Sister Hin's Dream

The Crimson Lake was located in a silent desert region that was rarely frequented by anyone. The soaring butte that resembled a tower in front of us was completely exposed to the sun, yet it had holes and crevices in it that seemed to be leading to a dark and dangerous place.

If I could see them, Sister Hin saw them too. I was worried that she would want to enter them along with me to pry open all those secret and mysterious places and verify the authenticity of the rumours.

I knew that Sis Hin would feel disappointed if I asked her to turn back now, and so I also told her that we could come back to the place later when we 'awakened'.

Awakening refers to the process of having totems carved onto our bodies. It wouldn't improve our strength considerably until those totems were transfused with vampire blood but it would still enhance our senses and perception to the point that we would be able to sense the dangers ahead of us and avoid them.

That question, therefore, was my last attempt to persuade Sister Hin to turn back now.

At my question, Sister Hin's eyes radiated the guilt that she was trying to suppress. The Rocky Cliff and Hearken Pass were both landmarks that have been considered dangerous locations for travelers passing by, one of the reasons why they would pay for guides like my father.

Tafilat City, on the other hand, is the nearest city to our isolated town and a center of trade and commerce. The 'teachers' that came to our town to awaken the kids usually came from there.

I named those three locations because we haven't visited them too, and it would still give us a thrill if we went there.

I had heard enough stories about those places from my father at the dinner table that I had a certain level of confidence of staying safe there.

I couldn't say the same for Crimson Lake though, since either my father hadn't dared to set foot in here or had experienced something here that he didn't dare to share with his family. But unfortunately, although Sis Hin looked guilty, her determination didn't seem to falter.

With a rueful smile, she expressed her reasoning, "Little Tiff, I know what you're thinking about, but don't worry, I won't take you too deep in.

I think I know of a secret passage to the top of that hollow butte. Remember that one time, we took that stinky map from Aunt Enka's shop? Hehe, it appeared to be so mysterious back then.

Well, as it turned out, the drawings on it were nothing but some random lines. I had to ask a lot of guides to confirm that. After I threw it out on the street in the night, it rained.

The next day, I woke up early and found that the map was still there, so I decided to check if that stink was still there and surprisingly, it wasn't!

Moreover, the lines on it disappeared, and even the color was lighter than before. You know what that means right? The map was just… too damned dirty.

On that new and clean map that was revealed, there was something written in some ancient language. So, I asked a few guides. They stared at it for a long time but perhaps because they were amateurs, they couldn't help. Those that were able to make some sense out of those words spoke gibberish, so I couldn't trust them as well.

Eventually, I took them to Uncle Albert and didn't leave him alone until he helped. Finally, he gave it a look and told me that on that parchment, a man had written down the journey of his companions to the top of the 'Crimson Lake', and that butte over there that you see… It is the real Crimson Lake.

Although that journey was incomplete and Uncle Albert kept the parchment with him, just knowing that it's possible to reach the top of a structure like that, take in the view, even leaving a record of such an adventure, is possible, I couldn't hold myself back."

Instead of answering my question, Sister Hin took a roundabout route and explained how she got that map and the way to the top of that… 'thing', which only served to confuse me more, but she didn't leave me hanging and continued when she saw that I was drawn in,

"It's not really a secret but I'm going to make it sound like it. So, do you know why Crimson Lake is so famous aside from the interesting rumors?" I was about to answer my guess but before I could open my mouth, she continued with a proud expression,

"It's because on the other side of Crimson Lake… lies the desert Kingdom of Unustria, less prosperous than our own but embroiled in myths and legends from ancient times.

Although no one other than those daring adventurers who have stood upon the Lake have seen the view, I'm willing to bet that it's something worth giving everything up for an exploration-hungry soul like me.

Tiff, imagine how wonderful it would be, telling others what Unustria looks like."

By the time she was done, her eyes were dazzled by her own words…