Despite the minor setback along the way, I decided to leave Rosemary behind. I bound her reigns to the railing encompassing the twinned bridges, making doubly sure there was bountiful enough grass for her to graze and rest upon.
As I bid my steed goodbye and turned to face the Headstreet, I felt my heart longing to be with my family inside the Manor.
It was a strange feeling, being well outside the keep's safety.
I had never been locked out of the keep before.
Ah, the last handful of days had stirred up undeniable aberrations.
Thankfully, everything was bound to settle down shortly. I needed only to find my friends. Perhaps involve my parents and discover why they had hidden the existence of Magick from me all these years, and after that - a sense of normality did not seem too farfetched.
I began my descent down the hill, towards the Wharf's lower eastern gate - much akin to my previous endeavour. However, this time, the objective was not solely to save Vhersio - but to save the lovebird duo altogether.
Still, I was a wee bit sceptical of the Elder's intentions; I knew her willingness to aid in my search came at a cost, but I had yet to discover the circumstances under which he became indebted to Mother. As much as I wished to delve into the matter, her presence and the vast might she commanded told me off from interacting more than required.
I hurried through the backwater streets, alarming several screeching cats and barking dogs along the way. Every few houses, another loud sound emerged into the night, echoing through the nocturnal silence as a deafening cry.
There was a look of dismay mixed with an upbeat smile, realising how many folks had pets around the area, be it for love or to catch the odd thief snooping around here and there.
I was near the gate at long last.
I stepped foot upon the tiles near the area below the gatehouse, only to stop dead in my tracks. A glint of light emerged in the corner of my eye.
I cocked my head, spotting a group of guards wandering around the central.
Another man joined them over yonder, flailing his arms about and not long thereafter, the group collectively moved towards the western gate.
The crone's ruckus had been discovered.
I held back a snort, curious about the warranted response from the guard commander on duty. Yet, as much as I would enjoy the untold mystery and strange revelations that would come to mind, my prolonged presence could not be justified.
As soon as I stepped under the gatehouse, back against the metal rods, Elder Astrid flipped over a couple of barrels stacked in front of her. She had been hiding in a corner between the city walls and a vendor's stall.
Her brows were pulled down towards each other, furrowed in discontent, "Took you long enough," she groaned, "Nearly considered returning to Crow's Perch."
Rolling my eyes, I dismissed her grumpy plea.
In a swift chain of events, we crossed through a newly-shattered gateway into the island's eastern regions. Broken metal shards lay sprinkled across the dirt road up ahead as the Elder flicked her wrist - and with another motion, her bestial mount emerged from the luscious, overgrown bushes nearby.
"Well, well, well," the crone's voice carried an underlying tone of praise—although clearly not aimed at me. Her brows and the edges of her lips both curved upwards, betraying a sense of self-contentment. "You bore witness to Magick's volatile reaches, commanded by both a rookie and adept user - now permit me to show you what a master of the craft is truly capable of."
Without a stutter, she reached out and offered me a spot behind her.
I accepted.
The Elder pulled me up effortlessly.
Her strength was extraordinary. Her body had proven itself yet again to be far more resilient than that of most people well into their elderly age.
"Grapple onto my waist," ordered Elder Astrid, tossing a quick glance behind her afore commanding the beast forward.
I hesitated briefly.
The crone let out a shallow sigh, clutching my arms and forcefully folding them around her waist as the mount's trot readily sped up into a full gallop across paths. The Elder sneered harshly, "Either you hold on, or you will plummet to the ground in nought but moments, fool."
With little thought, I gave in, reluctantly agreeing to the uneasy riding position.
A devious cackle cut through the night sky.
The beast reared up, emitting a bone-chilling shriek before darting off at breakneck speed.
My eyes had gone wide and teary; the surrounding woodlands had turned into a mere blur of mingled colours. I worried that something with my vision was awry, entirely unwilling to accept the unfolding scene.
However, the absurdity did not end there.
Roots blossomed from the beast's hips, shaped in the form of rudimentary, ill-grown wings. They began to waver as we crossed through the darkness. With only a few strides ahead, a veil of water emerged slowly from the ground, creeping up around us to form a perpetual bubble-like cloak of sorts.
Was my head playing tricks on me?
It could not be.
