"Are you Ionian?" The little girl asked. She couldn't be more than 5. The previously scared girl wouldn't approach him like this for nothing.
He nodded anyway.
"What is your name?" she continued.
A little disrespectful but he supposed it was the customs of the land.
"You were the child from the house…" the man's deep voice rumbled.
The girl stood straight but nodded hesitantly.
"Why were you there?" he continued.
"They were my parents…" the girl barely spoke.
From his distance, the man could barely hear. But he stayed silent. The gears turned in his head. He smiled a smile of relief.
"So, you must be Rin." the man confirmed. Rin nodded again. "I am Tomo Kaze, your uncle." He opened his arms wide and bent down, "And I'll be taking care of you from now on."
Rin rushed into Kaze's arms. The child had been suffering for months. Malnutrition was evident. But the real suffering was being alone after her parents' passing.
The girl melted in his arms, but Kaze caught her. She trembled as she wept heavily in his arms. Kaze stayed silent, patting her back.
He couldn't comfort her because they really didn't know each other. He'd only hear about the 5-year-old from letters and pictures of her firsts. Saying, 'It'll be alright,' felt out of place. So, he waited until she fell asleep in his arms.
He carried the bundle of hair and bones into the Undercity, uncaring for the attention he received.
The girl woke groggily on a stool from a street stall. The wide fish-person cuts the fish brutally, preparing his dish with a distinctly charming flair and efficiency, a permanent smile on his face.
"Hope you're hungry for whatever this is." Kaze said. His head gestured to the slop the fish person was making. Said fish person pushed them both a plate before sticking his knife on his shoulder board, saying something unintelligible.
The girl dug in, filling her mouth and swallowing, hardly chewing. Normally, Kaze would have warned about etiquette and manners. But circumstances didn't allow it. He watched as she gobbled down the food.
After the hunger's control faded, she looked at Kaze, her mouth still full. She offered him a fork of her bowl. He waved his hands a no thank you. Smiling, "Eat your fill, yordle." he urged. She continued, paying no further mind.
Kaze's smile turned sad. He'd recall his sister's retort, "I'm not a yordle!" But now she was gone.
After they ate, the pair returned to the dead's home to retrieve their loved ones' corpses. They walked silently and sombrely as they walked to the river. Both red-eyed, they successfully buried the two and paid their respects after.
Afterwards, the house was ransacked for anything of value, both materially and emotionally. Photo albums, jewellery, CDs and the like. An ornate flute stood out. Kaze caressed it softly.
Kaze didn't want Rin to live here anymore. They would head back to Ionia sometime soon. But for now, they needed proper accommodation. Hence, the Last Drop.
Kaze walked into the bar at the peak of activity, the night, with little Rin in tow. There were normal customers. But also, a family behind and on the counter. A man grinning with a strong chin and thick eyebrows. Children, one blue, one pink, were playing with him. Other adults looked on with amusement.
The fact that laughter existed in this hell hole was a pleasant surprise to Kaze. The attention fell on him as he got closer to the counter.
He sat down, his back ached.
"Welcome to the last drop! How may I help you?" The man on the opposite side of the counter spoke boldly.
"May I have 2 cups of water, please." Kaze asked.
"Coming up!" he turned around, "Silco, 2 cups of water!" he didn't yell. But his voice had power and authority. Kaze could respect that.
"Our water's the best in the Undercity. Might not mean much for you but everyone knows it!" he boasted. The kind of small talk bartenders waste their time with. Kaze simply nodded.
"My niece and I are looking for a place to stay for the night. Do you know a place?" Kaze asked the man.
"Well, you're in luck, my friend! You've happened upon the 2nd best inn in the Undercity. Haha!" he laughed. Kaze laughed as well, not one to be unfriendly.
"Name's Vander!" he held his hand for a shake.
"Kaze, pleasure's mine." Kaze smiled.
"Ionian, eh?" Vander asked. Kaze nodded. "Not usually safe for outsiders in Zaun, neither is it for us. But thankfully, this place just so happened to be the safest in the Undercity!" he boomed.
Kaze let a wry smile slip. The waters came right on time to avoid the awkwardness. Kaze and the quiet Rin took their waters. Kaze opted for small sips while Rin almost chugged it all in one, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. She let out a satisfied sigh.
"Reminds me of one of the little buggers. You have your hands full, Kaze!" Vander laughed. "Ow!" a pinch came from beneath the counter from a certain pink-haired girl. Vander almost cursed.
Little girls giggled and men laughed.
"So, what brings you to Zaun?" Vander asked.
"Came to visit family."
"That's what they all say!" Vander laughed. "Man, my jaw hurts from laughing so much! If you need anything else, I'm your man! I need to get these little devils to their parents."
"Wait! Our room?" Kaze asked.
"Oh right, 3 bronze gears a night! Here are your keys! Yes, we take Ionian money! See you!" Vander hurried as he fidgeted under the counter, eventually pulling out a key saying, 'Room 3'.
"Hm," Kaze nodded as he watched Vander hurry through the door, pushing the children with him. He felt better. Tomorrow seemed a little brighter.
"Let's get you to bed." he told Rin.
They walked into the room. Quaint and clean. One bed, chair, and coffee table. One window.
Rin sat on the bed, looking Kaze straight in the eyes. Kaze listened.
"My parents were killed," she said, her eyes holding something angry. Something that shouldn't belong to a 5-year-old. "I saw you fight those guys earlier. Teach me, so I can get revenge."
Kaze paused, thinking. His anger was palpable. But this wasn't about him. He breathed out all the smoke and thought clearly. So, he answered, "No. We are going back to Ionia."