Fly Until You See The Light

The Valley of Triumph (2) - Chapter 1

«Has it been a year already?! Time passes quickly, don't you think?».

«Ha ha, certainly the two little Moths who came here some time ago have changed. Have you seen? Will they start missions for the Village soon?».

«Of course, they do it every day. Look, here they come!».

Sentinekka runs briskly with her travel bag down the main path of the Village of Dreams. With her there is Orlando, who follows her while holding his friend's hand. Of course, it's the girl's birthday, who in the meantime has grown a little taller, has cut her hair a little - trust me, it's difficult to walk around six realms with that long hair -, wears a kind of forest green outfit with a golden belt and red bracelets and a green and yellow cape from the Season of the Assembly. Her job is to complete the daily quests for the whole Village! Orlando always keeps her company, every day, since the new proposal to send one or two Children to do quests for each village located in the realms was created and accepted by the Elders recently.

Orlando is still the sweet boy he once was. Short hair, Village uniform, white and soft cloak that protects him from being sensitive to the cold. As the two run, Sentinekka looks at him, excited and also moved by the time spent. She, from the day she discovered that thing... Well, she's no longer the exact same person. She still has her sweet nature, but... Something is weird. Not much, just a little.

«Sen'... Happy Birthday!» Orlando tells her, smiling in a friendly way at her.

«Oh, thank you!» she replies, smiling back.

The days of Remembrance have finished their time since some time, about a week or two.

Sentinekka and Orlando immediately move away towards their first stop as she grabs a paper previously attached to a wooden pole with a metal nail. The first place they must visit is the Vault of Knowledge.

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«Wow, this tour of the realms is so cool!» Leilah has a really loud voice, it kills Ojtaro's eardrums sometimes.

He and his family are heading towards the Village of Dreams to find Sentinekka... But also because, what a nice coincidence, the Performance Guide, who is a friend of Ojtaro's father, has organized a show that same evening. So here they all are, one after the other, walking through the Hidden Forest. If it weren't for the show and the friendship between Ojtaro and Sentinekka, Leilah and Mihok would still be stuck on the Isle of Dawn - Horand and that idiot, Joyz, are not two who like to go out, but they didn't rebel against the idea of ​​that trip -. Strange that Ojtaro's two twins still haven't said a "thank you".

«Oj', this is all thanks to you! And to the Performance Guide!». Ah, yes, indeed. Mihok says those words in an excited and enthusiastic tone of voice.

«Oh well. Just make sure you don't shout too much» Ojtaro recommends them. «You know what happened with Teth. I would like to avoid dying today, even if it would prove to be a salvation...».

«Ojtaro! Recently these negative thoughts have become more... Frequent» Joyz butts into the conversation.

«Who asked you?!» Ojtaro exclaims, annoyed. Seriously, he really doesn't like that guy. «I almost set a temple on fire! A temple of an Elder who, if I weren't a descendant of her, would have already killed me! How do you think I should react?!».

Joyz stays silent. He doesn't dare to reply to Ojtaro's words, he knows well that, in any case, the boy's life is already complicated.

Soon Oj' and his family will reach the Valley of Triumph.

Soon he will reach Sentinekka.

Who knows how she has changed... How different will his little Moth be? Surely stronger and more experienced... Oh, he missed her so much! He can't wait to see her!

«Ojtaro. Listen to me, young man. Are you here with us or in another universe again?» the Guide awakens him with a light pat on the head. How often does that boy get lost in his thoughts? He sure has a lot to think about for a fifteen-year-old.

Ojtaro looks at him, curious, and waits for him to speak. «Come back to us around sunset, please. You know well that there will be that show, and you know well that I want to support the Performance Guide».

Oh, right. His father and Performance were already friends when they were teenagers. Oj' was almost forgetting it.

-----

The Elder Teth didn't get mad at Ojtaro in the end. «I too once had difficulty handling will-o'-the-wisps. All it takes is a few practices and you'll control it well, Ojtaro» she had told him calmly, but always with that cold and detached tone of hers. It's better that way.

Here are him and his family; they are reaching the fastest and shortest way to the Village of Dreams: a tunnel that descends further and further towards the Village square. You go fast, there. Every time! And, man, it's so much fun!

«Are y'all ready for a little competition?» Ojtaro proposes to his siblings with an air of defiance.

«Oh, absolutely...».

«No!».

Leilah's words are interrupted by Joyz's terrified exclamation, who seems really against the idea of ​​risking breaking some limbs.

The Passage Guide reassures the boy, telling him that it is not necessary for him to participate. Not that Ojtaro was talking to him. He talked to his siblings. Joyz is not his brother. He never will be.