One week later. Early morning.
Veronica returned to the bamboo house where her friend Terros live. She found him feeding chickens and roosters in the backyard. He looks the same and so the bamboo house. Originally she just wanted to steal some herbs and returned here after two days but ended up staying one week in the deity's house. At least she's back and accomplished her purpose in going back to the Windless Mountain.
She made herself visible. "I'm back!" she announced her presence to him merrily.
ραпdα nᴏνɐ| сom Terros turned around and smiled brightly at his housemate. "Welcome back, Veronica!" he said. "How's your trip? Did you get what you are looking for?" he asked.
"Yes! And I also visited my old friend. My journey is splendid!" she replied. "I'm going upstairs to my room to prepare the ingredients that would help Graven find her wife," she said.
"Okay, take your time," Terros responded and continue feeding the hens and roosters.
Veronica climbed the stairs, entered the house, and went to her room.
She almost had a heart attack after discovering that someone is waiting for her inside her room!
"Hello dear... surprised!?"
"W-why are you here, Elva?" she asked. "Did you follow me here?"
"Yes! I want to see the place where you are currently staying right now. And one more thing, I want to see Graven in person!" Elva responded.
Veronica's brows knitted together. "But w-why?"
"Nothing... I'm just curious... I've been living alone in the Windless Mountain. I got bored sometimes and I'm craving another being's presence. Since you already abandon me, I'm ready to find someone to be my companion," Elva explained casually.
A frown appeared on Veronica's forehead. "W-what do you mean? Did you fancy Terros as your companion? Are you interested in him?"
Elva laughed humorously. "Are you kidding me? Why should I get interested in an old man as my companion? I want a younger man that is fun to be with!"
Veronica's eyes widened. "Y-you mean...? You are interested with Graven?" she asked in disbelief.
"Yeah! I like what I saw!" Elva giggled.
"What the...!" Veronica didn't finish her sentence afraid that she might say something that would anger the thousand years old deity.
"But he's just a baby! You and Graven are not compatible because you are one thousand years old already and he still young!" Veronica protested.
Elva erupted into peals of laughter. "Age is just a number, my dear! Do I look one thousand years old with my body and face right now? I'm ageless...I'm immortal...I won't grow old!" she said, grinning.
Veronica shook her head vigorously. "No, you can't touch Graven! He is Terros friend. Leave him alone!"
Elva raised her brow and looked at the woman. "Why are you so concern about Graven? I'm not going to harm him. I just want to befriend him."
Veronica sighed. "Let me remind you, Goddess, that Graven is a married guy already!" she reminded her.
Elva laughed again. "Married or not, I don't care. I always get what I want. Rest assured that I won't harm him," she said.
Veronica bit her lip, wondering if she should believe the deity or not? But during her stay in the deity's house, she's been kind to her and never hurt her. She can only hope that the goddess doesn't have bad intentions towards Graven because her friend Terros treated Graven like a son. "Are you staying here in my room for a few days?" she asked, wanting to know because how can she explain the deity's presence in Terros house?
Elva rose to her feet. "Don't worry dear, I won't disturb your solitude. I'm taking my leave. I just want to know where you live and now that I know. I already know where to find you. I'll take my leave now. I won't be far away, I'll wait for Graven to visit this place because I'm eager to see him in person!" she said, her eyes shimmering with excitement.
"Okay," Veronica murmured.
A few seconds later, the goddess disappeared from the room.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
Veronica opened the door.
"I heard voices talking... I mean...do you have a company inside your room?" Terros asked, looking behind his friend's back. He saw no other person inside the room.
Veronica nodded her head. "Yes, I'm talking to my friend a while ago. But she already left," she answered.
"W-who is that person? Why you didn't introduce her to me?" he asked curiously.
Veronica sighed. "She is a thousand years old deity. The one who give me the last ingredients for my creation. I didn't know that she followed me here, when I opened the door and entered this room, she was already sitting on my bed."
"Why did she followed you here?" Terros probed deeper.
