20th of spring, 521 AV
The crying drew her in. Aster had been heading for the Orphanage originally, wanting to check in on Imogen and to keep her promise to try and see the girl more; but the weeping caught her attention as she walked down the street, faint and distant, muffled, drifting out from between some buildings. Aster hesitated, torn for a moment; what if it was a trap? But it didn't matter; she couldn't say no to someone who might be hurt or in trouble.
Already, her feet moved seemingly on their own, carrying her forward, down the narrow alley that separated the two buildings and into a sort of courtyard. A fountain lay before her, ancient and fallen into disrepair, but beautiful all the same, and filled with shimmering, clear water.
Aster peered around for the source of the crying as she approached, but she didn't see anybody near the fountain, and as she looked around, she realized that the weeping had stopped. Unnerved and uneasy, Aster turned her head this way and that, frowning as she stepped closer to the fountain.
The water was shockingly clean, given the surrounding city; as Aster peered in, she noticed that she couldn't quite make out the bottom. Leaning over slightly, she was startled by a young boy's voice. "Careful miss. You wouldn't wanna fall in there." Aster whirled around, frowning at the young boy, fingers flexing cautiously.
"It's just a fountain," Aster said, glancing at it behind her again. The way the boy spoke was...ominous, and there was a grin playing at his mouth, a mischievous spark in his eyes.
"Oh no, not just a fountain. The Drowning Fountain. People fall in there, and they ain't never come back. Same with things, too. Here, watch." Aster stepped away from the fountain as the boy sauntered over, crouching to pick up a pebble and then flicking it into the fountain.
Aster peered in, watching the pebble sink, and sink, and sink...for a moment, she thought the water gleamed silvery in the depths somewhere, but it was hard to tell. Regardless, she couldn't see the pebble anymore. Either the fountain was much, much deeper than it appeared to be, which was unusual on its own, or there was something even more strange and sinister about it.
"I'll be sure to be careful, then," Aster said warily, glancing at the boy again. In the moonlight, his blonde hair seemed to glow white, and he grinned wolfishly at her. Abruptly changing the subject, Aster straightened up. "Did you hear a woman crying over here?"
The boy blinked at her, then laughed, and shook his head, turning to leave without another word. Aster frowned, but watched him go, shaking her own head. "Strange kid," she mumbled to herself, turning back to the strange fountain.
Crouching by the edge of it, Aster cautiously stuck a finger into the water. It was pleasantly cool and remarkably clean, but otherwise, seemed to be normal water. Aster leaned over closer, peering into the gleaming water; it was clear, yet no matter how far down she looked, Aster couldn't make out the bottom. It filled her with a sense of unease, and the more she looked, a deep sense of sorrow.
Already, her feet moved seemingly on their own, carrying her forward, down the narrow alley that separated the two buildings and into a sort of courtyard. A fountain lay before her, ancient and fallen into disrepair, but beautiful all the same, and filled with shimmering, clear water.
Aster peered around for the source of the crying as she approached, but she didn't see anybody near the fountain, and as she looked around, she realized that the weeping had stopped. Unnerved and uneasy, Aster turned her head this way and that, frowning as she stepped closer to the fountain.
The water was shockingly clean, given the surrounding city; as Aster peered in, she noticed that she couldn't quite make out the bottom. Leaning over slightly, she was startled by a young boy's voice. "Careful miss. You wouldn't wanna fall in there." Aster whirled around, frowning at the young boy, fingers flexing cautiously.
"It's just a fountain," Aster said, glancing at it behind her again. The way the boy spoke was...ominous, and there was a grin playing at his mouth, a mischievous spark in his eyes.
"Oh no, not just a fountain. The Drowning Fountain. People fall in there, and they ain't never come back. Same with things, too. Here, watch." Aster stepped away from the fountain as the boy sauntered over, crouching to pick up a pebble and then flicking it into the fountain.
Aster peered in, watching the pebble sink, and sink, and sink...for a moment, she thought the water gleamed silvery in the depths somewhere, but it was hard to tell. Regardless, she couldn't see the pebble anymore. Either the fountain was much, much deeper than it appeared to be, which was unusual on its own, or there was something even more strange and sinister about it.
"I'll be sure to be careful, then," Aster said warily, glancing at the boy again. In the moonlight, his blonde hair seemed to glow white, and he grinned wolfishly at her. Abruptly changing the subject, Aster straightened up. "Did you hear a woman crying over here?"
The boy blinked at her, then laughed, and shook his head, turning to leave without another word. Aster frowned, but watched him go, shaking her own head. "Strange kid," she mumbled to herself, turning back to the strange fountain.
Crouching by the edge of it, Aster cautiously stuck a finger into the water. It was pleasantly cool and remarkably clean, but otherwise, seemed to be normal water. Aster leaned over closer, peering into the gleaming water; it was clear, yet no matter how far down she looked, Aster couldn't make out the bottom. It filled her with a sense of unease, and the more she looked, a deep sense of sorrow.