The Ravine of the Lords is a bleeding ground of warlords's blood. Rumours are that normal mosquitoes grew into bloodflies due to drinking the warlord blood that was spilled here.
Until both nations agreed to not having any more fights here and making it a memorial to the dead by planting spider lilies at the graves of the warlords, Arya had visited his place like many others: dry, damp, and filled with graves and death. A true remembrance of human's brutality towards each other.
"What the hell have you done to this place?"
All that history to remember for guidance was forgotten, and the memorial to the dead had changed its form to a happy fairy tale tree house.
"I had never been to his place, but I did hear some stories about it. Well, when Mercy brought me here, I did not expect this either. But still, this is the base of the new order. Like it or not." Reva spoke while looking at Arya, as if trying to remember what her expressions were.
The tunnel ended with a stream of water and a wooden bridge, and next, it laid lush green grass and flowers everywhere, even on the mountain inclinations. And then came the wooden houses built on top of each other on both sides of the ravine, joined by a bridge. Every house is nearly equal in size and shape.
All the houses were lit up by small magic prisms at every corner, making it feel like it was day while night had hit. but the glamour and mystery of the did not shine as beautifully as the women in front of Arya did.
"I feel like I am going insane... I need something to eat.." He wanted to talk to her even if it meant acting desperate.
"Follow me,then. I will get you the bath at the your room. Do you prefer hot water or cold? I might take to other places for a bath perchance." Reva asked.
"If you're willing to come and go in with me, I might just jump into a Lava bath right now." Arya just couldn't stop himself from saying it; nonetheless, the consequences came.
"Oh really?" Reva raised an eyebrow at the cheeky line.
"Yes-" A kick on the butt, and Arya was thrown right into the water stream ahead. The stream wasn't deep, and Arya barely protected himself from getting pebbles and gravel in his mouth, but the water did end up in his nose.
Achoo…
He came out of the water sneezing, pushing water out of his nose, and having the worst feeling ever. Reva gave him her hand, and Arya grabbed it and lifted himself onto the bridge.
"You bloody damn idiot, don't you have a tongue to say no?"
"I am sorry. I told you, I feel like kicking you every time you speak bullshit like that. Next time, I will not be sorry either." Reva told the sneezing and rose-rubbing Arya.
"What was cold... so cold... You will be paying for this lady.... When I get my chance"
The stream felt like it was straight out of the glaciers near the mountains, freezing cold, and Arya knew it was getting cold.
Reva ignored Arya's threat and helped him get up. "Follow me. I don't have a towel on me; use the warlord energy to warm yourself up." She suggested. Arya looked at her. She was a fool for saying this.
"Have you just forgotten what you told me? I can't process star energy in this area due to whatever spell you are having in this place." Arya still tries to find some energy, but fails to do so.
"It is not a spell; it is due to Seraphina. She is the one stopping any energy formation in this area." Reva answered.
"What?!" Arya was shocked and he froze, Seraphina eyes twitched too and she turned her face.
Reva moved closed to Arya and placed her finger on his lips, "I won't say anymore on this topic. Ask Mercy anything more you want to know. If you need me to tell you everything, then perhaps show more respect and patience." and she removed her finger from his red face.
Suddenly Arya's urge for revenge fell a little and he began walking alongside Reva once again.
Walking through the ravine, Arya looked at the different things staying at the New Order's base.
On the left where they walked, dwarfs, small and breaded, were in a forge, smashing down and making swords. Warhammers and whips were hung in the background. Their bodies were more muscular than most dwarfs Arya had ever seen.
"Slaves or not. Dwarfs were made for physical work and battle, not intelligent stuff." Arya thought to himself.
The dwarf kids were visible nearby. The kids were never a foot less than a dwarf at the age of 10; they grew like humans, but then their growth slowed down and they died as they grew.
"Oh…" Arya's eyes fell on the house above, where a dwarf woman was giving him a look of disgust. As if she knew him from the past.
The two crossed the bridge connecting both sides, and Arya saw only two houses lit on the other side.
