AsaHi was beginning to wonder if Kaze was avoiding her. For days, she was left on own to explore the strange and wonderful floating Islands. This she did with both interest and trepidation. AsaHi still couldn’t get past the feeling that she was somewhat out of place among the winged people.
Cyngan.
That’s what ZenToYa had called them. She wondered if the word meant something or if it was just a name they had chosen. Still, as nervous as AsaHi sometimes felt, the Cyngan had never treated her differently.
When AsaHi was curious or puzzled, they patiently explained the answer to each question. They appeared to enjoyed setting aside their task, no matter what it might be, to tend to her concerns. Over a short time, the girl found herself growing warm towards the winged people, just as they were warm towards her. Not sure how she was certain, AsaHi knew that the Cyngan were deserving of her trust.
Maybe Kaze left me alone so that I could learn about them.
AsaHi didn’t know why Kaze vanished, but after their last talk out on the balcony, he did not return. At first she wondered if he knew what ZenToYa had told her and was avoiding her prying questions.
Or maybe it had something to do with the way he left her the last time they talked. A tingling sensation rose within her chest as she remembered — Kaze leaning down and touching his forehead to hers as the light of the submerged sunrise cast everything in a gentle golden glow.
I wonder what he meant by “I feel?”
Something about the way he said those two words left her with shivers. But what was even more troubling was the way her own pulse quickened when he drew close to her. She had never felt that way before, a giddy nervousness that left her grinning afterward.
AsaHi trailed her fingers along the stream of mist-moss, watching as it evaporated and shimmered back in place elsewhere on the tree branches. As beautiful as the world was. As kind as the people were to her. As astounding as everything had begun to work out…
She couldn’t help but miss Kaze.
She found her thoughts straying back to the strange, fanged-smile. Even when she didn’t mean to think about him, he was in her thoughts. She wondered where he was. She wondered if he was okay. She wondered when she’d see him next. Sometimes she even imagined the coarse barking voice coming from above, and turn to see that there was no one there.
With great shame she realized she thought more about Kaze than she did about being back home. Or even about SoYa.
The girl took off her silver-strapped sandals as she wandered upon a passing brook. Laying them aside in the grass, she lifted her robes and began to walk over the rocks along the water’s surface.
SoYa would like this place. It’s so peaceful. So contemplative. It would be the kind of place that I think he’d love. Though…
She wrinkled her nose as the image of the small man came to mind. It took a lot of effort to superimpose the image of great snowy wings on his back. They just didn’t seem to fit.
I dunno… He’s so simple. Wings just seem too weird to stick on him.
A school of dancing fish began to follow her, all the hues of the rainbow under the dappled sunlight. AsaHi laughed as a few of the bolder ones began to wiggle their fins up through the water’s surface for recognition.
How odd!
The girl bent down and reached her hand towards them. Instantly they scattered, swinging around in a wide arc to swim back towards her, a spray of silver water shooting into the air. AsaHi gave a squeal as she was squirted.
A low-throated chuckle rose from behind her, “I think they like you!”
The girl stood up, turning instantly at the voice she recognized, “Kaze!”
He grinned in return.
AsaHi could only stutter broken sounds, stricken by his appearance. In the short time he had been away, he had totally changed. His common half-cloak was replaced by a highly ornate flow of red, black and gold robes. Runes traced up and down the hem and in the very center was an intricately woven image of a great rearing dragon. The man’s long white hair was pulled back into a highly decorative full wrap — a sign of great rank and power. Something that was fit for a High Guide, if not the Arweinydd themselves. It was a mark that demanded great respect.
AsaHi tried not to stare, but found herself woefully unsuccessful, “Kaze… where have you been? Why… do you look like this?”
He pursed his lips with a strangely subdued light in his eyes. She crossed the remainder of the stream over the stones to stand on the bank, keeping some distance between them. Something about his demeanor set her on edge.
Kaze rubbed the back of his head with one hand, “So many questions. I suppose I don’t blame you.”
“I just want the truth. Is that too much to ask?” she demanded, growing suddenly bold with his show of insecurity.
He gave a forlorn frown.
“I suppose it must be, seeing that I don’t even know your real name,” AsaHi added.
“It’s not my fault that you jumped to conclusions. I tried to tell you my name from the start,” he spread his hands with an innocent plea. “But you persisted on calling me what pleased you. I didn’t correct you since you seemed quite happy with the name you picked out for me.”
“Don’t give me that, Kaze!” she found herself frowning sharply. “Why did you leave me here alone? I don’t know anyone at all!”
“You know Zento.”
“Not very well! After everything that’s just happened, you vanished without even a word!”
“You were worried about me?” he gave a wide grin.
“If you want to know, yes. I was,” she shot him a flustered look.
“Sunshine,” he gave a pitiful look. “I’m sorry. I suppose I should have told you I was being called away.”
“Called away? To do what? What was so important that you just vanish like that?”
“My people wanted to meet with me,” he answered simply.
Something about the way he said it sent a chill through her body. Instantly, her bold tone grew more somber, “I… don’t understand.”
“I know. It’s my fault that you don’t,” Kaze looked honestly apologetic. “But seeing how so much has happened already, I wanted to give you more time to rest and find your footing.”
“Your people?” For some reason, she was stuck on those two words.
“Yes, my people. Those who live in this city. It would be poor of me not to spend some time among them, as much as they have given up in my name,” Kaze nodded slowly. “I didn’t want to disappoint them. They’ve waited so patiently.”
AsaHi’s eyes studied his robes, then his hair. Her words came slowly, “So you are a very important person here?”
“You could say that, I suppose,” he offered a fangy grin.
A growing meekness flushed over her face, “I didn’t know.”
“Hey,” he reached a hand out, dropping it on her head in his familiar manner. “Don’t get all shy on me now.”
She found it very difficult to look at him, “So you were the one that they were welcoming when they said Master?”
Kaze gave a little frown, taking her shoulders between his hands and gently pulling AsaHi around to face him. “What did I just say? You wanted the truth, yes? And I’m telling you the truth. I am no different than the day we met in the forest.”
“Can’t you just give me a straight answer?” she felt a flush rising.
“I…” his face blanched.
She fell silent, her hands shook as they touched the rearing dragon insignia on the front of his robe.
“This isn’t going over half as well as I hoped it would,” he admitted. “Maybe it was too soon for me to return. I just couldn’t stand to see you fret.”
Dragon…?
The girl’s mind staggered with the impossibility of imagination. As if he was aware of her thoughts, Kaze took a slow step backwards.
“I…” he stammered, “I need to go.”
The complications of his words did not dawn on her until she looked up to find herself alone. Her whole body quivered as her mind reached back, striving to remember…
His name… when I asked him that first day… what did he say?
A rising cadence filled her mind with one word.
Kaze… Kaze… Kaze…
She shook her head.
No… that wasn’t all there was to it. It was more like… Ka… ze… mi…
Her eyes squinted, running the sounds through her mind.
Kazemi. KaZemi…KazeMi? KaZe Mi? Ka… Zemi…
The world around her faded away as realization rushed over her.
Zemi…
OHSNAP