After a hard-fought battle won, many of the humans were just relieved that it had ended without any casualties. Yet it didn’t escape any of their minds that such an achievement was owed mostly to the golem that they had once scorned, Gus, who took to the frontlines to protect the humans at the risk of being destroyed himself. Such courage began to create a change in the human's minds, elevating Gus from what once was a backstabbing monster to a temporary ally with a mysterious past. Still, this did not mean they would trust the golem entirely, for as far as they were aware, Gus was a sleeper agent who could be turned against them at any moment.
Yet even then, Gus could notice how the humans had begun to lose their fear of him other than Cricket and Marco, such as the young man named Larry who followed the stone man around with admiration in his eyes. It was weird for Gus to comprehend, as it was only about a week ago that not only was Larry at risk of dying by his hands, but he had also murdered his friend, Primis. Could saving their life mean that much to them? Isolated as he once was, Gus still struggled to comprehend mortality and death on an emotional level, but through his experiences with these humans, he was starting to understand more and more as time went on.
And such an example was now appearing in front of his eyes. Or sight, as by being a golem, Gus’s sight does not require such ocular organs. Anyways! The point is that in front of Gus, a scene straight out of a romance novel occurred when Marco, whose suit had become tattered from his own grilling battle with the beasts, ran up the bewildered Cricket and suddenly embraced the frail woman.
“Wh-wh-what!? M-Marco, what are you doing—?”
“I’m…I’m sorry. I’m sorry I wasn’t strong enough. Please, don’t die,” Marco begged in tears as he continued to hug the woman tighter.
“I…! Okay, okay, I won’t die just yet…so will you remember where you are at? You still have an image to uphold,” Cricket said in a calm voice, patting the man’s head slowly as she eyed the spectating group in slight embarrassment.
As the two continued in silence for a few moments, the group realized that they should not pry any longer and began doing their own things. Quillon was loaded up with the injured on the wagon with Ronald and Doyle’s help, and shortly after, the tired medic got to work once again on healing, never stopping for a break. Gus, meanwhile, stood by on guard duty, scanning the endless gray desert as he contemplated on the day.
Unity… it helps me a lot in fighting these sand monsters, but it's not enough. This alone won’t be enough to handle that demon. The Merchant is probably in a realm beyond Unity in its state of mind. I need something else…but what?
With the Merchant seemingly absent from this world, Gus now had the freedom to devise new plans for freedom without fear of being caught. Yet no matter how hard he thought, victory seemed impossible against such a being.
Speaking of powerful abilities…how do these P.G.R.s work? They can manifest from thin air, and they are connected to the soul in some symbiotic way. When the host dies, the weapon disappears with them. I was able to see this earlier when the Domineers had killed off some of the human defenders back then. When I put this all together…doesn’t this sound somewhat similar to what Nova does? Taking objects and placing them in my soul, being intrinsically connected to my soul, and granting me power, albeit in a roundabout kind of way. It all seems to fit the profile of a P.G.R.…could finding out how these so-called “summoning words” help me find out more about Nova? That’s right! I should ask Cricket about that book!
Gus suddenly remembered the book Cricket had been assigned from the Merchant when it was revealed that she already had a P.G.R. and how he had been planning to ask her about its contents. That was, until the chaos of the gray desert and this first “lesson” began, throwing off all his thoughts prior.
I should ask her about that now. If I can find out how Nova works, I might actually have a chance at escaping once I get back.
Resolute in his next action, Gus paused in his guard duty and was going to head back to head back to Cricket yet after only a step, stopped in place.
Ah…they are still having a moment.
Noticing with his flames that the couple was still having a moment together, Gus immediately sought to retreat so that he wouldn’t ruin the moment. Disgruntled, Gus decided to leave the question for another time.
Dang it, what's the big deal about this so-called Love?!
Frustrated, Gus could not help but also peek at those around him to see what they were up to. Larry, who had finally stopped following the golem, was currently being teased once again by the energetic Frankie in a manner that seemed awfully playful.
Ugh…when can we finally head out again?
***
It did not take long for the group to move again. Fear of being attacked by more sand inhabitants motivated the humans to journey once again in haste despite their exhaustion. Fortunately, their main protector, Gus, had no need for rest and could continue to fight in peak condition if another battle should emerge.
