Ami woke up.
What's happening? What are those unusual smells? What's that strange breeze? Where was the cool drought coming from? And why was she sleeping with her legs tucked up?
For a while, the Kantinian didn't know where she was. The fact that she was sleeping in her clothes didn't surprise her. It was a normal practice.
But the other questions demanded answers...
...So she opened her eyes.
It's drifting in from behind… that door curtain?
Oh, my gnats! She's in Omill! It's real!
But we are here for a weird, inappropriate, incomprehensible job... Still happy?
Yes.
And the bit of unpacked stuff that didn't fit on the bedside table was on her legs and around them.
It is fiiine. This mess will keep us busy for a while. We need to clean this place up, so we need more rags. There must be a Market somewhere.
But firstly… we've got to get to work.
We have a free light to settle here, but we also have anxiety. We're not familiar with the neighbourhood. We need to know the road that will take us to work. And we need to know the exact light when we start work. We forgot to ask Milo a light before, and we require more instructions.
Also, a light, before Ami thinks she saw the familiar outlines of warehouses nearby. That would be a good neighbourhood for us as well. It's not clear where they are exactly, but it's good to know they're here.
So. What have we got?
A lot of tasks. And a starting point. She remembers how to get to the place she visited earlier.
Already better and more than nothing. Ami found her usual bag among the mountain of her belongings and hurriedly threw in everything she thought she needed and could find among the scattered items. The rest would have to be sorted into duffel bags and laundry bags after she had cleaned and dusted the place… Later.
And the inspired one has already jumped out of her kotti and looked around.
It's a great view! The greatest.
Hello, hills and forest in the distance, hello, delicious Omill air, hello, kotti… You're gorgeous!
Gorgeously round. Like all the marvellous dwellings here, brown with a glimmer of white building clay, a greenish-purple tinge to the roof and lightly draped with vines... Simple and charming, proven by countless cycles of use.
And now, for about half a cycle, one of these beauties belongs to her. Majestic. One could only hope that they'd get on and get along.
Well, it's time to find the road. By all means.
Everything looks completely different in the daytime, but visual memory and the blue Mushroom had led them to the right spot. It wasn't as blue as it looks in the evening, but it's still the closest one. So this could be used in orienteering. Obviously. Otherwise, they wouldn't be called landmark Mushrooms.
And it's time to take advantage of the location of her kotti, near one of the city's finest cafés. As the owner of an excellent nose and a stomach always hungry for goodies, she couldn't pass by the place she had recently discovered.
The alien entered the café without a shadow of a doubt, with the obvious intention of picking up something new and interesting.
It would be a crime to rush to work at the expense of the quality of life in Omill. Anywhere but Omill. The Omillians themselves were of the same opinion.
And Ami is here to ensure that the local laws are strictly adhered to.
That way, finding the Temples would be more fun.
And a moment later, her order was ready. A cute, witch-inspired greeting from the hostess bobbed above the surface of the coffee. Sooo cuuuute!
How could she have just walked right past such a miracle? Impossible. Inexcusable.
The Kantinian shrieked with delight, amusing the barista, and happily headed off to her new city.
She took the first sip and looked around.
Wow! Everything is so bright, so fresh, so beautiful... It would take some getting used to.
She sighed blissfully and turned her head from side to side, trying to find her way, wandering down the seemingly familiar street, looking at the kotties with such interest, as if she were seeing them for the first time.
They are always curious and wonderful, no matter how often and how long you look at them.
They look a bit like Prime desserts. Are these houses in the shape of cakes, or cakes in the shape of houses? Hmmm... Given that all ideas come from the same source, this natural shape could simply be handy for witches in both baking and building.
With her thoughts and coffee, Ami didn't notice that she appeared near the Temple Square. Turning off her mind was always the best way to succeed. Her mind was focused on problems and rarely helped. Only to find more problems and fears to think about endlessly.
The coffee-based method of switching it off was tasty, pleasant and effective.
This Temple Tower. It's a great landmark. Even without being a mushroom. Too bad it's not a mushroom. The Mushroom Tower would look good here.
"Besides, you could just ask for directions. Where the Truth Station was definitely no secret."
No, I couldn't. There's no grave danger or anything.
A quick way is a way without coffee, sweets and a walk through the city. It would be a stupid, unnecessary deprivation.
Amelia stopped in the middle of the Temple Square and looked around.
How much space! Not only did the monumental buildings not impose their authority on the passers-by, but they actually adorned the whole complex, creating an independent, authentic architectural composition in the middle of the city. It could even be a tourist attraction in its own right, just for the sight of all this.
A pleasant place to work. And quite respectable. Not like their squat administrative buildings in Kantine.
...Maybe Lucy is right, and Ami really does idealise witches and witch attributes, and belittles her native Land.
