The skies was shrouded with a cluster of white clouds as the sun illuminates th ground with specks of lights seeping from the clouds themselves.
Xian savored the expenseless breakfast, with heightened senses, she can taste every bit of flavors from the combination of bread, egg, bacon and the warm chocolate.
After breakfast, Xian took a minute to wash the dishes which Annie insisted her from doing, then took another minute to wash her face. She's sure hygienic.
After all of that, she had finally went to the study room and saw Noire, sitting up write while reading a dark red covered book in her hands, infront of her.
This girl had her black hair untied, smoothly touching her shoulder, a pair of black eyes stared at the papers as an almost pale hand conradict most of her appearance, wearing a black dress with a gray long sleeves.
Knock... Knock...
Xian knocked the wall beside the entrance inside with a seconds gap each, loud enough to alert her sister, but quiet enough not to cause a loud noise.
Hearing the knocks, Noire turned her head and saw Xian standing by the door, a slight smile appeared in her sister's face.
Seeing her sister looking excitedly to explore outside, Noire can't help but to sigh.
I hope nothing bad happens, as there is lots of things that may happen. Just look at her, we're the same age but she looks like half my age, a girl just first time exploring outside... Well let's say this is her first time. In any case, I'm in charge of her today, I hate responsibility but I don't want my parents looking down on me.
I'll bring Annie along if something bad happened, she going to take half the credits... What?
I know, she's going to help me to, I know, I know...
She seems talking to someone inside her head, not just a normal thought, though she stood up and glanced at the window, outside towards the skies.
"We'll bring Annie along, it might also rain so let's also bring umbrellas for the rain." As she said that, she's already placing the used book on the bookshelf, doing it neatly.
As Xian nodded, Noire already went past her and called Annie over.
Hmm, it sure hard to befriend her... I wonder if everyone outside is like her too, thus I will be more afraid to go.... But I'm still excited to go, to explore the outside world, is not really my plan when mother's still alive since with her, my life is enough.
But the fate decided not, thus I'm here...
Since coming here, Xian only saw the huge walls outside the city that protected the lands from outside. She frequently glanced outside the house from the windows and can only see humans walking in the paved road made out of cobblestone and sand, though rough, it was smooth at the same time.
There is also different houses outside and lamp hanging on a standing rods, similar to the light bulb inside the house.
After Annie brought the umbrellas from a stand near the door, she opened the door for her master to go while standing in side making way for the two.
Noire already went outside, taking a glance at the flowers taking cared by her mother as hobby. While Xian stopped just infront of the door dividing inside from the outside.
Gulp, this is it. Once I step outside, there's no going back!
Xian used to make things and scenarios inside her head, this is out of boredom as well as strategic reasons from time to time.
Well, it's not like I'm crazy or something, but doing so can I regain my mood from what is happening in my life.
Xian stepped out after a couple of seconds, well her thoughts flies within a friction of seconds after all.
Well, sometimes...
The sun at the east greets her skin, warmness shrouded her body as she felt a sigh of relief from being felt the warmness of the sun again.
Greeted her outside is the garden that used most of the front yard of the house, there are several plants various types but only minority of them are Xian is familiar of.
Potatoes... Three clovers... There is also that purple looking leaf...
At the very edge of the plot, stood a dark brown clay vase, planted on it is a small twig of wood, but there is only three leaves that strangely looking purple, not green.
Seeing Xian looking at the strange plant, Noire enlightened her thus said:
"That's the Purple-Twig Leaves... Enough sightseeing, the rain later might catch us."
Oh, the Purple-Twig Leaves, one of the supplementary ingredients for one of the elixirs that permanently enhanced constitution!
Xian was enlightened and also remember the supplementary ingredients on the book of hers. During the journey in the forest, with limited to no ingredients found in the forest, Xian can only gather what she can and plant the inside the spatial space her mother owned, the latter also helped Xian.
Thus far, I only drank a couple of Vanilla's Bane during the journey through here. I still have stocks of the ingredients for them but drinking too much will backstab me... Mother said only drink twice a week.
This thought flies within a seconds as Xian followed her half sister whose now on the paved road. Annie followed after closing and locking the door behind.
...
While walking, Xian would use the time to take glances here and there. She noticed how different houses and plot on this section of the city differs from one another. Like the house of Oddidity, the neighboring houses are also made of bricks and wood, with some even having a strange metal sheet in their roofs, later Noire explained that it was a steel sheet roof, durable and long lasting than natural hard wood room or hardened clay roofs.
There also different in the use of front yard, some uses it to have a small garden space just like Natalia's collection, some uses them as empty, yet decorative front, some even have small totems placed outside depicting different statues of their deities.
After a long walk, probably 15 minutes passed, they finally arrived at the main cross section road.
The main cross road is divided into four section or destination. From where Xian came from, was the south side of the paved road, named South West District. Opposite is the road directing to North West District at the left direct to the tall walls and the right is where the three is going, the City Center.
They didn't continued walking as Noire was panting in the short-long walk earlier and Annie already noticed this, don't want to make her master suffer such state, thus she can only so is picked the girl up to her shoulder.
Annie was as tall as Xen and Larry, being almost 2 meter tall. Seeing this, Noire was in shock and embarrassment.
"A-Annie! Bring me down!"
Annie immediately bought the young master in instance, she wasn't joking about carrying her thus she only bowed to apologize.
"Just call a carriage," She then looked at Xian. "Sure you can tolerate a carriage right?"
"Huh?" Responded Xian.
...
Well it's not so bad.* Xian thought as she took a glance outside the window of the wooden carriage.
Earlier, Annie called a passing carriage. This type of carriage are called Rental Carriage. They can circle all around the city all day depending on the condition of their horses that is pulling them, and frequently, they would switch to different horses on different stops at the city to continue.
The wooden carriage isn't too big or wide, it just enough for Annie, a 185cm woman to sit comfortably inside, being sat upright and atleast three more of her to fill the gaps in the sit.
She sat infront of two who's both leaning by the side, at the window. The carriage has an odd appearance, not so square or round, it as the First Ancestral Queen said, for aerodynamic purposes. Later on, the aerodynamic study will be soon discovery thus it makes sense now.
Speaking of the First Ancestral Queen, she was the founder of Chess Empire. The name Chess is not known to any language not objects, but as she depict, it was a simple hierarchy system, just like the hierarchy of the empire.
From the birth of the empire, from the shadows, she had been providing technologies to the empire. From what known as shower to this type of carriage that blends with the wind. It also believed that she was an immortal transcendent.
Probably the last stage of transcendence, well I don't have much information about it because mother kept insisting on teaching me before reaching 2nd stage.
Now I'm on the 2nd stage, she was gone to teach me... Not really gone, I'm sure I can explore the spatial space when the time comes!
Minutes passed, and the carriage stopped. As they left the wooden carriage, Xian was instantly amazed by the scene infront of her.
So this is the city center...