Dragon: "Fear."
Kais: "Huh!?"
Sona: "What?"
Dragon: "If they fear me and constantly try to appeal to me thinking they'll gain some kind of benefit from it, then they are completely incompetent."
That's harsh. But I do get the point.
Dragon: "If they fear me and try to run away from me, then they are incompetent as well."
That makes sense too.
Dragon: "If they fear me and try to attack me in blind rage, they are incompetent too."
For a moment, he looks at Sona as if telling her – 'Even if you were a psychic, you would have failed'. Her reaction to it is nothing. It is as if she had already expected that remark.
Dragon: "But if they fear me and try to sort out their thoughts because of it and hold a conversation with me, then I'll deem them competent enough to enter."
Finally his gaze and finger both point at me.
Sona: "So you are telling me his cautious behavior is what got him through.
Dragon: "Not exactly."
The dragon denies the statement.
Kais: "Can I ask you something?"
Dragon: "Sure."
Kais: "What would you do … if a psychic came here who wasn't afraid of you?"
Sona and the dragon are surprised by my statement.
Sona: "You don't know?"
Kais: "Know what?"
Sona: "There's a special effect that activates on anyone who sees him. It makes them afraid of him. Doesn't matter how powerful you are and doesn't matter if you can even defeat him, you'll be afraid of him."
Kais: "Oh?"
That's interesting information. So the fear caused to everyone is because of a special effect. That changes some things.
Sona: "You alright?"
Why would he need something like that? He can just make anyone genuinely afraid of him. But he has a special charm of sorts for it. I doubt he was born with it though.
Sona: "Hey!"
My thoughts suddenly break off and I realize I was spacing out.
Kais: "Yeah, don't worry about it."
The dragon tilts his head. This remark reminds me of someone who tilts their head a lot.
Kais: "I don't think you'll want me to go in alone."
Dragon: "Well, I just can't risk it."
Kais: "But you are not coming either."
Dragon: "Huh? Why won't I?"
Kais: "Because I sense no intention of going in from you."
Dragon: "I see."
I just state a fact but the dragon nods many times before continuing.
Dragon: "Indeed, you are right."
The smile is still present on his face and it somehow looks appropriate for his tone right now.
Kais: "So the one who would come with me will be 'her'."
Dragon: "Yes."
The dragon nods while answering and then puts up his right hand, with his palm open to face the ground.
Dragon: "Come forth!"
Brightness strikes my eyes for a second but then it clears up. And there I see the little girl I first met on the island again.
Dragon: "Well, here she is."
Kais: "Now that I think about it, isn't she similar to spirits like that rabbit and Death?"
Sona: "Do I have to remind it wasn't a rabbit?"
Kais: "I know. It's just convenient to call it one. And besides, that's not the point."
Sona sighs, which annoys me a little.
Sona: "I suppose you are not wrong. She is similar, to say the least."
Dragon: "Well, time to wake up."
As soon as the dragon says that, the girl opens her eyes and looks robotic for a moment. Then she turns to how she usually looks – curious and tilting her head.
Girl: "What's going on?"
Dragon: "Not much."
She shifts her gaze back and looks at the dragon. Her expression is of surprise, at the very least.
Girl: "But this … is outside of the tomb."
Dragon: "Did you think I never step outside of the tomb?"
The girl nods. The dragon stands there dumbfounded by that reply.
Girl: "I always saw you inside or on the roof of the tomb."
Dragon: "It's true I didn't really come out at any specific time you were around, but that doesn't mean I would never come out."
That's a fair logic but I can understand why a child may not understand that.
Girl: "But then, wouldn't he … be wrong?"
Dragon: "He?"
That catches my attention too. Who's she talking about?
Girl: "He said you'd never come out. That something bad will happen if you come out."
The girl looks down, holding herself and trembling while she says these words.
Girl: "That a war would be about to break out; that the last days of this island would have come."
