Mesmerized, Cecillia watched as the man quite literally blinked across the room. His handkerchief whipped through the air like a blade would and in no time, he was completely finished. He clapped his hands once and a butlery magic began to seep into the air, making everything sparkle with the twinkling specks of cleanliness.
With that, the butler swept his arm through the air in a graceful twirl and draped the handkerchief over his shoulder. He glanced out the window and straightened himself, and Cecillia thought he was looking more regal than ever.
Seemingly noticing her stare, he turned to face her and flashed an elegant smile.
“Well?” the butler waltzed next to her, glancing both ways down the hall. “Shall we get going?”
“Already?” Cecillia frowned. She eyed a nurse a ways down the hallway who was talking to presumably another patient. “Aren’t there any forms to fill out or… I mean. You said I’ve been here for a month, right? Shouldn’t there be some kind of payment that I have to make?”
“Certainly,” The man said, still smiling. “I am pleased that the young lady is in possession of a sharp mind. Mistress Wisteria will be most delighted.” He then raised his chin haughtily. “But you needn’t trouble yourself with these matters my young mistress, they have already been seen to.”
Cecillia looked up at the man, squinting. She couldn’t tell if his statement was him talking sarcastically, or it was genuinely a compliment. But at least she was saved from the hassle of checking out of the hospital… that is, if there really was a concept of such a thing in this world.
“Alright then…”
With the troublesome words, Cecillia cleared her mind and decided to forget what he had said. The butler was seemingly oblivious with the turmoil in her head, but he politely offered to lead and stepped forward. Cecillia watched his back, a step and another passed before she followed in line.
The halls were quiet, with only their footsteps ringing out and it wasn’t long until they made their way to the main lobby. Cecillia had noticed the wards as they passed, even catching sight of several patients struggling to survive. It was mostly kids fighting against a sickness, or the elderly living out the last moments of their lives. The scene wasn’t pleasant but…
Such was the fate relegated to a hospital.
Though Cecillia did manage to catch sight of multiple industrial looking medical machinery. It reminded her of the things written in the textbooks, depicting technology that had been world-leading back in the 20th century. Of course, it couldn’t compare to the progress driven forward by the utilization of ether, but it was quite fascinating that there were no power cables connected to the machines. Cecillia remembered what Laen had said about the manacores and she assumed that these were all powered by said cores.
The man led her towards the exit before suddenly stepping to the side, and in front of him Cecillia saw a young boy with hands held with another nurse. He glanced up at her, with curious wide eyes and waved a hand.
Cecillia wanted to replicate the greeting, but without her arms, she could only give a polite nod. Even with magic being so prevalent in this world, with healers, stat-points and the system itself. It was somewhat depressing in a way that those who weren’t as fortunate were in the same position as those on earth.
The nurse and boy swept past her as the butler bowed, although not to the point of the floor which he had done earlier. Cecillia looked at the man strangely, was it a common courtesy for a butler to bow to a nurse?
Cecillia shook her head and the man led her outside where the crisp morning air met her. It wasn’t too warm, nor too cold with her class benefits, but for others it was chilly enough where a scarf was warranted at the very least. Perhaps it was because of the constant wind which made the cold feel almost brittle even in the sun’s light. But one thing was sure that the name of Windhaven was truly fitting for the city.
She found herself following the strange butler across a tiled path that made its way through a small garden. Her gaze lingered on some of the flowers, but their aroma was enough of a memory. Just up ahead, there was a waist height stone wall with a gate that led out to a mildly kept gravel road. And beyond that there stood an elegant, horse-drawn coach. With golden embroidered decorations that didn’t shy away to scream of nobility, it was an expected sight from a fairytale.
Cecillia’s steps hitched for a moment when they landed on the carriage. It was very striking, almost too much so, and she felt cold sweat run down her back. In her past, it was common knowledge that she lived in luxury—being the daughter of the greatest director of mankind who then subsequently became the greatest soldier of humanity. Still, even with all the wealth at hand, Cecillia wasn’t a person to go out and purchase extravagant things. Seeing this as well as having a personal butler… she felt a headache arise.
