As Rukiyo approaches the village, she takes in the sight— small and modest, the entire settlement is protected by sturdy wooden walls, topped with sharpened spikes, and a heavy wooden gate stands as the main entrance.
They walked through the gate, her eyes immediately settling on the houses.
They were just simple wooden structures with wooden roofs, mixed with other things she can name, their numbers fewer than she expected, giving the village a cozy, tight-knit feel.
But the most striking feature is the massive bonfire blazing in the village center— so enormous that calling it a bonfire feels like an understatement.
The flames lick high into the air, casting flickering orange light over the gathered villagers, who turn to watch Rukiyo's arrival with a mix of awe and curiosity.
The little girl in her arms wriggles excitedly.
"That's the eternal flame!" She announced proudly, pointing at the fire. "It has never gone out, not even once! It's what keeps our village safe from monsters!"
Rukiyo blinked at the roaring fire, then at the tiny chief in her arms. "Cool. Does magic keep it alive?"
The heat from the fire is strong, even from her safe distance from it, but the scent of burning wood and roasting meat made up with the heat.
Instead of answering, the little girl started squirming in her arms.
Rukiyo quickly set the little girl back down on the ground, silently watching as she immediately grabbed her hand and pulled her along, leading her toward the roaring fire.
They came to a halt in front of it, the light from the bonfire dancing across Rukiyo's skin.
The villagers crowded into a loose circle behind Rukiyo and the village chief, watching them as they turned around to face them— their wide eyes fixed on their little chief and the mysterious newcomer standing beside her.
The little girl stood tall, her tiny hand holding onto Rukiyo's, her chin held high.
Then, the little girl cleared her throat— a surprisingly authoritative sound for someone so small, and drawed all eyes to her, causing Rukiyo to blink down at her in amusement.
That amusement died down into embarrassment when the child raised their joined hands high into the air.
"This kind lady saved me and Raiya today!" She declares, her voice ringing out over the crackling flames. "Starting today, she will be the village's special guest! No matter how many times she comes and goes— she will ALWAYS be welcome!"
The villagers already know this, of course, but they listen intently anyway and once she was done speaking, a ripple of nods and murmurs of agreement spread through the crowd.
A few villagers even clapped enthusiastically, accepting the news wholeheartedly.
Rukiyo stared at the little girl, momentarily speechless at the sheer authority packed into such a small child.
All of a sudden, she turned to Rukiyo, grinning up at her. "So you have to visit again, okay?"
Rukiyo blinked, letting the words sink into her brain, before she exhaled a quiet laugh, heart warming at the thought. "...Yeah. Okay. I'll visit again."
"And just because I'm the chief, doesn't mean you should call me chief, okay?" The little girl said, huffing. "Call me Lina!"
"But you're the chief—"
"Yes, but call me Lina." The little girl grumbled, cutting her off.
Just when Rukiyo thought the child had finally run out of energy, with her puffing and pouting, the girl decided to prove her wrong by grabbing her again, tugging and yanking at her hand, pulling her through the crowd of curious villagers.
Rukiyo stumbled after her, completely at her mercy.
She let Lina drag her towards where she's dragging her to, until they finally came to a halt in front of a house blanketed with flowers, their vibrant colors swaying gently in the breeze.
Rukiyo blinked down at the colorful blooms, wondering absently where the girl led her now.
Finally, Lina released Rukiyo, but she skipped towards the house in front of them and pounded her tiny fists against the door, shouting with excitement.
"Orion! Orion!" She called for someone, voice high pitched. "I brought someone for you! Come take a look!"
Not a second after, a muffled groan floated through the door, followed by annoyed mutter.
Then, after a moment of shuffling, the door creaked open and revealed a young man with messy orange hair and dark eyes.
He looked somewhat disgruntled and incredibly familiar, but his expression lightened significantly when he saw the tiny chief standing outside of the door, grinning at him.
The man spread the door wider, a relieved smile spreading across his face when he saw the little girl safe and sound.
