Jill's Dice

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Jill's Dice by Heisenberg

Copywriter:

In this world, Jill is an ordinary sophomore.But in another world, he is Gibson the dwarf thief.

The background setting refers to Dungeons and Dragons and "Pillars of Eternity".

Content tags: fantasy space fantasy magic

Search keywords: Protagonist: Jill, Andrew┃Supporting role: ┃Others:

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☆, one

When the thief Gibson awoke, his homeland was in flames.

The red dragon hovered in the air.The flame cast its shadow on the cavern's rocky walls, drawing a huge and throbbing ancient totem.The houses collapsed one after another, and the wailing and screaming echoed in the light and shadow.The backs of the survivors who escaped from the sea of ​​flames burned with fin-like flames.The barbarian hurled his spear at the dragon, but the point of the weapon lost momentum before it touched the dragon's claws.The spell chanted by the mage bounced off the dragon's scales, raining down violet starfire.

Gibson was hidden in the shadow of the cliff mouth.Fear nailed the soles of his feet.He knew that the collapse of this world was irreversible, and he was powerless to deal with such a doomsday, and he had no thought of saving others.

Even standing on the cliff, Gibson can feel the hot air that keeps rolling upwards.The underground world is like a boiling cauldron, boiling the thin air.He turned before it was too late, and headed deeper into the cavern.

The thief's talent makes him have a different perception of darkness than ordinary people.He could hear the rustling of spiders as they crawled across the walls, and he could tell which paths hadn't echoed.He was able to choose another safe path before the powerful unknown creature approached.But adventuring alone is a distant memory for him.Ever since he joined the adventure party in Gilded Vale, he had almost forgotten the horror that the silent darkness could bring him.Now that his companions had all died in the disaster, Gibson, who belonged to the chaotic neutral camp, had no obligation to save them, nor would his conscience be troubled by it.

Attracted by the sound of water, he arrived at a cave where the phosphorescent glow of the nocturnal fungus was reflected in the lake water.The low-hanging stalactites are like pillars, connecting the lake surface and the cave roof.Water droplets fall along the stalactite tip, and the regular sound is like the hands of a clock.Its unmoving calm produced a slight anxiety in Gibson.

After thinking for a moment, he took off his soft armor, bit the dagger hilt on the tip of his tongue, and jumped into the lake.

The icy water almost stopped his heart.The bottom of the lake was dark, and he seemed to be swimming in the belly of a giant beast.The water plants greedily licked his calf, like a snake's letter.Gibson trusted his instincts with his life.A premonition flashed through him, and he was sure that the god of death was pulling him.

The light not far away is their messenger.It shot into the deep lake bottom like sunlight piercing the clouds.In an instant he regained clarity, his lungs aching from lack of oxygen.He struggled to swim toward that light, to free himself.

The blowing oxygen is like spring water in the desert.He gulped down the oxygen, and choked out the salty lake water from his throat.He wiped the dirty water off his face and opened his eyes.

A shadowy figure stood on the shore of the lake.His long silver hair was pinned behind his ears, and his purple pupils reflected the fluorescence of moss.He has drawn the longbow to its fullest, and smooth muscle lines emerged from his arms.The arrow pointed to Gibson's forehead.

**

"And then? What should I do?"

Andrew White looked at Stephanie, playing a crystal purple twenty-sided die between his fingers.

"You can say anything, or introduce yourself," Stephanie said.

"Well——" Andrew crossed his fingers and put them on his lips, "My name is Leo. As you can see, I am a drow elf. I am good at using two-handed weapons, but this does not seem to be an advantage in the underground world. I know why this is happening, but the default attributes of my character sheet are written like this—”

"Andrew, keep it simple," Stephanie interrupted him, "think about what you would say if you were in that situation."

Andrew raised an eyebrow, looked at Jill who was sitting beside him, and said hesitantly, "Uh-hey, how are you?"

"As long as you don't point that arrow at me," Jill said, moving his character model forward one space, "Gibson struggled up the lake shore. He was shaking, but his blood was hot and fresh. He You know, he's been reborn."

Jill turned her head and said to Andrew, "Where is this?"

Andrew flipped through the full-color setting manual beside him. "This is Menzoberranzan—" he moved his finger between the sentences, "Mentzoberranzan, the land of the drow. You outsiders should not set foot in this land."

Jill nodded to Stephanie. "Persuasion check."

