Adonai:
"Are we gonna return to the hotel now?" I asked.
My companions came here to rescue me after seemingly an absence of two days. And they could only do so with the help of the little... of Gothica.
I can't help but wonder why I don't feel hungry or thirsty at all, it makes absolutely no sense.
Yet I'm here feeling fine, better than fine... ignoring what I just witnessed for now, my body feels better than ever.
"We actually picked up a quest on the way here, and since it's on our road we thought we would let you eat, drink and we would go and do the job." Stella said nonchalantly.
But it piqued my curiosity, what kind of quest did these two pick.
I took out the badge and checked the details myself, sparring my companions to the part where they had to explain the details to me.
"Hmm... I don't feel hungry or thirsty so we can go there right away if there are no more issues that we need to tackle." I said with an easy tone.
"Are you sure you are okay?" Maverick asked, checking me up and down... "You've been sleeping for 2 days and that Vampire gives me a creepy feeling... What even happened between you two?"
That's a good question.
I glanced at Stella who seemed to mind her own business not trying to pry into my head.
Honestly I can't describe what happened myself... was it training? I did got stronger but it felt more like I was beaten into submission and realization by a savage. So it was torture then? ... No, if she wanted me dead she could've done it so sooner, or for pleasure, she seems in pain and genuinely wants to help me.
...
"I guess I satisfied one of her curiosities?" I shrugged, not being sure of the answer myself. But I didn't lie, Gothica was indeed curious about the 'block' inside me... but when she found out about it she did nothing.
The quest we're heading is seemingly just a dungeon raid. A group of small multiple monsters formed an alliance.
While beasts are not generally intelligent, some of them can be... and they can gather multiple races and even plot something, or at least that's what I've read.
But in the Shimmering Wilds from all places... well who am I to comment, I guess it can happen anywhere.
The dungeon we're supposed to check should be at least 1 hour away by walking from the map I checked with the badge.
*Sigh*
"Let's not waste anymore time and get this over with."
My two companions nodded and started following along.
"Ahem... so what's the "White Flower" deal you shouted?" Maverick asked me, after a bit of hesitation.
There's no point and no reason to hide something like this, if anything it should strengthen them as well.
"Gothica, taught me that names means power, so I did some 'training' and found out my scythe name, for a myriad of reasons it seems to be White Flower. Once you find a spell powerful enough or any spell in general, I don't know how it works for both of you. It would be better to start naming them so you can have better effectiveness."
Stella looked at me, without questioning but she seemed intrigued by the idea. Maverick on the other hand pushed aside all I said, taking it at face value and not questioning anything.
"Gothica, seems like she has a strong attachment or interest in you doesn't she.. any idea why?" Stella questioned.
"Honestly I don't know why, maybe she just finds humans interesting, but if so why me especially I don't know... All I know is that we should not make an enemy out of her... if we do... we're all gonna die."
"You think she can take us all on?" Maverick asked.
"I know she can... what she showed me back then... utterly terrifying. I could've died that day and she wasn't even going all out... out in seconds even... she's on a league of her own, an absolute beast."
Stella got a bit too scared, from her reaction... A part of her old persona is still there, but thanks to her supporting pillar being here she can hold herself together.
Love is truly beautiful and powerful.
But it can be so destructive and depressing.
One's life is a tragedy from up-close and I guess... a comedy from afar. A quote that a famous actor in our time used to say... I don't remember the exact words for it but it was something along these lines.
"Do you have any clue what we're about to find in that dungeon?"
Trying to prepare myself for what's to come I asked if they heard anything. In the mission details it didn't specify anything just that they are 'small beasts' now whatever that means I don't know.
"Not really no, apparently this mission has been active for quite a while yet no one took it, not deeming it worthy of the time for travel, and the monetary reward." Stella confirmed me.
...
So we're really going in blind huh.
"Wait hold up."
I stopped my team in their tracks.
"Now I realized, what were you two doing for 2 days that you couldn't find me and needed Gothica's help to find me?"
A look at their faces told me all I needed to know about the mix of embarrassment and guilt and I couldn't believe these are the people accompanying me...
