Toruri stretched and yawned as he awoke, feeling unusually refreshed. "That was some good sleep. I feel like I could go for a couple more days of it!"
Just as he finished, Verte entered the room, rubbing her temple. "Ugh, I feel awfully lightheaded, Toruri. Do you?"
Toruri shook his head. "Nope."
Kinrui walked in soon after, looking just as uneasy as Verte. "I heard that. You feeling lightheaded too, Verte?"
Verte nodded weakly. "Yes, it's really strange."
Toruri hopped out of bed, seemingly unaffected. "Hey, where's October?"
As if the mention of his name triggered something, Verte suddenly vanished, reappearing moments later with October by her side. "That's what I was forgetting," she sighed.
"Great, now that October's here, we can finally move forward with the plan." Toruri's eyes scanned the room as he thought. "Where's the old geezer?"
Yamori stepped in at that very moment, greeting everyone with a serene smile. "Good morning, everyone."
Toruri smirked. "Never mind, he's here. Yo!"
Verte, still looking uneasy, asked, "So, what's the plan?"
Toruri glanced around suspiciously. "We need to find somewhere private to talk." But before they could move, Toruri caught sight of the boy, Eiidaetay, peeking into the room again. The moment their eyes met, the boy scurried off, disappearing down the hall.
The group stepped outside the motel, only to be greeted immediately by Ifurcatabay.
"Hello," she said in a soft, eerie tone. "The village chief wishes to see you."
Verte frowned. "The village chief? About what?"
"He just wants to meet you," Ifurcatabay replied simply.
The group huddled together.
"I guess we should go," Verte said hesitantly.
"Yeah, I can hold off on my idea for a little longer," Toruri agreed.
Verte turned back to Ifurcatabay. "Alright, show us the way."
Meanwhile, Hiyoku, still working diligently on repairing the house he'd destroyed, wiped the sweat from his brow. Premium, plus, and minus... he thought. I need to get this information to the others, but how?
Suddenly, his focus shifted as Ifurcatabay appeared with the rest of the group in tow, minus Gnari.
Never mind.
Toruri called out with a grin, "Hiyoku, we're here to save you! No more work for you!"
Hiyoku straightened up, his expression brightening. "Really? I knew you guys would come around!"
Verte nodded. "Yes, but not exactly for that reason. You need to come with us to meet the village chief."
Hiyoku shrugged. "Oh. Okay."
Ifurcatabay chimed in, "Yes, Ibamidaeday will finish the house. Let me lead you to the chief."
Half an hour later, they found themselves standing in front of a large stone building, located right on the edge of the jungle.
Verte's breath hitched. "This is... Mir Acel," she whispered, her unease deepening.
Hiyoku leaned over to Verte, whispering, "What's stopping us from just bolting into the jungle?"
Verte shot him a glare. "Why is an 'ingenious act of crime' always your first idea?"
Hiyoku grinned, completely unbothered. "Because they're the easiest way out of these situations."
Ifurcatabay gestured for them to follow her. "Right this way."
With a creak, she opened the massive, vault-like door of the stone building. As they stepped inside, they were hit by an overwhelming sense of darkness. Bloodstains splattered across the stone floors and walls, the pungent scent of dried blood filling the air.
Kinrui's thoughts echoed in the stillness. It reeks of blood in here...
As Verte glanced around at the bloodstains splattered across the walls and floor, her suspicion grew stronger. "Ifurcatabay, if I may ask, why is there blood everywhere?"
Without hesitation, Ifurcatabay replied, her voice steady. "Blood? That's not blood, it's just paint."
Verte's inner voice reacted immediately. Now that's a lie.
They continued down the long, dimly lit hallway until they reached a large wooden door. Ifurcatabay pushed it open, revealing a vast chamber. Chains hung from the ceiling like twisted vines, cages were scattered across the room, and sitting on a massive wooden throne was an imposing figure—a large man, shirtless, with chains wrapped around his arms and shoulders. A cage encased his head, making him appear even more menacing.
Verte's thoughts raced. This power... how didn't I sense it when we entered the village?
Toruri's thoughts mirrored hers. This dude's chi is off the charts!
Hiyoku's eyes gleamed as he muttered to himself, I sense a worthy opponent!
Yamori felt a wave of recognition wash over him. This kind of chi... is he who I think he is?
