Bab 80: The Test of the Gods
"Hey, where are you going?" Katheren called out, as Grayson walked away without looking back.
"Just wait here and keep an eye on that little nitwit, make sure she doesn't eat herself!" Grayson's voice faded into the darkness.
Katheren turned to see Elyra sitting on the ground, who had just stuffed the last bit of provisions into her mouth. Leaning against the wall, she seemed to be dozing off with a full belly.
Intent on speaking to the little creature, Katheren was startled by a spectral figure that darted past, leaving something at Elyra's side. Both she and Elyra turned to see a dead zombie lying next to them.
"Ah!" Katheren recoiled, drawing her silver pistol, alert and ready. The owl, spitting out her half-eaten provisions, transformed and hid behind Katheren's neck for cover.
Before they could process what had happened, the ghostly figure flashed by again, dropping two more corpses before disappearing just as swiftly.
Katheren frowned in thought, then, gathering her courage, walked towards where the figure had appeared. Peering into the direction of the zombie cave, she was met with another oncoming shadow.
"Ah?" Katheren gasped as a grisly zombie face appeared before her. She raised her short soul-eating sword in a swift motion, slicing off half of the zombie's head.
"Hey, what are you doing?" Grayson, wearing a white-brimmed hat, emerged from behind the zombie. Katheren and Elyra stared in disbelief as he chastised, "You two dimwits, if you can't help, at least don't make things worse!"
He stepped past them, dumping the zombie he had been carrying beside the blocked stone wall. Katheren approached and asked, "What are you doing?"
"I'm preparing the Titan giant's son's gift," Grayson said, turning back, and playfully flicked the little owl's backside. "Keep an eye on the greedy bird, don't let her eat these zombies!" And with that, he was gone again like a gust of wind.
"How rude! I would never eat something so foul!" The little owl protested, flapping on Katheren's shoulder.
Katheren chuckled quietly, to which Elyra responded, "Look, behind you!"
"I'm not falling for that," Katheren retorted with a grin.
"No, really, there's something there!" Elyra urged frantically, flapping more insistently.
Turning her head, alerted by Elyra's tone, Katheren's swordlight revealed a figure in a white dress, its long hair obscuring its face, and two sinister red eyes gleaming maliciously in the dark.
"It's you again!" Katheren exclaimed defensively, her sword at the ready and her pistol aimed at the figure. "Who are you? What do you want?"
The specter stared silently for a moment, then retreated into the shadows. "Don't go!" Katheren called out, only to see Grayson swiftly approach.
"What happened?" He inquired, piling the zombie corpses he brought onto the heap and looking back at them.
"That woman ghost appeared again!" Katheren exclaimed, still shaken.
"Where?" Grayson scanned the surroundings with eyes that darkness could not hinder, finding no trace.
Katheren pointed to where the apparition had been, and relayed the events, with Elyra animatedly corroborating. Grayson nodded in understanding, "It seems she has her sights set on us, but it appears she dares not attack us directly."
Turning to Elyra, he instructed, "We've got enough kindling now. Elyra, light it up. We need to leave this place for a while."
Elyra jumped from Katheren's shoulder, reverted to her little girl form, and with a flick of her hand, a small fireball ignited the pile of zombies.
"Let's go, I don't fancy the smell of barbecued zombie!" Grayson said, turning to make his way out of the cavern.
"What exactly are you doing?" Katheren and Elyra hurried after him, curiosity laced in their voices.
"I'm following the clues from that riddle," Grayson explained as they walked. "It's really a historical question. If you know the history of the Orolan Continent, it's easy to understand the answer."
He led them out of the cave to where they had battled the zombies and settled down on a high mound. Taking out provisions and a water flask, he explained, "The first part of the riddle, 'the gift of the Titan's son to humanity,' refers to fire."
"What's all this about?" Katheren asked impatiently.
"In the ancient wars, one of the Titan King's sons opposed his father's declaration of war against the gods, choosing to aid the deities instead."
