healingbonds (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
healingbonds) wrote2020-10-11 08:31 pm
healingbonds) wrote2020-10-11 08:31 pm
Ballad of the Dogsledder Praying to the Northern Lights | Chapter 4
Chapter 3 << | index | >> Chapter 5
Akira: Chloe. What is it?
Chloe: S-sorry for interrupting...... Um, it’s just that, if it’s all right, you see...... Well......
Chloe starts to speak haltingly, his tone reserved. Before he can finish, Arthur claps his hands together, remembering something.
Arthur: That’s right! Chloe did say he’d like to visit Sir Oz’s castle too!
Oz: Is that so?
Arthur: Yes. When I told him stories of how beautiful the snowy landscape seen from the balcony was, he said he would love to see it once......
Chloe: S-sorry! I was too bold......
Riquet: You don’t have anything to apologize for. Oz, Chloe can come with us, right?
Oz: ........... I guess so.........
Shylock & Murr: Really!?
Rustica: Isn’t that great, Chloe?
Chloe: Th-thank you! Um...... Can Rustica, Murr, and Shylock come as well?
Oz raises his eyebrows. He levels a deliberate gaze at Murr and Shylock over his shoulder before speaking.
Oz: The two of you once came to my castle in the past.
For a split second, Murr and Shylock freeze, as still as puppets.
And then Shylock immediately smiles elegantly.
Shylock: Yes. We certainly did.
Oz: Do you want to be invited along with Chloe?
For a second time, Murr and Shylock both pause and turn still.
But Murr instantly breaks out into a brilliant smile brimming with curiosity.
Murr: I want to go~!
Half a beat later, Shylock nods.
Shylock: As long as it’s fine by you, Oz.
There’s a reason for the awkwardness underlying their reactions. In the past, the two of them visited Oz’s castle to beg for Murr’s life.
Toto: ......Thank you! Thank you.......!
And so that’s how we came to accept Toto’s request from Northern Country to travel to Oz’s castle.
Akira: (I’m looking forward to seeing Oz’s castle...... I wonder what it’s really like?)
Arthur: I’m so happy to go back to Sir Oz’s castle with everyone. I haven’t been back since I was thirteen......
Oz: ............
Arthur: I’ve really missed it...... Has the castle changed at all? Are there enough chairs for the guests?
If I went up to my old room now, would everything look smaller to me?
Oz: ............
Arthur: ......Is it troublesome for so many people to visit at once? You don’t like crowds after all, Sir Oz......
Oz: ............ It’s fine......
Arthur: ............
Apparently Chloe is making us new clothes especially for the visit to your castle. I’m really looking forward to it.
Pure white, and endlessly vast....... When I told him about the scenery from the balcony, he said he had all these images immediately well up in his mind.
Oz: I see.
Arthur: Apparently the clothes will be the deep red colour of flames — like Sir Oz’s eyes and the eyes of the rabbits I chased.
Isn’t it so exciting, Sir Oz?
✦✧☾✧✦
Riquet: Fufufu...... After this, I just have to bake it for as long as it says in this recipe that Nero taught me......
I’m going to sneak it into Oz’s castle, and share it during teatime. I’m sure everyone will be happy.
Fufu, I’m excited for it to finish baking. Ah, I keep wanting to peer into the oven. .......Hm? It’s Cain and Toto......
Toto: ......I thought my heart was gonna stop...... Who’d have thought that something like that would happen......! Ah, I can’t believe it......
Cain: S-sorry. It’s not like they meant it in a bad way. Drink some water and try to calm down......
Riquet, what are you doing?
Riquet: ......N-nothing. I could ask you the same. What are you doing?
Cain: Toto was telling me the scary legends about the Northern wizards. And then, who shows up but the wizards in question......
Toto: I can’t believe that I saw M-Mithra and Owen with my own two eyes.......
Cain: You delighted the two of them by being so terrified. Bradley and the twins gathered around too, so it turned into a lively party.
Riquet: You poor thing...... The Northern wizards are unfriendly towards humans, but they really should be more aware of their status as the disciples of God.
Please, do drink some water.
Toto: Th-thank you. All of the Central wizards are really kind.
Cain: Oz is kind, too. He might be difficult to approach, but he’s working on it.
Toto: Working on it...... So there’s things that even someone who’s practically a god still needs to work on.
Riquet: Oz is hardly perfect. But he’s not a scary wizard. He just talks slowly.
It’s fine even if you look at his face. Even though I used to dislike looking at Oz’s face when I first got to know him.
Cain: Really?
Riquet: I wanted him to solve my problems, but he was so cold and refused to help me. He said that I couldn’t escape my role.
Cain: Ah, you’re talking about that......
Toto: ......You can’t escape your role......
