After that… awkward situation, Sara and I straightened out any curves and agreed on talking to Old Man Mike right now.
Walking to his tent, there’s a light inside, but I don’t feel or sense someone inside just by looking at the shadows cast onto the sides of the tent.
Walking inside, there’s only a small table in the middle of the tent, in the middle of it is a brightly-lit candle.
Mike is not inside as expected.
“Where did he go? Did you see him leave the tent?” Sara asked.
I didn’t. “We were both in our tent earlier, if you didn’t see him leave, I didn’t see him leave.” I say to her.
She started rummaging through his bag! “Hey! Don’t peep around! We came here to ask him something!”
“You came to ask him, I came to learn more about him. He may have some things that may tell us who he is.”
Huh… I never thought of it that way. “Alright. I’ll be outside, I’ll be your look out.”
“Thanks.” She continues looking at his stuff. Before I walk outside, I see her pull out a couple of Memory Crystals… Recording Crystals? Whatever. I get outside, while I listen to her search for clues.
Where did Old Man Mike even go?
I close my eyes and feel my aura inside me, Using my spear, I inject my aura into the ground, searching for other footsteps. I may not be able to see where my aura is, but I can search in a wider area, I can even sense the river 10 minutes west from here.
Hmm… I can’t search where he is… maybe he’s on the trees or out of my reach…?
“Is he outside?” Sara asks.
“No. I’m using aura to search for him.” I reply.
“Okay, tell me if you sense him.” I can hear her still rummaging.
“For an old man… he sure does carry a lot of things… Recording Crystals, swords, whetstones, books…” She says.
“Make sure you clean it up, or else I’ll put all the blame on you.” I say, then I hear her chuckle.
“Yeah, yeah.” She continues. She’s really cute.
I restarted my search, instead of using my mana, to search wherever I want, I’m going to search in a spiral pattern, getting wider… and wider… so that I don’t miss anything… There!
“I sense him! Or at least, I sense someone else.”
“Are you sure it’s not Ana or Atlas?”
“No, they’re in the tent.”
“Okay. Maybe it’s him. Tell me if he gets close. Yeah”
“I will.”
I sense him out to the east, doing something, surrounded by rocks. What is he doing there…? What is he doing in the middle of the night…?
I retract all of my aura back into me, as I take out my spear off the ground, then I sneakily run to the rocks, 15 minutes away from the camp, but with my speed, it’ll take just 3 minutes.
“Why am I here again?” Vaciva asks with her arms crossed. “I’m supposed to be helping Aleph find Arthur’s place.”
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“By the time we finish here, Aleph would’ve already found him.”
“That’s… sound’s about right. The time flow gets slower and slower on every floor in the tower. I forgot the flow of time in the tower differs from the flow here.” She puts her arms down and looks at Michael as he leans on one of the large rocks. “
“You’re here to make an impromptu scenario with me.” He says, carving onto a large piece of wood.
“And why’s that? You know I’m bad at impromptu.” She looks at Michael with a puzzled look. “Out of all people, you picked me.”
“You’re the only one I can find without spending too much time in the tower and abandoning my children for a long time. “Lance and the others, have gotten too curious.”
“Then make them uncurious.”
“Easy for you to say. I can sense Lance getting closer by the second.”
“And what should I do about it?”
“Here’s the scene. I’m doing something secretly, you came to gloat and boast, watch me in despair, make some bullshit as to how you got out of the tower without Aleph finding out, you threaten me that you’ll kill the others, but to put me in despair, you’ll do it in a later date. In a time when we’re unlikely to be on our guard.”
“Okay. Got it. What are their names again?”
“Lance, Ana, Sara–“
“Actually, I think it’s better if I don’t use their names, treat them as if they’re just pebbles.”
“Got it. Got it…” He nods, still carving.
“I think he’s here. You ready?”
“Mhm. Okay, by my signal, you “appear” and start doing what villains do, okay?”
“Alright.” The air around Vaciva shrouds her from the light, making her barely visible. “Just so you know, if you really wanted a villain, it’s not me.”
I’m here. The place where I sense Mike, I still do. He’s sitting on one of the rocks. Aura really is amazing, The only’ think I can’t sense is what he’s doing there, and the surrounding rocks are too big for me to peek in, they’re all somehow connected to one another.
I’m in the border of the forest and the small patch of rocks, Mike will definitely sense me if I go further. I need to do smarter than this.
I head to one of the trees closer to Mike’s position, put my spear down, climb up, and close my eyes. Using my aura, I can visualize a small area, and see what is happening to it. I can see shapes and figures, but not color, but that’s fine.
I see Mike sitting and leaning on one of the rocks, carving something. Maybe wood carving? He doesn’t seem to speak, so eavesdropping is useless. He’s just carving– Huh?
In the small space that I’m visualizing, a woman enters it. Hmm… It’s too well-endowed to be Sara or Ana. Taller than both of them, too… Very curvy as well. The two of them seem to be having a conversation.
Using my aura, I move the control to my ears, to listen in. I’ll be unable to see what’s happening, but I’m able to hear them.
“…going to be fazed by you?” Mike says.”
“I don’t think you’re going to be, but what about them?” The woman said.
“Don’t you even think of getting close to them. How… How did you even get out?!” Mike seems pissed.
“I was able to create a monster outside the tower and put just a bit of my consciousness in it. It may be weaker than my real body, but it’s enough to kill all of you with a single finger.” She’s from the tower? Who is she? I need to take a look!
Using my sense of touch, I slowly climbed myself up, atop the tree that I’m currently hiding in, with my eyes still closed.
“That’s impossible. Aleph–“
“Aleph doesn’t know anything. While we were stuck, building our own prison, you were laying back, playing house with your toys.”
“They’re not toys. And you’re more childish than I remember.”
“Watch your mouth, human.”
“Human? Is that the best insult you can do now? Back then you were clever with your quips.”
“I learned that the clever falls prey to the ruthless.” I sense her raise her hand, then her hand… morphs… into a blade… What the hell…? What’s happening?
“Why are you here? To kill me?”
“No, I know you’re weak, what’s the point of killing someone that’s half-dead? What I’m interested in is your toys. I wonder… What would happen if I take away from you if I destroy them in front of you? Are you going to cry? Or are you going to have a tantrum?
“You’ll never get them! You’ll never lay a finger on them!”
“That is if you can expect me. See you around~” The woman morphs into… a bird? As it leaves the square.
“Shit! Fuck! Goddamn! Fucking shit!” Mike began cursing and shouting, destroying everything he sees, with his hands. I need to leave.
I open my eyes, and I see it. Or rather…
Her.
The woman.
Her eyes are similar to a snake’s. Skin like alligators, scales like lizards. Fangs and claws sharper than any sword.
This wasn’t any kind of woman.
She was…
“Vaciva…” I said, unconsciously.
Move! Why can’t I lift a single finger!
“Thank you, it’s nice to hear that Humans still know who I am.” I.. I don’t have my spear!
“That’s a nice pair of eyes you’ve got there.” She grabs me by the chin and pulls me close. “You should make sure not to point that eyes in places they shouldn’t look at.” She looks around. “ So, you’re the only one here, prince.” She sounds disappointed as she morphs into a large violet dragon, before hovering upward. “That man right there? He’s not what he seems. You’ll come to learn, you’re jst tools to fulfill his satisfaction.” She then flies upward, until she’s barely visible as she seemed to phase into the Tower.
I need to tell this to everyone…