A few days had gone by, Josh had already started to take Timothy with him to start investigating the bizarre case but for the past few days their search was not fruitful for they did not even possess a proper lead. Walking through the city both men seemed to be deep in thoughts and that is when the new city's escort voice rang out
" Esteemed traveller, welcome to Sif'ur city home to the renowned Sedna Knottingwell Decon of the high church and also the hometown of the founder of our kingdom King Nerodmaya Zaloz. So be happy and rejoice that you are standing in the holy grounds of Zebhannon !" The escort's voice spread far and wide. Timothy couldn't help but admire the amount of zeal the new escort had for this job unlike his old friend Jake, Jake had seemingly disappeared right after their farewells that day no one knew where he went or heard from him since that day. Timothy was worried about his friend but they had already said their goodbyes so he was guessing that Jake had also left for another city or village .
Turning his attention away from the escort he stole a glance at Josh who seemed extremely calm
"Hungry Moirai?" Josh asked as they passed by a quaint café, its weathered wooden sign creaking softly in the gentle breeze. The hunger Timothy didn't know he felt suddenly flared up with his stomach rumbling, answering with a nod they went back to the Cafe and the bell rang as they entered the building,Inside, the aroma of freshly ground coffee mingled with the scent of pastries, enveloping consumers in a comforting embrace. The café was adorned with flickering candlelight, casting a warm glow upon the worn but inviting furnishings.
Amidst the eclectic mix of tables and chairs, people from all walks of life gathered, their animated conversations weaving a tapestry of voices that filled the air. Low level nobles sipped espresso delicately, their powdered wigs slightly askew as they discussed matters of politics and philosophy. Artists and writers huddled in corners, their quills scratching furiously against parchment as they captured the essence of the bustling café scene.
At one table, a group of merchants negotiated deals over cups of steaming coffee, their voices rising and falling in rhythm with the ebb and flow of the bustling café. Meanwhile, a pair of lovers whispered sweet nothings to each other in the dimly lit corner, their eyes sparkling with adoration. And Timothy stared at them with disgust before rolling his eyes and turning his attention to a single lady who sat alone drinking her coffee with eyes that seemed uninterested in everything around her. Her elegance transcended the passage of time. She was draped in layers of sumptuous silk and lace, the fabric cascading in gentle waves around her slender form. Her gown, adorned with intricate embroidery and delicate beadwork showcasing the designer's skills.
Her hair, a cascade of chestnut curls, tumbled effortlessly down her back, each strand seemingly touched by the flickering candlelight. A single jewel adorned her neck, catching the light and casting shimmering reflections across the room. To put it in simpler terms she was gorgeous, gorgeous enough to also capture the attention of josh who Timothy caught staring at the woman,
"It is rude to stare Mr Belling, that goes for you as well young man. " the lady spoke her voice had a calm dominance to it, it wasn't deep but neither was it soft. Timothy's eyes widened a bit when he heard the woman addressing them but before he could embarrass himself Josh spoke up
"Ms Amber, what a nice surprise to run into you hear it really is a small world won't you say?" Josh answered masking his frustration with a polite smile, the lady named amber placed her cup of coffee down and her nonchalant gaze moved to look directly at Timothy and Josh before she also gave a smile of her own
"No it is not Mr Belling I am actually here on official business you see the higher-ups are not impressed with your behavior and antics so they sent me here to relay a warning so if you can be polite and accept my good gesture of offering you a sit at my table...the both of you." Ms Amber gestured at the two empty chairs infront of her with her 'smile' on.
Seating infront of this woman made Timothy feel weird and not in the good sense of the word but the extreme sense. An invisible pressure filled the whole café and with a soft thud one by one the consumers hit the tables with their heads having lost consciousnes, Timothy's mouth opened up in fright forgetting that he was seating with a man who could do the same if not worse.
"Right, now that we got that out of the way our conversation may begin. Mr Belling I believe you are very familiar with me so I will introduce myself to Mr Moirai here. My name is Juliet Amber Grandmaster and also the high priestess of the Blood Goddess Lilith. " she stood up to perform a graceful bow and sat back down her nonchalant gaze reverting back to Josh who also had an unimpressed gaze of his own
"Can we get started ?" Josh asked but then he turned to look towards the bar where the owner is usually located, something had caught his perception but after a few breaths of nothing he turned around and slightly shook his head.
