The Crevice of Hope!
Chapter 3 : The Lady of Homage.

Colors of blue and violet swirled around Pauline, engulfing here in the color of the seas. She felt like she was drowning as mist began to swirl around her. Her sight began to fade as the world darkened, slowly she lost sight of everything and fell into darkness. A light came from a distant area. The light soon became clear, Pauline could now see a old decrypted shack that stood fforbidding and old. The rood was singled, but most of the brown wooden shingles had broke through the supporting roof. The walls were made of a dark wood that had termite damage on them. The building had a little amount of windows, main on the first floor, the building seemed unstable with it's eight floors visible from wholes seen in the walls. The shack sat on a hill which was raised from the ground around it, the area was fenced with Gothic style fence that had dead roots and vines hung and twisted around it. The iron Gothic fence sat on a wall of dark stone which had become filthy over time. Iron gates where rusted and locked together with a padlock and chains. The gate was spiked with a twisted iron design. A path lead up to the shack which was made of a mix of stones and bricks.

Pauline slowly followed the path up to the gate, she felt somewhat scared about it but she knew she had to. She slowly followed the path to the gate to find the padlock was opened. She slowly took the lock and chains off. She pushed one of the gates open off, the gates slowly creaked open scraping dirt off the ground leaving a trail of dirt at the edge of the gate. She walked through to see a sign, the text was to faded to read and the sign was dilapidated near collapsing. She continued up the stone and brick path to finally reach the top of the hill and the foot of the shack. A plaque was hung against a pillar that kept the porch standing, she climbed the wooden steps to read the plaque, it read " The lady of Homage, Respect to those whom deserve it. " She continued to the door to find an iron skunk head knocker, the hoop in which you knocked with was partially wood. Pauline looked quickly around before knocking, she knocked the door.

Sudden she heard creaking coming from with the house, after a few seconds of scuffling footsteps the faint noise of a lock being unlocked ringed in Pauline's head. The door opened with a creak to show a hunch-backed aging lady who had long fingers that wrap themselves around the edge of the door. She wore a dark blue robe and wore the crest of a skunk and a orb to the left of her torso and her rope split in two below the groin where it could be seen that she wore brown trousers under her robes. Her face was lopsided and her left eye was lazy. Her nose was croaked and long. " What do we have here, " the woman crackled in a hoarse and raspy voice. " I...  " Pauline tried to speak but the old lady interrupted her, " I know why you are here my young girl, you seek answers.... " she said in a menacing tone, come inside my dear girl. " the old lady beckoned her into her lair. Pauline reluctantly followed the wench indoors to find a lavishing interior of fine and expensive furniture. The walls had beautiful murals in frames of people and places. The floor was a dark wood with Persian carpets upon them. The colors of the carpets where dazzling. Every corner had some form of plant life, which struck Pauline as somewhat familiar, she couldn't remember where she had seen the plants before. She followed the old lady into a small sitting room that was less decorated than the previous room. There was a fireplace on the far wall made of brick which had a blazing fire in it behind the iron grate. Logs stacked high next to them with a bag of coal perched on a table beside it. Above the fireplace on the mantel piece sat a clock that had gold edges and a silver pendulum. However the clock face seemed warded as the numbers were jumbled and in the wrong positions. The clock hands where moving much faster than normal. Above the clock was the only painting in the room, it was of a little girl in a golden autumn wood. The girl had a glad expression on her face and was playing with a small brown and white beagle. Pauline was then drawn to the table in the center of the room. It was made of mahogany and had a class rectangle panel in the center. Pauline took a closer look to discover it was actually a case with a book in it. The book was open at a page with a bookmark.

