The city was alive with noise—voices overlapping, carts rattling, vendors shouting their prices.
The air was thick with the scent of cooked meat, fresh vegetables, and ripe fruit.
All I could see in my mind were the faces of those sh*ts back at the church.
I walked until the crowd thickened into a market.
I didn't stop. I kept moving.
Each step felt heavier than the last, like something was dragging me down from the inside.
'I want to go back and suffocate them all of oxygen as I did with the bandits.' I thought, fury boiling under a calm face.
I drew a slow breath, then another.
'Not now. They have lot of ways to make my life more annoying. I need to think of something else.'
'And I don't want to think what would have happened if I didn't have the money for it. It'll just make me angrier.'
My steps halted.
The haze lifted. I realized I'd been walking aimlessly.
People brushed past me, minding their own business, drowning in their own lives.
Shops surrounded me on all sides.
Unfamiliar spices stung my nose. I saw fruits and vegetables I couldn't name—strange shapes, stranger colors.
I glanced at Liora. Still asleep. Calm washed through me.
'Should I wake her up to eat? Maybe I should let her sleep for now.'
'Now then, Am I lost?'
'Is what I would have said if this was a normal iskeai. But I connected a string of wind with the merchant.'
I followed the faint tug in the air, the invisible thread leading me through the streets.
' It looks like we're close'—I could feel the thread thinning, nearing its end.
After a few more steps, I stood before a large shop.
The Fresh Pick
No glass front—just open air and the smell of fresh produce wafting out. It reminded me of the vegetable shops back on Earth, but this was on a completely different scale. The front was wide and extended outward, with wooden counters and canopies shading piles of goods from the sun.
Baskets and crates overflowed with fruits and vegetables.Their natural scents mingled with the sweet tang of ripe berries and the earthy smell of freshly cut roots.
Behind the counters, workers moved quickly—hauling heavy crates, weighing produce on metal scales, or calling out prices to passing customers. The place stretched so wide it felt like multiple shops had merged into one enormous market, with each section dedicated to different goods.
'It is quite grand,' I thought.
I looked down.
Her cheeks were red now—soft, warm, irresistibly cute. I brushed a thumb across one of them. She caught my finger with both hands. My heart melted; quiet joy bloomed in my chest.
The wind-thread led behind the counters, but a crowd clogged the entrance.
Then I felt it—the same small movement I'd felt several times these past hours. A stir within the pelt.
This time, I didn't startle. I knew.
"Oh, did I wake you up?" I asked, lowering my head to look at her.
My daughter had woken from her long, painful suffering. It was over now. There was nothing I wouldn't do to keep that smile on her face forever.
"How are you feeling now?" I asked, smiling.
She didn't answer. She just jumped and hugged me—no wind holding her up this time. Her own strength. Her body was finally better.
After a brief hug—
"Where are we, Papa?" she asked, one finger pressed against her cheek.
"We're in the city now. We're going to buy some fruits for you to eat. Sweet and delicious fruits."
Her eyes lit up. Her mouth began to drool.
"Fwood? Sweet? Like jam?"
I chuckled.
'I guess she is captivated by jam. I was the same when I ate it for first time as a kid.'
"Maybe. We'll have to see." I replied.
A familiar voice cut through the noise to my side.
"Mister, you finally came."
I turned. The merchant was there.
He glanced at Liora and smiled.
"I guess everything went well." he said.
I looked at Liora—she clung to me tightly, wary around the stranger.
"Yes." I replied.
"Let's go inside and talk." the merchant offered.
We followed him to a side door, leading into the back of the shop.
Inside was a stark contrast to the market—a luxurious room with sofas, tasteful decorations, paintings, sculpted figures, and a polished table between the facing couches.
"Please, have a seat." the merchant said politely.
"Bring us tea and biscuits." he told the maid by the door.
He sat across from us.
"How did you know we were here?" I asked before he could start.
"Oh, I told my staff to look out for you. Gave them your description—they notified me when you arrived." he replied calmly.
I sat with Liora in my lap—this time outside the pelt, not hidden. Maybe she trusted that I would protect her now.
The maid returned with steaming tea and a tray of biscuits, placing them on the table.
I tried to inspect the tea with the system, but—nothing. Just 'tea'.
"The child looks much livelier." the merchant said, eyes soft as he observed Liora.
"I did as you suggested. Donated first, then asked for healing. But the things people around said just made me—" I caught myself, remembering Liora was there.
"I understand. They're like that—judging by appearance and coin. The church here is corrupted; it's become a business." the merchant replied.
'Why doesn't the main temple do anything, why doesn't their god do anything? Is the god greedy? Can they not see what their believers are doing?' Questions flooded my mind, but I knew mortals wouldn't have those answers.
'Only Kai can answer these for me.'
I knew the only way to get my answers.
"Please let me know if there's anything I can help you with." the merchant said.
I glanced at Liora—she was staring at the biscuits with pure curiosity.
I picked one up and handed it to her. "Here, try this."
Liora looked at me, then slowly began munching. Crumbs rained down onto the shirt.
"Where can I buy clothes for my daughter?" I asked the merchant.
"I suspected you'd want new clothes. Selling fruit isn't my only business—my wife runs one of the most popular clothing shops in the city. I've already sent someone to bring garments for you and your daughter."
I was surprised—taken aback for a moment.
'He is a nice person…..Huh'
I normally wouldn't have said anything. Apologizing or thanking someone when you actually mean it is strangely hard. But my lips moved on their own.
"Thank you." I said—quiet, but firm.
"Please don't say that. You're my lifesaver." the merchant replied, voice low and warm.
I felt… happy. No trace of ill intent from him at all.
I lifted the teacup. When I glanced back at the plate, there was only one biscuit left.
A tiny hand crept forward, wobbling slightly as if the last biscuit might escape. Her small fingers pinched the piece with the care of someone handling a priceless treasure, and she retreated. She settled back on my right leg, swinging her little feet gently, cheeks dusted with crumbs. Her clothes were speckled with flakes of biscuit, but she didn't care—her tiny mouth opened wide for each bite, eyes sparkling with innocent joy. With every chew, her face brightened, as if the world itself was sweet and safe, one bite at a time.
My heart felt heavy—not with sadness. My eyes pricked—not with tears. It was joy. Not just because she was happy eating—but because she was moving by herself. She could stand. She could reach. She could act on her own. She was finally—finally—healed. I could say it now.
Liora finished the last biscuit and stared at the empty plate, then looked up at me.
"You've eaten a lot of sweets today—no more. I'll get you a proper dinner later. Not just sweets. And it'll be tasty. Papa promises."
Liora closed her eyes and smiled. "Okway."
'You've made a mess.' I couldn't help but smile.
I turned her toward me and raised my right hand; water flowed over my fingers, cool and clear, and I gently wiped the crumbs from her face.
'You can do whatever you want.'
Then the water slipped over my other hand. I placed her little palm on my left, cupped it with my right, and cleaned them one by one.
'You can eat however you want.'
[ I have cleansed Little Miss's garments, Master. ]
'Thank you Sebas' I offered, sincere.
'You're my daughter . I'll give you the love and care a parent should. I'll just ask for your smile. Not always. When you're sad I want you to sad come to be so I can solve your problems. When you're angry I hope you pout and be angry. I'll make sure you can be yourself atleast when I'm here.'
' No.... that's not enough. A Kingdom..... It's far. I still need to work towards it. I was gonna make it anyways. But I didn't have much motive. Now there is one. A whole Kingdom. Maybe even a Empire. Where you can live as you want. Where you don't have to be scared. A place just for you.' I promised.
to be continued....