Juliet had her eyes on him and when he turned around she slightly raised her brow about to ask a question but she quietly observed and decided to avoid asking that question
"Josh I believe you know why I'm here?" She asked her voice still as de-attached as ever, Josh resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the question instead his hand moved to pinch the bridge of his nose avoiding direct eye contact with her
"If I did then you would not be here Ms Amber, so please enlighten us, tell us why you have decided to grace us with your presence?" Josh asked and for the first time since they arrived Juliet's nonchalant expression broke , her voice now contained a hint of anger as she spoke, unbridled fury shone in her eyes
"Damn you Belling always having to keep that cool and calm facade despite you knowing what kind of situation awaits you at the sanctum. Don't you care what happens to you? Your protégé, and speaking about that how could you take in a protégé at a time like this? Do you realize that you could be stripped off your rank and tittle, tell me Josh Belling do you want the entirety of the organization to turn their backs on you ?" Her eyes were now sharp and piercing, boring into Josh with intensity as she questioned his actions and decision,gesturing with her hands occasionally, emphasizing her points and adding to the intensity of her demeanor. What was supposed to be a conversation turned in an interrogation with a sense of urgency and seriousness, as juilet tried making it clear to Josh that his actions have serious consequences within their organization.
"The organization? Juliet I do not care what they think or what they might do you want to know why ? Because I made it clear that I will not abide by their rules the very first time they recruited me because I wanted to be free, and you know what that old man did he took me in by force and made me live my life by your rules but that does not mean I never stopped searching for freedom that is why I devoted my life to climb up the ranks of the Brotherhood thinking that the more ranks and titles I collect I will earn my freedom but after countless years of trying to prove myself I finally had enough and then the Weavers revealed to me my destiny, Escalabus Rin do you know what Rin means in ancient fayek? RIN MEANS FREEDOM AND I WILL HAVE MY TRUE FREEDOM AND IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THAT I AM PREPARED TO BEAR WITH WHATEVER WILL COME MY WAY BECAUSE MY PATH IS THE PATH OF FREEDOM ! So go juliet go and tell the old man that I will accept whatever punishment he will throw on me but he must remember that he was the one that told me that in order to achieve true freedom I have to server every thread that connects me to the 'source' and I will do just that that but at the same time I am also tasked with a difficult situation, in order to gain my freedom I first have to experience true and pure affection and then server it last only at the end of my journey where I slay Rev only then can my destiny be fulfilled, my Destiny Divine." Josh expressed a deep-seated resentment towards the organization vehemently declaring his defiance against their rules and control over his life, also emphasizing his relentless pursuit of freedom. Only if Timothy could hear what was being he would have coughed up blood staring directly at Josh, but sadly Josh had placed Timothy under an illusion right after juliet started started speaking so unbeknownst to him Josh had lost his composure .
Juliet stared at Josh wide eyed, her lips trembled but the words she wanted to say could not make it out but tears did, Josh stared at her sobbing his heart not even feeling a little pang by what had just happened.
Juliet sobbed for a short while then she fixed herself up and in MO time she was back to her old self, tilting to looking at Timothy she spoke up
"The enlightened one won't hear a word about this and for your own sake you better return home very fast .goodbye for now Josh and you too Mesa boy." With that Juliet stood up and started walking towards the door, her small back swaying left and right.
Josh did not look at her leave only the sound of her exit and the people's slow movement caught his eye,her powers were getting stranger and stranger everyday.
' The boy does not know how deep my lies go, but the organization was the only way I could get him to come with , doing everything by the organization's rules in order to buy his trust that I did but now juliet could have spoiled the whole thing.' Josh thought.
Deciding to end the illusion Timothy fainted when the illusion was upliftrd"bullocks, I completely forgot about that."
"Oh shit, my head."Timothy's hand moved to touch his forehead, his sight slowly adjusting to the world around him, 'what a weird dream that was, a magical ring and a mysterious man? those do sound like some of the tales Nana used to tell me, I guess I must have missed her a lot that my mind manifested such a dream oh well-' before he could finish up his inner monologue a familiar face appeared in his field of vision
"You are awake now, good." Timothy's mouth immediately went dry, and his words got stuck in his throat because he recognized the man this was Josh Belling from his- 'Was it not a dream? It was all real all of it Josh, Richard-' Just then realization hit him, slowly raising his hand a majestic and ancient ring rested on his middle finger, its cyan gem releasing a faint glow that made it appear mysterious and beautiful.
"It's all true." His words sounded more like a whisper but they did not pass by Josh's sharp ears unheard."What Is?" Josh moved closer to sit on the bed where Timothy was resting.
"You, this, everything is all real." Timothy's voice was filled with genuine disbelief, Josh smiled nodding his head at Timothy's statement. Bits and bits of Timothy's memory surfaced and he finally recalled what happened, Timothy's eyes widened, and almost jumped out of the bed
"What did that lady mean when she said I am the true salvation of all the planes of existence? She called me the Forsaken one, The lost child of the 'source', The exalted messiah. I am not a hero, I am a boy who has just lost his grandmother in a manner I still can't wrap my head around. I am not looking to be a savior, I am searching for answers, I want to uncover the strange mystery behind my Nana's death, and only then can I be at peace. I am not some knight in shining armor, I do not care about anything other than myself that is why I have never bothered anyone else with my problems because they are mine to handle ." Timothy's Tears fell as he spoke, Josh looked at him his smile never fading from his lips. What Timothy remembered was the scene from the illusion he had cast on him, to him this was a test of Timothy's character, because he believed that all heroes died one way or another and he would rather be the teacher of a living villain than a dead hero.
