World Without Song

Chapter 4: Separated by ice

Yhidawach had made it to Zimrest.

He beheld its glory now more than ever before.

Tall grass and even taller trees had fully grown where human lives were once lived. This natural majesty overtaking the stone structures of humanity was poetically beautiful... and the castle itself; was covered in moss and vines that reached its tip...

"Quite fitting for the Fallen Empire." He said while throwing open the doors to the castle.

His destination was the throne room, where a woman awaited him.

Miriam had cleaned the castle well, she must have been quite bored if she went this far.

Yhidawach found that the cleanliness of the castle evoked memories for him. Even through the centuries and being overtaken by plants as it was now, it lost none of its grandiose nature.

The throne room's braziers were lit, they filled the halls with their warm glow and for a moment Yhidawach thought that he had been hurled back to his past.

And there she was, sitting on the throne, looking at him with warm eyes, very much unlike the eyes of others in this age. There was no idolism or fear in them, only an emotion that he was now blind to.

It was pleasant and wholly uncomfortable.

"Yhidawach! You came." Her voice was pleasant... this too was different, not just from her kind, but from the humans he hung around these days as well.

"I said I would." He replied.

"W-well, what do you think?" She motioned around the hall.

"You did a fine job." He said as he moved closer.

Miriam shivered in place and squirmed for a moment.

"Miriam."

"Yes!?"

"I am not a starving beast, and you are not my nightly feast. There is no need to fear me so much."

"Can't a lady be nervous around her fiancé?"

"I assure you that I will not fail in casting this curse."

Of course, that wasn't what she meant.

"Before we do anything, let's talk."

"Fine... We can talk."

"..."

Miriam realized that she doesn't have much to talk about with Yhidawach a little too late.

"I-I want you to take off your helmet!"

"Why?"

"It's a little difficult to speak with you when I can't see your face."

Yhidawach took off his helmet.

"Better?"

"Much better... Once you're done here, where will you go?"

"Dagr's finger."

"Dagr's finger? Why there?"

"To kill."

"I see..."

"What will you do after I curse you to pacifism?"

"Stay here, and wait for you."

"For your sake I hope you're patient."

"I am... I didn't know there was a hot spring in this castle."

"There is?"

"You didn't know?"

"Correct. The time I spent in this castle was both short and forgettable. Maybe I knew about it three hundred years ago."