[Pumpkin Festival] Part of The Greater Good (Sondra & Grom)

[Alice]

... continued from here.

While Sondra was having her dispute with Veya at the middle of the street, other Konti were rushing past them. A man with white hair passed them too, although it was likely that they oversaw him while giving most attention to each other. It was almost midday, the time when most people were out and about to experience the various events that had been prepared for the festival. Most didn’t take any interest in the rather noisy conversation, but some did listen nevertheless. It was known that children possessed natural interest in everything and everyone, and this one was no exception. She had been running, perhaps searching for someone she had lost in the crowd, but then she suddenly bumped into a body while looking into the opposite direction. Flailing around, she fell. And screamed when pain exploded at her elbow. Then she didn’t try to rise from the ground, but rather remained lying on her back while tears were running down her cheeks. “It hurts, hurts, huuurts!”, she whined, stretching the vowels in agony. Her cries were loud enough to be heard up and down the street, and even the shopkeepers behind the counter recognized it and wondered what was going on out there. Of course they weren’t suspicious or experienced enough to suspect a crime, but most of them did raise eyebrows in curious worry. For Gromhir, of course, the high-pitched voice would send a wave of pain through his ears. When inspecting the little one carefully, one would recognize that her eyes were of the color of clear blue sky while her hair was not completely white, but rather pale ivory. She seemed to be a bit too thin, even for Konti standards, although that was hard to tell because of the flowing blue dress she was wearing. Like everyone else, she was dressed up for the festival, but her natural beauty let her appearance appear sweet and innocent. As if she wore that kind of clothing every day. After a while the girl apparently calmed down, although her face was still a grimace. She looked up to Sondra, the one she had bumped into, with big eyes and begged: “Please, can you help me?”

[Sondra]

Veya's mouth was pursed as she met Sondra's slate colored stare. For a moment, it seemed Veya was about to say something that would clinch control over the situation. However, Veya's final blow was not for public consumption.

"Uff!" Sondra suddenly exclaimed as the girl hit her. It made the Konti stumble a bit, but the collision threw the child to the ground.

Confused and hurt the kid began to wail, drawing attention. Attention Veya didn't want at the moment.

Having recovered her wits, Sondra answered, "Course it hurts, kid." She tutted in a surprisingly motherly way.
"You just had a nasty run in with the ground."

When the kid asked for help, Veya was already lifting her up. The sweeter Veya smoothed the child's hair and worked her magic of shushing sounds and consolation.
Sondra colored, realizing she had spent longer staring at the girl on the ground then attempting to get her to her feet.

"Veya, quit smothering the kid. She's probably tougher than she looks."
Sondra bent over, her hands on her knees so she could meet the girl's eye level.
"Right? I think you can be a brave soul about this spill."

A rare encouraging smile made Sondra's face almost pretty. Sondra liked kids, they never had any dirty laundry. She could hold their warm little hands and stand in a crowd of them without getting sick to her stomach. It was human touch without human wickedness.

"What do you need help with? Think it hit hard enough for a healer?"

[Gromhir]

Gromhir’s attempt at gaining a bit of sanity back was abruptly halted. The little girl’s scream echoed down the street, reverberating through the air and travelling into everyone’s ear, whether they wished it or not. The moment the high-pitched noise reached his sensitive ears, he growled in pain, clutching them to block out the sound. Several of those in the shop backed away and avoided the Kelvic.

Once the girl had stopped her screaming, Gromhir managed to shakily return to his feet. Finding the source of that noise would mean that he had to go back out into the street. Into the throng of emotion and get crushed by the waves of people. It was something he just couldn’t do as he looked out into the street. The city was not his place and he was lost without Kamalia’s guiding hand. She had lied to him and said he didn’t need her.

Gromhir found himself fighting an inner battle. Kamalia had surely not meant to hurt him. She had no idea about what would happen. She only wanted what was best, didn’t she? She hadn’t led him astray so far. Maybe she had just made a mistake. Yes, that was it. But how would he get back?

[Alice]

Sondra

Although the girl was still half-blind and without orientation from the veil of tears wetting her eyes and face, she did hear what Sondra told her. She knew that the woman was right, it was the kind of thing adults would say if they didn’t speak like they had to protect her all the time. However, sometimes children needed their weak, helpless moments to recover and be strong again. The girl had had her moment of weakness – while Veya lifted her up, loud cries decreased to suppressed sobs.

Children recognized many things adults didn’t, and so it was no surprise that the girl listened to Sondra’s words with interest. What problem did she have with her companion? They didn’t seem to get along at all … Although the girl didn’t mention anything – since she was still busy with calming down –, she recognized that fact and would it remember later.

