Chapter 3: 1.02.2 Village in a clearing.
I might be sleeping next to a corpse on the branch of a tree. But let tell you, it was one of the best sleep I ever had.
As for the little rat, when I opened my eyes, it was staring at creepily.
"I don't know if you can understand , but I won't keep you in bounds for long. It's just for my own safety."
Though that was just one reason, the other was that I liked seeing the struggling face of the Grifter that always waited to kill .
Which sounded a bit bizarre if soone were to listen to my thoughts. But it was true, this rat was highly capable of killing a human being if it wished to do so.
I even wondered if I should open a killer agency with killer rats.
Then my na of Rat king might actually turn real.
"Let's go little one, we have a long journey ahead."
Taking the glass bottle I found in the corpse's stomach, I restarted my journey in these haunted woods.
As for why haunted?
If a corpse on a tree that scares savages was not a sign of sothing wrong afoot, then I didn't know what was.
But going back was also impossible. The only path left for was forward.
So I walked, with the small rat in my pocket.
Though, there was one thing I noticed. The deeper I got into these woods, the darker the environnt got and the sounds of the insects also dropped down.
Making reassess my choices.
On my back, there were a bunch of savages looking to hunt and on my front, there was sothing or soone that scared the savages.
"I was stupid." I truly was.
In my hands was a poison that scared those savages. Why do I not use it to scare them off and leave?
There was no need to co inside this place.
"I will just go back." even if a few hours of the journey have to be wasted, then so be it. I just didn't feel right.
And I was soone who never believed in ghost stories because I have seen humanity do worse things in the newspaper I used to read.
Making these ghost stories completely childish in comparison.
Though, after leaving this place, I noticed a problem.
A problem that was hard to find.
*****
Making these ghost stories completely childish in comparison.
Though, after leaving this place, I noticed a problem.
A problem that was hard to imagine that it could even exist.
"When did this fog appear?"
This was an odd ti for a fog, being midday with the sun at its peak. The fog that appeared on my back felt unnatural. There was neither any wind nor any cold.
I couldn't even hear the sound of any insects or birds chirping above .
And this caused to stop.
The only way to go back is to go through that weird fog, a fog that seed to be following , staying just fifty ters away from .
If I go deeper toward the forest, the fog will follow . But if I go towards it, the fog would just stay there, waiting for to enter it.
And this creeped the heck out of .
Though I will still say, I was never a believer in the occult or ghost stories. The advancents and discoveries I have read in the newspaper all lead to one thing.
That there was no god or any magical beings, it was just fear of the ignorance and paranoia of a simple event that was amplified by the hearsay from people to people.
That's how legends were born.
But now, I am not as sure anymore.
And fearing the danger that might be lurking in that fog. I knew what to do.
Climbing on the tallest tree I could find. I tried to map out the location and learn where I was.
And much to my surprise. I am lost.
"LOST... FUCK!!"
A hill that I was not familiar with nor had I seen before, a divide between the forest that signified a river. None of it was familiar to . And I understood that I was far from those savages.
A bit too far if I might say.
"FUCK."
Though knowing how things were, I understood what I have to do now.
Follow the potential river I saw before and then find so human settlents. Even if it leads to those savages, I would gladly accept that instead of walking into that accursed fog that seed to have a mind of its own.
So I started to walk, though the river looked closer from above, it was a lot farther than expected.
But soon I arrived at the clearing ford by the river.
Or so I thought.
"A road?" Seeing the road, I was disappointed and sowhat happy.
Though there was no water for to drink. At least the road signified that there was a population that frequented this road.
"Hah, little Grifter. It seems like we won't be lost for too long."
Rationing the water was a must. So I did just that, using the shade of the trees to walk along the road while admiring the architecture of this road.
"Seems a bit too gaudy for a road though." This thought ca to my mind as the road I walked along was built using stone blocks.
Which was odd coming across in countrysides that usually just use dry mud roads on which they spread so oil to prevent the plant growth.
Unlike this road, that seed to be sothing one would find in rich districts of a city.
'...'
Which made my suspicions heavier with ti.
Turning back, I can see that the fog still followed the sa way it was following before. Its intentions are clear, "Walk or I devour you."
