Chapter twenty-three
The Oriental Plane of the Sky
Penelope stirred from her restless sleep, her eyelids fluttering open to reveal the dim, sterile room that confined her. She allowed her gaze to sweep across the cold, tal walls Once again, she found herself imprisoned in this bleak environnt, with no ans to escape the oppressive atmosphere that surrounded her. Before her hung a large screen, flickering to life with a brightness that montarily blinded her. The mont the glow penetrated the shadows, a series of folders filled with docunts appeared, cascading down the screen like a waterfall of evidence. She leaned closer, her fingertips grazing the surface of the display as she desperately flipped through folder after folder.
The sheer volu of information was staggering; hundreds, if not thousands, of docunts appeared before her in chaotic disarray. With a heavy sigh, she leaned back, frustration washing over her.
How on earth could she possibly sift through such a vast sea of evidence to uncover the truth behind a woman's death?
Questions flooded her mind as she struggled to comprehend Lucius's reasoning for sending her on this impossible mission.
The weight of her circumstances pressed heavily on her chest—she would have preferred facing death herself then being forced to relive the haunting mories of her own mother's demise.
As the recollection of that fateful day crept back into her consciousness, Penelope buried her face in her lap, the warmth of her tears soaking through the fabric.
The screen grew dimr, the glow fading as her world descended into darkness.
The very next morning, a loud gasp of horror echoed in the peaceful silence in the seashell house.
Elizabeth, sinking in the mattresses, jerked awake. Rubbing her wrist, her entire body gave a hard shook when she heard sobody stumbling up the stairs. Elizabeth reached for her dagger and prepared to lunge.
The door burst open, propelled by a fierce gust of wind, and there stood Emily, her face pale and breathless.
"Veronica is missing!" she gasped, her voice trembling with an unnaable dread that sent a chill through the air.
Elizabeth, startled by the urgency in Emily's tone, hurried down the stairs and followed her into the living room. What awaited them stopped her cold.
The walls, once adorned with calm family portraits, now bled with ominous, blood-red letters that clawed at her senses.
“Fire is flickering in the torches. Darkness is approaching. She and I shall bring death upon you all.” Beneath those chilling words lay a vibrant pool of fresh blood, glistening ominously on the floor like a macabre flower blooming in the shadowy light.
And in that haunting silence, Veronica was nowhere to be found.
"What can we do now?" Emily said shrilly.
"It could only an that Veronica's in trouble!" gaped Elizabeth, clutching her heart.
"You rember how strict she was when we were interning, how hard she pushed us? Who cared if she was in danger or not?" Muttered Percy as he flung himself onto a sofa.
"But still, she had helped you to get into the institute, she had offered you a house—" Elizabeth said earnestly, "How can you be so ruthless?"
"Alright, what are we going to do?” Sighed Percy, straightening up. He tugged at his lopsided bag and fished his sword out.
"We are going to finish the task by ourselves, rember the first jewel, the Sagacity Sapphire, in a well?"
"Yes, there is a well that can provide people with imnse wisdom, the Well of Wisdom, in Jotunheim, the Kingdom of Giants," Emily exclaid cheerfully.
"The kingdom of giants? Tell you are kidding." Retorted Percy, looking incredulous.
"When shall we start?" asked Emily suddenly, standing up, rubbing her palms together.
"Now." A voice rang in Elizabeth's head, which she had repeated to the others without realizing what she had just said.
"Now?" asked Emily, looking aghast, "But—"
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"How on earth can we get there exactly?" asked Percy, shaking his head slightly.
"Well, if you have decided—I’ve got you sothing amazing." Whispered Emily as she sat bolt upright.
"Now."
They unlocked the door, cracked it open softly, and stepped out of the gate.
The seabed was glittering with millions of shimring pearls.
But nobody was there, no one, not even a seahorse was wandering around on the street diagonally.
"This is weird, usually—" whispered Percy, looking utterly bewildered.
"Shhh, the vehicle is on its way." Emily whispered smoothly, "The Oriental Plane of the Sky." She added tentatively.
"What's that supposed to be?" asked Percy crankily.
"It's the only vehicle that can travel to the kingdom of giants." Snapped Emily briskly, she then thrust her palms toward the sky. And the imdiate erald fla began to flicker in her palms, changing various tints by seconds, and dancing violently through her fingertips.
Emily started to sing, a deeper voice grunted out from her throat, followed by a long exhale.
But it didn't sound right, though.
Unknown hymns humd out from her pursed lips, and the multicolored flas began to swirl in the middle of her palms, forming sothing pointy. And with a loud crack, the fla had taken the form of a harmonica.
Emily blew hard, and sowhere high above, an engine was blowing.
