Msafiri/Story

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The "Little Brother"

Bond	Lv. 2	Reward	Dough ×100

Under the dim moonlight, the savanna lay shrouded in a pale silver haze. A cluster of tiny figures huddled together, their voices rising in lively chatter.

"It's my turn! What should we do tonight?" "Hey, that's not right! It's my turn today! I'm going fishing!" "But you get the next two days, too. That's totally unfair!" "Well, whose fault is that? You weren't even here when it was your turn... Besides, I need to practice my hunting." "Let me have it! The tumbleweeds are rolling today, and I'm gonna chase down the biggest one!" "Hey, hey, cut it out! Same rule as always — let's draw lots!"

---

One of them reached into a pocket and pulled out a fistful of small wooden chips. In an instant, the others swarmed in, each snatching a piece.

"The triangle mark — I got it!" someone cheered, letting out a triumphant whistle, while the others could only pout and grumble, tossing their blank chips back onto the pile.

---

And as this was happening, Msafiri was going about his usual hunting practices with his younger brother, blissfully unaware of the shenanigans that were about to unfold. His bright, sharp eyes focused intently on the prey mid-flight. He crouched and sprang up in a clean pounce. The soft feathers landed in his palms right on cue, and so did the prey's small form. His little brother clapped in celebration.

"Plop!" said the small pebble that suddenly struck his brother's back. Msafiri immediately locked onto the source of this prank with deadly precision. He was on his way to teach the little troublemaker a lesson when his brother spoke up. "It's fine! That was our signal, heh."

He watched as his brother skipped toward the "secret meeting" and kept watch from a respectful distance. Even kids need their privacy, he thought to himself. However, whether it was the telltale winds or the rush of excitement after a successful hunt, Msafiri's sensitive ears overheard some strange chatter.

---

"Weren't you guys supposed to take turns? Why are you here?" "Taking turns just doesn't work. Drawing lots is way easier! Besides, I got lucky, hehe. Can't blame me for that!" "Well, fine! You know the rules, show me the good stuff first..."

...

Could it be that his little brother was involved in something written in the sacred laws...?

---

Before Msafiri could put two and two together, the little rascal who had drawn the lucky lot rushed up to him. "Big bro Radar Ears! What are we gonna do? Hunting? Chase tumbleweed? Whatever it is, I'm your little brother for today!" "You're my... little brother? What do you mean?"

Msafiri looked down at the kid with pigtails and expectant eyes. His lips twitched as even more questions popped into his head. "Well, anyone who draws the lucky lot can be your little brother for a day for the price of one fish! I've already paid mine~!"

As the answer dawned on him, Msafiri lifted his head and twitched his ears as he spotted his actual little brother sneaking away. Uh-oh, busted! His little brother, who hadn't gone far, shuddered as the gravity of getting caught red-pawed by Msafiri descended on him.

Finally, Msafiri learned why his little brother, who usually complained about never having enough fish to eat, had been sharing half of the catch lately.

Kula Bata!

Bond	Lv. 4	Reward	Dough ×200

This was the first time Msafiri had tasted such authentic... sand.

He spat a couple of times as he stood up. Fine yellow grains rustled and slipped free with his movements. The camera's lens cap had just come off, capturing the localized sandstorm in full. "So it's already started?" Msafiri leaned in, blowing away the misbehaving feathers in his hair that kept drifting into his line of sight.

The camera bobbed up and down, as if nodding in place of its operator.

---

---

"Well then, welcome to Planet D-18's exploration site. I'm your Driftingale Exploration Team Guide, Msafiri." He abducted an innocent emergency flashlight from somewhere to serve as a microphone while skillfully mimicking a documentary host.

"As you can see — we've just been invited to an exceptionally warm welcome ceremony fresh out of the vehicle, and even sampled some local delicacies." "Pfft—" the cameraman barely stifled a giggle.

Msafiri tactfully stepped out of frame, leaving the recording to the professionals as he turned his attention to setting up camp.

---

But the camera faithfully captured everything in sight, including a greenhorn who accidentally tore a hole in the tent just as another wave of yellow sand came with a gust of wind.

Fortunately, this one came and went quickly, and Msafiri's timely assisted evacuation meant that no one was hurt. No one, except for the torn tent, now half-filled with sand.

---

The greenhorn was at a loss after causing the major blunder as Msafiri pulled out his all-purpose tape and started mending the tent. "This is perfect. I've heard about this thing called sand bath therapy. Should we all give it a go? Kula bata!" he suggested.

That night, the entire team enjoyed a nice, long, three-hour "sand bath." Topics from serious expedition work to not-so-serious gossip were exchanged, and the newly assembled team became fast acquaintances in no time.

While the windswept sands didn't exactly have any real therapeutic properties, at the very least, some of his team felt relieved. And for Msafiri, that was all that mattered.

Special Coming-of-Age Gift

Bond	Lv. 6	Reward	Dough ×300

On the 364th day of his fourteenth year, Msafiri became a "runaway" on the eve of his adulthood.

He still remembered that phone call from Driftingale Guild years ago, which wasn't meant for him, but still... It quietly planted the seed of a dream that hot summer afternoon, one of measuring every planet and every islet with his own eyes, ears, and feet. And where better to start than the very place that he called home?

