As they walk, Auns falls into step beside Lila, while Lucius trails a few steps behind, a thoughtful expression on his face. The path is rugged but strangely beautiful, with the lush green foliage and the calls of exotic birds filling the air.
A short while into the journey, Lila glances over her shoulder, noticing Lucius's pensive expression.
"Everything alright back there?" she calls, a hint of concern in her voice.
Lucius's head snaps up, pulled from his thoughts. "Huh? Yeah, I'm good," he replies, his voice just a bit too nonchalant.
Lila raises an eyebrow, sensing that he's not being entirely truthful.
"You sure? You seem pretty lost in thought over there," she probes gently.
Lucius avoids her gaze, not quite meeting her eyes. "Just thinking about... stuff," he mumbles, clearly not wanting to delve too deep into the subject.
Lila is not convinced but decides not to press him further, not wanting to pry into his private thoughts.
"Alright, if you say so," she says, though her tone makes it clear she's not completely satisfied with his response.
Auns, who has been listening in on the exchange, now pipes up. "Are you sure you're okay, Lucius?" he asks, his voice filled with paternal concern.
Lucius sighs, knowing he can't keep them in the dark forever.
"I'm- I'm just suddenly feeling ... scared." His voice is barely audible, but Auns and Lila are both close enough to catch his words.
"Scared? Of what?" Auns asks, the concern in his voice increasing as he glances back at him.
"I don't know," Lucius answers, his voice barely a whisper. "I just feel... uneasy, like something dangerous is going to happen."
Auns's brow furrows at this confession, and he glances at Lila, a hint of alarm in his eyes. What could be scaring Lucius so much?
Lila, noticing their worried expressions, gives Lucius a sympathetic look.
"What makes you feel that way?" she asks, her tone softer than before.
Lucius hesitates, struggling to articulate his feelings.
"It's just... a feeling," he replies lamely.
"A sense of foreboding that I can't shake."
Auns frowns, clearly troubled by this revelation.
"Foreboding? Like something bad is going to happen?" he probes, trying to get a better understanding of Lucius's unease.
Lucius nods, his expression grim. "Yeah," he says quietly.
"Something really bad gonna happens. It feel that we're walking into something dangerous."
Lila tries to sound reassuring.
"Maybe you're just getting yourself worked up over nothing," she suggests, though her voice betrays a hint of unease.
Lucius nods, trying to convince himself as much as them.
"You're right," he says, forcing a smile.
It's probably just my imagination running wild. Nothing to worry about."
Auns and Lila exchange a look. They can tell that Lucius is trying to downplay his concerns, but the tension in his voice betrays his true feelings.
Despite Lucius's attempt to brush off his unease, the tension in the air is palpable. Auns and Lila exchange worried glances, both silently debating whether they should probe further or simply trust in Lucius's attempt to downplay his fears.
A moment of tension hovers in the air before Auns and Lila silently agree to let the matter drop for now. They begin to walk again, the group falling into a tense silence as they make their way through the dense foliage.
The silence is deafening as they walk, the only sound being the rustling of leaves and the soft crunch of footsteps. Auns keep shooting worried glances, he silently wondering if Lucius's fears have any basis in reality.
After what feels like an eternity of walking, the group finally emerges from the dense foliage into a wide clearing. In the distance, they can see a collection of small huts, the homes of Lila's tribe.
As they approach the village, Auns and Lucius take in the sight of the small tribe. The huts are made of wood and straw, each one clearly well-worn and lived in over many years. A sense of age and history hangs over the place, the weight of many generations present in the very air.
As they pass through the gate, they are met by the sight of several tribal members going about their business. Most of them have a serious, almost grim expression on their faces.
As the group approaches the center of the village, an elderly tribal woman emerges from one of the huts. She is old and stern-looking, her face etched with deep wrinkles, particular stands out for her almost scary demeanor.
Her sharp eyes fix on Lila, and she calls out in a loud, authoritative voice,
"LILA!!"
Lila stops in her tracks, recognizing the old woman.
"Yes, Elder?" she responds, her voice respectful and obedient.
The old woman gestures for Lila to approach, her expression stern.
"I need to speak with you. Alone!" she commands, her tone leaving no room for argument.
The old woman's piercing gaze shifts to Auns and Lucius, scrutinizing them with a mix of interest and suspicion. Her eyes linger on Lucius for a moment longer than necessary, studying him intently.
A spark of excitement and interest flares in the old woman's eyes as she continues to regard Lucius. She purses her lips, studying him closely, looking almost as if she has just gotten her hands on a valuable prize.
As the old woman gazes at Lucius, he can't help but feel a bit uneasy. Her eyes hold a mix of interest and intense scrutiny, as if she's trying to pry into the very depths of his being.
There's something about her gaze that makes Lucius feel vulnerable, as though she can see things about him that he'd rather keep hidden.
The old woman's gaze doesn't waver from Lucius as she asks,
"Lila, who are these strangers you've brought back to the tribe?"
"These are my benefactor," Lila replies, her voice calm and even.
"Auns and Lucius. They helped me on when I was fighting an Umbrae and I invited them to come with me to the tribe."
The old woman arches an eyebrow at Lila's words, a flash of surprise crossing her face.
"Your benefactors, you say?" she asks, her tone dripping with skepticism.