Or maybe not. And, at least for this grumpy little service woman, things are what they are. There is only one way to find out.
Before entering the building with which her vaguely frightening future was associated, Ami stomped hesitantly, exhaled and took a step inside, pushing aside the entrance curtain.
The curtain let Amelia through and returned to its usual place.
Those smells... earth, clay, coffee! It's her workplace now. Great. Look at this place!
After several visits to the Hall of Expectations, it was almost familiar. But that familiarity did not make it any less charming.
The bright, broad rays of light coming through the windows made the light inside soft and diffuse, creating an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity. The coffee place was empty now. Unless you were to count the dust and the dark specks that danced in the light as guests.
A new Secretary looked away from the enchanting picture, sighed again and walked resolutely towards Milo's office, just as the boss came out of the room, frowning at the clay tablets in his hands.
He glanced up at the visitor.
— Oh! Not empty-handed. — He noticed the cup in her hands. — With coffee.
— With an empty coffee cup. — Shaking the empty container, Ami corrected. — Came back for further instructions.
Milo nodded.
— Did you find your kotti?
— Yes, Lucy helped a lot.
— That's our Lucy! Helpful as always. Is everything all right?
— Yes, everything's fine, just need to tidy up a bit there.
— Then I'll give you a light to help you settle in. It won't hurt anyone. Tomorrow, after sunrise on the third satellite, you can start work.
— Acknowledged. Good... Great, actually.
— Is there a problem?
— Apart from the fact that I've never done secretarial work before and, despite the instructions, I still have no idea how to work?
— Yes, apart from that.
— None at all.
— That's fine. I'll see you in the next light. If you come to see me, I'll show you the sign for the opening of the curtain at the entrance to your place of work.
— Which I can't use without being a witch. — Ami frowned.
— Oh, right... — Milo frowned too, confused. — Sealing an Archive is an essential protocol, and you can't escape it. So many issues... Well, we'll start solving them step by step.
— Yeah. We'll have to take it one step at a time. And don't look at the whole mountain of problems, or I'll get hysterical.
— Yes. As with any difficult case. We'll put hysteria on the list too, as a last resort. In the meantime, start with the household.
— Got it! I'll make the most of my free time in the city.
— Let's do it. Good luck. — Milo smiled mischievously. — Don't overdo it.
— Not to clean up the whole city? — Amelia gave a grin.
— You never know. Kantinians are so industrious.
Ami wiped the coffee residue from the cup with the hem of her top clothes and hastily shoved the cup into her bag.
— That certainly doesn't apply to me... — She shook her head. — Like many Kantinian things. I'm not a typical Kantinian.
— Well, then there's nothing to worry about. — Milo waved his hand and returned to the transport of documents.
The employee left the dwelling of soft light and the coffee smell and hurried outside. So she had a free light before she started work, to settle in and get everything she needed... Splendid.
She'd have time for that. Before she locked herself in the dark indoors, she needed to take a proper walk.
But before that, let it all be excitingly bright, witchy and beautiful. Round houses. Mushrooms. A big Hill and a Forest in the distance. Lots of new and unexplored things... It's hard to know where to begin.
A single light is not enough for everything. But half of the cycle will do. She doesn't have to do everything in one light. But the problem is that she really wants to.
Because everything is so unstable. Pfff — and she's gone. While walking. While sleeping. Or not so dramatic, just "get out of our city, loser" again.
Alright… "step by step" he said, and panic is the last thing to go.
A few more questions, then.
Where's the nearest Market? Or is it better to go straight for the rags to the Caravans she already knows where they are? Maybe. It's just a matter of figuring out how to get there from here. Or... better to go and see where it takes her. That way we can explore some new roads. And the Market might be the first one we hit. One of the Markets.
So. Quality time again. Good, good. Next question.
Which direction should we go first? Or better yet, how do you go in all directions at once...
...try all the coffees and biscuits at once, so that even if they kicked Ami out of Omill or the Continent or life itself tomorrow, it wouldn't be so painfully sad.
Or you could put it another way. How do you get so many Ami to do all the things you want to do at the same time?
"There are a lot of us."
Excuse me. A... lot?
"In your head. Yes. You think if we speak one by one, it's one voice?"
Yes... And I...
"Just one of the voices."
I didn't think about it. And by the way. There's only one head, and it can't be everywhere at once. So you're a strange thought, you know. I've had lots of thoughts before, but they weren't that weird. Or were they? Doesn't matter.
Let's go... somewhere, we have a lot to do. Enjoying our lives. Not weird voices.
One light of joy in a big cycle is much more than zero. Let's start. One step at a time. Which one comes first?
That's easy. If this light were the last, what would you do? It's definitely not cleaning. No one will die if we live in this mess for one more light.
Our whole life is a mess.
So the plan is...