He rolled an emerald sixteen-sided die.Fifteen points, greater than his original charisma value.

"The check was successful," Stephanie said.

Jill covered his mouth with his palm, creating a hollow and deep voice: "I originally lived in an underground cave with my companions, but the attack of the red dragon destroyed my home. Leo, you don't look like your bloodthirsty brethren, please help save this dwarf thief's life, and may Moradin the Soul Forger protect you and your longbow."

Jill's deliberately lowered voice and proper rereading created a strong dramatic effect, and the players at the same table clapped their hands and cheered.Members of other groups craned their necks to look this way.

Andrew grinned, which made him look a little silly. "With pleasure, Gibson the Rogue," he said, advancing his character mod one space toward the dwarf.

**

It was just after six o'clock in the evening when Jill left the building.Stephanie and the other members of the society headed in the other direction to a bar, including Andrew White.He seemed tall in that crowd.

Two girls in short sequined skirts brush past Jill.They lifted their high heels, and their naked feet took silent steps.Maybe they've just left one party and are on their way to another.The Student Union Cafe across the road was closed, and there were a few students sitting in the open-air seating area, with the word "Crew" printed on the back of their light yellow sweaters.

It's the last day of Freshers Week, and Jill's long vacation is coming to an end.He forgot to borrow reference books, and the course booklet was never opened.He tried not to let himself think about these things, and put on his headphones.His steps became brisk, and his whitewashed Vance shoes jumped out of his childish steps like hopscotch.He hummed a tune, but he didn't know that he was out of tune.He stopped humming when he turned the corner and saw the homeless man next to the supermarket.The bright light from the shop windows on the street made him squint his eyes.The tramp is eating a baguette.Beside him, a flock of pigeons fought over the crumbs he scattered.

**

He arrived at the store 10 minutes early.There were only two or three customers in the store.He said hello to his colleagues, went to the back kitchen to change into a green Subway T-shirt, and changed the music on the player to a Frank Ocean album.He wiped down the countertop, swaying to the music, but stopped when the next guest came in.

Most people in the city are friendly, but there is the occasional fussy customer who wants thinner strips of bacon or cheese crumbles instead of sticks.At first, Jill always confused mayonnaise with salad dressing, but after getting used to the process of working, he rarely made these mistakes again.Every night, he only needs to repeat those few words over and over again—"Do you want the sandwich to be six inches or whole?" "Do you need to heat it up?"

Before leaving the shop, he packed himself a tuna sandwich with all the vegetables except pickled olives.

In the middle of the night, a bicycle speeds by on an empty street.

He pulled up the hood of the sweater to block the night wind blowing from the side, and walked towards the dormitory building.A piece of electronic dance music came from the parking lot not far away, as if a heart was beating.The street lamps cast orange light, coating the asphalt road with a furry light.The shutters of the dormitory building are mostly closed, only a few windows are lit, and Jill looks at Jill silently in the dark.He pulls out his phone.There are only push messages from the news app on the screen, no notifications from social media.He turned off his phone and quickly walked up the stairs of the dormitory.

Patrick wasn't there.He was alone in the room.He picked up the manga magazine from the floor and threw it back on his roommate's bed.

He spread his arms and fell down on the bed.The wires of the spring bed creaked.

Goodbye freedom, dwarf Gibson has to fight the professor tomorrow.

He touched the switch by the bed and turned off the overhead light.The house was plunged into darkness.He was so exhausted that he let himself fall asleep without looking at his phone.

A headlight came through the window.The shadows of the shutters moved in the dark, slid across the walls, and disappeared suddenly.

The author has something to say: Note [-]: Moradin the Soul Forger (Moradin the Soul Forger), the god of the dwarf race in the setting of Dungeons and Dragons, the first generation of dwarves was created by Moradin.

Note [-]: Frank Ocean (FrankOcean), American singer-songwriter.

☆, two

Jill turns on the bathroom light.

There was a circle of vomit residue on the inner wall of the toilet, and the strong fishy smell came from here.

He scrubbed the toilet with a toilet brush and toilet cleaner, closed the toilet lid heavily, and pressed the flush handle.

By the time he was done washing, the smell of vomit was less pungent, and he could bear it as much as he could bear Patrick as his roommate.

He reached for the shaving cream, but after a moment of hesitation, he took it back.

