Lars kept his head down and pondered his options as he walked in silence once more, following behind the solemn group of his captors, accompanied by Captain Xiloth and three of his men of varying ages.Despite the bonds around his wrists, his legs were unhindered and he could at any time make a run for it. However, after he had surveyed the layout of the settlement called Homestead and considered his own exhausted, hungry and injured state, he doubted he could make it even across the high walls which were at some points as high as 15 feet, much less survive in the goblin infested jungles!
He shuddered involuntarily as he followed behind Zera and her party, the short minutes-long journey feeling like hours.
Was there no solution to his plight...?
He felt powerless... Just like when he had faced his first death at the hands of the All-Heaven Divine Empire right after crossing the portal between worlds. Only, instead of charging into his own death against the waves of enemies, this time it felt like torture as he could seemingly do nothing to change his fate.
His only hope remained that he could pa.s.s the so-called test of the Truthstone they were bringing him to. If it were something like a lie detector machine, he wondered if he could trick it with his answers...?
But then again, what answers would satisfy these reticent captors? Ones who outright refused to speak to him, answer his questions or entertain a single inquiry from him? Ones that answered him merely with, "Wait until you"ve been tested," and jabbed him with the b.u.t.t of a knife if he persisted in his asking.
Lars mind spun, thinking of one plan of approach after another in his exercise in futility, trying to predict just what he should say or do in the face of this Truthstone test.
And if it really detected his words as true or false... Would his words then seal his own doom...?
All of a sudden, the group stopped in front of a nondescript building causing Lars to nearly b.u.mp into Gatyon"s broad and st.u.r.dy back, so sudden was the stop they made.
No one seemed to care to explain to him just where they were now as Zera stepped up to the simple wooden door that formed the entrance to the humble abode and knocked twice.
"Elder Mash"noth, this is Zera. We seek your wisdom and the use of the Truthstone. Please grant us leave to enter." She spoke respectfully with her head slightly bowed, a sign that despite her high position in this little town, the one she spoke to was of a higher position still, or at least in a dignified role.
However, her words were still forceful, not asking but rather stating or even bordering on commanding the Elder to open the door and heed her request!
She then stepped back and waited silently, along with all the others who also stood patiently for the resident of the home, the Elder, to respond.
About 15 seconds later, Lars heard the shuffling sound of footsteps brus.h.i.+ng against the sandy floor from within the building before a sound that was something between a cough and a sneeze was heard from within the house. Shortly after, he heard the sound of a heavier thump on the ground followed by the sound of a firm step landing just as the door unlatched from within before the it swung open inwards.
"...Come in." A woman spoke, her voice raspy and tired, yet still firm with a note of confidence hidden in it. The voice brought with it the sound of many years gone by, hinting at countless years of vicissitudes and the troubles of the decades past. It was slightly m.u.f.fled, the wording not very clear, but Lars put it off as just the effect of the speaker"s voice blocked by the door. Lars also felt a sense of familiarity upon hearing it, but shook it off as an impossibility in this world.
With Lars" position at the back of the group, he could not see the speaker until he followed the group to file into the house. He did wonder how the group that was made up of 2 men bordering on 7 foot tall and 6 other tall and well-built warriors would fit into the small home...
As he approached the door, he had Katya taking up the rear, her blade bared and ready as a constant reminder to him of his status as a prisoner despite no one forcing his steps. He stepped up to the doorway to enter and expected to see a decrepit old woman tottering on the verge of the grave - and was shocked at what he saw instead.
Nothing!
There was no one in front of him...!?
He froze mid-step when he saw this and received a sharp jab in the small of his back, sending fiery pain lancing through his entire back as his still-raw wound throbbed under the bandages.
"Move on, fool! What, never seen a Divine Beast before...?" Katya chided him in disdain and urged him to hurry up and move as she flipped her blade once more to hold the handle after poking at Lars" back with the blunt hilt.
