Chapter 8 Part 1
-A Placid Island Houses Many Things, Even Blind Hate-
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What was once a city turns into a view of the ocean—miles, and miles of water that extend themselves around the whole world. The unexpected part happens when I look a little more out of the clean glass, noticing we are no longer on land; the train has gone straight over the water, in a rail that stretches magically over the ocean. It is so absurd that I rub the bridge of my nose to get all of my focus back on the world and attempt to gaze outside again. Of course, nothing changes; the view is real.
Instinctively, I raise to my feet and get as close as possible to the window, almost not noticing Milesian's return. "I had the feeling you would react like this." The woman comments and sits on the seat, smelling strongly of herbs and smoke.
Her words make me self-conscious of my reaction, so I do my best attempt to not go over the board, but the questions I have don't manage to stay still in my brain. "How? I mean, I know this is magically related somehow, but how can rails exist in the middle of the ocean without anyone noticing?"
"They don't, in a way," she says, leaving me clearly confused, so she works toward explaining the meaning behind her words. "The train and the rails are one entity, so the capability to build a path to wherever it needs to get to should not be a surprise with this information in mind." She gestures to the front of the train. "If you wish to see the process, you can head to the front cabin, or I could make an illusion to show you."
"I'll choose the illusion," I say, as no intention to bother the staff crosses my mind.
"Well then, allow me all but one second to prepare it," Milesian requests, moving her hands in the air like an artist with a brush, leaving in its way lines; those lines then start to take more complex shapes, building from scratch the figure of the rails and the train. "Focus your eyes on the motion," At her words, the fake train starts to move on the rail lines, and every time it reaches a certain distance, the rails behind it disappear and travel to the front part of the rail, in a loop that keeps building a path along the waters. "Train rails exist everywhere, even on the ocean or below mountains; that is how spirits, witches, mages, and other magical beings travel around the world. Not all do nowadays with the rising popularity of teleportation spells and magical doors, yet the rails still exist." She ends the illusion, and the lines all turn into birds, flying away and leaving a wind that caresses my face placidly. "How the humans don't perceive it has to do with their incapability to see magical beings, and the train is one in ways."
Her explanation is good, but like before, one thing remains to bother me. "I never asked, but why do I possess the capability to see all of this?"
"The answer rests on how illusions work; to those who never saw the ways to make it work, they will always be tricked, but to others, the special ones who can gaze closely at the performance, they open their eyes to all kinds of things." She ends her explanation and gazes out of the window in remembrance. "I like to put it in simpler words: the world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper."
"But if it is like that, then it should have happened to me, but I can't recall any of that," I sit back down and look down to the ground with a frown, thinking deeply about what she just said. "The creature that followed me, in your words, should only be perceived by me if I had previously 'understood' the trick, and even so, I stumble across the library; but John said you allowed me."
Milesian, out of nowhere, leans closer to me, deeply gazing at my face as I think, looking interested in my conclusion—that, or she's trying to communicate something. "You're starting to get it now." Deep red irises so focused on me that I lose my courage to stare back, which helps me focus only on the meaning in her words. "I'll help you with a piece of relevant information so you can arrive at a conclusion. I didn't allow you to find the forbidden library, nor did you just 'stumble' across it; the answer lies in another, perhaps more simple conclusion."
"Wait, are you saying I was fated to find it?" I ask, utterly confused, to the point where my head starts to hurt. "Because if it isn't that, all I can think of is that somehow I saw magic before and am not able to remember."
Milesian backs off for a moment to shake her head, looking slightly disappointed. "Fate is not a real factor in any logic; it is only a way for desperate humans to feel special. No, but your second guess is a good one." She crosses her legs, placing her cane in the space between them, and uses the handle to rest her hands on. "To be fair, the answer too isn't one thing I have knowledge of, only theories; I believe it has been enough of it for now," she says out of nowhere, caressing my shoulder to get me off my mind. "It was a fun set of questions, but the answer won't reveal anything important at this moment, and too, your way of acting now is more of what I came to know of you."
I don't even get to look at her confused before a hint as to what she's talking about happens; directly in front of me, a raven stares with its black eyes, looking like it has been there for a long time. "When you ran away, I sent it to keep an eye on you, so I observed that you looked plagued by something." Her simple touch transforms into a more reassuring one as she guides her hand to my head and proceeds to pet my head like I'm a stray she found on the street. "Can you assure me you are mentally ready for what comes?"