His chin was clean and soft, without a trace of stubble.He is often said to look like a high school student, and even when buying alcohol in the supermarket, the salesperson has to look at his ID.In order to make himself look more mature, he started exercising two months ago and would bring a cup of protein powder every time he went to the gym.But his face still looks a little immature.He made a face in the mirror, amused by himself.

**

After omelette, buttered toast, and a cup of soy milk, he left the dormitory building.The sun slanted down, and he raised his head, as if welcoming an old friend he hadn't seen for a long time.The brim of his flip-flopped cap scraped against the nape of his neck, and he lifted the brim up.

He hadn't come out at nine o'clock in the morning for a long time.He breathed in the dry and slightly cool air, and looked at the new grass crawling from the cracks in the floor tiles.His backpack was as light as a wing, not yet filled with lecture notes and textbooks.Everything was brand new, and he still had time to squander it.Survival was a distant proposition, and he didn't have to take it too seriously.

**

A. Soviet Experiments: 1917-1991

B. Roman Empire Artifacts

Two course choices are in front of him.

If he chooses the second one, he will have to go to Wendelanda to participate in the archaeological excavation project (Note [-]).If you choose the first one, you can avoid this trouble.

More importantly, Professor McCoffey said in the course introduction that he would use the secret archives released by the Russian government after the collapse of the Soviet Union as primary research documents. This uninterpreted history is exactly what Jill wants to learn.As for the more distant Roman Empire and Augustine the Great, they have been lying in the grave for too long to interest him.In addition, his Latin grades have always been poor, and he will not add unnecessary academic burden to himself.

He ticked off the course selection sheet and passed it to the front of his seat.The person sitting in front turned his head to meet him.Jill froze for a moment when he saw his face.He had forgotten the person's name even though he had only met it yesterday at a club gathering.

He tapped the man on the shoulder. "Hey, how are you?"

The man raised his head with surprise and surprise on his face.

"Hi, it's you," he grinned, "So we are classmates."

"Are you a freshman?" Jill asked.

"I'm an exchange student, Erasmus program (note [-]). I'm here for a semester." His American accent was clear and powerful, conveying a sense of fitness.

"are you American?"

"Minnesota, USA."

At this point, Jill still didn't remember his name. "Sorry, your name is..."

"Andrew," he held out his hand, "Andrew White." Jill said the last words with him.

"I remember, sorry." Jill shook his hand.

"Your name is Jill, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Gibson the dwarf thief, may Moradin the Soul Forger bless you and your forgetful mind." Andrew crossed Jill in the air.Jill laughed.The sound was very abrupt in the classroom.The professor stopped talking, and the students sitting at the bottom of the lecture theater turned their heads and looked here.Jill crouched down, trying to hide herself.After waiting for a few seconds, the professor continued the topic of choosing courses just now.Jill looked up from his arms, and no one was looking at him anymore.

Andrew, who was sitting in front of him, turned his back to him, resting his chin on one hand, and nimbly turned the ballpoint pen from his index finger to his little finger and back again with the other hand.

**

Jill waited at the door of the classroom with her back against the wall.His hands were clasped in the pockets of his sweater.

A girl whose name he couldn't remember said "sorry" to him, her long, indigo-colored hair streaked loose in a loose mess.Jill stepped aside so she could swipe the punch card on the wall she had just blocked.

He turned his head to see Andrew walking here from Professor Williams.

"Which course did you choose?" He forcefully opened the door of the classroom, turned sideways, and let Andrew go out first.

"Soviet history," Andrew said, "I wanted to choose ancient Roman relics, but the professor said that the archaeological project was in November, which conflicted with my competition time."

"Competition?" Jill quickly followed him, walking side by side.

"Kayaking competition, I'm on the school team." Andrew explained.

Indeed, just by looking at Andrew's figure, Jill knew he was maintaining a certain physical activity.Andrew was about six feet tall, a head taller than Jill.The lats stretched his T-shirt wide.His forearm is strong and powerful, and when the fist is clenched, the radius bone will show the line of muscle.His chestnut curly hair was loose and flowing, and his turquoise eyes had a gentle and friendly look.

Andrew took out his mobile phone. "I don't have your contact information yet, do you want to be a Facebook friend?"

"I don't use Facebook."

"You don't use Facebook?" Andrew said in surprise, "Then how did you get in touch with the board game club?"

"We use Discord (Note [-])."

