Was Oba normally this cold? Haikili crossed his arms as he looked outside at the streets below the apartment he was currently staying at with the others. It was only a temporary fix, since they often changed locations to avoid anyone catching onto their activities, but this one room was so far his favorite out of the hovels that they had squatted in. It was higher up than the others since they were in the heart of Sulburi and gave him a good view of the streets below where there were several smaller stores on the ground level. It was a place for travelers and middle class merchants so the streets were cleaner than others and there weren’t even drunks being dragged about as the morning sun broke over the horizon. It almost made the desert city look almost charming if not for the utter disdain the Kahi hybrid held for most earthlings. Most that he had met before were vile and disgusting with no regard for the safety of others…the very thought bringing back the frown that usually lingered on his lips every time he looked around the place. At least the few that he currently worked with seemed alright, minus the dark eyed one with his suspicious behavior. Something about Valek made Haikili wary, the hybrid still struggling to trust him despite warming up more to Cahira and Xylia. Not like he had much of a choice when it came to Cahira since she had warmly embraced him and given him nothing to hate even when he at first tried to be so prickly during their introductions. She reminded him too much of his beloved hapuna makahine, to the point that it actually hurt his heart quite a bit, but that was how she was with that bright smile to greet him while he stayed with her for a bit before returning to Sulburi where he worked more with Valek again. Unlike the shadow walker though who functioned the best throughout the darker hours of the night, Haikili could not sleep past noon and so found himself waking up early to wander the apartment while the others rested. Most mornings were quiet with him going out onto the rooftop garden that was above them, the flat area usually deserted with just a few pots scattered here and there with some peppers growing and whatever other resilient plants could survive the desert, but this morning he had hesitated to go outside once he felt the drop in temperature. It was far too cold for his comfort, especially since he had been raised with the hapuna in the warm reefs and not in the deeper caverns that his Kawena roots emerged from. Perhaps then he wouldn’t be so bothered by the cold white flakes that fluttered down slowly from the gray clouds littering the sky. For now Haikili simply watched the flakes, the thin blanket that he had used on the cot in the corner now covering his broad shoulders as a temporary shawl. If he was still at the swordsmanship school in Matori then perhaps he would have already been offered a fresh cup of tea to help warm his hands, but based on the quiet noises of sleeping companions in the next room he realized that he would be surviving this strange cold on his own for the next couple of hours. Perhaps I grew a bit too soft by being so spoiled. He realized, his expression shifting almost guiltily as he watched some children running about the streets below so that they could try to catch the few flakes that made it all the way down from the sky. It was cold, but still a bit too warm for any of the snow to accumulate so if anything it just made for a pretty picture for those who enjoyed such things. For him though it was a reminder that he was still in foreign lands where anything was possible and that he should keep his guard up regardless of the companions he gained. Despite its pretty appearance the snow only served to cover up the dirty streets below where those without good intentions simply lurked in the shadows. So while some might be enjoying it at the moment, Haikili frowned at the cold and returned to the living quarters of the apartment with his blanket so that he could try to cling to whatever warmth he could find. Perhaps I can make the tea…this time. He mused, the Kahi hybrid shuffling through the place in search of a kettle and for whatever tea leaves they had in the cabinets next to it.

[770]