"Chief! I'm glad you're okay!" He exclaimed, letting go of the door and stepping out, his knees bending to get on the little girl's height. "I was about to head out and help the others, but I was waiting for Blank to get his tool—"
His words died off when another figure emerged from the house behind him.
Blank, who had been gathering his tools, stepped onto the porch, a small shy smile on his lips, but then his gaze caught Rukiyo.
He froze in place for a moment, his eyes widening ever so slightly.
Rukiyo is not far from his state and went unnaturally still when she heard the man utter Blank's name, her gut automatically tensing, then the man himself stepped out, carrying a basket in his arms.
Rukiyo's entire body stiffened.
She can't see Blank's face because it was concealed behind his bangs, but she can practically feel the weight of his gaze on her body.
For a moment, the two of them just stared at each other, with Orion's sharp gaze darting between his brother and Rukiyo— before immediately landing on the little chief still hovering in front of him.
Without a word, he scooped her up by the waist and stride past Rukiyo.
"Alright, time for lunch!" He called over his shoulder as he whisked the little girl away— leaving Blank and Rukiyo standing alone by the porch of their house.
For a long moment, neither spoke, the crackle of the eternal flame and the cheerful chatters of villagers faded into white noise.
"...Y-You." Blank mumbled, his voice is low, but doesn't sound quite angry, not quite relieved also.. Just intense and strained, the basket in his grip creaking slightly under the pressure of his fingers.
Rukiyo shifted uncomfortably, her golden eyes flicking away from Blank's obscured gaze.
The memory of him silently offering her fruits in the cave, of helping her escape by covering his brother's sleeping form with his body, flashed through her mind and she swallowed hard.
"Uhm... Uh, yeah." She muttered, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly. "I believe I haven't said thank you properly."
Truthfully, she doesn't remember anything else about what happened after she flew away from Blank, her mind overtaken by panic when Orion suddenly woke up.
But it doesn't hurt to express her gratitude, whether she did it already or not.
The silence stretched between them again, thick and uneasy, as Blank remained eerily still for another heartbeat.
After a couple of seconds, he finally shook his head, his dirty blonde bangs swaying with the motion, all the while looking so tense as he stood before her.
"I.. I-It was my choice to h-help.." He muttered, his voice coming out quieter than expected, almost hesitant.
He stopped speaking almost immediately, as if unsure how to continue.
The basket in his arms tilted slightly, revealing bundled herbs and bandages inside— likely meant for whatever help they were about to offer earlier, which Orion mentioned.
Rukiyo could see that his fingers tightened around it again, like he's anchoring himself to something solid.
That's.. Not the response I was expecting.. Rukiyo thought, sweat forming in her palms.
"Oh.. Well, still.." She mumbled and shifted her weight, feeling awkward with whatever kind of conversation this is. "Thanks. I.. Uh, allow me to at least make it up to you..?"
Blank nodded stiffly before he abruptly turned on his heel to stride back toward the house, leaving Rukiyo standing there.
He closed the door behind, making Rukiyo stare blankly at the wooden surface, trying to process Blank's abrupt exit, feeling slightly bewildered, but mostly confused.
Her eyebrows furrowed— was it something she said? Did she offend him somehow? She's not good with icebreakers, so she might have come off as rude, but it's not like she was that bad with conversing, right?
However, before she could spiral further, the door swung open again and Blank stepped back out.
This time, he's holding flowers— vivid, unfamiliar blooms with petals that shifted between yellow to red and deep blues to purples, almost shimmering under the sunlight.
He avoided her gaze by turning his head to the side before thrusting the flowers toward her, his bangs obscuring his eyes, making his expression unreadable.
".. F-For you." He mumbled, voice barely above a whisper.
Rukiyo's eyes drifted down to the flowers, lips parting in surprise, but Blank didn't explain anything further, not uttering a word.
He just stood there, arm extended awkwardly, waiting for her to take them.