Aiko Takanashi's Arc

Chapter 2 of 2

Aiko gripped the cart's wooden handle and pulled it toward the eastern road. The sun beat down on her red skin as she walked. Her horns caught the light with each step. The cart rolled smoothly behind her, lighter than it should have been with her supplies loaded inside. After an hour, her arms barely ached. After two hours, she realized the magic was real. The cart seemed to pull itself forward, making the journey almost easy. By midday, she reached the first supplier's warehouse. She traded her coins for cloth, spices, and tools. The cart held twice what she expected. On the return trip, it glided behind her as if empty. She smiled, watching her trading post appear on the horizon before sunset. The next morning, she unloaded her goods onto the shelves. Merchants arrived within an hour, drawn by the new stock. They bought cloth and spices, then asked for water. Aiko pointed to the clay pot in the corner, but it was already empty. Three more customers left when they couldn't refill their waterskins. She watched them go, frustration building in her chest. More inventory wasn't enough. Traders needed water for themselves and their animals, especially those traveling long distances. Without it, they would choose other posts. That afternoon, she carried a vintage handcrafted wooden tub to the front of her trading post. The tub showed years of use, its surface worn smooth and dark with age. She hired a digger to sink a deep shaft into the ground until he struck water. Together they rigged a rope and bucket system. The wooden tub sat at the top, catching each bucketful as it came up. By evening, fresh water filled the tub to its rim. She tested it herself, splashing the cool water on her face. Tomorrow, when merchants arrived, they would find what they needed. Her trading post was becoming the kind of place people would return to.