Void's eyes widened in alarm. [I think we should get out of here.]
But the Kragg was swift to react. He shook his massive head, his long hair swaying with the motion, and stood up on his enormous feet.
[Or not.]
"You know, this would be a lot easier if you just talked," Octavius said, exasperated.
The Kragg exhaled a deep sigh of relief and muttered, "Ugh, thank you."
Octavius's and Void's eyes widened in surprise, their faces mirroring each other's astonishment.
"Wait, you can talk?" Octavius asked the Kragg.
"I've been communicating with you," the Kragg replied, "but you don't understand my language."
Octavius's eyes sparkled with curiosity, and he noted to himself that the Kragg's voice sounded feminine.
[If she's a female, I've got to give it to your dad – he's a legend. He got the 'Qing' Kong in his timeline]
Octavius ignored Void's words, and asked the Kragg instead. "How did you know my father?"
The Kragg's response was unexpected. She raised a clawed hand, pointing at Octavius making him frown.
For a moment, he wondered if they had reverted to communicating in the Kragg language.
But then the Kragg spoke, her voice low and raspy. "You... smell... like him."
Octavius tried to press for more answers, but the Kragg seemed utterly disinterested in interacting with him. She would stare at him with an unblinking gaze, as if he were a peculiar gemstone nestled among the cave's treasures. Other times, she would gesture vaguely with her hands, her long fingers waving in the air like tendrils of smoke.
Void watched this exchange with growing impatience, his eyes rolling in exasperation. [It's time to head back, ] he let out. [If we spend any more time here, you might get disqualified or better still, won't make the top ten list.]
But the Kragg was having none of it. She sprang to her feet, her massive frame towering over Octavius, and let out a thunderous roar. The sound echoed off the cave walls, making Void wince.
[Just great], Void muttered, shaking his head. [Your father's toxic ex makes me think Medusa is a sweetheart. She turns you to stone if you look at her wrong, while this one simply wants to eat you if you breathe too loudly.]
Octavius ignored Void's sarcastic remark, his focus fixed on the Kragg. He took a step forward, trying to reason with the towering creature.
"I'll come back," Octavius promised, but the Kragg responded with a low, rumbling growl, as if disagreeing with his offer.
"I'm trying to find out what happened to my father," Octavius explained, pointing at the stone statue.
"Your friend... something has happened to him, and I need to get back to the others to figure out what. I promise I'll try to come back and visit, but I have to leave now. I have a contest to win, and I'm already at a disadvantage without the right materials."
As Octavius's voice faded away, he gazed up at the Kragg with a mixture of hope and desperation, willing her to comprehend the weight of his words.
The Kragg's expression softened, and she let out a mournful huff, the sound echoing through the cavern like a lament. She slowly sank to the ground, her massive frame folding into a seated position, her eyes cast downward in a sorrowful gaze.
Octavius's attention was drawn to the Kragg's sudden movement as she shoved her hand into the folds of her tattered, leather-like garment – which resembled a bizarre cross between a cloak and a poncho – and produced five Aetherstones.
The gemstones clattered onto the rocky floor, their gentle impact resounding through the cavern.
Octavius's eyes widened in awe as he beheld the Aetherstones, their ethereal beauty surpassing anything he had seen in books or imagined. The stones pulsed with an otherworldly energy, their crystalline structures reflecting the flickering torchlight in dazzling patterns.
Even the illustrations in the ancient tomes he had studied couldn't do justice to the mesmerizing allure of the Aetherstones in real life.
"You want me to have them?" Octavius asked, seeking confirmation, his eyes locked on the Kragg's face.
The Kragg nodded almost imperceptibly, her gaze still cast downward.
"Thank you," Octavius said sincerely, his voice filled with gratitude. He carefully gathered the Aetherstones and placed them in the bag provided to him, ensuring they were secure.
