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As William stumbled into the dimly lit cave, his breaths came in heavy gasps, and he leaned against the cave wall for support. It was hard to believe that this was where he had felt drawn to go, but the voice in his mind had guided him unerringly thus far.
He adjusted his owl-mask, trying to conceal the weariness etched across his face, but his eyes still betrayed the exhaustion he felt. The long journey had taken its toll on him, but he refused to let fatigue dampen his spirit. After all, he was the Night Owl, the vigilant guardian of the night, and he couldn't afford to falter now.
As his eyes adjusted to the shadows, he noticed the vague outlines of other individuals in the cave. The sight sent a shiver down his spine, and he couldn't help but feel a bit wary of these mysterious figures. Were they friend or foe? He couldn't be certain, but he knew he couldn't afford to let his guard down.
"Hey there," he called out, his voice slightly trembling with caution as he addressed the shadowy figures. "All on a similar, uh, journey?"
With a deep breath, he tried to steady his nerves. "I'm... the Night Owl," he continued, attempting to sound more confident than he felt. "I've been following this voice in my head, like a telepathic message or something. It promised to know how to save the world from Darkness, and well, I couldn't just ignore that, right?" He chuckled nervously. "So, uh, you all got voices in your heads too? Or maybe you all just stumbled in here by chance?"
"You're a fighter, he isn't. If he tried to kill you via poison he'll die too." Kaltharia simply saidAlex scoffed, "You pretty much said it yourself. He's a snake oil merchant. I don't mess around with his... kind."
"Apparently they're ignoring you, heh" Galen said nearly to the man, making his presence known, he knew how to move quietly and minimize any existance.A man slowly walked from one of the shadowing openings, a gloved hand slowly reaching to adjust his tie. His smile was friendly, though it did not reach his eyes. He could already tell a few of the people gathered were...less than reputable, like himself. Because of this, he had actually spent the better half of a minute simply listening from a few meters away, purposely blending himself against the rubble to avoid detection. It was only now that he decided to approach, after confirming they wouldn't immediately try to gut him.
"...Guess I'll act the part of a trader, like always. No need to raise suspicions..." He thought to himself. He adjusted his hat, flashing another one of his smiles.
"...Howdy folks! Fancy meeting other people here." He called out.
The man simply shrugged, flashing Galen a smirk."Apparently they're ignoring you, heh" Galen said nearly to the man, making his presence known, he knew how to move quietly and minimize any existance.
"Well, Dismas, i am Galen, hope they don't start a fight in this place, not sure if it would cause a landslide" he accepted the handshakeThe man simply shrugged, flashing Galen a smirk.
"Heh, probably for the best. Some of those folk look...less than reputable, if you catch my meaning. Gotta watch your coin purse." He said. He held out a gloved hand, gesturing to shake it.
"Dismas. Nice to meet ya."
"Nice to meet ya, Galen." He said, flashing him another smile, using his free hand to tip his hat."Well, Dismas, i am Galen, hope they don't start a fight in this place, not sure if it would cause a landslide" he accepted the handshake
"Not in my condition. I can barely ******' move... agh..." Alex groaned, nearly falling over as a sharp jolt of pain shot through his body."You're a fighter, he isn't. If he tried to kill you via poison he'll die too." Kaltharia simply said
"First off, It ain't snake oil I peddle, miss. It ain't my fault if you can't recognize the honest goods when you see 'em." He said, he smirked, glancing back towards Alex."That is a man, Snake Oil Salesman." Kaltharia simply corrected the merchant
"...My gender doesn't matter." Alex groaned, "You sell to both men and women, right? So you can sell to me. I need something to... help with my injuries..." He said begrudgingly. He didn't trust the man, but right now this was his only option."First off, It ain't snake oil I peddle, miss. It ain't my fault if you can't recognize the honest goods when you see 'em." He said, he smirked, glancing back towards Alex.
"And I'd be darned if that miss is a mister."
"I gave awa- I mean...sold most of my medicine when I left town. Ain't exactly easy carrying a barrels-worth of bandages." Dismas said, shrugging ever so slightly."...My gender doesn't matter." Alex groaned, "You sell to both men and women, right? So you can sell to me. I need something to... help with my injuries..." He said begrudgingly. He didn't trust the man, but right now this was his only option.
"...What kind of merchant gives away all of his supply...? Did you get swindled...?" Alex questioned, clearly confused."I gave awa- I mean...sold most of my medicine when I left town. Ain't exactly easy carrying a barrels-worth of bandages." Dismas said, shrugging ever so slightly.
"But hey. I got some cloth in one of my pockets. Let's say we cut a piece off and wrap the wound a bit. That help?"
And what kinda injured person questions the man offering to help?” Dismas said, purposely avoiding the question."...What kind of merchant gives away all of his supply...? Did you get swindled...?" Alex questioned, clearly confused.
"Fine, fine. Just give it here." Alex groaned, "I'll tend to my own wounds. Then we can stop prying into each other..."And what kinda injured person questions the man offering to help?” Dismas said, purposely avoiding the question.
“You want the bandage or would you rather bleed out on the stone?”
"Now that's what I like to hear." He said. He flashed him a smile, before rummaging into one of his pockets, taking out a clean white cloth, folded neatly into a square. He reached out a gloved hand, handing it to him."Fine, fine. Just give it here." Alex groaned, "I'll tend to my own wounds. Then we can stop prying into each other..."
