Chapter 18:

The road to the Fortress

The stars danced in the dark sky, following the moon to a soothing beat. It was a clear night, not a cloud in sight, and not a single of the beasts of the night sky had made their presence known across the ocean above.

A dozen minutes had passed since they left the town, the hustle and bustle fell short at the distance, but the lights- yellow and red and green and blue, reflected like the stars above them, among the sea of darkness that enveloped them.

Halfway to the fortress, they passed a metal corpse beside the road. It had been destroyed, its original purpose lost, yet it didn’t succumb to the effects of the environment.

It was kept clean, its turret and its ring misaligned- the cannon, broken, half on the floor surrounded by flowers.

Unnatural holes and slashes scattered across the plates of armor, the alloy of their making unknown. Moss and other plants had grown and taken root within, embracing the corpse as if it was another part of them- of nature.

Flowers had grown to remarkable sizes around the corpse, hiding some of its parts under their shade. A thick, white rope surrounded them and the corpse, red pillars serving as its guides.

Only the rustling of leaves and flowers was heard before the ancient corpse.

Suisse clasped her hands and shut her eyes, bowing before the silent animal of metals and plants. Izuchi followed thereafter, Taccilas and Mitali observed as they did so. And then they were on their way.

Izuchi grabbed Taccilas’ shoulder and forced him behind with her, where Suisse couldn’t see them as she led them to the fortress. “Taccilas?” She whispered. “Don’t you think she’s a little suspicious?”

“Who?” Taccilas’ reply came in kind.

“Suisse! She barely knows us and she’s letting us stay at her home, for free no less!”

“Yep! Isn’t she nice?” A grin covered Taccilas’ face.

Izuchi slapped her face. “No, she worries me.”

“I think you should thank her for letting us stay over.”

“What if she’s trying to kidnap us- o-or worse?!”

“She has no reason to do anything to me.”

“You don’t know that, and what about Mitali or even worse, me?!” Hissed the princess, their voices now becoming loud enough to cause Suisse to turn and see what their deal was.

Izuchi stared at the floor in silence, whilst Taccilas happily waved at her.

She waved back-

Smiled-

-and turned right back around.

“And why are you so loud?!” Continued Izuchi.

“...You’re the one who can’t keep it down…” Mumbled the boy.

“I’m not! You absolute- Ugh!” The princess clenched her fists towards the night sky. “At any rate, you should be careful around that woman!”

“Thanks, I guess…?”

“Hmph!” Izuchi crossed her arms, signaling the end of her warnings.

It was only a few minutes more before they arrived at the fortress.

The walk had turned uphill and the mountains and trees had come closer to them with each step they took. The fortress in question sat in the entrance of the valley, its sun-colored walls ingrained into the mountains at each side, their cliffs serving as an extension of the walls themselves. The mountains overlooking the complex from above.

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Buildings rose before them, not unlike the large houses of the town, with tiled roofs and bricked walls of colors as varied as the fields of flowers that permeated the valley. All of them connected and disconnected in irregular ways, to the point that Taccilas wasn’t even sure if they were all one building or several.

He would have to explore further inside to understand that.

There was a clocktower that rose between the houses, its windows ornate as if to a palace it belonged. Many bells and wind chimes dangled from its balconies and windows, though at the moment they joined the silence the night had cast over the valley.

A huge wooden gate stood before them, simple and bland. As if they had taken a common door and upscaled it to fit the size of the fortress. It remained open from side to side, letting the outsiders see a glimpse of the plaza within.

“Here we are!” Cheered the lady under the watchful eye of the moon.

“‘Tis peculiar for such a place to bear the name fortress.” Remarked Mitali, her eyes drawn to the flowers that adorned the walls that faced her.

“People have used that word to describe it since before I got here. Come on in!” And they followed her towards the plaza. Trees, flowers, and benches decorated it, as if it was a park in the middle of a fairy tale town, rather than the centerpiece of a fortification.

Another few steps and they found themselves under the roof of a building colored the same as Suisse’s uniform, a long table lined with chairs the main focus of the room.

Suisse set her bags down on the table and produced food from within one of the three. Taccilas had never seen anything like it, he understood it was definitely some sort of fish, maybe roasted, but its gills had remained a vibrant green even after death and cooking. A number of vegetables- mainly tomatoes and onion- accompanied the dish.

“Have you three eaten dinner yet?” Consulted the lady of the fortress.

“Nope.”

“Nay.”

“No.”

Flew the replies.

“In that case, you can share my shiny shark. I’ll take a bit from Paggiatta’s and another bit from Vellaren’s.”

“...Are you sure?” Questioned Taccilas.

“Yes, of course!” Suisse’s reply carried no hesitation.

“...But you’re already letting us stay with you… And it’s your food…”

“Exactly, it’s my food and I’m your host. It’s only natural that I offer food to my guests.”

Taccilas gazed into the meal. How long had it been since he last had some food? Three days, maybe more? Beyond that, how long had it been since someone had offered to feed him properly and not like some wounded dog?

Someone was offering him their food.

I can wait, I’ve been through worse.

His stomach growled.

“Please, go on, eat to your heart’s content.” Insisted Suisse.

“...Sorry…” And thus he took a seat, picked up a fork and knife, and dug in. “Thanks for the food!”

“Thank Hezcann tomorrow, not me.”

“R-Right!” He struggled to cut the meat. It was evident it was oceanic in nature, yet its fibers behaved as if they belonged to a land animal and were tough to pierce. Eventually, he was able to slice through one thin corner of the meat, thus combining the bite with roasted tomato and onion, he brought it to his mouth and-

Throughout the last few days, Taccilas had tasted freedom after years of slavery under the yoke of lords who he had never even had the displeasure of seeing with his own two eyes.

He had felt the wind dancing with his hair and the scent of salt and water in the air.

He had even earned his own cash like a free man.

Yet none of it compared to the flavor of the meal that a stranger, someone he hadn’t even spent an hour with, had offered to him.

-It bordered on the divine.

If only you were here…

Memories flashed- wounded Mitali and Izuchi hard at work their focus, but they went further into the past too.

He sat on his sister’s lap and her hands held him in place- tanned like his were. She had strings on one hand, white their color, and was tying them around his fingers.

Back when his hands were barely injured.

Back when his arms hadn’t become monstrous and deformed.

He knew she sang, but her voice he couldn’t hear. His memories failed him when he tried to recall the tune of the song or its melody or its lyrics.

Did it even have lyrics?

Everything was a blur, even Shimmi’s embrace was disappearing-

-But he couldn’t call her to come back.

As much as he wanted to, he understood where he was. Surrounded by brick walls inside a fortress complex that his friends had accompanied him to.

And he was sure Shimmi knew where she was too.

And their time to meet again would come.

Taccilas felt himself choke up, but he couldn’t let himself cry and do such a disservice to Suisse. He would eat with dignity and show her a smile like she had shown him. That’s how his repayment would begin.