"May I know if this is the right way to Skyland?" I asked the owner of the noodle shop but there was no reply besides the paused expression displayed on her wrinkled-filled face.
"Skyland? The place where people go to see Princess Svitaksha for advice? Haven't you heard of it?"
I continued questioning the owner. Still, there was no apparent response. I left some Inies (coins in Tehink Town) on the counter to pay for the bowl of hot spring noodles I had and left right after. Though feeling disappointed, I moved on guided by my instincts and the rusty old compass my grand dad left me with. I held the compass in my palm and remembered what Grand dad told me when he first gave me the compass.
"You have to trust the compass and control it with your heart, only then can you get to your destination."
I was only in my tender age of 6 when my grand dad told me about it. I have never used it before and so I am not quite sure what he meant by that. I looked at the compass and decided to give it a try.
"I need to go north" I whispered.
The compass needle rotated rapidly and eventually landed on the symbol N. In split seconds, the left pathway in front of me was illuminated by some sort of glow dust and I suddenly felt the confidence to take the left path and so I turned left without hesitation.
"Can this be what grand dad was trying to tell me? Or was it merely beginner's luck?" I wondered.
I walked for approximately an hour and I finally saw some cafe-style wooden tables and chairs from afar. It looked like a coffee shop. I fasten my steps and moved towards the coffee shop. I looked into the dark coffee shop and saw the silhouette of a short petite figure. I took out a torch from my backpack. Using my torch, I could see the figure clearly. I could not believe my eyes when the figure standing in front of me which I presumed to be the owner of this coffee shop looked exactly like the noodle shop owner I talked to an hour ago!
"Who is she? The same person?" I whispered to myself.
Chapter 1: To the North of Tehink Town (Part 2)
Though she wasn't at all looking at me, her petite physique and her face were extremely familiar. She looked alike, like a clone.
"Excuse me..." I said, trying to get her attention.
Yet, she paid no attention and continued cleaning the table. I lost my patience so I directly patted her on her left shoulder. My hand landed on the table that she was cleaning as it went through her shoulder like going through air. That feeling was awkwardly scary. I stood there speechless. Still, there was no respond.
"Who are you? Why are you here in my shop?" a wise-looking old man on a wheelchair asked me with his course monotonous voice as he pushed himself out from the corner room in the shop, towards me.
I stepped back.
"Erm, I am Roentua Thaemore, the grand daughter of the late Sir Giodernern, ruler of Tehink Town. Do you happen to know him, sir?"
He looked at me from top to bottom. It seemed as though he was trying to figure something out.
"I am on my way to Skyland and so I stopped by to have a cup of hot Yentua Milk Tea."
"Yes...yes... Giodernern, my best friend. Did I hear the word late? When did he past away?"
"Last winter, around 2nd of Univest of the Tehink Town calender. Your best friend? Did you mean he come here before?"
"He came here few years ago on his way to Skyland. We chatted for quite a few hours at that corner. We exchanged our belonging as our symbol of friendship."
He said as he pointed on the right end of the room. He then held his hand into his pocket and took out an old pocket clock.
"This is what Giodernern gave me."
"What did you gave in return then?" I asked with curiosity as I was surprised to see my grand dad's favourite pocket clock.
"A compass."
I reached into my pocket and took out the compass. "This one?" I asked.
He nodded.
"Let us sit down and chat. I am sure you'd like to know more, am I right?" He ended his question.
"Ryine, get her a cup of hot Yentua Milk tea and a cup of Tehink Coffee for me." he instructed his worker, the one who I was talking to just now. This time, the figure replied with a smile.
Wanna know more about what happen next? Stay tuned :)
