The Marks of the Engkanto

⋆༒⋆*༺༽ 𝟞 ༼༻*⋆༒⋆

"Enjoy your day! Enjoy! Enjoy! Enjoy!" Makka called to Akali from the second level, looking down from the railings near the stairs.

"I will!" Akali waved and continued down the ground level, emerging into the busy lounge.

Today was Akali's rest day. Only one day a month, and she'd requested it to be set on this day--the day of the celebration of Mayari, the deity goddess of the moon. She was lucky that Ma'am Nyan had agreed she could go, for the moon's light would be at its fullest and brightest tonight.

As she made her way through the lounge, stepping between the large rolling rocks for seating, she remembered her home in the Southern Forest. She celebrated this night yearly with her family, and by now, her mother would already be preparing for the event, enchanting baskets to capture the moonlight.

When Akali came to the exit of the acacia tree, she saw a familiar figure walking into the parlor. Kayn wore a colorful woven vest and dark trousers, the upper garment open at the front, showing his length from neck to waist. He grinned when he saw her.

"Where are you off to?" Kayn asked, stopping in front of her.

"Out," Akali said, eager to go but pausing and waiting for him to step aside.

Kayn's brows rose. "Is it your rest day?"

Akali nodded, and when Kayn didn't move, she stepped to the side to bypass him, but Kayn held her wrist. It was only a light touch of his finger over the sensitive part, but it was enough to make her stop and look up at him.

"Hold on," he said.

"I'm not working today," Akali said, glancing back in the lounge and searching for ma'am Nyan--afraid that the nuno would take back her rest day if she couldn't get out of the parlor at once.

"I know," Kayn said. "Where are you going?"

"I already told you," Akali said. "I'm going out."

"Yes, but where?"

Akali cocked her head to the side. "I don't know," she said. "I haven't seen much of the Central Forest since I got here. I'll just walk around and wait for nightfall for the celebration of Mayari."

Kayn regarded her and tilted his head the same way. "I have a better idea. Do you want to learn tattooing?" he asked.

Akali snorted. "I already know how." Then she lowered her voice. "You've seen my work."

"I have," Kayn said. "And I think you need some improvement."

"What?" Akali was offended. "I don't. Just look at what my work did for this shop." She waved to the hollow of the acacia tree where the lounge and all the rooms at the upper levels were full of customers.

"You're a little too arrogant, you know that?" Kayn said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well, I have something to show for it." Akali crossed her arms, too, and then raised her chin to him so their faces met. He was taller than him, but that didn't intimidate her.

"You said you wanted to be a tattoo artist."

"So?"

"So, I'm offering you to show you more about the process. To teach you things you haven't learned from--wherever village you came from." He waved his fingers at her.

"My grandmother taught me." There was something vile in how she spit her words, but she didn't mean to be angry.

Kayn blinked at her and uncrossed his arms, placing them on his side. He pressed his lips together and then breathed out through his mouth. "I was only offering." The tone of his voice changed. It was calm and apologetic. "If I've offended you, I'm sorry."