Submission (#1761) Approved

Quest: Resonance - Act 2 [Abandoned Abodes]
Act Type: Bravery
Word Count: 1859
Adult Elnin Present: Geir [ELN121]
Regional Affinity: Ealei
Claiming Regional Affinity for: Ilari [ELN154]
[Noble] Rank Unlock Mini-Requirement: N/A

Act 2: Sea Sirens in Dark Spaces [Abandoned Abodes]

 

Appeasing Geir took more than just an innocent gaze and sweet talk. Ilari found the pouch of cherran berries he’d gotten pillaged, as well as explanations of helping someone who needed it. After a day or two, the older elnin’s attitude was thawed. He’d picked up the necessary deliveries and shoved them into his pouch. Simultaneously, Sven, his pomu, struggled with the smaller packages within the shadow that shifted with each step. Ilari had only intended to explore the large capital city of Ealei as it sat directly within the shade with its layout shaped by both the long twisting roots and waterways. It was something so foreign to him from his home on the beaches of the islands that he longed to explore higher into the root-based cities that spiraled upward. He wanted to be closer to the clouds, the sky, and the tree that he felt drawn to.

 

Geir, on the other hand, had other plans.

 

“Step lively Ilari!” His dad was ahead of him on the rocky path encased by wind-eroded wooden beams that were part of a derelict fence. Brooding, Ilari slowly followed behind him, feeling the beach sand underneath his paws as he rounded the craggy pathway with a soft huff of anger. He was sore about the whole thing, glaring at the packages tied to Geir’s back as they gently swayed. The only colors were the bright blue from the distant water, mixed with the pale sand and gray rocks, surrounded in mossy, coarse grass that was stubborn enough to face both the sea air and wind. 

 

Behind him, the tree was still a monument towering overhead as its top was massive and hard to miss, but this was another area of the island with cliff edges and pathways carved through the sides of rock formations. Geir would stop to let Ilari catch up, with a gently taunting before moving ahead, unbothered by both the sea air or the packages. To him, it felt closer to home, albeit more rocky.

 

Ilari was less amused by tried to make a game about it by hopping on rocks as he continued, but when that slowed them, he heard a “tut” and ran ahead instead. There was a sharp incline as they twisted around a pathway, and he felt strained, moving closer to a horse than an elnin. “I got it!” he shouted before Geir could assist. If he couldn’t go where he wanted, at least he could travel himself. He was older than most people thought, after all. 

 

After he reached the top, he slowed his pace to catch his breath and looked down at a city nestled into a large rock formation against the sea. Unlike the buildings before, which looked secured in the roots and separated by wooden platforms, both natural and made, the small sea town buildings looked as if they stood directly on top of one another. “There it is!” Geir said proudly, starting the descent onto the sandy path that looped down to the beach and towards the town. 

 

“What exactly is it?” Ilari said, leaping after him and moving between his legs to get ahead to stare at it, looking up at the craggy area overlooking the ocean side. In contrast, the city sat on the shielded side of the towering rockface over it. There was a whistle of wind through a craggy archway at the edge of the small town that made his fur stand on edge.

 

“This is the small town of Nereid. Named after sirens due to the sound that the sea caverns make. But it’s so far out here they don’t usually get their packages since you either have to trek them from the capital or bring them by boat, but the rocks make it hard. I’m sure I got everything though.” Geir nodded sagely as he moved to a shanty wooden platform that led up into the city. “Stay close.” He warned.

 

Ilari felt the bounce on the platform and could only nod to the information he learned. Geir was already off ahead of him, greeting people and giving their packages and the small kittom followed behind, staring down at the small cove of the coastal town as he walked near the fenced-off edges, so he didn’t fall. A cold breeze made his fur bristle, and he shook his head. It was somewhere new, certainly, but even if the beach had a rocky face and cliff-face walls, it reminded him more of home than anywhere else—the sand mixed with the salty air. 

 

Instead, he tried to focus on the town itself. It was an older town and looked to have been beaten and sunken while simultaneously being rebuilt. The adults’ small talk was more like a white noise against the distant waves, and he followed after him. As they climbed higher, the deterioration was worse until Geir stopped in front of a house that looked to be carved as part of the rock mixed in with old, splintered wood.

 

“Okay, I have one last delivery for the Cape House for… Gargle? Garble? The name is smudged.” The older nin spoke aloud but didn’t respond as a low moan escaped from the house with a whistle at the edge. Ilari shuddered. “Can we just leave it at the doorstep…?” He squeaked out slowly. 

