In a forest that glows red with its amber bark, our travelers wander around aimlessly, letting destiny take them to their next destination. Our merry crew leader Mark Travel the Traveler, Dasa (Defected Android Servant Ai) is a android who joined Mark after losing their purpose. Ana, a high class mage who joined Mark to see more of what life offers instead of being pampered all her life. Rick is the crew’s engineer who became enamored by Dasa and joined to help keep maintenance.
Woosh The trees wrestle, violently shaking the deeper they walk. The emerald leaves carried away by the wind, the air feeling heavier with a moist feeling going in our travelers nose. The time is getting late, so Rick suggests they should make camp but then he notices Dasa wasn’t walking with them. The potato sack that Mark calls a backpack shakes as Dasa’s head pokes out. “What’s up, Dasa?” Mark asks
“I sense a storm is arriving soon so I decided to take cover in here to avoid getting wet.” Dasa goes back in the sack like a mole going back in their hole. She may be an advanced android but she isn’t waterproof plus she likes the spaciousness in Mark’s bag.Drip DripA light rain begins to fall down on them. Dasa then tosses their tents out of their bag.
After all their tents were put in place, Rick immediately heads inside his tent as he rather tinker with things on his lonesome, then try to make small talk. Ana heads to bed as she states “A noble needs her beauty sleep” and heads to bed early leaving Mark with the company of Dasa on his back. Mark decides to use this time to scavenge through the woods for edible food they can eat. . Each step he makes is met with the sound of crunching leaves. The deeper he walked the more the forest trees lost their colors. The once Amber bark and emerald leaves turn to husks of their former self.
He spots a large white bulb as big as a stump. It looks like a giant marshmallow and feels just as light and when split open its insides resemble a cloud and as fluffy as a Pomeranian puppy. Mark tosses one into his bag asking Dasa if they’re safe, which she confirms they’re edible mushrooms. “Do you think they taste good?” Mark asks Dasa, tossing a couple more in. “I am unable to tell you. I can only analyze its edibility, not its taste.” Dasa replies back to Mark’s dissatisfaction.
“It must suck having to watch us eat a whole bunch of new and delicious food in our travels”
“Do not worry for me. I don’t desire eating food as I’m unable to digest them or taste them.”
“Ooh what if we find a cool android city that has edible food for you” Mark says, exciting himself at the thought of Dasa being able to understand the taste of eating something new. “Then I’ll let you know how it tastes.” She likes the idea of it.
The more Mark began to pick the giant mushrooms the deeper he got into the forest until the once vibrant colors were all gray. He then spots what seems to be a monastery from a distance but before he can get a closer lookCRACK.WOOSHThe trees began to shake more ferociously afterwards with Mark’s poncho getting blown into his face. Then another loudCRACKcan be heard and then shouting back at the camp.
Mark ran back to see his tent fly away. Rick was able to escape his tent since he hasn’t fallen asleep yet Ana’s tent was flying in the air like a kite, barely being held down by the single string of rope. Mark quickly grabs the rope to try and pull it down. Yet the ferocity of the wind tries to pull him off his feet. Dasa passes him a rope which Mark grabs with one hand. “Have Ana catch it. Then we can just pull her out.”
Ana screams for them to hurry up and get her down. Dasa wraps one end around a bowling ball, having Mark toss it in Ana tent. Ana dodges the Bowling ball that then goes through the Tent. “ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME INSTEAD YOU BIG BRUTE!”
Mark doesn’t really know how to respond embarrassed by his bold action but the plan still ended up working as the wind began to tear the tent more. Making the hole bigger until Ana falls out of the tent. Luckily Mark catches her with his bag. “You should’ve jumped out sooner” Mark says with a chuckle stopping after Ana throws one of the Mushrooms he collected at his face.
