A gorgeous array of oranges and yellows streak across the morning sky. Dust particles dance in the sunlight trickling down into the stable. The dry hay seems to dazzle. The smell of dew encases the wooden building.
Amber eyes gently unfurl to sunbeams poking through a wad of golden straws. It's bright. Sirius brushes piles of hay off of his curled body. He shifts himself upright, squinting his un-dilated pupils. The setting around him takes shape. His mornings have never been so vibrant.
He quietly props himself onto his feet and sweeps stray hay off his clothing. A deep yawn escapes him, leaving his eyes watery. Despite the reflex, he hardly feels tired. When is the last time this has happened? Making his way over to the stable door, his eyes slip over to where Korlin lay the night before. Still there. The sleeping boy hugs the mammoth like a teddy bear.
It was real. His death, his rebirth, his new life... all of it truly happened.
-It wasn't a dream...
Exiting the stable, his eyes once again need adjusting. It's so very bright.
The trading hub is quiet, only a few people wander the area. This peaceful serenity reimmerses him back into his new reality. Another yawn slips out as he turns the corner. Sirius pools water in his hands at the nearby stream. Regardless of its quality, the liquid tastes blissful to his dry throat.
Heading back, the man who lent them the stable walks toward Sirius.
"Oh hey, I was just about to come get you guys. How'd ya sleep?" The man is wrapped in something like a blanket, he seems to be in a good mood.
"Great, actually. What time is it?"
"Time?" he repeats, the question seemingly strange. "I'd say just a little after dayrise. The morning is still young."
Sirius nods, his head still a tad groggy. "Oh, did you have any breakthroughs with the hoodie?"
"I wouldn't say breakthroughs, but I think given some time I can start trying to replicate it. And hey, I hope you don't mind but I cut off a piece of it." From under his blanket, he unveils the hoodie. The bottom half of the right sleeve is sliced off. He hands the amputated hoodie over to Sirius.
"No worries... I guess."
"I assumed you wanted it back, so I thought I'd just keep a little part for myself to study." Sirius nods reluctantly. It was, in fact, not a little part. "Just so you know, I was thinking... If I figure this whole wool thing out, and it gets big, I could give you a little share of the cut."
Sirius' eyebrows raise. "Really? That's awfully kind of you. Are you sure you don't want to just keep it?" Sirius offers the hoodie back to him.
"Ah, don't worry about it, I drew a whole bunch of sketches last night. I got the whole thing laid out to sew." He pulls out what are essentially schematics for a hoodie from underneath his blanket. The drawings are so detailed and precise it's scary. Strange symbols and lines run across the papers; they are assumingly measurements.
"Dang... Well, I wish you good luck. If you ever need to borrow it again, I'll gladly let you." Sirius slips on the freshly washed hoodie. His right forearm sticks out, still feeling the crisp air. The two of them share a wholesome exchange of laughs.
Sirius and the man trek back to the stable. The man swiftly yanks open the door, flooding the interior with warm hues. "Aww, would you look at that? Gary made himself a friend."
Indeed, he did.
Korlin's body is completely submerged underneath the giant. One of his arms flails out from under the manfi, it being the only indicator he's even there. A muffled voice assumingly yells for assistance. The man claps his hands, which wakes up the sleeping, suffocating beauty. Gary rolls himself onto his massive feet and merrily trots over to the man to be petted. Gary's footsteps are very loud.
Korlin gasps for air.
"Oh my gosh-! I- I thought I was going to die!" He wheezes, trying to calm down, only to see two amused faces. "Y-You guys suck... Huh- Man, what happened to your clothes...?"
*****
"Thanks again for letting us crash here."
"Ah, don't mention it. Think of it as the start of us being wonderous business partners."
"Alright then, I look forward to seeing you replicate it." Sirius gives him a subtle smile.
"Before you head off, may I ask something of you both?"
"What is it?"
"If you find any material resembling "wool", would you mind letting me know? I'd go and search for it myself but... these old bones have their hindrances. Of course, I'll be doing my own research and digging, but if you find anything, please let me know."
A sound request, especially if a future business is at stake. With that reasoning, they both agree.
"We're on it, sir!" Korlin declares from atop the manfi.
