An origin of fire

  Chu occupied himself for the next two days in expanding his vocabulary. Like a child immersed in interest in a new toy, he scheduled most of his time in meetings. Late at night, he reviewed the day's work while planning for the next.

  With a library stacked full of written materials, his workload lessened considerably. Tonight, he also continued toiling.

  "Chu, I found a scroll which fits your description."

  Lucy walked over to the congested table and then gingerly spread a yellowed parchment. The ungrateful ancient document responded to her meticulous care by crumbling at the edges.

  "This one was not as protected as the others since they left it in the open. The faded words appeared barely legible, but the title matched your interest."

  'Frost City.'

  Chu stretched his arms and then cracked his tired fingers.

  "Good enough, but I think I'll wait until morning light to copy it. Leave it there and come help me write out these sentences. In times like these, I miss Sakura. Tomorrow, when we're done, let's try and find my truant helpers."

  Dipping the pen in the ink, he formed another short sentence on the paper. Chu utilized the same 'fill in the blanks' method, which helped him in learning the human language. During their meetings, Ishara would write down her communication. If he lacked the knowledge of a word, he tried to place it in a few sentences, he felt it made sense.

  If she agreed with them during the following lesson, then Chu added the word to his written vocabulary. At the moment, he searched for books and scrolls that contained information known to both of them.

  This way, the chances of misinterpreting words also became slim. He rested his hand on seeing his large letters becoming sloppy.

  "We ask questions, use the board and charcoal, wave hands, and do word games. I feel as if I'm back in kindergarten. When did she say she crossed the mountains again?"

  "Ishara can't recall but said she trailed after the Bitzer horde. Her true destination lay inside the forest, but she collapsed on entering. Luckily, the goblin chief recognized her and sent her here to recover. That's when Shaman convinced her to meet with you. Shaman is convinced that you own the heart of a greedy... I mean true human."

  Chu raised his head and looked at her. The sky blue eyes shifted to her boots.

  "When this is over, I and you are going to have a chat on what you and the Shaman discuss in secret..."

  ***

  The next afternoon, Chu hugged his cloak tightly while shuffling in the snow. Squinting like a mole emerging from underground to confront the sun, he scanned the clearing. Chu turned his head to the teen accompanying him.

  "So let me get this straight. For the last couple of days, you and the goblin Champion back there have been hunting inside the forest?"

  "Pug asked us to help in capturing a band of wildcats. They had been terrorizing the scouts in the north. Dyna and I spent a few nights camping under the trees to take care of them. Yesterday, we patrolled the forest over there so the goblins could chop firewood."

  Ming reported. His eyes seemed focused on watching his boot toss up the little chunks of snow.

  Chu gazed outwards to the slope where a short figure trudged partially hidden between two wolves. The fiery hair confirmed her identity as she inched closer. He glanced at Ming without moving his head.

  "Dyna said this morning the wolves captured a Jaga. She spun an incredible tale of how you guys staged a mock battle. Apparently, little Zubyia says the talk of the ruins is all about how the Champion dropped the hungry beast with a blow of his short sword."

  Chu smiled warmly while looking at Ming.

  "Heh, all to help our little companion out. I knew you would also be happy with us helping Pug look good."

  Ming replied. He figured he spotted a glimmer in Chu's eye, but fooled himself into thinking it stemmed from a reflection of the afternoon sun. When Dyna joined them, Ming realized his error.

  "Ming says Pug promised you guys five pouches of gems for helping him look good. Not a bad haul when Spring arrives."

  "Five?"

  Chu bent his head and placed a hand on his forehead while shaking it from side to side. He shot a gaze filled with pity on the wide-open green eyes.

  "Not again. Did he tell you it was one? Maybe two?"

  "He said two."

  She replied while glaring at the older boy.

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  "I knew not to trust you. You, you schemer!"

  Ming swiveled his head between the grinning Chu and the little girl who balled up her fingers into a dangerous fist. Tugging his hair, he settled on the girl with a contorted face.

  "You stupid brat! Haven't you figured it out yet? He didn't know anything until he picked on you just now. Why did you have to go and run your mouth?"

  Chu smiled while showing the whites of his teeth.

  "Doing business while I am out working my butt off. I want all of those pouches come spring. How much was it in total, Ming? Don't lie to me."

  Ming shifted his eyes away from the redhead while mumbling an answer.

  "..."

  "How much? I didn't hear you."

  "Two. It was two. I really didn't have the heart to rob Dyna. When Pug asked for help, I wanted to use this opportunity to make amends and heal the rift between us. I'm so sorry, Chu, for doing this behind your back, but I did it for her."

  Ming replied in earnest. With glassy eyes and a drooping face, he smiled at Dyna.

  Lucy joined them as she exited the hidden cave entrance with two uneasy goblins in tow. Chu crushed the bonding session in progress with a simple question.

  "How much, Lucy?"

  "Four."

  Against the Legend, Pug cracked like an egg.

  "Ming you sham!..."

  ***

  Later...

  "So did you ask around?"

  Chu questioned while watching the curious sight unfolding before him. Dyna stood on the edge of the open slope with Pug and three goblin archers. Intermittently, she signaled the order for the archers to shoot at the target about a hundred feet away.

  Chu turned to Ming after watching the two wolves dodge and snap the arrows between steel-like teeth.

