“You don't think you want to cover up? You're okay with being exposed like that?”
From the top of a tall stone staircase, Solomon stared down at this lunatic of a man who had come up with the fantastic idea of marching around one of the most vicious jungles in the world...
...shirtless.
“I’ve got nothing to hide… nothing to be ashamed of,” the man said in a voice infused with enthusiasm, pulling out what looked like two golden battle axes.
Solomon fixed his glasses and ruffled his white hair, which subtly glowed in the sun like threads of fine silver.
The air was a heavy lime green and smelled like wet mud. Solomon stood right in front of the temple door.
Yes, the temple. Jungle temple.
An enormous jungle temple soaked in so much moss and algae that you’d think it had been painted green.
Solomon placed his hand on his chin. "Walking around in Papaya Jungle shirtless... you're every leech's dream, I'm sure. Seriously, for your own sake, I recommend covering up."
Unlike the strange man, Solomon was dressed appropriately in a simple viridian robe and thick leather boots. Around his waist was a basic leather belt with pouches and pockets.
Nothing of note.
A sensible outfit—one no parasite would penetrate, not too much heat absorbed. Practical, if you were being kind.
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The rustling of the lustrous peridot trees of the rainforest, shining prismatically in the sun, filled the air with a false serenity.
"I wasn't expecting any other king to show up here... I didn’t think any of you twits would connect the dots and look beneath the floorboards of this dilapidated playground..." The shirtless maniac’s voice bounced off the crumbling stone walls around him. "Why don't you come closer so we can get to know each other? Yeah... get down those stairs and let’s get... intimate..."
Solomon adjusted his glasses, noticing the man’s grip on his twin axes tighten. "Playground?" he asked.
There was something wrong with this man.
Something very wrong.
There was absolutely no need for him to be wearing thousands of glittering bracelets and chains around his neck—even from up here, all that shining gold hurt to look at. And those pants? Bright. Orange.
Completely visible.
In fact, Solomon would have argued that all the gold the man was wearing was more of a hindrance than anything.
But the blonde fool seemed just jolly. He was laughing.
It was a... poisonous laugh. As if he was suffocating, wheezing like there was evil in his lungs that stopped him from breathing.
He slicked back his golden crown of hair and pointed at Solomon with one of his gilded axes, which shimmered maliciously.
“You know what's in here?”
Solomon froze.
“Excuse me?”
“Hah! I’m sorry... the better question would be: do you know what they say is in here?” The man said. That’s when Solomon saw them for the very first time.
Those demonic golden canines.
“Well yes,” Solomon said, his voice calm and measured. “It’d be stupid of me to come out here not knowing what’s inside this temple.”
The man burst out laughing again, wheezing as if he’d inhaled toxic gas.
Still holding his axes.
“Great, man! That’s absolutely perfect!” he said. “If you know about that...well, obviously, you know a lot. I’m sure someone like you is smart enough to know you won’t be leaving here with either The Map piece or The scrolls in hand!”
Like a gilded meteor, the madman CRASHED into the spot where Solomon had been standing, shattering the ground like it was made of biscuit.