The War Must Go On ~ Book 1: Gemaris Island

Chapter 2: The Divination House

Book 1: Gemaris Island

Chapter 2: The Divination House

Ora had not made it far from Marietta's Studio when she stumbled upon a strange little house, just on the other side of the stone clearing.

It almost seemed to be leaning to one side, but Ora wasn't sure. On top of its midnight blue roof sat a gold crescent moon studded with sapphires. On the side of the house was a blue homemade canopy connected to the house, forming a tent. Ora found herself climbing the three small front steps of the porch and rapping on the door which was also azure with a gold crescent moon.

The entrance was swung open by a tall-ish man with a short black beard and eyes bluer than the sapphires that bejeweled his house. He was wearing a dark blue vest over a white dress shirt and his fingers which rested on the doorpost were decorated in golden rings. Ora wasn't expecting a man like this to answer the door, but then again, she had not known what to expect at all.

The man didn't say anything, but nodded as if to say...well, Ora didn't really know. The nod could have meant, "Get on with it already" as well as "Good day to you." Ora squinted as she calculated the rest of his body language intently. The man was wearing black leather boots, and his legs were crossed as he leaned against the door, seeming to wait impatiently for the solicitor or visitor or whatever to go away. He was blinking his long eyelashes rather rapidly and he seemed to be gritting his teeth.

Ora finally decided that the nod had meant "Get on with it already," but she had spent a few long awkward seconds analyzing his posture instead of...getting on with it already.

Desperate to keep the man waiting for not one second longer, Ora quickly spoke, but was too late. They had both said something at the same time and immediately stopped to let the other speak.

But then neither of them spoke because they were trying to let the other person speak.

"Well?" the man finally demanded, nodding again more aggressively.

"Do you live here or work here?" Ora blurted out, curiously.

"Both," he said curtly. "Do you have an appointment?"

"Oh...no," Ora replied, a bit bashfully.

"Well I don't take walk-ins. You can sign up for an appointment on the poster there," he said, pointing to a sheet of parchment next to the door. Ora hadn't even noticed it.

"I don't want to set up an appointment," she said, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Then why are you here?" the man asked, his voice exasperated but his eyes soulless as a dead animal's.

"I was just passing by and I wondered who lived in this house," Ora said, gazing up at the roof again.

"Why?" the man asked, squinting. "Do you think my house is strange?"

Ora hesitated. "Actually, yes. That's exactly the word I would use to describe it," she said with wide eyes, suddenly hiding all expression. "But strange in a good way."

"Strange...in a good way..." the man bobbed his head again, befuddled by Ora's words.

"I think your house is lovely, sir!" Ora said enthusiastically, trying to diffuse the situation.

"Lovely," the man scoffed, his arm still resting carelessly on the doorpost.

"It's. INTRIGUING," Ora muttered through her teeth.

"Good. I like people to be intrigued by the things I make," the man suddenly said, finally standing up straight and rubbing his hands together. "You're the only one," he added.