"WOOOWW!"
Aletha screamed. Asahi rushed over, covered her mouth to stifle the noise, and whispered in a concerned tone while people passed.
"Shhhh, Sis, keep it down! There are people here. Do you show any consideration for others?! Be mindful."
Aletha crossed her arms tightly, pouted aggressively, and stuck out her tongue while making exaggerated hand gestures, openly mocking Asahi.
"Bla bla blah! I know I know, I KNOW! Stop being so BORING, Asahi!"
Her voice was high and piercing. Asahi paused briefly, then replied sarcastically, lifting his chin and giving a facepalm.
"Pfft, whatever. I don't care. Just make sure you—
It was already too late. Aletha had already scampered off to a distance, with her long white hair waving 'goodbye' to him. Asahi bottled his rage, raised an eyebrow, and sighed deeply, falling into disbelief at his sister's actions. Faint words traced from his pale lips.
"Sis, you're acting like a child…"
Though he was in utter shock at Aletha's rather childish attitudes, he recollected what he heard from Phthonus back on the ship.
("I think it has to do with some sort of side-effect. Entering Linuxinia's territory transforms you, apparently. Seriously, it does.")
Asahi scratched his chin and turned his head upward. There, he saw statues, rooftops, and the tall green mountains towering over the prosperous city. He knew that this portion only wasn't enough for him to muster. There was probably another portion of the city somewhere. Asahi mumbled to himself.
"Hmmm, I wonder when MY attitude will change. Oh well, might as well 'embrace' the monotonous attitude for a little longer. Not exactly 'embrace' but, you get what I mean— right?"
He squinted his eyes and made a half-shrug. Asahi muttered while his gray eyes met the ground.
"Why am I even talking to myself?!"
He pushed aside his thoughts, managed a slight smile, and shifted his weight to his left, turning his body.
The glistening ball of orange declined over the horizon of the sparkling crystalline waters. The waves crashed against the slopes and the pale shores. The clumps of stars popped out one by one like popcorn, sparkling and lighting up the night sky.
The moonlight streamed from the wall of mountains and bathed the rooftops with its heavenly cyan glow.
Asahi and Aletha turned back to their right. Their gray eyes twinkled with astonishment.
From block to block, they could see towers of all sizes, made of stone or wood, stretching from one horizon to the next. The warm, mellow hues of the streetlights and the windows sheltered the peaceful atmosphere, with children and adults emerging from the staircases up across the sidewalks; the cool evening breeze flowed through the creases.
A dozen carriages flew from the streets, rolling toward mountains above the docks; people walked along the sides, some dealing with merchants, others enjoying the scenery.
The pulsating joy from the heart of the city spewed out its essence toward the winding roots that trailed from the largest mountain all the way toward the lowest docks. Flower petals floated on the sweet aroma of blossoms, sprinkling the ground, while the moonlight reflected off the leaves.
Asahi took a deep breath and turned backward toward the staircase. There, he saw Kali, Drimi, Devlin, Phthonus, Sally, and The Crew all walking up carrying their personal belongings for the trip.
He saw thirteen more ships arriving and leaving the archway of the docks, watched over by towers at each corner. All were bathed in the moonlight, casting soft shadows.
As the cool wind blew against his long white hair, Asahi's ears bolted to the loud shouts from Drimi.
"Alright, crew… follow me!"
. . .
After the ship departed, Drimi gathered everyone from the crew into a group and gave orders to proceed further into the city. Kali stood close to Asahi, grinning widely, while Aletha, her gray eyes full of wonder, was absorbed in the sights around her. When Kali noticed something interesting, she darted away from the group with quick steps, only to return later at a slower pace, still lagging far behind the group.
. . .
The Crew arrived at the base of a ramp. From this vantage point, the rest of the city gradually came into view. Despite the city already appearing vast with taverns, markets, and apartments, they noticed there were few restaurants, hotels, or shops in this immediate area.
Drimi, Asahi, Aletha, Devlin, Phthonus, and so on… stepped across the sidewalks, watching a stream of people pass by. People's hair colors were much more distinct than in Pladtioa: bright maroon, gray-magenta, dark aqua blue, silky lavender…
"So many bright colors…" Asahi thought as his heart pounded.
