The Star, The Demon, and The God - 31. Meeting Grandmother

Luno

“How do I know I can trust you,” I ask, this time not bothering to hide my distrust.

The Spirit Sailor shrugs. “I have nothing I could say that will prove anything to you. Only my status.”

I tilt my head in question.

“I am a servant of Drulai,” He says. “I am supposed to follow her wishes no matter the cost.”

This sounds strange. He almost sounds reluctant to say all of this. Almost like he has rehearsed this line for so long.

Does he not want to work under Drulai? Is he a slave?

I know slaves were definitely a thing under some gods. Is Drulai one of those gods?

My face must show my thoughts on the matter because the Spirit huffs out a small laugh.

“Not like that,” He says with a small smile. “You could say I am her champion in a way.”

I sit down in the boat.

“Her champion?” I ask. “What is that?”

He shrugs. “I am not sure honestly. She never has me do anything interesting. She only left me in charge of moving different souls through different realms.”

Well that is interesting. I bet it would be fun though.

However, his tired eyes make me think that he never has a break time.

“Well that is my best attempt at making you trust me for this task,” He says with a sigh. “Is that enough for you?”

I bite my lip.

Should I really do this? Something tells me that Tobi would be very cross if he were to figure out I went out to help Drulai.

If I am lucky, maybe I will be able to come back in time for Tobi to be there!

What was I supposed to do while I waited?

Yes, before I went out into the world, I was able to be easily distracted. Now that I have had a taste of the real thing, I do not think I would be too excited with just prancing about in the Sanctuary for who knows how long until I see Tobias again.

Trusting a random spirit to take me on a new adventure...it sounds exciting! Is it so wrong for me to want to go back into that life?

Before, I thought I had the best life. That everyday couldn’t be more fun.

Being out there with Tobias made me realize just how much I was missing out on! I want to do it again!

“I trust you,” I say with a smile. “You can take me to Drulai.”

The Spirit Sailor nods and starts turning the boat around to get further out into the deeper waters.

I remember how this went before. Back when he took Tobias and I to Enfierna.

That feels so long ago now.

“How long have you been doing this?” I ask, trying to make conversation.

The Spirit Sailor grunts as he makes giant, heavy sweeps with the oar.

“I’ve lost count,” He says, not bothering to stop for a breath.

Something tells me that, that was his way of telling me to be quiet. That talking is a bit tough for him right now.

So in that case, I stay quiet and stare at the water as we move through it.

When I look back at the beach, the creatures still watch me. Some have decided to walk away, realizing that I am leaving.

“Wait!” I almost shout.

“I need to make sure everyone has enough rations for when I am gone! I will only be a few moments!”

The Sailor stops rowing and I quickly fly over to my shack.

This seems like the best place for everyone to come and grab whatever they need.

All the creatures here are nice enough for me not to worry about some trying to take more food than they need.

I hurry over to the giant bed and grab the sheet, taking it off and running out to set it down on the grass outside.

Something catches my attention from the corner of my eye.

There is a small pouch sitting on the kitchen table.

Now I know that is not mine. I don’t really have anything! So my mind automatically knows it must belong to Tobi.

Did he leave this here on accident?

No I don’t think so.

He double checked to make sure he had everything before leaving.

That and he also kept giving me more kisses…

My face burns at the thought and I pick up the pouch.

It is very light, but rustling in the bag tells me that it is not empty.

Turning it over, I dump all of its contents onto the table, letting my curiosity get the better of me.

Pretty red flowers drift softly onto the table. They fall as slowly as little snowflakes. Their red color are dark and very soft. They remind me of velvet.

I bring one to my nose and get a harsh kick to my nostrils.

I sneeze and cough. What feels like a forever itch bites at my nose.

Well...these flowers are rather strong. Is it weird that I want to smell them again?

Were these for me? Did Tobi forget them?

I shrug and push the pretty things back into the pouch.

Whatever the case, I will keep them on me at all times. I don’t want them to get ruined! Tobi might want them back!

A tickling on my neck tells me that Kulu is tucking himself in to sleep.

I reach up and rub my finger along his scales and against the feathers of his wings.

Part of me wants to make him stay here where it is safe, but I know that he is choosing for himself to stay with me.

I guess that will be one that to stress over when I am out there.

Now I am starting to feel a little nervous.

What if I lose Kulu this time? Or even Tobias!

Not wanting to start second guessing myself, I move out to distract myself with making rations for the animals.

A few minutes later, I have a giant pile of fruits, veggies, and fake meat!

Most creatures want meat and they can’t kill each other. I had to make the next best thing!

Once that is done, I hurry back to the Spirit Sailor’s boat.

He is standing there waiting patiently.

“Ready?” He asks, his hood back on his head.

“Yes, sir,” I beam and sit down.

The boat jumbles a bit as the ocean water foams up and moves upwards around the boat, creating a giant bubble.

A shiver runs up my spine when we are completely surrounded by the water.

