The Priceless Gift

     I could feel the cold winter breeze caressing my exposed fur and I involuntary shivered, pulling my wool jacket closer to my body. It helped a bit. It was almost Christmas and even though snowfall in the Lost Desert was as common as Jhudora and Illusen dining in a same table at the Kelp, the Christmas spirit never melted from the hearts of the people. Cards were given away, ornaments hanging from cactuses and whatnot. It was a season of joy and merriment, especially to us Desert Scarabs. There were just too many fruits to take, too many food cooked, too many neopoints changing from hand to hand; hey it was hard to resist. Who could?

     Well, I guess Nabile would. Oh wait. She was Queen Nabile now. Strange. The title never came out well from my mouth. She would always be Nabile to me. It had been a few years since the whole curse, mumbo jumbo thing at the City of Qasala. A few years had also passed by without Nabile beside me. It was not usual for me to feel this empty. The first would be when Nabile left the Desert Scarabs and married Jazan. It didn't matter to me until a few days passed by. I couldn't pickpocket like I used to. I got caught too many times shoplifting in a day and I was spotted by at least five guards each day. That wasn't a good record for a veteran thief like me. Nope. It was a disgrace and the guys in the Desert Scarabs kept picking on me, saying that I was nothing without Nabile. Excuse me, sir I had been born to be a thief and I had been thieving before I joined the Desert Scarabs at three thank you very much.

     But I guess losing Nabile as my right hand lady affected me quite badly. She was always the cautious one, the cunning one, the witty one. And I was the daredevil, the swift one, the ace. Since we became a team, I had never gone to sleep starving, not even one. She was a part of me and I was a part of her. The Desert Scarabs was my family, and Nabile was the best sister I could have had. I let out a deep sigh. I missed our good times.

     I looked at the gibbous up in the sky, giving out a soft glow of moonlight over the desert as far as the eye could see. I smiled a little as a memory entered my mind. It was during this time of the year too, on a winter night.

     Nabile and I attempted a theft at the armory. A Chia kid saw us and screamed her head off. "Thief!" she cried loudly and repeatedly.

     "Oopsie." Nabile laughed out loud as she yanked my furry paw and we ran out of the shop. It was a commotion outside as the little Chia kept screaming, a couple of guards chasing us and the passers by either get out of our way or cheering us on. Nabile gave me a wink and let go of my hand. "Let's play a little game, Tomos. Let's see who can lose the guards first. Ciao, bro!"

     "Wha...?" I gaped as I saw Nabile slipped into a narrow street on the left, disappearing from my sight immediately. "Nabile, you are so cheating!" I groaned.

     "Stop, thief! You're surrounded." I glanced back when I heard the thunderous voice behind me. More guards had joined the first few before. I pulled the hair on my head in frustration before making my way through the crowd. Running on one of the coldest night in winter without a jacket was a terrible idea. "You had to choose tonight of all days to play one of your stupid games, Nabile," I whispered to myself through chattering teeth. The guards' footsteps were getting louder.

     Up front was a carpet merchant's stall. My mouth curled into a wolfish grin. I picked up my speed, running on all four now to create a momentum. I heard a yelped as I jumped from a roll of carpets to another, exerting a force on a few of them. A smirk formed on my Lupe face as the guards shouted in surprise at the incoming attack of carpets. 'Thud' sounds filled the air; a feeling of satisfaction filled my insides. I pushed a few more of the roll of carpets down and jumped onto a canopy, bouncing myself into the air and onto another canopy. Another bounce and I was already on top of a building's roof. I saluted mockingly to the guards who were helping each other up and said, "So long, losers." And I happily made a dash, away from the scene I just made. Leaping from roof to roof was never a problem for us Desert Scarabs. It helped a lot during times like this.

     After a few minutes of non-stop running, I took a break on the roof of a building near the border of the city of Sakhmet. Inhaling the cold air deeply, I tried to regulate my quick heartbeat to normal again. "That was quite a show you put back there." I heard her cheeky voice. I turned around and saw the pink Ixi casually playing with her black hair, not even glancing at me. I rolled my eyes. "Never do that again. Being reckless is my job, not yours."