"After the Titans' defeat, the gods spared the Titan King for his son's actions, giving them the isle of ice to dwell. But an unexpected twist followed."
"With the gods ruling over the continent, and with the Titan's son by their side, he grew concerned about the excessive sacrifices demanded from humans. In an act of empathy, he decided to switch the offerings to deceive the gods. But the chief god found out, inciting divine wrath."
"What a self-defeating saga!" chirped the little owl.
"Indeed, you often do the same," Grayson grinned, continuing, "The chief god didn't punish him directly, instead, he turned the punishment on humanity."
"He refused to bestow the gift of fire upon humans, leaving them to live in a world without warmth. Imagine how terrible that must have been."
"And what happened next?" Katheren asked, her voice tinged with concern.
"The Titan's son, upon learning of this, resolved to steal the flame from the divine realm to give to mankind, and he succeeded! From then on, human civilization flourished, and empires rose across the continent." Grayson took a sip of water and lit a cigar.
"And what became of him?" asked Katheren, resting her chin in her hand.
"He was imprisoned by the enraged chief god atop the highest peak of the wild frontier, guarded by the Behemoth. Eagles fed on his innards daily, yet he wouldn't die. This punishment lasted centuries until the son of the chief god freed him and helped him gain forgiveness."
"How terrifying, yet he was a true hero," Katheren murmured in admiration.
"Exactly. That's the story within the first part of the riddle. We've kindled the flame, and the zombies will fuel it for a while. Now for the 'endless riches of the sea king,'" Grayson continued.
He stood and approached the cave's edge, with Katheren close behind. They found a massive hemispherical object filled with liquid, more dripping from the stalactites above.
"What is this?" Katheren asked, recoiling from the pungent stench.
"You wouldn't want to know," Grayson replied, peering into the half of the zombie giant's head he had cleared of its ghastly contents.
"My God!" Katheren gasped. "What are you going to do?"
"Receive the sea king's wealth!" Grayson turned and explained. "The boundless wealth of the sea king, what could it be? Had Seraphine been here, she'd tell you it's the ocean, the endless water. The sea king's boundless wealth is water."
He looked into the giant's cranium, now a makeshift reservoir. "I noticed stalactites in this cave, which often signify the presence of water. So, I found this dripping point. All we need is a vessel and a bit of patience to gather a sufficient water supply."
Turning to Elyra, he teased, "Little one, care for a sip? This water is quite unforgettable."
"I'm not as foolish as you. You stink, keep away from me!" Elyra retorted, hiding behind Katheren.
"Ungrateful little thing, despising me like that!" Grayson glared at her, then looked towards the smoke-thinning cave entrance. "The smoke's dying down; it looks like the fire is about to go out. I need to hurry before it does. You wait here."
He picked up the giant's cranium and braved the smoke-filled cave. Katheren watched anxiously, silently praying for his success.
Inside the smoke, Grayson held his breath, the stench of charred corpses filling the air. He approached the sealed entrance, now glowing red from the heat. Splashing the water from the giant's skull, he watched the wall sizzle and steam billow up around him.
When the steam cleared, Grayson delivered a mighty punch to the softened wall, creating a breach. He stepped back as the wall collapsed, revealing an opening.
"I forgot to tell Katheren that the 'sacred bone of the mother of all gods' is actually stone because the chief god's mother is the earth goddess herself," Grayson muttered as he cleared the dust from the air.
Katheren rushed to him, her face lighting up with relief. "Are you okay? It looks like we've succeeded!"
"It was me who succeeded, you two rascals didn't do a thing, don't take credit for my work!" Grayson raised an eyebrow at them, striding proudly out of the cave. Katheren and Elyra exchanged glances, teasing each other before following close behind.
Exiting the cave, the trio entered a silent valley under the night sky, devoid of even a whisper of wind or the calls of wildlife. The sheer cliffs were as if carved by blades, lacking even a single pine growing at their edge.
Suddenly, Grayson halted, his gaze fixating on a dark figure at the center of the valley path, a chill of murderous intent sweeping over him.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone