Wellor lent a hand with Reefa to pick the olives from the tree.

“Wellor, do you think we can ever get along with the 9 kingdoms?” Reefa asked.

“I don’t know for sure. The people of Detra have tried to avoid contact with them for decades. And seeing that we’re surrounded by all the continents on almost all sides,” he glanced at the never-ending scenery of red sands and dunes beneath a red and purple sky, “we might never get to see the outside world beyond the Hariq Desert without having to meet one of them.”

Wellor turned his gaze to Reefa and said, “I know you’re getting bored with this place.”

Reefa looked into his bright blue eyes. She asked herself for a second. Was she bored with this place? Maybe she was feeling homesick for a while after figuring out that the life ahead of her would only be in Detra and was as simple as doing the chores, eating, sleeping, studying and ultimately getting married. But there was another important question closely related to that one that had popped up in her mind. Would she be able to let get of this place? It was a question that was more dire and difficult to answer.

“Yeah, I get pretty bored staying here sometimes,” she chuckled, “But I couldn’t ask for a better place to live in.”

She gripped at the handles of her basket as she recalled the future events. “Because here is where my family and friends are.”

Wellor noticed her hint of distress that was showing beneath her fake smile. He grabbed something small from his pocket and opened the wrapping.

“Open your mouth for me.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Just do it.”

She gave him a confused look and opened her mouth. He put the candy into her mouth and she started tasting it. The taste was as sweet as dates and peaches combined. A delicacy that wasn’t common in the village.

“Did you make these?”

“I didn’t make them. Mr. Peck gave us a jar of these foods two months ago. I think he got it during his expeditions. They’re food that’s hard as a rock. When you suck on it, it gets smaller and smaller.”

She awed in amazement, “So this is what they eat in the kingdoms.”

Wellor laughed and said, “My mum told me that if this was their staple, the people in the kingdoms might be overweight. But then again, that is a sign of their wealthiness.”

She gave a cute nod to him as she enjoyed the sweet savoury in her mouth. Wellor couldn’t help but blush. He grabbed another 3 of them in his pocket and placed them in the basket of olives. “You can have the rest,” he murmured.

The small basket was now filled with olives, 2 stalks of dates, and 3 pieces of candy. Reefa closed the basket lid and tied the handles back to the saddle.

“If we ever make good ties with them in the future, the first thing I’ll do is buy everyone all the sweet food that they want,” said Reefa, “that is, if I have enough money to buy them”.

She glanced at the sky to check what time it was. It was almost dusk, and the sun was going down beyond the horizon.

“Ack! It’s getting late.”

She untied Dalka from the tree and mounted on the saddle.

“Thanks for helping me out today, Wellor,” she signalled Dalka to trot, “I’ll see you tomorrow!”

Reefa and Wellor waved at each other.

“Okay, see you!”

Wellor had a few tasks to do at the oasis before returning to the village. His mother had requested him to plant some barley seeds and filter some drinking water to take home.

He returned a little later than usual with his white horse under the dark evening sky. His 5-year-old sister, Fifi, was waiting for him on the front porch. His horse had finally caught Fifi’s attention, and she ran to him. The white stallion was startled, and Wellor gently pulled the reins to stop the horse from jumping.

“Fifi! Seriously!? Could you not scare the horse like that?”

“Where is it?” Fifi searched for the basket of dates that was hanging from the saddle. She hastily grabbed a stalk of dates and hurried back into the house.

“Oi! Wash them before you eat them!”

Wellor mounted off his horse and put it in the stables. He was carrying the basket of dates and a gallon of filtered water for drinking.

“I’m home!” He said as he entered the living room.

Mr. Hughes was sitting against the wall of his bedroom reading a book. He poked his head out from the doorway.

“Did you get the water?”

“Sure did.”

“Finally! I’m so parched.”

Wellor’s mother came down from the stairs and he handed her the basket. “Thank you, dear,” she then gave him a kiss on the forehead.

