The reeds appeared normal on the surface, but Rosso didn’t dare make any random moves in this place. Who knows what else might be hidden here? A simple flower alone had caused him trouble enough.
In a place as bizarre as Caves of Wondernt, anything was possible. Not to ntion, due to the lack of information in these caves, it’s harder for one to know what can happen inside it, Rosso goes in blind like the rest of the people who will follow soon after him.
Though unlike him, they might not suffer as Rosso who stood in the front as well as alone. Which just happened to be a body. "..." It appeared to be the body of a young boy, just around 6 years of age.
Considering the stark difference between the poor and rich, this boy might just be 10 years of age, though due to malnutrition he never gets to grow up to his potential. "So fresh." But how old this boy might have been was not on Rosso’s mind, his focus was entirely on sothing else. "Human, so not one of the dwarves that might have stumbled into it." Rosso was also aware that it was not a dwarven child, considering that even during their youth, the Dwarves still appeared different from humans due to their stocky bone structure and hitting puberty far earlier than human kids.
"An illusion?" Rosso wondered, using feet to crush the head of the child, and finding everything inside was pretty normal. "Weird." And then he moved on. The odder the situation, the more reason to stay away from it unless he was forced to interact.
But it would seem that it was already too late, as the next step of Rosso after crushing the head was inside what appeared to be a village.
The body of the dead kid was still next to him, along with the bloodthirsty eyes of the villagers who had just seen Rosso crush the child’s head. "Not mortals." Were Rosso’s words as he heard an alien language coming out of the villager’s body, before so of the tattoos lit up in bright yellow tint, followed by them rushing toward Rosso.
"..." Leaving Rosso with no choice but to hide first.
Not because he was scared, these villagers’ no, these savages were not that strong and it wouldn’t take much effort on Rosso’s end to kill them all. But on the off chance sothing can happen, Rosso didn’t dare to do a thing in the current situation.
It isn’t that long since he had been devastated by a simple flower in his mouth, and that can be considered the most harmless thing that could exist in this place. Who knows what these villagers are capable of?
So with Curse of Isolation, Rosso’s body turned into nothingness, the villagers that ca towards him kept running before so of them awakened from their stupor and started looking for him, while a few of them rushed to the child and picked him up with tears in their eyes. ’Not real.’ Spoke Rosso looking at this scene, a way of coping with the scenery that appeared in front of him.
But his guilt and pity soon ca to an end when he saw this boy’s body brought to the village altar, and before he could understand what might be going on, a man in a leather robe ca and started to butcher the kid with his own hands.
"...."
It was, a disgusting scene, reminding Rosso of so of the Voodoo rituals he had learned recently about. However, this felt way more archaic and ignorant, as there was nothing to be gained from this ritual. Or was it a ritual?
Rosso can’t tell at this mont, it would seem nothing more than a feast where even those crying were eating what remained of the boy.
As for the crushed head, that was spared and left on the altar, not like it was edible with how Rosso had crushed it. But who knows what these people were planning?
When the villagers went back to their hos when night arrived, there was nothing left for Rosso to see except finding an exit from this place. So he moved on and started to walk away from the village.
And as expected, just like before, sothing new appeared in front of Rosso. A tall but slender body hung from a tree with its leg stuck among the branches, while an arrow went through the woman’s head and chest.
’The ears.’ This thing, was far from being a human, calling it a human would even seem offensive to so extent.
This slender thing that appeared female was too alien in Rosso’s eyes, though from the ears alone he had so idea what it might be. ’An elf?’ This was odd. From what he had read about, the extinct Elf Race was the perfect race with a high talent for magic. They were even called perfection itself which is not false considering all those that carry the bloodline of elves in the present day are extre beauties whether they be n or won.
And here, the ancestors of that bloodline, a genuine elf appeared more like an alien creature without a lick of beauty about it.
’You learn new things every day.’ Rosso thought before walking away from the scene. He didn’t bother with the Elf, not for now.
He had seen what interacting with the body can do, and who knows what else might happen if he did that here. ’Let’s see if there are other bodies like this here.’ Rosso went around the area, and it didn’t take long for him to find bodies in various different states and positions spread around the whole area.
Half of which seed to belong to so extinct races of humanoids that don’t exist in the world anymore, though from the little titbits of knowledge he had of the history, it didn’t take much effort on his end to identify them. ’Would I be transported to the places where these people died?’ Rosso almost wanted to give it a try. But he didn’t bother at the mont.
’If each of these bodies leads to a different scenario, then there ought to be a body that might contain Professor Malidi in one of them.’ On the surface, all of it looked so simple, as long as he finds the right body, he will find Malidi.
But things can never be so simple. ’Will give it a try later, but for now.’ Rosso had a plan in mind. The ceremonial dagger in his hand was a corrupted item that required a huge sacrifice before it beca useful for a while, and the villagers might just be useful fodder for this very dagger if used correctly.
*****
"What is its purpose?" Gael wondered, looking at the rope he had been handed by Ardool, who was currently busily biding his body with it along with others.
"It’s a fate binder, it can prevent us from breaking up once we are inside it. Who knows what can happen once inside." A fate binder, a Draconic artifact that had the strength to fight fate itself. However, in his situation, it was being used to make sure that the party didn’t break off from each other once inside.
Which did interest Gael a bit. He might detest the technology, but that is not the case when it cos to Dragon artifacts. Being a dwarf he had an affinity with it just like others of his kind, so after learning what its purpose was, he didn’t mind binding the rope to his waist before entering.
A scene that I witnessed with so interest. "It would seem we might go different ways once inside." I spoke to Kairut, who appeared a bit confused before asking."Give a transcript of what you will talk with Professor Malidi, that way in case you get lost and or die inside, I will be able to carry on your words to him."
"That is, a good idea... " With those words, I started to explain to Kairut what he should say and how he could prove that he worked for .
Though, my words ca to a pause when I noticed an oddity in the distance. ’Hmm.’ This was not the old friend who I had been expecting all this ti. No, it was an even older one, a far more dangerous one.
Soone that shouldn’t have co here.
’Not again.’
"Kairut, we are moving now," I spoke with so panic on my face.
That figure, I don’t know how and when he grew to such an extent, but his strength was not sothing Kairut can face at the mont. So it’s better to leave. ’Hah Remira, good work. You were able to call for his help.’
How to say this, i was both angry as well sad. His being here ant that he wouldn’t stop until he finally achieved his goal. But him being here also ant bringing in a volatile figure that might just break the little ga I have set here.
’Remira should have been alone....’
"This aura..." And Kairut, he too had felt that aura, appearing panicked at the mont.
I had almost forgotten, but Kairut and Alabasta had a history of their own.
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