“Magister, lord magister, where are you!
I—I made you some stew…”
“You filthy, traitorous betraying assassin
To think I thought of you like a sibling.”
“M-magister? What are you saying?”
“Magister? Stop fooling”
“Lord magister, I don’t understand”
“I know, and you intend to end with everything sand”
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A hanged rat greets Isaac’s gasping wake, stick stabbed through its head. Cold sweat run down the boy’s chin as he dreamt and thinks of the lord magister hating him for not being on his side. He wants to go back as quickly as possible but he knows that the marsh would not simply let him. There has to be some solution. Maybe, someone like the young girl with green wavy long hair, plucking hanged herbs—Rosehaggard and thible—before throwing them in her black cauldron. Firefly lights show no fabric running down her pale skin, with blue lips yet green eyes. Her blind eyes meet his browns. And Isaac asks if she is a witch, she says no. “Then an apperentice?”
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“No”
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“Then…” Eyeing the girl’s bare body, whose hair covers her bum. “What are you?”
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The girl asks the same,
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And Isaac wonders if this girl is simply just a normal girl but then the plants around her seems to watch her every action. Moving fluidly whenever her fingers draw the air. It reminds him of the lord magister. His silent words and sometimes weirdly dancing to do magic.
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“Are you going to eat me?”
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“Eat you!?” surprised to hear it, “My tongue does not wish for muddy meat like yours. I only eat for the most exquisite of dishes and that does not cannibalism unless cooked so.”
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“Witches eat children…”
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And the girl looks over her shoulder, “And my presence be like one?”
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Isaac nods, “I am Isaac…”
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“And why do you tell?”
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“Because…you might eat me…just to haunt your dreams…”
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“Strange boy you are. Stranger than Ipos.” Adding fingers, ears and worms into the boiling puke bile, “Zephyr is my name. Greet each other well enough to gather information. Just like how you should know the plant you are gathering first lest you want to explode your cauldron Do you understand?”
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“…” His face says no,
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“Silence means that you do not”
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“Ah—I—” Asking differently while propping himself to sit properly like how the lord magister does, “Ahem, you seem to know the common tongue, what ar---”
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Cutting his words off, “Yes I do and better than you I suppose” Flinging her fingers for a bud of flower and petals to drop into the cauldron. She tastes it with the gooping ladle, “good enough…”
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This hut…he does not even know if he can call this stone structure they are in a hut. Skulls and jars with insects line the moss-fested cabinets. Some books on the floor. Four wooden plates on the table? Of course, the cauldron and the witch herself. He just assumes her to be a witch, better than a hungry murlock. “Can you help me get out?”
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“I do not know what you are talking about. But if it is a process of transferring homes or rooms then rest first before moving out. You should know better if you want to live in the marsh really. Sister Real said that she found you playing with the neighbors so badly she had to take you in.” Offering the boy a bowl of her cooking, “Take”
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But an eyeball is bobbing on it, with fingernails and ears… “Uhhh, not hungry”
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“And I am not asking”
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Isaac obediently takes the bowl. Strange how the bowl feels cold and the dish(?) is bubbling hot.
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“Then heal” gesturing for the boy to drink
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Worms swimming around and meeting the disgusted eyes of their carnivore, “I really am not hungry…” turning to the girl
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“Even if you are not hungry, feed yourself for the coming days while the food is still warm. Get yourself fats, because I am sure you will be skinny again in days after. Go on and take it all in.”
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“…” No matter how she words it differently, Isaac’s hands adamantly do not want to bring it close to his face, “No…”
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And Zephyr’s eyes glow faintly white with the plants taking the bowl from the boy. She forcefully opens the sleeping girl next to him and dunk it down her throat. “This girl likes it.”
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“Mira!” He did not even notice her right before she starts coughing and startle herself to sit up.
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“Hot! HOT! TONGUE BURNING Mira is hot! And mmm~ Delicious too!” Sniff sniff, like a canine before facing the cauldron. She leaps for it but Zephyr’s vines duly catch her in the air. “Let Mira eat! Let Mira eat! Mira is hungry!” And the vines gladly use the ladle and feed her straight from the cauldron.
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“You?” Zephyr turns to Isaac after she heard some ugly stomach complaining, brows furrowed at this ungrateful boy. “Be grateful that I am patient. My chances do not come by so often to strangers and I doubt you can find any other feed in this swamp lest you wish to be like the maddened jesters and feed yourself to the pets.”