When the woman she had bumped into started to address her, she lifted her head from Veya’s shoulder where it had been lying. She didn’t need the comfort any more, and besides, the woman’s smell was likely to make her sneeze.

Then she decided to believe the smiling woman. After all she spoke with her as if she was adult too! So the girl looked at Sondra with proud eyes that mirrored the brilliant blue sky above their heads and gave her a hesitant smile. “Right. I’ll try, okay …?”

Suddenly her brows furrowed as if she tried to remember something important. Before running into that nice woman, she had still known it! She grabbed the fabric of Veya’s dress at her shoulder. While twisting and turning the hem, she tried to remember … and then there was it. Of course!

Although Veya was the one who carried her, the girl addressed Sondra once more. “I’ve lost my mummy, was searching for her. But the person I met wasn’t her, but you. So would you please please help me to find her?” Well, her big clear eyes certainly made the decision easier.

Gromhir

People backed away from him and shot confused as well as suspicious glances in one another’s direction when they noticed his odd behavior. There was just any random girl screaming at the street, perhaps she had been hurt because of her own clumsiness, and that guy acted like the scream was destroying his eardrums. Fortunately, most didn’t spend further thoughts on the matter. Some simply left the shop and forgot about it.

One particular person, however, did not. She had been browsing through some nice glittering jewelry, seemingly unimpressed by Gromhir’s visible agony. Her long, white hair possessed some kind of natural, unruly curls and her movements looked awkward, as if she wasn’t used to walking on the ground.

When he stood straight again, she was already approaching him, carefully making one step after another. After all she didn’t want to frighten that sensitive guy away!

Eventually she stood in front of her. Opening her mouth and closing it again shortly after, she considered the best words to voice what she had to say. Alas, it wasn’t easy to take away mistrust and lack of knowledge with a few words. She would have to show him through actions later, but for now … it was just words. After clearing her throat, she started a second try. “Excuse me? My name is Amite.” Then she swallowed. The most important part just began. Fidgeting nervously with the hem of her white blouse with yellow stripes – or vice versa? –, she spoke with a low voice: “Would you please help me, as a fellow Kelvic?”

In the end, she was as curious about Gromhir’s reply as he might be about her background and personality after hearing that they shared the same race.

[Gromhir]

Gromhir let panic seep into his mind and overrule his system. For a few moments his mind struggled with his instinct of fight or flight. There was nothing to fight, you couldn’t fight fear and it was that same fear that kept him from fleeing back to Kamalia. Although he said nothing, one could probably smell the fear on him.

His mind was so preoccupied that he didn’t even notice that someone had taken interest to him. He had no idea that this very same person was one of the few that could understand him in the vicinity right now. For they were skin brother and sister, Kelvics both. In fact, if it wasn’t for her voice to bring him back to the present, he may have been stood there until time itself had perished around him.

He turned to look at the creature that now stood in front of him. Before, he would have simply ignored her. He would not gain anything by helping her and her owns problems would not be solved; she would not grow stronger because of it. She stood oddly, almost like she didn’t belong on the ground at all. Her words seemed to confirm this.

“That will depend upon on the task,” came Gromhir after a few moments of silence. He’d never met a klevic with a different base before.

[Sondra]

Sondra was leaning over a little, to meet the girl's gaze. She tried to insert humor to lighten the mood, but she was never particularly talented at being light-hearted.

"Mothers, they wander off the moment you turn your head."

Veya made another round of sympathetic noises, "Poor thing."
Looking to the other Konti, she added, "You shouldn't tease, K'Sondra, the girl's upset."

Sondra rolled her eyes at the scold. She had almost forgotten the hyper-sensitivity that covered the island like a pink cloud.

"Well then let's do something useful, Veya, instead of mollify."

Sondra glanced around to see if there were any beleaguered looking mothers in sight, failing to spot any she returned to the matter in front of her.

"Alright," Sondra pressed her hand through her hair, a gesture she made when thinking. "Let's split up, Veya and see what we can find. What's your mom look like and where did you see her last?"
Veya gingerly set the girl down adding, "You can come with one of us, as we search."

[Alice]

Gromhir

The young woman was eyeing him expectantly. She really hoped that he could help her. After all, they were brother and sister and Kelvics had to help each other, since nobody really understood them. They wholly belonged neither to humans nor to animals. Gromhir’s opponent was still young, but she already knew what it meant to be an outsider to human society. Even the Konti treated her differently. Gromhir would notice that she shot quick glances out of the window from time to time, as if she wanted to avoid being seen by someone out there.

