"Sir Aquarius?"
Leo flinched, the metallic gloves almost falling from his hands.
'Tsk. I wish these things were Vestige.'
He slowly turned to the owner of the voice. It was an old woman. She wore a long brown tunic and held a walking stick to keep herself balanced. She had long, stiffened white hair, deep wrinkles, and yellow eyeballs. She felt very... otherworldly.
She took a fragile step towards Leo and slowly stretched her hand forward, placing it on the metallic gloves.
"Why don't you just turn these into a Vestige?" she said with a warm smile revealing brown teeth.
"Turn into a Vestige?"
The old woman chuckled lightly. "Yes, Sir Aquarius. Ah, not everyone is talented enough for that or even knows about it. It is mostly exclusive to our realm. I'm sure you're one of those who earn it after defeating a particular foe. No wonder a Pisces like you is even confused and surprised by my statement. Well, it deals with learning more about what exists outside aura... Magic, and then bringing it back into aura. Don't let me bore you, Sir Aquarius."
She shook her head slowly. "Where are my manners? I'm Elowen."
Leo went silent for a few seconds, still processing her words before finally clearing his throat to make it sound more authoritative and mature.
"Nice to meet you, Madam Elowen."
Then he went numb; he didn't know what to say next. He couldn't go ahead asking her to explain how to turn a mundane tool into a Vestige; he knew it was not going to be understood in just one discussion considering how bizarre magic was.
Elowen, noticing his numbness, sighed and pressed her lips into a thin line.
"Sir Aquarius, how about a walk with this old woman? Let me warn you, it'll be a very slow walk but enjoyable at the same time. I still know how to crack jokes even though I'm three hundred years old."
Leo's crimson orbs widened slightly. 'Did she say three hundred?'
Seeing his expression, Elowen smiled as if blushing. "Yes... This old woman refuses to die. Maybe death is scared I'll bore it with my words. But wait, you don't seem bored. Ah, take that, death!"
'She sure talks a lot.' Leo smiled, revealing his countless triangular teeth, and he immediately closed them back so as not to scare the old woman, but she did not seem to care.
Soon, they were walking side by side slowly through the domes.
"Sir Aquarius, I heard you've seen the Tide of Seas and even fought a Condemned there. How was that experience? I'm sure it was dreadful and interesting at the same time. What am I even saying? You're a Pisces; I'm sure it wasn't hard at all."
The crimson eyes of the armor dimmed a little. "Honestly, it was very scary at first. I was scared of the Tide Of Seas. It almost ran me mad. I actually don't think it's a huge feat as everyone says it is..." he said, his voice trailing off.
"It's just... luck and desperation," Leo continued, his voice echoing slightly inside the bone-white helm. "I didn't feel like a hero. I felt like a man drowning who happened to find a knife."
Elowen didn't look disappointed. If anything, her yellow eyes crinkled with a deeper kind of approval. She leaned heavily on her staff, her slow pace forcing Leo to rein in his naturally restless energy.
"Honesty," she murmured. "A rare metal in this desert. Most would have woven a tapestry of lies about their bravery. But you... you admit the fear. That is what is worth being legendary. I'm centuries old; I've seen kings rise and fall, and many more experiences." She paused and glanced at him with a comforting smile.
"Do you know that if one lives long enough, one will see everything that is to be seen? Of course, I haven't gotten to that stage. But I hope I do."
She stared at the horizon. Colorless mounds rose and fell in the distance. The trapped ocean sky moved as if an invisible current was pushing it in different directions.
... It was beautiful.
"... I want to see everything there is to see. I want to know everything there is to know. I want to be burdened with knowledge, then death can come."
Leo paused for a while, enjoying the strange beauty of the desert. "Why?" he asked in a low tone.
Elowen nodded. "No reason in particular. Every human is born with dreams of their own, and that's my dream."
Leo then remembered Aquafina and sighed. She had also dreamed of reaching the surface, but it remained a dream in the end. What happened if he failed to save these people? Would their dreams also remain dreams like Aquafina's?
He gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. 'Not happening. Wait, was that the reason for this conversation in the first place?'
Elowen chuckled. "Oh, so you figured it out? This old woman here just wants to remind you that we all have dreams. The King, the King's female lackey, me, everyone else—including those who have died. The sea monsters dream of feasting on our flesh. Even the Spirit Of Madness had the dream of reaching here one day and destroying our realm. Yes, it's still a myth I refuse to believe, but what if it's true? Forget if it's true or not."
She paused and held Leo's gauntlet. "Do you want the Spirit Of Madness to achieve its dream, or the countless humans living in the city and the realm at large? Soon enough, the rest of the realm will be reaching our region and further increasing your burden. What will you do?"
Leo didn't reply at first, then he pushed the old woman's hand away slowly.
"I'll do everything I can. Not for the people or their dreams. My pride will be destroyed if I can't save your realm. My ego will be ruined. I'll be worthless. But no, I refuse to accept defeat. I'll save you, don't worry."
Elowen smiled and slowly turned, walking away with the aid of her walking stick. "I sure do hope your pride is enough reason to save us. But don't stress yourself too much; you've tried. Really. But remember, pride tends to be very tricky sometimes."
With that, the old woman slowly walked away until she disappeared into the midst of the domes, leaving Leo confused and a bit emotional.
'Why did I say that? I could have lied.'
Suddenly, a man came running towards him. It was the same messenger who had come to meet him and Lyra in the dark room.
Leo frowned. 'What now?'
"Sir Aquarius, we caught someone who's not from here, but he claims he's here looking for you."