I didn't say anything to my mother, I just looked at her from the door of the room with dry eyes... I looked at her worn-out body only. Without a word, just a distant look. I will talk to her only when I bring the medicine, that way everything will almost be complete.
The car stopped in the middle of the road and when we asked the driver about the reason, his answer was: "Keep walking for a few minutes."
Do you want me to walk in this weather??! My burns have gotten a little better but this sun will peel my skin!!
How I wished to say these words to his face... but we just continued walking.
Arthur looked at the sky, placing his hand over his eyes because of the sunlight before saying: "Sometimes I really hate the Despaye. Why would plants turn into diseases anyway!"
"I'm the one who should be saying that."
"I'm sure you've said a lot in your mind already."
Then he took a deep breath and said: "Can't you cool us with ice like you do for yourself, Ankvorena?"
"I have just enough Depsaye for myself," she said, her gaze fixed on the road.
"Can't you take Ella? She's dying in my pocket." I said to her. Esteliora can't handle the sun's heat at all.
Ank replied: "It'll be enough for Ella too."
I extended Esteliora to her, she extended her hand to take her but she stopped. Her eyes were wide... she's looking at Arthur. When I turned to see him, he wasn't there. I turned quickly to Ank but she had disappeared too. I returned Esteliora to my pocket and grabbed my sword... if not for the ground opening beneath me.
This brings back bad memories.
There's no choice but to look into the dark blackness and fall into it. And indeed I fell into it only to find it was a tube. If I had spent any day training in the earth element I might've gotten out of this situation somehow... no. Arthur has a perfect attraction to the earth element and he couldn't do anything. I just hope I'm not on my way to another Eternal Est!
Sliding... and sliding... and sliding..... and sliding.
How long will this continue?!! I feel like my butt is going to burn!
'Since I met you, trouble has been circling around you.'
"You've known me for a few days, Ella! And if you're smart get us out of this situation."
Esteliora doesn't know anything about her species or about the "Egg Guardians" like Shivlor. I mean... of course she wouldn't know, he died before she was born. But she can communicate telepathicly so isn't there a kind of memory transfer through generations in her species?... Or is this telepathy only between me and her?!
Let me not get excited about this now. Speaking of her species, her egg was way too big for her size.
The sliding suddenly stopped... until I felt a massive force from behind pushing me forward! The tube is going upward now.
I felt like my back broke or something... I'm too young for things like this.
'I feel like I'm suffocating, Ethan!'
"I'm suffocating too, damn it!"
And finally we got out of the tube. The sounds of people and daily life around me, and both Ank and Arthur beside me came out of different tubes. We looked around us.
A fountain of milk, trees made of lollipops, houses made of various kinds of sweets and cakes, and clouds like cotton candy.
So this is the Candy City.... is this their official entrance?..
Our amazement was cut off by a man in carpenter clothes saying: "Shocked, aren't you? That's what happens to all visitors. And you're no exception. But be happy because you've experienced the nineteenth great entrance to Cake City!"
I stood up and started dusting off my clothes while saying: "Sorry to break it down for you, but that was...." dog shit. "For lack of a better word I'll say it was unexpected... in a bad way."
"Definitely." Arthur agreed.
Our butts were burning for about five minutes, what great entrance, man?
The man was surprised but quickly replied: "W-well whatever you say, but I'm sure Spavious's restaurant will truly amaze you!"
I looked at Arthur, then Ank, and said: "We can have a meal now."
'You didn't even take my opinion!'
The city is very lively, almost as lively as the capital. The chocolate-made house walls and the biscuit-built roofs are placed precisely and impressively.
The man in carpenter clothes spoke: "Dark chocolate means middle-class status, brown means poor, and white means rich. That's how it is here in the great Cake City!"
A lot of things are really different here.. my sister would've surely loved a place like this, since it's full of life unlike her brother... my name is literally Ethan like the gas, what could be more boring than that.
On our way there was a signboard with the city rules:
1 - Don't eat anything from public property.
2 - Don't spit gum on the ground.
3 - Don't spit gum on the walls.
4 - Don't spit gum on the poles.
5 - Don't spit gum on the cars.
6 - Don't spit gum!
They really hate spitting gum anywhere.
"We've arrived," said the man after he stopped in front of an old restaurant, similar to the restaurants in cowboy movies. This place doesn't match the city at all but if its food is delicious I wouldn't mind even if it were in hell.
We entered to find it empty, only an old man reading a newspaper on his wooden chair in the middle of the darkness, pierced by the rays of sunlight entering from the windows.
"It looks strange and wonderful," said Arthur.
"You have guns so… you just need a cowboy hat to become one." I can't imagine the sigh.
'In response to what you said earlier, know one thing, and that is that I have a goal… or a destiny.'
"A goal? What goal, girl, you were eating all day only."
'Food has nothing to do with my goal, Sherlock Holmes!'
"Alright, Sherlock Holmes, what is your goal? Or destiny?"
'hell if I know.'
"Thanks for making me talk to a voice only I can hear."
'Always at your service.'
