The Bird and the Garden 3: The Final Adventure

Chapter 13: Returning Home

Yin stumbled out of the bar with Sasha, the two laughing happily. This was the second bar they had visited, having spent the better half of the afternoon drinking and shopping. They were only tipsy; they weren't completely drunk. They had just enough to lift their spirits.

"You know, you really ain't that bad," Sasha said. "You're actually a decent guy."

"Thanks," Yin replied. "I wish I was nicer sooner. You're a lot of fun to be around."

"Hey, thanks man!" Sasha said cheerfully. "Whaddya say we go grab a bite? I saw this noodle stand a little while ago."

"Yeah, that sounds good."

Yin meant his words. Sasha was a great person to hang out with. Through their chat, he learned she liked exercise. He should have figured, given that her abs were built like a brick wall and her arms were as thick as his head. Sasha was built from solid muscle. He followed the tomboy down the streets, his curiosity beginning to rise. "Hey, you said you're from Aldia, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I was just wondering what it's like. I've never been."

"Huh... Well..." Sasha scratched her chin. "It's a lot different from Faralda or here, that's for sure. It snows a lot, and I don't think I've ever seen it melt."

"Not once?"

"Nope. First time I felt warm, now that I think about it."

"What made you want to leave?" Yin asked. "Surely you knew you'd be hated because you're an elf."

"Yeah..." Sasha's voice went quieter. "... Wouldn't have left. But there's something I need to do..."

They sat down at the noodle stand, an ogre running back and forth between customers. The poor man looked exhausted, but he still served out orders with a smile. He was happy to help others, at the cost of having sore legs. He slammed into the counter, gasping for breath.

"What... What... Oh, hell... What would you like?" He wheezed.

"Just a regular bowl of noodles. Two," Sasha said. Yin looked up at her. "Huh?"

"I'll pay for both. Consider it a thanks," the elf grinned. The ogre dashed around, throwing the noodles into a pit of boiling water, begging for them to be cooked faster. The moment they were done, the bowls were set in front of the adventurers, the ogre quickly running to his next customer. Poor guy.

Yin took a bite, talking after he swallowed. The noodles were delicious. "You said you had something you needed to do..."

Sasha poked at her food, her grin falling. "... It's really personal."

"C'mon, it'd be nice to get it off your chest, wouldn't it?"

Sasha gave a small grin, biting into her food. "... Alright. The reason I became an adventurer... It's because I'm looking for someone special."

"Oh, a boyfriend?"

Sasha winced. "Ew, no. It's my older brother, Nikita."

Yin felt dumb for jumping to conclusions. "You have a brother?"

Sasha nodded. "Yeah. Redhead, like me. Haven't seen him for years..."

"Years?"

"Yeah. Not since I escaped slavery in the Royal Capital."

"S... Slavery?" Yin echoed with a stammer. Guilt struck him. He had called Sasha a slave many times, but he didn't think she had been one. Sasha nodded.

"Yup. I was a slave. Nikita and I were taken away together, but we worked in different cities. We saw each other every now and again, but we weren't allowed to talk to each other. No one was," she admitted quietly. Her chopsticks rested against her bowl. She didn't like talking about it. "... I ran away after a few years. Went back home, hoping he had the same idea. Shouldn't have been surprised, now that I think about it, but... The Church got there first, and left a week before I got home."