"I appreciate it," he solemnly smiles. "In my lifetime, I've had countless business ventures fall flat. Despite my skills, I've never had a steady income. So, if this works out..." the man's voice croaks. "Maybe I can make my momma proud."
"We'll do what we can, sir. I promise, your momma will be one happy lady!"
Korlin's remark erupts a burst of laughter from the man and a small chuckle from Sirius.
"By the way, I don't think I caught your name?" Sirius mentions.
The man leans against Gary, who is now attached to a carriage filled with fruits.
"Name's Gary."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Anyways, you ready?"
Korlin leaps off Gary's (the animal's) back. "Yep, let's roll." Both of the boys blatantly ignore the man's poor reveal.
They say their final farewells and depart from Gary and Gary.
"Where are we heading anyways?" Korlin asks.
"I figured, let me know if you have another idea, we should wander around and learn some more about this world. Maybe find a map, a job, some money... maybe a dictionary. We should also learn some culture so we know what not to say."
"Also learn magic."
"That too, if possible."
"Alright!" Enthusiasm takes hold of him once more. "Let's do this. Should we take notes?"
"Are you going to use a shit feather again?" Sirius jokes. Korlin stares straight-faced at him, his glare the very embodiment of shut up. "It is a good idea though. I don't think people here use pencils or anything, the lady at the clinic was using a claw to write with."
"A claw? That's so cool..." His spirits have reawakened. "I guess we just add that to the list of things to get. Should we split up?"
"Sure, let's meet up around here at... actually, we can't tell time. Our watches only show engravings of some flowers. I don't know how to tell the time from them." He pulls out the peculiar pocket watch and examines it again. The hour hand is slightly past an image of a flower in its bud. Next in the rotation would be the fully grown flower. Then the decaying flower, and then dead roots, before it cycles back to the bud. "I don't know, let's just meet up around here when the sun is at its peak. At noon, basically."
"Roger that," Korlin gives Sirius a salute and scurries off for information. Sirius sighs and looks around. Where to go...
Sirius makes paper his first priority. It would be best to be able to write all of his learnings down. Then maybe he can even start deciphering the language of this world. Though the thought of there only being one language is strange, there is likely much more throughout the entire world. How big is this world, exactly?
He wanders around the capital's endless streets. Along his travels, he does as any man would do... admire the architecture. The buildings feel like the walls of a fortress. The stonework is marvelous. Flawlessly sculpted stairs, pillars, and statues are everywhere you turn. While everything is crafted out of a varying shade of gray, the inhabitants of the capital provide more than enough color. Plant life, trees, and murals are dotted throughout, adding even more diversity and pigmentation to the city.
-Paper...paper...
He spots a small building with a large, wooden sculpture of a book above the entrance. A bookstore, perhaps? He strolls inside the cozy shop, the scent of paper rushing into his nostrils. Definitely a bookstore.
Behind a desk to his left sits a mature-looking woman with coffee hair and glasses. How do prescriptions work here? Sirius inches over, making sure his footsteps are quiet.
"Hi, do you have anything that could be used to write in? Like an empty journal or something?" His question makes her glance up from her book. She smiles politely.
"Of course, there should be some journals near the back."
"Thank you," Sirius flashes her a grin before heading towards the back.
Rows of tall bookshelves line the small store. Despite the rocky exterior, the interior is almost entirely comprised of maple-colored wood. A shallow, mossy-colored carpet spans across most of the store.
Turning into an aisle, a girl with deep purple hair stares at the shelves. If her shoulder-length hair were a shade darker, it'd be considered black.
Given the size of the shop, the aisle is narrow. Sirius almost turns around but is halted by the girl's hopping. She bounces up and down, trying to nab a book barely out of reach. Her outstretched hand repeatedly taps the book's spine, but to no avail.
Sirius decides to embrace his inner romance protagonist.
He walks over to the bouncing girl. Noticing his presence, she ceases her springing. She isn't much shorter than Sirius, seemingly the same age too. Sirius gets on the tips of his toes, and with a single bob, manages to slide the book out of its socket. He plants his feet and offers her the maroon tome. He can't read its title.
She wears a knitted, light gray sweater, the sleeves draping over her slender arms. Her violet eyes glisten like amethyst. She's very pretty. To Sirius, her beauty is only rivaled by that of Aureole. However, he isn't one to care about looks, let alone say anything about them. She peers down at the book over her button nose.