All I do is nod my head; it seems she mistook something, but I'm glad she thought I was distressed instead of seeing through me and noticing that I was a blushing mess. To demonstrate to her that I'm serious and to myself, I take a long, deep breath and get back to normal, in a moment grabbing Ayla's diary to keep me occupied, and in return, Milesian, strangely, spaces out looking at the outside world, to the ocean that moves accordingly with the train motion, to the sun glistening on the waves in the distance, and to something else, something that lies in her own mind, unknown and inaccessible to me. Sensing that I need to do something, I scoot closer to her until our shoulders are in contact, to maybe help her stay grounded. The effects of my action is not one I notice, as it is hard to read anything from a skull that can't express emotions, but the way she uncrosses her legs and, in my head, brushes her knees on mine intentionally serves to inform me that maybe the effect was a good one.
After some time
Clacking of wheels over rail joints becomes a sound so repetitive in my ear as we reach the third-hour mark of the journey that the moment it changes, turning more into a hard rumbling, my attention is peaked. The breaks hiss and screech as the train slows down to a stop; the movement it creates is a signal of our arrival.
Milesian takes the clock she always carries with her out of her overcoat's inner pocket and cheek the time attentively, lightly tapping the metal back of the object timely, matching the passing seconds. "We are on time. Good." She comments and rises to her feet at the sound of the crew member approaching our seats. Instead of joining her, I take a moment to look out of the window, shielding my eyes as the sun reflects on the glass. Similar to the one back in the village, this train station is old and marked by clear hints of time and vegetation; on the horizon, green patches of low grass paint the mountain, hills, and fields, all existing without an exact path to somewhere, just nature, untouched by any hands.
Even with my focus on the outside, I manage to hear the conversation happening behind me.
"The door is ready as per your request; in the evening, we will offer the supplies to the one inside." The staff man comments about something I can't make sense of.
"Very well, our return is to be expected at night," she says, walking past the men with her hurridly steps, not looking back as she expects me to be already following, something I do by forcing my eyes out of the window, readying myself to face the unknown that is held outside.
Passing by the man, I bow my head respectfully, watching as surprise paints his face before a smile takes its place—a gentle expression that fits better on his face. "Thank you for the travel."
"It is my pleasure; have a pleasant journey, apprentice of Milesian," His words sound so fatherly that they're strange, yet they are comforting in a way. "Do stay safe, miss."
"Will do; thank you again." This time, I rapidly bow to get to Milesian before she notices I'm not behind her, only looking back to meet the man's eyes as he waves goodbye politely, holding on to his eyes a certain feeling that makes them look slightly washed out of their color.
On the outside, I meet with the clean, cold air that invades my lungs and goes out through my throat, leaving on its exit a trail of light smoke, almost not visible. The unexpected cold makes me glad to have my winter coat at all times in my backpack, so I wrap my fingers around it like an old lover, without hesitation, and wear the soft material. Its effect is instant, as it feeds off my body warmth at first and then turns it into a constant heat source.
"Circe lives on the further end of the island, on the hills that descend to the sand paths, so the walk will take a while." Milesian, without mercy, starts walking forward, leaving me with little time to think of the great promised distance and in a hurry to put my backpack on again and proceed with her. "If, on the way, your body shows any sign that you won't be able to make it, I will carry you instead."
Opening my mouth to tell her that there isn't a need for that, even if it might happen, a loud sound steals my opportunity, like wings flapping loudly, clearly not belonging to a house bird; it is when my eyes can't help with curiosity and turn to the sound meeting that it all happens. I'm taken off my feet by a large beast; it holds me by my middle with its big mouth that, with no doubt, could swallow me whole; its sharp teeth all but graze my coat, not doing too much damage to it, feeding my surprise, as I'm sure that if it moved its jaw even in the slightest, I would end up pierced and shredded by them like a light snack.
My vision of Milesian is of her form getting smaller and smaller in the distance as I'm taken away, and then, clouds appear to make sure I don't see anything down anymore; not exactly appear, as the beast flies us as high as it, to the point that breathing gets significantly harder, but not in a dangerous way, or else I'm sure I would have passed out by now. There isn't a thing I can do but keep quiet and let the beast take me to whatever it wants.
Minutes go by, and the beast flaps its wings less, swimming across the air with ease as it lowers from the clouds, permitting me once again a view of what lies below. Tall green fields are divided into two sides by a rapture of waterfalls that extend miles forward, with parts completely taken by forest on one side, sharing space with clean plain fields and a single line that seems to be a dirt path, and to the other side, plenty of water runs from its land and falls down to the middle way, with some patches of grass that peak from beneath it to provide a stable surface for some animals. The cloud of water that rises from the rapture lessens the more forward we get, until it all becomes a steady path to the clean, emerald green water to travel in a constant, slowly moving, if moving at all in some points, hugged by the secure, tight ground. The beast carrying me lowers us to the side of the water, careful enough to station itself down before lowering its head and letting go of me on the grass.
