Within Veiled Boundaries: Shroud Over Their Eyes.

Chapter 37: 33 Motel reservations



Lea hangs around Abuela, helping the frail old lady in tasks. Learning how to cook the yellow rice chicken recipe. The Native American doll in a display case sat in prime reaching locations, constantly being picked up and carried. The women here helped do the chores that always need doing like doing up cleaning rooms, cooking meal and taking these meals to those whom have stopped over here. Lea was allowed to follow the owner brothers on some room services jobs, like pushing a snack cart as the brother checked with the empty rooms or the rooms of male guests. The big scary demon who was stays in 1313 was no longer so scary to Lea. She remembers that she hide from him always and was scared of being in his way. Now... she looked him in the eyes with a warm grin, thinking about how vulnerable his body would be if she found this guy's corpse on Sigil pathways. Yes, her way of seeing and thinking has gotten scary scince she last been here. She had even seen that her chalk stick figures on the wall was still there, proof that time reverting can't always erase pocket realms. So it meant there was stuff she left behind here, still here. She left colouring books, crayons and other bits on accident last time. Her chalk is here still. She gladly took these things back. She took time in looking through the colouring books she left behind, tracing out the thought she made of these notes.

"You are a very good girl, Eliza." Abuela patting Lea's shoulder. Lea blinked about how her name was drastically changed between then and now. She wonders why she can't have that name back.

"In this life, I am Lea. But your right. I was Eliza." She helping putting plates on the large table they set in the car park. This was the shared meal all staff and guest took part in, "But no matter what name you call me. It's never going to be my real names." She sounded very sad. Abuela softly smiled.

"Dulce niña, siempre serás recordada aquí." Lea looked up with a warm shared smile that this lady. Whatever the lady told her, she felt better from it, "Your little drawing needs more." Pointing to the chalk, "You make many smile."

"Then I will add plenty more. I do a big picture on the wall where there used to be a vending machine." Abuela softly nods at this and they continue sorting the table. Looking up at how her father teaching combate to her mom. They are definitely a good fit. Smooth syncing foot placement and habit of hand placement on the staff they are using to practice with. They seem like they we're learning to dance together.

"They look good together." The demon of 1313 taking a seat. Abuela spoke fast and smacked the demon hand from touching the food. A long string of Spanish to follow. Lea snickered at how stupid it is to mess with the lady of the motel.

"You're not wrong mister Demon. They do make a great undertaker partners." Lea picked the doll up and puts it to its own spot at the table. The doll was vibrant cloth and made by hand. Very clearly for a tribe child to inspire to be the best mother. Lea kindness went so far, she sets plates for guest that even the demon can't see. She had even tossed a slab of meat from her storage out to the car park, watching the meat disappear. She uses a antibacterial wipe for her hands.

"So what makes you different to your mother?" Another motel guest sitting down, hat off and his hair tied back. Long white hair that seems more like a dog tail half the time. Appearing in strange situations. His montone voice was a middle pitch that installed sort of false trust. She was fooled her first time, but now as she looked at his hands in what he actually was expressing in his question. Her eyes trailed in guessing he was he for something that meant her new dad was a part of. She knows by this undertaker uniform at the moment, they both had to do with one the many kingdoms in England. She leaved the table to proper wash her hands again. When returned, it was prayer and then tuck into the food. Everyone was talking tonight, a lot of small conversations that were harmless. Gossip of what all these different beings knew as general know. It was fascinating in how it surprised some. Lea, Abuela and Mr Riddle were silent the most; just listening. The demon of 1313 was having a good laugh if dispelling assumptions her mother held. Breaking down the whole good and evil blaming things.

"Lea, I need to trade some black sand. You have any?"

"As long as the amount is within the regulations of trading." She replies so quickly, "It also helps to ask what you type of sand or where you want that sand sourced from. Sand from heaven is treated differently to ember ashes from Hell." She looked down the table to a being making gesture, "Really? They took out that system? But time sand is like... dangerous." She watched them making gesture, "Oh... well that makes sense. You low rankers are harmless." She goes back to looking at her father, "The shadow eater is right. You should try using this other stuff. I am not going to rudely put it on the table while folks are having a meal. The smell is potent." The demon leans forward of looking towards Lea in just hearing her.

"Dulce niña." Abuela wagging finger.

"Yes. Forgive my rude way of saying what they are. After all we are kept safe because of the guardians. I well verse in the many social societies working together here." Abuela nods forgiving the girl.

"In being both a Fall and Seer, I guess you have carried the gifts of both sides. You must have a lot of trouble in everything." Riddle pondered.

"Ah, you are the Tricky Trickster." She smirked at the demons words.

"Beloved Lady Marionette." Another guest that doesn't speak at them before now had made this correction, pointing threatening in making sure this was understood.

"Ease. Respect the rules. We are guests in open invitation. We must give bow to those ignorant." Lea glares, "No many want to be reminded." The guest eased in bowing to all. Lea also bows too. Many dismissive of this. Her mother looked around confused of whatever deal was up with the authorities of ranking here.