 

Geir shook his head, staring down at the label. “It has a signature needed… but the entrance is blocked off. Maybe we could get some answers down in the town, they were warning me about this house, but maybe it just means he’s moved on. ” He lifted up against the wall to peer inside. Ilari walked around the area and noticed a small hole, taking little heed for Geir rambling on. “I found a way in here, I’ll see if I can open the door!” 

 

“Wait-!” 

 

Ilari ignored him and slipped inside, coughing from the mix of damp sand and dust. “I got this!” He called back to him, moving into the house that went deeper into the rock than he thought. “Hello?” He said, feeling the chill of the wind bristle against him. Slowly he moved ahead, staring into the darkness, and he stopped dead in his tracks at the same moaning noise from down a staircase carved into the rock and leading down into a black abyss.

 

He shivered. 

 

“Are there… monsters here?” He asked back to the door, which was still stuck tight with Geir trying to pry his way through. No answer came save for another of the wailing moans. Ilari slowly gulped, and trembling, made his way down the first few steps. “Mr… Mrs? Gargle? Garble…? Um…” The kittom moved slowly, but at a deep rumble of a roar, he tripped over his paws and rolled to the bottom. A yelp escaped his mouth, and he caterwauled over again and stood, rubbing at his nose and looking around.

 

Down in the darkness, the rumble felt like its own hurricane mixed with an earthquake, with the screeching louder and louder. His eyes slowly adjusted, and he curled in on himself in fright. His eyes frantically searching at the corners of shadows for any recognizable form. Somewhere in the darkness was a speck of light, and he approached where an old sail was curled around a broken beam, fluttering as it covered a small opening. A door, perhaps?

 

Ilari crept closer but stopped at each new assault of his ears. It’s going to eat me! He thought, panicked to his core and shivering. Yet, there was a deep curiosity down in him as he ambled towards it. As the howling would come, the sail would flutter and make a loud rippling noise. The story about the town name stuck out. Was it a siren? Ilari wasn’t even sure what they looked like, but the noise made him curious, was that part of the siren spell?

 

Beating quickly, his heart felt as if it would bounce out of his chest. Finally, he made it to the sail and pushed out a paw. Nothing else moved in the entire dilapidated building apart from his shallow breathing as he pushed it aside to see the light. He closed his eyes tightly, but a new noise filled his ears and the waves crashing and the same sound from outside the town flowing up towards him. First, he opened his bright eye and his other. The light came from a hole above and the air from down below. There was an opening at least three times larger than him, which looked like a borehole down to the seafloor, through the spaces underneath the large rock outcropping where the city was on. 

 

A soft laugh escaped his lips, and he shook his head as it moaned at him again. Suddenly the dark seemed all the less frightening to him as object shapes replaced the unshapely blobs of shadow. It was clear the place was abandoned, with neither ghoul nor siren, just his imagination and the natural noises of the sea caves below. Slowly, he trudged back to the top, and he pushed away at the door before popping back outside again. 

 

Geir sat next to the package, his tail wiggled around, annoyed. “I’d be upset but, I imagine you didn’t find anything or anyone there?”

 

 Ilari blinked and sat upon his haunches, rubbing at his fur to get out the sand. “I didn’t… even the sound was from the ocean and wind from below. But how did you know?” 

 

 It was time for the adult to look sheepish as he looked away. “I misread the package, it’s for someone named Gimble, not even for this town. And not the Cape House, but the Cake House. Someplace not thought to be haunted by ghosts and rather something delicious.” 

 

The young kittom stopped dead and started to snicker, then laugh as he fell back into the sand. It has been such a long time since Geir had gotten a package wrong, and all of the nervous energy that followed the siren scare flowed out with it. Not to mention had he listened in the first place, he wouldn’t have dived inside.

 

Geir stared at him, confused, but laughed with him, reaching a paw over to him and petting his head. “Come on then, you can hold this one over me and I’m going to treat you to what they call a ‘Siren Sundae’. I know things have been kind of boring as of late, so thanks for sticking with me.” Ilari nodded and his tail perked back up.

 

“You bet, but maybe not the siren one. I’m feeling more like a boring dessert.” With a soft smile, he trotted after him, happy to head back down into the small town. From far off, the Yggdrasil tree blew softly in the wind, and he smiled back at it again. Moments ago, he was scared out of his mind; now, he looked fondly back to the tree and cities far beyond. Maybe the smaller moments like this were worth more than just trotting along to the tourist destinations or vistas. 

 

His stomach, now growling, definitely agreed.