I covered my face in the metropolis until I got into the train.
The snow is heaping on the earth again. While waiting, I read a latest newspaper about the upcoming 1886 election in Lanbarc after Mraz was proven guilty of injustice against dark people and was abdicated. I looked for other newspapers from Plandreas, any clue about the wanted post of Cormelio but nothing met my curiosity.
I arrived in the big city of Plandreas! Airships are landing and piloting. The hotel buildings will keep my chin up to them. I asked a guard “Excuse me, where’s the way to Dachologie Vil?”
“A few kilometers outside the city. The gate is on the west.”
I later followed his instructions until Acro slapped me with her wings. [“West!”] she yelled. I realized I was going east. Eventually, no matter how many people I asked for directions, my poor sense of direction confounds me! This is why I never leave my countryside.
“I’m sure it’s worth it in the end. I can feast my nose with her sweet scent… and to watch more how amazing she is. She’s unique and strong and…”
[“Beautiful.”]
“... Ya.” I picture her image in my mind. “What? I—”
[“Like her.”]
This bird is something! Still, chatting with her soothes my boredom. “No way~ I’m her fan. That’s all!”
Later on, snow starts falling.
I look upward, the peace this scenery brings is all I need. I stop for a while with my eyes closed and feel it touch my skin. There's a strange sound I can hear from the sky. When I open my eyes, there's an airship high above me. Acro flies away without a word, leaving me behind. “Hey! Don’t—” I ran wherever she’s going and stopped in a nearby wagon. A family is driving that wagon and felt betrayed that Acro is playing with the kids!
The man running the horses stops the wagon to talk to me, "Hello young man! Is this owl yours?"
"Yes." I whistle to call her and she perches on my shoulder, the kids are talking with her still.
The mother among them asks, "Looks like you’re new here. Where is your destination?"
"I'm actually heading to Dachologie Vil. Do you know which way is it?"
"We’re going there too. Hop in!"
I smiled with excitement at accepting their service. "Thank you!" I look ahead when the smell of cake swirls around my nose. They said that Dachologie Vil is a green, neat and clean place.
And with my first glance, indeed, it's pleasing to the eyes. They took me to the entrance of the village that has a wide floral arch, the road is concrete, and the sideroad is a wide green meadow. This place is also surrounded by clear water and tall cliffs at a distance. It feels like I'm the one who'll bring dirt into this place!
I state my gratitude to the family, the kids bid their farewell to Acro. And I thanked her too for leading good people to me. She's perching on my shoulder as usual when I enter the village. It's a bustling one. Merchants are promoting their sales with their own strategies, and I know how it works that's why I can ignore them.
Yet I have to approach someone for inquiries. Most of them are looking at me. It's my first time stepping far away from home, and it feels like a new world to me. The concrete roads have several different directions and everywhere I turn my face, cleanliness, and nature predominates in every house. When the smell of cake swirls on my nose again, I follow it carefully.
The smell leads me down a green hill and in front of the clear water. I can see from my spot with my sharp eyes the group of lavenders in front of an isolated house on a small island in the middle of these waters. Other than those flowers, I can smell furs.
I hope I found her.
"Is there anything I can help you with?" a woman behind me questioned.
She's the skinny dark niece of Dandeline. "Linly!"
"It's nice to see you again, Hessuel. And it's surprising to see you here. Are you looking for Dandeline?"
"None else."
She points to the small island. "That's her house, and I'm heading there, too. It's necessary to ride a boat before we get there," she said. Even the boat provided beside a pier has a floral design on the edges. The name of Dandeline is carved on the side, too. I volunteered to paddle for she's carrying a basket of food ingredients.
She's still skinny but not as pale as before. "I hope Dandeline will perform hospitality because she isn't that kind of person." She chuckles.
We reached the concrete pier of the small island. The small garden of lavender is blooming. The length of the house is great for a whole family. But the smell of the fur is stronger than the smell of humans. I hadn't stepped into the entrance when a tiny wild dog came rushing and barking at me! The bigger dogs are barking at me too at the entrance but not as aggressive as this one!
I'm holding onto Linly's shoulder for protection. She laughs and screams, "Auntie! You have a visitor!"
We're stuck outside while surrounded by barking guards. Dandeline appears in an open door; her hair is tied up and she's wearing casual house-wear. The dogs raced in her direction to come inside when she commands. That's when we finally stepped on the veranda. "I was expecting you," Dandeline told me, and I was startled. She let us in but her gesture is in haste.
