5.11

August kept his distance as Kalter and Rittan helped Haiko climb up out of the pit. Ladybug remained by his side, curious about the sudden appearance of somebody new. Not for the first time, he made a note to himself to start figuring out some form of clothing. Having so many Voithos running around without a shred of clothing on was a problem that needed immediate attention.

Much like the description given to him prior to the summoning, Haiko was slightly grey hued, about a head taller than Kalter and had black hair that easily reached the small of her back. The only thing missing was the braid—but he thought he could give them some slack there; Limbo probably didn’t have a mirror.

What did surprise him was that Haiko seemed to be the same age as the other two. Kalter’s comments about being part of the ‘first wave of Voithos’ and Rittan’s comment about ‘she must have seen so much’ had left him with the impression of an older, mentor-like figure.

Kalter pulled the woman into a hug the moment she’d made it up over the edge, and Haiko let out a startled noise. Rittan stepped back from the two of them, moving closer to him with a grateful smile, and August looked away, uncomfortable.

“You are far grabbier than I remember, Kalter,” Haiko said, surprised. “How did you bring me back to life? Don’t tell me you actually managed to change their minds?”

Kalter shook her head against her neck.

“I didn’t convince them of anything, Haiko,” Kalter said quietly, not letting go. “I lost.”

Haiko paused for a moment before leaning further into the hug and threading a hand through the shorter Voithos’ hair.

“Well, it was a long shot anyway,” Haiko said belatedly. “That doesn’t exactly answer my question, though, does it, pet?”

“Don’t call me that,” Kalter murmured, finally pulling back. “I wasn’t the one to bring you back either; it was him.”

Kalter leant out of the way, turning enough to indicate who she was talking about, and Haiko looked in their direction. August studied the newcomer’s face, looking for any sign to indicate an impending hostility, but all he could see was simple curiosity. The silence stretched for a moment, and then Rittan came to the rescue.

“A pleasure to meet you, Haiko—my name is Rittan; Kalter has told us much about you,” Rittan said, smiling, before gesturing to August. “August was responsible for bringing all three of us back, and in the interest of avoiding any ruffled feathers; while he may look like a Child of Gaia, he is actually from a species that hails from another planet entirely—a human.”

August let the words roll over him, grateful that he hadn’t needed to bring it up himself.

“Don’t call them that,” Haiko said ironically, at the exact same time as Kalter.

Kalter turned to look at her friend with narrow eyes, and a knowing smile grew on Haiko’s face.

“You’re quite well-spoken, Rittan—the pleasure is all mine,” Haiko said curiously, “It is strange that an alien species would look so similar. Would I be wrong to assume a similar ancestor for both humans and Gaians?”

Rittan glanced down at him, and August decided he’d better start speaking for himself.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” August said slowly, considering it. “If that is the case, then humanity has no historical knowledge of a precursor like that.”

Haiko’s eyebrows shot up as he began speaking.

“The same language as well?” Haiko said, surprised. “I’d say the possibility of that occurring naturally is next to impossible.”

A flash of something passed across Kalter’s face, but she managed to hold herself back from saying anything—possibly finding herself justified for her own earlier assumptions.

“Maybe humans were simply another Gaian experiment, and they dumped us on Earth to see if anything came of it,” August offered, brushing his annoyance aside. “I’m afraid I don’t have an answer for you.”

Rittan nodded in a kind of general support of the comment.

“Regardless of how either came to be, our current circumstances are far more relevant,” Rittan said, moving away from the contentious topic. “I’m afraid we are in a rather dire situation, Haiko. In short; we are stranded on a monster-infested island in the middle of the ocean and without a method to contact anyone.”

“It’s not like we could contact anyone anyway,” Kalter added, crossing her arms. “If the Gaians aren’t involved in putting August here—as unlikely as that is—then contacting them would simply bring about our demise. Again.”

Hearing his name come from Kalter’s mouth was strange, and he was left wondering if it was the first time she’d bothered to say it.

“I see,” Haiko said slowly, playing catch up with the strange situation she’d found herself thrust into. “Then where exactly does that leave us?”

Rittan waved an arm out wide, gesturing as if to reveal some grand surprise—and they all took a moment to stare at the two ramshackle huts, made from nothing more than branches, vines and leaves.

“Welcome to our humble home,” Rittan said, holding out an arm as if he hosting some kind of ball. “May I interest you in a tour? The accommodations are quite spectacular.”

Haiko seemed to find the offer amusing enough to accept, stepping past her and taking Rittans arm. Kalter and August were left behind, and for a brief moment, they watched the two walk away, bemused. Kalter came to a stop beside him, standing far closer to him than she ever had in the past.

“She seems nice,” August offered, eyeing Kalter warily.

While her shoulders remained relaxed, and none of her six hands seemed to be clenched, she had the look of someone who was working herself up to something. Ladybug trilled, waddling forward a few feet, her attention still fixed on the newcomer.

“I’m sorry I attacked you,” Kalter said, keeping her eyes forward. “If I knew what I did now, I wouldn’t have done it.”

While it was likely coloured by the fact that he’d just brought someone who was close to her back to life, and her reasoning was likely more about preserving his ability to repeat that feat in the future, an apology was better than anything he’d expected to receive from her.

“You were just trying to protect yourself from what you thought was a threat,” August said, deciding to accept the apology for what it was. “It made sense.”

August made the mistake of studying her for a moment too long, and Kalter glanced down at him, catching his eye. He carefully turned to face the camp once more, like he hadn’t just been caught and watched as Rittan escorted Haiko over to the first [A-Frame Hut]. He could almost feel her gaze on the side of his head, and just when he was about to say something to break the silence, Kalter spoke once more.

“Thank you for bringing her back,” Kalter said quietly.

“You’re welcome,” August murmured.