Chapter 2 - The Royal Cliff

Smelling the fresh grass beneath us, and listening to the birds chirping in the sky, filled me with a sense of relaxation long forgotten. Just walking through the enormous yet enclosed forest ground, with small peeks of light sneaking their way through the canopies cracks. Not a word is spoken as we traverse the floor of the forest. Passing the massive trees and fallen branches on the ground makes one feel so small in the world, like a speck of grain in a desert. Squeezing our way through the smaller areas of the forest ground. Wound around a smaller mushy hill, when Rito suddenly yells.

 "I think I see some of the cliff over there!" Rito points over to a slightly lightened up area, as parts of the towering cliff appear in our eye-sight, imposing over the forest with a dark shadow. 

"How is it so huge, last time we went down it seemed like nothing!" I complain.

"It's just a perspective thing I suppose." Rito answers.

 "Hm, I guess so." We move closer to the foot of the cliff, to see any sort of path to make the journey up a bit manageable. Immediately we spot a small entrance, located atop some steep steps of dirt. We both slowly climb onto the smoldering dirt, making sure we don't ruin the steps. Finally entering through the small entry.

Slowly walking through the small cold corridor, feeling the dirt between my fingers, as I hold onto the wall. 

"This tunnel's walls feel so weak, like it could collapse at any moment. These tiny enclosed spaces drive me insane. Could we get out of here soon?!" Rito rants on.

I just nod in agreement. As we approach the end of the tunnel, light floods through the opening. Getting closer to the end we can start to distinguish what is on the other side of the tunnel. 

I look to see that we finally reached the end, finally stepping foot into lumiancy, I look around for more path, as my eyes are met with a swirling walkway upwards.

"Seems so narrow, is that the only way up?" I remark.

"I'm afraid it is, but I'm positive we can make it, we just have to hug the wall, and be on the lookout for any crumbling pieces of dirt." Rito replies. I nod.

Clinging to the flimsy roots piercing through the dirt, we make our way upwards the cliff. We are finally given a breather, when we reach a small plateau on the pathway. Rito slings down to sit a bit. 

"How farther up do you think we need to climb? My muscles are aching so bad!" Rito whines.

"Not my fault you're weak in the arms." 

"Ha ha very funny, but it's not just my fault."

"How so, it's not like you train a lot."

"You wouldn't get it." Rito pauses slightly, with a wondering look.

"I'm just gonna explain it. Fischerans are born pretty normally, but with age slowly comes the ability to 'phase' as the books put it. And right now at least my body is in a sort of transition where I don't have much control over how my body reacts."

"Sounds bizarre…" I say, still climbing up the trimmed tight dirt path..

 "In my opinion it's cool, and of what I've read, later on my body can even make blades pass through it, though of course as of now I would be more lucky if that happened. And after that, I'll maybe even be able to liquify."

"Wait wait, liquify???" I ask bewildered.

 "Yeah… Like, turn into a puddle." Rito whispers loud enough for me to catch.

"A puddle?! That's hilarious, what good use would that do?" I ask with my eyes in tears.

"I don't know? Maybe running away from danger?"

"Yeah right! Not like people can swing downwards with their swords or anything." Rito rolls his eyes at my comment.

 How's it looking at the front by the way?" I ask while Rito mumbles a bit to himself.

"There shouldn't be too much path left." He remarks stopping is mumble.

"Well that's reassuring." I reply snarkly. He lifts himself up and dusts the crumbs of dirt off his armor. 

"Urgh, crumbles of dirt are getting in my hair!"

"Heh, why don't you just cut it short like mine, huh Rito" I jab Rito with another tease.

"In two seconds you will be laying on the forest ground." Rito sternly says with a hint of a smile.

"Ha. Ha." I smile awkwardly, I don't think it would take too much for him to mean it. 

We walk around the winding path, with small steps getting us ever so more close to the top. Rito stops up, looking ahead. A gap big enough to fall down through, and long down enough to kill us is right in the path. Rito quickly turns to look at me. 

"We just have one slight issue, there is a hole in the path, lucky it's not that big of a gap, we can jump over with ease." I say. 

"Still be careful. Also I'll go after you, just to make sure it's safe y'know." Rito says jokingly. 

"Yeah yeah you're really funny, just be ready to jump down and save me if I don't make it right." I say. 

"Yeah of course, just jump already!" I take a step back, and get ready to jump over. I run ahead with full speed and as I could feel myself lifting away from the last step of dirt, I was in the air. 

I make myself ready to grab the ledge, and as I feel a part of the ledge on my right hand, fear strikes in my entire body. I just manage to grab on with my hand, I hang there for a bit before I realize what is happening, Rito is yelling at me to pull up and I do. I get my left hand on the ledge as well, I pull myself up from certain death, hyperventilating. 

"Rito, it's way farther than it looks, be careful!" I yell at Rito. I place myself farther from the ledge to give Rito room to land. 

"I'll be here if you can't make it!" I yell at Rito. He takes a step back, looks at me worryingly, he then closes his eyes and runs for it. Suspended in the air he floats for what feels too long, is he even going to make it. And as quickly as he'd jumped he was nearly at the ledge. His first foot landing on the crumbly soil, but as his second foot follows with, it grazes of the plateau.

His whole body just about to tip over and fall down, I bolt over to him and I grab him by the arm and I pull him in. Slightly falling back, I check and make sure he is on steady ground, I let him sink down to the ground where we just sit still for a couple seconds. My mind wandering to places long been, and vaguely forgotten in my mind's eye.

