Journey of Eclipse - Page 3 - the Baker

 We finally reached the ground and there were so many people there to greet us. I didn't know people could look so different. So tall, short, wide, thin, and colors beyond what I knew of. Some wore frowns, others come bearing smiles and laughter. All of them had something very common though, a mark underneath their eyes, it looked like the scars I've seen on my mother and father. It was odd, but I think it looked beautiful like everything else in the this world I've only just discovered.
 Then there were the buildings which were all new to me and looked quite different from picture books and holo-shows. The walls were all one smooth white surface with holes only shaped for doors and windows. It kind of looked like what ceramic cups were made of except less glossy. The doors were wooden and the floors connected seamlessly to the walls. Each house looked like rooms were stacked one after another like toy building blocks and had no symmetry to it.
 The person who was riding on the even greater dyna bird landed long after we did. He was one of many protectors of this village or something of that nature as from what I overheard Pimpernel and Cyan discussing to themselves. They didn't bother him and decided to showed me around the village until they found someone of greater interest they wanted to take me to. I thought it was a very odd name he had, Chief which was what everyone called him. I've never heard of someone being called that before. When I did see him he didn't stand out much from the rest and I could only differentiate him from the rest with the air of authority he gave off.
 He spoke with Cyan mostly in private and Pimpernel sat with me outside of their conversation. "We should be able to get ya home in a snap, eh?" He said with a very cheery voice. I still haven't said anything about that still. Maybe I should? But I would probably be considered more of a problem than I already am if I did. "Don't worry about what them grownups are saying I'll keep ye around till yer all in tip top shape." Then Chief walked in, he had a very strict look and wore a loose white shirt which was kept in place by his leather body armor. On his right shoulder he wore a decorated pauldron which I thought to be similar to my father's, and fastened to it was a small star that kept hold of a short dark green cape.
 "Pimpernel you shouldn't be telling children promises you can't keep." said Chief, he looked at me. "You aren't getting home anytime soon child, unless you can recall the name of your family. I'm sorry, until then we are willing to give you shelter until you recover." I nodded. He seemed a bit surprised I didn't burst out in tears. "You do understand don't you?"
 "I'm sure she's a smart one to understand ye, Chief." Cyan answered.
 Chief sighed at Cyan's answer. "I wish you were a smart one as you say as well. You should have let Hyosc come for her and treat her where you found her, then maybe we would've found whatever attacked her. It might come here for her if it isn't an animal like you think, Cyan."
 "Well how are we supposed to know he's free to come help us, and how are we supposed to get him? Fly all the way here to pick her up and back?" Pimpernel replied.
 "Either way it's already been done." said Cyan. "Stop complaining Chief, it's not like she's battered or anything."
 Chief frowned but gave up on continuing to scold them further. So he turned to me. "I bet you're hungry and tired of all our nonsense." He said in a kinder voice as if to make up for his arguing. "Come along, lunch time is most likely upon us after such chatter."
 It was not but there was still some breakfast that was left for me to eat. I ate and thanked him for giving me the meal. Pimpernel and Cyan ate breakfast with me and was discussing their activities for the rest of the day. The food I was given was not much different from what they gave me at their tents earlier that day. I began eating slowly until I noticed how fast Cyan and Pimpernel seemed to make food disappear, I wasn't left with much but at least I wasn't hungry any more.
 I discovered a new food among what I was left with, it was a drink Cyan called citrus punch, it tasted tangy and reminded me of lemons but it was too sweet to be that. The activities they spoke of though felt to me as if they were speaking words of another language, the only one I did recognize was when they spoke of a sort of hunt. Before they could explain the details someone entered the dining hall and approached Cyan and Pimpernel. "If you love birds are finished eating last meal's scraps lunch is being made, and you two are on kitchen duty."
 "Hasn't that one already gotten old, Iris?" said Pimpernel.