The family sat down on the chairs and gathered around a dining table full of dates. Mrs Hughes had boiled hot milk and served a cup for each of them. Wellor sat at the table and ate the dates as he overheard his parent’s open conversation.

“I received news from the neighbours that a few migrants have stopped by at Detra lately,” said Mrs Hughes.

“That can’t be good,” Mr Hughes turned his focus from his book towards his wife and was concerned about the topic. “How many migrants are there?” he asked.

“They said there were five people. Three of them were humans, but the others were Haaras. They didn’t know what type of wielders they were.”

“Mummy, what’s a wieldo?” Fifi asked.

“It’s pronounced ‘wielder’, Fifi. Not ‘wieldo’,” said Wellor.

“I don’t care!” Fifi wrinkled her nose and kicked her feet in the air while she sat on the chair. She then looked up at her dad, who was sitting beside her with curious eyes, and tugged at his blond hair strands.

“Sweetie, that hurts.”

“Daddy, what’s a weirdo?”

Mr Hughes took a second to look at his daughter’s face, beaming with excitement. He felt the rush of serotonin as he laughed at her adorableness.

“A wielder is someone with really cool powers!”

“Really cool powers!” Fifi repeated her father’s words with her fist pumping the air, “What kind of powers?!”

“Well, for starters, an air wielder can control the wind and fly high above the sky.”

“Wooaahhh. What else? What else?!”

“An earth wielder can move the rocks and dirt from the earth, and they can also communicate with trees and plants. And then there are water wielders that can-“

“Okay, okay. That’s enough storytelling for the night. Fifi, finish your milk and I’ll take you to bed,” Mrs Hughes stood up from her seat and took Fifi into her arms. She flailed her hands on her mother’s shoulders.

“Daddy! Daddy! Can I also have those powers? I want to be an earth weirdo too.”

“I’m sure you’ll have them when you grow up into a beautiful lady,” Mr Hughes rubbed her daughter’s soft hands before Mrs Hughes carried her upstairs. He looked back at the cup of warm milk that was on the table, and Wellor watched as his father’s smile disappeared.

“Dad, why are we the only Haaras that don’t have powers?” Wellor asked.

His father didn’t answer. Wellor tried to break the silence again. He asked another question.

“Why are we the only Haaras being hunted?”

Mr Hughes held the warm cup with both hands. After a minute of silence, he finally gave his answer.

“The power that we hold is something more terrifying than any other wielder, Wellor. It’s a power that only demons can hold.”

“We’re not dangerous if we’re powerless. We don’t have any type of wielding. What exactly do they have against us?”

“You’re too young to understand it, Wellor.”

“No, I’m not,” Wellor raised his voice, “I’m old enough to know what’s going on in this place. Humans are as powerless as us, yet they can come and go from any of the kingdoms. Why are we the only ones hiding from them when we can simply just walk up to their borders without doing them any harm?”

“You will do no such thing!” Mr Hughes yelled at Wellor. Startled by his father’s bitter tone of voice, Wellor went quiet.

“You will stay in this village. Staying here is our only safe option. If you want to die so badly, go ahead! Take a step in their area!”

Wellor’s mother appeared from the arched entrance of the kitchen.

“Wellor, head upstairs and go to bed,” she reproached him calmly.

Wellor stood from his chair and took his leave.

The moonlight was as bright as ever during midnight, and the streaks of blue light seeped through the gaps of the bedroom window. An hour after the argument, Wellor laid on his bed and stared mindlessly at the ceiling. He tried to sleep, but the frustration that had built up from the argument made him restless. Fifi was fast asleep, snoring in her bed that was next to Wellor’s. He didn’t want to make one bit of a sound that would wake her up. He quietly unlocked the wooden windows of their bedroom and pushed it open, grimacing at the creaking sound of the window’s hinges as Fifi tossed around in her bed. Poking his head out of the window, Wellor looked up at the starry night sky amidst the illuminating, honey-coloured lights of the oil lamps throughout the streets of Detra. His blue eyes sparkled as the moonlight lit part of their bedroom floor.

Map of The Alternate Earth of Cosmia: