The sun was still up, it has now descended slightly telling Blue the time was around one or two PM. Without a clock in this world, he'd have to make guesses, with a gait on their speed it might take a while for them to reach their destination, if he even knows in the first place where. A thought came into his mind, without a map he was clueless about their progress.
He eyed Celina who went on first, currently, she was brimming with confidence like she used to before, somehow taking him now seriously.
When he looked over, across the lands, the blue sky was slowly being eaten by a stormy cloud, a thick fog were blanketing the landscape just underneath it. The temperature have fallen as well, but right now, the sun was still present.
Celina paused for a while, she seemed a bit uneasy, but she advanced anyway. While Blue just followed her trails.
"Hey woman, how far are we from our destination?" Blue said.
"Hmm, somewhat far." She answered.
Blue narrowed his dubious eyes. "Somewhat?" He said.
As they continued on their path, they immersed themselves into the misty area, upon going deeper, the fog thickened, until the trees on their sides were but a shadow of themselves. A lonely dead howls of air permeated the murky landscape, even the sun on the sky was now slowly fading.
Celina spun, she stared at Blue as though making sure if he was still there, she then proceeded. But her walked turned slow, she matched her speed to his, until she was directly beside him. Her eyes darted cautiously and she pressed herself unto his side. Having a bad experience around fogs, she felt frightened, since demons might jump over them from the shadows. If this keeps up she might develop a phobia around fogs.
"Don't you feel it Blue? It feels kinda odd." She said.
Blue grunted. "The only odd thing about this place is you, do you even know where you are going without a map? You can't even tell me how far we are to that city, tsk, this is so annoying."
Celina frowned a bit. "Blue, why do you have to be mad everytime I talk? Could you at least comfort me?" She said.
Blue touched her forehead then pushed her away. "You're not a child and you're intruding my space, move." He said.
Celina lifted her lower lip, she moved one step sideward, disgruntled. "I can't believe you still don't trust me, since you're a bit impatient I'll be buying a horse on one of our next few stops.
Blue snorted as though pleased. " Then good."
Celina sighed. "If you still don't trust me, let me tell you that there will be a bridge just up ahead. I've went to this place once you know."
In a sudden, Celina squealed when her foot jostled upon a rock, she staggered forward and almost fell but her arm was quickly caught by Blue's. She was suspended for a moment while Blue held her. Her eyes, dazed when their gazes met, she then smiled weakly. "Blue, deep inside I know you care about me."
Blue flinched his eyelids upon a realization, he released her and let her fall to her knees.
Celina were on all fours, she growled as she glared upon him. "I won't be surprised if I learn you don't have any friends!" She hissed.
"I don't need one, they are just burden." He said calmly.
Celina slowly lifted herself up, somewhat irked. "Blue, you're gonna die unhappy someday! And I'm gonna make it happen." She said.
Blue continued on his trails unperturbed, while under the thick fog, he was slowly fading away as they were growing in distance with each other. Celina jogged to catch up with him. "Hey Blue, don't leave me."
Upon penetrating through the fog, she looked at any signs of presence, until a shadowy figure came into view. It was Blue and he seemed to have halted on his tracks. She checked what he was looking, and she gasped.
Infront of her was the bridge, the ropes of the bridge on their side was still fastened and untampered. However, the hanging bridge was now mangled. The remains of the bridge drooped, and most of it were submerged to the depths of the lake. Upon a quick assessment, someone must have torn the ropes that held the bridge on the other side, cutting off the path. Underneath it was the vast lake, reflecting the foggy air with its mirror like surface, giving an illusion of an endless foggy space.
Celina sighed. "It seems were gonna walk around this lake."
Blue snickered. "This is not the time to make a jokes woman, we're flying over." Blue unrolled his bat like wings.
Celina crossed her arms and her eyes hesitant. "You do know, that I don't like flying."
"Whatever, you'll be following me from now on." He said with a dominant voice.
Their attention got taken when a rythmic noise were emmitted from the foggy lake, Blue recognized it was a music from a string plucked instrument but it sounded more refined and crisp than the guitar he knew of.
Out came an old man who rode a canoe, floating through the still waters, rippling the lake with his presence.
Despite the obscure fog, Blue had a clear view of the man with his sharp, vampire eyes.
The man wore a straw hat, he held a wide grin, exposing his stained teeth, his ragged clothes were somewhat grimy, with its edges tattered, on his chest was a lute that he kept on plucking.
The man sang with a feisty and playful voice. " On the dark road, was a path unknown. The last hope of light glimmered unto me, will I ever meet my goal. Your eyes were burning, piercing through my heart and mind. And all alone there I find you.."
Celina gave a smile, her attention was keen, she applauded the man with a brief clap. "You're quite good uncle." She said.
The old man laughed raspily. "You're a couple I presume?" He said.
Celina shook her head with a chuckle. "No, but you could you be so kind to give us a lift to move across this lake."
The old man chortled heartily, he gestured for them to come. "Then hop right in." His words were filled with energy.
Celina nodded with a giggle, she jogged and stood on the edge of the land.
The old man steered his canoe, he gently paddled, closing in towards her direction.
Celina hoisted her hanging robe up, she tiptoed through the waters and jumped upon the canoe.