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Mira drinks half of the cauldron and made herself so full that she dozed off with a bloated belly. The goopy puke substance dripping from the side of her snoring mouth. It still does not look as appetizing as how Mira said it was. Or how her tongue is sticking out with an eyeball at the tip of it.
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“I do not want to…” He murmurs, but there really is no other choice and his stomach is at the edge of wanting to wrung and eat his intestines. “Fine!” He closes his eyes and drinks entire purple contents of the bowl. Then the vines—branched out and connected with the cauldron, thrusts themselves straight into his throat. No bowl, no ladle, just a hose that directly gives him his feed. Isaac gags, trying to keep himself sit up as a salty and sticky substance goes straight down his throat, warming his belly. Seconds later, his stomach bulges and bloats, the entire cauldron empty and the ruthless vines retract themselves back from the ceiling.
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“Good boy, now heal yourself” pleasantly eating her own fill as Isaac dizzily tries to speak but can only burp before dozing himself off to the snoring Zs. Both snoring with bloated bellies. The boy even rudely spilling his pee but Zephyr takes it as a sign that he enjoyed it. Drawing the air with her fingers for her vines to take their clothes off and change into shirts and shorts made out of wooden fibers. “Ipos, Sis Real, and Brother Haures, you can come in now. They are as behaved as a log”
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“P-poor boy…” Stuttering in is a brown haired, chisel faced boy asking with worry, “Why would you le-t-t let the vines d-do that to him like that?”
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“He got violated rough” The ashy haired boy adds, “While that ghoul has quite the appetite.”
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“That is not a ghoul.” The pink haired girl argues, “That is a girl”
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All of them having skin as pale as the mist that shrouds around their hut. Their blind eyes watching and commenting how their big bellies rise up and down like a gentle leaf on a breeze.
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“Ipos”, Zephyr starts, glancing at the brown haired, “My delicate hands require what I have asked two days ago. Five handful of bullet ants, where are they?”
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“Y-you are -s-so cruel” sobbing while taking a seat at their bamboo dining table, “I ca—canno--ot -do-do it s-sis, they are j-jjust sm-all a-nts!”
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“I got some” The pink haired one takes out a matchstick box that is large enough to fit five bullet ants and a dead baby spider inside.
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“Thanks Sis Real! You truly are the best sibling among these dumbheads!”
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“I will have none of this” The ashy one walks out, hand cooly in his shorts. Being the only one who is not in nude. “I will go get some fish”
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“B-bro Haures, take me with you!” Ipos runs after his brother, telling him that he can trap the fishes with the earth—basically trying to make himself sound useful. But Haures looks down at Ipos and tell him to wear something for bottoms to hide his sorry junior. “B-but I like him set free!”
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“Honestly dumbheads” Zephyr returns to throw the bullet ants, along with the dead baby spider into the empty cauldron which she flings her vines to hose out water and fill it for her next brewing session.
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Meanwhile Real walks up to Mira who occupies her bed. She stares at Zephyr working, just her habit at play before staring down at Mira. Something, about this girl, draws her hand above the face. Uttering silent words Real’s vision blackens and she sees nothing…but there are sounds. Monstruous growls and large explosions.
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She sees herself standing in the middle of the darkness, raising both hands before the darkness around her suddenly opens like a curtain. Revealing a red sky with burned trees and purple ground that she has never seen before. Birds—no, they are larger than birds. Their bodies like lizard and they breathe fire. In front of her is a four-legged creature—no, once again her knowledge is mistaken.
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Its cheetah body bearing the eyes of a venomous snake with a patterned fur that resembles what she imagines Djahatian natives would have. Its hind legs are as bulked up as an elephant and with tusks growing outwards behind its ankles. She tries to maintain composure as it stands up and feel a presence similar to that of the lochness—a beast. It growls, so loud that it sounds like a howl and sent Real flying backwards and out of the scene.
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Real wakes, panting and trying to comprehend what she just saw.
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“Real! Real!” Zephyr calls, “Are you okay?” Her hands and finger spread out like how she would if she is intently controlling her plants
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Real turns to look over her shoulder and see the face of the tiger.
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“M-Mira! Mira hates you looking into Mira!” Gritting her teeth with the vines binding her to the bed
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“Sorry” Real sighs, apologizing for looking into her head. “It is just a habit of mine.”
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“What did you see?” Zephyr curiously question, before injecting her vines into Mira and sedating her back to sleep.
