“Confrontation”

Blinking my eyes, I shake myself a little but I remain aware enough not to make large movements, it’s really tight in here, my whole body is frozen and it takes some time to recover. My whole body is aching from standing still in this position. It seems like I’ve slept just over an hour, energised I wake up Jaws and attempt to get it to check outside for me. Its not hurried far when I sense it communicating to me, it seems some people are heading this way. Motioning it to move back and remain hiding I raise my own awareness and begin to focus for the sounds of people moving this way.

It did not take long, but I could soon hear a group of people close by, keeping quiet as much as I could I strain my ears to listen. It seems that even though Jaws can communicate to me and to some extent give me a sense of what it sees, it has no way of reinterpreting anything like sounds to me. However I was more than overjoyed by this small advantage already. After all having a few seconds chance of running before danger comes my way was already more than I hoped for.

Listening in I could hear a small group of people outside my entrance and the light began to brighten this way, I close my eyes before I become blinded. Thinking to this point I quickly unsummon Jaws, in this light I am sure being hidden would be a problem. Luckily I managed in time, without looking out I could not see how many people were there but retracting myself smaller in this cavity I could hear at least three different people. Out of this group it seemed two were male and one was female.

“Anton, there seems to be two passages here which do we take?” A female voice soon interrupted the guy who had spoken, “I think we should go this way”. I could hear a cough and apparently they had decided because at this moment I could hear them moving further away. Remaining quiet I waited a bit longer as I slowly moved out from my position however I was in for a rude awakening, no sooner had I taken a step out before I heard a voice. “Stop where you are, any more and then don’t blame me for what happens next!”

My mind started to spin as I could not believe how they had known I was here. I could only stay put, a whistle soon followed and I could hear the rest of the group come back. As the light became brighter, I could only sigh helplessly as this was where it might end. Panicking I was conflicted if I was to summon Jaws would I be able to escape or should I stay put, it didn’t seem there was much choice. It did not take long, I could only go with the flow for me. Closing my eyes I stood still at the mercy of this group and the blinding light which had emerged from the other passage. My heart was pounding like a small fire that had caught a flame in the woods, growing quickly bigger and bigger.

As I opened my eyes and adjusted it to the light in the cave I heard a man shout out a command “drop it”, tensing up I could only stay passive for now. Keeping Big Nose in my hands I moved it to side standing still like a sentinel. I could hear frowning but it does not seem the group was going to take any action. Slowly glancing out ahead of me I could see the group of people who I had originally assumed to be made up of three people instead in front of me there was a small group of four individuals. Strangely one of these happened to be staring at me with her big eyes, compared to the others her gaze seemed to be looking at my curiously.

Breaking into a small grimace and a half smile I tried to pacify them “how about we just go our separate ways, I only want to survive, I had no other intents”. Hearing my reply the leader of the group seemed to smile nonetheless looking at me, “if that is the case why would you be hiding there, did you really think we wouldn’t have noticed, look at the floor”. Indeed I could only blame myself, although I could not see in the dark it did not mean this group couldn’t see the clear prints on the floor and where it ended as well as the small opening above our heads. Half heartedly laughing I could only curse my luck.

“Actually you’ve misunderstood me, I was running away from a monster earlier and by chance I managed to survive by hiding here. Earlier I had fallen asleep in this spot and well…” Leaving the obvious unsaid, they could nevertheless get what I was saying. Who would shout out if they were in such a predicament after all who knew friend from foe. “That may be…” shrugging his shoulders, the guy who seemed to be called Anton approached me, “but do you think I am stupid, climbing up with that weapon would have been impossible in such a situation”. Hurriedly exclaiming, I quickly stowed away Big Nose. It must have seem like a magic trick to this group as I could see them tense up.

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Looking at the four people I could clearly see the man called Anton carrying a sword and as he pointed it at me the others in the group, a man wielding a hand axe, a women with cudgel and the petite big eyed doe holding a dagger mirrored his stance. Putting out my hands in front of me I could only help and quickly explain the ‘magic’ behind this trick. After a few moments trying it themselves they soon saw the truth. The women carrying a cudgel stared at me and snorted lightly, a ‘hmphh’ sound could be heard in the quiet. “Anton I think we should…” Putting his hand up Anton stopped the woman’s words. It seemed my hearing was not as accurate as I thought, surely I had only heard three people earlier.

Smiling at the guy carrying the sword, I could see him slightly lowering it he looked at me with an equally dangerous smile “Friend what’s your name, I am sure it’s all been a misunderstanding”. I wasn’t stupid enough to give myself just over a smile from a man, left alone if it had been a beauty, who would in their right mind trust another person pointing at you in a group with a weapon in their hands. However I could only forcefully smile and answer his questions. After some time, with the brief introductions over I came to know a few things. Although the group was no longer hostile it did not seem they were any less wary of me. From what I was told, the guy who had been speaking most of this time as I thought was the leader, Anton, while the lady with cudgel was called Meera, whilst the other guy remaining much silent was simply known as Hodur, leaving the small doe eyed beauty which had not stopped staring all this while: Baihe.

From what I could tell Anton and his group were the only ones remaining from a battle with the Night Spider, while they had been interrogating me I could only stick to simple facts, thinking on my feet I soon narrated a story blending seventy percent lies and thirty percent truths while keeping some details vague. I am sure they would not have appreciated if they were made aware of the gains I had made from their labour; the mantis stalks the cicada unware of the oriole behind: unfortunately or not this ‘oriole’ could not fly. While I knew for a fact that they did not believe me fully, for them to only doubt me was more than enough for me to survive at this moment. Some things were better left unsaid.

“Sixteen hours or so”, a glance to my right I could hear Meera speak out in a calm voice. Before I could help myself I could only ask “do any of you guys know how we’d come to this place”. I was slightly interested to hear what their answer was. Frowning, a voice spoke out, the first time I heard the other guy speak out “do you really not remember”. Anton seemed to sense something as he quickly responded, “before I answer that I first want to know how you knew that we could store our weapons”. Making up the excuse of being someone who was an avid reader of game novels I’d decided to ‘store Big Nose’ on a whim and so found out by chance.

Although I could tell Anton became more reserved he seeming to took my explanation without any further question. But he soon explained, “that’s right you could say this is like one of novels you’ve read, as far as I know for some reason we had all been summoned and well…” In between the lines I could feel a hint of unease, the look of Baihe who quickly hid her expression did not miss my eyes. It was better to be careful around this group, it did not seem I could trust everything that was being said. Strangely they’d also not questioned me about my flight from the Night Spider they had been battling, although they did seem relatively unscathed for having been in such an intense battle.

Sweeping the dirt under the rug, I could only move ahead cautiously at this point. I knew a confrontation at this point would not have a good ending. After confirming all these points I decided to straight forwardly explain that I hoped it might be best to wait out the remaining time and hide. However the group seemed to have a different idea and I could only follow at this point. Choosing the last remaining passage unexplored, it seemed I would lead the way in front.