Sirius walks back through the streets as best he can. He had been moping with his head down when last on this path. He unknowingly has already made three wrong turns, each straying further from the correct option.
His mind is fixated on that girl, Aureole. Everything else is blurry and out-of-focus. Her warmth still lingers around his body. Flashes of her gentle smile and gradient eyes swarm his consciousness.
This feeling is foreign. Is this love? He doesn't know, he hasn't felt or had the capacity to love in a long time.
Not since eighth grade. We don't speak of eighth grade.
Whatever this feeling is, he welcomes it fully. He doesn't want it to go away, ever.
Realizing he's lost, he asks nearby citizens for directions. Unsurprisingly, he is met with disappointment.
Carrying on he meets a young girl. The girl is calling out for presumably a pet named "Melman." Very interesting name.
Sirius offers to assist the girl in finding what he finds out to be a kitty. Cats still exist in this world, huh?
The little girl holds one of Sirius' fingers as they search. Her tiny hands would fit in his palm, he's scared he'd crush them.
It doesn't take long to find Melman. Melman is a shaggy, tan cat with far too many whiskers. He is still cute, but the name "Melman" does not suit him whatsoever.
The little girl raises and spins around Melman who does not look pleased to be found. Sirius almost feels bad for the cat. Almost.
The girl thanks Sirius and hugs his leg, dropping Melman in the process. Melman doesn't bother running, I think he's given up.
As the little girl embraces his leg, the cry of an old woman rings out. A lady only describable as a hag seemingly comes out of thin air and rips the little girl off of Sirius. She takes the girl's tiny hand and drags her away while saying something about how she shouldn't involve herself with "Witch Spawns."
The phrase has become numb in his ears. The guy Korlin told him about seemed to explain it best: "Mindless hatred." However, he personally gets more of a sense of fear rather than hatred.
Except for that man.
It's best not to think about that. Not to think about that man.
As the hag drags off the little girl, Melman follows behind. You are a very strange cat.
Sirius, now even more lost, continues his hunt.
Thankfully, after the Melman incident, it doesn't take much longer to find who he's been searching for.
After only a couple blocks, and a run-in with a breakdancing panda, he finds four familiar faces.
Three of the four he hardly recognizes; their clothing has changed unlike the fourth.
-Where have I seen them before?
"Look man, I think your brain may be a little tousled." It is a younger lad with sharp eyes, dressed in baggy clothing. Two others stand behind him, one holding back a laugh and the other scratching their head.
-Ah, that's where.
"What does tousled even mean?! That is a made-up word!" It's the boy with honey eyes and a beige hoodie tied around his waist. An odd new satchel hangs to his side. Korlin seems to be having a similar confrontation as Sirius. At least they didn't pour water all over you.
"Alright, stop your squabbling," tousle guy appears fed up.
"Squabbling?! What is this?! England in the eighteen-hundreds?! And what the hell does tousled mean?!"
"What the hell is England?!"
"Don't worry about it!"
Korlin rubs his eyes in frustration.
"What does hell mean?" tousle guy questions his companions. They do not know either.
"Look, he's slightly taller than me. He's got clothes on just like mine except with one veiny forearm sticking out. He's got brown hair and yellowy eyes with some bags under them. He looks kind of gloomy but in like... a handsome way."
-Handsome??
Tousle guy notices Sirius and points to him, "Like that guy?"
Korlin briefly turns, "Yeah kind of like-" He does the biggest double-take Sirius has ever seen.
"Gloomy but handsome, huh?" Sirius walks over, holding back a chuckle. Korlin's demeanor relaxes, he's clearly relieved.
"Well, to be fair you are slightly attractive. I'd kill for a face like that."
"You're not so bad-looking yourself."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Alright, now it's just weird."
"Agreed."
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!" Korlin shakes Sirius abruptly.
"Sorry, sorry-"
"I've been searching for hours, man," he stops shaking and pats Sirius' shoulders. "You gotta stop running off, it's getting tiring."
"I didn't even run this time. I walked; I walked very slowly in fact."
"Yeah, yeah," Korlin has a big grin. Sirius bears a similar one. "Did something happen?"
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know, it's just... the look on your face. It seems a little better."
-The look on my face?
Sirius notices the trio are still observing his reunion. "I'll tell you on the way. Come on, we're going to the castle." Sirius nudges Korlin's arm and begins walking in the relative direction of the castle.
Korlin remains still a moment. "Wait. Like the castle, CASTLE?"
Sirius nods, he expected this sort of reaction. Sirius turns around briefly to say farewell, "See you guys. Thanks for not splashing water on him!" Sirius gives them a petty wave.
"You know those guys?"
"Not really."
"So. We, you and I, are going to the massive castle?" he articulates every word. He might burst with excitement at any second.
"Correct."
"May I ask why? Not that I am in any way complaining."
"I got us a place to crash."
Korlin's eyeballs practically jump from their sockets. He puts a death-grip on Sirius' shoulder and opens him like a door.
"WE ARE GOING TO STAY AT THE CASTLE?!"
"Uh... actually I don't know."
"Huh?" His face distorts into raw confusion.
Sirius realizes he has not made any sense whatsoever. How do I even explain this?
⧗⧖⧗⧖⧗
Sirius had described his encounter with the evil-eyed man. How he had felt the unyielding weight of gravity. Korlin took away that Sirius had run into a main antagonist in some anime.
Sirius then explained his reunion with Aureole. He left out the part of him crying.
"Man, when will I meet my heroine?" Korlin is caught up in daydreaming, likely about meeting his heroine. Whoever could she be? "Maybe we'll meet at the castle, and I'll save her from her evil stepmother. Or perhaps I'll come across a dragon I must slay! Ahh... if only I had magic."
"One day I'm sure you'll learn some."
"Mm," he slogs. "Maybe if I get injected with some mystic blood of another race, I'll be granted some superpowers... no, injecting blood never turns out right." He sighs in defeat. "Fear the old blood..."
"Is that a Bloodborne reference?"
Korlin's mouth gapes. If he had a liquid in his mouth, it would have shot to the moon. "You know what Bloodborne is?!"
"I've played some video games before."
"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh," he's freaking out from excitement. "Who's your favorite boss?!"
"Uh... it's been a couple of years... but I'd say the final one. I remember liking the music."
"Ah, Gherman, not Ludwig or Maria?"
"I don't remember them."
"They are like the best bosses in the whole game! The DLC is amazing."
"Oh, I never had the DLC."
"Aw, how come?"
"I don't typically ask my parents for things. I only played it since my mom randomly bought it for me one day. I played it on my brother's console."
"Well in my very professional opinion, I say you should have asked for it."
"My mom was low enough on money as is, besides, the base game alone was more than enough."
"Fair enough," Korlin is giddy and itching to talk more about nerdy stuff. "Any other games? What about Dark Souls?"
"I think I played the second one..."
"AH!" Korlin aggressively shakes Sirius' shoulder. "That's my favorite one! What's your favorite part?!"
"Uh..." Sirius can't remember any specific moments from the game. It's been many years. "I don't know about that... but I always like the sense of accomplishment I get when beating a boss, you know? It's batshit hard and then eventually... I pull through. It makes me feel like I did something."
"...That was awfully melancholy."
"Sorry."
"Do you not feel you did enough in your life? You know, before you died."
"..."
Sirius grows uncomfortable. While the answer is obvious to Sirius, Korlin has no idea of what his life was like. But Sirius doesn't want to tell.
"Sorry, touchy subject."
"It's alright... Are there any other games you were into? I haven't played many in the past couple of years, but I used to be a nerd. Especially on my Wii."
"Heh," Korlin laughs. "Well, if you really want to know..."
Korlin then gleefully proceeds to list off 57 game series from the top of his head. Sirius is unfamiliar with almost all of them. But his joy in explaining the games is something to admire. He looks happy.
"Xenoblade Chronicles, Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Pokemon, Portal, Silent Hill, Persona, Dragon Quest, Monster Hunter, NieR, Runescape, I don't know if that counts, Zelda, Ace Attorney-"
"Um," he is listing them off too fast to comprehend. "Could you slow down a bit?"
"Oh," he appears guilty. "Sorry, I get a little... passionate."
"It's alright, no need to be ashamed."
"Mm, I'm just glad to have a fellow nerd along with me."
"Though I'm not as extreme as you."
"Yeah, yeah."
"You should be a salesman with the way you praise those games."
"Ooo, you think so? I do have the natural talent of charisma."
"Maybe our
"He should, then I could earn even more money from him. Assuming his business idea actually succeeds."
"Have faith, our financial stability rides on him."
"True."
They continue strolling along, soaking in the sun above.
"I don't mean to sound rude, but is this all just a game to you? Living in this new world and all?"
Korlin's skin begins to crawl, a striking discomfort sways his movements.
"...I... don't know how to answer that."
...
"What's with the purse?"
"Don't call it that," he almost looks offended. "Alzir gave it to me, it just has a bunch of papers in it." He digs through the large satchel as they walk.
"What do they say?"
Korlin shuffles through papers one by one, taking them out to read them in the sunlight. "This one is what I assume to be a calendar. This one has a bunch of temperature conversions, this has... age conversions?"
"Are they all in a language we can read? If so, this will be really helpful."
"Those ones are, some of them just got random characters on them. Like this one here, I think it's a star map, but I can't read it." He hands over the crumpled page.
The tea-stained paper is insanely detailed. Perfectly drawn images of constellations with rows of text lining each one. Of course, it is unreadable, but once deciphered should prove fascinating.
"Dang, that guy is a genius, isn't he?"
"A very unorganized genius, but yes. He literally ran upstairs, stuffed these papers in the bag, threw it at me, and said to go find you."
"Strange guy..." Yet, Sirius can't help but hold him in a light of respect.
The oddly quiet streets are pleasant for a stroll. The smell of a newly bought book lingers, likely coming from the bag.
"This does look like a purse, doesn't it?"
⧗⧖⧗⧖⧗
The once ant-sized castle now towers large, making the two appear as ants themselves. Up close, the magnificence of the fortress shines its grace. Divine masonry never dreamt of on Earth, stone weaves into spirals with the only explanation being magic.
The relative structure of the citadel is one commonly associated with a medieval castle. Colossal walls wrap themselves around, lined with jutting parapets. Towers break out from the curved walls, spanning vertically just below cloud level. Each tower is topped with gorgeous cerulean spires and circled with meticulously crafted corbels.
From this angle, that is all that is visible. The castle is situated atop an indented mound, the only entry comes from trudging up a lengthy winding path. There are two paths that which themselves hover, no ground exists underneath. They are comprised of what appears to be thin stone or metal, both of which begin at opposite ends around the mound. The poorly railed paths wind around the mound before connecting to the entryway. There exists no moat or drawbridge, only an intricate and massive arched gate.
One can only dream of the details within the walls.
The defenses are excellent, guards are positioned along the looming walls and down the spiraling path. If this city were to be caught in war, it would be more than challenging to take this down. Positionally speaking, the only way to fell this castle would be to sweep the ground from under it. Though interestingly, the mound itself is indented greatly, like a gargantuan bite was taken from it.
Could something exist that could really do that?
The sun still hangs high; despite being blinded by it, Korlin continues to marvel at the castle.
"We're going in there, right?!" His eyes burn like a second sun into Sirius'.
"Actually... no-"
...
"What?"
His tonal shift is quicker than a light switch being turned off. His eyes are now hollow like a dead star.
"She said to go to the foot of the path leading to the castle... I'm not fully confident we are going inside."
Korlin slaps both of his cheeks.
"Alright, I suppose that's fair. I can't get it all." A fragment of disappointment still hides within his words.
They approach one of the winding pathways, this one on the south side of the mound-castle combo.