"I brought the condiment!" Linly said.
"Who's there?" A guy from the kitchen appears in the doorway, and he’s looking at me.
"Hessuel. Auntie’s newfound friend from Lanbarc."
"How friendly." The guy then approaches me and lends me a hand. "It's surprising to see you here. My name is Manjiro, I'm an old-found friend of Dandeline—"
"What kind of introduction was that?" The girls laugh.
"Because I'm an old friend!"
In any case, the atmosphere is exciting and somewhat uncomfortable. "Hessuel," Dandeline talks to me in a lowly voice, "you must be tired from the long travel. I suggest you rest for now. Currently, we're finishing a special viand and dessert for tomorrow's little celebration. I can't entertain you yet."
I smile at her politely. "I understand." She added that I can rest with the dogs in the living room.
"That was rude!" Linly asserts to Dandeline. "At least give him initial entertainment."
"The dogs can do that."
Then the three of them made themselves busy in the kitchen. I believe I'm at the wrong timing! Acro claims her spot on the mini-table in front of the furnace—a perfect piece of furniture to rest from the freezing travel. I sat on the lengthy couch.
One of the big dogs that has a silver dog tag with the name 'Four' is a passive type. I know from the first glance that it's a she. She let me rub her head and her tail waggles. The rest of the dogs have the same silver tags with their names that are after a number. The little wild type is called 'One'.
Some are sniffing my knees. While soothing myself with the docile dogs, Linly gave me a cup of chocolate tea. "We're preparing for tomorrow's celebration, the comeback of the lost ones. I'm sorry if we can't address your purpose here yet."
I reach the cup. "Thank you," I said.
She caresses Acro gently with a finger. "You have a unique pet. Dandeline is a huge fan of petting dogs. She named them according to their numbers, she has seven dogs, that's how their name starts with one to seven. She sucks at giving names." The dogs are more tender towards her than me. "Don't be shy to ask if you need something," she said before she came inside the kitchen.
I depleted the tea and relaxed my head for a short moment. I can hear their conversation from the kitchen. The interior is wide, on the left side is the kitchen, a sliding doorway for the backyard, and another doorway for the second floor. On the right, there are dog beds and bookshelves, beside it is a glass window—also a perfect spot for relaxing. After roaming my sight around, I lie down on the couch and embrace the warmth.
☪ ✧ ✧
Everything is vivid in my mind, the burning houses of the Small Vil. There's not a single anguishing soul but the pure noise of the chewing fire as it devours the homes. And it's a relief that it was just a dream.
I stare blankly at the furnace in front. When I was about to lift myself up, I froze because the tiny wild dog was sleeping on my stomach! Another one is sleeping on my toes. And the rest of the dogs are sleeping on the rug. I found myself in a big picture of sleeping dogs!
I tried my best not to disturb the sleep of the tiny dog and I almost lost my balance. It's dark outside. The kitchen is empty. And the house is quiet. I walk around to look for Dandeline, Acro perches on my shoulder. In the middle of the silence, I heard a rustling sound. When I smell her scent, I follow it and it leads me to the backyard.
There's an open pathway beside the house and it's made of wood. Plants with huge leaves beautify the garden. I walk down the stairs and I have to wipe those leaves. To my surprise, Dandeline is bathing in a spa!
Half of her body is submerged. She's on the side-view of my perspective. These leaves are the only boundary for her privacy. I turn around and walk away, but three steps away from that spot, I halt. I know I have to add more steps away but that glimpse of her fair and white skin made my eyes crave such a view.
I barely lift the leaf as quiet as a mute and watch her with my narrow eyes. I can see every detail of her skin even at this distance. Apparently, she's enjoying the lukewarm water as she pours herself again and again. For some reason, she looks angelic.
It's like a sudden heart attack when a dog barks at me! I hug my knees, covering my head with the hood, hiding behind the leaves, but the dog is exposing me!
"Five, what's wrong?" Dandeline said.
I need to crawl to escape. Else, she'll expel me in this place and curse me throughout her life! Acro flaps her wings to scare the dog and flies away. The dog chases her which provides an open door for me to crawl like an idiot and escape!
When I manage to get back into the quiet living room, I collapse on the couch while calming my chest. Acro saved me there. She came after me, still flapping her wings to slap me. ["Pervert. Pervert,"] she said repeatedly! I lock her in my arms to silence her. The panic I had earlier is traumatic enough I don't want to make it happen again! However, I can't erase her image in my mind.
The place suddenly felt hot when I heard footsteps.