Slice Of Life (1)

Nti Anem placed his hand on the bolder and closed his eyes," It's been long, old friend," he muttered to it. The boulder hummed then quietened and they found themselves in wide colour-filled grassland. The soft wind waved around the grass hitting the sparse trees across the plains. The backdrop of a mountain in the distance set the scene.

"We should build some shelter," Nti Anem said and Ku Jian glanced at him with raised brows. It was not normal for cultivators to build a shelter when they could stay in a cave.

"We will be here long, very long," he said, looking at the mountain ahead.

"Why is this place called the quiet?"

"You will understand after a few hundred years," he said and followed the sound of birds in the distance till he reached a tree. He looked up at the birds nested on the tree and sighed.

"This should be a good place," he said and waved to Ed back where they stood and Ed walked over. With the tree as shade, Ed sat under it and leaned back. For some reason, even if his eyes were still closed as always, Nti Anem felt he had gone to sleep. So did, Ku Jian when she walked over.

"Shelter, huh?" she asked Nti Anem.

"You might as well settle in, there should be great herbs and food on the mountain," he said and moved towards its direction.

"Oh, you are not a cultivator. You eat, like a mortal," Ku Jian said and followed him towards the mountain before pausing.

"Is it safe?" she asked looking back at the sleeping Ed.

"Yes, is it safe for the things around him?" Nti Anem asked.

"Brother Ed would not harm a fly!" Ku Jian protested.

"Is that so?" Nti Anem continued towards the mountain. The plains looked flat but were quite undulated. The short grasses changed at some point to long almost waist-length ones. They waved their brown stalks around to the wind. When they reached the Edge of the mountain, they found that they stood in a herd of trees. Nti Anem raised his head slightly and sniffed around.

"Citruses," he said and moved in one direction.

"Huh?" Ku Jian saw him stroll away and stared slightly blank before a sound distracted her. She turned sharply to see a little white figure run through bushes. She noticed it was a fat rabbit, so followed. She trailed after it slowly, so that it did not notice, thought the forest. The rabbit stopped for a moment under a fallen tree and dug for a while. Then pulled at the stalk of a plant there, only then did she move closer quickly, alarming the rabbit to run away.

"I knew I smelt a herb on that rabbit," she looked at the plant in wonder, the squat before it and took out a brush and ink from her space with some parchment, then started to draw. She did not notice as time passed in this action of accessing the herb.

Nti Anem had long left her behind as he trailed after the smell of citruses. Soon, he stood before a small cluster of tangerine trees.

"This is a good season for it," he nodded and moved closer and stared at the ripe ones. He then climbed one of the trees and sat on its branches. Plucking a ripe tangerine beside him, he peeled the outer skin and place one section in his mouth. Its sweet juices overwhelmed his taste buds. He nodded, satisfied with its sweetness.

"It will make good wine," he said. Sitting on that branch, he plucked the ripe ones near him and placed them in his space. When the ones around him had all been plucked, he moved on to another spot and plucked until he had gotten enough.

"I will be back for the rest of you. Night is near," he said to the remaining trees and moved around. He had some wood in his space for fire. But he had almost used them up when he was secluded in the cave with Ed. He moved around to get more. He could tell which was better at catching fire with just a look, so he searched and collected quite a lot of wood. He got before an old fallen tree and touch the body in contemplation.

"It will grow great mushrooms," he said and moved past them. He paused and stared into the distance with a slight frown.

"Hmm... I am yet to find something to eat," he looked ahead at the sun retreating in the sky and sighed, "I should return," he turned and traced his way back. He passed through the tangerine trees and back towards the entrance of the forest where he had separated from Ku Jian. She was not there.

"Did she go back already?" he wondered. This girl, it is not as though she is a child. She will find her way back. He thought and made to leave when he spotted a blue hump in the distance. He trained his eyes at it and noticed it was her squatting a bit away.

"What is she doing?" he moved towards her and found her carefully uprooting a herb. He paused behind her and watched her action, but she did not turn. She concentrated fully on what she was doing. A small white rabbit dashing around caught his eye. It seemed to be watching Ku Jian waiting for her to leave. He raised his hands swiftly and appeared before it, catching it by its neck. The rabbit struggled, but Nti Anem stared at its body with interest.

"Quite plump," he said and broke its neck. He then looked back at Ku Jian putting away the herb and made to leave.

"It is dark. His highness should be awake," he said to her and walked away with the dead rabbit in hand. Ku Jian looked up t his leaving figure and followed him back. They passed back through the long grasses and back to the plains. The sun had completely set behind the mountain before they reached Ed under the tree. His eyes remained closed, but they seemed to feel he was awake.

"You can open your eyes now, Your Highness," Nti Anem said and Ed opened his eyes; they were no more blank, but calm.

"I slept," he commented.

"Yes, the quiet did that. Your eyes have a better look to them," Nti Anem noticed that even though he had calmed, the hell tree still shun through. The quiet will slowly piece together his individuality. He was not sure what that would be. He will always be the hell tree, but he needs to be Edward more. As Ku Jian rushed to his side and sat, staring at him with shining eyes, Nti Anem turned and sat on the grass, "Time to start a fire," he said.