Perspective : Conrad Garnier
It's funny how human psyche works?
The mere sight of gold makes us forget our sufferings, It makes us blind. It makes us oblivious to the obvious abomination that lay before us.
There was a huge dead centipede, whose limbs were made of gold.
Yeah, nothing suspicious or ominous about that, isn't it?
Truth be told, the mere sight of gold to us was like a life-giving oasis to a person desperately parched with thirst.
We can't help but be drawn to that sight, It was the reason of our sufferings, It was meant to be our reward.
Because,
Our greed was a guiding light, that kept us going, we never faltered, never lost hope.
And, when we saw what we wanted, the beacon and the fruit of our labour.
We became complacent.
Full filling an unspoken commitment to our fallen comrades,
"so, what if we let our guards down?"
"So, what if we became blind to the obvious truth around us?".
"Atleast that much should be allowed".
"Or does it?".
Standing right there, I felt nothing, nothing except the warm drop of tear that tickled down my cheeks.
"Wait am I crying?".
The sight was nothing short of a fleeting moment filled with unparalleled joy and ecstasy.
Everyone was caught in that captivating allure of those golden appendages.
Patrick exclaimed,
"Holy shit! .... After all this, it is evident that God does exist. He witnessed our struggles and has graciously rewarded us with these gold".
"I pray to heavens above with my outmost gratitude".
Elkdrack added,
"Screw all that shit.... the pile's right for the taking".
Including Kyle who had also been self absorbed in his own monologue,
"Finally... I can save my sister".
"Elise your brother is coming.... just hang in there".
Regina chimed in,
"Now we can finally return home ".
At that moment her face was a true testament of her inner feelings, her eyes were widened with a mix of astonishment and relief, resembling the delicate petals of a blooming flower.
A newfound hope illuminated her face, erasing the weariness that had burdened her for so long.
Her brows, once furrowed with worry, now gracefully arched upwards, framing her widened and sparkling eyes.
Regina's mouth fell slightly a gape, as she feasted her eyes on the golden radiance that beckoned her forward.
And me personally, the feeling I experienced then, was completely alien to me.
That sense of relief, and satisfaction had an unknown sense of comfort to it.
I had never felt such a profound sense of hopelessness, as if it were engulfing me entirely, only to be replaced by an overwhelming wave of fulfillment.
After admiring the scenario, we filthy creatures began dismantling, that awe inspiring creature.
Gold's a pretty moldy material, the purer it is, softer it stays.
One by one we systematically dismembered its limbs, storing each one in our item box.
In no time straight, there was nary a spec of gold left in its body, except for the head.
It's horns were made of pure gold, there was no chance that we were going to leave that behind.
However, Patrick and Elkdrack were way ahead of everyone else,
As Elkdrack blaidently exclaimed,
"I call dibs on this one".
Patrick nonchalantly approached the dead centipede's head, he cautiously extended his hand towards those horns.
His body tenses and his posture becomes focused and attentive.
With steady movement Patrick delicately touches those golden horns. as his finger tips gently explored it's intricate texture. His eyes widened with awe as he felt the smooth yet sturdy surface beneath his finger tips. His face filled with surprise and fascination turned into that of disappointment as he uttered these words,
"These aren't of pure gold ....".
Elkdrack, still skeptical about Patrick's discovery, commended him while asserting his ownership, "Nice one... but it's still mine."
Kyle interjected, supporting Patrick's observation, "He isn't joking... it's the truth."
Elkdrack, intrigued by Patrick's claim, questioned, "How can he tell that it isn't pure gold...?"
Kyle pondered for a moment and replied,
"Come to think of it... that's a very reasonable question."
Patrick confidently explained,
"Trust me, guys... I know this because I have assisted my father countless times in distinguishing between genuine gold coins and cheap imitations. I'm well-versed in examining gold."
Elkdrack responded, teasingly,
"Now you are just flaunting your heritage. How cheap!"