"Well, that makes sense." Andrew had a backpack on one shoulder.Students in hoodies and jeans poured out of the buildings, folders and books in their arms.On the edge of the flower bed sat students talking in twos and threes.As they passed the students, Jill heard them talking about their new reading list.

"How long have you been playing Dungeons and Dragons?" Andrew asked.

"Five years, how about you?"

"I just started playing, I only watched my friends play before."

"This game is not too difficult at first, you can go online to read some player manuals, and go to a few parties to figure it out."

"Thank you," Andrew turned his head and looked at Jill gently, "Are you a local?"

"I'm from Bristol, and now I live in the student village of Whitby, 10 minutes walk from the campus. What about you?"

"A few friends and I share a house in Shaun."

"It's a long way from here, how do you come here?" Jill said.

"Bus." Andrew took out a black wallet from his trouser pocket and showed Jill his new bus card.

They stopped at a traffic light.Jill made a thumbs up to the right: "I'm going this way." He was about to go that way, but stopped again. "Hey, are you coming to the club meeting next week?"

"Of course." Andrew lifted his schoolbag up, "See you next week?"

"See you next week!" Jill waved to Andrew.He turned around and walked towards the familiar road.

A double-decker bus is coming, passing Jill.The hot wind blowing against Jill's face made him feel comfortable.He turned his head and waited for the bus parked at the traffic light to leave before he saw the pedestrians across the road.Andrew White walked among the crowd with brisk and vigorous steps.He was going in the same direction as Jill.He stared straight ahead, like a soldier.Jill looks away, but almost bumps into a woman.He ducked to the right just in time, said "sorry" at the same time, and didn't look across the street again.

The author has something to say: Note [-]: Vindolanda Fort (Vindolanda Fort), a Roman site located in northeastern England, was once a military defense point on the front line of the Roman Empire.

Note [-]: Erasmus Program (Eras.musMundus), a student exchange program within Europe, provides students with a certain degree of financial support.The program is also open to students from non-EU countries.

Note [-]: Discord, a real-time calling software, is popular among gamers in Europe and the United States.

☆, three

Daylight is the enemy of Menzoberranzan, and darkness is its eternal breeding ground.The creatures of the above-ground world draw nourishment from the sun to sustain life; the hidden souls of the underground world draw the venom of everything born of conspiracy and betrayal.

Falling into a deep dream is fatal to drow, and even their brothers and sisters cannot be fully trusted.In this chaotic and disorderly world, the goddess Rose (Note [-]) is their only supreme god.She has insight into all death and new life in this dark world.Her actions are elusive, but it is that trace of bloody brutality that keeps the last order of the forgotten kingdom alive.

**

The drow are one with the darkness.His steps were silent, and Gibson had to use his night vision talent to the limit to barely make out the other's long silver-gray hair in the darkness, so as to keep up with him.

They walked fast, stopping occasionally to miss something.Leo was taciturn, and Gibson didn't know whether he should trust the drow elf he met for the first time, so he didn't take the initiative to speak.

People say that the drow in the underground world are the most evil souls in the world.As soon as they are born, they have to beware of murderous intentions from the dark, and for hereditary nobles, this danger is even more unabated.The drow who grew up in this environment are the notorious elite assassins in the continent of Iola.Blessed by the goddess Rose, they are proficient in various assassination techniques, and like spiders, they can wait long and patiently for their prey to fall into the trap.

The despair of the destruction of his homeland still lingers in Gibson's heart, but the bitterness has gradually faded away.Walking in the dark for a long time numbs his perception of time and space. It was not until the legendary underground city that bred evil spirits appeared that the adrenaline stimulated by fear sharpened his senses again.

The hemispherical vault enveloped the entire city of Menzoberranzan, and the luminous moss covered the cave roof, casting a gloomy purple fluorescent light.Distorted and fuzzy rock carvings can be seen faintly on the cave wall, and those obscure symbols seem to condense the magic power of some kind of undead.Angled buildings rose from the pit like pagan churches abandoned by the ancient order to accommodate the Antichrist.The drow put back the longbow that he had been holding tightly to his back, and walked towards a stone step not far away.

Gibson called after him, "Hey, are we just swaggering in?"

The hoarse voice of the dwarf echoed through the empty lair.There was an echo in the distance, as if someone was answering his callsign.Gibson shrunk his neck guiltily, and quickly followed the brisk pace of the elf.In this ominous city, Leo is his only guide. If he gets lost, he might encounter something that makes his scalp tingle.