"Wait..."
"What's up?"
"She said the path leading up to the castle..."
"Yeah...?"
"There are two paths!" Sirius rubs his eyes in both frustration and acceptance simultaneously. "Man, she really sucks at directions..."
"What are we looking for exactly?"
"She said we won't miss it, but I'm not seeing anything not-missable."
Apart from the heavier traffic and the guards stationed at the foot of the path, nothing stood out. The street is outlined with large, fancy stables that presumably only nobles may use. Each stable is accompanied by a small townhome-size dwelling. All have their own guards stationed out front.
There seem to be tourists. People stand out in front of the path and gaze upwards at the stone mammoth. None may enter the path, the guards positioned in front are reminiscent of the guards outside Buckingham Palace. Some people try to make them laugh or move, but they do not waver. Korlin put England in my brain, dang it.
"You think she meant the other path?"
"I think so..." Sirius doesn't see her anywhere, it's hard not to see her when she's around. "Alright, let's head over there," he sighs. He prepares himself for another half-hour trek.
WHAM
A nearby stable's fancy door is swung open and collides with the wall it's attached to. It chips the wooden exterior but the figure who threw the door open doesn't seem to notice. The entire parade of pedestrians turns their heads to the source of the disturbance.
A girl stands in the doorframe, she shines with dazzling luster. Large eyes that rise from a deep indigo to a fluorescent teal. Pale skin wrapped in an even more casual dress than before; her dark wings contrasting her angelic sheen.
Korlin leans sideways next to Sirius, "That's her, isn't it?" Both their eyes are glued to the radiant girl.
"Uh huh."
The girl scans the crowd before landing her eyes on her target. Her subtle wave is met with a mirror of her own. She smiles and strides on over to Sirius. The glances she's receiving don't seem to bother her, perhaps she is used to them?
"Hey," she offers a polite bow. "Sorry about that, I was getting changed then I saw you out the window, so I rushed down." She catches her breath a moment, then directs her smile to Korlin. "Is this your buddy?"
Years of communication seem to flush down the drain. It takes him a second to regain the ability of speech.
"Yes, this is him."
"Hi, name's Korlin, nice to meet you," an oddly formal greeting.
"Nice to meet you too," Aureole steps in close and wraps her arms around the boy.
...
Sirius can't believe what he's witnessing.
Within mere moments of meeting, Aureole is hugging Korlin. While it is a casual, a type of quick-hug-hello, her arms fold around him, nonetheless.
-What is this? Why is she hugging him?
A switch flips inside Korlin that turns him into an awkward statue.
The girl withdraws swiftly, "Name's Aureole." She takes a step back and then claps her hands together. "Alright, the carriage is almost set, I just need to go finish changing then..." Aureole looks down at her clothing. Her pale cheeks flush into a bright red.
Nothing apparent warrants this type of reaction. Her dress is light gray and loosely drapes down over her body. False sleeves made of something similar to tulle wrap around her slender forearms. Dark stockings are pulled just over her knees.
"You alright?" Sirius questions.
"Y-yeah, sorry I shouldn't look like this out in public," she shields her face with cupped hands. Sirius gets a feeling there is something more to it. "Here, come inside really quick," she prances back towards the stable. "Oh no, did the wood chip? Ah, I hope they're not mad at me." She waves the two boys inside before entering herself.
Sirius shakes Korlin out of his awkward state. "Come on."
"Right, I wasn't expecting a hug..." he follows behind Sirius.
"Me neither..."
The thought of it won't escape. Why would she hug him? Does she hug everyone? Did we not share a nice moment? The thoughts rack up into a realization.
-Am I... jealous?
They cross the threshold into the stable, which is more of a small, two-story lodge. Two rooms make up the first floor, with a tiny staircase leading up to the second. Red carpet blankets the floor, candle glow merges with the light from the windows, almost everything is made of a dark wood.