An enormous silhouette glided nacingly toward them from the enveloping darkness, accompanied by a dazzling beam of light that burst forth, blinding them montarily. Elizabeth squinted against the intensity and her eyes gradually adjusted to reveal an astonishing sight: four opulent armchairs, their plush cushions gleaming softly, were affixed to a remarkably large skateboard that floated through the air with an otherworldly grace. As it descended, the hum of movent filled the air, and with a resounding thud, it landed heavily on the ground, sending wisps of dust swirling around it.
“Up, visitors, up, soulblenders,” croaked a voice that was raspy and deep, echoing from the core of the peculiar vehicle as if it were alive.
Determined, Elizabeth gripped the edge of the skateboard and deftly hoisted herself onto her elbow, launching herself into one of the indulgent chairs. The fabric was rich and soft, enveloping her like a warm embrace amid the strange circumstances. One by one, her companions followed suit, settling into their own cushions while the bizarre scene unfolded.
“Ready for your flight?” the gravelly voice reverberated again, a tinge of excitent lacing its tone.
Before any protest could escape their lips, thick, rough-hewn belts sprang forth from hidden compartnts beneath the chairs, snaking around their bodies with an alarming speed. The restraints tightened with an uncomfortable grip, pinning their arms firmly against the chair's cushioned sides, leaving them trapped.
“What the hell are you doing?” Emily shouted, her voice laced with urgency as she thrashed against the constricting bonds. With each passing mont, the belts pulled tighter, increasing her panic as she realized the extent of their helplessness.
"To keep you secure." Hissed the voice gleefully.
"Please, we're trying to get to—"
"The kingdom of giants. I know it, 'cause I am Thought and she is mory."
"The magical crows of Odin's," gasped Percy, sounding aghast.
"Now, quiet." Purred mory as the plane gave a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree turn.
The plane, or let’s say the weird flying skateboard with chairs, soared up into the sky and began to circle itself in midair while twirling over, leaving its passengers’ legs dangling loose from at least fifty feet above the ground. It rose higher, carrying their screams of terror toward the vast skyline.
Elizabeth felt her stomach was coiling over; the frigid night gale whipped her right on the cheeks as she leaned back against the chair, breaking out in a cold sweat. She felt the sudden surge of weightlessness overwhelm her as she clutched the armrest hard, and her knuckles turned white. Her face was chalk-white, and she’d appreciate the way the evaluator inside Yggdrasil sent its passengers, now she felt a churn to vomit.
"What the—" Yelled Percy in anger.
"Get to the kingdom of giants, of course." Answered Thought happily. Suddenly, splendid, multicolored light emanated from the ground, where a deep, endless pit had been dug previously.
With a trendous tuck, they had been thrown head down into the pit. The skateboard turned upright and dived toward the depths of the earth.
Swirling and spinning as if out of its mind, until sothing glowing ca into view. It was a door, a large golden door stood ajar at the end of the pit.
"What the heck is going on?" shrieked Emily as she took out a handkerchief and wiped her face, which was already covered in mud and inked with gri.
"Here we go." Ejaculated Thought and mory together as they jerked around and dashed into the door. Gliding downwards, Elizabeth let out a sigh of relief when she found out they were decelerating.
Yet the next second, they were again thrown hard into the air. And with a loud crunch, they had collapsed on the ground beyond.
"Where are we?" gaped Percy, rubbing his already-numbed wrists.
"The kingdom of giants. And we're supposed to find a well." Said Elizabeth as she patted Percy on the back softly.
"How on earth are we going to find a well in such a vast kingdom?” He asked, staring up. His gaze t Elizabeth’s, and a shy smile erged on his face.
He quickly looked away.
"Wait, if my eyes weren't lying, I think there's a well right over there, in the center of that vast clearing." Gasped Emily as she dusted herself off.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go."
Together, they set off along the sparse trees that stood at either side of the clearing cautiously, but to their surprise, no one was there. Elizabeth walked over to the well and skidded to a standstill. She lowered her hands into the well, and fresh water washed away the dirt instantly.
"This doesn't feel right. It had been too easy." Whispered Percy gingerly, clenching his fists.
"The Well of Wisdom used to be guarded by a giant. Once, Odin sacrificed one of his eyes to receive a gulp from the well, which gave him the knowledge of the past, present, and future." Emily explained patiently, gazing at the two of them happily.
"So, we're going to find Odin's lost eye, right?"
"Yeah, don't know what we are gonna sacrifice."
"I hope that's not my eyes." Laughed Percy. Elizabeth chuckled, and Percy looked as if he couldn’t be more pleased than ever.
"You said this well is supposed to be protected by a giantess, but the question is—where is she?" Asked Emily, looking around curiously.
"Perhaps she’s dead." Suggested Elizabeth, hopefully.
"What are we going to do, anyway?"
"We split up and search."
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