"You have nowhere to hide here." Leo walked down the stone steps very quickly, his long hair swaying on his shoulders.

"But if the guards find me, I will be arrested." Gibson leaned against the stone wall and slowly moved down the stairs.The mossy stone steps were wet and slippery, and Gibson walked slowly.In just a short while, Leo had gone a long way. "Hey Elf, wait for me!" Gibson yelled.

Leo, who was walking ahead, stopped.He turned around, his long hair slipped from his ears, covering half of his cheeks.His crystal purple eyes were faintly visible in the silver locks, calm and peaceful.

"I live in the academy, and this is the only place I can go right now. As for whether the guards will catch you, it is a matter of your luck," Leo spread his hands, "Look, I helped you, but this It doesn't mean that I have to be responsible for your life safety. I only provide help within my ability, other than that, I have nothing to do."

He's right, Gibson knows he shouldn't expect gratuitous kindness from others.Just by bringing him out of the darkness, Leo had overturned Gibson's basic understanding of the drow.But Gibson loathed the feeling of entrusting his destiny to others, and it made him angry at his own incompetence and cowardice.The thick linen clothes soaked by the lake just now absorbed his body temperature, making him shiver uncontrollably.He has no weapons, like a beast that has its claws pulled out.If he encounters any disaster, he can only grit his teeth and bear it.He has no excuse to escape, this is the god's punishment for him escaping the fiery battlefield.

"I saved you, and I will finish this matter," Leo's words came clearly, "All I can do is give you a set of clothes, a dagger, and a road to leave Menzoberranzan. way."

Leo glanced at the academy spire in the distance, the violet fluorescence glowing from the spire was as dim as a cold flame that was about to go out.

"You have to leave before the spider wakes up." Leo's voice revealed a trace of anxiety.

**

Jill woke up from the dream.

The fear was so real that he dared not open his eyes and face the dark room.

For a moment he didn't know who he was, and which world this darkness belonged to.He turned over, wishing he could return to the dreamland and see how the story unfolded.But he became more and more awake, and the last frame of the story was like a sand painting, slowly being blown away by the wind.The details of the dream that made him palpitate also became blurred.

He turned on his phone, glanced at the time, and tossed it aside.

He stared at the ceiling.The morning light carved a very shallow horizontal line across the top of the shutter.Patrick was in a deep sleep, and Jill was calmed by the sound of his slow breathing.He climbed out of bed, took off the sweater on the back of the chair, and put it on himself.It was too dark, so he sloppily knotted his canvas shoes and stuffed his iPod into his pocket.His movements were as light as a thief, and he didn't disturb the roommate in his dream.

He opens the door.The overhead light in the corridor casts a fan-shaped spot of light into the room.

The spot of light gradually narrowed and became thinner, until it was finally cut off by the darkness.

There was a crisp sound when a bolt slipped into the recess.

The author has something to say: Note [-]: Goddess Lolth is the main god of the drow elves (dark elves) in the setting of Dungeons and Dragons, and she appears as a spider.

☆, four

Jill received an email about a trip to Edinburgh, a self-organized student tour.He had no intention of going, but because Andrew asked, he had no choice but to agree to go with him.

On Saturday morning, they got on the bus.The car was full of rowdy college freshmen.Jill sat by the window.When the bus passed the Tyne River, Andrew leaned over to take pictures outside the window.The Millennium Bridge is like a flying rainbow, retreating slowly.The sun is rising from the end of the skyline.The clouds are like a piece of fudge, transitioning into a warm orange light.

Andrew's curly hair smelled like green tea.Jill leaned back to make room for Andrew to take a picture.

They talked about the unpredictable weather, the difficult highland dialect (Note [-]), and which restaurants are worth visiting.The Marshall headset was hanging around Jill's neck, and he shouldn't have brought it out.

Andrew showed Jill pictures on his phone, some of nature parks in Minnesota, others of family photos.In a photo of him with his father, the two stand in front of a hedge, arms around their shoulders, smiling for the camera.His father was holding a pistol, and Andrew was in summer field clothes.His cheeks were rosy from the sun.

"We took this photo last summer in Arizona," Andrew said. "We shot some rabbits there, but because we didn't know how to skin them, we had to give them to the locals."

"You know how to use a gun?"