As they walked up the ramps, a layer of distant fog gradually lifted, revealing the true beauty of the city stretching out over the railing.
"Ooo, it's so…long."
Asahi squinted and saw canals and waterfalls flowing from mountains above the stone buildings.
Clouds drifted behind the scenery. Arches lined the markets through ridges and borders. Large rocks arched over rooftops, casting shadows on the bustling streets, while a tall brown and green tower rose, projecting a faint green glow. He closed his eyes and smelled the fresh, mildewy scent. Asahi commented, placing his hands on the railing.
"So different…"
Aletha sprinted over, her bottom outlined. Too focused to notice the view, she was always the group's 'sightseer.' Her long white hair tangled over her dark outfit, and her warm hands gripped the cold railing.
The vivid evening breeze pushed her long, silky white hair toward the shimmering stars. In her eyes, the panorama of buildings and roads reflected under the sugary glaze of moonlight.
She could see the entire second portion of the city of Linuxinia, with a massive stone plate lying at its center. Then, she saw the tower, positioned slightly off-center, monitoring the rooftops from above.
There were stone staircases that swirled and zigzagged across the line of trees, bridges spanning several kilometers, with clean lakes surrounding the city's exterior, much like a moat. Aletha heard footsteps sound behind her, feeling a cold touch rubbing on her shoulders. She jumped up in shock, scratching her head and whining.
"Asahi, what was that for?!"
"S-Sorry… I just thought—
Aletha grit her teeth and, in retaliation, pinched both of Asahi's ears at once. His earlobes flushed pink as he flailed his arms, whining loudly from the sharp pain in his ears.
"AHH! STOP IT!"
Devlin, Sally, and Phthonus gasped. They tried to stop the wanders, but the crowd blocked their way.
(Do I really have to do everything by myself?!)
Drimi hurriedly pulled both of the wanderers away from each other while she heard the footsteps from strangers gradually get louder. Drimi could feel the sea of eyeballs glare at her. She impatiently stomped her foot on the ground, stared at the nervous Asahi and Aletha, then growled as the crew froze in shock.
"Just what do you two think you were doing?!
Aletha bowed down and whimpered in fear.
"S-Sorry… Captain Drimi."
Her dark magenta eyes pivoted toward Asahi.
"And you…?!"
He immediately ducked down and covered his eye with one hand.
"I… I— My apologies."
A surreal anxiousness shrouded Asahi once he realized how he had acted. Drimi tightened her fists and sighed, patting the two on the head as if they were doggies. She slammed the crate down, told her crew to stand here, and ignored strangers walking past toward the staircase.
As the ambience continued, Drimi gave a chagrined expression.
"I can't believe that I am forced to do this…"
Kali Leila sprinted out, clutching Asahi's arm and blushing. Drimi raised an eyebrow, the corner of her mouth curled, and stuck her nose in the air. She yelled, without a care for what others thought.
"Who the heck are you?!"
Kali's pupils dilated; involuntarily, she sighed, then took a deep breath, bowing her head to Drimi. She cowered as Asahi stood behind her.
"G-G-Greetings, m… my name is Ka-K…Ka-- K Kali…"
Drimi spat out a cheeky, derisive look and replied to Kali in kind.
"My uh— my name is uh— SPEAK GIRL! Stop wasting my time with your cowardly attitude! If you don't know Asahi or Aletha, then you have no business being here. Spit it out or leave, or I'll push you off the railing!"
Phthonus objected and raised his arms.
"No need to be mean to her, Drimi. What did she ever do to you?" He felt a cold chill of doubt creep up on him as he said that. "D-Do you even remember her?!"
His orange eyes saw the intimidating, peeved look shine over Drimi's purple eyes. But instead of a slap as Phthonus expected, Drimi released a sigh of pity, rubbed her hand against her forehead, and apologized with a stressed stone on her face.
"Sigh, I'm sorry… stranger. It's just— I feel exhausted from all that sailing without sleep. I just want to get over this stuff a-and—
Sally patted Drimi's back, chuckled softly, and whispered as Asahi, Kali, and Aletha lay two meters away from the rail.
