II - The Story of Love: The Lost
Time has passed quite a bit after Alvieha found herself inside the simple residence of Servana and Xenios.
Despite the barely enough food and water, the comfort of the atmosphere within the four walls was sucking her right in. If it wasn't for the fact that there was a fog creating migraines by a dozen beyond the door she passed through earlier, the traveller wanted to stay to talk more with the woman inside.
And when she bid farewell to the folks who were kind enough to share their home, the boy didn't shy away from speaking his mind.
"You can't even speak a word outside of this house and you still plan on going anyway?"
"Well..." Alvieha combed the young boy's locks with her hand. Safe to say, Xenios popped a vein to the familiar gesture. "I can't stay here forever. Thanks for the hospitality, Xenios-kun.
The woman's cheerful chuckle just turned the kid sourer, quickly swatting the foreign limb off his hair. "Please. Who gave you the slightest permission to even lay on one strand of my hair?"
He really is a stubborn one.
"Vie-san," excused the timid Servana who stood within an arm's length distance from the two. "If you walk straight out from the door, it's immediately going to be the road out of this town. Hopefully, you would be able to handle your directions in that dense fog."
"I hope so, as well," Alvieha began to worry. "My communication is already messed up outside, not being able to clearly see where I'm going is making it worse for me."
"Tell us something we don't know."
"I appreciate the hospitality you two just offered me. Thanks for your time."
"Good luck out there, young one."
And with a quick nod and smile, the Rover left the household, hoping her steps within the fuzzy environment would not lead her deeper into the murkiness.
For minutes, feet slowly advanced amidst the veiled ground path, or at least, that's what she was hoping for.
Judging from the density of the fog, it's certainly created by magic, not by natural causes unlike the ones I've seen previously.
Although, I would admit. I feel it's denser here than immediately outside Servana's house.
If this is the case, I must be getting closer to the source.
Within a few more metres, a flame of suspicion flickered brightly. Did I stray, the woman pondered. A short distance away, a towering darkness began to hint her answers.
If I didn't, I shouldn't be seeing something along the way.
As Alvieha moved closer, the silhouette grew taller. A few more steps and the lady's hands in front of her came in contact with a rough material. She tried to feel the object. She knocked on the surface.
It was hard. Stone. And it had little weeds growing through the cracks.
In her mind, there may be a tower in front of her.
Where's the entrance of this place?
With her hands on the obstacle, she slowly walked sideways, her palms pressing on and off the wall. When her touch failed to feel any texture, the sudden imbalance caused her to tumble, arm first onto the ground.
A quick thud echoed followed by winces of pain and discomfort. Two feet quickly stood; hands removed any possible dirt collected by her hooded robe. Once contented, Alvieha felt lost once more. She felt the hard surface no longer.
She was standing in a thick fog. Alone. Open to any hostilities.
Wanting to proceed, the lady paced herself like a turtle. Her feet connected with every advance.
As she moved, the previously hard floor began to creak. Alvieha bent over to feel the surface. She knocked once more. It was wood. And when she carefully patted below her, a metal ring got caught by her finger. She pulled it towards her but it was stuck. The woman moved sideways and pulled again.
Her heart stopped. A sound of progress rang in her ears. The metal ring was raised and stray winds began rushing in from beneath her.
Alvieha carefully moved in the dense fog, her hands as her guide as she sensed the floor. There was now a hole where the wooden surface was.
She just opened an entrance. And it was towards beneath her.
Mentally elated by the development, she manoeuvred herself cautiously towards the dark pit, feet first. As she kicked on the sides, she felt metal bars. Horizontals and verticals. There were steps and sides of a ladder stuck on the periphery of the entryway.
She took a chance. She sent her legs lower, clinging over hard steps. Her hands wandered on the sides reaching for the handles. When she felt satisfied and secured, she continued to descend, one step at a time.
Wind continued to howl behind her, her cloak fluttering at every breeze. It lasted minutes until a speck of light under her caught Alvieha's attention. She hastened, feet briefly touched one step after another, her hands simply slid down the metal bar.
After five whole minutes in the darkness, she found herself in a completely different surrounding.
The light was blinding. Rows of shelves full of books as far as her eyes can see. Wooden furniture here and there. In the far side from her, a wooden spiralling staircase stood in glory, its numerous steps were so much for Alvieha's neck to handle.
It was a whole, new world.
Her hands left the cold metal handle as the lady marched into the vast, mysterious territory.
A library...
Orbs of precious hue scoured the area, imprinting images into the lady's mind. Wings fluttered. Rays of sunshine showered the room. Winds howled and flowed from one side to the other. For Alvieha, this was her first in such a place. However, as eyes landed at one corner after another, a wave within her began crashing her thoughts.
Isn't this place...
Without further judgment, the hooded woman marched further into the room, getting farther and farther from the metal ladder she clung on earlier. She advanced through rows of literature and knowledge, singing birds, and shining marble statues. As her figure landed at the foot of the tall staircase, her eyes retried trailing the steps. Seconds later, her neck ached.
It took seconds for the pain to subside before deciding to proceed.
One step followed another in quick intervals. She was eager to walk up the wooden road, a certain picture in mind. But the steps were giving her a run for her money. Minutes already passed, yet, the top was still nothing but bright emptiness. She stopped to catch her breath, hands on her knees in exhaustion, when she simply decided to bypass it all.
With a few mental chants, her feet left the stairs, the ends of her robe fluttering beneath her. With content, she raced to the top in a decent speed, her flight completely dismissing the tiresome steps.
After a short while, a large, wooden door, brown with white linings, welcomed her floating form at the end of the stairs.