I frown. According to Rast, that’s their reputation.
“We haven’t got our weapons drawn,” Farren points out simply. She tilts her head almost as if she’s listening to something that only she can hear, and her eyes widen slightly in surprise before she asks, “We’re actually a little bit lost. Could you tell us which way the castle is, please? I promise we don’t want any trouble.”
“You do if you want to go there,” a woman frowns, her tail whipping back and forth.
Farren nods and smiles, “We know the trouble that awaits us there. We’re hoping that we can help.”
Her eyebrows hit her hairline, while the others surrounding us shift restlessly, she asks, “Help? How?”
Farren obviously somehow knows something that we don’t about these people, and because of that, the rest of us have taken a metaphorical step back and are allowing her to take the lead.
I have to admit though, I have absolutely no idea where she’s going with this, and why she’s sharing so much information. More than she shared with the compound guards who were supposed to help us.
The Others are supposed to be the threat.
I’m starting to question that. From the expressions on all of the Others’ faces, they’re also starting to question what we’ve been told about the Others.
“We’re going to release Ignatius and hopefully stop the realm from being consumed by the Abyss creatures,” Farren explains.
She’s simplified what we have to do, although we don’t really know what we have to do beyond saving those who are trapped under the castle.
“Oh my goddess, you’re them,” another one exclaims, and everyone looks at him curiously, as if he’s lost his mind as he moves forward excitedly. He grins and adds, “From the stories.”
“You can’t be serious, Fry,” another one replies, rolling his eyes. He smiles at him and adds, “Everything comes back to that story with you.”
Their easy banter tells me that they have been working together for a while. They could even be brothers. They have similar mannerisms, although Fry seems to be a lot bouncier than the other one.
Fry frowns and briefly stops bouncing before he starts again and says, “Seriously, Lock. Look how many there are. It’s the same number that matches the stories. Their descriptions even match.”
“You said that about the last group that we saw, and they looked at you like you were crazy,” Lock replies.
Fry scowls, “I said there were the same number, not that they had the same descriptions as well, and at least they weren’t the compound killers.”
Lock starts to open his mouth to reply when the woman who spoke first interrupts.
“Right, let’s say we’re going to entertain your theory for a moment,” the main one starts, clearly used to doing this with him.
With both of them actually, and I’m now convinced that they are, in fact, brothers. Only siblings can argue like that.
She continues, “The stories specifically state that they had a hellhound and one of the two-headed beasts that live here. Do you see either of them?”
Farren raises her hand slightly, “Erm, Laikynn, Poca, could you come here for a moment, please?”
Both Poca and Laikynn slink their way out from the surrounding darkness, stepping through the ring of people that surround us and making them scatter so that they’re all in front of us instead.
“I told you!” Fry exclaims excitedly. “They’re the ones from the stories.” He looks at us, with a huge smile on his face, and then, without any prompting whatsoever, starts to explain. “In our tribes, a story has been passed down for generations, ever since the prisoners escaped Peanasachadh and the realm was made into a prison by the ancients and the Abyss creatures started to consume it. It was said thata group of supernaturals, the same number as you, with a native . . .” he looks at Rast curiously, and then continues, “that must be you, although I am surprised at the choice.”
“Fry,” Lock warns.
“Right, sorry,” Fry replies immediately, “Anyway, they said that this group would be travelling with a hellhound and one of our two-headed beasts. The Elders said that they would show up and need guidance, and they would be the beginning of the salvation for the realm. It’s become a legend because it’s been so long, and everyone gave up and lost hope.”
“Damn, I did not expect that,” Khaos mutters. “That’s insane.”
The group of Others all move agitatedly, although none of them are pointing their weapons at us anymore, so I suppose that’s a good thing. Their gazes keep switching to Poca and Laikynn, and sensing their unease, the two of them melt back into the darkness surrounding us, disappearing through the trees.
“Okay, I was not expecting this when we did our patrols today, but I think it would be foolish to say that this is a coincidence,” the main one says. “So I guess we help you, that’s what the legend says. You should know that this is the first part of the legend. There is more to it that you will discover as you continue your journey.”
Lock nods, “We may not have believed that salvation was possible, but we paid attention to what we were supposed to do if it did.”