The effects of the flight start to take hold of me as I find myself somewhat without strength in my feet to keep up without stumbling down, but with a little insistence, I manage to do it.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
"Human," The creature that brought me here calls in its deep, roar-like voice, and I gaze at it, seeing its full appearance. A white, giant, talking lizard—that is, if the thing didn't possess long wings and golden horns—which, with my knowledge of fantasy books, would make me deduce it is a real-life dragon. It sways its long tail as it moves around me like a predator studying its prey. "You are to wait here, and I am to assure your safety for the time being." After moving enough, the large creature lays itself on the grass and uses its tail to create a circle around me, big enough so I can walk around, but with the clear intention of keeping me within it.
A question lingers in my mind, related to the time I'll have to wait here; there is almost nothing to do. I could always read more of Ayla's stories, but at this point, I leave to continue them later. To my luck, the boredom doesn't last that long, as from behind the dragon's tail, a creature attempts to jump over it, only to find themselves having to balance atop the slippery scales of the dragon. My eyes focus on the creature, as at first only a pair of small white wings are visible, although the more I look at it, it looks more like a human kid, only with small golden horns growing from its forehead and the wings. The kid's big white summer dress sways with her motions, and, in an instant, the moment my eyes meet hers, she loses her balance and slips.
My body moves before my mind commands; the kid whose fate was to hit her face hard against the ground almost does, only stopped by me when I slide on the grass and grab her in my arms, meeting my back with the floor instead. The motion makes me close my eyes, but once I open them, the small kid grins victoriously over me, her yellow, inhuman eyes expressing happiness as if she had brought me down.
"Oria," The dragon calls upon the kid, who looks at him with the purest contentment, flapping her wings and flying awkwardly to his encounter. "My order was for you to stay put in the cave and wait for me."
Before they can talk further, I can't help but look curious at the dragon and the kid. "Wait, is that your kid?" The first question is the easiest, as the second one is harder because of the implications it causes in my mind. "And why does she look half-human? Did you... and a human..."
"That is a long tale to tell." The dragon states to cut me off, with a clear intention to not progress the conversation.
"We will both be stuck here for a while, so why not spend the time talking rather than in silence?"
With its murderous eyes, the dragon eyes me down in anger, which, in a moment, vanishes like it never existed. Something in his eyes changes for a moment before it sighs; its breathing manages to shake the ground on its way out of his mouth. "I learned my lesson once; you humans have an untameable curiosity when you lack fear, so I'll grant your wish this time."
He moves his body and uses his tail top to grab the kid and place her on the ground once again, where she sets off to look at me. "Many ages ago, when I still resided in a land far away from this, a ship full of you humans had arrived to try claiming the piece of earth I protected with your spears and dumb rage. I scared the bravest among them away, making the humans either get back to their boats or swim away, all but a single maiden—a woman who was taken prisoner by the barbarians. She and I grew a bond with time; she came to my cave, fueled by curiosity, and then begged me to talk with her and keep her company to set the loneliness in her soul away, brought by the lack of other humans like her in the land—something I don't regret doing. Her options to go back to her homeland were gone, so she stayed in that land with me for some years, and our bond only deepened. But sickness had already claimed her on that ship, and after the year of living by my side, the woman grew ill." There is a certain sadness that comes to his voice that steals part of its dominance. "Her life faded day by day, even with my promise to keep her safe; my strength was nothing to deal with the sickness, so on her last breath, she kissed a creature like me, even in our different species, leaving behind a part of her soul that I carried for many ages until she was reborn from my scales." He points his head towards the kid who ends their approach to me and starts touching my hair, laughing, finding fun in my appearance. "Your curiosity about the world and lack of fear in my presence all but reminded me of her; I just wish you not the same misadventures as her."
Footsteps echo closer to us; my view from the source is blocked by the still tail of the dragon. "Human, this is where our paths uncross," The dragon raises his head and gazes at the skies, spreading his wings as far as he can, blocking, for a moment, the sun from reaching me. "That the flames guide your way to safety." These are the last words I hear before the deafening sound of his wings flapping starts. Soon enough, in an impressive show of speed, he and his daughter fly away to the skies.
"So, the girl toys with a dragon's patience and wins," The voice grows ever so close, a tone birthed from a mix of amusement and intemperance, beckoning me to gaze in its direction, now unblocked by anything but the shadow of the creature as it flies away. "An impressive feat for itself, but nothing out of the expected from whom lives among a devil; isn't it, devil's consort?"
As the shadow disappears and the sun reflects on the person's face, mere meters from me, I can see the details that form the holder of the mocking laugh. A small woman who holds her head high, with pinkish skin, a young face that possesses no visible imperfections, and ears that extend like an elf to the side. Her hair sways with the wind as if connected to the natural element—a hair impossible to be normal, long and free, colored light pink, carrying in between strands yellow roses. The most apparent feature she has turns out to be her deep, blue-green eyes, which make me feel smaller compared to her, even if, in height, I'm slightly taller than her.