“We have to get out of the Storm quickly before we’re the one blown away!” Rick shouted with his lungs to get through the muffling storm. Mark then remembers the monastery he saw while picking mushrooms. He quickly grabs Rick and begins running through the forest towards the monastery. “Where are we going!” Rick shouts
Mark explains that he saw a large building while picking mushrooms.. Rick is hesitant at first. He would prefer a cave instead as they’re much less since he doesn’t want to talk to others. Yet it’s the only option so he begrudgingly agrees.. AS they got closer the storm got louder and louder.Crack Crack Snap.The sizzling sound of fire starts and disappears.
The closer they get to the monastery, it becomes clear of its abandonment. It’s large and intimidating stature that towers the Forest trees. Only faint hints of its once clear Marble walls can be seen surrounded by its new sandy look. Cracks on the wall became a mossy home with vines gripping all over the building.The windows shattered with the only one being attached being the murky blood stain glass above the door now. The once cobble path guiding towards the church now sealed away under the weed jungle. Its door hinges rusted making a loudSqueak, when Mark pushes the door open..
They enter the large spacious nave in the middle of all the aisle. Particles of dust that darken the air and the rain going in the broken window dampening it. A nun sits at the other end kneeling in front of an altar. Praying to a bronze statue being the only thing clean, resembles a muscular, lean, bearded man, holding their hand out as if inviting people in. Ana finally gets out of the bag falling over Mark, breathing heavily. “Markhuff huffyour bag is way too hot.” Ana says getting up off the ground standing on top of Mark.
“It’s not so bad inside. It’s very spacious” Dasa says, standing on top of Mark.
“You don’t even feel heat. You’re just a android.“”
“Yes I do. If it was two million degrees Celsius then my circuits would melt.” Dasa says defensively. Before Ana could reply, Mark stands up making them fall over each other. Rick then shushes them, pointing to the Nun praying at the altar. “She must be really devoted to pray in a creepy place like this”
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“This place gives me the chills.” Rick says and Ana agrees.
“Some stories say that the feeling comes from ghosts going through your body.” Dasa says scaring Rick and Ana who tell her not to joke about that. “Do not be afraid. Ghosts aren’t real as they are just to give others peace about the departed.”
They soon realized Mark wasn’t standing with them and was talking with the nun instead.
“Good news everyone, she said there’s a spare room for us to stay at.” Mark says with a smile.
“Yes. We’ll be happy to let you kids stay the night here.” The nun says patting Mark’s curly hair. “Not kids. Rick and I are sixteen and Mark is fifteen” Ana says not wanting to be seen as a little kid but the nun laughs at her childish display..
Mark then hands Ana a broom to her confusion. “What’s this?”
“A Broom.”
“I know. I mean why did you give it to me?”
“Well I told the nun that we’ll repay her by cleaning this place up a bit.”
“Your friend was very adamant on cleaning the whole monastery. We had to convince him to just clean the nave only” The nun says with a chuckle. Mark hands out dust masks before they begin to clean. He assigns Rick to clean the aisles and Dasa cleans the walls around the nave since she can extend her arm to reach higher places. Mark begins to sweep the whole Nave, putting in so much passion that the air around him begins to heat up.
Ana stands next to the nun. “I’m sorry about him, miss.” Ana says with a sigh. The nun seems more amused by his antics giggling from Mark’s intensity. “Don’t worry. We quite enjoy his youthful vigor.” The nun says “Oh and you can just call us sister.”
“We don’t get a lot of company here. It’s also nice to see someone so lively and free.” The nun gives a smile.
“How come you’re the only one here, sister?” Ana asks. The nun is unable to answer with her mouth shaking as if someone had them sewn shut.. She was very hesitant to reply just standing there nervously, seemingly getting more wary as each second went by. “We’re not the only ones here. We live here with... others.” She gives a crooked smile as if a string is pulling on her mouth. “But they are shy. Not really trusting new people.” She says with a chuckle.
“Why do you refer to yourself in plurals?” Ana asks the nun. She stands there in silence with her face twitching like something is gonna pop outThud.Rick falls to the floor from exhaustion as the whole Nave went from a dusty, dirty, and damp air to a less dusty, dirty, and damp air. The hardwood floor from the amber trees regains its original look. The stained glass shines like a ruby once more..