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“I’d rather not share.” Real says before walking for Isaac and checking him as well. Hovering her hand above his face. Inside, is once again darkness. She opens them giant curtains with an invisible hard, and see herself standing in the middle of a mist. Same as how the foggy marsh is but denser. Strange, she tries to clear the mist but her head only aches. Something is blocking her. Then, the sound of two horses gallop, drawn in a golden carriage in front of her. The door opens, and an old man—that which her eyes widen in the familiarity-- ”You…”
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“Forgive me, but you are not my son nor is time nigh—“Ober extends an open palm and pulses her out and back into the hut.
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“The old man’s magic…” She grits her teeth intending to go back inside but a vine stops her. Real sharply turns to Zephyr with an expression that murderers would wear. “He is connected to that old man! We should kill him!”
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“Does not mean you have to be the one deciding for all of us, sis…” Zephyr then apologizes for forcefully grabbing her hand and covering both Mira and Isaac in a cocoon of her flora. “We always had a grudge for that old man, and we don’t even know the reason why. So, let’s not jump into conclusions and end innocent lives. It has been far too long since we had visitors and I do not want them to go mad or get eaten by that lochness.”
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“I am sorry as well…” Her head low, clasping her hands together, “I acted on impulse. That feeling we have in all of us…I let it control me again.”
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Soon later, Real finds herself lost in a book while Zephyr happily brews—still a clear water, goodness knows what would happen if she adds the fishes the boys would bring.
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“We are back”
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And speak of the devil, the boys are back. Zephyr rush to take the fish—three murlocks and pluck off their fingernails, tongue and hair as an ingredient for her, “Fish stew will be coming up everyone. Please take your seats around the table~” The rest of the murlock gets added after the entire cauldron water turn black purple.
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“Uhm c-can I ask w-w-hy you coff-i-i-ined them sis?” Ipos means about Isaac and Mira, “T-t-tt-he-y a-are- n-not---"
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“Dead, yes, yes” Which Zephyr tells him to not worry and that she is simply protecting them from their older sister’s gossip habits.
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“Gosh, you checked them out huh” Haures says, “What did you see?”
“The old man” pointing at Isaac’s cocoon, then pointing to Mira’s “A beast from the unknown lands”
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“O-Old Ober!?” Ipos shocks and so is Zephyr with, “B-BEAST!? FRO-OM U-UNKNO-WN L-L-ANDS?”
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“Wow, these two must be hotshots.” Haures brews himself a cup of milk.
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“Wait, First of all! Beast! From unknown lands! Are you for certain?” The mad eager brewer question with knees bent as if she is begging for bread, “ARE YOU!?”
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“There were dragons, and a red sky. And her of course in…” Real looks down at the book she is reading and turns to a page with a drawing that looks like exactly what she saw. “This…” The other three huddle around to see the art.
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“Woah, that is one sexy ingrre—I mean, beast…”
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“What about the boy?” Ipos’s turn to beg for an answer,
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“Well, like I said. He is connected with that old man and he has got his magic around his head.”
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“Oh like, he is blocking you from it?” Haures sips his hot cup of milk,
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“That is one, but I did not see him in it.” Real says, gazing down at Isaac’s cocoon, “Which was strange because I usually see the person I am checking in their own scenes. But it was just that old man.”
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“W-What does that mean?” Ipos guesses, “Maybe he is a vessel!?”
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“Hah! If he is” Zephyr says, “Then why is he away from that old man? We would know every time he comes in the marsh and sure enough, he is not here.”
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“M-maybe he dumped him!”
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“That’s sad” Haures sips, “Maybe he is useless.”
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“T-that is what I said.”
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“In any case,” Real brings their thoughts back together, seeing how everyone is just guessing at this point, “The boy—”
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“Oooh, I also asked his name and his name is Isaac” Zephyr says, intrudingly, “Sorry, go on sis.”
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“Okay…The boy—Isaac, has something to do with the old man. Maybe this beast too, so let’s not try to do anything funny with them until we know what they really are”
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“That is so unlike you.” Haures finishes his cup and helps Zephyr serves their bowls of black murlock fish stew.
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All four of them gather at their dining table and have a hearty meal, sharing some stories about wraiths having an orgy or a rat acting as if it is in a grand theatre performance. Zephyr can only share her expectations and wants to get out of this marsh and find all the ingredients in the world that she can use for cooking. Ipos wants to build a castle and hide under a 100-layer floor dungeon. Haures wants to see a beast like Mira fight the lochness which gets disputed by everyone knowing that it will trigger an Absternicous. While Real who has already shared much about Isaac and Mira, wants to remind everyone of their journals.
