The same breezy wind from the time before he met the Dera is felt on his skin. Qi Li Looked towards the sky and let out a light breath.
"I don't wanna face something like that again. I'm just not cut out for this."
"Silly for me to say this but, I'm a bit homesick now."
"..."
"That's enough, let's just… explore some more."
Qi Li returned back to the junction. There he was met with two paths left. Though it is unknown which path leads to where.
The breeze blew again. Qi Li closed his eyes, savouring the feeling of the wind caressing his skin.
"Over there then."
What he chose was a path that contained an arch, leading to a bridge. A bridge of weathered ancient stone. It's cobbled path carved with the same symbols of waves and wind. On either side were ornate handrails of stone, their surfaces cool and rough under touch.
As he walked on the bridge he was startled by a familiar face accompanying him on the walk.
"Oh, it's just you."
Brown hair flowing in the wind. A pair of sharp deep Auburn delicate eyes were eyeing on a book. A hand was holding it, while the other was writing on it.
He looked at the book she was holding and recognized it. To double check he took a look at his own hands.
One had a shield buckled. The other contained the same book she was writing on.
"Hm? Just how?"
He opened the book and saw that words were printed on the pages. And new ones were still being printed.
"At this point should I be surprised?"
He scanned through the newly printed words.
A feeling of impending doom haes been gripping on my haert for a while now.Thaere's something off aebout this place and the fog. Maester Galeon might haeve knowlaedge regarding the fog, but he's hiding it. I trusts thaet he haes no ill will. So what exactly is ther reason he's keeping a secret?
'Can't say much about Galeon but so far, he doesn't seem all too malicious.'
Ther fog influences humans and beasts differently. Beasts tend to go mad and feral for aen odd reason. But for humans, thaey just.
Shatter and disappear.
These words stood out to Qi Li.
'How am I supposed to venture out of here then?'
This is the 600th day the fog has encompassed the realm. Leaving a few untouched.
The words ended there.
A hand appeared clasping on "miss fighter's" shoulder accompanied by a voice.
"Veyra, we're arriving."
Once again "miss fighter" shattered and disappeared. Leaving Qi Li walking alone on the bridge.
Pak!
Qi Li closed the book. While doing so, he noticed two buckles on its cover.
'Maybe I can avoid dropping it by just…. There we go.'
He took the book's buckle and fastened it to the belt loop of his trousers. With that done, he hopped a few times.
'Perfect.'
Ching, ching, ching
A faint wistful jingle can be heard.
A shadow of something enormous engulfed his own. With a look up he saw a tower with multiple square and rounded holes on the mighty cylinder. An architecture with a western Gothic and eastern look.
Yet, as he looked down a stairwell was leading downwards.
'A giant tower, ain't the staircase supposed to lead upwards?'
Gazing into the dimly lit spiral stairwell. He furrowed his brows, and pursed His lips.
'My gut… tells me there's something down there. But it's also telling me to go down.'
'The feeling's strong….'
He readied the shield buckled to his hand.
Without a second thought he raced down the stairwell hoping that he would outrun whatever might spring out to chase him.
Tak, tak, tak, tak
The sound of racing footsteps echoed throughout the entire place. Then it came to a halt.
With his heart racing, he sat at the last staircase. With everything calmed, he observed the place within the tower. A sight he probably will never forget.
The golden rays of the sun shining through the oculus of the dome shaped roof and its square and rounded holes by the wall. With the middle of the tower containing a tall thin tree that reaches the oculus. Each branch contains glass wind chimes. Striking each other and playing the same notes, unanswered, into the sky.
'Looks like that's where it came from.'
"Welcome, welcome Veyra to the thousand notes spire." the voice of Galeon echoed throughout the spire behind Qi Li.
Qi Li turned around and saw Veyra too.
'So the person accompanying her was Galeon huh.'
'Wait, so you were writing about him, in front of him? Quite a daring lady.'
"The melody of the chimes set up quite the atmosphere eh?"
Veyra threw in a comment.
"Bahhh, that's why I brought these!"
Galeon lifted two bottles of what seems to be alcohol.
The both of them moved towards the bark of the tree. Their back hit the elm, they slid to the ground, body relaxed.
Qi Li watched as Galeon took out two small wooden cups without handles. Galeon pulled back His sleeve and tipped The bottle onto the first glass. Then the second.
The sun shone upon the two protagonists.
One fitted in all white. A white long-sleeved cloak similar to a hanfu sprawling all over the ground by the tree. Giving a feeling of elegance and gracefulness
The other, strapped into an all black outfit. Black shirt tucked into a pair of long leather pants. Armour and gear clung to her, giving a sense of security and ferocity.
The stark contrast between the two brings up some sort of symbolism.
A balance.
As if one could not live without the other.
"Y'know I've been wanting to ask."
"Hm?"
"What exactly is going on?"
"..."
"Galeon, y'know me. And I know you. Y'know I can feel what's to come right? Though not specifically, I can somewhat feel it. And this feeling of impending doom keeps gnawing at me."
"... Tsk, you and your damn wraiths. I'll… spill it out then."
