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Chapter 107: The Creature
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2020-12-18 21:45:13Eldion listened to the sounds of the forest and noticed the change as night eventually turned into day. The occasional chirps of nocturnal birds and the hum of insects gradually died down and was replaced with cheerful songs of swallows as well as monkeys high up in the branches above. Eldion could not see the creatures, but found them reassuring. Soon, the surrounding forest became visible as the sun started to rise and brightening the sky.
The cart wobbled a little and from its back climbed down Casser. He noticed Eldion sitting by the fire and gave him a quick wave. He then approached Eldion carrying a small metal pan on which were some dried fish.
“Time to cook breakfast,” said Casser, lowering her arms and placing the pan on top of the large stones that surrounded the fire. Casser had placed the stones the night before to protect the fire from wind and they also served as a stove. Casser poked the embers and coaxed the fire to grow larger by pushing mo
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Journey Through the Shadow Realms Chapter 108: The Plant With Enormous Leaves
Mira and Eldion squeezed through the thick bushes in pursuit of the giant lizard while Casser was not far behind, his taller frame making it more difficult to follow. Eldion placed an arm over his face to protect himself from the twigs while another hand pushed the branches away. Then, he heard a shout in front of him and realized that it was Mira. In a moment, he felt the ground give way under him and he found himself sliding on a steep incline of the ground.Eldion saw Mira in front of him and shouted in warning for her to get away. She had hardly moved her body to the side when a shout came from behind them and Eldion saw that Casser was likewise sliding down the slope towards him.Shaken, but otherwise uninjured, the three travelers looked around them and found that they were surrounded by broad green structures that looked like just one giant plant. Eldion stood up and brushed the dirt off his clothes. He looked up and saw the large opening through which the blue
Last Updated : 2020-12-19Journey Through the Shadow Realms Chapter 109: Rokuhari
Eldion felt a cool damp cloth over his face. It smelled slightly of mint along with a distinct floral scent. He felt as if his body were floating over a cool pool of water and he could hear faint dripping sounds along with the regular sounds of his breathing. He opened his eyes and saw a thin translucent fabric was covering his face. There were tiny openings between the threads that allowed him to breathe and he tried to see through them to discover where he was.Eldion remembered getting trapped inside the giant carnivorous plant that closed over him and his companions as tendrils reached out and coiled around his body. Then, he recalled how difficult it was to breath as the coils of the plants squeezed his body before he lost consciousness. He tried moving his fingers and realized that they were immersed in water. In fact, his
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“When the debsina released its enzymes, it meant to kill its prey quickly and painlessly. The poison had been absorbed by your body through your skin. When I noticed that one of the debsina plants had closed its leaves and was filling up quickly with chemicals, I knew that it had captured something really big. At first, I thought it was a deer or a carabao, but I heard someone gasp and it sounded too human to be ignored. I immediately took out my knife and cut through the leaves to drain the enzymes. When I opened the leaves, I was shocked to see not a deer, but three humans bound by the debsina’s tendrils,” recounted Rolho to his small audience composed of five children and the three travelers who had just recovered from their ordeal with the carnivorous plant.Rolho and the children were all wearing white turbans that signify their status as healers-in-training. The children were amazed with Rolho’s story and a few
Last Updated : 2020-12-22Journey Through the Shadow Realms Chapter 111: A Request
Casser and Wen looked at each other, thinking of how they should answer Retta’s question.“You can say that.” It was Casser who answered. “We had barely left the gates of Alnoc when imperial forces marched into Alnoc. We know now that Dalik, one of the Emperor’s top officers had entered the city and installed himself as governor.”Retta looked disturbed. “Maybe I was too young to remember, but I don’t recall seeing any of the imperial officers in Alnoc. I was just a little girl when I was brought here to learn the healing arts. Perhaps it’s best that I don’t remember Alnoc much.”“How old were you when you came here?” asked Eldion. All that time, he was just listening to what his companions were telling Retta.“I was about five years old. I remember glimpses of Alnoc. I remember the t
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Eldion did not quite understand what the healers meant by the third tier, but assumed that it meant a level in the temple where the Orchid Queen resided. He had joined Casser and Wen to the pond where they made sure that Noha was well fed. The carabao had been doing very well in the pond and gave a satisfied bray upon seeing Casser and company descending the mild slope towards the edge of the water. There were plenty of water plants for Noha to feed on and the part of the pond where she stayed was under a canopy of trees where it was cool and breezy.Casser greeted the carabao and sat at the edge of the water to keep the carabao company. Eldion and Wen decided to sit on a bench under a tree not too far away. The weather was clear and the breeze was cool. There was a waterfall nearby that continuously fed water to the pond while the surrounding bushes were dotted with colorful flowers. Eldion quickly understood why Rokuhari was called a garden of the healers.“Thi
Last Updated : 2020-12-26Journey Through the Shadow Realms Chapter 113: The Temple
When the travelers were ready, they followed Retta as she walked silently around trees and bushes along a gravel path. Unlike the straight and level paths of Alnoc, Eldion saw that the gravel path led them around existing plants and trees rather than having them cut down. Many times, they had to duck or push low lying branches to get through.The sun had traveled close to the western horizon and Eldion wondered how far they were from the temple. He did not know how vast Rokuhari was, but after walking on the twisting path and on upward slopes, he realized that it was far bigger than he thought.They came to a small spring and Retta stopped at one side to wait for the others. The spring was surrounded by flowering shrubs that filled the air with a
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Eldion saw a room with bare walls and an unadorned ceiling when the man in white robes stepped aside. There was a soft gasp which Eldion realized came from Wen. Her eyes were wide open as she gazed to the floor of the room. Eldion followed her gaze and saw piled on top of one another scraps of clothing that had either lost color over time or covered by a thick layer of dust. As Eldion looked closer, he realized that there were bones within the clothing and that he was actually staring at a pile of old corpses.“They are those who tried to enter the temple with impure intentions,” explained the man in white robes. He took three cups from a recess on the wall and handed one to each of the travelers. Then, he picked up a clay jar and filled the three cups with green translucent liquid.
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The travelers climbed the steps that encircled the pyramid and reached the middle level. The sun was closer to the horizon and its rays shone on the pyramid such that the stone gleamed. Casser was able to catch up with Wen and led the group towards the opening midway up the pyramid. Casser peered inside the short passageway that was lit by the setting sun and found no one. Instead of entering the passageway, he looked at the exterior of the pyramid as if finding of any other access points.“What are you looking for?” asked Eldion who had arrived ahead of Mira.“Stairs. Maybe we can just skip this level and go ahead to the top,” explained Casser.The stone was golden under the weakening light of the sun. From Casser’s vantage point, he could not see any steps that would let them skip the middle level.“What are you doing?” asked Wen after seeing his two companions looking up at the pyramid. “Aren’t we s
Last Updated : 2021-01-01
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