Chapter 37: Tine
Lysander was lost. He knew because he has never seen this hut around their home before. It was a strange hut, made from stone. A stone so white, that it had to be painted. His bottomless bag was full of branches and logs, from trees which fell in the forest. It was dark out.
He knew he will worry Erin, if he didn't come back home tonight, but in the dark, he might not be able to find his way. But if there was a kind person in this hut, then they could lend him a torch? Maybe even a lantern? It was worth a shot. And if the person wasn't kind, he could always run away.
Lysander knocked on the door three times, and then took a step back. He felt watched, but he couldn't pinpoint from where. The door creaked open, but there was no light inside.
"Hello? Do you have a torch or a lantern you could spare?" Lysander asked the darkness.
Suddenly, there was a small candlelight inside the house.
"Hello?" Lysander was beginning to worry. Was this house haunted? Or, did it have a man-eating beast inside? Yet, the candlelight was tempting. Even with a candle, he could find his way home. So, Lysander stepped inside the hut.
The door slammed shut behind him, and the candlelight flickered out. Suddenly, Lysander was alone in the dark.
"Hello?" He called out again.
"Speak the password, and you may enter," a voice boomed from the door.
"Enter? But I am already inside," Lysander was confused. Just what did the voice want from him?
"What is the sound of Death?" The voice sounded as if it were coming from the fireplace now. In the faint light of the moon outside, Lysander could make out some shapes in the hut.
"The sound of Death?" Oh, this house must definitely be haunted. Lysander turned around, trying to find the doorknob. Yet, there was no door behind him, rather, a wall. "Look, I don't mean you any harm. I just got lost."
"What is the sound of Death," the voice came next to Lysander's ear then, in a whisper. That made the boy jump, and take out his dagger.
"Stay back!" Lysander yelled into the dark.
"I will not ask again," the voice now sounded sinister, and as if it came from many people, all around Lysander. "What is the sound of Death?"
Lysander gulped, but forced himself to breathe in and out, to calm himself.
What was the sound of Death? The animals who he hunted for food always fell into traps. He has never heard them die, before. There had been Anna, but his memory of her final hours was hazy. It had happened so long ago.
"There is no sound of Death, for Death is not the same for everyone," Lysander decided to go by the string of his pants. "Some would smile, and say they love you. Others will cry, and scream. Even some would choke on their own blood. But those are all sounds of Life, albeit fading."
"Correct," the voice said, and suddenly, the inside of the hut was lit. The door was back where Lysander remembered it being. Yet, there was something like a portal, right before the fireplace.
Lysander cautiously went to it, and peered inside.
"What is this?" He asked. If the voices wanted to do him harm, then they would have done so, already.
"A dimensional pocket," one of the voices said. "Powered by a crystal."
Lysander looked down, and saw a crystal in a stand. A dimensional pocket could do wonders for Erin and he. They could use it to farm. After all, only the owners of the dimensional pocket, could go inside.
Quickly, Lysander gathered his wits. For there to be a dimensional pocket out here, this must be the hut of a wizard. Lysander didn't want trouble. So, he cleared his throat.
"Where is the owner of this hut? The wizard, where is he?" Lysander asked. He heard a chuckle.
"Dead, listening to the sound of your life," finally, there was a shape to be seen in the house. A silverly man, who had a familiar robe.
"You are the one we found by the entrance! We still have your bones," Lysander said, patting the bottomless bag.
"Bury me in the dimensional pocket, and all my treasures will go to you," the ghost said. Lysander's eyes narrowed.
"Is it safe to go in there?" Would the portal close behind Lysander, if he did go inside?
"As safe, as entering this hut," the ghost said. Yet, Lysander didn't want to go into a dimensional pocket, without assurances.
"You won't mind, if I call a nymph to check out this crystal, do you?" Lysander asked. The ghost shrugged.
"Call whoever you want. Just bury me in my greatest achievement," the ghost said, and the door slung open. Lysander made it out, and heard something like a whisper from the crowns of the trees.
"Belle? Belle, I am here," Lysander called out. Soon, both Belle and Erin were stepping out of a tree. Erin was smiling brightly. As soon as he saw Lysander, he ran to him, and hugged him tightly.
"Ly, you are fine," Erin said, squeezing the life out of the wanderer.
"Rin, can't breathe," Lysander managed to get out.
"Young man, what are you doing, so far, away from your home? And at night, at that?" Belle asked. Lysander's shoulders slumped.
"There weren't any fallen trees near the hut, so I went further out," Lysander defended himself. Belle sighed, and then blinked, when she saw the ghost in the doorway. Her eyes teared up.
"Oh, Tine. Just when did you die?" She said, her hand going to her mouth.
"Belle, long time no see," the ghost gave the nymph a roguish smile, and then walked back inside the stone hut.
"Is that a friend of yours?" Lysander asked. After which, he went to Belle, and hugged her legs. "Don't cry, Belle. It will be alright."
"Poor Tine. Just when did he die?" Belle repeated herself, as she collapsed on the ground. The two boys hugged her, and let her sob in their hair.
