Chapter 14:
N/A: Thank you sooo much, for 300 views lovelies <3
"Mother, I'll be leaving now!" Elizabeth hallowed, making sure her voice was projected all the way to the old room; sitting longingly beside an open kitchen.
"Yes dear, take care." Mother soon replied, after a moment of quiet.
Elizabeth squeezed Neo's tiny hands in hers, and went on descending the mountain; without taking a glance back to the secluded, crumbling house.
The pulsing heartache didn't allow her to.
The bamboo trunks shook at their tips, and the small moss on nearby rocks started to luminate a fresh, sunrise-yellow just as the flaring sun rose. Like the day before, the moss had been put beside the flame of a candle, before they were extinguished with the fall of night.
Elizabeth's arms entangled themselves around Neo's chubby belly, which wiggled with every step; the slight rippling jiggle, that delighted, and comforted her inner turmoil.
The route, had more or less turned into a tunnel; if you will.
Over the years, the neglected growth of the bamboo had caused them to arch over, and frankly, it was what you would imagine as the gateway for a fairies utopia. It had become much ethereally finical, that it would never be able to truthfully conjure in one's imagination, but in it's actual existence.
The normal sunlight leaked through its many cracks, and softly seeped through like tofu in a cutting grid; sliced into fractions of its whole self. All while the sun obediently followed above with Elizabeth's fastening pace; crisply cut by the occasional over heading trunks ever-so often.
Elizabeth had no worries in her eyes, but in her throat, had a lingering knot.
Mother's illness has always been a mystery.
No one understood what it was, and no one wanted to know what it was.
They all said to wait for her death; without remorse
The strange blue veins that once, prematurely stretched from the start of her tailbone, had now extended its grasp around her waist, and all the way to her neck; clutching her airways like hands.
The earthy veins, elongated under her skin, and seemed out of reach; far away from recovery.
"Mama..."
"Yes dear?" Elizabeth hastily responded.
"Where... Are we going?"
Elizabeth smiled, quickly fixing the unknown expression she had before.
Stopping in her tracks, she meekly nudged closer to his ear, teasingly whispering; "We're going on a trip-"
"Where?"
Elizabeth planted a small peck on Neo's cheeks, before continuing with a chuckle;
"The continent of Lyre, is made out of five major cities, remember?-"
"No."
"... Well-"
"No-"
"Basicall-"
"No."
"Basically-"
"Mother."
"... Yes?"
Neo stared in contemplation, then blinked his glossy, milky brown pupils before he shook his head, and turned around; once again, refusing to answer.
Hm...
You're acting... A little...
Sus-...
-Picious..
.
.
.
Ahh, maybe he got a girlfrien-
NO
What?
How old do you think he is?
I should probably-
Yeah, maybe Neo's got a secret.
"We live on the outskirts of Zhu city, the city in the east"
"The other three are, Mei Hua, the city in the west, Lan hua, the city in the south, and Ju hua, the city in the north."
Elizabeth said, pointing onto an imaginary map in the air; letting her finger tips dance to the directions she stated;
Ju Hua (Cheng)
Mei Hua (Cheng) Zhong Hua (Cheng) Zhu (Cheng) (Cheng is added, to explain city)
Lan Hua (Cheng)
Right now, we're going towards Ju Hua Cheng, along the trading routes my dear.
"Then in the middle, is the most prosperous of the five; Zhong Hua Cheng."
I feel like such a liar...
I should probably tell Neo about his grandma...
He won't blame me, right?
.
.
.
I promise I'll tell you later...
But I assure you, it won't be...
Too late.
Neo let out a small, "o", and then turned back around to the scenery in front of him, perhaps to analyze just how far the end of the route, shone in a beguiling light under them.
◢✥◣
Before they knew it, they passed under the last arching bamboos, and entering the withering fields of grass.
.
Lined with towering greyish-green mountains in its perimeter, the mother and son looked nothing in comparison; motionless, the mounds seem like nothing, but celestial bodies. Unbothered by the mortal worlds affairs, but the small, misconstrued chimes of the stars, and the airy songs of the wind.
Only could they wish to know how far the world reached.
The grasp for eternal life, and an immortal soul started yet, in the dimming clouds; away from the hopes and glimmers of justified yearning.
