29th of Summer, 516 AV
In an effort to start saving his mizas, Phobius had been staying at the Inn less and less. It made him a bit sad that he couldn't see Miss Georgia as often as he liked to, but she'd told him that he could pop in for a visit whenever he wanted, and that the Temple of Ionu was a good place to stay if he was having trouble finding somewhere else. With all of the new people that'd been pouring into the city, lately, the Inn was running out of rooms, so she couldn't save one for him, but that was alright. He wanted it to go to someone who needed it. Besides, staying at the Temple for a few nights sounded like it could be fun. He could just spend the time talking to people and making friends.
She had told him other things, too. Like how people had been talking about not-so-nice things happening; friends getting hurt right outside of their homes and money getting snatched from people's pockets, to name a few. And some of those people were saying that the new people were the ones to blame for all of it. With a frown on his face and an odd feeling in his stomach, Phobius had asked the woman if she thought that it was true. "To be honest, I don't quite know what to think," she'd said. "It could be true...but at the end of the day, it's just a rumor, and people who are scared for their lives will believe anything."
Some time after that the boy had left, taking Miss Georgia's words with him. When that door had disappeared a couple of seasons ago, he'd hoped that Alvadas would go back to being normal—well, as "normal" as an ever-changing city filled with illusions could be—but it hadn't. After all, Alvads were still getting attacked in the streets, and by who? A bunch of people who'd traveled from far and wide to come to the city? People who might have wanted to see their friends or start a business or get away from bad things that had happened at home?
No. Phobius didn't think so.
He wandered for a little bit, letting his feet take him wherever they wanted to, and was surprised when he wound up facing a wall. It was weird, but he didn't think much of it; not until he'd found himself standing in front of five more of them.
Since when did so many of Alvadas' streets end in walls?
The seventh one ended up being different from the others, made of bricks that looked new instead of old and dull, as though someone had built the wall overnight, and there was something near it; something that was furled in on itself.
It took the boy a moment to realize that that something was, in fact, a person, dressed in a pitch-black cloak that covered them from head to toe. And it was strange, seeing them out here all alone when most people didn't seem to want to come outside, anymore.
Curious, Phobius walked over to them. "Umm...hello? Are you asleep?" he asked, squatting beside them and tilting his head in an effort to catch a glimpse of their face. The hood hid most of it. "Napping here is no good."
"This is speech in Nari."
This is thought.
In an effort to start saving his mizas, Phobius had been staying at the Inn less and less. It made him a bit sad that he couldn't see Miss Georgia as often as he liked to, but she'd told him that he could pop in for a visit whenever he wanted, and that the Temple of Ionu was a good place to stay if he was having trouble finding somewhere else. With all of the new people that'd been pouring into the city, lately, the Inn was running out of rooms, so she couldn't save one for him, but that was alright. He wanted it to go to someone who needed it. Besides, staying at the Temple for a few nights sounded like it could be fun. He could just spend the time talking to people and making friends.
She had told him other things, too. Like how people had been talking about not-so-nice things happening; friends getting hurt right outside of their homes and money getting snatched from people's pockets, to name a few. And some of those people were saying that the new people were the ones to blame for all of it. With a frown on his face and an odd feeling in his stomach, Phobius had asked the woman if she thought that it was true. "To be honest, I don't quite know what to think," she'd said. "It could be true...but at the end of the day, it's just a rumor, and people who are scared for their lives will believe anything."
Some time after that the boy had left, taking Miss Georgia's words with him. When that door had disappeared a couple of seasons ago, he'd hoped that Alvadas would go back to being normal—well, as "normal" as an ever-changing city filled with illusions could be—but it hadn't. After all, Alvads were still getting attacked in the streets, and by who? A bunch of people who'd traveled from far and wide to come to the city? People who might have wanted to see their friends or start a business or get away from bad things that had happened at home?
No. Phobius didn't think so.
He wandered for a little bit, letting his feet take him wherever they wanted to, and was surprised when he wound up facing a wall. It was weird, but he didn't think much of it; not until he'd found himself standing in front of five more of them.
Since when did so many of Alvadas' streets end in walls?
The seventh one ended up being different from the others, made of bricks that looked new instead of old and dull, as though someone had built the wall overnight, and there was something near it; something that was furled in on itself.
It took the boy a moment to realize that that something was, in fact, a person, dressed in a pitch-black cloak that covered them from head to toe. And it was strange, seeing them out here all alone when most people didn't seem to want to come outside, anymore.
Curious, Phobius walked over to them. "Umm...hello? Are you asleep?" he asked, squatting beside them and tilting his head in an effort to catch a glimpse of their face. The hood hid most of it. "Napping here is no good."
"This is speech in Nari."
This is thought.
