After a day and a half of somewhat annoying travel through dense foliage and trees that became exceedingly dense after a while, Lassim finally broke free from the jungle. The sight of the vast ocean stretching out before him filled him with a sense of excitement and relief.
He was finally making progress towards the Southern Continent! The beach sand, warm beneath his boots, felt like a welcoming embrace.
Lassim wiped the sweat that had built up due to the high humidity from his brow and took in the serene view.
About half a kilometer to the west, he spotted a gathering of huts with palm frond roofs and a wooden barrier of spiked walls that encircled them. Assuming it was a village, he decided to make his way over, mindful to reduce his presence and avoid repeating the same mistake he had made at Swamp Town.
As he approached the gate, he was greeted by an older gentleman. The man wore a flower-strung necklace and fish tooth bracelet forearm guards on both arms. He was dressed in a unique, blue floral patterned pair of shorts and was barefoot.
Sitting in a chair made of thin branches and palm fronds, he appeared to be the village guard, though Lassim pondered if he was perhaps taking his role a bit too casually. Despite his relaxed demeanor, Lassim could tell he was a Spirit Transformation level warrior like himself, though only at level three and considerably weaker.
"Greetings, stranger," the man said with a warm smile. "Are you lost? We don’t get many visitors in our humble commune. You’re probably the first in a decade."
Lassim returned the smile, "Not lost, just passing through on my way south. Your village looks like a peaceful place."
The man chuckled. "Peaceful, indeed. We live a simple life here, hunting the seas for our food and gathering vegetables and fruits when we need to resupply. I’m the village leader, by the way. Name’s Tharo."
"Nice to meet you, Tharo. I’m Lassim," he replied, a bit surprised by the revelation that this relaxed man was the village leader. "Do you happen to know in which direction I’d be able to pay for passage across the sea? I’ve got a map, but it’s been a few years and things might have changed."
Tharo nodded. "It’s always a good omen to welcome travelers. Why don’t you stay the night and join us for a feast? It’s been so long since we’ve had a guest, and it would be our pleasure to host you. During the meal, we can take some time and look over that map of yours to point you in the right direction. How’s that sound?"
Lassim’s smile widened. "That sounds wonderful. Thank you for your generosity."
As they entered the village, several young children ran up to Tharo in a carefree and playful manner as if they’d already been eavesdropping on the conversation.
"Grandpa Tharo, who’s this?" a young boy with a mop of curly hair asked, pointing at Lassim.
Tharo chuckled, patting the boy on the head. "This is Lassim, a traveler passing through our village."
Lassim smiled warmly at the children, taking a moment to crouch down to be eye level with them. "Hello there! My name is Lassim. What are your names?"
The children responded eagerly, their voices overlapping. "I’m Kai!" "My name is Leilani!" "I’m Makoa!"
"It’s nice to meet all of you," Lassim said, genuinely delighted by their cuteness.
Kai, the curly-haired boy, looked up at Tharo with wide eyes. "Grandpa Tharo, is Lassim going to stay with us?"
Tharo nodded. "Yes, Kai. Lassim will be staying with us for the night. We’re going to have a feast to welcome him!"
"A feast?!" Leilani exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. "Can we help?"
"Of course," Tharo replied with a smile. "Why don’t you go tell your mothers to prepare for the feast? It’s been a long time since we’ve had a guest."
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The children cheered with their hands waving in the air and scampered off, shouting excitedly. "There’s going to be a feast!" "We have a visitor!" "Mama, we need to prepare for a feast!"
Lassim watched them go, a warm feeling spreading through his chest.
The villagers began to notice the commotion, several heads popping out from behind palm frond walls and hut doors. They waved at him, their faces curious and welcoming.
"You have a wonderful village here, Tharo," Lassim said, standing back up and feeling genuinely touched by the community’s friendliness.
Tharo laughed heartily. "We’re a small and humble group, but we all take care of each other. That’s how it’s always been and I hope that it continues well into the future as well. It’s much kinder and nicer than those big ol’ capitals if I dare say."
Lassim nodded.
