Chapter 2: 1.2 World Tree

On the end of the enormous branch of the World Tree as such a height, the view from there truly encompassed the hermit kingdom in its entirety.

“Beautiful…” She muttered, an exhilarating feeling overcoming her once more.

Far off in the distance beyond the shores of the kingdom, the inner eye wall of the Eternal Storm rested, shaped like a lacquerware, taller than the mountains, and serenely circulating like the waves below; a sight most would call heavenly.

Putting his book down, Ryza looked at what transfixed her, ““The clouds?” he asked her.

“And Yggdrasil itself. Hah, what else,” Her hands were spread out as if to embrace the sight; half-embrace it. She then turned to look at him, with a brimming smile that exuded a child’s curiosity she asked, “Does it no longer captivate you my prince?”

She was a tall kitsune, taller than he would perhaps ever be; missing an arm, half her face covered in scars from flames; and her eyes, one azure while the latter glowed aureate with an intricate iris— artificial, an artifact of sorts.

She must’ve been a beauty, once, Ryza thought. Though now with those scars, plenty fairer and prettier than her would be easy to find. Yet he could not help but feel an inexplicable sense of attraction when he stared back into her gaze. The beating of his heart that felt most pleasant yet discomforting, something he would not deign to admit, least to himself.

“They’re just clouds,” He replied, half-heartedly.

The latter paused, “Pffttt!” a voice escaped her, which soon broke into laughter. “Hahaha,” Ryza consequently, felt embarrassed and became puzzled by it, though he stayed quiet.

Soon she stopped laughing and looked up and sighed, “They’re just clouds,” she repeated, solemnly. And in a tone more sympathetic she spoke once more, “Have you ever been outside of Yggdrasil, Ryza?”

“I haven’t, none can leave nor enter. The only outsider Yggdrasil has welcomed ever since the Golden Age is you, Lady Aileen.”

“Oh, I didn’t know that.” Her expression changed to one of indifference. She sat down with her legs crossed. “What a shame… but at least it makes for one more notch under my belt.”

“Notch?”

“Hmm? What about it?”

“I don’t understand.”

“Heh… It means that… Well… Hold on and let me think...” Now sitting straight, she continued, “You see, the Golden Age was a long time ago. While Yggdrasil has stayed much the same since then, nations outside rise and fall quite frequently, ad nauseam. Throughout ages, the existence of Yggdrasil, well, it became a myth. A mystery land only described in books of lore! And—“

“So, you found us by accident?”

“Hm? No, I specifically looked for it.”

“Why, if you mean we are merely a myth.”

“That is what an explorer do. Find, uncover, discover— things, places.”

“Explorers, exploring, is that a job?”

“It’s a job of merits and laurels, unlike other specializations an adventurer can pursue.”

Ryza paused some time, “…Tell me more.”

----

The day came close to its end, and afternoon soon descended before they knew it.

The clouds as tall as the mountains, covered much of the horizon and thus, most of Yggdrasil in its phase of night for some time now. Most that is.

Atop perhaps the largest World Tree in existence, on one of its highest branches, that overlooked the ring of clouds itself, night had yet to fall there.

While most of Yggdrasil found itself covered under a blanket of darkness, the top one-fifth of the World Tree still faced much light from the sunset, part of it diffusing through the clouds as it went down the horizon.

The dichotomy of the light and dark over the kingdom made for an even more memorable view.

Looking down was a sea of darkness, a terrain barely visible enough to make out the scattered structures and pathways down below. And the lit-up places which looked like small clusters of stars or fireflies.

 From dawn till dusk, they had been talking about many things. Ryza had tagged along with Aileen out of curiosity, but he ended up transfixed in conversation with her for so long instead.

He learned much about the world outside, of other nations, of her, and about adventurers.

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At first, he was wary of her, but as they conversed, her openness to share her experiences about her journey, and her unabashed truthfulness opened him without him even knowing it.

“Ahh, that was a good talk, thanks for the company.” Aileen said as she stretched herself, both looking at the sunset in front of them. “I should leave now.”

 “Would you come back tomorrow?” Ryza asked her in a soft voice, who was already up ready to leave.

“…I will have to,” She replied with a smile, “I need a guide. And after all, I have my promises to fulfill.” With that, she left, leaving Ryza all alone by himself.

He stared at the sunset. Novelty, he kept repeating it in his mind.

He didn’t get it, he didn’t get what was so interesting about the clouds, about the unknown, and about the sunset in front of him.

It certainly transfixed people, so why not him?

The outside world mesmerized him much more than that. It was all so interesting to hear that instead.

Time passed by, and soon the sun too disappeared beyond the horizon, the moon and the stars taking over the domain of the sky in its place.

In the darkness that had just enough light to see his path of descend, Ryza got up and began to leave.

On his way down, he recalled what Lady Aileen told him earlier, how she would teach him how to see like an explorer. He didn’t know what she meant by it exactly. Nor did he know how she would manage it.

Mired deep in thought, he reached his destination before he knew it. In front of him was a beautiful mansion that rested at the base of a branch near the upper-middle section of the world tree, one of the higher structures on the world tree.

He went inside through the front entrance. Opening the door, a jingle that announced his arrival rang.

In the reception where he stood, none was there, except for a man in a suit wearing a fedora, behind the counter reading a book, too busy to notice him.

Ryza walked up to the counter, “Robyn.” He said to him.

“Ah, young master Ryza, what a pleasant surprise to have you here at this hour,” putting down his book, the man replied with some pleasantries. “Pleasure. So. What can I do for you?”

“I’m staying here for tonight.”

“Did something happen at Val Jyra again?”

“Nothing of that sort, you think too much,” Ryza replied with a hint of sarcasm in his tone. “I just didn’t want to walk all the way back home so I’m staying here for the night. I’ll go home tomorrow in the morning.” He slid a gold coin on the desk towards him.

Robyn smiled, and a key flew fast towards Ryza, which he easily caught with his hand. Robyn’s psychokinesis that was.

With that, he went upstairs.

“Do enjoy your stay.” Robyn said to Ryza as he disappeared around the corner.

----

The key fit in, and with a turn, the large intricately carved door swung open. Inside, was a large bed with a canopy, made of the same dark wood as the door; a balcony overlooking a garden below, furniture, paintings, and two other doorways that led to a bathroom and wardrobe respectively, lit up by a hanging magic chandelier in the middle of the ceiling and other smaller magic lamps.

Ryza didn’t care much to look around and went straight for the bed. Laying there on the comfortable mattress he took off his mask he always wore outside, and stared at it intently. A heirloom of the Seishin Clan, it was a white fox mask with intricate highlights, which exuded a faint and suppressed aura.

He touched his forehead of the mask, and after some time, he placed it aside respectfully on the desk beside him.

He got up, cleaned himself, and went to sleep without so much as another word. The hotel was high class one, and barely ever received any guests. Shortly afterwards in complete silence, he fell asleep.

----

The sun finally dawned. The balcony which was wide, illuminating the whole room without a need for lights, waking up Ryza as a result.

The cloud’s peak was at the same eye level as his right now.

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