"A priestess?" Kace reiterated in questioning tone. His eyes widened and looked at the girl beside him in disbelieve. "Do you really think this priestess could save me?" there was resentment in the way Kace asked this.
"Serefina thinks this priestess could save you," Lana corrected, after all she just did the task that Serefina gave to her.
"What this priestess will do? Praying for me while burning that candle? You must be kidding me," Kace looked at the bar which Lana chose to enter.
"If that works, why not?" Lana shrugged and was about to enter the bar when Kace grabbed her hand and forced her to turn around and faced him.
"This sounds very ridiculous," Kace grunted. "How long it will take until we find that priestess with only a single clue?" and to say the only clue they had was the very ordinary candle, sounded so pitiful in Kace's ears. "We need to go back before the festival."
"Calm down," Lana didn't pull her hand from Kace's grip, she just reciprocated his gaze. "Hope is with that family and we have warned to not come to the festival."
"Knowing her, do you think she will comply obediently, especially when we don't return as per the time we promised her?" Kace knew the girl wouldn't be so lenient upon being lied to.
And Lana knew it as well. "We will return before the festival," she assured him.
"I am not sure with meeting the priestess, but since we are already here, let's finish this as soon as possible." Kace didn't feel excited to meet the priestess at all.
"I know this will be your reaction, that was why Serefina told me to not tell anything until we are here." Lana pushed open the door and walked into the bar.
"I think both of you have grown to know me very well," Kace replied as he followed her.
Apparently the bar was out of business now as Kace could see all the chair was upside down and a few spots were covered with white sheet. Another thing that Kace realized was; there was no one there neither the door was closed.
Lana didn't seem to bother with this fact and walked toward the stairs, beside her, Kace didn't question the girl about this as he assumed she knew what she had to do.
Both of them climbed the stairs in silence.
On the second floor, there was only one hallway, which led them to the only door in the end of it and Lana was heading there.
This place was very quiet, too quiet for Kace liking and had nothing. No scent, no sound. This place was completely empty, but what they were doing here?
Did Lana want to get something from this place?
Lana stopped in front of the wooden black door with intricate carving on the surface of the door. Again, as if she owned this place, Lana didn't even bother to knock and pushed the door with her body.
However after a few attempts, apparently her strength was not enough to make the door budge and her face contorted with annoyance.
Kace still didn't say anything when he grabbed Lana's shoulder and pulled her away. Kace replaced her spot and tried to push the door.
It was indeed very heavy, but in his second attempts the door opened with a loud screeching sound that made Kace scrunched his nose. The sound agitated his ears while Lana had covered hers with both hands.
The scene behind the door threw Kace out of guard as the view before his eyes, once again, made him scrunched his brows tightly.
"Did all the doors in this realm will lead you to another world or something?" Kace held the door open just enough for Lana to go into the room, no, this was not a room.
This place was covered in a crystal white snow, Kace took a deep breath in the fresh, cold air. They were in the mountain.
"Where are we exactly?" Kace spoke in a sigh, his voice turning to fog in the freezing air. Snow and ice clung to the bare branches of the forest trees. Yes, another forest!
Kace could feel his head spun with this fact, they had changed environment four times just within six hours.
"I don't know if this will be snow over here," Lana mumbled, she shook the fallen snow on her head and tightened the jacket around her body. "The walk will be slightly difficult.'
"Worry not, my entire life has been difficult, I am kind of used to that now," Kace replied with a small grunt and this made Lana smile a little bit.
Both of them stayed standing there for a minute more as their eyes locked on the white- encrusted top of the mountain before Lana decided it was time to keep moving.
"Let's go," she said as she took steps ahead.
Kace followed behind her silently, he didn't have trouble to keep up with Lana even in this snowy environment.
Along the way Lana would grumble here and there, brushing the snow from her head and clothes. It was clear to see this beautiful white snow had agitated her, especially when the snow reached her knees and she was having difficulty to walk.
Lana had stumbled a few times during this walk and Kace would be there to catch her to gain her footing again. "Do you always walk so clumsily?" he couldn't help, but teased her.
"No! It's just hard to walk with this snow everywhere!" Lana shot him a scowl and ignored the heat rising to her cheeks in embarrassment.
Kace's whole demeanor changed, he gave her apologetic smile. "I am sorry," he said softly.
"For?" Lana was busy to keep her balance. "You don't have to be sorry for this, it didn't look like you are the one who creates this weather."
But, Kace shook his head. "I am sorry because I spoke harshly to you at that time."