She flinched upon his answer, although her expression didn’t indicate why. Perhaps the fact that she was uncomfortable was merely caused by her extraordinary race, perhaps there was something more. However, if it really was a special matter she wouldn’t ask a complete stranger, right? Anyway, she smiled nervously and took a few additional steps in Gromhir’s direction. He could feel her breath at his breast – since she was a lot shorter than him in height –, she nearly touched him with her body. Apparently she was searching for safety, protection from something else.

“I-I’m in trouble, because of my … my race. It’s difficult to explain, especially here …” The Konti behind the counter didn’t look dangerous in the least, but the woman knew better. They could be everywhere, she had learned. Her eyes widened, her words were barely audible. “I promise I haven’t done anything wrong! I just looked at their jewelry, but they … Anyway, they’re after me. Even here I can feel them coming …” She breathed deeply to calm herself down. Her words would only confuse her opponent who was the only person who could help her!

After she had regained control, her eyes met his. Although Gromhir couldn’t feel any wind, a slight movement was in her hair, as if she existed in a different world. “Please, come with me to a place where I can better explain everything. You … you don’t need to help me, but please listen to me before you make a decision.” Suddenly her gaze wandered out of the window, at the lively street. If Gromhir decided to follow her eyes, he would briefly see something rushing past the window. Apparently the crowd of cheerful Konti didn’t notice anything, but Gromhir and Amite had seen the quick shadow in the air, if only for a short moment. The Kelvic indeed was in trouble, but it depended on Gromhir whether he stayed out or faced the problems she had brought to him.

Sondra

The little girl laughed at Sondra’s joke, although it hadn’t been exceptionally good. Her voice was high-pitched like a little bell and truly suited her. After a few moments, however, she turned silent again. The other Konti still tried everything to calm her down and protect her from Sondra’s bad temper, but the girl didn’t react. Her big, intelligent eyes were staring at Sondra with delight, as if the joke had created a special bond between them. Even the Konti’s reaction to the calming noises didn’t go unnoticed.

When looking around, Sondra would indeed recognize nothing useful at all. The festival was thriving, Konti were laughing and enjoying the events around them. Several shops had booths in front of their entrances with little attractions especially for those ten days. The noises as well as the smells were overwhelming. Flowers had been used as decoration by many, hanging from the white wood of the booths, grinning at passersby out of vases with cool, fresh vision water that made their colors shine and their petals sparkle. The intense smells of orchids, lilies and roses mixed with a few unknown fragrances. Konti were gently calling out their main attractions, others were responding, chatting and admiring what the shop keepers had prepared. The community felt most lively at such days when everyone was at the streets and meeting to praise and thank the gods.

While the little girl wasn’t as affected by the ecstasy around them, her eyes still sparkled a bit. The special magic of their environment was undeniable. Upon Sondra’s idea, she nodded and waited for Veya to let her down. When searching for her mother, she by all means wanted to help! As soon as her feet touched the ground, she approached Sondra. “Please, let me go with you!”

Then she paused, her face clouded while she tried to describe her mother’s appearance. “My mum is very pretty! Her hair is white and long, her eyes are blue like the sea, and she wears a yellow blouse today. Her pace … the way she goes is a bit odd. You know what I mean?” She hesitantly looked at Sondra, as if the Konti’s facial expression could tell her if the image had been painted in an understandable way. Remembering the second question, she added: “I last saw her at Unity Circle … I was waiting at a bench, because she wanted to buy sweets. But she didn’t come back …” Her eyes filled with worry again. After all, she knew her mother’s horrible orientation sense!

OOCIn case you don't know, Unity Circle is the central square of Mura.

[Gromhir]

The way she described things, Gromhir could tell she was desperate for held, for shelter. He knew well the prejudice that befell their race but he could not imagine that she would suffer the same here. The Konti had always treated him with respect, that is what they do. It didn’t matter who you were so long as you didn’t cause any harm. She could not be in trouble for simply being what she is; it was not how this society worked.

As she stepped in towards him, he realised he couldn’t back up any further. He could feel her warm breath on his skin, he could scent it in the air. It made him slightly uncomfortable. Gromhir stood rigid, unwilling to move, even to embrace the female kelvic who probably wished that he would.

Gromhir followed her eyes as she spoke. He caught the shape but couldn’t make much of it. Was she some kind of sorceress trying to affect his mind? Maybe she had overgiven or was just paranoid about something. There was something very strange about this creature in front of him.

