Kitsune in the Shadows

Chapter 90 – Up The Lighthouse

“Kierra!” Cattleya repeated, “It is a pleasure to finally have a proper introduction. There is much that I have been wanting to ask you.”

I didn’t know what I was supposed to say in response, and it only got more overwhelming as she started to reach her hand out towards me. Fortunately, before anything actually happened, the door opened again, revealing Ava standing there holding an extra cloak in her arms.

“Take it and put it on,” Ava said as she haphazardly threw the cloak over Cattleya.

“Ah, I was trying to explain before you left, but I don’t need-”

“No,” Ava interrupted without batting an eye, “Put the cloak on. I would prefer to not be drawing everyone’s attention as we go through town today.”

“…” Cattleya didn’t respond, instead just looking down at the cloak in her hands.

“Well, hurry up if you’re coming,” Ava just walked out onto the street, “You’re the one who wanted to join. I don’t mind leaving you behind if wearing a cloak is suddenly too much for you.”

I quickly followed behind Ava before almost immediately being joined by Cattleya, who was now wearing a cloak over the top of her extravagant jacket.

“So where are we going?” Cattleya asked.

“I don’t know,” Ava responded without missing a beat.

“Then what are we doing?”

Ava didn’t respond that time, instead just continuing to walk down the street. However, I admittedly was also a little confused as to where we were supposed to be going. All I said was that I wanted to sketch something, but I never said what or where.

…

“Where are we going?” I eventually asked, making sure to keep my voice down.

“Well, that depends on where you want to go,” Ava said, “I was just walking in case you got lucky and saw something that caught your attention and… well… I’m sure you’ve realised that standing still in the middle of these streets isn’t really the best idea. I’d rather not end up trampled, y’know?”

“Oh! So that’s what’s going on here,” Cattleya spoke up, immediately locking eyes on me, “Do you have something in mind Kierra? You might not be aware, but I happen to know this town very well. If you just tell me what you’re looking for, I will be able to help. In fact, it would be hard to find someone else who could help you like I can.”

“Did you just say-” Ava stopped walking for a moment, looking between the two of us before quickly moving again, “Cattleya, I know what you’re trying to do. I thought I already went through this with you.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just offering my assistance to her as I did to you.”@@novelbin@@

“…” Ava once again didn’t respond.

Didn’t you only meet each other yesterday?

What happened?

“So… tell me what is on your mind,” Cattleya focused on me again, “I decided to help you. So that is exactly what I am going to do.”

I took a step closer to Ava, feeling a little uncomfortable at just how forward Cattleya was. It was strange listening to her. In some ways, it seemed like she was being friendly, but at the same time, she always gave off the air of being above everyone else. Something about it just made me feel a little uneasy, unsure of how exactly I was supposed to treat her. Yet, at the same time, that’s all it was; my mind wasn’t screaming at me to run or even to hide; it was just a little uncomfortable.

“I… wanted to draw something…” I said quietly despite my initial reluctance.

“Hmm…” Cattleya suddenly stepped out in front of Ava and me, “I have the perfect place in mind.”

“… And where might that be?” Ava asked as she wrapped her arm around mine.

“Up there!” Cattleya shouted proudly as she pointed up at the sole lighthouse sitting on top of a hill in the distance, “You can see everything from up there, so no matter what you want to draw, you will find it.”

“I don’t- Are you even allowed up there?”

“Why would I not be allowed up there?”

“Of course…” Ava sighed, “Y’know what? Why don’t you just lead the way?”

“Gladly,” Cattleya boldly strutted forward down the street, seemingly paying no mind to those in front of her as if just assuming that they would move out of her way.

And somehow, she was right, and she easily carved her through the crowd. Both Ava and I simply followed in her wake, although… I did notice that Ava didn’t take her eyes off Cattleya even once.

The trip to the lighthouse was surprisingly quick considering how far away it seemed when Cattleya pointed it out, even taking into account the fact that we didn't need to struggle through the tide, people.

Before I knew it, the three of us were standing at the entrance. Looking up at the stone tower from the bottom somehow made it seem even taller than when I first saw it in the distance.

Cattleya stepped forward and knocked on the door. A few moments later, the door creaked open, and an elderly man with long, messy hair going from a dark brown to a dull silver stepped out.

“Oh, it’s you…. I guess I should thank you for coming to visit this old man again…” He said as he rested on his walking cane, “Now… why have you gone and made the trek out here on such a nice day?…”

“Hello again!” Cattleya practically shouted back, “I am here to visit the top of the lighthouse.”

What?