I raised my hand up in the air, my fingers caressing the surging liquids.
Chilly droplets ran down my arm.
Though partially terrified at the surreal encounter, it held a strange merit.
I had seen multiple instances of Magick now from people of wildly different origins. Now, while bobbing up and down on the beast's back, an intrusive concept latched itself onto my consciousness.
I had felt powerless to stop Captain Wyrmheart, so - what if...
They were all able to harness vastly different kinds of Magick - maybe I could, too.
I let the thoughts run rampant for a bit, wondering about a multitude of different aspects related to Elder Astrid, Adelaide and Captain Wyrmheart's ability to tap into the untold art.
─── ⋅ ∙ ∘ ☽ ☼ ☾ ∘ ⋅ ⋅ ───
As we delved further down the moonlight-shrouded roads, some time had passed us by. It wasn't a prolonged period of time, no - on the contrary. It felt as though mere minutes between sightings of prominent landmarks.
Atop the steed's back, we passed Cruor Waycastle long before my unspoken wonders had managed to vanish from the back of my head. Not long thereafter, we stumbled upon the intersection that bled out into Crumbled Watch.
We proceeded.
Blitzing through the lands at a devilishly rapid pace.
Night-bound cries of wild beasts were dulled, barely - if even - able to match our thundering stampede. Leaves, rocks and gravel all crunched under the heavy wooden hooves powering right through them.
The scenery began to change into rolling hills as opposed to long serpentine treelines surrounding the winding roads.
"Say," I called out, my curiosity clearly present in my chirping tone, "What is it like to be able to use Magick?"
The Elder turned around; her frail body was jumping up and down in the makeshift saddle, yet she did not mind. No, the same ill-looking grin was still rigidly plastered onto her eery visage. As cloud hung overhead, the moonlight faded; her eyes appeared as though they were pushed back deep into their sockets.
She pondered briefly and then monologued, "Truthfully, it is difficult to determine an exact word to describe the riveting sensation." Her gaze fell upon her wrist, "However, its utilisation leans into a profound idea of freedom, though realistically speaking, its potential is heavily limited by the blood running through one's veins."
Limited by blood.
Those words reverberated painfully clear through my head.
Was I unfit to wield such powers of the same calibre, perhaps even to a weaker extent—or simply not at all?
Despite the message's clarity, I pried for further information, "Limited?"
"Well, how do I explain this adequately?" Mumbling aloof, Astrid turned her head back to face the road ahead, her thoughts wandering off yet again. "Not every individual receives the Phoenix's Boon."
The elderly woman let out a deep sigh of relief. "Good heavens. Thankfully, I was born with an acute affinity for conjuring forth and manipulating water. Truth be told, 'tis but a common affinity shared between most mages who hail from Crescent Isle."
It was a lot of intricate information to absorb. Truth be told, I had hoped for a way to verify if I, too, possessed such capabilities. "I surmise the Phoenix's Boon is the natural attunement to tap into Magick?"
"Yes, that'd be correct. Each person's attunement differs based on their heritage - the ancient bloodlines that flow from one generation to the next." The Elder's tensed-up posture mellowed out a bit, "My parents, for example, were never able to, but there were faint traces of the Boon present deep down; ultimately, 'twas a dormant power that came to prominence within me later in life."
With those words, a terrifying realisation came to mind.
Despite my newfound knowledge, I could only ask one question: "What were they like when they found out about your abilities?"
"It was lifetimes ago; I can hardly recall their names, let alone their faces."
She tightened her hands on the beast's reigns, body arching straight up with a sudden rush of tension.
"I see," I commented; with her phrasing, I couldn't help but question her age. Wondering how long she had been walking among our people - how long she had spent keeping her abilities a secret from the public eye. Subconsciously, I continued the conversation with a meagre remark, "That sounds terrible."
"Enough! Enough of the subject." The heartfelt atmosphere turned cold as stone. Her voice much resembled the harsh crack of a whip once more, overwhelming and striking with dire intent. "I have answered plentiful of your queries."
I ducked my head.
Perhaps I had pressed onto a bit too sensitive a nerve.
As we continued our traversal, each moment steeped in a deep silence, we came into the Waltz. The submerged banks reflected the star-speckled skies. The moonlight glistened across the ripples in the waves. Any beholder would deem the sight a majestic one.
