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The storm the once roared and flooded the plains was no more than a mild rainfall. With their makeshift sled loaded up, the children were ready to begin their trip to Rigas.
Zeais made sure the man was tightly fastened to the sled, while the other two scouted for the plains. Rain obscured their vision, but a faint light far in the distance gave them a good idea of the route they’d travel.
Brisk winds rolled over the plains and embraced them in bone-chilling cold. Their clothes were soaked through and their bodies began to shake, crossing their arms barely staved off the cold.
Zeais looked at the girl staring off into the distance. She turned around as if she could feel his gaze. An eyebrow raised up on her face with a questioning look.
“What is it?” she asked with a slight chatter to her voice.
“Think we can make it?”
"I didn't see any more sheep or any other dangerous animals. I think we might be okay."
“Okay, good. Hey Nova!” The small boy looked away from his telescope hand.
Hm?” He said quietly.
“Do you mind taking the back of the rope? He’s close to you right?”
Nova nodded his head, “He’s my uncle.”
"I see if that's the case it's better you look out for him, okay? Just let us know if he looks like he's in a lot of pain, alright?"
“Got it!” he said, a smile on his face.
“Great” Eris said from behind. “Then we should go, its col-”
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaooorrrrrrrr~”
A startling screech cut the girl's sentence short, followed by a small wave of vibrations beneath the children's feet, the hollow echo resounded through the plains. They all froze in place, listening. Another screech sounded out, far off from where the children were. Clouds parted ways, revealing the moon's light that covered a far off forest.
An out of tune stringed instrument was all Zeais could think of whenever he heard their cries. He couldn’t help but scratch his body at the thought of the creature calling out from afar.
“We should go…” Eris said. “They might have just formed.”
“Mmm, “ He murmured as he looked in the distance. “we should have time. Nova, ready to go?”
The boy's bright yellow pupils looked worried, but he confidently said, “Yes.”
Looks like we're good.
Zeais walked up to the sled, catching a glimpse of the man in pain before he grabbed his position on the rope. Nova and Eris followed suit, with her in front and Nova in the back as agreed.
The three of them looked at one another, with a nod of agreement, they began to pull the rope as hard as they could. Within the first few tugs, Zeais could feel every pound the man weighed, he was sure the other two had just as hard a time. The slick grass didn't help them gain footage either, nor did the mud provide any traction. The three of them groaned as they tried pulling on the slick surface without falling.
Little by little, they gained distance and with it, more momentum. “He weighs almost as much as a deer!” Zeais shouted out loud.
"Just keep pulling. There's a bit of a slope up ahead." Eris said.
Just like she said, a small slope had appeared. The sled behind them tilted slightly and the weight gradually lightened. With the help of gravity, the children gained a start that was easier for their bodies to handle.
“It doesn’t look there is a lot of uphill, we might get there quickly,” Eris divulged from ahead.
“Great.” Zeais knew it would be a long, tiring trip.
Through long stretches of field and constant rain, the children pulled the man with the hope of reaching Rigas within a few hours. Zeais was in the middle but felt like he had most of the pulling power. They were all much too small for the task, but his arms, in particular, felt more tired than usual.
The cold wind brushed his skin as he held the soaking rope. His eyes were watered as well from looking upwind. The other children shared the same expression as him, gritting their teeth and hugging their body tightly, attempting to ward off the chills of nature’s harassment.
“It’s really cold.” Nova wailed from behind.
"The Meteobelisk showed signs of really low temperature and fog. You two aren't really dressed for the weather," noted Eris.
Zeais sighed. He could see his breath when he did so. It only set him up for more disappointment. That they still had a ways to go.
How could I fall asleep and let myself-
“If only I didn’t sleep…” Nova said quietly.
What?
“What do you mean Nov-”
“You too little one?” Eris interjected as she looked back.
Nova nodded his head.
"Unc Rodrick carried me because I fell asleep. It started raining and he didn't want me to get sick." Nova's face had a slightly angry expression. "When I woke up, I was under a tree and Unc was trying to wake me. He had a scary face. Then all the sudden he got hit by a sheep."
“That’s really unfortunate Nova, but we’re getting him help now. So you don’t have to make that face,” assured Zeais.
A wry smile briefly appeared on the boy's face but disappeared as fast as it came.
While Zeais paid attention to the boy's expressions, he heard softly spoken words ahead of him.
"Did you say something?" questioned Zeais as he turned to Eris.
“Huh? Um, just talking to myself,” she exclaimed as she peered back at him. “I have a strange question though.”
“What is it?”
“ Is it weird that I also happened to fall asleep earlier? I’ve been thinking about it for a while. I feel really weird about not remembering. ”
Zeais's heart skipped a beat. Supernatural stories and ghost stories didn't chime well with him. It hit too close to comfort for him since he didn't remember falling asleep either.
