Snow looked around in amazement.
At first glance the village had seemed to be made of just a few houses, but now, that he was actually crossing it, he could clearly see that the whole complex was much larger than he’d thought.
The houses that he’d seen from the entrance weren’t houses at all, more like sheds and barns, and places where the people kept the few animals they possessed and their working tools. The houses themselves were all dug into the thick, imposing, rock walls of the mountain, looking very much like man-made caves with doors and windows, blending almost invisibly with the general rocky scenery.
Rain led them to one of such houses and opened the door, inviting them in.
Though it looked cold and bare from the outside, the interior of the house was surprisingly spacious, warm and inviting. The room they were led into was simply furnished, but it still gave out a homey comforting feeling, the silent woodless flames burning on their holders warming the place and giving out a pleasant golden light.
“Please, make yourselves at home. I was just finishing making some soup for our evening meal. Would you like to have some?” she offered, gingerly crossing the room towards the back door, clearly comfortable at home, and ZaiWin1Literally zai (blade) + win (chaos). followed her with his gaze.
“Is there any meat in it?” he asked, surprising Snow and making her pause by the door with an inquisitive expression on her face.
“Unfortunately no. Though we will probably have some, once Storm returns,” she replied, apologetically, obviously misinterpretation his question.
“No. It’s fine this way. Snow can’t really handle any kind of meat or fish,” he openly explained and Rain looked at the boy for a second, before giving them a curt nod.
“That’s good then. I won’t take a second. Please have a seat.” And she quickly rushed out of the room.
Snow looked around once more.
The walls were, as expected, all made of dark, rough stone, and even some furniture, like the table, chairs and couch were also made of massive pieces of rock. Of course there were comfortable-looking pillows covering the hard surfaces, and a wool rug spread on the floor. But wood seemed to be a scarce material, he concluded, looking at the only piece of furniture made of it, a tall, old-looking cupboard.
Since he was standing and free to move around, he decided to take that opportunity and inspect one of those fire holders.
He’d seen ZenTar2Literally zen (silent) + tar (wind). produce fire that didn’t need wood to burn. And he’d seen similar, though much richer, burners at the Fortress and at the VinWei3Literally vin (hard) + wei (crystal)’s big home, back in Weiin4Literally wei (crystal / precious stone) + suffix in (center), meaning the center of the Province of Wei, in other words, Wei’s Capital. All Capitals of all Provinces are named as such.. But he had never had the opportunity to actually inspect one of them. It looked like it was made of glass, this one simply gray, though the ones at the Fortress had been sparkling blue. And, as expected, the small flame inside it, kept burning alone.
“They’re made of crystal,” ZaiWin surprisingly offered, making him spin on his heels. For an instant he had actually forgotten that he wasn’t alone. “Crystal from Wei5: Literally wei (crystal / precious stone). Wei is the name of the Clan (family name), also the name of a Province.,” he went on. “And they have the ability to prolong a marking’s power. A bit like the crystals VinWei gave us, although those are made to store a marking’s effect. Though the fire burning inside it lasts longer than it would if it were burning wood, it will eventually go out as well. Then someone must come and light them again.”
Someone with a fire daitai6Literally dai (light) + tai (mark), or holy Markings, considered Heavenly Blessings. They’re the source of power., Snow thought, looking back at the small flame. Which ZaiWin apparently … didn’t have? What had he just said about his fire?, Snow wondered, looking back at ZaiWin, watching him as he calmly sat on the stone couch. He had the sensation that it wasn’t the first time he’d heard him speak about his daitai in a strange, tense way. As if there was something wrong, or at least different about them.
“Can you light it?” he purposely asked, studying him closely, and, as expected, for a moment, his expression became hard and cold, as if someone had just tried to stab him from behind.
“I could,” he finally replied, his long, pale fingers lacing with each other in a tense gesture. “But it wouldn’t serve any purpose. It wouldn’t warm or light this room.”
Snow slightly tilted his head to one side, still studying him carefully.
So it wasn’t as if he didn’t have fire daitai. But that his fire wouldn’t warm or light a room? Which meant it held no heat, he concluded, reason why, unlike ZenTar, he was unable to melt his ice. And it gave no light? Could that even be called fire, then?
ZaiWin looked back at him and Snow immediately averted his gaze, not wanting him to notice that he’d been trying to figure him out. ZenTar, MenTar7Literally men (lake) + tar (wind), even ZaiWin, they all seemed to think that he was just a mere, clueless kid. And sure, there was much that he didn’t know, but he was far from being as clueless as they thought. On the other hand, he had no intention of correcting their distorted views of him. Let them think what they wanted. It would only allow him more space and freedom to do as he pleased.
“After we eat I’ll try and have another talk with Grisly, the man from before,” ZaiWin clarified, to which Snow immediately replied with an alarmed expression. “Though they don’t really have anything like a village elder, he is still the closest thing they have to a leader, of sorts. To tell you the truth, I don’t really know what got him so pissed off,” he grunted with an annoyed frown. “It’s not like he’s ever welcomed me with opened arms, but he never tried to kill me at first glance, either. And then it would be nice if you could unfreeze them.”
Snow frowned, his pale eyes growing colder and harder, sliding into that deadly expression that always made ZaiWin doubt about his heavenly origins.
“You want to leave them frozen to the ground?” ZaiWin asked, the mere idea amusing him, and Snow averted his gaze in what could only be called a pout.
“Were you that scared?”
The boy quickly shook his head and clenched his hands into tight fists, his expression darkening.
Not scared, then, ZaiWin concluded. More like … angry. More like ... retaliation?
“Because he attacked me?” ZaiWin concluded his own thoughts out loud and the boy’s frown deepened, making him chuckle.
How un-Celestial of him, he laughed inside his head, openly seeking revenge like that.
“You know they would never be able to harm me, right?”
Of course he did, ZaiWin immediately knew the answer.
Unlike how ZaiWin usually behaved in more serious, social circles, in front of that brat he had never felt the need to trouble himself to look less threatening or intimidating than he knew he was. After all, right from the start, the plan had been to get rid of him no matter the cost, even if it meant killing him. So why bother with such fake pretenses?
It was that damned link, he concluded, amused at the thought for the first time. And, by the looks of it, Snow was as unhappy about it as ZaiWin normally was.
“Still, we can’t just leave them out there the entire night. I am sure Rain wouldn’t appreciate that,” he declared, making his best not to outright laugh in his face, and Snow seemed to relax, his shoulders sagging as if he’d resigned himself.
“If he uses that sword again, I will freeze him all the way up to his hair,” he whispered in a bleak threat and ZaiWin nodded, a persistent smile playing on his lips.
“I will make sure to warn him about that.”
Easy, Snow lol. I feel you, babe, I do. ??❤❤.