In all other cases, this would be a charming, affable moment. And it is, except for the fact that she looks absolutely revolted by what he's done.
She slowly grasps the book and lugs it away from Sirius. Her expression untangles, though only slightly, as she nods to herself. She squeezes past Sirius in the aisle and doesn't look back.
She disappears behind the bookshelf.
...
-Damn?! Was it really that awkward?! This is why I don't talk to girls...
Shaking off both the sense of inferiority and embarrassment, he makes his way to the back of the shop. He finds a bin leaning against the wall, it housing a pile of empty journals. He rummages through the bin, eventually landing on a compact, leather book. The journal has a tiny strap to keep it closed and even a short, built-in placeholder ribbon.
He picks out another one for Korlin, this one being rough-textured and light blue. It is taller but has fewer pages. A tiny tag sticks out from both journals, they have strange symbols he assumes to be the price.
He heads back to the front of the shop and approaches the lady. "Do you have anything I can write with?"
She sets down her book and scours beneath her desk. "Yes, there should be an ink-claw or two around here." Sirius waits patiently. "Aha-!" She bangs her head under the desk. "Ow... Here you are," she offers Sirius two fist-sized claws. The claws are an off-white, with the tips being jet black. "Will those journals be all for you today?"
Sirius, unsure of where to place the claws, awkwardly stuffs them in his remaining hoodie sleeve. His pockets are full of nem and the watch. "Yes please."
"Alright, that'll be twenty-two nem please," she smiles kindly while rubbing where she hit her head.
-I hope I'm right about this nem thing.
Sirius sets down the journals and grabs two red and two green gems from his pocket. He hesitantly hands them over to the lady, who readily accepts them. It worked. Sirius feels a brief sense of pride.
"Oh, what about the claws?"
"Oh, you can keep those for free." She tidies up behind her desk. "We've got loads of them." She concludes her cleaning and settles down, opening up her book.
"Ah... Thank you," Sirius politely offers his gratitude. He grabs the journals and heads out of the store.
With some free pocket space, he shoves a claw in, holding the other one in his hand along with the books. Treading over into a desolate alleyway, he plops onto the ground. Setting down his journal, he opens it to the first cream-colored page. He positions a claw in his hand as he would a pencil.
-How do I even write with this thing?
He presses the blackened tip of the claw onto the paper. Lifting it off, a tiny dot of ink rests on the page. It works.
Is it infinite ink? No, that wouldn't make sense. He has never been so impressed by a pen in his life. He jots down his understanding of nem and latches the book shut.
-Now to find more stuff to write down.
Meandering through the bustling streets, he happens to spot a group of merchants. Figuring they'll know what is for purchase around here, he approaches them. Sirius throws on his clueless face, which is something he's mastered, and greets the merchants.
"H-hey, I'm not from around here. You're merchants, right? Do you guys know what's for sale around here? Or anything else about the market here?" Though it technically isn't a lie, he still feels like he's deceiving them.
Surprisingly enough, the merchants rolick like they've waited their whole lives for this moment. They eagerly explain the economy of Auretta. Remembering what he can, he jots it all in his journal.
[Auretta, the capital of Lunalir, is the largest trading hub in the world. People come far and wide just to sell their products here, so the goods here are very diverse. The country of Lunalir is teeming with farmland. So, most of the locals sell their vegetation and cattle, which make up the majority of the market. Other products come from as far as Aeonice, which I assume to be the name of a country. Apparently, their ice is quite popular. Although, I can't help but feel like they were joking when they said that.
The capital is also home to lots of underground markets, but the merchants I asked wouldn't give me many details. All they said was that "A young fella like yourself shouldn't worry about all that." Apart from the trading hub, the merchants started talking about the capital itself. Supposedly, Lunalir isn't on the best of terms with its trading partner to the south, Alsi. When asked about Alsi, they replied "Those squallers can piss off with their snow and herbs." I'm not quite sure what that means, but that was all I could gather for now.
Side note: The merchants of Auretta are weird.]
Sirius continues asking around for any tidbits of information he can gather. He asks about the watch, only to get looks of either confusion or concern. Rephrasing the questions, he manages to scramble up some answers. However, none about the countdown on the back.