Sigh
"... The clock was never never a perfect shield. It only buys us time."
"The fog will sooner or later consume this place. It's just that... the progression will be slowed."
…
Veyra made a low chuckle.
"Thank goodness that's all to it."
"Why'd you hide this fact anyways?"
"I didn't know how to react to so many people hoping to find refuge here. I want to tell them the truth. But I don't want to ruin their hope."
A silence echoed throughout the spire ringing with the sound of glass chimes and everything they could not say.
"Figured."
"Hm?"
"I just had to hear it from your damn mouth."
…
"Do.. the disciples know about this?"
"They do, I'm sure."
"What about your storm fleers?"
Hearing this, Veyra threw her hair back to take another sip and spoke.
"Galeon, we have felt something off about everything from the start. All of us appreciate your goodwill. But you have mistaken Galeon, we are not fleeing. We are traveling."
Galeon placed down his cup. While Veyra took a bottle and started pouring into his empty cup.
"The fog has consumed a lot. It started 10 lunations and 2 earth turns ago. It was slow and noticeable. Many scholars, astrologers, empaths tried many ways to stop it."
"They soon came to realise it was inevitable."
"kings, people, nations. All of those who heard of this succumbed to despair. After despair came chaos, people turned on each other, a once civilised city I saw turned into something akin to a barbarian encampment."
"And then, came acceptance."
"These travelers are people who came to accept that they are gonna perish. But they decided not to make their final words be one of a shout of wrath against the unfairness of this world. Or let despair claw their insides and make them hollow."
"Rather, they would enjoy these final moments by filling themselves with the smallest happy things in life. And maybe, have their final words be that of a song. A song that rejoices that they once had-"
"Lived."
"Remember that you will die."
"Remember that you will die."
As if sharing the same mind. Qi Li and Galeon breathed the same words.
Galeon turned towards Veyra looking at her before chuckling and saying.
"How optimistic."
"Well, we can only do what we can with the time we have left."
"True, true."
Veyra turned to look back at Galeon and met his green eyes and the same aloof face he'd always worn.
"Well, great maester Galeon. What do you and your bunch of fellow monks have been doing before the end of the world?"
Galeon gave a warm hearty smile and a laugh.
"We have been busy doing the same thing everyday!"
"Helping those we see in need and following this sanctuary's belief!"
Veyra lifted an eyebrow and observed Galeon closely as if that would have changed what she heard.
"You're not kidding. Goodness, it's almost the end and you're doing all this?"
"Veyra, you know how the travelers you're leading and protecting are trying to fill their lives to the fullest?"
"We follow the philosophy of Aeratide. We are already content. We follow the wind. No regrets, no chains."
Hearing this Vayra smiled cheekily. Despite her age and vibe, this smile did seem to fit her oddly enough.
"Yeah, yeah spare me the sermon. I've only been to your temple once and I don't know much about the god you follow or whatever yall's do."
"We don't follow a god, we follow a philosophy."
They stayed silent once more. Letting the clashing of glass instruments ring out And savouring the sound with their ears.
Galeon took the bottle and tried to pour it into Veyra's cup. Nothing spilled out.
"That's the last of it."
The two protagonists stood up and wiped the dirt off their garments. And took one final look at the tree. Galeon turned around and shouted towards the stairwell
"KAELIN!"
A female disciple popped out of the stairwell and responded enthusiastically.
"Yes Maester!"
"Please, continue taking care of this place will ya? We are leaving now."
"...."
The short haired disciple frowned for a second and walked up to the Maester.
Sniff, sniff
"Alcohol?"
Despite her small stature she gives off a sense of cute dominance. One that overpowers Galeon.
"I smell alcohol, OI!"
Galeon placed his hands behind his back and looked away sheepishly. While Veyra placed her hand by the back of her head and looked down.
Sniff, sniff
The petite disciple ran behind the tree.
"...."
As she emerged from behind the tree holding two bottles and two cups she shouted.
"HOW MANY TIMES HAS IT BEEN ALREADY! SURE, YOU CAN DRINK AND MAKE A MESS! BUT AT LEAST CLEAN UP AFTER YERSELF!"
She threw the bottles and cups towards Galeon.
"THROW THESE AWAY OR I'LL THROW YOU IN THE FOG MYSELF!"
Though Galeon was unaffected by it as he caught them with ease.
"Alright, alright I'm sorry. I'll leave now but before that can you please accompany Veyra here back to her room?"
"I'll do that, NOW GET OUT!"
Galeon raced into the stairwell and disappeared
Huff, huff
The girl turned her head sharply, and remarked.
"I hope you don't act exactly like Maester. It's hard dealing with one, I'm not dealing with two."
The girl turned her head sharply, and remarked.
Sigh
"Forget it, you're our guest anyways. Come on, let's go to yer room."
As the last two left the place, Qi Li stayed back for a while.
"Well that was quite an exposition."
Qi Li thought for a while.
'How exactly is this place slowing down the progression of the fog?'
Clink
Qi Li felt something beneath his feet.
'hm?'
Turning his head down Qi Li finds a pocket watch.
'The clock...'