"Every culture or race has a different bar levels." Riddle explains, "I guess undertakers are based in the duration of use. The eldest of our type tend to be leaders, Lords and close to royalty. Demons are more chaotic with having different reasons for why a imp can lead over large lands while a demon king of no land owns armies soul contracts. Angels are divine levels. The lesser ones have more humanity about them. The higher ones don't even look human with wings." Mom takes a moment to think over these things. Dad makes some small adjustments in sort of fixing to the standard leveling that sigil provides. Bringing to the next thing.

"So here's a question I want to wrap around. Who made the sigil ranking system and how does it test?" Many tilted in not actually knowing. Lea does but she sits looking at everyone else frist.

"The system is a soul system." The demon 1313 correctly answered, "But no one actually knows who runs it and why it works. Speculation of theory says its the same system used for the creation of death god sycthes." Lea snorts at how they made that link, but they don't get it.

"Sigil ranking is organised by location and tome name ordering." Riddle added, "As that also has to do with soul laws." Lea shook at that but continued eating silently. She lets them make blind guesses until everyone actually using their sigil ranking over each other. Lea huffed in the annoying crystal notification window. She had even pushed it sideways with it being in the way of her plate.

"As I am aware, the system is complicated and broken in places. Case in point, there is two or four ranks above true titled gods." The demon being the highest and most clueless speaking. He ranks under Abuela. Lea is highest of the totem pole here.

"If you were to get rid of any associated rankings to a society, then the system makes sense. In that case that a wonder soul is ranked in their willpower, awareness and ability of survival. Grading number matrix." Abuela softly speaking, "If you have associated ranking in a society, a letter is added. So even title of true gods have letter number coding. But then there are souls in the system that can't be measured. These go through the Above A ranking system. Even then, there is a glass ceiling that divides them." She speaks English for sake of everyone, "It no longer about your survival. It is how much a tool you are to the cosmic power of krama and fate. There is at least five souls that break those rules. They are noted as dangerous. But that isn't the scary part. It's that these five beings have a leader. This leader is completely casted out the sigil system, as I am aware."

Scratching heads in understanding that information. Lea once again pushed the panel to ignore it. She glared at it too with not being concern of the warning its presenting. Like that was a problem right now.

"So sigil has a a two layer ranking system?" Her mom still trying to fathom.

"Rather just as sigil is a corridor between all exists of many types of realms. It is a constantly changing system based upon the location you are in. Sort of enforcing peace between many rank systems while respecting each societies laws. The actual computer panel is the highest ranking being in the area overseeing the local law and playing peacekeeper. This highest rank has access to the appropriate laws to best judge when problems happen. This system is just broken small systems in one mass data processing system. There is an administration that can lock information that isn't appropriate to be viewed for sake of keeping everyone sane. Some demon laws are very gore detailed, which parts of the body is removed in payment actions." Lea speaking causally, "There are many pocket between realms that have set up established gatherings for things. Poaching monsters and gathering off realm materials to craft god artifacts is big money trade among angels. Plenty of lost souls are seeking purpose and value like the idea of being freelance hiring for odd jobs. Thus the hunters of oath system was established for these guilds. A open Sigil system that gained popularity across many high end cash grapple areas." She puts the fork down, wipes hands on a napkin and then reachex for her drink. Her mom looked at the nodding that everyone has going in accepting this knowledge. Once Lea puts her drink down. She sighed, "But it is a soul ranking system. How good are you in utilizing your soul and how who you carry in respect towards. It is souls that judge you as it is souls that have always been judging things. Favour towards particular alliances will have lift and lower of many rankings of many systems." She picked her fork up, "Broadly speaking. There isn't a system but rather a truce of keeping things simple. Occasionally you do get the oddity that doesn't fit in and adjustments are made." Back to eating.

"So how did you end up with triple ranking?" Riddle asking. Lea ignores the question for now.

"She is a book keeper, so maybe she can't answer." Riddle jolts at that news and looks at her careful.

"It be to hard to bother explaining." Lea rolled shoulder, "Most if the time, it doesn't matter. None of my ranks has sway over anything that matters among the general public. Keeping peace among the few souls I do have sway over changes nothing in a grand scheme of things. My relationship between them and me is complicated but of respect to each other. I can't deny what comes naturally given to them as they of me." She carried this no caring tone and makes it seem no big deal. While anyone else was tensing.

"The little girl had three rankings?" The demon can't work that out, "She just a little girl."

"Ignorance is bliss." Abuela finished and leaves the table. It was for the best, ending the meal for many people. Lea was still indifferent. She collected plates and was overall being a good girl. She definitely has no intention of disruption or disbalance. Nothing she said was secert and was plain access to what everyone even her mom could be reading right now. She used other words than what the guide book states but it translated the same to her mom's thinking. She kept it boarder which was accepting for the sigil system to stop hassling her.

