"How did you grow up?", Farin carefully asked, watching Ives' face closely in case he was asking something he shouldn't. The man luckily didn't mind the question. He watched the teenagers disperse as he answered the carrier.
"A small town south of here, at the border. I was always a lazy bookworm and our town had a library, so I was there all day. I met the temple master when I visited this village with my family. I was a teenager back then and he took a liking to me. I, too, wanted to stay here because I instantly liked this place. That means that part of my youth was already spent in here." He smiled. "I think you would have become his heir had he not met me. I don't even know everything that is to know, but I can tell your mindset is suitable."
He closed his eyes and stretched comfortably, sighing in comfort. "So I hope you'll stay as Farin, also because it suits you."
Farin chewed on his lip. Just what is the story behind all of this? What is it that the temple master knows?
Being left in the dark made him uncertain. Ignorance can become a hindrance when you don't understand why some things are forbidden. Are things not allowed just stupidly because? Or is there an actual danger that lies behind the rules? Farin never wanted to put anyone in danger with his behavior. The temple master gave him the key, so for some reason, he alone was allowed to enter the mountain and talk to the Gods? Why?
Ives waved a hand in front of his face and Farin twitched back to focus, giving him an apologetic smile. "Sorry, my mind wandered." "Don't worry. Do you have time to help me with a few things?" "Are you trying to avoid the seamstress?" "Yes." "Why don't we manage her first and then I'll help you?"
The heir gave an uncharacteristic sigh but caved in. "I just think it's a waste of time."
I can understand. My robes took forever. To avoid mistakes, a new Farin would have to stand for most of the sowing process, making the robes tightly fitted to their body. That also made the sacrificial robe comfortable despite the train, since the cloth followed every movement, but it had been a huge waste of time to just wait while they made their stitches, not allowed to move.
"I'll be there to talk to you. Maybe that'll make it easier." And it would take his mind off things, as well. Lori would need a while to walk down the mountain and back up, even if knowing that didn't help him with staying calm.
Both men walked side by side, attracting a lot of attention. They were the two most important people in the temple right now, after all. Farin didn't like the attention, but he had eyes on him from everywhere since he took on the task of being the carrier, so he had to get used to it. A random thought struck him and he asked despite hesitating a bit.
"Is the temple master allowed to marry? I don't think the current one has a wife."
Ives yawned loudly and rubbed his eyes, explaining. "Hmm. Allowed. The current one was married in his youth, but they split and he never remarried." "So you could marry while being the temple master?" "Yes, but it's a bit troublesome. Even the spouse isn't allowed to have full insight on the master's work, so you need a partner that doesn't mind their husband keeping a lot of secrets."
That sounds hard. I know my own parents, so I can't imagine a couple not talking about their work with each other. It was surely possible, but he himself would like for his spouse to share everything with him if he decided to enter a relationship.
"Do you have someone in mind?", he probed, tugging Ives to the side before he walked into a tree stump. The man hummed and yawned once more, stumbling past the stump and towards the door.
"No, not yet. ...Or maybe I have, but it's a bit doubtful whether it could work out. How about you?" Farin flinched, but he felt that Ives was just asking without any hidden intentions. Farin brushed his hair out of his face and awkwardly smiled.
"Have, I guess, but just like you. It's... doubtful."
Ives stopped before the door to the seamstress' room and quietly gave his encouragement. "I pray it works out for you. You're a good person, you deserve your happiness."
Farin was stunned with Ives' trust in him. He couldn't remember doing anything that left such a good impression on the man, especially since they only started talking since a few days ago. The heir left him behind, walking right into a slightly irritated seamstress that dragged him to the middle of the room, nearly stripping him right there.
The southerner looked up to the ceiling in resignation and stripped out of his clothes under Farin's amused chuckles. The seamstress was a strong woman that didn't care about people squealing because they had to take off their clothes in front of her.
Farin kindly began talking to distract Ives, rambling about his training as a carrier or his friends as he watched. Ives was quite muscular for someone who looked like he slept all day but still rather thin. He was an attractive person in his own way, just not to Farin.
Time passed as he waited for the woman to finish her detailed measurements before he went with Ives to deal with some issues regarding the coming meals. When the sun went down, Lori returned with a letter from Skari. Farin praised her, sending her off for dinner, then unfolded the letter to take in the sight of Skari's neat handwriting.
The scholar agreed with his plan.
Since he had the chance, he should go along with Alvarr and meet the other God. Skari confirmed that it wasn't only Farin's imagination that things were weird and that as long as it didn't endanger anyone, he should try to figure out what was happening. He also continuously warned his friend to not overdo things and risk too much just for information.
As for the fact that Farin had a growing interest in Alvarr, Skari gave a solid 'Screw you' and 'Of course you couldn't just go for someone normal, that would be too easy'.
Farin enjoyed the warmth of his friend's worry behind those words. Alright. Then I won't wait for long and just go right ahead.
His things for the next day were packed in minutes.