Veronica took a deep breath. "She just wants to know where I live. After she knows that I live here she left and returned to her place. Don't worry, she's a harmless deity," she assured him.
Terros studied her face for a few minutes. "Okay, I believed you. If you are hungry there's boiled banana in the kitchen," he said. He turned around and left the room.
Veronica put the bag on the table and arranged the other herbs and ingredients that she's going to use to create the powder that could help Graven in finding his wife.
She began to work.
Hours went by.
Lunchtime comes.
Terros was busy cooking a chicken soup in the kitchen, he mixed it with fresh leafy vegetables and herbs taken from his garden.
The delicious aroma of the chicken soup drifted in Veronica's nostrils inside her room. She just finished her creation. The concoction is already in powdered form and just needs to be dried under the sun for a few hours before it's ready to use.
She stood up and exited the room going to the kitchen.
She found Terros already finished cooking lunch. He was putting the chicken soup in the dish bowl made of ceramics. She decided to help him, she picked up the plates and spoon and set them on the table.
Terros smiled. "Let's eat!" he said.
She lowered herself on the chair and scooped a spoonful of the chicken broth and brought it to her mouth. "Wow! Yummy... delicious chicken soup!" she enthused.
Terros smiled. "Eat plenty! There's more soup in the pot," he said.
"Okay," Veronica replied.
They eat their meals in silence.
"Where does your friend live?" he asked after a while.
Veronica looked at her friend. "She lives alone in the Windless Mountain," she replied.
"I see..." Terros said. "Is that the famous mountain that you can't see the top because it was always covered with a sea of clouds," he said.
"Yeah, that's the one!" Veronica replied. "Why did you ask?"
"Because I set up a Spell Formation around this area. There are only three people that can get out and enter this place freely and that is you, me, and Graven. When the formation alerted me that it was breached, I know that someone powerful has successfully entered my place. Then I hurriedly went upstairs and was about to check if you're okay... that's when I heard voices talking inside your room. I was familiar with your voice... that's when I know that you are having a conversation with someone inside your room," he explained.
"Yes... I'm talking to that deity. She's the one who helped and nursed my health after the bird stole my eyes. She is the one who gives me the third eye and gives me a place to stay while I'm recovering from the accident..." she elaborated further.
"Ah...I see. Next time, if she comes here...you can introduce me to her so that I will finally meet this powerful deity who easily bypassed the Spell Formation that I erected around this area," Terros said.
"Sure!" Veronica replied.
"Let's continue eating... the soup is getting colder," he said.
"Okay," she murmured.
They resumed eating and finished their meal within a few minutes.
"I'll wash the dishes," Veronica volunteered.
"Ok." Terros nodded his head and left the table.
Veronica washed the dishes in the bamboo sink.
After she finished her task in the kitchen, she went back to her room. She put banana leaves in the basket and put her concoctions on it. She carried the basket in her right hand and left the room, going to the balcony to dry the powder under the sun, giving it more potency.
She found her old friend sitting on the bamboo bench, looking at the far distance. She placed the basket in the area where the sunlight is abundant. She lowered herself on the bench and glanced at his friend, he seemed to be preoccupied. "What are you thinking my friend? Care to share?" she asked.
Terros looked at her. "I'm worried about my friend Graven. I still can't solve the mystery of the black liquid," he said sadly.
"Maybe... it's not meant to be...don't be too hard on yourself," Veronica said.
"What do you mean?"
"Maybe, you don't have the right skill to solve its mystery..." She paused for a moment and continue. "Let's face it, even if we think we are good and excelled in everything we do...yet there are some problems that we can't solve successfully on our own. Don't worry... since I'm already done with the powder mix... I'll help you to solve the mystery of the black liquid," she offered.
"Great...!" Terros said. "Two heads are better than one!"
Veronica stood up. "I'll go down to check my herbs in the backyard," she said and left the balcony.
Terros rose to his feet and went inside the house. He wants to rest inside his room for a few hours.
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