Sona: "Who's she talking about?"
Kais: "I'm as clueless as you are."
Neither of us knows who she is talking about but this still gives me a bad feeling. The dragon, however, waves his hands as if to dispel my worries.
Dragon: "Don't think too much of it. Probably a psychic I deemed unworthy of entering the tomb spouted that rubbish to her."
Girl: "No!"
The girl denies the dragon's statement as soon as he says it. But then, who said these things to her?
Girl: "He was a man … who didn't come here to go to the tomb, but to tell me this."
Dragon: "Wait, what?"
Girl: "He said you won't be able to sense him because he's not a special person."
Kais: "Not a special person."
Girl: "He said he's not a psychic, not a spirit-user, not any other sort of supernatural, but just a simple human."
Sona: "How the hell did he come here then?"
The girl looks down, not answering the question.
Dragon: "Hey, come on, answer her. Did you see how he came here?"
Girl: "I did. That was the only time I saw someone coming here."
Kais: "So how did he come here?"
Girl: "By a wooden something he called 'boat'."
Kais: "Boat!?"
This just got a whole another level of crazy. He came here by a boat? Is that even possible?
Girl: "He told me he came to warn me. When I see you out of the tomb …"
She looks at the dragon,
Girl: "There will only be a few days left for this place."
The dragon's angry. I can feel it. It isn't on the face, but it is inside him. In fact, the aura he is emanating has gotten so intense the other two can also feel it, so there's no point trying to hide it.
Girl: "HCK!!!"
The girl's shoulders jump in fear and she tries to get back. The dragon looks straight at her and says,
Dragon: "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you, but do tell me – this human who dares to foretell the fate of this island. Do you remember anything else about him?"
The girl is still afraid, and it's pretty understandable. You just have to be afraid after being in this aura. I can't even feel my own legs right now, but they are probably shaking.
Still, the question he asked is one I want the answer to too.
Kais: "Don't worry."
The girl turns to look at me, the fear still in her eyes.
Kais: "He really won't do anything to you. So think calmly and answer him."
I can sense the killing intent coming from him, but it's directed at none of us, but the man who claimed that this island would end in a few days.
Girl: "He had … brown hair, tall as Kais and …"
The girl looks down, trying to avoid eye contact with the dragon.
Girl: "he said his name was … was … Ethan … Kales."
*******************************
In a place that can be defined only as darkness, someone opens their eyes.
What's this place? He wondered.
Am I in hell? He wondered.
He doesn't remember everything that happened, but does remember that he died. He got shot in the stomach by deception and ended up dying.
Why am I here? If I am dead, then … that should be it. He wasn't sure of what to think when faced with such a bizarre darkness.
Wait! There … there was … yeah! And suddenly it becomes clear to him. Suddenly, he remembers the talk he had with the person who killed him. And then he remembered the realization that had hit him before dying.
That means … it means … I'm a …
???: "Ghost."
Finishing his sentence for him, there is a voice that echoes through the darkness.
Who? Who's there? Then he realizes he can't speak. No matter how much he tries, he can't feel his mouth moving.
???: "Don't worry. You'll be able to speak after a while."
The voice comes again. It sounds like the voice of a man, but he weren't too sure.
???: "Just be patient for now, Ro."
Ro is surprised to say the least. This voice doesn't sound very familiar but there is a distinct feeling inside him that told him who it belongs to. Yet Ro denies the possibility knowing full well it's the truth.
Who are you? Tell me … who are you? He asks in his mind.
???: "You already know it, don't you? Don't deny it, you do know it."
No, don't be absurd. I don't know who you are. He says in his mind.
???: "Really?"
Yes, I don't know who you are. I don't know. I don't know I don't know I don't know I … he keeps repeating in his mind, until the voice decides to give in.
???: "Have it your way then."
A figure emerges in the silhouette of a young man.
???: "My name is Barry."
*******************************
Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments below.