You can’t just-

“Yes, yes, of course, that’s no problem at all… Hardly anyone comes out here… nothing like the early days when we had to fight off those who wanted to steal our light!”

I instinctively took a step back, a little worried that the cane he was resting on would soon be swung my way as he raised his voice.

“Though I do much prefer the way it is now… Anyhow… I see you brought company… Do you need anything?” The man offered, “I don’t have much here… but I can at least offer a glass of water.”

“Thank you for your hospitality,” Cattleya replied with a curtsy before just walking past the man into the lighthouse without answering his question.

…

Ava and I stood there in shock, unsure of what exactly the two of us were supposed to do.

…

Thankfully, the elderly man spoke up first.

“Go on then… Don’t leave your friend waiting for my sake,” He took a step back so that he wasn’t standing in the doorway, “I can always get you some water when you come down.”

“Thank you,” Ava said as she stepped in.

“Thanks,” I said quietly as I followed Ava.

The man closed the door behind us as we climbed the steps up to the top floor of the lighthouse.

As soon as I reached the top, I was immediately hit with the sheer saltiness of the air as a gust of wind blew our way. Luckily, my hood wasn’t blown off this time. Looking off the side, I really could see the whole town, just as Cattleya had said, from the gate where we first entered to the very out-of-place guild building of Volpe Rossa. However, by far, the largest spectacle was the seemingly endless expanse of blue, which was the sea. Even compared to when I had first seen it from down on the pier, it was simply breathtaking, watching as the tiny specks that were boats bobbed up and down on the waves.

“So what do you think? I told you I knew this place well,” Cattleya boasted, “You could not find a better spot.”

Glancing over at her, however, something felt off. It wasn’t something about her; at least I didn’t think that was the case, but for some reason, the image of Cattleya standing out in the sun just didn’t seem right to me.

“I guess…” Ava said as she looked out over the horizon.

Cattleya didn’t say anything, instead choosing to just respond with a smug grin as she moved closer to the railing.

I moved my attention to the large contraption at the centre of the lighthouse. It didn’t seem too complicated… even if I wouldn’t be able to actually explain what was happening… mainly just being some combination of mirrors and lenses set up to direct light in one direction. However, there was one thing that I wasn’t able to figure out; the one thing that should have been the most obvious. There was all this equipment to redirect light, yet there didn’t seem to be any source of it. Where I would have expected a fire instead, there was something that looked similar to a gemstone, at least in the way it was cut, but the material itself looked no different to the glass around it.

“I see you also noticed what makes this lighthouse so special. I would not expect any less from you,” Cattleya came up behind me, “Naturally, I also noticed. So I asked the old man downstairs about it, and he told me quite the story.”

“Mm,” I just quietly hummed in response, not sure of what exactly to say.

“Well, it’s only right you would be interested… I have decided that I will be gracious and will pass this story forward as was done to me.”

But I didn’t-

“Now, unlike most lighthouses, this one uses an artefact for its light,” Cattleya just did as she said she would without any delay whatsoever, “It was first discovered buried underneath a collapsed rotting cabin deep in the forest nearby. It works by taking in the light from the sun during the day and then expelling it at night. At least, that was how the old man explained it, but I am not going to blame him for his ignorance. Apparently he used to be a famous mercenary. He was hired to protect this artefact from those who wanted to take it. But you would never guess who it was he had to protect it from.”

An artefact?

I haven’t seen one before….

It looks so… plain?

“I-”

“It was from a human duke,” Cattleya interrupted, “He apparently owned the territory a few weeks ride away from here where they are strangely attached to the Goddess of Light.”

Oh…

I think I know…

“This duke decided that he had ownership of this Light artefact solely due to his dedication to the Temple of Light; however, by the time he had decided that the artefact had already been installed in this very lighthouse and was being used to guide ships in through both darkness and fog. It was much better than the brazier they were using before, so as one would expect, they were hesitant to hand it over. This little conflict went on for a number of years, but as soon as the big merchant guilds in the town found out about what was happening, they stepped in. They declared that they would refuse business with the entire island if the artefact was removed. Now, despite being a duke, he could not make that decision without losing his head, be that through formal execution or something more… quaint.”

Despite the tone of the story, Cattleya’s expression never changed, maintaining a smile the whole time.

…

“Then how does it work?” I asked, unable to hold back my curiosity, “The artefact… If it doesn’t absorb sunlight, what does it do?”

“Hmm?” She gave me a strange look, “Can you not feel it?”

Feel it?

I turned to look at the artefact in the centre of the lighthouse again, in hopes that I might miraculously ‘feel’ what was going on… Whatever that meant.

What do you-

*Crash!*