Mark stands in the center happy for what they’ve accomplished “Alright everyone, mission accomplished!” Mark shouts, pumping his hand to the air. Dasa claps for him and shoots out confetti. The nun was very amused and clapped along with Dasa congratulating him.
“Alright so is everyone ready to head to bed.” she says.
“Yes please.” Says Rick defeated on the floor. The nun guides them out of the church towards the hall that takes them to the dorms.. As they walk down the long hall surrounded by old pictures of a priest and other nuns peeling off the frame. Ana stares at the nun with a suspicious gaze.
“Hey Ana do you have something in your eye?” Mark asks. Ana shushes him and whispers in his ear.. ” Focus your mana into your eyes and look at Sister.”
Mark begins to strain his eyes, concentrating his mana into his pupils to allow him to see someone’s soul energy. A strange aura emanating around the nun. One that gives a sense of foreboding. Mark is left confused, staring long and hard
“Do you see how wicked her soul is?” Ana says
“No. That’s not her soul”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s just that the darkness looks disjointed.” Mark says. Ana focuses more on the dark soul and sees that a small ball of light mixed in. Ana begins forming a plan and telling Mark about it.
Rick is following far in the back, still tired of all the cleaning.. He pants from each step he takes. He walks past a painting depicting the upper body of an old priest with a square head, wearing a black hoodless garment. The painting’s eyes seem to follow him. Rick stops with a cold sweat running down his neck and hesitantly looks back towards the painting.
The painting becomes all normal again but it still unsettles Rick. He slowly walks towards the painting, reaching his hand closer. A nervous sweat drips off his face as the nerves in his fingertips signal to him the landing. He glides his hand over the painting feeling the multiple layers of paint. Each bump he touches a goose bump pops up. The center of the painting begins forming a bulb.
Rick stands still shocked by what he’s seeing. As a slit begins appearing on the bulge sounding like it’s cutting a slime. It begins to slowly open to reveal an empty abyss of pure white. The more he stares the more Rick feels as if his soul itself is being stared at. He begins to look around in the abyss of never ending nothingness. Rick is unable to move, feeling as if one step would make him fall into an endless abyss. “AAAAH!” Rick shouts and the eye disappears.
Getting his sense of normalcy back he falls back bumping into the nun. “What’s wrong!” She asks in a worried tone.
Rick, too shocked to speak coherently, tries to tell his crew about what he saw. “What’s wrong?” Mark says
“I saw an eye pop out of that painting!”
“That isn’t possible.” Dasa says “It’s just an old painting. You must be suffering from delusions caused by exhaustion.”
“You have been spending these past few nights awake building something.” Ana says which frustrates Rick having them not believe him.
“I Know what I saw! I’ve had sleepless nights longer than this!”
“RICK!” Ana snaps at Rick. “Calm down. You need to rest. Clear your mind.”
“NO! I know what I saw! That painting grew an eye!” Rick then feels a tingle in his back. He looked towards the Nun whose eyes were just like the endless abyss. Before Rick could do anything Mark hits him in the gut knocking him down. Mark then tosses him over his shoulder
The Nun stares blankly into space before regaining herself, having her pupils return.. “Is he gonna be alright?” The nun asks. Mark gives a thumbs up with a big grin. They all finally reach the dorms as Mark carries Rick on his back.. “Some ground rules. No wandering around the church at night and male and females go to separate rooms.”
She opens the men’s bedroom and Mark goes in dragging Rick. Dasa attempts to follow Mark inside but gets stopped by the nun who restakes her rule of separate rooms.
“I’ve sworn to never leave Mark’s side.” Dasa says.
“I’m sorry but those are the rules. You’ll have to wait till morning to see your boyfriend again” the nun says, believing what Dasa said meant they were in a relationship. The truth is far different but that’s a tale for another day. The nun then takes Dasa and Ana to their room which Ana enters and Dasa who reluctantly follows.