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“I have ve written mine!”
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“M-me too”
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“Not yet”
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Zephyr, Ipos, and Haures all have their journals with them and Real ask if they have also included Isaac and Mira which the trio nods though Haures clearly has nothing for today’s page yet.
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“H-hey…” Ipos calls their attention, “I hh-ave a-an i-i-idea…D-do you thi-nk, w-ww-e can ss-end them up tt-t-there?”
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And everyone is silent, taking a second for them to realize what this chisel-faced coward is talking about.
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“Bloody murlock Ipos They are just children!” Zephyr stands against him, “We cannot let them risk their lives.”
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“I—I ma-am sorryyyy. I-Itt w-as jus-t a-n id-ea”
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“It is possible” Haures says, “With the boy”
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“Why, did not know you know how to suggest” Real teases, “But yes, I have been thinking about that as well. It has always been bothering me why that old man kept visiting that tower and not us. What is in that tower?”
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“Those dark stuff are for you all,” Says Zephyr, “that’s probably just his secret store room or something.”
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“Maybe it has secret ingredients too” Which Haures immediately reel the ingredient crazed into their plan.
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They hear groaning and moaning from inside the coffin. The two are waking up and Zephyr asks what she should do but then the cocoon holding Mira explodes open. Mira leaps for Real at an unprecedented speed, “Heh! Mira Kills any who Mira does not like”
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Uttering silent words, Real whose head falls to the ground suddenly disperses into a cloud and she appears full behind Mira. Pointing at the girl she says, “Bunny” And Mira turns into a bunny.
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“W-WHAT!? WHAT IS THIS! HOW—HOW ARE YOU ALIVE!” Mira yells in a squeaky bunny voice. She tries to attack with her paws but they are trimmed and she can only bounce.
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“A—ahh…” Ipos shakes but pats the bunny’s head, “th-at w-as ss-scary…”
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“Alright then,” Zephyr stands and blooms sleepy flowers in Isaac’s cocoon. “We have all decided that we should go and check the tower! Haures, you carry Isaac! And then this naught bunny of course will be for me.” Twirling her fingers and a cluster of roots wraps around Mira and connects to Zephyr’s waist forming her a belt.
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The others have no objections with Haures carrying the Isaac’s cocoon over his shoulder and Ipos leading the way. Their feet knowing exactly where to touch and carefully treading not to disturb the murky waters that vaguely shows the faces of dead men, women, children and elders. And when there are any brave dark marsh entities, Real simply glances for them to turn into a warm breeze. They follow along a line of sticks struck into the mod. Roaches, flies, and rodents populate the ground and waters beside them and of course the smell of rot reeks, but the children have gotten used to it, but to Mira who is struggling enough being an accessory to Zephyr’s belt, sniffs and sneezes in every minute they step. Haurus slips and a ghastly figure tries to pull him in but the even just the touch of the dark entity to his leg turned it into ash.
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A giant shadow looms by their side. Its gigantic mass looking straight at them. But they are not daunted. With steps finally reaching the base of an ancient tower with only one window. Moss infests the creases and the weathered stones are pitted and uneven to the point that rats can go in and out of it. How it manages to stand always amazes the children, especially Zephyr with her fondness to the greenery and their roots managing to keep hold of this skeletal like structure. That being said, secrets must be unearthed with Isaac’s cocoon slowly opening as he gets thrown down to the ground.
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“Haures! Has those hands never heard of careful before?”
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Haures bluntly says, “He is heavy”
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“D-Do not lie when you can carry a murlock five times your size…”
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Isaac groans himself to sit up and hearing Mira calling out to him and telling him to run. “But my feet” He looks down at it and see that it is properly facing forwards. He stands, proper with no agonizing aching pain around his ankles. Then Mira keeps telling Isaac to run to the point that Real made the bunny’s mouth into a zipper.
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“We are attracting unwanted attention.” Real says, before turning to Isaac, “Boy, we want you to go up the tower and check for us what is inside. If you’d do that, then we’ll guide out of the marsh, together with your friend bunny of course.”
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Just the words ‘guide out of the marsh’ convinces Isaac to nod. He looks forwards and up at the tower that just now, he realized it being the one that the magister always visits with him. Curious, he assures himself and the other children that he will check what is up. And the children all watch him climb up with a familiar kingdom growl echoing around them and scaring the living hell of rats out the tower’s dark cracks.
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