As they walked further into the village, Lassim’s eyes fell upon a familiar figure. A beautiful young woman, similar in age appearance-wise to Lassim, wearing a long floral-patterned skirt and a matching bikini top dyed red. She was carrying a basket filled with fruits, her graceful movements catching his attention.
His memory of their last encounter came rushing back as she danced gracefully and sent curved blades of water towards his face trying to defeat him in the middle of their showmatch. She’d not really aged at all, but he’d noticed she’d advanced a bit past their last encounter. Originally she was Spirit Growth 7 and now she was peak Spirit Growth stage just 5 years later.
"Hey! #16!" Lassim called out, causing the woman to stop and turn towards him with a puzzled expression. "I’m sorry, but I meant to give you this after our match all those years ago."
He summoned a giant mound of 546,000 mid-grade ESS out in the open in front of her.
The woman’s mouth dropped open in shock, and Tharo made a playful joke. "Wow! I didn’t know you were here to purchase little ’rissa’s hand in marriage! Now we have even more of a reason to have a feast!"
Lassim quickly tried to clear up the misunderstanding. "No, no, it’s not like that. You’re Marissa Angelcroft, right? Marissa, it’s me, Lassim. We fought in the martial tournament for Spirit Growth warriors back in Durelia Town. Do you remember?"
Marissa’s eyes widened in realization. "Lassim? You were that little boy that I lost the showmatch too! I almost didn’t recognize you! You’ve changed so much. How are you so powerful now?
What happened to you? I remember the notices about a noble that went missing shortly after our battle. That was you wasn’t it?"
Lassim sighed, feeling the weight of the long story he had to tell. "It’s a long story. How about I explain everything over the feast?"
Marissa nodded eagerly, still in shock from seeing him and the mound of ESS. Tharo clapped Lassim on the back and led them towards the village leader’s palm frond-covered meeting hall in the center of the village. The hall had no walls, and villagers were already bustling about, preparing for the evening’s festivities, setting up blankets to lay and rest on and the grills to cook with.
As they settled in, the villagers brought out an array of delicious foods—grilled fish, tropical fruits, and various other dishes. The atmosphere was lively, with laughter and even some unique music filling the air.
Tharo raised a cup of a local brew. "To our guest, Lassim, and to good omens!" The villagers cheered and drank, the festivities officially beginning.
Marissa sat next to Lassim, her eyes still filled with curiosity. "So, tell me everything. How did you go from being a Spirit Growth warrior to… well, this?" She gestured to him, clearly impressed by his transformation and increased presence.
Lassim took a deep breath and began his abbreviated tale that he crafted to be less conspicuous. He began to speak of his time at the Myriad Spirit Academy, his training under various masters, and how that had led to his master giving him the letter to go to the Lightning Sect. He recounted his travel with his family’s company which led to their run-in during the Martial Tournament.
The village was listening intently to his retelling of their fierce showmatch and how impressed he was with Marissa’s control over the water element and her dancing.
He then omitted several details by saying his next steps led to him being targeted by someone after the tournament and him escaping into an undiscovered elemental plane by chance. He shared that he was too scared to leave with how weak he was and that he spent 5 years training within it until he advanced.
He recounted the battles he had fought without giving away too many details, and told how he experienced a magical advancement that led to him being confident in leaving the plane. After that he continued south by himself and just finished crossing the Spider Queen’s Threads before arriving on the coast.
Marissa and the villagers all listened intently, occasionally interjecting with questions of their own. Especially the three children that were incredibly curious about the spider-folk.
"And that’s how I ended up here," Lassim concluded, taking a sip of his drink. "I’m on my way to finish my journey to the Southern Continent now to continue my training at the Lightning Sect."
Marissa shook her head in amazement. "It’s incredible. You’ve been through so much. And to think, I almost beat you in that tournament!"
Lassim chuckled and replied humbly, "You were a formidable opponent. I was really fearful of your skills at the time, but thankfully my elemental companion had a bit more control over the water element than you at the time.."
They continued to talk, catching up on the years that had passed since their last encounter and Lassim began to listen to Marissa’s own story.