"What is this?"
"It's a farm we have created underneath the Forest that produces large amounts of produce before transporting them to Blestemate. It's capable of producing an equivalent to the total production produced by all the land above ground. A gift bestowed upon us by St. Mika to help the people of Blestemate. This is the greatest secret of the Nightfall family, that each of your ancestors, despite their differences in ideology, has kept to no matter what."
Φ Unable to stop for even a moment, I gaze all around the room as I move forward. The air here is cleaner than what I breathe up ground, the light here feels far more pure and natural than what shines down from the son, the moisture in the air is all but perfect.
Each area is tended to by small machines that are familiar in shape to Baba Sheep, though some have longer arms and legs than the rest; they tend to all of the land scattered around with such accurate precision that despite the mass of them, none interrupts the other. The plots of land are separated by what looks to be a type of glass that separates and retracts into the ground, allowing freedom of movement throughout the area. It's all so much that I can barely understand, with the only thing coming from my mouth being, "How could such things exist, it is all so similar to what you can find in Elpíd-, no it couldn't be?"
"A sharp mind you have there, my son; you are in fact correct. Everything you see scattered around you happens to be what is commonly known as a Basileia artefact. One passed down to St. Mika by Basileia herself."
"You can't be serious."
"I am, apparently, those little things you see roaming around are golems."
Picking one of the same machines up, I say, "Golems? Isn't that lost technology? No one knows how to construct them? The secrets were lost with the invasion of Avalon into Jedidah during the Tempestuous Era?"
Knocking my hand, to force me to drop it, my father says, "Please don't touch them, they are not the strongest at this age, a single bad push and we could lose them permanently?"
"Ow. But how is this entire place functioning? The entirety of Basileia artefacts can only by Basilia Crystals or a similar power source like the Tempest Crystals from Molstoria. There is no way you'd have a steady stream of either for the last 2000 years?"
"The windmills up above don't only exist to destroy man-eating plants, they happen to have the ability to translate the nutrients in the ground, the power of the sun, and the strength of the wind all into energy which fuels the functions of everything around here with the exception of the Golem, which are refilled by Spirit Energy every 100 years."
Walking around, he says, "This action that we've taken for Blestemate has been the reason that we've been a safe country for so long, as Dumitra extends her arm across this home of ours in repayment of this, but currently you see, we have an issue. Right now, we are simply running low on food, and we don't know when things will get better, so I want to petition Dumitra for help, but I can't leave the country for even a little bit of time any more with how much work I have to do. So that's why I want to send you to go petition her for aid."
"You mean I will get to meet the Queen of the Nightmares?"
"Yes, sounds fun, doesn't it?"
I feel my chest pound again, and again. I am going to meet her, a living legend from the stories long since passed, one who can make any living being in this world tremble in fear.
"I will go!"
-Break-
Dressed to perfection, I turn my head at the manic beside me and say to my father walking in front of me, "Why is this psycho here?"
Siegrund says, "I am here to make sure you don't try to escape from your duties."
"This is a family secret of international importance, you do realise the grudge between the Sieg Bisumods and Dumitra goes back centuries?"
With a surprised look, my father turns and says, "Really?"
"YOU DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT YOU DUMBASS!"
Siegrund punches me in my side, then says, "Learn some respect." Facing my father, he says, "Blestemate did occupy Molstoria for a long period of time, during which they warred with my people quite a bit, so there are many amongst the Sieg Bisumod's who aren't happy with Blestemate. Though I assure you none of this will ever leave my mouth to them."
"I see, good for me."
"Why would you trust him!"
"It's all fine, Siegrund would never do anything to hurt this family. He is a good boy. Besides, he will protect you from any would-be incidents."
Gritting my teeth, I say, "Fine." Yet as my mind snaps back to reality, I say, "Wait, how are we even going to reach Blestemate? How do you even transport the food to Blestemate? The Royalists have constantly been watching you, thinking you up to something. There is no way you'd be able to transport all that food past the Ocrotirea Lui Dumnezeu mountain range without them taking notice of your actions."
"Correct, and you'll see how we manage in just a few moments." Reaching the end of the hallway, I see a series of large Ignamoles pop out to surprise us, sending me to my butt.
Siegrund snickers, causing me to glare at him, as he glares back. Laughing, my father says, "Got you good!"
"Hey! Why are there Ignamoles here?"
"They're the ones who've dug a very secret passage from the underground of Varage to that of Blestemate, with which we transport all the food through."
"Are you serious? How did you even capture these things? Ignamoles are famous for being nearly impossible to tame."
"Really?"
Siegrund, walking forward, says, "There is a series of Wonderbeasts as cute as they are cautious. They often dig tunnels through the group that they bury treasure in the northern parts of Terrafide, which draws in would-be bandits, yet as they move, they Ignamoles quickly restructure the entirety of the tunnel, connecting it to a deeper and far more complex tunnel network underground, making it so that they can't leave. Then hunt them down. This is why, despite their use to people, Ignamoles are almost impossible to capture. Though rumour has it there is someone who knows how to navigate those deep tunnels."
