What are you thinking about?" he finally asked, breaking the long silence. Maybe he shouldn't have. Maybe it was enough just to lie there in wordless comfort, looking at the familiar world that suddenly seemed so different—mysterious, incomprehensible, and therefore twice as enchanting.
The valley where his house stood no longer seemed like just a place by the forest. It felt like a hidden continent, cut off from the world, where lived not heroes, but—
"Eternal wanderers," whispered Nibi. "No, I didn't read your thoughts. I understood you anyway. Only I fly with my body, and you—your dreams chase after me, sometimes even racing ahead."
"So where are you from, really, Nibi?" the boy tried once more.
"From here. Right here." She patted the solid ground, then sprang to her feet, bouncing lightly on her platform boots. "Enough lying around. The customs of your world demand knowledge through schools, institutes, things like that. You could live without them, but around here—they're part of your human community. And without that, you'd struggle."
"How do you get by without any of it?" Erich blurted, awkward and instantly regretting the question. Nibi's face darkened for a moment, and she answered reluctantly.
"Lats isn't my only companion. There's always another beside me…"
"Me?" the boy asked hopefully.
"Loneliness." Was it the wind rustling through the yellow leaves, or was it truly Nibi's voice, suddenly heavy with sadness?
The conversation fizzled out after that, and they walked the rest of the way in silence. Picking up their pace, they nearly ran to their destination. The school sat at the very edge of town, which meant they didn't have to race through all the little streets to get there.
The building itself didn't tower over the others or look special. It blended in, like a cousin to all the other squat houses around. There weren't many people in town, and so there weren't many kids who needed schooling, either.
Adjusting his backpack, Erich suddenly remembered he'd forgotten to grab the lunch his mom had packed. Too late now. More important was giving Nibi a grand tour inside. He was already rehearsing how he'd point out the lobby, the honor roll board (where he was absolutely sure his picture would be one day!) when he heard a whistle from around the corner.
Four kids were waiting there—and trouble usually followed them. Erich hated admitting it, but he never knew how to answer back when they teased him. Especially since they were older, bigger, and stronger. They were already in the final grade, but still never missed a chance to needle "Big Er."
That was the nickname they'd slapped on him, mocking his scrawny frame. The worst part? It stuck. In a small town, nicknames spread fast… even his own mom sometimes called him that now! He hated it, but didn't know how to shake it.
And yet, as always, his legs carried him straight toward the group. Judging by the smirk on Maris's face—and his sister Mary's too—they were already cooking up trouble.
Maris opened his famous mouth, the one with a missing tooth. He bragged it had been knocked out in a brawl with nearly the whole neighboring town. Erich, though, was pretty sure it had just rotted away from not brushing. Either way, Maris wore it like a badge of honor, even using the gap to whistle louder.
Mary had two huge moles on her cheeks. Erich actually liked them—they softened her scowling face and made her look almost kind. The other two kids, a boy and a girl, didn't matter much. He didn't even know their names; they just laughed at whatever Maris and Mary said.
"Do I need to get ready?" Nibi asked quietly as they drew near.
"Yeah… but don't worry. They're not really mean. They just don't see the sky the way we do. And you—you can actually fly in it. That makes you three times happier than all of them put together."
"What are you mumbling about, Big Er?" Maris sneered, then snorted with laughter. "Let me guess—you're rambling about tree branches again, or which bug is prettier. You're such a dork!"
The whole crew burst into laughter. Mary added her spice:
"Look who he's got with him! Usually it's just his dumb, flea-bitten dog, but now he's swapped it out for this… What, did even your mutt get tired of you?"
"No, no!" her brother cut in, twirling a finger at his temple. "That is his dog! He just turned it into a person. Look—same weird look on her face."
"You're right—spitting image! Even the tail sticks out. Turns out Big Er's a wizard, only with the lamest magic ever!"