“This is the second moon since our arrival at Ashvin’s house, are you sure that everything is fine?” Of course she was not worried about the feelings of the twins; she was rather worried about the fact that we spent so much time on this strange island. "I think the Ashwins are happy that someone other than spirits and banshees is watching over their house."
The ruins of temples and ramshackle palaces. There is a rumor that there used to be a tower in the center of this island, which was closer to the sky than the tops of the highest mountains. In those days, the tower was worshiped as the center of the world, but something happened, and the island was destroyed; Most of it is now flooded, and the rest is overgrown with grass and wildflowers. The Ashwins said that only a couple of spirits live with them here on the island. Sometimes there are travelers coming here accidentally, but because of this tall grass you quickly lose sight of them.
We sat on the lawn near the castle, hiding in the shade of fruit trees. The twins went to Holiday Island to sell cider at a fair in honor of the equinox. Franz wanders around the island, sketches flowers and gathers seeds. Teya found the armory (it seems this castle is even older than it seemed on a first sight), and now every day she is swinging a new sword. I tried to make a map of the island, found an archive with maps in the depths of the library and tried to compare the ruins with those buildings that were on ancient parchments.
We agreed that when the twins returned, we would go search for the tower. The map was more or less ready, the twins should have returned from day to day. Franz wandered around the house and collected all sorts of little things, I wanted to stop him, but I received only “but how else?”
The Ashwins came back before the C-moon. “So you are heading into the depths of the island to search for the tower. Did you think it over well? ”Las were distressed and did not hide his distrust of this undertaking. “Brother, they came for it, don't you remember? This nameless was looking for something from the beginning”, “Oh... exactly, I forgot already!”, “Worry not, my friend, this world is powerless against him!” Teya laughed heartily, holding a huge spear in one hand and a bottle of cider in another. I was ready to burst out laughing; of course, what could the world do to me when this marvelous freaky child is on my side?
The next morning we headed to the north. The road lay through the fields of high grass in which the fragments of bygone days rested; the tile of expensive stone, the broken statuette of some beast, the part of a huge sculpture, came across to me all the time. It was strange to walk around this place so carelessly, but the beauty of the ruins was fascinating.
Theia nags Franz over the herbs, and he seemed to be awfully happy about it. His inspiration usually peters out after a few phrases and a cold grin, but now he tried his best. “Did you know that on this island Tonk grass can be seen even without Ivo's gifts?” I watched this couple without taking my eyes off, it seems they were discussing something amazing, even by my view who was not tempted by herbs. “Come on, you have to know that the spirits hide them from people on purpose, haven’t you?” “But I tell you! I saw them above the sacred obelisk in the coastal temple placed to the east of Ashvin’s Castle! Their petals were translucent and the stems were yellow and they grew near the sanctuary, it was definitely Tonk grass. ” After these words Teya change in her face instead of a wide smile and narrowed eyes, now I saw the face full of anger. "Then why are you telling to me about it only now, my dear Franz?” It seems he got to careless and forgot that this welcoming girl had a huge spear in her hands. “Hey, hey easier, don't you want to kill each other on the halfway to tower? Moreover, the descent to the train is only near the castle of the twins, so we will pass near the coast and take your flowers, Teya.” For a moment it seemed that she was ready to incinerate me along with Franz, but after a moment she, as usual, could not resist and burst out laughing “ha-ha-ha-ha you guys should have seen your faces!” Franz chuckled, but I'm sure he thought to himself “such a spear to anyone will add some fear and persuasiveness.”
We were a half way to the tower, so we decided to stay overnight near the destroyed sculpture. Teya lit a fire. The children sat opposite and stared at me with an expectant look, only I can cook less, so I understand the reason, but my reserves are almost over, then it dawned on me "wait a minute, have any of you taken food with you?" "No, sir, nothing but wonderful cider", okay ... from Teya this was expected, but what about Franz? “And you?” I looked at him hopefully, but my hope seemed to be vain, his backpack was packed with fine junk, boxes with seeds and manuscripts. “What an evil joke ... and how should I deal with this now? And why do I care about it at all? We will not survive on cider and flower seeds alone "" Who said that I will give you my seeds?”“ My cider is also forbidden! ”Oh, just think. “And what are your bright minds ready to offer for solving this trivial problem?” Franz folded his arms and snorted haughtily. Oh yes, this truly bright head already has a dubious decision. “Do you still think that I collected all these trinkets for no reason?” I didn’t understand anything, but Teya seemed to understand everything and nodded approvingly. Franz stood up taking the old mirror in his hand and said, “The keeper of fire invites everyone who wants to find the good and bring the food, I hold the gift in my right hand, I accept the gift with my left hand.”
At first I was at a loss, but after the mirror was gone in Franz’s left hand appeared a branch with pears. This child trades with alvas without a share of fear, and Theia seems delighted with it, what a madness. Maybe I just don’t understand something? “You don’t understand a lot of things” “Yes, you don’t understand a lot of things.” Teya laughed while eating buns. And really, a lot of things I still do not understand, otherwise why I would look for this tower.
“Believing to the route you made we should be in front of the tower” Franz rolled the map in his hands and look around. We were standing in the middle of nowhere. Nothing left but wasteland. The same tall grass grew around so I offered to go around looking up to some strange staff.
And it worked! Franz found the well with a stone tablet on it where was pictured something. “Its mean one wish per person” “No, you’re wrong; here is ‘one person for a wish’”. After that they both fell silent. Does it mean to sacrifice someone? I never heard about the god or spirit who takes lives as gifts. We stood for a while thinking about what to do next and eventually decided to go back.
On the way back to the train station we grabbed some Tonk grass and come to say our goodbyes to the twins. “So, did you find what you are coming here for?” “Not quite. We found the well that I think I was searching for, but some strange staff was written on it” “What kind of staff?” Art asked looking askance at me. “‘One person for a wish’ or something like that” The twins looked at each other and start laughing. “It was a picture of the hung man with a star in his hands?” Franz nodded. “Does he have a face?” “OH! I understand now!” Teya jumped from delight “It’s about him!” she said this pointing on me, “It’s about giving to god back what he gives you, to obtain something new” “You are absolutely correct, my dear, you have find the well of memories, in the past times was a story about the god who can exchange his memories on a wish, but it seems, here Las giggled, that our friend already obtain his wish”. What a grief is not to remember the wish that cost you all your life. What a strange journey.
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