With the stones safely stowed, Octavius turned to the Kragg with a hopeful expression. "Can you help us get back to the others?" he asked, hoping the Kragg would escort them back as she had brought them here.
However, the Kragg's response was curt. She raised a clawed hand, pointing toward the cave exit without lifting her head, her gesture a clear indication that they were on their own.
Octavius felt a pang of guilt as he turned his back on the Kragg, but at this point he could only prioritize his own goals before taking on any additional responsibilities. With a deep breath, he led the way out of the cave, and to his surprise, they emerged at the exact spot where they had first encountered the Kragg.
Octavius spun around, astonished, expecting to see the cave entrance behind him. But instead, he was met with the familiar sight of the dense forest, the trees looming tall and silent. The cave had vanished, leaving no trace of its existence.
Before Octavius could turn to Void and ask how they had managed to get back here with no sight of the cave, Void's urgent yell pierced the air. [Duck!]
Octavius dropped to the ground instinctively, avoiding an arrow that whizzed past his head, its deadly trajectory mere inches from his ear.
Octavius rolled onto his side, seeking cover behind the thick trunk of a nearby tree. He cautiously peered around the edge of the tree, trying to make sense of the chaos unfolding before him.
What he saw made his blood run cold. One of the contestants, his eyes wild with a feral intensity, was repeatedly stabbing his sword into another contestant, who lay motionless on the ground. The scene was gruesome, and Octavius's mind struggled to comprehend the brutality of it all.
Before he could process what he was seeing, a hand clamped down on his shoulder from behind, spinning him around. A blade glinted in the sunlight, poised to strike Octavius down. But with lightning-quick reflexes, Octavius skillfully disarmed his attacker, sending the weapon flying from their grasp.
"You didn't think to tell me someone was onto me." Octavius turned to Void, sounding annoyed.
[I don't know, Maybe give me one of your eyes to install at the back of my head?]
Octavius didn't bother responding, his attention focused on the more pressing threat. The girl, her eyes blazing with a fierce determination, lurched forward again, with another blade flashing in the sunlight as she prepared to strike.
With swift precision, Octavious dismantled the blade and subtly pushed her away, defusing the attack.
Void's expression darkened, his frown deepening in disapproval.
[As a devout feminist, I refuse to say you hit like a girl]
Octavious shot him a sheepish glance. "She's a girl, I couldn't hit her," he explained, in a low tone as if hoping to avoid provoking the girl further.
Void threw up his hand in exasperation, spinning back to face Octavius with both hands stretched out and pointed to the girl, to emphasize his point. [Does she look like she gives a flying fuck?]
When Octavius shoved the girl aside once more, Void urged him to let him take control of his body. Octavius initially ignored the request, instead opting to issue a stern warning to his attacker.
"I don't know why you're attacking me, but it would terrify you to know I don't plan on letting anyone cause harm to me, irrespective of their gender," Octavius cautioned, his eyes locked on the girl's determined face.
Void threw his hands up in exasperation again, while the girl, undeterred, lunged forward with a dagger aimed at Octavius's chest.
[Let me in, goddamnit!] Void yelled in frustration. [what if more people are on their way to harm you? Stop wasting your time on her and fight her, or let me do it.]
This time, Octavius didn't hesitate. Apparently unwilling to be the one to harm a woman, he acquiesced, allowing Void to take control.
As soon as Void dissipated into Octavius's body, he swiftly kicked the dagger aside and slapped the girl, rendering her unconscious.
[Don't worry, she's not dead], Void reassured Octavius, noticing the flicker of concern in his emotions.
Octavius's gaze lingered on the unconscious girl, his brow furrowed in puzzlement.
"We didn't even get to know why she was attacking us,"
As they surveyed their surroundings, they were met with a gruesome sight: numerous bodies littered the ground, some of them contestants, others... unclear. The air was heavy with the stench of blood and death.
[Isn't it obvious?] Void asked, [This isn't a competition, it's an execution]