"I am your Holder."

 

 

Amari found his guarded words dismantled immediately by Minato's friendly disposition, who fired comment after comment in rapid succession. The man in the bandana, which he introduced as Jun, stood to the side with an even smile. Amari tilted his head at Jun, unable to distinguish between his purposeful disinterest in Amari or his undisguised enamor with Minato, who was now crouched beside a bubbly young girl.

With chubby fingers, she showed him how to tie the ribbon, to which Minato followed closely.

"Jun," Minato called with a coquettish tilt in his voice, " you live here and yet the foreigner is tying the ribbon before you have."

"Fine. Fine," Jun laughed. "But only because it's tradition."

In seconds, Jun crouched down and the small ribbon was tied into a puffy bow at the end of the cape. The little girl clapped with delight. "You're faster at it than my mommy, mister!"

"Isn't he so skillful," Minato egged on, playing into the excitement of the outer ring of children.

In response, the children piled onto Jun, asking him to show them how to tie flowers and knots onto the cape. Minato stood to the side, catching the soft smile against the stocky contour of Jun's cheeks as he patiently instructed the multiples of hands.

Minato eventually sat beside Amari, chin in his hand and elbow propped against his leg. Jun's voice rang distinctly past the busy conversations all around–it was the kind of voice one could pick out in a crowd with ease. Amari watched a mellow, putty shine melt over Minato's gaze as he attentively jumped from the folded cuffs of Jun's shirt to the swaying of his hair bun, as Jun leaned lower to compliment a boy's ribbon.

"You really like him," Amari said.

"I do. But I feel so strongly that... I can't get any closer, or else this affection will burn out."

Minato's voice quieted, "I don't want this to burn out."

"Then do everything in your power to prevent it from burning out."

Minato stared at him, surprised at Amari's sudden intensity, before he chuckled, "Right. That's a good way to put it."

A white tail flicked around behind Minato before a white snout nudged at his side. Unsurprised, Minato lifted his arm, allowing a fluffy white fox to slip between Minato and Amari.

The fox was like a grown-up version of the little snowball cub from during the rain ceremony. It had leaner, silkier fur—but still a thick coat by its neck and face. Pointed ears swiveled forward as it tramped atop Amari's lap. A tail tickled his chin with what felt like a teasing sway.

"Oh, it must be time. The fox is a companion of mine. Oh, but careful–he tends to be skittish at human touch..."

Minato's words trailed off as the fox rolled onto its stomach in front of Amari, paws pinching his hand against the heavy coat at its chest. It made a happy, squeaking noise, its tail sweeping dust back and forth on the floor.

The fur was sleek and soft as if personally soaped down in the highest quality of conditioner. The fox leaned into the touch before Amari abruptly pulled away and leaned in close, whispering into the twitching fox's ear.

"Good try, Leishan. See if you can really face me eye to eye, next time."

Minato blinked with a head tilt, not catching the words Amari whispered. They must have been words to coddle the fox. Turning from the now frozen fox and Caller, he stood up and patted off droppings of dust and loose string. Now finished with the kids, Jun too stepped over, flashing a handsome smile.

"Shall we move on?"

"I have to check into my inn, so I won't be following you," Minato said.

"Oh, I see."

"Seaside and Tide Tavern—fourth floor. It's a shame I don't know how to get there."

"And you're saying your poor sense of direction needs a handsome tour guide to help?"

"A self-proclaimed one will do–no one too costly, For both now and tonight. Come knock later," Minato laughed, "since I won't know how to celebrate the festival in the evening, let alone navigate it. I hear you have pretty good services."

Jun lowly chuckled, "It's true. Then, let's get going?"

As Jun and Minato headed separate ways from Amari, the fox split to follow Amari, trailing at his legs. Amari staved off the urge to run his fingers through the thick coat, instead choosing to continue exploring the kingdom.

"...You really won't leave?"

The townsfolk assumed Amari must've been speaking in the general direction of someone ahead. No one would have known it was the fox sidled up at his side, taking advantage to rub against his legs.

I won't, he could almost hear Leishan say.

Amari laughed at his strange illusion—his mind had begun to wander more freely, perhaps an effect of the lively chatter. He didn't dislike it, though.

"Why a fox, and not like those mighty dragons, all in Nanjie temples?"

"A good question, Caller!"

The sharp voice pulled Amari's attention away. A cane tapped against a large mural of a leaping fox, outlined in swift, yet eloquent brush strokes and surrounded by a blue forest of petals, raindrops, and ribbons.