" Please sit. " directed the old lady pointing to the wooden chairs with cream cushioned pillows. " You wish to know about Aranidale... " croaked the old lady, " ... am I correct? " questioned the old lady whom had picked up and old dusted tome from a near by bookshelf. " Yes, " replied Pauline wearily. " Where to begin, Aranidale was as you know, a creature similar to that of yourself. However he had become weak of his own toxins, you see I knew Aranidale. He was strange and solemn creature that preferred to be lonely and peaceful. Yet now he continues to come back to you.... make you weak. " said the old lady... " Ye... yes... " replied Pauline. " I have a simple solution, but first I shall continue my story of Aranidale. He was a young boy when I first meet him. He was tall for his age and had already grown his claws in fully. He was playful and always wanting to have fun. But that soon ended. His parents died with the rest of his family this is when the visits stopped and he returned to the cave he had lived in for so long. I went to visit him again one day, to learn of the fate that met his people. I offered him comfort but he refused it. He had become unsocial and wished not to be bothered. I tried for days, until he finally accepted my proposal of staying with me. He soon settled into my home. He became like a son to me... " ... the old lady hesitated to continue... " But soon enough he had grown stronger and become more confident... he left. He showed no compassion whilst leaving and left without word during the night. However I continued to watch over him using my contacts in various towns. " suddenly it struck Pauline... the plants she had seen in the corners where from the Herbology shop in YinHou. " You know Miss Satellaview! " Pauline burst out. " Yes that is correct my dear, she is my contact in YinHou, one of many towns I have contacts in. " the old lady had become slow in her speech. " I wish not to continue this discussion in a dream... hand me the coin and I shall return you to your own world and I shall try and remove the curse that you have upon you. I urge you to seek out my contact in YinHou, Miss Satellaview and learn my location from her. I wish to speak to you again. " with that the world she had been in slowly faded and become dull and black.

Pauline awoke to the tweeting of birds. She looked around to see Tyler asleep. Pauline rushed for the pocket that she had kept the coin in. It had disappeared ... she had not imagined the dream, she had lived it... but how. She slowly wrote a note and slipped it onto Tyler's bed. Then she continued to sneak out the room and lock the door slipping the key back under beneath it. It must have been early dawn as no-one else was up and the Inn was silent. The noise of the owners bashing in the front door startled Pauline as she headed down the wooden stairs. " Morning. " she said whilst passing the two owners and going out the door back onto the cobble street. She head back down the street in the direction of the main gates and headed towards the Herbology shop, keen to learn more about what was going on. She was almost there when she heard the marching of soldiers making noise with there heavy Armour through the street. She quickly slid into a alleyway and ducked behind a box to avoid being noticed. The clanking of the soldiers passed by and she stood up and continued down the street after the marching had become all but a faint noise in the background. She finally had a good look around the streets, many of the houses where beautifully whitewashed and had intricate designs on plaques. Plants where planted in hung up baskets with radiant colored roses and tulips and all sorts of plants. She saw many houses in the distance that look amazing with ivy crawling up the sides.

She had reached the herbology shop to discover it was open unusually early. She continued into the door to have a small gold bell ring to alert the owner of her presence. The inside of the shop had a flurry of beautiful smells and aromas. They mixed and matched and smell great to Pauline. The walls where covered top to bottom in plants and plant-pots. Shelves hung behind a counter with plant pots, tools and watering cans set neatly in rows along them. The counter was oak with a polished stone top, a register was to the right of the counter next to the wall and the window which was could barely been seen through. The floor was stone and had dirt trails where pots had been moved and had plant leaves from where plants had them falling off. She saw the shop was split into a big area used as a store, and a small room which had some other items and a ladder in it. The ladder was the only way to the second floor in which Miss Satellaview must have lived. She heard footsteps from above and a door close behind them. Suddenly a bare foot appeared at the top of the ladder and a body descended slowly behind it. The more that appeared the more delusional Miss Satellaview appeared to be. She finally reached the bottom of the ladders and turned around, she wore a puffed skirt dress and a leaf styled top, she wore large circular glasses and a green bow in her dirty blonde hair. She spoke in a soft voice but excited voice, " Welcome, " and with a smile she strolled towards and behind her counter. " Do you need something? " she asked in a curious voice. " No... No... I'm here to discuss someone. " Pauline replied. " Who do you have in mind? " questioned Miss Satellaview. " The lady of Homage. " ... a long pause became stagnant like water... Miss Satellaview eventually spoke, " How do you know that name. " she asked somewhat irritated. " I.... I.. she talked to me in a dream " gulped Pauline. " She told me to come to you. " see continued. " Enough, " she replied abruptly, " If she wishes for you to know her location then fine by me. But if you harm my aunt in anyway I will hunt you down! " her gentle voice faded into a more strong willed voice. She had been using her sweet and innocent facade to hide her true purpose in YinHou. " Come with me she said. " her strong voice more prominent.

