F.A 2809.15th.Season of Flickering Sky
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After the The Great War in Fei’nen, the sky had been through the melted frost then newborn rain. It was now the Season of Flickering Sky, in which thunder rumbled and lightning shuttled among the heavy clouds, but never struck down to the ground, making the sky always roaring and glittering.
The Moirae side won the battle, but the effort Fathiyeth had put in was not utterly in vain. The Moirae monarch, Arwindale Ashope, who was referred to as Star Worshipper II by the people on the land, had died in this battle. And the Moirae frontline fortress on Fei’nen was named after his title when the war was set and the construction was done, The Star Worshipper’s Fortress.
And Moirae’s throne was to be decided to inherit by 7-year-old princess Uriana Ashope, with Fathiyethian Revolutionary Army commander Koifet as regent.
As for I, I was staying at the most crowded place in the kingdom’s southern stronghold Naiye’fei, in the Star Eyes Inn. (To be honest I was surprised that the assets Uncle Zarl had left me were well enough for me to spend over two seasons at this place without living a particularly thrifty life.) During this time, none did I have a single word from people back in hometown. The best things I could do was drinking at the bar downstairs, perhaps helping out with some trivial business for the inn to earn some coins, meanwhile pondering where I should be heading next, then reaching up back to my room to sleep with absolutely no answer.
But all I could say was, an inn in a stronghold is really a good place for collecting gossips. I didn’t even have to ask for news to roughly catch up on which towns or villages might be safe, Just MIGHT. For the kingdom fought its great result of slaying Arwindale Ashope that the Fathiyethians could brag for their whole life, but the process was a horrible disaster for them.
Surprise assault against one certain village around the fortress had been defended by Arwindale, after that was a great army led by a great monarch to aid the under construction fortress and smashed the kingdom’s force right in its face. And the consequence of Fathiyeth Kingdom’s failure led to the fully militarisation of Star Worshipper’s, becoming the shield of Moirae.
The kingdom could merely use Arwindale Ashope’s death as propaganda, but more burdened taxes and more extreme recruiting made its subjects notice the prominent decline of its power. To know that The Kingdom of Fathiyeth had a quite huge territory, Moirae didn’t even have to pursue further attack, just wait for the kingdom falling apart by upcoming rebel activities everywhere. Hence, places that seemed safe by this time, might go riot just anytime.
For worse, refugees from Fei’nen would certainly reveal their real experience to the public. Just like this day, I heard gossip among people from Fei’nen.
I was tasting the high quality Fathiyethian’s favourite spirit, while happened to catch a Kaihiothie monk sharing things he had seen on the night before the battle.
“Moirae and the great kingdom surrounded Fei’nen, sending declarations of evacuation to villages. Either to join The Kingdom of Fathiyeth, or to join Moirae.” I put my sight on the monk, his pure white eyes lost their focus, his sacred yellowish robe disheveled, muffling words could only be heard barely clear by raising the voice. Apparently drunk.
“Fe’yar shall grant grace, blessing the villagers harmed by Moirae’s evil will.” He raised his cup, and people surrounding him followed his words.”Fe’yar provides the living! Gethi cuddles the dead! ”
After people’s answering trailed off, the monk spoke with a slightly lower voice. ”But there was a group, who discarded the grace offered by the kingdom.”
“Ha! Good luck escaping Gethi’s punishment for them.” A Morve’len woman laughed, seductive purple pupils narrowed into needles, a dim blue mist blushing on her green skin cheeks due to the alcohol. She wore a set of dark blue clothes I could never imagine affordable. There weren’t any additional gorgeous accessories on her wearing, for the cloth itself was a symbol of wealth, and with that crown braided by the flower of five-seasons, I assumed she was a wealthy businessman from the Guild.
“in normal circumstances, indeed. Any living who bends down to Moirae’s evil will shall be dismissed from Gethi’s shelter after death.” The monk cleared his throat, “Only they didn’t bend down to Moirae.”
“How’s that possible? There should be no one escaping the surrounded force. My uncle lived in a village in Fei’nen. ” A Fathiyethian man hubbubed.
“So was I, child. I was organising the tolls for evacuation by the task given from The Praise. I was in Fei’nen, but there was a village gone, numbers didn’t add up.”
“You have any idea of my uncle’s village? That was Koro’len! Hidden deeply in the shades of Fe’yar.”
“I do. Diels Bdakus, that is your uncle’s name, am I right? I’ve met him, he’s a nice fellow living in a nice forest. Vinreg Bdakus.” The monk stared at the man, and the man simply waved his hand before continuing drinking. The monk then resumed the story.”What I’m about to tell happened in a southern village in Fei’nen. It was a place where travelers and merchants stood by. So theoretically, it’s not a tough job to handle the village’s information.”
“Naifei’len, right? I’ve been to that place.” A Fathiyethian woman said.
“Yes, Naifei’len indeed.” The monk picked up his pipe placed next to his hand and breathed it. Smoke spreaded out through him, a light fog danced elegantly in their surroundings. Hearing the name of my hometown. I snuck into the crowd with my cup.
“That night I was calculating the tolls of Naifei’len. Villagers were also discussing if they should embrace the kingdom’s shelter or to keep themselves under Moirae’s thumb. But when the morning came, after the confirmation of evacuation’s number, there were twenty three people missing.”
“Did you count the numbers bend to Moirae?”
“Of course I do, child. I work by the will of Fe’yar to rescue the living beings from evil’s palm. Such a thing mustn’t allow any carelessness. ” The monk spoke the tone with despisal, like a sovereign would act when struck by a minister questioning his dereliction of duty in front of his face.
“Besides the people Moirae had taken away, twenty three people just disappeared in the purple forest and grassland of Fei’nen. I'm concerned there were other evil existences apart from Moirae.”
