The fleeting city gate loses its grandeur as the distance erases its details.
The wooden wagon drags its wheels across the damp green and white blades of grass, its rusty axle squeaking the entire time. Lingering from the storm of the previous night is a hazy mist. It's strange, inside the walls of the city everything was dry, but outside, the remnants of the rain remain.
When asked, the girl with gradient eyes replied that the city of Auretta is "under the protection of a barrier." The barrier cloaks the perimeter of the walls like a massive dome, invisible to the naked eye. Apparently, one with an "applicable blessing" can witness the barrier's image.
The carriage-drawn wagon follows down the path he once viewed from the hanging tree. A natural ramp inclining to the entrance of the city. Many other carriages guided by odd animals tramp up and down the winding road.
Luckily, leaving the city is easy. Wilphrey, the old man driving the empty carriage, simply showed a strange insignia to the stationed guard and he let them pass through.
Aureole lowers the blanket once shrouding her entire self, excluding the head. Feeling the cool air she immediately wraps it around her loosely clothed arms.
The girl seems excited, like riding in the back of this wagon is something monumental. She, along with the two boys, looks out at the expansive view.
Distant mountains take up half the horizon, wildly shaped, like massive knives jutting out of the ground. Appearing as a faded indigo, the mountains perfectly complement the blue sky and hydrated grass.
Auretta, once feeling so vast, now pales in comparison to this majestic picture. The city itself rests atop a mound similar to the one the castle sits upon. Except this once appears even slimmer.
Colossal walls, housing an entire city, full of likely hundreds of thousands of people, are built on the top of a mountain comparable to an apple core. A rigid core of dirt and stone that should in no way be capable of holding a city.
When asked, Aureole wasn't quite sure how it stands.
Interesting.
Declining the spiral path, the wagon levels onto flat ground. Auretta shadows the ground below like an eclipse to the sun.
At the base of the mountain holding up the city, amidst the shadows, an entire settlement thrives. While less elegant, an entire second population lives beneath the city above.
The path follows the outskirts of this settlement. A swampish environment, with squishy moss acting as the trail. Wooden huts with straw roofs, all with convenient doors. How about that...
The inhabitants are thin and lengthy. Greenish-gray-skinned people wave as the carriage passes. Others drive pickaxes into the already slender mountain or obtain water from dripping stalactites.
Dog-like muddy creatures run around, barking in high-pitched tones. Korlin avoids looking at them. The dogs leap into children's arms. Strangely, the mud seeps itself into the arms of the children as if their arms are a sponge, staining their gray skin a dull brown. It's as if an entire new layer of muddy skin replaced the original.
An entire thriving community, seemingly happy, right below the lavish city.
Aureole breathes in the swampy scent. Her cheeks lift in satisfaction.
"Ahh, I've never been outside the carriage when coming down here. It's way too cramped so I can't really appreciate everything like this."
"What is this place?" Korlin, who has been silenced by his admiration, finally speaks.
"The official name is Auretta's Fallen Wing. But the townsfolk call it Lupoli." The girl shifts her weight, eager to tell more. "The Luto, the people here, are kind souls, unfortunately, they are forced to live in places such as this."
"...?"
"Sunlight is lethal to them. Prolonged exposure will leave them incinerated. As such, they live in secluded, shaded areas like caves or thick groves. Many people have offered assistance in sheltering them, but... these people have nothing to offer in return except kindness. Which is not enough for most."
"They're like vampires," Korlin whispers to Sirius. His comment is met with a flick to the forehead.
A group of three children donning tribal garments run up to the side of the carriage. One, a stubby little lad, carries with him a white flower. The child, losing pace with the carriage, offers Aureole the flower.
The girl accepts the gift and places it in her hair. She gives the child a thankful smile, he blushes and stops his pursuit. The other two kids congratulate the boy. A wholly wholesome scene.
"They seem to like you," it slips out from Sirius' lips.
"...You think so?"
Her response holds hesitation and uncertainty.
"He did just give you a flower."
She buries herself deeper within the blanket, a faint blush spreads across her cheeks.
"I guess so..."
"I've been meaning to ask," Sirius decides to change the subject, she's clearly uncomfortable. "Are you royalty?"
Korlin perks up.
"Yeah, you literally have your own butler. Do tell," the boy folds his hands together.
"...I wouldn't say royalty... and he's not my butler, he is my lord's." Her embarrassment seems to have only increased.
Korlin presses further. "Then what's with the whole magic carriage ride? You can't tell me you're not at least a little important."
"I'm not really that important... not yet at least. Look, I'll tell you about it when we get there, okay?"
Korlin sighs a disappointed sigh. Sirius jabs him in the arm.
⧗⧖⧗⧖⧗
They pass through a narrow valley in the mountains. The grass, colored green, fades into a soft cerulean.
Supposedly, the cerulean grass isn't grass at all. Instead, it is an invasive weed that has taken over the surrounding mountains. Originally green like most plants, the weed, rightfully named the Cerulean Reaper, was forced to evolve into its now iconic pigment.