[Clocks do not exist, at least not in the traditional sense. Things like sundials exist but watches like mine appear to be a rarity. Hours, minutes, and seconds are not important when it comes to telling time. Unless it is along the lines of "Meet back here in a few minutes" or "Go play for an hour." Even then, the terms are used loosely, there is no specified length of an hour or minute. The concept of one o'clock, twelve o'clock, etc. is instead just broken down into four sections of night and day.
Day is from the moment the sun rises (I heard this referred to as daybreak, dayrise, day-start, and sunrise, though the latter is less common) to when it sets (referred to as day-end, day-stop, day-gone, day-set, sometimes nightfall and sunset/sundown, though again, less common). The concepts of morning/dawn and dusk remain. The day period is split into two sections divided by day-peak, which is the equivalent of midday or noon, though the terms 'noon' and 'afternoon' don't seem to exist. The section from sunrise to day-peak is referred to as Budding Time/Period. The section from day-peak to sundown is called Blooming Time/Period.
Night works similarly as it is split into two by the night-peak. From sundown, or when the moon rises, it is regarded as nightrise, night-start, and sometimes moonrise. The period from moonrise to night-peak is called Wilting Time/Period. When the moon sets and the sun is about to rise, this time is called moon-fall, night-end, night-set, night-gone, night-stop, and even day-fall. Night-peak to night-end is called the Rooting Time/Period.
Basically, time is split into four sections. No real telling of the time, just use the sun and moon. Midnight does not count as the start of a new day, sunrise does. The names of the sections explain the floral imagery on my watch. I'm sure there is more that I don't know and/or forgot. My wrist hurts.]
*****
Korlin, age seventeen and newly birthed Witch Spawn, trots amidst the sea of people. He hunts for any trace of magic he can find. He pokes his head into buildings to see if any magical items are for sale. To his own unfortune, he finds nothing.
"Does anyone have a sidequest for me...?" He scans the crowd, scouring for any NPCs who need assistance.
The thought alone makes him tremble with excitement. Years of consuming media have led his mind astray with enthusiasm.
-I wonder if there is an adventurers' guild around here... that'd be sick.
Eager to find out, he forages for someone who would know. He happens upon a trio with animal heads. One has the head of a duck, one of a bull, and the last a frog. Thin capes snake around their necks. Sheathed blades rest on their hips.
-These guys look cool and mysterious. They've got to be adventurers.
He prances over to the three men. "Hey! Do you guys know if there is an adventurers' guild around here?"
They stop their conversation and turn their attention to the vigorous boy.
"A what?" the one with the duck face asks.
"An adventurers' guild, like where you can accept tasks for money and all that."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"I guess those don't exist... dang." Faced with disappointment, he ponders what else to ask beast people. "So, are you guys like demi-humans?"
All three of them stiffen.
Bull-Face speaks up. His complexion matches his stern tone. "What did you just call us?"
"You know, like half animal, half human?"
The three of them grimace in ways an animal's face shouldn't be able to. The atmosphere has taken a sudden plunge.
"I'm not sure who you think you are," Bull-Face gets in Korlin's face. "But don't you even think of roping us in with those bastard witches' children."
Korlin hadn't anticipated this to be their reaction. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it! I'm not from around here, I've never seen anyone look like... you guys..."
-WHAT AM I SAYING?!
"You making fun of us?" Frog-Face is speaking, their voice is hardly deep enough to take seriously. The frog places a hand on its sheathed weapon.
Korlin's head forcibly shakes no. His hands swiftly waver from side to side.
"Of course not! I was just- Curious!" He gives them a strained smile. The group march forward, clearly, they don't buy his remarks. Shit. "Sorry!" All he can think to do is run. So, that's exactly what he does.
"Hey! Get back here!" The three make chase to the skinny, scampering boy. Korlin races through Auretta's streets. He pushes past people and apologizes immediately after, refusing to stall his sprint. His pursuers start to gain distance. Korlin can't help but carry an animated smile.
-I'm in a chase scene! This is awesome!
Korlin escapes into a narrow alley, the building's shadow absorbs the slim space. Sprinting through, he whips his head behind him. No one is there.