Stay healthy!
I stand at the entrance to the tomb alongside the little girl who has no name. She is still scared and shaken by the shock of what she saw before.
Kais: "You okay?"
The girl nods. Both of us keep our eyes at the tomb.
Girl: "I'm sorry. I'm just … a little …"
It's understandable. I am bit bewildered myself.
Kais: "Don't worry about it. I am not in a hurry."
After all, there are some really important moments of my life coming up, I need to be prepared. If you are giving me extra time to do so, I'll gladly accept it.
*******************************
Girl: "He said his name was … was … Ethan … Kales."
Dragon: "Ethan Kales?"
I have heard that name before, I think. But where was it? He's a brown-haired youth as tall as me with the name Ethan Kales.
The scene from the store flashes through my mind. That round object; the man who picked it up – had brown hair, was as tall as me and his name was Ethan Kales. Yeah, it had totally slipped my mind.
Dragon: "I've never heard of anyone with that name. Do you two know anything?"
Sona: "No!"
After her short 'no', all three of them turn towards me.
Kais: "I may have heard it. But … he doesn't seem to someone with any special abilities or so."
Dragon: "He was a normal human?"
I nod. Ethan Kales is definitely a normal human. I know it from his aura. But the fact remains that the description matches him perfectly. And now that I think about it, I got chills from shaking hands with him. I tried to ignore it back then, but what if there was a reason for that, something even my psychic senses couldn't pick up.
Girl: "I already told you. He said he was no one special himself."
That's true. She did say that. If that man was really the Ethan Kales I met, could he be also involved with Ro and Mohammed.
Kais: "It is possible."
Dragon: "Huh? What is possible?"
I said that in a soft voice but it seems like he heard me. Well, I don't think I need to answer him though.
Dragon: "Don't even think of ignoring my question."
Damn! Fine, I don't think telling him makes too much of a difference right now. It might affect the situation later on, but nothing would change now.
Kais: "I met this guy named Ethan Kales sometime before coming here. He is a pretty good match for what she is saying."
Sona: "Before coming here? Is that so?"
Well, it's more like before being brought here, but I'll feel like junk that got dumped at an island if I say it like that.
Kais: "Yeah, more or less."
Girl: "But didn't you say you didn't come here, but were brought here."
Kais: "Did I say that? Well, I may have."
Sona: "What's that supposed to mean?"
Kais: "It was something like – a few powerful people ganged up on me, kidnapped me and left me here."
Sona: "You sure don't sound like anyone who's been kidnapped."
It's hard to think of my situation that way. It's not like I'm being kept tied up or anything. Also the kidnappers are not even here.
Dragon: "Well, we can discuss your predicament later. For now, tell me all you know about this man – Ethan Kales?"
Kais: "There's not much else to tell you. We just met once and that's all. Other than his facial features which she already told you about, there's nothing much I know about him."
Dragon: "Nothing?"
Well, there's something else actually. I sigh before saying,
Kais: "If it helps, there was a woman there with him."
Dragon: "How did she look?"
Kais: "Well, she was tall, pale-faced and quite pretty."
Dragon: "I don't know how to distinguish you human based on the last part, but I can work with the other two parts."
Sona: "Isn't that still pretty vague though?"
Kais: "Well, I only saw her once too."
I can do a few things to help in finding her, but I'll keep that to myself for now –
Dragon: "I'd expect a psychic to have a way of remembering more about her."
Or so I thought.
Damn! This guy knows quite a lot about psychic abilities, doesn't he? Of course he does, he befriended one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful, psychic in history.
Sona: "Well, what about it?"
Kais: "I don't have complete faith in the two of you or anything, so I won't use any ability that may make me vulnerable."
Sona looks disappointed after hearing the answer and the dragon shows no change. He might have expected me to say this.
Dragon: "I guess I'll have to wait because winning your trust will probably be impossible."