Leading the wagon and its caravan, Gus used his extended sense to monitor not only the desert but also the humans. This was not because he was scared of what the humans might be planning, but merely because walking in the desert was horribly boring. There was simply nothing stimulating in the empty gray world. There was only sand, dunes, clouds of lightning, and lastly, that ginormous gray fortress in the background with its sky-piercing tower. Watching the construction slowly increase in size as they got closer and closer, Gus would idly listen to the words of the humans. Whether it be their fears, worries, jokes, laughter, tears, or even confessions of dark secrets, Gus spied on them all in silence.
Bruno spoke of making a grave for his father, Igor, if ever returned home to the silent Richard. Recovering enough to walk thanks to Ronald’s efforts, Jack joined with Frankie and Larry where they began to exchange stories, jokes, and teases. Like light in the darkness, the trio that was laughing with lightheartedness relaxed the minds of those nearby as if they weren't stuck in an abominable world that could kill them at any second. Of course, this was most likely intentional and done as their way to cope with the situation, but still, the effort was endearing.
Continuing to listen on, he finally caught wind of what he was searching for as Marco whispered to Cricket about Gus.
“He wanted to ask you what happened when you suddenly passed out, how do you feel about that?” Marco said with worried eyes.
“That…I guess it's only fair that I explain *cough* *cough* what’s truly going on to me. But let’s also ask Gus some questions. Wouldn’t it be easier to build trust if we all got to know each other?” Cricket said.
Marco nodded in agreement, and the both of them began to eye the golem, looking for an opportunity to strike up a conversation.
Fortunately for them, Gus also wanted to take a moment to ask some questions he had wanted to ask for a long time. Scanning the desert for a good place to lay down camp, Gus ended up leading the caravan to an elevated, flat position that provided the best natural defense they could hope for in an empty desert.
“Let's camp here,” Gus said to the tired group of humans.
Hearing a collective sigh of relief in response, Gus helped the humans unload their baggage and wounded off the wagon to make rest.
It did not take long to set up camp. Due to the abnormal daylight hours in the desert, there was no need to set a fire, which was fortunate for the group as they probably wouldn’t even have the option to do so in fear of attracting lurking monsters to them. It was also especially easy for Gus, as unlike the humans, the golem came to the camp empty-handed with no need for things like eating or drinking. With nothing to do and no humans asking for help, Gus decided to sit down on the sand patiently as he waited for the humans to ask him their questions. Meanwhile, Marco went around to each human, telling them of their plan to ask the golem questions.
Finally, after some minutes of awkward silence, the group of humans began to form one by one what looked to be a half circle that faced toward the golem. The silence only ended after Marco sat down last next to Cricket and opened his mouth.
“I see everyone's here. We wanted to talk to you, Gus. I know things have not been the best between us humans and you, Gus, but due to the danger of the situation, working together is our best choice. So…we wanted to ask you some questions if that’s alright with you?” Marco stated, never breaking eye contact with the hollow black eyes of the golem.
“It is quite the coincidence. I too wanted to ask you humans some questions,” Gus said, taking a more serious tone.
“That’s great news then! If you don’t mind me going first then…what are you?” Marco said, his eyes slanting.
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“I assume you mean more than just me being a golem, right?”
“Yes, to clarify, we want to know who you are and what you stand for. You mentioned having a mother when we first met…is that the Merchant?”
Ah…he still remembers our first introduction.
“To start, my mother and that Merchant are separate beings. I’m not sure what relationship they share, but it is not friendly. My mother, Syuna, however, is similar to that monster. A divine being, I believe, who gave me intellect and consciousness. Though…from what I am told and can somewhat remember, I was once a human too.”
The group gasped at the golem’s words. Even Neve couldn’t hide her face of disbelief.
“Wait…you were a human once, Gus?” Larry asked with surprise.
“Yes, though my memories of that time are faint and incoherent. I can only remember them in my dreams when I forcibly sleep. At a certain point, though, I was reborn and became this. I was then raised by Syuna who acted as my mother despite never showing her appearance to me. She talked only in telepathic words as I climbed through the levels of that library, reading each one of those books.”
“Every book? How long were you *cough* in that library for?” Cricket now asked.
