Thin, grey clouds blanketed the sky. Occasionally, rays of sunlight pierced through the gaps, only to vanish again before one could draw a breath. Libel thought it was as if day and night were repeating themselves multiple times within a single day. It was a sight he had never seen before in his eight years of life.
Through the gaps in the horse-drawn cart, an endless landscape of gentle plains stretched out before him. The land showed off its rich, undulating curves, seeming to extend as far as the eye could see. A gust of wind rippled across the ground, sending small plants dancing into the air. It looked as though they might fly away forever.
The contrast between the ambiguous sky and the peaceful plains below seemed both like the end of the world and a strange harmony. Libel stared out, transfixed.
"Is the scenery of Plato unusual to you? It's cloudy here all year round," the cart driver noticed Libel's demeanour and spoke to him. For a moment, Libel couldn't understand what he was saying. Although it was the same language they usually spoke, there were subtle differences in pronunciation and vocabulary.
"It's been about forty years since the new system began. Now we've got fine carriages like this running even in places like this," the driver boasted as if it were his own accomplishment.
Libel wanted to show this scenery to Luminita and Clara. He looked at the two of them, sleeping soundly right beside him. They had been wearing the same clothes for a long time now. Their hair and skin were rough with dust and mud. Their cheeks were gaunt, and their faces pale. Libel was the same. They had travelled by boat, been transported by cart, and come so far they didn't know where they were anymore. But this difficult journey should be coming to an end soon.
An old book and writing materials peeked out from Luminita and Clara's bags. Apart from these, the three had almost no belongings. Luminita enjoyed writing stories, and Clara would play by drawing pictures for Luminita's tales. A happy moment for the three siblings.
Soon, the sound of horses neighing could be heard, and the cart came to a stop. The driver told the three to get out of the cart. Libel woke Luminita and Clara, and they got out together.
By the time they noticed, the sun was about to set in the western sky. The grey sky was rapidly turning crimson. Night would fall soon.
"Quite a view, isn't it? The weather being changeable and mostly cloudy is this country's downside, but that's also part of its charm," the driver remarked.
Libel was more concerned about his two sisters than the scenery. Luminita was staring at the sky with wide eyes. Clara was gazing at the landscape with her mouth slightly open. Seeing their reactions, Libel felt relieved for the first time since they had arrived here. He wanted to show them more of the world's beauty. However, this cart that had departed from the port was supposed to head to the next town before nightfall.
"Thank you for showing us this beautiful scenery. But... it looks like night will fall soon. Shouldn't we be leaving now?" Libel asked uncertainly.
"Well, hold on a minute," the driver replied.
"Look at my cart. Isn't it beautiful, standing here on the sunset road? It's meant for transporting goods, but it's got springs to make the ride comfortable. It was more comfortable than other carts, wasn't it?"
"Yes... I suppose it was..." Libel agreed, though this was his first time riding in a cart at all.
"This job comes with a lot of grant money. I bought this new cart with that money! Impressive, isn't it? ... But that's only if I deliver all the orphans to their new parents. I need to calculate the unit price per person and the number of people. You need to study, you know."
Libel was about to ask what the driver meant, not understanding his intention. At that moment, he saw the wind whipping up grass at the edge of his vision. The sound of the wind was no longer the gentle melody from before, but had changed to a howling, wolf-like gale.
"Finally noticed, have you? Looks like it's true that you can't sense spirits. My grandfather's village was destroyed by your country. You savages from Substania..."
The driver seemed to be spewing more discriminatory words, but the wind's noise was increasing so much that Libel couldn't hear him clearly. Libel pulled Luminita and Clara close to him. The two gripped the hem of his clothes tightly in return. Libel tried to smile at them, not wanting to worry his sisters. However, as the wind grew stronger, it became difficult even to stand in place.
What would happen next? Libel raised his face to ask the driver for help. The cart had already departed, leaving the three behind. It was already too far to catch up, even if they ran.
"Libel... I'm scared... What's happening...?" Luminita's eyes were brimming with tears, but they were quickly blown away by the wind. Unable to withstand the strengthening gale, the three sat down on the ground.
Libel tried to think rationally and assess the situation. However, he couldn't form any coherent thoughts, and all that came to mind were images from his life since he could remember. The noisy yet somehow lonely days at the orphanage. The moment when adults came and separated him from his friends. The port town they reached after walking for days. This country they arrived at by ship. The lonely profiles of Luminita and Clara as they watched their companions leave one by one for their new families. The fear of being left behind. The cart they boarded with a glimmer of hope. The sky dyed crimson...
The wind grew even stronger, scattering Luminita's belongings. Her precious notebook and writing materials were caught in the vortex, coming apart as the fastener broke loose. Every page was filled with writing and drawings. This had been their only plaything.
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One thing was certain: something terrifying was approaching.
"Let's go back the way we came! Hold hands and don't let go, we'll walk slowly," Libel shouted as loudly as he could to be heard over the howling wind. The sandstorm whipped up by the gale made it impossible for Libel to tell which direction they had come from, but still, the three started walking, hand in hand.
At some point, blood had started flowing from Libel's shin. It was as if he had been cut by something sharp. The moment he noticed, it suddenly started to hurt. Something struck his forehead, and blood trickled into his eyes. Stones whipped up by the wind were pelting them.
It was like the wind's fury. Not just the wind. It was as if the very earth was enraged at something, unleashing its wrath upon Libel and his sisters.
On the ground lay the fragment that had hit Libel's forehead earlier. Looking closely, he realised it wasn't a stone. It was a metal fitting.
Glancing around, he could see rusted and decayed helmets, armour, swords, and spear-like objects buried in the surrounding area. Perhaps there had been a battle here long ago.
