I'm as excited as the kids beside me while watching the city from the raising airship through the glass wall.
The neatness, the elegance, of Plandreas is salient in this perspective. I can't imagine how Cormelio lived life from here to a farmer. "We... We're truly levitating."
"Seriously, is this your first time to ride an airship?" she asked with her arms folded.
I answer, "Yes."
"Alright, take your time, child."
I laugh at the way she addresses me. And it's acceptable since I've been sticking my nose on the glass wall just to see how high we've got. The kids beside, with their maids guarding them, are jumping in joy.
"This isn't just the thrilling view for first-timers," Dandeline adds. "The surface of the clouds, the stars at night, and the moon are the natural attractions for later. You'll love it. Also, airships are the same as cruise ships. Most passengers are the ones who fanned themselves with their paper money. Every night, a ball is held in the ballroom. But I prefer to sleep tonight. That's real adulting."
"But you paid for the ball, right? It's part of the ticket."
"Yes, that's how corrupt they are," she says shamelessly. I compel a laugh. "That's Plandreas life. Let's get inside our room now. I hate seeing familiar people in public." The passengers in this wide hall are crowded, most are carrying their luggage. They're forming and joining their circle of conversation. While Dandeline is aloof with that. I follow her after squinting at the city above for the last time in a while.
Everywhere we go and anywhere I look in this airship, luxury dominates. We're crossing the narrow hallway of the airship, doors are side-by-side, the staff is greeting us whenever we pass by, and the atmosphere seems serene. Dandeline is ahead of me as she leads the way to our room. A man came out from a room where we just passed by when he called Dandeline, she paused and turned her head.
"Dandeline?" He steps closer. "It's good to see you. How have you been? I'm not hearing any news about you lately," he said, charmingly. This guy is tall, tan, has soft hair pushed backward, and he's wearing thin and formal attire. But this is what Dandeline hates, meeting someone she knew in public.
She answers, "Oh? And when did you become interested in news about me?"
"Like I never did." He chuckles. "You're still the same. Oh, is he your companion? Good morning!" he greets me next with a handshake.
"Hessuel, he's Zithri," Dandeline introduces. And she's losing patience.
"Nice to meet you," Zithri says, anyhow. "Let's have some time later! I got to go, my fiancee is waiting." And then he walks away. I thought we were supposed to keep moving toward our room but Dandeline sneaks in the opposite direction.
"Uh, the room is that way."
"Keep quiet!" she whispers. I follow her and figure out that we're tailing Zithri. He's heading next to the right while greeting almost everyone who passes by whom he knows.
"Why are we following him?"
"Huh, I want to see this fiance he's bragging about."
"Bragging? He just mentioned it. Or, maybe, of course, every couple will brag about that—"
"Just keep quiet!" she whispers again. I purse my lips and watch the flow. We're squinting on the corner to where Zithri is headed. He knocks on a door and an old luxurious lady opens it. They greet each other warmly through a peck on the cheek. Zithri came in before the lady closed the door.
"Dan, his fiancee looks older."
"Geez, that's not his fiancee. It might be the soon-to-be mother-in-law." She sighs and walks in the previous direction.
Without saying a word, we finally arrived in our room. Smaller than I expected, the room is for a single occupant but I didn't give a place for complaining. As long as it's neat and organized, it'll suffice. I sat on the good-for-two bed with Acro on my lap as I fed her the bread. On the other hand, Dandeline magically—through her enchantment—changes her outfit into a daring backless red long gown, high-heeled sandals, and with a single comb of her magic, her hair becomes gorgeously straight.
"Are you preparing for the ball?" I asked. "It's only lunch."
"This is the casual dress everyone wears here, don't you observe?"
She's confident with her attire, so nothing could change her mind. She sat beside me and caressed Acro's wings.
"Who is that... man... we just met?"
"Zithri? His name is Zithri."
"I mean what is he to you? Is he a friend like Manjiro? Or something else?"
"He was my fling."
"Oh, what a tragic reunion. But what happened?"
"It's a long tragic story," she said, emphasizing the description of the story. She walks away from the room. "I'll be taking in some fresh air for a minute." And then the room was covered with silence. She's just avoiding the potential questions I'll have. I shook my head and ask Acro,
"She just fixed her hair to be blown by the wind?" I don't believe she'll fix it for that. Perhaps everyone fixes themselves for someone even for themselves alone. "Stay here," I told Acro, leaving the pellets on the bed for her to feast upon, before leaving the room. She's out of sight so I follow her through her food-perfume scent. There's a wider hallway where most people come to and fro. Some of them are looking at me from head to toe.
