“Was that really necessary?" Nina asked as we strode through the blizzard. The snow was raining down hard on our barriers but at least they held. None of us looked back at the place we left behind, not after I made sure nobody could use it anymore. Nina told me that there was a shrine underneath the complex that powered the entire blizzard until it used up all its magic power. I was in a hurry to get out and thus, as soon as went outside the confines of the entrance, I destabilized the entire structure from the ground up. I took my enhanced sense a bit of time to track down all the pillars and fragile foundations that held the superstructure together. Once I singled out every single one, I grabbed each with my psychic grip and toppled everything.
As expected, the entire superstructure came crashing down as the mountain above quaked. It wasn't long before the mountain reclaimed its rightful place, completely covering the hole inside its feet. The ground shook and the blizzard weakened somewhat. Nina then explained that it would take close to a day before the blizzard naturally extinguished itself so our journey wasn't going to be that easy on us.
The first few hours of our trip were uneventful, to say the least. It was two hours before noon when we set out, the sun was covered by the thick clouds above but its light still made it through the swirling madness. Yuna held my hand tightly as we traversed one-foot tall snow that covered our feet. Nina acted as our guide, pointing out landmarks such as boulders and mountain bulges to guide us to safety. Safety wasn’t really the appropriate term to describe the biome that bordered the mountain.
Nina described it as a green hell. Tall trees branched out while a thick and wild undergrowth covered the forest floor. There were many threats, big and small. The most common of which was the dreaded, vile, and annoying insect they called ‘Mokla’.
Back in my reality, we called it the mosquito. She described the effects of the Mokla’s bites to be painful. A red rash would allegedly grow near the bite and spread across the body if not treated soon. It was quite the contrast to the mosquito bite I knew back at my old reality, then again, I was no longer there.
“Nature is a force to be reckoned with,” I said. I sensed Nina’s brief smile before she went back to explaining more things about the world. I learned a lot from her and I took her word to heart. She was sincere, I was sure of it. She believed her knowledge as much as a professor would believe their textbooks. She seemed to be educated not just about the land but many things as well. Our conversations went from me asking questions to her telling me stories that I found interesting.
The most interesting of the stories was the story of the White Lady. She was said to be the queen of a long-forgotten kingdom, she was loved and adored by her people who chanted out her name at every opportune moment. But alas, she was killed by a delusional rebel in the end and the country descended into chaos.
Or so the story wanted it to seem. The story at first glance seemed like any other story a parent would tell their children before bedtime, a story that pictured someone innocent barbarically murdered by a fiend. The White Lady, as far as I could tell, was a tyrant. She had this cult following who recited her name at every opportune moment but when the people had enough of her ways, she was overthrown. The young rebel wasn’t just a single person, no, it represented the younger generation that has had enough.
The country she ruled descended into chaos, but I believed it broke up as different peoples and cultures forged their own states to represent themselves. But we all know the problems wouldn’t end there. Not everybody could be happy. I could be wrong with my assumptions. Even if I was a psychic who sought out knowledge necessary to keep me and my interests afloat and well, breathing, I was not immune to fallacies, mistakes, and shortcomings.
I was a bit warier now ever since I was betrayed. It showed me that even after you give them everything they need, people would still pursue what they want for they have everything that they need. Humanity's greed was not something to look down upon but something to cultivate, study, and control. As the saying went, a monster is a monster only to a certain few who view something or someone as such. Morals, ethics, and beliefs always shaped an individual's perspective of things and would either result in productive, fruitful endeavors or destructive, repugnant actions.
It was far from a coincidence that she told me the story of the White Lady. The way she described the person was eerily similar to herself and her little sister. I made sure to take note of this in my head as we moved on from the tale. She was enjoying her time telling and teaching me about the things that were necessary at the time or had an interest in. She was loosening up to me, another big step into making her fully trust me. I made sure our conversation never reached a dead end until we were off the mountain.
“I’m hungry,” Little Yuna complained. I was aware of her predicament since her tummy was already growling at me to feed it. We had no food. I planned on foraging as we went through the forest, there were bound to be edible fruits and mushrooms in such a rich place. I knew how to stew, I just needed a few simple materials.
"Don't worry, I'll find some food soon once we leave this place," I assured her. Yuna nodded and clenched my hand tighter than before.
Nina seemed to had gotten used to being carried on my back. Her arms were wrapped around me and she wasn't holding back her grip anymore.
The two of them were bored. Nina was falling asleep while Yuna slowed down. I needed to distract them somewhat so time could seem faster and the journey shorter.
My mother would sing me a lullaby when I was young. It was meant to drive out my boredom and distract me from the realities of life back then. Maybe it would come in handy in this situation. It was worth a shot.
"Want me to sing for you?" I asked.
"I don't mind," Nina lazily said as she buried her head into my back.
"Okay!" Yuna was more enthusiastic.
It's had been so long since the last time I sang. Whenever I did, I made sure that it came from my heart. The song I was about to sing to them was impactful to me, and maybe, just maybe, would be impactful to them as well.
"Under the sky of blue,
I will be there for you,
Even if the sky becomes dark,
Nothing can keep us apart,
Always remember,
Whenever, wherever,
I will be there for you,
and you will be there for me,"
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