Chapter 90
After the flying rock mass soared away, Nesheleka quickly left the area. The flying rock had scared her. The thought that she might have been swallowed by it too made her even more afraid.
Not knowing exactly where she was walking, Nesheleka found a strange object in the forest. It looked a lot like the flying rock she had just seen. Come to think of it, someone had been talking earlier about a fireball falling from the sky. Maybe this thing had fallen from the edge of the sky.
Encountering something for the first time, something beyond her understanding, Nesheleka stared at the rock while letting her imagination run wild like never before. Maybe those adults had come from the edge of the sky. Some had left because their ride came, while others remained behind.
What would the adult who stayed do now? As she was thinking that, Nesheleka suddenly noticed something glittering at her feet.
She picked it up. A translucent stone glowing with a purple hue.
"So pretty..."
She had never seen a stone like this before. Maybe it was something important for moving the flying rock, she imagined, gently gripping the stone.
A whooshing sound rang out. Startled, she looked up to see two more flying rocks appear in the sky. One of them had that adult from earlier riding on it. So they really did come from the edge of the sky!
"Uh, um!"
She raised her voice, but it didn't seem to reach. In moments like this, she felt ashamed of her own weak, quiet voice.
Then, something launched from the rock. It looked like an insect, but Nesheleka couldn't tell what it was with her eyes.
The tiny bug flew up into the sky. When she looked that way, she saw what looked like a dark dot up in the sky. What was it? Was another flying rock going to fall?
Her heart pounding, she continued watching. Then, something sparkled in the sky. The light continued for a while before disappearing in a flash. It was beautiful. Maybe the little bug was doing something up there. Nesheleka didn't understand any of it.
"Eek!"
Suddenly, a tremendous sound rang out. She instinctively hunched her shoulders.
A pure white light flashed from the flying rock, catching the edge of her vision. It was loud and dazzling, and Nesheleka shut her eyes without thinking.
When the sound stopped and she cautiously opened her eyes, the light was already gone. She felt like the flying rock had gotten angry. Somehow, that's what Nesheleka thought.
***
When Nesheleka saw the rock with the adult on it approaching, she instinctively hid behind a tree.
What's going to happen next? Her heart was pounding, and she was excited—Nesheleka's imagination wouldn't stop. She saw the adult on the flying rock raise both hands.
"Ah"
The broken rock floated gently into the air. A bunch of little bugs flew from the adult's rock and swarmed around the broken one. As the rock shrank, Nesheleka's eyes widened. Even though they were so tiny, the bugs were stronger than Goltgo's dad.
The shrunken rock stretched out, and something was separated from it. The separated pieces were neatly assembled into a tube-like shape. Nesheleka watched with sparkling eyes.
"Wow"
The shrunken rock and the tube were absorbed into the flying rock.
As she continued to watch, Nesheleka felt like she made eye contact with the adult standing on the rock for some reason.
As if to prove it, the adult slowly descended from the rock. It was a strange movement. Descending slowly from a height taller than the trees. When kids fall from trees, they can't control the speed like that.
The adult landed silently on the ground and looked around as if searching for something.
Could they be looking for Nesheleka?
Thinking that they probably wouldn't do anything bad to her, Nesheleka gently stepped out from behind the tree. As expected, they didn't feel scary.
"〇×◇"
"Huh?"
As she thought, she couldn't understand a word they were saying.
What should she say in response? As Nesheleka was troubled, a familiar voice called out from the distance.
"Nesheleka! Are you okay?!"
It was Goltgo. Swinging his favorite club, he ran straight at the adult and swung it at them.
The adult wasn't surprised at all. They caught each strike of the club and just watched Goltgo without retaliating.
"Run, Nesheleka! This one's strong!"
"No, Goltgo! They helped me!"
"Huh?"
Goltgo stopped his hand in surprise. He stared at the adult's face and asked Nesheleka,
"Wait, this one's a bit different from the one before?"
"Yes. This one helped me."
"I see. Sorry about that."
Goltgo slung his club over his back and walked over to Nesheleka. After checking she wasn't hurt, he let out a sigh.
What should she do? Goltgo had tried to protect her, but hitting the adult wasn't right. She had to apologize somehow. After thinking it over, Nesheleka decided to offer the beautiful stone she picked up earlier.
A purple stone she had never seen before. Surely this would satisfy him.
In fact, the adult reached out for it. Just as Nesheleka felt relieved, thinking they had forgiven him, the hand suddenly stopped.
"〇△×"
Did something offend them? The face, slightly similar to the hairy people, twisted just a bit.
"×〇△"
Words that sounded like they were talking to someone. It didn't seem like they were speaking to her—was someone else nearby?
Then, the adult finally took the purple stone from Nesheleka's hand.
For some reason, they split the stone in two, placing one half in Nesheleka's hand and the other in Goltgo's.
"Stay friends from now on, okay?"
"!?"
Suddenly, the adult's words changed into their own language.
Goltgo was shocked, and so was Nesheleka.
As they stared, the adult made a troubled face and gently floated into the air.
Once they boarded the flying rock that had been hovering in the air, the rock's shape suddenly changed. It no longer looked like a rock, but something carved. Nesheleka didn't know how to describe it.
"H-Hey, Nesheleka. What is that?"
"I don't know..."
The thing that had carried the adult circled around Nesheleka and Goltgo, then rose toward the edge of the sky.
"H-Hey, Nesheleka! It's leaving!"
"Yeah. Maybe it's going home."
They watched silently until it shrank and disappeared from view.
Once they confirmed it wouldn't return, Nesheleka and Goltgo lowered their heads.
"What was that thing?"
"I don't know."
All that remained was the purple stone in her palm and the words, 'Stay friends from now on.'
Nesheleka and Goltgo stared at each other, but then Goltgo suddenly shouted.
"Right. Everyone's worried. We need to go back."
"Yeah."
Nesheleka thought they'd probably be asked what had happened.
How should she explain it? About the flying rocks, and the being stronger than Azargan. She didn't think she could explain it well.
"Do you think they'll believe us?"
"Dunno. But we weren't the only ones who saw that amazing light."
"That's true."
Goltgo said that seeing the light helped him somehow figure out where Nesheleka was.
This area was supposed to be Azargan's territory, but it seemed they had run away. With such an incredible light and sound, it made sense they'd flee in surprise.
Let's go back before Azargan returns. Nodding at Goltgo's words, Nesheleka picked up her pace slightly as they headed toward the village where her family waited.