Dandeline came inside a room through the double door painted in white and gold, two guards are standing side-by-side for surveillance, too. I came after her and found myself in a huge library. But there's no fresh air here, only the smell of new books. The entrance is a staircase with two opposite sides. Almost everything is painted in white and gold as well; steps, rug, bookshelves, or tables. In the middle is a space provided for several tables where people are having their own silent conversations regarding the book in their hands.
Dandeline does love this kind of place. I came down the stairs on the right near her. She's standing in front of a bookshelf and remains in front of a table with a heap of books and a vintage globe. I thought she was busy with the book but my sharp eyes caught her looking somewhere else. When I follow her gaze, it ends up with a couple on another line of bookshelves; Zithri and his fiancee.
I sighed. She's tailing them after all. Perhaps ladies love to torture themselves with the truth. I was distracted when a kid pulled my coat from behind, playing with it like a curtain. I hold my coat and reprimand the kid kindly. The maid approaches to fetch the kid, then apologizes to me. That's when I found myself again in the middle of the crowded eyes, most of the people at the tables were looking at me. The only distinction I have is my dark skin. I still have it every time I wear this coat. That could be the reason.
But to parry it all, I should just keep my eyes on Dandeline. The couple left their spot, Dandeline is sneaking between the bookshelves to follow them, then it's my signal to follow as well. Not until my vivid hearing heard mumblings of men about me.
"Is that the silver wolf?"
"Frankly. He's just a young man."
"But the rumors say he defeated Mraz."
"Something happened in the city yesterday, too."
"They're terrifyingly powerful."
"But the silver wolf is freely strolling around... and... he's walking this way—"
I got excited that someone else knows about silver wolves that's why I approached them! I took a seat beside one of them, and there were five of them, they all smelled like wolf furs. In other words, werewolves. "Hello, gentlemen, by any chance, do you know anything else about silver wolves? Where do they come from? Where is their pack?" I ask without permission to ask. However, they've been exchanging glances with one another while some of them gulp.
"We're sorry. We can't talk to you," one of them said before they all left me on the table, confused.
"Why not?" I whispered to myself. I'm not doing anything wrong. The five of them left the library without looking back at me. They all seem frightened. I lean on the table, and cast my look upon the books they read until two personages occupy the seats at the same table.
"Oh, Hessuel! Can we have seats?" Zithri asked while escorting his fiancee. This woman wears expensive charms which I can tell at first sight, has fair skin, blonde wavy hair, and a feminine demeanor—far from Dandeline's way. In response, I nod generously with a smile. I do not own this spot anyway, and it won't be necessary to tail the Moon Priestess anymore. I whistled without a sound when the couple occupied the space while sharing a conversation regarding the books they brought.
After a few minutes in accordance with my expectation, Dandeline sat beside me, then whispers, "What're you doing here!?"
"I followed you to watch your fixed hair blown by the wind but it seems this place isn't windy at all."
"You just came here to tease me."
"Are you stalking them—?"
She covered my mouth with a book. "Lower your voice!" she whispers then squints at the couple a few seats away from us. "Pathetic."
"Who?"
"What can you say about the woman?"
I was about to turn my head in the couple's direction when Dandeline clasps my jaw to keep my face ahead of her. "Don't look at them! We'll get busted!"
"But how can I tell if I don't look at her?"
"Don't pretend you haven't seen her. Just tell according to the captured memories you have in your mind!" She insists like a poor-skilled detective. I force a laugh.
"Alright. I believe she's the kind of woman that will attract the eyes of every man just like any other affluent woman around here, in other words, she's common."
"Common? Oh, right, you want a woman who can plow the farm the whole day with you?"
"That's not technically the way to win my heart. A heroine will do it."
She sighs and leans on the table hopelessly. "You have an out-of-the-world taste."
"What? I... don't think I'll pick an alien..."
"How easy is it for men to move on? Will it be easier by replacing it with someone new?"
I stare at her pleading eyes, hearing the intimate emotion of that question through the pale drumming of her heart at the moment. "I... can't answer that, you know I'm inexperienced."
"Or maybe it was easy to replace a woman like me through the men's standard of women." She sighs again and massages her temple. I want to say something motivational but I can't organize the words in my mind, this case is foreign to me.
"I won't—"
She walks away quietly.
"... treat you like that," I mumbled in the wind, and I tail her. "Where are you going?" I asked.
She answers, "Fulfilling my words earlier."