burning gaze must’ve given her thoughts away as she heard Jargal chuckle.

“Do you want more?”

“Do we have more?”

“Enough for another bowl for you.”

“Then, if you please. Thank you.” She pushed her bowl towards him and picked it up without a word. As he stood up, Beks cocked her head to the side. Her eyes swept over his clothes and she squinted. She hadn't noticed it when he came out, as she'd been so focused on the food. Then again, perhaps she didn't see clearly the first time, as it was dark in the kitchen.

He disappeared into the kitchen and came out a moment later, holding the bowl. “Here you go.”

“Thank you.” She watched him take a seat. “Jargal.”

“Yes?”

“Since when did you have another set of clothes?”