Thud
Korlin's body collides with someone, toppling the boy to the ground. Fearing it to be one of the beast heads, he anxiously raises his head. Fortunately, his worries are unfounded.
It's an older gentleman. The man dons an ornate, black suit with blue buttons and silver cufflinks. Black, leather dress shoes and perfectly tailored pants tower over the fallen boy.
The well-dressed man adjusts his bowtie and clears his throat.
"Are you alright, sir?" He extends a lengthy arm and offers it to the boy.
-Old man NPC found!
"Yeah, thank you." Korlin grabs the man's ring-bearing hand and is lifted to eye level. The senior gives him a gentle smile. The more Korlin looks, the more he realizes... This man looks great for his age. Hardly any wrinkles appear on his aged face. Femine eyelashes hang above his kind, hazel eyes which stare into the boy's. His thick, snow-white hair is bound into an elegant bun. "Sorry for running into you, I was just-"
"There you are!" The bull-faced man stands in the light outside the alleyway. He signals with his hands to someone and enters the dark passage. His broad shoulders barely fit in the thin aisle. The duck and frog step into view. "Hey, old guy, do us a favor and pin him down, will ya?" They snicker amongst themselves.
"Unfortunately," the man steps in front of Korlin, holding his arm out in front of the boy. "Seeing as you are not my lord, I am not obliged to accept your behest."
The man's words are firm and void of dither.
"That kid called us part human. I don't know about you, but I personally don't take kindly to being associated with the witch."
The elder glances at the boy.
"I didn't mean anything bad by it," Korlin mutters, meeting the man's gaze. The old man studies the boy's face. After a short reflection, he faces the group of beast faces. The duck and frog hold thick blades in their palms.
"I ask you sheathe your metal. I wouldn't want to harm any of you."
Bull-Face looks impatient. He snaps his fingers, signaling an attack.
Suddenly, the duck launches a curved blade from over the bull's shoulder. The knife zips through the air, rapidly rotating like a circular saw.
Korlin instinctively ducks down, shielding his head with his arms. The old man doesn't move in the slightest.
The weapon whizzes past the man's unphased head. Then, as if a boomerang, the blade arches its path back towards the boy.
Korlin braces for the blade's impact. All of his fervor is eradicated, and replaced with a sinking fear. Gritting his teeth, he begs for his life not to be cut short... Not again.
-
clink
...
The blade's sound comes to a sudden hold.
Slowly unfolding his eyes, the blade's tip stares him in the face, unmoving. The woven grip of the weapon is grasped in the palm of the old man. He caught the blade.
With a shrill grunt, Frog-Face missiles a small dagger towards the old man's head. In an instant, the man drops the curved weapon and deflects the miniature blade with nothing but his fingers. The knife veers off, splitting sparks across the walls.
Without delay, the man aims his other hand at the fiends and furrows his brows.
From his palm, a brilliant, blue glow emits. In an instant, the light liquifies into a thick orb of water. As if firing a gun, the sphere morphs into a jetstream of boiling water. The surge splits into three separate paths, barreling into each of the fiend's faces.
SPLASH
Their cries of agony echo through the alleyway. Steam hovers above each of their hand-covered heads. They throw their burned bodies into the walls, unable to keep themselves upright. They each trip over themselves, desperately trying to flee the alley. Blood spills from where the streams.
Eventually, the beast faces stumble out of the alley, with their pride in shambles.
Korlin barely managed to get a glimpse of the attack, but what he did see thrills him to no end. As if he wasn't almost just killed, his mouth is agape in awe.
"Are you alright, sir?" The man casually offers Korlin his hand.
"That was amazing!" Korlin grabs his hand and launches himself upward. "That was magic, right!? How did you do that!?"
The old man relaxes his image.
"Have you never seen a blessing in action before?"
"A blessing..." Korlin enters a state of wonder. "No, what is a blessing?" The old man scratches the nape of his neck. He is unsure of how to answer the boy's question.
"Let's see... To put it simply, blessings are temporary abilities granted to an individual."
"Temporary? How do you get blessings?"
"Well..." he struggles to find appropriate words. "One can either bless themselves with an incantation or have someone else apply them. Some objects can be used to grant blessings, though they are less common. They are temporary in the sense that depending on your compatibility's strength, the blessing's effect will last for longer or shorter. It may also depend on the incantation on how long the blessing will endure... Does that answer your question?"