     She looked up, her eyes gleaming from excitement. She came closer to me and tousled my unruly hair. "And I'm supposed to be the little sister, not an older sister, Tomos. You should let me play around sometimes. Come." She gestured towards the edge of the roof. "Talk with me."

     "Why?" I asked in confusion as Nabile sat there, letting her legs dangling off the side.

     "It's Christmas eve, Tomos," she said softly as she looked up to the starry sky. "Have a talk with me or get me a cashmere jacket. Your choice."

     "Fine." I gave in and sat next to her.

     "Tomos, what if we get separated one day?"

     I turned my head to her immediately. "What are you saying? That's never going to happen."

     "But what if, Tomos." Nabile frowned.

     Silence. "Then I guess I'll have to find another partner in crime," I replied. "Ow!" I rubbed my arm. For a female Ixi, she could hit hard.

     "That's really mean of you."

     I shrugged. "Well, it's true."

     She snorted and looked away from me.

     "Although it would be weird, I guess," I continued quietly. "I've always done crimes alone. You're the only one I trust to be my partner. There's no one better."

     Slowly, she turned back to me; a light smile visible under her purple veil. "Thanks, Tomos. I hope I didn't scare you with that question or anything. It's just... living in the streets, you don't get the Christmas feel like everyone else you know?" I nodded in agreement. Nabile sighed and looked up again. "Christmas... the Day of Giving. The day that you offered me to work together with you, remember?"

     "Aye." I smiled unconsciously. "Best decision I've ever made. Not that I've made a lot of good ones, though."

     Nabile chuckled. "And the best gift you could've given to me. I didn't just gain a teammate, a partner in crime, but a brother. Finally, I could taste a little of what it felt like to have a family." Her voice was quivering. I froze a little when I saw tears threatening to drop from the corner of her eye. Nabile never cried. Ever. At least, not once as long as I had known said Ixi. "Do you know what's the most important thing about Christmas, Tomos?"

     I put on my thinking cap and gave my answer. "Well, gifts, I guess?"

     Nabile shook her head.

     "Friends? Family?"

     Again another shook.

     "I give up. What's the most important thing about Christmas?"

     Nabile did a double jerk with her eyebrows. "Ourselves."

     "Huh?" My mind went blank. "How does that make any sense?"

     "Tomos, we might feel fine by not being with someone during Christmas but that someone might not be at all fine without you beside them. It's the Day of Giving. You give. You don't think about you, you think about others. And believe it or not, time is the most precious gift you can give to someone; like you're giving me now." Nabile grinned.

     "But reality is... people come and go, Tomos." There was distant in her eyes. "That's life."

     "I won't leave you," I said in a defying tone.

     "You will."

     "I most definitely won't. I promise you that."

     She eyed me suspiciously. "Pinky swear?" She held out her pinky and I grinned, holding out mine. "Orangey swear."

     She giggled. "Although most of the time you're annoying, but I love you, Tomos."

     "I know, sis." I flicked her forehead. "You don't need to tell me that."

     And that was our last Christmas together. I didn't break my promise. I didn't leave. She did. She didn't lose a brother, but I lost a sister. Sometimes I would go to Qasala, hoping that we could've probably hang out for a day at the market together, reminiscing the good old times in Sakhmet and more often than not, I saw her bustling around Qasala. One minute she would be at the Tomb, the next she would speak to the guards, and then she would go inside the palace and out again to the market. I guessed being a wife to a King that was building a de-cursed city was not an easy task. So much for hanging out.

     I looked at the wool jacket on my body, given by Nabile on my first Day of Giving without her. More gifts followed as each Christmas come and go. I got up and jumped off the building. My agility helped me by landing on the canopy below and onto the ground. The memories were killing me. Maybe I should migrate to Meridell or Happy Valley. I need some merriment in my life. I looked up into the sky and whispered:

     "Hey Nabile, give me 'time' will you? I miss you, sis."

The End