“Why can you not tell me here?” Gromhir didn’t keep eye contact with her for very long. He was beginning to wrestle with the urge of pushing her away. He knew he should help but she was beginning to force herself upon him and it had become no better here than it was outside.

[Alice]

SondraSondra, I'll skip you from now on. If you want to jump back in, just post a reply to my last post including you.

Gromhir

Apparently she didn’t notice that he was uncomfortable with so much closeness or she was simply too focused on her own problems to realize what she was doing. Perhaps she was used to being close with others. Gromhir didn’t know, after all.

When he showed no signs of agreement, she sighed softly and took one step back. It almost looked as if she was gathering her thoughts or giving in: She put a loose strand of her unruly hair back behind the ear, her eyes were wandering restlessly around the room, but avoiding his gaze for most of the time. Eventually she seemed to have found the right words and started again: “Right. I came here with a trade ship … I broke my arm, and so I was unable to get to the island on my own. The captain promised that he would find employment and speak for me. I haven’t been in touch with civilization very often.” Nervously eyeing the shop owner and the few customers, she continued: “I like jewelry. It’s so fascinating when it glitters in the sunlight! I just took a look at the ship’s wares, but the captain was convinced that I was a thief and had stolen something. I had to escape. Now he’s sending his men across the whole city to get me …”

Taking a deep breath, she once more eyed his face for reactions. “I don’t know what he wants to do to me, but he looked very angry. The other Konti looked so cheerful, so happy … I can’t disturb them. It’s kind of childish, me running away from someone who thinks I’m a thief … when in fact I’m just a girl who likes jewels!”

Obviously Amite belonged to the kind of people who speak more and more the longer they keep the same company. She slowly started to relax next to him, although she was still fidgeting with the hem of her brightly colored shirt and shooting quick looks at every new person entering the room. Even if it was a Konti.

The shop keeper, an elderly Konti woman with braided hair, started to eye them with some kind of confused impatience. Eventually she waved at them and spoke up: “You two over there … If you’re not interested in my wares, please continue your talk somewhere else. Unfortunately you standing there looks a bit strange to my other customers.”

So the decision had to be made very quickly. Gromhir could just take Amite with him and sort everything out sooner or later … or he could end the conversation there and then. Of course, there were a few other options, but … well … everything was up to his own will and imagination.

[Gromhir]

Gromhir visibly breathed a sigh of relief when the Konti told them to leave. He was, of course, completely unaware of how their situation looked to everyone else. The pair of them were standing so close to each other that it garnered strange looks from other customers who were making assumptions about the pair of them. But it gave Gromhir the reason he needed to break from being so close to the other Kelvic. He stepped away from her, about to go without saying anything but as he thought more, her words stopped him.

As he ran through what she had said in his mind, something clicked. Kelvics were a race little understood and trusted, Gromhir knew that much. He was living proof of that after all. While the Konti trusted their kind, they would also trust many races that came here. They were different from the rest of Mizahar. Some cities in Mizahar would enslave Kelvics and force them to fight, along with slaves, to kill one another for their master’s pleasure. Others were simply misjudged because of what they were. Humans did not understand Kelvics. But by the same token, many Kelvics did not understand human ways.

Therefore, Gromhir knew that it was entirely possible that Amite was indeed telling the truth. Because of what she was, the Captain could have had his wares stolen by someone else and assumed it was her. It would not be the first time something like this had happened. The thought churned over in Gromhir’s head and it triggered anger in his mind. People that were prejudice against his kind for what they were annoyed him greatly. It made his heart burn and fill with anger.

But he found that the anger would not surface. He did not know this Amite. She could truly be the thief and merely trying to use her situation and what they had in common against him. Did he trust her? The short answer was no. She had forced herself upon him, made him feel uncomfortable. This had clearly not made her case any better to follow. But maybe she was indeed scared and looking for some solitude. An embrace to protect her from the world she perceived. Could that be false? Could she be trying to manipulate him?

He could not stand by if she was telling the truth or not. Stealing was wrong but if she was innocent, then the Captain was wrong. He had to find out the truth. Nature had put this obstacle in his path and it had to be moved. He turned to Amite, “You may call me, Gromhir. I do not trust all that you say, Amite but I know I should not stand idle while this is happening.” He looked back outside at the crowd, not really wanting to leave the store. “Take me to the Captain. No harm will come to you until the truth is known. I promise you that much.”

His gaze fell back on Amite once more. There was a determination behind the feral glint in his eyes, a sure sign that he was not deceiving her. He was not capable of doing so in fact.