บท 11: The Map
Leon pulled out the map, trying to figure out how to use it with precision. It had four small diagrams which he deciphered to be landmarks; one of which he identified as the healer's inn, a tiny old building sketched accurately, but the other three, he wasn't sure about. The map was centered around a comparatively larger diagram of a crooked mansion, labeled the haunted house, which kept wiggling on the map as its surroundings moved, making it difficult for them to navigate.
"Let's pause, I want to think about this," Leon stopped in his tracks.
Baby sat on the footstep of a vintage abandoned shop, looking at Leon.
"Do you really not know how this thing works?" Leon questioned, handing the map to the baby.
Baby shook its head, refusing to take the map. "I know nothing about this, young man."
"But I might know someone who does," it added after thinking for a while.
"Well, do you at least know where this 'someone' is?" Leon inquired.
"Of course, I will lead the way!" the baby replied eagerly, waddling ahead of him once again, taking the lead.
The longer they walked, the darker the streets became. Fortunately, the moonlight illuminated the area whenever there were no owl hybrids to block its rays.
Leon couldn't help but notice something strange about the map. The locations not only wandered away but also vanished from time to time. He tried shaking it and folding it, but his tricks didn't yield any result.
Baby led him to yet another street, but this one was as silent as the very first street Leon had stepped upon. They walked toward a restaurant that had no lights, the street dimly illuminated by the moonlight.
Hoping that this someone would be of help, Leon followed Baby as it knocked on the restaurant's door. A sad-looking old man opened the door and upon seeing Baby he nodded, "Come on in, Elias, Master is upstairs."
"Greetings, Gorge," Baby greeted him curtly.
Leon couldn't help but be surprised. He guessed this old man must be a slave to this someone since he called them Master. However, he was taken aback that Baby actually respected the old man, while it had bad-mouthed slaves having no real capabilities in the purgatory earlier.
The entrance was as silent as a grave, with no lights to guide the way. However, as Leon walked upstairs following Baby, he could hear faint chatter and see dim lights emanating from the upper floor. Each step on the creaky wooden stairs echoed in the stillness.
Upstairs, Leon was greeted by an unusual sight. Three men and a woman, all looking pale and devoid of any life forces, were serving a drunken-looking guy slouched down in a rather comfy-looking armchair. Colorful drinks adorned the table in front of him, but he seemed half-asleep, drooling over the beverages. Leon was surprised to see the drinks being served, as the idea of delicacies or food hadn't struck him until now, and he didn't feel hungry.
"Christopher! My man, what are you drowning in these drinks for?" Baby struck up a conversation with the wasted man, thinking he'd get a reply.
Much to Leon's surprise, the man quickly collected himself and looked cheerfully at the baby. He noticed that he was not much older than him, but he looked the same as the others as if his soul had drained out, though he appeared cheerful.
"ELIAS! My friend! Have you come to see me!" he asked, kneeling down to Baby's level, grabbing one of its hands.
Baby seemed equally cheerful, "OH, obviously, pal! How you been? So long!"
Now seeing this scene, Leon felt as if Baby had tricked him again. It seemed that Baby had merely wanted to meet his old friend and had concocted the story about seeking help with the map.
"Yo, keep it short and get down to business," Leon urged, showing the map.
"Ah yes, yes," the baby nodded.
"What is it, Elias? Who is this rude boy?" Chris looked up at Leon.
"He is my s-"
"Do you know anything about the haunted house or this map?" Leon cut Baby off, not wanting another humiliating session, and handed the map to Chris.
Chris stood up, looking carefully at the parchment. "Hmm, interesting."
"You know something about this, pal?" Baby questioned eagerly.
"I know not," Chris shook his head, throwing the map to Leon, and went back to embracing his friend. "My old friend Elias! He hath come to see me!"
"Look, pal, I'm happy to see you, but Macaw wants the Ember Crystal. We have to locate the haunted house!" Baby pulled away from the hug.
Chris turned all serious, facing Leon. "It's impossible to locate the haunted house, and even if you manage to find it -- you might not want to go inside!"
"Do you think I signed up for this? Man, stop bullshitting," Leon retorted.
Leon turned to leave, but Chris stopped him by the shoulder. "What is that?" he asked, pointing to Leon's dagger.
He tried to pull the dagger that Macaw had given him, but Leon quickly moved away from Chris's grasp.
"Don't tell me, it's... it's Macaw's moon dagger?" Chris gasped in surprise.
"Nice, so it's called a moon dagger, eh? Very helpful, Christopher mate. We shall go now," Leon said as he walked downstairs.
Just then, Leon realized, 'Oh shit.'
He had totally forgotten about finding a way out of this place. Instead of asking Macaw about how to leave, he had inquired about psyche, and now he was tangled up in this situation. He looked at the map again in frustration, the dim light of the barren restaurant's stairs providing little illumination. To his dismay, the locations on the map had completely vanished. 'Huh?'
Leon trudged outside, holding the map under the moonlight. His guess was right; the places on the map only showed up in the moon's glow. Still, it didn't stop the locations from moving, making it difficult to decipher the directions.
"I'm sorry, I thought he might know something about this," Baby said as it came outside, following Leon.
But Leon wasn't listening. He had discovered something about the map, yet it didn't lead them anywhere. Frustrated, he put the map back, and something nudged in his pocket. It was the pocket watch. 'I should throw this away.'
As he walked toward Baby to sit beside the doorstep, the clock hand on the pocket watch shifted rapidly, pointing in the opposite direction. 'Hold up.'
Leon walked up and down, and he realized that it wasn't just a watch; it was some sort of compass.
"Hey Elias, I think I figured something out."
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