To visit one more café at least.
Wander around until we're hungry. Let your stomach decide where to go. If there's a Market or a Caravan on the way, we'll grab what we need and try to find our way home, because we're already lost not only in our thoughts, but also in a city.
The worst thing is that we've chosen the unknown path and don't even look at the surprises it holds. We have skipped it mindlessly, like the sips of that great ale a light before. No good.
Ami brought her mind back to the city.
The entrance curtains of the Omillian kotti immediately caught her eye. They always did, the ornaments and colours used in them being as different as the local cups.
Catchy, yes. They certainly are. You can walk around the place in great circles, just looking at the curtains and windows. And then write a scientific paper about them. And those witch diagrams inside the buildings. If only they knew what it was all about, but they don't. So frustrating.
And the shapes of the windows. How do they make them so asymmetrical? It must be incredibly complicated... she doesn't remember the technology from the books. But it's so beautiful.
Ami knew their local window making techniques, and had no idea how to replicate this Omill style. Or she'll definitely do it at home.
Lucy was only partly right about the monotony of Omill's architecture. Yes, compared to the eye-catching fancy buildings and colourful stained-glass windows of Prime, the round houses did look rather modest. But there was a great deal of attention to detail — shapes, patterns, paintings.
It was in the variety of detail that Omill surpassed Prime, and that was its understated but attractive beauty. Discreet, practical and cosy on the outside, Omilian dwellings and people were rich on the inside, hiding an authentic spirit and hidden witchy mysteries. You have to look closely to appreciate its charm.
Really lucky. There's a small Market under this Mushroom.
It seems to have everything we need. Looks like we won't have to look for Caravans any more... More free time. Good news.
Now we can get lost in a city with all this stuff. The main thing is to get to work on time.
"Great plan. Where do we get lost first?"
Not in our thoughts again...
Ami thought and stopped thinking.
...In the scents of Omill. It's a great thing to get lost in. Lovely bouquet. Forest. Mountain-like air freshness. Clay. Herbs. Ground. Coffee… Food?
Hello, appetite! You've finally got a word in. All right, choose the coffee shop.
With grim determination, she entered the first shop she saw. It wasn't that Amelia didn't trust her stomach, but the visual part of food was interfering with her plans to switch off her mind. After agonising for a while, she finally decided what she was going to have for dinner tonight. In her new kotti! Her own Omillian kotti, temporary, but... There it is. Still incredible.
And... the job.
Ami's wide smile changed for a moment to an angry grimace.
...You're dirtbags, not dreams! Why do you come true in such a strange way?! Why does everything not always go according to plan and turn into an absolute mess?
"This mess is not absolute".
Good observation. Let's make the best of it.
The traveller left the place with a belly full of anticipation and an embroidered bag of delicious biscuits and the other bag full of simple cakes made of herbs and grains.
She gazed appraisingly at the blue hills and forest in the distance that she had admired on her first visit to the city.
It was truly stunning.
They looked particularly majestic and incredibly attractive from this angle as she left the café.
Visiting them is definitely a must.
Amelia liked heights in general. Kantine didn't have any, unless you walked a lot to get the view of the Wastelands from the Frontier.
But there really wasn't much to see. Hills, and... more hills. Lots of nice flowers in a warm season. Beautiful clouds above.
Prime Mountain was more interesting because it was higher. The view is amazing. Amelia recommends.
Live Mainland map, you don't know whether to admire it or start drawing from one side and a vast Ocean-sky space from the other. Primeans are the luckiest gnats on the Continent.
Omillian big Hill is quite small compared to the Primean one. But look at it, what beauty!
We must go there. Right now.
Climb up and see the city. Reduce our good supply of wonderful biscuits there, while the eyes are fed with beauty. The view is a nice addition to any meal.
Soon she was trudging purposefully and swiftly towards the enticing heights, wondering where the path of ascent might be. Surely it must be somewhere at the junction with the widest road... the only thing left to do was to try not to stray from the path.
Beyond the main road were mostly Selvas' paths. Amelia knew this because the closer she got to the edge of the city, the more of them she encountered. Much to her delight.
They are beautiful. Graceful walk, melodious voices... Makes Ami admire and envy them.
Marvellous paintings on the mugs and inside their kotties. Colourful, catchy designs on their clothes and draperies.
There is a lot of beauty to be found on the Mainland. Almost everywhere and in everything. Here in Omill, where you first have to suffer from the desire to see, hug, drink or eat the abundance of everything you see, and then from abstinence. It's hard to say goodbye to this land.
Immersed in thoughts and not concentrating on the difficulty of the task, the Kantinian easily found a well-trodden path to climb the Hill. In a single impulse, cutting the road, wading through bushes, catching on clothes and bags, clinging to the grass and stumbling, she literally flew up there, quickly reaching the highest point.
