30 Chapter 29: A Break Is A Man's Best Friend

Clack, clack. Tap, tap. Those were the two sounds that broke the solemnity of the stairs, as they resounded in that space, jostled around as they hit invisible barriers. Bie marveled at all the sights he saw as he made his way down the staircase, some of which will be described now, and some left for later times.

Each floor was like a sprawling neighborhood, some caught in a day some caught in the eternal rays of dusk, and some under a luminous night sky with several winking stars. There were industrial buildings, medieval buildings and some that seemed vaguely alien in shape, each intricately blended into each other as if someone had taken careful consideration into making the clashing elements into an abstract piece of art.

Tall skyscrapers composed entirely out of windowpanes; floating vehicles made of all kinds of materials, even wood and stone, futuristic weapons with beams of light and older weapons were both held by the various inhabitants, and there were even some holstered guns being toted. Some people sported chainmail, some sported battle suits like what you'd see in a dystopian film, and others wore business suits or other modern attire or even robes that seemed reminiscent of a shaolin monk.

Needless to say, every group walking around, or the numerous individuals had something unique about them, whether they had a custom made prosthetic due to a mishap with a part of their body, the features unique to each race of Guide, or the standout Messengers that drank, laughed, and traded freely with the native children of Uthreth.

Bie was quite interested in all the different types of goods and weapons he saw, curious as to when he'd get some free reign to do as the people outside the staircase were doing. Lapil was grateful for the silence Bie's mesmerized expression had wrought. He was still put off by the stars in his glowing eyes and the strands of hair wiggling as he skipped downwards to the very bottom of the spiral.

Lapil pushed his way through the passageway that marked their arrival of Caderia's base floor, taking him to a trail where they passed a green sign that had the letters 'RR' placed on it. Rolling prairies full of all kinds of flowers laid below a steady stream of tea green gales, all sorts of flowers and bushes flourishing amongst the grasses and reeds.

Bie and Lapil stopped right before a green cluster that was porous, as evidenced by the gusts of wind that flew in and out. A doorway appeared before the cluster, as the winds that didn't enter the cluster immediately pushed up against it, beckoning the two in.

Lapil pushed his hand against the door as a white healing sign emerged, showing that he had indeed brought out his Torch. The door gradually opened as the two's vision was dipped in a world of white, where the man who wore a messy suit and had long fern green hair and russian green eyes that laid prominently on a pure white androgynous face leaned against the white counter, his listless expression rising to greet the two.

"Welcome to Crossroads. You can leave Lapil. I gotta explain to Bie, and you can bring him after he leaves."

Lapil gave a wry smile, walking out of the white space while muttering under his breath. Something about 'that damn alcoholic is going on break', and 'should I be happy?' and 'hmph, taking me for a ferry or something…'

Sil sighed before offering Bie a small nod as a greeting, which Bie returned in kind. Sil let out a long whistle as he glanced over Bie again, realizing something.

"You're already at the Wondering Ladder, huh? You're impressive. Let me know if you need anything after you return." His voice carried a steady monotony, although his voice was sonorous in its deepness. He sounded even a little disinterested, but those that knew him well could see that this was his expression of excitement.

"You're a Guide. We kill Seers, and hopefully, their masters. We open Paths, explore them as well as achieve what they request, expanding the world and receiving things from it in return. Any questions?"

Bie shook his head and waited for Sil to resume his address, noticing that he did not give him the Path he would be going to. Sil nodded before continuing, impressed with the childe's patience.

"Okay. Seers block paths with their Babel's Thorns. Both our Torch and Sconce and their Thorns are effective against one another, so be careful. Be wary of any 'Other', and negotiate with them if you can."

"Now. Here's a suitable Path. Lapil is a bit slow, so I'll tell you about the time dilation right now. All Paths have time that flows at different rates, and in this one, half a day here is about a year. Stay as long as you need to, don't be in a rush. Yeah?"

"Alright. Thank you, mister Sil." Bie received a gust of wind that turned into a piece of paper, while Sil waved him off.

"No, no. It's my job, and I'm about to have my fifteen minute break. My pleasure. Goodbye." The wind worked to carry Bie out of the white space entirely, and the young Guide did not fight against it. It would've been futile to anyways, as Sil was quite strong. He had to be to maintain so many Wind Minds and Wind Copies.

Sil finally let a small smile drift over his face as he embraced the tranquility that washed over him as he set a fifteen minute timer. Out of a pocket of air, a can of soju was carried along by a gentle breeze as it found its way in his hands.

Cha! He cracked open the lid and brought the can up to his lips as a strong smell filled the white space, gulping down the alcoholic liquid within as his face showed just the slightest hint of color.

"Kkkkkhhh…that's the good stuff." He started flying in the air before abruptly standing in suspended animation, pulling out cans as he finished the ones that slipped into and out of his hands. By the time he had downed ten cans, only five minutes had passed.

—

Bie emerged from the white space known as the Crossroads in a flash, appearing right in front of Lapil who was poking around his magician's top hat. The young man got up from the ground and gestured towards his top hat's brim.

"You've got the paper, right? What does it say?" He asked, mentally preparing himself to sit in one spot for a whole day without doing anything.

'Wait, I get a whole day of doing nothing? Like, nothing nothing? No babysitter duty? No sarcasm? Ah!' His mind suddenly interjected when Bie handed him the paper, his eyes eagerly scanning over the contents before recalling the area in his head.

"We're heading to the Dead God Desert, where the dunes are white. Specifically, we're heading to the Eye of Gothul, a depression formed when the wretched God fell from the Babel and had to climb his way back up the layers in shame! Ha! There's even a Bridge based on the powers of Gothul, now please, hop in!"

Bie walked into the brim, excited by the prospect of a new place to see.