“About five years. It was all I’ve ever known until you humans came. Then things changed. Syuna went quiet, that bastard called the Merchant revealed itself, and I was suddenly thrust into the position of an executioner. Turns out, this body I reside in used to be one of the golems he used for these tests. Don’t know why Syuna put my consciousness into this body, and until I get away from this place, I might never be able to.”
The group remained quiet, the humans still unsure of whether to trust the golem’s words or not. Only Marco, Cricket, and Larry seemed accepting of his words. Finally, one of them opened their mouths.
“So, if you were told to kill us again by that Merchant, are you just going to allow it to happen?” Neve asked.
“That…I am not sure. I lost all control of my body in that moment, like a living puppet. It was…horrifying.”
The group remained silent after that, not liking the answer they were met with. Neve only snorted in disgust as she looked away, satisfied that she could still hate him. Gus knew such a reaction was coming and sighed mentally. Truthfully, he hoped they would not forgive him this easily, but the result was still displeasing to see.
“Then…it’s my turn to ask you a question. Why did you humans come to these ruins?” Gus asked in return.
“Hired,” the majority of the humans immediately answered.
I should’ve expected that.
“Ehem…right, that sounds right. Then what about you two, Marco and Cricket? You guys don’t strike me as the type to come here without a special reason?” Gus restated.
The two looked at each other in hesitation, unsure of
what to say. It seemed both did not want to say.
Still not wanting to budge will you? Then let’s see if this gives a reaction…
“Does this by any chance have to do with the Florist—-?”
But before Gus could finish, the small pale hand of Cricket had already launched towards Gus’s carved-out mouth, which despite not doing anything to silence him physically, still got the message through that she wanted Gus to shut it.
“How the fuck do you know that name?” Cricket said in a tone full of lethality that was unfitting of her prior kind self.
With her face contorted in anger, the Cricket in front of Gus now looked like she was a second away from destroying the golem. Despite her obviously not having even a quarter of the strength or power needed to do so, Gus still took the threat seriously. Besides, a part of him ached when he saw those eyes look at him with hatred.
“Don’t misunderstand me, now. I only just recently came to know of the name. I can’t tell you how I learned of it, but I will say that it's connected to when you failed to obtain a P.G.R. at the library.”
Hearing his words, Cricket finally dropped her arm in silence. Marco meanwhile remained quiet, yet even Gus could realize what the emotion on his face was.
So even he didn’t know of that name?
Yet before anyone could speak, Cricket suddenly began to enter into another fit of coughing. Unlike her other fits, however, something was finally coughed up out of her mouth. Looking down onto the gray desert sand, the group noticed what looked to be a horrible darkened mucus, blackened with a vile force. Cricket’s face, though, was only grim at the sight.
“I am cursed…”
Cricket started with heavy emotion.
“And I am going to die from it. Make no mistake, it is no mere disease. It is something…otherworldly. That is why I call it a curse. Not only can this affliction not be cured, but it cannot even be identified with current science. Scientists, doctors, and even religious practitioners, I have consulted. No one can explain what is happening to me. No amount of money could save me.”
At her words, Marco looked down with a solemn expression, his hands tightening in frustration.
“Yet the reason I call it a curse is not because it is slowly mysteriously killing me—I would never do such a thing as a scientist myself—but because I can see things—things unnatural that should not be possible, and if it wasn’t for this these past two months, I would still be questioning my sanity.”
Cricket took a deep breath, hugging her knees as she sat on the ground and curled up into a ball. Only then did she begin to speak again.
“I see death. Destined Death. No, not just see, but I can also smell, taste, feel, and even hear death. I see the cloaked reaper beckon me towards it, calling upon my death. And despite my struggles, it always comes back. The worst part is, that even if I do manage to survive, others take my place instead. It’s as if fate itself is threatening me to give up and die. It’s why I choose to be alone, and it is why I am sorry to everyone for staying silent about this. Yet I had no choice…these ruins, it was my only hope of salvation.”
Confused, the group turned to face Marco, who seemed to also be aware of this promised salvation.
“I started this excavation group for her, hoping that it could save her. I had already discovered these ruins myself with a team of land surveyors, searching daily for the ruins until they revealed themselves. To obtain the best talents for the job, I broadcasted the discovery to the scholarly world, hoping to recruit and hire all those who could ensure the perfect result. Who could’ve known there would be such a disaster awaiting us below?” Marco answered.
