One Story Ends, Another Begins (MH Rise)

Ch. 5

The evening was quiet and serene. The lively atmosphere that hung over Elgado during the day had diminished. There were occasional sailors or hunters still up working, but not nearly as many as usual. After closing up his shop for the day, Oboro went straight to his room. Reika was at the desk, drawing as she'd been doing the past couple of days while she recovered. Silently, the merchant went to peer over her shoulder. On her scroll was yet another drawing of Lagi. It was her third one.

"That's a beautiful one," the man complimented. "That waterfall backdrop creates a gorgeous scene."

Reika smiled, glancing over her shoulder at him. "Lagi and I loved that place. There were rarely any monsters. We would sit there under the flowing waters, cooling off from the heat."

Reika had spent much of her time drawing and grieving while she remained in Oboro's room. Lagi was constantly on her mind. Oboro did his best to comfort her, and fortunately, the more she talked things out with him, the more open she seemed to be about traveling together. She was starting to realize how much she wanted and needed a companion.

Oboro bent down, resting his hands on her shoulders and nuzzling the side of her head. "Don't stay up too late."

"I won't." The woman giggled at the affection. "Let me just finish the details on Lagi, then I'll join you."

Oboro pulled away with a smile, shedding his outer robes and letting his hair down. He got into bed, breathing deeply after a long day of studying in between his business. Reika worked on finishing the details on Lagi's scales and face. It was silent, and she was almost certain her roommate had fallen asleep already. By the time she finished her drawing, a yawn made her realize just how tired her eyes felt. She quietly made her way over to the bed, smiling to herself at the handsome man in a peaceful slumber. Or so she thought. As soon as she climbed into bed beside him, his brown eyes peeled open slightly. He reached for her arm, gently tugging her closer, to which she obliged. Reika went right to sleep snuggled into his warmth. She didn't awaken again until the hustle and bustle of the outpost grew too noisy to bear.

Her green eyes fluttered open, finding Oboro missing. That wasn't unusual. He'd been up before her every morning since she'd stayed with him. He was a busy man, after all. Sitting up, she undid the front of her kimono and pulled it down to check on the wound. It was mostly healed up with a bit of scabbing remaining, and although it still hurt to put pressure on it, it was no longer painful to move around. It would most likely leave a scar. Reika was ready to get out of that room at that point. She cleaned herself up and packed away all her new drawings into her pouch. That first breath of fresh air when she stepped outside was glorious. It was like her energy was renewed. Apparently, Oboro's room was situated around other small units of housing for those working in Elgado.

Reika found herself greeting every friendly passerby. Quite a few people had heard of her condition, so when she was seen up and moving around, it made many breathe a sigh of relief. She walked out to the plaza where she spotted two familiar faces heading for the research lab.

"Tadori. Bahari." With a smile, she approached them, noticing their expressions brighten. "Good morning."

"A good morning indeed!" Bahari exclaimed. "Glad to see you back on your feet. I can't even begin to imagine how boring it must've been lying around doing nothing while you healed. You are one strong gal! If it were me, I would've gone mad!"

Tadori nodded slightly, but otherwise dismissed his eccentric friend's comment. "How are you feeling? Is your injury better?"

Reika instinctively placed a hand over her abdomen. "I'm alright. And the injury has nearly healed with the help of your medicines." She gazed up at the taller man with gratitude. "Thank you, Tadori."