Mantrin Imperial Guard - 005 Ethos of Solbrecht

Chapter 9: The Loss, Part III

Jetreycka, Majih and Seylah

As the trio followed the Goureg Mantrinesse, who had introduced herself to them as Reyva, through the fields and into the small village, Seylah welcomed the sense of relief that came from being received well, though a different kind of tension began to build. From the troubled look on her face, to the nervous twitching of her ears and her erect tail, Jetreycka displayed every sign of being afraid to discover the truth about what happened to her daughter.

Because of what her friend went through right now Seylah couldn't help but wonder about what happened to her own parents ever since she left Sogowa Prime. The same questions that had plagued Jetreycka, had haunted her many times. But it was Jetreycka who deserved her attention and support right now, so vowing to put her own troubled thoughts aside, she stayed close to her and Majih and prepared to do just that.

The village was one like many others in the region, though with its own unique features. Separated from the rest of the forest by a broad circle of both crop fields and fallow ground, for purposes of crop rotation and as extra protection against forest fires, the tall flat-crowned trees left standing between the houses formed an effective cover against the powerful rays of Solbrecht's sun that attempted to scorch their skin as they crossed the distance to shelter.

Her ears picked up the rush of the river in the background, joined by a multitude of voices, laughter and peaceful happiness as they retreated under the lush green canopy, its extensive shade creating an atmosphere that surprised her with its level of comfort while still allowing plenty of daylight in. The branches of the trees were loaded with colorful birds that added their singing, the crevices in the trunks being the home of shy, as well as curious small animals who weren't afraid to take a peek at the newcomers.

Also among the curious were the villagers themselves. Dressed in their tan-colored poetyo, many of them appeared to have started the day at a lazy pace, sharing a late breakfast with the family from the comforts of their own homes, or out in the open at the foot of a tree. The two halves of a young couple basked in each other's love in the middle of one of the large patches of flowers that grew all around the community. Splashing their colors everywhere, the many different species of plants created a wondrous display that was pleasing on the senses. Members of the community took advantage of this abundance to decorate their poetyo, adding color to their otherwise plain outfits.

"I must warn you," Reyva said, slowing to a halt in the middle of a broader circle of houses, before turning around. Even the roofs of some were covered with a layer of soil that had given birth to a dazzling floral palette that gave each house its own unique look. The expression on Reyva's face, on which the first wrinkles that betrayed her age showed, turned very serious, the corners of her pale yellow beak edging downwards. "She came to us many seasons ago with no idea of who she was. We had already given up hope that her real parents would ever come to retrieve her."

Shuffling one step forward, Jetreycka left their midst, one leg shaking as she dropped her tail into the soft grass, her ears lowering. Her voice was close to a whisper when she spoke.

"W-What are you saying? Is she..."

"We've taken good care of her, I can assure you. Weylu and Piyall have always treated her like she was their own ahmyr, even though they have children of their own."

Jetreycka took a deep shaky breath. Seylah watched her shiver, though it was far from cold even in the shade.

"Let me take you to her."

As Jetreycka gave her consent with a doubtful nod, Reyva crossed the last bit of distance to one of the houses, of which the roof was covered with a random pattern of blue and purple blossoms, swarmed by buzzing, pollinating yellow insects. She did not even have to knock on the entrance frame, for an average-sized, powerfully built Sogowan Mantrinesse left the seating circle around one of the rugs in the shared living space, having noticed that something was up, meeting with her under the last edge of roof that covered her communal home.