"She'll be coming around the mountain when she cooomes~! She'll be coming around the mountain when she cooomes~~"
"M-Miss Keekee, p-please keep your eyes o-on the road. Please!"
Despite how 'steady' Keekee had been during this 'bike' ride, it was clear Martial Kim was not a fan of this mode of transportation. Every now and then the bike would sway, buck, or even hop over a small pot hole on the side of the road, making the gears and frame heave and hiss. Martial Kim could feel the bones in his body rattling every time the bike hit something and he gripped his fingers into the metal frame out of reflex.
No amount of balance and flying skills he cultivated could ease the terror in his heart from this simple bike trip.
"There it is, right there! You see it Kim?"
"A-are you expecting someone? Coming around the mountain?"
"Wh-what? N-no. I mean that's my grandmother's place up there! See!"
Keekee pointed off into the distance where there was this log cabin of some sort isolated on a cozy, if not neglected, hill near an acre of land and trees. Tall grass waved at them in the breeze, hiding whatever path that lead to the front steps. A long white fence snaked around the area, its white scales peeling off from time and weather.
Upon closer inspection, part of the log cabin had tarps covering the roof and weight down by rocks or bolted planks. Martial Kim didn't even need to use any soul detecting skills to see if anyone lived there. It was as convincing as a ghost town.
Yet, Keekee never hesitated to ride through everything and up to the front door. In fact, she looked incredibly excited, as if wanting to show off something about it.
"Ta-daaa! My grandma's cabin! It's old, like super old. Been in her family like waaaay back, if you can imagine. Why, this was the first building ever to be made before a town developed near...uh... Sorry, I'm rambling. Y-you look tired and need to sit down."
More like shaken by your ‘bike’. Next time, I will choose to walk on my own two feet if it meant my heels will bleed. Aaagh. My back. I feel like an old man in just less than an hour!
Martial Kim watched in curiosity as Keekee pulled out a type of key he had never seen before. Back home, they are usually long metal or brass sticks that side into the slide of an exterior lock, to release two door frames to open.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Here, it was just a stab the gut of the door, twist the innards, squeeze this metal orb, and the door keeled open like a carved tuna. It looked complicated in his eyes, but for Keekee it was as easy as counting.
“Come on in Kim! Don’t be shy! Not like my grandma is gonna bite you are anything!”
...Is your grandmother a code name for a guard hound?
Keekee would gesture Martial Kim to enter and he...stumbled.
Oof! Wh-what did I hit? Ow, my head! Sunlight is still out, yet this place is incredible dark. Perhaps, I should help and light some candles on her table or so. It is the least I can--
Click.
OH! H-HOW DID THE SUN APPEAR ABOVE OUR HEADS!? WH-WHY IS IT SO SMALL!?
Keekee clapped her hands of the dust before closing the door behind her. She would then go around the room, waving her hand to flick something across the wall. One by one, more light blinked on – bright and burning the darkness away – with only the movement of a single finger.
H-how is she doing this? Does she possess enough inner energy, to produce light? Impossible?
“Sorry if it’s a bit dim,” Keekee said as she opened the windows to let the air in, “Too lazy to change the light bulbs to fluorescent, but not like the new stuff fit the ceiling lamps and whatever. If you get me.”
Ceiling lamps? I-I do not see any lamp or lantern above...she meant the tiny floating ball of sun? How is she doing this?
Martial Kim had to protect his eyes with a hand, to block out the blinding rays that were stronger than a soft candle. He had to squint to figure to examine his surroundings and watch how Keekee manipulated this light.
Meanwhile Keekee would relax as she felt the outside breeze fill the interior with cool air, “Make yourself at home, Kim!...Oh uh, you can leave your shoes at the door! Yeah right there!”
Take off my shoes? Do you not only do so, when you are about to go into bed for the night? The floors can be dirty and dusty, even if there are servants to sweep the grounds back home... Hmm, perhaps it is a custom here. Might as well abide.
“Wow, Kim. Like, I know you’re still wearing our costume – but I didn’t expect you to have been walking in prop shoes. Don’t your feet hurt? They look like just thick socks with a foam padding on the bottom. You need to sit—“
Click?...Click?...ClickClickClickClickClickClickClickClick~!
“Huh? Ki-Kim? C-could you stop playing with the lights? Th-they’re going to burn out if you keep switching them on and off!”
Fascinating. Most fascinating! To think such a simple flick of my finger on this tiny switch, could light everything more convenient than a hundred candles! I wonder, what other magnificent tricks and abilities does she and this house possess!? I am dying to find out!
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