Phil stumbles through the city, hurt, lost, and confused. What happened and why ? Did she do something wrong ? The bartender seemed nice, why did he just throw her out without listening ?
That was so unfair.
And what even is that paper he gave her. It sort of looks like a card. Made by bulk by the looks of it. And there's an address on it. What did he say again ? She'll be "accepted how she is".
Was it the wings ? But I thought we had good relations with the Lyunes...
Half still in her thoughts, going through the pain of being instantly rejected from somewhere for no apparent reason, Phil lazily looks at the names of streets she traverses. After a few minutes with no luck, she resolves to ask people for help. The first few people she asks look at her with a hidden disgust when they see the address on the card, but it's not hard for Phil to see through the nice act.
Why is everyone so mean to me now T-T
Eventually, a kind old man points her in the direction of the western inner gate.
Man- Go out through these, straight forward then turn right at the fountain. And good luck child, life will turn around.
Philantéline, still confused, thanks him and he smiles. She then proceeds towards the gates.
---
The two golems lie flat on the floor.
The women look at each other and check if the golems are still moving. The constructs don't react to being poked, so they relax. They then go to the closed door in silence and stare at it. It is a double door, and each door has different engravings, as well as a slot above these. The left door shows a farmer in his fields, and the right shows a hunter in the forest with a prey.
Savyna and Kaen stare at the door in silence for a while.
Savyna- What the fuck is that.
Kaen- It looks like a riddle, and we need the answers to open it.
They look at the slots : they're round, smooth, and perfectly half spherical.
Kaen- Do we have spheres ?
She starts looking around the room, but there's nothing in here. Nothing, except the golems' corpses.
She goes to the broken rock golem and searches through its remains, and soon enough she lifts a small orange sphere in her hand. She then leaps to the pile of ash and fiber, and after a few seconds she stands up with a sphere in each hand.
Savyna waits at the door, just looking at everything pensively. Kaen comes up and shows the two spheres to Savyna : one orange and one dark blue. Kaen looks at the doors, and is about to put the blue one in the first slot when Savyna stops her.
Savyna- Wait.
Savyna puts her hand on Kaen's arm. She takes the other, orange, orb, and she puts it above the farmer.
Savyna, almost mumbling- This is the bright sun for the crops to grow...
She takes the blue orb.
Savyna- ...and this is the night sky for the hunter to hide.
And she puts it on the other slot.
The door rumbles and slowly opens to yet another hallway. Kaen looks surprised at Savyna. Savyna looks content and half absent, then glances at Kaen and turns away, flustered.
Savyna- It's just ... common knowledge. Stop looking at me.
---
After passing the imposing gates, Philantéline looks around her. The houses are smaller on this side, the pavement less regular and less clean. She follows the direction and arrives at a round place, with an empty and dry water bed in the centre. It looks in bad shape.
Phil- I'm guessing ... that must be the "fountain" ?
It's almost noon and the sun is high in the sky. Phil really wants to eat something now. A beggar approaches her and holds out his hands to her
Beggar- Gold please ?
Phil- Oh, what for ?
Beggar- Some food.
Phil- Yes please !
She pulls out a coin from her purse and gives it to the poor man. He stares at it in wonder and then clutches it and runs away.
Phil, confused again- Wait what ? Where's my food ?
Completely baffled by what happened, Phil waits until the beggar out of sight, then loses any hope of getting anything from him.
Phil, with desperation- Why am I even here ? *with hope*.... the paper !
Phil takes the card she was given and checks the address. She's on the right street, so she starts looking for the right number. She follows the road, and as she gets closer to the address on the paper, she starts hearing chatter.
At the indicated number, she finds an open double door leading to a large undecorated hall. She glances at the rest of the street hesitating, and eventually resolves to go in. The moment she steps in, she senses the warm and thick air heavy with aroma. Benches aligned with long tables fill the hall. A door on the other side seems to lead to a kitchen, and people are gathered nearby around a huge cauldron-looking cooking pot.
An older lady comes up to her.
Lady- Hello honey, are you new ? I don't recognise you.
Phil- Uhh, what... I.. I guess ? Where am I ?
Lady- Come here love, have a bowl and get in line, the soup's hot.
Phil- I don't... What's happening here, how much is the soup ?
Lady- Oh don't worry about that here love, it's made for you all.
Phil- How ?
Lady- A young lad just brings us some beans and veggies, and sometimes even meat pieces, and we make soup out of it for all the people here who can't afford food. He's such a sweetheart.
Phil stays silent, slowly putting the pieces together.
Standing in line, bowl in her hand, Phil keeps thinking. She gets to the front and gets her bowl filled with soup. Doesn't look great, but still decent. She turns to the lady who welcomed her and hands her one of her gold coins. The lady takes just one look at the 10-gold coin without taking it.
Lady, with a doubtful face- I... don't know where you got that, but we don't accept money here, especially stolen money.
Phil- What ? I didn't- I don't steal ! This is mine !
Lady- Hmhmm, sure dear.
And she turns around to help someone else.
Phil, coin still in hand- ... What is happening to me ?
YOU ARE READING
Tales of Six
FantasíaIn a world where elemental magic is as common as steel, a young woman discovers she can push the limits of what is possible with shadows. But how ? And why her ? Fire, air, light, nature, water, and shadow are the six pure elements that make up ele...