"You're worse than dogs in heat I swear to whatever god is up there, if there's any." I exclaimed, pretty tired of them at times like this.
"Listen brother, you may be on a path to be an eunuch but we're young and if we're not at it now, then when?" Maverick said proudly while Stella's face became redder and redder from embarrassment.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU SAYING?" Stella started punching Maverick... this time not sure if playfully or seriously but if I knew this was coming I would've prepared some snacks.
"Calm down Stella... you know I love you so much I can't help but brag about how cute you are especially when we..."
"STOP! STOP! You're gonna make me die from embarrassment."
She said while burying her face in her palms.
Little did she know because of my lack of sleep I heard how 'cute' she is but it's better to keep stuff like this to myself.
I decided to keep them at it and move forward, as we are almost at the dungeon entrance.
...
"It's a waterfall and a big lake... are we sure this is the entrance?" Maverick asked.
"We're right where we should be, maybe there's a mechanism to trigger the door or something." I proposed, pondering how we should get in.
But Stella didn't stay still and moved... realizing the answer is simpler than we thought.
"It's right behind the waterfall you two. Let's enter."
Well I guess sometimes overthinking is bad, and the answer is more obvious than we thought.
But the moment I took a step into the lake to move behind the waterfall I felt it...
Something's down here, but the water is shallow...
"Stella, Maverick, stop."
Something's definitely amiss, and it should not be ignored.
"Did you two not feel it?"
They looked at me puzzled... not knowing what I'm talking about.
"Stella, what did you see behind the waterfall?"
"A cave, which is what I assume is the entrance."
... Something's not right about this… and I can't seem to be able to pinpoint what's so strange about this water so better let's go check inside the cave.
We passed the lake and seemingly nothing happened but inside the cave, we walked a few minutes and we reached a dead end... what we found is an incantation on the wall.
All the reason inside me told me to not read this aloud but...
"So should we read it?" Maverick asked.
"I don't think that would be the best idea." Stella answered.
"But this is the job site and we have nowhere else to go... what's the worst thing that could happen."
Seemingly this is Latin text on the wall... strangely enough.
Or maybe is it in Latin cause that's how I perceive it thanks to magic? Either or this is weird.
"Well then let's go." I said looking at my companions who probably think I'm a fool for doing this but. To be honest it's not about the mission here or the money, we could just abandon it but why not adventure a little? If what I saw about the future is more or less set in stone then why think about it?
"O domine libidinis et irae, qui super novem inferos regnas, concede experimentum animae et mitte nos in Avernus. Promittimus bellum solvere ipsa Zariel interficientes."
Nothing happened at first but then... the water started entering the cave only that it was not the blue we're used to but red.
Is it water anymore?
At first it was a bit, but the fact that it reached us here it's alarming, it shouldn't happen, sooner more and more started pouring in and it reached our knees and … it burned. There's no escape from this dead end of a cave, and the big wave inevitably happened.
With nothing to save us from this all we could do is accept our fate and close our eyes... we are bound to be drowned here... or so I wanted to think but now I inevitably can't stop questioning the moment I'll die, knowing what I'm about to witness in the distant future.
"Hey you... wake up"
*Smack*
"Fuuuu... what the hell you did that for man?"
…
I looked around.
So that's how it is huh... the incantation really did something... it sends up to an infernal wasteland, the one who smacked me seemingly a Devil looked at me with his eye... one eye.
Black pants, golden shirt and jacket, a black bowtie, and his face... well "his" and "face" it's mostly just flesh trying to conjure around a gigantic eye.
From behind the golden jacket hanging were arms... not human arms but arms.
"The name is Cipher, and you don't need to know anymore... we heard the incantation and I was sent to welcome you so..."
He took a pause, looking at my companions who were seemingly struck by our surroundings and the Devil before us. Waiting for them to regain their composure, he took out a golden pocket watch from his coat.
When my companions seemed to be ready he put it back and struck a pose.
"Welcome you foolish humans... Welcome to 'The First Hell: Avernus' ... Lady Zariel is expecting you."