Kais: "I wouldn't call it impossible but not very easy for sure."
Dragon: "And I don't have the patience to do something so tiresome."
That's a roundabout way of insulting me.
Dragon: "Well, if that's how the situation stands, let's get back to the original topic."
Kais: "Me going into the tomb, right?"
The girl looks at me, surprised by what she just heard, and tilts her head.
Dragon: "That's right, you are to accompany him and keep an eye on him."
The dragon says while looking at the girl. Somehow, she immediately knows he's talking to her and nods without even looking back. These two don't have any names as far as I know, yet they are able to perfectly communicate with each other. Is that because he made her? Well, it's possible.
Girl: "I understand."
She looks at me with her tilting-head-expression.
Dragon: "If you find him doing anything suspicious, you just need to call for me in your mind."
He says that as he looks at me.
Kais: "Basically you are telling me there is no way I can get away with anything suspicious. (While sighing) Don't worry about it; I'm not going to do anything to upset your friend."
Dragon: "If you understand, then that's good."
Kais: "Obviously, I am not going into the tomb to sneak away and screw around."
The first thing I need to do in the tomb is to find a way to sneak away.
Kais: "But wait, the last I heard, she had never been in the tomb. How would she know it even if I do anything suspicious?"
Dragon: "I just transferred all the information about the tomb into her head. So don't worry about it."
Well, that settles that.
*******************************
And so we are here, standing in front of the tomb of Ozyllus, ready to go in while the dragon and the spirit-user stand a little distance away, looking at us.
Girl: "Okay, I am ready to go."
With her saying so, my time to prepare is also over. In these moments, I thought over all the things that happened from going to store, to the deal with Ro and Mohammed, to this island, to the fight between Death and the dragon and to now. I need to keep all the relevant information in my head to understand how to proceed from here.
Kais: "Okay then, let's get moving."
While I have no reason to betray anyone here, I am not fully confident they are the same. So I will have to tread my steps carefully. After all, everything can change and even this girl who looks so innocent and pure could be an enemy in the future.
Dragon: "Don't forget …"
Kais: "Not gonna do anything to Ozyllus' body, now shut up!"
That's right, I am going to act the way he wants me to and try to keep being on good terms with him. But, if the current situation changes, my stance might have to change too. If that happens, I need to be prepared.
*******************************
After Kais and the girl went in the tomb, an atmosphere of awkwardness is left between the two people left. Neither of them tries to ease this atmosphere. After quite some time goes by in silence, one of them finally breaks the ice.
Dragon: "Do you still plan to kill me?"
Sona: "If I can."
She doesn't even hesitate in giving that answer. It is as if she isn't even afraid of the dragon at all. No, that's impossible. The effect of fear is active and hence she is indeed afraid of him, but her hatred is far too much to be engulfed by fear.
Dragon: "That's disheartening to hear."
Sona: "As if a monster like you even has a heart."
Dragon: "I do have a heart. If not, how in the world would I have become a psychic's friend?"
Sona gets irritated upon hearing the dragon say 'friend'. To her, the dragon is someone abhorrent who would lie about a god.
Sona: "Get out of your delusions, dragon. That whole thing about you befriending Ozyllus is a farce."
Dragon: "You are saying the story is false."
Sona: "The story is true to most extent. But the interpretation of it is nothing more than you trying to deceive the world."
Dragon: "How so?"
Sona: "You didn't become his friend. He merely pitied you and let you live. Going around saying you became his friend when in reality all you had been was a defeated creature who only survived because of pity – that's truly pathetic."
The dragon doesn't answer right away, but keeps looking at her. Since she is no psychic, she cannot tell what emotions he's trying to suppress at the moment, but she knows they are not pleasant.
Sona: "Don't you feel ashamed of yourself looking like the man who kicked your ass?"
Dragon: "Sona, was it? I see that you know some things I'd really want no one to know."
*******************************
Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments below.
Stay healthy!
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