'Yeah, right. Might as well take me out on a world tour.'
There's no way a slave could possibly help him bypass Foggy Ring defenses... Right?
However, seeing Baron sincere smile suggesting otherwise. Zyro's doubtful thoughts wavered. Although, it's extremely unlikely, there's at least a tiny bit of chance that this particular slave actually knew a way out.
He doesn't look one to joke either, at least not at this moment.
As Zyro pondered, Baron prompted him to follow.
"Come now, young man. You'll have no choice but to believe me when we get there!"
Zyro hesitated for a moment, before following the man's lead. Baron claim was too doubtful, there's no need to bring Pert along for it might waste their time. Besides, he's the one who decided to take the gamble by following this man tracks to the unknown, and so bear the risk on his own.
Honestly, this is for the better. Without his companion around in this covered environment, his free to utilize the most dangerous weapon in his arsenal - Fog Spray. A bio weaponry capable of poisoning hundreds to death in these caverns, where gas can't escape easily, so as the people from breathing it's venomous mists.
Be it a hundred ambushers, all of them stood no chance against the poison from the Great Wall of Fog Zyro held within Shroud of Night.
The previous battle would have been easier if he used Fog Spray. However, the ominous mist doesn't discriminate between friends or foes. Scarlet and Pert might have been harmed, as well.
Baron and Zyro treaded through the twisting tunnels, coming deeper into the Mine.
At some point in time, Baron took a torch when no one is looking. This made Zyro frown, but said nothing as they continue walking.
Soon, they arrive in a secluded area, the slaves he see got fewer and fewer until no one is left around them. Not only that, but even the torches was gone. Filling the way with utter darkness, that's when the torch Baron snatch came to use. They entered a lightless tunnel, bringing with them a small island of light to eliminate their limited surrounding.
Zyro didn't know where they are, but his certain that they are constantly heading deeper.He didn't even know this path existed, leading further down the caverns than workers had access to. It was the deepest he had ventured within this caverns, yet they are still heading down with no signs of stopping.
Their steps tapping on the ground was the only source of sound in the dark world, their eyes stared at the blackness in front of them that seemed endless.
After about an hour, the guiding light reveals a piece of stone structure ahead. the Zyro immediately noticed the unnatural texture of the rock. Although, it's broken like any other stones, some part maintained flat surface, as if cut perfectly by a tools. It's visibly man made!
"Care to explain now?"
On their way here, Baron had been talking non-stop about nonsensical things to shun silence away while traversing through the eerie caverns. Leading Zyro to ask where they are heading. However, the elderly slave wanted to surprised him for the fun of it. And so, keeped the destination a secret.
"It's too soon to say it. Besides, it's better to show you than describe it. Come now, we are almost there!"
He had no choice but to follow this humorous man script.
Soon after, Zyro was standing in a daze, looking at the towering walls made of ancient bricks. However, it had long crumbled under the ravages of time. Reduce to dusty ruins. Still, the ruined structure didn't lost all magnificence. Large cubical bricks that formed these walls lay broken here and there, the dust accumulated on their surface was testament of their astonishing age.
"Amazing, isn't it? To think such massive infrastructure exists under the Mine all this years."
Zyro expressed his wonders.
"Why is this here?"
Baron resume walking, passing through particularly large gaps of the ruins while saying.
"I'm not sure. But from what i discovered so far, it's most likely an underground shelter. Judging just how secured its defenses are, and numerous stone lodges to accommodate countless people, this thing must have sheltered it's creators long time ago."
"But that's not important, I want to show something interesting."
They then continue, eventually passing through the devastated wall and arriving at a more stable place, where the breakage are not that bad. Zyro can even distinguish the structure original appearance.
'A wide corridor?'
The young man and his guide are treading in a capacious corridor, part of its ceiling collapsed while debris littered the paved floor. At the sight of this ancient pathway, Zyro remembered where the old sage is sealed - a man-made ravaged chamber. It's more like a collapsed passageway, than a chamber though.
The sage ruin cage was probably an extension outside of this ancient shelter.
After a while, Baron suddenly shouted ahead, prompting him to see.
"look here lad! Now this is what I call a true masterpiece, you'll only see this artwork here. Even the royals haven't seen such ancient work of art!"
Zyro came over to look. Only to see intricate engravings on the flat wall. Still, what Baron claimed was indeed true. The carved image's was top notch, depicting mystical scenes as if they're alive.
The one before him told a tale about a dark, eerie creature coming out from raging black waves.
"Is this really past history?" Zyro can't help but ask. The image was too fantastical to have actually occurred in the past.