Rather than following the leftover, dry roads, Elder Astrid began to call upon her powers, permitting the beast to stand tall above the water, its hooves gently caressing the liquid surface beneath.
It was a startling sight, much akin to the depictions of old tales.
I had never expected the river-torn lands to be an easy area to traverse, and I was amazed to be proven wrong.
Some minutes later, we arrived at a bridge leading into a grotto surrounded by tall cliffs laced with towering palm trees, bamboo and thorny bushes.
The Elder steered closer, the beast's left front leg setting foot within the shallow cavern.
"Get off," she muttered just before the steed began struggling to move within the confines of the rock walls.
I carefully jumped off its back, and Elder Astrid followed suit quickly.
The beast let out an agonising wail.
"W-What's happening to it?"
"It doesn't feel," Elder Astrid raised her shoulders in a distant shrug, "As such, merely a trivial matter that is none of our concern."
The roots binding the beast's joints tore free of its body. With another desperate cry, it reared up only to plummet straight back onto the ground, with grievous damage done to its body. The wood and twigs had gone brittle, and cracks and deep, blue burns emerged out of nowhere as though consumed by a sudden wildfire.
I looked away in disgust, unable to bear the ghastly sight.
Even if the thing supposedly experienced no sensations, its behaviour indicated otherwise.
I rubbed the sleeves of my leather jacket, feeling the goosebumps that had scattered across my skin. The chilly air around us intensified but briefly before dissipating at an equally swift pace, I glanced back to see the beast's azure blue eyes died out and became a deep, lifeless grey.
I was horrified at the unfolding scene. I took a few steps back before observing the cavern appropriately.
Crescent Isle's flags were sprinkled throughout the torch-lit grotto. At its centre stood a large stone construction. It resembled a luxurious bird bath, much like the ones dotted around the Manor's garden. However, in contrast, there were holes near the bottom of the basket.
A droplet fell upon my head from a firm crevice in the roof.
The Elder walked up to the bird pool before proclaiming, "Welcome to the Estranged Lands, the precipice of worlds."
I approached carefully, dazed by the notion at hand.
"If we wish to continue, you must assist me with the obelisk." She extended her hand towards me, right above the sculpture's centre.
Elder Astrid grasped onto my arm, mumbling aloud, "Semita aestuum hic incipit!"
She threw back her head, eyes turning a blinding white as she stared up through the crevice.
A beam of moonlight fell upon her face, and the obelisk below her stretched arms. She averted her gaze onto me, "Go now. Only one of us may pass, girl."
The remark frightened me, though close to my girl, I knew not what to expect beyond this point.
"I don't know where to go."
Elder Astrid raised up a finger, her nail turning into a razor-sharp icicle.
"Follow your guts," she answered, trailing the veins in her wrist before puncturing her flesh and ripping open a sizeable gash.
Blood spewed from her arm into the moonlit obelisk.
Her face turned a sickly white.
The ground began to rumble. I frantically looked around to see what was going on, yet I remained utterly unable to move as I watched the walls around us close in on us.
I noticed the Elder's blood starting to emit a faint white glow as it seeped through the holes in the obelisk's bowl, disappearing out of sight somewhere in the ground.
I glanced at her - she wasn't looking good, well, much worse than before.
The grotto's back wall collapsed; a gust of wind blew up a cloud of dust.
"Go," instructed Astrid, "Enter the Estranged Lands."
Impulsively, I rushed towards the gap in the wall and crawled my way through. Tiny rock fragments and dirt streams floated down from the cavern ceiling, pelting my body. A short groan escaped my throat as I clumsily made my way through hanging vines until I spotted light at the end of the tunnel.
A whisper in the wind echoed forth, "Fool."
I reached out through the foliage, rising from my knees.
My jaw dropped to the floor in silent awe.
An all-encompassing amazement became a dominant mantra as I laid eyes on the gleaming flowers and giant mushrooms ahead. The path was unsteady and archaic, with ruined stone fences and other marks dotted around.
For some time, I simply stood still, observing the tranquil yet fantastical forest ahead.
Then, something caught my unwavering attention.
A pair of voices I'd still recognise amidst a storm of sound.
They were nearby.
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>> Thank you for reading <<
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