Chapter 37: Tine
Lysander was lost. He knew because he has never seen this hut around their home before. It was a strange hut, made from stone. A stone so white, that it had to be painted. His bottomless bag was full of branches and logs, from trees which fell in the forest. It was dark out.
He knew he will worry Erin, if he didn't come back home tonight, but in the dark, he might not be able to find his way. But if there was a kind person in this hut, then they could lend him a torch? Maybe even a lantern? It was worth a shot. And if the person wasn't kind, he could always run away.
Lysander knocked on the door three times, and then took a step back. He felt watched, but he couldn't pinpoint from where. The door creaked open, but there was no light inside.
"Hello? Do you have a torch or a lantern you could spare?" Lysander asked the darkness.
Suddenly, there was a small candlelight inside the house.
"Hello?" Lysander was beginning to worry. Was this house haunted? Or, did it have a man-eating beast inside? Yet, the candlelight was tempting. Even with a candle, he could find his way home. So, Lysander stepped inside the hut.
The door slammed shut behind him, and the candlelight flickered out. Suddenly, Lysander was alone in the dark.
"Hello?" He called out again.
"Speak the password, and you may enter," a voice boomed from the door.
"Enter? But I am already inside," Lysander was confused. Just what did the voice want from him?
"What is the sound of Death?" The voice sounded as if it were coming from the fireplace now. In the faint light of the moon outside, Lysander could make out some shapes in the hut.
"The sound of Death?" Oh, this house must definitely be haunted. Lysander turned around, trying to find the doorknob. Yet, there was no door behind him, rather, a wall. "Look, I don't mean you any harm. I just got lost."
"What is the sound of Death," the voice came next to Lysander's ear then, in a whisper. That made the boy jump, and take out his dagger.
"Stay back!" Lysander yelled into the dark.
"I will not ask again," the voice now sounded sinister, and as if it came from many people, all around Lysander. "What is the sound of Death?"
Lysander gulped, but forced himself to breathe in and out, to calm himself.
What was the sound of Death? The animals who he hunted for food always fell into traps. He has never heard them die, before. There had been Anna, but his memory of her final hours was hazy. It had happened so long ago.
"There is no sound of Death, for Death is not the same for everyone," Lysander decided to go by the string of his pants. "Some would smile, and say they love you. Others will cry, and scream. Even some would choke on their own blood. But those are all sounds of Life, albeit fading."
"Correct," the voice said, and suddenly, the inside of the hut was lit. The door was back where Lysander remembered it being. Yet, there was something like a portal, right before the fireplace.
Lysander cautiously went to it, and peered inside.
"What is this?" He asked. If the voices wanted to do him harm, then they would have done so, already.
"A dimensional pocket," one of the voices said. "Powered by a crystal."
Lysander looked down, and saw a crystal in a stand. A dimensional pocket could do wonders for Erin and he. They could use it to farm. After all, only the owners of the dimensional pocket, could go inside.
Quickly, Lysander gathered his wits. For there to be a dimensional pocket out here, this must be the hut of a wizard. Lysander didn't want trouble. So, he cleared his throat.
"Where is the owner of this hut? The wizard, where is he?" Lysander asked. He heard a chuckle.
"Dead, listening to the sound of your life," finally, there was a shape to be seen in the house. A silverly man, who had a familiar robe.
"You are the one we found by the entrance! We still have your bones," Lysander said, patting the bottomless bag.
"Bury me in the dimensional pocket, and all my treasures will go to you," the ghost said. Lysander's eyes narrowed.
"Is it safe to go in there?" Would the portal close behind Lysander, if he did go inside?
"As safe, as entering this hut," the ghost said. Yet, Lysander didn't want to go into a dimensional pocket, without assurances.
"You won't mind, if I call a nymph to check out this crystal, do you?" Lysander asked. The ghost shrugged.
"Call whoever you want. Just bury me in my greatest achievement," the ghost said, and the door slung open. Lysander made it out, and heard something like a whisper from the crowns of the trees.
"Belle? Belle, I am here," Lysander called out. Soon, both Belle and Erin were stepping out of a tree. Erin was smiling brightly. As soon as he saw Lysander, he ran to him, and hugged him tightly.
"Ly, you are fine," Erin said, squeezing the life out of the wanderer.
"Rin, can't breathe," Lysander managed to get out.
"Young man, what are you doing, so far, away from your home? And at night, at that?" Belle asked. Lysander's shoulders slumped.
"There weren't any fallen trees near the hut, so I went further out," Lysander defended himself. Belle sighed, and then blinked, when she saw the ghost in the doorway. Her eyes teared up.
"Oh, Tine. Just when did you die?" She said, her hand going to her mouth.
"Belle, long time no see," the ghost gave the nymph a roguish smile, and then walked back inside the stone hut.
"Is that a friend of yours?" Lysander asked. After which, he went to Belle, and hugged her legs. "Don't cry, Belle. It will be alright."
"Poor Tine. Just when did he die?" Belle repeated herself, as she collapsed on the ground. The two boys hugged her, and let her sob in their hair.