Korlin's face has never beamed brighter. He looks as if he could faint at any second. "Yes. Yes, it does."
The old man gives him another warm smile.
"Well then, I should be off." He pivots to leave. "Try not to get into any more trouble."
"Wait-! Thank you for saving me! Also, how do I get an incantation!?"
"Boy," the man speaks firmly. "Please, for your own sake, do not go around calling others Witch Spawn. While some may not pay it any mind, others take grave offense to the claim. Do be careful."
"What is a Witch Spawn, anyway?"
"...You do not even know what they are and yet you call someone one?" The man is strained with disappointment.
"No, I asked if they were part human! Are humans called Witch Spawns?"
"You... really don't know... do you?" The man studies Korlin's face; he is unable to detect a lie. "...Very well. In brief, while some may consider it a mere folktale, it is fact that three witches inhabit our lands. Two of the witches are praised and loved by all, while the one relating to Witch Spawns is despised." The man gazes down at his ring. "The Witch of Death... said to be the end-bringer of all life. It is said she kills as she pleases, extracting the lives of loved ones without reason. Though, if such a being truly does exist... we can only pray for its mercy."
The boy is washed with intrigue and an inkling of fear. "What does that have to do with humans?"
"Humans, or Witch Spawns, are said to be molded by the witch. Some say she uses the lives of those she cuts short to make her own life. That, of course, is but a rumor. Still, over time people have come to discriminate against their kind, even though most don't even know what a Witch Spawn looks like. To me, it feels more like an excuse to blame someone rather than nature for death. Mindless hatred."
"Do you... hate Witch Spawns?"
"I hold no grudge against them. There is no proof they are taken souls. Even if they are, I'm sure they wouldn't know it. Their birth is no more a crime than any other creature."
This man dazzles in Korlin's eyes.
"...You're so cool," it slips out of his mouth. "Ah- sorry." He shakes it off, "Anyways, about the-"
"Apologies, I must be going. I need return to my lord's candidate."
"O-oh..."
"It has been well chatting with you, Witch Spawn."
With a satisfied grin, the well-dressed man heads towards the light of town.
-So, he knew...
"Wait! I didn't even catch your name!" The man's advance does not waver. "Or how to get magic..." Defeated, he sinks his head.
-That guy was so cool and mysterious.
Their conversation lingers in his mind. A wide smile stretches across his face. Lifting his head, he sets off to gain more information. Marching back into the streets, the sun hides behind gray clouds.
-How am I supposed to know when noon is now? Oh- I have to tell Sirius about the witch! He's going to love this!
Korlin declares it time to return to where the boys departed. There is only one slight problem.
He's lost.
*****
Sirius waits where the two split, scribbling sketches of items he had seen in the market. He jots down the prices of each object beneath their images. The quicker he grasps the economy, the quicker he'll be able to smartly spend nem and possibly find a job.
He finds it strange. Never before has he taken his future into such consideration.
He's perched on the edge of a wall carved out by a tall stairwell; his feet dangle over people passing underneath. His back rests against a stocky bush, small, white flowers poking out into the world. The flowers here are strange, intricate, and yet still clearly a flower. They also smell nice.
Suddenly, he hears the sound of feet shuffling across stone.
"I found you," a voice moans.
"I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure it's past noon."
Korlin drags his shoes and collapes next to Sirius. "Yeah yeah, I got lost. Anyways, what's all that?"
"Journals, I picked them up at a bookstore. Here, I got you one too," Sirius hands Korlin his light blue book. The boy gladly accepts and starts flipping through.
"What about that thing? Is that like a bear claw or something?"
"It basically acts like a pen," Sirius showcases the claw by drawing a line.
"Woah! That's awesome!"
"It's pretty cool, much better than your feather with shi-"
"-Yeah, you don't have to keep bringing that up." They share a chuckle together. "Man, I've never had this much fun learning before."
"...Same," Sirius smiles faintly.
-He's right. I think... I'm... having fun. For the first time in a long time, life isn't so dull.
"Man, if school was like this, I would've actually gone." Korlin gazes up toward the dark sky. A vague smile lifts his cheeks.
"You didn't go to school?"