"'A hard person to deal with'," I remember Milesian's words, mumbling them to myself so the woman doesn't hear, which doesn't seem to work. "Are you Circe?"
"Yes, the one whose letter was sent to your partner." She smiles and makes sure to step closer at a time, slowly; from behind the woman, it is revealed she isn't alone, accompanied by three creatures proudly marching near their master. A lion with a majestic, long mane, holding in its gaze a look that makes me almost lose balance in the difference of power, and to her other side, two mountain wolves who growl at me so loudly that it hurts my ears. If her plan is to scare me and put me in my place, she's absolutely succeeding. "I'm glad to hear they commented about me, not that the words used were kind in any way."
"What do you want with me? Why separate me from Milesian?" I ask, taking a step away accordingly with the woman's creature's advances, noticing the wetter ground that tells me I'm almost without ground to back away from her. "You asked for her help, so why do all of this?"
"Why, you ask?" The woman laughs as if what I just asked was the most hilarious thing in the world; her simple white dress dances to keep on with her action. "Many years that demon stood alone, and now I hear from the winds talks about a human with nothing special who managed to claim the interest of that creature. You can't blame me for getting excited to meet the girl from the stories, can you?" A light builds in her hand until, from seemingly nothing, a staff starts to form. It resembles a long, distorted branch that bends itself in the end to hold a small crystal shard whose colors seem to have been stolen, but upon filling the empty space in Circe's hand, it shines with colors I didn't think possible, with infinite variants that swim inside it. "I ask of you, girl, are you a pig? Perhaps a lioness? Of course, that is for me to judge, so prepare yourself."
"Wait, please," I hold my hands high and stop walking away, fearing I'll end up in the river if I push my luck further. "Can't we talk? There is no need for this, I assure you."
"The time to talk will come if your truth is pure like light, but until you're judged, I won't allow you to proceed near my nymphs, to corrupt them with your filthy hands and meaningless squeaks." Her staff is raised as high as the crown she wears atop her head, then slightly adjusted in my direction on the premise of causing me unimaginable harm. "I'll allow you all but one spell; choose yours wisely."
"But I..." I wanted to say that I'm still learning, that only if I had more time I could do something, but nonetheless, the one in front of me doesn't care; the eyes that stare me down show hate for all that I am, or rather, all that it assumes I am, so there is nothing else to do but to stand on my own two feet for a moment, to brave that stare. My knowledge of magic is almost none, but the concept is familiar to me, from books and tales long rested on the corners of my brain; it all starts with words that resonate with one being, and then, the hard part, controlling the magical energy to connect with something else, something ancient and powerful. That is all I can work with, and at this time, I can't count on being rescued; I never did, and I won't start now.
Lowering myself to the ground, I close my eyes to the world around me and try projecting in my mind a path so the magical energy can flow in me, from my core to the tip of my fingers, where it tingles to life. The first step goes well, which is surprising. With my hand, I feel the grass blades brush against my palm, the water that it holds from splashes of the water path at its side, all too familiar. Now, in theory, I should say something that resonates with me and the being, which means I'll exercise my memory to pull a spell cast from my favorite adventure book.
"Sacred water, please flow and flow, giving life to all creatures you pass by; grant me the strength to overcome this boulder; bless me with your protection against the evils within, as a child of this sacred soil, as a daughter of your rivers."
The words I throw to whoever is listening echo through my body, passing down to my fingers and sinking into the waters below the soil, traveling to the river's core, and finding a dormant pulse that hints of life within it, only strangely weak. It helps calm me down for a moment, and so I open my eyes, watching as Circe's expression turns sour, her smile becomes awkward, and her hands lose the confidence they had in the staff. Sensing something behind me, I turn my head to see what I managed to summon—what caused her to have this reaction—and instead of a magical water beast, I meet the expressionless skull face belonging to the only person possible.
"You still lack the understanding of what the waters represent to be able to make an improvised spell work," Milesian comments and stares at my expression as it returns to the usual, then takes a step forward, placing herself in front of me defensively. "And you lack the good manners to properly treat your guests, Circe."
"You have an understanding of my rituals when it comes to humans; you should have expected this to happen." Circe loses the awkwardness of her smile and steadies her expression. "Yet, something tells me you had it in mind before you stepped here. Not that it matters; after all, your help here is needed, or rather, your apprentice's help."
"Explain your words." Milesian orders, taking a step forward to force the answer out of the woman.
"It is simple, demon. Ayla's bad habit of talking alone in her shop has granted me the information that your apprentice, unlike you, has a way of dealing with magical beasts; I just need her to do what should be natural to her skills." Circe turns her back to Milesian and starts walking forward with her animal companions. "Come with me; we will talk it over in my garden, and your bride can stay outside and explore if she wishes."
With those words spoken, I understand that I might not have a choice here, so instead of saying anything in my defense, I let the silence take over as I'm forced to follow them both.
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