“I-I think that’s pretty strange. A coincidence?” His words came out choppy.
“I’m not sure. When I try to think about when I fell asleep… I can’t.”
This doesn’t sit right…
“I don’t really remember either! I just remember waking up!” yelled Nova from the back, rain pouring from his face.
"That's… Really strange," Eris said. "Did anything happen to you earlier too?"
Zeais’s stomach felt like it was slowly twisting. He searched his mind for information instinctively to her question. As he expected, “I-I don’t…Think so.”
"Hmm," Eris peered into the sky as dark clouds began to part ways and show the outer reaches of space. The moon was not visible, but the trails of light that flowed around it projected large ripples of colors throughout the sky. "Maybe, it's just a coincidence."
Silence fell over the children. Zeais noticed that it didn’t seem like they had no more topics, but the two of them had a slightly pained expression. Relatively, he noticed his head began to hurt the more he searched for an answer to her question.
I walked from Don'te Forest. Took a few hours to get halfway. Then nothing. Did I take a nap? Hmmm… Hmm... His attention wained as he tried to think more. Doesn’t make sense. I feel like, I’m missing something important.
Zeais held a hand to his forehead.
My head is killing me. Why doesn’t it make sense?
He looked back at the boy behind him, watching his small yellow eyes scrounge up. After turning away, he felt like there was something odd going on.
This feels like those other times… As if I’m the only person in my bubble, but the dot up above always casts its light onto me and I can never remember why I’m there. Is this the same? He massaged his head.
As Zeais explored the depths of his mind, he remembered past tales of all sorts. Friends, caretakers, teachers, and people he loved. The nighttime always gave him a strange feeling of remembrance. Zoning out wasn’t too uncommon for him. The cold embrace of the wind made him want to further seclude himself internally. He couldn’t help but lose himself in memories, as he watched the ground pass by.
| Section Song: |
Staring at the ground for so long soon became boring once he returned to reality. It felt like his body was moving on its own as they pulled the man. He didn't even notice that it had been almost an hour and a half since anyone said anything. His hands felt like cold marble while he gripped the soaking wet shirt that was his part of the rope. He switched hands to give it a break, when he let go, the skin on his palm was wrinkled and a purplish color.
Amazed at how long it's been since either of the two said anything, he felt like he should break the ice. Nova looked like he wasn't paying attention to anything, and Eris's face was not viewable. The way she walked, looked like a puppet to him.
“How long has it been?” He said aloud.
Both ends of the rope jumped, Eris’s shoulders perked up as if she got splashed with cold water. She looked back at him wide eyes. She looked around her briefly before saying, “I, don’t know. A long time?”
Zeais heard a sneeze behind him.
It’s pretty cold, I hope we don’t get sick. Maybe we’re almost there?
He could barely feel his legs, when he took the time to focus on how his body was doing, he noticed he was sweating and his legs were sore. “Are you both all right? It’s been a while, need a break?”
"I think a break might be good. There's nothing around right now too," proposed Eris.
“My legs hurt,” Nova complained.
"Alright then, let's take a break here," said Zeais.
The children slowed to a stop and released their parts of the rope. After holding wet cloth so long, Zeais felt like his hands would fall off. In fact, they hurt so much that he wouldn't be surprised if they crumbled right in front of him.
“My ankle hurts so much.” Eris groaned.
“Did you sprain it?” Zeais asked worriedly.
“No, it’s just sore. I’m not used to this kind of pulling.”
“Me too..” Nova sniffled.
We’re all so tired, I wonder how much farther it is.
Rain still covered the plains and wet them the entire time, but it was no longer an issue after being soaked for so long.
Zeais stretched his arms back as he sat down on the wet grass. As he peered up at the sky, he knew it gave him nothing but pitch black darkness and the occasional white spot here and there. What he felt though was much less empty, it was a feeling of a sort of freedom. Images of a night sky were still rooted in his brain from when he was a baby. The scene was always fuzzy and there was no color, but it was the only time he could truly see the sky with his own eyes. He sighed.
“Do you know where the Second Sun is today?” Eris asked suddenly. A question he didn’t foresee, but nonetheless felt like he could answer.
“No.”
“I see.” Her expression was more disappointed than he expected.
Eris seemed to be studying the sky just like him. She peered around in all directions. Is she looking for it? He felt like should appease her, after he had given such a stale answer.
"I don't know where it is, but why are you looking for it? The night only just started."
"Well, I-" She closed her mouth and lowered her eyes. "Just wanted to see if I could see it is all." Rain dripped from her hair and slid down her face.
Zeais felt like there was something more to her words, but he didn't want to pry.
“I see, maybe you can find it if you really look.”
Eris gave a slight smile. “Mm, maybe. I hope so.” The expression she gave was soft and her eyes longed for something.
It’s not my business, but I hope you see what you’re looking for.