Regina suggested,
"Let him have it... he won't understand."
Elkdrack expressed gratitude, saying,
"Thanks..."
Regina replied,
"You really shouldn't be thanking me."
Patrick hesitantly unsheathed his blade, his voice filled with uncertainty as he spoke,
"I'm telling you, it's not worth much."
Elkdrack interrupted, commanding,
"Shut up and do as you're told."
Patrick turned to me and asked,
"The horns are very hard... It would be better if you heat them while I cleave them. I really don't want to damage my blade doing this."
I responded, assuringly,
"Yeah, sure".
Patrick hesitantly positioned the edge of his blade near the base of the horn. With nary a flicker of determination in his eyes, he quietly murmured, "Why am I such a freaking pushover?"
Confused by his mumbled words, I asked,
"Did you say anything?"
He quickly responded,
"No... nothing."
I stood beside him, utilising my fire magic, channeling it through my fingers, placing it gently on the horn's base, with my flickering flame casting an amber glow upon the scene.
As he raised his blade a moment of anticipation hung in the air.
With a swift and calculated motion, Patrick brought the blade down, cleaving through the first horn. The sound of metal meeting solid resistance echoed through the room, creating an intense atmosphere. The horn split apart, revealing a gleaming interior that seemed to radiate a golden aura.
The second swing followed, the blade singing through the air. It met the horn with a resounding crack, causing fragments of golden splinters to scatter. The force of the impact sent a reverberation up my arm.
"It is really sturdy".
As we continued, the room became filled with the rhythmic sound of metal against horn, each strike revealing more of the glittering treasure within. My flickering flame danced upon the newly exposed golden surfaces, illuminating the room with a breathtaking glow. The scent of heated metal and the faint aroma of ancient enchantment filled the air, creating an intoxicating ambiance.
Now, in his third and final strike, He adjusted his stance, finding the perfect angle to strike, ensuring that his blade glided smoothly through the tough material. I watched silently as he effortlessly carved through the remaining horn, revealing their true beauty.
The second horn fell on the ground, as Patrick picked it up and handed it to Elkdrack, He said.
"Here you go".
"The last one was pretty hard".
Elkdrack thanked him.
However, not even a second later,
Elkdrack, still consumed by his insatiable desire for gold, said,
"Now let's see... what's inside its mouth."
Patrick, feeling frustrated, responded,
"Oh, come on."
Elkdrack, trying to persuade Patrick,
replied,
"Oh, don't be like that mate. I know deep down you all are curious to see what's inside its mouth too."
I responded to his assertion , by saying,
"No, it's just you. We haven't even thought about that."
Elkdrack persisted, saying,
"But now you do. You must be at least curious. What if there is gold?"
Patrick chimed in,
"Guys ... Guys ... there is no sense in explaining him ... let's just get it over with".
Elkdrack's eyes gleamed with anticipation and possibly a hope for more gold, as we opened the creature's mouth.
But the thing we saw, was what neither of us had possibly expected.
Inside the Creature's mouth was Robin's severed head.
The spectacle of that alone was enough to jog us from that fleeting facade, it seemed we had forgotten where we were?
Reality really had a cruel way of reminding that.
Kyle exclaimed,
"What in the actual fuck!".
Regina, still unable to comprehend what she saw, tried to confirm it.
"Is it him".
"Is it really him".
Our moment of elation had turned upside down.
{Change}
Perspective : Thor Gild
(3 hours before)
Emilia turned to Robin, who had tapped into his "Clairvoyance" spell to investigate what lay ahead in the room, she asked,
"What's the situation up ahead?"
Robin promptly responded,
"The path is clear, but there's an enormous, round hole in the floor."
Keira, curious, chimed in,
"Is there something inside it?"
Robin admitted,
"I'm not entirely sure... The depth is quite substantial, making it challenging for my clairvoyance to provide detailed information".