It didn’t take long to get our things together. Aisha already had emergency kits ready. There was no telling when my dad’s enemies might try to attack us, so she had made these so we could get away at any time. We grabbed two kits, then Aisha thought for a second before having me take a third. Our bags weren’t very heavy because the emergency kits had the bare minimum of what we’d need.
“Do you think this will be enough?” I asked.
“No worries! We’ll get whatever else we need while we’re on the road,” she said with a smile.
We quietly left out of the back of the house. Leo didn’t bark. Byt was quiet too. Everyone must have been asleep, because the entire house was still.
Then, I noticed Lara and Sieg were watching us from the window. When we locked eyes, I nodded at them. They waved at me, but I didn’t return the gesture. I wasn’t concerned about never coming back. I figured I’d see Lara again out in the world, though I didn’t know about Sieg.
It occurred to me I’d never see my mothers again either.
“Running away, are we?”
Yet after walking only a few steps out of the house, I heard someone’s familiar voice from behind me. A sleepy yet dignified voice that I heard both at home and at school. It was Blue Mama—Roxy M. Greyrat.
We stopped in our tracks and turned around. I stepped in front of Aisha. At this distance, I could beat Blue Mama. With that in mind, I put my hand over the sword at my hip, only to realize that my hand was trembling.
“Arus, please. You don’t have to,” Aisha said. I pulled my hand away from my weapon.
That one moment was enough to soak my forehead with sweat, so I wiped away the moisture with my sleeve.
Blue Mama had watched over me since the beginning. If there was anything I didn’t understand at school, she would always explain it to me kindly. Whenever I fought with my friends, she came with me to apologize. On days when my dad, Red Mama, White Mama, Aisha, and Lilia didn’t go out, she’d invite me to buy groceries or fish with her. She was always cool, collected, wise, and considerate whenever I was having a hard time.
Upon remembering what I was about to do, I felt like I was on the verge of tears. Was this really okay? Was I making the right choice? Nobody was there to answer the questions I was asking myself, so all I could do was stand there.
“I didn’t think you’d be the one to find us, Roxy,” Aisha said.
“I was shocked that I hadn’t noticed what you two were doing earlier. I wasn’t sure whether I should call out to you or not.”
Blue Mama didn’t scold us. She wasn’t angry, either. She was as calm as she always was.
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“I won’t say. If I do, you guys will just bring us back,” Aisha answered.
“Do you have a plan?”
“Yup. We’ll be able to get by on our own.”
“I suggest not doing the whole adventurer thing. It’s not particularly profitable.”
“No worries,” Aisha said confidently. “We’re not going to do anything that dangerous. Since I’ve been running Ruquag’s Mercenary Band, I’ve got money. That will be enough to get by.”
“Rudy is going to be worried. He’s going to go looking for you.”
“He might find us but… Who knows? He can be a bit careless at times.”
“That may be true, but if he asks Sir Orsted or Lord Perugius for help, he’ll probably be able to find you.”
“True. But we’re still leaving.”
“Is that so?” Blue Mama let out a big sigh. “Aisha.”
“Yes?”
“I’m going to lay some groundwork, so you guys don’t get found. But if you ever feel like you can’t keep going, get in touch with me. I don’t care how.”
“Okay…I will. Thanks, Roxy.”
Aisha turned and started walking away. I followed behind her while looking at Blue Mama, who was smiling. She seemed to have no intention of stopping us—and I couldn’t handle that.
“Um, Blue Mama? Aren’t you gonna stop us?” I asked.
“No. When I was about your age, I also left home. That’s what led me to where I am today.”
“You did?”
“I left when I was young, became an adventurer, then ended up in Ranoa. I haven’t been home in over twenty years. But here I am, nonetheless. It’ll be fine. You can learn a lot when you’re out there in the world. Try to think with your own head and not rely on Aisha for everything. Good luck,” Blue Mama said. She gently patted me on the head.
“Thanks,” I said quietly.
Blue Mama was small, basically the same height as me, but this moment really hammered home how much of an adult she was. I recalled that I’d been about to draw my sword on this very woman, and tears formed in the corners of my eyes.
“Take care,” she said.
With Blue Mama behind us, we set out on our journey.