Burkurel Ju’Tha

The sounds of footsteps drew closer as Re'Kha wished she could find her bag. In the next moment, the darkness in her world was replaced by the grey sand cluster. Unlike before, when she was escaping through the forest, the sand clusters were now steadier.

She noticed the room she was in, the bed she lay upon, and the table placed on her left. Situated upon it was the bag her master gave her. Re'Kha immediately grabbed hold of it, sighing in relief when she noticed its untampered state.

She didn't dare think of what would happen if she had lost the bag. For, it was impossible to search for it through her blindness. Moreover, she still couldn't understand the changes in her body, wishing to first inspect and understand them better. Thankfully, she hadn't lost the bag. She could now take her time and gather her bearings.

The room wasn't clearly defined in her grey sand world. Even the table next to her was a blur, the edges lacking the sharpness compared to when she had her sight.

'Still, I should be thankful for this. At least, I can use this to perceive my surroundings.' She sighed in relief, caressing the bag. She then thought about how the grey sand world disappeared when it rained, recalling the words her had master said, 'I see, so that is what master meant to open up to the air. So, my perception is related to the air, and that's why it vanished during the rain.'

A humanoid of large stature walked in through the entrance, her familiar voice ringing out, "Ah, you got up. That was a dangerous state you ended up in. If we had delayed any longer, you would have frozen to death."

"Thank you for saving me," Re'Kha cupped her fist, "Please tell me your name. When I return to my Clan, I'll return the favour."

"Burkurel Ju'Tha," The voice replied. She was the one who identified Re'Kha before. Re'Kha saw the other party cup her fist in return, noticing her cordial behaviour even though the other party was blind.

Through her perception, all Re'Kha could make out was her tall stature and wide shoulders. On her face, her eyes were a darker shade of grey, same for the sides of her nose, her nostrils, and the line between her lips. There wasn't much detail she could perceive through her vision, making the identification of the other party all the more difficult.

Any place with an indentation, a groove, or a fold was a darker shade of grey while flatter surfaces were of a lighter shade. Moreover, everything had a blur in them. Re'Kha recalled another of her master's statements, only realising the concept now, 'Air constantly moves in disorder. So, what I am perceiving is the points where the air collides into rigid objects and gets reflected. Along those points, their density is a tad higher which is enhanced and reflected in my perception.'

The knowledge she wasn't privy to flowed in her mind as the logic behind them became clear. They were all teachings her master had crammed into her mind in the short duration they met. At first, she was pretty much clueless about everything.

But now, as she experienced a world different from her own, she could come to understand her master's teachings bit by bit. Re'Kha gazed at Ju'Tha, noticing the other party wave her hand as a maid brought in a crate of food.

The aroma of the food wafted into her nostrils, immediately causing her stomach to rumble in hunger. Just when Re'Kha gazed into the direction of the smell, Ju'Tha spoke, "Please don't exert yourself. We have only cleaned your wounds with water and patched you up with some herbs. We don't have a healing expert in our small settlement."

"Which settlement under the Burkurel Ju Clan is this?" Re'Kha placed her hand forward, expressing her intent to feed herself. She gazed at the maid, following the other party's movement through the sound of her footsteps. She didn't display her ability to perceive her surroundings, treading with caution.

What she had experienced previously prevented her from relaxing. She displayed herself as a person capable of taking care of herself, not adversely affected by the loss in her sight. But, she also didn't put on a brave front, showing her helplessness at her loss.

The maid placed a plate of food on her lap, guiding her left hand to it while placing a spoon on her right. Re'Kha had kept the bag back on the table when Ju'Tha had entered, acting as if it didn't possess anything of significant value.

After all, she was in foreign territory. Moreover, if she behaved like it contained something of value, then she couldn't guarantee she would wake up to see the next day. Her previous action of a fluster was of one who had lost her belongings. The moment she noticed its presence, she heaved a sigh of relief and set it aside.

It showed that while the contents in the bag were important, it wasn't important to the extent needing her constant alertness. Ju'Tha clearly noticed her behaviour, now no longer interested in the contents of the bag.

She watched Re'Kha eat the food, albeit with some difficulty with her trembling hands, "This is the western settlement. It is still raining heavily outside, so we haven't been able to dispatch a messenger to your Clan."

"How…long was I asleep?" Re'Kha ate the food slowly, finding its taste to be bland. But at least, it was nourishing as she felt the warmth seep through her food pipe and settle in her stomach. After a couple of morsels, she felt some strength return to her.

"Around half a day," Ju'Tha replied, waving her hand to dismiss the maid, "It will soon become night now. We'll send a messenger the first thing in the morning once the rain clears away."

"Thank you for your help," Re'Kha nodded, continuing to eat her food.

"If there is anything else, feel free to call me. I'll station a maid right at the entrance to help you when in need." Saying her piece, Ju'Tha left the room.

Re'Kha continued to eat, frowning after she noticed Ju'Tha exit the room, 'She's not clean.'