Dear Glorious Readers,

I've edited this story to be more similar to the original Hello I have uploaded onto SorrowHasNoHANDhere... the updates for this story are called "Perfect World" and are currently being uploaded. The reason I'm doing this is because I'd like to try out for the watties! I hope to have your support, and thanks again for reading!

 P.S. -- Sorry for all the updates! There's 20 chapters and an epilogue, so if you're following me, you're gonna have 9 messages in your inbox :/ Sorry! Just trying to get this in before November 6th...

Live Long and Prosper,

Asgardian / SorrowHasNoHANDhere

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CHAPTER 13

The Master’s Hut

            “If you keep eating like that, you’re going to get fat.”

            Eidan had just finished his patient routine of peeling and cutting all of the fruit he’d gathered and was now shoving it into his mouth like he’d never be able to eat again. He was extremely hungry, and for a moment, he’d forgotten that Farrah was sitting not five feet away. She picked at what he called a chimonana.

            His chewing slowed. With a glower, he swallowed and looked up to Farrah. “Your parents must not have disciplined you,” he said, sticking another piece of fruit in his mouth.

            “And your parents must not have fed you!”

            Eidan scowled—it was partially true. Farrah looked honestly concerned.

            “You’re eating like a swine, Eidan,” the girl told him. “I’m just waiting for your snout to appear!”

            Eidan made a low grumbling noise. What was a swine? He didn’t care. He picked up his peeled elpaenip and took a healthy bite.

            He’d once thought that Farrah was the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen, but that all changed when she opened her mouth and spoke.

            Farrah giggled. “Cerdito!” she sang, utilizing her native language. And then she said something fast, something he couldn’t understand even if he tried, while tearing at the eyes and trying not to laugh. Finally, she was unable to hold it in. She burst into laugher as tears streamed down her face.

            Eidan glared.

            Evidently, Farrah was still quite young, although the full figure of her feminine structure insisted otherwise. She had a comely bosom, a narrow waist, wide hips and smooth, shapely legs. Eidan could tell by her unusual dress that she was a dancer, but he wasn’t sure what type. When dancing in Zeon, one either wore a formal gown or a traditional rompa to folk dance, but Farrah wore nothing of the sort. It was white, making her light brown skin two shades darker, and seemed to cling to her body like silk. The sleeves were somehow clear, being fastened to her wrists by golden bands, and her skirt had at least a hundred pleats in it. What was even more unusual was that she wore pants beneath her dress like a man’s rompa, and they, too, were transparent and bounded around her ankles. She wore a red cloth tied around her waist and another one in her hair. She looked exotic, she looked familiar—she looked like Esmeralda.

            Eidan remembered reading that strange book with Master Everest when he was younger, the supposed classic called the Hunchback of Notre Dame. It was a popular tale from the Free World—that planet at the center of the Universe—and one of its main characters was a young gypsy. Was Farrah like Esmeralda? Were they the same? But that was impossible. There were no gypsies on Ecual, and a gypsy couldn’t come to their planet because there were no ships that could travel so far across the sea.

            It makes no sense, Eidan thought. Perhaps she also read the book when she was young and decided to become a gypsy. He looked back at Farrah, at her unnatural appearance and unheard of language, how her golden laughter was like a spice from another world. Or maybe… maybe she’s from the Free World, after all.

            He remembered the gods, those strange Atlasians with their metal ships and glittering skies. Was it possible for them to travel across the Universe? And if they could, would they even bother transporting an ill-mannered human girl to a place that she loathed?

            Eidan decided against the possibility. Farrah had said she was from a colony in the south, so she was from a colony in the south.

            By the time Farrah had stopped laughing, Eidan had already finished eating the elpaenip. He threw the tough core into the forest with the rest of the scraps and began drinking the milk from a funanut he’d found floating in the northern river.

            Farrah leaned closer, her humor still apparent. “You ate that entire pineapple and you’re still hungry? Cerdito, are Kinetics usually this voracious?”

