Orin swung his legs over the side of the clay wall guarding the perimeter of the compound and lifted his head up to the breeze that was working its way through. Their family home in Oba was basically all that Orin had known his whole life. He hadn’t really gone anywhere else, but that was about to change soon. Him and his siblings had talked about it and it was decided. They were going to be traveling. It seemed like Aeuri and Nasuri were making most of the decisions about the where, but to be completely honest, he didn’t mind. Orin wasn’t really interested in calling the shots on this one. He was just along for the ride. He leaned back and rested his head on his arms, laying on the wall. Things had been quiet around here for the past five years, but the world seemed to him like it was in a whirlwind of change. Things were happening out there and they were basically being left behind staying in Oba.
There was talk of an entirely new land being discovered, with new people, and things he couldn’t even imagine. They said that this had happened a couple of years ago already, people were already flowing in and out of the new continent, and that’s not even counting all the people that were moving around and settling in Yael and Belrea. Five years ago, Belrea was new and the hot topic for conversation. They had the flying airships, the new technology, the magic weapons like the people of Tendaji had never had, but Orin was too young then to do anything about it. He was just a little kid. Now though, he was old enough to go out and see things for himself. And he didn’t mind playing the tourist. He was going to experience it all, and really he was going to go wherever the wind took him. He closed his eyes as the breeze kicked up and heaved a deep sigh.
He swung his legs out over the side of the wall and jumped off, landing with a thud on the dusty ground. His pet perzi, Ediim, rubbed up against his leg, purring forcefully. He would have to decide whether to take him along. Orin leaned over and rubbed under his chin, the perzi’s head leaning into Orin’s hand. Well, he didn’t really think he could leave him behind, but taking him along would be a pain. He was sure the perzi would be safe at home though, safer really, than out on the road. Especially with where they might go. What would he do if they were to go to someplace cold like Zena, Sauti, Belrea? Ediim would be freezing. It wouldn’t be fair to him. He picked up his perzi in his arms and carried him back toward the house.
He put the perzi gently on the ground inside of his childhood home and sized up the main room. It had a feeling to it, like the nostalgia had already set in. There was dust floating in the light coming through the windows, the dry heat of the home a constant feeling surrounding him. It had the glow of the afternoon sun. Orin tried to capture the feeling, keep in inside because soon enough, they would be off and he wouldn’t see it again for months to come. Hell, maybe even years. He trotted up the stairs and into his room. He should probably get started with packing, he reminded himself. The last five years had felt like a lull in his life, nothing new, nothing exciting, he had just grown up. He went from the little punk kid with a mouth to a larger punk teen with a mouth. But that wouldn’t be his forever. He would eventually be a man, and he would have to do some exploring and get some miles under his belt before he could feel like he had really grown up. What was a life under his parents this entire time anyways? He grabbed the bag that was hanging over the bedposts and pulled the drawstrings open. The empty bottom stared back and him and with a quick toss of his hand, the first item he was to bring with him landed at the bottom. He could feel it, like this was a step in the right direction for him. There were things coming his way, more exciting things, if he were a more of a sappy person, he might even say it was his destiny calling.
(Word Count: 758 )
