Savages and Purists

Chapter 9

Day 1 (Of the Serminian experience): Tetris, Jade, and Bottega barge into the cottage. The frustration showing on their faces.

“What happened?”

A question that lingers while Tetris flings her bag pack onto a divider; a palisade that separates the living room with the kitchen. It’s that, one bedroom (I got dibs on) and a bathroom.

Overall the small place is indebted to clever decor that makes it tolerable to live in - warm hues, nostalgic pieces, plants, and the smell of oak trees.

She goes on and throws herself onto the couch. Bottega takes the other couch and Jade heads straight to the kitchen area. I'm standing there watching.

“They took over relief.” Tetris finally says.

“Where is the food?” Jade interjects opening cabinets.

“Serminians?”  I ignore Jade.

“The underworlds.” Bottega corrects putting her feet up.

“They were giving out food?”

“Clothes, their mermaid juice, and the villagers were eating it up. It’s a third time this week.”

Wow so much for staying behind and keeping watch of the cottage. My idea because I have been getting weaker and weaker thanks to the ruined demize clock.
My first genius idea was to take it as far away as possible from Amelia and Grandpa Enasis in the hopes that after sensing some distance it would magically spark its original green color again and I wouldn’t have to destroy it but that didn’t work.

“We could visit the storage. We can take inventory tomorrow and send for what’s missing... Come up with some ideas for the school’s social calendar. You know they love a bonfire, clean water, ghost busting… Frankie, you can start a fencing class.” Jade points at me.

“Or we could take a break.”
There is a sudden silence.
“What?” I defend myself, “We could hang out while the underworlds do whatever they want including our job. It’s only two weeks.”

Jade takes out the container with the meruba flowers from the freezer.

Oh shit. I had completely forgotten.

“And our mission? The golems?”

We barely do real missions here probably why it has slipped from my mind.

“I’m going to take a bath.” Bottega leaves the room.

“Can I use the bed? I could use some sleep.” Tetris asks on her way to the bedroom.

Talk about boosting morale.

“Where is the food?” Jade asks packing the container back in the fridge.

“Umh about that… Mrs Venna said she is understaffed catering for the underworlds. We are going to have to cook our food.”

Everyone stops, “What?!”

Day 2: “The storage is full.” I inform Bottega shutting the door to another old Serminian building.

“This is practically a declaration of war.” She hisses.

“Aaah yes. The underwater… world people have been sharing their harvest.”
Covering his face from the sun with his hand, Father Bernard joins us out of the blue.
“Franchesca I had no idea you and your team had arrived.”

“We have been here for two days.”

“Oh, I wonder how word didn’t get to me.” He looks thoughtfully at the ground. I know he is calculating if someone told him and he had a case of selective amnesia. When his memory fails him, he looks at us and says, “Some tea?”