“Please make yourself comfortable with the sight my lady,” The butler said, gesturing towards the stagecoach. “It is one of the treasured heirlooms of the Wisteria family. And now…” He snapped his fingers and the door slowly swung open. “The coach is yours to command.”
Cecillia hesitated for a moment as they stepped through the gate, her gaze shifting between both the carriage and the man. A whole entire vehicle, that she assumed only the richest had. She didn’t think she deserved such a thing. Her eyes then floated towards the horses at the front. There were two, and they resembled twins. With tall muscular bodies and sleek midnight coats that swirled like liquid shadows.
The horses seemed to notice her stare and they shifted slightly, their breaths creating noticeable soft clouds in the cold air. Although, Cecillia frowned. With her taming class, she could roughly estimate the mental state of an animal as she had during the caravan. But with these shadowy horses, she couldn’t feel a thing. Even if they existed in her vision, and all her senses were telling her so, the instinctual response just did not return. It was unsettling in a way, but Cecillia found the twin horses somewhat cute and she glanced up at the butler.
“Do they have names?” she asked.
A faint smile made its way onto the butler’s lips as he nodded in response.
“You are absolutely correct,” he gestured to the one on the left whose eyes stared back at them like polished obsidian. “That one is called Dusk,” he said and his finger then drifted to the second horse. “And his sister is named Gloom. Beautiful animals aren’t they?”
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Cecillia focused on both the horses, finding Gloom to have a slightly lighter sheen in her coat. Though, the longer she looked at the siblings, she found a sudden warmth blooming from within her chest.
“Yes,” she murmured softly. “They really are beautiful. But…”
Although, her words paused and she turned back to the butler. She looked at his face where his eyes were staring into the distance.
“What about you?” she asked. “Do you have a name?”
The butler’s gaze shifted to meet her eyes before he tilted his head to the side. Cecillia found a brief flash in his pupils, and he didn’t immediately respond. Silently, his gaze drifted back to the horses and Cecillia’s vision followed.
“My name?” The man echoed, his voice as smooth as ever. He revealed an amused, enigmatic smile and tapped his chest. “It is quite endearing that you would ask me that. Names really are a curious thing. Sometimes, they are much more important than one would think.”
Cecillia rolled her eyes, the way the man spoke was cryptic and she wasn’t sure if he was answering her question or simply dodging it entirely.
“So… you don’t have one?”
If this was the way that her butler was going to be for the next couple of months, then it might be a good idea to rethink this whole adoption thing.
“I do apologize, young mistress. It is not my intention to insult you,” the man chuckled softly. “Although…” his voice trailed off into a whisper. “I believe that it is best if you would be kept away from something so meaningless.”
Cecillia’s brow furrowed, but she accepted the man’s answer. His secrets weren’t her business anyways. Instead, she nodded and glanced back at the horses.
“I see,” she muttered quietly.
The man suddenly lifted his wrist, holding it close and glanced at the watch wrapped around it. For the first time, Cecillia noticed a frown on his lips. It was surprising to see something other than the charming smile he always wore.
“Well, it appears that if we linger any longer, the Mistress will be most displeased,” the butler’s voice took a hard edge. “Let’s get going, shall we?”
The butler then strode ahead and waited for her next to the open door. Cecillia fixed her eyes on the dark, polished wood of the coach, her gaze trailing over the furnished design for a moment. Whoever had crafted the carriage had done so with loving care in mind.
Cecillia arrived next to the waiting butler, allowing herself to be helped up by the butler. His gentle hand remained steady on her shoulder until she was finally inside. Once she settled herself onto the leather seats, the man nodded respectfully, and the coach’s door closed with a soft thud. Through the small window opening at the front, she watched as the man secured himself in the driver’s seat. The crack of a whip sounded a second later, and the stagecoach was thrust into movement following a slight jerking jolt.
As Cecillia glanced around at the luxurious interior of the coach, it almost didn’t feel real. It was like she was a sheltered princess of sorts, and the feeling was repulsing in a way. Although—she shook her head, this was her reality now and the only thing she could do was accept the gracefulness that had been granted to her.