On the mountains lived creatures named Grazers, boar-like animals who feed on anything colored green. Cerulean Reapers, facing extinction, adapted out of their green coloring and over time took over the hills. In turn, Grazers lost their primary food source and were forced to migrate elsewhere in order to survive. Now, without a predator to keep the population in check, the Reapers multiply endlessly.
Thick, fist-sized particles dance around, when touched they light up and split apart into smaller orbs.
The natural passage carries a mystical aura around it, truly enchanting.
"What are these things? They're... spongy," Korlin is captivated. He swiftly swipes his hands through a floating particle, mutilating it into hundreds of tiny specks. He licks one and moves it around his mouth with his tongue.
"Ah, the pollen sprites?"
"Sprites?!" He promptly spits it out. "You mean like fairies?! Did I just murder a fairy?!"
Aureole giggles. "No, fairies aren't in Lunalir. These are only sprites in the most literal sense. Technically, they are just pollen."
"Pollen from what?" Sirius asks, brushing a passing sprite.
"From moonlids."
-Wasn't that a street name?
"This is some massive pollen."
"Do you care for a course on moonlids? I'm quite knowledgeable on them." She takes pride in her wisdom, grinning ear to ear.
"Please."
"Hehe," she sways side to side. "Moonlids are indigo flowers native to Lunalir. During the day, they shrink and conceal themselves from the sun. However, during the night they bloom and stand tall. Also, during the night, moonlids track the moon's movements, even behind a wall of clouds."
"Kind of like sunflowers?" Sirius asks Korlin who is still occupied with the hovering orbs.
"Sunflowers? What are those?"
...
Korlin doesn't remember.
A cruel reminder of the fate they share.
Sirius knits his eyebrows, but seeing Aureole's confusion, he subsides his panic.
"Never mind..." Sirius turns to her and plasters a smile on his face. "Continue."
"Ok..." she is clearly curious of what just transpired, but she continues regardless. "Periodically, around this time of year specifically, moonlids pollinate. These huge pollen sprites are the result. Eventually, they will nestle down and help produce more moonlids, or be swatted and swallowed by other organisms..."
Both of their gazes fixate on a clueless Korlin.
"What is it?"
"Nothing."
"Didn't you say they're sprites? Are these things alive?"
"Pollen is a multi-celled organism you know?" Sirius shares.
"It is?!"
"You really didn't go to school, did you?"
"Aha...ha..." he awkwardly laughs and scratches his head, trying his best to avoid answering.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Aureole butts in. "But pollen sprites aren't capable of becoming full-on fairies, they remain as sprites until they help grow into a new flower. Though if you contain one for long enough and nurture it, they can grow into a lesser sprite."
"Are sprites just baby fairies?" Korlin tilts his head like a curious puppy.
"Basically, yes."
"Woah..." It's as if his whole worldview shattered in an instant. Though, almost immediately, he goes back to trying to catch one in his hands like a firefly.
"You sure know a lot about moonlids. Do you like them?"
Aureole fiddles with her wristlet, her pointy ears blushing red. "They are my favorite flower. But I only know so much from one of my friends at the house."
"Are they a flower expert or something?"
"You could say that... she loves gardening though she can be a bit... hotheaded."
It almost feels like a warning.
"Hm, well thank you for enlightening me."
"Of course. I'm happy to anytime-"
Breaking the wholesome tension, Aureole suddenly erupts into a hacking cough. She coughs violently into her blanket; it doesn't do much to suppress the sound.
"Are you alright-?" Sirius feels stupid asking such a question.
After a few more ragged hawks, she stares down into the blanket. She looks mortified. Terror enshrouds her soft features; a faint smear of blood is visible on her lower lip. She catches her breath and regains her composure.
"Sorry, that happens sometimes." Eyes red, she smiles like nothing just happened.
"It just happens...? Are you sick?" He is strained with worry, seeing her in pain makes him feel ill. It did back during the wailian attack too. Pain doesn't suit her.
"No, no, I'm fine. I just get a cough once in a while. That was a rather intense one though..." Trouble lurks behind her cheerful facade.
"Have you ever had it checked out?"
"I did once, but a healing blessing didn't seem to do anything. So, I just have to live with it."
"..."
Sirius and Korlin stare at each other, they share the same concern.
"Really, I'm fine. Don't worry about a little cough."
-She doesn't want to talk about it...
"Alright."
The trek has taken almost half an hour by now, none of their intrigue has wavered.
With the limited sights due to the towering walls of whitish gray, he passes the time another way. Sirius asks Korlin for the papers within his purse.
Korlin, of course, denies that it is a purse, but eventually gives in.
Sirius stacks the papers into a neat pile on his lap and pulls out his journal and inkclaw.
A feeling in his gut tells Sirius he shouldn't trust the boy to keep track of the papers. So, just to make sure the information is not lost, he writes the contents on his own pages.
[Age conversions involve some math, but they aren't too complicated. There are 271 days in a year and roughly 23.58 hours in a day. Since I am 17, almost 18, according to Alzir's conversions I would be over 23 years old in this world. I have a hunch Korlin will ask, so converting 18 years old into this world's age would be slightly over 24 and a half years old. So if 24, someone is an adult in Earth terms. I'm not sure what the adult age requirement is in this world though...
