Death Frost | Deathsworn #2

Chapter 2 ❆ Redemption

I did not know how long I had slept for, but it definitely was enough for me to enter a dream. I thought this would be another episode—when I got to relive the memories of my past life and then be filled with regret afterwards. Today, I paid attention to particular details of the past such as the books I had read and the movies I had watched. The little things. When I would cut my finger from the page of a new book or the calls of my cat that I'd ignored when he'd come seeking attention. Of everything, what stood out to me the most was when my mother's scents would come filtering into the living room and I would rub away the pain I would feel in my nose from the assault of the many smells that would come.

I remembered standing up, a little irked, and making my way over to the window to let the air in. I had turned the fan on high because we could not afford to turn on the air-conditioning unit even in this weather. The fan was obviously voicing its complain of overwork, gurgling and sputtering as it moved as though threatening to launch the rotating blades at my face.

My hands swept the blinds to the side and the glass panels framed with metal creaked open. The hot summer air came rushing in and I wiped off the sweat from my forehead. It was then that I remembered...ice cream. I would like some ice cream.

And, as though heaven heard my wishes, I heard a distant bell ringing.

There would be street vendors on wheels roaming about the town streets peddling a colorful cart. While they pushed, they would shake a bell to call the children to the streets. The cart would be a treasure trove of ice cream flavors that can be stuffed into sugar cones or sweet buns. The colors were pale pastels, usually purple and yellow reminiscent of their flavors. I didn't like getting my ice cream in the bread. They got too soggy after a while.

I listened to the bells and went to retrieve my purse of coins, but just as I made my way out of the door, the sound was suddenly accompanied by singing.

I stopped short, weirded out. Ice cream peddlers didn't sing when they shook their bells. This one...was also not in the language I knew of. It was not of this world.

My mind, realizing something was strange, slowly came to.

Ah, right. This was a dream.

I stirred to consciousness and opened my eyes.

The ringing bell, however, continued to resound in my ear. The singing voice only got louder.

My brain was at first confused but it later spat out a translation of the words. Nonetheless, it seemed to remain a little groggy (or glitchy) because the translation sputtered along like a rusty machine.

It was night, I was sure of it. Though, rubbing my eyes and gazing around further to investigate, I realized it was still not quite the evening just yet. It was sundown, to be more specific. The nap I intended to be a shuteye ended up turning into full-blown sleep of two hours—enough to leave my head with a small ache.

I rose and peeked out from my tent, letting my head stick out from between the closed flaps. I was once more greeted by this world. This world that wasn't Earth. I had left that one behind already and was already well into my new life. This was Csidellon and while there were no ice cream peddlers here, there was a band of people merrymaking by a burning bonfire so large that it eclipsed my little tent by over five or ten times.

My mouth dropped. "What is happening?" I asked.

Now I knew where the ringing bell was coming from. They were celebrating something. I remember now. What was that again? Aneralus?

I looked around. My mistresses Kora and Veronika were nowhere to be seen as well. Eren and Maun were not there either. Where could they have gone at this hour?