One of them, a jet-black short sword, lifted from the ground and was caught up in the tornado. The short sword danced and fluttered in the strong wind vortex. It was as if an invisible swordsman was checking the condition of his weapon before a fight. The unseen swordsman closed in, seemingly trying to bring Libel and his sisters within range. There was little time left before that blade would reach them.
Libel turned his back to the short sword and embraced Luminita and Clara. Luminita called out Libel's name worriedly, but he didn't respond.
Along with the rising fear, Libel felt a strange sense of unreality, as if he were floating. His feet were unsteady, but he couldn't tell if it was because of the strong wind or because his consciousness was becoming unstable.
At the very least, he didn't want Luminita and Clara to suffer any more. At the very least, he wished they didn't have to see such a terrifying reality. At the very least...
Libel repeated the words he had thought in his mind once more.
(At the very least, I wish the three of us could die together, without suffering.)
When he realised the meaning of his thoughts, tears began to fall naturally. Why was he so weak and powerless? Why couldn't he fight to save his two sisters?
Something soft touched Libel's cheek. It was Luminita's brown hair. Soft, warm, and fluffy.
"Libel, are you in pain?" Luminita turned her gentle, light green eyes towards Libel.
"No, big sister. Libel's just hungry," Clara said leisurely, as if it were just a moment before lunch, perhaps not understanding the situation.
Feeling the familiar presence of the two, Libel regained a bit of composure.
"I'm sorry, I'm alright," he said. This was no time to cry. He had to think of a way for the three of them to survive this situation. But how...?
Amidst the roar of the wind, he faintly heard a song.
It was Luminita.
The song Luminita had loved since their days at the orphanage. The song she called the "Whale Song."
"Luminita, what are you...?"
In the roar of the storm, it shouldn't have been audible at all. Yet, faintly but surely, he could hear it. A melody that was as cheerful as a children's fairy tale, yet somehow ephemeral.
In that instant, the strong wind seemed to weaken slightly. Until just a moment ago, the wind had
been so fierce that they could barely stand, but now they might be able to run and escape.
Libel grabbed Luminita's hand and held Clara under his arm as he ran. In a mix of fear and excitement, he swore not to let go of the two of them and ran. It might not have been more than a few tens of seconds. Libel felt as if he had broken through a thick, soft wall of air.
Suddenly, the wind that had been raging around the three of them stopped. It was as if they had been trapped in a narrow dome where a storm was raging until just a moment ago.
When he turned around, he could see a small tornado rising into the sky where they had been standing just before. Unidentifiable metal fragments, stones, decayed black swords, spears, and parts of armour and helmets were dancing wildly in the tornado. Some of the scrap metal was breaking apart as it collided with the ground and in mid-air. Yet even as they lost their original form, they continued to swirl in the wind, seemingly determined to continue their destruction until death.
If they had remained in that place, what would have happened to them...? Libel felt a chill run through the core of his body at the thought.
"What could that be?" Clara said, staring at the tornado.
Libel narrowed his eyes and observed carefully. He thought he saw something flying outside the tornado's dome, emitting a faint light. Should they stay and observe a bit longer? At that moment, Libel felt a tug on the hem of his clothes.
It was Luminita. Libel noticed that she didn't look well. Perhaps it would be better to leave this place for now.
"Let's go," he said. He mustn't make the two of them anxious. Libel took Clara and Luminita's hands and walked in the lead. But... "Let's go"... where should they go? Did the three of them have a place to return to? The cart driver had said that his job was to deliver all the orphans to their new parents. If his job was now finished... If there was nowhere in this country that would accept the three of them...
Just as the weakness that had appeared in Libel's heart was about to take root again, Clara spoke up.
"I'm really hungry. I want to go somewhere with delicious food. And I'm really sleepy. I want to sleep in a soft, fluffy bed."
Clara was as easygoing as ever.
"You're right... A place with delicious food and warm beds. Let's aim for such a place. It might not be possible right away, but I'm sure we'll get there," Libel said gently.
"Eh, really? I want it right now," Clara said, pouting.
Luminita, leaning on Libel's shoulder, scolded her, "Clara, don't trouble our brother too much."
"But you're the one troubling him now... Big sister is always so selfish."
"I'm not selfish..."
Listening to the two sisters' bickering, Libel couldn't help but laugh. Catching his laughter, his two sisters laughed too.
Evening had passed. It would be completely dark soon. An unfamiliar land, the absence of reliable adults, unfamiliar scenery, powers beyond understanding... A mix of anxiety and excitement made it difficult for Libel to sort out his emotions easily.
Even so, the three of them were together now. They would continue to live together from now on.
The curtain of night began to cover the sky. The time when the boundary between day and night blurs.
Libel remembered the term "Ouma-ga-toki" (the twilight hour) that he had read in a book before. In contrast to the darkness that seemed to dye this country's land in bottomless gloom, Libel felt a strange beauty somewhere. Despite having nearly lost their lives to the violent wind just moments ago, he even felt as if they were being welcomed by some invisible entity of this country. Was that just his imagination?
The setting sun gave no answer, merely elongating the shadows of the three siblings to the edge of the horizon.
***
In this world, where myths and legends, rich nature, and ruins remain, people live their lives.
Several decades ago, the world had ended yet another major conflict, and people were trying to take new steps towards peace. However, the scars of the age-old wars have not yet healed.
Spirits and gods, supernatural powers and ancient relics, blessings and curses... Non-human entities and forces sometimes accompany, sometimes conflict with humans as they weave history together.
This world is called Almatria.
In the year 1718 of the Almatrian calendar, three siblings set foot in Plato, the Plains Country.