 "Nope, that one will last the longest. No, I don't care if you're dating Datura that's not going to stop me. Cyan stop it you're not going to live it down." Iris replied. "And you're going to be Asagao's lil' helper kid." She said pointing towards me. "The slackers don't eat around here." I looked up from my meal with surprise. I don't know how to cook, what am I supposed to do? Besides it's painful enough to stand now I have to do labor?! "Just do what ever the little jerk wants you to do kid. You're fine, if your back really hurts you'd be complaining about it as much as the elders do. Now get to it." She then left the dining hall to the three of us.
 "How did she...?" I wasn't even sure how to ask what happened. It was like she knew what I was thinking, and she replied to things Pimpernel and Cyan didn't even say.
 "Her talent is mind reading, that she-brute will never shut up about private things. Doesn't she, Cyan?" Pimpernel grumbled.
 "Indeed she does. Ye heard her though, we better get back to work. I'll show the miss where the bread genius is, and ya can go on ahead." said Cyan.
 "And just let ya get the easy jobs? Oh, sparks no you don't, it was your idea to jump the gun so it's your duty." Pimpernel snapped.
 "Fine, fine, can't blame me for trying, can ye?" Cyan left for the exit, taking our plates with him, and Pimpernel jumped out of his chair.
 "Let's get going, the bread-maker's a grump if you keep him waiting." He guided me out of the hall and through a few doors when I started to smell fresh baked bread. "Yo, Glory, we got today's assistant, mind ye don't work her too hard. She's very stiff in the back. Had a run in with a wild rammer, I say." The figure didn't respond and looked to be pounding and rolling some dough.
 "Ipomoea." He finally said. "It's Ipomoea."
 "Morning Glory, Asagao, Ipomoea, same difference." Pimpernel rattled on. "Ye take your pick kid. I'm out of here." When he left he slammed the door so hard that I jumped.
 "Well if you can jump, you can grab me the sugar shaker, don't mix it up with the salt." Asagao called. I came closer and saw a rack of shakers filled with white grains. "The left most one." I looked where he described and found a shaker with finer grains then the others. I grabbed it and carefully gave it to him without spilling it. I had to go around the counter to do that and finally got a good look at him, he look a bit like my father but was smaller than him, and had silver blue eyes and duller skin tone. When he was finished with the dough he asked me to grab a pan, and he put the dough in there and put it on a higher shelf to sit. "So that's what you look like." He suddenly said. "You better not be to much of a handful."
 "What?" I felt confused, did he mistaken me for someone else? How else could he know me?
 "You're Nightshade's daughter, correct?" He paused for a reaction and got one. "Sorry for the late introduction." said Asagao. "I'm you're uncle, could you grab me a cup of flour, I going to start making another batch."
 "What?" I exclaimed in disbelief. "I don't have an uncle... but if you know who I am you know he-"
 "Abandoned you? A bit harsh choice of words, but some things have to be done. You can have your fit later. Now, the flour." As he said pointing to a bag of fine white dust. What?! He just comes up and tells me he's my uncle and then to grab some 'flour' as if the first part doesn't matter! I was abandoned, forcefully forgotten about and left for dead on some star forsaken planet and someone is finally here with some answers and he wants his damn flour! I look at him with disbelief and anger, I grabbed a cup and filled it with flour and handed it to him. "Thank you. I need another pan from the second cupboard. Hurry up."
 "But-"
 "Questions for later. We have bread to bake."

 After a few hours of fetching things constantly for the relentless Asagao, I wasn't sure what to think now. He barely gave me time to ponder demanding me to get things one after another without rest. He finally let me rest after I started to slow down, not because of unwillingness, I wanted answers and I'd have to do this if I wanted to get them, but from the pain in my back screaming to stop. I sat down not wanting to get up. "Well that should be enough bread for the time being any ways. Mind as well start explaining a few things." He took off the apron he was wearing and left the room. "Aren't you coming?"
 "J-just wait a second. I need a, breather." I said in between breaths. I wonder if I injured my spine to, I was having a hard time breathing now... no I'm just tired, I don't think I've done so much in one sitting before.
