When the painter had left, Jodi then looked at her husband.
“Is he really any good?”
“Who knows?”
Pawel poured himself a mug of ale, “At least Tiese acted, if he hadn’t moved, there wouldn’t have been a shred of hope.”
“Whether he makes a mess or reaps a beautiful harvest, it’s a result he’ll have to live with.”
“He’s actually wanted to do this all along, we’re just making him face his true self. Nothing an outsider can say will help if a person doesn’t want to.”
Paiva took a sip of wine, “The Hero’s Chapter has already been given to the Temple Society in Yao City, right?”
“Well, the first batch of books will be transcribed next month at the latest.”
“Then I am relieved.”
There were a few moments of hesitation on Jyoti’s face, “You’ve really decided to do this?”
“Of course, is this even a joke?”
Pava took a deep breath and stood up, “Come on.”
Jodi walked over to the window and pulled the curtains closed.
She turned around and slowly walked over to Pava, “It’s not too late to regret it.”
Pawar put his hands around Jyoti’s face and kissed her, “No, I don’t regret it. The story of my life belongs to you.”
Then his face froze.
Pawar slowly fell backwards.
Pawar, the famous traveller and storyteller, at the age of 66, his heart stopped beating at his home in Sanilo.
……
Three days later, Fabiani, who had received the obituary, hurried outside the fountain on a sandworm.
Outside Pawar’s house, there were many people honouring the great storyteller, laying down bouquets of flowers in the corners and talking softly, lamenting Pawar’s death.
Fabiani knocked on the door.
The oak door was slowly opened to reveal Jodi’s slightly haggard face. She was dressed in a black dress, wearing a holy flower on her chest, and her eyes were red.
“Madam, I am sorry for your loss.”
Fabiani’s voice was hoarse, “I’m late.”
“Please come in.”
Jodie glanced behind him, “And this is?”
“This is my apprentice, Uluru.”
Uluru was short and wore a robe that pocketed almost his entire body, his entire being hidden in the shadows.
Fabiani said, “He’s an Uzi, so just let in him wait outside.”
He gestured to Uluru.
Uluru nodded and went back to waiting by the sandworm.
Once inside, Jyoti wiped the corners of his eyes with a handkerchief, “Would you like water, honey or wine?”
“Water.”
Fabiani was a little distracted.
He thought he had foreseen death, but the sudden death of his best friend was still too much for Fabiani to accept, and his mind went completely blank on the way.
He had received too much care from Pava, but he was unable to give any feedback.
This made Fabiani feel a deep sense of loss, and his body was heavy.
He saw the painting on the wall, solidified in resin, of a husband and wife portrait of Pawar and Jyoti, the artiste’s brushwork was superb, faithfully and accurately reproducing the features of Pawar and his wife and all their subtle mannerisms.
The painting shows Pawar with a smile on his face, not realising at this point that death would come knocking at his door so quickly.
Fabiani suddenly realised something wasn’t right.
This was Sanilo.
If Pawar was dead, the ghost was still there.
He looked to Jyoti, “Ma’am, has Pawar’s ghost appeared?”
“No, it has not appeared.”
A hint of sadness flashed across Jyoti’s face and she pursed her lips, “Who knows where his departed spirit has gone.”
No wonder she was so sad.
Fabiani sighed, “Perhaps he was too tired in life, Pava needed to rest. Please don’t worry, he loved you very much and will definitely come back to you.”
Every time he had dinner with Pawar, Fabiani could feel the anxiety of the close friend.
Pawar was always writing and rewriting, but progress was getting slower and slower, and as his reputation grew, Pawar could hardly find a quiet place in the city.
His exhaustion and nervousness were visible to the naked eye.
Pawar once said that his greatest struggle was that people expected too much of him. In the eyes of many, he was not only a narrator, but an observer of the world who harboured countless hidden secrets.
He couldn’t get beyond the original The Marvellous Adventures of Pawel, and for that reason, he longed for it, often saying that it was no fun to be so alive.
It’s hard to like fried little stinkbugs after you’ve eaten fried black water striders.
“He’s not coming back.”
Jodie shook her head.
Suddenly, a stranger in full armour stepped out of the inner room. The man wore brass-coloured spectral armour, a longsword at his waist, and a steady, rather imposing gait.
Fabiani was first taken aback.
Pava had only just died and Jodie had actually found a new mate?
Isn’t this a bit ……
A moment later it occurred to him that it wasn’t right.
A bold thought popped into his head.