Sighing, she tilted her head upwards where a small light hung, lightly swinging as the carriage bumbled across the gravely road. Obviously, it wasn’t lit, but if it were nighttime, Cecillia could imagine that the atmosphere within the coach would be warm and pleasant. Her eyes then drifted to the front and nearly three meters ahead, there was another long, velvety seat with plush cushions woven with golden threads. She estimated that as many as four could sit side by side, that is if they were squished to the absolute maximum.
Cecillia humored the thought, but she couldn’t think of anyone that could fill the seats with her, and her eyes were quickly swept away by the table between them. Underneath the table was a small box or container that radiated with a cold magical energy. It was most definitely a fridge.
Thinking about the idea caused an amused smile to flit onto her lips. Perhaps if she really wanted, it was possible to have a meal, or at least a refreshment while they were on the road.
‘That’s convenient.’
To the sides were large windows both coupled with thick red curtains that could be draped over to provide the absolutes of privacy. However, the day was such that the weather had thankfully decided to be wonderful, and Cecillia decided to keep them open so as to take in the scenery that had been so highly praised.
And for that regard, she wasn’t disappointed in the slightest. Peering outside, she spotted a sign with the runic language of the world that read Heilen. Cecillia assumed that the name belonged to the hill they were now traveling down, but the thought exited her mind as the view of the city was revealed to her.
At first, she had only seen the hill itself, which was beautiful enough on its own with its tall grass and swaying flowers. But when her gaze finally drifted onto the city, an audible gasp left her lips. The distant sight captured in the irises of her gleaming blue eyes reflected a fantastical city that could’ve belonged to the Victorian era. Although, just saying that would be an understatement.
“Pretty…” Cecillia murmured, pressing her face close against the window.
From their height, where she estimated that they were at least a couple hundred meters above the sea level, the red and yellow brick rooftops of the houses resembled a patchwork quilt. While the cobbled roads, with pointed street lamps directed tiny specks of life through the maze of grand villas. Yet the most wonderful sight that graced her eyes was the ocean.
Cecillia almost smiled as her gaze followed the stone pier that stretched out into the waters. She observed the seemingly small boats, fully knowing just how large they were as they swirled through the churning seas. Though, she wondered why they didn’t dare delve deeper into the endless azure expanse. But it was a fact that there could only be a single answer.
“Monsters.”
On earth, after the fall of humanity’s most powerful countries, they had lost the hopeless war for control over the ocean. Defending land was difficult enough, but the waters whose deepest secrets weren’t yet known to the greatest of minds, it was an impossibility. Here, where monsters and death were just part of everyday life, it must’ve already been established that humans weren’t meant for the waters. Still, when was it that humans had obeyed the natural laws?
There was a quote that Cecillia had found long ago. Something that was perhaps nihilistic in nature, but it had stuck with her and could even be said to have resonated with her soul.
“Not within a thousand years would man ever fly.” (Wright, 1901)
Yet it was ironic because just two years later, the first aeroplane had been constructed. And not even a century after, planes were commissioned for commercial usage. Accelerate another 150 years forward, and the winged exoskeletons that were fueled by ether, rivaled even the capacities of nuclear reactors. Perhaps if humanity hadn’t been invaded, the solar system and beyond wouldn’t have been something out of reach.
Cecillia sighed softly and watched the boats zip through the waves. Their sails looked as if they were slicing through the winds which only distinguished the raw engineering capabilities that might assumably be further pushed by mana.
“Young mistress, please make yourself comfortable,” the man said, turning over his shoulder. “We will arrive in approximately one hour.”
"Okay," Cecillia replied with a mumble.
Slowly, the lull of the bumbling stagecoach eased her mind and she reclined back against the padded cushions. The rattling of the wheels soon melted into the background and with the speed that they were going, it would be at least an hour till they reached the outskirts of the city.
‘An hour huh?’
For the thing in her mind that kept constantly bugging her, Cecillia decided an hour was more than enough for what she should’ve been more excited for .
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“Yes.”