Chapter 5

"No! That one no. It is cursed forget about it. " The tattooist dismisses Sao.

Something about the tattoo makes him not look away. On the mention of a curse, the other couple come to see for themselves the tattoo.

Fahara is what it's called. In some dessert outside a mudwalled house a rooster is trying to swallow a blue glowing stone . Nothing very interesting about the tattoo but Sao can't take his eyes off it. More particularly, the blue glowing stone.

In his eyes, the stone is visibly glowing he could say like a pulsating artery. Even when he takes his eyes off it for a second it still glows. He shakes his head thinking he must be imagining it.

"Come on boy, look at other tattoos. See this one, a dagger. You like a dagger, huh? " The tattooist insists on pulling him away from the Fahara.

For a moment he considers other tattoos and all the rest are too. But Sao keeps looking back at that tattoo . It somehow looks familiar but he is not so sure about that because he's never before been interested in any tattoos. Royals were forbidden to have them back when his kingdom stood tall.

"Tell me more about the Fahara. " Sao asks eyes glued to it interrupting the tattooist speech about another tattoo.

"...it uh... It ... Look kid, I've already said the... "

"Tattoo is cursed or whatever. Why and how? " Sao pushes.

The man looks at the others as if asking them to help him out but is only met by curious stares. He sighs then dramatically sits back where he was seated before the four walked in. And the four realize it may be a long story. They make themselves comfortable around him.

"It's what I've heard . A story from long ago about the rooster. They say it chased the blue stone around the kingdom. Whenever it tried eating the stone it would move away and the rooster took that as a challenge so it followed it. People say they woke up one day and a new rooster was outside their house. That they never really saw the stone but they knew it was chasing after something. Some tried to keep it among their own birds but somehow it got away. Only one who saw the stone was some sorcerer and they tried to take it but the rooster fought him for it and injured him badly. So that particular place the rooster is seen trying to swallow the stone is unknown but it is the only one time it got nearer the stone ." He stands up with too much energy, " Okay story time is over. I'm not your grandpa so if you don't want a tattoo leave now. "

The four are shocked by his change in mood. They look at each other trying to communicate that maybe they should leave. If everyone else got this memo then Sao wasn't paying much attention in class.

"You haven't said why and how it is cursed! " He complains.

"If you wanted it tattooed on you so you find out that it is actually cursed I'm willing to take you through the journey. " The older guy grumbles.

Sao nods vigorously in acceptance while the other three shake their heads for him to deny it.

"I mean, from what I've heard , the tattoo swallows you or something .Anyway it's all just stories. 'Why and how ' would a tattoo swallow you. People like to tell useless stories. No one is even ever interested in the tattoo like you are so there is no one who has ever been swallowed by it. I don't even know why people would say that. I still insist on a dagger son. "

"If no one has lived to tell the story of the tattoo it is good reason to walk away from it. " Winter reasons.

"She's right, curses in this land are no joke. Has any of you heard the story of the man who came to this festival when he was way older than twenty one, that he will forever roam the earth looking for his one but never find her. I would die if I never found you, sugar. " Pento says with quite a chain of emotions.

Sao laughs at the endearing but covers it with a cough. Winter wishes to crawl in a hole and die in it.

'Oh he's gonna make this harder than it already is! ' She thinks.

"Anyone else interested in not a dangerous tattoo this time ?" The tattooist asks .

They are quiet just looking at each other . Something dawns on Sao. He walks towards the Fahara.

"He doesn't know when to quit does he? " The tattooist asks throwing his hands up.

"My man ." Lea says dreamily.

They give her sideways glances eyes glued on Sao. After a moment he turns around his face puzzled.

"Do you guys see the stone? " He asks slowly .

As if on cue, everyone moves forward to look harder at the tattoo.

"What stone ?" Lea and Pento ask simultaneously then look at each other weirded out.

"Yeah what stone? " Winter looks at the older guy, "You said the rooster was after a stone. "

"Clearly you young lady wasn't paying attention. I said only some sorcerer ever saw it. Unless you are one..." The man trails off looking at Sao intensely.

Sao looks like a head lights struck deer at the moment. His heart picks pace. But he composes himself and give off confidence to confuse any doubts anyone may have about him.

"Is he a sorcerer? " Pento asks .

"Yeah why are you looking at him like that? " Winter asks too.

Lea wants to defend Sao but it's like she doesn't have anything to say. All she could do is open her mouth and look at the others with panicked eyes.

"Why would you think I'm a sorcerer ?I'm only asking about the stone because he said it's the nearest the rooster came to it. Do you think it swallowed it and that's why they say the tattoo swallows people? " Sao stirs the conversation away from him.

The four look deep in thought and Sao exhales discreetly glad that was successful.

"He's a smart one this one. I have never thought of it that way .I guess I just assumed it was somewhere around it or from how it's mouth is open trying to swallow it. " The tattooist says looking at the tattoo with fresh eyes after years of just seeing the same way.

'You have no idea! ' Sao thinks.

They are all quiet for a while just blinking at the tattoo until the silence gets weird. But suddenly some two people walk into the hut. Sao recognizes Modei and Michelle. Winter recognizes the guy by the food table earlier in the evening with the girl she saw having fun before. The other three see two complete strangers.

"I keep losing and finding you man. We should tie scarves around each others waists. " Modei says hugging Sao who doesn't even try to act like he knows how to hug.

"Again ,you found me! " Sao says dryly.