"No, I don't have a gun license, so I just help my dad with the chores of oiling the gun. My grandpa was a good hunter. He had a gun with a red birch stock. When it was fired, it spouted Smoke, so Grandpa had to hold his breath every time he fired the gun."

"Do you miss home?" Jill asked abruptly, and Andrew's euphoria at the memory faded.He fiddles with his phone, as if trying to look less frustrated, but Jill catches the fleeting reluctance.

"Do not--"

"Sorry—" Jill said.

Both of them were taken aback.Jill said quickly, "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked that question, I didn't mean to—"

"No, it doesn't matter."

Andrew turned his head to the side of the aisle so that Jill would not see the flash of embarrassment on his face. "It's true, I don't have any friends here, but things get better, don't they?" There was a hint of bitterness in his deliberately light tone.People try to hide their loneliness, but this attempt only makes them look sadder.

"Yeah," said Jill to herself, "it's going to be all right."

"What about you? Are you familiar with those people in the club?" Andrew asked, "But why didn't you go to the bar last time?"

"I don't like socializing." Jill surprised himself with his candor.He could have made excuses, like he was going to work (and he did).But he knew that even if he wasn't working that day, he wouldn't be going to the bar.In front of Andrew, at least he didn’t want to pretend.

"Playing Dungeons and Dragons for five hours with the same group of people is enough for me, how about getting drunk?" Jill gestured, "Please forgive me."

Andrew grinned and said, "You are the first Englishman I know who doesn't like going to bars."

"I just don't want to force myself to do things I don't like." Jill put her arms on the edge of the window, propping her chin.

Under the gray and cloudless sky, the undulating hills are like frozen waves.The sheep are scattered among the low stone walls, motionless, like sculptures lost in thought.Farther away, the sky hangs down and meets the dark sea, making it difficult to distinguish the boundary of the land.A drop of rain hit the car window, pulling a trail of tears backward.

"'Live your own way,' my brother used to say, and he lived his life like that, and I wish I could be like him, but a lot of the time I just pretend I do," Jill said in a low, hoarse voice. As if confused to himself, "He used to live more real than anyone else, but those golden days are over, and he can't go back."

Andrew leaned closer to him and said loudly: “Sorry, what did you just say?”

"No, it's nothing," Jill pulled herself together, letting herself escape from her pent-up emotions.He raised his voice and asked, "I was just asking why you came to participate in club activities."

"I just wanted to try, you know, Drizzt Do'Urden," Andrew's thick voice was calming, "I liked him when I was a kid, he was like my superhero. Once, I went to the Boy Scouts I brought the book set of "Dark Elf" to my summer camp. The camp teacher thought I was a nerd, so they confiscated the books and asked me to go on a field march with everyone," he laughed at himself. "In our place, it is It’s like, if you’re a boy, you’ve got to talk about football and stuff like that.”

"So you decide to become a kayaker," Jill said.

"I have no choice, because I can only apply for more scholarships if I am a sports student." Andrew said.

"In any case, you must have a good mind to be able to apply for an exchange spot here. You are the first sports student I met who studied history." Jill said.

"A long time ago, at least as long as Darwin was alive, historians, archaeologists - or as we just called them: explorers, they were the ones who went to find the dead where the remains of civilization were left. They were not The people who sat in the ivory tower and studied the hieroglyphs on the Rosenthal Stone are the adventurers who went with Napoleon to North Africa, to Algeria, and set foot in distant countries."

As Andrew's narrative unfolded, Jill developed a sense of unreality.He thought he was sitting in a dark theater somewhere, watching Andrew, dressed as Romulus the Great, read a series of monologues on the stage.

"You're an anachroni," Jill said.

"Maybe," Andrew's expression instantly became low and mysterious.The smile on Jill's face hardened.He looked at Andrew as though looking through him to some ancient hermit.The other party slowly read an oracle, and Jill knew that he should not listen to the words that did not belong to the world, but he was inevitably attracted by it-"In our lives, there will always be a moment when we feel I don't seem to belong to this world. Don't I?"

**

The city is buried in faded ages.

Those old brick buildings have a copper-yellow color, and the edges of the eaves are a little black.The steep stone road has been worn away by the shoes of tourists from all over the world over the years, like a smooth ice surface.In the open-air courtyard in front of St. Giles Cathedral, a group of Socialist Workers Party (Note [-]) members holding high the flag of the Blue Party surrounded them.Some of them were even as old as Jill's grandparents.Someone handed him a red leaflet bearing the theme of their one-day convention in bold letters: IDEASFORAWORLDINTURMOIL.

