บท 526: Villainous ambitions
"I call upon the Guide of Shtylla Archipelago. As an explorer, I have proven that my motives are pure," Hera said after creating a few dancing lights inside the dark barrier. She also had some chocolate and a can of soda in her bag. Expecting to call the guide when she came back here, Hera had prepared a few gifts for them as a thanks for all the help. A smaller part of the reason was to, maybe, have more guides to talk to back in her private room. Despite not liking him, Percy Bodwitch left an impression on her, and she knew that there was some truth to what he said. Just because she called the guides it didn't mean she couldn't make their interaction a bit more comfortable.
A few moments passed, and one of the hexagonal pillars that sustained the island shifted. It went down and revealed a dark lake with only the tiny lights from her spell illuminating it. Staring at it was like staring at the ocean in the middle of the night. Then, a hand appeared, like a zombie clawing out of its grave. What Hera first saw was a strange-looking arm. It had several ridges that seemed to form a pattern from the wrist to its shoulders. The chest was metallic and had some odd machinery attached, and the face was a giant black globe.
As the guide climbed out of the lake, Hera wasn't sure what to make of it. She considered Offering help, but she wasn't sure if that was a good idea. If this person was sensitive about it, that could cause some problems, not to mention that, as far as she knew, the guides were able to decide how to appear.
The figure looked around and then back to Hera before pressing something on the left side of its head. Behind the black tint of its globe-like helmet, some lines appeared, and slowly, the black started to vanish, making the lights from Hera's spell creep through its head. After a few moments, all the black was gone, and Hera could now see a goldfish inside a fishbowl.
"Hello. I am Kelp, the Shtylla Archipelago guide. It's been a long time since I've talked with anyone, and I hope you can overlook any blunders I may make," the goldfish spoke as the body, which now Hera could see was an odd mix of an old-timey scuba suit with a modern astronaut suit, almost like what someone from the past could imagine people wearing in space.
Hera was still shell-shocked by Kelp's entrance. Unlike Laika's, which was very interactive, this one had a stronger feel to it. It was like she was watching a monster movie, and the main villain was finally introduced after a lot of build-up. The fact that they were inside a dark barrier also helped.
"Oh no. Am I speaking the wrong language? I was sure you were speaking English when I saw you enter the room. Let me try something else. Spreek je Nederlands?" Kelp seemed a bit flustered as the fish moved from side to side, and the suit gesticulated wildly.
Hera broke out of her daze and shook her head, "No. Sorry. It was just… unexpected."
Kelp crossed his arms, "Why? Do you think I couldn't have fun while getting here? Or is it because you think my suit is ridiculous? Do you have any idea how hard it is to interact with technology when you don't have fingers?"
"Oh, no. Nothing like that. I'm sorry. I was just impressed by your entrance. The other guides I've met didn't have the same presence."
"Presence? I have a presence? Really?" Kelp seemed more excited now.
"Yeah. Don't take this the wrong way, but it felt like I was in a horror movie."
"I scared you?" Kelp gasped.
"Not really," when Hera replied, she could see the disappointment in the guide's eyes, "It wasn't so much of a slasher jumpscare thing. It was more like… seeing the villain of a thriller appear for the first time. Not the monster who makes people run, but the type of cruel and calculated person who brings up the tension just by appearing on the screen. And the light coming out of the helmet when it was opening was amazing!"
"I see… Hang on a moment," Kelp reached behind its back and took out a camera, "Can you record while I try to come back again?"
Hera nodded, "Sure. But, can you make your… helmet? Bowl? Tank? Your head thingy be just partially closed? That way, I can move around my lights to get a good shot while maintaining that effect."
"Oh, sure. Hang on," Kelp moved one of the arms of his suit and tapped on the side of the helmet. The black tint started to cover it, but it stopped before completing it, "Is this good?"
"Open a little more. There is not enough light coming through…. There! Now give me a minute," Hera started moving the dancing lights so it would both create that lighting effect and show Kelp properly. She then called her court and asked them to form a makeshift tripod so the camera wouldn't be shaking, "I'm all set. Whenever you are ready."
Kelp gave her a thumbs up and jumped back in the water. Hera hit record when the water became still again, and the guide repeated his entrance the same way he did before.
"How was it?" Kelp asked after Hera stopped the recording.
Hera passed the camera back to the guide, "I think it looked great, but it could be better if we used some mist or some effect. Then again, sometimes, less is more."
Kelp nodded with both the fish body inside the helmet and the suit, "I completely agree. We don't need to be all flashy to make something good. And this looks great," the guide watched the video a couple of times before turning back to Hera, "I'm sorry. I told you my name but never gave you a chance to introduce yourself."
"Don't worry. I'm Hera. Hera Kingsley. Nice to meet you," Hera smiled.
"The pleasure is all mine. And thanks for the help. I always wanted to pull off a villain look, but it never worked. The other guides always say I'm too goofy to be a monster. 'Who would be scared of a goldfish?' Is what they always say."
"I mean… I can understand their point. If you were big, then it can be scary, but being small, not so much. That's why the thriller villain fits better. You are not just a jumpscare. You are a constant terror in the scene. But are there Guide movies? Like you guys make your own movies?"
"Yeah, we do. I would love to show you one, but the rules don't allow me to. Unless you've seen each of the guides that show up in the movie," Kelp explained without looking away from the camera.