Many chairs are placed around a dining table clothed with silver; forks accompany every plate situated at each chair. To the left, barely divided by a jutting-out wall, is a tiny room with comfortable seating and a tiny coffee table. To the right is a door leading outside into the main animal housing.
"Wilphrey! They're here, can you finish setting up the carriage? Thank you!" Aureole stumbles while running up the carpeted steps. As she disappears, Sirius closes the door behind him. There is a quiet rustling in the seating room which is followed by the emergence of an old man.
His entrance is accompanied by the clicking of black leather dress shoes.
The ornate black suit with matching pants is perfectly tailored for the man's sturdy stature. Silver cufflinks and blue buttons decorate the midnight attire. A shiny, monotone ring hugs his finger. Strong white hair is wrapped into a perfect bun.
The man's hazel eyes shine with a glint of familiarity.
"Ah, we meet again," the man places his hand on his heart and bows to Korlin.
The boy's eyebrows reach staggering heights, his right-hand treats Sirius like a punching bag.
"That's him! That's the old guy that splashed water on the duck!" It is a poor attempt at a whisper.
"Back in the alley?" It is a much better attempt at a whisper.
Korlin nods not so subtly. He clears his throat.
"Hello!" The boy mimics the man with an exaggerated bow. "Nice to see you, again!"
"Nice to meet you," Sirius offers a courtlier gesture.
The man nods with a subtle smile.
"You must be Sirius. Aureole has told me much about you and your endeavors."
"Oh..." an awkward expression stretches across his face. His cheeks now a faint shade of red. "I see..."
-Why am I getting bashful?!
The old man approaches, his simple movements seem so elegant. He kneels down onto a knee and lowers his head once more.
"We owe you a great debt. I must thank you; your kind actions will not go unnoticed." The gesture and words sting Sirius with immense sincerity.
"Oh no, please you don't have to do that. It wasn't that big of a deal..."
"Do not belittle your own achievements. You are a noble lad," the man rises. His hazel eyes meet Sirius' amber. The man concentrates deeply on them. This man is an expert at flustering Sirius.
"I-Is something wrong?"
"...No. It's just that your eyes... I expected them to be different."
-My eyes? What does he see in me?
Korlin's eyes bounce back in forth between the two. "Wilphrey... was it?"
The old man's gaze leaves Sirius, there is a strange hesitation. "Correct. Forgive me, I don't believe I got your name last we met."
"Yeah, because you walked away..." he sighs. "Name's Korlin, thank you again for yesterday."
"Do not mention it."
"So then, shall we begin magic training?" Korlin grins with relentless positivity.
-Is this guy for real right now?
"I don't think it's the time for that..." Sirius knows his words won't reach him.
"Apologizes, perhaps at a later date. For now, I must tend to the carriage and wonics. Excuse me." With a final bow, Wilphrey makes his leave.
"Man... I just want to use magic."
"There, there," Sirius pats the boy's shoulder. "You'll learn some soon enough."
A door shuts and light footsteps stumble down the stairs.
"I don't get it..." Korlin continues to moan. "He was like that last time too, maybe he can only use that one type of magic and he's actually embarrassed."
"Do you know Wilphrey?"
Aureole's voice sings like a perfect choir. Another layer of clothing cloaks the previous dress. The new dress resembles the one from her and Sirius' initial meeting, only this one is primarily white with blue accents. Slitted sleeves expose her arms, fluffy socks conceal up to her knees.
A sparkly hairclip is woven into her bangs. She's dazzling.
"I wouldn't say that. I met him yesterday; he practically saved my life. I want to talk to him but he's just..." Korlin can't find the right words.
"Ah, I know what you mean. He's a little distant, but he's got a big heart. I've always thought him as pretty cool and mysterious."
Something snaps inside Korlin. "YES! That's it! That's exactly what he is!" His hands grab Sirius and throttle his shoulders. "She gets it, Sirius! She gets it..."
-Please stop shaking me...
Aureole lets out a small giggle which stops Korlin's assault.
-Thank you, my savior!
