Project: iaseki

Chapter 24: Cat out of the bag

They stopped the speedwagon to proceed with the little demonstration.

Esther shot a mini black laser that made the trunk of the tree disappear and the parts near it burnt.

They decided to take an early stop to discuss the matter at hand. The next hour composed of Autumn asking questions, and Lu explaining all he knows about Esther. Including how he thought she could not interact with anything until recently.

"I thought so too" Esther said. "But when I smelled something that smelled like mom, I remembered something. Creating things. Many things, good and bad. All just hazy visions. If we find any more orbs like that, I may be able to remember more".

"I see" Lu thought. He told Autumn what Esther said and Autumn started to believe it.

"Can Esther hear me?" Autumn asked.

Esther nodded.

"Yes she can" Lu said.

"Esther. By any chance, are you a sprite?" Autumn asked.

Lu looked at Esther. She was hesitant for a moment.

"I'm not very sure" she said. "You can say that I am but I can swear I don't do harm to anyone" Lu conveyed her message to Autumn

"Well, anything else you can do?" Autumn asked, dismissing the previous topic.

"Same question from me" Lu said.

"I can probably make a lot of other things but creating something takes mana from me and I have to sleep longer depending on how much mana I spent awake, which would also mean depending on what I create" She said.

"So that's what took you so long after that night" Lu said.

"And why I only created a minature beam instead of the original one" Esther said.

"What did she say?" Autumn asked, and Lu conveyed.

"I guess we can't interact much, but can we be friends?" Autumn smiled."

Esther lit up at the thought. "Can we, really?" Lu repeated for her.

"Even though I can't see or hear you, I hope we'll get along".

"No problem! I'll just borrow Lu's mouth!" she smirked.

"Hey don't I have a say in that?" Lu complained before relaying her message.

The two girls laughed and their cart moved on.

***

The following days ended up peacefully travelling as Esther could now sense titans in her sleep, and promised that she would tell them whenever she senses one nearby even if she's sleepy. She explains she got it from the orb Lu absorbed because their souls are linked. Esther does not know how, but she's sure they are linked. Also she explains this is the reason she could feel how Lu feels. Lu asks why it isnt vice versa and Esther doesnt know either.

Autumn and Lu had exhausted all their supply of collars and have managed the lack of rations by hunting and preparing food themselves. Thankfully, the animals were only a little different compared to the animals Lu used to know. There were wild cows, which they were called, albeit they looked a lot more hairy and bigger and fewer in packs than the cows Lu used to know.

Wild pigs were half the size Lu expected them to be, were much faster, and much darker in color.

So far Lu has not encountered chickens, but many wild birds which he has not even heard of has come his way.

They shared recipes with each other that they have learned from their differing cultures. Esther looked jelous of their ability to eat each time they prepared a delicious meal.