“Could it be the Ivethin’s doing?” A guy mentioned the barely existing ethnicity.
“I doubt that. Those filthy dark-bloods are under the watch of Moirae. The nation had a protocol with Zotuc Empire. Despite Moirae’s craftiness, it’s a nation after all. They wouldn’t allow those filth-bloods meddling in things for their own sake.” The monk answered with certainty.
I shook my head and whispered, “No, they just simply joined Moirae or died on the battlefield.” Suddenly, gazes quiet and pointed against me, as if the bright lighting of the bar finally shined their drunk blurry sight to notice my existence that was all out of this place. The singer at the other corner of the sang didn’t halt his performance, still singing a popular Fathiyethian song, groups at the bar outside of this monk’s audiences kept enjoying themselves in wine, ale, and music. No one spared a slightest mind on the boiling intensity here, it was just another normal day in the Star Eyes.
The monk looked fiercely down on me, picking up his pipe again after tasting another bit from his cup.
“Looks like the evil is walking among us. ” He breathed the smoke straight towards me. ”Are you questioning the rigour of THE Fe’yar Praise?” Pure white stare pushed close into my eyes like a sharp silver sword.
“What’s the business of a Moirae folk in here? ” a drunken man lit the tinder in this group followed by the monk’s attention on me.
“Not a wise move for a Moirae spy to draw such attention.”
“Who gave you permission to make trouble in this kingdom?”
“Sod off to your Moirae filthy slum!” the argument flaming the crowd utterly overlapped the elegant tone from the other corner, what a waste of a good song and a wonderful voice.
“Alas…it demanded us to be silent.” I finished up my drink then raised my voice in a rather discourteous manner. “You want the truth? Fine.” I smashed my cup against the table, a dull yet loud knock cut off the noisy crowd.
“That night there was…a thing. It helped that twenty three people escaped, in fact it’s twenty four.” I spit out words right away, an instant ridiculous feeling opposed to my own words burst from my mind. But fuck it. “A ghost…a…a deity…who knows? ”
“Stop kidding, Fe’yar is the one and only dominance surpasses the living. ”
“So Gethi doesn’t count? ” I responded to another drunk nonsense with irritation.
“Quite a statement you’re making. Can anyone proof your words?” The rich Morve’len lady said coldly.
“I AM the villager from Naifei’len. I believe most of my fellow countrymen are in this kingdom. You can inquire about the name Smith Smith. ”
“Huh, Smith Smith? Even your name sounds like a fake one. Besides, you are apparently from Moirae.” She spoke up again.
“Wait, my captain is one of the people from Naifei’len before the battle. She did mention this man.” A slightly sober Fathiyethian soldier said, I put my sight on him for a second, drinking here with his uniform.
The merchant silenced for a moment, drinking while staring deadly at me, to see what gibberish I would come up with next. “Well, then. You shall continue.”
My brain then started working improvising by the charge of alcohol. “That night, we had a farewell party. But when the party came to an end, the campfire was put out in an instant. Then there was a strange voice speaking, with a language that doesn't belong to this land. The most creepy thing was, its words just like… pop out in the minds of the few people that were still at the scene, we all understood clearly despite the unfamiliar tongue. ”
“It then cast a spell or some sort of thing, creating a crypt under Naifei’len, leading people including me into the tunnel toward the underground.” Every single word just spammed without a thought.
“And?”
“It only left a declaration before fading out into mist in front of us, there were no footprints. We tried to head back to where we came from, only to manage to find a dead end.” The strong spirit started to work its hardest way to burn my stomach, and the view of the bar started to spin.
The monk’s eyes retrieved their sharpness, turning to Fe’yui-like steadiness and tenderness.
“Also when we got out from the crypt and looked back. the exit had become an ordinary rock.”
“What’s the declaration it made at the end?” The monk put down his pipe.
“‘I am the phantom of this field. forest, mist, grassland and Fe’yui. I am everywhere. Even being a minor spirit, but listen up. No matter Fathiyeth or Moirae…EVEN Fe’yar or Gethi, shall anyone dare to stir up the peace in Fei’nen…’ ” I paused, the singing voice from the other corner slowly crawled back to my ears. And I secretly indulged in my favourite chords of the song, whilst enjoying holding the expectant silence with naughtiness.
“‘...I guarantee to devour you as a part of me.’” The flame of argument roused again, utterly ignoring the despisal of a Moirae folk’s existence, focusing their discussion on the phantom I spit out casually.
The monk went into a pondering silence, finished his drink quietly and whispered to himself.”This is horrible…”
He lifted his head and gave me a tender look. ”Smith Smith…child, you have earned my respect. Seems like Moirae isn’t the only evil Fe’yar is confronting. I grant you my sincere gratitude. I shall go on the path of cleaning the filth in this land by Fe’yar’s will. I will report this to The Praise. Fe’yar’s blessing is everlasting. ”
So the rest of that night, and the rest of the days I stayed in the Star Eyes, there were always people stuck to me for more phantom stories. I somehow became the spokesman of “The Phantom of Fei’nen”. Even more exaggerated tales would come back to my ears, and people would confront me for an illustration.
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Since then, every time bandits went missing in Fei’nen, it had become the phantom’s doing. Perhaps they were just dumb to lose themselves in the forest, or someone used the title I made up to perform punishment. But the truest truth was, as I had said that night, villagers of Naifei’len either joined the kingdom or with Moirae, if not just simply died during the battle, simple as that. Besides, I had never seen this monk in my village. The one and only person who had gone missing, just me.
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Anyways, if you ever heard of the tale of The Phantom of Fei’nen…well..the phantom itself is just right in front of you11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6BXCWWZyQ1
