The Non-Human Society

One of the lanterns bumped up against Renn’s foot. She giggled as she carefully pushed it away, back towards the center of the river.

Letting her foot splash back into the water, she sighed with a happy sound as she watched it float away.

“What a nice moment,” she whispered.

Was it?

The sun was setting, and the sky was red. Thick clouds rolled over us, giving the sky a luminous shine… but as of yet there was no rain or wind.

Matching the reds above, there were reds below. Hundreds of small lanterns floated along the river Renn and I sat next to. A fleet of small wooden and paper boats sailed past us. Most were small, carrying only a small candle of wax. But there were a few like the one that had just bumped into Renn that were sizable. The bigger ones were made of finer materials, and carried more candles.

We weren’t alone. Like us, many people nearby were sitting on the banks of the river. Although most didn’t have their feet submerged as Renn and I did. Though that was probably because the river was a little cold.

Most weren’t sitting as close with one another as we were, either.

“Are those prayers?” Renn asked, pointing at one of the lantern boats nearby. Her thigh and arm rubbed against me as she moved, making me feel the eyes that looked at us. Were they staring because they saw something odd, or because of jealousy? It was odd that most that were staring were women.

“Looks like it,” I said. The cloth that made the sails had words sewn into it. I could make out a few of the words, and they were mostly religious in nature.

“Humans are… neat sometimes,” Renn whispered softly.

“Hm,” I agreed with her.

Watching a young pair of humans walk past, on the other side of the small river, I wondered how people always had similar festivals.

The same style of festivities could be found at all corners of the world. Even the two that have yet to really mingle with the others. Those who didn’t even know of the other side of the world yet shared similarities that transcended language and beliefs.

A little town was to our right. We were sitting right at the edge, where the two rivers that passed through the village met and converged into a smaller one. It was here that one could see all the boats and lanterns sent onto the river. Odds are every citizen and even visitors had put at least one onto the river, based off the amount passing us by.

There was a small part of me that wished we could have gotten here a little earlier. Renn probably would have enjoyed making one for herself.

“Where… where do they end up? How long will they float?” Renn asked.

“Not all do,” I said as we watched one float by. Its candle was long extinguished, and the thing was half sunk. It was one of many like it.

“You know what I mean,” she said.

I nodded. I did. “Littered all over. Most will catch fire, burn up and then sink. The rest will just bundle up down river at whatever bend has the softest current. Odds are someone in the city will be sent down river to collect them all as to properly dispose of them later,” I said.

Probably a young servant or a criminal paying their dues.

“Hm…” she hummed but didn’t further question it. Maybe she hadn’t even wanted such a detailed answer.

While watching a man far off up the river, near the fence that made up this towns boundary… I blinked when she laid her head onto my shoulder.

Glancing at Renn, who rested against me… I wondered what the hell I was going to do with her.

I couldn’t push her off. There were too many people here. They’d find it odd. And we were already odd enough. There were only locals here.

Yet at the same time I really didn’t want to just allow it either.

She was young, but not that young. She was no Lomi.

“What are you doing Renn?” I asked her. Dared to.

“Watching lanterns,” she said.

“Are you tired?” I asked. Maybe she was. We hadn’t really rested the last few days, since leaving Bray’s pack. Maybe I was pushing her too hard. She might be non-human… and rather strong, but that didn’t mean she didn’t tire.

“A little,” she answered a little honestly.

Ignoring the older couple who walked past us, on the small path behind us, I did my best to not hear the light jokes they made at our expense.

I sighed as they headed back to town, and I wondered if I really looked as young as their whispers implied.

Renn giggled, and I felt it as they danced through her body. She seemed to rock with them, as if enjoying a song.

“If only they knew,” I said.

“Oh… shush… It made me happy to hear it,” Renn then said.

Before I could frown at her statement, she sighed and sat back upward. She was still far too close, and we were still touching, but at least she was no longer laying her head on me.

“Where to next?” she then asked.

Blinking at her, I wondered if I should tell her I had not expected the change in topics. I had expected either teasing or…

Maybe I was reading too much into her actions. Maybe such skin-ship was normal to her. Maybe it was I who found it odd, and was thus the odd one here.

I could only hope.

“The Cathedral. After leaving here, about two weeks later at our pace we’ll reach the Capital of the Blind. I suppose it’s time you met the chronicler,” I said.

“Capital of the blind?” she asked, looking at me with clear eyes. Why did I expect them to be wet?

“The nation to the south of this one is a very… devout one. They believe they’re all blind, since they cannot see their god. Honestly it’s a very boring nation, albeit a powerful one,” I explained.

