Chapter 866: aning Of Nas
"You may call
Monika." Monika introduced herself as she stood up and perford a polite bow.
Alice opened her mouth and paused for a slight mont.
"Agnelia."
Using the na Alice, especially in Extalia was a little risky with the unknown dangers. In which case, it’s better to use the surna that Allura gave her.
"Agnelia... My oh my. Agne, the fla, the spark that defies. Lia, the boundless that wanders the realms. Combined into Agnelia, the light that defies and wanders the realms.
"A na representing the strength of loyalty and persistence. You have a wonderful na, little fla." Monika closed her eyes with a smile.
Taking the mont to savour the aning behind a single word.
"Are you... interested in the origin of nas?" Alice asked curiously, sitting down.
The woman in front of her was rather strange. The only ’life’ she has seen in the realm of nightmares thus far.
"Of course. Nas are a wonderous thing don’t you think? So believe that the na one receives dictates the direction of their life. Whether they know it or not, they tread upon a path already laid out before them." Monika leaned back with a slight smile.
The light from the campfire causing her shadow to flicker slightly.
"What do you think the na Monika ans?" She asked.
Alice shook her head.
"The roots of my na an Advisor. The one who warns and the one who tells the truth. However, it also ans the one who is alone. Moni, alone in darkness, the seer, the watcher. Ka, aning the soul or the voice within." Monika explained, resting her chin on her palm.
"So when you combine it." She grinned.
"The loneso watcher who warns."
"Is that why you told
what this camp was?" Alice asked curiously. Most of the ti people would simply ignore one another, at most make small talk when facing a situation like this. But Monika was giving her clarity in her ti of blindness.
Monika tilted her head.
"Perhaps. As a witch of these lands, I’ve co across many travellers. People of all shapes and sizes, personalities varying from one extre to another. Souls that weep, souls that cry out for battle.
"And without exception, I’ve given them the bare minimum they should know. Perhaps whoever gave
this na had already foreseen my actions. Rather than trying to defy what might not even be true, why not embrace said duty?" Monika chuckled.
"It’s not like I sit in one place waiting for travellers anyways, I don’t have that kind of leisure. This eting between you and I, perhaps it’s ordained by fate. Who knows?"
Alice couldn’t help but chuckle. She found it a little crazy though perhaps with everything going on in their world, it might not be too insane.
"So you’re a big believer of fate? Do you ever think about the people that try to defy it?" Alice asked.
Since her wounds have healed in this place, it’s not bad to take this mont to rest and converse with Monika. She’s also the only living person thus far and her only source of information.
"When one sees the Cogwheel of fate turn, how can one not beco a believer? The sequence of fate is simply a series of cogwheels connecting to each other. The choices change which cogwheel is placed as all options lead to certain possibilities.
"And when the wheels link up and turn, that’s when fate is set into motion. I’ve seen the machinations of fate thus who am I to deny the truth that I’ve witnessed?" Monika laughed.
Grabbing her staff, she tapped it against the ground and opened a small portal. From within the portal, a table appeared with two tea cups filled with tea.
"Care to have a drink? Little fla." Monika offered.
It would be a little rude to reject thus Alice accepted.
She took a drink and to her surprise, felt a warmth spread through her body, invigorating her strength.
This... warmth.
She realised so of her strength has returned.
"Seems like the tea is much to your liking. I’ve offered this tea to all the travellers I’ve co across. So accept and drink with glee, so reject with politeness. So question what this tea is and so, like you, drink because you may find it rude otherwise." Monika spoke calmly while sipping away at her own cup.
"In this land of nightmares, it’s not wise to take things as they are. What could be a cup of tea may in fact be a cup of blood and poison. What is a witch of these lands could in fact be a monster in waiting." She warned, her eyes glowing softly under the shadow of her hat.
"I don’t see the reason why you would go for such a roundabout way to kill . Especially considering I’m not all that strong right now." Alice shrugged, finishing the tea and placing the cup back on the table.
"You speak truth. Why would I need to go for such an annoying thod when ambushes are just so much better? They save the ti and conserve the effort." Monika laughed, placing her tea cup down.
"These campfires are your lifeline. Unlike humans, the beasts of these lands are moulded from shadows and fog. Their death is but temporary. But these campfires? They eternal.
"Even if a beast claws at your ankles, tears off your arm. So long as you can reach this safe anchor, they will dissipate to ash and fog, returning to whence they ca. Your wounds will be healed but so too will the beast be ready for your return." Monika lifted a butterfly from the branch before leaning towards Alice.
Looking at the butterfly from up close, Alice was about to say sothing when she saw a vision of the Informant. The finger on her lips as she warned Alice of three rules.
And the third of which...
Accept the world for what it is.
"I see. Since the butterflies lead
to this camp, are there more scattered through this city? Will the butterflies lead
to them as well? Or would they focus on this camp only." Alice asked, glancing up at Monika.
A knowing smile hung on her lips and Alice felt a slight chill.
"Heeding warnings of those who ca before are a good trait to have. You have a wonderful head on your shoulders little fla." Monika praised, holding her finger over her lips.
"And yes, there are many camps like this throughout the city. They serve as the keys to your vision. The more you find, the lighter the fog becos. And eventually, the city will reveal itself to you." She nodded.
Raising her staff, she gave it a light wave and the butterflies showed a path leading out of the camp, towards the next destination.
"Are all destinations the sa? Will I see others on my journey?"
Monika thought for a mont before shaking her head.
"Perhaps but I doubt it. This land is a vast one little fla. A delicate web threaded by the dreams of many. It’s lands reach beyond your wildest expectations. What you see may not even account for a single morsel of what this land may have to offer."
"And yet you travel these lands without issue all the while." Alice smiled, cutting Monika off.
"Heh~ Indeed, you have a good head on your shoulders little fla. The butterflies of these lands show the way. They will guide you to where you NEED to go." Monika nodded her head.
"But if you wish to venture out to the far reaches of this land to find others... Well. You’ll find out in due ti. This is sothing I’ll keep my silence on." She crossed her legs with an amused smile.
"Though... what happened to your proclamation of wanting to leave this place?"
"I assu it’s going to be the sa. I’ll find out in due ti and it’s sothing you’ll keep your silence on." Alice shrugged.
"You assu correct. Dreams and nightmares... they all end at a point. There is no eternal dream, not even in these lands."
"Since we’ve talked this much, are there other rules you can tell
about? To better help
navigate this city." Alice asked, placing the butterfly on her finger back onto the branch.
Monika folded her arms.
"I will let you know of two rules. All n are equal in the land of nightmares. We are all stripped down to our baser forms. Even if you lack the power in reality, you may earn what cannot be gained. And the thod of doing so... is through the Nightmare’s Embryo." She tapped her finger on the crystal embedded into her staff.
"This Embryo serves as both a guiding waypoint as well as a seed of power. Offer it to the branch and the path to power will open up. But you should always keep at least one with you at all tis. For losing this Embryo ans losing your path. And I don’t believe you want to wander these lands aimlessly.
"At the borders, you may get away with it. But after a certain distance... You may step down a path of no return. The ever shifting corridors that only these beings of beauty can guide you out of." Monika warned ominously.
"I see..." Alice glanced down at her own crystals.
"And the second rule... Well. It’s more of a natural instinct than anything else. Try to avoid death as much as you can. The... generosity of this land is false. It may feel better than the Abyss but..." Monika trailed off.
"There is a good reason why this is called the Land of Nightmares."
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