The slight fear of drowning does not exactly go away easy.

Last time I had Tobi to lean onto to try and feel safe.

Sadly that can’t be repeated.

Once the bubble is completed, we begin to sink into the water. It swallows us up in one gulp and we drift further and further into the dark depths.

My head hurts slightly but I refuse to let go of my grip on my thighs.

Instead of turning into an orange bubble like the last time, it instead turns a bright emerald green.

The color shines so beautifully, I can’t help but look up in awe.

“You get to see this everytime?” I ask, almost in a reverent whisper.

When I look to my left, I see the Sailor was staring at me.

Do I scare him by chance? Does he know I am a star? Is that why he is staring at me like that?

“Yes,” he says after clearing his throat. “Yes I do.”

I smile and turn back to the pretty greens.

When the emerald bubble begins to disintegrate into hundreds of tiny pieces, I brace myself.

The boat shoots upwards, rising so fast, I have to close my eyes to keep any small droplets of water from getting into my eyes.

A large splash erupts around us as we break past the surface.

I expected to find a blinding sun, but to my horror, I am welcomed by the moon.

Almost as soon as I see it, a blanket is thrown on top of me.

At first I am scared, thinking that I am being kidnapped or something.

The Sailor’s voice helps me from freaking out.

He curses under his breath before speaking.

“Apologies,” he says, sounding incredibly guilty. “I had forgotten what time of day it was. I will get you inside to safety. We are close I swear!”

I gulp and refuse to speak, too scared of what could happen if I did.

Would Morgoren hear me? Did he see me in that split second where I was in the open?

A shiver runs down my spine and I hug myself under the blanket.

The only thing I hear is the ocean and the quiet grunts of the Spirit Sailor rowing us to wherever he was supposed to take me.

Everytime I hear the oar bumping against the boat, I jump in fear of Morgoren possibly stepping onto the boat to kill me.

“We are almost there,” The Spirit whispers. “It won’t be long now. I promise.”

A shaky breath escapes my lips and I internally scream.

Could he hear that? He could have!

It gets a lot harder to breath under the blanket. I feel like I am about to pass out at any moment!

I start breathing too fast. The air doesn’t feel like it’s coming in fast enough!

The Spirit Sailor shushes me.

“Calm down,” He says, his voice a bit strained from rowing. “We are about to reach the beach. Deep breaths. Everything is going to be alright, okay?”

I try and listen to his words, but I swear I feel the burning glare of the moon right over my head.

“Try and match your breaths with the waves,” The Spirit says. “They are calm tonight. Try and be like them.”

Squinting my eyes shut, I try and space my breathing. Everytime the boat dips forward, I exhale. Everytime it dips backwards, I inhale.

My head does not feel so light now.

It still feels incredibly hot and stuffy under the blanket, but other than that, I no longer feel like I am about to fall over to the side.

All of a sudden I am pushed forward, almost falling out of my seat.

The boat groans as it rides up into the sand.

I hear the Sailor drop his oar and hear him moving around the boat.

An arm gently wraps around my shoulders and a nudge tells me to stand.

“We are by the docks,” The Spirit says. “It is a few paces from the palace, but once we are inside, I will take you to a room without windows for your safety, alright?”

I nod at his words, still too scared to speak.

One arm stays around my shoulders and the other reaches to hold onto my arm through the blanket.

He helps me move around the boat and safely step down onto the sand.

I inwardly sigh at the feeling of wet sand underneath my shoes.

Perhaps some magic will be needed to clean them.

I stumble a bit over a rock or maybe a seashell.

“Sorry,” The Spirit Sailor whispers.

We continue walking on. The ocean waves getting quieter and quieter.

“We reached some steps,” He says. “I’ll make sure you don’t fall.”

I want to laugh at that, but now seems the wrong time to do that.

The Spirit Sailor helps me make sure I place my feet in the right places so I don’t end up crashing down over a cliff...because apparently these stairs are right next to a cliff!

Pursing my lips at this whole situation, I wish that Tobi was here. I miss him. I also feel safer with him out here.

The Spirit Sailor is nice, but right now I don’t feel so safe. Only because I barely know the man...wolf...Manwolf?

I don’t know!

After what felt like two minutes of climbing stairs, we come to a stop.

The sound of doors being opened can be heard and then I am walking into a nice warm building.

As soon as the door closes behind me, I let out a sigh of relief.

“Can I take the blanket off now?” I ask, waiting to badly to be free from this stuffy blanket.

In answer, the blanket is pulled off me and I am blinded by light.

After blinking a few times to get used to it, I see that I am standing in a giant kitchen.

Nobody is in here. It is completely empty. Tables are filled with different foods that were in the middle of being prepared.

Did the Spirit Sailor kick the cooks out?

He walks past me and picks up an apple before walking to a door out of here.

“Wait here,” He says. “Just going to cover up the windows leading to Drulai’s room.”