"You can abandon that destiny, you can derive away from what the hags had planned for you and it all starts with a simple task, investigate and solve Sif'ur's missing children and foul Arcanum case or leave it be," Josh explained his voice calm and firm
'What will you choose, moirai? Investigate and solve the case and be the hero of this tale or allow me to guide you into the path I have laid out for you.' Josh quietly observed Timothy's facial expression.
Timothy's eyes became unfocused as he was busy conversing with Richard, "What do you think I should do? " Timothy asked hoping Richard would give him an answer he would be pleased to hear but his expectations were quickly thrashed aside
"Do what you think is best for you and your growth, there's nothing I can do to help you in this case, for this decision has to come from the heart," Richard spoke his tone bearing a calm laziness that irked Timothy off but he could vaguely understand what Richard was hinting at, so he took in a deep breath relaxing his body before he could announce his decision to Josh.
"Let us leave and head for the sanctum." That was all he said, Josh with a smile nodded but then the smile turned into a smirk and he asked "Would your decision be the same if I told you that I have found a solid lead to the case?" Josh's tone was different, almost arrogant. Timothy's disbelief shone in his eyes 'How? When ?' Were the first two questions that he had, but instead of quickly responding he took in a deep breath he understood that Josh's statement just now was bait, a tempting bait but still bait nonetheless so he steeled his resolve and he nodded before he spoke: "yes, it would not change."
Josh's smirk returned to a smile and he clasped his hands " Interesting choice Moirai, the path you chose is filled with thorns so be prepared to bleed." Josh spoke, standing up, he straightened his clothes and left Timothy with his words still lingering in the air
'I am prepared to bleed until I have found the true cause of your death I will not rest so forgive me, Nana, forgive me .' Timothy thought staring at the urn that had his Nana on the table by the window with a wilted flower vase next to it. The morning sun peeked through the curtains and the bustling sound of the city made its way to his ears, normally he would not be able to hear it but ever since he had started bathing in the pseudo-divine spring. The effects were divine, Timothy's constitution had improved and all of his physical traits had partially improved but the real improvement was not physical rather It was on a spiritual level, for the first time Timothy felt connected but to what ? He could understand, his dreams were now all about stars and many other strange realms he had never seen before at first he thought that it was just his mind conjuring this but then he realized that the rate at which these dreams were occurring was not normal at all and the stuff he saw became more and more absurd but there was this one dream in particular In this chilling dream, he found himself transformed into a monstrous silver-black wolf, his fur bristling with an unnatural intensity. With eyes ablaze with crimson fury, he stood amidst the eerie silence of the night, fixated on the star-studded sky above. The atmosphere thickened with an oppressive cold, seeping into his bones like icy tendrils of dread.
As the seconds stretched into eternity, a sense of foreboding engulfed him, suffocating any semblance of peace. Suddenly, a bone-chilling coldness gripped the air, sending shivers down his spine. Without warning, the quiet night shattered into chaos as the once serene sky erupted into a cacophony of cracks and fissures.
From the gaping maws of these ominous ruptures, came a legion of grotesque, burnt hands with razor-sharp claws, reaching out hungrily towards him. Each hand was twisted and contorted, releasing an aura of malevolence and decay. Their jagged claws scraped against the fractured sky, leaving behind a trail of darkness and despair.
The night air became filled with anguished wails and guttural snarls, echoing through the void as the hands clawed relentlessly at the fabric of reality. With each passing moment, the terror increased, reaching every fiber of his being with a primal instinct to flee. But no matter how fast he ran, the monstrous hands pursued him relentlessly, their twisted forms casting sinister shadows against the backdrop of the fractured night and then he woke, almost every night he would have this dream. What did it mean? He did not know but he too could feel that in the end, he could end up like the monstrous wolf if he continued chasing after the bizarre.
Removing the bedsheets covering him Timothy went to stand by the window and he stared outside taking I'm one last look at the city he had called his home 80 seasons. But in the end, he could not feel any attachment to this place, to him this place stopped being his home the day his sister Evelyn disappeared.
"Well one thing is for sure, I can't wait to get out of this shit hole. "
Like it ? Add to library!
คุณอาจชอบ
ความคิดเห็นย่อย
คุณลักษณะความคิดเห็นย่อหน้าอยู่ในขณะนี้บนเว็บ! เลื่อนเมาส์ไปที่ย่อหน้าใดก็ได้แล้วคลิกไอคอนเพื่อเพิ่มความคิดเห็นของคุณ
นอกจากนี้คุณสามารถปิด / เปิดได้ตลอดเวลาในการตั้งค่า
เข้าใจแล้ว