...And... the whole world stopped at that moment...
In the setting rays of the last departing luminary and the soft light of a couple of rising ones, the entire precious Omill lay before her.
A dark spot on the plain, lumpy with round kotties, looked like a strange pinkish-brown "speck" on the brown-green body of the Continent at sunset, mottled with the broad lines of tracts and narrow city lanes, long "veins" of water channels.
A huge lake, the same lake whose waters gave Omill's coffee its unique flavour and medicinal properties, was surrounded by a beautiful Forest, full of familiar trees and those Amelia had never seen in Kantine. An ancient relic in the heart of the Mainland. Beautiful.
Illuminated by many small lights, Mountain Zeth and the eastern forest, much of it, if we look to our right. Beyond that green ocean is Lim, in theory. And a lot of elves somewhere in it. But in practice, none of this was visible.
Still, the sight is enchanting.
On the horizon in front of them, on the other side of Omill, there was also a second dark strip of lush vegetation, beyond which, if the mother's maps were to be believed, lay the Swamps.
The very swamps that no one had seen in person for a long time, but which remained in a collective memory as a... swear word. They couldn't be seen from here behind the forest, but they would be seen from Prime if Ami travelled to its southern edge during the cold season.
Or they wouldn't. There's always a chance that the wild Forest, protecting their secrets, won't shed its leaves. That's probably why they persist... In permanent shade.
Amelia turned her gaze once more towards the more densely inhabited part of the Mainland. A turn to higher ground.
The famous Prime Mountain was visible from here. It could be seen from anywhere. Like a reminder of the heights you can reach with the power of your mind. And the power of your legs, of course. Getting to the top of a mountain isn't easy. In harsh weather conditions, it's hard to navigate.
That's why the colour-changing witch's beacon light is here, to be a guide for the lost. And it was about to be lit there. Would it be visible from here?
We'll see. But for now. Huge green, purple, and yellow Kantine. Which was also clearly visible from both cities.
From here, the great place of Ami's grief looked like a small, harmless, colourful patchwork of fields and meadows with small, pretty lakes.
Sorry for my attitude. I never meant to be rude or ungrateful. It's not your fault... your people are ghouls. Perhaps not all of them. You are beautiful on your own.
I can see that from here. It's better for both of us to keep our distance. We have less to hold against each other.
And I've got to stay here. With this space, with this freedom. Stay and get used to the taste of this meaningful life.
There's no going back. It's clearly visible from here. And the journey there has been well worth it.
The hiker sat down wearily on the edge of this flat part of one of the higher peaks of the Hill, that served as her vantage point.
Only now did she realise how tired she was. And that no one was going to carry her home, and her own legs didn't really feel like it.
It was getting really dark.
The fluorescent Mushrooms had begun to change the colour of the surrounding city. One of them was an attractive blue, and she would have to remember which way to go to reach it. She would have to hurry with the descent so that he wouldn't have to do it in the dark and fall. Of course, the descent would be much faster if she fell, but that's not the desired result of hurrying.
The mighty wanderer breathed happily in the forest-scented, sunset mountain air and stared blissfully into the darkening sky. Finished admiring the surroundings, she sighed again and struggled to her feet, which responded with a searing protest.
We have to, dear ones, we have to. You'll freeze to death here. Even though it was still warm, it was already quite cold at night.
The small path, which she had not noticed from below, was more visible from this side. So she came down without too much trouble.
The sky was cloudless and the satellites that had come out provided enough light.
As she descended, her only regret was that she hadn't seen the city in daylight. It would have helped her to know the city better.
Now she had to find her way back through it, much to the displeasure of her legs, taking the long way around and choosing the familiar streets.
If there was a decent map of this city somewhere, she'd have to get it.
With the view of the hills and the Omillian biscuits in her mind, it was easier to distract herself from the hardships of the journey. She made her exhausted way home, automatically admiring the soft light from the windows of the kotties and the flasks of glowing plants outside.
Pulling back the front curtain, she finally entered the house, putting her bag on top of the others and crawling to the bed as if it were her last effort. Resisting the urge to fall face down in the dust on the floor at the entrance and fall asleep there.
"Housekeeping" and "general arrangement", huh? Well done.
It proved once again that the famous 'Kantinian diligence' was not her quality. Notorious "Lazy slacker" Amelia was the same everywhere.
It's the legs that do all the hard work.
But let's not diminish her achievements. That's only half true, because her bags were full of everything she needed for cleaning, even if she couldn't use it now. There was also a supply of delicious food and sweets for breakfast.
The vagabond quickly kicked off her boots and, with a great deal of effort, pulled herself under the bedspread with a pile of things on top of it, tucking her legs in obediently. It did not cause her much discomfort, however, as she fell asleep almost immediately.