She lead Pauline up the ladder and into a small dinning room slash kitchen in which she sat down behind the kitchen's island. " You wish to seek out the Lady of Homage, her name is Delma. You be good to avoid offending her. " Pauline noticed how much Miss Satellaview defended her. " She lives on the hill by old brook in the Rysing Forest. " With that she excused herself from the room and returned a moment latter with a small box. The box was mahogany with gold trimming on the edges and seal. It was locked with a silver gear that when Miss Satellaview twisted unlocked the box. She placed it on the table in-front of Pauline, slowly she opened it to reveal a small blue orb with a indigo swirl and a white center. The orb glistened with great beauty. Take this to her and this letter. Miss Satellaview handed Pauline a Letter with a brown wax seal. They both went downstairs again and Pauline departed. She tucked the letter in her pocket and the orb in her back for safety and to avoid attention. She headed towards the town market which at this time of day was filled with brilliant smells from the bakers and from out of town chiefs and there exotic spices.

She reached the market which was in the town square, rows of stalls where around each end of the market  and sold many goods local and foreign. The market itself was sat on a circular stoned floor which circled from center to edge. Pauline noticed a stall in the war left which had what claimed to be magical items on it's shelves and displays. Pauline curiously headed towards the stall and found the owner was a somewhat suspicious chap wore a top hat and a monocle, which came from his top pocket in his waist coat. A pocket watch hung from is right pocket and was silver embroidered with gold. The waist coat was a fine pinstripe. He had managed to get quite a bit of attention from calling out. " Come one, come all! Find a magical item today! For a modest price you can be the brand new owner of this enchanted necklace " he bellowed. Pauline heard muttering from behind " What garbage. Obviously it's just fake, cheap jewellery. " .... Pauline continued to listen to the trader. " You want it? It's yours my friend as long enough money! " he bellowed.

Pauline scanned the shops stock to see nothing of value, she continued looking around the market for a while before returning to the Inn. She continued up the path for some while to see that the herbology shop had closed and a note read " Will be gone for a few weeks. Getting a shipment of new plants in. Please direct mail to my neighbor thank you. " Pauline wondered what was going on. She continued up to the Inn with not much thought. When she had returned she had found the Inn was packed like usual like a hive of activity. She entered and returned upstairs. She knocked on the door to have it unlocked and opened. Tyler welcomed her back. " So... are you going to tell me what happened? " asked Tyler... " Nothing of importance. " The room fell silent... Soon it had reached dinner time and they headed downstairs to enjoy a meal. They didn't eat at the Inn but instead the bakers in which they had bought a selection of foods to consume within the bakery. After they had finished they took a scroll around the other side of town in which they had not been to yet in there visit to YinHou, this side of YinHou wasn't as well kept as the other side. Old war machines where left tucked into alleys, dilapidated. A old catapult which mechanism had broken was turned into a thing to climb and play on for the children. Continuing walking they strolled past some small houses and business that where yet to pick up due to there location in town. They reach the end of the town with the Cathedral which towered above all else. " Shall we go inside? " asked Tyler... Pauline was silent... " I don't think I want to. " She replied remembering the day with Twix, Tyler and Lori and the death of Aranidale. " I think we should get back now. " They headed back to the Inn and settled into bed, remembering to lock the door. Tyler was the first to drift off to sleep, but Pauline was still awake for hours after... wondering and poundering her last dream and the moment in Miss Satellaview house. Soon she continued off to sleep and drifted again into sleep.


Thank you for reading my newest chapter.
Summons usual summons :
EvilAlu :
Mother3fan5 :
Barathemos :
Mia03 :
Tails the Fox :

Hope you enjoyed the read... today I though I would do a little bonus.
I hid two references in one phrase to two different games within the story.
If you find it and can name one of the games I refence I will give you 1500 Viz,
If you can name both references I will give you 3500 Viz, ( I will only give Viz to the first person who notices it if any. )

Anyway besides that as you can see I have managed to write much more than last time, the amount I can write is getting much more and I feel as if I am improving in my descriptive skills so I hope the story gets you involved in the characters.

So like last time I will talk about a character, this time I shall talk about the character Pauline met in this chapter : Miss Satellaview.
So where did I get the name? Well I had writers block and just asked for a random name in the vizzed chat-rooms. I was given two and I found this one more well unique. It was a curious name to pick anyway. Now to talk about the design, I took inspiration from things like Poison Ivy ( For the herbology side of the character. ) and I took inspiration for her personality and some aspects for her design from a character from 11-eyes called Yukiko Hirohara who was a sweet an innocent girl until she took her glasses of and became strong willed and well versed. Hence the sudden personalty change that I used as a facade and charade to hide her proper motive relative to the plot.

If you wish to know about any character mention please ask