by Zohar Neiger
"Do you like onions in your sandwiches?" he called to me as I was sitting in the front room.
"That can work, yes. Thank you."
"Feel at home."
I wish I could.
I didn't have many possessions left after all the trades we did on the way, but I felt the missing halo on my finger. The missing wedding ring on my finger. It had been there for a long time. Every time I had the strong feeling that I forgot to pack something, I realized it was because the ring wasn't there anymore.
Occasionally I got startled because it wasn't pressed against my skin. Then I remembered.
Caihe gave me a spare tent, because Alioth took the one we had.
"Which direction will you go?" he asked.
"After the Big Dipper," I said. "I think I must trust that she'll be smart enough to realize she's been tricked. She was very target driven."
The clattering sounds in the kitchen stopped. "Dian'er did such a horrible thing."
I sighed, eyeing down the door. He had an altar placed against the wall. "What matters now is I find Alioth safe."
"Ah. Young Feng. You never let go of those who let you go."
My eyes moved to the open door of the kitchen, even though he wasn't in view. "You are the same."
He went silent.
Around Caihe, it occurred to me, that perhaps my purpose in life was in things of no consequence, like his life seems to be. Things like the gentle ticking of a clock, which I have no power to stop. The little glances of people I have affection towards, and moments in which my heart was ecstatic. Patience. Moments in which my brain was working meant I was actively living.
This thought made me want to find Alioth so much more.
I always thought that our life was not the most precious thing we had. Something so fleeting couldn't be as precious as leaving a stamp in history, however small. We can't just exist, we have to live. We must live. Kaguya's Potion and Chang'e's Potion forged these footprints for the rich and entitled, giving them a place in the world forever, not all of them earning their place like many mortals who came and went have. Mortals must work hard to leave a stamp. I don't have to. I know I haven't earned my place here.
I think I want to.
After a few minutes, Caihe came out with a small box full of food.
I took it and he ran his fingers through his hair, sweat drops decorating his short forehead. "Will I see you again?"
"If you join me, you don't have to stop seeing me." I shoved the box into my bag.
"I'm sorry." He waited for me to get up, then slipped his arms under mine and put his head on my shoulders. I hugged him back. "If something happens to me on this journey, I will have to spend an eternity with that injury. I already do. I can't take anymore."
"I understand," I pat his back. "I'll visit you someday. Maybe sooner than you think."
"I won't mind if it takes a hundred years – but I would like to know if I should keep stock of fresh Zucchini, just for you."
I laughed a little, leaving the hug with a smile. "See you sometime in this eternity, Caihe?"
He nodded. "Take care of yourself, Houyi."
49
Fire in the Sky
Legend III/III
Legend tells of a man who went searching for Alioth.
Actually, never mind. There's no Akhet and there's no Huapaya.
There's no Posuo and there's no Lan'er. There's no Diana, at least, not yet.
I've been following the direction of the star Alioth for a month or two now. I didn't have my watch anymore, so had no way to tell. I didn't know where I was, either.
Some local townsfolk, however, told me that there have been Northern Light sightings every few years next to some ravine which I was approaching now. They said the local name for this ravine was "Mother Nature's Cut".
The ground was made of dusty red stone, and the large, wavy, snake-shaped hole in the ground indeed looked like a knife slit through the native skin of Mother Nature.
There was a single rickety bridge seen somewhat far away.
It was the navy-blue kind of night, the millions of stars sparkling as if laughing, and there were no Northern Lights. Perfect.
What I thought was a trick of the flashing lights was actually a shooting star, which followed another, and another. The moon wasn't visible anywhere.
I made a wish.
Luckily for me, we were in China just after Chinese New Year. There was just one more thing I packed, with Caihe's help. This was my third attempt at a plan.
I set up the last of the tubes in a long line along the terrifying drop, using the last bit of fuel in my lighter to ignite the fuses one by one.
I ran away, scrambling to sit down.
The tubes exploded into the air, rocketing up and bursting like splattering juicy berries into a thousand colourful green and yellow sparks. I watched the flashes of light expressionless, my eyes darting around.
It was only when I noticed a figure sitting on the edge of the ravine that my heart leaped in my chest and up to my brain. I rose to my feet, using the flashes of light to run back toward the drop without tripping and falling.
Her skin was brown, and her eyes so black they swallowed up all light.
I dug around in my satchel, the crackling of the fireworks slowly dying out, looking for something to throw to get her attention. A date seed sat in some dirty corner of my bag, and I planned my throw.
It bounced off the ravine walls after hitting the girl's legs. I could see white dandelions freckle her arms, but now they more mirrored the fireworks in the sky.
My heart swelled with pounding happiness.
The light was no longer present, so I only saw her silhouetted head. It moved.
I waved, my right shoulder striking me with pain.
She waved back.
I turned to run to the bridge.
End.
Extra Content
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Character Name Information Index
By Order of Appearance
1. Fēng Hòu Yì (Hòuhou); 風后羿 (后后); F-uh-n(g) H-oe-ee.
2. Salvador Huapaya; Sal-va-dor (H)wa-pa-ya.
3. Héshuò Princess Huìlán (Lan'er); 慧嵐和碩公主 (嵐兒); H-uh shoo-ō Princess Hwei-lan (Lan R).
4. Fēng Pósuō (Pópo); 風婆娑 (婆婆); F-uh-n(g) Po-soo-ō.
5. Brother Ibrahim; إبراهيم; Eeb-rah-heem.
6. Juzra the Pony; جزرة; Joo-z-rah.
7. Sahar the Snake; سحر; Sa-ḥa-r.
8. Akhet; / ; Ah-ḫ-et.
9. Alioth Hala Al-Nuri Al-Dulaimi; عليوث هالة النوري الدليمي; Ah-li-uth Ha-lah Al-Noor-ee Al-Du-lah-i-mee.
10. Doctor Hadeel; هديل; Ha-dee-l.
11. Diana, Dian'er (Ao-puahiohio); ديانا, 電兒; Dee-ya-nah, Dee-yan-aR (Ah-ō-pwa-hee-yo-hee-yo).
12. Sammar; سمر; Sah-mar.
13. Amalia; عملية; Ah-ma-li-ya.
14. Janet the Camel; ﺟانيت; Jah-net.
15. Léi Cǎihé; 雷采和; L-ey Ts-ay-h-uh?
16. Erkin; 艾爾肯/ئەركىن; Ay-uh-r-kuh-n (Ài ěr kěn)/Ar-keen