“Huh… and who’s this chronicler?” she asked further.

“An older nun. She’s the head of the Cathedral. The proprietor. She controls the main tomes. It’s time you got your name officially entered into the Society,” I said.

“Oh…! I heard of those books. Crane had mentioned them,” Renn said, sounding a little happy. Maybe she liked the idea of putting her name into the books of the Society.

I nodded. That didn’t surprise me.

A little boat bumped into my foot, and went still. The river’s current wasn’t strong enough to make it bounce off me, or move. I stared at it, wondering who could have made it. The thing was… a little rough around the edges. The sail a little frayed. The candle cheap.

A child’s handiwork maybe.

Renn gently pushed it away from my ankle with her own foot, sending it back to the current.

“I also need to inform her of what’s happened. Lomi’s village. Ruvindale. The Monarch,” I listed the few things of importance.

“Oh…” this time she sounded sad.

Her tone made me study her, and somehow made me want to cheer her up. For a tiny moment I thought of getting her some food at the festival, before heading to the inn.

Although I’d do so, I pushed the idea down and away all the same.

I needed to keep myself in check. Showing such…

“Why are the books kept at the capital? For that matter why is this Cathedral there too? Isn’t it dangerous?” she asked, distracting my own chastising of myself.

“A tree in the forest. Plus several of our members there are… very religious themselves. So it works out. It also acts as a great hub for us. Any of our members who… are normal enough, can easily blend in amongst the thousands of visitors the place gets a week. Easy to come and go without being noticed,” I said.

“Ah. That makes sense.”

I nodded. It did.

“What about those who… don’t? Blend in,” she asked softly.

“They send letters. With those who do. To those who can,” I said.

“Oh…?” she perked up, getting a little closer. I suddenly felt her breath. It was warm.

“That’s another reason to head there. To see if there’re any letters waiting for me,” I said, focusing on a large lantern. A part of its sail and frame was already burnt, yet it was no longer on fire. It was a good distraction to try and think how long it’d last without part of its structure.

“Hm… if there are?” she asked. She kicked her feet lightly, as if she was a child.

“Then we alter our course accordingly. I usually get one or two, but not always. I had two last time I was there, a couple years ago,” I said.

If the war in the south was getting worse… there was a good chance there’d be a few waiting for me. Hopefully I’d not have to ignore a certain someone’s, again.

“Are there a lot of us there?” Renn asked.

“Quite a few. But they come and go. Only… well, six now, are steady. Another ten or so come and go. We could meet them all or see none of them, depending on how long we’re there. If someone needs me, they also sometimes wait for me there, too,” I said.

“That’s… a lot,” she whispered.

I moved my feet, causing the river to move as well. I inwardly chastised myself as several boats nearby jolted; bobbing up and down from the waves I had created. “Plus there’re sometimes travelers. Or our merchants. Remember the company I spoke of? Or the twins Rapti had mentioned? They frequent the Cathedral as well,” I said.

“Huh… I would like to meet those twins. I’ve met a few human ones, would be interesting to meet twins like us,” she said.

“They’re… odd. But not dangerous,” I said.

Renn chuckled, and got closer again. She tilted her head at me in such a way that it reminded me of a dog waiting for a treat. “Dangerous. I like how you describe people,” she said.

“Rather my description of their oddness level. Not they themselves,” I corrected.

She nodded, but smirked all the same. “By the way how would you describe me? To others? Am I dangerous?” she asked.

“You are. In your own way,” I said honestly.

She blinked, and her smile softened.

I had to look away from her look, especially since it made me feel bad. “In a way,” I added, hoping to imply to her that I meant it in a rather… specific way. And it wasn’t that bad.

After all she was dangerous to me, not anyone else.

At least I didn’t think she was.

Was she a predator? Yes. Was she strong enough to kill most of our members? Of course.

Yet if I had believed she was the type to prove those facts… well…

“Vim,” Renn pointed with a curled toe.

Following it, I watched as the biggest lantern ship yet floated towards us.

People closer to it clapped at its presence. Children, and what looked to be their older siblings, hurriedly walked along the river. They followed it closely, and probably had been since it had been released.

“It’s big enough one of the smaller ones could ride it,” Renn commented, seemingly happy about it.

I stayed silent as the large boat passed. It had dozens of candles and most were bigger than the little boats that had floated down the river before. The boat itself was also detailed. Someone had carved it from a single piece of wood… and had spent time on it. Odds were this was a craftsman’s donation. Maybe even a noble’s.