"Here, we associate the Holder with foxes—it is the form we attribute to the one in control of the rain of the world. A witty creature like the fox will surely pay mind to the needs of our kingdom. We don't need power—or the assertive weather, as Nanjie hopes to uphold. We only hope for the prosperity of gaining exactly what we need."

The white fox padded over with sly steps, before planting itself at the base of the mural and cleaning its paw.

The older man hobbled over with a steady tapping of his cane. With permission, he tied an almost violet-blue ribbon to the cape. Once his shaking hands moved away, the cape seemed awash and every kind of blue, no longer able to pick up an individual color.

"I'm overjoyed to have met the Caller of this generation. May peace follow you as you navigate your unrest."

"What do you know about me?"

The man guffawed and waved his hand, "Just an experienced hunch. Youth are so troubled these days..."

One by one, the dangling lanterns ignited with the growing night. At a glance, the lanterns blended in alongside the colorful banners, hidden by the daylight. Now the orange glow jumped up and down the streets.

Amari grew accustomed to the arctic fox, tolerating its sticky presence at his side. He laughed at its strange actions, both its haughty stride and helpless tolerance of children—the fox's thick, fuzzy coat a well-excitable thing for children to discover.

Meanwhile, Amari's cloak had met its limit. Any more weight and the cloak would drag and unbind—not a single bit of original fabric remained. So, at some point, a tailor had gifted him a strapped satchel, to which perfectly held the gifts of any folk who had yet to meet him.

And when his stomach growled, it became a clamoring competition between restaurants to treat him to a wealthy dinner. So much food had been put on his plate, that Amari almost outright refused at the obscene sight of endless steaming dishes.

"You eat too little," a plump woman scolded, hovering over him.

Amari could only helplessly assure her otherwise—and hurried out before she could put bagged food into his satchel as well. He thanked her, uncontrollably laughing at the raucous behind him. She smugly bragged about how the Caller had chosen her establishment, despite dragging him inside in the first place, and the subsequent profanity of the tavern keepers.

For the rest of the night, Amari's smile never left his face as he wandered through the nooks and crannies of Beijie. The fox leaped across various ledges and planter boxes, amber attention never leaving the upturned lips.

A faint, ethereal music lured Amari up rounds and rounds of stairs. The string instruments sang as he stepped into an open plaza balcony, where the entire kingdom spread below as a breath-stealing sight. Fairy lights were strung across the plaza, and carts of freshly fired food and candy sprawled out by the edges. Where the music was, followed endless amounts of people hand in hand, spinning and bowing to each beat. Underneath the tapping hops of point boots were an endless pattern of tiles, woven out like unfurling petals.

Long robes flowed alongside silken scarves. Straight-laced pants and wide sleeves of men's button ups too, twirled with light blue string.

Amari's heart pounded in tune with the sound of the music and the sweeping movements of the dancing. His blood rushed to his fingertips, and down to his legs. He walked around the plaza, before reaching the edge, testing the railing. It held steady. Amari leaned against it, inhaling the grassy scent of rain galloping past.

"Leishan, I still need to meet you."

The approaching shadow grew taller, bending oddly as it cast against the railway. Amari's fingers tightened against the railway, his eyes trained on an especially bright set of lanterns in the distance, which lit up the fox mural not far above.

"Then... you're willing to talk?"

Amari swallowed against the dryness of his throat and nodded. All this time, hearing the voice in his head was no different than viewing a pretty scenery in the distance. To hear Leishan, with every syllable spreading tingles up and down his back, was like to taste the air and touch the scenery itself.

Material. Concrete. So, terrifyingly real.

It put into perspective, suddenly... that history between him and Leishan was etched into his bones, carved deeper than he initially believed.

"Amari."

Amari turned around. Softened silvery eyes, narrow jaw, and deep-oaken skin glowing golden against the lantern light at his back. Catching Amari's absorbent gaze, sponge Leishan soaked in the attention, spinning around with a flourish.

Almost instantly, the tightness of Amari's chest bubbled down to a simmer, and the distasteful arrogance of Leishan was only magnified threefold by his physical appearance. What's more... he had just as much reason to flaunt himself, too. It made Amari annoyed.

He crossed his arms, tracking Leishan's movement beside him. Contrary to what Amari thought would be a lascivious first impression—Leishan bowed seriously with a slight smile.

"It's my pleasure to finally meet you, Caller of Lightning. I am your Holder."