Submission (#1922) Approved

Quest: Resonance - Act 2
Act Type: Bravery
Word Count: 1038
Adult Elnin Present: n/a
Regional Affinity: Azha
Claiming Regional Affinity for: Xylo [ELN1250]
Adventurer Rank Unlock Mini-Requirement: Act of Bravery

Xylo had snuck out to the edge of the Ahza town he and Kormir were staying in one day to do a bit of investigating. Some of the local kittoms had dared him to go check out the local abandoned house at the edge of town and while Xylo wasn’t particularly pressured to go he felt pretty self confident. An old abandoned sandstone walled building wouldn’t intimidate him. The trek across the dusty sand covered walkways in town felt long, the distance seeming to expand even further when he reached the edge of town and there were fewer buildings surrounding him. There he saw the old mud and sandstone brick abode that the kittoms in town had been making a fuss over. Xylo felt wind kick up in his face, squinting his eyes to avoid sand getting in them. It was just the weather out today but somehow it felt a bit more ominous out here where nothing blocked the gusts. The building itself seemed to howl and what looked like a cloth overhang was tattered and torn. He imagined at one point in time it had been quite colorful and vibrant but now it was dirt ridden and torn in places from not being properly pulled in on days like this.

The abode itself up close seemed to be quite large as he drew near to its boarded up windows. The door in front was also boarded up but in back he had found a small hole in the foundation of the building to peer through. Bending down his face pressed up against the sand as he took a look inside but jumped as a bit of light gleamed off of something. Xylo hesitated to investigate further, pondering if he should for just a moment before his stubbornness carried his legs towards the back door. The back door was also boarded up but a worn down plank looked chewed away, possibly by some wild animal. In he went though it was a bit of a squeeze the gap was at least more reliable than the hole in the base of the wall outside. Inside the upper windows let light shine down into the area, casting large shadows. A few times Xylo felt like they might be moving, playing tricks on his eyes but he tried to brush the thought aside as eerie as it was.

The area was damp for Ahza, probably due to how shaded the building was inside. Xylo wasn’t sure if it was truly damp, or if it was just the shade of the interior blocking out enough light it felt chilly. A bucket sat in the corner bone dry from time and a lack of use. He gingerly put a paw on the wood and watched as a part broke off under the weight of his paw. Xylo jumped. He wasn’t quite sure what he expected but it hadn’t been that. As he wandered through the first floor he found most areas were pretty solid yet. It was mostly the wooden parts like the bucket that had grown brittle. Sand had also wafted in through the cracks and windows in the building and most of its interior was covered in dust with a few cobwebs where spiders had managed to spin them.

The other kittoms had told him that it was the second floor that was haunted by some sort of creature but Xylo saw no forms of life here. A chilling thought crossed his mind that whatever the other kittoms claimed to have seen here might not be alive at all. His curiosity kept him there though. He had to know what else was here. The stairs were stone in areas but still had wooden planks stretched across them. He carefully tested the steps and they seemed a bit worn down but sturdier perhaps due to the type of wood used. He reached a corner trudging up them and scampered the rest of the way up with great speed when he felt a board snap beneath his paws, startling him. Looking back it wasn’t a great break. He wouldn’t have fallen but may have gotten a nasty scrape or cut if he wasn’t careful. Inching his way down the hall of the second floor of the abandoned abode he noticed a decent amount of belongings were still here. Maybe a thief might have pillaged this place had the home been further out of town. Though its distance felt great in perspective it was still fairly close enough to keep out trouble.

Xylo wandered down the hall, jumping when he startled a bird nesting inside on accident and it flew up in his face frightfully. Calming his racing heart he found the last set of steps to the roof. The clatter of something down the hall caught him off guard though and already on edge he raced up the last set of stairs to reach the topmost part of the house. Wind hit him hard and for a second he thought it might blow him off the roof entirely but a shallow wall on the upper edge of the building caught him. He breathed out a sigh of relief, before peering back down the stairs. He saw a large rat amble past, explaining the sound that had startled him. Perhaps that had been what the other kittoms thought they saw. He felt a bit relieved but would leave here shortly. Xylo was not particularly fond of roofs but from here he could see the oasis in the center of town and faint tracks in the sand that were quickly being consumed by the rest of the sand being pushed around.

Backtracking down the two flights of stairs with caution Xylo felt a shiver up his spine as he thought he saw a shadow in a window of the second story. Swallowing hard with his dry throat he wasn’t about to return inside to see if it was just the shadow of an item inside. One thing was for sure though he wasn’t about to go find out. With some urgency he scampered back home and resolved not to come back despite his brave effort to not let the abandoned buildings ambience frighten him.