"Drimi, it's okay. We'll get some sleep soon. Just let the wanderers relax and roam around the city. There's no need to worry about them. They deserved it after all the stuff that they had endured in Pladtioa. Come on, can't you cut them some slack? They're not even part of your crew."
Drimi took a deep breath and released her stress and anxiety.
"Alright, alright… fine. I'll let Asahi and Aletha roam on their own. Sigh…"
Just as Asahi and Aletha were about to reach up for joy, Drimi hastily interrupted, narrowed her dark purple eyes to the wanderers, and lifted her voice with a stern and strict tone.
"But make sure that you two come here at EXACTLY eight at night, understand? Do you two know how to keep track of time?"
Kali pointed to the large clock tower lying near the epicenter of the city.
"Yup!"
It was made of a mixture of gold, dark oak, and, strangely, glass as well. Whatever it was, it didn't concern Asahi or Aletha. They were more excited about what the city had to offer, but kept the time frame in mind.
Strangely, as Asahi and Aletha were about to take off, they felt a wistful feeling course through them. As if they have acted like this before. Perhaps it was because of their childish act? Or maybe it was their uncontrollable eagerness? No matter, both of them disregarded that feeling and hastily dragged Kali down the stairs.
Sally led Drimi down the stairs, comforting her and rubbing her back, while Delvin, Phthonus, and the rest of the sailors carried the crates down the staircase.
. . .
Asahi tilted to his right and saw bridges, roads, taverns, markets, and stores stretch over the steep elevated hill. His eyes widened, and he turned back and forth as he heard random voices sprawl about.
"Greetings, welcome to Linuxinia City!"
"How about we get another drink?"
"Sorry, I have work today."
The noise and chatter were so overwhelming to Asahi that it made him incredibly dizzy.
"You have a great evening, okay?!"
Kids clutching their mother's arm from the dressing store.
"Mom, please… let us go home! We're tired!"
Sounds of coins scattering around a hard surface.
"And that will be fifty-six Gincoins! Have a wonderful day!"
Though the people here were a lot more cheerful, Asahi covered his ears and tried to calm down. He saw colorful carriages pass by through the streets, dogs roaming around, and gold and silver bells jingling as they walked. Children ran and played on the sidewalks, alongside couples and people walking everywhere.
The place sprawled with life, and at the same time, Asahi felt slight smidgens of happiness course through his veins. He couldn't understand why he felt this way, but knew it was outside of his control.
Drastic amounts of Adrenaline pumped up his blood, as was the case for Aletha, and Kali. All three of them felt cheerfulness as they sprinted across the streets, from sword markets to potion breweries, and they examined everything. Some looked modern while others looked plain ancient.
A merchant who stood behind what looked to be a trading place waved his arm to the wanderers and alerted them to his position.
"Hey! Come here! I have some great goodies!"
Of course, Asahi and Aletha raced to the area, hurriedly slamming their fists on the wooden table.
The merchant didn't look too old or too young, nor was he short. There wasn't a single shred of hostility anywhere on him, from his raggy brown shirt to his nearly shredded jeans.
He looked like he was in his mid-thirties, with a curly brown beard and, strangely, gray hair. He had pale skin, too. The color scheme hadn't matched, and so… Aletha questioned the man while looking as if she had drunk ten coffees.
Her mouth flew in spontaneous directions, not having a second to breathe. Just the overall way she spoke didn't match how Aletha acted back in Pladtioa.
"Hey, hey, hey! What do ya' got?! Do you have anything valuable? Anything at all?!"
A loud voice emerged from the crowd.
"Move move move!"
Asahi jumped in, with a fiddle-footed expression, his gray eyes glistening, followed by a huge smile. The merchant slowly backed away, being cautious of his valuables. He shuddered in fear as Asahi hyperactively shrieked.
"I'll pay, Sis! Just stand behind me! Okay, So What Do We Have Here?! We have goods, and we have…
Aletha placed her hand on her brother's shoulder and shoved him away, as if they were playing leapfrog to try to speak to the merchant.
