There isn't much that I could say except enjoy.
"There. We need to go there." Lug said as he swims toward it. All of them soon follow as they swim in the dark water.
"You know, this look like there is something inside this pool that will surely bite one of us," Aol grumbled as he swims faster than anyone else. "and by all means, I don't want it to be me."
"Stop joking around. If there is one, we'll be dead by now." Koth looked at Aol with a tired look on his face.
"Ye just raise a death flag lad." Said Briar as he swims faster and away from Koth.
"What the heck?! You really believe there is something in here." Koth yelped in panic as he was the last one. "Lug, said something."
"…Koth, you have outlived your usefulness. We'll give you a proper burial." Lug said jokingly, but his monotone made it look like he is serious.
"I'LL SHOVE A SWORD WHERE THE SUN DON'T SHINE, YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!" Koth swims faster, he was trying to reach his friends who are leaving him behind. In response, the three of them swim faster. "WAIT YOU BASTARD!"
"No!" Aol screams as he speeds himself until he was the first one. "I don't want to die in a horrifying way!"
"Yeah, he is right." Briar swims in a certain kind of way that the water was spraying at Koth. "Leave now, death flags generator."
"I'LL KILL YOU!"
They finally reach the platform after swimming for 5 minutes. They are completely wet and was out of breathed since they are basically racing to get to the platform and not die because of Koth, the flags generator.
"I…hate….every….single…..one…..of….you." Koth muttered in between his heavy breathing.
"You…raise…..a….death…..flag….you…..moron." Briar are now sitting on the floor. There is not telling if the water that ran on his face is sweat or water. His chest was pumping like crazy as he takes every single breath like a freaking vacuum.
"You guys done yet?" Lug said calmly. It was just a moment ago he was breathing heavily and right now was standing tall in front of the tunnel door.
"Damn….you…are…just…crazy….as….Sutr…huh?" Aol was trying to stand when his legs gave up on him and he fells down. "We..need..a..dose..of..adrenaline."
"There is a ghost behind you by the way." Lug said jokingly pointing behind Aol.
"WHERE?!" Aol jumped and headbutt Lug's head. He doesn't feel anything, but Lug was rolling on the ground while pressing his forehead with both hands.
"How can something be so hard?" Lug asked himself as he tried to stop the pain in his head but to no avail. "Koth, Briar, can you craft a weapon out of his head or something?"
"I wish. His head is an untapped potential of strong materials, we need a tool stronger than anything I have worked with." Briar said with an excitement in his tone.
"We look at that later." Lug stand up with a red forehead. "Right now we have a tunnel to follow."
"HEY, WHERE IS THE GHOST?!"
*Present time
"What is this place?" Aol asked in disbelief. Right now, they are standing inside a small room at the end of the tunnel. There was a small torch that light up the room. The room has one chair and one table with a thick book in the middle of it. The room also has a bookcase that was completely filled with different books and a big stack of books next to the chair.
Books, books, books and books. This room could be described with that word. In all honestly, it feels like this room was built only to contain the book that was in it and for someone to write and read them.
Lug picked one of the books and read the title.
"The Illiad."
"Did you read that right?" Aol asked for confirmation.
"I hope I am reading this wrong, but this is really the Illiad."
"The one Homer writes or a copy with a bit of twist?"
"Can't confirm it now. We need to get this book out of here somehow." Lug picked up another book. "The argonauts."
"Please tell me that one is from this world." Aol asked again. He was nervous and anxious.
"No….. it isn't. It's from another, possibly coming from the world we have visited since I seem to recognize this story."
"….This is not a good sign." Said Briar as sweat trickle down his forehead. "…..We need to go home now and report this."
"I want to agree with you, but we can't just go home empty handed. Nobody would believe us." Lug approached the table and read the book that was place on top of it. "….it's a grimoire, not this world one, but a grimoire with magic that you would still be able to use after you read them."
"They are coming straight for us. So….does anyone remember what we did to gain the wrath of an interdimensional being?" Koth asked without expecting an answer. They can only remember the past live before this one, not the others before it.
"We probably stole their cheese or something." Aol answered, but nobody doubt that could be one of the reasons. Sutr is the first suspect that came into their mind and then Tez. "The fact that nobody denied it really broke my heart. I hope the reason they are coming for us is more serious than that."
"Sutr would travel to different dimension just to eat some fucking chips, why would you think there wouldn't be someone as idiotic as him?"
"Because I still have a hope in humanity. Please, do not destroy the last bit that I still have." Aol pledges in desperation.
"What you have will become what you had," Lug said coldly. "unless we make sure their true intention. Let's move."
*Pleasure Quarter
This place is as shady as I expected. Tez walked among the prostitutes and the people who came her for fun. He looked completely lost in the musk filled atmosphere. Damn, I hate the smell of aphrodisiac. He really wants to run and get to the Belit Babili as fast as he could but that would draw too much attention.
