Balance And Control

Love and Disdain

“Are you going to go and talk to her or just watch from a distance like a creepy stalker person?” I inquired, popping up beside Ikaris in the field. 

The rising sun cast a warm, welcoming glow over the farmlands of Babylon, where women were doing the planting, replenishing the crops for next year's harvest. It was so calm and peaceful, you wouldn’t be able to tell that a group of Deviants had torn through here less than twenty-four hours ago. 

Sersi kneeled in one of the rows, sowing, her head covered in an emerald scarf, a gift from the ladies of the village. She looked focused and beautiful. The sun peeking over the horizon cast a spotlight on her perfect face. 

“Where did you come from?” he asked, not taking his eyes off of Sersi. 

“I can slip through shadows, perks of being ‘Master of Darkness and Light’.” To exaggerate my point, I struck a haughty pose, trying to convey humorous arrogance and importance. 

“You’re master of irritation, that’s for sure,” he teased. 

“And you're a master of cowardice gawking. Now go!” I shoved him forward and watched as he made his way up the row, stopping just in front of Sersi. 

They exchanged shy smiles, the morning light placing a romantic aura around them. 

“My work here is done,” I grinned, turning to head back into the village. There was a market today and I needed replacements for the things we bartered last night. 

The sweet aroma of rice paddies and honey, sugarcane and porridge, wafted through the village square from the food stalls. Merchants selling cloth, children’s toys, beaded jewelry, and many other handmade objects called out to passersby, marketing their goods for fair price. I stopped in front of a stall selling woven bracelets. The simplicity of the braided straw, hand painted the deep colors of ripe berries, were laid out beautifully on big banana leaves. One immediately caught my eye, its charcoal color the perfect background for the ruby designs painted so delicately. The detail was impeccable. I then stumbled upon one of royal purple, blossoming stars decorating it. Perfection. 

“How much for two?” I asked the seller. 

She was an older woman, her wrinkled face leathery and tanned from the hours spent outdoors tending to crops and cattle. Her cerulean headscarf was beautifully embroidered with shapes of every color. “For you, no cost.”

“Oh, no, please. Let me give you something for them,” I insisted, reaching for the coin purse tied to my waist. 

“You saved us, meus heros (my hero). Let me repay you with this small token of our appreciation.”

I knew better than to argue with a sweet old lady, so I took the bracelets, thanking her profusely. When she turned her back to attend to another customer, I placed several coins on the table. 

I strolled through the market, the summer sun now high overhead, beating down over the villagers, but no one seemed to mind. I bought several sweet treats from a food stall and snacked as I wove my way through crowds of people negotiating, laughing, and eating. I kept a steady pace as I explored the winding streets of vendors. If I came across a group that looked to be uncomfortable in the sweltering heat, I summoned them some shade. 

As I turned a corner onto a row of spice vendors, a little girl ran up to me, pulling at my sleeve. I crouched down to her level with a smile. “Hello.”

She looked no older than seven, twiddling her thumbs, her rosy cheeks chubby, her blonde curls falling in ringlets around her face. “My friends and I would like to braid your hair, my lady.”