Shards of Felwyn

The Other Side

"How? Cosmo asked, the heavy feeling in his chest beginning to lift.

"We've done it, twice now. When the goal seemed impossible, the wall too tall to climb, we overcame it. The hydra, the wyvern, Folcanrog herself. This is no bigger than what we've already-"

A clock tower tolled in the distance, ringing out over the endless fields of tall grass and lush trees. The ominous bells rang only three times, but it was enough to jarr both Cosmo and Lysander from their conversation. He didn't know why, but as the bells faded into the distance, Cosmo got a feeling of urgency, almost as though he was being chased.

"Thank you for the kind words, brother. But something gives me the feeling we should not tarry." He said, looking cautiously in the direction that the noise had come from.

"Aye. Let's head towards the bells. If we're here to find something, I'll bet you it'll be wherever that sound came from. I've just got a feeling."

The two boys continued without another word, walking along the shore that seemed to stretch out into forever. This effect was only increased by a thick layer of fog in the distance, which prevented them from seeing too far.

As they walked, Cosmo thought back to when the journey was just he and his cousin, sailing across the Archipelago and traversing through the jungles of the Clifftop Haven. He loved the friends he'd made along the way, of course. Elias was like a brother to him, Molniya and he had become something he dared to call friends, and even Lileth's cunning mind and mischievous nature had begun to grow on him.

However, he still missed the days of training on Wyrfel and camping in the smothering heat of the wilds. Even though his goals, exacting revenge on those who destroyed Coeden, were just as lofty, it still felt simpler then. He had come so far, but he still had so much further to go.

Lost in thought, he had barely noticed when the ground below him had turned to flagstone. Looking around, he found that Lysander and he had slowly drifted from the shoreline and stumbled upon a paved pathway, which winded back and forth into the fog.

"A path? And one of flagstone at that..." Cosmo pondered as he continued across the bricks. "It's unusual for such a well-kept road to be in the middle of nowhere."

"We don't know for sure what kind of world we've encroached upon. Anything is possible, in theory." Lysander responded. "It's got to lead somewhere, right?" He asked, as though Cosmo would know the answer somehow.

"Only one way to find out." Hours passed as they continued along the path. Growing tired of his dull surroundings, the walking became grueling, each step requiring all of Cosmo's willpower to accomplish. Suddenly, the fog cleared.

Before them stood the city of Cors in an unusually pristine state. The wooden houses were polished and waxed, their shingles new and neatly arranged into rows. Chimneys broke the monotony of the even roofs, the masonry between each brick manicured perfectly. The tall steel street lamps had been freshly painted and shined and uniformly lined the sidewalks, a flickering flame dancing within each of them.

The docks, in stark contrast to how he had gotten used to seeing them, not only boasted a glossy finish, but were also completely vacant, as was the remainder of Cors. In place of the bustling streets full of shady characters and rundown market stalls were immaculate pathways with nobody to walk them, spotless buildings with nobody to inhabit them, and seemingly untouched docks with nobody to use them. Confusion swept over Cosmo.

"Cors?" Lysander broke the silence, muttering the words like a question into the emptiness.

"I suppose we were right to assume that this place was somehow linked to the Hinterland Wastes. It appears we're there after all." Cosmo responded, continuing forwards onto the empty streets of Cors.