The toy had windows. Cannons. Little people even, carved and painted, all over it. Most were designed into actions, as if they were in the middle of some naval combat.

“Wow…” Renn’s honest, single, word described it well. It was actually… too good… to be used for such a festival.

Maybe they would collect it soon, and re-used it every year. It would explain it. Something that detailed was wasted on a singular event.

“Happy lantern wishes!” a young girl waved at us as she and the rest of the children ran by, following the boat.

Renn waved back, and I wondered if that really was the name of this festival. If so, it was a boring name.

Probably the church’s doing.

“Wishes?” Renn asked me after the children were far enough away.

“Prayers. Wishes. What’s the difference?” I asked her.

“Quite a bit,” she said.

I shrugged. I wasn’t in the mood to argue over semantics.

While the boat passed, and the crowd that followed it did too, I studied the people instead.

Most were typical. Farmers. Fishermen. Laborers. But… there were some that were something more. A pair of children were undoubtedly from a wealthy family. Their clothes were worth more than all the rest combined. An older teen, a girl with snow white hair, wore a churchwoman's gown. Probably a nun in training.

A few even looked like foreigners. And not just because their skin was a little too tan for this region. They wore garb not usually seen in this nation. One of the younger boys even had a jeweled hat. Similar to what I’d see in the far east near the tall mountains.

The world was growing smaller.

“Do we have members all over the world Vim?” Renn then asked, drawing my attention away from the crowd.

“We do. My route only takes us through the surrounding nations though. Those too far away I only go to when they request it,” I said.

“Sounds like it will take many years for me to learn everything, let alone see them all, huh?” she asked.

I blinked, but knew better than to let her see how bothered her words made me. “At least a few decades,” I said honestly. That was usually what it took me to do a full circle, all the while helping all those who asked for immediate help. Between ten and fifteen years, roughly… though I suppose it was getting shorter.

We were losing more members and locations often lately, after all.

“Sounds simple… but fun. I look forward to it,” she said.

I nodded, but only to let her know I was still listening.

Lomi’s village. The Sleepy Artist.

Two in a matter of months.

It’s been a long time since I lost two so quickly… but it did happen.

And did I not just think that Kaley’s home would be gone soon too? That it was only a generation or so from being empty?

I softly sighed and pulled my feet out of the river. To begin letting them dry.

“Hm?” Renn tilted her head at me as I scooted back a bit. Both to separate from her, and to let my feet dry.

After a small moment Renn also pulled her legs out of the water. She crawled backward, seemingly taking her more effort than it had taken me to do. She sighed with a huff as she sat next to me, thankfully not as close as last time.

She smiled at me and then looked back to the river. To watch the few boats lazily floating past. There weren’t as many as before, but still enough.

Their little flames casted shadows yet lit up the dark waters they floated on. It honestly was a pretty sight.

Yet right now all those flames did was remind me of all those lost. The homes burnt. The people too.

After a few minutes, I glanced around. To make sure all was well.

It was.

The boats were still floating. The people still leisurely sitting nearby, or heading back to the village. Off in the distance the crowd that had followed the bigger boat were now crowded around the edge of the river. Most likely picking up the boat.

A small wind had picked up. The sky had grown a tad bit redder as the sun was finishing up its descent. The darkness of night loomed in the horizon, and the temperature of the world was dropping to greet it.

And… Renn was staring at me.

“What a nice moment,” she said gently while staring at me.

Yes.

It was.

For her.

Which was why it needed to end.

“Let’s go… Better find some food before the town gets too drunk to cook,” I said, slowly getting up and stepping away from the river’s embankment.

My feet were dry. Her's should be too, even when taking into account she had dunked most her legs in.

“Huh? Oh… Yea,” Renn sounded troubled, but I ignored it. Or at least, pretended to.

Helping her up, I held her hand until she reached the path. Since there were now more people around. Since I wanted to.

She smiled at me, and her playful smirk hurt.

Such a moment was precious.

Even if I couldn’t afford it… I still wanted it to last forever.

But nothing lasted forever… which was why these moments were precious in the first place.

“Can we have stew?” she asked as she picked up her shoes we had left at edge of the path. While doing so she grabbed mine, and then held them out to me.

Taking them from her, I nodded.

“Stew. Sure.”

I’d give her all the stew in the world if it’d keep her from asking for anything else.

Especially since I was starting to doubt my ability to say no to her.

Renn bounced a little as she put her shoes on, hopping on one foot then the next. Before I could reach out to support her, she already got them on.

“Let’s go!” she excitedly ushered me, hurrying off before I could get my own on.