half ghosts.
“E-excuse me,” Flara asked. “C-can you please watch over us while we sleep?”
The kami spirits nodded and then descended into the ground. A few moments later, giant rock columns rose from the ground. Nori rose to his feet and held up his tetsubo. Giant figures made of rock pulled themselves from the ground and lorded over the group. The top of Nori’s head reached their waists.
Rayko chuckled. “Easy there, you brute. You don’t have to destroy everything you see. Those are earth kami. I assume they’re going to solve our ‘who’s going to be on watch’ quandary, right?”
Flara simply nodded. “W-we can all get a f-full night’s rest now. After eight hours, we c-can resume our j-journey.”
The three massive earth kami positioned themselves around the camp and remained still like statues. Nori studied them for a moment, and he lowered his tetsubo.
He said, “If it’s all the same, I’ll stay up for about three hours, just to be safe.”
Flara and Rayko moved to the tent, but Apisa remained where she sat.
“Would you like some company or something? It might be really lonely just sitting out here with them.” Apisa pointed to one of the massive forms. “I doubt they’re going to be good for conversation.”
“No thank you,” Nori replied. “I appreciate it. Get some rest.”
Apisa frowned as she moved toward the tent. A pang of guilt struck Nori in the heart.
“Hey Apisa,” Nori called out.
She gazed back at him. “Yeah?”
“How about you and I talk tomorrow?” Nori asked. “While we ride to the forest I mean?”
An appraising twinkle danced in her eyes. “You promise? We’ll actually get to know one another? I hate having people around me feel lonely or unwelcomed.”
“I promise.”
Apisa approached him and held out her littlest right finger to him. “Do you pinky promise? My granny always used to say you’re never supposed to break a pinky promise.”
Nori couldn’t help it. A small chuckle bubbled up from him, and he grinned.
As soon as Apisa saw it, her expression soared. “Ha! I did it! I made you smile! Now pinky promise me so I can go to bed. I’m tuckered out after a long day’s travel.”
Nori interlocked his pinky with hers. “I pinky promise I’ll talk with you tomorrow.”
Apisa nodded and then went to her tent. She didn’t look back before she closed the tent flap.
Nori gazed up at the sky and saw the last bits of light fade from existence. Soon the stars would appear, Nori always loved seeing the stars. When the first little light appeared in the heavens, Nori focused on it. He and his mother used to watch the stars come out, many years before. His soul trembled, but he couldn’t identify a cause. A deep longing took hold of him. It refused to let go. The darkness surrounded the camp, and the fire died down. Nori rose and went to his tent. Before he moved inside, he breathed in a final whiff of the sweet night air. Tomorrow would be better. After all, he had made a pinky promise.
THE QUIET STILLNESS that had dominated Tov’s camp all morning finally started to dissipate as the sun reached its zenith. Tov sat on the log before the burned out spot where the fire had burned the night before. He twirled a small blade of grass in his fingertips.
It had been so easy to pluck it from the thousands of other surrounding blades of grass. With little effort, it was split apart from its roots. By all accounts, the blade of grass was weak. During last night’s storm though, Tov had seen something unique. A great storm had ravaged the area, with howling winds and frequent crackles of lightening. The gusts had been so great that the few trees in the area groaned in protest as the wind had nearly snatched their branches away. When that same wind had blown upon the oceans of grass, the individual blades just danced about, unconcerned with the storm’s fury.
Tov studied the grass closer. How could something so weak be able to withstand
“E-excuse me,” Flara asked. “C-can you please watch over us while we sleep?”
The kami spirits nodded and then descended into the ground. A few moments later, giant rock columns rose from the ground. Nori rose to his feet and held up his tetsubo. Giant figures made of rock pulled themselves from the ground and lorded over the group. The top of Nori’s head reached their waists.
Rayko chuckled. “Easy there, you brute. You don’t have to destroy everything you see. Those are earth kami. I assume they’re going to solve our ‘who’s going to be on watch’ quandary, right?”
Flara simply nodded. “W-we can all get a f-full night’s rest now. After eight hours, we c-can resume our j-journey.”
The three massive earth kami positioned themselves around the camp and remained still like statues. Nori studied them for a moment, and he lowered his tetsubo.
He said, “If it’s all the same, I’ll stay up for about three hours, just to be safe.”
Flara and Rayko moved to the tent, but Apisa remained where she sat.
“Would you like some company or something? It might be really lonely just sitting out here with them.” Apisa pointed to one of the massive forms. “I doubt they’re going to be good for conversation.”
“No thank you,” Nori replied. “I appreciate it. Get some rest.”
Apisa frowned as she moved toward the tent. A pang of guilt struck Nori in the heart.
“Hey Apisa,” Nori called out.
She gazed back at him. “Yeah?”
“How about you and I talk tomorrow?” Nori asked. “While we ride to the forest I mean?”
An appraising twinkle danced in her eyes. “You promise? We’ll actually get to know one another? I hate having people around me feel lonely or unwelcomed.”
“I promise.”
Apisa approached him and held out her littlest right finger to him. “Do you pinky promise? My granny always used to say you’re never supposed to break a pinky promise.”
Nori couldn’t help it. A small chuckle bubbled up from him, and he grinned.
As soon as Apisa saw it, her expression soared. “Ha! I did it! I made you smile! Now pinky promise me so I can go to bed. I’m tuckered out after a long day’s travel.”
Nori interlocked his pinky with hers. “I pinky promise I’ll talk with you tomorrow.”
Apisa nodded and then went to her tent. She didn’t look back before she closed the tent flap.
Nori gazed up at the sky and saw the last bits of light fade from existence. Soon the stars would appear, Nori always loved seeing the stars. When the first little light appeared in the heavens, Nori focused on it. He and his mother used to watch the stars come out, many years before. His soul trembled, but he couldn’t identify a cause. A deep longing took hold of him. It refused to let go. The darkness surrounded the camp, and the fire died down. Nori rose and went to his tent. Before he moved inside, he breathed in a final whiff of the sweet night air. Tomorrow would be better. After all, he had made a pinky promise.
THE QUIET STILLNESS that had dominated Tov’s camp all morning finally started to dissipate as the sun reached its zenith. Tov sat on the log before the burned out spot where the fire had burned the night before. He twirled a small blade of grass in his fingertips.
It had been so easy to pluck it from the thousands of other surrounding blades of grass. With little effort, it was split apart from its roots. By all accounts, the blade of grass was weak. During last night’s storm though, Tov had seen something unique. A great storm had ravaged the area, with howling winds and frequent crackles of lightening. The gusts had been so great that the few trees in the area groaned in protest as the wind had nearly snatched their branches away. When that same wind had blown upon the oceans of grass, the individual blades just danced about, unconcerned with the storm’s fury.
Tov studied the grass closer. How could something so weak be able to withstand
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