The two friends looked at each other and Raven just shrugged.
“Lead the way.” Serene said as she fiddles with her fingers from nervousness. Raven noticed this so he held her hand to calm down. Surprisingly, it worked.
The walk towards the dining area was very much uncomfortable because of the stares and whispers of the other villagers. Clearly, Raven and Serene are out of place.
“Hey! Did we somehow got teleported to another world?” Serene whispered to Raven,
“I was thinking the same thing.” Raven whispered back
“Teleported to another world? Closed enough.” Someone said who appeared out of nowhere between Serene and Raven. The two researchers almost had a heart attack.
“Chief!” Kikka said as she bows down to the small person who appeared out of nowhere
“Arise. Kikka, dear, let these two fellas eat their fill first and questions comes afterwards.” The chief said who has a turtle-like with a mixture of human form.
The villagers prepared quite a feast. Few moments of eating until the two friends are satisfied, it’s time for asking questions and some answers.
“So? What would you like to know?” The chief asked as he propped one hand to rest to his cheek.
“Where are we?” Serene asked the first concerning question.
“We are still on Earth if that’s your concern.” The Chief answered as he strokes his beard
“But then why-“
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
“It’s just that you entered into a different and hidden realm part of the Earth called Azure Isla.” The chief explained further
“For the next question, what is a disfeatured person?” Raven asked as he took his last bite from his breakfast.
“As you might already guessed, people on this island are creatures different from your place. We refer humans as disfeatured because humans in this island have long been extinct until today, there’s four people who survived a shipwreck.” The chief answered while still stroking his beard
“Now, let me ask you both.” The Chief said as the two researchers prepares for incoming question
“What is your purpose of setting sail before you got shipwrecked?” The Chief asked the most pressing question.
“We are in a quest to find a lost treasure.” Selene answered calmly as she took a glass of water
“Treasure, you say?” The chief raised one eyebrow
“Azur Teroso, does that ring a bell?” the three people turned to the person who said that and it was Shan who just woke up and took a seat besides Serene.
“You call that a ‘treasure’?” The Chief asked with disbelief written all over his face.
“You know what it is?” Raven said, eager to hear the answer for the lost treasure
“That thing is no treasure but a cursed object!” The chief exclaimed as he slammed his hand to the table, Raven, Shan and Serene flinched to his sudden outburst.
The chief quickly calmed down and realized his sudden actions. “I’m sorry for that, it’s just that the Azur Teroso cause more harm rather than benefits.”
“What do you mean by that?” Raven said, scratching his cheek, a habit he developed if he is nervous or unease.
“That thing you call treasure somehow cursed the people that had direct contact with it.” The chief said as he rubs his temples and continues “They either get so sick or worse got killed.”
“Huh…We have no idea.” Shan mumbled to himself
“Well, now you know how dangerous that treasure is.” The chief said as he gave out a sigh
“Regardless, may I ask for your permission to have it?” Raven brazenly asked that made his two fellow researchers’ jaw dropped out of shock.
“Do what you want, that thing was never any help to the village anyways.” The Chief said as he rubbed his temples again, thinking for another incoming headache. The three friends were delighted by the Chief’s approval.
Now that the team already got the approval of the Chief, they decided to search for the Azur Teroso once Captain Jones woke up. The Chief already gave them the map for the said treasure.
“And so? Where exactly this treasure located?” Serene said as she took a peek on the map the chief gave to them.
“Seems like an abandoned building, we’ll see once we get there.” Shan said as he folds and hide the map
Minutes after, Captain Jones woke up. His body was aching all over. It is clear his condition is not fit for this whole treasure hunting and so, they let him take a rest and recover his health.
Then the three researchers set out for the Azur Teroso. Surprisingly enough, the map is easy to understand and so far, there’s no danger yet to come. They walked throughout the forest until they stumbled upon a building that looks abandoned. “Here we are, the treasure is inside.” Shan said
“Then let’s go.” Raven insists and Serene started fiddling with her fingers again out of nervousness until Raven calm her down again by holding her hand.
To Be Continued…