Chapter 6: Garden

The youthful figure walked in silence, enjoying the sights that greeted him. His time of troubles were now finished, and he could stroll at his own leisure. His actions carried on, without a care in the world.

And as he laid his gaze to the aubade heaven, a certain star was not to be found in its backdrop. The sun was gone, missing from its place.

[Hold on, the sun's gone.] His eyes regarded the sunless skies, but he did not seem surprised. At this current point in time, there was little that could surprise him.

Though he still harbored suspicions about his environment.

[Fishy... fishy...]

Yet as he lightly dwelled upon the matter, an air of sweetness penetrated his sense of smell, bringing new life into the nose he never knew he had.

With a visor as his face, and a cloak that hid his form, the exact physical features of the boy were hidden from him, and he could not infer what his body possessed, nor could he identify what he was.

But apparently, the youth had a nose. He only discovered this tidbit after entering the garden.

[Wait, if I can smell these...] He deliberated over this new discovery, as he smelled absolutely nothing from the previous rooms. [Were the previous rooms odorless?]

From his perspective, the preceding locations were devoid of any odor as it did not stir his senses, though that insinuated another dilemma to him. The lack of any distinct smell implied a few possibilities.

That his nose did not make itself known to him, till he reached the flowery lake. His treading upon the meadow might have triggered his body to return his olfactory senses to him.

Or maybe his previous emplacements were indeed missing of any perceptible odors, perhaps that would be it. A place, deficient of any odorous scent that could render his nose useful.

Eitherway, there was no need for him to concern himself over the matter. His disregard silenced whatever curiosity he may have had regarding another mystery of his body.

[That’s not important though.] He exclaimed. [There’s ought to be a way to escape this place.]

He took a stroll around the room, examining every single plant that he could find. All of the floral growths, he found, were flowering ones.

None of them bore any fruit, a fact he took note of.

Next, he studied the walls themselves to see if there were any hidden openings or doors that could have secluded themselves.

Alas, there were none.

[Hmm, what to do...] He asked himself, unsure of how to proceed. [What to do...]

While he contemplated on his next actions, he glanced at the lake, and he saw a strange flower of verdant green that sat by its middle. It looked rather forlorn, separated from the rest of its ilk that stood on the soil.

On the lakeside, a few ways off before him, he saw the pale statue of a young boy, its hands clasped together as if in prayer.

The middling stattuete with hands of where a tiny orifice was carved, a receptacle of sorts. It seemed to be a receiver for a certain object, awaiting its inlaying.

The statue had a navy cap lain on its head, with the hem bearing similar symbols to the ones used on the golden door he had seen before.

This would be the second time he saw such strange characters.

It also wore a general’s coat, collared onto its neck and draping over its shoulders, worn as you would a shawl.

The buttons were undone on its stony attire, as its sculptor seems to have paid attention to the fine intricacies of modeled cloth. The folds and creases were duly intact, as real fabric might appear to the naked eye.

Beneath the coat, its donned a matching pair of navy shirt and pants, giving its the appearance of a youthful sailor.

A young, childlike sailor, who dressed in affluent clothing and stared at those who may attend to it. While its outward aspects were that of a boy, the child of stone exuded grace with its presence, an august form which befit that of a king.

And as for what was written upon the statue's navy cap, of which the stony form had donned, what followed was a single word.

One he was familiar with.

{|}

Storyteller

{|}

He was familiar with it, just as with everything else.

[It says, Storyteller?] The boy approached the statuette, as he read the chiseled symbols upon the headdress. And he felt... acquainted with the word.

[That sounds oddly familiar to me, hmm.]

This left him to reflect on his knowledge. To ponder upon the eccentricities he met with his brief, yet dangerous, travels.

So far, he faced these 'foolish crucibles', as the abrupt adage identified them.

These challenges were given to him, as if to test his capabilities. Capabilities that slowly revealed themselves with time.

Along with their revival, he seemed apprised with various terms that revolved around the knowledge this strange world gradually disclosed.

To him, they felt familiarized, that these were fragments of knowledge that he had forgotten.

Though as he knew, everything would remain a stranger. Without any prior knowledge, he simply couldn't grasp the familiarity.

It was a simple sentiment that couldn't be proven otherwise.

[Then again, nearly everything seems familiar since I know nothing that happened before I woke up.]

He abandoned this school of thought, as he turned to the flowery lake. And, with a gradual pace, the boy began his approach towards the body of water.

Soon, he reached the blue lagoon.

{|}

Radiant Garden:

The sanctuary that gods forbade,

from where the flowers dwell.

And so we led the fallen king,

to where the flowers fell.

{|}

And, much to his surprise, a transparent screen appeared before him. The very same crystalline, translucent glass that refuged words for him to view.

In an unexpected and slightly disturbing manner, it hovered before him. He stumbled back in fright.

[Fucking hell...] With his stumbling form aseat, he glowered at the crystal screen. [Stop giving me a heart attack, sheesh.]

It took him a few moments to regain his temperance though as he recovered his proper demeanor, the screen abruptly disappeared, leaving the boy alone.

He did not regard the changes with much attention, as he perfectly remembered the words it conceived with its transparent form, and he saw little meaning with them.

Other than the appearance of another proverb that bore the words 'fallen king'.

It was a term he knew little about, other than what it obviously implied. That a ruler fell from grace, and was deemed to be fallen.

Regardless, he turned his concern to the flowery lake, as he ruminated on what had to be done.

If his circumstances had a pattern, there would be another 'crucible' he needed to fulfil.

[So....] In a fretful tone, he scrutinized what he saw notable. [There's a lake with a flower in the middle, and a creepy sailor statue with holes in its hands, hm.]

He glanced at the lake, the watery pond that sheltered a flower for him to gaze at. He saw the flower clearly, even from afar.