 "We didn't do that much missy, now stop making excuses." He walked out of the room before I could finally manage to get out of my seat. I walked painfully slow to where he was, I almost got lost but thankfully he waited. "Something wrong girl?"
 "Oh you know, just the usually back pain you'd expect after being thrown onto a rock. Or was it a bush? Doesn't really matter apparently." I sarcastically commented. "Not compared to knowing why my dad some how has the powers to alter memories and that people here have powers, or that my mom will never know that I exist or even that I've been ditched on some planet with some family member I never knew existed. Besides that everything is fine."
 Asagao didn't seem to like what I said and decided to show me a withering glare. "So I see. That's the kind of person you are. Well I'll have to teach you manners sooner or later. Now this is our room, I'll clear it up to the chief who you are. No need to bother mentioning your situation."
 I went into his room without a word and was greeted with a gloomy room with walls seeming to be replaced with bookshelves. There was a single light in the room and the blue light glowed dimly in the dark room. When Asagao stepped in the light became bright enough to see the rest of the details in the room. A neatly stack of papers sat on a desk that was in the back of the room and had on it assorted pencils, pens and ink. On the wall closest to the door two bed were sticking out between a gap in the bookshelves. One was smaller and had a folded blanket sit at the foot of the bed and the greater bed was made but had several books on it. My 'uncle' then sat on his bed.
 "Well are you going to come in or not?" I did and closed the door behind me and approach our beds. "Now about those answers, here's the main part. First of all this planet you're on right now is called Lunaria. Second of all everyone the natives to this planet are called Lunarians. Third, it's not actually a planet, it's a moon. Also all Lunarians, including you, me, your dad, those two idiots you met, your siblings and everyone else on this damn moon has a talent, or super power if you want it put it to you more blatantly, princess. Your dad can poison the mind or as you put it change memories, be glad you even still have yours. I for example can grow and control vine like plants and communicate with them. Iris as you met earlier can read the minds of all feeling creatures."
 "How do you know I met her earlier?" I interrupted.
 "As I said, I can communicate with vines like plants." Asagao said and pointed to the closed window above the beds which had flower boxes on them. In them were a variety of plants one which looked to be vine like and has made it's way through a crack in the window to grow outside. "They tell me everything that's going on here. Besides what I've told you there's nothing more you need to know."
 "But what about why he ditch me here?" I asked. "Or how do you know if I ended up being a Lunarian like my dad?"
 "Why? That was his stick to tell, if he doesn't tell why should I. And if you really want to know you see the scars on our faces, the matching markings? Those are the marks of a Lunarian. Ah if you don't know that I'll have to explain all that other stuff too... For a later time."
 "But-!" I began.
 "And you! Need to learn some manners. If you really want to learn, here." He tossed a book at me that I failed to catch. "Dammit, what are you an idiot? Catch things when they're thrown to ya... anyways that book is all about manners, I suggest you start reading it." He said in a mocking tone. Before I could reply someone knocked on the door.
 "Ipomoea, the Chief wants to see you right away."
 "Tell Adrian I'll be right there." Asagao replied, when he felt the person leave he muttered. "Well at least someone here has to respect to same my name."
 "Who's Adrian?" I asked.
 "Aren't you all questions? He's the chief of this village that's who, you already met him."
 "I thought his name was chief though..."
 "I have to start from there huh. If he wasn't my brother and your dad I would've beaten him silly for not teaching you the basics."
 "Please go ahead, I wouldn't mind."
 "... You're really are going to be a handful. You better not break anything while I'm gone, I'll know if you do. I have things to do and you have manners to learn." He then opened the door and closed it behind him. "Best not try to escape, unless you prefer being trapped in some vines then reading." I looked at the closed door wishing to burn a hole through it but nothing happened. I watched his silhouette through the walls as it walked away. I didn't bother reading the book and went to lie on my new bed. I wonder what power I'll have... maybe it'll be one that can help me get some answers...
Once again I was faced with emotions but none of them were new. I was revisiting old one's I have not had in a long time.
I looked at the ceiling, facing it with fury and frustration at my naivety.