"Move, I was talking!"
Asahi erupted.
"NO, I was THE one who was talking first!"
Aletha pushed Asahi.
"No, I was!"
"NO, I WAS!"
"GRRR!"
They flail their arms at each other and slap themselves in the face.
The merchant tried to move away, but was interrupted by the loud, hyper screaming from Asahi and Aletha.
"HEY, WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?!"
He cowered in fear and dropped his staff, hoping to god that nothing would happen to him. Asahi and Aletha continued pinching and slapping each other in the face, fighting over a simple thing, such as speaking to the merchant. Kali caught eye on this and instantly felt a sense of threat emanating from the wanderers.
It's obvious to Kali that the 'Side-Effect' from this nation had gone into effect on them. Yet, she simply couldn't handle herself laughing at their goofy acts.
Her laughs led Asahi and Aletha to stop. Kali was so loud that her giggles bounced from block to block, forcing others to join in her laughter. The merchant, himself, couldn't help but slip a slight chuckle.
After the laughing stock, Asahi and Aletha finally calmed down and collapsed onto the floor. The merchant hurriedly dragged both of them into the shop, while the others jumped up in shock. Kali tried to intervene but was stopped by a pink-haired boy, saying…
"Allow my master to handle this."
Kali tried to push the pink-haired boy away, but was blocked by a brunette girl wearing a rather strange combination of attire. She had the eyes of silver-blue, and a gold rope-like thing was caressed around her neck. Her overall aura emitted a serious mood. Even her voice sounded shrill, monotonous, yet sped all at the same time.
"Please, allow us to settle this inquiry. Don't be a doze-off and interfere with what he had mishandled. Or… in this case, rather whom. Our excellency doesn't deserve to watch all of this present to us as if we were some measly person dodging our affairs."
"Excellency?!" Kali expressed with a genuine look of confusion.
The short girl nodded her head and clutched the pink-haired boy's wrist. He shrieked and wailed in pain.
"Couldn't you grab a little softer….?!"
The brunette girl shook her head and gave a squint that looked so menacing that it made Kali's heart plummet. Despite her relatively short height, her appearance instilled a sense of uncertainty in her. That monotonous voice continued while she dragged the pink-haired boy through the wooden door.
"No, you deserve it. Master wouldn't even care anyway. She isn't our problem; it's those white-haired individuals. Those brats know little to nothing about the strange 'Adrenaline' that coursed through the loins of this nation. Sigh, I despise it entirely. Now move, and don't intervene or else I will pull out my pistol and use my last bullet on you."
Kali's cyan eyes widened.
"Whoa, whoa! C-Calm down. Where—
The brunette girl squinted with her red lipstick beaming under the faint ceiling light.
"I said… MOVE! STOP QUESTIONING. Fine, if my pistol isn't enough to terrify you… maybe—
"O-Okay! Bye!" Kali said hurriedly as she sprinted out the door, not questioning anything and giving up on the wanderers.
The brunette girl nodded her head and made a 'confident' smile, while the pink-haired boy questioned her threatening act.
"Brunella, don't you think you're acting a little too harsh? We're not even capturing them."
The girl shook her head and stomped her foot on the ground, her necklace dangling back and forth. Her voice echoed over the solid walls of the stairway leading below.
"Silence, Katib. It's not our problem anymore. Let's just go to the basement and investigate whoever it was that we "captured." Actually, now that I think of it…. the primary sense of Adrenaline, or rather Hyperactivity, had bloomed and sprouted even more from the wanderers in direct comparison to the others…"
Katib shook his head and scratched his fingers over his bright pink hair.
"Okay, fine. Whatever you say, Brunella. Just don't hurt them, will you?"
Brunella shook her head and made a pitiful look.
"Pfft, as if that has anything to do with us. Pain doesn't get inflicted on us, remember?"
Katib took a deep sigh and walked over to the table, seeing Brunella, the merchant, and the wanderers all surrounding the corner with only one torch lighting up the room. As his footsteps resounded over the staircase toward the rectangular room, Katib muttered.
"Of… course. I REMEMBER that… undoubtedly."