  "Pug says crow only bring the usual message of tribes losing scouts in the wild. This is normal when they lived down south since winter in the forest is dangerous. Nothing about finding demon beasts. "

  Ming reported while puffing out a long breath. Dyna progressed far enough in her blitz-style attacks, and her wolves could drag arrows out of the sky. His battery, as Chu called it, only improved from a nine to a twelve-volt shock. Luckily, with Pug around, he had no shortage of victims to practice on.

  Stubbornly, he persisted while only spending time on increasing the speed of his sword strikes.

  "Ok, keep me informed if you hear anything. Later, I'll introduce you to the Goblin Shaman and another person. By the way, why does your mouth smell?"

  "Pug introduced me to the Goblin Elders last night. They have this long hollow pipe where you can swallow a smoke that sends you to heaven. The greedy old bats refused to give me the recipe, said I'm too young to understand the free sky..."

  When the sun disappeared over the leafless trees, Chu prepared for his nightly visit. Tonight, he planned to introduce Ming and Dyna to another intelligent race inhabiting the land. Opening the eyes of his companions to the world was one of his goals.

  Receiving the nod from the Elder, Chu moved to the door. His knuckles, however, halted inches before the customary knock. Cocking his head, he turned his head towards his entourage.

  Scanning them from head to toe, Chu narrowed his eyes while twisting his mouth. Holding the frown, he then looked toward Lucy.

  "Suddenly, I don't think this is a good idea."

  Tagging along with him was what he considered the biggest headache. Ishara maintained her airs as a Hakkim, so Chu conducted his forum in a formal manner. By keeping the exchanges along the lines of business, he avoided clashing head-on.

  "I get what you mean."

  Lucy replied while twisting her lips. She continued,

  "An Empress and a Conniving Dreamer."

  Chu nodded in agreement to her assessment while turning to the pair.

  "Don't say a word and keep to the back."

  "What are you guys knocking heads and whispering about? Are you ashamed of me? Yes, you are Chu, I see it in your eyes. Don't you dare look away! Lucy, you're also ashamed of me, aren't you?"

  Chu knocked on the door while ignoring the rantings behind. Entering the room, he placed the writing materials on the table furnished for that particular reason. Zubyia assumed his regular position on the ground.

  With the greetings completed, Chu continued the regular task of increasing his vocabulary. During the process, he practiced pronunciation under the stiff smile of Ishara. Behind him, the pair remained lost in a reaction similar to when Chu handed them their first silver coin.

  It didn't take long for the fidgeting to manifest itself into separate agendas. Dyna tugged the sleeves of his robe when he returned to the table.

  "Hey, Chu, why do you keep walking over and handing her paper as if she is a noble or something? This one can't have you or Lucy doing this."

  "It's not what it looks like. She is injured, so she remains bedridden. Besides, I am very close to finding out something important."

  Chu replied to the girl whose green pupils pierced through the narrowed eyes. Before she could retort, Ming stepped between them.

  "Hey Chu, this Hakkim, I've never seen a beauty like this in the tavern. Hand me a page, let me do the moving around. Just like Dyna said, you shouldn't lower yourself to this menial task when you have me around. How's my face? Do I need to wash it again?"

  Chu wrinkled his brows. This encounter was supposed to be similar to the first encounter between an alien and a human. Yet the shock and awe never reached the threshold of screams and fainting.

  Instead, one was vexed about preferential treatment, and the other wanted to conduct a flirting exercise. Chu looked at Ming, trying to wrestle the page from his hand. He pulled the large boy closer while whispering.

  "Hey, you do know this person is from a different species, right? A race different from us, like the goblins, right?"

  Ming raised his head to glance at the figure leaning on the bedhead. He then turned to Chu.

  "Damn Chu, you're right. What was I thinking? The lines I use in the taverns are probably useless. Should I thaw the ice by talking about the weather? She seems strong, maybe she is a weapons fanatic like Miki? You're going to have to help me out here."

  Looking at them, it suddenly dawned on Chu.

  After four years of roaming around the forest, the later interaction with the goblins, and also facing demon beasts, these idiots had become desensitized. One itched for a fight while the other decided to think with his lower half. Difference in culture, physique, and race meant squat.

  Ishara interrupted his thoughts with a remark. Glancing at the Hakkim, Chu followed her finger to Dyna, standing unbothered near the wall. The redhead had disengaged from the meeting while deciding to continue her training. A small fire the size of a marble danced within her palm.

  "Magic. She owes me."

  Chu easily translated the words he once heard. On his translation sheet, he actually had this written as one of the first sentences.

  Ishara continued while using her hands to help in talking and pointing. Chu spent some time translating the words.

  "Fire Magic. Best teacher fire magic, Goblin Shaman."

  Chu raised his head from the translation parchment. His curious eyes roamed from the Shaman seated silently on the stool and then to Zubyia on the stone.

  "Shaman knows about fire magic?"

  Chu watched as the Shaman tilted her fragile head before locking eyes onto him from behind the veil. Raising her tiny green fingers, five fiery orbs the size of golf balls materialized after a brief chant. Soundlessly, they floated while circling the robed figure.

  Chu finally saw why the Shaman occupied the highest position among the scattered goblin tribes.

  The larger boy dropped his jaw,

  "Damn, Chu! Is she a genius like me?..."