"Hey there! Want to have some fun?" A prostitute called him from the sideway. She approached him and circle her arms around his neck. "I'll show you a night that you wouldn't forget."
"….." He looks at her in the eyes. Fuck it, I guess the fastest way is to ask. He put his lip near her ear and whispered. "Bring me to your leader." He said it like a robot.
"Wha—" before she could ask, Tez pulled out the letter and showed her. She glances at it for a few seconds before looking at Tez's face. She whispered quietly. "Follow me."
Tez follows her quietly. They are walking in an empty narrow street between buildings. So there is quiet street in this place. I thought every street was filled with prostitutes and annoying voices. He is also keeping a small knife in his pocket if this was a trap and he needs to kill some people. He doesn't want to start a war but he doesn't hate it either. Hermes not going to like it if I start a war.
They stop in front of a busy building. Tez could hear countless moans from inside the building. The prostitutes knocked on the door and went inside. Tez didn't go inside and after that an amazon walked out. She has a black long hair and wear a minimal amount of clothes. She only showed her left eye as the right eye was covered by her long hair.
"I need to see that letter kid." She said calmly.
"This isn't something I could give. Privacy is my familia selling point." Tez looks straight at her eyes. He puts his hand on his pocket. One was securing the letter and the other was grabbing the knife. "How about you asked your goddess first?"
"….." She squints her eyes. She turned her head inside the building and shout. "Samira!"
"What is it?" A gray haired amazon walked up to her. She was, like the black haired amazon, wearing a small amount of clothes.
"You walk behind him. Make sure he doesn't do anything fishy." She points her index finger at Tez. "Kid, you better not do anything suspicious."
"…I am not here for war, so calm down." Tez lifted his shoulder and looked as harmless as he could. His body was relaxed and the corners of his lip were curving upward.
"That's better be the case. Follow me." She walked inside the building and Tez soon followed her. Samira then walked behind Tez. Her body looked like she was ready to attack if Tez does something weird.
Fastest way, biggest risk. Tez said to himself. He glances left and right and was looking for an escape path. He needed a way to safely escape in case this was a trap or his life was endangered. This place is filled with amazon. How did I get myself in this mess.
After walking outside for 5 minutes and climbing up a lot of stairs, Tez finally meet Ishtar. They are inside a room. There isn't anything remarkable about the room. It didn't even have anything besides two sofas facing each other. There are several magic stone lamps that light up the room. She was guarded by a man who was standing behind her.
Tez and Ishtar was sitting face to face. He could feel her eyes drilling into him as the time goes on. I thought the amazon covered less but Ishtar is taking it to next level. Tez didn't look at Ishtar's face, he is avoiding her charm and possibly saving his life as well.
"Talk child." Her alluring voice sent shiver to Tez's spine. He could feel his body getting colder the moment her mouth start speaking.
"Yes, I was sent here by God Hermes. He asked me to hand you this letter." Tez pulled out the letter and give it to Ishtar.
She took it, open it and read the content. Her pupils went left and right as her face grew serious. "I see. Tammuz bring me my letter." She ordered her guardian with a shoo gesture.
"Yes, my lady." Tammuz didn't show any emotions despite the treatment Ishtar give him. He just walked outside the room before coming back with a piece of letter. "Here, my lady."
Ishtar took the letter out of Tammuz hand and give it to Tez. She said in a serious voice. "Do not let anyone see the content. Only Hermes could see it. Understand?" Her voice is sharp as its pierce Tez's ear and send goosebump all over his body.
"Yes." Tez took the letter and keep it where it was safe. He bowed in front of Ishtar while saying, "Excuse me goddess, but I need to leave now. It would be better if Hermes get this letter as soon as possible."
"Yes, it would be." With a quick hand gestures, she ordered her guardian to show Tez where the exit is. "Follow him."
"Yes." Thank Hermes that was faster than I imagine it. Tez followed Tammuz and soon see the night sky after walking for 10 minutes. "Well, I excuse myself then." Tez left the Belit Babili and walked down the street, but not for long. The same amazon who brought him here come forth from the darkness and spoke.
"What did Ishtar give you?" She approached Tez slowly. Her face is serious and her body language showed how ready she is to pound Tez at any moment.
"I am sorry but even I don't know about it." Tez step backward and reached for his knife. He brought it in front of his chest and prepare himself to fight. He looked at the amazon face before an idea come into his mind. "Unless…."
"?" The amazon raises her eyebrow and lowered her guard.
Tez give the letter to the amazon and said. "Open it."
I guess even the so-called prostitute still have a heart. Tez walked beside the amazon, he had done his business and he was being escorted to the exit from the pleasure quarter. He walked on the same narrow street as the one he used earlier. I feel like a royalty. Tez smiled as his bodies remember something.
"What are you laughing at?" The amazon asked the boy after being creeped out by his smile.
