Chapter 8

The Cult of the Rising

Met with the face of a woman who saved him and a woman which Nick had no chance to talk to thank.

She was a young beautiful woman with somewhat short purple hair. With her distinguishable, stable but still womanly posture she really did capture looks.

Nick now has a chance to thank her and that is exactly the first thing he does after meeting her.

‘‘Are you okay Nick? We heard the ship didn’t make it in time and started worrying about you.’’’

‘‘Yeah I’m alright, you don’t have to worry about me. More importantly-I want to thank you for saving me if you didn’t save me that day I would’ve been a goner!’’

Nick sincerely bowed as a token of appreciation. It really did look like he meant it from the bottom of his heart. To which the maid responded with a slight blush (which she covered up) and:

‘‘You don’t have to. I’m just doing my job. Thank you anyway. Since Glegmore is now arrested, I was put as a temporary Meryland island representative.’’

‘‘That’s really good! I’m glad! What will you do after that is done?’’

‘‘I’ll probably be at the town hall. I might consider taking a vacation or even meeting up with you guys. But don’t get your hopes up ,huhu!

‘‘Enough rambling you two! Let’s go eat!’’

Thora called them over to the big wooden table, which was specially prepared for them. On it there were a lot of different meals, freshly cooked by top grade cooks. They really did go all out for Nick.

From salads to roasted chicken with ten types of sauces. To spicy beans and beef steaks. There also were all sorts of expensive wine.

It was a wonderful arrangement of many types of cuisines. Everything on that table looked absolutely delicious. I’d like to have a bite, please!

They sat down on the table and with a cheers they started eating. Nick this time avoided alcohol.

‘‘I think I am speaking from everybody by saying-this is delicious!’’

This was a remark by Thora who seemed to be really enjoying herself.

‘‘I’m glad!’’

One of the chefs overheard that and entered to thank her for that ‘‘compliment’’.

While no one seemed to mention it, Nick didn’t know for how long he had been unconscious. And so he asked:

‘‘Maybe shouldn’t bring this up right now, but for how long was I out?’’

The maid heard his nervous voice and proceeded to calm him down.

‘‘Don’t worry, you were out just for the night.’’

After that little interruption the continued eating.

Some time passed and they have finished their meal. They went out, thanked the chefs, asked for a map and waved them goodbye.

Now they finally have a map, a map which still doesn’t make everything obvious. It was a very detailed map of the area around Locu. There were some symbols no one knew about.

‘‘Lines and squiggles, some dots and whatnot. I really can’t understand this map.’’

Nick was trying to decipher the code of this map, which he couldn’t do.

In the meantime. They have to say goodbye to the maid, but first Nick wants to know her name.

‘‘Before we say goodbye, might I ask for your name?’’

‘‘Oh right, I haven’t told you yet. I am Rie, nice to meet you!’’

‘‘Though we will have to say goodbye.’’

‘‘Goodbye Nick, Thora, Emily. I hope we meet again someday!’’

They all send her off in one voice:

‘‘Have a safe trip!’’

Nick watched as the breeze calmly blew her short hair as she continued walking slowly.

And with that we are back to just out heroes.

‘‘Now, where do we go and what do we do?’’

Nick straight up asked this question everybody was avoiding. But the time has come when they need to navigate through the vast lands of the Ventergian continent.

‘‘I’m not sure but judging by this huge red arrow that is pointing that way I might have caught where we should go. He also wrote some more navigation on the back. There is an arrow from Locu pointing to Resville. So we probably should go down this road.’’

Emily and her navigation skills.

Locu had Victorian style infrastructure with a bit taller, more spread out buildings. It still didn’t seem like much of an improvement over Meryland.

Streets weren’t crowded but you would see a lot of people just taking strolls, enjoying the scenery as most of them were tourists.

Anyways.

They went down the road up until they reached a sign with ‘‘Resville’’. It was pointing to a small dirt road leading into the forest, which was also labeled on the map. So they went for it.

‘‘Are you all sure it is a good idea to take this road?’’

Asked Emily and very rightly so. She got a reply by the still confused Nick.

‘‘It IS labeled on the map and the map IS the one and only navigation we have, so…’’

‘‘I still don’t trust this road but whatever.’’

So they went for it. Everything was normal. Birds were singing and trees blocked the strong light the sun emitted.

Whilst they were walking Nick was binding his thoughts together and trying to make sense of this mess. He was doing that until…

His mind darkened as everyone’s vision became blurry.

They were just about to reach the end of the dirt road when two guys in red cultist hoodies popped up in front of them.

No one said anything but Thora and Emily quietly prepared for battle.

‘‘We are the cult of the Rising. You all have caught our attention as a distinct group of people. We will take you to our master, he has a few things to say to you. . If you do wish to resist we will have to take action and hunt you down until we get you.''

They said that in perfect synchronization, it was horrifying.

Wind started rushing in as everyone’s breaths shortened. The decision has to be made and it has to be now.

Do they resist, bite and fight or do they see what the cultists have to offer…