Riquet: I hated the thought of him telling me harsh things again, so I tried not to look at his face. But, when I looked up at him one day......
I realized he had a mature and calm face, like the serene night sky without any sign of wind or clouds.
Toto: ............ ......The light incantation......
Riquet: The light incantation?
Toto: ......Oh, no...... It’s nothing.
Cain: If you say it would put you into danger, I’m not going to tell you to force yourself to look at Oz’s face.
Instead, let me describe it for you. If you continue on not knowing anything about another person, the distance between your hearts will just grow wider and wider.
Toto: Mister Cain......
Cain: The guardian spirit of your village is a good man. He has two eyes, two ears, a single nose and one mouth. His eyes are red, and his hair is long and black.
He’s taller than me, and he doesn’t really smile a lot. He doesn’t talk much, and he seems intimidating and overwhelming, but sometimes he can be really absent-minded.
Riquet: You mean always.
Toto: ............ He’s tall and has red eyes...... I thought he had silver hair and blue eyes.
Cain: Nah, that’s Arthur. He doesn’t really look like Arthur. After all, they’re not really father and son.
But the way they smile is similar. Just a little, though.
Toto: (He doesn’t look like Arthur, but the way they smile is similar...... ......I kind of want to see that......)
(............ ......No, I’m still scared...... Even if I don’t know what it is that I’m scared of.......)
✦✧☾✧✦
Chloe: I’m looking forward to visiting Sir Oz’s castle!
Rustica: What a miracle. I’ve heard rumours that if you approached Sir Oz’s castle without any warning, you’ll be struck by lightning and turned into stone.
Chloe: I-I see. It is the castle of the world’s strongest wizard after all...... I have to mind my manners too......
Murr: Pew! Boom!
Chloe: Woah...... Don’t surprise me, Murr.
Shylock: To think that we’d be invited to Oz’s castle...... You really encounter all sorts of things the longer you live.
Rustica: Shylock. You look sombre for some reason. Are you reluctant to go to Sir Oz’s castle?
Shylock: Not necessarily, but I do have some trauma about that beautiful castle lying at the very edge of the North.......
Murr: Is Oz’s castle scary? I’ll be with you, so it’ll be fine!
Shylock: .........
Murr: Or it might not be fine precisely because I’ll be with you? Pew! Boom!
Shylock: Yes, that’s exactly it. But as Western wizards who adore fear, let’s toast to the castle of the demon king.
Here’s to returning safely. Cheers.
Murr & Chloe & Rustica: Cheers!
Chapter 3 << | index | >> Chapter 5
Akira: Chloe. What is it?
Chloe: S-sorry for interrupting...... Um, it’s just that, if it’s all right, you see...... Well......
Chloe starts to speak haltingly, his tone reserved. Before he can finish, Arthur claps his hands together, remembering something.
Arthur: That’s right! Chloe did say he’d like to visit Sir Oz’s castle too!
Oz: Is that so?
Arthur: Yes. When I told him stories of how beautiful the snowy landscape seen from the balcony was, he said he would love to see it once......
Chloe: S-sorry! I was too bold......
Riquet: You don’t have anything to apologize for. Oz, Chloe can come with us, right?
Oz: ........... I guess so.........
Shylock & Murr: Really!?
Rustica: Isn’t that great, Chloe?
Chloe: Th-thank you! Um...... Can Rustica, Murr, and Shylock come as well?
Oz raises his eyebrows. He levels a deliberate gaze at Murr and Shylock over his shoulder before speaking.
Oz: The two of you once came to my castle in the past.
For a split second, Murr and Shylock freeze, as still as puppets.
And then Shylock immediately smiles elegantly.
Shylock: Yes. We certainly did.
Oz: Do you want to be invited along with Chloe?
For a second time, Murr and Shylock both pause and turn still.
But Murr instantly breaks out into a brilliant smile brimming with curiosity.
Murr: I want to go~!
Half a beat later, Shylock nods.
Shylock: As long as it’s fine by you, Oz.
There’s a reason for the awkwardness underlying their reactions. In the past, the two of them visited Oz’s castle to beg for Murr’s life.
Toto: ......Thank you! Thank you.......!
And so that’s how we came to accept Toto’s request from Northern Country to travel to Oz’s castle.
Akira: (I’m looking forward to seeing Oz’s castle...... I wonder what it’s really like?)
Arthur: I’m so happy to go back to Sir Oz’s castle with everyone. I haven’t been back since I was thirteen......
Oz: ............
Arthur: I’ve really missed it...... Has the castle changed at all? Are there enough chairs for the guests?
If I went up to my old room now, would everything look smaller to me?
Oz: ............
Arthur: ......Is it troublesome for so many people to visit at once? You don’t like crowds after all, Sir Oz......
Oz: ............ It’s fine......