            Eidan frowned. Pineapple? What was she talking about now?

            He ignored her and finished drinking. When he was done, he looked at the girl with unashamed eyes. “Here, have some funa." He handed her the hollow shell. “I don’t like it.”

            “What?”

            “Just use your nails to scrape away the pulp. It’s not that difficult. Watch—”

            Farrah snatched the funanut from Eidan’s hand before he could show her how to do it and glared at him with dark eyes. “So you’ve actually decided to share, have you? I suppose you don’t like chimonanas either.”

            Eidan smiled. He picked up an unusual looking fruit and scooped out some of the orange meat inside.

            He was originally going to share with Farrah, even after she’d called him fat, but after her fit of childish laughter, he changed his mind. He pushed everything that he wasn’t very fond of towards her side of the leaf and ate whatever was left.

            Farrah released a loud groan. She stood from the cold ground and threw the funanut shell at Eidan’s head.

            Eidan cringed.

            The shell bounced off his head and rolled into the fire.

            “You disgust me,” Farrah spat, and then she turned and started climbing the large shions boulders at the edge of the subterranean ruin.

            Eidan rubbed his head. I probably deserved that, but still… that girl is going to get herself killed.

            He watched as she used one of the overhanging vines to climb up the side of the tunnel wall. Every once in a while, Farrah would lose her footing and slip, dangling there like a hamon, but her strength was indeed impressive and she’d always pull herself out of it. In the end, she managed to climb up the wall and out of the tunnel with minimum scrapes and bruises.

            Eidan frowned. Isn’t her arm still injured? Strange girl…

            She brushed off her dress and flattened down her mound of curly hair, then she spun around and rested her hands on her hips. “Thank you for helping me escape, Eidan, but I’ve decided to go home alone.”

            She turned on her heel and took one step towards the forest.

            Farrah stopped. With clenched fists, she looked up at the looming, dense jungle.

            "Promise me you’ll be careful, Farrah,” Eidan called up to her. “The carnivorous mamantu viper tends to blend in with the trees, and at night, the black yaguarete becomes one with the shadows. This feline has a keen sense of smell, powerful muscles, and prefers the sweet blood of humans. I know this because my master used to tame one. He showed me once how the yaguarete snapped a mahoni’s skull—”

            “Eidan, be quiet!”

            Suddenly, a flock of colorful birds sprang from the trees, squawking and violently flapping their wings.

            Farrah screamed.

            Eidan laughed, but Farrah was quick to anger. She sent a curse to the birds in her native language and then disappeared into the trees.

            Eidan’s eyes widened. “Farrah?”

            No. If Farrah leaves me, if she were to die…

            He jumped from the cold ground and sent a mental message to the wind to propel him upwards. He knew that he still had his Numan abilities, but it was always a relief when Mother Nature actually obeyed. He was pulled into the air and landed on the forest floor not five seconds later. After that, he ran into the forest after Farrah. 

            The wilderness of Ecual was indeed an unusual place, and there was a reason it was home to only the most primal of souls. There were poisonous insects and plants that moved, and not to mention the constant feeling of being watched. Eidan found truth in the saying that the forest was alive, and after trekking through its dense terrain merely to find food, he understood why the people of Ecual hid themselves behind giant walls and armor.

            Why must she be so stubborn? he thought, his eyes searching the underbrush as his nose followed her scent. Farrah’s a mere mortal, susceptible to countless dangers. Was I like her when I was younger? There must have been some method of keeping me in line.

            In the distance, he saw a white figure disappear behind a collection of trees. Farrah was running, but from what? Surely not from Eidan. After all, he was the only person that could protect her during their journey through the wild.

            He pushed his way past shrubs and short palms, trying to be gentle, to respect Mother Nature, but managed to break nearly every leaf he accidently stepped on.

            He was a lot clumsier than he used to be, and immediately he regretted chasing such a lowly beast.

            Forgive me, he thought as he continued his trek. I’ll return to heal you, I promise!