"Huh? Oh... No... I didn't see the point of it anymore... So, I stopped going."
"What about your parents?" A hint of envy laces his words.
"My parents... they stopped caring about me a long time ago." While still retaining a smile, his eyes sadden. "I could do whatever I wanted...and yet..."
...
"...You alright?"
Korlin shakes his head as if waking from a trance. Clapping his hands, he reignites his enthusiasm.
"Ah, I'll tell you another time, it's nothing interesting really."
Sirius decides to play along. "Alright... So, did you see any magic?"
The flickering candle lights ablaze.
"Yes! Holy shit! I saw magic! Like even more real magic!" Korlin waves his hands around trying to act out the story. "So, I accidentally entered this enemy encounter, right? I ran away, but then-! There was this old guy who lore dumped on me, and then-! I almost died, but, he was all like WOOSH and BAM water splashed all over the duck."
...
"...Right. So, maybe in a language I can understand this time... All I got from that was that you almost died and there was a duck."
Korlin laughs and tells Sirius his story.
"The Witch of Death... huh. Do you think the guy who gave us the watches knows anything?"
"Oh, the Timekeeper? He definitely knows something. Judging by what happened in that alley, all old men in this world are very cool and mysterious. If we see him again let's make sure to ask him."
"Timekeeper?"
"We have to call him something. I think it fits well," a smug expression rests on his face.
"Yeah... Anyways, I doubt we could find him even if we tried, this city is massive-"
"There he is!"
-No way.
Following the tip of Korlin's finger, Sirius spots the hunched man in the distance. He is shuffling along the other side of the trading hub. Korlin swings his legs over the edge and leaps off the wall. Sirius packs away his journal and mimics the boy's movements. They jog past a herd of manfis that look identical to Gary. The animal Gary, that is.
"Hey there, old-timer!" Korlin slaps his hand down on the man's shoulder.
"Ow..." the senior hunches over slightly more. Korlin instantly withdraws his hand.
"Sorry! I didn't mean to-"
"No, that's quite alright, I won't break that easily." The Timekeeper gives them a hearty smile. "You two seem to be doing well, how are you handling everything?"
"I think we're getting the hang of it," Sirius replies. "We're just kind of exploring the town and learning some things. What are you up to?"
"I was just on my way home. But originally, I was searching for the two of you."
"For us? Why's that?"
The man studies Sirius' smiling face. "Hmm, perhaps it's best not to tell you yet..." the man mutters to himself.
"What was that?"
"Oh nothing, I must be going soon. I can't be out past dusk." His demeanor exudes an ominous aura.
"Wait, Timekeeper!" Korlin blurts out.
"Timekeeper?" The old man almost seems offended by the title.
"Sorry, that's just what I figured to call you. What should I call you?"
The man unleashes a great cackle and grins. "Timekeeper is just fine."
Korlin pridefully smirks, rubbing his naming skills in Sirius' face. Sirius returns a dirty look and gesticulates a surrender motion. Korlin suppresses a laugh and wipes his slate clean.
"Anyways- We wanted to ask you something."
"That being?"
"What can you tell us about the Witch? You called us Witch Spawns when we first woke up, so you have to know something."
Timekeeper nods his head; he's been expecting this.
"All I can share with you is that she is the one who brought you to this world. I merely found you."
"You know, for a cool and mysterious old guy, you're not very wise." Korlin is genuinely disappointed.
"How did you know where we would wake up?" Sirius questions. "When I saw you last, you were already waiting for him to wake up."
"I've been doing this a long time, boy. That witch loves to place humans in areas with lots of people. And I'm not sure why, but she seems to have a thing for dirt."
"You know, that was a really vague answer."
"Apologies, I really don't know much about the witch." He lowers his head and mutters to himself, "I could never reach her..."
...
"Then tell us this," Sirius locks eyes with the man. "What does this count down towards?"
Sirius displays the back of his ticking watch.
Black numbers repeatedly deplete, gradually clawing closer to zero.
Timekeeper appears hesitant. His eyelids fold shut as he swallows a heavy breath.
Exhaling his anxiety, the man straightens his posture with newfound resolve.
The Timekeeper's eyes reach the ignorant boys.
Time seems to stop as he utters the words...
"Your memories."