°??───??13??───??°

  The abode in which atmospheres are made and broken

  °??───???───??°

  Crusted and dark, coated with ash, large chunks of purple and green mounds - a soupy consistency - formed a projectile and forcibly expelled out of Kally.

  V i o l e n t l y.

  She at least had the foresight to poke her head out of their burrow, in order to sick up the sand and magic outside, away from where they would rest. Kat and Kai should thank her for that.

  Her throat, raw, felt like a layer of film coated it. Unsurprisingly, her eyes still watered, though this time they were uncovered. The blindfold, she had safely stored within her cloak as soon as she was able to take it off.

  She hacked up a final glob of blackened sand, gagging as it scratched her throat on its way back up, the haphazardly slapped on dressing on her cheek, a rush job, rubbing her wound.

  She spluttered, “Purple almighty. Curses to you.”

  She glanced above at the swirling mist but thought better of it; she should head inside - to check the others were okay, of course.

  Inside the burrow, it was clear this was no mere rabbit hole. A tokki could not have put up wooden beams and structures supporting the weight of the sand above. It looked to have half the design of a mine shaft, with the basic amenities of a home.

  Kally thought back to the description in Karin’s Almanac, ‘huts built from the paste of sand and cloth’. This was not a hut, more of an underground dwelling. Sand had been mixed to a paste, a type of cladding, plaster even; grey cloth stuffed in patches. Kally couldn’t decide if it was structural or just to liven up the place. At a stretch, taking away the sand above them, this could easily be the living quarters of a native creature of Darkurr Moor. Judging by the age and lack of perishable food, luckily for them, it seemed to be abandoned at this time.

  ???

  “You feel better?” Ahkaiyu grunted at her from afar.

  He was huddled in one of the corners, searching through a pile of various items. In a rare sight, his hood was down. Kally smiled at this, maybe he was feeling more comfortable now. She took this as proof of what she had been thinking for a while; he’s starting to feel more relaxed with them.

  “Urgh, a little.” Kally held her head and made her way to the centre of the room. “I’ll help with whatever you’re doing in a bit. I need to sit down a minute.”

  “No need, no need.” Ahkaiyu dismissed. “I am just trying to find so—”

  He pulled out some firewood. “Look, firewood.”

  “Can we even light a fire underground?” Kally arched her eyebrow.

  “I’ve not tried before, and I can’t use magic to create or tame it. Hence why I was looking for this.” Ahkaiyu gestured to the wood. “Surely if there is firewood here, there would be means to light a fire?”

  “I can’t argue with that. Is it ventilated enough in here though?” Kally sprang up to look for a vent system, not entirely sure what she was looking for. “We’ll need enough oxygen to both keep it going and for us. There’s not much point in being warm, if we can’t breathe,” she said wryly.

  He smiled in response.

  “Still, I think we should try it. The temperature really drops at night here.”

  After a few more attempts than they would both like to admit with that purple-forsaken flint, the fire was lit and they sat around it, warming themselves. Kally, exhausted, exhaled and leaned back, taking off her boots.

  “…Toia awaken.”

  “Kally, what have I said about that?” Katoia tutted, her face red and swollen. A crust of blood formed on the cuticle. Her nail was long and starting to curl.

  “Time for a haircut, Kat…” Kally teased, as she deftly sliced the nail with a penknife.

  “Hey—! You need to warn me about that, you know I don’t like it.”

  “Exactly, it’s like ripping off a plaster. The quicker I do it, the less you fret.”

  “It’s all for—,” She flicked Katoia. “…your own—” She flicked again. “…good.”

  Katoia frowned at this and huffed, taking in her surroundings.

  “Oh, Ahkaiyu, you’ve not got your hood up…” she said without thinking.

  Ahkaiyu, who had been watching their exchange with a bemused look upon his mouth, shifted at this and grabbed his head. Sure enough, his hood was down, exposing his platinum hair and marble like ears. Katoia had seen to its end. He abruptly put his hood back up and bowed his head. He mumbled something incoherently, shuffled and then turned his back on them.

  Kally mouthed to her, “Now you’ve done it.”

  A slight fleck of irritation at Katoia’s thoughtless words rose within Kally. She knew Katoia hadn’t meant anything by it, but with Kai, you have to be careful. Was she imagining this new tension in the air, the previous calm disintegrated by just one careless remark? The immediate bowing of his head, his stiff movements; these signs of discomfort had not escaped her notice. He had been slowly warming up to them. At least, that’s what she had thought on numerous occasions over the past week. In fact, hadn’t that thought popped into her head just a few minutes ago? If you were to ask her now though, she couldn’t be sure. She sighed. How long would it be until he relaxed around them again?