"I'm also clueless, from what I know. The things depicted here aren't real events. It didn't even mention the Devine Beasts and the Goddess who made history itself! Unbelievable. This mural was probably done by someone's imagination or something. Carry on now, you can appreciate the murals beauty while we walk, time is too precious!."
Zyro continued studying the artistic engravings despite Baron words. There's no way these ancient murals is that simple.
The depictions were beautifully made, but expressed vague messages that seemed unreal.
Zyro saw a great serpent made of swirling mist lifelessly descending from the cloudy sky. Beneath was a land being shrouded by ominous haze. Beside it were an army of warriors fighting against that serpent, it's size dwarfing the warriors like a legion of ants. Countless dead soldiers paved their path as they fearlessly charge onwards. As if there's no home awaiting their return, only death.
Next up was a strange scene, countless people on a vast, lifeless wasteland with despair, hopelessness and grief on their faces. Carriages, livestocks and all sorts of things society needs to operate was there, except infrastructures to house them.
Zyro's frown are getting deeper, finding the stone engravings too absurd.
'This doesn't make sense at all.'
He just saw a houseless citizens a second ago, and now. The murals are showing brave warriors defending impenetrable walls of a mighty empire, guarding a thriving civilization within.
Zyro was confused, but all his questions are thrown back when he saw the following murals.
A man stood before numerous people, his figure was covered by a grandiose robe adorned by exquisite patterns. Behind him rest a magnificent stone throne. Far back, was a towering pole raising a flag with flawless circle on its fluttering surface. Within that circle was utter blackness, as if representing the void itself. The ring-like crown on his hooded head suggests him as the king of this country. A king that is giving hope to his desperate people.
Then, that empire was suddenly surrounded by rolling mists, shrouding the streets by hazes as people lay dead everywhere.
The next template displayed a colossal serpent emerging from the clouds above, it's long, magnificent yet oddly horrific body hovered in the sky as it gaze down with unquenchable hunger in the depths of it's cloudy, dark eyes.
In contrast, what followed showed a prosperous scene. Zyro can now see vivid engravings of the Empire main structures - an edifice that resembles a towering skyscraper stood tall within a thriving city filled with stone buildings encased by a wide circular walls. Attached to that kingdom-sized infrastructure was three other similar kingdoms, but without a palace of their own. The four kingdoms were joined together, forming an extremely vast civilization. It's more of an Empire than a lone kingdom. Inside this Empire was joyful life lived by millions. The vigorous roads, and smiling inhabitants was a stark contrast to the previous templates.
Only now did Zyro realize it. Studying this murals gave him a sense of wrongness, the feeling grew the more he continue. But after seeing the mural depicting a prosperous Empire, he realized that his been reading it in reverse. The first slate he saw wasn't the beginning, but the end, instead.
'If the murals start with the peaceful pace of this empire, then what followed next is the emergence of that serpent.'
That ominous sky serpent probably brought a calamitous disaster upon them, explaining why the inhabitants of this Empire are laying dead on the streets. The king then gave those who survived hope, somehow. If he were to guess what that "Hope" is, it's likely a grandiose plan that will save their Empire from the threat, or change it entirely. They then proceeds defending their home from the Serpent. However, that's when it gets really puzzling.
The Empire suddenly disappeared! Leaving an lifeless vast land where once stood, it's inhabitants left stunned, as well along their belongings. As if the enormous settlement, spanning as far as the eyes could see abruptly vanished into thin air. At least, that's how Zyro understood it.
"That doesn't make sense at all." He mumbled, his head is starting to hurt.
Fortunately, the rest of the mystical story made sense somehow. Left without a home, the inhabitants of a once thriving civilization face the great Serpent with all their might. They fought to death, sacrificing countless people in the process. Zyro could already imagine how terrible that battle was. In the end, the Serpent fell at the expense of millions brave warriors. The land was then shrouded by haze from the mighty monster corpse.
Followed by a mural of a tree made of zigzagging tapestry that rose to the clouds, its inside was hollow.
The last slate then showed a black, undescribable creature raising from the depths of raging waves. What comes after that, no one knew.
Thinking about it, Zyro understood why Baron treated these murals falsely. First of all, the stories it told doesn't make sense. Secondly, none of the mentioned details aligned with the known history of the past, when the Devine creatures and the Goddess forge their legacy.
Zyro sighed.
'What a waste of mental energy.'
He then look forward, and noticed more murals up ahead. It was still shrouded by deep shadow as the light hadn't reached it yet, but Zyro's improved eyesight allowed him to see a little through the obscuring darkness. He narrowed his eyes, distinguishing no drawing on the next mural, but... Familiar letters?
Before he got near enough to read a word. Baron suddenly said.
"I wouldn't look if I were you."