The silent rustles of the dry, almost crunchy weeds, slowly, but surely, was joined in by the laughter, and hearty chattering of the market in the distance--
On the outside, the supposed, market, was shabby with wooden, and pebble embellished walls; escaping from the displays of opulence, as such the capital cities showered in.
.
.
.
It unnoticeably lied in the middle of the, Su Xin Mountains--An isolated rocky area, lined with often, illegal trading spots; while being jumbled by questing mercenary busybodies all year around.
It's in quite the spot, right? If the empire ever knew that the outskirts of Zhu Cheng, was actually the hotspot of all those kidnapping cases, wouldn't they be buried with shame?
Luckily though, our dear Elizabeth lived near the border; hence, she was naturally free from most roaming dangers, that is, if no one dared to steal right under the emperor's nose.
But, fear not; there are not that many thieves who know how to use Ceres; no one would trade a life of luxury, for a turbulent life of a robber.
The market?
Well, unfortunately was always deficient in sales; the the elderly seniors who climbed down from their little houses, found it difficult to gather, or scrape any profit. Patterned rags laid under the straw cartons, protecting the hiding products from the uncertainties outside; in the mere hope that someone will find the valuable, and pay the price for their next meal.
.
.
.
Quietly, Elizabeth continued to walk down the wide, and long, rock path, letting it drift her, to the distant cheers, laughter, and contently sounding tittering.
Reminding her of the hardly seen, sanguine side of the isolated mountainside, that seems scarcely believable, her thoughts started to wander. Her ankle, fabric shoes pounded against the ground, in a steady, solid beat; becoming her main source of concentration, as she became infused with her thinking.
.
.
.
I haven't come here in a long time...
...
There's actually, a lot of people here today.
Elizabeth grasped Neo's hands tighter, and somewhat, prepared herself for the incoming events, that although might not happen; in her eyes, it was going to happen.
Neo will get lost again, like last time.
Yeah, that "last time", was not fun, at all.
I literally turned away for a moment, and then he was gone; I probably lost 50 years, from my life at that moment.
.
.
.
The stalls were always clumped together; something that always caused some to bellow about how one had too much space: undoubtedly gifted those who made the time to join, a feeling of mellow comfort.
Aha, the perfect way for children to get lost; for smelly, disgusting, sticky, icky, smelly, terrible, ugly kidnappers to use, and snatch away my baby.
The sweet, tiny grandmas cooked flaky, hot scallion pancakes on their old, pans; laughing as few children gathering around, leaping over each other to get the first bite.
The deadliest bait-
And the-
As Elizabeth's thoughts distressed her inner core, she unknowingly came closer to the hearty core of the market; familiar voices became clearer, and clearer from the once-muddled yells.
Soon, it broke her away, and whipped her back to reality;
(N/A: I put names in front of this dialogue, since it might be confusing.)
Jessica: "Hey, Elizabeth girl!"
Susan:"Ehhh, she's finally here, huh?"
Jessica: "Quickly come here, try this-"
Susan: "Keep your trap shut old lady, Elizabeth should come try th-"
Jessica: "SUSAN."
Susan: "WHAT IS IT? HUH?"
Jessica: "I FIRST ASKED ELIZABETH TO COME. "
Susan: "SO WHAT?"
Jessica: "SO WHAT?"
Susan: "OHHH JESSICA..."
"OH, JESSICA, JESSICA, JESSICA."
"I CAN STEAL HER LIKE YOU STOLE MY HUSBAND-"
Jessica: "YOU'RE STILL SALTY ABOUT IT? MAYBE IF YOU WERE BETTER IN BED, HE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN TEMPTED BY ME."
Susan: "SAYS THE ONE WHO WORKED-"
Jessica: "OHHH HONEY, YOU-"
"YOU WANNA GO?'"
Susan: "HAH, LET'S SEE IF YOU CAN EVEN TRY."
.
.
.
"Aiya... Those old ladies are going about again." A hunched lady, disappointingly mumbled. Slowly raising her hand with a twitch, she looked away from the unfolding chaos, and signaled the now, dumbfounded Elizabeth to come closer; to glide from the busy centre of the street.
"Ah..."
"Ah..."
Her ears tinkled, almost instinctively receiving Granny Zhou's invitation.
"I'm coming grandma Zhou." Elizabeth replied, and after she was finally able to process everything, she scurried through the tight crowd, making her way to a small, wooden shack in the far-east corner.