Seraphine, the Starry-Eyed Songstress Chapter 12

 Chapter 12 : SERAPHINE, LIVE AT NASHRAMAE

The next morning, as the sun rose along through straw windows in an inn at Nashramae, Sera woke up with her eyes hurting from the sun rays directly shining on her.

It was very different from her mornings in the Erestol where she wakes up to the sound of the Hexdraulic Conveyors near their store. She misses her parents.

She climbs out of her bed and walked near the window. What she saw was a street full of different types of people, huge muscular men lifting barrels or pulling carts, different looking children joyfully playing a kite that is shaped like a lion with a head of an eagle, ladies, and women that are either selling different goods or buying them, rich fat men being surrounded by sexy women dressed in thin clothes and a whole lot more.

She looks at everyone and feels overwhelmed by how a place with so much diversity has so much harmony. She closes her eyes and hears the voice of each and every one. They whisper many different things but everyone says the same thing.

She started humming, following the sound of barrels being dragged, pushed, put done, or smacked. She started tapping her fingers on the window, along with the cacophony of the desert birds in cages being sold. She started moving her head, following the wind blowing through the dry desert winds.

Sera then held her breath.

Then she started singing.

-----

Celestine, who just came out of a pub, looked up and saw that the whole busy Vekaura street has stopped. No one is buying anything, everyone just stopped and is looking over in one direction. The Inn.

From children dancing to the beat of men tapping the barrels and women humming along, one can say that it must be the Festival of the Armordillo. 

"HEY!" the people unanimously shouted.

-----

"What in the world!" exclaimed Graves seeing that people are now dancing in the streets. He dropped his cigar and looked at Twisted Fate who seems to be enjoying the view. "That's not something you see every day," he said while smirking. However, if one takes a closer look, Twisted Fate's and Graves's eyes are still following the movement of a short and thin man in the streets.

-----

Far away, atop one of the pillars holding the replica of the sun disc, is a being with a spiked shell at the back. If a Nashramaen looks at it, they will immediately kneel and say "Hail, the Armadillo God!"

It is Rammus.

"Ok," he said while smirking and started tapping the pillar with his feet.

-----

Alshams walramal ma narah,

Naeish hayatuna kama yahlu lana,

Alsahra' baytana

Nasij al'ard,

Nahn naeish hayatuna kama yahlu lana.

-----

"Soon, Soul Speaker child. You will understand what is your role in this world." said a stranger wearing a battle-worn cloak. He then walked through a small alley limping and then just disappeared after a flash of blue light.

-----

Sera is now outside, in the street. She is holding her mic with the embedded Hextech Crystal while dancing with the children. Her pink hair looks to be magically dancing along with her and her eyes are twinkling like the stars.

No one is looking at her like before in any of her performances, but they are enjoying everything that is happening. 

You can even see two lovers quarreling earlier, no longer bothered by each other. They are now in a corner, whispering sweet nothings.

Two businessmen shouting for a better bargain in front of a small porcelain stand, now generously praising each other for their fine taste for porcelain wares.

People can hear the music and the songs but Sera can hear the joyful souls. Leaving their burdens behind and singing all their frustrations away. It was a surreal experience for her. 

The music went on for an hour until the people left and continued with their day laughing and looking more positive about the way they can end their work today.

Even people smiled at Sera, children who gave her flowers, and an elderly woman who kissed Sera's forehead. "Shukraan lak ruh almutakalim," she said before leaving. 

Sera was rooted to where she stands. She can't explain what happened but she felt something deep inside her stir. She clutched the Pendant she wore and then looked around for the elderly woman only to find that she was lost in the crowd of people.

She closed her eyes and tried looking for her through the voice of her soul, but she couldn't hear her. 

"Lays baed ya fataa. Lays based." said the elderly woman while looking at Sera from a faraway window across the Market of Illumination. Her eyes twinkling, the same way as with Sera's, like how stars twinkle on a black night sky.

-----

Before sundown, the group converged to talk about their next moves. The plan is to now head to another river city called Urzeriz. This is also the place where they will meet Heimerdinger and Ziggs as they already scouted ahead.

At night, while Sera is sitting by the window of the inn that they are staying at, looking at the faraway Sun Disc Replica, Jinx walked and sat next to her.

"Why aren't cha sleeping yet, Sera?" Jinx asked while fiddling on a piece of silver bracer she may have bought.

"I, met an old lady earlier Jinx. She said something that I know is related to me. But I can't find her anymore." she replied. She really wants to know more about her abilities' origin. She knows that she is not just a voice. 

"There there, Concert Girl. No need to feels bad about it. Like what some kids in the Sumps say, "If it ain't the time, try again!". I'll help you look for her before we leave. 'Kay?"

Sera nods and then looks at the faraway Sun DIsc one last time as she hears a voice sitting on one of the pillars. She smiled and heads back to her bed.