Pretty scary if I have to say it.
Though the existence of fear had long left my body. And only curiosity remained.
As I found the current circumstances an eye-opening experience for .
I don't know if what I was experiencing was real or just a mirage after all the horrible experiences I went through.
Though I am certain the road below my feet was at least real.
And to further confirm if the things I was experiencing were real.
I saw a woman with a wooden basket over her head walking ahead of .
"YES."
I shouted, causing the woman to turn her head and look at .
She was a young girl, with freckles on her cheek and brown hair. To soone like , she was a beauty. A charming and refreshing face that I haven't seen a lot in the city.
Guess this was the village charm everyone was talking about.
"Excuse , is there a village ahead? I have been lost for a while."
"Village? Of course, there is. If there was not, why would I be walking in that direction?" Just like her face, I can feel that she is a fierce young lady.
I didn't know whether it was because I was tired or just frustrated. But her energetic voice felt heavenly to .
Even though, when she said this, her mouth was soured up.
"Thank you for that. I was really losing hope." I said while walking closer to her. But in turn, she backed off from .
Pretty expected, and smart of this young girl, if I have to say it.
The blood from the savage on was still there and the damage to the clothes after I originally fell from the mule still existed.
It is making look like a ruffian.
"Stay right there." She warned while taking out a sickle from her basket and aiming at .
"No need for that, I just wanted to know the location of the village, that's it," I said while backing off from the woman.
"I was ambushed by so savages before and barely escaped with my life. So I was looking for so accommodations before leaving for the Christen City."
"I was wondering if your village can provide with that," I said all the words that needed to be spoken to this woman.
Giving her a clear picture of the situation was better than keeping her in the dark.
"You can talk to the chief when you co there... just follow this road." She answered with her sickle still aid at .
"Don't follow ." She said before trying to hurry away.
But my questions were not over yet.
They had just started.
"Before you go, can you tell what the fog behind is?" I shouted to the hurrying figure of the girl.
But all she shouted back to was.
"What fog?" Before her figure disappeared on the bend of the road.
"Fast girl." It would be a lie to say that I was not disappointed with her leaving in this place all alone.
But from her words, I won't have to be alone for long.
Which in turn ant I won't be bored for long as well.
'Hmm, the fog. She doesn't see it.'
I thought before turning my head back and looking at the fog once again.
'Hmm. And it was then I noticed it.
The fog seed closer than before.
Even though I have not moved back towards it.
It was probably a hallucination like everything was about that fog.
But I won't be too foolish to enter it, no matter what.
*****
Though tired and thirsty from the long walk. I was finally able to arrive at a bigger clearing with so cattle grazing on the side and even the sound of rushing water not so far from .
And the village the girl ntioned was also present in front of . Which mostly comprised of moldy brick hos among which a singular house stood out. Probably their village chief's.
"Oh, a welcoming party is ready," I said while looking at the n standing at the front of the village one of them holding a large bamboo stick. Probably in an attempt to threaten .
And among this group of welcoming parties. I found the girl I saw before.
"Stop right there stranger. Tell us your na and why you are here."
Those n asked a basic question, which the second was easy to answer. But not the first one.
"I was attacked by savages on the road to Christen city and escaped to the forest," I explained the details of what happened and how it happened while removing any details that might make seem dangerous to these people.
"So what ena said was true. Those savages sohow still survived the purge."
"They have probably multiplied as well."
It seed this village and those savages had so history and not just that. But I also found the na of the woman.
ena.
Such a simple na.
"We believe you. But first, at least tell us your na." These n asked and I knew they wouldn't take no for an answer.
So I did what any sane person will do.
"My na is Mirage, I was a student learning more about rats. Sadly, most of my test subjects have been lost to those savages" I explained while bowing to the group, while taking out Grifter from my pocket.
"This is the only one I could recover from. Sadly, it was the most insane and dangerous of the bunch. Probably why it could survive those savages."
Of course, this na was fake.
I have long forgotten what my actual na was, as the only woman who knew it rarely called by it and now she was dead.
So to , nas were nothing more than templates that I can change depending on the circumstances.
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