This story is part of the Wanderer series.
“They came looking for you today, you know.”
The villager set down his buckets on the rim of the well and dipped his head under the shade of its roof. As he reached for the rope, Chiyoko gazed off into the mountains, scoffing at the news. “They are still desperate to see me?”
“When one possesses a flying castle, it is no wonder.”
“My castle is not fit for war. They know very well I told them that.”
Giving the knot one last tug, Batu lowered the bucket into the darkness. “Do you not possess the knowledge to build one?”
“I have no interest in helping them with their made-up wars,” she answered quite simply.
“Knowledge is still knowledge,” the villager remarked. “They will chase after it regardless.”
Chiyoko sighed, putting down her buckets on the grass. “Yes, yes, I know.”
Staring up at the roaming clouds, she pondered for a moment, her eyes wandering as if she was scanning the sky.
“So, what have those fearmongers been telling the village each time they come looking for me?”
“This was their first visit.”
“Oh. Is that so? Perhaps I was thinking of another village.”
“Their first visit looking for you,” he clarified.
“Do you think they know I’m here? Or simply gathering information?”
“Gathering information.” With a few light tugs, Batu judged for a moment before he began to pull the bucket back up. “They believe you are in the area, up to the Kazu mountains, and are offering a great amount of resources for our cooperation.”
“Ah, that is a wide stretch,” Chiyoko nodded, satisfied. “If they are truly searching that region, they will have a hard time finding me.”
“Can a castle not cover such a region in a matter of weeks?”
“Not their castles,” she explained. “They are large and languish. Still in their infant stages. Frequently breaking down or collapsing. They could not possibly think it is a good idea to use such an experimental device to find me.”
Batu chuckled at her pompous voice.
“And I can spot them far into the horizon. They know they cannot sneak up on me, riding something like that.”
He turned and cracked a big smile as he finally pulled up the bucket. “I understand why they sought you.”
She sighed, leaning back on her elbows. “Fair enough… But I am not helping them.”
“Even if war arrives?”
“If that Xin princess is insane enough to cross continents, then I will fight her. On my own terms.”
“On your own?” Batu raised an eyebrow.
“I studied the empire’s campaigns. They do not fare well in naval battles. If they try to land from the north, the High Elders will certainly see to that.”
“And the south?”
“Then they are leaving a hostile kingdom behind their flanks, whom they failed to take over after several failed naval landings.”
“Ah.”
“It is, as I said, untenable,” Chiyoko insisted, watching Batu lower the second bucket. “But if they want the Tree of Life that badly, then I will have no choice but to intervene.”
“It sounds to me as if you are ready for war.”
“My loyalty is reserved only for the many acquaintances I met during my travels across the continent. Not for the High Elders. It becomes a different situation if one of those regions is threatened.”
“Do you have acquaintances in the Verdant Forests?”
“They taught me a lot,” she answered without elaborating.
“I see. I did not realize your travels spanned that far.”
Chiyoko laughed. “You have seen how far my castle can fly, have you not?”
“Indeed.”