            Farrah was moving far too fast and Eidan had no choice but to run. As soon as he found the path she’d taken, he mentally commanded the wind to help push him through the humid, motionless air and took off at a lightning speed.

            The girl’s white dress stuck out like an island in the sea. He took a shortcut, zooming through the trees, and appeared directly in front of her.

            Farrah slid to a stop.

            Eidan approached her. “Why are you running?” he demanded through short breaths. The girl certainly could run fast, even through a dense forest covered in weeds and vines.

            Farrah scowled. “Why are you running?”

            “I asked you first.”

            She folded her arms and smirked. “I do not have time to sit around watching you gorge yourself, Cerdito. I have a brother that I haven’t seen in nearly two years, so if you will not help me, then I will help myself.”

            “But you must eat, Farrah. It’s almost eight and we need our strength to—”

            “Unlike you, my stomach has its limits. Now, you can either go back to your feast and let me go on my way, or you can be the brave prince and protect the poor little gitana. Either way, I’m going home.” And then she turned on her heel and started through the forest.

            Gitana… that word sounds familiar.

            Eidan released a breath. He ran his fingers through his hair, looked up to the sky that he couldn’t see, and started following the gitana through the underbrush. “Farrah, why don’t you tell me which colony you’re from? Are you from Mons Montis, perhaps? In that case, our path would be along the base of the mountains.”

            “I do not come from this planet, Cerdito.”

            Eidan frowned. “What?”

            His pace slowed, but Farrah continued unfazed. “I was born in Egypt, but Spain is my homeland. Master Everest claimed that if I go to the Atlas, he will be able to help me escape this wretched land.”

            Now, Eidan was truly taken aback. Atlas was said to be the ruler of the Atlasians, an incredibly powerful god that reigned over all of Ecual. He was dangerous, and he would surely kill them all if the humans became a threat once again.

            Eidan’s erebus grew cold, dry ice sizzling against his chest. He reached for the pendant, loathing the cold air that was breathed into him, when that icy fluid seized control of his heart and revealed his Kinetic half.

            All fear that’d shaken him moments before was gone in an instant, all human emotions and pathetic inhibitions departed. He now possessed only rational thoughts, and he was determined to find a way to protect the girl.

            He grabbed Farrah by the shoulder. “If you go to the Atlas alone, you will be killed.”

            Farrah scowled and jerked herself away. “It’s you again,” she hissed. “Stay away from me, you heathen. I’m going to the Atlas because there’s no other way, and you above anyone have no right to stop me.”

            She began to turn around, to continue on with her pointless trek through the wild, but Eidan remained persistent.

            “Foolish human, do you truly believe it’s so simple to reach the island? It floats in the sea far away from Ecual. We would need a ship to sail there, but the humans possess no knowledge of god technology.”

            Farrah came to a stop. Slowly, she turned around with a glare. “All right then, heathen. How do you suppose we get there?”

            Eidan smiled. “My master once spoke of secret meetings with the Atlasians. Perhaps if we found my master, he’d be able to help.”

            “But I thought the Atlasians are dangerous.”

            “My master is the most powerful man I know,” Eidan replied. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he was an Atlasian himself. He’ll protect us, and if he’s unwilling to help, then I’ll search for somebody that is.”

            He then made a fist with his right hand and used it to cover his heart. He humbly bowed, a human smile finding its way to his lips. “You have my word, gitana,” he promised. “I have no reason to lie.”

                                                                  *     *     *     *     *

            “Why do you eat so much?”

            Her voice was quiet, soft, but more than that, it was sincere.

            Farrah had been this way ever since they began their journey, acting like a timid doll but harboring not a trace of fear. On the contrary, she was more alert than usual. She watched Eidan carefully, looking into his eyes whenever she received the chance and monitoring her speech as often as she remembered.

            Eidan looked up from his roasted barro, an especially large bird that he was proud to have caught.

            Why do I eat so much?

            He thought back, and his mind became plagued with thoughts of gluttony. Eidan loved food, and he especially liked citrus fruits and charred meats, but surely there was another reason for why his appetite had always been so demanding. He wasn’t only a disgusting human glutton, he was a Numan as well as a Kinetic, and people of power ate great amounts of food.

            Eidan took another bite of his skewered barro, chewed thrice and swallowed. “I’ve been similar to the Numen my entire life,” he said. “It’s tradition to eat double portions so we can collect energy to store into our erebus for later usage.”

            “I’ve seen Numen eat,” Farrah said. Her eyes faintly narrowed. “If they eat double portions, then you eat triple. It’s disgusting.”

            Eidan glowered. “Well I’m not a Numan, am I? I’m a Kinetic, I always have been, and if you want to know my big secret, those damn humans have been starving me my entire life. Look at me, Farrah. I’m like a walking skeleton!”

            For the briefest of moments, Farrah actually looked sympathetic. Had Everest not told her about all the times Eidan would visit his inn to study, and how he’d innocently claim that eating half a human’s portion was like eating the food of the gods? Of course, that was when he was a child. Living at the monastery was even worse. Eidan was ten years old when he became a monk. He was a growing boy, he needed food more than anything at that time, but instead they fed him watery soup and stale bread once a day.

            But of course, Farrah wasn’t the type of person to shower people with pity. Instead, she glared and spat out her words. “No, Eidan. What I’d like you to do is continue walking every time you see or smell something edible, not stop and light a fire. How do you expect us to reach your master’s hut before nightfall? No, I’m sick of this.” She handed her barro to Eidan. “I’m not hungry.”

            Eidan scowled and snatched the barro from her grasp.

            He knew he shouldn’t have answered her question. The human girl could never understand. In fact, he was sure that nobody understood. He did notice that his appetite was larger now, and he did feel hungry during every odd hour, but maybe being both a Numan and a Kinetic had something to do with this. He was like the humanoid equivalent of a bird. Fortunately, it didn’t have an effect on his weight.

             “As you wish,” Eidan muttered, and then he stood and kicked dirt into the fire.

            By the time they reached the hut, it was nearing sundown, and Eidan had stopped six other times to eat. He was aware that he was leaving a rather obvious trail, but this was his master’s hut and he was confident that neither human nor beast would dare harm him.

            It was located in the northern valley of the Caliga Mountain Range, made of the strong timber that the forest had sacrificed for them and built high within the trees. When Eidan was little, the only way up was to use his Numan abilities or to shimmy up a tree trunk, but now there were various vines and ivies dangling from its sturdy terrace. The once brown hut was covered in indigo, and Eidan could clearly see that it hadn’t been used in several years.

            With wide eyes and a racing heart, he leapt into the air, using the wind to push him, and landed on the hut’s terrace. “Master?”

            He saw his master’s rocking chair as well as the old rocking horse he used to play with as a child, and they were both covered and attacked by weeds. The windows were barely visible, the blinds dangling by nimble threads, and the door that was once made of wooden beads was now built of strangling vines.

            Eidan scowled. He grabbed the vines and tore them from the doorway only to find that the place had been deserted. Inside, it was transformed into an animal’s den.

            No…

            Eidan stepped forward, clenching and unclenching his fists as he looked around the room. There was Master’s desk, turned over with papers and books strewn across the floor, a broken chair, shelves fallen from the wall, Eidan’s box of toys turned over in the corner, and then there was the cot. It’d once clung to the wall by sturdy rope, but now it was lying in a pile on the floor, creating the perfect bed for an irregularly large, black yaguarete.

            The cat looked up when Eidan arrived, at first baring its teeth but then becoming calm. It stood from the cot and approached him, bowing its head and making a low grumbling noise.

            Eidan held out his hand. “Yaga,” he said. He was relieved. The giant cat licked his palm, and Eidan smiled and bent down to pet him. “Where is Master?” he asked. “Has he moved away? Has he