Tales of Zestiria: The World Beyond

Chapter 32

(Sorry that this is the only chapter I've been able to get out for March. Severe depression and anxiety have been looming over me for the past few months. I hope next month to get out more.)

Vanessa woke up right before she got hit by an airship. A boy had grabbed her and both landed on the ground right as the captain looked over the edge of the ship to make sure they were safe. The boy who helped her had silver hair, with two strands that were dark grey, fuchsia eyes, and wore a grey and purple long-sleeved shirt, black pants with matching boots, and had a white cloak over his shoulders. He scolded her for standing in the middle of a docking area and berated her for having no self-preservation.

The captain told him lay off; he was being too harsh on her. He got up and brushed the dust off his clothes before he reached his hand out to Vanessa. She took his hand and he helped her up. She felt weaker than she did before as if something was draining her energy constantly. She had a hard time getting back up and he had to catch her before she fell. He told her that he would help her get back to the hospital, that she shouldn't have been outside, to begin with. He knew that she loved to watch the airships, but it was dangerous with her condition.

Vanessa got on her feet and said she was fine, she just needed to get her energy back. She looked at him and saw his worried look, it was clear that he wasn't sure she was able to stand on her own. She then felt something was off about him, his voice was familiar, but she didn't know where she heard it before. In fact, she had no idea where she was. The last she remembered, she was with Sorey and the others, and they were about to face Lucilius.

"Lucilius?" She said right when she thought about it.

"Who?" The boy asked.

"I'm sorry."

"Louis, your father is looking for you." A guard said as she ran up to the boy.

"I'll be there in a second, I just have to help-"

"Louis, now."

"Can you get her back home for me? I don't think she can get there on her own."

"I will. Now go, doctor Selaphiel is waiting for you." The guard turned to Vanessa once Louis was gone and spoke, "come on. If you need help, I can support you."

The guard turned her back to Vanessa and took a few steps ahead, then looked back. She was waiting for Vanessa to follow her. Vanessa took a step forward and felt her entire body sink; she had no idea why she felt so weak. She caught herself before the guard went to help her and started walking on her own. She walked through town and noticed how different it was compared to her home. The buildings were built out of stone with archways for the doors and windows, some plants grew around the windows and above the doors, and small blue lights gathered where the people were.

She looked up to see a bridge connecting the third floor of two buildings, and even further up, were floating buildings where small ships were docked. It was something out of a fairy tale. The guard then got her attention, they had to hurry to the hospital.

Vanessa didn't understand what the guard was saying, she was never sick as a child. She had no idea why her body was failing her. Then she looked at herself in the reflection of a mirror. A girl with short dark purple hair, blue eyes, and wore a large white jacket over a shorter black one and a black bathing suit-like outfit stared back at her. Parts of her hair floated around her with beads that seemed to keep them in place, and when she looked down, she saw that her boots had changed into pink slippers.

"Vanaia!" The guard yelled to get her attention. The name of the purple phoenix, however, there was something wrong with that. The Vanaia she knew didn't live in a world where airships flew in the sky and she wasn't fragile. The guard picked up Vanessa and carried her back to the hospital; with how many times she stopped, it was no wonder why the guard was worried and ran to the building. The hospital was the largest building in town and had many people inside. Both workers and patients.