Gazing blankly at the skeleton, Ty, who was tightly gripping the tanto blade that was now stained with his boss's blood. Due to his shock, the keys he had been holding in his hand fell to the floor, creating a clatter which reverberated throughout the corridor of the prison.
With a nervous quiver in his voice, Todd asked, "If I hadn't agreed to help you in the cell, would you have done this to me too?"
Ty, still trying to process the carnage he'd wrought and was himself trying to piece the events that had unfolded together, chose to be somewhat honest with the goblin.
With a slight stutter, Ty replied, "No, after you mentioned your family, it made you seem... not as bad. But seeing him eat a human as I was leaving... it just set me off. The next thing I knew, he was dead."
Still stunned by his answer, Todd responded, "Yeah, he had always had a bad habit of wanting to eat humans. Many of our kind do. But about 40 years ago, we signed a peace agreement with the Hikari, ending a long war. We agreed to work together, which proved beneficial until the rise of the four deities."
Trying to grasp the flood of information, Ty asked, "That's a lot to take in. Are there other creatures besides what you call 'green skins'? And what can you tell me about these four deities?"
"Skeleton man," Todd began with a hint of sadness, "I'm not sure what you mean by 'goblin'. But, about 12 years ago, the world was taken over by the four deities. The one who rules our region is known as the Yami King. He governs this section of the giant lands with an iron fist, emphasizing total control."
"He might have been planning to show up later today or perhaps send one of his two generals to collect you or investigate the rumors about you."
Todd was about to, however, Ty interrupted the flow of his thoughts and bluntly asked, "What about Elithira? Was she taken or is she also being held here?"
Todd, looking a bit dismayed and possibly still afraid of Ty, replied, "I haven't heard of any women or seen any women being brought here recently. Perhaps if she was with you, she might have managed to escape."
Pondering this, Ty placed his skeletal hand under his chin bone and looked perplexed. "I suppose that's also possible; she did mention her ability to adapt to the poison. And what of Tsunadro? That backstabbing weasel?"
"I had only arrived here when you did," Todd explained while shaking his head and continued. "All I was told was to keep an eye on the skeleton, even though I found that the order quite odd."
His eyes then darted towards the tanto blade that was in Ty's possession. "In hindsight, I should've been more cautious of you. But since I gave you the weapon that ended the boss, I feel obliged to assist you further since we are working together."
A hint of confusion appeared in Ty's hollow eye sockets as he couldn't help but ask, "Assist me in what ways?"
Todd elaborated, "For starters, when we leave this dungeon, it will be very crucial to avoid drawing attention and for that, we will need to keep a low profile. I'll head into the town to fetch a mask for you that might resemble human features. In the meantime, you can turn the boss's clothing into a garb to conceal your skeletal form until we're out of the city."
"You might be able to gather some or other information about your friend in the process," Todd suggested.
"Hmm, that sounds like a promising plan," Ty agreed, adjusting the makeshift outfit he had put together. "Let's move quickly to avoid attracting attention, especially if the lord whom you mentioned is en route. Perhaps, if luck is on our side, we can stealthily retrieve the item I seek and wrap this up swiftly."
"We can ponder about that strategy further once I return," Todd responded.
About thirty minutes elapsed. During this time, Ty diligently used a washcloth to clean himself of all blood. He meticulously cleaned the tanto before skillfully tearing the less blood-soaked fabrics to create a makeshift outfit for himself from the blood-drenched clothing of the goblin whom he had killed in the dungeon.
As he finished adjusting the makeshift outfit, Ty examined his reflection in a slightly tarnished metal sheet that had been left carelessly against the wall. The mask, with its calm, neutral expression, perfectly hid his skeletal visage. The intricate designs resembled waves and the clouds that were subtly etched onto the mask were both mystifying and beautiful.
With the small eye slits, his hollow gaze remained concealed, yet he could see perfectly well through them. The mask extended slightly down his neck, and the flexible cloth piece attached to it allowed it to blend seamlessly with his upper garb.
Dressed in the modified garments of the fallen goblin, Ty noticed that the attire looked like he was wearing a worn-out kimono or haori.
The dark, long haori gracefully reached down to his ankles, loosely tied at the waist, exuding a sense of traditional elegance. Complementing the upper attire was the dark hakama, pleated and merging with his top, creating an aura of uniformity, and giving a cohesive look.
The overall look was pulled together with a wide straw hat, shielding his face further and casting a protective shadow over his masked visage.
As Ty walked, the waraji on his feet made soft sounds, the straw sandals he was wearing were perfectly fitting the role of a traveling monk or pilgrim. In this disguise, not only did he blend into the aesthetics of the era, but there was also an air of mystery about him.
The dark, unassuming clothing, coupled with the mask and the hat's shadow, emitted an aura that commanded both respect and intrigue.
With each step that he took while making his way towards the town's entrance, Ty felt the weight of his disguise.
The worn streets greeted him, and the town's atmosphere buzzed with activity including bustling traders, chirping birds, and distant chatter of men. But amidst this normalcy, Ty, in his unique attire, traversed a path of concealed identity.
An identity of a skeleton concealed behind the mask of humanity.