The Main Road to the Capital
After they left the city of Drakis, twelve hours had passed. It was midnight.
In the carriage
Lem: (looking behind and speaking quietly) Seems like she's sleeping deeply.
Lemity: (speaking softly) Well, she's been through a lot.
Torrance: Why don't we rest here tonight? Let's stop the carriage.
Lemity: That's a good idea. (looks at Lem) Find a good spot and stop the carriage.
Lem: We can stop in another half hour. There's a huge coastal area ahead, it'll be better than here.
Lemity: Alright, just don't go too fast, we don't want to wake the sleeper.
Lem: (looks forward) Why do you care about her so much? We just met her two days ago.
Lemity: (looks at Kalira who is sleeping deeply) I don't know, I guess for the same reason you do… she reminds me so much of her.
Lem: You told me to forget about her, and yet you still remember.
Lemity: (looks up at the sky) I tried hard to forget her, but when this girl appeared, she reminded me so much of her.
Lem: (turns back and looks at Kalira) Fine, I won't argue with that… her white hair and calm blue eyes really do remind me of her.
Torrance: (flies and sits on Lemity's shoulder) Seems like she was someone dear to you both. I don't mean to intrude, but the night is long ahead?
Lem: (quietly) Seems like the chicken's curious too.
Torrance: I'll leave you alone this time.
Lemity: She was a girl we met 150 years ago, in one of the villages near the northern border. Her name was "Melonin." She was very beautiful, with her short horn like Kalira, her white hair that shimmered under the moonlight, and her blue eyes full of life.
Torrance: Wait, isn't that exactly Kalira's description?
Lemity: She resembled her a lot.
Torrance: What happened to her?
Lemity: (points at the sky) She became one of those stars.
Torrance: Sorry, I didn't mean to…
Lem: (turns to Torrance) It's been a long time. She was a very quiet girl. We met her when we were on a mission to hunt a beast. She lived in that village, but we arrived late, and when we got there, everything was over under the full moon.
Lemity: It was a truly terrible night.
Torrance: So, what happened?
Lem: When we entered the village, we didn't see anyone. We kept going until we reached the center of the village, and it was already too late to save them. They were all killed by the beast we were tasked with hunting. Damn it, if only I hadn't been drunk that night, I wouldn't have been late.
Torrance: That's the problem with drinking.
Lem: Shut up, I stopped drinking after that night.
Lemity: He drank for a whole week after that day.
Lem: I was just feeling guilty.
Torrance: But it wasn't your fault?
Lem: Yes, it was. Because I arrived late, they all died at the hands of that beast.
Torrance: But how did you find Melonin there?
Lem: When we were in the middle of the village, looking at all the bodies, we heard a scream coming from one of the houses. I rushed there, it was Melonin's voice, she was being attacked by the beast. She was the last survivor, under the moonlight that night, holding her dead younger brother in her arms, and the beast was approaching to kill her. When I saw her, I rushed in and cut off the beast's head.
Torrance: Seems like the beast was weak?
Lem: It was weak, but no one in the village used blood or was a fighter, so it was strong to them.
Torrance: That's truly unfortunate. The same happened in many places on the continent. I don't know why they live in those areas. So, what happened?
Lemity: After Lem cut the beast's head, he just stood there, feeling guilty for not coming earlier.
Lem: (angrily) Damn it, if only I arrived an hour earlier, I could've saved them all.
Lemity: I went to Melonin and calmed her down. We took her with us, but she didn't want to leave her little brother's corpse. So we buried him in the village. Lem didn't leave until everyone was buried, and he cried like a baby there.
Lem: Shut up, I wasn't crying.
Lemity: After that, Lem offered her to join us on our journey. She was truly desperate, had lost everyone she knew, and became alone. I didn't expect Lem to invite anyone to join us. I think he was enchanted by her beauty.
Lem: She was truly beautiful.
Torrance: If she looked exactly like Kalira and was mature, then of course she was beautiful.
Lemity: After that, she stayed with us on our journey for 40 years, she used to joke and keep the atmosphere light. Want to know a secret, Torrance?
Torrance: Of course, I love secrets.
Lemity (approaches and whispers): Lem married her.
Torrance (loudly): Whaaat? He married her?
Lem: Lemity! Why did you tell him that?
Lemity: What's the problem in telling him you married her?
Torrance: I never thought horse-face here would ever be married!
Lem: Shut up, chicken, she's the one who started clinging to me.
Lemity: Look who's talking! He followed her everywhere, even when she went to sleep he wouldn't leave her alone.
Lem: I was guarding her, nothing more.
Torrance: Lem, seems you were captivated by her.
Lemity: But those days didn't last long. After 45 years of knowing her, we didn't realize she was still living in the pain of her past.
We woke up one morning in an inn in the city of Agastana, near the north, close to her old village. Lem was searching for her everywhere in the inn like a fool, shouting her name. His annoying yelling woke me up, and I rushed down to see what was happening. When I asked him, he told me she disappeared since the night and hadn't returned. I asked if they had fought or if something had happened, and he told me everything was fine.
Torrance: So, where did she go?
Lem: She disappeared since that time.
Torrance: And how do you know she's dead?
Lemity: Let me continue… We started searching for her around the city. Describing her was easy because of her hair. After a long search, a passerby told me he saw her leaving the city heading north. Then I remembered that her village was nearby. Lem took a horse and rushed to that village, even left me behind.
But I followed him with another horse, and when I arrived, I heard Lem shouting and crying loudly. I didn't know what happened, but I rushed toward him. When I reached him, I saw him holding Melonin's corpse and crying.
Torrance: How did she die?
Lemity: The village was full of monsters at night.
Torrance: Then why did she go there alone?
Lem: She wanted to visit her brother's grave. When I found her, she was dead beside it.
Torrance: No matter how much you filled her emotional void with love, you could never fill the void her brother left. Poor girl…
Lemity: And that's all that happened. But those 45 years were truly wonderful.
Lem: We've arrived at the coastal area, let's get down now.
The area was close to a huge river. The sound of the river's flow could be heard, and a gentle breeze was blowing.
Lem stops the carriage near a large tree and they all get down. Kalira is still asleep in the carriage.
Lem: There's not much left until sunrise. Sleep, Lemity, and you too, chicken, I'll guard the place.
Torrance: You sleep, horse-face, I don't need sleep like you guys. I'll guard, and if anything happens, I'll wake you.
Lem: You're really puzzling, Torrance. Seems like you're hiding a lot of secrets. You don't need sleep, and monsters hide when you're around.
Lemity: It's alright, everyone has their secrets.
Lemity lies down after spreading her coat on the ground.
Lem leans against the tree and sleeps sitting.
Torrance flies up and sits on the tree, watching the area.
General Information
Average Lifespans in the World:
Mythical Creatures: From 5,000 to 20,000 years or more
Beasts: From 900 to 1,500 years or more
Hybrids: From 350 to 600 years or more
Humans: From 80 to 150 years or more
There is another type of human: From 200 to 250 years or more
To be continued...