Lunch is eaten in a cafe.Creamy banana toast, tuna sandwich, two cups of hot chocolate.

Sleepy New Orleans jazz plays in the store.Pedestrians hurried outside the window.The old customers on the side are chatting with the clerk, talking about the weather and work.This reminded Andrew of the tavern in his hometown.Everyone there knew each other, but here he could only listen to other people's conversations and silently reminisce about his time in Virginia.

There was a wedding going on when they visited Edinburgh Castle.Tourists surrounded them to take pictures and shouted words of blessing.Looking out from the castle crenel, the streets of Edinburgh's North End look like a square chessboard.The sun casts spun rays of light through the clouds, and the seagulls fly among them, like a shuttle weaving a piece of cloth back and forth.

They lingered in the castle for a while, and Andrew bought a small bottle of Scotch whiskey.By the time they left the castle and headed for the bus stop, the sun had already set.There were no people in front of St. Giles Church. Royal blue flags were planted on the fence of the square, and leaflets and garbage were scattered on the ground.The rich church bell rang, struck three times.

The golden sunset pierced their faces, making them barely able to keep their eyes open.The narrow Scottish streets were bathed in daylight, and the stone pavements were gilded with a statuesque copper-gold brilliance.The wind stroked their cheeks and kissed them goodbye.Under the Waverley Bridge (Note [-]), the glass curtain roof of the railway station reflected dazzling light beams, like a sea of ​​diamonds.Bicycles passed them quickly.Occasionally, the oncoming flow of people scattered them, but soon the two would come together side by side again.

Andrew looked back.

Edinburgh Castle crouches on a hill, its low silhouette set off by the setting sun.A lone rock looms beneath its feet, like an ugly squire that accompanies a lonely prince.Inch by inch the darkness rose, slowly and patiently, to wrap the old Scottish glory in its dark afterbirth.At that moment, Andrew seemed to see the gloomy city of Menzoberranzan beckoning to him.He had the feeling that at some point in his life he had stood here saying goodbye to something.

"Andrew!"

Jill yelled, and Andrew was still reeling from that memory.He walked over and grabbed Andrew's wrist.

"What are you looking at? We're going to miss the bus!"

Confusion flashed across Andrew's eyes.Jill calmed down a bit.If they didn't catch the return trip, they could take the train back, or stay here overnight, there was always a way to solve the problem.After all, why is he acting so anxious?He was hardly himself anymore.Maybe it's the strange street and the hurried pedestrians reminding him that he is a stranger all the time, making him want to escape back to his small lair.

"Sorry," Andrew said, "let's go."

Jill let go of Andrew's wrist.The cold touch remained on Andrew's skin.

They walked towards the bus stop one after the other, and they didn't say a word until they got on the bus.

The bus starts, and leaves the city in the twilight without a sound.The tiredness of the journey home enveloped the carriage.The sky outside the window is gradually darkening, as if the curtain is closed, hiding all the unexplored countryside behind the scenes.The driver turned off the dome light, leaving behind a row of strip lights glowing crystal blue fluorescent.Jill fell asleep.He leaned against the car window, his head gently bumping against the window with the bumps of the road.He frowned, not sleeping very smoothly.

Andrew opened the phone photo album and browsed the photos he took in Edinburgh.In a certain photo, Jill turned her back to the camera, with her hands in her sweater pockets, her head slightly turned to the right.The wind blew his forehead hair up slightly.His eyes were narrowed by the sunlight, and he looked at the distant sky.

Thank you, Andrew said silently, for traveling with me.

The author has something to say: Note [-]: Highland accent (Geordie), a dialect popular in northeastern England.

Note [-]: The Socialist Workers Party (Socialist Workers Party), a left-wing Marxist party in the UK, pursues Trotsky's theory.

Note [-]: Waverley Bridge (Waverley Bridge), a bridge connecting the old city and the new city in Edinburgh.

☆, five

The world in your eyes is not completely dark, but is made up of thermal images with varying brightness, and those pulsating thermal radiations constitute your entire perception of color.

A red figure walks towards you.The spear in his hand glowed a deep purple.The lizard on his crotch whines at a high frequency, warning you not to move forward.

You confront the rider.The lizard raises its front legs and takes a step closer to you, the pads on the soles of its feet silence this aggression.you tense