  “Done what?” Katoia mouthed back, with too much volume for Kally’s liking. Kally glared back at her, willing her to be still. How could she be so emotionally tone deaf? Could she not feel the thickness of the air. Had she not even noticed the silence?

  Kally bit her lip. She hated that gnawing feeling of helplessness. How could she make him comfortable in their presence, particularly with Katoia’s big mouth putting her foot in it? Whatever trust they had built up felt like it could come tumbling down at any moment.

  Katoia, still blissfully unaware of the tension in the room, was starting to hum. Not again. If she starts singing again—

  Kally thought she would s c r e a m.

  Why did Kat always say whatever popped into her head? Did she ever think about the effect her words could have on others? Kally knew this was hardly fair on her. She’d had so few social interactions whilst growing up as a toe, and as such her social intelligence was surely on the low side.

  Despite this knowledge, she couldn’t help the flicker of irritation deep in her stomach as Katoia grinned at her. Katoia twirled. Impressive for a toe.

  “Look Kally, look.”

  Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  She was completely oblivious. Kally gritted her teeth. “Yes, Kat, very good…”

  Kally sighed and turned her gaze to Ahkaiyu’s back. He was so guarded and distant, a broken soul of sorts. Who knows what he has been through. She wondered if he’d ever trust them enough to tell them his story. Maybe he couldn’t. At this, her stomach knotted.

  Her irritation was soon replaced with a quiet ache as she contemplated her emotions. Kally could never stay mad at her sister for long. It was rarely her fault. As for Ahkaiyu, she was unsure of how to proceed. She shifted in discomfort as the weight of the awkward silence crushed her.

  ???

  No doubt they would have stayed encased in this stifling atmosphere for much longer, if not for a scuffling sound that brought their attention to the entrance.

  “What’s that?” Katoia’s cuticle wobbled.

  “Shhhh…” Kally reprimanded, as she eyed the entrance warily. What now? She rolled her eyes, can they not just have a moment of peace? If it’s not a dangerous creature, it’s a dangerous conversation. If not a dangerous conversation, ahem, you get the idea here.

  Ahkaiyu, shrouded in shadows once more and now standing, placed his hand on his sword. His focus was on the area where the sand shifted, creating a dusty pile on the floor. At first a paw, a white paw, with thick claws, broke into their domain. The claws were dull but could still inflict some damage. Kally gulped. Sand rushed now as the second paw made its way to them. The beast was digging its way in.

  “Put me away, Kally, I don’t want to see!” Katoia, emotional as ever, screamed, “I want my sock!”

  Kally, shaking her head, comforted her in the only way she could. She really was a cry baby.

  Kally twinged out a sigh. It would be easier to deal with now. She could feel the warm sensation from her boot, snug and hidden away. With one less, ahem, thing to worry about, she turned her full attention to the creature in front of them. Two white points protruded and quivered, shaking away the sand. They pushed closer and closer, Kally held her breath, until a fluff of a face plopped out. A pink nose and grey whiskers.

  Ahkaiyu puffed up his cheeks and exhaled, spinning around in exasperation. He sat back down, head in his hands, and chuckled slightly. The previous nervous tension dissipated with each passing moment. He shuffled his feet and held his knees. His hood still covered his face in shadows so no hint of an expression could betray him.

  Not that Kally was paying him any heed. Her eyes were locked on the white ball of fluff. She squealed. She had long wanted to see this ‘beast’: a tokki, live and in the flesh. She skipped forward and laughed as the tokki rolled towards her, a mound of playful white. Scooped up in Kally’s arms, the tokki wriggled its nose and sniffed her hair, as if tickled by the ends. Kally calmed. Finally, something nice had happened. Still, she checked for flecks of purple on the tokki’s coat.

  Its coat was soft, a texture of fluff and mostly white with the odd sheen of silver. Its legs, twitching under her grip, were muscular, a reminder of the strength of its bound and the digging ability they had just been a witness to. She stroked its chubby cheeks and a look of joy washed over her own. This was such a welcome surprise. She jiggled the tokki in her arms, watching the ears flick and twitch as she did so.

  ???

  Now back at the fire, she sat. “Do you want some warmth now, bun?”

  Kally patted the tokki’s head as it bleated softly in agreement. She took the bleat as that anyway.

  “There, there now. We’re all warm here, safe now.” A stroke. “Aren’t you the cutest!” Kally prattled, feeling slightly drunk from all the excitement.

  Ah, to be drunk, she mused. It was strange to think that only a few weeks ago she had been going to Karin’s bar every night, drinking away the time. She felt like new; a fresh soul burnt within her, and it was all, in part at least, thanks to Kai.

  She glanced in his direction, covertly, and tried to place his emotional state. She was surprised to see that his head was tilted in their direction and a slight smile formed on his lips. Did he like the tokki, she mused and then pondered, who wouldn’t? She laughed. Katoia would want to see this - too bad she’s too scared. Serves her right. Penance for earlier, she cackled.