Blue sighed with his spiritless face. "Meet me on the otherside woman." He said.
"No!" Celina bursted. "Blue, you ride with me. There might be dangers lurking under this fog."
"Don't worry, you can take care of yourself, I know you're strong." Blue said.
The old man butted right in. "My guy, as a man, when a woman asks for your company you must not turn her down." He said.
"That's right Blue, be a man." Celina added.
Blue gave an exasperated gasp. "Fine, let's get this over with." He walked down, then leaped several feet high and landed upon the canoe.
The impact rocked the canoe to and fro, Celina got startled and the old man got taken aback, his straw hat fell from his head. He quickly picked it up as he tried to calm himself.
"Blue, that was so rude of you!" Celina spat.
Blue ignored her, he positioned himself to sit on the rim of the boat, close to the front, Celina sat as well opposite to him, they faced each other as they waited for their departure.
The man forced a laugh to keep the mood light. "I got startled there, I didn't know you can jump that high."
The old man was on the rearside of the boat, he paddled, steering the canoe away from the land, and into the open waters.
Celina eyed the fallen bridge, there were corpses floating about, thankfully they were the lifeless bodies of the demons, and not of humans. Something must have happened on this site.
She turned her head to the old man, "Uncle, what happened here?"
"Some young adventurers fleed from a group of demons, they got chased and so they cut off the bridge, quite an inconvenience eh?" The old man said.
Celina nodded." Anyway uncle, do you plan to leave this country?" She said.
The old man removed his strawhat and scratched his head. "This is my home, I'll die to protect this place." He said, following it with a laugh.
He paddled slowly allowing the boat to drift, with the fog surrounding them, it gave a feeling they were flying on a foggy sky. For some odd reason, the fog around her didn't bother her much when Blue was nearby, she felt safe.
Blue closed his eyes and crossed his arms, he was still like a meditating monk, while the old man kept on paddling.
With the scene falling into silence, she was bored, her stare fell into the lute close to the old man's foot.
"Umm, uncle could you play a music?" She begged with a lowered voice.
The old man smiled, he made a strong paddle, then lifted the oars to his side, he grabbed the lute and readied himself to deliver a musical presentation. "Okay, prepare yourself beautiful damsel."
He thrummed the strings releasing a soothing noise, then he started playing with his mouth moving. "Drifting across the void, until a pale glow kissed my cheek and there you found me. But where do I belong in this world, seeking life to and fro, swaying by your warm presence, giving me light across the darkness... "
The song was relaxing, upon hearing it Celina gently swayed her body to and fro to the rythm.
For Blue, he was annoyed not because it was bad, but because the old man forgot to row, their canoe slowed down, almost to the point of stopping. He glared upon the old man, he tried to interrupt while the song was going. "Hey old man, row." He pointed at the oar.
"Uncle, Ignore him." Celina said, as she clapped to the music.
After they had their fill, they continued sailing across the still waters. Celina chuckled, she had a sated face, pleased with the old man's song. "Uncle, so where do you plan to go in the future?"
"I'm gonna stay since I live here, you can find my home just right in the corner, I intend to fish but then I saw both of you." He said.
"Really? Uncle, I thought you were a travelling bard." Celina said.
The old man rowed slow. "I used to be, but with the demons roaming across the country, right now it will be a bad idea."
Suddenly, eery ghost-like skulls emmitting a misty glowing smoke resurfaced from the clear waters, they revolved around the canoe startling Celina.
Celina jerked away. "What are these?"
Blue frowned a bit, he rose his arm, letting his aim follow the floating ghosts. He fired his blue flames, but it phased through them as though they weren't there, he smacked his lips. "How do I kill these pests?"
The old man sighed. "These are Danshins, they are people from the previous life who were cheated upon or had a sad romantic life, they hunt singles and give them nightmares ."
Blue sneered. "Really? Cause I already have enough nightmares."
Celina looked worried, she was uneasy. "Hey Uncle, how do we drive them away?"
"There's only one solution." The old man said.
Their attention focused as they listened
"These creatures will be repulsed if someone will kiss infront of them." The old man said.
Celina's cheeks flushed. "What kind of kiss?" She said shakily.
The old man chuckled. "The romantic kind."
Celina shyly turned her eyes to Blue, her face was written with hesitation. "I'm not sure about this, this is too sudden."
Blue laughed creepily. "What's the matter woman, you never kissed someone before?"
Celina frowned as she bit her lip. "I mean who would kiss your filthy lips?!" She hissed.
"Calm down, just think nothing of it." Blue said.
"It's easy for you to say that, but I wanted to keep my first kiss on someone special." She said in a lowered tone.
Blue winced a bit. "Your words had me cringing."
Celina snorted and looked away. "I'm not like you Blue, who had a lot of wives and probably girlfriends as well, you won't be able to understand me."
She got startled when a floating skull went over her shoulder, she cringed inward.
Blue sighed. "Then just forget it and allow these creatures to give us nightmares."
"Fine!" Celina sprang up from the boat. "Just this once." She whispered shyly.
Blue sat still, he already had his eyes closed and was waiting for her to come. She mustered a lot of courage just to make a move, she gulped, with some hesitation she slowly dragged her face unto his.
She closed her eyes, and there were many things going in her mind.
"What would it feel like?" She thought.