I don’t even get the chance to acknowledge him since he leaves as soon as he gets out the last word.

The kitchen is brightly lit up with candles, a great fire, and little balls of light.

Not sure what to do, I move over to stand by the fire. It is in some kind of oven. It feels nice and warm.

I wonder what the Mother Goddess needs from me. What use would I be to her? Am I going to be the only one on this quest?

I had Tobias, Enfi, and Kulu before, but I have lost two. Does this mean I will me on my own this time?

I can’t even read a map!

Biting my lip, tiptoe over to the door the Spirit Sailor walked through.

Peeking around the edge, I see he and a few others are struggling to close a curtain.

“Fix the damned thing,” I hear the Sailor whisper shout to his friends.

Now I feel like a burden to these...other spirits I’m guessing?

“You know what?” The Spirit Sailor says. “Fuck it. He gets the blanket treatment again!”

A few of the other spirits scoff at his words and they walk away.

Frowning at their reaction towards him, I duck back into the kitchen; not wanting him to see I was watching them.

Where is Drulai anyways? Shouldn’t she be able to close broken curtains?

Kulu’s tail somehow slips underneath my shirt and sends a shiver up my spine. It only brings my nerves up a little bit.

The kitchen door swings open and the Spirit Sailor walks in with an annoyed look on his face.

Honestly, I did not know wolves could look so annoyed.

“We have to use the blanket,” He sighs. “I will try and make it a quicker trip.”

I offer a small smile. “Sorry I am such a hassle to take care of.”

He smirks a bit and shakes his head.

“Nah! You’re not a hassle. Just important.”

I reach for the blanket and throw it over my head.

With a sigh, I reach out from under the blanket to grab onto his arm.

“Ready when you are,” I say.

The Spirit chuckles and links his arm with mine. It is a bit awkward with the blanket covering me, but we make it work.

Since the floor is even and not falling into different places like sand, traveling through the palace is not so bad! At one point we had to go up stairs, but thankfully they did not wind around like the ones outside did.

In record time, if someone were keeping a record that is, we reach Drulai’s room.

When the blanket is pulled off, I am standing outside her door.

You know...I never really thought that I would meet many gods in my life. Meeting the Mother Goddess of the world is definitely something I never thought of ever happening.

Sure, I knew Mother was the offspring of Drulai, but that did not mean I thought I would have met my “Grandmother”.

The Spirit Sailor grabs the door handle and pushes it open.

I am about to ask if he was coming with me, but I am cut off when I see Drulai standing in the middle of the room.

Her brown hair is pulled back into a long braid down her back. Tiny flowers decorate it in so many pretty colors.

It almost makes me think of my flowers! Are they attached to her as well?

She wears a dress that reminds me of a sunflower.

The top half is a nice, bright yellow that slowly turns green as it goes lower into the bottom of the dress.

The yellow on top is embroidered with little designs of green leaves.

“Greetings,” She nods to me. “Would you like some melon? I would not want you to starve during your stay now would I?”

Is that a question I am supposed to answer?

“I...I guess not?” I stutter and glance at the Spirit Sailor.

The Spirit has chosen to sit on a bench in front of a mirror. He was staring at me again and when I make eye contact, he looks away.

“Well please,” Drulai calls my attention. “Make yourself at home. We have things to discuss!”

I awkwardly shift from side to side.

“May I ask what it is you want me for,” I ask. “I have never done this on my own before.”

Drulai laughs and walks over to me. Her dress shimmers from the candlelight.

“Oh you are precious!” She smiles and wraps an arm around my shoulder. “Come eat and we will talk.”

She leads me to a small table next to the Spirit Sailor.

A silver tray holds a bowl full of green and orange balls. They all smell rather sweet.

“I-I’m not hungry!” I say in a bit of a small voice. “I’m fine.”

Drulai nods her head and smiles all the while.

“Well,” She sits across from me. “I suppose we should get to business then shall we?”

The Spirit Sailor clears his throat and nods to the door out of here.

Drulai blinks at him for a moment and then jumps out of her chair.

“Oh right!” She laughs to herself and scurries over to the door.

“Reeta!” She calls. “Please bring the other!”

I frown at what she is talking about.

Other? A person or more food? I said I didn’t want to eat.

What sounds like a dragonfly flying past your ear brings the appearance of a strange looking spirit.

It is some kind of bird lady!

She looks so pretty! Her feathers are super shiny!

“One asshole coming right up!” She beams and opens the pouch wrapped around her.

She tilts it upside down and somehow opens it about ten times the size it actually looks like it can open.

A man yelps as he is dumped on the floor.

He quickly stands and faces the birdlady.

“Fight me you coward!” He shouts.

I can’t help the grin that spreads across my face.

Of course of all things he would be with me again!

“Tobi!” I say gleefully and end up moving to pounce on him.

He only manages to look at me with narrowed eyes before I end up jumping onto his back.

“Luno?” He exclaims. “What the hell are you doing here?"