Black covers my vision, as I feel my dusty eyelids slowly peeling open to the sound of muttering outside, I'm laying on my sandstone bed, with an itchy dark crimson blanket on. I flip myself over, as a lantern moves into my field of vision. Lighting up the room with a dark warm orange hue. I swing my legs over the bed frame, trying to wake them up. And as I just get to sit up straight, the door to my chamber slides open. 

"Hey ere' bud." A scruffed up tall man stands in my door frame, his slight stubble across his cheek complementing his long dry half curled hair. A dull and charred piece of armor suit is equipped all over his body. He smells of burnt charcoal, a smell I so dearly enjoy.

 "Dad!" I yell, letting my legs move in rapid succession to embrace in a tight hug with my returned father.

"You are'a choking the air outta me son!" My dad yells out in humor, while letting an exaggerated gasp of air out.

"How'd your mission go? Did you catch all the evils of the world yet?"

"Sure did, and I put 'em all in cells! Making sure they learnin' their lesson!" He grabs me by the arms, and as briefly as I was grounded to the floor, I was high in the air. My dad swinging me around like a boulder on a rope.

"And there ya' go!" I feel the rushed blood in my body settle slowly, as I had been sat on the ground again, my head turned away from the gate-door.

"Your old man is too tired to lift you to the sky right now Judari." He says gasping for air, as I feel a familiar soft yet worked hand, ruffling around in my curly hair. 

"My my Judari, seems you've remembered to wash your hair properly while we were gone." My scalp feels the slightly pointed fingernails graze across, the sensation bringing both satisfaction and a chilling shock running along my spine.

"I said I could take care of myself, as I promised!" I say as I turn around to see the caring embrace of my mother, her long straight hair flowing across her silvered and shiny shoulder plates.

"Yes he did, he taught me a whole bunch about Kasparan people!"

"Ey that Isaac don't need tah teach ya everythin'. If ya' didn't know, your dad here actually knows quite a lot about Kasparans." My dad says.

"You know a lot about Kasparan people?"

"Well well now, my very own child doubtin' me huh. You are'a making me cry, son." My dad sniffles in good humor, with a clear smile ready to burst from his lips.

"Gah Judari! I'm just takin' a piss, but I bet you didn't know your old man had a Kasparan mentor when he was a youngin' Sigil." 

"You had a Kasparan mentor? Was he a Sigil Knight as well! Could I meet him!" I say jumping up and down in giddy.

"He was a Sigil, yes. But erhm, how about meeting ihm' for another day.

"Alright..." I let myself become quiet, as my parents had started their own conversation.

"Inari, before I came in Isaac gave me a letter, straight from Luther. It has intel and details of a raid that's going to happen to a small settlement in the outskirts of the Royal Wood. It says the Wraith Knights are the ones who are planning to attack."

 "Oh always with the intel, how's he getting intel anyway, Vari. Them Wraith Knights must be bad at planning or sumthing am I right? Harh!" My dad nearly laughs his armor off.

"So." My mother looks at me with caring eyes. "Judari, we'll have to be gone again soon, but guess what? I got me and your father off duty for a while after this, maybe we can travel a bit, explore a little in the world. Is that alright sweety?" My mom suggests.

 "Of course!" I yell out. With chirping squawks screeching into my ears. My vision slowly starting to fade to black, then into a dim dark green hue. My eyes adjusting to the expansive vibrant forest, as a flock of unrecognizable birds fly past me and Rito as the flock they are.

I look to Rito, his glistening cyan hair and skin, damped by the dirt dust from the cliff.

"So, are we gonna keep moving?" I ask as a look of determination comes clear cross Rito's face.

"Let's get going." We look at the path ahead of us, and realize the hardest part has passed, we were home free. As we reach the last step, we lift ourselves up the final piece of the cliff. The weights on our shoulders fly off, and we can finally take a deep breath of relief. We look towards the gigantic gate ahead of us, towering over the cliffs keeping the forest inclosed.

I slowly start taking steps towards the gate, casting its shadow upon us built up of light gray bricks, reaching the surrounding mountains in sheer size. Stepping under the massive construction, we feel the fresh breeze of sea salt and birds squawking. We finally reached the Cardinal Crossing. Looking out into the green fresh grass, and the glistening azure water, filled me with a sense of relaxation long forgotten.

The light and subtle titters of a familiar melody strings across my ear. I can barely even hear the song or instrument being played, but just enough notes make their way to my ear to make me recognize it.

"Can you hear that Rito?"

"Hear what?" He says as we walk in silence for a few seconds.

"Oh wait, I can hear it, is it that melody?" 

 "Yes. I don't remember fully what song it is, but it's just on the tip of my tongue.

" I recognize it. Don't you remember last time we traveled through Cardinal Crossing. I talked about that famous bard that played, called Vinifera, who can heal people just with a string played on her lute." Rito says.

"I well. I was distracted by the mountains…" Rito stares at me with an emotionless yet annoyed face.

"They just interested me alright?" Rito lets out a sigh.

"Doesn't matter much, but I demand that after Sentinel, we'll visit Vinifera at the Wayside Inn, and of course get an autograph, kind of fun how it's just a place for people to pass through though, heh." Rito lets out an awkward laugh.

"I have no clue why you find that funny Rito, but go for it."