World's Over Journal XXVI Terrace Tale

The next morning I woke up to the pitter patter of bare feet upon the stone tile floor amidst the chatter of my two friends cooking. I could almost taste the air, as it was filled with the most intoxicating smell drifting up from down stairs to fill my the room. Quickly I dressed and fled the bed, flying my way down the stairs onto the main floor.

Side by side my two friends stood before a hearth built into the wall, which was in the side of the mountain. Atop the heated clay counter there were several eggs, some flat bread and a mix of various vegetables. 'Please have a seat over there at the table,' Toki said over her shoulder as I entered the room.

'Toki and I have just been discussing the passing of a legion through the valley nearly a hundred years ago,' Priscilla said, 'shall I bring you up to speed on the history Jane?' It was in that moment that I began to realize the little girl was not the same girl who had stolen away with us aboard the Bahamut, she was much, much more.

Nodding my consent I wandered into the next room nearest to the entrance to wait, there I sat down at a table and stared through the front window out into the garden. Near the cliff's edge of each terrace there was a tower surrounded by beautiful gardens. The one before me was built of thick stone bricks, it was almost seventy feet round, with many windows. The garden on Toki's terrace lay under the shadow of a canopy, there were avocado and mango trees amongst the willows. About the trees there were countless flowers, mostly the same blue, or purple roses which we grew in the forest far below. There were also many vegetable plants and berry bushes. In the distance, somewhere in the garden, babbled a brook. Priscilla walked up beside me and sat down, laying a plate on the table in between us.

'There is but one road in the valley,' Priscilla began, ' it was made by the hands of the last legion who past through on their way into the frozen Noth. When the peace treaty had been signed between Emporer and the Vampire Queen the legion along with their General, whose name is Akeldaen, had been set free from slavery in the Iron Cascade Citadel in far off in the South. The legion had crafted the road with their bare hands, they tore through the shrubs and carved their way through trees. Along the road now stood remnants of the legion, those whose souls had left them on their long passage, some were overcome with sorrow at the loss of so many of their kin in the centuries of slavery to the human king, others simply hid inside of themselves, forever silent. Several had awoken over the centuries, only one had remained in the valley, living with the Elves in the North Eastern villages, his name was Rojun.'

'General Akeldaen had sent scouts into the valley, ahead of the legion as to map the straightest road into the North. When they had at last made it to the boarders of the valley, a plan was already laid for their passage. A straight line they carved, day and night, endlessly their skinless skeletal hands worked. Where they had to fall Redwood trees the roots too were pulled up. The wood was cut into timber by the Elves and trolls, who had accepted the legions plan, though they really didn't have a choice, war with the legion or a road and wood. Akeldaen had been grateful for the help.'

As Priscilla told the story, it seemed to me that she had lived it, she was there for the whole endeavour. As the road was build, the trees clawed down with bony fists, steel claws and skeletal talons. For a moment I was scared by the intellectual strength of a little girl, whom every day seemed less so.

In earnest anticipation of,
Jane, Toki and Priscilla