We sat on the wooden chairs, making light creaking sounds. I sat in the middle, with Arthur on my right and Ank on my left, and as for Ella, she climbed onto my head and sat on my hair, which gave me a slight tickle, but… who cares?
The old man was still sitting on his rocking chair reading the newspaper with his tired eyes, wearing round-shaped glasses.
Dust was everywhere and spiderwebs in the corners of the walls, we only lacked rats to be in a country… I forgot its name but it starts with the letter (I).
The man in carpenter clothes entered to the old man and whispered in his ear, and when he finished speaking, the old man lowered his newspaper and looked at us with cold eyes and overwhelming calm.
I did not divert my gaze from his eyes at all. I did not feel safe, and I was ready to defend in case of any suspicious move.
Then several lights appeared, lighting up the place from nowhere, and with them, the nature of the place changed from dirty and dusty to clean, full of colors and people.
The old man stood up from his place, and the man in carpenter clothes entered the kitchen, the old man stepped forward and smiled gently.
"Surprise," he said calmly.
I felt astonished and surprised at the same time by this immediate transformation of the place and everything. Arthur had features of astonishment mixed with wonder and questioning and a confused smile.
As for Ank, her eyes were wide open in surprise.
Ella descended from my hair to my shoulder and looked at what was happening around us with wide shiny eyes and mouth.
Some men brought musical instruments and started singing with calm melodies.
The song started with a smooth, gradual melody:
"She was walking in the shadows,
Bleeding, limping in the shops,
Her dress whispers with steps,
Slowly, confused, as if she was..."
There was a sharp escalation in the tone.
"A bloody queen!"
And at the end, the sound of a door kick. Wait, that doesn't suit the melody…
I looked toward the restaurant's door to see a man entering with steady and calm steps, and with his steps, everyone looked at him, wondering who might enter the restaurant this way.
And then the man shouted at the old man, the restaurant owner.
"You expected a customer, but it's me! Zote the galaxy destroyer!"
"Huh?" What's with him? He's wearing cowboy clothes and walking around with two pistols, he must be an adventurer.
One of those present shouted: "Zote, you, you ruined the welcome!"
Zote put his hands in his pockets and started advancing slowly, raising his head.
"A welcome? For whom? For these kids? You realize they're here just to take medicine and leave, right?"
Zote got very close and looked directly into my eyes with his wide eyes and furrowed brows, and then I stood up, not diverting my gaze from him.
He said in a voice only I could hear, "An adventurer of rank B+ like you shouldn't dream of meeting the Backyard Woman, child of Luxaria."
How does he know my rank by the gods.
I responded to him with a mocking smile and a raised eyebrow, "You seem extremely arrogant for someone with such a ridiculous appearance."
And also, what does he mean by the child of Luxaria? The Cake City is within Luxaria, so shouldn't he be considered from it too?
"Agreed," said Arthur, followed by Anke, "Me too."
'I agree.'
Zote raised his head again and lowered his hat, and said: "Understood. Let's continue this outside."
And as soon as our feet stepped outside the restaurant, and before we could see what happened, I saw Zote directly in front of me. He was speaking with his wide, empty eyes, and due to his height, I felt like he was a tower about to fall on me.
There was no time for any expression to form on my face, just escape.
He raised his gun but I fired flames from my feet to launch myself upward quickly, and although Zote was very close, the flames didn't even affect his clothes.
Ella clung tightly inside my pocket and I drew my sword, but Zote fired at it with his gun and shifted my hand, Zote was no longer mocking.
I landed back on the ground and Arthur pointed his pistols at Zote, and Ank held her spear, I gripped my sword firmly and steadily before exhaling deeply.
I took a deep breath and said: "Who are you… just who are you, Zote." This man is extremely dangerous… too dangerous. He can defeat us all if he wants, but he hasn't done that yet.
He looked at us with one eye and then a wide smile appeared on his face and he spoke while laughing: "Follower of the Backyard Woman, the very amazing Zote."
He never hesitates to brag in his ridiculous style.
"What exactly do you want? If I may ask," asked Arthur.
Zote placed his right hand on his waist and looked down before replying: "A test."
"A test for what?" I asked.
He raised his head and looked at us. "So you can get the medicine you're looking for."
Do we have to do something to get the medicine? No one mentioned anything like this when I used to hear about the Cake City. Isn't it supposed that I just buy the medicine? That's the normal situation… but the city isn't normal in the first place so why do I think that way.
If I want to bring the medicine to my mother, and if I want to become someone who can protect his family, then I must become better. I must become a knight.
I moved my left hand away from the sword and placed it behind my back. I must finish this test with only my right hand.
When Arthur saw what I did, he put away one of his pistols, will he fight with his left-hand pistol?
"Are you left-handed?"
"Didn't you notice that?" Sweat pouring down. He's thinking.
As for Ank, she removed her hair clip and put it in her pocket. Her hair clip isn't normal; it's a magical tool that eases the use of Despaye.
Zote spoke then: "I'm not someone who acknowledges honorable fights, so don't expect me to drop any of my weapons."
"I don't prefer honorable fights either. Seems we have something in common."
I looked at Ank and Arthur then my gaze returned to Zote.
"Let's go...Beyond."