Kinrui could hardly believe what he was sensing. This amount of mana combined with that strength?! What's someone like him doing as a village chief?!
The village chief's deep voice broke through their thoughts. "Welcome, visitors. There are six of you... how odd."
Verte stepped forward cautiously. "Hello... You asked for us?"
The man nodded, leaning forward slightly. "Oh, forgive my rudeness. I haven't introduced myself. My name is Acrodontayay. I summoned you here to talk about a little friend of yours."
Without warning, Acrodontayay reached behind his throne and pulled on a thick chain. The sound of metal scraping against stone echoed in the room as a cage slid into view. Inside the cage was Gnari, her mouth bound, her eyes wide.
"Gnari!" Yamori shouted in shock.
Acrodontayay smirked, tapping the cage. "Your little friend here came into the village and... stole a few things. She was caught and brought to me."
Yamori's eyes burned with disbelief. "She would never do such a thing!"
"Well, she did," Acrodontayay replied, his tone cold. "But I'm a reasonable man. I'll only keep her imprisoned for two more days."
Toruri raised an eyebrow. "Two days? That's a weird amount of time to keep a thief locked up..."
Acrodontayay chuckled darkly. "You shouldn't be complaining about me giving your friend such a lenient sentence, traveler."
Verte shot a look at Toruri. "Yeah, Toruri..."
"Fine, I'll shut up," Toruri grumbled.
Acrodontayay's voice deepened as he continued, "I assume you all plan on staying until your friend is released. So, let me lay down a few rules... just to make sure none of you end up in a cage like her."
At that moment, Verte's voice echoed in everyone's mind. Guys, I connected all of our minds together. We need to discuss a few things.
Yamori's mind was buzzing. You can talk through people's minds?
Hiyoku quickly interjected. Yes, she can. Verte, I woke up feeling lightheaded last night and overheard something strange.
You too? Verte asked, surprised.
Yeah, Hiyoku replied. But that's not the only thing—
Before Hiyoku could finish, Acrodontayay reached into his pocket and pulled out five glowing red beetles. Their eerie glow caught the attention of both Kinrui and Verte, their thoughts aligning instantly.
Those are— they both thought simultaneously.
Acrodontayay held them up menacingly. "First rule," he said, his voice dripping with authority. "No one is allowed into Mir Acel."
Acrodontayay squeezed the beetle in his hand, causing a small amount of red liquid to ooze out. The sight was unsettling as he slipped his finger through the bars of the cage on his head, dabbing the liquid inside before withdrawing his hand, the liquid mysteriously gone.
"That's good," Acrodontayay said, his voice firm. "Next rule: don't ever attempt to break your friend out."
Toruri's mind immediately connected with the others. Verte, Kinrui, what realization did you two just come to?
Verte responded quickly. Those beetles, they're Hemovorus Thanatobeetles. They suck the blood from creatures and die seconds after doing so.
Kinrui chimed in, Yeah, I remember learning about them at school. They're highly sought after by cultists because they have an amazing ability to hold blood and keep it pure.
Ah, that adds up, Hiyoku thought aloud.
Verte was curious. With what?
Hiyoku explained, When I woke up the other night, I overheard some people talking about 'two premiums, two pluses, and one minus, with an extra premium.'
Verte's mind sharpened. Well, that matches our numbers, along with Gnari.
Toruri added, And you guys mentioned feeling lightheaded. That must've been because of blood loss!
Kinrui's thoughts flickered with realization. So, they took our blood, but what for?
Acrodontayay's voice interrupted their conversation as he laid down another rule. "The third rule: don't walk around at night."
By the looks of it, Verte continued in their mental link, they were rating our blood, most likely.
Toruri's suspicion deepened. Are they trying to sacrifice us?
Possibly, Verte mused, but why would the quality of our blood matter so much?
Yamori's calm voice entered the conversation. Verte, can you contact Gnari's mind?
No, Verte replied, frustration growing. I don't know why.
Maybe the chief's blocking your magic, Kinrui suggested.
Acrodontayay gestured for Ifurcatabay, and she obediently approached him. His imposing figure leaned forward slightly as he spoke his final rule. "Last rule: you will only stay at Ifurcatabay's motel."
