Nanowrimo 2021 Day 23+24 - Word Count and Favorite Bit (Patreon)

These past few days I added 4103 to Seek the Oasis, bringing my total word count to 40,197!

“I don’t know,” Ayfa said with a shrug. “Kind of like how you wouldn’t know you have a reflection if you’ve never seen a mirror. If you didn’t think it was possible, you wouldn’t try, right?”

Aysel couldn’t stop the incredulous look that settled on her face. “I don’t think that’s how it works.”

“Well, how does it work then?”

“Well…I don’t know.”

“Then how do you know that’s not how it works?”

Aysel gave a great, heaving, dramatic sigh. “So many questions, k’ohse! Do you think me a library?”

She lifted Ayfa up before he could respond, earning a squeal as she held him upside down and tickled the backs of his knees. “Do you have any other questions? Do you wonder why the sky is blue? Or why mountains reach for the sky instead of the earth below?”

“Why is the sky blue?” Kohtia asked.

Aysel shouted playfully, grabbing Kohtia about the middle and plucking him off the ground as well. He yelped and giggled as Aysel slung him over her shoulder like a sack of rice. She turned to Asli, eyes narrowed dangerously.

“Any questions from you, Asli?”

Asli shook his head with a laugh. “Nope! No questions from me, I promise.”

“Good.” Aysel marched her two prisoners over to Leonidas, plopping them down in front of him. “Ask your questions of the all-knowing lion, children. If anyone can tell you why the sky is blue, it’d be him.”

Leonidas tilted his head. “Why would they want to know why the sky is blue?”

Kohtia pointed accusatorily at Aysel. “She brought it up first!”

“Do you want to know why the sky is blue, Aysel?” Leonidas asked, a hint of mischievousness in his voice. “You don’t have to put on this charade with the children. All you have to do is ask.”

Aysel stared at him. “Do you actually know?”

Leonidas let out a deep, hearty laugh. “No, not at all. I apologize, the temptation to tease was too great to ignore.”

Aysel rolled her eyes. “Fine then. I’ll just go spend time over there. With Kinri. Where I’m appreciated.”

“I appreciate you greatly, Aysel,” Leonidas said with heartrending sincerity. “I consider you very dear to me.”

Aysel felt her chest grow warm and her stomach tumble. Something about those words, and the way he said it, made her whole body feel fluttery and fuzzy. She couldn’t find any words, nor her voice with which to vocalize them. She found herself struggling to maintain eye contact, but also unable to look away as the heat crawled up her neck and spread over her cheeks.

“Besides,” Leonidas said, “Kinri is just as likely to tease you as I am.”

“It’s true!” Kinri called from across the clearing. Malai giggled, though he tried to hide it behind his hands when Aysel turned to send Kinri a betrayed glare.

“You wound me, all of you! What have I done to deserve such cruelty?” she demanded in faux dramatics.

“We can’t help it, Aysel,” Kinri insisted. “You’re just too cute!”

“I’ll show you cute!” Aysel shouted, charging towards Kinri, who squeaked and tried to hide ineffectually to hide behind Malai. When that didn’t work, she tried to outrun Aysel, but the Sa’a quickly caught up with her long stride. Grabbing Kinri about the waist, Aysel hoisted her up with the same ease she hoisted the children mere moments earlier. She marched across the clearing, approaching the river road.

“Aysel!” Kinri warned, though the affect was undermined by her own laugher. “Aysel, don’t you dare!”

Aysel ignored her, crossing the river road without stopping. Suugin poked his head out of the water, watching curiously as Aysel approached with a squirming Kinri in her arms. Kinri squealed when Aysel pitched her forward, tossing her into the water with a mighty splash.

Kinri quickly resurfaced, flipping her hair gracefully out of her face. “You realize a Li’i Ren is most at home in the water, yes? This isn’t exactly some grand revenge. Not that I won’t get mine, that is.”

“Of course you will,” Aysel assured her with a grin. “Just as soon as you can lift me off the ground.”