"Don't expect many people to be dumb enough to follow some...disembodied voice in their head. Might just be us few." He said, smirking over at the man."anyway, So changing the topic, how many people do you think that are coming?" he said
Alex said nothing, simply snatching away the piece of cloth. Kneeling down, he began wrapping the clean cloth over an open wound around his knee and lower-thigh. He winced ever so slightly, but endured the pain nonetheless. He then stood up, moving around a bit, and displaying a much easier time walking.Now that's what I like to hear." He said. He flashed him a smile, before rummaging into one of his pockets, taking out a clean white cloth, folded neatly into a square. He reached out a gloved hand, handing it to him.
"When you're led into a dark cave by a voice in your head, it might as well be," He answered, "Canis Baskerville. Mercenary."As the events unfolded around him, William's eyes darted between the shadowy figures, his initial excitement dampened by the tense atmosphere that seemed to be building. This gathering of strangers was far from the heroic team-up he had imagined.
He observed the interactions, silently contemplating the best approach. He wanted to help ease the tension, but he knew that rushing in could potentially make things worse. So, for the moment, he choose to keep his distance and gauge the dynamics of the group.
But just as he was lost in thought, a sudden pebble came hurtling towards him, catching him completely off guard. With a yelp of surprise, he staggered back a step, almost tripping over a loose stone. His initial surprise quickly turned into sheer confusion. Why would someone throw a pebble at him outta nowhere? Was it meant as some kind of joke or test?
"Uh... Okay then," William stammered, unsure how to react. "Pebble-throwing, a new form of greeting, I suppose?"
"I thank thee all for thy presence in this perilous times. Allow me to properly introduce myself; My name is Aina, a messenger of thy Lord the Divine. I'm certain that thou all have many questions that demand answers, and I will answer them soon. But first, the main issue at hand.
"As thee have already noticed, Asiyah, that is your world, is ending. The divine Light, that used to emanate this world, can't reach Asiyah no more, thanks to the ten muddied lenses through which it shoned. Darkness is now eating away, melting away the structures of form and obscuring the warmth of life itself.
The Situation will worsen, with each passing month, nay, each day, until the void itself has been claimed. And this is there thee come into play. Thou soul shine bright independently of the Divine. Like a lone candle, you shine. Even if the very sun itself ceases to, you burn. You will be your own guiding Light, illuminating your own Path. You can see, when other were blinded.
And I will be there, teaching and guiding you through all Ten Spheres, cleansing them of the evil that dirtied them and granting Asiyah back its rightful claim to the warm embrace of thy Lord's Divinity. I beg of thee; Accompany me on this journey. Please, help me save the world.
She beckons you deeper into the ruins. She leads you through the halls of a certaintly once imposing building.
You can't shake away the uneasiness of slight outerwordly feeling seeing them.
Quite human, and yet so different.
While you continue to creep through the halls, alerted by the strange and foreign situation, Aina suddenly continues
"Would you care to elaborate on that a little further?" Baskerville asked, "As well as why it's this specific group as opposed to any other possible group of individuals?"Corin continued to listen closely while looking around at the strange ruins. She was able to get a rough idea of what they were called here to do but something seemed odd. "Our souls shine?" She asks not really believing it.
Corin continued to listen closely while looking around at the strange ruins. She was able to get a rough idea of what they were called here to do but something seemed odd. "Our souls shine?" She asks not really believing it.
"Absolutly. A unmistakeable radiance comes forth thy soul, like everyone else present."
"Would you care to elaborate on that a little further?" Baskerville asked, "As well as why it's this specific group as opposed to any other possible group of individuals?"
"A radiant soul is a sign of great Willpower and Vitality. Like I mentioned before, ye souls flicker with the essence of Life itself, illumaniting your existance through the Darkness. Thou illuminated a path to each other and followed it, leading to this group. And unmistakeably, thou followed the path I illuminated, leading ye all to me.
This ruins are the last region onto which The Light of the Divine can reach Asiyah. Only here can I follow a Path into the Ten Spheres."
"...And what's the catch." Kaltharia asked, despite how cold she'd become, that plea struck her, it struck her hard... and now... her question was a silent plea for her to dismiss this, to leave... but to what? If her world was dying or in darkness there was nothing to go back to, so what? Find the path to another world? Preposterous... much as she hated to admit it to herself, she couldn't leave, and she had to go for this, no matter what.
"It will be a treacherous journey. All Ten Spheres hath been blighted by evil that gathered inside them. I suffer greatly at the though to ask thee to undertake this journey, but only a human of great willpower can weather the malice upon us."
Dismas stared at the divine being before him for a moment, before shaking his head.
"...Don't know anything about this...shining light stuff, but I'll follow if you lead. not much choice either way, if what you say is true."
"I thank thee."
"Beyond this gate, we shall ascend, leaving Asiyah behind and into the unknown. This is the last moment... I need ye on this journey but... I shan't force ye to accompany me. Should thee decide to, thou can remain here. This house will remain unsullied just a little while longer. It will also be possible for thee to return home, back to thy loved ones. A Soul always remembers the path home. And I understand the feeling of wanting to spend the last moments between kin. Afterall, I can't guarantee success, even if failure shan't be permitted. But we have to try. For Asiyah, for the world in its beauty, and humanity. Because the Lord loves ye. And so do I.
So I ask ye all again; Will you wander with me? Onwards, towards the Pathways into the Light?"