"No, it's nothing." Tez said. He removed his smile and form his original face. "And by the way, who are you again? I am not good at remembering name."
"It's not your fault, I never introduce myself to you before." Tez could hear her little laugh at the end. "My name is Aisha."
"I am Tez and let me say this…" Tez walked a couple of steps faster and continue. "for a prostitute, you have a heart of gold." He said mockingly without looking back to look at Aisha's face.
"…..aren't you a talkative one? I thought you would close your mouth like earlier."
"Yeah," Tez lifted his head and glance past his shoulder. He looks at Aisha face and said. "but it would be boring right? I just want to spice it up a bit." He turned his body and walked backward. "So…" His voice cut through the night with a chilling aura. Aisha's face twisted with fear when she looked at Tez's face as he spoke. "If you want to start 'something', call me."
"What do you mean by 'something'?"
"I don't know. It either be you or Freya who started it. I am fine with both but I would enjoy it more if you did it though. At least there would be more drama before the final." Aisha swear he could hear a maniacal laugh coming from the boy as his face twists completely twist, he looked completely different. "And what do we have here?"
"Huh?" Aisha lifts her face and saw Tez's eyes wasn't focus on her but at something else. She follows his eyes and see what he was looking at. It was a body of a woman lying facing down on the pathway. The thing that she found weird is that it wasn't moving and the chest didn't go up and down. Aisha quickly run toward the body and turned it around.
She is dead. Whoever the person was, she was death before they even walked in the narrow street. Her neck was cut in the left side and in the right side severing large vessels of blood. Her abdomen had been cut open from centre of bottom of ribs along right side, under pelvis to left of the stomach. There was also a circular bruise on the left side of the face. No blood was found on the breast, either of the body or the clothes.
"You know, I hope you wouldn't do that." Tez approached Aisha and put his hand on her shoulder. She pulled her and asked her to left the body laying there. "You make it harder for anyone."
"….I am just checking. She could be in a critical condition and I could save her life." She frowns and her eyes was filled with regrets.
"She is dead even before we reach her body, but it's not wrong to help someone." Tez lifted Aisha up. "Do you know her?"
"She is the one who brought you to me, don't you recognize her?"
"She didn't say who she is, just like you. What with you prostitutes and not introducing yourself?" Tez move forward and scanned her face. It was true, she was the one who brought him to Aisha.
"Her name is Marie Annichol. She is a clean girl who seemed to keep to herself, I can't think of a reason why would someone wanted to kill her and worse, inside her familia territory."
"Someone is attacking the Ishtar familia huh?" Tez started to think when Aisha clenched her fist. She pulled her hand back and thrust it forward at Tez. She stopped just a few inches from Tez's nose. "What are you doing?" He said calmly without a hint of fear.
"You said you wanted to start 'something'. Is this your something?" She is seriously considering to kill the man in front of her.
"And what would I get out of that? There is no drama and I don't know who did it." Tez push Aisha's hand down. "I could go with this assassination type of story, but…." Again, Aisha's face twisted with fear. "I prefer an all out war and hundreds of deaths just to save one life."
"What are you-"
"Maybe you could save her, save that renard life before Ishtar sacrifices her."
"!" Aisha couldn't believe her ears and what she just heard. How could someone from outside of her familia know about it.
"Don't worry. My lip is shut as long as you keep your promise." Tez puts his index finger in front of his lip. "Call me if something happens okay? Whether you on Ishtar's side or on the other side, I will come."
"And whose side are you on?"
"Neither, I just wanted to see the carnage unfold." Tez walked away and leave Aisha standing there with the dead body. He waved his hand and beam a bright smile at Aisha which sent goosebump up her spine.
How could someone like him possessed such a bright smile? Aisha asked herself. His smile made his earlier conversation looked like a joke. If someone saw his smile right there, they wouldn't even, for a brief moment, think he was someone who enjoy madness and carnage. …Tez. What a terrifying man.
"I am home." Tez walked inside the base and was greeted by Hermes and Zhul. They are sitting face to safe on the living room with papers scattered on the table.
"Welcome back, how was your journey?" Hermes asked hoping nothing big happen.
"Normal I guess. Here." Tez pulled a chair and handed Hermes the letter before asking Zhul. "So, how is your status doing?"
"Look for yourself." He throws him a piece of parchment. Tez open it and looked at the content.
Zhul
Lv.2
Strength : C 624 - C 692
Endurance : D 523 - D 574
Dexterity : A 876 - S 983
Agility : C 621 - C 668
Magic : B 729 - A 835
Enigma : I
Magic
[Qing Gonjiang]
-This magic allows the user to create light and craft it into weapon
-The light will be a focused light that will act like a physical object
-Chantless magic
Skill
[Zhuge de Qianliyan]
-Allow the user to look into the future
-Can't be controlled
"I am next." Tez said while throwing the parchment back at Zhul. "Hermes."
"I am right here you know."