"You guys get along great, don't you?" Her pure smile is almost enough to stop a beating heart.
The boys' eyes meet, Korlin smiles proudly. "Yes, we do! We basically share each other's thoughts, right Sirius?"
"Right..."
"Well, shall we depart? I'm sure you both are exhausted. Come on, he's likely finished by now," she skips to the stable-leading door.
She holds open the door and motions the boys through. They follow through without hesitation. Sirius whispers "Thank you" as he passes through, he doesn't know if she heard him.
They had seen the stable out front, but somehow from inside it looks even more fancy. The stable is occupied by a singular stagecoach carriage. A large, white-framed body sits atop four black metal wheels. Attached to the back of the fit-for-two carriage, is a large, empty wooden hay wagon.
"This thing is massive; I feel like I'm going on a hayride." Korlin, within two seconds, is already aboard and touching everything.
"Dude, get down..."
Rrrrrauwah
A hefty moan bellows from the front end of the carriage. A jolt of fear rushes throughout Korlin's body, he immediately climbs down.
The boys walk with caution to the other end of the stable. Luckily, what awaits them is an old man and two cats.
Cats, being an oversimplification. The cats resemble stripped snow leopards. They stand tall with bulky legs like a horse, ready to pull the carriage and following wagon. Flowing white manes similar to a lion's scarf their necks. The animals carry an air of strong sophistication, truly noble creatures.
-He's about to say something stupid...
"Kitties!"
-Yep...
"Apologies you two, we only have room for two within the carriage," Wilphrey mentions while tending to the leopards. "One of you must ride in the rear."
WIlphrey's gaze is directed at Korlin.
"Why me?!" he slumps over. "Sirius..."
"Don't worry I'll sit back there with you."
"Really?" A single teardrop glistens in his eye. Sirius does not know how to react.
"Are you sure Master Sirius?" Wilphrey wipes his hands with a cloth. "We owe you a great debt, you should at least ride in comfort."
"Master...? Just Sirius is fine," he scratches the ruff of his neck. "I don't need anything fancy, really it's fine."
-I shouldn't be selfish, he'll need some company. Besides, I don't deserve any of that.
"Hmm..." A curious look is plastered on the old man's face.
"You're a saint, thank you, Sirius!" Korlin wraps his arms around Sirius. The embrace is uncomfortable, a total contrast to Aureole's.
"S-sure..."
"Is it alright if I join you two?" Aureole pokes her head out from behind the carriage.
"Milady, I cannot allow you to-" Wilprey is upset.
"Ah it's fine, Wilphrey, I'll cover myself until we leave town." She pulls out a large blanket from within the stagecoach.
Wilphrey sighs, he doesn't have the energy to rebuttal. "Very well... let us depart."
"Hee-hee, yay..." Aureole gleefully hops into the back of the carriage.
The old man opens the stable's gates. He jumps up and sits in front of the empty stagecoach, grabbing hold of the reigns.
Korlin prances over and rolls into the wagon. Sirius walks over and plops down, leaning over the sturdy railing.
"You mentioned before we're going to your lord's place, right? Where exactly is it?"
Aureole buries herself under the blanket, only her head peeping through. "Oh right, sorry... I haven't been explaining things very well." The carriage and wagon begin to move, leaving the large stable. "Yes, we are heading to my lord's estate. It is a short journey northwest of Auretta. We should be able to arrive well before nightfall."
The busy streets clear out in response to their departure. Nearby guards close the stable gates. The civilians do not watch with disapproving intent. Rather, they look on in admiration, like they are watching a king pass by before them. It is a nice change compared to their previous stares.
"What is it like there?" Korlin is full to the brim with curiosity.
"It is a grand abode, a little too grand... you'll see when we arrive. You should find it quite spacious."
"What is the lord like?" Sirius questions.
-Will this guy really let in two Witch Spawns? She doesn't seem to know I'm one.
"Ah, I've only known him briefly, but... Lord Rawlin should welcome your arrival."
An ominous sigh comes from Wilphrey up front.