A Pleasant Village Called Selk

Chapter 4

An Old Acquaintance

'I'm not sadistic, not really. I just like the beginning, middle and end of my research. Everything will be right with the world as long as I get answers for my questions, because if I don't, I'll have a tantrum. And believe me when I say, the world doesn't want that to happen.'

The foursome (Samuel, Requiem, Lilith and Fat Kimmy) stood inside the main area of the hospital, where all the patients used to be admitted. Samuel tapped his cane against the chipped marble floor, looking about the place with a disgusted scowl. Requiem too observed their surroundings, however was objective and apathetic in his observations. All was silent. The room itself dark and vast, damp and mould rampant in its scent. 

'I was rather pleased when this place closed down.' Samuel said wistfully, eyes glances across every crevice, noting the exits and broken objects that were strewn carelessly about the room. 'The work of the Devil's Shore... It was interesting to me when it was around for all to see... Now it is merely a shadow.'

'Well, what do you expect?' Lilith indignantly huffed. 'After everything went downhill with the whole Ethereal Crisis, it's no surprise that it went into hiding.'

'And now here you are, scuttling amongst the wreckage of a once glorious empire like a lowly cockroach beneath the boot. How fitting it is.' Samuel sneered.

Lilith smirked, 'I've made good of a bad situation. Better to stay neutral than to get involved in the siding with Odin or Dagda. That would've been disastrous.'

'Which is exactly why you should have.' Samuel countered, his face contorting in hatred and revulsion. 'For avoiding something as beautiful and natural as chaos is blasphemy.'

'Ey'o boomers!' A child-like voice beamed. The trio faced the entrance from whence they came, and were met by someone who was not child-like in the least. Rather, they were a child, looking to be roughly 7 years of age. The child in question wore a green dinosaur onesie, and large cream-coloured puppy slippers. Their ash-blonde hair reached their small ear lobes, obscuring their rounded, adorably chubby features and overall androgynous appearance. Their eyes were an innocent ocean blue, eyes which peered at the quartet with pure unbridled joy and curiosity.

 'What's a place like this doing in a group like you?' The child questioned obscurely, tilting their head like a puppy. With a grin, Lilith strolled over, shook their hand and stood by their side, presenting the child as though they were a show-piece of an elegant party. 

'This,' Lilith introduced dramatically, 'is Alex.'

'Ey'o!' Alex repeated in greeting, his smile a sight for sore eyes. Samuel could not help but grin back, his teeth glinting in the light that seeped through the broken windows. His puppy-persona had been instantly replaced with that of a vicious, snarling wolf. 'Salutations, good sir.' Samuel bowed respectfully, leaving Requiem awkwardly standing there along with a rather fidgety Fat Kimmy. Recognition flashed through Requiem's apathetic mask. 

'Judy.' Requiem nodded his greetings, leaving both Lilith and Samuel perplexed, Lilith parroting the name he spoke in an incredulous tone. 

It seemed as though Alex too was confused until he seemed to also remember Requiem. 'Ah! Ey'o Kyran! Nice seeing you again!'

'Wait,' Lilith interrupted, still bemused. 'Why did he call you "Judy"?'

'Oh!' Alex knocked the side of their head. 'That's what I get patients to call me. I've researched quite a number of things as to what makes people more likely to trust another. People seem to trust young girls as they are deemed more mature and level-headed, so I get all my patients to call me by an alias!'