High Places

A beautiful celestial blue conquering the vast clear sky... The sun shining brightly above us as it moved slowly towards the horizon... The clouds far below us, hiding whoever and whatever is down there... Although at first it made me dizzy due to the height, it was certainly a gorgeous sight to behold.

"I always thought that the top of mountains would usually be very cold...", Jeffrey commented as he looked around the area, examining it up and down.

Just as he said, this place actually pretty nice in temperature... It's rather comfortable, even trees have grown here. They, with their beautiful green leaves and different kinds of flowers, decorated the small houses and buildings of what seemed to be a village built up here... But there was something about this village that made me feel unsettled...

"There's something strange...", I said as I looked at each of the houses. Approaching with my sword risen, my thoughts and feelings were confirmed. Although it was a nice-looking village, there was no one to live here... We were in a ghost village.

Though the sun shined brightly in the clear sky, the thought and the feeling of having no one here were... They made this place become rather creepy and scary somehow. The whisper of voices only made it worse, it sounded like the deceased of the village were still here... But if you paid close attention, you soon would realize it was just the howling of the wind...

"So... Strange...", I silently commented, alarmed to those non-existent voices.

"Hey, Dagger... Shouldn't we get the health potion now? We were pretty hurt during that fight...", Jeffrey suddenly said, and that scared me for a moment, but I quickly recomposed and looked at the shoulder bag that was him.

"Ah, sure. You're with the loaves in there, right?"

"Yes... I think we will be eating the rest of the loaf", he said, while taking one of the loaves out of the bag and showing there was just enough for us three. I sighed a little, the first loaf had already been consumed entirely... But I couldn't complain, after all, we were using it for ourselves to heal. It's an important motive.

As we finished eating our parts of the loaf, the fox started to run around the village... It apparently had caught a scent that attracted it and, curiously, it went after the source. We were still slowly regenerating from our wounds, but we tried to follow it to wherever it was going after too.

"Hey, Beech! Slow down, we're still regenerating...", I said to it, but it didn't listen to me.

After a few seconds of chasing the fox around, it turned to the right on a corner and we lost sight of it... And when we turned there to see where he had gone to... We saw the temple... The biggest building in the area, with markings, colors, and pillars that made it stand out even more.

"Wait... Is that-"

"It can only be...", I interrupted Jeffrey. "If Air is in the top of this mountain, there's no other place for her to live if not inside that temple...".

"I suppose... Shall we head inside, then?", he asked and, with a nod, I started to walk inside that giant temple. Well, I could tell why he was so excited, so I just sighed a little with a smile and then walked inside the temple as well.

The temple was bigger than it seemed to be... The first and only chamber of the temple was so large, I bet that about five dragons just like the one we saw could fit inside here. However, I couldn't clearly see... It was too dark, I had to stop in face of such darkness...

That's when a strange wind blew, bringing with it what seemed to be a strange glowing powder... Going to the middle of the chamber and illuminating its surroundings, the powder formed glowing crystals that floated mid-air and scared away the darkness of the chamber.

"Hello, Dagger... I have been waiting for you ever since my sister mentioned you...", a figure, made with the wind that brought the powder here, said. It was made entirely of air, even the clothes... It was strange to be able to see wind... But this made it very clear, I was in front of her, the goddess of Air...

"Ah, Air...", Jeffrey started to say, perplexed... Shocked perhaps is a word that fits better now. "I... I have heard so much of you, but I never knew you did exist... I have so many questions, if you don't mind answering them... First of all-"

"Wait, wait... Calm down...", she simply interrupted him. "Uh... If I am not mistaken, you're Jeffrey, right? I believe that despite the many questions you have, it would be much better if you found the answer yourself instead of having me to answer you", she said smiling a little bit and then looking at me again.

"Now, Dagger... I believe you're here for something... The pure magical Air, which together with the other elements, can give the material you need to craft the Key of Love... Isn't that right?", she asked.

"I... I indeed am", I answered her.

"Very well... If you reached so far, you have already proven your worthiness, Dagger... But... There's something I need to ask you before giving my element to you. Would you be willing to do it?"

"I will go as far as I can go for it..."

"Your determination and will are surely interesting and valuable, Dagger", she said with a gentle small smile on her face. "So here is what I ask... Did you see the village that lies outside? It was the village where my most loyal followers lived once... They used to go down this mountain and do the ritual of blessings, that allow the mountain to be warm on the top, great for living. But one day, they simply did not come back... They had all died, I can feel their souls ever since then..."

"I... Did feel something when walking on the village...", I commented, but she wasn't surprised.

"Yes... They simply died and they themselves don't know the motive, they cannot rest in peace. They will wander here in this village until they learn of this motive... If I can ask you this, please, help them...", she said... Her expression showed great concern with those who once followed her.

I gave her words some thought... It did seem a little bit strange, to be the one who will allow souls to rest in peace... And I don't even know how to start this... But... I suppose those people deserve a peaceful afterlife... As much as I need the element.

"I will try to help... No promises, however..."

"Ah, thank you... If you need, take this. It's the necklace of souls, it allows you to see and talk with those who died but do not rest in peace. I am sure the poor souls of the village can help you with some information", she said, handing me the strange necklace, made with what seemed to be bones. "Now... Please, the sooner, the better"

"Of course... I will be going now" I said and then walked out of the temple.