He seeked the lone figure of stone, one that he stood beside. Its hands were a vessel it required to be filled, perhaps by the blossom that floated at the heart of a lake?

[Hmm...] The boy entertained this idea, as it made the most sense without delving into more absurd theories.

He could only surmise that he needed to retrieve the flower from the lake and then insert it into the statue’s hands.

[What a roundabout way of doing things.] He mumbled under his breath, as the method seemed indirect for him. [But then again, everything seems nuts here.]

He approached further, the body of water coming close. The lake loomed closer with his steps, and each trace afoot would bring him near to it.

His mind was tranquil, made serene by blossoms and blooms that neared the pool. The flowers grew close at its bounded form, as the lake could not compare to the land before it.

Finally, he had reached the edge. The boundary between land and water was visible.

{|}

Don’t fall in

{|}

Another hologram appeared, this time bearing a warning of sorts. Whether he should heed it, he couldn’t decide.

[What happens when I fall in, hm?] He asked with curiosity, as his attention had been caught by this abrupt warning. And compared to his previous reaction, he did not fell victim to its unexpected appearance.

He tried to see whether there were any repercussions in declining the warning itself. He took a few objects from the room, flowers and rocks, and then threw them over the lake.

The rocks sunk to the bottom, leaving the flowers behind.

Something else happened to the blossoming buds. A few seconds after the rocks had sunk, the petals dispersed from their stalks, scattering across the lake. Other than the petals, the remaining parts would sink.

He watched the lake with delight, waiting for the changes to finish. What remained of the flowers made for a beautiful sight to behold.

The lake showed unparalleled bliss, left untouched by human hands. The water, still and calm, mirrored the blue sky, whilst the petals floated about.

[If it weren’t for my previous experiences, I would rather stay here.] Indeed, this place was heavenly. It calmed him to a certain degree. He still needed to leave this place, however.

He scanned the entire room, looking for any more clues that could help him. The walls were still mossy; the flowers were still there. Nothing else turned up.

[Now...] The big question arose. [How do I cross this lake? It’s not like I’m extremely athletic to such a degree where I can skim through the water.]

He wasn’t capable of any other superhuman feats; other than the exceptional mental calculations that he had done and the athleticism that his body exhibited earlier.

Through methodical thinking and analytical prowess, he was held responsible for solving the November Cipher. While he still questioned the culpability of his actions, of whether he really solved it or not, his situation did not change.

From then, he left through the gate.

Having done so, he viewed his next excursion through the eyes of an anxious youth; he who succeeded in reaching the painted moon with a leap that did not befit his feeble stature.

Then, he braved the labyrinthine maze, of where water gushed and chased at his form. He escaped with his mind and body intact, through ingenuity and the utilization of his strangely accurate memory.

Said athleticism and intellect wouldn't be enough to carry him over the lake and return to wayward soil. His competence might exceed human parameters, but it did not call for miracles that allowed him to walk on water.

The scale of his previous actions were useless in front of the sizable pond, and he would simply fall into the watery grave if he even attempted to act without a plan.

It would be his grave if he fell.

[Hmm... this is tricky indeed] The only information he had came from the statue, and the flower he needed to retrieve. [Maybe the petals on the lake show what I need to do next.]

He observed the lake, studying everything from the petals, the water’s movement, and the viridian flower he had yet to pluck from the center.

The boy found a few, yet interesting observations with what he saw.

[The petals... they seem strange] He had a hunch of sorts, and he wished to confirm it. [What if I throw something at them?]

He picked up a rock, a normal run-of-the-mill type of stone, and threw it at the nearest petal he could see.

It flew and struck straight at the one he targeted.

[Huh?] The reaction elicited surprise from him. It differed from his expectations. [Am I seeing right?]

A most unnatural reaction came from the petal.

It did not sink as the stone made its impact, and the petal remained afloat on the watery surface, as the rock bounced from it.

The rock soon fell into the water as the petal continued to float, as if nothing had happened at all.

[The petals just brush off the impact, huh?] He took note of this new revalation, as he formed a proposal on what could be done. [Well, that gives me an idea.]

If the petal remained resolute despite the rock’s impact, could he step on them? He noted this possibility, concocting a plan based on that assumption.

[Before I even consider jumping on them, I need to increase the amount of petals on the lake.] He approached the landbound blossoms, and he began to pick many of them.

He would scatter the flowers he held, and make use of the surface it would provide him. This would be the answer to his problem.

[There's too few of them.]

Flowery blossoms left his grasp, and with his hand, they fell like rain. Petaled drops that scattered, covering the lake’s surface.

After a few minutes of doing so, he completed the task.

[Wow...] He leaned towards the edge of the lake, as the sight had astounded him. [It looks more magnificent now!]

The sunlight had done a good job of elevating the lake’s appearance, giving it a heavenly appeal. Coupled with the serene sight of petals hued, his eyes gazed upon the sight.

The lake, whose grandeur captivated him, now had his full attention.

If before, its beauty rivalled that of the fairytales, its current appearance gave it a sense of ethereality, as if it was of another world.

He had a vague sense of what beauty was, and yet he was sure that the sight before him was something that came from beyond his meager knowledge.

[If I’m not careful, I might end up staying here forever.] He joked around, though he also felt the urge to remain. [But, I really want to see the outside world.]

So far, his desire to see what lay beyond the mossy walls took over the tranquil peace he felt from his brief stay here.

The garden was beautiful, yes. The flowery lake, moreso.

And yet, he yearned to flee beyond his reach, to see the sun that shone and the stars that would follow at night.

He couldn't do that within a prison.

[It’s time.] He would tackle the problem using physicality, with his own body for buoyant travel in the air. [Time for me to try this silly game of mine.]