"Oh… yeah, that would take way too much time. If we consider the same scale as the ones we make, there should be hundreds if not thousands of people involved," Hera sighed and waited for a moment, but it didn't seem like Kelp was going to turn away from the camera anytime soon, "Hum… Kelp? I'm sorry, but do you mind if I ask the questions? We are in a private place right now, but some people are waiting for me."
Kelp jumped up and put the camera away, "Of course, of course. Sorry about that. I got distracted. Do you have a preference between analog or digital timers? Or would you rather have an hourglass or a sundial?"
"Digital is better. More simple," Hera replied, and Kelp made a large digital clock appear above him, marking five minutes.
"When you finish the first question, I'll start the clock," Kelp looked at Hera.
"Ok. Before we start. Can you answer all my questions with yes or no? If I want more information about one topic, I'll ask you to elaborate. And, if a question will shave off more than 30 seconds, let me know."
Kelp nodded, "Sure. That's a good way to go about it. I think the last person who called me did something similar."
"Ok… I have one more thing to ask about now," Hera chuckled, "For starters. Is there a doorway in the islands controlled by the dungeon?"
"You don't have enough time to get information about the doorways."
"Is there a specific pattern for the islands controlled by the dungeon?"
"More or less. But you already know it," Kelp stopped the timer, "Sorry, I know you said yes or no, but that one I couldn't answer another way."
"That's ok. I appreciate you stopping the clock to explain."
"No problem. But now we go back," Kelp's suit didn't move, but one of his fins pressed something invisible, and the timer started ticking again.
"Was there ever a Naga here? Not counting me."
"You are not a Naga… oh. I guess you are. Either way, the answer is yes."
"Were they the last people who called you?"
"Yes."
That was good information, but Hera needed to focus on something else, "Can you tell me what happened to the ruins on this island?"
"It will take a bit over a minute of the time," Kelp replied.
"Go ahead."
The timer went down from 4:12 to 3:00 and stopped, "These ruins were created by using a spell that pulled the earth from the ground because of the way these islands were created. Doing so caused some structural issues. Eventually, after going back to the ocean floor and up a few times, the island caved in, and now there is a hole in the middle of it. The ruins are what remained after the destruction."
"Oh… and was a Naga who created that building?" as Hera asked the question, the timer started ticking again.
"Yes. A very skilled one. That's why it took a few trips to the ocean floor before everything collapsed. No one was hurt, don't worry,"
"I'm glad," Hera smiled before going for a question that had been bugging her for a while, "Are we truly safe from the Bugfish as the dungeon notification says?"
"You are. As long as you stay on the path and away from their nest, you won't be attacked. If you get too close, though…."
"If we get too close, we are kind of asking for it. They are monsters, after all. Next question. Can you tell me where the Naga went? The last one who called you."
Kelp paused the clock and looked up at the timer. It marked 2:21, "I can, but it will cost you all the remaining time. Are you sure you want to use that question?"
"Can I ask it again later?"
"Probably not. That question should cost you more than what you have right now, but I like you, so I'm giving you some extra. Answering that one with this time is the best I could do," Kelp gave Hera a thumbs up while he winked at her.
"Then I am sure. I want to know where the Naga went."
"Alright then," the timer went to 0, "The Naga crossed a doorway at the bottom of the ocean. Near the doorway you used to get here, there is a reef, and you can find the doorway they used there. But I'll have to warn you. That Naga was an excellent swimmer, and it wasn't easy for him to get there. The best way to find that place would be by looking from above."
"Didn't you say I didn't have enough time to get information about the doorways?" Hera asked.
"I did, but I'm not telling you about the doorways. I'm telling you the path the Naga took. There is a difference," Kelp winked again.
"Thank you for that," Hera stopped for a moment. It felt weird to know that the guides could tell others about her, "Can I ask you a question about the skill itself?"
"Sure."
"If another explorer comes and asks about where I am in the room, would you tell them?"
"Not unless you told me they could know. Like, if, for instance, if you got lost, called me over and told me 'hey, if someone, or if this person asks about me, tell them where I am.'"
"But you told me about the Naga," Hera had an idea for a reason, but she wanted confirmation.
"Yeah, because that is ancient history. I'm not going to give someone away if they are still alive or have died recently. But a few centuries after their death, their whereabouts stop being something private."
It was the answer that Hera expected. In reality, that's what most archaeological sites were. Graves, houses, schools, and things left by a lost civilization. At some point, grave robbing was no longer seen as something bad but something that only scholars would do. It would be the same with this type of information.
"Thanks for all the help, Kelp," Hera replied now that her worries were gone.
"No. I'm the one who should be thanking you. I never thought about being the type of villain that lets tension build-up. I'll try that next time. Also, do you mind if I text you every now and then? If it isn't much trouble, I would love to hear your input on some of the projects I'm working on. Then again, you wouldn't be able to see the end result, so that might be a bit mean…" as Kelp spoke, he realized that more and more, it sounded like he would just be using her.
"Of course! I would be happy to help, but I'm not a movie critic, so I can only tell what I think looks cool, not what is actually better to do."
"Don't worry about it. I would just enjoy a different perspective. And I'll be glad to help you with anything you need. Within reason, you know there are things we can't do," Kelp smiled and looked back, "Well… I have to go now. I guess giving you all that information about the Naga and staying here is pushing it already. I'll check a few movies for reference for my villain persona and send you a list. Let me know if you think about any other."
With that line, Kelp jumped back into the water, not even giving Hera a chance to say bye. Still, this was much better than she expected. She discovered what happened with the ruins and found the location of a doorway. Even if it was underwater, she could at least try to talk to Adriel. Maybe they could find a new room soon.
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