Msafiri chose the perfect day to set out, with the intention of making this his very own special coming-of-age gift. However, trials were afoot for these nascent dreams and their dreamer. And just like that, Msafiri lost his way. The lack of experience and days of roughing it in the wilderness had taught Msafiri harsh lessons. He'd never felt this challenged back when he hunted with his parents and little brother. Only now did he realize that he wasn't quite the skilled hunter he thought himself to be out here on the plains, let alone finding directions, plotting routes, or setting up camp... All that condensed theory and knowledge in textbooks proved painfully shallow when the time came for him to apply them. But the scorching sun had no sympathy for those beneath its rays. Msafiri huddled in a patch of tree shade, too hungry to find rest. He took out his notebook and began scribbling down everything he'd seen in the past few days.

---

---

Unbeknownst to him, the note he'd left under a cup before leaving had been whisked away by the wind. After fruitless searches around the territory, his friends and family, who were all there for his coming-of-age ceremony, soon mobilized to track down the rebellious young Msafiri.

As night fell and the air cooled down, Msafiri set out once more to find proper sustenance. He wouldn't allow himself to share meals with vultures again. As he twitched his ears and shook his head, trying to shake off unpleasant memories from yesterday, he heard the sound of flowing water from ahead. Perhaps he could try his luck at catching fish? In the worst case, he could still drink his fill — Now was hardly the time to be concerned over catching a cold from getting wet.

---

His empty stomach had been growling all the way, and had there been any fish in the water, they'd all be startled and scattered by now. Msafiri rested near the bank and peered closely at the water's surface.

Under the silvery moon, a small patch of odd scale patterns appeared before him. It almost looked like... a map?

It was the Guide Fish!

---

Legend has it that this fish bore a map on its scales. Follow it, and you would find a treasure — though what that treasure was depended entirely on what the seeker wanted most at that very moment. Suddenly, the hunger in his stomach dissolved, and all Msafiri wanted was to go home. The fish swam cheerfully in the water and responded to his wish by guiding the lost boy back home.

Finally, after passing three river forks, Msafiri spotted several worried figures in the distance. Thank goodness the legend of the Guide Fish holds true, he thought and collapsed from exhaustion before he could crack a smile. The last thing he heard might have been the sound of a fish leaping out of water, but for the first time in his life, Msafiri dismissed it as a mere hallucination of his keen, reliable ears.

The coming-of-age celebration finally commenced, and Msafiri received gifts from the Driftingale Guild — a backpack full of travel supplies and a half-written field guide. Someone still remembered that little boy who rushed to answer the phone call, it seemed.

Though Msafiri wondered... why did the fish soup at the bonfire party that night taste a bit too salty?

A Long, Long Time Ago

Bond	Lv. 8	Reward	Dough ×400

It was an evening ten years ago.

"One, two, three..." "One, two, three, four, five..." Young Msafiri, who had just learned to count, was squatting on the ground and enthusiastically tracing the geometric patterns his mother had drawn around their camp. Three points, in groups of five — he shared the pattern he discovered with his little brother, who was still too young to speak. His brother tilted his head and twitched his ears, listening intently even if he didn't understand a word.

The tantalizing smell of roasted meat from the campfire teased young Msafiri's nose, and his empty stomach growled shamelessly in protest. Nope, no food until I learn this! he silently vowed.

...

Msafiri twitched his ears and wrinkled his nose as the memories came. The wild winds indiscriminately assaulted all in its path, chilling travelers to the bone. It had been three days and three nights, and Msafiri still hadn't tracked down any prey. The memories of roasted meat could no longer make him salivate. Forget about exploring the planet under these conditions — it was much more likely for him to end up a desiccated corpse and become one with this wilderness. Msafiri could draw beautiful and elegant geometric patterns by hand now, but the question of his survival hung by a thread. Could those patterns truly evoke ancient protection...? Msafiri wondered as he found a branch that could barely support his rest. He stared into the seemingly unchanging starry night and recalled another memory.

---

It was another day, ten years ago. After finishing the night patrol, young Msafiri sneaked behind the tent again and, imitating his mother, picked up a stone and scratched a few wobbly triangles on the ground. His attempts almost seemed pitiful when compared to his mother's refined string of shapes.

---

That made him curious as to how exactly she managed to draw such straight lines. As he carefully traced those lines with his stone, he caught a sudden "thud" from behind — his toddler brother had fallen. With a body that reacted faster than his mind, young Msafiri turned and rushed to scoop up his brother, not realizing that the beautiful triangles had been cut in half by a long, grave scratch.

"HISS!"

Caught in the moment, young Msafiri couldn't tell if his father was angry or simply concerned. Maybe it was his loud hisses, or maybe it was the hypnotic dance of the campfire... either way, Msafiri couldn't remember what exactly happened after. He vaguely recalled his mother telling him a story while pointing at the stars in the sky. A story about those geometric patterns.

Perhaps it was time to visit home after this expedition? It had been long since he last went back. But for now, Msafiri felt his eyelids grow heavy and allowed the night to gently shut his eyes. Just a brief nap... a micro-nap that won't do any harm, he comforted himself. Frost began to form on top of his lashes as they quivered in the wind, but the bonfire in his dreams was simply so warm that he didn't want to wake up.

"Once upon a time..." He could hear his mother's gentle voice again, but it jolted him awake instead. Reflected in his bright pupils, several stars in the dark sky formed the shape he knew by heart and blinked to a pulse, as if responding to some query.

---

---

The stars were silent. Msafiri felt as though he was under the watch of tender eyes. Beautiful memories weren't meant to be traps on his unwritten journey. They should be the strength that keeps him moving forward. Msafiri finally climbed down the tree. This is not the end yet, he thought to himself.

And to his delight, another passing wind brought him the scent of prey.