Twilight of a Hybrid, стр. 43
The hybrid was going have to search for it with his own eyes than his nose. This was like traveling to the Northern Region all over again; Valverno travels to a spot marked on the map, but gets redirected to a different place. He had been wondering why he was doing the hard work of playing find-and-seek. Valverno was agitated of playing this game of going around the island searching for armor items to increase his magic power and will and be able to fight a dead king who is supposed to be dead.
The areas surrounding Valverno had many open stone walls built with so many square openings; houses built in a castle-like structure. Valverno had assumed these buildings were once stone houses or huts had the tops ripped off and shown what the houses look like on the inside, without the roofs covering the houses’ insides. Strangely enough, Valverno somehow could see ghost figures walking around him.
Ghosts of human being walking around him, walking passed him if they didn’t paid attention or didn’t see him. Valverno could see the ghosts walking around and going about their business like in a market place where people buy and sell products. Then the figures disappeared when Valverno heard his new name being called from Geraldus’s voice.
Geraldus, Flarefur, and Marina had caught up to him when they were considering they would be left behind again by him, going at it alone. “Leaving without us again?” asked Geraldus.
Valverno saw the group catching up to him. It seems every time he goes ahead of a group of people the group catches up some time later. “Well, there is a way to make progress and to get people moving,” said Valverno to himself, “Move on solely and the other people will soon follow after. I’ve got to be moving more often.”
The group caught up with Valverno and they had been ready to move immediately after Valverno suddenly left them behind again. “Going without us again?” asked Flarefur.
“As I understand, you wanted to stay behind and stay with her king,” said Valverno.
“It takes certain persuasion to convince me otherwise,” said Flarefur.
Valverno gave a small smirk and walked forward. He remembered Flarefur has mentioned Marina convinced him to journey with Valverno. It was too bad the rest of his other companions couldn’t come. This was due they were soldiers from King Uragiru’s army. They were only selected to accompany him to the Northern Region, by the order of the king. Flarefur serves as a temporary scout for King Uragiru but his loyalties lie with the Griffin King.
“Shall we proceed then?” asked Geraldus.
Marina strolled by Valverno without looking at his eyes, completely ignoring him and pretending his is someone else and not the hybrid she married. “Where are we to start?” she asked. “I don’t see any doors or arches that lead anywhere. It’s all just a building?”
“Let’s spilt up,” said Geraldus. “Marina, you’ll come with me and we’ll search the western part, and Valverno and Flarefur can search on the eastern side.”
Marina nodded.
And Flarefur nodded his head.
“It’s decided then,” said Geraldus. Geraldus moved across a hill of a small ruin tower and Marina followed him.
Valverno was left with his old Griffin companion to seek out anything that could look like an entrance leading underground whether it goes to a tomb or to a place unknown. These two walking creatures shared a small glare before turning their attention to the surrounding ruins.
“So, how has the winter been for you?” asked Valverno.
Flarefur gave Valverno a small glare before continuing to walk forward. “What kind of question is that?” asked the Griffin.
“I’m just trying to do small talk. I haven’t seen you in the past winter.”
“Well, if you want to know, it’s been chilling. I had to shed some of my feathers from bitter frost. And if you’re wondering where I had been, like all us creatures, we had been on the Valley of Creatures.”
Valverno looked at three still standing statues of human-like beings with curved ears holding spears. “I’ve always wanted to the Valley, but I got easily got distracted by several obstacles and the winter blizzard. What I’d do to go there for one day without any fights or distractions.”
“People are always welcomed there,” said Flarefur. The Griffin saw a bottom half-torn, human statue lying on the ground. “All creatures welcome to any visitors, including the likes of you.”
Valverno stopped to think about the Valley of Creatures. He thought of the Valley, but he didn’t take to heart of where the place was. “It’s on one of the smaller islands to the eastern ocean border of Shimabellia, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” answered Flarefur, walking in a different direction from Valverno.
Valverno turned his head away to look at smaller sections of the ruins. He saw several holes plastered on the ruins’ walls were windows. The ground he began to walk on was taking shape of more concrete ground than dirt and dead plants. At the furthest end of the ruins the hybrid laid his eyes on was a half domed-roof with a curve-in wall and a three-step staircase heading toward a chair erected onto the wall.
Then he saw more ghost figures again. Valverno stopped in his tracks and could easily see a straight line going up to the stone chair. Valverno thought the empty chair had to be a throne where the ruler of the ancient ruins sat to deliver judgment or a royal choice over the kingdom. Valverno followed the line up to the small stairway so he could have a closer look of what exactly what ghost was sitting on the abandon throne.
The ghostly king Valverno was seeing blurred and couldn’t identify the king’s