"...mother....father....don't love me..."
"...but....others...hit....shout....lock...."
"...dogs... Dark red orange eyes.... Made gate... I.... Fall..."
He continues as he's voice was getting heavy and trembling....
"..... accident.... Run..."
Limbo was trying hard to linking every tiny details. He didn't wants to be rushed and jumped to any conclusion for the time being.
Rin tightened her jaw, what how can they do that!, she came to conclusion, "it wasn't a place for him."
What a ... Story of a child going through all this mess, but...
Outside the cave footsteps began to grew closer. Each step loud and clear moving forward.
"Spread out," the deep voice ordered.
"Check the every corner don't leave any places."
Hey you, check the cave, the rocks any suspicious place. Kuwar is small. "He could be hiding anywhere.
Limbo's breath fastened. "They're coming straight toward us." Rin eyes widened, did we have to fight with them.
Gaja drew his short swords ready to moved at any time, if they're like a normal humans, we can knock them out without killing. And captured them to question later.
Sambha tightened his grip on Limbo's arms after hearing Gaja.
"...Don't..kill..." He whispered.
"Uncle is good ... Bad..."
Limbo exhaled. "That's it then, we shouldn't kill anyone." Limbo instinct were screaming something doesn't match up.
Protect sambha, if fight breakout.
Don't just kill randomly to anyone.
"Rin," he said, "can you hide us instead of blocking completely?"
Rin blinked. "Hide?"
Like... Make it look like the cave is just solid wall outside. Illusion maybe. Or something like that, anything that can change its shape, if possible vines will also do.
Rin puff her cheeks, do i look like a illusion type...
I'll try what can I do.
She placed her palms on ground and whispered something, suddenly the vines crawled up. They covered the entrance silently, weaving with mud and stone. Withing seconds, from outside, it looked less like a cave mouth and more like a rough-tough uneven wall of vine and rocks.
Not bad Rin, Gaja praise her softly.
Sweat was slowly dripping from her face. Don't praise me yet, it not that solid they'll know if you're that loud.
The shadows outside the cave grew longer as the distance shortened.
A silhouette came near right at the entrance of the cave.
Boot sound stopped. Someone was standing just beyond the vines.
Everyone holds their breath.
...Sniff...sniff...
Tracks ends here, the deep voice said.
There are other signatures alongwith kuwar, and the footprints we find earlier it seems there children.
That must be them, another voice replied. The ones who helped him escape through the gate.
So they took p...kuwar, a third voice with rage. We should dragged them also with us.... And...
Silence, the leader snapped.
A pause.
Limbo almost feeling the gaze of the man staring at the cave wall.
Like he was sensing something but wasn't sure what he seeing.
System pop-up,
[ Unknown presence: warrior ]
[ Mana signature: Stable. No corruption found.]
[ Threat: unclear. ]
The man outside spoke again, lower.
Whoever you are, he said, if you can hear this...
We're not enemy, we are ----------------.
Rin blinked, ------------------.
We seek only the young child. The man continue.
He's name is sambha. If he's with you... Then we can settle this peacefully, and we didn't intend to harm you.
Sambha fliched sharply at his name.
Limbo gently hold his shoulder.
But, then the man added, voice turning into sharp blade, "if you intend to harm or use him... I will hunt you to end of every realm this forest connects to."
Gaja asked, ....Limbo! What should we do?
Rin whisper, Limbo...
Limbo didn't answer anything....yet.
His logical mind was calculating possibilities, both were opposite to each other:
1: Reveal. Talk. Risk sambha being taken by force or dragged back into the place that he escaped.
2: Hide and wait. Protect first. Figure out the situation later. Risk of misunderstanding.
Trembled hands of Sambha grabs Limbo's shirt.
Limbo exhaled slowly.
He made his mind, and take long breath.
Rin watched his face, "have you decided?"
Hmm, he nodded. We hide for now. They're not Corrupted, but Sambha doesn't want to go with them, and they will not go until they takes him.
Then it's settled.
From outside another voice spoke.
Captain, no response. Are you sure he reached this side?
The deep voice—captain...
He did. I can smell his presence in area.
...but some his hinding it, and strangely I can sense his mana maybe they are using a barrier.
He takes a few steps back fromcave.
And he run and smash...
Dhoom...
He hit at the cave, luckily he hit at the side where the string cave wall was present.
We return, suddenly he announced. Report we found active signature of p....kuwar. but he's with someone unknown.
Don't know their intentions.
"But elders won't like this," someone muttered.
"They can yell at me or they can kill me, if they wish, captain said."
Captain...! Many voice sync.
Move... Before the Corrupted beast found our trails and turned his quiet place into mess.
Step...step.....ste...s...
Footsteps began to fade.
Leaves shifted with Branch cracking voice. Then....nothing.
Silence covers the whole area.
Inside the cave , no one moved.
Finally Gaja let out a long breath of relief.
"...we really... Escape from the trouble."
But why the guards were looking for three year old child.
Rin sits, at least they weren't like the Corrupted wolves.
Limbo turned to sambha.
"Those were your people," he said quietly.
"Right?"
Sambha hesitated...
....they....den....
...but lock me....
He shook his head.
He wasn't wish to go... But he was looking for door.
This strange situation filled Limbo's chest with heavy and familiar feeling.
Not accurately but,
He remembered the feeling of office light, monitors and rules of being told were to sits, what to do.
He puts his hand on Gaja's head gently.
"Okay," he said. "Then we won't push you, but remember if that's your home, then someone might be waiting for your return."
Rin glared at Limbo with big eyes.
Limbo's eyes shifts towards the cave wall. At the direction sambha has pointed earlier. At the space beyond that.
Now...
Now we have to prepare. Learn, and get stronger.
Because sooner or later... Someone will come again... That door we have find.
And the mystery connected to it.
The system flickered.
[New quest: Between Den and Gate]
[Objective: solved the untold mystery.
Investigate door keys. ]
[ Warning: external forces have Marked host's location. ]
Far away, beyond forest and corrupted lands, in a den carved from the ancient stone. A queen's voice trembled with mix emotions anger and fear.
"You found his scent...."
She said to kneeling captain.
The captain lowered his head.
Forgive me. He was with others, children...
It was strong presence, someone blocking us... Maybe a shielding us from them.
The queen's claws scrapped the floor.
The. Send word to the king, she said in cold voice.
Our little lion has chosen his path.....
She looked towards the distance direction...the from same were Sambha was looking at.
Bring him back...
I want to see the one who dared to touch....
Back in cave.
...Brother.
Yeah?
Thank you... For not letting the....take me.
Limbo smiled.
We're in this together, anyways we can escape what will come at us now.
And one more child won't make any difference.
Outside the forest wind blows again...
Pretending to all settled.
The hidden gate was waiting for the next activation...
Hey switch now...
I'll keep an eyes on the cave...
Don't miss anything else...
Shared your thoughts...
Let's uncover the mystery and if u have ideas hit in comment.... Might be the story will move according to that....