"Yes, my benefactors," Lila repeats, her voice unwavering. She glances over at Auns and Lucius, silently imploring them to stay silent for now.
Lila turns back to the old woman, her eyes pleading.
"Elder, I feel like I must do something to thank them for their help. They saved my life, and they're my friends now."
The old woman considers Lila's words, a slow smile spreading across her face
.
"Yes, we should thank them indeed," she agrees, her tone almost pleasant now.
"A feast tonight would be a perfect way to honor our guests."
Lila's face lights up at the old woman's suggestion. "A feast?" she repeats, her voice filled with excitement.
"That's a wonderful idea, Elder. A perfect way to show our gratitude to them."
Auns and Lucius exchange glances, both feeling a mixture of excitement and awkwardness at being the center of such an honor.
Auns, who has been listening in on the conversation, can't help but speak up at this point. "Wait a minute," he interjects, his voice hesitant.
"We appreciate the gesture," Auns says, speaking for both of them.
"But you really don't have to go to so much trouble on our behalf.
Lila shakes her head, clearly determined to make this feast a hit.
"A feast,… is a bit too much, don't you think?Auns said.
Lila glances over at Auns
"Nonsense," she says, waving off their protests.
"It's not trouble at all. We do this kind of thing for important guests. You saved my life, remember? You're worthy of this honor."
A sense of honor and appreciation washes over Auns at Lila's words. He may not feel like they deserve such a lavish display of gratitude, but he can't deny that a feast sounds exciting nonetheless.
"Just like Lila said, A feast is a small price to pay for our guests' safety and friendship. Even though, feast are usually held for special occasions," The Elder said.
"Rituals, celebrations, important visitors... But this one is simply to honor your bravery and kindness in helping me. It's a way for our tribe to show its gratitude."
"Besides, it's a rare occasion that we have visitors from outside the tribe. We must welcome them properly." The Elder continue with grinning over her face.
"But…We're not important visitors. And we didn't do anything that exceptional, really. We just did what any decent person would have done in that situation." Auns said.
Auns turns to Lila, a flicker of unease in his eyes. "This feast... do you think it's really necessary? I mean, we're just visitors. I don't want the whole tribe going out of their way for us like this."
"This feels like a bit much."
"I don't want this feast to become some big spectacle because of us. I just don't feel comfortable being the center of attention like this."
Lila sighs, recognizing Auns's unease. "I understand your concerns," she assures him.
"But this feast is not about making a spectacle out of you. It's about showing our gratitude, our respect."
"In our culture, guests are seen as a blessing, and it's our tradition to honor them as such
"It's too troubling!" He argue.
Lila's expression falls slightly at Auns's words. "But it's not any trouble at all," she protests. "
"We have feasts like this all the time. It's not out of the ordinary for us."
Auns lets out a resigned sigh, realizing that he's not going to win this argument. "I get it," he says, begrudgingly
Auns seems to hesitate a moment longer, clearly still uncomfortable at the idea of being honored with a feast. But the old woman's firm stare and Lila's pleading eyes finally convince him to relent.
"Well, if you're determined to throw this feast, Very well," Auns concedes, his voice resigned.
"If you insist on having a feast, then we can't stop you. we'll gladly accept. I guess we'll have to learn how to be good guests and accept all this honor you're throwing at us."
The old woman cracks what passes as a smile, her face softening slightly.
"Good," she says, clearly pleased with Auns's response.
Lila grins, clearly satisfied with Auns's acceptance. "Excellent," she says, clapping her hands together.
"Then it's settled. Tonight, we will prepare a feast to honor our new guests."
The old woman's demeanor seemed to soften somewhat when she realized that Auns and Lucius were Lila's friends.
Instead of the stern reprimand or serious discussion she had originally intended, she shifted gears and began discussing the idea of a feast to honor the new guests.
With the matter decided, the old woman turns and leaves, disappearing into one of the nearby huts. Lila turns to Auns and Lucius, a bright smile on her face.
"And now the fun part begins," she says with a chuckle, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Preparing for a feast is always a bit chaotic, but it's worth it in the end."
"Everyone in the tribe will be helping with the preparations," she explains.
"It's a communal effort, a sign of our unity as a community. And tonight, we will all gather together to enjoy the feast. It's a time for celebration and gratitude."
"Ohhh!! I'll go get things started. You two just relax and enjoy the rest of the day."
With that, Lila takes her leave, heading off to begin the preparations for the feast. Auns and Lucius are left standing together, a beat of silence passing between them as they glance around the village.
As they walk through the village, they notice a few of the tribespeople staring and
whispering amongst themselves. Auns and Lucius try to ignore the whispers, focusing on their mission to find Lila.
As Auns and Lucius make their way through the village, they take in the sights and sounds of this tight-knit community. The huts are well-maintained and clearly indicative of the skill and craftsmanship of the tribespeople, each one built with careful attention to detail. Groups of tribespeople are going about their daily lives, some working in small gardens, others tending to their animals.
There is a sense of tradition and ritual everywhere, a strong sense of a community who have survived and thrived in these lands for generations.
As for Lucius, he felt a sense of unease as they walked through the village. The close quarters and the many people made him feel claustrophobic and anxious, as though he could suddenly be attacked from any direction.
The whispers and stares only heightened his sense of foreboding, making him feel like an outsider in this place. In contrast to the forest, where he had felt at ease and free, the dense village setting felt suffocating and threatening to him.