Halvir's Hometown
1316 Words
Chapter 015: Halvir's Hometown
Not far ahead, gigantic hills rose proudly into the sky, lined up like natural fortresses deliberately built by nature to protect whatever lay behind them. The rocky cliffs stood firm, hard, and silent, as though challenging anyone who intended to approach without permission.
At their peaks, several young men stood guard.
Their bodies were upright, their gazes sharp as they swept across the forest and the entrance routes without the slightest lapse in vigilance. They looked like part of the stone itself—silent, alert, and ready to pounce if necessary.
"They are the village guards," Halvir said, pointing toward several figures atop the cliffs.
His tone was calm, almost flat.
"Behind them is the village where I live."
Anindira straightened herself on Halvir's back. Her eyes widened, sparkling with excitement.
"A village?!" she blurted out. "There are a lot of people there?"
"Eum."
Halvir answered briefly with a nod.
Anindira's reaction changed instantly. She wriggled slightly and patted Halvir's shoulders.
"Kak, put me down!" she pleaded. "I'll walk by myself..."
"NO!"
Halvir's reply was firm, cutting through the air.
"Kak..." Anindira whined, lowering her voice as she tried to soften his stance.
"You've traveled a long way. You're exhausted, Anindira!" Halvir exclaimed, refusing to budge. "I'm taking you to Hans first so he can examine you."
Anindira puffed out her cheeks. Her brows knitted together, and her lips pressed into a thin line.
She knew arguing was pointless.
In the end, she could only let out an annoyed sigh and surrender.
That sulky expression looked adorable in Halvir's eyes.
He was happy—truly happy—to see the woman he had brought home still healthy and cheerful, despite the fact that her small body had endured months of travel through a cruel forest.
Not long afterward, they arrived at the village gate.
The atmosphere changed immediately.
The guards greeted Halvir with friendliness and respect. Some lowered their heads, while others tapped their chests in greeting. After that, their gazes shifted briefly toward Anindira before they exchanged glances among themselves.
Their curiosity was obvious.
Yet not a single one approached.
No one dared to ask questions.
Halvir bringing women with him was not something new in this village.
However, Anindira was different.
Far too relaxed.
Far too cheerful.
Her smile came easily, and her eyes wandered around with genuine curiosity, as though she were not standing in the middle of a harsh and dangerous world.
"Anindira, stop smiling at them!"
"Huh?!"
Anindira jolted in confusion.
"I'm only returning their greetings..."
"They're greeting me, not you!"
"Then I'm the one greeting them."
"Stop it! You'll make them misunderstand!"
"It's just a greeting. What could they possibly misunderstand?!"
Anindira kept answering back, completely unaware that Halvir's voice was becoming increasingly stern—not out of anger, but because he was holding back something else.
Jealousy disguised as a warning.
Concern wrapped in firmness.
And that concern was not without reason.
In this world, a small misunderstanding could grow into a major problem.
Especially if a woman displayed openness toward the men of a village.
Even so, one thing was undeniable.
Anyone who misunderstood—or even dared to overstep their boundaries—would never dare go too far.
Not when that woman's primary guardian was Halvir.
A *Sapphire.
Gigantic trees towered densely overhead, their trunks as thick as stone towers. Their leaves intertwined to form a dark green canopy that blocked much of the sunlight.
The air felt more humid and quieter here.
Only the rustling of leaves high above and Halvir's steady footsteps over massive roots could be heard.
Anindira shifted her gaze left and right, then behind her.
There was no fence.
No houses.
No roads like the ones she had imagined.
"Is it still far?"
"Far from what?"
"The village..."
Halvir continued forward without hesitation, as though this forest were his own backyard.
"We entered it a while ago."
Anindira froze briefly on his back.
Her eyebrows shot upward.
"Hah?! Then where are the people?"
"Some are at home. Others are outside carrying out their duties."
Anindira became even more confused.
Her eyes swept across the ground, the bushes, and the spaces between the trees.
"I haven't seen any houses at all..."
"We already passed several."
Halvir's pace remained steady.
There was no trace of joking in his voice.
"Huh? Where?!" Anindira replied, craning her neck in every direction. "I didn't see any..."
Halvir stopped.
He glanced back slightly, noticing that Anindira's gaze had remained fixed on the forest floor the entire time.
"Where are you looking?" he asked in bewilderment.
Then he lifted his chin.
"Up there!"
"Huh?!"
Anindira immediately looked upward.
Her neck stiffened, and her eyes narrowed as she tried to see through the dense foliage overhead. She squinted, adjusting her focus.
Her heart began beating faster with anticipation.
There was nothing.
Only branches, leaves, and fragmented rays of light.
"It'll be difficult for you to see them," Halvir said calmly. "We build our houses high above."
Anindira continued staring upward, her breath catching slightly.
"No matter how hard I look, I still can't see any buildings in the trees. Exactly how many meters high do you build your houses?"
"Thirty meters at the lowest."
Anindira nearly choked on her own saliva.
"Thirty?! I should already be able to see them..."
Halvir snorted softly, amusement flickering in his eyes.
"That doesn't mean every tree you see has a house in it, Anindira. Think about our privacy too!"
Anindira turned toward him at once.
That last word was clearly unfamiliar to her.
Her expression froze somewhere between confusion, curiosity, and mild offense—as though Halvir had intentionally teased her.
Halvir grinned at that expression.
Their steps finally stopped before a gigantic tree.
Its trunk was so enormous that Anindira felt as though she were standing before a pillar supporting the world itself. The bark was rough and layered, while its protruding roots resembled a natural staircase.
"We've arrived at one of the houses," Halvir said.
Anindira immediately looked up again.
This time, more seriously.
Her eyes traced the tree trunk, following the natural lines of the wood upward toward a place where the foliage appeared thinner.
"HANS!" Halvir called while looking up. "May I come up?"
His voice was not loud.
He was not shouting.
It was merely his normal speaking voice—yet it carried clearly and firmly.
Anindira turned toward him, her face full of questions.
"Kak, can he even hear that?"
The distance seemed impossible to her.
Around fifty meters above them, hidden among the leaves.
"Eum."
Halvir nodded casually.
"Our hearing is sharp, but him..."
He glanced upward, narrowing his eyes slightly.
"His hearing is far above average."
Before Anindira could ask another question, Halvir had already moved.
"We're going up. He already answered."
Anindira's eyes widened.
She had not heard anything at all.
Halvir's movements were swift and efficient.
His hands found hidden footholds, and he climbed with a grace that was almost unbelievable. Anindira instinctively gripped his shoulders as the height began to feel frighteningly real.
A short while later, they stopped before a wooden door.
"Hans, I'm coming in..."
Halvir asked for permission once again, his voice now closer and clearer.
Anindira froze.
Before her stood a sturdy house made of thick wooden planks, seamlessly integrated into the massive branches of the tree.
There were no visible nails.
No rough ropes.
Everything appeared naturally connected, as though the house had grown together with the tree from the very beginning.
Warmth spread through her chest.
Her heart pounded.
She knew that, in her original world, there were tribes that built homes dozens of meters above the ground.
She had seen them before—on television, in documentaries.
But this was different.
Now she was standing here herself.
More than fifty meters above the ground.
And she was about to enter it.
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