Submission (#3999) Approved

This was never mentioned in the job description.

edit; bolded text is the addition! I'm not sure if it read well, but the clothes are his original ones he departed with on his journey. The fact they didn't fit as well before is just a nod to how much he's grown and experienced over time (as well as the tugs and tears that would come with).

There are at least four other scenarios Kawa imagined when he first met Jiro. Was the first perhaps the end of his short and, Kawa would argue, tragic life? Maybe so. After realizing that was not going to happen, a plethora of other considerations sprung forth. An epic training montage? Wise words that he could pass along to some future apprentice? There were plenty of options to choose from! Instead, however...

“You’ve got to be joking, right?” Kawa stands in the overgrown field. He’s not expert in botany but even Kawa is taken aback by the amount of variety of weeds that have overtaken the fertile farmland. He didn’t even know some of this could grow here, with the lack of direct sunlight, and thinner air courtesy of the mountains. Life does find a way...

”You’ll find I’m not joking type of sort.” Indeed, Kawa silently affirms what Jiro has said, but he’s still not thrilled about doing yard work of all things. When Kawa woke up this morning to the soft stream of light filtering through the fog and the foreign sounds of Kyendi wildlife, he was content with lounging the rest of the afternoon away. Only to find his hopes quickly dashed when Jiro arrived with a hand-full of tools and an expression that the younger kittom knew would not bode well for him. And now he stands outside, contemplating all of the life decisions that have brought him here and wondering where it all went wrong. Maybe he should have laundered his own clothes? Making the older Elnin do all of the dirty (literally, he was really a sorry sight to see a few nights ago) work has come back to really nip him in the rear. But he cannot deny his gratitude at being able to don such familiar clothing once more. The worn leather jacket has quickly become one of his favorite outerwear, and he’s taken to tucking away trinkets and treasures in the pockets the well-loved item has. His pants have grown a bit short in length, Kawa remembers a time in which the back of the legs would drag on the ground (you can still see some fraying from where the threads had loosened from such abuse) but now they are cinched comfortably just a few inches above his ankles. Time has shown its face on his garments but he’s still grateful to have the few familiar articles of clothing apart of his journey. Jiro had given him a few helpful instructions of making the most out of his clothes for adventuring. The other night the adult had spent time sewing hidden pockets within his jacket and pants that allow for him to carry a lot more supplies without needing to pack his rutsack so tightly. A belt with notches sits firmly on his waist, with tools (not just for farming) at an easy to reach distance that are meant to help with climbing cliffs and other structures. 

He picks up the small gardening tools that Jiro has allowed him to wield as his weapons against the weeds. 

“So...what’s the point of all of this, anyways?” He beings his works, digging into the (surprisingly) soft ground. Huh, who would have figured? Guess there’s still quite a bit of topography he’s skipped out on back home in Bellmoril.

”It’s important to maintain these structures...lest more unfortunate souls manage to tumble their way down here,” Jiro shoots a look at Kawa, who ducks his head in embarrassment at the reminder of their encounter. And the state of distress he was found in. “Admittidly I’ve been putting off coming back here...for far too long, apparently, if the land has managed to get so far out of hand like it has.” Jiro explains the significance of certain ‘safe havens’ to Kawa while he works, repairing as much as he is able to along the side of the wooden building and giving tips to the younger kittom while Kawa works in the field adjacent. To the surprise of both of them, time passes along pretty quickly, and soon the light begins to wane and cast the mist into an ethereal glow.  Kawa leans back into the grass behind him, making out the sunlight through the mist above. Despite such a terrifying experience to end up where he is now...he's still thankful that he was able to make it this far. Although taking a break and finding a nearby waterfall to wash off sounds really good right now. He closes his eyes while a floating island passes overhead and casts some much appreciated shade upon the tired kittom.

“That should be good enough for today, you can relax.” Jiro motions to Kawa, who has done his best at tending to the garden while also managing to keep himself relatively clean. A quick assessment of his status affirms Jiro that the few stains on his pants and sleeves of his jacket should lift out easily with a bit of scrubbing. It looks like he will be able to sleep a bit earlier tonight, much to the adult’s relief. Kawa, on the other hand, looks delighted that his day of manual labor has finally finished. Despite getting into the zone and making good headway on clearing out a lot of the unusable debris, he’s still a kittom and working for extended periods of time just simply wasn’t something he would have ever be prepared for. He certainly only managed for as long as he had due to the prior adventuring through Enmir and beyond giving him some slight muscle and stamina. Maybe he will have time to go explore and find someplace cool and clean to rid himself of this dirt and grim afterall! He's pretty sure there was a nice ruin or two that he passed along the way here. Maybe Jiro would even be able to escort him along the way.

“We can finish the rest of this tomorrow. I have a few other locations that I’ve acquired over the years that likely need refurbishment for them as well.“ Kawa listens to the older Elnin as they both begin to tidy up the supplies and head in for the night. 

“There’s a spot in Enmir and Ealei I’ve been meaning to visit, do those destinations mean anything to you?” Kawa gives pause to Jiro’s words. He doesn’t remember much from Miyuki’s departure. And he hasn’t been able to drum up any sort of clue on where she might have gone or been taken too. The words of the mysterious Kyunru replay in his mind and perhaps Jiro is the person he’s been meaning to find in order to get closer to reuniting with her. Kawa also cannot deny the certain...perks of also being escorted around Eyre by a noble Elnin...

The choice was clear the moment he stepped across the borders of Kyendi.

“Let me join you!”

Jiro hides the small smile the forms on his face at the determination from Kawa. 

”Better learn to make yourself plenty useful, then.”

Guess he’ll need to learn how to cook for two from now on. 

The night before their departure, Jiro helps Kawa prepare a medical supply pack. He carefully points out the herbs and medicines contained within and the small kittom absorbs the knowledge with rapt attention. Fresh herbs are wrapped in clean bandages and others have been grinded down into a salve that is perfect for small wounds or cuts. There's small tools that are easy enough for Kawa to wield and cut cloth with. Jiro shows him a variety of knots and watches carefully as Kawa attempts them on his own with the rope. Jiro nods, once satisfied with the lesson, and nudges the kittom away to finish packing up enough supplies for the journey ahead.