Modei ignores that and pulls away only to pull Winter in for a hug.

"Welcome to the family sister in law. See we are practically brothers even if we are not blood relatives it's why I welcome you to the family and careful, he's a favorite at home. Might get a little too pressured. " Modei informs Winter who is just confused and therefore speechless.

"Uh... Modei man, you are talking to the wrong girl. " Sao says awkwardly.

Modei pulls away immediately feeling embarrassed. Looks at Sao to see him hugging some girl from the side. He doesn't recognize her.

'She must be from other place else in the kingdom .' He thinks to self and then feels stupid for assuming he'd know everyone in the kingdom somehow.

"Sorry about that, "

"Lea. " Sao and Lea reply.

"Lea. " He hugs her awkwardly.

"That's Modei. " Sao introduces him.

"Excuse me kids ,so when the introductions are done I'm waiting for a client. " The tattooist says waving his gadgets in the air for effect.

"Wait, you actually charge? " Sao asks shocked.

"Well yeah, do you think I'd be here doing charity for you young blood? It's way past my bedtime. " He answers smugly busying himself .

"Brother if you want a tattoo I'll pay. " Modei offers.

"No, I wouldn't want something I can't afford. Let's just go enjoy the rest of the festival. " Sao rejects him.

"I think he is scared of a little prick. " Winter says in a silent challenge to Sao.

"Tell you what, I'm feeling a little generous tonight so maybe I will do you for free. " The tattooist says with a prize winning smile.

"Oh look it's not only affordable but absolutely free. " Winter insists.

Sao gets the challenge and so badly wants to back out from it.

"I'll hold your hand if you want ." Lea offers.

"Oh what do you think? I'm a little child? I can handle the pain so what you need to do is get out ." Sao snaps at her.

She immediately walks out. Sao didn't mean to snap at her like that but he was having intense debates going on in his head. Chances are high that the stone in the tattoo is the heart of magic. He is not so sure how he'll get it. Then the whole tattoo swallowing him thing doesn't help his situation. But he decides to have the tattoo with him in case it's some kind of map he'll need in the future.

"So the girl should stay outside all alone? " Pento asks suddenly pulling Sao out of his raging thoughts.

Winter feels a pinch at his concern for Lea. But she acts like she doesn't care.

"Feel free to stay outside with her then. " Sao dismisses Pento getting settled for the tattoo to be drawn on him.

Pento shakes his head before leaving Winter to go stay with Lea.

"Alright you dramatic bunch, let's get started. " The tattooist says happy to work finally.

"Sugar, pick up your jaw. You know too well all this endless love is a lie. " Sao tells Winter removing his shirt.

"Whatever I don't care! " Winter says sassily .

"Forgive him, he never knows how to speak to ladies. And you would think selling mostly ladies products should have thought him any manners! " Modei consoles Winter .

"He does? " Michelle and Winter asks at the same time just different tones.

Michelle tries hiding her huge frame behind a slim Modei. Cue the ostrich story again .

"Ouch ,they don't even remember you. " Modei laughs at Sao.

'How can I forget Michelle? ' Sao thinks to himself wanting to ask it to take the attention off of him.

He chooses to ignore them as the tattooist starts to draw on his chest. His very toned body that years of working hard odd jobs paid him with.

The tattooist has his concentration face on doing what he always does best. His second love indeed. But maybe since there is no first love then it should go up the ladder.

Suddenly, he experiences a seizure for some moments hurting Sao in the process. Of course he winces feeling unusual pain. The others who were chatting among themselves get alerted after that.

Winter's first instinct is to laugh at Sao.

"I knew he was going to cry. " She says happily with a fist pump.

"Are you okay? " Modei asks concerned with laying a hand lightly on Sao's shoulder.

Michelle, holding on to Modei just cranes her neck to look at Sao awaiting his answer to Modei's question. Winter feels a little guilty. So she walks around Sao to his other side to get a clearer look at his face. He looks like he is in immense pain.

There is an unusual amount of blood oozing from him that the tattooist keeps wiping away. Now Winter feels a lot more guilty.

'Oh wow I'm a monster !' She thinks.

Then she lays a hand on Sao's other shoulder. She is quiet.

"Man say something! " Modei begs as Sao remains still.

"Hey, what's going on here? " Pento's voice asks out of the blues.

"What happened? " Michelle asks shaken .

"What is happening to you people? Come to me sugar. " Pento says panicking not understanding the scene in front of him.

At Pento's call Winter looks in the direction she heard his voice but is shocked to not see him clearly because there is a kind of strong wind revolving around them. She is confused. Modei and Michelle too notice this and they start to panic.

"Wait, where is the tattooist? " Winter asks.

Now the wind thing has picked speed she couldn't hear her own voice.

"Right here, " The man answers.

Something is different about him.

"Be blessed child! " He tells Winter.

Winter doesn't understand what he means by that but she remembers hearing something in those lines from somewhere.

Now they are glued on their respective spots. They try to get away already forgetting about Sao who remains still. Eyes closed.

In a few moments, they can't see feel or hear one another. They don't even feel like they are present themselves. It's all blank for the four.

What Pento and Lea watch in horror is the wind like force whirling round and round at very high speed then just disappearing along with the four. The tattooist is not there too. There is now total silence like nothing just happened . They might as well be the only people in the kingdom now but the party is still on so let no one be confused.

As if nothing happened here...

Author's note : Finding the story interesting yet ? Keep going anyway 😊😊 Comment section welcomes you with gratitude