Eludrest City
His song kept him company for most of his journey. The soft melody rang out in the air around him as he walked. The gentle breeze brushed the cloak that surrounded one shoulder brushed it back to reveal his well toned frame beneath. Kiyu wore no shirt, it was far too restricting in his mind. Besides, the air was always warm, he never felt cold.
As he walked, the scenery changed abruptly around him, though he didn't notice at all. He was too much into his own thoughts to think about the change. He'd left Tinker Tocker far behind, traveling quite some ways. All the while his song followed him, chasing him even. He did not sing the words, only the melody. Though the melody was sweet enough, he felt that the words to it were much darker.
When Kiyu had sense enough to look up and see where he was, he noted that he was not where he'd wanted to go. There were no fields of grasses, no flowers like he'd wanted and no tree to sit under. However, at the back of his mind there was a stronger wish to be around people instead of alone. Being completely alone was a bad thing. Even so, getting far to close to people was bad too. So he had to find a balance.
Before him was a sprawling city. If one could call it such. Rather than people around, they seemed like walking sticks of paper. Most were merely black in color, holding no faces, no details. Some were detailed, but roughly so. Kiyu, though, felt a little better now that he was no longer alone. Though they weren't really people, they felt better than having nothing at all.
He wouldn't have to worry about getting close to these people for he figured they didn't talk much. Nor would he be without company, for he figured they were just enough to enjoy. Kiyu left all thoughts of finding a solitary field behind him as he walked into the city. The colors around him were of darker hues, gold and orange to be exact. Some browns and greens here and there. The houses were carved out of the earth, popping out of the hillsides.
Up ahead was what seemed to be the main portion of the city, carved streets into the dirt with houses and shops sprouting up from the earth. Many of the structures, however, were not whole anymore. There was quite a bit of rubble laying around, but it didn't seem to bother the inhabitants. Kiyu made his way through the wandering sticks of people.
He wasn't really sure where he wanted to go, but checking out this new city was on the forefront of his mind. Every sight was greedily accepted as he turned one way and then another, his eyes shifting all over to view it all. He'd certainly wandered into a pretty place, at least he thought it was pretty. As he twirled around and around to gain as much a view as possible, he bumped into one of the people that ambled about.
Turning, Kiyu looked directly at the being, an apology on the tip of his tongue. However, his eyes settled on partially detailed stick walker and his heart clenched tightly. The breath in his lungs left him entirely and he found it difficult to pull air back in. Before him was a figure that resembled himself, except a bit younger than he was. To add to it, there was a darker light in the others eyes that terrified Kiyu.
Something writhed inside the paper thin being as it stared at him, unmoving. It was like looking into a mirror, except what you saw reflected back was something harbored deeper inside, a darkness one never wished to have awaken. Kiyu backpedaled then, stumbled backwards away from the thing as it turned away from him. The paper walker disregarded him completely, continuing on it's way through the destroyed city.
Kiyu's stumbling resulted in his falling to the ground where he stayed in the midst of all the ambling people. It was quiet there, except for the rustling of the paper stick beings that moved about slowly. What was once beautiful to Kiyu turned to something rather horrifying. He wasn't sure he really wanted to be there, especially after meeting his mirror image, albeit it was much younger than he was right then.
Slowly he got to his feet and turned away. Starting back down the path he'd climbed up, he had every intention of leaving. Once again the solitary fields, grasses and flowers, a singular tree to sit under, was beginning to sound appealing. His lips parted and his voice hummed ever so softly, wavering a bit from his nervous fear. Lost in his music, he worked his way through the throng of silent paper beings, his voice the only sound around.