  A spark of an idea ignited. Still holding the tokki, she gingerly moved towards Kai. He looked up at her beaming face, his mouth wide as she plonked the tokki into his lap.

  “There.” Kally wiped her hands in mock riddance. “Take her, saves me a job.” She paused as he did not move. Doubt battled against her original confidence. She had thought this was a good idea to lighten the mood. Thinking about it was one thing, the reality of it was another. Would he even like this, or was it too childish?

  “You’ve gained a friend,” she said in a quiet voice.

  The tokki rolled onto its back, stretched its paws and looked up at Ahkaiyu in such a way Kally’s heart nearly broke. It was too sweet, really, lolling about in his lap, a white ball of fluff contrasting with the rough fabric of his robe. He stared intently at the creature within his lap.

  Kally, happy enough with his reaction, made her way back to her spot. She warmed her hands against the fire and kindled it some more.

  “Right, time to play with my pet,” she quipped to no one in particular as she loosened her boot once more.

  “Is it okay? What was it, why did it take so long? I didn’t feel anything happen?” Katoia did not pause for breath. ”What was that thing? Was it big, was it fierce? Has it gone?”

  Kally rubbed Katoia’s cheeks in her hand, a calming massage. “Well..?”

  “It’s fine, quite cute really…”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, you shouldn’t have been hiding if you wanted to know this badly...” Kally teased, drawing out the reveal for as long as possible. She knew Katoia would lose her head. They had both loved tokkis since childhood.

  Katoia pouted.

  “Okay, okay…” Kally conceded and gestured to Ahkaiyu. Katoia peered as best she could.

  “What… is…. t-that?” she asked, as she could just make out a white patch in Ahkaiyu’s cloak. She strained to lean closer and gasped, “Kal, Kal, is that what I think it is?”

  Realisation had dawned. She squealed a high pitched squeak, eardrum shattering and nosebleed inducing. “Let me see, let me see!”

  “Nah, I’ve just sat down.”

  Katoia glared at Kally.

  “Seriously, give me a minute. I’ve not stopped yet.”

  Katoia hissed, “Don’t be ridiculous.”

  She dragged her up, and guided her gait in a similar way to when they had first met Ahkaiyu. Pulled along by the left foot, Kally was not impressed.

  ”Up and down, up and down,” she grumbled, “Dragged here… there and every-which-where. Katoia, slow down, it’s not even fa—”

  Kally stumbled but quickly recovered.

  By now, they had reached the tokki. Kally dangled her foot above Ahkaiyu’s lap, a precarious stance. She really did get herself into such odd situations. Katoia jumped as the inquisitive tokki sniffed her. “Oh, oh, oh, it’s too big. Is it going to eat me?”

  “Of course not, Kat. It’s Kai’s.” She turned to Ahkaiyu, nudging him. “Kai, your tokki won’t eat her will it?”

  Ahkaiyu shook his head, sombre.

  Katoia observed the tokki for a while, kept silent by her curiosity.

  “What’s its name?” she asked Ahkaiyu, who had no answer.

  Kally tensed, names might be a touchy subject. She did not want the air to sour again.

  “You really have a thing about naming things, don’t you Kat?”

  “I’m not sure about that. I guess I just think that, if you don’t know the name for something, you can never truly know it.”

  Kally flinched. Kat could be so insensitive and childish sometimes, she had forgotten the moods of almost poetic sadness that always caught her unawares.

  Subconsciously her eyes darted to Ahkaiyu. She felt a pang of something, then relief, he seemed to have had no reaction to this.

  “Well, we best think of a name then.”

  A thought came to her as she spoke. Could Kai have started opening up ever since they named him? Or was she just attributing things to him now he had a name? She grimaced. Her thoughts were too tiring. She pushed them away.

  “Yuki.” Ahkaiyu broke his silence. “Her name is Yuki.”

  Kally congratulated herself. A small victory was a victory still. More importantly, finally, she could sit down, make a bit of food and relax until morning.

  “Kally, tell us one of your stories…”

  She sighed. What was that about relaxing until morning?

  Okay, as seen as they were currently underground she would speak of the unfortunate tot…

  °??───???───??°

  “Deep down under the soil… Deep down under the very earth we stand on, live the Underdwellers…”

  °??───?? The tale in which the tot of the under is eclipsed by the what-the-smog of the under? ??───??°

  ? A faraway land, with blue eyes and pale faces vying for attention (Chapter 5)

  ? Gribbles play as a celebration is happening and Kally wakes up mouthing a name - Alena (Chapter 8)

  ? A young knight trains in a training ground (Chapter 10)