The tension in the room thickened as the gravity of the situation began to settle in. There was more going on here than they had anticipated, and it was clear that Acrodontayay and his people were far from ordinary.
Verte gave a tight smile. "Sounds great."
Acrodontayay's massive figure tilted forward ever so slightly. "Yes, yes. Thank you for visiting; you may leave now."
Without further ado, everyone—minus Ifurcatabay—turned and exited the dark, bloodstained building.
We should communicate through my mental link from now on, Verte thought to the group as they walked away.
Sounds good, Toruri replied. So… they're trying to sacrifice us?
Very likely, Verte confirmed.
Yamori's thoughts joined theirs. And that means they're going to try to sacrifice Gnari.
Yeah, Toruri replied, his resolve firming. And we can't let that happen.
Kinrui broke in with a question. Does anyone have an idea why they don't want us to go into the jungle?
Maybe they don't want us to escape, Hiyoku speculated.
Toruri considered it. They didn't mention anything about the outlands, though. We could just slip out the other way.
Or, Yamori added, they're hiding something.
Verte's focus sharpened. If that's the case, we need to rescue Gnari. Hiyoku and Toruri, find a way into the jungle.
Sounds easy enough, Toruri thought with confidence.
Hiyoku added, As long as I don't get blown up.
But before they could move, dark clouds began forming above the jungle, casting an ominous shadow over the village. All the villagers gathered near Acrodontayay's building, their heads craned upwards as they gazed at the sky.
Hiyoku glanced around uneasily. "What's happening?"
Verte's eyes narrowed. "There's a ton of dark magic radiating off those clouds…"
Hiyoku looked at her, confused. "How can you tell?"
"The darkness has the same tint as darkness magic," Verte replied. "And I can feel its strength. It's… powerful."
Yamori's face grew grim. "That may be where the dark lord is."
Toruri gave him a quick nod. "Let's keep that quiet, though."
"Agreed," Verte said. "Hurry, you two. Find a way in."
"Got it!" Hiyoku replied as he and Toruri turned and sprinted toward the outlands.
As they disappeared from view, all the villagers suddenly turned to stare at Kinrui.
Why are they all staring at me? Kinrui wondered, unease creeping in.
A villager stepped forward, beaming. "You sure are blessed today! Would you like a free meal at my restaurant?"
Kinrui stammered, "Uh—"
Another villager chimed in, "Yes, wonderful! Let's all bring our own baked goods to this blessed one!"
All but the first villager bustled off to prepare, leaving him behind. "It's all settled! Come, I'll take you to my restaurant!" he said, grabbing Kinrui's arm and pulling him along.
Verte watched him being led away. "And there goes Kinrui."
Yamori's brow furrowed slightly. "Should we be worried about him?"
"Unless these people are high-class wizards," Verte said, shrugging, "I doubt they could pull anything off against him."
Kinrui sat at the small wooden table, utterly surrounded by dishes of steaming food. Plates, bowls, and platters piled high with meats, pastries, and strange colorful vegetables formed an overwhelming display in front of him. A thin woman, who had introduced herself as Anguidaeyay, stood at his side, her gaze sharp and unblinking.
"My name is Anguidaeyay," she repeated, as if the words were newly significant. "I'll be your waitress. Make sure to eat everything."
"Yeah… thanks," Kinrui mumbled, unsure of her intensity.
She didn't leave; instead, she simply sat across from him, her eyes fixed as though she were watching for something particular in his expression.
Kinrui, eager to escape the discomfort, closed his eyes for a moment.
Kinrui, are you alright? Verte's voice came through the mental link, cutting into his unease.
They've got me seated here with all this food, but I'm fine. What are you up to? he replied.
I'm going to try to find a library. I'll contact you in a few hours.
Hours? Kinrui's mental voice sounded a touch impatient.
She didn't answer, and with a sigh, he opened his eyes—only to nearly jump out of his seat. Several villagers had crowded around him, staring with wide, unblinking eyes. Their presence was unsettling, and he jerked back instinctively, his heart racing.
As if responding to his alarm, the villagers dispersed, scurrying away as quickly as they had appeared.
What the hell? he thought, shaken.
But Anguidaeyay remained, her gaze unfaltering, watching him as if waiting for him to make a move.
Hurry up, Verte, Kinrui pleaded inwardly, feeling his patience and courage tested with each passing second.