"D-divine Beast...?? W-what--..." Lars tried not to scowl in pain and irritation at Katya and prepared to step forward - before he caught something out of the corner of his eye and followed his gaze lower...
To see a cat.
Snowy white furred, wrinkly faced, wizened and crinkly eyed...
Cat.
A cat which spoke to him, saying, "Welcome, child, please, do not be shy around me. I am just another villager here..."
Lars found his mouth dry as sand and tried to swallow, gulping down an empty mouth devoid of saliva as he started to nod in shock and forced himself to start walking and follow the rest of the group.
"Hmmph. Naive idiot...!" Katya cursed under her breath and shook her head, shrugging as she directed a wors.h.i.+pful glance at the pristine white cat - Elder Mash"noth.
* * * * *
"So, child, is this the one you have come to request the Truthstone to be used for...?"
Lars felt uncomfortable as he heard this question. Well, not actually because of the question itself, but because he was seated in a chair, his bonds undone. It was pretty comfortable, actually...
Except for the cat perched casually on his lap which was sticking it"s nose into his face, staring at him from barely a centimetre away!
Zera nodded to the cat-Elder"s question, saying, "Yes, Elder. I... Yes, I -- we want to determine this man"s background and whether he is... Whether he can help us as another pair of hands on the battlefield."
Zera spoke determinedly to Elder Mash"noth. However, she was not looking at the cat - ahem, Divine Beast - but at Lars as she spoke this, giving his a cryptic gaze with conflicting emotions swirling within her eyes, causing him to feel a chill up his spine and doubt fill his heart.
After a while of their arriving at Elder Mash"noth"s place, various other venerated, senior and confident people had begun to trickle in, not speaking a word but directly bowing to honour Lady Zera as they entered and took their places at the sides of the room. Lars did not know who they were but could easily guess they were the other leaders of the community.
Feeling the atmosphere in the room change and a sense of discomfort envelop him from all around, Lars looked around quickly, ignoring the cat sniffing at his neck and realised that those around him were giving him a variety of looks - none of which were good.
Doubt, suspicion, anger, cold indifference...
But all of them had something in common - disapproval towards their young Lady Zera"s decision to push for the Truthstone test for him.
...Except for the 15 pound white cat still sniffing at him.
"Just... Just what is going on...? What is this Truthstone test? And what is wrong with this girl...? Is there something heavily serious about this test...?"
But left to his own thoughts, he could only wait in uncomfortable silence for the cat"s -- the Divine Beast"s reaction.
The disquieting pause continued for awhile until the white cat sat back on it"s haunches (still on his lap) and nodded slowly, saying, "To seek the truth is what anyone may do... And there are no restrictions upon whom they will be used... You may submit any to the Truthstone"s tests, yes..."
Lars sweated and glowered at the cat, trembling at the thought of all the hairs and saliva rubbed off onto his skin.
He had thought that the Divine Beast-cat was running some sort of test on him to judge if he was suitable! If that wasn"t the case, then what was all that sniffing about for?!?
"But..." The white cat ignored his irritated look and tilted it"s head backwards slightly as it spoke, angling a glance from the corner of it"s eye at Lady Zera and continued.
"...Are you willing to pay the price for this one...? The price of..."
Elder Mash"noth turned it"s head fully to fix a steady, questioning gaze on Lady Zera, locking gazes with her as it finished it"s words.
"...Half your life...!"
At that moment, the room was deathly quiet. It was silent enough to hear every fidget, every brus.h.i.+ng of cloth against cloth, the atmosphere palpable as the various people gathered, leaders and sub-leaders of teams and disciplines, held completely still, awaiting the answer that would only beg the next question.
Why would the mighty Lady Zera want to subject this stranger to the test of the Truthstone...?
They could only await the answer from the proverbial horse"s, waiting with bated breaths as her lips parted slightly, as if she were about to speak.
"I--" She began, but was forcefully interrupted.
"Wait!"
"!!!" Lady Zera"s eyes widened in shock at the strong voice that interjected...