"Not many humans wanted to live with dwarfs? Not surprisingly, the two are never destined to mix; different purposes, different places in civilization." He thought and kept moving.
"Take this ladder and climb up; Seraphina and Mercy would already be eating. Tell them I don't want to have dinner today." Reva signalled at a ladder ahead at the end of the route.
"Why is that? Did my words kill your appetite or something?" Arya asked.
"Sadly, no, but I work with the dwarfs to take care of Evelyn and Alfyn. I will be eating dinner with them, so don't worry about me while you are still shivering from the cold. Don't bother asking about Evelyn and Alfyn; you will know soon enough." Saying this, Reva turned her back on Arya and walked away, and he began climbing the ladder on the other side.
The ladder led to the tallest tree house on the ravine; whenever Arya looked down, he could see the entire ravine and a Reva walking to the forge they passed earlier. That really got him curious about who Evelyn and Alfyn were.
"Finally up." The long series of ladders finally ended, and Arya reached the top house. As she stood before him, Arya noticed that the house was built bigger in comparison to any house in comparison to the houses below. "Equality ends when it comes to self," Arya whispered.
Meow...meow…
Arya noticed the chunkiest orange cat of all time coming from the door towards him, slowly and cautiously. It weighed so much that it had the fastest speed it could walk. Arya walked towards the cat and petted him on the back.
Pr..pr….
"Fat or not. Cats are the best thing in the world. Better than any human friend." Arya spoke as the cat purred in response to his petting. He was always good with cats, and seeing how this one liked him, he wanted to feed this fatty more.
"Lose some weight big boy. I want you to live longer." Arya gave the cat the final parts and started moving forward. He stood in front of the door and tried to look inside through the coloured glass windows, so he grabbed the handle of the door and tried to force it open.
"Where are my manners?!" Arya was baffled. Mercy and the other people inside must be the leaders of the New Order. If he loses the first impression, it's over for him.
"Who's there?" Seraphina's voice called from the other side of the door.
"It's me, Arya. Reva gave me a good bath at the river stream, and I don't stink now. Please open the door for me." Arya added a thing or two of his own.
"Coming." The wood rang as Seraphina came running and opened the door. Her green shirt and trousers suited her.
"You were right. Now, you don't stink as much as before, but you do seem cold." She said,
"Cold, I'm fine. I don't have much trouble with the cold and staying in that water all night, but I need a change of clothes. So can you let me in?" Arya requested. Seraphina looked at Arya's quacking legs but said nothing and gestured for his welcome.
"Make sure to remove your shoes and socks from the box on the left, and don't walk loudly in the house. I hate when people do that."
Arya did as Seraphina asked; he removed his shoes and socks, which were damp and wet, and placed them in the box on the left. His clothes and face were still there, and Arya was sure his face was a mess. He needs to kick someone like Reva did to him.
He went to the door. Seraphina left the door the door open for him and felt his stomach growl. "Oh, the smell." The smell of meat and food killed the feeling of wanting to kick someone in the buttocks.
Arya walked through the hallway, seeing two rooms on the left and right. She soon reached the dining table and saw Mercy and Seraphina eating.
"Aye, Arya. I was thinking about picking you myself, but it happens that you made it before that. I am surprised." Mercy was eating broccoli with a fork, without a hint of meat in his diet.
"Take a change of clothes and a warm bath if you need them. I think the clothes I have might fit you well. Your room is to the left on the upper floor." Mercy took a sip of water, and Arya left a change in Mercy's persona from playful to direct.
"The stairs are right next to Mercy's room." Seraphina pointed at the stairs to the left. Arya's eyes finally fell on the little girl who was eating raw chicken.
Rejecting the reality he saw, he rushed straight to the stairs and climbed to the upper floor. He saw a door on the left and one on the right.
A dim red light came out of the door on the right, and disfigured shapes caught his eye on the wall.
Curiosity caught Arya, but he did not want to catch anyone wilder than Reva; his warlord powers weren't present to protect him at this place. So, Arya minded his own business and entered his room to the left.
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