Farin had left early in the morning. The plants in the cave were still shining with dewdrops and Farin squatted down to take in the clean scent. There was nothing much he could do while he waited, anyway.
The first one to greet him was actually Alvarr's pet, whose clicking he could hear long before he could see it. The little thing hopped through the high grass, shaking itself free of the drops that clung to its fur once it had escaped to the stony area around the path. Farin went down to his knees, sticking his face close to the ground. "Good morning, little guy. Are you here to greet me?"
The animal clicked happily, rubbing itself against Farin's nose and then jumping into his hair. The carrier gasped in surprise but immediately noticed that the small claws were making its way to his shoulder, still holding onto some strands of his hair like a rope. A small but incredibly rough tongue tickled his ear.
"Don't do that, it's distracting", Farin complained, reaching up with his fingers to poke the tongue away from his ear. It happily complied in moving to lick his index finger instead.
Alvarr didn't appear much later than his pet, surprising Farin who hadn't heard any bells.
The God didn't have the usual strings around his legs and his poncho was missing, revealing his open arms and top. As he turned to look over his shoulder back to the forest, Farin caught a glimpse of his back, where the cloth didn't close but left a gap, merely held together by clasps. The sight of the tail growing out of his back was weird for a human; there was a transition where the fine, nearly invisible body hair turned into the fur of his tail.
Farin stood up and fixed his clothes. "Good morning", he happily greeted when Alvarr wordlessly stepped close and pulled him into a hug. The small animal fled onto Farin's head as Alvarr took up the space over Farin's shoulder, purring softly. "Hello", he returned, then stepped back with a much more natural grin than usual.
Farin's fingers twitched. He really has no problem with body contact.
The carrier took a breath, then got right to the topic.
"Shall we go? You said I can meet someone that knows my language?" Alvarr nodded then pointed in the direction again. Farin gave one last look to his clothes - not the usual dark robe but a slightly sturdier outfit with shirt and pants - before he stepped forward to show he was ready to go.
The path was insane for a human. The slope he had noticed before soon turned so steep he had to slide down and hold onto plants in order not to fall. Farin cursed wordlessly, following Alvarr's steps as exactly as possible. Even when the slope lessened, the overgrown area was making walking hard and the loud rustling from everywhere made him tense. Alvarr stuck right next to him, helping him whenever he could, although Farin soon noticed that the usual path would be through the trees judging by the marks he could see. This wasn't a world someone like him was supposed to traverse.
He needed breaks, much to Alvarr's surprise who circled him in worry. "I just need to catch my breath", Farin wheezed, leaning against a tree. "And something to drink."
The carrier had prepared himself, at least. A flask with water was inside his small bag, as well as some food since he didn't know how much time he'd be spending inside the cave. Ives was warned that he might be out for the whole day.
"How much longer? How far are we?", Farin complained awkwardly. He would still need the energy to return all this way uphill...
Alvarr's tail flicked around for a while before he answered. "Half of half?" "Oh, thank god. Okay. Let's continue."
Farin pulled a face but dragged his already aching muscles onward nonetheless. He wasn't considered weak, but he needed muscle groups he usually never needed. The strain of constantly having to bend his legs so that he wouldn't fall was painful.
Alvarr steadied him most of the time and the little animal jumped to the front once in a while, clicking to encourage the human. The blue-haired man felt that if the God had been walking this way alone, he'd probably be through in a quarter of the time.
But all of that was worth it.
Farin was gasping for air when they finally reached the clearing, then gasped once more when he realized he had started to hold his breaths. The trees and cocoons that probably made up the village grew high into the sky, numerous Gods climbing around everywhere, giving him no attention. The flowers and vines that grew near the clearing were of a different kind compared to those in the rest of the forest; a strong red colour dominated most of them, incredibly beautiful in their own way.
The children he had met before saw him and ran over, calling out for him in high tones and excitedly dragging at his clothes. Except for them, none of the Gods were giving Farin much more than a glance.
Do they not mind?, he wondered. I walked right into their home, are they not curious?
Alvar shoo-ed the children away, then pointed at a cocoon on a tree not too far away. "Up there", he said, tugging at the hem of Farin's shirt. The human's eyes widened, then he looked to the God with an incredulous gaze. "Up there?" "Yes." "Climb?" "Yes."
The God was obviously not seeing the problem, but Farin already felt a chill run down his spine at the height. "No way. I can't climb that high. I'll fall." Alvarr's tail curled. He had understood the meaning of what was said, but he didn't know what to do about it.
"...Can't?" "Absolutely can't."
The God hesitated then tugged Farin forward to wait at the tree's roots while he himself climbed up with frightening speed. Farin watched in awe. If he could climb like that, then living in a tree would be an option, too.
After a minute or two, Alvarr crawled out of the cocoon and took place on a nearby branch. Something else moved inside the cocoon and Farin's gaze flicked back to it. Before he knew it, two figures had jumped down to the ground again, causing dust to rise, and Farin was faced with a greyed out God looking at him with an amiable expression.
"Welcome to our home, human."
Thanks for the chapter