Rubbing the moles, my father says, "How interesting, it seems you guys are packed full of wonders."
Rolling my eyes, I say, "How could you not know that? I swear this village has captured your brain."
"Hahaha," he laughs.
"So, how are we going to get down there? I doubt these moles are capable of couriering all the produce by themselves."
"You'd be right.
Walking forward, my father presses his hand against a wall at the other side of the room, and soon, like a piece of paper, like a machine, it folds in on itself. Revealing a large station with a vehicle on a set of tracks.
"IS THAT A TRAIN!" I scream as my mouth hangs open.
"You've been loud lately. Is this stuff really that surprising?"
"OF COURSE IT IS! We've as a society essentially had to dispose of all of these things since the Era of Levav, due to the lack of Tempest and Basileia crystals that we used to power them. It's basically lost technology, but this one looks far different."
"That's surprising to hear because we've had this since the 300 TC, it was given to us by the Dumitra, and it needs no such power source to function. Apparently, it is powered by some kind of Cursed item."
"Wait, you were given this by Dumitra? This doesn't make sense. At the very least, we know trains can't be that old, unless this was the first design and the rest were based on this? Well, Alucard did have connections to the tower, so maybe?"
Smacking the back of my head, Siegrund says, "Enough talk, let's head off."
Pointing at my father, he says, "YOU'RE NOT HIDING ANYTHING ELSE, RIGHT!"
Turning his head to the side, my father says, "No, this is all of the secrets of the Nightfall's."
"You sure!"
Gritting his teeth, he says, "Yeah, sonny."
"Okay," I say, walking onto the train.
Walking up beside us, my father says, "It will take off automatically when it's all full."
"I see, we'll take car-."
"Captivant, umm, I just wanted to sa-."
"What is it? Hurry up and loosen your tongue."
Smiling, my father says, "Take care, and be yourself, my son."
Staring into the stupidly joyful expression he has on his face, I turn my head and say, "I will try my best, but don't cry if I come back with Dumitra as my wife; she might force you to move."
"Wouldn't that be fun. Goodbye, my son."
With those words, the train activates, and I set off. Yet before I leave, my eyes flash back to him, where I see his hands together in prayer. Causing me to smirk and mumble, "What a moron."
-Break-
Location: Nightmare Nation, Blestemate; Căderea-Dracului Underground
Feeling the train screech to a halt, I jump up filled with excitement as I say, "It's time for adventure to begin!"
Yet my body flings with it, causing Siegrund to catch me and throw me over his shoulder as he says, "Don't die first."
Kicking myself free, I say, "As if something like that would kill me. Also, remember you're only here as a back-up, don't interact in my family's business, my moods and actions determine a lot today."
A face of objective disgust sprawls across his expression, before it quickly calms down. Walking past me, he says, "I have no intention of enforcing my will into the complexity of your family discussions; no outsider should."
He leaves, and soon I follow him, where I see a barrage of flowers sprawl across us, and then we hear, "WELCOME TO BLESTEMATE NIGHTFALL'S."
In front of me lies a gaggle of Nightmares, all clapping their hands, and as the praise and smiles hit me from the people who never give such expressions to humans, a feeling of elation grows in my heart.
Smiling, I pound my chest and say, "Citizens of Blestemate, I have arrived and so has the legacy of the Nightfall, bearing you whatever is needed to keep your people fed for as long as you need."
Walking through the crowd, a women who skins is silver, lavender and pink, wth a body that looks like a fusion of a jellyfish and a human with a golden eyepiece attached to her eye, walks forward, and says, "Thank you for your delivery, may your soul surge, Adrian Nightfall."
I click my tongue before opening my mouth to correct her, yet Siegrund slams his fist into my side before I open my mouth, stopping me. What's his problem? It's not like I ever attacked the Nightmares under Captivant.
"My name is Labi Paistev, and I am the Minister of the Cursed Sea Region of Blestemate?"
With my eyes sparkling, I say, "The Cursed Sea Region is in the home of the Cursed Sea pirates, the legendary figures that went on a rampage in Molstoria, showing the humans the powers of the Nightmares and building one of the strongest naval forces in all of known history! Also, aren't you one of the Deocheal, the Nightmares who Dumitra shares her powers, granting them immense authority!"
Laughing, she says, "You're rather informed, the answer to all those questions is yes. And if you'd be so kind as to answer this question of mine, is that a Sieg Bisumod?"
Nodding, he says, "Yes, but I assure you I am not here to cause any trouble, just to make sure Adrian's enemies don't try to assassinate him."
"Don't worry about that idiot; if he tries anything, you can just assassinate him, it doesn't really matter to me."
"Ah, I see. We received word from your mother that you all want to have a meeting with Dumitra upon arrival. We have arranged for it to take place, and will take you whenever you're ready."
Running forward and grabbing her hand, I shout, "YES! I AM READY!"