Sea spray drizzles over them as he steadies the water and carefully avoids the jutting rocks in their path. This would be impossible without water manipulation. The rocks are the perfect way to keep intruders out, but he’s technically not an intruder or at least he won’t be until he leaves. After that, he’s positive he won’t be welcome in Meio again.
With every harsh wave that jars their boat, leaving only a hairsbreadth of space between their boat and a boat sinking rock, his two passengers grow increasingly tense. They both look a little green, even Irisa looks as if she’s regretting her decision while Ocher glares daggers at him.
Well, he never promised it would be a smooth ride.
Azure looks up and shields his eyes from the sun, at least it’s a nice day out. Once they get through this part, it’ll be an easy glide towards the island that holds an offshoot of his people.
When the last sharp rock is behind them, he turns and faces his companions, rolling the stiffness out of his shoulders. “Thank you for having faith in me, Irisa.”
“You’re welcome,” she responds. Ocher rolls his eyes.
Azure looks back towards the approaching land, he can already see the low outline of the structures and the architecture is similar to his childhood home. However, these buildings aren’t degraded like his former home. The familiarity almost makes him regret that he’s going to have to turn them against him.
They have one dock from what he can tell and several mid size boats surrounding it. The boats probably aren’t used often. If they’re anything like his people, they prefer to live in isolation.
When their own boat finally drifts against the sandy ground of the shoreline, he and Ocher haul the boat fully onto the beach before helping Irisa out. There’s already a group of people waiting for them a few feet away, not hostile, but wary.
“Hello,” Azure calls out to them.
A single man steps forward, ignoring his greeting. “How did you get through?”
“I’m from Ustrina.”
He moves backward, posture becoming more guarded, “I thought they were all killed.”
Azure shakes his head, he’s not surprised they’re so defensive after what happened to his own home. “Not all of us, but it has been very lonely. This is the closest place to what my home used to be like.”
“Are you intending to live here?”
“No, we’re just visiting. I have many other things to do.”
He gestures to Azure’s companions, “And they are?”
“Two people who joined me on the way. Her home was burned to the ground as well and his family abandoned him.”
The man nods quietly, sympathy in his expression. Then his expression hardens again and he points back to the ocean, “Manipulate the water.”
Azure nods and with a few quick movements of his hands, a medium sphere of water separates itself from the ocean and hovers in the air for a few seconds before bursting.
Immediately, the others come forward to greet them, smiling down at Irisa and asking him questions as the three of them are led into town. There are fast exchanges of names that he has no hope of keeping straight, but they don’t seem to mind. Unexpected visitors are plenty of excitement for them.
They enter the town and Azure pauses at the many decorations covering the streets. There are bright orange blossoms decorating the front of buildings, the smell fragrant in the air, and everywhere he looks there’s orange to celebrate the Festival of Gratitude.
It’s been so many years since he’s experienced this celebration. The Festival was always one of his happiest childhood memories. He hadn’t known if it was celebrated here also, but he’d hoped so for what could potentially be the last time he can enjoy it.
One of the ladies in their group places an orange blossom crown on Irisa’s head, nestling it into her curls, and she tugs on his hand, eyes wide with excitement as she points to where several children her age are waving her over. Azure nods and she dashes away to be immediately welcomed into their games.
“Do you have an orphanage here?” Azure questions Dale, the man who first approached them.
“We don’t,” he answers. “Does she not belong with you?”
“No, I’m not really one for taking care of kids and she hated the last place we left her. She has nowhere to go. The world isn’t kind to a child with nothing.”
“Hmm,” Dale considers. “We could probably find someone to keep her, we don’t have as many children as we used to and I’m sure someone would like a child to dote on. However she has no abilities, she wouldn’t be the same as us.”
“I think she’d prefer anywhere over where we brought her from.”
“Alright, then I’ll look into it.”
“Thank you.”
“What are these decorations?” Ocher questions, apparently having held his curiosity back long enough.
“It’s the Festival of Gratitude. It’s a tradition of our people to thank the land for giving us our abilities and showing our appreciation. Usually a few days of celebrating, followed by days of town improvement. Planting flowers and trees, clearing away overgrowth, nature projects to show our gratitude.”
“Azure is correct," Dale agrees. "This was the perfect time for you all to come. Did you plan it?”
“I did. I wasn’t sure if it was something you still celebrated, but if you did, I figured they’d enjoy it.” He ignores the look of surprise Ocher gives him and instead asks Dale if it’s fine for them to explore the festival.
“Of course, it’s a time for celebration after all. Just come find me when you’re done.”
Azure nods and takes Ocher’s hand in his. “What do you want to do first?”
“I don’t know anything about this place.” He glances around, “You decide, it’s your tradition.’
Azure hums, dragging him towards the stalls, “Now I get to make all the choices.”
“As if you don’t do that already.”
“True enough.”
“Hey,” Ocher begins. “You said this was a Festival of Gratitude, your abilities come from the land?”
He shrugs, “Something like that. It’s all stories, so who knows what the truth is. All I care about now is that I have them. I don’t even celebrate this holiday anymore.”
“Why weren’t these people taken along with your family, all of them managed to escape?”
“Nope, this group split from us years ago. We were inland and they wanted to be closer to the sea. There were also disagreements about mixing with outsiders, so eventually the ones who wanted this type of life left and isolated themselves here.”
“And this is all that’s left of your original village?”
“Yes.”
“That’s not quite right,” an older lady behind them cuts in. “Sorry for interrupting, but we’re not all that’s left.”
Azure looks at her in puzzlement, “Who else is there?”
“Well, the ones who left Ustrina came here, but after a while, the group split again and moved away. Similar to the Ustrina split, sometimes there are just too many different ideas on how to live.”
This is news to him. “Where did they go?”