Just some basic benchmarks for myself: 20 years old = 27 years old here. 30 years = 41 years here. 40 = about 55. 60 = about 82. 80 = about 109. Etc...
The math isn't too complicated, but I fear I will continue to forget my newfound age. 23... sounds strange. If I were still living on Earth when I turned 23... what would I be doing? I can't imagine...]
[Calendars do not exist, not traditionally at least. Alzir has created a bunch of copies based off what he has learned, but calendar he gave us is the one he threw against the wall earlier... Thanks, Alzir. Months are counted with set numbers of days, typically 27, but it changes each year. The ten months are based more so off of the seasons. Spring, summer, autumn, and winter are all still relevant happenings.
Just like Earth, different regions of Mirgaia experience these seasons at different times. Unlike Earth, however, Mirgaia is (more) tilted on its rotational axis. This causes seasons to not always align with their months, meaning it can often snow in autumn. As such, the months are based on the prediction of what the seasons will entail that year.
The months are listed in order as follows: Ayeis (Winter), Atin (Winter/Spring), Olos (Spring), Kyrim (Spring/Summer), Kaitis (Summer), Dalun (Summer), Oakul (Summer/Autumn), Isyn (Autumn), Inera (Autumn/Winter), and Demera (Winter). Winter and Summer are considered longer for reasons Alzir put down as: "probably farming related."
Despite all this, calendars are more obscure tools than on Earth. The people of this world more so base everything on the seasons and don't give too much thought to the months or days.]
[Temperature conversion initially didn't seem to be too complicated. Instead of Fahrenheit or Celsius, the temperature is measured in Kiln. The highest recorded temperature above ground was reportedly 124 Kiln in the Kingdom of Kindnel. According to Alzir, from this, he took the conversion as 63 Celsius. This means the equation of conversion from Celsius to Kiln would be Celsius multiplied by 2 and then subtracted by 2 as well.
Now, that doesn't seem too hard to learn, but after that initial finding I think Alzir just gave up when it came to lower numbers. Negative numbers do not exist in Kiln. The lowest possible temperature is 0, and that is based on the lowest "recorded" temperature on the continent of Aeonice. 0 Kiln is the lowest temperature that can possibly be reached and it roughly translates to -172 Celsius.
But as I said, I think he kind of gave up at this point. The equation he found above does not apply here since from what I recall when we last met, he said 3 Kiln is about -135 Celsius. Which by all math rules just does not work. Either Alzir was high while writing this or he's REALLY bad at math. The most useful thing on the notes is that 28 Kiln to 52 Kiln is the best temperature to be in. That of course is based off his false equation, so we'll see about that. APPARENTLY 15 Kiln is around the freezing point?? I swear he's just making stuff up now. He's not even following the equation...
I'll try to keep this all in mind, but quite frankly, I don't think these notes are that helpful. I think, like time, the people of this world go more based off "feel" rather than math and logic. Alzir and I should have a little chat about this later. Or I could just ask someone else...]
Sirius sighs, the great scientist is not living up to his initial image.
"That a little journal? What are you writing?" The girl's curious eyes erase all coherent thoughts.
"Oh... just some stuff on... temperature and whatnot." He didn't expect anyone to question him.
"Temperature?"
"...Yeah...?"
"You're a weird guy, you know that?" Her smile only flusters him further.
"I could say the same thing about you," he directs the attention off of himself.
"Oh...?"
Her eyebrows raise like she is accepting a challenge.
"Aha, I didn't mean anything by it-"
"Oh really?" Aureole and Korlin mock him simultaneously. When did these two become so in synch?!
"Well, for one, you're taking two strangers over to your house. I'm not one to judge but it seems a little... odd."
"Would you rather continue being homeless under a tree?"
"...Touché."
"Seriously though," she giggles. "I just want to thank you. You helped me more than you could ever know..."
"I didn't really do that much-"
"You ripped off its wing, punched it in the face, and tackled it in the fountain getting my wristlet back. I'd say you did more than enough."
"I'm sure you could have handled it without me..."
Korlin listens with a face screaming huh??
"That's not true, I mean... all I could do was watch and get thrashed at. It's my fault we even got attacked by it..."
Gloom shades her pale skin. Sirius searches for a way to console her.
"I don't know... that bite was pretty hardcore."
Her bleak expression erupts into one of embarrassment.
"Ahhhhh you remember that?!" She rolls around burying herself into the blanket. Her ears and cheeks burn a bright red. Her covered wings flap around frantically.
"What?" Korlin laughs.
The girl lies prone and cries out while banging her side into the wagon's railings. Her legs and feet kick around in the air.
"She started biting the wing of the wailian and it started bleeding," Sirius holds back a laugh of his own. "When I say bite, I mean she was chomping on that thing-"
"Stop it...!"
Even she can't help but laugh.
The wagon fills with the sounds of laughter and joy. Their chuckles ring out and echo through the narrow valley.
The rest of the trip is accompanied by pleasant conversations, smiles, and beautiful sights.