Arthur: ............
Apparently Chloe is making us new clothes especially for the visit to your castle. I’m really looking forward to it.
Pure white, and endlessly vast....... When I told him about the scenery from the balcony, he said he had all these images immediately well up in his mind.
Oz: I see.
Arthur: Apparently the clothes will be the deep red colour of flames — like Sir Oz’s eyes and the eyes of the rabbits I chased.
Isn’t it so exciting, Sir Oz?
✦✧☾✧✦
Riquet: Fufufu...... After this, I just have to bake it for as long as it says in this recipe that Nero taught me......
I’m going to sneak it into Oz’s castle, and share it during teatime. I’m sure everyone will be happy.
Fufu, I’m excited for it to finish baking. Ah, I keep wanting to peer into the oven. .......Hm? It’s Cain and Toto......
Toto: ......I thought my heart was gonna stop...... Who’d have thought that something like that would happen......! Ah, I can’t believe it......
Cain: S-sorry. It’s not like they meant it in a bad way. Drink some water and try to calm down......
Riquet, what are you doing?
Riquet: ......N-nothing. I could ask you the same. What are you doing?
Cain: Toto was telling me the scary legends about the Northern wizards. And then, who shows up but the wizards in question......
Toto: I can’t believe that I saw M-Mithra and Owen with my own two eyes.......
Cain: You delighted the two of them by being so terrified. Bradley and the twins gathered around too, so it turned into a lively party.
Riquet: You poor thing...... The Northern wizards are unfriendly towards humans, but they really should be more aware of their status as the disciples of God.
Please, do drink some water.
Toto: Th-thank you. All of the Central wizards are really kind.
Cain: Oz is kind, too. He might be difficult to approach, but he’s working on it.
Toto: Working on it...... So there’s things that even someone who’s practically a god still needs to work on.
Riquet: Oz is hardly perfect. But he’s not a scary wizard. He just talks slowly.
It’s fine even if you look at his face. Even though I used to dislike looking at Oz’s face when I first got to know him.
Cain: Really?
Riquet: I wanted him to solve my problems, but he was so cold and refused to help me. He said that I couldn’t escape my role.
Cain: Ah, you’re talking about that......
Toto: ......You can’t escape your role......
Riquet: I hated the thought of him telling me harsh things again, so I tried not to look at his face. But, when I looked up at him one day......
I realized he had a mature and calm face, like the serene night sky without any sign of wind or clouds.
Toto: ............ ......The light incantation......
Riquet: The light incantation?
Toto: ......Oh, no...... It’s nothing.
Cain: If you say it would put you into danger, I’m not going to tell you to force yourself to look at Oz’s face.
Instead, let me describe it for you. If you continue on not knowing anything about another person, the distance between your hearts will just grow wider and wider.
Toto: Mister Cain......
Cain: The guardian spirit of your village is a good man. He has two eyes, two ears, a single nose and one mouth. His eyes are red, and his hair is long and black.
He’s taller than me, and he doesn’t really smile a lot. He doesn’t talk much, and he seems intimidating and overwhelming, but sometimes he can be really absent-minded.
Riquet: You mean always.
Toto: ............ He’s tall and has red eyes...... I thought he had silver hair and blue eyes.
Cain: Nah, that’s Arthur. He doesn’t really look like Arthur. After all, they’re not really father and son.
But the way they smile is similar. Just a little, though.
Toto: (He doesn’t look like Arthur, but the way they smile is similar...... ......I kind of want to see that......)
(............ ......No, I’m still scared...... Even if I don’t know what it is that I’m scared of.......)
✦✧☾✧✦
Chloe: I’m looking forward to visiting Sir Oz’s castle!
Rustica: What a miracle. I’ve heard rumours that if you approached Sir Oz’s castle without any warning, you’ll be struck by lightning and turned into stone.
Chloe: I-I see. It is the castle of the world’s strongest wizard after all...... I have to mind my manners too......
Murr: Pew! Boom!
Chloe: Woah...... Don’t surprise me, Murr.
Shylock: To think that we’d be invited to Oz’s castle...... You really encounter all sorts of things the longer you live.
Rustica: Shylock. You look sombre for some reason. Are you reluctant to go to Sir Oz’s castle?
Shylock: Not necessarily, but I do have some trauma about that beautiful castle lying at the very edge of the North.......
Murr: Is Oz’s castle scary? I’ll be with you, so it’ll be fine!
Shylock: .........
Murr: Or it might not be fine precisely because I’ll be with you? Pew! Boom!
Shylock: Yes, that’s exactly it. But as Western wizards who adore fear, let’s toast to the castle of the demon king.
Here’s to returning safely. Cheers.
Murr & Chloe & Rustica: Cheers!
Chapter 3 << | index | >> Chapter 5