As we made our way along the outskirts of Avylrath, I could hear the clanging sound of the chains in my backpack. Although they were heavy, I was able to bear their weight thanks to my Zen state. We had also retrieved our belongings, including some treasures we had acquired on our journey through the previous realms, along with essential items such as food and water.
The girl led us through an underground tunnel that no one seemed to use, and we eventually reached the outskirts of Avylrath. There was nobody in sight, and I couldn’t help but wonder how the girl knew about this route. Venturers were banished from the town, and yet she seemed to know the tunnels like the back of her hand.
Curiosity got the better of me, and I reached out to her. "Where are we headed to?" I asked, my eyes fixed on her.
"I was looking for the passage to the 7th realm," she replied, her tone still nervous. I could sense that there was more to her story than she was letting on.
Davy, being the curious one, asked her why she had entered Avylrath in the first place. She paused for a moment before continuing, I... I had heard rumours that there were powerful artefacts hidden within the town’s borders. I wanted to find them and use them to help people."
Her answer seemed a little too rehearsed for my liking, and I exchanged a look with my companions. However, we had no other choice but to trust her. We followed her lead, hoping that she would lead us to the passage that would take us to the 7th realm.
"Do you know where the passage is, kindly? I queried.
When Elsie heard my query, her expression darkened. Before speaking, she was silent for a brief while. She looked down at her feet and said, "I’m sorry, but I don’t actually know the route to the passage; I was on my quest to search for it when I happened to spot you.
As my mind was wandering, Cliff suddenly spoke up, "I may have an idea of the location of the passage." His tone was unsure, causing all of our heads to turn to him in surprise.
"What do you mean?" I asked at the same time as Davy. Even Kei seemed taken aback by the unexpected announcement.
Cliff reached into his backpack, rustling around until he found what he was looking for. Soon, he discovered it and showed it to us. It was a piece of paper. "I found it in the same room where we retrieved our belongings. It was rolled up and lying under a table. I didn’t want to mention it until we escaped." He spoke apologetically.
Davy looked at Cliff disapprovingly for not mentioning it sooner, but his expression soon softened.
"I believe it to have belonged to a Venturer who was taken by the Avyls like us," Cliff speculated.
The paper was rough and felt more like cloth than actual paper. Upon closer examination, I realised that it was a map, albeit not very detailed. The map had strange letters engraved into it, along with drawings.
As I examined the map, my eyes fixed on the primitive drawing of a small settlement, which could only be Avylrath. But what truly caught my attention were the peculiar lines emanating from the town. They slowly increased in size and complexity until they reached the edge. On the opposite corner of the map, a crude drawing of a door was etched.
Kei’s sudden declaration interrupted my thoughts. "This must be it. The passage."
Davy, ever the sceptic, questioned the map’s markings. "Yes, but what are these lines, and why are there so many of them?"
Elsie stepped forward, her curiosity piqued. "Let me have a look at it." As she scrutinised the map, a confident look overtook her face. "I think these are the water channels that flow from the city."
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The memory of water channels running through the streets of Avylrath flashed through my mind, and I realised she was likely correct. "You are right. This seems to be the most plausible answer. It is impressive that you were able to find it," Davy said, while giving Elsie a sceptical look.
Cliff’s voice was filled with hope as he posed the question on all of our minds. "So if we follow these channels, we can reach the passage?"
"Exactly," I replied, my own hope rising as I surveyed the map once more. It seemed that we had a plan, and with that came a renewed sense of determination.
After wandering through the outskirts of the city for what felt like an hour, we finally stumbled upon a water channel. Its cool, clear water flowed peacefully, surrounded by a strange tree with large, white, berry-like fruits hanging from its branches.
Elsie, who had been trailing behind us, pointed out that the fruits were edible and would be a valuable resource for us on our journey. Despite my lingering suspicions about Elsie’s true intentions, I couldn’t deny that we wouldn’t have made it this far without her help.
Heavy clouds had built up on top of the realm. It was imminently going to rain.
As we gathered the fruits, Cliff suddenly shouted out a warning from behind me. "We have company!" he yelled, his eyes scanning the perimeter of our surroundings. We all turned to see a figure perched on the wall of the city, an Avyl, watching us intently.
Our eyes met briefly, and without hesitation, the Avyl quickly disappeared from view. "He’s going to inform the others. Let’s get out of here!" Davy barked, taking charge of the situation. "Activate your enhanced states and run!"
**
We ran for what seemed like hours, our enhanced states allowing us to push through the exhaustion and the pain. The Avyls were hot on our trail, but we managed to shake them off by abandoning the water channel that we had been following and finding another one. Another factor was the upcoming downpour of rain, signaled by the dark clouds looming above us.
We took advantage of this opportunity and continued on our way. As we followed the channels, they began to expand in size, becoming wider and deeper. Finally, we could see that all of the channels converged in a certain direction, and beyond that point lay a thick, mystical fog.
"This must be it," I said, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly.
We followed the channels until we reached the point where they converged. Before us lies a breathtaking sight. All of the water channels flowed into what seemed like an endless waterfall that encircled the perimeter of the realm. The fog ahead of us signalled that we had reached the end of the sixth realm. There was no area of land beyond, and the enormous waterfall that flowed along the edge made that clear.
But there was something else that caught my attention: a huge staircase near us, leading underground. Water flowed along its steps, making it stand out. This must be the passage.
"The passage, let’s go! Cliff yelled after following my line of sight.
As the rain intensified, we all hurried towards the entrance of the passage, but Elsie had fallen behind. She stood still, staring at the endless waterfall and the mystical fog beyond it. I couldn’t help but wonder what was going through her mind.
"Wait!" I yelled for my friends to stop as I approached Elsie.
She didn’t move. Her eyes were fixed on the waterfall, and her face was devoid of any expression. "What’s wrong?" I asked as I stood in front of her.
"I cannot see it, the passage," she replied in a broken voice, her words barely audible over the sound of the rain. I was taken aback by her response. Elsie, who had been so confident and resourceful throughout our journey, seemed to have lost all hope.
It was then that I noticed the tears streaming down her face. The rain had disguised her tears, but they were there nonetheless. Elsie was crying, and I couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness in my heart.
Soon, the rain revealed everything. As it cascaded down Elsie’s hair, the colours began to merge and blend together, creating a distorted pattern that seemed to move and shift with each drop that fell upon it. The black and white hues of her hair were in constant battle, with the white slowly overpowering the black as if trying to claim it as its own.
It was as if the rain had stripped away the layers of disguise that Elsie had carefully constructed, revealing her true self to us. The colours shifted and changed until, finally, the black had vanished, leaving behind a silvery-white shade that seemed to glow in the dim light.
The same thing occurred with the Ventureseal on the back of Elsie’s right hand. Its shape was destroyed, and I observed as it shrank to about half its original size, now appearing to be split in two.
I came to the conclusion that Elsie’s genuine appearance now resembled that of a particular species. Finally, I asked, "Elsie, are you a dweller?"