“Could it be that …… Pava?”
The ghost in the spectral armour urned, “You are mistaken, my friend. Standing before you is, the ghost from the mountains, the warrior sacrificed a hundred years ago, Matthews.”
Fabiani couldn’t help but laugh, “You bast*rd, you played a fake death, everyone was fooled by you!”
There was nothing better than having a best friend still alive.
Matthews emphasised, “My friend, as I said, my name is Matthews. Your best friend, Pava, is dead, and his body is buried in the backyard.”
Fabiani froze and looked at Jodi.
Jodi nodded and wiped her tears with a handkerchief, “I killed …… and buried him with my own hands, and the death was complete.”
Fabiani was silent for a while, his face a little helpless: “You in order to be able to get rid of the pressure of the name Pava, not hesitate to commit suicide to start …… over again for fear that no one would have expected it.”
“My friend, I once again solemnly declare to you that I am Matthews.”
The other man emphasised again.
“Then why are you in Pava’s house?”
“Because I am a fan of Mr Pawar’s books and have come here to pay my respects. I have decided that I will carry on Mr Pava’s legacy and continue to write everyone’s stories.”
“I will be documenting the brutal war between the Fifth Dauntless Empire and the Uzi Kingdom, tentatively titled ‘Crystal Empire’. Please continue to support me in the future, just as you would support Pava-san.”
“Aren’t you lying?”
“I’m not lying.”
“Stop it, Pava.”
“Sir, please watch your language, I’m the war narrator, Matthews.”
Fabiani cried and laughed.
All he could do was nod, “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Matthews.”
Jodie winked and made a slight mouthing.
-Let it be.
Fabiani relaxed and rubbed his stomach, “Kind of hungry, got anything to eat?”
“There’s honey wheat pancakes, and a bit of cold beef, just make do with a bit.”Jodie clicked her fingers and the plates flew, instantly putting food on the table.
Fabiani ate and drank in a burst of gusto.
After eating a half-full meal, he said, “We recently dug up the ruins of the Rose Kingdom in a cape in the south and found a batch of rose seeds, thanks to Uluru.”
“The Uzis are indeed natural subterranean navigators, their earthbound boats are marvellous, they look like pillars of stone but are so flexible underground, it’s as if they’re alive.”
“Uluru was also the first geologist.”
“He told us how the underground moves, how the inside is constructed, what features are on the outside, and that there are more kinds of rocks than we thought ……”
“That black, burnable rock, called charcoal, is also found on some mountains, and cave monsters and sandworms can find some, but it’s very strenuous. Uluru has the exact way to find charcoal mines!”
“On top of that, Uluru can find fire wells. Flames that constantly spew out of the ground and can burn for hundreds of years are found in the Uzi Kingdom!”
“If there are fire wells and large amounts of charcoal, smelting and casting will become very easy, and the price of making various props and equipment will come down. There will be more people who can obtain cheaper metal tools and even fine equipment.”
Hearing such a wonder, Matthews instantly couldn’t pretend anymore and jumped up to say hurriedly, “Really? Quickly call Uluru in.”
“Good. The Uzis don’t speak, but they have a keen sense of hearing, and they can see their surroundings through their bodies, though in a different way than we do; theoretically their whole body is considered eyes.”
“They have their own writing and are used to recording history with carvings. It’s just that they never developed a language because there was no need for speech. But Uluru has been able to understand the Yao language, so it’s quite convenient.”
The young Uzi was invited in and looked somewhat nervously at the three men inside.
He had heard from his teacher Fabiani before he arrived.
Mr Pawar was a highly respected celebrity who told stories for all to hear and passed them on. Ms Jyoti, Mr Pawar’s wife, was a rich and elegant transcendentalist who must be treated with respect and decency.
Ururu bowed somewhat nervously to the armoured warrior and elegant lady inside.
He gestured, expressing the idea that it was an honour to be here and that he was disturbed.
Fabiani says something to them.
Lady Joti flashes a smile and presents him with a small seed, a faint green light lingering on its surface.
Fabiani said, “A gift from Lady Joti, this is the seed of a symbiotic tree, when planted it will grow into a grove and will attract elves. If you plant out the grove, it will be a fortune, and the elves will be willing to buy or lease it from you.”
- Uluru carefully took the seed of the tree and tucked it into himself.
It was both life and treasure.
He banged his head against the wall three times, expressing his solemn gratitude in traditional Uzi fashion.
The whole room framed and rattled.
