Chapter 32: Punishment
Ved nodded and tapped the crystal ball slightly. The ball shimmered and a new riddle appeared above it.
[What is it that belongs to you, but everyone else uses it.]
"Uhh… is it?" A dirty thought appeared in Loki's mind.
"Nah…" he muttered, refocusing on the riddle. "What is it that belongs to you but everyone else uses it?... This is hard!" His face scrunched up in confusion.
Athena was similarly puzzled by it. She quietly muttered the phrase and tried breaking it down one at a time. Her effort was commendable but fruitless.
The riddle confused the hell out of them. They had a few answers but weren't too sure about them.
Minutes turned into an hour, their attempts to decipher the riddle proving futile.
Loki, growing frustrated with their lack of progress, decided to voice his initial thought. Athena, seeing no better option, reluctantly agreed.
They both approached Ved and Loki directly blurted out his answer.
" Ear!" he responded to the ball, the ball verified the answer and displayed its decision.
[Incorrect]
Loki expected it but was still worried upon finding the answer incorrect.
He turned to face Ved, bracing himself for the consequences. Ved slowly closed the book that he was currently reading and glanced at Loki.
"This is your first failure. I have already advised you that failure has consequences. Now I shall explain your punishment." Ved raised his hand, extending all five fingers.
"Humans have five senses, they are sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. Each failure will deprive you of your single sense. For your first mistake, I shall put a shackle on your sense of taste." He explained, His voice was calm, almost indifferent, as he glanced at Loki's face.
[Curse of Perception]
Loki was a bit happy that the punishment wasn't as bad as he expected it to be. He thought it would be life-threatening but this much is bearable.
The crystal of cognition glowed lightly with a red light, surrounding Loki's body. Loki didn't feel the effect immediately but he will understand the severity of his current situation soon.
Both Athena and Loki excused themselves and returned to their seat. Their discussion continued for a while and Loki became hungry.
He took out some food from his ring and shared them with Athena. They both halted their discussion and started their meal.
"Hmm?!..." He took a bite from his sandwich, it was bland and tasteless.
He picked an apple, it was the same.
"No! It can't be!" Panic set in as he frantically tasted different foods, all devoid of flavor.The punishment mentioned by Ved flashed in his mind and he understood his current situation.
"NOOOO…!"
Colored drained from his face as he appeared quite pale. He didn't expect it to be this severe. This was the worst punishment for him since he enjoyed trying a variety of foods.
Athena glanced at Loki's sulking expression and patted his shoulders.
"Don't worry, It's probably temporary." she consoled him.
"Yeah, Let's hope it is." he murmured, forcing down the tasteless food with a sigh.
sigh
"This is worst." He sighed sadness in his voice.
Athena finished her meal, she wasn't cursed so it tasted fine for her.
They resumed their discussion and time passed by.
"Athena I think-"
Just as Loki was informing something to Athena, a thought appeared in his mind.
"Athena Athena… something that belongs to you, but everyone else uses it." Excitement flashed on his face as he deciphered the riddle.
"Athena, I think I found the answer." He explained, she heard his deduction and nodded.
They both approached Ved and like before, Loki stepped forward and answered.
"Name!"
[Correct!]
Finally, He sighed in relief and inquired his troubling thought to Ved.
"Sir, how long will I have to suffer?" He politely asked, gazing at him.
"This is permanent. I can't help you, you have to search for the cure yourself." He replied, ordering them to pick one book and return within five minutes.
Loki was devastated by his reply. He thought about his future and became depressed.
Food was one thing that he couldn't compromise and now it became a liability. He approached Athena and voiced out his concern.
"Hmm… Maybe the elves could help? They have the best healers." she suggested. Loki hearing her suggestion pondered for a while.
"Yeah, Elves might cure this curse. If not, I will just ask for help from my parents." He thought and some energy appeared on his pale face.
They both wandered the library and brought out their picks before Ved.
He nodded, tapping on the crystal slightly. The crystal glowed and a new riddle appeared.
[What can fill a room but take up no space?]
They repeated the riddles in their head, deciphering the phrase.
Athena looked over the room while in deep thought, her gaze passed through the books and bookshelves before landing on the lanterns.
The lanterns were placed on the reading table to provide better vision for the readers. She gazed at the lantern for a while and thought of something.
She expressed her thoughts to Loki and encouraged him to speak out.
He was a little puzzled but he supported her nonetheless.
"Light!" He answered.
"That was quick," Ved commented, glancing at the crystal.
[Correct!]
Ved congratulated them, providing some information regarding the final riddle.
"Now only one last riddle is left. If you answer it correctly, you shall move to the next trial. Otherwise, you shall continue searching for the answer." he explained with a serious expression.
They nodded and excused themselves. The library was filled with an array of books: world histories, powerful techniques, forbidden knowledge, and biographies of legendary figures.
They had each selected four books, and now, with the trial nearing its end, they roamed the library, clearing their minds and soaking in the serene atmosphere.
"Athena let's complete the trial and get out of here safely," Loki remarked with a determined expression.
"Mmm.." Athena hummed and nodded slightly. She felt a pang of sadness leaving all these books behind but she wasn't strong enough to take them forcefully.(If you haven't noticed Athena loves to read books while Loki loves Athena. XD)
She promised herself to take away these books after getting strong. Loki misunderstood her determination and thought she was also worried about getting out of there.