“Still, that doesn’t explain how you came to know of these ruins, nor does it explain how you knew there could be something that could save her here,” Gus questioned.
“Well—”
“I’ll explain, Marco,” Cricket interrupted, “It doesn’t bother me as much anymore to talk about it now that I am here in this…world of fantasy. Well, it may sound silly, but I got that answer from a dream.”
Hm?
“Not just one dream, but multiple dreams. In them, I am haunted by a cloaked figure of darkness wielding a scythe. But instead of aiming to take my soul, this Reaper would only watch over my sleep. Standing idly, the Reaper would do nothing but watch me with its large scythe as I would watch back at it in a dream-like third perspective, looking over both the Reaper and my body. It was disorientating, seeing myself in an out-of-body state, but that was nowhere near the fear I felt from knowing I could be reaped at any moment without any way of fighting back. Every night, this same dream would always occur without fail. Calling it a dream wouldn’t even be right, as I could still perceive the real world, just not from my own body. It was only six months ago that something had changed. The Reaper left behind a vase of daffodils, and on the bottom of the vase was a receipt. Waking up, I was initially afraid of approaching the vase, but after a day of working myself over it, I eventually read the receipt that came with the flowers. On it read the promise of salvation, of hope that this curse could end. It listed the location where I could be saved, and some necessary instructions for it to come true. The only other thing on that receipt was the name of the sender. The Florist.”
Cricket was silent after that. Her eyes were fearful just from saying that name, and they darted back and forth in anxious worry as if something would come. Despite keeping a calm face throughout her entire confession, even Marco seemed surprised at the name drop. It seemed that Cricket was truly afraid of this person.
The Merchant. The Florist. They sound eerily familiar as if they are connected. I would like to say they could be the same being, but they seem to operate too much in different styles. The Florist appears to rule over those Reapers, similar to how the Merchant rules over these trials. But then why did the Florist send them to these trial grounds? More importantly, what’s going to happen at the end of these trials? For three powerful figures like Syuna, the Merchant, and the Florist to all congregate at this one location…could this be the reason for my creation?
“So you came here to save your girlfriend from a magic curse. I would say it's quite commendable, if not for the fact that you hid such a thing from us when hiring,” Ronald said with an irritated tone.
“You're right…and I’m sorry. But there was no way anyone would believe that story or goal we had. And we had no way of knowing such dangers were lurking either at this place. But still…as a leader for this operation, I’m sorry,” Marco apologized.
Though most of the group accepted the apology, Gus could not help but notice Neve glaring at Marco with the same hateful eyes she would use to look at him with.
After that, there was only a short moment of some small talk between the humans until they looked at Gus again, ready to ask another question.
“Do you mind if we ask you another question, Gus?” Bruno asked.
“If you don’t mind me asking one back.”
“That should not be a problem for the most part. We just wanted to know one more thing. What are you capable of helping us with, and what are you not?”
Gus wished in this moment that he could say what they wanted to hear. That he could help free them from this place or to save them from death. But he knew his limits now.
“What I could do is keep all of you alive to the best of my abilities. In this desert, my assigned objective is to ensure some of you are still alive. My personal mission, however, is to protect each and every one of you from harm. I wish…to make up for what I did and may continue doing. While I am powerless to fight back in the library, here in this desert, I am free to do what I want.”
Nodding to this answer, the humans were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with this answer. It was to be expected. This upset Gus more than he thought it would.
To distract himself from this annoyance, Gus turned to the humans for one last question to the group.
“For my turn, I just want to know one more thing…”
Gus started, turning his attention to the world around him. Gray, bland, and empty. Yet at the same time, full of so many new sights compared to the library. Gus had never seen clouds or lightning before. He had never seen animals or sand before. Neither has seen a large fortress or tower. But most importantly, he felt free in the openness of this desert, having no walls or doors locking him inside. Despite this world seeming empty and boring to any normal onlooker, to Gus, this world was full of new things and sights. But Gus was still not satisfied with just this. He wished to see what the real deal looked like. He wished to see the human’s home, and not only look upon it but live there. So for his final question, Gus already knew what he wanted to ask. For it was all that was on his mind.
“What is Earth like?”