Her mom and dad go back to training, Riddle watching them in assessment. Lea knew from then, Riddle is here to gauge where her parents will fit among their kingdom laws. Fairly in guessing, Lea wasn't mean to be last of the plan to move to England. To be fair, no one was ready that she turn down the boarding school contract while avoiding being not taken in by either Fallown or Seer families. In her mind, there wasn't a plan placed for her. Or at least not we'll thought through. Not a lot of time going into what they will do with her. Now the tables were clear, she went to the motel room and collected her chalk. She came back out and set candle lights. It quite dark now but she wanted to get the outline work down for Abuela approval of continuing it later. Being more experienced in creative art and using chalk. She went back to redrawing very photo realistic portraits at different room numbers. She got plenty tired, called it a night finishing the demon of 1313 art. She carried her little chalk box back to the room. She was quick to be sleeping, a proper shower from the chalk dust she had everywhere. She was partly woke up of those two going to bed and back deep sleeping. Her dream side continued making art along empty walls, since she was very much enjoying the love doing something free spirited. Instead of setting a sale stall in her marketing business spots. Instead she was chalk graffiti fancy nothings, doodles of landscapes that were fitting to the places this was.

In the morning, she was alone in the room. She got changed and was back out with chalk. She had Abuela approval all all these murals. Her mom working really hard today of learning tbe sword. Dueling partner with her new dad. Riddle giving constructive feedback in what to do. He was very distracted when Lea began to really fill in amazing colouring and so much to the outlines from last night. Lea stands back a few times making sure of perspectives. She walk around at the different doors in order to keep it interesting. As she was back to the wall. Megal came to her, the night shift brother. Giving her a big hug and a lovely white rose. She takes a break to be allow to see the graves of his beloved lost wife and child. The Mural on his room wall of those two was so touching that he felt he needed her to met them. She felt honored and respected the graves. She lays her own flowers to both graves and they go back to the main part of the motel. She had her little rose in her hair and she back to colour chalking in the biggest chalk art yet. She so deep of focus that she doesn't register that her mom was right there, the wide eye of looking at the art. Looking at all the art chalks. The three having a break from peak noon sunlight and heat - observed the scale depths this girl was talented with.

"Who taught you to draw?" Riddle pondered and Lea knocked her head on the wall, she was strange angled for drawing this delicate part. She brushed her head a little and steps twist to look at them. She lowered in being interrupted and takes this moment to recollect chalk that rolled away. She sits down on the floor with her box closed. Wiped her hands off with a antibacterial wipe and she opens a brown sandwich lunch bag. She eats while the adults rudely talked.

"How do you reach the higher bits?" Riddle asked. She doesn't speak. She just eats silently in wanting for them to go away. They gladly do go to Riddles to go do other things. She frowns in staring at the door for a while, left out as they aren't going to include her help. Although she tilted in guessing she isn't really any help at all depending on what it was. She finished the food she could and sees there was still plenty more to have. She doesn't want it to go to waste, so she puts away what she can for emergency. Even then there still to munch. She got up, dusted off and began to take the bag over to the hidden ones.

She handed food items to many of the guardians, they returned her kindness with strange offerings. She had even stood beside the Native American, as together they shared an apple. She shared as this was the way to honor good will. To eat alone was a punishment. In return was not only the doll back to her and now the Native man lowered in drawing in the sand. He teaches her about landscapes, how to look out for danger that can't be seen or felt until to late. These were often snake tracks and dens that attracted unwelcome visitors. He shows her how to star follow, even if it's broad sunlight. through his spirit illusion, he taught her the direction and what charms to hang. These charms were helpful to other Native Americans that are passing you footprints and their meaning carried over into the spirit world. Omens were the most important thing to Native Americans. They know the land and all the creatures shared connected. If you can read the way creatures act, you know how to avoid danger. There is always abundance, not always useful things to have a lot of to many. But when there is only empty, there is something wrong or a key aspect of nature missing. Like a river flow redirected a different course. Now there is empty stone, not even a bone. The offering of food to a place was about leaving a place with something to come back for. As even a small change attracted small fry. Once small are in abundance, larger prey will come to fest in the new spring. There is always a way to start a cycle, that there was no such thing of man or spirit leaving nothing behind. Validate lesson that she wrote down plenty.

"The wind has picked up, soon you will fly." pats her shoulder. She gives a gesture welcome and goes back to the motel rooms. Her mom packing the car of the small luggage she took out for staying here. Lea softly nods to herself and unpacked the things that are not going to be needed for the flight over which were the sort things her shadow storage wasn't in need of either. Reduce down to one large suitcase and two on flight bags. These bags were just about everything sentiment of gifts, photos and things that arent going to be replaced. The stuff left behind is more a gift to those that may need it while staying here in this motel. The chalk art was completed on the final night. Mom spent more time talking on the phone then sleeping. She had just enough to be ready for the morning, taxi hired to take them to the airport while her car was sold and this money was used to pay for the flight. The whole Spanish family gave thier best wishes, the Native American doll stayed behind. It seems the doll was best at home here in the pocket realm, not wished to cross over the pond. Many spirits fear air travel and water especially. She notes that swimming pools held the same regard. Even undertakers that watch over the beach front where leery of puddles left behind by tidal change. Her eyes cast watch if the landscape passing by, her new dad wasn't here and wasn't going to fly with them in the plane. He did have his spirit form on over the human side that came for Thanksgiving. So there something about water she just doesn't know yet.


Tip: You can use left, right, A and D keyboard keys to browse between chapters.